Hump day is over! I am so tired even though work hasn't been tiring! I can't even express how strange and wonderful it is to eat a leisurely breakfast and get other stuff done at 8am and then not have to leave until 8:45. And there is SUNlight spilling through the windows while all of this is going on! Usually I'd leave at 6:45 or 7:00 in the pitch black to start the day in Sweden. (Ok, in the summer it wasn't black but still just as early).
We work from 9:00-17:00 and we can take lunch between 12-14. You can take the whole time if you want but most people do 12:30 or 13-14. This still doesn't really make sense to me since in my mind the less hours of work = the better. But yeah obviously you gotta get something done... So sometimes we will have to stay late so it should be close to full-time anyway, plus a lot of lunch. I won't go into details about where I work or with whom because I really don't want to publicly publish anything specific like that. It's not like anybody here will know this URL anyway, nor be interested in it. This will be really boring. Don't read it unless you want to know about my tasks at work and other daily habits. And the best part is that there are NO PHOTOS.
I haven't had much training yet but learned as I go. My main tasks are like so: the boss forwards me random e-mails that she received but can't bother to read (because they are in English). Then at a good moment I say, "So, this e-mail you sent, what do I need to do about it?" Then she makes me explain which e-mail it was and what it's about, including me slowly reading it to her out loud. Then she explains the situation to me and tells me what to do. Usually she wants me to respond to the e-mail, usually in English. Then she tells me exactly what to write (in French). Then I try not to forget all the details and write the e-mail. Not all that efficient is it? Sounds sort of like The Office? I'm happy with it! Because the boss has left early every day this week so I have had almost no work to do in the afternoons!
Another task I have is translations! I love this bit. I've been putting a few promotional texts into English which is really fun since I get to make stuff sound good in my language of expertise without having to actually write or invent the content. I have put one activity info sheet into awkward French (I needed to get that shit edited afterward). But they need the help so I will probably do this more and hopefully improve.
Next week I'll help another girl work on a book about a big project that is ending. Today at work I was delighted when my boss told me I was going with her and a couple other people to a town an hour north of here to promote a project that we will be working on! I'm excited about seeing a little of the surrounding scenery here. The event is from 10-12, then lunch, then again from 14-16. So typical!
Well that's all so far with work. I really like it because it's laid back and the people are all so nice and interesting and I learn so much! Other than that I have walked around enough to see some stores and thus crave a huge shopping day, and haven't done much else. Every yoga place is free for the first time, so I went with a roommate and a neighbor, who are basically trying out every yoga class in the city. Tonight they went and I think it was the yoga I really enjoy but I was too sleepy to go, typical excuse.
Another new thing is my green tea test. Yeah green tea is great for your health in many different ways, everybody knows that and I won't get into it. I read that to reap the most benefit from it you should drink at least 2 cups a day, and that more than 5 cups doesn't help any extra. The exact science of Statistics has proven that so it must be ever-so true. So every day I have been drinking 2 cups of natural green tea. I have done this religiously for over a week now. I don't know if these changes are supposed to be physically noticeable but I still believe in the benefits no matter what. I do feel great, because it has just enough caffeine for a natural-feeling energy kick but not the bad feelings I get from my beloved coffee. Feeling great might have to do with recently moving to a place that not only speaks French but also has 60º and blue skies in November.
The last piece of news is that I am getting an American visitor this weekend! Haven't had an American one since Danielle came in June! It is dear cousin Perry's friend and my former French tutee who currently studies in Clermont-Ferrand! She barely needed my help at all though so I don't take credit for her language talent. I would, however give a lot of credit to the best French teacher in history that we both had, the late Mr. Peterka who taught me more French than anybody else has! He was the best teacher and everybody knew it!
A bientôt!
onsdag 16 november 2011
New Favorite Cheese
BREAKING NEWS !!!
I have a new favorite cheese.
I did not discover it in France, no... I had it for the first time in Göteborg. I bought it from Linnégatans Ostaffär to which I received a gift certificate a long time ago from a very intuitive significant other.
It's a sheep cheese! Fromage de Brebis. I believe that brebis means "ewe." It is produced in the Pyrenees. Since my pack of cheese is unfortunately not with me in bed right now, we'll assume mine was also made there. In one evening I've already consumed about a third of the 250g package! When I first tried it I was so surprised by its deliciousness and unique taste, so upon seeing it at the store I just had to get it!
The cheese looks pretty standard but somehow I recognized it from across the store. I do think the color/texture combo is a bit special, or else maybe I am just obsessed!
This one is a little aged but still tender with a subtle kick of the very interesting flavor. Pretty sure I noticed a tiny tiny hint of a goat cheese taste with a sweeter edge! The texture is solid but still pretty soft, so it sort of melts in your mouth. It is soooo goood!!! I eat it plain but surely it's amazing tons of other ways.
So go out and check out this cheese!
Anyone tried it? Thoughts?
I have a new favorite cheese.
I did not discover it in France, no... I had it for the first time in Göteborg. I bought it from Linnégatans Ostaffär to which I received a gift certificate a long time ago from a very intuitive significant other.
It's a sheep cheese! Fromage de Brebis. I believe that brebis means "ewe." It is produced in the Pyrenees. Since my pack of cheese is unfortunately not with me in bed right now, we'll assume mine was also made there. In one evening I've already consumed about a third of the 250g package! When I first tried it I was so surprised by its deliciousness and unique taste, so upon seeing it at the store I just had to get it!
The cheese looks pretty standard but somehow I recognized it from across the store. I do think the color/texture combo is a bit special, or else maybe I am just obsessed!
This one is a little aged but still tender with a subtle kick of the very interesting flavor. Pretty sure I noticed a tiny tiny hint of a goat cheese taste with a sweeter edge! The texture is solid but still pretty soft, so it sort of melts in your mouth. It is soooo goood!!! I eat it plain but surely it's amazing tons of other ways.
So go out and check out this cheese!
Anyone tried it? Thoughts?
onsdag 9 november 2011
Room Progress
Today was pretty awesome. A guy who works at the place I'll be working came and spent 2 hours on my room. He cleaned it and got my bed all fixed up. Still waiting on some furniture. My room has french doors (obviously, this is France). But really, it used to be a living room or something. The entryway between my room and the next one was boarded up and covered with some fancy curtains.
There are 6 people living here because the Latvian guy is actually a Latvian couple. I met the girl and she is really nice! Everyone is nice. Of the 20 people working at my future job, maybe half are French. I'll be completing my project (still don't know what it's about) with a team of 3 French girls and a French leader. So, je vais parler français très bien! Two other volunteers are Swedish, from Göteborg. I'm glad there is some Swedishness for me here!
Looking in the fridges in two apartments, I noticed that each person has their own Camembert cheese. Of COURSE I bought my favorite foods that I used to buy during the Vichy Adventure of 2008, but I will have to be careful with the Camembert this time. Like maybe one pack a week, instead of two. I do not want to repeat the Fatness Adventure of 2008. Meet a 20lb heavier me:
There are 6 people living here because the Latvian guy is actually a Latvian couple. I met the girl and she is really nice! Everyone is nice. Of the 20 people working at my future job, maybe half are French. I'll be completing my project (still don't know what it's about) with a team of 3 French girls and a French leader. So, je vais parler français très bien! Two other volunteers are Swedish, from Göteborg. I'm glad there is some Swedishness for me here!
Looking in the fridges in two apartments, I noticed that each person has their own Camembert cheese. Of COURSE I bought my favorite foods that I used to buy during the Vichy Adventure of 2008, but I will have to be careful with the Camembert this time. Like maybe one pack a week, instead of two. I do not want to repeat the Fatness Adventure of 2008. Meet a 20lb heavier me:
That mail was definitely not sent by whole dairy products.
A lot of the fat sat in the hip/thigh area, not (ever, hopefully) pictured. Buying new jeans all the time gets expensive, especially if Mango is the only one carrying your size. And giving away never-worn shorts to a much narrower aunt who has had 3 kids is a bit embarrassing. So I'm doing my best... Dinner tonight was couscous with zucchini (with an appetizer of Camembert on biscottes).
One of the roomies is playing guitar and singing. I'll have to become her friend and ask for partial rights to the guitar.
tisdag 8 november 2011
New Harbor Town
Well, here I am, in Marseille. I should probably change my blog header sometime, to a more French and less Swedish theme. I wanted to change it to a picture of our awesome Göteborg harbor view in the last flat but I've moved on to bigger, dirtier and poorer now as far as flats & harbor towns go.
Needless to say I didn't get the flight attendant job at Lufthansa, I had a phone interview and my Hoch Deutsch was NOT "sehr gut" as I had claimed, haha. Their loss!! I worked as a karaoke DJ for 2 nights and it was fun-ish, I didn't go to the interview for the casino because screw it, and I got a full-time job offer to work at a daycare which I then declined when it was already too late, or almost too late, depending on your sense of ethics. Anyway, while on an amazing, epic family cruise these people tried contacting me telling me I was accepted to a volunteer program (all expenses taken care of, and then some) in Marseille. They wanted me to come on Nov 1, 2 weeks from then and I was like hail naw, I'll come on November 8. Well it wasn't that simple. It was a horribly difficult and emotional situation in trying to decide if it's worth it to leave Christoffer. It's a definite amount of time, which makes it better. It's a long amount of time, which makes it harder. I'll be back for Christmas, which makes it easier. All in all I decided to take the opportunity. Long story short, I'm young now and can't do shit like this when I have kids!
Back to now. A nice German girl picked me up at the station and took me to my flat. I think my roommates will be 2 guys and then "2 Spanish guys."
"So all guys?" I ask
"No, you have the 2 Spanish guys too"
Well I already saw one of the Spanish guys (male) so far so I guess one of the "2 Spanish guys" is a girl.
My room was dirty, with no furniture besides a broken bed sans mattress. Luckily my new German neighbor (who lives across the hall) will be at her boyfriend's tonight. So I'll sleep in her bed in their much nicer apartment, hopefully just one night. Maybe the "productive" French will, against all odds, clean my room, buy me a new bed and the rest of the furniture, all in one day! Well I just found out that I clean it when I move in... So I hope there are ample cleaning supplies, like I like... I assume I'll be staying in this girl's room for a while, living from my very well-packed suitcase.
Not much else to update on now, except that I can't go on a walk around the neighborhood because we apparently live in the ghetto. Shit. And even here our closest grocery store closes at 7:30. I thought this was a big city!!!
Looking forward to more discoveries and new adventures...
Needless to say I didn't get the flight attendant job at Lufthansa, I had a phone interview and my Hoch Deutsch was NOT "sehr gut" as I had claimed, haha. Their loss!! I worked as a karaoke DJ for 2 nights and it was fun-ish, I didn't go to the interview for the casino because screw it, and I got a full-time job offer to work at a daycare which I then declined when it was already too late, or almost too late, depending on your sense of ethics. Anyway, while on an amazing, epic family cruise these people tried contacting me telling me I was accepted to a volunteer program (all expenses taken care of, and then some) in Marseille. They wanted me to come on Nov 1, 2 weeks from then and I was like hail naw, I'll come on November 8. Well it wasn't that simple. It was a horribly difficult and emotional situation in trying to decide if it's worth it to leave Christoffer. It's a definite amount of time, which makes it better. It's a long amount of time, which makes it harder. I'll be back for Christmas, which makes it easier. All in all I decided to take the opportunity. Long story short, I'm young now and can't do shit like this when I have kids!
Back to now. A nice German girl picked me up at the station and took me to my flat. I think my roommates will be 2 guys and then "2 Spanish guys."
"So all guys?" I ask
"No, you have the 2 Spanish guys too"
Well I already saw one of the Spanish guys (male) so far so I guess one of the "2 Spanish guys" is a girl.
My room was dirty, with no furniture besides a broken bed sans mattress. Luckily my new German neighbor (who lives across the hall) will be at her boyfriend's tonight. So I'll sleep in her bed in their much nicer apartment, hopefully just one night. Maybe the "productive" French will, against all odds, clean my room, buy me a new bed and the rest of the furniture, all in one day! Well I just found out that I clean it when I move in... So I hope there are ample cleaning supplies, like I like... I assume I'll be staying in this girl's room for a while, living from my very well-packed suitcase.
Not much else to update on now, except that I can't go on a walk around the neighborhood because we apparently live in the ghetto. Shit. And even here our closest grocery store closes at 7:30. I thought this was a big city!!!
Looking forward to more discoveries and new adventures...
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