January 16, 2010
Created on FACEinHOLE.com
January 5, 2010
♫
I find it funny incredible how songs have the capability to almost take you back to memories, places and people from the past?
Lately (and most of the time), lots of the songs I’ve been listening to take me back to some of the best times of my life which were spent in Germany…and make me think of all the people I love and miss so much and all the times we spent together.
Being with the Dutch family here also remind me a lot of it…not because Holland is a neighbour! But lots of things in the way the parents are remind me of my host parents in Germany. And it’s a good thing although it makes me miss them more.
January 3, 2010
Extended stay
So, after 3 weeks in Verbier, I was meant to be going back to London in a day and a half, but will have to stay a few days more due to one of the little people in the party not being able to fly anymore until Friday. Hopefully we’ll get a flight for then but, if not, will go back Sunday or Saturday.
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. One minute I can’t wait to go home and think I’m never doing this again; next minute I am thinking it’s great to get away from everything and everyone and put my thoughts in order while making good money and exploring a new place, meeting new people.
It’s the same feeling I have towards one of the people in the house too. One minute she drives me mad and I just want to explode and tell her off; next we’re watching TV together and I’m finding her extremely endearing.
There’s also the feeling of gratefulness. In times of crisis and expensive, even though shit, education to pay for, I not only got a job, but got extra ones! And have I mentioned how I am moving in to one of my boss’ attic (not that she has many attics. I’m the one with more than one boss!). So 2010 will at least start as a rent-free year. And not only they offered me the attic, but also told me I could move in earlier and BRING THE ROOMMIE WITH ME! She’s leaving London in March, so we were going to stay in our flat until then to avoid the hassle that is finding a semi-decent yet affordable place in the capital. And our new place is just a walk up the road from the old one anyway, so it’s perfect!
A little more about the Alps…it’s beautiful, no doubt about it! Especially coming from Brazil, it’s so different and exactly like I used to watch in movies: massive mountains and pine trees covered in snow and cosy, wooden chalets everywhere.
Ski resort, very expensive. I am staying with a Dutch family who’s lovely! Quite conventional and traditional, the 8-year-old version of me would have loved it! But even though I am pretty much the opposite nowadays, I still enjoy it very much. Had a white family Christmas. With caviar for dinner, which I really like, but missed the usual chester even though I haven’t had one since my last Christmas at home in 2003!
One thing I was dreading in the beginning but turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the day is dinner time! Family dinner. Not only the food is always amazing, but the conversations are a lot of fun too with topics ranging from the kids to music to movies, world issues, etc. Regardless, it’s always filled with jokes after jokes and endless laughter.
Really wish I was going home this Tuesday, had been counting the days for the past week, miss my room- definitely not the flat!, friends, certain men- sort of- but especially my dearest roommie who’s leaving so soon. Don’t mind that much having to stay a bit longer though apart from the fact that I sort of ran out of clothes and can’t buy any here. I brought two pairs of jeans and my favourite has now a massive hole on my left thigh! Have to get another pair as soon as I LAND! well, and get paid, since I have about 8 pounds left in my account and about 3 swiss francs in my wallet which are going towards the last 2 postcards I have to send.
Used my last francs to stock up on Ovomaltine chocolate bars that I got addicted to here and don’t think exist in England and got a few bits and pieces for the roommie. Missed her bday and xmas!
Should go to bed now. Got at least FIVE more days of work ahead of me.
December 6, 2009
Let’s rephrase that…
Alright, so Mr Pink IS helping- and not just with the assignment.
And the one missing that really is the first one was:
♫ INXS – Beautiful Girl
And yes, still trying to write but can’t help doing anything but! Argh. It’s going to be a loooong night…
ps: Cannot believe Danyl is out. There’s no way ANY of the others are better than him! Hope he’ll stay around…
December 6, 2009
Sweet procrastination…
Shit! Haven’t written in 2 months! Well, here…cause on my phone there’re loads of drafts of my twisted thoughts that I need to put in order but probably never will because they changed so much so fast. Anyway, of course I chose to come on here (quickly) in the middle beginning of an assignment that I have about two days (no, not really 48 hours, about 5 tomorrow and 2 on Monday) to finish and make time to go hand it in. And of course I also can’t find any of the best sources I had planned on using even though I OWN THEM. And of course a certain Mr. Pink that was meant to help me is not helping at all even though it was meant to take him 2 minutes and very little use of his brain full of dirty thoughts.
Anyway, for future reference, this is it (sort of and in no particular order):
♫ Tiny Dancer – Elton John
♫ Secret Smile – Semisonic
♫ What I Like About You – The Clash
♫ Wild World – Cat Stevens
(forgot the last one which was actually the first)
October 3, 2009
Life’s a bitch. Life’s good.
I keep postponing writing here and now I’ve got so much that I want to record for myself for future reference that I don’t even know where to begin!
So I went to Ibiza for the last August bank holiday and it was great! My ex-boss saved my summer. In 3 days I got almost as brown as I got after the month I spent working there last year…I actually wrote a few things there that I was going to post here upon arrival, but decided to really keep those thoughts on Chris McCandless just for myself.
Anyway. An angel gave me a bit of money to help me pay for uni again and I paid half of the semester with the money I had saved and no wI have no idea how I’m going to pay for the 1st of the 3 installments at the end of the month as my boss reduced my hours to about a day and a half and that will barely pay for my rent. So here I am desperately seeking for extra jobs as I cannot afford to be super-flexible-reliable-nanny anymore.
Life’s not that much of a bitch though. Many great things have happened in the past month like Nick Hornby’s new book (there’s much more to it, hang on), Coldplay’s Wembley Stadium gig with Jay Z, Girl Aloud and White Lies and the Stand Up for the Observer public meeting (thus, David Mitchell’s spotting).
So Nick Hornby released a new book which I promptly bought and devoured in a matter of hours (perfect timing! I was starting to miss the “can’t-put-down-until-I-finish” books) and, when looking it up on the net before the purchase, I found out he was doing a reading/signing/chat evening for Waterstones! I couldn’t believe it! Of course I ran back to the shop to get a ticket and, when the evening came, I was delighted! Got to speak to him and everything!
He read 3 bits of the book than had a little chat about it and some other bits and pieces then answered questions from the audience before moving on to the table that was right next to me to sign everyone’s books.
The whole evening was lovely, very entertaining. He’s so smart and witty. I love it! And when he signed my book- I was the 2nd in the queue and was waiting for the 1st guy to get all his books signed shaky and so excited! I got to tell him that I was there representing 3 Brazilians, but the other 2 were back home unfortunately and he asked me when I was going back. When I said I lived here, he asked if I was happy. Such an unusual – even if rather relevant- question! And I also gave him a Far Out postcard more for him to remember me than to promote the label. Considering his taste in music, I’m not sure if he’d be interested in the Brazilian stuff.
Then came Coldplay’s concert…
Coldplay, Wembley Stadium 18.09.09
It left me full of thoughts and feelings but yet completely speechless. Now I can scribble a little bit of what was going through my mind during the gig, but still, only a few random words that do no justice to it at all.
It was so beautiful! It really was a praise to life like the tour and album suggested…they are all amazing and passionate and sweet, funny, smart. Just incredible. I never thought much of them…I mean, I liked them, just never gave half the attention I should’ve given them. Which now I do, obviously.
I’ll try and post a video from the concert some other time…gold!
So the thing with the Stand Up for the Observer public meeting was this gathering that had been organised to help save the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper but, just a few days before it took place, the Guardian Media Group had ruled out the possibility of axing it. The meeting still happened though as the next step was to prevent redundancies, etc and to ensure the paper would still maintain its quality.
Jess’ other sister, the one that lives in Australia, was over with a friend from home and I took them with me as they are massive Peep Show fans and wanted to see David Mitchell- who was hilarious as usual and making it look so natural to him. Actually, everybody there seemed very laid back, witty and friendly. And the girls left with a newly-developed compassion for the rare non-Sky News owned and only indepent British paper.
So it’s about 1:55am, a little kid is going to wake me up at about 7ish so I think I’d better go to bed and write the other 93692730127301238721807 things I wanted to write some other time. Maybe when he naps tomorrow afternoon.
Yeah, right. I’ll be napping with!
September 15, 2009
…
Sitting in silence is a very, VERY rare happening in my life. Not only because I a) work with children, b) live in London, c) share my room, but also because I always have music on. Always. PC, iPod, radio, tv. Whatever. But, as I clicked on the start button to look for iTunes, I decided to enjoy the silence- well, and the sound of the non-stop rain that’s been pouring for the past 6 hours (a lot more if we count the brief intervals).
August 27, 2009
For the abolition of capitalism
I really do not know how to deal with money! For example, if I had been the author that wrote Into the Wild, even if I had researched all about it and became obsessed with Chris or whatever, I don’t think I’d actually write a book and sell it.
I’m not scrutinising him or anything, I mean, we’ve got to make a living in this capitalist world! But most jobs, I just see more as a favour I do for people and feel very strange getting paid for it.
Why can’t we all just do each other favours? If people weren’t so greedy and wanted more and more, I reckon it could work. The problem is, people ARE greedy! Not all of them, of course, there are some pretty wonderful characters out there, but there will also always be at least one person to fuck it up for the others.
