The first day at Grand Canyon

Hie everyone,

Here I am at North Rim Grand Canyon Arizona, supposed to be happily snuggling in my bed at 2.20AM in the morning.

However, I couldn't sleep. I think I am having jetlag. Or maybe, I have not gotten accustomed to being all alone in a foreign country. It could be a combination of both actually.

Allright,let's update everyone about my life in Arizona thus far.
After being picked up by a kind employee Karen,we headed to the Social Security Office to get my Social Security Card (a card to enable me to began working in the States). To my horror, the officer said he can't start verifying my working status and issue me a card until 10 days after my arrival into the States (apparently, the new law states that any foreign citizen who wish to work here needs to wait for 10 days after arrival into the States). Karen made a call back to the resort where I am supposed to work and my General Manager Daisy said that they might have to send me back if things don't work out. However, Daisy checked with the capital office and apparently they had the same problem with some international students last year as well. So they insisted on getting me apply the Social Security Card even before the 10 days. The officer gave me a resit of application but said things are looking bad as the systems seems to suggest I could not be verified unless my sponsor here in the States, GeoVision activate certain thing (I am aware that I need to contact GeoVision upon arrival but was hoping to get a calling card to contact them prior to leaving for Grand Canyon). I told Karen about this and she said I can contact GeoVision upon arrival into the Grand Canyon and that everything will be fine.

We were supposed to head up to the Grand Canyon alone (just the two of us) but Karen got a call from the HR requesting her to fetch two other guys. There are some troubles locating one of them and we end up an hour behind schedule. When I get to the Canyons, it is too late to contact GeoVision. Karen said I can do it tomorrow morning and assured me everything will be fine but I am still a little worried.

As I was filling in my forms to be an employee, I was assisted by a sweet HR assistant manager. However, there are so many queries of mine that she can't answer (I think she is fairly new). And I end up having my paper half filled. All these added to my discomfort. Everyone else (other HR personnel) is so busy helping other employees check in no one is available to help me out and there seems to be hiccups all over (I heard it's really messy with the lack of stuff as this is the pre-operating period).

Then I was told by her that I was the first official international student to arrive this year (there is one girl but she was here last year so she had no trouble with the social security card and filling in the official forms as her details are already with them). How I wish i wasn't the first first-time international employees that report to work.

I heard since this is a pre-operating period, we are all assigned to various areas to help out and try to get the resort running in 2 weeks or less. It is going to be hard work.

With all these mess and the fact that I can't call my parents despite having bought a calling card cause I can't locate the phone at the other block of the dorm and it's dark with no street lights (my torchlight wasn't bright enough to bring me far), I am feeling very overwhelmed.

Oh, And my room wasn't in top notch condition but I think it is quite good. I just need to do some slight cleaning up tomorrow. Mike (the HR manager I dealt with prior to arriving at the States) said that the all the other international students will have it much easier when they arrive as everything will be up and running by then. How I wish I was one of them now.

I am still very worried about my working visa and I seriously hope it will not cause me any trouble or I will end up having to come back to Malaysia.

I don't know, it didn't start off good but I guess everything will be fine soon. I just don't know who to confide in at the moment. I think I'll pray. I think I have not prayed enough.