Zen but Rambling

I have just returned from the Tai Chi. It's just incredible how well that little hour can do to my mind, body and soul... And I'm getting so much more out of this than I imagined when I started, so much that I'm thinking of doing more lessons per week next year.
Aaaah....

I've aslo sent off my translation. Pheew. And now soon we'll be off to the bar/resto/Thursday jazz club by the beach.

And speaking of jazz - Lorenzo received his new saxo today (one day early) and when he came home for lunch to open the big parcel it was like seeing a kid at Christmas - eyes bright, shiney and full of expectation! The sound was amazing. The final verdict, of how good the new one actually is, fell a few moments ago I guess. L's saxo teacher is an official tester for this brand of saxophones... So I hope my handsome husband will be home soon from his lesson smiling from ear to ear because everything went well and it has no faults of any kind!!

Lost in Translation

I'm sitting here at my usual timewasting computer desk and guess what??! Today I'm not wasting my time. Oh no no no, I'm earning euros (or at least I hope I will...). Euros that will soon turn into to a fancy camerabag or maybe some italian leather shoes...

I'm having such a great time with my music pouring out from my speakers knowing that I've managed to start earning money as a translator. Tuesday evening I received my first big file to translate and here I am doing just that. Wish me luck, and cross your fingers that they'll like my work and keep sending me new projects to do!

I thought it wasn't even possible for me to do this knowing how much I'm language confused at times. Just ask my friends, sometimes they look at me like I had just uttered a few words in Hindi.

It's my very good blogger friend Rome2Rome who has been a great inspiration and a help to get started. Tanti bacioni your way!!

Efficiency Problems

Yesterday evening I fell asleep with my head full of today's plans. The what-to-do list was packed to the brim with pleasant and less fun things I needed to get done. Then morning comes and minutes ticks away and now it's 13.30 pm and I'm still where I started - only at my second cup of coffee.

Is it because I did so many things yesterday that I subconsciously need to make up for it with a completely useless day?

3 Differents Things

Where do I continue from here? I'm not so sure but life moves on in the fast lane and I want to tag along too. Unexpected events happen all the time, sometimes they are good and sometimes they are very hard to get through. I have learnt one thing (though it has always been very natural for me as it seemed to my father too) which is to enjoy life everyday and every moment.

A dear friend in Italy sent us an email with some were touching words a Saint once pronounced and sometimes soon I'd like to translate it to English and post it here. At the same time as it made me cry more, it also made me feel better...

Your thoughts, phonecalls and helping hands in these last few weeks has been a great support to me and my family. Warm thanks to you all!

***

Once back in Toulon we picked up our cat, which seemed to have enjoyed her stay at Lina's, particularily the inside of Lina's sofa (yes, we do have a strange cat!). Then I lost myself in the paintbuckets, masking tape and paint rolls while the very unusual rain kept pouring down for a week. The painting has lasted quite a bit longer than the rain though and now the livingroom is bright beige on 4 walls, and the 5th being red, very bold red. And I love it. Fits perfectly with the red theme we're going for. Soon we're attacking the bedroom and hiring people to completely redo our bathroom.

***

Guess where I'm writing from now? Estoril, close to Lisbon in Portugal :) Lorenzo's working and I came along. I packed my bags according to the month, ergo winterboots, scarf, wooly clothes and we landed yesterday to a smashing 20 degrees, hot sun and people swimming in the sea. Wow, guess who spent the afternoon shopping for lighter clothes??! And let me tell you one thing, Zara here is a lot cheaper than in France! And a 0.5 water bottle at the supermarket costs only 10 cents. I guess the portguese managed the transition to the Euro slightly better than the other neighbouring countries.

I started the day by walking to Cascais, neighbouring town, 5 KM along the sea. Taking snapshots of everything and nothing with my new nikon D80. Santa has been very generous indeed in 2007. The more I use it the more I looove it. As soon as I'm back home again I will post some of my photos.

The hotel is stunning!! I think it's the most luxurious I've ever stayed in. The stay has been arranged by someone else and we seem to be getting a very special price. We have a marble bathroom, with golden taps and bathrobes! Bathrobes... that's so cool. I can't believe someone I overheard today said "I wish they had used a softner on them"... How picky can you get?? And what standards are they normally used too?

Yesterday I had baccalao for the first time. It was served directly from the grill with roasted potates swimming in olive oil. Lovely, but I still prefer fresh fish to the dried and salted one. As a starter we were served different salads: beans with tuna, octopus in oil, beans with onion, fried fish liver and the strangest of them all was the roasted pig's ear salad. They were all very different but very tasty!

So while L is working I get to practice my photo skills but when the weekend comes we'll go to Lisbon together for some time "tête-à-tête".