Olim

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rambles and shambles...

Thursday, November 06, 2003

WORKING WEEK. Recently, a few French magazines published front cover articles questionning what people do during their working hours. I would actually have been quite interested in reading one of them, especially since I've just wasted almost one hour of valuable working time doing a stupid tv show quizz, that had me looking up on google the French title of "Hart and Hart"... How pathetic, I know...

Read last night: Golem 2, Joke by E, L and M.A. Murail.
... and now reading: Golem 3, Natacha by E, L and M.A. Murail.

posted by A. 5:26 AM
. . .

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

CONTRACT FINALE. When I walked in my boss's office yesterday, he reached out to shake my hand, and thanked me effusively for my reaction about the whole contract business. I was really taken aback by this happy outpouring, and I told him it had been about the only sensible thing to do, so I certainly hadn't done anything outstanding, really. His answer was: "I know that, but I am also aware that we live in a world where people hardly care to do what is sensible anymore. You could have obliviously signed that full time contract, and I wouldn't have been aware of it before months - before it was too late to do something about it anyway. Besides, I yell at you enough when you do stupid things, so it's only right that I also give credit where it's due." I felt a bit guilty for a minute about not reminding him the actual terms that we had *reluctantly on my side* agreed on, but then again, that was fair enough, right? I was glad altogether to hear this little speech, cose it shows that somehow, he doesn't take things for granted - When all is said and done, I quite like my boss: He's loud, he's pushy, obnoxious even, but he can hear anything, - well, almost - without taking offence, and he's fair. Aren't these the two things you'd want to find in anyone?
Visiting: Maeve Binchy's website!

posted by A. 4:58 AM
. . .

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

WRITING. Today, a colleague of mine said he'd pass the hello kiss on me today, 'cose I seriously looked like I was catching the flu or something, what with my cheeks being very red, and my eyes looking so tired. It's so funny how nobody's got any idea of what other people's lives are like. I mean, my cheeks were flushed because I was wearing a winter jumper even though my office-mate boosted the heaters, so that it was about 25 degrees hot in said office, and my eyes actually look tired and red from reading and crying over Maeve Binchy's Light a Penny Candle until four o'clock in the morning. So really, nothing even remotely connected with having the flu.
I know it probably sounds desperately sentimental and ridiculous to be crying over a novel, but really, there's something with Maeve Binchy's novels, and especially this one, I just can't help it. I didn't finish the book last night, and I went throught a lot of trouble (unsuccessfully) trying not to cry again over Eileen's death as I was reading on at lunch time, in the cafeteria.
There certainly are some recurring patterns in her books, like village life, the clash of social origins, women's condition, guys not wanting to settle down with one women and always having to be pleased, girls being strong and smartening up to keep things looking good on the outside in times of crisis, people being able to handle other people, and charming their way through life at all times. And often, restaurants, catering companies, or secretarial jobs are also involved. It's a mix of all this, but somehow, every time it's different, and she's capturing it all so vividly, I mean, the relationships between people, life in general. She sure knows how to create a nice, warm atmosphere that makes one want to join in, and be a part of it.
That's what I'd love to be able to do if I ever wrote a book. I mean a novel, shortstories, or whatever. Capucine says she wants to write a book. I wonder what kind of book. I wonder has she ever read Maeve Binchy.
Reading: Light a penny candle, by Maeve Binchy.

posted by A. 11:06 AM
. . .

PEANUTS. Just for the crack, here's the end of my contract story - Eventually, it all turned out for the best, I guess. As I expected, my boss said the full time contract was indeed an unfortunate mistake, not to say a ludicrous notion even, and he said that it was to stick to what had been settled in the first place. Except that he didn't even remember how little that was supposed to be, and now the final contract's for twice the initial peanuts, which is actually starting to look like something suitable, indeed. And I didn't even have to go over all the negociation part again. I just had to sit for a couple of hours in an office waiting for secretaries and administrative clerks of all kinds whom I had never met before, to stop fussing about the change from full time to part time, and get the papers in order. Fancy that! I guess it's a bit sneaky and devious in a way, but well, you can't keep pushing luck away, can you? So yeah, you could say it's all for the best...

posted by A. 5:20 AM
. . .

HOME

What d'ya say?

ARCHIVE

FAVORITES

Blogs & journals:

Tohu-Bohu
Conditioned
Le Journal de Scrib

TV shows:

Friends
Gilmore Girls
Malcolm In The Middle

Collumns:

Cinema
Sasha's Lovebites

Music:

Lynda Lemay
Vaya Con Dios Lhasa

Moovies:

Psycho
Twelves Monkeys
La vie revee des Anges

Drinks:

Tea
Wine
Beer

Sports:

Volley-ball
Gymnastics

. . .