The annual time has now passed
And with my birthday having been yesterday I’ve got to make the annual blog change of my age in the left hand column… it’s getting harder and I’m dangerously close to opting for the 30 something tag rather than the real age… okay okay one more year… I’ll change it to 34 now *sigh* it’s all just so surreal as when I started this blog I was 25!!!
I had a lovely day yesterday with fabulous friends and had greetings from everyone which always makes me warm and tingly!
Spring or the concept thereof, of spring has returned to BCN and it’s to be 18 today which is nice. Not long now and mum and sis and her brood will be jetting over to see us. May is of course still a way off but I need to have that goal to get me through another work week.
14.3.10
It's my birthday soon...
Well in just a few days to be precise. But it's the wee one who got a fabulous pressie yesterday. A year earlier than the reccomended age but you know it's just 'reccommended'...
We were busy scooting with her down the beach yesterday. It didn't take long to get the balance going and within a week or so i'm sure she'll be scooting along with us runnig behind, but until then we'll mostly be working on tightening that tricky side-butt muscle as we help her balance while moving along. Who knew!?! Seasoned expert miss Wendy added in a nice long yoga strap on the handle bar so you can help steer and pull... don't worry mum we're going to get her a wee helmet too.
The sun has finally returned to Barcelona but not quite the warmpth...
Tomorrow marks Fredu and I's 6th anniversary. So much time gone by so quickly. Miss millie has offered to mind the wee one so we can go out and do something to celebrate... must cook up something! Any ideas???
Well in just a few days to be precise. But it's the wee one who got a fabulous pressie yesterday. A year earlier than the reccomended age but you know it's just 'reccommended'...
We were busy scooting with her down the beach yesterday. It didn't take long to get the balance going and within a week or so i'm sure she'll be scooting along with us runnig behind, but until then we'll mostly be working on tightening that tricky side-butt muscle as we help her balance while moving along. Who knew!?! Seasoned expert miss Wendy added in a nice long yoga strap on the handle bar so you can help steer and pull... don't worry mum we're going to get her a wee helmet too.
The sun has finally returned to Barcelona but not quite the warmpth...
Tomorrow marks Fredu and I's 6th anniversary. So much time gone by so quickly. Miss millie has offered to mind the wee one so we can go out and do something to celebrate... must cook up something! Any ideas???
12.3.10
We’re not enemies we’re just bad friends…
We have recently become avid watchers… Of phineas and ferb… We are more than happy to admit the fact that we appreciate it far more than Sienna does… in fact I think we openly delight when It’s 19h30 and it comes on… We merrily flip between the EN and ES version of it as the songs are way better in EN but the dialogue and most characters sound much better in Spanish.
I will also admit to having a Perry the Platypus Ring tone on my mobile (okay so does Fredu)…
Soooooo join the madness… Wikipedia will enlighten you if you’ve not yet had the pleasure of what this is all about…
The other day while Alfredo was out I was watching an episode with Sienna while she drank her pre-bed milk. She was sitting in her little chair watching away. Now I have to mention here that we really never thought she processed very much of the show as there is so much dialogue… but in this episode, Perry the Platypus’ nemesis Heinz Doofenshmirtz has decided to ‘break up with him’ and replace him with a new nemesis named Peter the Panda (from Seattle) . It’s pretty funny as Perry starts to shed some tears when he accepts their relationship is over. He approaches this storage area within his secret layer and can be seen putting away his evil fighting hat that changes him from a normal platypus into “Agent P” . At this very moment a very sad little face turns to me from her chair, eyes filled with tears and in her little most sad voice says “mama, perry, hat!” And then breaks down crying. The poor little sausage. This was the point where it became perfectly clear to me that she totally understands what’s going on. She transferred to my lap for the remainder of the episode with me re-assuring her that Perry would get his hat back and that all would be okay… watch and enjoy!
We have recently become avid watchers… Of phineas and ferb… We are more than happy to admit the fact that we appreciate it far more than Sienna does… in fact I think we openly delight when It’s 19h30 and it comes on… We merrily flip between the EN and ES version of it as the songs are way better in EN but the dialogue and most characters sound much better in Spanish.
I will also admit to having a Perry the Platypus Ring tone on my mobile (okay so does Fredu)…
Soooooo join the madness… Wikipedia will enlighten you if you’ve not yet had the pleasure of what this is all about…
The series follows two suburban stepbrothers on summer vacation. Each day the pair devise ambitious, involved plans and inventions to stave off boredom, often bringing them into conflict with their sister, Candace. The series follows a standard plot system; running gags occur every episode, and the B-Plot almost always features the boys' pet platypus, Perry, acting as a secret agent to fight an evil scientist named Heinz Doofenshmirtz. The two plots intersect at the end to erase all traces of the boys' project just before Candace can show it to their mother.
The other day while Alfredo was out I was watching an episode with Sienna while she drank her pre-bed milk. She was sitting in her little chair watching away. Now I have to mention here that we really never thought she processed very much of the show as there is so much dialogue… but in this episode, Perry the Platypus’ nemesis Heinz Doofenshmirtz has decided to ‘break up with him’ and replace him with a new nemesis named Peter the Panda (from Seattle) . It’s pretty funny as Perry starts to shed some tears when he accepts their relationship is over. He approaches this storage area within his secret layer and can be seen putting away his evil fighting hat that changes him from a normal platypus into “Agent P” . At this very moment a very sad little face turns to me from her chair, eyes filled with tears and in her little most sad voice says “mama, perry, hat!” And then breaks down crying. The poor little sausage. This was the point where it became perfectly clear to me that she totally understands what’s going on. She transferred to my lap for the remainder of the episode with me re-assuring her that Perry would get his hat back and that all would be okay… watch and enjoy!
9.3.10
On the upside of things
The 8th of March passed and both Miss Seestor and Miss Jojo celebrated another birthday... and thank goodness this year I wasn't held up in the hospital recovering from apendicitis.
The downside is that the flat hunting has fallen flat... the lady who was kind of strining us along with the promise we were the first people she would give the flat to has fallen off the radar and thus we can but sigh and resign that it wasn't for us... nothing else seems remotely affordable or remotely attractive... at least summer is supposed to be approaching... that being said, it snowed here in Barcelona for the first time in over 20 years. It was really funny to see how excited all the people were to see snow! Sienna played contently at the window with the snow out on the terrace until her hands turned red from the cold... she was not into the mittens we put on her to prolong the fun... it's melted now but we're stuck in a cold snap that is seeing me wear my hat indoors and by dressing gown over my clothes to keep warm... brrrrrrrrrrr it's -4 with the wind chill. Not fun in a house with no heating and tile floors and windows that don't even shut properly!!! Summer please hurry up!
The 8th of March passed and both Miss Seestor and Miss Jojo celebrated another birthday... and thank goodness this year I wasn't held up in the hospital recovering from apendicitis.
The downside is that the flat hunting has fallen flat... the lady who was kind of strining us along with the promise we were the first people she would give the flat to has fallen off the radar and thus we can but sigh and resign that it wasn't for us... nothing else seems remotely affordable or remotely attractive... at least summer is supposed to be approaching... that being said, it snowed here in Barcelona for the first time in over 20 years. It was really funny to see how excited all the people were to see snow! Sienna played contently at the window with the snow out on the terrace until her hands turned red from the cold... she was not into the mittens we put on her to prolong the fun... it's melted now but we're stuck in a cold snap that is seeing me wear my hat indoors and by dressing gown over my clothes to keep warm... brrrrrrrrrrr it's -4 with the wind chill. Not fun in a house with no heating and tile floors and windows that don't even shut properly!!! Summer please hurry up!
1.3.10
While the Canadian Nation celebrates...
The big hockey win... I was busy sifting through a gagillion new photos Fredu downloaded... it's such a feast for me to do this and I just love seeing his work and of course... the wee miss features heavily in the shots but we like!
The weekend was lovely and relaxing... I'm really starting to get the hang of having my life back and not working all the time!
We're feeling kind of home sick these days and so in honour of my most beautiful sister we had a 20 repeat marathon of the Party in the USA song by miss miley... Sienna requests -more hannah- when she wants to hear it again. So cute to hear her laugh... it's nice when a song reminds you of someone!
Rock Chick
Fredu in Sienna post carnival - having sushi
This looks like an innocent pic...
but yes... that is chocolate smeared on my face!
Naughty Millie!
Portrait of Dada taken by Sienna while i held the camera for her.
Little madam in her sonia rykiel beret *from the H and M collection of course
She surrenders!
Pinkie!!!
Beautiful shot with auntie mille!
Peak a boo!
The big hockey win... I was busy sifting through a gagillion new photos Fredu downloaded... it's such a feast for me to do this and I just love seeing his work and of course... the wee miss features heavily in the shots but we like!
The weekend was lovely and relaxing... I'm really starting to get the hang of having my life back and not working all the time!
We're feeling kind of home sick these days and so in honour of my most beautiful sister we had a 20 repeat marathon of the Party in the USA song by miss miley... Sienna requests -more hannah- when she wants to hear it again. So cute to hear her laugh... it's nice when a song reminds you of someone!
Rock Chick
Fredu in Sienna post carnival - having sushi
This looks like an innocent pic...
but yes... that is chocolate smeared on my face!
Naughty Millie!
Portrait of Dada taken by Sienna while i held the camera for her.
Little madam in her sonia rykiel beret *from the H and M collection of course
She surrenders!
Pinkie!!!
Beautiful shot with auntie mille!
Peak a boo!
26.2.10
Not far off...
It's friday and so far this week it's looking almost possible that I achieve 2 out of 3 of my goals... We finally after 2 years won the appeal against the tax office about a baby bonus we should have received! 2500 Euros coming our way! Just in time of course to put the deposit on our new place if the lady agrees to our offer that we're making today... easy come, easy go!
Miss Sienna had her first haircut ever yesterday at her auntie vero's salon. She was so patient and sat still for nearly 1h while vero gave her a nice trim. The photos show a great deal of apprehension but she didn't cry or squirm. She's a diva I tell you.
Don't be fooled she's hardcore like the cape says
She's not grown 2 feet... she's sitting on a bench thus the illusion she's so big!
It's friday and so far this week it's looking almost possible that I achieve 2 out of 3 of my goals... We finally after 2 years won the appeal against the tax office about a baby bonus we should have received! 2500 Euros coming our way! Just in time of course to put the deposit on our new place if the lady agrees to our offer that we're making today... easy come, easy go!
Miss Sienna had her first haircut ever yesterday at her auntie vero's salon. She was so patient and sat still for nearly 1h while vero gave her a nice trim. The photos show a great deal of apprehension but she didn't cry or squirm. She's a diva I tell you.
Don't be fooled she's hardcore like the cape says
She's not grown 2 feet... she's sitting on a bench thus the illusion she's so big!
25.2.10
It's a GIRL!!!
For the lovley Joey and Pierre. I couldn't be happier for them! Now only another 20 weeks to wait to meet her!
The news is in and maybe my demand for 3 good things to happy this week may just be possible. The word on the street is that the resolution for my appeal has been completed and put in the post on the 20th thus should arrive any day now... I'm so curious as to what the outcome will be... Also we're in the queue to rent this flat we've been waiting on and are due to have a meeting with the owner today... not sure she'll take our offer right off the bat but hey... we can but try... well things are moving, that's a start!
Spring is springing here in bcn... no buds on the trees quite just yet but much much milder climes are drifting in. Thank god. I couldn't take much more of the grey skies.
So on that note... I feel it apt for a photo of the lovely proud papas to be just moments after they got engaged on a Beach here in Barcelona during our week at the villa. We love you!!!!
Joey and Pierre!!!!
For the lovley Joey and Pierre. I couldn't be happier for them! Now only another 20 weeks to wait to meet her!
The news is in and maybe my demand for 3 good things to happy this week may just be possible. The word on the street is that the resolution for my appeal has been completed and put in the post on the 20th thus should arrive any day now... I'm so curious as to what the outcome will be... Also we're in the queue to rent this flat we've been waiting on and are due to have a meeting with the owner today... not sure she'll take our offer right off the bat but hey... we can but try... well things are moving, that's a start!
Spring is springing here in bcn... no buds on the trees quite just yet but much much milder climes are drifting in. Thank god. I couldn't take much more of the grey skies.
So on that note... I feel it apt for a photo of the lovely proud papas to be just moments after they got engaged on a Beach here in Barcelona during our week at the villa. We love you!!!!
Joey and Pierre!!!!
23.2.10
I've been reading...
Well I do a lot of reading really but the most recent book I've been feasting on is called a thousand splendid suns. It's by Khaled Hosseini. It's really beautifly written but is shockingly horrific. I was so into reading it last night that my bus passed by and I didn't even notice so I had to wait another 15 minutes to catch the next one. And now stupidly after looking up the link that I've pasted to the book above I've seen how it ends... grrr note to self... don't be so stupid.
Good things happen in three's right? Well if that is so then here are the three things that I'm pouring all the positive energy that I can muster that are GOING to happen this week.
1) Fredu's passport will return
2) We get notice that the new flat we've been waiting on can be ours (at the reduced price that we can afford)
3) Fredu will get a job!
Not too much to ask for! Ha :)
Well I do a lot of reading really but the most recent book I've been feasting on is called a thousand splendid suns. It's by Khaled Hosseini. It's really beautifly written but is shockingly horrific. I was so into reading it last night that my bus passed by and I didn't even notice so I had to wait another 15 minutes to catch the next one. And now stupidly after looking up the link that I've pasted to the book above I've seen how it ends... grrr note to self... don't be so stupid.
Good things happen in three's right? Well if that is so then here are the three things that I'm pouring all the positive energy that I can muster that are GOING to happen this week.
1) Fredu's passport will return
2) We get notice that the new flat we've been waiting on can be ours (at the reduced price that we can afford)
3) Fredu will get a job!
Not too much to ask for! Ha :)
18.2.10
Soooooooo
I'm back and the visit with the tax office was informative which is positive. Turns out it's never what it seems and my appeal is still pending but what had happend was that somehow it was recorded that I applied for the same benifit this year which they rejected as it had been too long since the birth of my child... strange as I never applied for it again... they didn't seem as bothered as I was as I can't imagine how that happened... but the positive thing is that my appear is still pending and I can follow up with the government body in charge of that separately and ask them for an update. So it short all is not lost yet. Thank god my friend from work was with me as it's insane how they give you as little info as possible...
So in thanks to the good news today I'm going to do another kind exchange as I recently was passed a link to the Governement of Catalunya's site which features all the info you need when you have a baby in Barcelona. All the forms you need to fill in and all the aid you're entitled to... and because they're not all evil... they've got the site in English too. So go and check it out here if you planning to have a Baby in Barcelona and don't know what you need to do!
I'm back and the visit with the tax office was informative which is positive. Turns out it's never what it seems and my appeal is still pending but what had happend was that somehow it was recorded that I applied for the same benifit this year which they rejected as it had been too long since the birth of my child... strange as I never applied for it again... they didn't seem as bothered as I was as I can't imagine how that happened... but the positive thing is that my appear is still pending and I can follow up with the government body in charge of that separately and ask them for an update. So it short all is not lost yet. Thank god my friend from work was with me as it's insane how they give you as little info as possible...
So in thanks to the good news today I'm going to do another kind exchange as I recently was passed a link to the Governement of Catalunya's site which features all the info you need when you have a baby in Barcelona. All the forms you need to fill in and all the aid you're entitled to... and because they're not all evil... they've got the site in English too. So go and check it out here if you planning to have a Baby in Barcelona and don't know what you need to do!
It’s been fun…
Really it has the whole David and Goliath jousting match that I’ve undertaken with the Spanish tax office. I’ve been fighting this impossible battle with them for this 2500 euro baby bonus that I was due to receive when Sienna was born but due to an administrative gap that made it impossible to present them with the paperwork they required as it simply did not exist at that time… they’ve fought me and refuse to listen to reason and I’ve even got the Ombudsman in Madrid to agree to defend me… their latest tactic is after missing their deadline of 1 year to respond to my appeal they’ve told me that it was I who missed the deadline to submit my appeal which is totally false! I’m furious but not surprised in that it’s more clear than ever that they have been briefed to make it as impossible as possible for me to win. So armed with my lovely colleague we’re due to descend upon their office today to take up the next chapter of the fight. I will not go down until I’ve fought every last angle… I guess the up side of this is that I’ll be in a very good position to help other foreigners in Barcelona who may need help figuring out how to battle the beast! Wish me luck… I wonder if security will let me through if I bring a big stick or a slingshot with me!?!
After the initial anger and frustration about the no pay rise or bonus thing at work I’ve actually turned the page and now feel an immense sense of freedom. I’m free from feeling obliged to work more than my contracted hours and not a single weekend will be darkened with work again! That is pretty amazing. I am really looking forward to the freedom! I guess every dark cloud really does have its silver lining.
Speaking of clouds with silver linings… the sun is out today properly for the first time in ages and it’s so lovely. We can almost hear the whispers of spring wafting through the city. Come on Spring you can do it!
Really it has the whole David and Goliath jousting match that I’ve undertaken with the Spanish tax office. I’ve been fighting this impossible battle with them for this 2500 euro baby bonus that I was due to receive when Sienna was born but due to an administrative gap that made it impossible to present them with the paperwork they required as it simply did not exist at that time… they’ve fought me and refuse to listen to reason and I’ve even got the Ombudsman in Madrid to agree to defend me… their latest tactic is after missing their deadline of 1 year to respond to my appeal they’ve told me that it was I who missed the deadline to submit my appeal which is totally false! I’m furious but not surprised in that it’s more clear than ever that they have been briefed to make it as impossible as possible for me to win. So armed with my lovely colleague we’re due to descend upon their office today to take up the next chapter of the fight. I will not go down until I’ve fought every last angle… I guess the up side of this is that I’ll be in a very good position to help other foreigners in Barcelona who may need help figuring out how to battle the beast! Wish me luck… I wonder if security will let me through if I bring a big stick or a slingshot with me!?!
After the initial anger and frustration about the no pay rise or bonus thing at work I’ve actually turned the page and now feel an immense sense of freedom. I’m free from feeling obliged to work more than my contracted hours and not a single weekend will be darkened with work again! That is pretty amazing. I am really looking forward to the freedom! I guess every dark cloud really does have its silver lining.
Speaking of clouds with silver linings… the sun is out today properly for the first time in ages and it’s so lovely. We can almost hear the whispers of spring wafting through the city. Come on Spring you can do it!
16.2.10
So after a long year...
Of working tons of overtime... and countless weekends our company has thanked us today by announcing that there would be absolutely no pay rises and no bonuses. Such a nice thing don't you think? Good life lesson. Don't give up life for work as work will kick you in the ass and not ever even acknowledge the hurt. I'm so sad for my whole team as I was not alone in this mamoth effort. I feel sorry for all the time I lost with my family with the hope that it would all be for a bit more cash that would make life a bit easier. Not so. You cannot turn back time and you certainly cannot make up for lost time with loved ones and littles ones in specific. Shame on me. Shame on them... It's a sad day.
I'm still doing my best to muster all the positive energy I can for this year as last just very nearly took all hope from me. But after a day like this it's a real struggle.
Of working tons of overtime... and countless weekends our company has thanked us today by announcing that there would be absolutely no pay rises and no bonuses. Such a nice thing don't you think? Good life lesson. Don't give up life for work as work will kick you in the ass and not ever even acknowledge the hurt. I'm so sad for my whole team as I was not alone in this mamoth effort. I feel sorry for all the time I lost with my family with the hope that it would all be for a bit more cash that would make life a bit easier. Not so. You cannot turn back time and you certainly cannot make up for lost time with loved ones and littles ones in specific. Shame on me. Shame on them... It's a sad day.
I'm still doing my best to muster all the positive energy I can for this year as last just very nearly took all hope from me. But after a day like this it's a real struggle.
11.2.10
Searching for miss Bambach...
Well a lot of folks seem to be digging around the old interweb these days and stumbling on my blog looking for Miss Bambach... She's safely back down under these past few years and doing gloriously well. We miss her dearly of course! I am however intrigued to who is doing all this frantic searching about her... very curious indeed!
I'm convinced that it's the coldest day of the year here today... it was downright polar on my way in this morning... I had to double check that I was indeed still in Barca and not back in Toronto.
It's carnivale season here and the Barcelona equivalent of Halowe'en... Costumes start dotting the street and the celebrations will be in full gear this weekend. Little miss Layla will celebrate her 1st birthday and is wisely doing it in Carnivale style... Can't wait to see what Fredu cooks up for Sienna to wear... certain guilty parties in my family responsible for sending us a lilac coloured afro wig will delight in the certainty that Fredu will mos definitely jump at the occasion to wear it to the party *sigh* well at least it's not the rasta hat with built in rastas that he dreams about wearing... sometimes I'm more convinced than ever that I've partnered with the reincarnation of my father... scary thoughts indeed... but if my father were still alive he would be Fredu's number one fan... they certainly have kindred spirits!
Oh yea and for you crazy Bambach hunters... here's a wee treat for you... enjoy!
One of my favorite Villa pics from last year featuring miss Sally
Well a lot of folks seem to be digging around the old interweb these days and stumbling on my blog looking for Miss Bambach... She's safely back down under these past few years and doing gloriously well. We miss her dearly of course! I am however intrigued to who is doing all this frantic searching about her... very curious indeed!
I'm convinced that it's the coldest day of the year here today... it was downright polar on my way in this morning... I had to double check that I was indeed still in Barca and not back in Toronto.
It's carnivale season here and the Barcelona equivalent of Halowe'en... Costumes start dotting the street and the celebrations will be in full gear this weekend. Little miss Layla will celebrate her 1st birthday and is wisely doing it in Carnivale style... Can't wait to see what Fredu cooks up for Sienna to wear... certain guilty parties in my family responsible for sending us a lilac coloured afro wig will delight in the certainty that Fredu will mos definitely jump at the occasion to wear it to the party *sigh* well at least it's not the rasta hat with built in rastas that he dreams about wearing... sometimes I'm more convinced than ever that I've partnered with the reincarnation of my father... scary thoughts indeed... but if my father were still alive he would be Fredu's number one fan... they certainly have kindred spirits!
Oh yea and for you crazy Bambach hunters... here's a wee treat for you... enjoy!
One of my favorite Villa pics from last year featuring miss Sally
9.2.10
The rain continues in the ciudad comptal as they call it
The grayness is very reminiscent of nearly every day in London… I don’t miss it that’s for sure. Miss the girlies, yes, miss the decent salary, yes… but no I don’t miss the grey and the rain.
So in light of that we’re doing a wee throw back to summer here today… brown body and yogurt mess should do the trick… enjoy!
The grayness is very reminiscent of nearly every day in London… I don’t miss it that’s for sure. Miss the girlies, yes, miss the decent salary, yes… but no I don’t miss the grey and the rain.
So in light of that we’re doing a wee throw back to summer here today… brown body and yogurt mess should do the trick… enjoy!
7.2.10
You know when you're little...
And you think about what life will be like when you're all grown up? You know kind of like the house you'll have and the car you'll maybe drive....?
We'll I was never one to dream about having the perfect wedding or marrying the perfect person or having X amount of children named Y and Z... but I did however have a certain expectation that I would not end up feeling perpetually stuck... I've got this creeping realization that there are a lot of things in life I will very most likely never ever have. Primarily it's money I suppose. I can't see ever owning a home or a vehicle of any sort more swish than the wee one's pram and we got that second hand!!! I just never invisioned a future of just scraping by... It's kind of depressing... but I'm not sure if it's the realization of it or if it's my inability to do anything about it. I just feel like a bit of a passenger in this whole life thing at the moment.
Good and bad things pass me by but the achievabilty of certain major goals are just so far out of reach it knocks the wind out of me. I do however have a lot to be greatful for, that I'm not so arrogant to not accept, but it's a strange place to be in. I'm not sure I like it much. I do not at all think I'm more deserving of comforts than the next person but I just wonder sometimes how people who are also in this situation don't seem to mind... or do they? Or are they so blissfuly unaware they want not for more? How do I blank my mind out and stop questioning things and just blissfuly accept?
I'm thinking it's not going to be possible.
but the sun is shining... lets just be thankful for that.
And you think about what life will be like when you're all grown up? You know kind of like the house you'll have and the car you'll maybe drive....?
We'll I was never one to dream about having the perfect wedding or marrying the perfect person or having X amount of children named Y and Z... but I did however have a certain expectation that I would not end up feeling perpetually stuck... I've got this creeping realization that there are a lot of things in life I will very most likely never ever have. Primarily it's money I suppose. I can't see ever owning a home or a vehicle of any sort more swish than the wee one's pram and we got that second hand!!! I just never invisioned a future of just scraping by... It's kind of depressing... but I'm not sure if it's the realization of it or if it's my inability to do anything about it. I just feel like a bit of a passenger in this whole life thing at the moment.
Good and bad things pass me by but the achievabilty of certain major goals are just so far out of reach it knocks the wind out of me. I do however have a lot to be greatful for, that I'm not so arrogant to not accept, but it's a strange place to be in. I'm not sure I like it much. I do not at all think I'm more deserving of comforts than the next person but I just wonder sometimes how people who are also in this situation don't seem to mind... or do they? Or are they so blissfuly unaware they want not for more? How do I blank my mind out and stop questioning things and just blissfuly accept?
I'm thinking it's not going to be possible.
but the sun is shining... lets just be thankful for that.
6.2.10
A new year and just a few entries away from my 1000th!
It's been a while and thanks to the lovely ATG's lovely nudge to see if I was still alive... I'm back. I've just survived what I can only describe as hell on earth. That would be a Saturday evening visit to Primark at Diagonal del Mar Shopping centre in Barcelona. There is no simple way to describe the pandamonium of a discount store while the sales are on... I was there on my own with wee one and that in its' self is a bit of a mission... but dear lord the scummy people in there make you seriously think twice about paying double for what you've gone in there to get (so you just purchase it elsewhere and never have to return there again). I went all the way there on a mission to buy a bulk portion of big girl pants for Sienna who's potty training has made really amazing progress lately... but her teacher is the most disorganized person and within a week I just know she'll have lost all of Sienna's pants thus I went to buy a large supply of them on the cheap... and some hair ties that don't make her scream when we take them out... but did I remember the pants? Ooooooooooh no not until I left the shop. I wanted to die. Sigh... just another reason what that place is sheer evil...
Work is finally regaining a bit of sanity... the massive amounts of overtime and weekend working that awaited my upon my return to Barca have now started to taper off... and the fact that we've pretty much got three more project managers working with us now really helps ease the work load... not quite sure how Andy and I did it with just the two of us before hand...
The lovely miss Vero returns this week with her new little bundle of joy named Mila. We are just so excited to get to see her finally. She's a month old now but surely will still be tiny enough still to enjoy that new new baby thing. squeeel!
Sienna's 2nd Birthday was this week and we had a wee party for her in a bar... now before you fall over and die like my mother does all the time when she hears me say things like that... bars here are different... and this one is nice and really not busy on a Tuesday night which is when we had the party. She had so much fun it was amazing. She's so sweet and so were all of our friends for joining us for the celebration. There were in the end four other children so it wasn't all just a grown up party. Man how times flies. I spent until half one in the morning the night before baking up a fleet of elmo cupcakes for her class and a red velvet elmo cake too for the party . It was hard work considering missing sleep but it was so well worth it. I remember when I was wee my mum would always make us the best birthday goodies. I am humbled and also honoured to keep this tradition alive... mind you her school didn't quite know what to think when they saw the elmo cupcakes... they nearly didn't believe that I had made them. They just don't get the whole icing thing... here they seems to have dry cakes with just a dusting of icing sugar if you're lucky...
Elmo cupcakes
Elmo cake
We were just that bit naughty lately and bought Sienna a totally OTT jacket. It's so sweet but we know we know it's a bit extreme for a 2 year old but she rocks it... we call it her Catalan granny jacket as that's what all the old ladies wear here... I think only the very young, the very old and supermodels can get away with wearing animal prints.
Xmas at home was also mildly productive on the painting side of things... I finished Luca's birthday present... he's name her sofia!
Sofia
I also did a small set of 3 Shaun the Sheep inspired paintings for wee miss Isabella for her Birthday... I hope she liked them
Fat Sheep painting
Smiley Shaun painting
Timmy the sheep painting
I hope Aardman the makers of Shaun the sheep aren't cross with me!
It's been a while and thanks to the lovely ATG's lovely nudge to see if I was still alive... I'm back. I've just survived what I can only describe as hell on earth. That would be a Saturday evening visit to Primark at Diagonal del Mar Shopping centre in Barcelona. There is no simple way to describe the pandamonium of a discount store while the sales are on... I was there on my own with wee one and that in its' self is a bit of a mission... but dear lord the scummy people in there make you seriously think twice about paying double for what you've gone in there to get (so you just purchase it elsewhere and never have to return there again). I went all the way there on a mission to buy a bulk portion of big girl pants for Sienna who's potty training has made really amazing progress lately... but her teacher is the most disorganized person and within a week I just know she'll have lost all of Sienna's pants thus I went to buy a large supply of them on the cheap... and some hair ties that don't make her scream when we take them out... but did I remember the pants? Ooooooooooh no not until I left the shop. I wanted to die. Sigh... just another reason what that place is sheer evil...
Work is finally regaining a bit of sanity... the massive amounts of overtime and weekend working that awaited my upon my return to Barca have now started to taper off... and the fact that we've pretty much got three more project managers working with us now really helps ease the work load... not quite sure how Andy and I did it with just the two of us before hand...
The lovely miss Vero returns this week with her new little bundle of joy named Mila. We are just so excited to get to see her finally. She's a month old now but surely will still be tiny enough still to enjoy that new new baby thing. squeeel!
Sienna's 2nd Birthday was this week and we had a wee party for her in a bar... now before you fall over and die like my mother does all the time when she hears me say things like that... bars here are different... and this one is nice and really not busy on a Tuesday night which is when we had the party. She had so much fun it was amazing. She's so sweet and so were all of our friends for joining us for the celebration. There were in the end four other children so it wasn't all just a grown up party. Man how times flies. I spent until half one in the morning the night before baking up a fleet of elmo cupcakes for her class and a red velvet elmo cake too for the party . It was hard work considering missing sleep but it was so well worth it. I remember when I was wee my mum would always make us the best birthday goodies. I am humbled and also honoured to keep this tradition alive... mind you her school didn't quite know what to think when they saw the elmo cupcakes... they nearly didn't believe that I had made them. They just don't get the whole icing thing... here they seems to have dry cakes with just a dusting of icing sugar if you're lucky...
Elmo cupcakes
Elmo cake
We were just that bit naughty lately and bought Sienna a totally OTT jacket. It's so sweet but we know we know it's a bit extreme for a 2 year old but she rocks it... we call it her Catalan granny jacket as that's what all the old ladies wear here... I think only the very young, the very old and supermodels can get away with wearing animal prints.
Xmas at home was also mildly productive on the painting side of things... I finished Luca's birthday present... he's name her sofia!
Sofia
I also did a small set of 3 Shaun the Sheep inspired paintings for wee miss Isabella for her Birthday... I hope she liked them
Fat Sheep painting
Smiley Shaun painting
Timmy the sheep painting
I hope Aardman the makers of Shaun the sheep aren't cross with me!
31.12.09
Exhaustion has taken over
Too much to too in such a short time has really taken it's toll. NYE this year will involve a bubble bath in a human size tub (unlike our mini Barcelona tub which is literally half the size of a normal one). But before then I've got to pack and finish Luca's painting which is nearly there... Don't read this Luca as I can't really be admitting that it's taken me that long to finish your b'day gift! But it's worth the wait as it's a nice one (I hope).
Blogging for me this year has been the most infrequent since I started this blog nearly 9 years ago. It's funny to write that... even funnier still to sift through some of the old entries as it was truly a lifetime ago. If you've got time to kill there are some really humourous entries in the vault... my life use to be way more exciting than it is now... although the time here home this year has been quite amusing. Mostly so during our girlie trips to moxies with my new bestie the waitress with the bosom jewels... serious she's bedazzled her cleavage. You can't help but look! Ha ha.
There are very few hours left to this year so on that note I must make haste and get everything done so we can leave all of 2009's yukies behind and move onto more positive ventures.
All the best my 5 blog readers!!!
Too much to too in such a short time has really taken it's toll. NYE this year will involve a bubble bath in a human size tub (unlike our mini Barcelona tub which is literally half the size of a normal one). But before then I've got to pack and finish Luca's painting which is nearly there... Don't read this Luca as I can't really be admitting that it's taken me that long to finish your b'day gift! But it's worth the wait as it's a nice one (I hope).
Blogging for me this year has been the most infrequent since I started this blog nearly 9 years ago. It's funny to write that... even funnier still to sift through some of the old entries as it was truly a lifetime ago. If you've got time to kill there are some really humourous entries in the vault... my life use to be way more exciting than it is now... although the time here home this year has been quite amusing. Mostly so during our girlie trips to moxies with my new bestie the waitress with the bosom jewels... serious she's bedazzled her cleavage. You can't help but look! Ha ha.
There are very few hours left to this year so on that note I must make haste and get everything done so we can leave all of 2009's yukies behind and move onto more positive ventures.
All the best my 5 blog readers!!!
29.12.09
Inspiration and stability...
Are two kind words sent in an xmas card from one of my Greek clients. I couldn't think of anything more fitting for this year. It's been a really tough one on all sides. It could of course have been worse so I'm thankful that it hasn't been but man will be be happy for some new positive events.
Are two kind words sent in an xmas card from one of my Greek clients. I couldn't think of anything more fitting for this year. It's been a really tough one on all sides. It could of course have been worse so I'm thankful that it hasn't been but man will be be happy for some new positive events.
28.12.09
It's been a pretty positive day...
... and because there are quite few of these lately I'm going to peg it down here to remember it. I found a camera for a really reasonable price for Fredu today on Toronto's craig's list. The lovely guys from http://www.akaphoto.ca/ sold it to me. I feel so happy to finally be getting back to square one for Fredu so once work come in he'll be able to do it! Seestor kindly drove me to collect it and the guys that sold it were so lovely! Send them work please Canadian or US readers!
Work is piled up and sifting through it makes me feel that I've been off work for more like a million years rather than just two weeks. I'm trying to get focused to get moving with it but it's so hard to do it working from home when I can hear the wee one playing downstairs with my mum. Don't get me wrong... I'm indeed greatful for the ability to work remotely.
Time is ticking by at lightening speed and before I know it the week will be over and we'll be on a plane back to slightly warmer climes. Will be such a treat to be all back together again. A month can be an eternity especially with the wee one learning more and more language skills every day. Going back to school will be strange for her as she's been so anglosized for the past few weeks we can but hope she remembers her Catalan and Spanish! Same goes for me actually. I've got some spanish work emails to write but I've got to dust off that area of my brain to see if the words still come out.
Off to the oh so hip Moxies of Brampton tonight with miss Noeleen and miss Jemma who is in town from London for the next few days and the lovely Heather that I don't often get to see either. Best behave myself as I've got too much work to do to be dealing with a hangover! Behave Sarah... Behave!
... and because there are quite few of these lately I'm going to peg it down here to remember it. I found a camera for a really reasonable price for Fredu today on Toronto's craig's list. The lovely guys from http://www.akaphoto.ca/ sold it to me. I feel so happy to finally be getting back to square one for Fredu so once work come in he'll be able to do it! Seestor kindly drove me to collect it and the guys that sold it were so lovely! Send them work please Canadian or US readers!
Work is piled up and sifting through it makes me feel that I've been off work for more like a million years rather than just two weeks. I'm trying to get focused to get moving with it but it's so hard to do it working from home when I can hear the wee one playing downstairs with my mum. Don't get me wrong... I'm indeed greatful for the ability to work remotely.
Time is ticking by at lightening speed and before I know it the week will be over and we'll be on a plane back to slightly warmer climes. Will be such a treat to be all back together again. A month can be an eternity especially with the wee one learning more and more language skills every day. Going back to school will be strange for her as she's been so anglosized for the past few weeks we can but hope she remembers her Catalan and Spanish! Same goes for me actually. I've got some spanish work emails to write but I've got to dust off that area of my brain to see if the words still come out.
Off to the oh so hip Moxies of Brampton tonight with miss Noeleen and miss Jemma who is in town from London for the next few days and the lovely Heather that I don't often get to see either. Best behave myself as I've got too much work to do to be dealing with a hangover! Behave Sarah... Behave!
27.12.09
When you're too worried your blog entry will sound like one long big winge... do a Meme... (correction... thanks to http://synapsesonshuffle.blogspot.com/ for the meme)
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Fly across the Atlantic with a not quite yet 2 year old on my own.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any but next year apathy is the enemy.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Seestor! Miss Charlotte Reielle Heaney
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My friend eric's grandmother.
5. What countries did you visit?
England, Holland, Canada
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A job for Fredu (and a camera for him to do said job)
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 8th - My appendix removal date
Sept. (?) when Alfredo's camera was stolen
Nov 25th when miss Charlotte was born
Dec 5th- when i flew home to Canada for xmas
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
surviving it
9. What was your biggest failure?
Apathy (with a capital A)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Appendicitis
11. What was the best thing you bought?
pink suede shoes
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Vero's for her baby making triumphs
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The wicked person who stole Alfredo's camera. It truly ravaged an already challenging year for us. I hope they really needed it more than we did!
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent (sigh)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Coming home for xmas
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Black eyed peas... that one that goes... 'Tonight's going to be a good night..."
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? sadder
b) thinner or fatter? fatter (thanks to xmas in Canada)
c) richer or poorer? way poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Enjoying life instead of drowning in sorrows (but there was just so many)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
working
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Without Fredu in Canada :(
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Still in love
23. How many one-night stands?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
American Dad
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
the camera thief! oh and yea Apple. Feck you itunes I hate you.
26. What was the best book you read?
Beach Music
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Martina Topley Bird's new album (I had no idea it had come out) not that I have it yet
28. What did you want and get?
More support at work (new project managers!)
29. What did you want and not get?
a job for fredu and a new camera oh yea and the passport!!
Resolution for any of my fights with the tax office
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Only saw one (slumdog millionaire) in the cinema... it was okay..but I'm hoping to see it's complicated before I leave Canada (with my mum) looks nice and pinky!
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
my 33rd birthday I was still recovering from the appendectomy the week before but had low key fun with the lovely miss joey and andrea who flew in to celebrate with me.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Work for fredu
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
black and mysterious
34. What kept you sane?
My Mum
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Perez Hilton
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Any stupid American Mallarky
37. Who did you miss?
The old me
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Jacob and Millie!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Apathy is very very difficult to shake
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm not here... this isn't happening.. (Radiohead)
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Fly across the Atlantic with a not quite yet 2 year old on my own.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any but next year apathy is the enemy.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Seestor! Miss Charlotte Reielle Heaney
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My friend eric's grandmother.
5. What countries did you visit?
England, Holland, Canada
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A job for Fredu (and a camera for him to do said job)
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 8th - My appendix removal date
Sept. (?) when Alfredo's camera was stolen
Nov 25th when miss Charlotte was born
Dec 5th- when i flew home to Canada for xmas
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
surviving it
9. What was your biggest failure?
Apathy (with a capital A)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Appendicitis
11. What was the best thing you bought?
pink suede shoes
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Vero's for her baby making triumphs
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The wicked person who stole Alfredo's camera. It truly ravaged an already challenging year for us. I hope they really needed it more than we did!
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent (sigh)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Coming home for xmas
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Black eyed peas... that one that goes... 'Tonight's going to be a good night..."
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? sadder
b) thinner or fatter? fatter (thanks to xmas in Canada)
c) richer or poorer? way poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Enjoying life instead of drowning in sorrows (but there was just so many)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
working
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Without Fredu in Canada :(
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Still in love
23. How many one-night stands?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
American Dad
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
the camera thief! oh and yea Apple. Feck you itunes I hate you.
26. What was the best book you read?
Beach Music
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Martina Topley Bird's new album (I had no idea it had come out) not that I have it yet
28. What did you want and get?
More support at work (new project managers!)
29. What did you want and not get?
a job for fredu and a new camera oh yea and the passport!!
Resolution for any of my fights with the tax office
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Only saw one (slumdog millionaire) in the cinema... it was okay..but I'm hoping to see it's complicated before I leave Canada (with my mum) looks nice and pinky!
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
my 33rd birthday I was still recovering from the appendectomy the week before but had low key fun with the lovely miss joey and andrea who flew in to celebrate with me.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Work for fredu
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
black and mysterious
34. What kept you sane?
My Mum
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Perez Hilton
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Any stupid American Mallarky
37. Who did you miss?
The old me
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Jacob and Millie!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Apathy is very very difficult to shake
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm not here... this isn't happening.. (Radiohead)
12.12.09
It's bitter sweet and kind of vexing...
Being home for xmas that is. It's a delight to have a load of time off from work and a bit of time to relax and unwind... but it's also a kind of struggle. Reverse culture shock is sometimes so difficult to explain. What should be familiar feels oddly foreign and what sounds totally foreign here sounds more normal to me... quite a strange place to be.... with all the struggles we're facing in Barca I sometimes dream of packing it all in and moving back 'home' but the stark reality is... there is no way that would be possible. The mere idea of moving back here with nothing and starting from scratch again with no house no car no money no job seems insane. It quite simply will not happen. Life is indeed what you make it and at some points in life you simply cannot change it. Finacial freedom would of course be a grand facilitator but since that is very much not the situation for us we'll have to resolve to continue on schmucking our meagre Barcelona existence for the foreseeable future. I think it's all part and parcel of these dark days... sometimes you want to dream of an escape but the thing you don't count on is that your escape would just be a path into more problems... sigh
Perhaps it's the added vunerability I feel being home again with the wee one without Fredu who sadly can still not travel. Being fragmented from your immediate family at xmas is not something that is much fun for me... of course i know others would delight in such an arrangement but it's really for Sienna as it's her first xmas that she will really understand what's going on and he's not going to be here with us to enjoy it... but life just keeps lobbing lemons... and my hands are full of paper cuts but I'm still catching them.
Being home for xmas that is. It's a delight to have a load of time off from work and a bit of time to relax and unwind... but it's also a kind of struggle. Reverse culture shock is sometimes so difficult to explain. What should be familiar feels oddly foreign and what sounds totally foreign here sounds more normal to me... quite a strange place to be.... with all the struggles we're facing in Barca I sometimes dream of packing it all in and moving back 'home' but the stark reality is... there is no way that would be possible. The mere idea of moving back here with nothing and starting from scratch again with no house no car no money no job seems insane. It quite simply will not happen. Life is indeed what you make it and at some points in life you simply cannot change it. Finacial freedom would of course be a grand facilitator but since that is very much not the situation for us we'll have to resolve to continue on schmucking our meagre Barcelona existence for the foreseeable future. I think it's all part and parcel of these dark days... sometimes you want to dream of an escape but the thing you don't count on is that your escape would just be a path into more problems... sigh
Perhaps it's the added vunerability I feel being home again with the wee one without Fredu who sadly can still not travel. Being fragmented from your immediate family at xmas is not something that is much fun for me... of course i know others would delight in such an arrangement but it's really for Sienna as it's her first xmas that she will really understand what's going on and he's not going to be here with us to enjoy it... but life just keeps lobbing lemons... and my hands are full of paper cuts but I'm still catching them.
10.12.09
26.11.09
And then there were Four!
Delightful news for once! My seestor and her Hubby have just yesterday welcomed their newest wee one into their family. The wee one is a girl! A seestor of her very own for Isabella. No name yet... I'm pushing them to call her Viva but for some strange reason they're not complying!
In true family fashion she was a super speedy and natural birth. You go seestor!
We are over the moon. Now we've just got to wait another week and two days to meet her! Ooh hurry up time, I want to hold her :)
Delightful news for once! My seestor and her Hubby have just yesterday welcomed their newest wee one into their family. The wee one is a girl! A seestor of her very own for Isabella. No name yet... I'm pushing them to call her Viva but for some strange reason they're not complying!
In true family fashion she was a super speedy and natural birth. You go seestor!
We are over the moon. Now we've just got to wait another week and two days to meet her! Ooh hurry up time, I want to hold her :)
22.11.09
Now that my brain
Is now fizzled out... and the extra hours translation project that I was working on is successful completed... I can return instead to my normal after work work which is also never ending... We fly out to the great white north on the 5th and I can tell you, that I am most certainly looking forward to it. Two weeks away from work will be golden... KJ's new baby arriving soon... even more.
On a completely different note... am I the only one that thinks that American Dad is way more funny than family guy? Sorry Yankees but I can't help but feel that Family Guy is like a dumbed down version of American dad... sort of washed down for American consumption? I know I know but I can't help it, that's how I feel. My mother however, was forced into watching an episode with us while she was here... and she did not like it one bit... perhaps it was due the fact that it was the episode when Stan wanted to join the gay republicans... I'm just sayin... my poor mother... the things we put her through.
The Jimmy Choo sale came and went and nothing was purchased... when your bank says 000000 you have no choice but to be frugal. *cries slient tears of shoes lost*...
And just for giggles here is a grim glimpse into the world of renting a flat in Barcelona... don't worry you can feel free to scream. We'll be screaming along with you. Dear Lord I can only pray that I NEVER need to live in this place.
Is now fizzled out... and the extra hours translation project that I was working on is successful completed... I can return instead to my normal after work work which is also never ending... We fly out to the great white north on the 5th and I can tell you, that I am most certainly looking forward to it. Two weeks away from work will be golden... KJ's new baby arriving soon... even more.
On a completely different note... am I the only one that thinks that American Dad is way more funny than family guy? Sorry Yankees but I can't help but feel that Family Guy is like a dumbed down version of American dad... sort of washed down for American consumption? I know I know but I can't help it, that's how I feel. My mother however, was forced into watching an episode with us while she was here... and she did not like it one bit... perhaps it was due the fact that it was the episode when Stan wanted to join the gay republicans... I'm just sayin... my poor mother... the things we put her through.
The Jimmy Choo sale came and went and nothing was purchased... when your bank says 000000 you have no choice but to be frugal. *cries slient tears of shoes lost*...
And just for giggles here is a grim glimpse into the world of renting a flat in Barcelona... don't worry you can feel free to scream. We'll be screaming along with you. Dear Lord I can only pray that I NEVER need to live in this place.
1.11.09
So it's getting better right?
The answer is well you guessed it... No. More bad news. Oh yea... well we'll keep that for the new blog that I've not yet started but will... and damn it maybe that blog will make my millions as dear lord so much misfortune is just comical... comedy sells yea? It somehow just doesn't feel that funny. Funny tragic I guess more than Funny Ha ha
Positive things.... *deep breath* okay... Well in a few short weeks, at least some of us will be flying to Canada for a well deserved break.
In an attempt to paint a brighter future we've started flat hunting... with what money do you have to move you may ask... well that's another question entirely... HA! Humour me okay?
So we've seen a couple of places and my word, Barcelona certainly offers you up a large variety of "interesting" options. We found one with the main part of the flat on the principal floor and then with the master bedroom downstairs on the entrasuelo level. It was like a dungeon. For all ye who don't get this whole floor thing here in Spain... The entrasuelo exists in old buildings and I'm sure in the past was used for servents or just tiny tiny people as it's between the street level and the first floor. Principal flats are mostly the biggest in the building and I can only suppose where the rich people used to live. Mostly now they are split into wierd distributions in an effort to make the most money possible from the spaces... I really never though it was possible to re-create a 'basement' feeling here but oh yes.. it's possible. That one is defo a no go.
The next flat of fancy we went to see was a 'para renovar' job. Yes, another BCN concept all into it's self. You see the premise is that they bestow you the favour of renting you a flat and then you are expected to invest your own money into renovating it while you live there... It really defies logic, I mean if there were a few things to polish up or re-paint or something that's fine... but I'm talking flats that are hundreds of years old people! This one was big and the agency's initial proposal was to rent it for 950 a month for a 7 year contract with the premise that you will invest 30k in the flat during that time. I thought they must be insane. Plus they want you to pay 4k damage deposit on the flat (which is a ruin!). So we went to see it.... Turns out rotting and decrepid would be too kind to describe it. The place was straigth out of a horror movie. Fitting that it was Saturday and it was Hallowe'en when we saw it! I would estimate needing to invest at least 90k in that place to get it to a point where it was livable. I really want to know how they will find someone to rent it... maybe if you bought it for a song and then put in the hard graft then yes sure why not... but to rent it... when the shower room was put in somewhere around the time that indoor plumbing became possible (and hasn't been replaced since). I think people on the street could hear my slient scream of ... "oh my god no, not ever in my life would I take on a project like that"... even if they gave me 7 years of free rent. Barcelona... seriously what the bejaysuz is going on?
On the other hand there are lovely looking flats like this one... which we're I think we're going to see on Wednesday... if it's not already gone by then.. That's the other thing... the good ones are snapped up in a heart beat so it's not really condusive to 'window shoppers' like us...
The answer is well you guessed it... No. More bad news. Oh yea... well we'll keep that for the new blog that I've not yet started but will... and damn it maybe that blog will make my millions as dear lord so much misfortune is just comical... comedy sells yea? It somehow just doesn't feel that funny. Funny tragic I guess more than Funny Ha ha
Positive things.... *deep breath* okay... Well in a few short weeks, at least some of us will be flying to Canada for a well deserved break.
In an attempt to paint a brighter future we've started flat hunting... with what money do you have to move you may ask... well that's another question entirely... HA! Humour me okay?
So we've seen a couple of places and my word, Barcelona certainly offers you up a large variety of "interesting" options. We found one with the main part of the flat on the principal floor and then with the master bedroom downstairs on the entrasuelo level. It was like a dungeon. For all ye who don't get this whole floor thing here in Spain... The entrasuelo exists in old buildings and I'm sure in the past was used for servents or just tiny tiny people as it's between the street level and the first floor. Principal flats are mostly the biggest in the building and I can only suppose where the rich people used to live. Mostly now they are split into wierd distributions in an effort to make the most money possible from the spaces... I really never though it was possible to re-create a 'basement' feeling here but oh yes.. it's possible. That one is defo a no go.
The next flat of fancy we went to see was a 'para renovar' job. Yes, another BCN concept all into it's self. You see the premise is that they bestow you the favour of renting you a flat and then you are expected to invest your own money into renovating it while you live there... It really defies logic, I mean if there were a few things to polish up or re-paint or something that's fine... but I'm talking flats that are hundreds of years old people! This one was big and the agency's initial proposal was to rent it for 950 a month for a 7 year contract with the premise that you will invest 30k in the flat during that time. I thought they must be insane. Plus they want you to pay 4k damage deposit on the flat (which is a ruin!). So we went to see it.... Turns out rotting and decrepid would be too kind to describe it. The place was straigth out of a horror movie. Fitting that it was Saturday and it was Hallowe'en when we saw it! I would estimate needing to invest at least 90k in that place to get it to a point where it was livable. I really want to know how they will find someone to rent it... maybe if you bought it for a song and then put in the hard graft then yes sure why not... but to rent it... when the shower room was put in somewhere around the time that indoor plumbing became possible (and hasn't been replaced since). I think people on the street could hear my slient scream of ... "oh my god no, not ever in my life would I take on a project like that"... even if they gave me 7 years of free rent. Barcelona... seriously what the bejaysuz is going on?
On the other hand there are lovely looking flats like this one... which we're I think we're going to see on Wednesday... if it's not already gone by then.. That's the other thing... the good ones are snapped up in a heart beat so it's not really condusive to 'window shoppers' like us...
18.10.09
I'm going to start a new blog
It's going to be called "where the bad things go" Then I'll have place to put them all. I'm thinking i may take off... everyone can stop by and drop off their bad things... bad luck, bad karma, bad thoughts, bad actions... then we'll keep them all safely there so this blog can perhaps re-join the realm of not-so-grim-all-the-bleeding-time.
Shoes help, so the fact that in less than a month the Jimy Choo collection will be released at H&M should certainly be a good thing. Another positive thing is that in just a few short weeks I'll pretty much be done work for the year and I"ll be heading home to Canada to welcome my seestor's new wee one into the world.
That's two positive things... see I am still capable....
We'll round it off at 3 good things... how sweet is the wee miss these days?
This is me holding my breath until all the bad passes us by... I might be going blue soon.
It's going to be called "where the bad things go" Then I'll have place to put them all. I'm thinking i may take off... everyone can stop by and drop off their bad things... bad luck, bad karma, bad thoughts, bad actions... then we'll keep them all safely there so this blog can perhaps re-join the realm of not-so-grim-all-the-bleeding-time.
Shoes help, so the fact that in less than a month the Jimy Choo collection will be released at H&M should certainly be a good thing. Another positive thing is that in just a few short weeks I'll pretty much be done work for the year and I"ll be heading home to Canada to welcome my seestor's new wee one into the world.
That's two positive things... see I am still capable....
We'll round it off at 3 good things... how sweet is the wee miss these days?
This is me holding my breath until all the bad passes us by... I might be going blue soon.
24.9.09
And again... Only in Spain...
Does your bike get stolen and a few weeks later your boyfriend's professional camera worth more than 2k with a lens you just bought and have not finished paying for worth 700 euros on it... from right under your nose while sat in a completely empty fast food restaurant with your mum and your baby (and boyfriend of course)... I swear the theif was a magician or there was a trap door as there was not a soul in the place. It's absolutely baffling and really really heartbreaking that it happened. It's all part and parcel of living in the petty crime capital of the world I suppose. Bad Barcelona... we don't like you much these days.
And of course for us it simply means that life just got worse... just when things were slowly starting to move forward and unstick... there is a very remote chance that the dregs of insurance we have may help cover it but it's very unlikely. How is one supposed to make money without the equipment needed to make it?
There have been many many tears... and an imessurable amount of nashing of teeth. But nothing will bring it back....
Before it was stolen one of the last jobs Fredu did was for Al jazeera (sports) they were here doing an interview with Thierry Henry and the President of the Barca club Joan Laporta. Alfredo was hired to do the still shots. The camera man who was recording the interview sweetly offered to take two shots of Fredu with the Thierry and Joan. Pretty lucky guy (that day at least)... he even got a lift in Thierry's car with him as they moved from one venue in the staduim to another...
Does your bike get stolen and a few weeks later your boyfriend's professional camera worth more than 2k with a lens you just bought and have not finished paying for worth 700 euros on it... from right under your nose while sat in a completely empty fast food restaurant with your mum and your baby (and boyfriend of course)... I swear the theif was a magician or there was a trap door as there was not a soul in the place. It's absolutely baffling and really really heartbreaking that it happened. It's all part and parcel of living in the petty crime capital of the world I suppose. Bad Barcelona... we don't like you much these days.
And of course for us it simply means that life just got worse... just when things were slowly starting to move forward and unstick... there is a very remote chance that the dregs of insurance we have may help cover it but it's very unlikely. How is one supposed to make money without the equipment needed to make it?
There have been many many tears... and an imessurable amount of nashing of teeth. But nothing will bring it back....
Before it was stolen one of the last jobs Fredu did was for Al jazeera (sports) they were here doing an interview with Thierry Henry and the President of the Barca club Joan Laporta. Alfredo was hired to do the still shots. The camera man who was recording the interview sweetly offered to take two shots of Fredu with the Thierry and Joan. Pretty lucky guy (that day at least)... he even got a lift in Thierry's car with him as they moved from one venue in the staduim to another...
7.9.09
We are mostly very very proud of Sureshee!
He's been working hard while finishing his masters at RCA! Selling at Bonhams that is!
Amazing amazing amazing!
He's been working hard while finishing his masters at RCA! Selling at Bonhams that is!
Amazing amazing amazing!
5.9.09
4.9.09
The lock-off continues...
The person who "stole" the bike finally got the note we left for them on the bike... I told Fredu to leave his mobile number on the note... Low and behold the 'new owner' of the bike rang yesterday... in a hail of expletives he screamed down the phone that he had found the bike in the street and that it was his... all in English of course. Because we live in Spain yea? The note we left in Spanish... the guy didn't speak it. Lucky him that Fredu does speak English.... Now we have a complete impasse. The guy won't remove his lock and Fredu won't either... Eric, the actual owner of the bike (who had been lending it to Fredu long term) is now involved... he's searching now for documentation that proves the bike is his! The police are going to be involved soon but who are they going to believe???? I think they should play the trump card that the theif guy doesn't speak spanish and get the cops invovled and if he can't speak, he can't tell his "i found it on the street story"... Seriously do we need this sort of insanity?
Clearly there is no point in even asking that question. It is my life after all... the answer is always a resounding YES.
The person who "stole" the bike finally got the note we left for them on the bike... I told Fredu to leave his mobile number on the note... Low and behold the 'new owner' of the bike rang yesterday... in a hail of expletives he screamed down the phone that he had found the bike in the street and that it was his... all in English of course. Because we live in Spain yea? The note we left in Spanish... the guy didn't speak it. Lucky him that Fredu does speak English.... Now we have a complete impasse. The guy won't remove his lock and Fredu won't either... Eric, the actual owner of the bike (who had been lending it to Fredu long term) is now involved... he's searching now for documentation that proves the bike is his! The police are going to be involved soon but who are they going to believe???? I think they should play the trump card that the theif guy doesn't speak spanish and get the cops invovled and if he can't speak, he can't tell his "i found it on the street story"... Seriously do we need this sort of insanity?
Clearly there is no point in even asking that question. It is my life after all... the answer is always a resounding YES.
3.9.09
Only in Spain...
Would someone steal your bike.. then lock it up at another bike rack 200m away with another lock... So in response, Alfredo bought two new locks and locked them to the bike and left a note for the person who had stolen his bike to please remove their lock and give him back the bike... it's a lock off baby! No movement yet. The bike still sits there with 3 locks on it (2 alfredo's and 1 of the theif)... One more day and he's just going to saw off the other lock... it's funny this, not only because it's absurd... but because this is the second time this has happened.
Last year Alfredo's bike had a broken peddle. He noticed one day that the bike was gone. He was sad but hey ho such is life in this mad city... Sunday morning rolls around and we're all walking to the park and low and behold there is the stolen bike broken peddle and all... locked to a rack approx 100m away from where it was taken from... new lock of course. So we promptly went to our local bike renting shop which was a few metres away and asked if we could borrow some lock cutters. Remember we are in full family mode... pram, baby dog in toe... they gave us the cutters and right there in the street we stole the bike back. Theiving family unit baby!
It's the madness that makes you just that little bit crazy when you live here... It's kind of a banana republic in many ways... but I suppose in the end it's the recklessness that adds to the charm.
Would someone steal your bike.. then lock it up at another bike rack 200m away with another lock... So in response, Alfredo bought two new locks and locked them to the bike and left a note for the person who had stolen his bike to please remove their lock and give him back the bike... it's a lock off baby! No movement yet. The bike still sits there with 3 locks on it (2 alfredo's and 1 of the theif)... One more day and he's just going to saw off the other lock... it's funny this, not only because it's absurd... but because this is the second time this has happened.
Last year Alfredo's bike had a broken peddle. He noticed one day that the bike was gone. He was sad but hey ho such is life in this mad city... Sunday morning rolls around and we're all walking to the park and low and behold there is the stolen bike broken peddle and all... locked to a rack approx 100m away from where it was taken from... new lock of course. So we promptly went to our local bike renting shop which was a few metres away and asked if we could borrow some lock cutters. Remember we are in full family mode... pram, baby dog in toe... they gave us the cutters and right there in the street we stole the bike back. Theiving family unit baby!
It's the madness that makes you just that little bit crazy when you live here... It's kind of a banana republic in many ways... but I suppose in the end it's the recklessness that adds to the charm.
30.8.09
There is a secret time here in Barcelona
It's usually near the end of August when most people are smart enough to leave the smoldering heat of the inner city and head for the beach and enjoy summer... The streets are significantly more empty than normally especially up town. It's quite the peculiar thing as many shops simply just close down for 4 weeks and happy announce they'll be back after their holidays. It's funny because in one way the city empties out and then in another way the floods of French tourists arrive. This year because of the delicate economic climate there are lots of Frenchies, a few Italians but very few northern Europeans and even less Americans... But the beautiful thing about remaining in Barcelona during the summer is that for a small few moments you feel the city is just a little bit more 'yours' than it normally is. I suppose that because all of the locals are gone (or it feels like they are) that you are the closest thing to being a local... makes you feel kind of like for once you maybe fit in.
The morning bus rides to work will soon return to normal... the darkness is slowly creeping back into my morning routine. The alarm goes off at half six but my brain is not quite ready to compute the fact that it's starting to still be dark then. Work is sufficiently manic to make the hours in the day zoom by. In fact last week I felt like I looked up from my desk and it was Thursday already!
The impending baby rush is a pink one. Miss Vero and Miss Karen are both having little girls. To say I'm thrilled for them both is an understatement. Now if we can just bear the wait until seestor and bryan have theirs in Dec we can try for a hattrick... but they like the surprise and are thus going to wait to see if they too have a girl.
We ventured out very early yesterday morning with the ever enthusiastic Chiara and Nacho egging us on to be brave and actually atempt a day at the beach out of town. We were at the train at 8am to head off to the costa brava. We trained and bused it and then bused it some more and we arrived to Cala de Sant Francesc at around half ten. What a lovely place. It boggles the brain as to how much money you would need to have one of the massive houses that shroud the cala. It's really lovely and we had a fabulous day. Bravo to them for helping us make it possible with all the baby acutraments that we need to have with us to allow us to be away from home. It's not a trip for the faint hearted... and the transportation system isn't too sympathetic to people with baby prams but with 4 people we did it! And for the record... all those locals that are missing from Barcelona... they were all in Blanes. I think we were the only foreigners there!
Cala de San Francesc - trust me there were many more people there!
It's usually near the end of August when most people are smart enough to leave the smoldering heat of the inner city and head for the beach and enjoy summer... The streets are significantly more empty than normally especially up town. It's quite the peculiar thing as many shops simply just close down for 4 weeks and happy announce they'll be back after their holidays. It's funny because in one way the city empties out and then in another way the floods of French tourists arrive. This year because of the delicate economic climate there are lots of Frenchies, a few Italians but very few northern Europeans and even less Americans... But the beautiful thing about remaining in Barcelona during the summer is that for a small few moments you feel the city is just a little bit more 'yours' than it normally is. I suppose that because all of the locals are gone (or it feels like they are) that you are the closest thing to being a local... makes you feel kind of like for once you maybe fit in.
The morning bus rides to work will soon return to normal... the darkness is slowly creeping back into my morning routine. The alarm goes off at half six but my brain is not quite ready to compute the fact that it's starting to still be dark then. Work is sufficiently manic to make the hours in the day zoom by. In fact last week I felt like I looked up from my desk and it was Thursday already!
The impending baby rush is a pink one. Miss Vero and Miss Karen are both having little girls. To say I'm thrilled for them both is an understatement. Now if we can just bear the wait until seestor and bryan have theirs in Dec we can try for a hattrick... but they like the surprise and are thus going to wait to see if they too have a girl.
We ventured out very early yesterday morning with the ever enthusiastic Chiara and Nacho egging us on to be brave and actually atempt a day at the beach out of town. We were at the train at 8am to head off to the costa brava. We trained and bused it and then bused it some more and we arrived to Cala de Sant Francesc at around half ten. What a lovely place. It boggles the brain as to how much money you would need to have one of the massive houses that shroud the cala. It's really lovely and we had a fabulous day. Bravo to them for helping us make it possible with all the baby acutraments that we need to have with us to allow us to be away from home. It's not a trip for the faint hearted... and the transportation system isn't too sympathetic to people with baby prams but with 4 people we did it! And for the record... all those locals that are missing from Barcelona... they were all in Blanes. I think we were the only foreigners there!
Cala de San Francesc - trust me there were many more people there!
3.8.09
We're still here...
but summer and work seem to have zapped time away faster than money though our account.
It's not been the easiest times for us for the past little while but summer sun and the wee one sure do help get through until the next day.
Now we've the added bonus of a visit from my mum in mid-sept to look forward to.
Not quite sure if using a beach ball to keep your chins up is a viable life flotation device... but it will have to do for now.
Styling at the Villa
At the beach during the day with daddy...
Cuddles at the beach
Cuddles with mum when she finally gets home from work.
but summer and work seem to have zapped time away faster than money though our account.
It's not been the easiest times for us for the past little while but summer sun and the wee one sure do help get through until the next day.
Now we've the added bonus of a visit from my mum in mid-sept to look forward to.
Not quite sure if using a beach ball to keep your chins up is a viable life flotation device... but it will have to do for now.
Styling at the Villa
At the beach during the day with daddy...
Cuddles at the beach
Cuddles with mum when she finally gets home from work.
6.7.09
To say that I was gutted…
Would be a huge understatement.
Devastated is a bit closer… my beautiful present from the lovely and wonderfully talented Suresh Dutt met a terrible terrible end. We were all sat relaxing in our living room when completely un-provoked his piece tumbled off the top shelf above the television where it lived. I think my high pitch scream of NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO could be heard even before it bounced on the TV table (not yet breaking) it wasn’t until it shattered on the hard tile floors into about one zillion pieces did my scream stop. We were damn lucky as the wee one was about a metre away from us Fredu instantly grabbed her to keep her from the shards of glass. With dog and baby in arms the tears fell. I loved it so much. I am so very sad. At least if I had of dropped it while cleaning it or something like that it could resolve it… but it literally slid from the shelf with no reason. I guess the gods decided we weren’t to have anything nice.
What I had was the prototype to this piece...
We should have taken a picture as the way in which it shattered was most spectacular… could have been art in it’s self… but I was too upset and Fredu was too busy trying to make sure no one cut themselves…
Why do all the nice things we have break? Or do we only notice they break because they’re nice?
*sobs*
Would be a huge understatement.
Devastated is a bit closer… my beautiful present from the lovely and wonderfully talented Suresh Dutt met a terrible terrible end. We were all sat relaxing in our living room when completely un-provoked his piece tumbled off the top shelf above the television where it lived. I think my high pitch scream of NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO could be heard even before it bounced on the TV table (not yet breaking) it wasn’t until it shattered on the hard tile floors into about one zillion pieces did my scream stop. We were damn lucky as the wee one was about a metre away from us Fredu instantly grabbed her to keep her from the shards of glass. With dog and baby in arms the tears fell. I loved it so much. I am so very sad. At least if I had of dropped it while cleaning it or something like that it could resolve it… but it literally slid from the shelf with no reason. I guess the gods decided we weren’t to have anything nice.
What I had was the prototype to this piece...
We should have taken a picture as the way in which it shattered was most spectacular… could have been art in it’s self… but I was too upset and Fredu was too busy trying to make sure no one cut themselves…
Why do all the nice things we have break? Or do we only notice they break because they’re nice?
*sobs*
30.6.09
Life has been
Pretty darn trying these days... for a plethora of reasons. The is now clear and surefire way though times like this. It takes patience and perseverance of course but it's never easy when literally every step you take lands you deeper in quick sand. Bear Grylls would say the best chance you have of staying alive is to keep moving... so that we do and whether it will simply aid the quicker sinking down into the quicksand or actually get us out is not yet certain but there are simply no other alternatives to consider so on we press.
I had a lovely and amazingly helpful evening with the lovely Jacob tonight who really helped me push throught this dead spot I had in one of my paintings. I'm so greatful for his coaching and motivation as I really needed it. It's really hard to do much of anything constructive when you're exhausted and just want to collapse.
Living far away from your immediate family is always a challenge especially when you are close to them... it is becoming more poingant every day just how much having their physical presence would be such a great help. Getting away for even two days with just the two of us would b simply golden... neither of us would actually really want to go and leave the wee one but at certain times you have to start to realise that without you as a couple you will quickly cease to exist as the parents she needs and wants and you can so very easily become exes and coparents and nothing more. It's a bleak way to think of things but if you don't have balance things can go really really wrong. We're all thinking about joining the circus. I hear they've got an opening for a family tightrope act...
Pretty darn trying these days... for a plethora of reasons. The is now clear and surefire way though times like this. It takes patience and perseverance of course but it's never easy when literally every step you take lands you deeper in quick sand. Bear Grylls would say the best chance you have of staying alive is to keep moving... so that we do and whether it will simply aid the quicker sinking down into the quicksand or actually get us out is not yet certain but there are simply no other alternatives to consider so on we press.
I had a lovely and amazingly helpful evening with the lovely Jacob tonight who really helped me push throught this dead spot I had in one of my paintings. I'm so greatful for his coaching and motivation as I really needed it. It's really hard to do much of anything constructive when you're exhausted and just want to collapse.
Living far away from your immediate family is always a challenge especially when you are close to them... it is becoming more poingant every day just how much having their physical presence would be such a great help. Getting away for even two days with just the two of us would b simply golden... neither of us would actually really want to go and leave the wee one but at certain times you have to start to realise that without you as a couple you will quickly cease to exist as the parents she needs and wants and you can so very easily become exes and coparents and nothing more. It's a bleak way to think of things but if you don't have balance things can go really really wrong. We're all thinking about joining the circus. I hear they've got an opening for a family tightrope act...
23.6.09
In a blink
Summer has arrived and things are in full swing here... We've just had a lovely visit from the ever fabulous Ollie. He has however been struck by the ryanair curse and missed his bus to the out of town airport and is now on a mad dash to still catch the flight...
It was the sonar music festival this past weekend so the city was flooded by norther europeans. The weather did not disappoint.
Summer has arrived and things are in full swing here... We've just had a lovely visit from the ever fabulous Ollie. He has however been struck by the ryanair curse and missed his bus to the out of town airport and is now on a mad dash to still catch the flight...
It was the sonar music festival this past weekend so the city was flooded by norther europeans. The weather did not disappoint.
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Sienna all ready for Sonar Kids
Summer means holiday season and regrettably it doesn't look like I"ll be making it home this summer like I had hoped. I really wanted to attend my little cousin's wedding but doesn't even look like the wee one's passport will be renewed in time... ah well. The villa week is coming up and we're well looking forward to getting some relaxation time in. Things have been fairly rough here these days and I think we all deserve a bit of a rest. The villa is actually fully filled up whereas just a few weeks ago I thought we would be low on numbers... May be a bit cozy in the end more like a summer camp with people sharing rooms and beds!
we're kind of on the coping with a half day at a time to get things rolling... even sometimes the thought of a full day makes my chest tight with anxiety... baby steps for all of us.
7.6.09
It's a baby bonanza!
It's been a busy week... seems like March and April this year were indeed fruitful baby making months as we've got joyous news from both seestor and the lovely vero! Both are expecting bundles of joy. For Vero it's her first and seestor her second. Seestor's is due the same day as her first which is just before xmas and Vero at the end of Jan. Lots of waiting to be done between now and then but how excited am I to be able to buy cute tiny baby things again?
Our sleepy bundle of joy is on her second weekend of massive slumber. I swear she's gone from a 1 year old to a 15 year old all at once. Last week she had a 3h nap in the morning and then went back to sleep at 17h in the afternoon until the next morning. We of course were totally freaked out by it so had no rest... we were checking on her every 5 minutes... She was just fine of course. Now today when she does it again and we're not quite sure what to think of it. Perhaps the week at the nursery school is more tiring than we can imagine... that and she's getting more teeth. Ah well I guess we should just enjoy the quiet evening. Watching back to back episodes of american dad is of course part of said quiet evening...
It's been a busy week... seems like March and April this year were indeed fruitful baby making months as we've got joyous news from both seestor and the lovely vero! Both are expecting bundles of joy. For Vero it's her first and seestor her second. Seestor's is due the same day as her first which is just before xmas and Vero at the end of Jan. Lots of waiting to be done between now and then but how excited am I to be able to buy cute tiny baby things again?
Our sleepy bundle of joy is on her second weekend of massive slumber. I swear she's gone from a 1 year old to a 15 year old all at once. Last week she had a 3h nap in the morning and then went back to sleep at 17h in the afternoon until the next morning. We of course were totally freaked out by it so had no rest... we were checking on her every 5 minutes... She was just fine of course. Now today when she does it again and we're not quite sure what to think of it. Perhaps the week at the nursery school is more tiring than we can imagine... that and she's getting more teeth. Ah well I guess we should just enjoy the quiet evening. Watching back to back episodes of american dad is of course part of said quiet evening...
28.5.09
Shoes are a delicate issue...
And even more so when you are forced with the reality of having to buy practical shoes for a 1 year old with tiny feet. She needs something that she can romp around in at school and that the teacher’s don’t go mad with her feet slipping out all the time (such as they are now with her current sandals). So off we trotted on a dubious mission to find a cute and practical pair of small kid’s sandals… dear god it nearly killed us… everything was so bloody garish and the cool pink gladiators that we fell in love with didn’t fit her feet properly so they were taken out of the running…
After more than 4 shops and trying on 12 pairs of shoes we finally compromised and bought her a wee pair of Birkenstock inspired sandals from Zara that would securely hold in her tiny sweaty feet without looking too horribly ugly… I would be lying if I said I didn’t go home and paint the white buckles silver… Fashion is not an option people… neurosis maybe but fashion, is not!
And even more so when you are forced with the reality of having to buy practical shoes for a 1 year old with tiny feet. She needs something that she can romp around in at school and that the teacher’s don’t go mad with her feet slipping out all the time (such as they are now with her current sandals). So off we trotted on a dubious mission to find a cute and practical pair of small kid’s sandals… dear god it nearly killed us… everything was so bloody garish and the cool pink gladiators that we fell in love with didn’t fit her feet properly so they were taken out of the running…
After more than 4 shops and trying on 12 pairs of shoes we finally compromised and bought her a wee pair of Birkenstock inspired sandals from Zara that would securely hold in her tiny sweaty feet without looking too horribly ugly… I would be lying if I said I didn’t go home and paint the white buckles silver… Fashion is not an option people… neurosis maybe but fashion, is not!
27.5.09
When life gives you tea… drink coffee
Yea well I know it doesn’t make much sense but that’s the way things roll these days. My office houses quite a few avid tea drinkers and we all whimpered a little bit when our ‘proper tea’ supply ran dry a week so so ago. The tea gods must have heard our cries as the very next day our colleague returned from his work related trip to Sri Lanka with armfuls of tea. Oh happy day. The only problem is, that this is “seriously proper tea” and thus requires proper brewing instruments of which we do not have… so there it sits, in it’s regal tea glory on the table un touched. Until one of us scrapes together the incentive to buy a brewing pot from the Chinese shop we’re all stuck drinking coffee… not all bad of course as I’m rocking the soya milk coffee… seriously when life gives you tea, drink coffee.
Miss Bambach has announced her imminent arrival to the continent within the next few weeks. It’s been far too long since we’ve had any new Sally stories or adventures to delight us with so we are most pleased . The villa this year will be really fun as we’ve got two new guests which should indeed spice things up.
My fight for the baby bonus we were due when Sienna was born continues this time with the help of our local ombudsman. Who knew we had one? Lets hope they help us get a favorable resolution to my appeal. It’s been nearly 7 months and we’ve heard absolutely nothing from the government office that is processing the appeal. If we get it we may just be able to get flights to Canada for my cousins wedding or maybe even home for xmas… or we could just blow it all on champagne and cheap women. Just kidding.
Yea well I know it doesn’t make much sense but that’s the way things roll these days. My office houses quite a few avid tea drinkers and we all whimpered a little bit when our ‘proper tea’ supply ran dry a week so so ago. The tea gods must have heard our cries as the very next day our colleague returned from his work related trip to Sri Lanka with armfuls of tea. Oh happy day. The only problem is, that this is “seriously proper tea” and thus requires proper brewing instruments of which we do not have… so there it sits, in it’s regal tea glory on the table un touched. Until one of us scrapes together the incentive to buy a brewing pot from the Chinese shop we’re all stuck drinking coffee… not all bad of course as I’m rocking the soya milk coffee… seriously when life gives you tea, drink coffee.
Miss Bambach has announced her imminent arrival to the continent within the next few weeks. It’s been far too long since we’ve had any new Sally stories or adventures to delight us with so we are most pleased . The villa this year will be really fun as we’ve got two new guests which should indeed spice things up.
My fight for the baby bonus we were due when Sienna was born continues this time with the help of our local ombudsman. Who knew we had one? Lets hope they help us get a favorable resolution to my appeal. It’s been nearly 7 months and we’ve heard absolutely nothing from the government office that is processing the appeal. If we get it we may just be able to get flights to Canada for my cousins wedding or maybe even home for xmas… or we could just blow it all on champagne and cheap women. Just kidding.
25.5.09
It’s a good reminder…
To slow down sometimes and really make an effort to appreciate life. Speaking with miss Andrea last night she told me of the very unexpected death of a dear colleague of hers. He died last week only 34 years old. He took ill after a night out with her and some other friends… he thought he had the flu but by the following week he was not feeling better and then on the Wednesday he had two seizures and the second one proved fatal and he passed away. Death of course is such a natural part of life but it’s all too easy to lose sight of our mortality. I’m so sad for Andrea and her friends and of course for his family. I never knew him but I know Andrea and Mit always spoke favorably of him.
I can but hope that we’re doing our best to enjoy life and all it’s good and bad things. This weekend we did some painting with the wee one on the terrace which I do believe she thoroughly enjoyed… we did two sessions actually and the second one ended with her painting most of herself blue. Then we baked some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Very industrious indeed. Sunday we ventured out to the zoo with Chiara and Nacho. It was such a nice day for the zoo as it wasn’t too hot. The little miss did indeed seem to enjoy it but I’m sure if we return in another 6 months she will enjoy it even more!
To life. Live it.
The painting lady
To slow down sometimes and really make an effort to appreciate life. Speaking with miss Andrea last night she told me of the very unexpected death of a dear colleague of hers. He died last week only 34 years old. He took ill after a night out with her and some other friends… he thought he had the flu but by the following week he was not feeling better and then on the Wednesday he had two seizures and the second one proved fatal and he passed away. Death of course is such a natural part of life but it’s all too easy to lose sight of our mortality. I’m so sad for Andrea and her friends and of course for his family. I never knew him but I know Andrea and Mit always spoke favorably of him.
I can but hope that we’re doing our best to enjoy life and all it’s good and bad things. This weekend we did some painting with the wee one on the terrace which I do believe she thoroughly enjoyed… we did two sessions actually and the second one ended with her painting most of herself blue. Then we baked some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Very industrious indeed. Sunday we ventured out to the zoo with Chiara and Nacho. It was such a nice day for the zoo as it wasn’t too hot. The little miss did indeed seem to enjoy it but I’m sure if we return in another 6 months she will enjoy it even more!
To life. Live it.
The painting lady
23.5.09
Dodging Photocalls
On Thursday night we slipped off into the night for a rare evening together. Tucked in at home was the wee one under the careful watch of her godmother... In store for us was an interesting evening at a club/restaurant on the beach that we sometimes send our BL clients to... It was an evening sponsored by Laurent Perrier which of course caused my left eyebrow to raise in curiosite... We arrived to the entrance and were met with a photocall... I think my whole body kind of froze as I took in the fact that we were being queued up to pass through and of course be photographed... I think Alfredo quickly sensed my mild panic... I couldn't quite imagine the relevance of being photographed as we were surely not of interests to the photogs... Funny, but just a little too embarassing for me who doesn't go out much any more to handle! Fredu did a quick negotiation with the staff and they quickly ushered us around the back so as to avoid the photos... very sneaky sneakerson if you ask me.... It was a nice night and even nicer to spend some adult time together... we do however need a bit of practise at the whole 'us'time together as we struggled a bit to talk about something that was not Sienna related... we'll get there eventually.
The approximately 6 glasses of champers that I suspect I imbibed were in hindsight not the best idea but they seemed like it at the time. Friday morning however sealed the deal on that argument as when faced with an unexpected 3h meeting where I had to sit through a host of presentations from the different departments within my company... loosing the will to live was a real problem for me that day...
Back to reality this morning and a nice tranquilo morning with the furry little one and the not at all furry little one oh and did i mention the chaoticly messy house? Business as usual!
On Thursday night we slipped off into the night for a rare evening together. Tucked in at home was the wee one under the careful watch of her godmother... In store for us was an interesting evening at a club/restaurant on the beach that we sometimes send our BL clients to... It was an evening sponsored by Laurent Perrier which of course caused my left eyebrow to raise in curiosite... We arrived to the entrance and were met with a photocall... I think my whole body kind of froze as I took in the fact that we were being queued up to pass through and of course be photographed... I think Alfredo quickly sensed my mild panic... I couldn't quite imagine the relevance of being photographed as we were surely not of interests to the photogs... Funny, but just a little too embarassing for me who doesn't go out much any more to handle! Fredu did a quick negotiation with the staff and they quickly ushered us around the back so as to avoid the photos... very sneaky sneakerson if you ask me.... It was a nice night and even nicer to spend some adult time together... we do however need a bit of practise at the whole 'us'time together as we struggled a bit to talk about something that was not Sienna related... we'll get there eventually.
The approximately 6 glasses of champers that I suspect I imbibed were in hindsight not the best idea but they seemed like it at the time. Friday morning however sealed the deal on that argument as when faced with an unexpected 3h meeting where I had to sit through a host of presentations from the different departments within my company... loosing the will to live was a real problem for me that day...
Back to reality this morning and a nice tranquilo morning with the furry little one and the not at all furry little one oh and did i mention the chaoticly messy house? Business as usual!
17.5.09
I really get the point...
That my blog is abandoned when Fredu mentions to me just that last night.
It's pretty sad really as I think it kind of reflects me as a whole right now... I'm not too busy I think I'm just disconnected which makes writing all that much more taxing.
I had a wonderful five days away time in London to myself which I thought would be a bit hard on my heart strings as the longest I've even been away from Sienna was one night and that was because I was in hospital. Don't get me wrong I know I have to have my own life or I will quickly end up one of those mum's that I loathe... Nothing like some time with my girlies to help sort things out... Miss Andrea is going through a rough time with her job these days and thus I was more keen to be around to try and support her than jet around and catch up with everyone. I'm sad I didn't get to see Sureshee but I am happy that I did get to have a mid-day cocktail on Tuesday with Miss Andrea at our happy place (Charlotte St Hotel). How good was the cocktail? Man, it was damn good.
It's funny as for a few minutes there while I was back in London I missed it, I thought fleetingly I could move back there and really thrive. But then I thought of the horror of transporting my new chapter of life there... that thought quickly vanished. Barcelona it will be for us for the foreseeable future, and that's not a bad thing.
Fredu kept the wee one busy while I was away and the lucky tot managed to go to the F1 race that was being held here as her daddy had connections from long ago when he worked doing photography for the circut... then as if to add insult to injury to her uncle bryan who would have killed to be there... they rounded off the day at the Barca match. Pretty lucky tot... wonder if she'll remember any of it?
Remember and do... those are my new goals... sharpen focus... complete things. Lazyness is the enemy.
That my blog is abandoned when Fredu mentions to me just that last night.
It's pretty sad really as I think it kind of reflects me as a whole right now... I'm not too busy I think I'm just disconnected which makes writing all that much more taxing.
I had a wonderful five days away time in London to myself which I thought would be a bit hard on my heart strings as the longest I've even been away from Sienna was one night and that was because I was in hospital. Don't get me wrong I know I have to have my own life or I will quickly end up one of those mum's that I loathe... Nothing like some time with my girlies to help sort things out... Miss Andrea is going through a rough time with her job these days and thus I was more keen to be around to try and support her than jet around and catch up with everyone. I'm sad I didn't get to see Sureshee but I am happy that I did get to have a mid-day cocktail on Tuesday with Miss Andrea at our happy place (Charlotte St Hotel). How good was the cocktail? Man, it was damn good.
It's funny as for a few minutes there while I was back in London I missed it, I thought fleetingly I could move back there and really thrive. But then I thought of the horror of transporting my new chapter of life there... that thought quickly vanished. Barcelona it will be for us for the foreseeable future, and that's not a bad thing.
Fredu kept the wee one busy while I was away and the lucky tot managed to go to the F1 race that was being held here as her daddy had connections from long ago when he worked doing photography for the circut... then as if to add insult to injury to her uncle bryan who would have killed to be there... they rounded off the day at the Barca match. Pretty lucky tot... wonder if she'll remember any of it?
Remember and do... those are my new goals... sharpen focus... complete things. Lazyness is the enemy.
26.4.09
Beware of ninja-like sashimi snatchers...
I would never have thought it but certain parties are swifter than we think... We had a lovely sushi lunch with uncle Eric this afternoon and while the three adults at the table were busy chatting away we failed to notice the ninja-like swiftness with which a certain someone swiped an entire piece of Sashimi Salmon and chomped it down with her four humble teeth with such great haste that we really didn't notice at all. When we finally got to the end of our chat we looked down to see a bare bed of rice and no salmon. Swift little sushi eating ninja baby... wonder if that would fit on a T shirt. I seriously made Alfredo check 5 times to see if she had just tossed it on the floor or if it feel to the foot rest of her pram in which she was sat... Nope, she full on ate it. Amazing!
I'm guessing she didn't even need to use the "look over there"distraction technique... This wasn't taken during the sushi dining incident but it's pretty funny as she was pointing out a pidgeon... or was it a car? I can quite recall but whatever it was it was apparently very imporatant.
This morning the girls watched with great curiosity as the rain lashed down outside our bedroom window. I snapped this pic as it was too sweet to miss.The two lone pieces of washing that got done before our machine called it quits swung damply on the line outside... if they can fix the beast we shall have a full week of washing to catch up with.
Storm watchers. (and thank god although they look grim and prison-like the bars on the window are a nice safety feature when you live on the 5th floor!)
We've had a very rainy year thus far but I snapped this picture on the street down from mine the other day just after it stopped raining. Although taken with my meagre camrea phone it turned out okay...
After the rain...
We tried out the beach for the first time this year on Thursday and I joined the gang at the beach after I finished work. I'm starting to get the idea of just how sweet my working hours are here... finishing every day at 16h will be VERY nice once it's full on summer.
It took about 1h for her to brave climbing down off of her safe refuge (on top of me) but once she got into it, it was all about the sand. Needless to say we managed to bring half the beach home with us... just how we did, I'm not quite sure.
I would never have thought it but certain parties are swifter than we think... We had a lovely sushi lunch with uncle Eric this afternoon and while the three adults at the table were busy chatting away we failed to notice the ninja-like swiftness with which a certain someone swiped an entire piece of Sashimi Salmon and chomped it down with her four humble teeth with such great haste that we really didn't notice at all. When we finally got to the end of our chat we looked down to see a bare bed of rice and no salmon. Swift little sushi eating ninja baby... wonder if that would fit on a T shirt. I seriously made Alfredo check 5 times to see if she had just tossed it on the floor or if it feel to the foot rest of her pram in which she was sat... Nope, she full on ate it. Amazing!
I'm guessing she didn't even need to use the "look over there"distraction technique... This wasn't taken during the sushi dining incident but it's pretty funny as she was pointing out a pidgeon... or was it a car? I can quite recall but whatever it was it was apparently very imporatant.
This morning the girls watched with great curiosity as the rain lashed down outside our bedroom window. I snapped this pic as it was too sweet to miss.The two lone pieces of washing that got done before our machine called it quits swung damply on the line outside... if they can fix the beast we shall have a full week of washing to catch up with.
Storm watchers. (and thank god although they look grim and prison-like the bars on the window are a nice safety feature when you live on the 5th floor!)
We've had a very rainy year thus far but I snapped this picture on the street down from mine the other day just after it stopped raining. Although taken with my meagre camrea phone it turned out okay...
After the rain...
We tried out the beach for the first time this year on Thursday and I joined the gang at the beach after I finished work. I'm starting to get the idea of just how sweet my working hours are here... finishing every day at 16h will be VERY nice once it's full on summer.
It took about 1h for her to brave climbing down off of her safe refuge (on top of me) but once she got into it, it was all about the sand. Needless to say we managed to bring half the beach home with us... just how we did, I'm not quite sure.
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