Migraines

I have always pittied my friends and their migraines in the past. But I really did not know what a migraine really meant until... until a few months ago when I started having them myself. I don't know if it is connected, but the truth is they have appeared around the same time I quit smoking in December!

I have to confess that I cope very well with not-smoking but if I have to choose between these atrocious migraines or smoking, I'd rather start smoking again in a heartbeat!

Thank God my two week vacation starts tomorrow afternoon....

Rancho Chico

On Saturday, Marc and I will be heading to Motril, in the South of Spain. After a five hour drive, we will arrive at my childhood Summerhouse, a haven called Rancho Chico surrounded only by avocado trees. We will spend two full weeks of much deserved farniente: reading, ocean/pool/and sun bathing; cocktailing, eating, wining, and playing chess.

Also, I will try to search the house and rescue old family photographs, diaries, and miscellanous items. Rancho Chico might be destroyed very soon by the damn highway. It just might be our last Summer there.

Never ending

The trip to Lausanne this weekend was never ending. Between all the train, airport and flights delays, I have spent approximately 20 hours in the above mentioned places. Evidently, I will send a very mean letter to Iberia today to get a much deserved compen-sation!

On the positive side, the short stay in the beautiful house overlooking the Lake Léman was wonderful: Summer temperatures, sun, pool, and delicious food surrounded by loved ones.

And on the excellent side, Marc's interview went extremely well, the conditions offered are close to sensational, and we should have a definite answer by the end of the week.

Today is the day

At 14h00 today (2pm for all ya Americans,) Marc will have his second and definite interview. This is it. It's now or never who knows when... Did I mention it was for a job at Mercedez Benz? I can totally see us driving a nice CLK Cabriolet or a SLK Roadster around Zurich ;-)

Cross your fingers! Inch'Allah!

New fave

I am reading quite a lot these days; pretty much devouring every book that falls into my hands, and starting a new one as soon as I finish another. I thus bought many books at various stores mostly located at airports, placed many orders at amazon and even sacked my father's flat. In the latest sack is where I found a new favourite: the book is titled 'Anthem' by Ayn Rand. It's a short novel depicting a world of the future, a society so collectivized that even the word "I" has vanished from the language:

"We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen."

It's extraordinary. What's incredible to me is that it was written in 1936. Ayn Rand, the woman, her life, is fascinating. Born and raised in Russia under Soviet tyranny, she leaves to the US where she becomes a writer, screenwriter, and founds the philosophy of Objectivism. Anyway, I am hooked on this amazing woman and have now started her 1075 pages masterpiece 'Atlas Shrugged'. Quite promising if you ask me.

PS: All book recommendations are more than welcome. Novels only please.

A memorable Saturday afternoon

My father had the wonderful idea of going to lunch and visit the Mezquita in Cordoba last Saturday. So we jumped on the AVE (fast train) at noon and two hours later we were in the Southern city of Cordoba. Yes, everything is feasible when you're not on a budget that is.

A small parenthesis to share with you a funny fact: on the way to the Atocha train station, my father took a taxi and was literally screamed at, laughed at and called a fool by the taxi driver for going to the hottest place in Spain on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of a heat wave. Pure madness he called it. The fact of the matter is that the taxi driver was right: it was 43 degrees celsius (approx 106 Farenheit) when we arrived.

So after a supposedly nouvelle cuisine gourmet lunch at El Pais recommended Choco restaurant, we headed to the Mezquita, a mix of a mosque built by the Mores and Christian churches and chapels. A stunning combination of Jesus and Allah, crosses and mosaics, yet everything blending in. Esthetically extraordinary. It was beautiful, peaceful and by all means worth the sweat, the heat, the bad lunch, and even the indigestion!

Got to get one of those!

I absolutely have got to get me one of those fake croc laptop cases!

Working girlfriends out these, don't you simply love these colorful cases? Wouldn't you love to show up at your next business meeting with a flaming yet very affordable pink (for example) laptop case? I sure would and I will certainly get myself one as soon as I can decide on which color to buy!

Girls, shall we make a common order to save on shipping? Darn, they only ship to US and Canada! =(

Tackiness, buffoons & music

Some mornings I thank all the higher powers that I don't work in the marketing department anymore. Especially on days like today when an email announcing the new album release of Tackiness the 'azafatas' (i.e stewardesses) arrives in my inbox and I imagine what it would be like if I were responsible of such grotesque artists buffoons. And by the looks and style, just imagine the songs! Even better check it all out here if you want to have a good laugh.

Wish us luck

As I wrote in a previous post, I am still working on other options to work and move to Switzerland. I am still waiting on some companies' feedback but I do have a concrete and interesting offer on the table. A very appealing one as a matter of fact. It's risky but challenging and exciting.

In a nutshell, I would be launching and managing the Swiss branch of a mobile company. I wouldn't be earning a fixed salary every month but instead getting a share of the revenues. Which means not making any money in the first few months, until the deals with the operators are closed, the contracts signed and the services launched. But it also means making mad money afterwards. And I would also be managing 'my' company. Thrilling.

This option is only viable when Marc has a job with a fixed salary that enables us to pay the rent and our monthly bills. As it so happens, he is one of the two remaining candidates for a job opening in Zurich. Knock on wood, cross your fingers, light a candle, pray, wish us luck. That's certainly what I will be doing until next Friday, the day of his second interview.

Desperate housewives

After hearing about it for many months and looking forward to it especially after reading that it was comparable to 'Sex & The City', I finally watched the Spanish premiere of 'Desperate Housewives' yesterday. The first 2 episodes. And I have to admit that I am bit confused, not to say completely. Why is everyone raving about this boring show? How can anyone dare to compare it to the fenomenal 'Sex & The City'? Am I missing something? Or is it that the Spanish dubbing simply kills it? Maybe it's just that being no housewife I simply cannot identify the way I did with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda? If you have the answer to any of these questions please educate me and comment!

Mr Senior screwed up

Well, as you know I usually do not write two posts the same day (I am aware that it is now officially June 10th and it is therefore "another day" but to me it is still Thursday night!) but these major news call for another post. I simply need to write about this and get it out of my system.

Some of you already know that a guy from HQ joined our local office in March, Mr Senior as I call him because of his attitude and yet incompetence. If you know this, you also know that I was never particularly fond of him and his apparent fakeness. I can't really explain why, call it female intuition. But I was not the only one as my friend and co-worker Nat felt the exact same way.

Well, the news flash today is that Mr Senior screwed up big time. He was indeed not to be trusted: not only was he an employee of our company, he was also the owner of a competitor; he thus took advantage of his position to send many business opportunities and projects to his own company since March. But Mr Senior is also stupid and he thus made some big mistakes that enabled us to uncover his scheme.

Mr Senior is in BIG legal trouble. We will sue him and make sure him and his company are out of business.

Morale de l'histoire: follow your intuitions!
Personal morale: As these are the kind of people rewarded by the company this only confirms that I do need to leave asap!

PS: See you next Tuesday cause I am off to Germany for the weekend!

A question of honor

Ok, envision a drawing of a friendly baby crocodile.
Then listen to this song.
And now the million dollar question: how do I make this a mobile success on the Spanish market?

Unfortunately, this is no joke. The crocodile is called Schnappi and this little German song has been a HUGE success in most European countries. I am therefore now obliged to do the same. It's an honor issue.

Unless not making it a hit will make me loose my job. Hmmmm... something to consider!

Cravings

Why am I so hungry and craving junk food these days? These days when the bikini season is right around the corner and I should be dieting and exercising instead. Knowing that I wouldn't even look like her, as I am certainly not planning on retiring, hiring a personal trainer and having plastic surgery.

But really, why do I go from craving to dieting phases uncontrollably? Yes, I know it is mental and I am obviously going through a phase of anxious cravings in my life in general, but if anyone has any magic trick to successfully change my chip mode, I beg you to please share it with me!

Invisible

While Uma B. wonders if she'll disappear, I myself feel invisible.

Invisible as in lost or hidden in the dark.

Invisible as in time going by and yet nothing worth mentioning happening.

Invisible as if someone locked me in a waiting cell and all I can do is just that: wait, not visible to anyone.

I feel

as light as a feather (thanks to the decision I took.)

WOW!

Decision

I have finally taken a decision. A BIG decision. I am going to reject their transfer offer given the unreasonable conditions offered. Of course I am going to make them wait a bit before I tell them that... haven't they driven me crazy with their eternal mind games and waits?

Things are finally moving and better offers are coming from other sides. Cross your fingers!

And in the meantime, I'll be enjoying the nice hot Summer days in Madrid for a bit longer ;-)