Today was D-Day!
I just went to the garage to pick up my new car. It will probably never look this clean again, both inside and outside. The drive from the garage to our place was way too short!! I could spend hours driving around our neighbourhood, just for fun. I stood 10 minutes just looking at it with a big goofy smile on my face. And I realise that my writing today is rather crap, and that if I write anymore it will just be more nonsensical car-stuff.
Yes, I am in love…….
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Things you can do in 1 week
Buy a new car and start a lawsuit against your ex-employer.
Mind you, it’s not the smartest idea.
And I am talking from experience right now.
The car means going to different banks to get different offers for a loan, and going to different insurance companies to get the cheapest insurance. It means going back to the garage once you actually have the loan to pay the car. Next, drive to the place smack in the centre of town to get your licence plates. And then, finally, go and pick up your car (tomorrow!!!).
The lawsuit means re-actualizing all your forgotten knowledge on social legislation, calling and emailing endlessly with the guys from the union, and get your membership of the foresaid union back in order (if you want them to pay for the whole lawsuit, that is). And, oh yes : confronting your ex-boss to tell him you’re no longer taking all his sh**, and that your lawyer will get in touch with him (actually looking forward to that part).
So, in all, I will be very happy when this week is over. I’ll have gained my freedom back, I’ll have my very own car, and I’ll have stood up for my rights.
And… uhm, yes,… I’ll be able to sleep, eat and breathe again….
Mind you, it’s not the smartest idea.
And I am talking from experience right now.
The car means going to different banks to get different offers for a loan, and going to different insurance companies to get the cheapest insurance. It means going back to the garage once you actually have the loan to pay the car. Next, drive to the place smack in the centre of town to get your licence plates. And then, finally, go and pick up your car (tomorrow!!!).
The lawsuit means re-actualizing all your forgotten knowledge on social legislation, calling and emailing endlessly with the guys from the union, and get your membership of the foresaid union back in order (if you want them to pay for the whole lawsuit, that is). And, oh yes : confronting your ex-boss to tell him you’re no longer taking all his sh**, and that your lawyer will get in touch with him (actually looking forward to that part).
So, in all, I will be very happy when this week is over. I’ll have gained my freedom back, I’ll have my very own car, and I’ll have stood up for my rights.
And… uhm, yes,… I’ll be able to sleep, eat and breathe again….
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Oh lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.....(and an Ipod)
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
Or so the song goes by Janis Joplin.
Just to tell you that, after driving a company car for three years, the time has come to buy some wheels of my own (I got fired, remember?). I don’t know if I’ll have a job again that comes with a car. Let alone that I know when I will have a job again, period. No car is not an option – I’m still recovering from my 6 months without one in France; won’t make that mistake again.
So far my car hunt has led me to
1) a Renault Clio, 3 years old
2) a Toyota Aygo, 6 months old
The Clio is bigger and has a more powerful engine. It’s a Renault, and that’s the brand I’ve been driving the past three years and am happy about. I know the car dealer, and the excellent service I get there.
But (o-oh, here we go) : the Aygo comes with an Ipod Nano!!!
And guess what refuses to work since last night? Exactly, my Ipod!
All your advice, dearest readers, is more than welcome :-)
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
Or so the song goes by Janis Joplin.
Just to tell you that, after driving a company car for three years, the time has come to buy some wheels of my own (I got fired, remember?). I don’t know if I’ll have a job again that comes with a car. Let alone that I know when I will have a job again, period. No car is not an option – I’m still recovering from my 6 months without one in France; won’t make that mistake again.
So far my car hunt has led me to
1) a Renault Clio, 3 years old
2) a Toyota Aygo, 6 months old
The Clio is bigger and has a more powerful engine. It’s a Renault, and that’s the brand I’ve been driving the past three years and am happy about. I know the car dealer, and the excellent service I get there.
But (o-oh, here we go) : the Aygo comes with an Ipod Nano!!!
And guess what refuses to work since last night? Exactly, my Ipod!
All your advice, dearest readers, is more than welcome :-)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Episode 3
If you're reading this, it means that you're still checking this blog. And wow, that alone deserves an applause! It has been ages since I've written anything - but I feel it's time to pick up the blogging-habit again - or at least try to do so...
What happened since my last post?
To give you a summary : my computer crashed, coincindentally I did as well (but I wont spoil you with all the juicy details), and the icing on the cake : I got fired last week while being on sick-leave.
So here I am, sitting on my kitchen floor with my back against the central heating, looking at my blog, and realising this is the beginning of a new chapter (clichés can be so useful sometimes).
After France ("Between Brussels and Barbizon"), and after getting back to the job I didn't want anymore and slowly drowning in the aftershock of everything that happened (" Trying to keep her head up, and her feet on the ground"), now it's time to turn the page: here's to "Episode 3"! Cheers!
What happened since my last post?
To give you a summary : my computer crashed, coincindentally I did as well (but I wont spoil you with all the juicy details), and the icing on the cake : I got fired last week while being on sick-leave.
So here I am, sitting on my kitchen floor with my back against the central heating, looking at my blog, and realising this is the beginning of a new chapter (clichés can be so useful sometimes).
After France ("Between Brussels and Barbizon"), and after getting back to the job I didn't want anymore and slowly drowning in the aftershock of everything that happened (" Trying to keep her head up, and her feet on the ground"), now it's time to turn the page: here's to "Episode 3"! Cheers!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Pins & needles
My mom’s white bloodcell count is down, and I’ve been suffering from colds and sore throats on and off for the last 4 weeks. Put one and two together, and you have it : I’m not allowed to go anywhere near her. I’m stuck here in the apartment, looking at walls that are cold and white, and still give no hint of being « home » . I feel my life has been uprooted the last 10 months, in every sense of the word, and here I am…floating somewhere, trying to get a grip – without any success.
This stupid blog being the only place I can come to spill it all out – that is, with a serious amount of sensoring, as it is, allas, not completely anonymous.
The one person who’s always been there for me, out of reach. Telling me she’s happy to see I’m doing so well…Ha, what am I to say or do ? Mom, sorry, but actually I’m falling to pieces and I feel there’s nothing left of me ? No, right, not an option. I have to be there for her, smiling, supporting, not giving her the slightest notice of the fact that I’d much rather throw in the towel. Being a puppet held by a few strings : get up in the morning, go to work, come here, try to get through the evening alone by staring at a screen, go to sleep in a bed that gives me awful backpains, other nights standing in traffic jams for two hours to get to my parents, and in between weekends where I try to find the energy to spend « quality time ».
Sorry, bad day. Must be the fever.
This stupid blog being the only place I can come to spill it all out – that is, with a serious amount of sensoring, as it is, allas, not completely anonymous.
The one person who’s always been there for me, out of reach. Telling me she’s happy to see I’m doing so well…Ha, what am I to say or do ? Mom, sorry, but actually I’m falling to pieces and I feel there’s nothing left of me ? No, right, not an option. I have to be there for her, smiling, supporting, not giving her the slightest notice of the fact that I’d much rather throw in the towel. Being a puppet held by a few strings : get up in the morning, go to work, come here, try to get through the evening alone by staring at a screen, go to sleep in a bed that gives me awful backpains, other nights standing in traffic jams for two hours to get to my parents, and in between weekends where I try to find the energy to spend « quality time ».
Sorry, bad day. Must be the fever.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The wedding
M&A got married Saturday. After blowing us all of our socks 10 years ago, when A (barely 20) got pregnant. After surprising us again, 3 years later, by getting pregnant again. And finally, after amazing all of us by being such a wonderful, happy family throughout the years – while we were still carelessly enjoying our days at university.
So two days ago, they wanted to show the world what we already knew: that they want to spend the rest of their lives together. And they did it in vibrant red colours, for the law and for the church, surrounded by family and friends.
P was M’s Best Man, so we were there from early Saturday morning, until, yes, early Sunday morning. It was a long day, filled with lots of emotions. The 14-year old girl in me realizing that my first crush was getting married. The year-long friend in me being very very proud of him. The 7-jear long girlfriend in me wondering if I will ever have such a day, or if the dream is really irreversibly broken.
Since we all go way back in time, this marriage was a reunion at the same time. The party itself was held in the same place were we had our high school parties, where we all played a part in “Peter Pan”, and where we graduated. That alone provided a serious amount of nostalgia. Throw in a couple of old teachers (as M’s dad was our teacher, and later principal), and a handful of high school friends we hadn’t seen in 14 years, and the night was way too short to handle it all. (the fact that the bar was the only place where you could talk didn’t really help in my case – way too many bubbles!).
Anyway, the night was closed by hugging the people we love & share lots of memories with, and by driving home through a fierce autumn storm. M&A have jumped on the plane, enjoying a well deserved honeymoon – and I’m also on a trip; down memory lane, that is...
So two days ago, they wanted to show the world what we already knew: that they want to spend the rest of their lives together. And they did it in vibrant red colours, for the law and for the church, surrounded by family and friends.
P was M’s Best Man, so we were there from early Saturday morning, until, yes, early Sunday morning. It was a long day, filled with lots of emotions. The 14-year old girl in me realizing that my first crush was getting married. The year-long friend in me being very very proud of him. The 7-jear long girlfriend in me wondering if I will ever have such a day, or if the dream is really irreversibly broken.
Since we all go way back in time, this marriage was a reunion at the same time. The party itself was held in the same place were we had our high school parties, where we all played a part in “Peter Pan”, and where we graduated. That alone provided a serious amount of nostalgia. Throw in a couple of old teachers (as M’s dad was our teacher, and later principal), and a handful of high school friends we hadn’t seen in 14 years, and the night was way too short to handle it all. (the fact that the bar was the only place where you could talk didn’t really help in my case – way too many bubbles!).
Anyway, the night was closed by hugging the people we love & share lots of memories with, and by driving home through a fierce autumn storm. M&A have jumped on the plane, enjoying a well deserved honeymoon – and I’m also on a trip; down memory lane, that is...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Show off or shut up
What I’ve noticed over the past few weeks, is that my INSEAD experience has left me with knowledge – knowledge I can’t use, because otherwise people will think of me as a bragging miss-know-it-all.
A few examples :
Conversation over lunch at work
A : Can you believe it – his wife is going on a business trip to Dubai !
B : Dubai ?? Wow – isn’t that in the Middle East ?
A : yeah, apparently it’s booming over there ; lots of new companies and so.
Ok, please tell me - what do I have to do in such a situation ?
- Just be myself, and tell what I know ? "Uhm yeah, I know about 10 people in Dubai, who recently moved there to work for company X, Y and Z. P was contacted as well by a company in Dubai. And you know what else ? You don’t get taxed over there."
- Or : just sit there, and nod along at the question "isn’t that in the Middle East ?" (which is what I did)
Conversation with some friends
A : You know how to tell when your pasta is ready, right ? You throw it against the wall, and if it sticks, it’s good !
B : Yeah, I know – than it’s just "al dente".
A : Hmhm, I like it when it’s still like that.
Again – what to do ?
- Guys, one of my best friends in France was from Bologna, and in Italy they are simply horrified when they hear about this method. What we call "al dente" over here, is simply "cooked way too long" over there.
- Or : yeah, I do that as well ! (which is what I said)
So here I am, with all my "knowledge" - not daring to use it, because I’m afraid I’ll sound like I’m bragging and showing off. Which brings me right back were we started, and what I wrote almost a year ago, on November 19, 2007.
Back then, it was just the MBA itself I couldn’t explain to people – now it’s still that, and soooo much more. From "No, I didn’t actually practise my French a lot, we spoke English all the time" to "No, it really wasn’t like an 8-month holiday for me, and yes, I could really use one now". From "Yes, we all felt like we knew eachother for years after a month" to "No, my boyfriend is never home before nine PM, at the earliest".
I’m so tired of the huge differences between my life and the lives of the ones surrounding me – and the impossibility of explaining it all without giving the wrong impression - that shutting up and nodding at methods for screwing up pasta is what I do. And if somebody finds out that working in Dubai is tax-free, they won’t have it from me !
A few examples :
Conversation over lunch at work
A : Can you believe it – his wife is going on a business trip to Dubai !
B : Dubai ?? Wow – isn’t that in the Middle East ?
A : yeah, apparently it’s booming over there ; lots of new companies and so.
Ok, please tell me - what do I have to do in such a situation ?
- Just be myself, and tell what I know ? "Uhm yeah, I know about 10 people in Dubai, who recently moved there to work for company X, Y and Z. P was contacted as well by a company in Dubai. And you know what else ? You don’t get taxed over there."
- Or : just sit there, and nod along at the question "isn’t that in the Middle East ?" (which is what I did)
Conversation with some friends
A : You know how to tell when your pasta is ready, right ? You throw it against the wall, and if it sticks, it’s good !
B : Yeah, I know – than it’s just "al dente".
A : Hmhm, I like it when it’s still like that.
Again – what to do ?
- Guys, one of my best friends in France was from Bologna, and in Italy they are simply horrified when they hear about this method. What we call "al dente" over here, is simply "cooked way too long" over there.
- Or : yeah, I do that as well ! (which is what I said)
So here I am, with all my "knowledge" - not daring to use it, because I’m afraid I’ll sound like I’m bragging and showing off. Which brings me right back were we started, and what I wrote almost a year ago, on November 19, 2007.
Back then, it was just the MBA itself I couldn’t explain to people – now it’s still that, and soooo much more. From "No, I didn’t actually practise my French a lot, we spoke English all the time" to "No, it really wasn’t like an 8-month holiday for me, and yes, I could really use one now". From "Yes, we all felt like we knew eachother for years after a month" to "No, my boyfriend is never home before nine PM, at the earliest".
I’m so tired of the huge differences between my life and the lives of the ones surrounding me – and the impossibility of explaining it all without giving the wrong impression - that shutting up and nodding at methods for screwing up pasta is what I do. And if somebody finds out that working in Dubai is tax-free, they won’t have it from me !
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