I had the coolest job. I was a viking in a viking village. People would come and try viking crafts, cook viking food, row viking boats, basically do all kinds of viking stuff. People would have their viking themed wedding there, or their company party. There was also a small museum with full scale replicas of genuine viking stuff. Have you any idea how heavy sword, shield and armor is? It's amazing they could even move, let alone fight.
When I got to work this morning, the place just wasn't there. A little bit of the chimneystack was still upright, and the farthest of the guest toilets still had part of a wall, the rest was just smoking rubble. Around five o'clock this morning a fire started and the house burned down to the ground really quickly. All the outbuildings were gone as well, the forge, the hen coop, the pig sty, the archery range, the glass bead workshop, everything. All the sculptures. All the antique textiles (some more than 200 years old), all the viking clothes. Everything hand made with viking techniques and tools, which are also gone. There is nothing left, except the boats that were in the lake.
Five international youth volunteer workers were staying in the viking long house. Everything they had is gone, pretty much, except what they were sleeping in. They are stuck in a country where they don't even speak the language, all their stuff burned: no clothes, no passports, no money, no cell phones, no toothbrush, not even shoes. One girl lost her medicine. They were lucky to get out alive.
The owners are devastated. This is their life work, they spent all their time and money building the centre. When I arrived my boss smiled a crooked smile and greeted me: "Hello Anna, you don't have a job anymore." I made coffee for everone, and then my boss sent me out to pick cherries, because in the depth of the disaster, suddenly all he could think of was that the cherries mustn't go to waste. And they weren't even ripe yet.
What can I do? Is there any way I can help these people? I offered to take some of the youths to my house to clothe, feed and lodge them, but the social services had been called in to take care of such things. In the end I went around and told everyone that I was going home, but that they had my number and I would do anything they asked if they called. Then I went home and called my co-workers to make sure they knew, but it seems I was the only one they forgot to tell not to come in today.
I guess I'm a bit messed up and not thinking too clearly. There's not much to discuss in this thread. I just needed to vent, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm grateful.
UPDATE, two days later:
The preliminary report shows that the fire started outside the building. Someone probably started the fire, but it may have been through carelessness, not with intent, and there is no way to find who did it. My boss has stated to the media that he will rebuild, whatever it takes. Privately, to me, he has said that I still don't have a job until the place is rebuilt (I guess he doesn't believe I have the skills needed), but that he hopes I will come back to work when the place opens again.
When I got to work this morning, the place just wasn't there. A little bit of the chimneystack was still upright, and the farthest of the guest toilets still had part of a wall, the rest was just smoking rubble. Around five o'clock this morning a fire started and the house burned down to the ground really quickly. All the outbuildings were gone as well, the forge, the hen coop, the pig sty, the archery range, the glass bead workshop, everything. All the sculptures. All the antique textiles (some more than 200 years old), all the viking clothes. Everything hand made with viking techniques and tools, which are also gone. There is nothing left, except the boats that were in the lake.
Five international youth volunteer workers were staying in the viking long house. Everything they had is gone, pretty much, except what they were sleeping in. They are stuck in a country where they don't even speak the language, all their stuff burned: no clothes, no passports, no money, no cell phones, no toothbrush, not even shoes. One girl lost her medicine. They were lucky to get out alive.
The owners are devastated. This is their life work, they spent all their time and money building the centre. When I arrived my boss smiled a crooked smile and greeted me: "Hello Anna, you don't have a job anymore." I made coffee for everone, and then my boss sent me out to pick cherries, because in the depth of the disaster, suddenly all he could think of was that the cherries mustn't go to waste. And they weren't even ripe yet.
What can I do? Is there any way I can help these people? I offered to take some of the youths to my house to clothe, feed and lodge them, but the social services had been called in to take care of such things. In the end I went around and told everyone that I was going home, but that they had my number and I would do anything they asked if they called. Then I went home and called my co-workers to make sure they knew, but it seems I was the only one they forgot to tell not to come in today.
I guess I'm a bit messed up and not thinking too clearly. There's not much to discuss in this thread. I just needed to vent, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm grateful.
UPDATE, two days later:
The preliminary report shows that the fire started outside the building. Someone probably started the fire, but it may have been through carelessness, not with intent, and there is no way to find who did it. My boss has stated to the media that he will rebuild, whatever it takes. Privately, to me, he has said that I still don't have a job until the place is rebuilt (I guess he doesn't believe I have the skills needed), but that he hopes I will come back to work when the place opens again.
