So the logistics guy in my building, whom I had hassled to move 59 carton boxes weighing tons into my humble archive, took pity and gave me a chair today. A PROPER office Chair. With wheels. It's over two weeks I'm standing straight up and down to my feet's dispair. Putting my laptop on shelfs. Sitting on trolleys. Sitting on boxes or putting the laptop on boxes. Very comfortable.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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Monday Blues is Coming |
The weekend is over and tomorrow I'll head back to the apartment and work. It's exciting and fun, but also so tiring. It's all positive though because it really makes me appreciate where we live now, by the sea, and not in some mountain village where I'm scraping the ice off the car in the morning and being in company on the roads with crazy speed-loving french locals. Mammamia, we need organ donors but I hope it's not going to be me yet.
Digressing... At work I'm currently working with my Italian boss with whom I speak Italian. I speak English with my Australian and English colleagues and French with the security personnel etc. So I get to practice all three languages which is great. It's the perfect in the way of being international. However, we have people coming from all over the world to work there so we're not lacking cultural diversity!
This weekend we have seen the sun, finally. It's been an unusual harsh winter here (all being relative of course) and we've missed the sun. That meant we ran out this morning when we woke up to a hot and bright sun. With the sneakers on we headed to the forest and decided to walk along the beaches - what is usually the nudist beaches in the summer. And just when I was thinking that we wouldn't be seeing any naked people a man appeared in front of us with a sweater on, boots and nothing in the middle. I had to suppress a loud laughter but what can I say, everyone have their very own pleasures.
Our trip was cut short though as L. was caught by a monster wave as we were rounding a rock. I had saved myself climbing a bit higher and when I turned around and saw him standing there wet as a cat, I started laughing so much I couldn't move. He was soaking wet from the neck down with the mouth wide open in surprise and shock. Then he started laughing too. Needless to say we returned home straight away.
I hope all of you had a nice weekend too :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
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Stopping by to say Hello! |
Thanks for your kind and encouraging comments in my last post. I'm currently at work and of course in my lunchbreak. Wouldn't want to blog or other such things in the working hours... :)
I still have no internet in my flat but I am working on it. The USB internet key was a good solution until I discovered that the town isn't in a good internet commication zone. Anyway, just popping in to say that as soon as this is sorted I'd be blogging more often.
As for work:
First week was mind-blowing - as in I had no mind left when the weekend came. I rolled home in my car, parked and was placed at the table where Lorenzo had put down a nice pastadish with tuna and capers and then he served me homemade tiramisu for dessert. The perfect recipe for a long nap on the sofa.
During the week though I had moments of euphoria feeling like real career woman. I got my own laptop, I was walking around in smart office clothes instead of comfy slacks as I usually would and I was placing internal orders for stuff like a mobile phone etc. Quite cool. Then I had also those low moments where I was thinking, "Gosh, I'll never get my head around this organisation and it's structure and will I even be capable of doing my job properly??!" And had the urge to get myself in the car and go home.
Now I'm in the second week and I'starting to get a glimse and feel of what is expected of me. And it's just to get cracking with the job because I've got a deadline on monday I'll never manage to keep. Hec, it wasn't me doing the planning and if they want to to finish they better send me some renforts.
So gotta go but I hope to be back soon!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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The One where I'm Going Offline... |
It's been a busy week. I have visited and found an apartment to rent and prepared everything for tomorrow morning, my first day at work in a looong time. I'm a little tense and it'll be strange sleeping away from L. most of the week.
I'll be without internet for a week until I get a clé 3G, wifi, connected to my new laptop. I'll be a lot online for the next 6 months so soon there are no excuses for being slow on my blog posts.
The apartment? The first one I saw was so smelly I almost gagged walking in. How can anybody let something like that out??? And the owner seemed ever proud to show it to me! No thanks! The second was spacious and clean. The third was a "coup de coeur" with a fabulous bacony and he one I accepted. It's a well done studio (30 m2) on the top floor with a nice view of the village and the valley. Maybe closer to spring I'll bring my bike to exercise a bit and to find nice spots to photograph - having already seen many along the main road. I will have 4 nights a week to dedicate to myself and my hobbies so I should manage to be quite productive. I have already met my neighbour - a lovely old lady I'm sure I'll spend some time with in the future. She's already invited me for coffee and cakes.
The job? I know nothing yet but I've took advantge of the sales and bought some office clothes.
Lorenzo? He's being just lovable and have done foodshopping for me for a week - but will probably last me two seeing the quantities. We're planning on exploring the area in the spring. Gorge du Verdon is not far and neither are the lavander fields we've only seen on postcards but never in costal provence.
So with this I'll sign off for now! If I can sneak a moment in my new office during the week I'll keep you posted on how it's going :)
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
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SNOW |
Sunday, January 04, 2009
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Social Cluelessness |
When did you have your last gaff moment? Or have you even had a gaff moment someone told you AFTER the whole event and you just didn't realise you gaffed up?
The years abroad in a smaller social circle of friends, as in no uni and no workplace have left me feeling inadequate, less social intelligent and sometimes saying things that I hear in the very same minute was not supposed to be said. And what do I do? Kick myself in the leg thinking - how did I end up here?? I was the one who usually made fun of the people lacking social intelligence.
It's frustrating and I blame my years abroad for this. If I had stayed in Norway surrounded by a whole big network of friends this wouldn't have been an issue. But of course if I stayed there and avoided going abroad I would have been lacking a whole lot of other qualities I've picked up on the way... like the excessive TV series addictions, a language confused brain, unemployment and shopaholic'ness (makes you feel better on a bad day) just to mention a few.
Now I hear the question - so what have you done now? Well, I have done a few embarrassing gaffs in the last few months. None have cause major damage but enough to make me blush by the thought. Worst was it when my friend rang me and told me I had made a gaff and I hadn't even realised. In this case I don't care about the actual gaff but rather that I hadn't realised I had made one. Oh well, shi* happens and I can only hope my future 6 month job will rectify some of the damage done to my self image!
Friday, January 02, 2009
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Happy Holidays |
Happy New Year everyone!
I've thought about blogging during the holidays but it remained just a thought as we've been busy having a great time in Norway. We even had the time to spend a few days in the wood cabin on the island far out in the sea - imagine fireplace, tea, music and a brand new pack of Dominoes and it's instructions. We tried to go fishing too but my fishingrod disintegrated at the first try. But that was just as well because it was raining and absolutely freezing cold. So we went back to doing the tea and domino activity.
Now we're back in Milan and we've already done the yearly shopping. It's the sales and when I said to L : Let's go to Santino he squirmed like I had proposed to pull his fingernails out! This shop does all year discounts and at the sales even more. So not only have L reinvented his wardrobe but we've spent a lot less than what we would have in France AND it only took 35 minutes which meant that my dear husband was happy. That shop has just everything from wedding dresses to sporty clothes, handbags and shoes - all styles! So what did I get? A leather jacket - elegant and perfect for spring.






