Today did not start off well. I had to tackle more issues with my soon-to-be new mobile service provider, with no one in customer service able to give me a reason as to why my order continued to be held up. "Our system says the handset is out of stock," said the customer service officer (CSO). "Hang on, I know we have it, so I'll have to get in touch with another department to find out why," just as I started to fume about why this hadn't been told to me when my order was taken yesterday.

It turns out that they required further information from me, such as proof of address and all that. However, they didn't bother to contact me to let me know that they needed this. Typical. I'm not a f***ing mindreader, man. And shouldn't they be calling me if they want my patronage? It's not as if they're the only ones offering this handset. I only went to them because I thought they offered better customer service than other providers.

Sheesh.

And while I can't name any names, let's just say it's the mobile provider with the shortest name.

As I really do need a new phone urgently, let's just say this did not help.

Following this, I had to pack up my things and pop into the office to return all my company property. Again, not something which was bound to improve my mood. It did help a little, however, that my former boss was kind and understanding and offered to help me out for a few days, so that's a relief.

After this, it was off to the West End for a much-anticipated event: the collection of my visa... And not a moment too soon, I might add! I am now eligible to remain and work in the UK until 2012 based on my own merits. I hate to say it, but following the changes in the visa requirements which come into effect from April onwards, if my company had decided to make me redundant in the round that's almost certain to follow in the summer, I wouldn't have been eligible for this visa, and would have had to return home upon termination of my employment.

Thank God for small mercies.

Edited on March 24th to add a link to this story on Bloomberg:

Merrill Lynch fired Raj on Jan. 22 after he’d worked on the bank’s technology systems for 10 years. He got a promotion in 2006, sold his house in London, gave away the dog and moved his family to the U.S. Now, he’s scrambling to leave before his nine weeks of severance runs out and his L-1 work visa -- his right to be in the country -- is void because he’s out of a job.

“Merrill Lynch left us on the streets,” says [Raj's wife], who now nurses a chronic headache. “I’m just so angry and scared. What the hell is going to happen to us?”

Thank God indeed.