From 15 July to 22 August, Cinétransat is back for another year of watching cool movies for free with the lake in the background, a glass of cold rosé in one hand, and some picnic food in the other.
Long live the summer!!!
Thursday 1 July 2010
Friday 18 June 2010
Travel mantra
This is the mantra that I am going to try to live after during my 12 months of travelling the world:
"A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." Lao-Tzu
A bit like live life day by day... Let's see if I manage :D
"A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." Lao-Tzu
A bit like live life day by day... Let's see if I manage :D
Time to see a doctor?
Woke up at 2 am as I could not breath, spluttering and coughing until air finally made it to my lungs. Relief!
But hey, what happened? Now that air is flowing down my lungs why am I still coughing, and coughing, and coughing? My body contorting and folding in on itself. I raid my old medicine in search for something to calm the cough - but in vain. Despairing the only solution in the middle of night is a dafalgan - hoping it will tranquilise somewhat my body that seems stuck on repeat - and end up sleeping in the sofa half sitting up.
What a lovely night.
But hey, what happened? Now that air is flowing down my lungs why am I still coughing, and coughing, and coughing? My body contorting and folding in on itself. I raid my old medicine in search for something to calm the cough - but in vain. Despairing the only solution in the middle of night is a dafalgan - hoping it will tranquilise somewhat my body that seems stuck on repeat - and end up sleeping in the sofa half sitting up.
What a lovely night.
Thursday 17 June 2010
Love is blind and madness, well madness guides love
This is a beautiful old story that I found a couple of years ago and sent to a friend as I found it very suiting for both of us at that time. Well, she is now about to give birth in Zambia and is madly, but luckily not too blindly, in love - so perhaps today it suits us both even more than ever.
Long time ago, when only feelings and thoughts were living on Earth, but no human's minds to inhabit, they were really bored, because they had no one to play with.
So Enthusiasm proposed: "Lets play something altogether, ok? Come on!! Lets play something, lets play something, lets play something!!!"
And Reason demanded: "It might be a good idea, but what are we going to play at?"
And Enthusiasm answered: "Ea!! I have no idea, i have no......i have no.....how do you call it?"
"Imagination, you have no imagination at all. But i do. Why don't we play hide and seek?" - said Imagination.
"And how shall we play that?" - asked Reason.
"Easy, one of us seeks and tries to find all the rest of us, who hides everywhere." - explained Imagination.
So they asked Madness to be the seeker, and everybody hid where they pleased.
And Madness started to look for all of the rest of his companions and eventually he found them all, but one. He found Loneliness in the center of the largest desert, Shame at the very bottom of the deepest cave, Imagination behind a rainbow, Rage in a vulcano.....and so he continued until he found them all, but one. He couldn't find Love, neverminding how hard he tried. So he sat in a rock and started to think really hard and by chance Imagination touched him and suddenly he had an idea: "Love must be hidden inside the roses, it would be so her to hide inside the flowers."
He started to investigate the roses then, but the bushes were too thick and light didn't get in so he couldn't see a thing.
He thought of taking a long stick and starting to punch the roses' bushes with it to see if there was soembody hidden inside them, and immediately picked one from the land and did it.
All of a sudden he heard a long and painful scream: "My eyes, my eyes!!" - were the words of Love, coming out from the roses' bushes. She was holding her eyes with her two hands, and red blood was coming down her arms.
"What happened?" - asked Madness, with Anxiety and Fear by his side.
"You blinded me with your stick. I can not see" - said Love, with tears mixed with blood.
Madness came to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, knowing nothing he could do was going to restored her sight again.
And Love?
Love forgave him, of course, because Love forgives everything from anybody. After all, she can't do other thing, right? But the fact remained the same, she couldn't see anymore, she was blind.
Madness was so thankful for her forgiveness that made a solemn promise to her: "I swear that from today until the end of our existences i will be your guide" - were his words while taking carefully her arm.
And so it happened to be that from that ancient day on, Love is blind and Madness is her guide.
Long time ago, when only feelings and thoughts were living on Earth, but no human's minds to inhabit, they were really bored, because they had no one to play with.
So Enthusiasm proposed: "Lets play something altogether, ok? Come on!! Lets play something, lets play something, lets play something!!!"
And Reason demanded: "It might be a good idea, but what are we going to play at?"
And Enthusiasm answered: "Ea!! I have no idea, i have no......i have no.....how do you call it?"
"Imagination, you have no imagination at all. But i do. Why don't we play hide and seek?" - said Imagination.
"And how shall we play that?" - asked Reason.
"Easy, one of us seeks and tries to find all the rest of us, who hides everywhere." - explained Imagination.
So they asked Madness to be the seeker, and everybody hid where they pleased.
And Madness started to look for all of the rest of his companions and eventually he found them all, but one. He found Loneliness in the center of the largest desert, Shame at the very bottom of the deepest cave, Imagination behind a rainbow, Rage in a vulcano.....and so he continued until he found them all, but one. He couldn't find Love, neverminding how hard he tried. So he sat in a rock and started to think really hard and by chance Imagination touched him and suddenly he had an idea: "Love must be hidden inside the roses, it would be so her to hide inside the flowers."
He started to investigate the roses then, but the bushes were too thick and light didn't get in so he couldn't see a thing.
He thought of taking a long stick and starting to punch the roses' bushes with it to see if there was soembody hidden inside them, and immediately picked one from the land and did it.
All of a sudden he heard a long and painful scream: "My eyes, my eyes!!" - were the words of Love, coming out from the roses' bushes. She was holding her eyes with her two hands, and red blood was coming down her arms.
"What happened?" - asked Madness, with Anxiety and Fear by his side.
"You blinded me with your stick. I can not see" - said Love, with tears mixed with blood.
Madness came to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, knowing nothing he could do was going to restored her sight again.
And Love?
Love forgave him, of course, because Love forgives everything from anybody. After all, she can't do other thing, right? But the fact remained the same, she couldn't see anymore, she was blind.
Madness was so thankful for her forgiveness that made a solemn promise to her: "I swear that from today until the end of our existences i will be your guide" - were his words while taking carefully her arm.
And so it happened to be that from that ancient day on, Love is blind and Madness is her guide.
Wednesday 2 June 2010
Things that make me smile...
Today's post by my friend Kinitry because it sends out such a vibe of happiness :D
Thursday 20 May 2010
I got a 'love letter' via mail
"This is sooooooo depressing!!!!!!! It materializes even more the fact that you are leaving!! :( That means no more lovely lunches, no more lovely tapas dinners, or scandale wine dinners, or lets get drunk latino dinners (and I was hoping we would start those dinners again), and no more lovely gooooey swedish choccy cake (now that’s really depressing!). And no more wandering into your room when I need a chat or to clear my head, and no more admiring your lovely clothes every day like a fashion show! Ahhhhhhh I could go on! :(((
Lucky I still think ure coming back.---- well u had better!!! And geneva is small so we can still have work lunches when u r back :)"
Now, what does one say to that? :D
Lucky I still think ure coming back.---- well u had better!!! And geneva is small so we can still have work lunches when u r back :)"
Now, what does one say to that? :D
Tuesday 11 May 2010
it's out!!!
I finally told my boss today, so it is now official, the reality, no way back - we now have to go travel!!!
Scary, fun, exciting, freaky, crazy, lovely, unreal, so so real...
The world, here we come :D
Scary, fun, exciting, freaky, crazy, lovely, unreal, so so real...
The world, here we come :D
Caves ouvertes 2010
The fabulous 'caves ouvertes' event takes place on Saturday 29 May in the vineyards around Geneva this year.
Free wine tasting, super good atmosphere, something not to miss if you're around!
Cheers and enjoy!
Free wine tasting, super good atmosphere, something not to miss if you're around!
Cheers and enjoy!
Monday 10 May 2010
'So, have you told your boss yet? '
Here I am, another day closer to departure, to my last day at work, to my big gap year. Another day when I started the day building up my courage to come in and talk to my boss to tell him about my plans, and another day passed without it being possible :(
I have long been hesitating when to talk with him. Back a year ago or so, when we set the month for departure to September, I was thinking to tell my boss at least 5 months in advance! To be nice so they have enough time to find a replacement, and to allow me to plan more openly.
Then this year started up and 5 months in advance finally sounded way too early!! So I settled on 4 months. But then realised it was best to wait until the first days in May, as the company then have to pay me at least until end of July, which is one month before when I want to leave - so ok.
Hence first week of May was the decision from my side, Friday to be exact. Friday, to then have the weekend to feel better in case the discussion went bad. Friday, as we can leave at 16 on Fridays and hence I could have gone for an early escape.
Friday morning I get into work and then spend the whole day trying to find a good moment to go in and talk to my boss. But he has one thing after another, and seems to be in a foul mood. My one colleague that knows my plans tells me to wait for another day when my boss will be in a happier mood. But I feel so pumped up that I persist.
However, as I go in and ask if he has a moment, I get told that actually he did not have time to speak with me, but 'how about Monday?'.
Hence all that mental preparation and stress for nothing. Just to go home and wait out the weekend, feeling more and more stressed, not really arriving to relax, irritated, dreaming nightmares about spiders and sharks (my 2 biggest phobias) and in general not very happy nor very motivated about traveling as first I have to tackle this big obstacle.
But Monday it is! So another mental preparation yesterday over the phone with my mother, and then this morning by myself before coming in.
For what? For just another anticlimax as my boss is off sick today!
And tomorrow? Another day or anther disappointment?
Is this not supposed to happen? Am I not supposed to tell him in advance but wait until the 2 months notice that I have to give? Or am I not supposed to go on this trip? What are all these omens? Should I read something into the fact that I do not manage to speak to my boss, that I dream about spiders and sharks - 2 things that I might very well have to face during my trip (especially the spiders, big, fat, hairy ones on that)...
Well, screw the omens! I am set to leave for this year-long travel, for this experience of a lifetime, and I am going to talk to my boss, all omens put aside!!
Well, as long as he one day comes back to the office that is....
Wish me luck!
I have long been hesitating when to talk with him. Back a year ago or so, when we set the month for departure to September, I was thinking to tell my boss at least 5 months in advance! To be nice so they have enough time to find a replacement, and to allow me to plan more openly.
Then this year started up and 5 months in advance finally sounded way too early!! So I settled on 4 months. But then realised it was best to wait until the first days in May, as the company then have to pay me at least until end of July, which is one month before when I want to leave - so ok.
Hence first week of May was the decision from my side, Friday to be exact. Friday, to then have the weekend to feel better in case the discussion went bad. Friday, as we can leave at 16 on Fridays and hence I could have gone for an early escape.
Friday morning I get into work and then spend the whole day trying to find a good moment to go in and talk to my boss. But he has one thing after another, and seems to be in a foul mood. My one colleague that knows my plans tells me to wait for another day when my boss will be in a happier mood. But I feel so pumped up that I persist.
However, as I go in and ask if he has a moment, I get told that actually he did not have time to speak with me, but 'how about Monday?'.
Hence all that mental preparation and stress for nothing. Just to go home and wait out the weekend, feeling more and more stressed, not really arriving to relax, irritated, dreaming nightmares about spiders and sharks (my 2 biggest phobias) and in general not very happy nor very motivated about traveling as first I have to tackle this big obstacle.
But Monday it is! So another mental preparation yesterday over the phone with my mother, and then this morning by myself before coming in.
For what? For just another anticlimax as my boss is off sick today!
And tomorrow? Another day or anther disappointment?
Is this not supposed to happen? Am I not supposed to tell him in advance but wait until the 2 months notice that I have to give? Or am I not supposed to go on this trip? What are all these omens? Should I read something into the fact that I do not manage to speak to my boss, that I dream about spiders and sharks - 2 things that I might very well have to face during my trip (especially the spiders, big, fat, hairy ones on that)...
Well, screw the omens! I am set to leave for this year-long travel, for this experience of a lifetime, and I am going to talk to my boss, all omens put aside!!
Well, as long as he one day comes back to the office that is....
Wish me luck!
Monday 3 May 2010
What day is today?
Do you know what day it is today? Or rather what month we have entered?
Yes, of course you do, you think. The month is May, and the day, well the 3rd.
But that is where you are wrong!! Or, not wrong per see, but wrong for 'me' :)
For me, today means that I have less than 4 months left at work (although, they think I'll grow old here still), and just a few days more than 4 months left before departure!!!!!!!!!
4 months, I hear you say! Well, 4 months is nothing some of you will think - "how come you still have not been to get vaccinations, where is your departure flight booking, how come your apartment is still full to the ceiling with stuff that you really need to get ride of or at least pack away? And who will take over the apartment once you leave? How about banking systems while you're away? And how come you have not yet told your boss? And who will feed the cat?!"
Well, 4 months is a 'lifetime' some some others will think. "What is the stress about? All that needs to be done can be done in a month. Heck, less than a month. That's what I did, before setting off with a 5 kilo, 25 liters backpack for 3 years of walking around the earth. And screw the cat, it can feed itself!" :)
As for me, 4 months feels both like an eternity - it will never come - and as "panic, panic, 4 months is practically tomorrow and I have 2-years worth of things to do before I leave!!! Btw, where is that damn cat - I haven't seen it for months!"
On the one hand, I have finally kind of decided where to start the trip (in Cuba, although my doubts were raised again yesterday - but more about that in a later post), and we have decided where to meet up (in Costa Rica) - well, most probably. Hence, I can now start looking for flight tickets, Spanish language schools, the first accommodation, and draft my travel plan (to be amended a thousand times during the trip I fear / hope). We have looked at backpacks and, although not yet decided, I have at least 2 that I like. I have my trekking shoes, and most of the money needed for the trip. And I am planning to speak to my boss on Friday!!!!
On the other hand, I'm a nervous wreck! I'm about to speak to my boss, in just a few days, and give up my indeterminate contract! Half of my friends think that I'm crazy - how can I even think about leaving a safe, sure employment, where I'm well treated with a good salary and quite good prospects, especially as it is so so difficult to find a new job, and will be even more difficult after 'playing' for one full year! Luckily the other half is more understanding :)
I'm about to take off in just a few months to travel the world with only a backpack!!! This for a girl who owns perhaps 50 pairs of shoes/boots, 40 handbags, and a million clothes! From about 6 wardrobes full of stuff to one small backpack of 50 or 55 liters, weighing maximum 12-13 kilos. Quite a chock!
I'm about to take off to go into countries whose best features, according to the travel guide, besides beautiful rain-forests and loads of nature, are HUGE SPIDERS! Did I ever mention that I am a complete and utter Arachnophobe? To such an extent that I once almost killed myself trying to kill a 'big' one for Swiss standard. One that will probably look like the baby of the baby of one of the monsters I will encounter on my trip.... (goosebumps all over my body just thinking about it).
I'm about to take off, leave everything behind and finally live my dream!!!!!!!!!!!! It's scary, it's wonderful, it's insane, it's a dream come true, it's my life and my choice.
(For the cat lovers out there: don't worry, no cat was harmed in writing this story. And I'm sure the cat will feed itself, or perhaps I should bring it along and it can feed on huge spiders... )
Saturday 1 May 2010
The Backpack!!! Supposedly one of the two most important gear for The Trip
Today we spent most of the day looking at backpacks for The Trip (by the way, did anyone else realise that there are only 4.5 months left as of today??), walking for what felt like ages, spending more than 2 hours in one shop, before finally coming home and dying in the sofa.
How will we walk for full days once on the trip?
And how will I carry a backpack for several hours, when my lower back started hurting after 10 minutes with a pack only weighing 3 kilos?
And did anyone actually understand what the movie 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' was all about???? We for sure did not!
Anyway, this post was supposed to be about backpacks.
So, we have not yet made our choices. But out of the ones I have tried so far (a couple a few months ago, and 5, I think, today), these 2 are my clear favorites at the moment:
The 'Deuter Traveller SL 55 + 10 L'
The Traveller is 55 litres plus 10 liters in the removable Daypack, 3 kilos heavy and light grey. Its advantages is that the Daypack is a lot better, smarter constructed, with ventilated back, hooks to hang it from the front of the main pack, and Camelbag drink-system. And well the 55 litres is bigger, and the material a bit sturdier.
And the 'Deuter Transit 50 L'
The Transit is 50 litres plus a 12 litre removable Daypack, 2.2 kilos, and the one in the shop is dark green. The Daypack is not as nice, but the main pack's advantages is that it is lighter - allowing me 800g of other stuff compared to the Traveller, it is almost 100 chf cheaper, and well it's smaller - but that means it will force me to pack lighter.
Any comments on which one to go for? Or other suggestions?
I want around 55 litres, as light as possible, no wheels, with hidden straps for flying.
One of the two most difficult choices so far...
How will we walk for full days once on the trip?
And how will I carry a backpack for several hours, when my lower back started hurting after 10 minutes with a pack only weighing 3 kilos?
And did anyone actually understand what the movie 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' was all about???? We for sure did not!
Anyway, this post was supposed to be about backpacks.
So, we have not yet made our choices. But out of the ones I have tried so far (a couple a few months ago, and 5, I think, today), these 2 are my clear favorites at the moment:
The 'Deuter Traveller SL 55 + 10 L'
The Traveller is 55 litres plus 10 liters in the removable Daypack, 3 kilos heavy and light grey. Its advantages is that the Daypack is a lot better, smarter constructed, with ventilated back, hooks to hang it from the front of the main pack, and Camelbag drink-system. And well the 55 litres is bigger, and the material a bit sturdier.
And the 'Deuter Transit 50 L'
The Transit is 50 litres plus a 12 litre removable Daypack, 2.2 kilos, and the one in the shop is dark green. The Daypack is not as nice, but the main pack's advantages is that it is lighter - allowing me 800g of other stuff compared to the Traveller, it is almost 100 chf cheaper, and well it's smaller - but that means it will force me to pack lighter.
Any comments on which one to go for? Or other suggestions?
I want around 55 litres, as light as possible, no wheels, with hidden straps for flying.
One of the two most difficult choices so far...
Thursday 29 April 2010
Today I am happy about...
Today I am happy:
- That my lovely best J survived her open heart surgery and is already back home with her family - her husband, her little daughter and her baby boy - and that she seems to be doing well. I so wish I could be there to visit, but am so relieved that everything went well, I now have 20 kilos of less weight on my shoulders. Real happiness!!
- That I spend the whole weekend dancing at Fete de la danse in Geneva :) 5h of dancing including a great Flamenco class, a super fun, sweet dripping, smile breaking, crazy Bollywood class, a knee-breaking Capoeira class, and some Cuban Salsa so that I finally have learned some basic steps to avoid getting frustrated dancing with my lovely N who already had taken Salsa lessons a few years ago. Great fun weekend! And a great concept - for 10 chf, about 7 EUR, you get to go to as many dance classes that you want for 2 days. Lovely :) I had originally planned to do a Hip hop class as well but was too tired by then.
- That the hurt in every little muscle in my body due to all that dancing has finally passed and I can sit down anew without crying out ;)
- That I have the best boyfriend in the world who came dancing with me and tried all the classes, and had fun!! I'm extremely lucky to have a boyfriend who is not just a great guy in oh so many ways, but who also enjoys dancing and who likes to do fun stuff with me! Thank you!
- That this last week has sported real summer weather: 20 degrees last weekend, 27! today and sun sun sun! Lovely and exactly what the doctor ordered after the long exceptionally cold and snowy winter.
- That I am soon leaving to travel the world - only 4 months left now :)
- That before I leave, some friends will travel here to spend some time with me :D
- That darling M's hippo has turned out to be a big baby - only 6 more weeks or so and the big baby should actually see the world! Wish I could be there though!
- That all my friends and family are healthy and well!!
- That my lovely best J survived her open heart surgery and is already back home with her family - her husband, her little daughter and her baby boy - and that she seems to be doing well. I so wish I could be there to visit, but am so relieved that everything went well, I now have 20 kilos of less weight on my shoulders. Real happiness!!
- That I spend the whole weekend dancing at Fete de la danse in Geneva :) 5h of dancing including a great Flamenco class, a super fun, sweet dripping, smile breaking, crazy Bollywood class, a knee-breaking Capoeira class, and some Cuban Salsa so that I finally have learned some basic steps to avoid getting frustrated dancing with my lovely N who already had taken Salsa lessons a few years ago. Great fun weekend! And a great concept - for 10 chf, about 7 EUR, you get to go to as many dance classes that you want for 2 days. Lovely :) I had originally planned to do a Hip hop class as well but was too tired by then.
- That the hurt in every little muscle in my body due to all that dancing has finally passed and I can sit down anew without crying out ;)
- That I have the best boyfriend in the world who came dancing with me and tried all the classes, and had fun!! I'm extremely lucky to have a boyfriend who is not just a great guy in oh so many ways, but who also enjoys dancing and who likes to do fun stuff with me! Thank you!
- That this last week has sported real summer weather: 20 degrees last weekend, 27! today and sun sun sun! Lovely and exactly what the doctor ordered after the long exceptionally cold and snowy winter.
- That I am soon leaving to travel the world - only 4 months left now :)
- That before I leave, some friends will travel here to spend some time with me :D
- That darling M's hippo has turned out to be a big baby - only 6 more weeks or so and the big baby should actually see the world! Wish I could be there though!
- That all my friends and family are healthy and well!!
Monday 12 April 2010
strange dreams....
Seems people around me are having bizarre dreams lately...
It started with my boyfriend having some kind of a post-PhD finalization stress dreams, wakening us up several nights in a row during the Easter break. One night at around 4 am he suddenly turned on the bedside lamp. The next morning I asked him what he was thinking, and supposedly in his dream something was convincing him that he had to turn on the light, and although he realised that it didn't make sense, the urge was too big. I am just lucky that the dream urged him to turn on the light and not to do something worse.....
Another night, well have you ever been awoken by an applause followed by BRAVO being yelled into the night. First I got scared, thinking there was someone in our hotel room, but then I realised it was my insane boyfriend ;)
Luckily it seems that his dreams has calmed down by now, so we actually get to sleep the whole night without bizarre interruptions.
But the bizarre dreams have not ended with him calming down. Did you for example know that I am getting married on 28 May of this year, a Friday?!?!?!?! Hmmmm well at least according to the dream of a friend of mine, although it's strange that I am not yet aware of this ;) She dreamed that we were a bunch of girls having a chat and suddenly I showed my hand with a beautiful ring with several diamonds and informed them all that I was getting married on 28 May this year. Well, sometimes life is full of surprises, but this would really be a surprise for me, and I would guess quite a big surprise for my boyfriend as well!
Well getting married in a rush still sounds better than my last dream where I was being fired for not doing my job correctly... The dream was really quite uncomfortable with my boss having hired several people to go through my work and check what I did on internet, going through my personal mails etc. Could the fact that we watched 'Up in the air' yesterday evening have something to do with this dream? And perhaps the fact that I am stressed at work at the moment and feeling like I'm lagging behind, plus the fact that I am stressed about soon having to talk to my boss about quitting...
Oh well, perhaps the month of April is a month of dreams...
It started with my boyfriend having some kind of a post-PhD finalization stress dreams, wakening us up several nights in a row during the Easter break. One night at around 4 am he suddenly turned on the bedside lamp. The next morning I asked him what he was thinking, and supposedly in his dream something was convincing him that he had to turn on the light, and although he realised that it didn't make sense, the urge was too big. I am just lucky that the dream urged him to turn on the light and not to do something worse.....
Another night, well have you ever been awoken by an applause followed by BRAVO being yelled into the night. First I got scared, thinking there was someone in our hotel room, but then I realised it was my insane boyfriend ;)
Luckily it seems that his dreams has calmed down by now, so we actually get to sleep the whole night without bizarre interruptions.
But the bizarre dreams have not ended with him calming down. Did you for example know that I am getting married on 28 May of this year, a Friday?!?!?!?! Hmmmm well at least according to the dream of a friend of mine, although it's strange that I am not yet aware of this ;) She dreamed that we were a bunch of girls having a chat and suddenly I showed my hand with a beautiful ring with several diamonds and informed them all that I was getting married on 28 May this year. Well, sometimes life is full of surprises, but this would really be a surprise for me, and I would guess quite a big surprise for my boyfriend as well!
Well getting married in a rush still sounds better than my last dream where I was being fired for not doing my job correctly... The dream was really quite uncomfortable with my boss having hired several people to go through my work and check what I did on internet, going through my personal mails etc. Could the fact that we watched 'Up in the air' yesterday evening have something to do with this dream? And perhaps the fact that I am stressed at work at the moment and feeling like I'm lagging behind, plus the fact that I am stressed about soon having to talk to my boss about quitting...
Oh well, perhaps the month of April is a month of dreams...
Friday 26 March 2010
BRAVO!!!!!!!!
HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!
Did what, I hear you say? And who 'he'?
My darling lovely N is now a Dr N!!!! The best ever and now with a title to show it off :D
My Doctorinho ;)
Did what, I hear you say? And who 'he'?
My darling lovely N is now a Dr N!!!! The best ever and now with a title to show it off :D
My Doctorinho ;)
Trekking shoes - the big dilemma
I received a pair of these for my birthday. I have to go and change them to a bigger size, but then started to wonder if perhaps another kind would be better...
Many sites suggest to get a pair of hiking shoes - something in between the shoe I got and a real hiking boot. A colleague also suggested this - but of course, she thinks I am going to use them for hikes in the mountains :D
My N and my lovely friend Mims suggest the kind of shoe that I received, a pair of Asics Gel Moriko WP, as they are lighter to carry when not used, less warm, and probably I am not going to hike too much in difficult terrains anyway.
I am leaning towards choosing these Morikos, but would really appreciate advice!
Many sites suggest to get a pair of hiking shoes - something in between the shoe I got and a real hiking boot. A colleague also suggested this - but of course, she thinks I am going to use them for hikes in the mountains :D
My N and my lovely friend Mims suggest the kind of shoe that I received, a pair of Asics Gel Moriko WP, as they are lighter to carry when not used, less warm, and probably I am not going to hike too much in difficult terrains anyway.
I am leaning towards choosing these Morikos, but would really appreciate advice!
When is it appropriate to inform them at work?
Continuing on the theme of 'only 5 months left WTF?', I would love some advice on when to inform my boss that I am leaving.
Originally - meaning months ago - I had decided to inform him about 5 months or so before leaving. Originally!! There is NO way that I am ready to inform him in the next week or two!
Legally, I have to inform the company 2 months before my last working day - hence by 30 June.
But I want to be nice and inform them, not the HR but my boss and colleagues, more in advance to allow them to find a replacement and to organise themselves, especially since I want to leave on 31 August, hence right in the middle of vacation months here.
I am also increasingly starting to feel like I'm living a lie at work. I have told all my friends about this trip, but none of my colleagues although I talk to them every day, lunch with them etc. I am starting to feel bad when we discuss future projects, when I come with ideas for new projects when I know I won't be here to implement them. Or when we discuss reporting deadlines in the fall, meetings and outings and other stuff - and all the time I am not telling them the truth. Plus they will all understand, once I do inform them, that I have planned this trip for months and that all this time I just did not bother informing them that I am leaving.
At the same time, I do not feel ready to inform my boss about this yet. I feel I want to finish a few more things first, prove myself a bit more, make sure I leave with a good impression. Plus, I do not want to risk that he gets so angry (not that he probably will, but the risk does exist) that he asks me to leave as per my 2 months notice period. This would not be good as I'm counting on the salary from the next 5 months to buff up my savings.
So when would be appropriate to tell them at work? By the end of April - hence 4 months in advance? By mid-May, once 2 out of 4 of my conferences for this spring are over - hence about 3.5 months in advance? Or???
What do you think?
Originally - meaning months ago - I had decided to inform him about 5 months or so before leaving. Originally!! There is NO way that I am ready to inform him in the next week or two!
Legally, I have to inform the company 2 months before my last working day - hence by 30 June.
But I want to be nice and inform them, not the HR but my boss and colleagues, more in advance to allow them to find a replacement and to organise themselves, especially since I want to leave on 31 August, hence right in the middle of vacation months here.
I am also increasingly starting to feel like I'm living a lie at work. I have told all my friends about this trip, but none of my colleagues although I talk to them every day, lunch with them etc. I am starting to feel bad when we discuss future projects, when I come with ideas for new projects when I know I won't be here to implement them. Or when we discuss reporting deadlines in the fall, meetings and outings and other stuff - and all the time I am not telling them the truth. Plus they will all understand, once I do inform them, that I have planned this trip for months and that all this time I just did not bother informing them that I am leaving.
At the same time, I do not feel ready to inform my boss about this yet. I feel I want to finish a few more things first, prove myself a bit more, make sure I leave with a good impression. Plus, I do not want to risk that he gets so angry (not that he probably will, but the risk does exist) that he asks me to leave as per my 2 months notice period. This would not be good as I'm counting on the salary from the next 5 months to buff up my savings.
So when would be appropriate to tell them at work? By the end of April - hence 4 months in advance? By mid-May, once 2 out of 4 of my conferences for this spring are over - hence about 3.5 months in advance? Or???
What do you think?
D-day minus 5 months and a bit...
In a few days there are only 5 months left until I am planning to do my last working day, and about 5 months and a week until I'm planning to change my apartment for a backpack, my high heeled boots for trekking shoes, my 9-5 (or rather 9.30-7) working day for adventure, planning for conferences to planning for where to go next or preferably to 'no planning at all', a pay check to slowly - hopefully - eating through my savings.
5 months!!!!! How did this happen? I remember a morning that feels like it happened yesterday, when I calculated the time left and realised there was still more than 7 months to go. And 7 months sounded like loads of time! Now, there's only 5 months left - and somehow 5 months sound like a very short time indeed. I mean, 3 months have already passed since the birth of 2010 and what have I done in these 3 months??? Well, except for some cool days skiing, and a lot of days kind of working, the answer has to be: dodilidodili close to nothing!
But in the 5 months left before I leave, besides organise 4 conferences, prepare 2 publications of participants papers, budget and oversee the translation, editing and printing of 7 national context analysis papers, oversee the financial side of one of our external offices, prepare 2 financial and narrative reports, create project proposals and find funding for projects that I will not be here to implement (somehow now that I am soon to leave, I have loads of ideas that for once my boss is actually listened...), and prepare for handing over my projects to someone else (sort through 5 years of mail, papers, information on my personal drive etc).
Besides all that work related stuff, in these 5 months I also have to find time to do the following preparations for the trip:
- get a thousand and one vaccinations,
- find a backpack, well once I've decided what size and type I want - why do I feel that this might turn into a last minute buy?
- find the right shoes (trekking, sandals, a 'nice pair'),
- get visas,
- get e-banking,
- get a first-aid pack,
- chose clothes and stuff to bring,
- get a thousand small and not so small stuff (Swiss army knife, zip-lock bags, packing tubes, day pack, rain jacket, sports bra and underwear, earplugs, flash light, duct tape, journal, money bag, travel towel..... and so on),
- decide if I want to bring a computer, and if so, chose what model,
- find someone to rent out our apartment to (for a bizarre period - possibly 2 months sharing with N, 6 months by themselves, 4 months sharing with N),
- go through all my books, clothes, papers, shoes and other stuff and get rid of a big part (a third at least? ouch!!), packing up the rest (the plan is to store it all in our basement but it's not very big),
- find a good but not too expensive health and travel insurance,
- get flight tickets and decide what system to go by (RTW ticket, or single tickets or....)
- decide on what country to start from... (a small, kind of tiny, decision ;))
- decide on what country to meet N in...,
- choose the language school(s) (thinking about possibly doing 1 month intensive Spanish in one country, and then a second month in another country - hence allowing me visit, during weekends, and get to know at least 2 countries during the first 2 months),
- learn some Spanish before leaving (optional, but would be very good),
- etc, etc.
In addition I should also supposedly try to get rid of my arachnophobia before I leave!!? This came as a suggestion by a couple of friends who do not understand that to get rid of my impossible fear of spiders, I will most probably have to put myself under the obligation to have to touch a spider at some point, and probably a BIG spider - now why on earth would I want to put myself through that? I mean, going through therapy means a most definite obligation to touch spiders! Travelling through the areas I want to go to, means a possible risk of having to touch a spider... Hopefully a very tiny risk. A lot bigger risk will be to have a big spider in my hostel room - but the answer to that would be very simple - I would just have to move to another hostel! :D
And of course, I shall also try to enjoy spring, meet friends, travel for Easter, travel 4 times for work, travel for Ascension, and then in the summer, say goodbye to family, extended family and friends - meaning trips to Sweden, Slovenia and Portugal! Plus a wedding in Greece.
Hmmmm am I the only one that just got severely stressed?
5 months!!!!! How did this happen? I remember a morning that feels like it happened yesterday, when I calculated the time left and realised there was still more than 7 months to go. And 7 months sounded like loads of time! Now, there's only 5 months left - and somehow 5 months sound like a very short time indeed. I mean, 3 months have already passed since the birth of 2010 and what have I done in these 3 months??? Well, except for some cool days skiing, and a lot of days kind of working, the answer has to be: dodilidodili close to nothing!
But in the 5 months left before I leave, besides organise 4 conferences, prepare 2 publications of participants papers, budget and oversee the translation, editing and printing of 7 national context analysis papers, oversee the financial side of one of our external offices, prepare 2 financial and narrative reports, create project proposals and find funding for projects that I will not be here to implement (somehow now that I am soon to leave, I have loads of ideas that for once my boss is actually listened...), and prepare for handing over my projects to someone else (sort through 5 years of mail, papers, information on my personal drive etc).
Besides all that work related stuff, in these 5 months I also have to find time to do the following preparations for the trip:
- get a thousand and one vaccinations,
- find a backpack, well once I've decided what size and type I want - why do I feel that this might turn into a last minute buy?
- find the right shoes (trekking, sandals, a 'nice pair'),
- get visas,
- get e-banking,
- get a first-aid pack,
- chose clothes and stuff to bring,
- get a thousand small and not so small stuff (Swiss army knife, zip-lock bags, packing tubes, day pack, rain jacket, sports bra and underwear, earplugs, flash light, duct tape, journal, money bag, travel towel..... and so on),
- decide if I want to bring a computer, and if so, chose what model,
- find someone to rent out our apartment to (for a bizarre period - possibly 2 months sharing with N, 6 months by themselves, 4 months sharing with N),
- go through all my books, clothes, papers, shoes and other stuff and get rid of a big part (a third at least? ouch!!), packing up the rest (the plan is to store it all in our basement but it's not very big),
- find a good but not too expensive health and travel insurance,
- get flight tickets and decide what system to go by (RTW ticket, or single tickets or....)
- decide on what country to start from... (a small, kind of tiny, decision ;))
- decide on what country to meet N in...,
- choose the language school(s) (thinking about possibly doing 1 month intensive Spanish in one country, and then a second month in another country - hence allowing me visit, during weekends, and get to know at least 2 countries during the first 2 months),
- learn some Spanish before leaving (optional, but would be very good),
- etc, etc.
In addition I should also supposedly try to get rid of my arachnophobia before I leave!!? This came as a suggestion by a couple of friends who do not understand that to get rid of my impossible fear of spiders, I will most probably have to put myself under the obligation to have to touch a spider at some point, and probably a BIG spider - now why on earth would I want to put myself through that? I mean, going through therapy means a most definite obligation to touch spiders! Travelling through the areas I want to go to, means a possible risk of having to touch a spider... Hopefully a very tiny risk. A lot bigger risk will be to have a big spider in my hostel room - but the answer to that would be very simple - I would just have to move to another hostel! :D
And of course, I shall also try to enjoy spring, meet friends, travel for Easter, travel 4 times for work, travel for Ascension, and then in the summer, say goodbye to family, extended family and friends - meaning trips to Sweden, Slovenia and Portugal! Plus a wedding in Greece.
Hmmmm am I the only one that just got severely stressed?
Thursday 18 March 2010
Delicious chocolate treats - part 3
Some comments from my fellow colleagues to today's 3 chocolate treats:
OMFG – chocolate with raspberries is heavenly!!!
Thank you so much for the divine treat! I was wondering if you could please share with me the pecan treat recipe? I love it!
I ended up not being able to resist temptation and tasted one of those chocolate balls… They are absolutely divine so to hell with the calories!!!
OMFG – chocolate with raspberries is heavenly!!!
Thank you so much for the divine treat! I was wondering if you could please share with me the pecan treat recipe? I love it!
I ended up not being able to resist temptation and tasted one of those chocolate balls… They are absolutely divine so to hell with the calories!!!
Delicious chocolate treats - update
The challenge was 2-3 chocolate cakes plus some chocolate balls in 2h15!
The result:
- 1 'sticky' chocolate cake with pecan nuts and grated coco nut (see earlier post regarding this cake under Am I nuts?)
- 1 almost sticky chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and grated almond - a first trial that turned out very nicely although less sticky than usual, probably due to the liquid from the raspberries
- About 50 small chocolate balls, approx. 35 coated with grated coco nut and 15 coated with 'decoration' sugar (pearly sugar in Swedish). The sugar ones were my favorites when I was a kid, but yesterday I finally understood why my mother preferred doing coco nut covered ones as they take about half the time. That bloody sugar just didn't want to stick to the balls. While the coco nut adhered without a second thought!
- Total time spent: 2h30!
Overall impression: chocolate balls are a pain as they take ages to turn from yummy dough into small balls! Putting the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes helped greatly for facilitating shaping the dough into balls, but made it more difficult to get the sugar to stick... This is where I lost time. I could easily have made 2 extra cakes during the time it took to make these 50 balls.
All these treats were a success at work - which might just mean that my colleagues are all chocolate addicts, something that I have long suspected anyway :)
The result:
- 1 'sticky' chocolate cake with pecan nuts and grated coco nut (see earlier post regarding this cake under Am I nuts?)
- 1 almost sticky chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and grated almond - a first trial that turned out very nicely although less sticky than usual, probably due to the liquid from the raspberries
- About 50 small chocolate balls, approx. 35 coated with grated coco nut and 15 coated with 'decoration' sugar (pearly sugar in Swedish). The sugar ones were my favorites when I was a kid, but yesterday I finally understood why my mother preferred doing coco nut covered ones as they take about half the time. That bloody sugar just didn't want to stick to the balls. While the coco nut adhered without a second thought!
- Total time spent: 2h30!
Overall impression: chocolate balls are a pain as they take ages to turn from yummy dough into small balls! Putting the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes helped greatly for facilitating shaping the dough into balls, but made it more difficult to get the sugar to stick... This is where I lost time. I could easily have made 2 extra cakes during the time it took to make these 50 balls.
All these treats were a success at work - which might just mean that my colleagues are all chocolate addicts, something that I have long suspected anyway :)
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Tonight's challenge
To cook 2 or possibly 3 different kinds of chocolate cakes, plus a set of 'chocolate balls' to bring into work tomorrow for my birthday. And well, yes, because I felt like cooking and my N is working on his thesis late tonight so the decision fell on making some cakes...
It is now 20:14. The goal is to have finished everything by 22:30. Let's see how much I manage to do in these 2h15.
Update tomorrow!
It is now 20:14. The goal is to have finished everything by 22:30. Let's see how much I manage to do in these 2h15.
Update tomorrow!
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Happy!
I just got this message from my brother (my translation):
'You're the world's best sister!'
Me happy now :D and all because I took 2 minutes to add a picture to an exhibition about fashion that my brother is working on. Recognize the ears?
'You're the world's best sister!'
Me happy now :D and all because I took 2 minutes to add a picture to an exhibition about fashion that my brother is working on. Recognize the ears?
Freedom from chosing what to wear....
My mind is set at thinking about my trip at the moment and especially on what size and kind of backpack to buy, how many and what clothes to bring, what other stuff to bring etc. I have been looking through packing lists for ideas and started my own very first draft list yesterday.
So not bizarre then that I woke up this morning wondering what to wear today to work and soooo looking forward to the trip when I will be able to just put on the first thing that falls in my hand, not caring how it looks, if it fits with the rest of the outfit, if it is 'professionally' enough looking (although the clothes I deem professional enough would never make it through a bank) etc.
Instead I will only have to care what kind of activities we/I will get into that day and how cold it is. And even if I would start to fret, well, the backpack will have a very limited choice of stuff, so the easiest is probably just to wear the same as the day before, as long as it is not too dirty.
Freedom!
So not bizarre then that I woke up this morning wondering what to wear today to work and soooo looking forward to the trip when I will be able to just put on the first thing that falls in my hand, not caring how it looks, if it fits with the rest of the outfit, if it is 'professionally' enough looking (although the clothes I deem professional enough would never make it through a bank) etc.
Instead I will only have to care what kind of activities we/I will get into that day and how cold it is. And even if I would start to fret, well, the backpack will have a very limited choice of stuff, so the easiest is probably just to wear the same as the day before, as long as it is not too dirty.
Freedom!
Monday 8 March 2010
Last birthday before the big trip, what better than too.....
...make a wish list completely based on stuff I will need for traveling :) So no fancy pancy clothes and shoes, but rather practical ‘boring’ stuff, but stuff that I will be very happy to have during my trip! The list was sent to my mum, brother, and boyfriend as they are the main suspects for planning to get me something...
In case you don't know (and most of you wouldn't), my birthday is soon to come up and I will hence soon become a perfect double 3 and in about 2x3 months, as you should know if you have been following this blog for a while, I am planning to hit the roads around the world (well not really around the world I guess, but with 4-5 continents included, it’s not that bad an attempt, and if you count in Europe since it is the departure continent, I arrive at 5-6 out of 7…. Wow, I guess I can actually start calling it a world trip after all).
Some of the gear needed/recommended for such a trip, I already possess (like a silk bag, fleece sweater, sunglasses, camera, ipod, gloves, sarong…), but much of it I still need. Hence what better opportunity than to ask for some of it for my b-day.
Ok, so here goes my wish list:
- A camera case to protect my already all scratched up camera against even more scratches, banging, humidity;
- An extra camera memory card;
- A traveling pillow (although I still have to find one I actually can sleep on);
- A headlamp or perhaps rather a book lamp – I got a recommendation from A for one called ‘mighty bright’(that can be bought through Amazon).
- A medium size super light travel towel (N has the same, but perhaps another colour than his not to mix them up);
- A ‘money’ hiding ‘revolver’ case bag… meaning, instead of a money belt or a bag that goes around the neck, this one goes over the under the arm…;
- A backpack… now this is a difficult one. We looked at a few this weekend but didn’t find anything we want yet. Probably going for 60 litres though. Have been checking some websites but not yet sure what I want. So perhaps money for a backpack? And any ideas from backpacking friends or others are very welcome!!!!
- Hiking shoes. Not that easy either, but I think I found a very nice pair Saturday. More a kind of running trail than real hiking boots, as we will probably walk around more than hike. Asics something (N has more details). The size was 40 instead of my usual 39, but then my running shoes that are also Asics are 40.5 I think.
- ‘Hiking’ sandals. Hence not flip flops, but something that stays on the foot. I have been checking out this website and they have some nice ones. For example, the ‘Trailhead Venice’ in parsian blue. Or the ‘Trailhead Newport Canvas’ in amaranth/nile. The ‘Waterfront Balboa’ in dark citron, regal orchid or air blue is also very nice but more for beach than walking I think.
- A super light rain jacket.
- A rain protection cover to the backpack (but probably can’t get this until I have decided on the backpack, right?).
- Light travel pants. Possibly a pair that zips into shorts – although I find that very ugly. So perhaps not, and rather travel shorts and travel pants…
- A nice but light journal to put down my thoughts in during the trip, when we don’t have access to computers.
- A mini computer?????? Not sure yet if it is a good idea to bring one. It seems that people are divide on this. Some say that it is better to just use internet cafés etc, and it is an extra weight to carry around. But others think that it is worth the weight to not have to plug in your ipod, camera, usb-sticks etc and not use your credit cards etc on internet café computers due to the numerous viruses there and risk for people stealing ones secret passwords etc. Plus as A argued (they just bought a small computer after about 1 month of traveling), it doesn’t weigh mush more than a travel book and you can download travel books onto it instead of buying them. Any ideas on this?
Ok, that’s all folks. I think the list is long enough this time, overwhelmingly long in fact. Other stuff can of course also be added, either for the trip like other clothes (long sleeved thin cotton shirts, a thin and light summer dress that is very modest (sleeves to elbows, no real cleavage, at least to the knees), hiking socks etc), or stuff that you hear are very useful for such a trip, or of course, clothes or stuff that are fun for the next 6 months in Geneva :)
Any tips from anyone out there on things that I have missed? Or on the issue of bringing a small computer or not? Or even on the question to go for fashion or comfort when it comes to zipped short/pants thingies? :)
In case you don't know (and most of you wouldn't), my birthday is soon to come up and I will hence soon become a perfect double 3 and in about 2x3 months, as you should know if you have been following this blog for a while, I am planning to hit the roads around the world (well not really around the world I guess, but with 4-5 continents included, it’s not that bad an attempt, and if you count in Europe since it is the departure continent, I arrive at 5-6 out of 7…. Wow, I guess I can actually start calling it a world trip after all).
Some of the gear needed/recommended for such a trip, I already possess (like a silk bag, fleece sweater, sunglasses, camera, ipod, gloves, sarong…), but much of it I still need. Hence what better opportunity than to ask for some of it for my b-day.
Ok, so here goes my wish list:
- A camera case to protect my already all scratched up camera against even more scratches, banging, humidity;
- An extra camera memory card;
- A traveling pillow (although I still have to find one I actually can sleep on);
- A headlamp or perhaps rather a book lamp – I got a recommendation from A for one called ‘mighty bright’(that can be bought through Amazon).
- A medium size super light travel towel (N has the same, but perhaps another colour than his not to mix them up);
- A ‘money’ hiding ‘revolver’ case bag… meaning, instead of a money belt or a bag that goes around the neck, this one goes over the under the arm…;
- A backpack… now this is a difficult one. We looked at a few this weekend but didn’t find anything we want yet. Probably going for 60 litres though. Have been checking some websites but not yet sure what I want. So perhaps money for a backpack? And any ideas from backpacking friends or others are very welcome!!!!
- Hiking shoes. Not that easy either, but I think I found a very nice pair Saturday. More a kind of running trail than real hiking boots, as we will probably walk around more than hike. Asics something (N has more details). The size was 40 instead of my usual 39, but then my running shoes that are also Asics are 40.5 I think.
- ‘Hiking’ sandals. Hence not flip flops, but something that stays on the foot. I have been checking out this website and they have some nice ones. For example, the ‘Trailhead Venice’ in parsian blue. Or the ‘Trailhead Newport Canvas’ in amaranth/nile. The ‘Waterfront Balboa’ in dark citron, regal orchid or air blue is also very nice but more for beach than walking I think.
- A super light rain jacket.
- A rain protection cover to the backpack (but probably can’t get this until I have decided on the backpack, right?).
- Light travel pants. Possibly a pair that zips into shorts – although I find that very ugly. So perhaps not, and rather travel shorts and travel pants…
- A nice but light journal to put down my thoughts in during the trip, when we don’t have access to computers.
- A mini computer?????? Not sure yet if it is a good idea to bring one. It seems that people are divide on this. Some say that it is better to just use internet cafés etc, and it is an extra weight to carry around. But others think that it is worth the weight to not have to plug in your ipod, camera, usb-sticks etc and not use your credit cards etc on internet café computers due to the numerous viruses there and risk for people stealing ones secret passwords etc. Plus as A argued (they just bought a small computer after about 1 month of traveling), it doesn’t weigh mush more than a travel book and you can download travel books onto it instead of buying them. Any ideas on this?
Ok, that’s all folks. I think the list is long enough this time, overwhelmingly long in fact. Other stuff can of course also be added, either for the trip like other clothes (long sleeved thin cotton shirts, a thin and light summer dress that is very modest (sleeves to elbows, no real cleavage, at least to the knees), hiking socks etc), or stuff that you hear are very useful for such a trip, or of course, clothes or stuff that are fun for the next 6 months in Geneva :)
Any tips from anyone out there on things that I have missed? Or on the issue of bringing a small computer or not? Or even on the question to go for fashion or comfort when it comes to zipped short/pants thingies? :)
Friday 5 March 2010
the world is a small place...
This morning after having decided to take the bus into work as it was too cold and windy to walk down by the lake, I bumped into my aunt and her friend at the bus stop!
They live in Sweden! And although they are in Geneva visiting my cousin, she lives 20 outside of Geneva by bus! Hence, I was just a bit surprised to find such good company 'waiting for me' at my stop. Good that I chose the bus after all as my boring morning bus ride was turned into a lovely one :D
The world is really a small place sometimes and full to the brim of coincidences.
They live in Sweden! And although they are in Geneva visiting my cousin, she lives 20 outside of Geneva by bus! Hence, I was just a bit surprised to find such good company 'waiting for me' at my stop. Good that I chose the bus after all as my boring morning bus ride was turned into a lovely one :D
The world is really a small place sometimes and full to the brim of coincidences.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Mims
Just got a call all the way down from Zambia from my darling Mims :D
So great to talk! To hear about the hippo and other news, and to hear her voice!!!
Me happy now :)
So great to talk! To hear about the hippo and other news, and to hear her voice!!!
Me happy now :)
Skiing queen
My goddaughter - the queen of the pistes! Do you see the resemblance with the tongue out just like me? :D
Tuesday 2 March 2010
The risk of the trade...
Is a hair colouring specialist with a bad hair colour and cut, to be seen in the same light as an overweight heart specialist?
Should I have ran away as fast as possible, or tried my luck?
Well the result came out nicely....
Should I have ran away as fast as possible, or tried my luck?
Well the result came out nicely....
Monday 1 March 2010
Nutty success!
Comments from two colleagues who had the chance to taste the nutty cake:
"Wow……………..!! I had no idea what I missed all my life!!"
"That was the best cake ever!"
Ahhh, me very happy :D
"Wow……………..!! I had no idea what I missed all my life!!"
"That was the best cake ever!"
Ahhh, me very happy :D
Am I nuts?
No skiing this weekend, instead a lot of sleep, winter Olympics, nice food (sushi, Chinese dim sum brunch, home-made lasagna) and a new nutty version of my killer chocolate cake.
Or to be precise, of my Swedish kladdkaka (I make 2 different chocolate cakes, one could possibly be considered as a 'moelleux' and the other, the kladdkada, as a 'fondant').
As my N loves coco nut, we decided to try adding some to the chocolate cake, and as the experiment was anyways on, I decided to also add some pecan nuts as they are very yummy in brownies - so why not in a kladdkaka?
So about 2.5 tablespoons of grated coco nut (yep, we bought it already grated), and perhaps 4 tablespoons of chopped pecan nuts were added to the batter, while I limited partly the sugar and flour (4 dl of sugar instead of 4.5, and a bit less than 2 of flour instead of 2.25). All the other ingredients stayed the same.
The result? Not so nuts after all :)
Next time I think I'll put in fresh raspberries and perhaps almonds... Change is fun!
Or to be precise, of my Swedish kladdkaka (I make 2 different chocolate cakes, one could possibly be considered as a 'moelleux' and the other, the kladdkada, as a 'fondant').
As my N loves coco nut, we decided to try adding some to the chocolate cake, and as the experiment was anyways on, I decided to also add some pecan nuts as they are very yummy in brownies - so why not in a kladdkaka?
So about 2.5 tablespoons of grated coco nut (yep, we bought it already grated), and perhaps 4 tablespoons of chopped pecan nuts were added to the batter, while I limited partly the sugar and flour (4 dl of sugar instead of 4.5, and a bit less than 2 of flour instead of 2.25). All the other ingredients stayed the same.
The result? Not so nuts after all :)
Next time I think I'll put in fresh raspberries and perhaps almonds... Change is fun!
Friday 26 February 2010
and the winner is....
The winner of the gold medal for the best beginner powder skier, 2 days combined, goes to: Miss T!
Last weekend was the 2nd weekend that she went off the easy flat pisted slopes, into a bit more crazy and for sure more difficult snow. And she did a super good work skiing in powder half way up to her knees for the first time ever, falling, getting up again, hearing instructions screamed from the three others in our group, taking everything with a smile, a very tired smile at the end of the first day. So tired, that the old man running the cabin to get back down to the station rubbed her hands as she looked so dead ;)
And then the 2nd day, back out again for hours of lovely skiing in even more difficult conditions. Sunnier than the day before, but windy, meaning new snow to ski in over and over again even though we went down the same slopes, as the wind had almost completely covered our traces when we came back down 20 minutes later. Super nice, but not the easiest conditions for a powder beginner as heavier than fresh powder and hence meaning that you need more speed, which is quite scary when you start out. So the gold price definitely belongs to T! You go girl :D
The gold medal (yes, I only give out gold medals) for the best false beginner ever goes to: Mr. H!
From having problems getting down a blue piste on Saturday mid-day, to skiing down wind-blown powder on Sunday afternoon - wow, what an achievement!!! H was far out of his league on these slopes and fell over and over again. But just picked himself up and continued downhill. Listened carefully to all advice and was not scared of giving it a try. Of course, it did help that there were hardly and rocks or trees to speak about, only thick layers of white gold everywhere. Mr. H did look slightly dead at the end of the day, but that's how you learn!
The gold medal for the most patient instructor, and for the best organiser of skiing weekends, goes to: Mr. P!
And the gold medal for the best boyfriend ever goes to.... well, my N :D
A lovely weekend of skiing up in Lenk/Simmental. A new discovery, and surprisingly like last weekend and excellent discovery! Full of Bernoise people that seems to prefer the hard boring people-filled pistes to the beautiful fluffy white gold 20 meters to the side - 'tant mieux' for us as one says in French. All the better for us! Super weekend!!!!!!!! Thank you!
Last weekend was the 2nd weekend that she went off the easy flat pisted slopes, into a bit more crazy and for sure more difficult snow. And she did a super good work skiing in powder half way up to her knees for the first time ever, falling, getting up again, hearing instructions screamed from the three others in our group, taking everything with a smile, a very tired smile at the end of the first day. So tired, that the old man running the cabin to get back down to the station rubbed her hands as she looked so dead ;)
And then the 2nd day, back out again for hours of lovely skiing in even more difficult conditions. Sunnier than the day before, but windy, meaning new snow to ski in over and over again even though we went down the same slopes, as the wind had almost completely covered our traces when we came back down 20 minutes later. Super nice, but not the easiest conditions for a powder beginner as heavier than fresh powder and hence meaning that you need more speed, which is quite scary when you start out. So the gold price definitely belongs to T! You go girl :D
The gold medal (yes, I only give out gold medals) for the best false beginner ever goes to: Mr. H!
From having problems getting down a blue piste on Saturday mid-day, to skiing down wind-blown powder on Sunday afternoon - wow, what an achievement!!! H was far out of his league on these slopes and fell over and over again. But just picked himself up and continued downhill. Listened carefully to all advice and was not scared of giving it a try. Of course, it did help that there were hardly and rocks or trees to speak about, only thick layers of white gold everywhere. Mr. H did look slightly dead at the end of the day, but that's how you learn!
The gold medal for the most patient instructor, and for the best organiser of skiing weekends, goes to: Mr. P!
And the gold medal for the best boyfriend ever goes to.... well, my N :D
A lovely weekend of skiing up in Lenk/Simmental. A new discovery, and surprisingly like last weekend and excellent discovery! Full of Bernoise people that seems to prefer the hard boring people-filled pistes to the beautiful fluffy white gold 20 meters to the side - 'tant mieux' for us as one says in French. All the better for us! Super weekend!!!!!!!! Thank you!
Things I like...
I like when walking to the car, half asleep in the morning, he slips his hand into mine.
Monday 15 February 2010
St. Valentine's day
We're not big on celebrating St. Valentine's day, and after a perfect happy day on the Saturday (with a super day of skiing on sunny snowy slopes and a nice Peruvian dinner to celebrate A, with the best Pisco Sour ever and some Latin dances), we felt mostly like a cuddly slow day on Sunday the 14th.
However, after a short trip to China, we ended up in an Italian restaurant in the old town for a fondant au chocolat - a marvelous taste explosion of chocolate, served beautifully decorated with 2 hearts! So, we can actually say that we celebrated this day, by accident admittedly, but still...
And yes, I also got one of the nicest comments ever by N later in the evening - a comment that warmed my heart a lot more than flowers or chocolates could ever do :D
Did you celebrate Valentine's? And how did you do it?
However, after a short trip to China, we ended up in an Italian restaurant in the old town for a fondant au chocolat - a marvelous taste explosion of chocolate, served beautifully decorated with 2 hearts! So, we can actually say that we celebrated this day, by accident admittedly, but still...
And yes, I also got one of the nicest comments ever by N later in the evening - a comment that warmed my heart a lot more than flowers or chocolates could ever do :D
Did you celebrate Valentine's? And how did you do it?
The quickest trip to China ever
Yesterday for lunch, we went to China for a few hours.
After about 20 minutes walk including crossing the bridge in the cold wind, China here we were! A lovely dim sum brunch, a very warm restaurant, servers who did not speak French - ahhh what a nice environmentally friendly trip :) And what a lovely way to spend a cold windy Sunday.
Highly recommended! Who wants to join next time? The more the merrier as we could taste even more dishes than the 6 that N and I indulged in!
After about 20 minutes walk including crossing the bridge in the cold wind, China here we were! A lovely dim sum brunch, a very warm restaurant, servers who did not speak French - ahhh what a nice environmentally friendly trip :) And what a lovely way to spend a cold windy Sunday.
Highly recommended! Who wants to join next time? The more the merrier as we could taste even more dishes than the 6 that N and I indulged in!
Sunday 14 February 2010
It's snowing again / more powder to the people
Yesterday we had a fantastic day skiing in lots of lovely powder, under a clear blue sky. Quite a cold day actually, but with all that sunshine and powder, we forgot about it (although I was clearly reminded of the coldness during the first 20 minutes in the car afterward as my toes, especially the big ones, came back to life with, let's say, just a little bit of pain...).
We headed to Praz de Lys/Sommand in France, a new experience for most of our group, for once quite a small group with just four of us skiing together, and another three meeting up for lunch. Very nice to be skiing with a group of just four as we hardly had to wait for one another and all fit into the chair lift (this year, the group of friends tagging along has often touched around ten or more people, very nice for socializing, but not ideal for skiing).
Initially Praz de Lys did not seem like a fantastic place for a fun day of playful skiing, actually it looked more like a heaven for beginners (and this was also the reason why the three additional friends who were there had chosen the place) with some ok slopes for the rest of the group. But we decided to give it a try. And what luck that we did!
The day started with about 40 minutes lost in traffic on the way there, 40 minutes under which I was telling N, and myself, that look at the sun - at least we did not stay in Geneva under the stratus the whole day, but instead we are on our way to a day in sunshine. The idea being that if the station was really boring, well we would camp out on a terrace and enjoy seeing the sun for the first time in a couple of weeks.
And at the beginning of the day, once we finally had arrived and had managed to get skiing tickets after loosing close to another hour (the machines did not work in one place, so we had to drive to another etc), it looked like this was going to be more of a terrace day indeed. The lifts were old, slow, and not very steep, hence the place really felt like beginners paradise. On top, my calves had started to cramp up as they like to do when I spend too much time with the boots on before starting to ski.
Imagine therefore how presently surprised we were when, after taking the first chair lift, we went off and tasted wonderful fresh fluffy snow! The conditions were perfect: sunshine to keep us warm and for perfect visibility, cold enough to keep the snow fresh, great mounds of snow with many fresh parts left to allow us to trace our own descents, a calm station with mostly beginners meaning that we shared the fun parts with only a handful of people, and just four of us to allow for maximum skiing. A big smile quickly placed itself on my face as I floated down the first powder, and stayed stuck the whole day no matter the lengthy and unfriendly waiter at lunch, my frozen toes hurting in those horrible torture instruments called ski boots, or any other small hiccups (were there any?).
The smile stayed put only to erupt into laughter at regular intervals, and into small yelps when a surprising jump came my way or the mound of snow made me loose control and taste some fresh powder :)
It was also the first real day of off piste skiing for T, and she did a remarkable job going down that first slope. A bit tense, a bit scared, partly convinced that she did not have the skills (she does), and with advice streaming at her from 3 directions (I would have lost my temper after half a slope, but she remained calm for three!), and yet she went down, and not just once either. 3 times on that same slope, and also parts of slopes elsewhere, accumulating to almost half the day spent outside of the pistes. Bravo!
So as you can read - we had an incredible day of skiing!! And today it's snowing again! This season is in fact incredible - colder and with more snow than ever before (well almost) in Geneva, freezing temperatures at work, unhappy people walking around cold, in fact a much longer winter than usual (by mid-February, you can usually see the first people in bikini on sunny days), but all amounting to perfect skiing conditions!
Lovely!
We headed to Praz de Lys/Sommand in France, a new experience for most of our group, for once quite a small group with just four of us skiing together, and another three meeting up for lunch. Very nice to be skiing with a group of just four as we hardly had to wait for one another and all fit into the chair lift (this year, the group of friends tagging along has often touched around ten or more people, very nice for socializing, but not ideal for skiing).
Initially Praz de Lys did not seem like a fantastic place for a fun day of playful skiing, actually it looked more like a heaven for beginners (and this was also the reason why the three additional friends who were there had chosen the place) with some ok slopes for the rest of the group. But we decided to give it a try. And what luck that we did!
The day started with about 40 minutes lost in traffic on the way there, 40 minutes under which I was telling N, and myself, that look at the sun - at least we did not stay in Geneva under the stratus the whole day, but instead we are on our way to a day in sunshine. The idea being that if the station was really boring, well we would camp out on a terrace and enjoy seeing the sun for the first time in a couple of weeks.
And at the beginning of the day, once we finally had arrived and had managed to get skiing tickets after loosing close to another hour (the machines did not work in one place, so we had to drive to another etc), it looked like this was going to be more of a terrace day indeed. The lifts were old, slow, and not very steep, hence the place really felt like beginners paradise. On top, my calves had started to cramp up as they like to do when I spend too much time with the boots on before starting to ski.
Imagine therefore how presently surprised we were when, after taking the first chair lift, we went off and tasted wonderful fresh fluffy snow! The conditions were perfect: sunshine to keep us warm and for perfect visibility, cold enough to keep the snow fresh, great mounds of snow with many fresh parts left to allow us to trace our own descents, a calm station with mostly beginners meaning that we shared the fun parts with only a handful of people, and just four of us to allow for maximum skiing. A big smile quickly placed itself on my face as I floated down the first powder, and stayed stuck the whole day no matter the lengthy and unfriendly waiter at lunch, my frozen toes hurting in those horrible torture instruments called ski boots, or any other small hiccups (were there any?).
The smile stayed put only to erupt into laughter at regular intervals, and into small yelps when a surprising jump came my way or the mound of snow made me loose control and taste some fresh powder :)
It was also the first real day of off piste skiing for T, and she did a remarkable job going down that first slope. A bit tense, a bit scared, partly convinced that she did not have the skills (she does), and with advice streaming at her from 3 directions (I would have lost my temper after half a slope, but she remained calm for three!), and yet she went down, and not just once either. 3 times on that same slope, and also parts of slopes elsewhere, accumulating to almost half the day spent outside of the pistes. Bravo!
So as you can read - we had an incredible day of skiing!! And today it's snowing again! This season is in fact incredible - colder and with more snow than ever before (well almost) in Geneva, freezing temperatures at work, unhappy people walking around cold, in fact a much longer winter than usual (by mid-February, you can usually see the first people in bikini on sunny days), but all amounting to perfect skiing conditions!
Lovely!
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Delicious 'daal'
One of my favorite recipes for a nice winter meal, as much comfort as a nice big portion of my mum's mashed potatoes, but a bit healthier - my own version of a red lentil daal:
Ingredients for 4-5 portions:
- 2 onions (I prefer red ones)
- 1-2 chili
- 2 carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 2 tomatoes
- Half a package of red lentils (about 250g)
- water
- salt, pepper
- paprika powder
- cumin
- other spices after taste: cinnamon, cardamom, chili...
- optional: 2 sweet potatoes, previously baked in the oven for 20 min, to be added towards the end together with the additional spices.
Fry the chopped onions and chili in some olive oil in a pan until transparent. Add the chopped carrots and zucchini to fry for a while. Add the chopped tomatoes and the lentils. Add water so that it just about covers all ingredients. Add some salt, black pepper, paprika and cumin (about 1 tsp). Let cook until most of the water is absorbed - the lentils should be slightly 'overcooked'. Taste, and add some cinnamon and cardamom for extra taste, and/or chili for extra spiciness. Serve with some natural yoghurt. Enjoy :)
Ingredients for 4-5 portions:
- 2 onions (I prefer red ones)
- 1-2 chili
- 2 carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 2 tomatoes
- Half a package of red lentils (about 250g)
- water
- salt, pepper
- paprika powder
- cumin
- other spices after taste: cinnamon, cardamom, chili...
- optional: 2 sweet potatoes, previously baked in the oven for 20 min, to be added towards the end together with the additional spices.
Fry the chopped onions and chili in some olive oil in a pan until transparent. Add the chopped carrots and zucchini to fry for a while. Add the chopped tomatoes and the lentils. Add water so that it just about covers all ingredients. Add some salt, black pepper, paprika and cumin (about 1 tsp). Let cook until most of the water is absorbed - the lentils should be slightly 'overcooked'. Taste, and add some cinnamon and cardamom for extra taste, and/or chili for extra spiciness. Serve with some natural yoghurt. Enjoy :)
Morning smiles
- Hearing someone whistling 'Don't worry, be happy' while walking into work on an all gray morning.
- Seeing an all gray curly little dog, with one completely WHITE paw, wonder if he might have had a milk-related accident as a puppy ;) Cute!
- Seeing an all gray curly little dog, with one completely WHITE paw, wonder if he might have had a milk-related accident as a puppy ;) Cute!
Friday 22 January 2010
Yesterday's discussion with a sleeping boyfriend
Green fairy - why don't you go to bed my love?
N - ehhhh what? But there are 5 minutes left of the movie I'm watching!
GF - but the movie has finished...
N - ?
GF - look at the screen, it's all black.
A bit later in bed:
N - you know, I wasn't sleeping before, I was only thinking about the movie with my eyes closed.
A very normal evening in the fairy house ;))
N - ehhhh what? But there are 5 minutes left of the movie I'm watching!
GF - but the movie has finished...
N - ?
GF - look at the screen, it's all black.
A bit later in bed:
N - you know, I wasn't sleeping before, I was only thinking about the movie with my eyes closed.
A very normal evening in the fairy house ;))
Morning challenge
Playing chicken with car drivers on my way into work.
The most efficient way to cross the road in Geneva on a zebra crossing as no one stops if you wait patiently.
The most efficient way to cross the road in Geneva on a zebra crossing as no one stops if you wait patiently.
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Promotion finally, but....
Finally got promoted after more than a year of discussions with my boss about it and half-promises that were never fulfilled. Until today that is!
So great news that makes me feel good as it is (or should be) a sign of my work being appreciated! And it will look good on my CV to actually have the title of the work I have been performing for the last year. This will if nothing else make it easier when searching for another job after my travels as telling someone about what role you had and how well you worked does not weigh as high as actually being able to put the title in your CV and show that you were promoted twice (or kind of three times) in 5 years.
The bad news? Well, the promotion was not really followed by any salary increase. As they have just made up some guidelines for the salary brackets and criteria for each position, and with this lowered the salary brackets for several positions (including my new one), my raise was only a mere 1%, landing me on the minimum salary for my position. If I had been promoted a year ago, my raise would most probably have been 7% and this is what I had been expected as it would have brought me up to the same salary as the others who were promoted into this position in 2009. Hence one can say that with the delays of my promotion for a year I have been doubly penalized - first, as I have had to wait for a year and stress about it, pushing my boss with questions every 6 months or so, not getting the title beforehand etc. Second, as I got a 6% smaller raise than I would have gotten a year ago!
Oh well, luckily that I am planning to leave this ship in about 7 months. But of course, a raise would also have meant more money to put aside for my RTW ;)
So, happy but with a pinch of salty irritation. It feels like they did not really make any effort in my regards, as this promotion cost them the price of 1-2 regional flight tickets. Is this all that I am worth?
So great news that makes me feel good as it is (or should be) a sign of my work being appreciated! And it will look good on my CV to actually have the title of the work I have been performing for the last year. This will if nothing else make it easier when searching for another job after my travels as telling someone about what role you had and how well you worked does not weigh as high as actually being able to put the title in your CV and show that you were promoted twice (or kind of three times) in 5 years.
The bad news? Well, the promotion was not really followed by any salary increase. As they have just made up some guidelines for the salary brackets and criteria for each position, and with this lowered the salary brackets for several positions (including my new one), my raise was only a mere 1%, landing me on the minimum salary for my position. If I had been promoted a year ago, my raise would most probably have been 7% and this is what I had been expected as it would have brought me up to the same salary as the others who were promoted into this position in 2009. Hence one can say that with the delays of my promotion for a year I have been doubly penalized - first, as I have had to wait for a year and stress about it, pushing my boss with questions every 6 months or so, not getting the title beforehand etc. Second, as I got a 6% smaller raise than I would have gotten a year ago!
Oh well, luckily that I am planning to leave this ship in about 7 months. But of course, a raise would also have meant more money to put aside for my RTW ;)
So, happy but with a pinch of salty irritation. It feels like they did not really make any effort in my regards, as this promotion cost them the price of 1-2 regional flight tickets. Is this all that I am worth?
Monday 18 January 2010
Sunny beautiful Geneva
Today is the kind of day that reminds me why I love living in Geneva and why I am still here, more than 12 years after I first arrived with the plan to stay for just one year ;)
It started with a great day of skiing Saturday in La Clusaz, with beautiful mounds of snow, regretfully already traced, but still lots of fun allowing us to use the whole La Balme part of the station as our own playground. Fluffy, lovely, but quite tiring snow. A great day, spent with a great group of people (there were about 12 of us and we managed to stay together almost the whole day and have fun - the advantage of a station such as La Clusaz being that those that ski well can go off and play in the 'half-off piste' slopes, while the ones that are less fast and secure on their skis can go down the normal pistes and everyone can then meet again down by the chairs!).
And then today we woke up to a blue sunny sky :D Walked into work, down by the lake in the sunshine and just enjoyed everything. The view of the snow-filled Jura Mountains in the background, the lake filled with birds, the sunshine, and the fact that I can walk into work and just enjoy it all. And I felt how much I love this place!
In how many cities can you find the following:
- Great skiing in less than 1h drive from the centre;
- A beautiful lake, filled with birds and boats, which is great for swimming in the summer, and lovely to walk by in the winter;
- A city surrounded by mountains in 3 directions (the Jura on one side, the Alps on the other, le Salève in the third) only in the direction of the lake is there no mountains;
- A 15 min walking distance from your apartment to your work, with more than half of the way passing down by the lake - probably one of the more beautiful walks to work anywhere;
- Lots of international people making the place full of life, and allowing us to meet and make friends from all over the world!;
- Good working opportunities, especially when one is interested in international relations, NGOs, development, humanitarian and human rights issues etc;
- A very good standard of living;
- An airport with flights all over Europe, many to a very good price; and situated in the centre of Europe meaning that you can be in Italy in 3h by train or car, in France, well in less than 10 minutes, but in Paris in 3.5h by train, etc etc;
- Loads of restaurants with food from everywhere in the world;
- and so on...
So, today is a day when I remember very clearly why this is where I am living - as this place was my choice. I was not born here. My family does not live here (although I am lucky to have one cousin that has also fallen in love with this city). The language is not my mother tongue. I do not really have any reason to have ended up here. It was a choice, and sometimes I tend to forget how lucky I am. But not today. Today I'm in love with this beautiful beautiful city - and it has put a stupid smile on my face ever since this morning. No matter that it is Monday today. No matter that I am at work instead of on the slopes as I would have wished. I am still very happy :D
And now it is time for me to go down by the lake for lunch!
It started with a great day of skiing Saturday in La Clusaz, with beautiful mounds of snow, regretfully already traced, but still lots of fun allowing us to use the whole La Balme part of the station as our own playground. Fluffy, lovely, but quite tiring snow. A great day, spent with a great group of people (there were about 12 of us and we managed to stay together almost the whole day and have fun - the advantage of a station such as La Clusaz being that those that ski well can go off and play in the 'half-off piste' slopes, while the ones that are less fast and secure on their skis can go down the normal pistes and everyone can then meet again down by the chairs!).
And then today we woke up to a blue sunny sky :D Walked into work, down by the lake in the sunshine and just enjoyed everything. The view of the snow-filled Jura Mountains in the background, the lake filled with birds, the sunshine, and the fact that I can walk into work and just enjoy it all. And I felt how much I love this place!
In how many cities can you find the following:
- Great skiing in less than 1h drive from the centre;
- A beautiful lake, filled with birds and boats, which is great for swimming in the summer, and lovely to walk by in the winter;
- A city surrounded by mountains in 3 directions (the Jura on one side, the Alps on the other, le Salève in the third) only in the direction of the lake is there no mountains;
- A 15 min walking distance from your apartment to your work, with more than half of the way passing down by the lake - probably one of the more beautiful walks to work anywhere;
- Lots of international people making the place full of life, and allowing us to meet and make friends from all over the world!;
- Good working opportunities, especially when one is interested in international relations, NGOs, development, humanitarian and human rights issues etc;
- A very good standard of living;
- An airport with flights all over Europe, many to a very good price; and situated in the centre of Europe meaning that you can be in Italy in 3h by train or car, in France, well in less than 10 minutes, but in Paris in 3.5h by train, etc etc;
- Loads of restaurants with food from everywhere in the world;
- and so on...
So, today is a day when I remember very clearly why this is where I am living - as this place was my choice. I was not born here. My family does not live here (although I am lucky to have one cousin that has also fallen in love with this city). The language is not my mother tongue. I do not really have any reason to have ended up here. It was a choice, and sometimes I tend to forget how lucky I am. But not today. Today I'm in love with this beautiful beautiful city - and it has put a stupid smile on my face ever since this morning. No matter that it is Monday today. No matter that I am at work instead of on the slopes as I would have wished. I am still very happy :D
And now it is time for me to go down by the lake for lunch!
Monday 11 January 2010
Weekend of snowfilled activities
Yesterday was my first skiing day of the season - and what a lovely day it was. We went to Les Getz in France, in the Porte de Soleil system and had a great day with friends, mostly good snow and even quite a lot of sunshine :D
Les Getz was a new experience for me (or perhaps I have just forgotten skiing there before) and perhaps not one I will try again anytime soon as although we had a real good day, the station itself was not top. Or rather, after all the fresh snow that had fallen on Geneva (and it hardly ever snows in Geneva, and even less often does this snow stay - yesterday we woke up to 20 centimetres of fresh powder snow in the city!!) we were expecting a day full of loads and loads of powder. But the 20 centimetres that came down just during the night in Geneva, had only come down as 10 centimetres for the full 24h in Les Getz. For once the mountains got less snow than the city. A pity. Next time we will bring some with us up ;)
But it was sooooo great to ski again. I was feeling a bit reluctant the night before - the early rise, the time spent to find all skiing gears... Crazy green fairy! I just LOVE to ski! And once we were on the slopes and I made my first turns, my face was split in a huge tremendous smile :D
How incredible that the body remembers the movements from one year to another. Has been about 8 months since I last went down a slope, and after just a few turns I was directly ready to hit the 'off' pist deeper snow which was already full of traces, making it more difficult to glide down. The body remembers the moves indeed. But the muscles don't really have the strength left, so yes, a few more stops than usual to allow my poor legs some rest and then I was off again.
A lovely lovely day made possible by the close situation of Geneva to some great skiing resorts!
Ahh and the other winter activity of the day was the new sport of carrying car tyres back and from the car. About 1km with one tyre after another in my arms. Beat that! And all this while my boyfriend was doing the more precise but less muscular job of changing the tyres on the car. My arms are feeling quite sore indeed today... But.... Winter tyres on the car allowed for the skiing experience yesterday, so it was all quite worth it!
Les Getz was a new experience for me (or perhaps I have just forgotten skiing there before) and perhaps not one I will try again anytime soon as although we had a real good day, the station itself was not top. Or rather, after all the fresh snow that had fallen on Geneva (and it hardly ever snows in Geneva, and even less often does this snow stay - yesterday we woke up to 20 centimetres of fresh powder snow in the city!!) we were expecting a day full of loads and loads of powder. But the 20 centimetres that came down just during the night in Geneva, had only come down as 10 centimetres for the full 24h in Les Getz. For once the mountains got less snow than the city. A pity. Next time we will bring some with us up ;)
But it was sooooo great to ski again. I was feeling a bit reluctant the night before - the early rise, the time spent to find all skiing gears... Crazy green fairy! I just LOVE to ski! And once we were on the slopes and I made my first turns, my face was split in a huge tremendous smile :D
How incredible that the body remembers the movements from one year to another. Has been about 8 months since I last went down a slope, and after just a few turns I was directly ready to hit the 'off' pist deeper snow which was already full of traces, making it more difficult to glide down. The body remembers the moves indeed. But the muscles don't really have the strength left, so yes, a few more stops than usual to allow my poor legs some rest and then I was off again.
A lovely lovely day made possible by the close situation of Geneva to some great skiing resorts!
Ahh and the other winter activity of the day was the new sport of carrying car tyres back and from the car. About 1km with one tyre after another in my arms. Beat that! And all this while my boyfriend was doing the more precise but less muscular job of changing the tyres on the car. My arms are feeling quite sore indeed today... But.... Winter tyres on the car allowed for the skiing experience yesterday, so it was all quite worth it!
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