13.6.03
I was actually almost on time to work this morning!
I was greeted by a lovely email in my inbox from my friend charlotte in Ottawa. It's simply been ages since I was last in touch with her! She is full of joy and fun as always and keeping busy with her dogs and her lovely husband! Bless!
It's a gorgeous day and I'm wearing girlie shoes... bought them in Spain for a whopping 14euros... they're purdy! Gosh it's not often I wear heels but these ones are comfy in that they are wedges... man oh man does the world ever look different from this height! Yea I know... get a life Sarah.
I arrived home last night to a new flat mate... his name is rattus henry II... He's so sweet. Yea yea so we can't have a dog or a cat but this little guy is sweet. Dan is the proud mum and stayed up late into the night playing with him.
*scurries off*
11.6.03
and I was ridin' by
ridin' along side
for a while till you lost me
and I was ridin' by
ridin' along till you lost me
till you lost
me in
The Rear
View
you lost me
I said
way up North I took my day
all in all was a pretty nice
day and I put the Hood
right back where
You could taste heaven
perfectly
Feel out the summer breeze
didn't know when we'd be back
And I I don't
didn't think
We'd end up like
like this
A Sorta Fairytale- Tori Amos
ridin' along side
for a while till you lost me
and I was ridin' by
ridin' along till you lost me
till you lost
me in
The Rear
View
you lost me
I said
way up North I took my day
all in all was a pretty nice
day and I put the Hood
right back where
You could taste heaven
perfectly
Feel out the summer breeze
didn't know when we'd be back
And I I don't
didn't think
We'd end up like
like this
A Sorta Fairytale- Tori Amos
10.6.03
sooo
i'm back from the land of the sun. Had a lovely time in Sevilla and prospects look surprisingly good. For professional and personal reasons I shall not post all the details of my visit here, as it may be more trouble than it's worth... needless to say, life is full of surprises. It's strange to be back in London, I quickly grew accustomed to the sun, and now that there is none I feel so disjointed!
I got to spend the weekend with Siobhan and Hugo. It was manic as they were working driving mule carriages during the el rocio. the best part was is that she was working for this hotel which is absolutely gorgeous... Swimming in that pool was pure heaven!
I've got pictures but as blogger is rather naughty when you try and publish pictures... you'll have to write to me if you want to see them.
Work is mad busy and I managed to get some things done this morning... this afternoon however, seems much less fruitful as I'm writing this rather than working.
2.6.03
bike rides, sun tanning and corona
fell asleep like a trooper on Friday night 10pm I was zzz on the sofa. And who says I'm a party animal??? I woke up bright and early on Saturday 7h30! Jumped on my bike... stopped at the Euphorium bakery and picked up a freshly baked pain au chocolat and an iced tea and went along my merry way down to kings cross... then along the canal to Camden... then to regent's park (which is absolutely stunning... god why have I never been there before? I work 2 mins from there!) stopped soaked up the sun and ate my brekkie. Then I rode to the bike shop near my work and bought a new saddle which is immensely more comfortable than the one that came with the bike... Then I continued along up towards Kensington and around green park. God it was just so lovely. Being on your own like that is so good for the mind and does allow for much mental irrigation... the nice weather really does brighten your spirit. Perhaps that's why the Spaniards are so happy all the time? At 11 I rang jo jo and dragged her out of bed and we sat in Islington green having iced coffees. Met up with the girls for lunch at the living room then biked home did some laundry and rested.
Sunday was for sun tanning and then a trip to spittalfields market... met up with Dan and jo and jo's friend who's name I always forget... had a few coronas and watched the market pack up for the day. Some really nice stuff there... Good ideas. I'm going to make some really cool neck ribbon-like things made from old neck ties and buckles... very cool idea but the girls who had made them had them priced at 20£ which was extortionate... sorry but at a 5£ I would have bought two but they were asking just too much.
Stopped by the embassy later on where I met up with jo jo again and sally and jo's friend Lisa (who is such a doll) and her boyfriend who was in town from Wales... had a few drinks and some laughs then I headed home. The rain at 3am was amazing. such heavy rain is so exotic.
Short week for me... Wednesday can't come soon enough. I only wish I could bring my bike with me to Seville. Ah well.
30.5.03
do di doo
I got a lift to Kings Cross this morning as Miss B was running late. It was so glorious outside that I decided to walk the rest of the way in... and the fact that I was then so early that I would be at work at 8h15 if I took the bus! I walked all the way... though the polluted streets and it was surprisingly pleasant. I stopped off at a little café just near to my office and had some marmite on toast (god love this country) and a bottle of water and soaked up the rays...
then at 9am I arrive at work
and there are a zillion things wrong with the weather application we built... Okay not a zillion but two... two more than anyone wants to deal with on a Friday morning....
however
clever Amazon sent me a mail letting me know that this... was now available... yea yea so I'm probably the last to know but how excited am I? Sadly Amazon will not get my business as the instant satisfaction of visiting HMV at lunch down on Oxford street will prove much more fruitful.
I went to bed early last night after having a very relaxing bath... only to be greeted by what can only be described as carnival-like noise levels in the courtyard. It was like standing between two different rides playing equally offensive music... everyone's windows were open. It was nothing short of torture. Thank goodness that my ability to sleep rescued me from this terror and I made it though the night without killing any of my twatty neighbours. I will miss my flat when we move but I certainly won't miss the noise!
Production meeting in the park this afternoon... sounds like a really good idea. Lets just see if we can muster up the gumption to pull it off... the boss is away so...
I got a lift to Kings Cross this morning as Miss B was running late. It was so glorious outside that I decided to walk the rest of the way in... and the fact that I was then so early that I would be at work at 8h15 if I took the bus! I walked all the way... though the polluted streets and it was surprisingly pleasant. I stopped off at a little café just near to my office and had some marmite on toast (god love this country) and a bottle of water and soaked up the rays...
then at 9am I arrive at work
and there are a zillion things wrong with the weather application we built... Okay not a zillion but two... two more than anyone wants to deal with on a Friday morning....
however
clever Amazon sent me a mail letting me know that this... was now available... yea yea so I'm probably the last to know but how excited am I? Sadly Amazon will not get my business as the instant satisfaction of visiting HMV at lunch down on Oxford street will prove much more fruitful.
I went to bed early last night after having a very relaxing bath... only to be greeted by what can only be described as carnival-like noise levels in the courtyard. It was like standing between two different rides playing equally offensive music... everyone's windows were open. It was nothing short of torture. Thank goodness that my ability to sleep rescued me from this terror and I made it though the night without killing any of my twatty neighbours. I will miss my flat when we move but I certainly won't miss the noise!
Production meeting in the park this afternoon... sounds like a really good idea. Lets just see if we can muster up the gumption to pull it off... the boss is away so...
29.5.03
this morning there is a lovely breeze flowing in through the window that I sit next to...
i'm so happy to be free of air conditioning... that's one think I really hated about working in an office back in Canada... their insistence that the fact that it's freezing for 8 months of the year isn't enough... and that it's customary to freeze all employees during the summer months as well. I'll never understand that one...
I had a really really good chat last night with my friend Mark. I've not spoken to him in ages and he gave me some really sound advice... and some really positive ideas to work towards... Some things to think about and just some really nice support. He's such a top bloke! Even after I got off the phone with him I went and wrote some stuff down just so as I wouldn't forget. I'm looking forward to going to Seville next week, but I've resolved in my mind that it's going to be more of a mini-holiday on my own... more so than anything else. I think I should send him a really fun present from London... hmmm *off to spittafileds I shall trott*
work is quiet as our NL counterparts are all off today for ascension day... most of them have tomorrow off as well making theirs a four day weekend. Good for them... they know how to celebrate their antiquated catholic holy days!
please welcome a new blogger to the world!
*said in theme park voice*
thank you and enjoy the rest of your day here at Canada's Wonderland
i'm so happy to be free of air conditioning... that's one think I really hated about working in an office back in Canada... their insistence that the fact that it's freezing for 8 months of the year isn't enough... and that it's customary to freeze all employees during the summer months as well. I'll never understand that one...
I had a really really good chat last night with my friend Mark. I've not spoken to him in ages and he gave me some really sound advice... and some really positive ideas to work towards... Some things to think about and just some really nice support. He's such a top bloke! Even after I got off the phone with him I went and wrote some stuff down just so as I wouldn't forget. I'm looking forward to going to Seville next week, but I've resolved in my mind that it's going to be more of a mini-holiday on my own... more so than anything else. I think I should send him a really fun present from London... hmmm *off to spittafileds I shall trott*
work is quiet as our NL counterparts are all off today for ascension day... most of them have tomorrow off as well making theirs a four day weekend. Good for them... they know how to celebrate their antiquated catholic holy days!
please welcome a new blogger to the world!
*said in theme park voice*
thank you and enjoy the rest of your day here at Canada's Wonderland
28.5.03
i can't imagine that...
it's possible for me to be more distracted than I am today... the sun has come out for the first time in what seems like an eternity. My mind is fluttering and work is just not on the agenda
I finally found a place to stay in sevilla and then realized that I've got no freaking credit card to make the booking. damn it. what a pain in the arse... I forgot about this. Why don't I have a credit card again? hmm dunno? oh yes, i remember... it's because they're eeeeeeeeevil!
As part of my gentle induction into tube travel I took it again this morning... *shudders* oh wait... we got paid today... yipee!
Perhaps some strawberry tea might kill some time...
gosh sean's blog is tres drole as of late!
it's possible for me to be more distracted than I am today... the sun has come out for the first time in what seems like an eternity. My mind is fluttering and work is just not on the agenda
I finally found a place to stay in sevilla and then realized that I've got no freaking credit card to make the booking. damn it. what a pain in the arse... I forgot about this. Why don't I have a credit card again? hmm dunno? oh yes, i remember... it's because they're eeeeeeeeevil!
As part of my gentle induction into tube travel I took it again this morning... *shudders* oh wait... we got paid today... yipee!
Perhaps some strawberry tea might kill some time...
gosh sean's blog is tres drole as of late!
27.5.03
this morning on my way to the gym...
I passed one of the 'working girls' who was standing on the corner a block away from my flat... she was wearing a cowboy outfit... complete with little fringed skirt and hat that was dangling from a string and hanging down her back. This is a very new marketing initiative, by either her or her pimp (assuming she has one). As I walked by I gave her a meak smile... she is human after all I can't just pretend she doesn't exist. She responded with a very timid 'hello' I looked her in the eyes and tried to give a very quick but reassuring greeting back to her... and I kept on walking. The poor thing. She couldn't be older than 16... My heart broke into a million pieces for her. I mean, there is no way that she wasn't humiliated by standing around in an outfit like that on a suburban street corner. The world is a yucky place sometimes.
Had a very good work out this morning... detox is definitely on the cards this week as this weekend involved more drinking than biking... although there was biking involved... there was also, cleaning and resting and hangovers... Saw Jo jo and her sister on the weekend too which is always fun. Jojo is looking super fly with her very ultra trendy hair style. She can really pull it off. It looks straight from the Vidal Sassoon workshop!
I've booked my flight and I'm very nervous but I'm off to Sevilla again soon... you never know unless you try... and if the meeting doesn't go well... I still have a nice mini holiday! I think getting old must be making me go a bit soft as doing something like this in the past wouldn't have fazed me one bit... but then again my life has been pretty hectic as of late so that can't help.
Meeting up with the lovely Micha tonight to hear all about her loved up holiday in Thailand! T'will be a non alcoholic meeting for me! *heh*
23.5.03
either the fates are too busy to measure my piece of string...
or they've done it so quickly that it's been unrolled, measured, snipped and sent in an express envelope... no word back from my deluge of emails... maybe it's just me not seeing things in a more relaxed way... it will take time and patience... it's a different world over there.... not as zap boom pronto as things are here...
another grey day... I think it's been like this every day since I've been back. I'm hoping the weather can at least help it's self from pissing down with rain tomorrow as I'm out to test out my new London cycle guide and on Sunday... I hope to mostly be doing the same thing. Hopefully it will be cost effective.
random question...
are cranberry's and black current's in any way related?
Had a good chat with Dan last night. It's always nice to get someone else's perspective on my desire to move to Spain.
relaxing weekend ... (long weekend!) here I come!
or they've done it so quickly that it's been unrolled, measured, snipped and sent in an express envelope... no word back from my deluge of emails... maybe it's just me not seeing things in a more relaxed way... it will take time and patience... it's a different world over there.... not as zap boom pronto as things are here...
another grey day... I think it's been like this every day since I've been back. I'm hoping the weather can at least help it's self from pissing down with rain tomorrow as I'm out to test out my new London cycle guide and on Sunday... I hope to mostly be doing the same thing. Hopefully it will be cost effective.
random question...
are cranberry's and black current's in any way related?
Had a good chat with Dan last night. It's always nice to get someone else's perspective on my desire to move to Spain.
relaxing weekend ... (long weekend!) here I come!
22.5.03
what a strange night
nope I wasn't up late watching American HBO programming... I went to bed at 11...
at 1h30 in the morning I bolted awake... no apparent reason or impetus... Now, sleep to me is one of my most natural things... I fall asleep very easily (sometimes too easily) and it never takes me more than 5 mins. I never wake in the night and generally sleep through most disruptions... Thus why awaking at 1h30 was so very strange to me.
Sometime in the night or this morning I had this very vivid dream... I was in my elementary school... In the corridor just in front of the gym, when for some reason I realized I was with my friend Brad from Ottawa... He leaned in to kiss me and I stopped him... I then took out my retainer... chucked it in my pocked and then went back in for the snog. How odd is that? what on earth could that mean?!?!?!
It's clearly not Friday yet and my morning gyming sessions have been yet again replaced by post work biking sessions. I'm in love with stationary bike number 7... oh yes... it's official.
I stumbled upon the most jammy website yesterday... it lists all the digital communication company's in Seville. I mean, how freaking lucky was that? 23 emails later I sit and wait... watching the fates unwind, measure and cut the fabric that is my destiny... well that sounds a little dramatic... but any time now folks!
nope I wasn't up late watching American HBO programming... I went to bed at 11...
at 1h30 in the morning I bolted awake... no apparent reason or impetus... Now, sleep to me is one of my most natural things... I fall asleep very easily (sometimes too easily) and it never takes me more than 5 mins. I never wake in the night and generally sleep through most disruptions... Thus why awaking at 1h30 was so very strange to me.
Sometime in the night or this morning I had this very vivid dream... I was in my elementary school... In the corridor just in front of the gym, when for some reason I realized I was with my friend Brad from Ottawa... He leaned in to kiss me and I stopped him... I then took out my retainer... chucked it in my pocked and then went back in for the snog. How odd is that? what on earth could that mean?!?!?!
It's clearly not Friday yet and my morning gyming sessions have been yet again replaced by post work biking sessions. I'm in love with stationary bike number 7... oh yes... it's official.
I stumbled upon the most jammy website yesterday... it lists all the digital communication company's in Seville. I mean, how freaking lucky was that? 23 emails later I sit and wait... watching the fates unwind, measure and cut the fabric that is my destiny... well that sounds a little dramatic... but any time now folks!
21.5.03
well well well
what can I say?
some things are easier to predict than others... *smiles*
one of the unpredictable things is... that I scored a meeting with a company in Seville... now it's just up to me to haul ass over there and hopefully round up a few more meetings to make it a worthwhile journey. I don't think I'll manage to arrange it while Siobhan is available so it will be a real baptism by fire If I'm in the city on my own... Next mission is getting time off of work!?!?!? that will be the most difficult of all seeing as it's very busy here of late....
It's hump day.... middle of the week... little sleep due to the sopranos last night. Gosh this series if finally getting good! The first few episodes were such snoozers!
Spooks is coming back soon... six feet under starts again on Sunday... and *mutters* big brother starts on Friday I think these are arguments that stand up on their own as to why I shouldn't move!
19.5.03
I am at a loss...
I refuse to give up writing my blog simply due to the fact that someone is insisting on barraging my comments with their reflections and accusations. Break-ups are never easy but there is a very fine line between not letting go and harassment. Ah well. I guess I have not choice but to just go on and hope that one day soon it will stop.
Had a super busy weekend... Caught up with Dearbhla... whom sadly lost her job. It's a blessing in disguise we hope as she's so swell I'm crossing my fingers and toes that her and Micha both find new fab jobs in no time. I also caught up with Hon and helped him buy two really pretty necklaces for his gf in Japan :) Partook in Dan's b'day celebrations on Saturday which was a good laugh.
Spoke with Siobhan who's off to Belgium in a few weeks to explore branching her consultancy across to there too! Think I'll head back to Seville at the end of next month and check out some employment possibilities (lol)
I refuse to give up writing my blog simply due to the fact that someone is insisting on barraging my comments with their reflections and accusations. Break-ups are never easy but there is a very fine line between not letting go and harassment. Ah well. I guess I have not choice but to just go on and hope that one day soon it will stop.
Had a super busy weekend... Caught up with Dearbhla... whom sadly lost her job. It's a blessing in disguise we hope as she's so swell I'm crossing my fingers and toes that her and Micha both find new fab jobs in no time. I also caught up with Hon and helped him buy two really pretty necklaces for his gf in Japan :) Partook in Dan's b'day celebrations on Saturday which was a good laugh.
Spoke with Siobhan who's off to Belgium in a few weeks to explore branching her consultancy across to there too! Think I'll head back to Seville at the end of next month and check out some employment possibilities (lol)
16.5.03
James James Robinson Robinson
This morning I received the sweetest email from my friend James in Ottawa. He's so great! We lost touch for a while after I moved but have been in touch off and on over the past few months. He's going through a bit of a rough spell as his little boy is moving out of town with the mother and they'll be about 6 hours away from each other. My heart goes out to him as I know what an amazing father he is to his child and it's sad that he's going to have to be so far away from the little guy. I'm not in touch with many people from back in Ottawa anymore... we're all scattered around the world. It's funny how a few words from him bring me swirling back to the days where we hung out at zahpods before it was over run by all the 'jocks' back in the day where we could queue jump and pop in there leaving our massive winter coats at his place that was next door. The bjork, the stone roses... 'I wanna be adored' ah the fun times we had. I'm fully aware that I broke James' heart when I broke up with him. I know this and I will always feel bad about it. I'm very lucky to still have him as a friend.
it's grey and rainy today and I'm dreaming of Spain.... also realizing that I have to get my arse into conversational Spanish lessons in a hurry if I want to get things in order.
we're off at lunch today for celebratory drinks today to mark the launch of the FR portal that happened while I was away last week. Not particularly in the mood for drinking mid-day. I don't think I'll ever become accustomed to mid day drinking rituals in this country.... it feels too naughty!
This morning I received the sweetest email from my friend James in Ottawa. He's so great! We lost touch for a while after I moved but have been in touch off and on over the past few months. He's going through a bit of a rough spell as his little boy is moving out of town with the mother and they'll be about 6 hours away from each other. My heart goes out to him as I know what an amazing father he is to his child and it's sad that he's going to have to be so far away from the little guy. I'm not in touch with many people from back in Ottawa anymore... we're all scattered around the world. It's funny how a few words from him bring me swirling back to the days where we hung out at zahpods before it was over run by all the 'jocks' back in the day where we could queue jump and pop in there leaving our massive winter coats at his place that was next door. The bjork, the stone roses... 'I wanna be adored' ah the fun times we had. I'm fully aware that I broke James' heart when I broke up with him. I know this and I will always feel bad about it. I'm very lucky to still have him as a friend.
it's grey and rainy today and I'm dreaming of Spain.... also realizing that I have to get my arse into conversational Spanish lessons in a hurry if I want to get things in order.
we're off at lunch today for celebratory drinks today to mark the launch of the FR portal that happened while I was away last week. Not particularly in the mood for drinking mid-day. I don't think I'll ever become accustomed to mid day drinking rituals in this country.... it feels too naughty!
15.5.03
I am the complete antithesis of my humour yesterday
I've got a spring in my step ad smile on my face and a glow in my belly. (no i'm not pregnant). Well it would be the immaculate conception if I were... I'll just leave it at that.
My boss is away today and the sun is shining. I'm probably wearing the most dodgy outfit I've put together in a while involving fishnet stockings... high top converse and a red hooded jumper. I feel like a tarted out little red riding hood but I don't care. Now if someone would be kind enough to hook me up with some peeps in Seville for a job then please please please feel free to contact me.
What else is up? hmm lets see. Spoke with Siobhan this morning on messenger and she said the her consultancy is picking up and that she's got another job training and may even have a contact from London shipping over a horse for her to train and compete with... which would supplement her income and strengthen her consultancy name! At this rate she may just need an assistant some time soon! !?!?!?
Sean is still humming and hawwing over his life that's in transition... no amount of bollocking from me seems to make him 'turn it into a positive' as my old boss would say. He'll click on to it. Got better advice for him? Tell him!
tenga un día fabuloso
I've got a spring in my step ad smile on my face and a glow in my belly. (no i'm not pregnant). Well it would be the immaculate conception if I were... I'll just leave it at that.
My boss is away today and the sun is shining. I'm probably wearing the most dodgy outfit I've put together in a while involving fishnet stockings... high top converse and a red hooded jumper. I feel like a tarted out little red riding hood but I don't care. Now if someone would be kind enough to hook me up with some peeps in Seville for a job then please please please feel free to contact me.
What else is up? hmm lets see. Spoke with Siobhan this morning on messenger and she said the her consultancy is picking up and that she's got another job training and may even have a contact from London shipping over a horse for her to train and compete with... which would supplement her income and strengthen her consultancy name! At this rate she may just need an assistant some time soon! !?!?!?
Sean is still humming and hawwing over his life that's in transition... no amount of bollocking from me seems to make him 'turn it into a positive' as my old boss would say. He'll click on to it. Got better advice for him? Tell him!
tenga un día fabuloso
14.5.03
this day is dragging
I think my hormones are churning... it's the one unholy day of the month where for my sake and for the sake of all those around me I should just be alone! I wish Hazel would just listen to me!
the post holiday bubble didn't burst but it slowly disintegrated in the London smog. The Strawberry tea I'm drinking is calming me a bit but it's not helping me stay awake. Watching the Sopranos on Tuesday night is always a dangerous thing as I get to sleep so late!
today I do not want to re-integrate... I do not want to play well with others *stamps foot*
I think my hormones are churning... it's the one unholy day of the month where for my sake and for the sake of all those around me I should just be alone! I wish Hazel would just listen to me!
the post holiday bubble didn't burst but it slowly disintegrated in the London smog. The Strawberry tea I'm drinking is calming me a bit but it's not helping me stay awake. Watching the Sopranos on Tuesday night is always a dangerous thing as I get to sleep so late!
today I do not want to re-integrate... I do not want to play well with others *stamps foot*
12.5.03
so as per usual when I have too much to say I think it's best that I just jot down some high points of my holiday... perhaps expanding on them later.
day one
-arriving Thursday and heading straight to Seville and went to the festival. the costumes were so pretty and the whole city was alive! with music and dance. it was truly a wicked night. Trailing around the different casettas
-finding the only public casetta with drag queens... or 'fake women' as Tiago called them... how we managed to do that... I'll never know!
-winding up at a gay bar at the suggestion of one of Tiago's clients (the hilarity comes from the fact that Tiago is not gay) and after the 'fake women' was already a little shaken
-dancing and drinking and laughing till 4am
day 2
-witnessing a bloke have an unfortunate but hilarious incident involving a used condom falling out of his pocket in the middle of the street.
-amazing breakfast in a local restaurant in the Jewish quarter of Seville
-did I mention I'm going to move to Seville?
-drive to a horse ranch for a business chat with a man who simply could not sit still while negotiating with Siobhan... me standing outside desperately trying to rid myself of my white London hue
-bob marley and giggles and deliriousness on the way back to Portugal
-sleeeeeeeeeeep
day 3
-beautiful bbq at Sally and Tony's farm... the weather was amazing
-tan... nope not a chance... still as white as a snowflake
-arrival of Line and Sophie... annouk's cousin and friend and her two babies waalt and daan from Belgium
-girlie giggles
day 4
why can't I remember anything?
day 5
-slept till 11
-there was rain
-yummy Belgian food
-major business planning with Siobhan... building her a consultancy model (which ROCKS btw)
-drink
-gossip
-girlie chats
day 6
-helping Siobhan train her horses and ponies
-learning how to walk a horse... and generally trying to be of assistance... city girl with horses... never a dull moment
-boat ride with Tiago
-drinks
-crying babies
-dizzying amounts of Flemish and Portuguese mixed... I was in language overload
day 7
-more horse training
-trip to badajoz to visit Oopie and Soleil and check on some ponies that Sally has living there
-trip to Carrefour (including the purchase of a lovely pair of red sandals for me and my seestor)
-drinks
-dinner in a local restaurant including more than 11 beers between Sio, Marina and I including food that cost 21 Euros (gasps! how inexpensive!)
-crying babies
day 8
-witnessing a gypsy kid get struck by a car in town... and watching no one help him except Siobhan... I dared not as I couldn't communicate to him but no one else would go near the little guy cause he was a gypsy
-boat trip with annouk, line, sophie, all the kids and some of annouk's relatives
-the most thrilling motorcycle ride of my life wearing nothing more than a mini skirt and flip flops and no helmet. Over bumpy terrain, though olive groves. It was the most terrifying thing but also the most fun/stupid thing I've done in a long long time.
-Hugo landing the job he wanted in Spain (thus securing his ticket out of his limited possibilities of work in Portugal) BIG celebrating for him!
day 9
-lots of sunning and relaxing
-car trip into the Spanish mountains
-buying a huge picnic lunch for under 10 euros for 3 people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-picnic by the side of the road... playing football, laughing... taking pictures
-stopping random donkey drivers to ask if they had a bourra for sale to mate with Siobhan's Donkey Eeore
-picking up a very old man who was hitching and giving him a lift to his house to help him avoid the heat and the long journey!
-night time trip into Evora with the boys for a friend's b'day party
-controlling my laughter at the age difference and the major language barriers between the kids at the party and me... had a blast anyway
-watching Hugo attempt the pseudo juggling tricks that the hippy girls were doing outside of the cathedral including the wiggling of the hips!
-staying out way too late
day 10
-recovery
-napping
-afternoon bbq
-donkey hair cuts!
-dinner under the stars
day 11
-loading up the car with Hugo to be dropped in Spain at his new job... lots of good byes
-stopping at a festa just on the border and having a beer... lots of lovely Spanish traditional dress and lots of pretty horses...
-noticing that the festa was in the middle of have a mass (and they were serving beer) now mass with booze.... that's a concept!
-honking and every car we passed, waving and laughing!
-did I mention how friendly the Spanish people are?
-lunch with Hugos new boss in a sandy (western looking ) village
-driving along side a massive motorcycle rally along the coast on the way to the airport
-quick check in and immediate boarding and off I was winging my way back to London town.
I'm still a glow from all the wonderful fun I had.
I will surely never forget it!
Thanks Siobhan and Annouk!
day one
-arriving Thursday and heading straight to Seville and went to the festival. the costumes were so pretty and the whole city was alive! with music and dance. it was truly a wicked night. Trailing around the different casettas
-finding the only public casetta with drag queens... or 'fake women' as Tiago called them... how we managed to do that... I'll never know!
-winding up at a gay bar at the suggestion of one of Tiago's clients (the hilarity comes from the fact that Tiago is not gay) and after the 'fake women' was already a little shaken
-dancing and drinking and laughing till 4am
day 2
-witnessing a bloke have an unfortunate but hilarious incident involving a used condom falling out of his pocket in the middle of the street.
-amazing breakfast in a local restaurant in the Jewish quarter of Seville
-did I mention I'm going to move to Seville?
-drive to a horse ranch for a business chat with a man who simply could not sit still while negotiating with Siobhan... me standing outside desperately trying to rid myself of my white London hue
-bob marley and giggles and deliriousness on the way back to Portugal
-sleeeeeeeeeeep
day 3
-beautiful bbq at Sally and Tony's farm... the weather was amazing
-tan... nope not a chance... still as white as a snowflake
-arrival of Line and Sophie... annouk's cousin and friend and her two babies waalt and daan from Belgium
-girlie giggles
day 4
why can't I remember anything?
day 5
-slept till 11
-there was rain
-yummy Belgian food
-major business planning with Siobhan... building her a consultancy model (which ROCKS btw)
-drink
-gossip
-girlie chats
day 6
-helping Siobhan train her horses and ponies
-learning how to walk a horse... and generally trying to be of assistance... city girl with horses... never a dull moment
-boat ride with Tiago
-drinks
-crying babies
-dizzying amounts of Flemish and Portuguese mixed... I was in language overload
day 7
-more horse training
-trip to badajoz to visit Oopie and Soleil and check on some ponies that Sally has living there
-trip to Carrefour (including the purchase of a lovely pair of red sandals for me and my seestor)
-drinks
-dinner in a local restaurant including more than 11 beers between Sio, Marina and I including food that cost 21 Euros (gasps! how inexpensive!)
-crying babies
day 8
-witnessing a gypsy kid get struck by a car in town... and watching no one help him except Siobhan... I dared not as I couldn't communicate to him but no one else would go near the little guy cause he was a gypsy
-boat trip with annouk, line, sophie, all the kids and some of annouk's relatives
-the most thrilling motorcycle ride of my life wearing nothing more than a mini skirt and flip flops and no helmet. Over bumpy terrain, though olive groves. It was the most terrifying thing but also the most fun/stupid thing I've done in a long long time.
-Hugo landing the job he wanted in Spain (thus securing his ticket out of his limited possibilities of work in Portugal) BIG celebrating for him!
day 9
-lots of sunning and relaxing
-car trip into the Spanish mountains
-buying a huge picnic lunch for under 10 euros for 3 people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-picnic by the side of the road... playing football, laughing... taking pictures
-stopping random donkey drivers to ask if they had a bourra for sale to mate with Siobhan's Donkey Eeore
-picking up a very old man who was hitching and giving him a lift to his house to help him avoid the heat and the long journey!
-night time trip into Evora with the boys for a friend's b'day party
-controlling my laughter at the age difference and the major language barriers between the kids at the party and me... had a blast anyway
-watching Hugo attempt the pseudo juggling tricks that the hippy girls were doing outside of the cathedral including the wiggling of the hips!
-staying out way too late
day 10
-recovery
-napping
-afternoon bbq
-donkey hair cuts!
-dinner under the stars
day 11
-loading up the car with Hugo to be dropped in Spain at his new job... lots of good byes
-stopping at a festa just on the border and having a beer... lots of lovely Spanish traditional dress and lots of pretty horses...
-noticing that the festa was in the middle of have a mass (and they were serving beer) now mass with booze.... that's a concept!
-honking and every car we passed, waving and laughing!
-did I mention how friendly the Spanish people are?
-lunch with Hugos new boss in a sandy (western looking ) village
-driving along side a massive motorcycle rally along the coast on the way to the airport
-quick check in and immediate boarding and off I was winging my way back to London town.
I'm still a glow from all the wonderful fun I had.
I will surely never forget it!
Thanks Siobhan and Annouk!
i'm back
I have a hundred stories to tell. My holiday has changed the way I look at a lot of things in life and what I want to achieve and where I want to live. I will eventually jot it all down... probably within the next few days... or maybe even today if I can manage.
My company is moving to South Kensington. This is a big shitter. I will have no recourse but to travel by tube to work... something that I have actively avoided for a long time. No matter really, I think some plans are falling into place... the fates are aligning.
I've had an amazing amount of time to think about things in the past few days and have come up with some pretty liberating thoughts... those will also follow in due course...
I have a hundred stories to tell. My holiday has changed the way I look at a lot of things in life and what I want to achieve and where I want to live. I will eventually jot it all down... probably within the next few days... or maybe even today if I can manage.
My company is moving to South Kensington. This is a big shitter. I will have no recourse but to travel by tube to work... something that I have actively avoided for a long time. No matter really, I think some plans are falling into place... the fates are aligning.
I've had an amazing amount of time to think about things in the past few days and have come up with some pretty liberating thoughts... those will also follow in due course...
30.4.03
28.4.03
yea so...
as it goes the pay rise ends up with me making less money than before... (different tax bracket) cruel and unfair! Such is life! I can but laugh it off
bought a new bike over the weekend. it's purdy. Nice to be mobile again... it was/ is still mildly terrifying being on the wrong side of the road... All my road biking reflexes are backwards... At least after cycling for a while I'll gear myself up for one day driving on the 'other' side as I've learned to say... make the mistake of saying 'wrong' side of the road and you risk upsetting peeps. Cycled for 4 h yesterday with lots of stopping and decision making as to which trail to follow... The heath is no place for biking... there are a few trails marked for cyclists but it's predominantly marked with big 'no cycling signs'... didn't seem to stop other people so we scurried along the 'no cycle' paths heading all pedestrians... nothing wrong with that? I can't even begin to describe the discomfort that a new saddle brings to you the day after the first time you use it. OUCH!
The rest of my bonus is going towards a trip to Portugal... I'm very anxious to get out of here as I'm losing steam here at work by the minute... If I don't get out soon they may just be asking me to leave! Just kidding. I found a great flight for Wednesday but was told I can't go then... it was a BA flight too... I really was hoping to not have to fly with the masses (sporting their England jerseys, Reebok trainers, gold hoop earrings carrying portable cd players) alas I think I haven't much choice in the matter now. Ah well. Sio says the sea is already warm... Rain is forecast here for the next few days and apparently well into next week too... can't think of a better reason to jump ship now.
Ah yes... the move, yup looks like I'm moving again. Turns out that after 6 months on a lease we can leave with only a month's notice. The neighbour situation will never improve... when you live next to a sound studio there isn't anything you can do to avoid the noise and the land lords are unable to do anything either so we just decided to feck it and pack up and move someone better. Low and behold, the rental market has serious come down. There are tons of beautiful places in the area I want to live in for even less than we're paying right now... very exciting indeed. I hate moving but it will be nicer to live in a less 'ghetto tastic' neighbourhood and cut some time off of travelling to work.
back to the salt mines I suppose...
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