Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW

Ahhh this white gold has continued to fall from the sky in Geneva (and hence in the Alps - yeah for skiing next year) for days, and today even started to leave some imprints on buildings and streets! And it has also fallen continuously in Stockholm since the beginning of the week - with a promise of a real White Christmas :D

Hence, I can now stop just dreaming of a white Christmas just like the ones I used to know, with glistening treetops, and sleigh bells in the snow - and actually start believing in one. A white fluffy beautiful Christmas where the cold will turn us all into small red-nosed Rudolphs but will provide us with several silent nights before Santa comes to town.

So I just wanted to say: Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW!

Halles-des-iles

Just back from a very nice evening! First some Swedish warm smoked salmon and all the rest to make up a lovely dinner, and than a few drinks and some dancing at halles-des-iles. First time I was there for a drink at night and it was really cool! Will become a new favorite I can feel.

Great evening, good to be out again and realised just how long it has been. But tomorrow the plan is also dinner, drinks and dancing. Time to make sure that I finish the year in style :D

Just wish my lovely N was here!

How do I dare?

Many people ask me how I dare to plan to quit my job and leave on a travel around part of the world, as I have no back-up plan for afterwards. I will come back with very little money left, without a job, hopefully still having an apartment (but who knows), with a CV that some employers might find more interesting, but many will probably find less interesting.

So how do I dare give up my good job where I have a good salary, good colleagues, an ok boss, and where I can most probably feel safe for years to come?

Well, I found this quote today from Mark Twain, which explains quite well how I think about life - that life is for living now rather than regretting later. I of course hope that I will not regret my choice later. But I am sure that I would regret not living my dream! So I am going to try to live it. I am done working my life away in an office. I am ready to live!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream."

Halfway to fufil my dream...

Today my savings account can proudly show a total amount which is approximatly half of the recommended amount one need to bring for a year of travel, and a bit over a third of the money I am trying to save before leaving (my budget is about 30% over the recommended budget to allow me a bit more flexibility and to have a safety buffer for when I come back and have to try to find a job).

As a posimist one can say that I am now halway to my dream! :D

So exciting! But good that I have saved this much money already as there is now only about 8 months left before I set out. Hence only another 8 months to save the rest of the money. Luckily we get a 13th salary in Switzerland...

yeah! the world I'm soon coming :)

dreaming....

Dreaming about travelling. Doing something different. Getting away from the daily repetitions of life. Dreaming about a sort of escape perhaps.

I will travel in 10 days to Macedonia for work which will be interesting. I will then travel to Sweden and Portugal over the holidays which will be wonderful!

But when I'm dreaming about travelling, about getting away, this is not the kind of travel I'm dreaming about. I want to leave for a longer period to experience the world, to live something different, to feel more alive... Luckily my plan is to leave in less than a year :)

Today I'm dreaming...

Different cultures, different lives - ohhh so exciting

I didn't write that much about my trip to Beijing last year at the time. Funnily enough, although the reason I set up this blog originally was as a travel blog, I have ended up writing perhaps the least when travelling. There are so many things to see, to experience, to enjoy that the time feels too short often to find an internet access and submit an entry. And once back from the travels, often it feels a bit too late. So the blog has ended up less as a travel blog and more just a personal blog for my life in Geneva. Hopefully this will change the day I set out for my one-year long travel...

All this to lead into an entry about Beijing and Chinese people with more than a years delay. These thoughts are brought on by my dear boyfriend currently being in China for 2 weeks and hence writing and telling me about what he is experiencing on a daily basis. He loves it! Like I did! It is also brought on by the experience of some friends who happen to be travelling in China at the same time although they have been there a lot longer. They do not seem that happy. Actually in one of the last entries one of them, E, wrote that she hates it and that she cannot wait to leave. It seems that we experience things differently. What my lovely N and I seem to take as an interesting cultural difference, such as the constant attention one gets, E and M are taking differently. Perhaps it's because they have been there for more than a month now and it has worn them weary, perhaps it is just different ways of perceiving life.

For me Beijing was a great experience. I loved it so much that I wished someone would offer me a job there for a year or so to allow me to live there and really explore everything!

And I did not find the Chinese rude. When my mother and I walked down one of the main streets in Beijing, but one a little bit off the tourist paths where you hardly see any foreigners, people would stare and smile, children point and laugh. I took this as a positive thing. I understand them completely; we must have looked like aliens to them - both of us taller than many of the men, me very blond, my mum with white hair, fair skin, foreign - we look so different.

However, to tell a short story, not so many years ago, approx. 30, when my cousin then aged 5 moved to Paris with her family, she soon decided to wear a bonnet the whole year around as people wouldn't stop touching her very blond hair. This was hence the way Parisians behaved seeing a Swedish very blond child 30 years ago! For me therefore, it seems very logical that the Chinese stare when seeing European people 30 years later. And at least they are well behaved enough not to come up and touch our hair :D

As for the friendliness, we encountered it almost everywhere! From the taxi driver who couldn't understand our map (tip: get a map with Chinese characters on it as many people do not seem to be able to read a map but the taxi drives know what different streets are called) but tried his best to help us, even getting a police man to come with his map so that I could point out the right street there, to the hole in the wall restaurant in on of the Hutongs where the staff only spoke Chinese and the menu was in Chinese, but where they found someone they knew to come and help us order and we ended up having on of the best meals for hardly any money.

Sure there were some rude people around. And yes, we did walk out of one restaurant where we didn't really feel welcome. But people being rude to us happened perhaps twice in 8 days, while when in Paris in August this happened at least twice in 2 days! (Yes, Paris as the example again - it seems that I cannot get away from it ;)

I loved Beijing, and I am longing for the day I can go back and visit Beijing again and discovering some of the rest of the country! If you do go, try to enjoy the cultural differences as much as you can! That's the fun part of travelling to places far away from yours - people act differently than to home, life is different than to home and that's what's soooo amazing!

Autumn

Today was a lazy day of staying inside, making scones for breakfast (super yummy with goat cheese and honey miam), a sticky chocolate cake and pumpkin soup for a lovely dinner with a friend (with candles lit for the first time after the summer), and unpacking 2 boxes of winter clothes to repack them with summer clothes. Autumn is really here now, although it feels as cold as January outside with a maximum temperature of 10 degrees and la bise blowing freezing cold winds. The summer has packed up and left abruptly after a slightly prolonged stay. To be missed dearly and longed for, although days of beautiful snow and great skiing will lessen the memory slightly.

Today was a lazy day indeed. A day when I felt very happy not to be a swan ;)

Children? Yes, but not right now please

I want children one day, this is clear. But this day is not now, nor for the next couple of years actually. A pregnancy right now would completely alter my plans. And yes, I have heard how pregnancies have a tendency to happen when it's not the perfect time, while when it is the perfect time, people tend to wait for months or years without any results.

But still, this would so not be the right time as I am finally, after more than 7 years of talking, dreaming, planning, hoping and wishing for it, getting close to my dream of taking a year off and travel around the world! Less than a year left now until I set sail, a third of the money saved up (well half of the minimum recommended, but I want a safety buffer) and the dream is now approaching reality!

So although I one day really want children and cannot imagine a life without, right now would soooo not be the time. And hence I have the feeling every month that perhaps, just because now is not the time, now will be the time. Perhaps one has to have gone through some of the things I have to understand the fear when the period is a few days delayed, or as today, even a few hours delayed. And no, it should not be possible. But yet, I have heard stories of others who should not have been possible, have a couple of mini cousins running around proving that what should and should not be possible is a fluid concept.

Call me paranoid and I will answer your call, for this I am paranoid, but luckily my fear was once again proven wrong and my travel plans and dreams can continue, at least for another month :)

Financial reporting...

Working late after another day of difficulties concentrating at work. One reason, my tiredness. Antoher, the boring task ahead as I have to prepare the mid-term report for my biggest project and on today's agenda is the financial report. Urgh. Usually it's boring but quite a fast task. But with 8 organisations involved plus workshops and other costs, this one is a bit of a mess...

And somehow I wonder if this is the reason why I did 6 years of international studies? Do I really need a Masters degree to put together a financial report? Well, perhaps. But rather in finance than in history and politics surely... Do I need to speak 3 languages fluently for this? Especially since none of them is Mathematics ;)

Ahhh the joys of life and of my wonderfully boring job. Another year only, another year!!

In the meantime, and as an advantage of working late and being able to play music at work, at least I am now working while jazzing to some Erykah Baduizm! Yeah :D

New lunch company

Since my lunch buddy is out of the city for a week, I decided to get a new lunch friend:

This one wanted my food though, and finally managed to chase me away by almost coming up in my face even after the sandwich was finished and the bag thrown away. Luckily neither my cousin nor my friend A were there as they are both scared of birds!

Thyroditis, TSH at 5.7

In fact, if I remember correctly I never wrote anything about my last doctor's appointment to check up on my hypothyroidism problem. I'm supposed to go for a check-up every 6 months approximately and the last one was at the end of May. Normal discussion with the doctor asking me how I'm feeling, if anything has been bothering me. I, of course, tried to sound as convincing as possible when telling him that I feel just great. No problems really. Eeeh... Does that happen to you to? I can think about all the things that have not been great in the last few months, how this hurts, or how tired I am, or... But then in front of the doctor's question it's like if I am trying to pass an exam for the healthiest person alive. Of course I'm feeling good. I'm just peachy peachy!

So perhaps there is no wonder that he then told me that everything looks good and that as long as the test results come back ok - meaning that the TSH level is still under 5, in the kind of 'grey-zone' where it had been fluctuating up and down during the previous year between 4.3 and 4.9 (4.3 being the ceiling of the so-called normal level) - I would only need to come back for the next check-up a year later and not needing any medicine until then at least.

A few weeks pass by and I finally receive my copy of the test results. With the TSH level at 5.68! Hence quite a lot higher than the 5 that the doc had put as the ceiling for the grey-zone level. So I am quite surprised when I do not hear anything from him. Another week or so passes, and then I try to call my doctor to see what's going on. Evidently I get the nurse on the phone instead and explain my preoccupation. A few days later, I have a missed call in the evening with a message from my doctor saying that according to his notes on the test results everything is fine, but perhaps I can come back for the next check-up in 6 months...

And I stand perplexed. Under 5 was supposed to mean that everything is stable. Over 5, or actually close to 6 should have deserved at least a consultation no? Not knowing if I was overreacting and everything actually was fine, if the doctor had listen to my 'everything is great' speech and decided that although the results were so and so at least I seemed to feel good, or what? As the summer was coming up and I normally feel better in the summer, I decided to wait for the 6 months and discuss it anew with him then.

But now I'm wondering if that was such a good idea. I mean, a friend of mine was diagnosed with the same problem at a level of 5.8 or so and was directly given the medicine and started to feel better within a week. She said she hadn't realised how un-normally tired she had actually been before, having the same problem as me with comments from everyone else that are tired around. And she hasn't felt any side effects. Perhaps she's lucky? But at least she got some energy back again. That sounds like heaven!

Ooo so tired, TGIF

I'm soo tired today and my neck is hurting. Happy the weekend is here but stressed because of all the things i should have done but still haven't gotten around to. The problem of being tired most of the time is that I am always late, always last minute, always stressed and it makes me even more tired. Feels like I could just lie down and sleep for a couple of weeks. Would be so nice! Do nothing else than sleep, eat, read a bit, sleep, eat....

Is this a normal feeling? It doesn't feel normal. When I look around me, people don't seem as tired as I feel, as I look. I want to blame it on my bad values at my last doctor's appointment. But at the same time I wonder if perhaps I'm just lazy and unmotivated. Every time I tell someone of how tired I am, I got the answer that it is normal. But can it really be? How can the world go forward if everyone are as tired and unproductive as I am?

Birthday trip... in my dreams

This morning I suggested to my lovely N, who's birthday it is today, that we call in sick, get into the car, flip a coin for the direction and start driving somewhere. To drive on small roads, stopping for lunch in some cute village, lap up the sun. In short, to to enjoy a day off for no other reason than to celebrate his birthday.

An excellent idea I thought. Not the most grown up one, but a fun one ;)

But as you can see I am at work as darling N has grown all old and serious and discarded my idea with a slight smile telling which he saves for when he finds me cute but crazy. Hmmm perhaps it's the 2 years age difference between the two of us? Hmmm that must be it. He is now muito OLD! ;))

It's a big big world

Today my darling Mims is taking a flight back to Zambia and it will be a year at least before I see her again. It makes me sad, but at the same time I am happy that she likes it so much over there, that she has found her love, her serenity and her family! I just wish I would get to see her more often.

Sometimes the world is still too big. I can't even imagine how it must have been a century ago, how difficult when your friends and family lived in another country, not to mention another continent. We are lucky today. I can live in Switzerland, with my half of my family in the north and half in the south, with my boyfriends family in yet another country, and with friends spread all over the world. I can live here and still get to see most of them at regular intervals. And when we are not seeing each other we can chat, e-mail, phone, and even see each other live via skype.

Technology is really an incredible thing. Only less than 15 years ago when I spent a year in the States, my only means of keeping in touch with my family was through letters and some rare phone calls (as it was really quite expensive). E-mail was around but not really used yet for personal mails, although this was more or less the time when I started using e-mail occasionally. Today, it's another world. Skyping with my mother gives me a lot more than just merely talking, being able to see her reactions are great. Being able to show a new haircut, show people around the apartment although they have never set their feet inside it, show something you bought or made or.... And even cooler is it to skype with small children, even babies. They can't yet speak to you, or they do not have the patience to once they're a bit older, but you can see them. You can stick out your tongue at them and have them stick their tongue out in return. You can smile and have a beautiful smile back which warms your heart. It's great!

But albeit there is all this technology, some places are still far away. In Zambia, mobile phones work well so Mims and I can sms each other - and we do quite frequently. And it's not more expensive than to sms someone in France. But calling each other? Too expensive except for special circumstances. E-mails work, chat usually works. Skype usually does not work regretfully - and this is really regrettable. We would be able to talk on a regular basis, to see each other, she could show me her house, her family, her cat or whatever else she felt like. So it sucks.

Flights of course work, but are expensive and it takes a day of travel. But I will go there to visit. I have been invited several times, and one day I will go. Most probably in 2 years from now, as I plan to end my travel around the world with a month or so in Zambia and the surrounding countries. But before that I really hope that Mims will come back to Switzerland next year, at the latest! And that skype starts working one of these days!

Miss you my friend!

It should be me! I would smile...

Just read the last updates on a travel blog that I follow. Two people travelling around the world, well part of it at least. Two people living my dream, having the time and money to see lots of new places, to experience a different way of living and of travelling, to make new friendships, to learn about other cultures, to be out of the stressful and monotonous 9 to 5 working life, with time to just enjoy life and have fun, to laugh.

The problem is that they do not seem to be having fun! To be honest I do not really understand why they continue to travel as, at least according to their blog, they seem to hate it most of the time. They can't stand the people. They can't take that people don't speak English. They can't seem to handle the freedom to have the whole world at their feet and decide what they want to see next…

It drives me crazy! The blog is all about money and problems and badly behaved people.... But where is the fun? Where is the love? Where is the excitement?
Arrgh - why don't they just come back and give me their money? I would enjoy it!

3D disco

Saturday we went out for the first time in ages. It was the last night of the festival of La Batie, so out we had to go to the temporary Batie night club at Palladium, where once past the doormen we received 3D glasses and felt a bit perplexed. Many trials later looking stupidly around we decided that these glasses were un-useful this evening, but still kept them around.

Luckily. A bit after midnight, the room got darker, the music changed slightly and 3D videos started to play on screens all around the dance floor. My camera was left at home regretfully since looking backwards on the hundreds of people sporting white paper 3D glasses while semi-dancing was hilarious.

It was fun. Not a concept to be adopted for every night out. But different, so fun for a night. Dancing to some quite good music while having things jumping out onto you from the screens was fun. Well for 30 minutes or so. Then the glasses went off and we just danced for a while.

The 80s just don't seem to go away do they. Plankstek in Stockholm (a kind of dish very popular in the 80s), 3D in movie theatres all over the world, socks in high-heeled shoes, and now 3D discos. What's next?

Different level of rudeness

What is ruder:
1) To speak in a language only half the table understands for 80% of the time during dinner, and especially to make all the jokes in that language; or
2) To pick up a good book and start reading while waiting for the meal to be served as you cannot understand anything that's said around you?

The monster showed her ugly face again yesterday, but perhaps deserved this time around...

lost

Feeling lost. Feeling a bit sad. Wrapped in grey clouds as the sky above. Heavy and unmotivated I have spend the whole day procrastinating. Not liking it here anymore. But not sure what to do instead, where to go. The decision is to stay working for another year to save enough money before hitting the roads, or the skies. Before living my dream at last. But a year is so long when unmotivated. My work is not that bad but for some reason no matter how good my intentions are in the morning, during the night before or over the weekend, once I get into work all my motivation is blown away. I feel tired. Bored. And I search the net for anything interesting to read. Anything to do. Playing stupid games. Updating sometimes, but mostly reading on fb. Chatting if anyone around. Wasting time until the day is almost over and then suddenly, with my bad conscious as the master driver, I finally get some work done. Working late of course as nothing was done during the day. Ending the day with a few things done but many threatening behind. Tired. So tired. Where's the medicine for this?

Mims

I'm so happy today as tonight I'm seeing my dearest Mims who is back visiting for a few weeks from Zambia where she, for some insane reason, and originally pushed by me (what was I thinking) has decided to live. So far away and I miss her so much! Luckily there are sms and e-mails, and sometimes she even updates her blog (although not at all often enough, are you listening M?). And luckily she comes visting ones per year at least!! And this time she's finally bringing her boyfriend so I get to see why indeed she has chosen to stay in Lusaka?!

So looking forward to tonight. And then to tomorrow of course, when the ship set sails to Portugal :)

An (almost) perfect day

Waking up and cuddling a bit before getting out of bed. Showering, dressing, putting on the rollerblades. Don't forget the shoes - ah, there they are. Leaving and the elevator is working today - great! Morning roll down by the lake into work. Perfect time to rollerblade as hardly any tourists down by the lake yet and perfect weather - sunny, but not yet too hot. Lovely. Beautiful Geneva around me, a breeze from the lake, wakening up sliding softly forward.

Work.

Lunchtime - yeah! Rollers on again, more people now, but not in any hurry so don't get irritated. Down to the lake again, other direction this time, in direction of Lausanne. Feels sooo good sliding forward so make an extra tour after bains-des-Paquis, there were fewer people walk. Perfect. Feeling my shoulders fall back down, all stress evaporating, enjoying life.

Stop for sushi and they have some of my favourites - super! Take away of course, and roll back down to the lake for a swim this time. Dive into the water from my favourite spot. 22° the water is nice, the world is beautiful and a stupid grin slowly spreads over my face. Can life be better than this?

Finally get up, and dry off in the sun while enjoying the sushi. A quite irritating bee wants to share my meal against my will. I put some rice a bit further away hoping it will be happy with that, but of course, of no interest - it want the big pieces! Finally manage to chase it away, or so I think, finish my meal and lie down to read the paper. Ahhh, revenge of the bee, I suddenly feel a huge pain in my arm and see parts of a smashed bee there. Not as lovely. Try to relax again but my arm is throbbing and starting to look quite ugly so decide to go back to work – it is time anyway.

Still a lovely day, almost a perfect day, spare the stupid bee and, well yes, work :)

Baby Vanessa

Just got the news that one of my very best friends, my darling Mikaela, has given birth to little Vanessa this morning. And I'm just feeling so happy, full of joy, with little bubbles inside me. Want to run over there to see her. But will wait until I'm invited. Hopefully that will be soon!!

In the meantime I think I'll go and find a small welcoming gift for this little miracle as I cannot concentrate on work this afternoon anyway. Only sunny summer day and small miracles on my mind :)

Cheap long distance flights

This article might be of use to find some of the cheap long distance flights. Kind of an easyjet way but cross-continental. Great idea :)

Do you ever feel like you don't belong?

I do. Every now and then. Tonight was such a night. Surrounded by people I know quite well, all having fun, dancing, drinking, enjoying the night. And all of a sudden I just get this feeling like I do not belong with this group of fun, nice people. What am I doing here? I don't dance like them. I am not as fun as them. I am not one of them.

I have a similar feeling sometimes when someone tells me I'm one of their best friends, or even their best friend. Usually this comes from persons that I feel the same about, but for some reason, at the same time as their comment makes me feel happy, I cannot understand why they would be telling me such a thing. I am the person who at 11 or 12 years old, once sneaked away from a group of friends as I was convinced they wouldn't realise that I was gone. And when they did and came to look for me at home, I hid in the garden as I was so ashamed. How do you tell people that the reason you disappeard was that you were not sure they cared enough to notice? How do you tell people that you think so little of yourself at some moments that you think that your presence is completely unnoticed? You cannot tell anyone such a thing without looking like a freak and, even in my darkest moments, I have always understood this.

These days I am better. I don't go missing without telling people to check if they care enough. When I have my down days I blame it on being tired. And quite often it is indeed linked. Like this weekend, after a full week of conference while organising a second one to take place in 10 days, hence a week of lots of stress, the weekend is kind of an anticlimax, the moment when everything comes back and hits me in the back. Hence the kind of weekend when in the middle of dancing I suddenly loose all energy and sit down. Or get into a fight with my boyfriend as the easiest way sometimes to get out of a party is a fight, so I pick one un-intentionally, and as I am too tired to accept any mistakes from him -the poor guy. Or I just stay at home. That is often the best solution. It is funny to what extent reading a book can really help sometimes.

I am quite a bizarre creature. Although often quite sociable, this green fairy also needs time by herself, time to contemplate, to sleep, to get new energy and to withdraw within myself. As everyone knows, of course, fairies spend a lot of time alone ;)

Ps. Paris is on

Just bought 2 tickets for Paris as N thought it was a great idea :))

In August only, so will have to wait another few months, but yeah - my mood went up several levels. I just realised that I'm a travel yunkie - just the thought of another travel makes me high ;)

travel dreams

Tired of work at the moment, completely demotivated after a discussion with my boss last week where it was clear that the promotion we discussed in December and which then seemed to be due in the first half of this year, might come at the end of the year - and not sure, all depending on criteria, finance etc... Which on itself wasn't really motivating, but worse was the feeling I got from my boss off a certain distance and coldness and not one single motivating word, as per example that he appreciates my work. Nope, nothing, nada, riente, ingenting.

So not very motivated, and of course, as always when the lack of motivation sets in I dream about travelling. About travelling the world as planned, although the lack of raise linked with the postponed or cancelled promotion will make saving money a little bit more difficult adding a month or two of obliged work. And in the meantime, about travelling around here. Just looked for train tickets for a weekend in Paris with my love. Could be fun! Only 3h away and total cost both ways of only 40 EUR. And Paris is so lovely!! Would be great to walk around and enjoying nice restaurants etc with N :)

So, travel dreams or demotivation - the first one sounded just a bit more optimistic and hence was allowed to become the title of this entry. Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming...

life is good

When I can put on my rollers and glide into work in the sun, down by the lake, just enjoying the morning with a smile plastered on my face.

Even having to walk down 4 flat of stairs with my rollers on couldn't erase my good mood, although I cannot help to wonder how difficult it can be to make sure the elevator door is closed.

Off to sit in the sun finishing a fun book for lunch. Life is indeed good :)

applications saga

Today I received the following e-mail (without any Dear Madame or even a Hi, and without any best regards and or a name at the end):

"I'm Indonesian. Can I join the essays since I'm not from the region in question? But I do interested in the police reform issues. In my country, this is hot issue. We often question the police roles in keeping citizens' safetiness/ "

very professional.... luckily for me, considering that the person is from the wrong region the answer was easy.

Didn't remember either how many laughs I got out of these applications :)

applications - wow sometimes I wonder...

I am organising an event in July for people from the region I work with, young people who are just entering the job market or about to finish their degrees, usually quite interesting people.

Well the final group of persons selected are usually interesting. However, I had completely forgotten about all the bizarre applications that go with such a selection procedure.

So far, my answers have been from an excellent but very pregnant lady who I already know, but who cannot actually make the event as she will be giving birth then but who is interested in writing an essay anyway (the basis of selection) to perhaps come to the follow-up event - which does not make sense at all. And that is the best applicant.

The second application came very quickly, which made me doubt the sincerity as potential participants have to write approx. 5 pages of essay answering some precise questions - not usually done in 3 days, and included both a CV and a paper. Looking quite promising at first, all things considering. Only that the paper was actually a 48! pages long thesis essay which has nothing to do with the subject of the conference. And the CV, not only really badly formatted, but also written in quite a horrible excuse for English (which still could be excused though), but mentioning as "profession" an MA in International Relations! etc....

The third and last application so far, only said "I will apply" as the subject of the mail, and then nothing inside the mail except for the name and title of the person. Very useful! NOT!

So, at the moment it is all a bit depressing. Hopefully the standard of applications will pick up as the deadline of submission approaches, set in a few weeks. In the meantime, I now have the pleasure to write back to these lovely applicants telling them to "get a grip" but in a nice, diplomatic way. Oh the joy of another working day... ;)

taste of summer

What else to give you that real summer taste than a bowl full of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and milk? Miam

Swisscom saga

I would strongly recommend against choosing Swisscom for your internet or other services if you live in Switzerland. I have been a customer with them for the last 10 years or so and have been staying with them since their service used to be the best even if their prices were not always as advantageous as the competition. However, these last few months have made me change my mind. You might remember that I wrote how I managed to get an offer for 3 months of internet for free sometime back in January. Spent 20 minutes on the phone to get that offer, but thought that would be the end of the story. But no. In short these are the steps of the internet from hell story:
1) Wait a week for the contract. Call. Oooops they had forgotten to send it. (lost approx. 2 weeks)
2) Contract arrives, but no mention of the 3 months free. Call them up and re-explain the whole situation, ask if I can add a note onto the contract but am instead promised a letter stating these 3 months for free.
3) No letter arrives for a couple of weeks. Call back again and am told that no such letter exists and that it is impossible for them to provide individual letters (although the idea for such a letter came from a Swisscom employee originally). However, the lady promised that she could see the promised 3 months on my profile. So decided to trust Swisscom and signed the contract.
4) Ahhh finally the personal information and the DSL box arrives - we have internet!!!! Not. Something is wrong with the connection. Many stops by the Swisscom shop and calls to Swisscom later, and many trial at home for what can be wrong, finally Swisscom agrees to send an expert. Who check everything and finds the problem to be that Swisscom has sent our line to the wrong receiver in the building, something outside of our apartment and completely outside of our control. He has it fixed. And finally we do indeed have internet. 3 months after the original request!!
5) But no, the saga doesn't end there. The first bill arrive, and not only are we charged for the whole month of April when we mostly didn't have internet, we are actually charged - the 3 months having been completely forgotten. This is why I wanted a letter or something written. Just talked to a lady at the accounting department of Swisscom who now promised me that the 3 months will start from May. We'll see if that will happen. I'm so tired of Swisscom. It is not normal that getting internet should take 3 months. It is not normal to have to call the provider 8-10 times before it works. It is not normal that an agreement is broken as it was here. And it is not normal that they do not offer any compensation after all this loss of time, energy, and money.

I do not have the energy to change providers at the moment. Not after that everything is finally working. But I warn you against getting Swisscom if you can avoid it. Really.

Fête de sport and Caves Ouvertes - Summer in Geneva

How do you know that winter is out and summer has taken over in Geneva. Well, most obvious of course is to stroll around in the street and check out the number of people on terrasses, walking around, running by the lake, rollerblading, biking. The fact that the city comes to live.

Another way are through all the nice and often free activities that take place. Two weeks ago it was time for a weekend of dance with the Fête de la dance which meant all the dance classes you could take, and manage to get a spot in, for a total of 10 chf for the weekend. Great fun! We went to a Flamenco dance class, an African contemporary dance class, and a Hip Hop class.

This weekend the turn has come for two completely free events. The first is the famous, here in the region, Caves Ouvertes. This means a great day of fun and good wine as lots of wineyards open their caves for free tasting of last year's harvest. We went last year and managed to go to 4 different caves and try many many different glasses of wine. Oops. The atmoshpere is great as lots of people join this outing in the villages about 45 min by bike outside of the centre (there are also free bus connections, and you can go there by car, but probably not back). And the wine is mostly good. Only problem coming by bike was to transport home all the bottles we wanted to buy so this year the backpacks will be bigger ;) So a weekend of great fun ahead where we go and borrow some free bikes (hopefully, as they can run out but last year we were fine), bike off in a group of friends, spend the day tasting wine, nibbling on small also free food, going for lunch, more wine and then back to return the bikes a bit late having to pay 2 chf in a fee ;)

Then the second event this weekend is the Fête de sport, taking place both Saturday and Sunday for free trials of everything from climbing to boxing, from winsurfing to flying, from beach volley to rafting... Should be fun! The plan is to go on Sunday, and hopefully the wine headache from the wine tasting will be gone by then.

So a great weekend ahead as long as the weather keeps stable. And around the corner for the summer are waiting the Fête de la musique with free concerts all over town, the La ville est à vous-fêtes de rues where the whole city comes alive with activities in one neighbourhood per weekend, and free concerts in the park twice a week for 2 months of the summer. I love Geneva in the summer!

the attack of the shopaholics

A new special collection at H&M, this time a summer collection by Matthew Williamson, and it's shopaholics heaven.

If you have managed to miss it, H&M have been cooperating with different super designers for the last few years for a special autumn collection, starting with Karl Lagerfeld, and passing through Stella and Victor & Rolf (both the Stella and V&R collections were beautiful and this shopaholic have used my treasures from these collections many many times). Last year it was time for Comme les garçons, quite a strict, dark collection. What better then to follow up with a colourful summer designer collection - a first at H&M (and no, the Madonna collection, which also occurred in the spring a couple of years ago, was not actually designed by her, but only clothes chosen by her and her team from the normal collection).

Matthew Williamson actually designed 2 collections for H&M, a first special very limited collection released a month ago, which I missed but have heard wasn't that nice. And a second 'normal' collection for the summer which was available in shops from today. The limited collection was only released in 200 shops around the world while this summer collection was released in some 1600 shops. Hence nothing spectacular. One would have thought. And I guess there must have been a lot less frenzy for this second collection as there were still lots of things left at 12.15 when I arrived (while normally everything is gone 30 min after they open in the morning), but by 13.00 almost everything was gone except for some ugly tops and a frankly overpriced dress.

All the things at the girls' department that is. At the men's department, there are still lots of stuff. I guess that 1) men are just in general less hysterical for these kind of things and a bit less of shopaholics, and 2) the quite strong colours and patterns of MW's design is more appreciated by women than most men. Some quite nice things though, so if you are a man and you want some fun colourful summer clothes - go and check it out.

I will not tell you what I bought - as of course I bought some things, why else do you think I spent more than an hour there, whereby 40 min approx. in the dressing room (yes, it takes time to try on 3 bathing suits, 3 bikinis, 5-6 dresses, pants, skirt, tops...) - let's just say that I will be beautiful and colourful on the beach this summer, that it wouldn't be bad if someone invites me to a wedding... And yes, that after this shopping stunt and the one in Lugano last weekend I will probably have to eat pasta a few weeks next month...

So the shopaholic hits again. Why do they have to make special collections? Beautiful special collections?

bird pooh and luck

At lunch today, I got pooped on by a bird. A small one luckily. But there ends my luck. On a new sweater of course... could this be nature’s way of punishing a shopaholic?

Hopefully though this will not be like 5 years ago, when the same thing happened to me trice in less than a year. All good things are three, right? And bird pooh on you is supposed to bring luck? Let me tell you no such thing. When it comes to bird pooh the best is zero times! And for luck? Nope, didn't work back then either. Although I was tempted to go in to my boss and ask for a promotion in the afternoon, just try the old saying, but to my (un)luck he is away until next week.

My boyfriend is from Portugal. Great, lovely, beautiful, warm, sunny place that we wish to go to every quite often. Half of the population in this city is also from Portugal. Flight companies now work on a the more the merrier for the company policy, if you're not among the first 2 or so buying a ticket on a specific date you'll pay a fortune. We did not win on the Euromillion.

Make the calculation - do you think we go to Portugal often?

I suggested we kill or at least injure enough some portuguese people so they can't make their flight, steal their tickets and pretend to be them (would for sure work as my Portuguse is just excellent...). N suggested that we maim some Swiss tourists instead. At this I laughed! There are no tourists going to Portugal over the weekend. How would they afford it? This is why the Portuguese economy isn't what it could be as only Portuguese people are crazy enough to pay the overrated prices to fly home, and then cannot afford to spend any money in the country but live off their mummy's great food. Swiss tourists go elsewhere to places where they can still afford an ice cream after having paid the flight. Hence the only one to profit, as always, is EasyJet.

O Canto do Coxo: Ceifeira

Always thoughtful, always slightly provoking forcing the brain to wake up, always interesting: O Canto do Coxo: Ceifeira

I'm having one of those zzzz days....

Anytime I sit still reading for more than 2 minutes my head starts falling to the side and I'm almost asleep, catching myself in the last minute, luckily as sleeping is a bit embarassing at work... I hate days like this. Days when you know that if only you could have a nap for an hour you would then be super productive the whole afternoon/early evening, but you cannot as there is no napping place at work and hence the whole afternoon is a struggle where nothing useful is done.

It's been quite some time since I had such a bad afternoon as today. Normally by going outside for a quick walk or moving around a bit I can manage to snap out of it. Today however there does not seem to be any solution. I've been in a daze since 12.30, no matter what I do. Today is the kind of day that my job should includ standing up and moving around the whole day, but without including any heavy equipment as I would probably hurt myself.

Actually change that, I have been in a daze ever since this morning when I first used my boyfriend's toothbrush by accident - quite an achievement as it's kept on the other side of the sink from mine - and then managed to loose the veggie peeler while preparing my salade - somehow it had ended up in it's place in the drawer rather than on the table where I was working.

I'm scatterminded and tired. Tonight I'll try to get to sleep at 10!

me a boat in troubled waters?

got the comment today that my mood is like a boat in high sea - and yes, that is indeed a good description of me. up and down and up and down and not always that easy to follow as i switch quite fast into angry, especially when tired, and very fast from angry to happy.... at least with me you know that after rain comes sunshine, quickly ;)

first step towards realising my dream

Yesterday I went to the bank and opened my first savings account (well, think I might have had one as a child but the first real one since I've started to earn my own money), transferring a first little chunk of money. And every since when I think about it I have a smile on my face - like a little child with a new toy.

Considering that it's just my money having been moved from one account to another, it's not really the money itself but what it signifies that puts such a stupid grin on me: another 20 chunks or so of money and I'm ready to leave, ready to go on that long-term dream of mine to travel the world :)

Easter in Geneva

I have been thinking about writing a word or two about Easter, but haven't really been motivated yet and don't you know, before I did it, my lovely boyfriend wrote an entry about it and also included a small competition about the best painted egg (so go there and vote!).

In short, we had planned to go to Cinque Terre in Italy for a nice 4 days off at the coast enjoying hiking between the villages, meals on terraces, breaks on the beaches etc. However, the forecast said that it would rain for the 4 days and suddenly the idea of having to hide out in hotel rooms and/or hike under the rain just didn't seem that tempting. So we decided to save the money, stay at home for once and go to Italy for another long weekend. This was of course done for reasons of environmental concerns only.... ;)

Anyway, a forecast of somewhat ok weather for Geneva (but spending days in the apartment if it rains is nicer than in a hotel) turned out to mean sun sun sun sun :)

So, we ate, and walked, and went to the baths of lavey, and painted eggs, and met with friends, and suntanned (first bikini use of the year - for 3 of the days!), and ate some more.

All in all a good Easter break in Geneva. What did you do?

travel the world

First couple of friends following their dream to travel around the world just took off from Geneva last week. First stop Austria on their way Eastward - Russia and on.

I wish it was me.

But if I'm good saving money then in another year or so it will be ;)

Miguel and Eva, I wish you an excellent trip with lots and lots of joys, adventures, interesting meetings, beautiful views, different experiences, good food, interesting food, and lovely memories! Still don't know what we're going to do on Wednesday's now - no more body combat, no more dinner with you two after, hmmmm.

morning traffic

I like slight morning traffic, not jams, as it is the perfect opportunity for morning kisses :)

lovely lasagne

something warm, slightly spicy, were the different layers enhances the taste of each other - a lovely lasagne!

For your information the taste is nothing like the ones you buy already made, nothing like the ones you sometimes get in a restaurant with a layer of fat floating on top, no need for tomato sauce to cover the whole thing up - but just lovely yummy tastes. Perfect on a cold day or for inviting people over as it is almost tastier even the day after.

For 4-5 people, you need:

- the bolognese sauce from the previous recepy (approx. 2/3 will be used, the rest is great to freeze in for a fast spag bol another day)
- lasagne sheets - I use the green ones from Barilla
- cottage cheese, 300-400g
- grated parmesan cheese
and
- béchamel sauce

Béchamel sauce is best to make your own - it's quite easy, and the good thing is that even if you mess it up a bit and don't manage to get it completely even it won't be noticeable in the lasagne ;)
The recepy is usually mentioned on the box of lasagne, but includes approx:
- 40g butter (I use a bit less, perhaps 25-30g)
- 40 g of flour
- 9 dl of milk
- salt, pepper
- muscat (if you like it, I don't so I skip it)

You melt the butter, add the flour and whip it together (crumbles is the right consistency), add a little bit of milk and whip into a paste, then add the rest of the milk and stir together. Put back on the stove, quite low temperature, and let it heat up again but not boil over. The heat will make it thicken. Make sure to stir very regularly to ensure that it doesn't burn in the bottom!! Finished.

Lasagne - the making:
You need a pan for the oven, approx. 40 cm long, 25 cm wide (or something of the same size) and at least 5 cm high.

Layer 1:
- a thin layer of bolognese (spread directly on the bottom of the pan, no butter needed)
- a thin layer of cottage cheese
- a thin layer of béchamel
- cover with sheets of lasagne

Layers 2 and 3:
- a thin layer of bolognese
- a thin layer of cottage cheese
- a thin layer of béchamel
- spread grated parmesan thinly all over
- cover with sheets of lasagne

Layer 4:
- cover with béchamel - make sure that everything is thinly covered
- spread parmesan all over, a bit thicker than on the other layers

Put in oven at 220° for 20 min (or whatever time is written on the pack of lasagne).

YUM!!

beautiful bolognese

If I can say so myself I make a very yummy delicious bolognese and an even yummier lasagne :)
And it seems that most people agree with me, if I can brag like this that is ;)

So, bolognese sauce for approx. 5-6 servings
- 1 table spoon of olive oil (max)
- 2-3 onions (chopped up) - 1 garlic clove (chopped up in tiny pieces)
- 1 chilli (cleaned of seeds, chopped into small pieces) optional
- 500 g of nice minced meat (if you live in Switzerland, I can recommend against the one at Migros which I find awful - Coop or Manor's is better - and if you get it a half price at 9.90/kg it's even nicer)
- 2 big carrots (peeled and cut in small pieces)
- 300-500 g of button mushrooms champignons de Paris (cleaned and sliced)
- 2 squash (peeled and cut in small pieces)
- 1-2 dl of red wine
- 500 g can of peeled tomatoes
- some water
- salt
- pepper
- a handful of oregano (remember to crush them in your hand for more flavour)
- 2 teaspoons of ajvar (very nice Balkan mixture, if you can't find it use 1 teaspoon of tomato purée instead plus some extra paprika powder)
- paprika powder
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of chilli if fresh chilli wasn't used

Fry the onions and garlic plus chilli if used until they start to colour, add the minced meat. Stir it until it's cooked through. Add carrots, mushrooms, and squash - let cook for a little while and then add wine. Add the peeled tomatoes and cut them up roughly in the pan. Add some water, half the can approx. Add all the species and let the whole thing cook for 45 minutes. Stirring regularly and adding water as needed. Taste it off - note that for using as base in lasagne it's nice to have it really spicy, but for use directly with pasta, spare a bit on the spices.

Enjoy!!

dreamy dessert

this weekend's yummy dessert was a very easy business but oh sooo yummy :)
taking advantage of the oven being heated anyway for making lasagne, and the time available while the lasagne was cooking, this is the recepy for strawberry & fig crumble:

5-6 fresh strawberries in slices
3 dried figs cut into small pieces
half a tablespoon of sugar
half a tablespoon of cane sugar

crumble:
20g-25g or so of butter (recepy calls for 40, but i prefer to use a bit less)
1 tablespoon of sugar
0.5 dl of oatmeal
1 dl of flour (or as much as needed, start with half and then add for correct consistency)

put the strawberries and figs in a small oven pan, cover with the crumble, ca. 20 min in 220°, serve for 2 with ice cream and fresh sliced strawberries. yum

How to feel at home in a new city

The website spotted by locals gives you tips from locals regarding where to eat, where to go out, what to do in several cities around Europe. I have checked out the restaurant tips for Geneva and 9 out of 10 are among restaurants I appreciate. So seems like a good site.

running in 15%

Am in Slovenia visiting my dad and little brother, down by the coast in a nice place called Secovlje. And had the great idea today to go for a run since it was feeling like spring with the sun shining from a crisp blue sky.

Chose to go uphill away from the sea, have walked there before but never run. Hence never realised what it really means to run uphill in a 15% inclination. Have done 6% at the gym, but wow was this a difference. Might have been faster if i had walked - that's how "fast" i went. Great challenge let's say that. Or more negatively, I thought I might fall over, my breath was coming out in gasps... and is that road long.....

However, once up, and once I had caught my breath next to some resting horses, I turned around and started the downhill, rather easier I must admit and with a beautiful view. Below me the saltbanks (secovljes) spread followed by the blue sea and finished off by the snowcapped Italian and Slovenian Alpes. On my side, hill after hill with olive treas and right in front of me, an almond trea in bloom.

What a reward, a well deserved one making it all so much sweeter.

Great news today!

So happy for my brother!! yeah :)

Slovenia here I come

A bit excited today about leaving for Slovenia in two days. Haven't seen my dad and little brother for a year and a half now - so about time too! And they've got a new dog - which of course I love to see. And my dad and I are planning to go skiing for at least a day which will be fun - think last time I skied with my dad and in Slovenia was about 16 years ago, so about time.

Part of the trip will be vacation, an extended weekend, and then I'll finish with 2 days of work in the beautiful capital Ljubljana - one of my favourite cities. Sometimes my job is good :)

B-day -15

Just realised that it's soon my birthday :)

Nothing big this year, just another year to add to my number, bringing me into an age which just doesn't feel like me. But oh well, considering that I have already started putting this new age into the machines at the gym perhaps it's time that I get used to it....

So, 15 days to go before my birthday - any ideas on what should be on my wish list? Except of course for the things that are always on the list: winning the lotery, world peace, getting rid of my student loan, making the environment 'breath' again, stop starvation and all those horrible diseases...

This year, I will start the day wakening up to my mum's singing in Stockholm and will end the day hopefully with a romantic dinner or dinner with friends, and then falling asleep in the arms of my love in Geneva. A perfect day hopefully :)

1 CHF = 7.81 SEK

Why did I pay off the money due for my student loan this year already in January? I hurried on, trying to use the 'good' exchange rate at that time, although it had just dipped down since the prognosis was that the Swedish economy would start getting stronger again. Wrong! If I had waited and paid the money now I would have saved at least 430 CHF. Grrrrrrrrrraur

By the way, this is the strongest the Swiss franc has been against the Swedish crown for the 11 years I have lived here. When I moved here, 1CHF = 5.8 SEK, and then it went up and has been around 6/6.1 for about 9 years or so. The Swedish economy is really in the shit right now. Unemployment steadily augmenting, companies going bancrupt, commodities getting more expensive due to the bad exchange rate. Hopefully it will soon be time for Sweden to turn around!!! In the meantime, I will take advantage of the CHF being worth so much and enjoy myself when I go to Stockholm in 2 weeks :)

travel tip - lisboa

If you go to Lisbon then you have to try out this restaurant where my love took me to lunch on Sunday (yes, by the way, we went to Lisbon for 3 days over the weekend and enjoyed a nice mostly sunny albeit cold time, some lovely moments with his family, on the beach and with lots of yummy food).

The place is called Faz Figura and we enjoyed some really great food there with a beautiful view over the river! They first brought in some kind of chorizo spread which was really yummy on bread. We then shared 2 entries - Pimentos Padron with mushroom paste on thin slices of toast - one of the tastiest entries for a very long time - and a kind of bread sausage (Rosti de Alheira de Mirandela) with apple and a small salad - not bad either.

For the main course, N. took black risotto, while I had the black pork in a balsamic and honey sauce with mashed potatoes with truffle - all to die for. I was basically sitting there with a stupid smile on my face every time I brought another forkful of food to my mouth. Perfect combined tastes and perfectly cooked. If I lived in Lisbon I would have to go back there at least once per month - always eating the same beautifully composed dish.

And in the summer sitting out on their terrace overlooking the river must be even better :)

Ps. We shared a pearcrumble with cinnamon icecream for dessert and this was the only disappointment - the ice cream was great, but the crumble no crumble and wihthout taste. Perhaps this will teach us to not ask for more after a 3 courses meal with wine.

i've got the power

I'm about to dig into the semi accounting mess of one of your offices for 2008, in order to approve their funds for 2009 - and I'm soooooo not looking forward to it.

This is not my real job normally, but somehow I have ended up as the babysitter of this office as they have problems following rules and need overseeing from the mothership. And although I'm pleased that my boss things so highly of me as to oversee the work of a whole office of 5 people and a multitude of projects, it has brought way too many administrative stuff into my life as everything they do has to go through me. I have the power - and it's boring me to death!

CSN - revisited

Med tanke pà debatten för tillfället angàende CSNs problem med att vara flexibel och följa upp den fallande kronan med högre tak för lànen för de som studerar i länder där kronans värde drastiskt sjunkit mot den inhemska valutan - sà känner jag mig tvungen att göra ett inlägg.

Som f.d. utlandsstuderande i ett av de dyrare länderna, vilket innebar ett av de högre lànetaken, sà vill jag först varna alla studerande att tänka en extra gàng innan ni skuldsätter er för livet. Jag àngrar inte mina studier, men jag önskar att jag förstàtt tidigare hur mycket pengar jag blev skyldig och hur snabbt den summan växer med CSNs härliga ränta pà 4%.

Samtidigt vill jag pàpeka att diskussionen angèende dessa pengar verkar lite snedvriden. Jämförelser görs med olika bidrag - föräldrarpenning, socialbidrag etc - utan att mànga verkar förstà att det är ett làn vi talar om och möjligheten att öka taket för detta làn i de länder där det blivit mer eller mindre ohàllbart att fortsätta studera med tanke pà kronans làga värde. Ett làn som normalt sett kommer att betalas tillbaka med hög ränta och alltsà inte pengar som mottagaren fàr behàll.

Bidragsdelen av studimedlen ligger alltid pà samma nivà för alla studender - de som pluggar i Sverige, i superbilliga länder, eller i dyra länder. Sà som sagt, det är lànedelen vi talar om, ett làn där taket för hur mycket man fàr làna skiljer sig beroende pà vilket land man studerar i med tanke pà vad levnadskosnaderna i det landet ligger pà. Eftersom kronan fallit mer mot vissa valutor sà borde CSN kunna se över taket och justera om nödvändigt. Nàgot de ändà gör en gàng om àret - sà fràgan är egentligen varför de inte kan vara mer flexibla och se över taket oftare, t.ex. varje halvàr, eller àtminstone kan justera lànetaket vid krissituationer.

Angàende diskussionen att i Sverige fàr vilken 'idiotstudent' som helst studiemedel, sà är skillnaden mellan Sverige och andra länder just att i Sverige har man rätt till studiemedel där merparten bestàr av làn - speciellt om man studerar utomlands i länder med högre priser än Sverige eftersom det högre taket CSN sätter för dessa länder enbart bestàr av att lànedelen blir högre. I de flesta andra länder sà fàr endast vissa studenter studiemedel, i vissa fall det som är toppstudenter, i andra de som har det sämst ställt, men där bestàr oftast hela beloppet av stipendium. Studenterna där blir därför ej skuldsatta fràn studiemedlen.

Vilket system som är mest generöst kan därför diskuteras, men med tanke pà den 4% räntan som ligger pà CSN làn fràn den första dag du lànar en krona, sà màste jag säga att Sverige är làngt ifràn generös mot sina studenter. Däremot tillàter Sveriges system att alla har möjligheten att studera vidare och inte endast de med rika föräldrar, de som är duktiga pà sport, och nàgra fà toppstudenter. Fler som studerar leder till ett mer utvecklad samhälle - men det kanske är nàgot dàligt?

Diskussionen om extra CSN làn under en ekonomisk kris för utlandsstudenter är därför ej en diskussion om att 'hjälpa' svenskar i kris - eftersom extra làn visst skulle hjälpa dessa studenter, men de blir betalskydiga en större summa. Det är en diskussion om CSNs flexibilitetsproblem, om rättvisa mellan olika studenter och om överlevnad under tiden man fullföljer studier som man redan pàbörjat. Avbrutna studier pà grund av att pengarna inte räcker till för att kronan fallit gynnar varken studenten, som inte fàr sitt diplom och som är betalskyldig pà de pengar de lànat utan att ha kunnat fullfölja sina studier, eller samhället som har betalt för en stor del av studenternas skolkostnader men som inte fàr den välutbildade arbestkraft det investerat i.

Själv är jag dock väldigt glad att kronan fallit som àterbetalande f.d. student som bor i utlandet eftersom jag tjänade nära 5'000 sek pà att betala tillbaka 2009's CSN skuld nu i jämförelse med den vanliga växlingskursen. Men med tanke pà att jag betalar tillbaka ca. 30'000 sek i àr, varav ca. 43% brukar gà till att endast täcka räntan för samma àr, sà känns det som jag är värd denna 'vinst'.

My excuses for this input in Swedish for once.

Am I getting old?

Another weekend without going out. What has happened? Is this a sign that I am getting old, or is it just some kind of winter depression or laziness? What do you all think?

My weekend in short:
Friday evening - 50 min cardio at the gym, a quick tour in N's new car, 1h spent on the phone with darling E in Zurich and approx. 15 with M, dinner, cancelling my plans to go out and meet up with friends, 4 episodes of Grey's anatomy all by myself while N was away for the evening.

Saturday - full day of skiing in the sun, 2 vin chauds in a bar with the big group of friends also in Contamines that day, first-aid help to the car of a friend, home for shower and dinner - cancelling on drinks with friends, in bed already at 11 !

Sunday - after 11h of sleep, made scones, watched men’s final from Melbourne, tired, sleepy, but went to see a Philippine movie at the Black Movie festival - and fought sleep for an hour. Helped N move over the last of his things, dinner finally with A and M after cancelling on them the day before.

So in general - no bars, cancelling on friends twice, no dancing, no partying - the lazy green fairy seems to have taken over after the partying green fairy. Me = boring! ;)

my talkative colleague

Today is another day when my extremely talkative colleague is on a high again. Actually, she's probably talking as much as usual, but I'm trying to concentrate and that's impossible. There are basically 2 options - either I talk back to her and waste half the day in discussions with her about subjects I most of the time don't care about. Or I tell her off that she should take up the subject with the person concerned for example, implying: to leave me alone, and she gets grumpy and then go on for a while about the fact that she has etc etc.

The third option, the one I would find more natural, of her respecting that I am doing something else, that I am not even looking at her when she continues talking - that third option is not an option at all as she does not seem to understand this kind of very clear body language.

It's ironic that when she wants to ask me about something job related she always makes sure that I have time. However, for whining about things going wrong with her computer, with a colleague, with life in general or telling me about something important to her - she does not care to check if I am available or not. Ironic right? The problem is that once she's managed to irritate me by not leaving me alone, her voice alone (which is quite irritating to start with) makes me squirm, even when she isn't talking to me for once.

One of those days when I just wish it was 5 so that she would leave!

Even animated stars are mostly men

This article brings up the fact that in almost all animated movies - Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks productions included - have male stars. No matter if they are animals, robots, insects, cars, toys or monsters, they are always male. The females are supporting roles and that's it. And it has grown worse since Disney got competition - before at least we got movies like Pocahontas, Snow White, the little mermaid which were not of the same quality as the new productions and which of course enforced stereotypes of how a girl should act, what she should look like to be pretty etc. But at least these were movies with female leading roles, with female heroines. No we get movies like the Ice Age, Kung Fu Panda, Cars, Ratatouille, Antz, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Shrek. All of excellent quality but all sporting male leading roles.

I agree - here's for more female leading roles in animated movies! Please.

me - an optimist?

I have realised lately that I have had the tendency to use my blog quite often to get rid of some of my negative thoughts, as an outlet of anger, irritation and disappointment. Although I will probably continue with this usage, I have decided to try to see things in a more optimistic light and especially to be more optimistic on this blog. The truth is that most of the time when I'm in a good, happy, pleased mood, I don't actually take the time to write an entry. It's when I'm upset that the need gets more pressing.

But this is going to change. Or at least I will make an effort to try and change it since it's more fun for everyone, me included, to read something happy every now and then. They say optimists live longer than pessimists. Whatever is the truth level in that statement, I am sure that optimists at least have more fun while living. And I like fun! So more fun coming up. And I'll stop all the whining. Life is too short to stay irritated and to care about small problems - right?

recipe on how to get a cheaper internet deal

In Switzerland, internet is still quite expensive and as there are not that much competition for clients. So how now does one get a deal? Well, this is required at least:

- a lot of patience
- some more patience and a bit of lying, or let's say omitting the truth
- a good argument, actually make that 2-3 good arguments
- the story of a friend that got a discount....
- a history of fidelity either with this company, or with an other since needing a reason then to brake it
- a huge amount of persuasion power
- insistence - hence getting to speak with someone higher up
- having your facts straight - how many months/years have you been with them, what rights do you have, obligations....
- information about other offers - threatening to move your mobile contract to another company since they offer a better deal on internet is a good way to go
- approx. 18 minutes to spare (at least!)

Result: 3 months of free DSL for a 12 month contract!

Warning: they will try to trick you in any way possible - saying that they cannot invent a special offer for you (proof - they can, I got it), pulling up limits on your mobile contract (told me that I had subscribed to a new 2-year long contract in July 2007 and therefore was not entitled to any new offers until April 2009, which 1. was untrue as I had never subscribed to any new contract, and 2. July 07 to April 09 does not make 24 months!) but then backing off when you tell them the real facts (yes I have a discount offer at 14CHF per month because I haven't changed my phone for 4.5 years, but this discount can be stopped at any moment by me asking for a new phone), insisting that nothing is possible until you pull out the threat to leave for another company, then insisting that they offer the fixed line fee, and only giving in when you counter that, true, but the other company gives a package price for less if you move your mobile contract there.... A bunch of b....

Good luck!

shivers....

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."

Just a small part of a great speech. Perhaps a new era? At least, to be sure, a more eloquent speaker has entered the White House. Shivers...

Gaza

I have not commented on the current war in Gaza, and I won't do it today either as there are a multitude of experts out there a lot more knowledgeable and interesting than me. I do however follow the happenings in the area as much as possible, considering that some days I just cannot take even more bad news.

Here is therefore an interesting article in the wake of the new US presidency by someone with experience in the region. And hopefully one day there will be an end to the terror.

a tight belt - the new dieting tip?

I'm wearing a belt today which makes me feel quite fat, and implies to me that perhaps I shouldn't eat since then it becomes too tight…. Not very comfortable but perhaps something I should wear all the time… no wonder why women were thin in the years of corset wearing - who could eat anything more than a bird portion with that kind of thing choking you? But then again they also had a tendency to faint quite often….

running addict? well not yet but....

Went running at the gym yesterday. Needed to get rid of some of my negative thoughts, all that negative energy swivelling around inside me. No matter what the reason was making me feel so down, my body needed help getting rid of it.

Was supposed to go to the body combat, which is usually one of my favourite ways of ridding my body of any negative thoughts as you kick and hit away for an hour. However, some new choreography meant that we were supposed to pair up and right then I just couldn't take pairing with anyone (if there had been anyone available that is, as everyone was already paired up), so I left. Looking around the gym the running belt really felt like the only exercise which was 'violent' enough to make me feel better, where I could really get an outlet for my anger, irritation, and sadness.

30 minutes and 5 km later, I came off the belt red as a tomato, sweating and super tired. But also, feeling happy for the first time that day. All that anger and irritation had left my system and it felt good! I remember a time in my life when the only way I could get through most days was to go for a run. A time when I could chose between either running or completely trashing my room as I was hurting so much. I am far from that stage now, but it's funny to feel how much good a long run still does to me. And although I prefer running outside rather than on a belt, the effect is almost the same. So, perhaps, I will turn into a running addict again.

sad, lost, numb

I'm feeling sad, a bit numb, like there's something between me and life, some kind of cotton wall. Something protecting me from really feeling anything important, but also shielding me from the same. I don't know what I want in life, I feel completely lost at the moment. No motivation for anything - work is ok, but is this really what I want to do? I often feel like a fake here. I get good feedback and appreciation, I've gotten a promotion (last year) and a raise (this) - but often I wonder why. I spend half the days doing nothing, doodling away, and I'm still not really into the whole SSR business. Ok I've learned a bit, you have to after 4 years, but I often feel lost when discussing these issues. And I cannot keep wondering why no one sees it? Perhaps my boss doesn't get it since he likes the sound of his own voice so much that when we discuss things I usually only have the chance to nod my head in answer. Ok, I'm exaggerating but if I don't want to address some issue it is never a problem as he will talk for both of us.

So no real motivation for work. Partly perhaps because I know that even when doodling away half of the day I still seem to impress people, so why work more? Partly because perhaps this is not what I really want to do in life. But the question is what the hell I actually want to do??? How to know? How to find something that makes me feel happy to wake up in the mornings, motivated to go to work, like I'm actually doing a difference...? I don't know, but I feel numb.

Perhaps I'm feeling numb, scatter minded, lost, with problems to focus and reduced libido just because I have this sickness? Perhaps the answer would just be to start taking the pill that exists but which my doctor thought was not necessary yet as I'm on the border between 'normal' and 'abnormal' levels. I don't know. Perhaps it's all due to my work. Perhaps that's why I often feel more in love and happier when travelling, when away from here.

A void of a day

One of those days when everything feels grey, empty and full of cotton. A day when the weather seems to reflect my mood perfectly or is it the other way around. A void of a day.

interviewer or interviewee

Just had quite a bizarre meeting where our possible new assistant came for a discussion about what her work would consist of etc. The meeting went well, but after she left I had the strange feeling that rather than her selling herself to me, I was actually sitting there trying to sell working with me to her!

The reason is probably twofold. First, this girl has 2 job proposals and is trying to decide which one to chose. Second, we did our BA together, and were 'friends of friends' going to some of the same dinners etc - hence I feel a bit awkward being her possible new boss and made some strange balancing act between 'supervisor' and 'friend'....

Hmmm well now it is only a wait until Friday (her deadline for making a decision) to see how successful I was. If she chooses to work for our department then that will be great as we really need the assistance. If she chooses to take the other job, then I will be able to make a real interview with the possible candidates - one where I can be the interviewer and not the interviewee ;)