you're STILL mad??

after the heated discussion of the other day, i discussed the situation with N. and toned down the email. then, as i knew the teacher had a lesson with the student today, i made sure to send her an email beforehand, to explain what i'd done. my email was factual and explained everything and why. i knew she wouldn't be happy, but i hoped she'd get it. ... a bit optimistic, it turned out.

when i got to work this morning, there was a long email from her. she was really pissed off. not only that, but she'd copied both N. and the big boss in. great. so i started working on a reply, but just as i'd finished, she actually turned up. i took her to another room to discuss the situation. and in the end, it was fine. considering how aggressive she'd been in her email, i was really surprised to find her cheerful during the the conversation. anyway, once i re-explained everything, we were fine. i think. she did still vaguely imply that i hadn't done things properly, but as i reminded her all of this had been cleared by N. (who didn't really see the need to change the email at all), there wasn't really much she could say. anyway, that's hopefully the end of that, unless of course the big boss, who wasn't available today, wants to discuss this again next week.

evicted

ok, not exactly, but that's what i thought had happened when i got my sister's email. it was short and to the point: i'm moving but don't know where to yet. it turns out that her landlord hasn't been keeping up on his mortgage payments so the house will be repossessed. just great.

after the first shock, though, i now think it's not so bad after all. this might just be what she needs. after all, she's been wanting to move out of that place for years and now she'll just have to do it. hopefully, that'll be the first of a series of great new things for her.

i'm sorry... YOU're pissed off at ME??

i got a bit pissed off this morning. one of 'my' teachers regularly updates me on her students - face to face as opposed to filling in the register or calling me when i'm at the office. instead, she chooses those times just before i teach, when i'm not in managing mode. anyway, she's been complaining about this one student for a long time now: she keeps cancelling, she's not really interested, and the way the cancels 3-4 lessons in a row means that the 3-4 lessons she did have in a row are wasted as they have to start all over every time (she's got a really low level). the only reason this student has any lessons left is because said teacher is generous with the 24-hour cancellation rule, which she's entitled too, but once in a while is one thing; every time is another (especially for her - she's the one not getting paid!)

anyway, i'd said i'd discuss this with N., which i did, and we agreed that i should let the HR know about this person. after all, they were forking out for another round of lessons, which would apparently be totally wasted on her and the teacher had already told me she certainly wouldn't be teaching those new lessons once this set was over. i just needed one more piece of info from the teacher, who of course only got back to me this morning (face to face) as i was, once again, obviously doing something else. when i explained what i was doing, she got really pissed off. she told me i really couldn't go around treating students like children and this was really not the way to go about it, and this student was lovely and doing fine.

uh... did i miss something here? i asked her to calm down and pointed out that she'd been the one complaining about this student and that she'd obviously reached a certain level last week, giving me all that extra information, that warranted some action on my part. not knowing what else to say (i was pretty pissed off by then), i told her i'd look into it again. but really, i'm working for the company, not for the student. my clients rely on me to tell them when students miss too many classes, and this is enforced with everyone else. in some companies, there are even mandatory attendance rates of up to 80%! if a student's contract drags out for over 6 months instead of 3, one can safely say that we're nowhere near a good attendance rate. and when reasons are, according to the teacher, something on the lines of having a long weekend, then, i'm sorry, but that doesn't seem acceptable to me. while i can certainly tone down the email, they still need to know.

the bike

as i'm still not allowed to do any sports apart from cycling, which i hate, i'd looked into joining a gym. but as T. rightly pointed out, why join a gym to be able only to cycle for maybe 10mns, when she had a stationary bike sitting at home? i could just borrow it.

i've just come back from picking up the said bike. T. and N&N had taken it apart when i got there, so all that was left to do was to load it in the car. once home, i got help from one of my neighbours to unload it and bring it up to my flat. and there it now stands - totally set up, and i've even used it. just 5 mns, though, and with no power at all, seen as i'm not allowed yet. hopefully, this will get me back on track soon!

you're alive!

... said my friend A. when i picked up the phone. uhm... yes? obviously, something had gone wrong in the communication.

in the morning, i'd sent her an email to ask if we could meet that night instead of the following night. i'd said to send me an SMS as i wouldn't have computer access until i got home. but, having got nothing until past the time set, i'd gone straight home. it turned out she'd tried to call and had sent quite a few SMSs all day with no reply from me... as i'm always on time and everything, she got really worried and, she told me, had even decided that if i didn't pick up the phone that last time, she'd come over to my place to see if i was ok. sweet. but the wrong place to look: if something serious had happened to me, it would have been at work and i most probably wouldn't have been home. but still. sweet. now we just need to find out why she couldn't get through to me. i know my mobile is on its last legs, but i still get phone calls and SMSs from other people...

reunited

T.'s coming to work in my building. on the 5th floor. a new job for the University of Geneva. it's funny. we used to work together - that's how we met - and now we're going to be in the same building. i'm sure that's going to be interesting!

surprise meeting

back at the beginning of the year, i'd mentioned to my boss that i wasn't always certain of how to respond to some behaviours i was faced with at work and it'd be nice to have some kind of training on that. good idea, he said. there'd be a workshop in April, something could probably be added to it. on Monday, he came to ask me what exactly it was i wanted and he asked me several times whether i was available on Tuesdays. i said i was, from 3 to 4pm, although if it had to be later, i could manage every other week. no need for that, he said. but every single question was about Tuesdays. at no point did he ever say tomorrow! which, as i found out, was when the workshop was set.

apparently, he'd sent me an email confirming this, but as we're currently migrating our whole system, i didn't get it. it was a colleague who said she was happy she'd see me later. and me going 'later?'. yesterday of all days was just not the best day. but anyway, i went, and it was great. it was run by one of my old students, which was fun. and if we didn't deal with everything, i think the main issue has finally been understood by all - i wasn't the only one having those problems, and i could see things taking unwanted momentum, so it was about time we addressed them.

i did feel a bit like the centre of attention, though, as my boss started by explaining this part had been added at my request, following which my ex-student then wanted me to clarify what i wanted and all throughout the hour, if this or that would be a solution for me, what i thought and, at the end, whether he'd answered my question. also, not a lot of the others said stuff 'in public' (preferring to just tell the person sitting next to them), so it was kind of left to me to explain or redirect the discussion.

in the end, though, i was happy. i'd got one part of what i wanted: that we think of how to deal with these hiccups so we can show a united front, instead of everyone doing their own thing and not knowing how to handle stuff.

plane chaos

so, tons of people are stranded because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. i feel bad for all of them but what got me was that out of all the people interviewed, i've only seen one so far who said better safe than sorry. now, i have the Internet and was able to find out why it was best not to fly in an ash cloud (and the reports on what's happened in the past made it very clear - i certainly wouldn't want to be in a plane whose engine became clogged with ash!), and i'm guessing most of the people stranded are not actually given much clear information, but still... apparently, they're now questioning whether the authorities have been too careful. i don't know. unless those reports i saw were really extreme, i think it was probably the best way to go.

on the plus side, less noise in the air these days!

workshop in Spanish

i'd signed up for a workshop on conversation classes when i found out it'd finally be held in Spanish. ah... now, i used to be really good at Spanish, but while i still understand a lot and can read it fine, i can't for the life of me utter a useful sentence in the language - learning Japanese killed all of that. every time i open my mouth, Japanese words come out. but the workshop leader said she'd speak slowly and we could of course do the practical parts in French or English, so it should be fine. she said. i could see she was a bit worried about it, but i thought i'd give it a try. and in the end, it was just fine and very interesting. i think there were just 2 words i queried, and was surprised to see a Portuguese colleague ask more comprehension questions than me!

Berne - detail

a nice little clock-tower in Berne.

Berne - Palais Fédéral

the seat of the Swiss federal government.

un-be-lievable

i got this email from my father's cousin this afternoon - unbelievable!

my father will be celebrating his 70th birthday in September, and is thus organising a big party. his cousin apparently suddenly realised his ex-wife was also invited and kicked up a fuss. he explained that, when they divorced 15 years ago, she told her family, whom he was very close to, that they couldn't invite him to anything she was going to or she'd stop talking to them. this meant that he lost a huge part of his social life and it really hurt. things have apparently since deteriorated between the two of them so the cousin decided that my father should choose: it was him or her!

...

i think her family was stupid to agree to her, presumably, emotional ultimatum, but after explaining how much it affected him, i think it's even more silly that he goes and does the same. he should go watch Invictus and consider moving forward instead of backward.

Murten - main street

Murten - detail 2

Murten - detail

it really was a lovely little place. you can barely see the lettering, but there's a tea room on the left hand. that's where we had our coffee (well, i had tea and he had hot chocolate).

not of this reality

i often think that i wasn't born in the right reality. in many ways, living in the 50's would probably have suited me better. in terms of 'morals' and behaviour, i mean. in those days, the rules were pretty clear. when you committed to something, you committed. today, a commitment seems to have as much strength as a cloud of smoke, both in the personal and professional spheres. my sister says i'm just too considerate toward other people and should let go a little. probably.

anyway, it's just that i seem to be living life on a different level than most people. that's the best way i can describe it. i'm not a big fan of going out all the time, for example. i'd much rather stay at home, or have dinner with friends. put me in a room with more than 30 people and i'll feel uncomfortable. when i go out, i'm more interested in talking to my friends than meeting new people. i have nothing against meeting new people, and do so regularly, but one or two at the time is more than enough. most people these days seem to be social butterflies, who go from group to group and talk about nothing and don't really make friends. they meet people. personally, i don't see the point.

also, i don't like to make a fuss, although i know i should say what's on my mind more often, if only to let other people know when i think they've gone too far. this came up a few years ago, and i think i tried for a while, but in the end it always seem to bring up unpleasant conversations and in the end, i generally felt worse for having spoken my mind than i'd have felt if i'd just acquiesed. most of the time, though, i don't say anything because i respect people's right to have a different opinion than mine, which is funny cos sometimes, they don't respect my decisions. so i've gone the other way now, and avoid telling people certain things. which in turn obviously means i don't say a lot about myself anymore. this is, however, also because i often feel i'd be imposing on someone, telling them what's going on. so i know that outside of work (where i'm like an actress, but that's just what it is - an act) i generally come across as quite secretive. which i'm not. in fact, most people would tell you that i'm very approachable and talk a lot. it's just that i keep the important stuff to myself. healthy or unhealthy? nowadays, people tell everyone everything. and let's face it, i have this blog, on which i've written more stuff about myself than i'd care to tell most people. but there you go. as one of my friends once said, i'm a riddle trapped inside an enigma. he was probably right. and that's probably where the problem lies.

more bad news

finally got hold of my godfather's partner. he was, as predicted, too tired to talk to anyone. he wasn't dealing with the chemo very well. also, it was the worst day since the chemo, as they went to the doctor's. she didn't say what the conclusion was, but i'm guessing it's pretty bad. it also turns out he has a chemo a week (!) for 3 weeks, then a 2-week break, then back again. i'm sure things have changed since my mother's chemo, but still. one a week doesn't sound very good, even if the mixture is weaker. and then she said this one thing: we don't even live a day at a time, but an hour at a time. this followed straight on from her saying 'i know you wanted to come and visit but...' somehow, i don't think i'll see R. again, and it kills me.

i asked her if she was alone with R., dealing with it and all, and she is. i said she could call, if she wanted to talk, but then, what is there to say?

pickled herrings

seen as i was in Ikea on the way back from Bern/Murten, i got myself 2 jars of pickled herrings. i haven't had them in years and i really love them. when i opened one jar, the smell reminded me of my childhood. i had my first bite (yummy!) and felt like i was back in Denmark, which is kind of strange considering i rarely ever ate pickled herrings there. but it was a nice feeling, and i can't wait to go back there this summer after a 2-year hiatus.

surprise visit to Murten

when i'd told N. i was going to Bern, he'd said i should come by his place on the way back. i got that email just before leaving, i left it as an option. after much back-and-forth that i won't go into, i'd ended up suggesting we met somewhere halfway but it then turned out he'd be in Bern at 9am anyway, which was pretty much the time i'd be leaving at, so if i had time, we could meet somewhere in town? in the end, though, as the embassy he was at was out in the suburbs and i was somewhere relatively central and neither of us really knew the city, he suggested driving to the next nice exit, Murten, and meet up for coffee there. we had a plan.

Murten turned out to be a lovely little place. the old town part was gorgeous, much on the same pattern as Bern but with different colours! that was much more of a romantic meeting (C.'s words, not mine) than Bern would have been. after getting our coffee, we had a walk around and i took tons of pictures. i felt a bit silly, but i had never been there. plus, N.'s the guy who goes around taking pictures all the time, so he didn't mind.

we had an hour, but then i had to go cos i had a million other things to do, quite apart from getting back to Geneva. it was short but sweet. i'm definitely glad i went, although it's still early to tell where this might be going...

a day in Bern

as i had 6 days of nothing lined up and the weather was going to be annoying, i decided to go and visit C. & J. in Bern. it turned out J. was in France (typical), but C. was there and happy for me to come. after hesitating as to whether to take the car or a train, i ended up driving up (1h30! - thought it'd be at least half an hour longer) - which caused some mild pre-dawn panic but went fine, of course. it was actually a really nice drive.

C. showed be around the old city, which is apparently a World Heritage Site. while i can see why, i personally think it'd be nicer if all the buildings weren't the exact same colour, made with the exact same bricks. the buildings are indeed gorgeous, but still. on the other hand, the area where C. lived reminded me very much of Copenhagen, so that i wouldn't mind.

we saw the Swiss Parliament, the Swiss National Bank and the bears - live bears (2 adults and 2 cubs) that 'live' in a relatively small area, although, to be fair, much bigger than the old 'bear pit' and with access to the river. the amount of people who were there to have a look at the cubs was amazing. the pride of Bern. i also had a real roesti - as in, not just as a side dish but a full meal, with ham and tomatoes and cheese (that was the Ticino version). heavy. i think i prefer the side dish.

anyway, it was fun. i'm glad i went up to see her, and glad i got to see another Swiss city (i mean, i still haven't really seen Lausanne!). the atmosphere was really different and very nice. and now that i know how to get there, no excuse not to go again!

dinner at Mr. J.'s

Mr. J.'s always said he couldn't cook. well, did he prove himself wrong last night...

his kitchen was finally installed a couple of weeks ago. he'd been living in that flat for over 2 years, with half a stove and no oven (at least, not what i call an oven). and couldn't cook. did not, in fact, ever have any food in the house. but now he had a fully furnished kitchen...

when i dropped in on him the other day, i reminded him he was supposed to invite me for dinner over the Easter weekend. we looked at a couple of small cookbooks he had ('cooking in 10 minutes', 'simple cooking'), and chose a main dish and a dessert. when i showed up, there were 5 mns cooking left. good for him i was on time! as his kitchen had been empty the other day, i'd brought him some bare necessities: pasta, pesto and a can of diced tomatoes. turned out he'd just gone shopping himself...

but onto the food. he'd dressed the table and whatever was cooking smelled nice, so i was already impressed. and the food was, once we started eating, good. absolutely! and while i thought he'd forgotten all about dessert, he surprised me with one, another one than the one discussed the other day, but very nice. and so, he was happy to know, he isn't a useless cook after all. the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say!

my knees - follow up

so, a week after stopping the anti-inflammatories, the pain had come back. quite a lot of pain. i called the doctor as promised and he decided i should do some physio to help. so off i went to see M. yesterday. it was a painful session but once i was out, i didn't feel a thing. this was great! i went home, lounged around, and eventually got ready to go out and catch that movie i wanted to see (I love you Philip Morris). got out of the building, walked a couple hundred meters, turned around and went home: the pain was back. not the same pain, but pain i wasn't comfortable walking with, although it was only a 10-mn walk to the cinema. damn.

the rules

one of my teachers (i say 'my' because it's a teacher working for one of my clients) informed me that she wouldn't be able to give her lessons the following week because her car needed to go in the shop. i should have reacted to what she said but i was in the middle of something else so i didn't. but really, there was an issue here: all appointments should, as much as possible, be taken outside of teaching hours. this is not always possible, of course, especially if things happen last minute, but in this case, not only did she tell me a week ahead (so obviously not something urgent), but this particular teacher only actually works 3 days a week, so really, she has ample free time to get her car looked out outside of teaching hours.

i ended up covering her class, and in the email i was sending her with the information on what i'd done, i wanted to remind her of this rule. i went in a double-checked with N., who seemed slightly uneasy at the prospect. did i really want to say that? well, yes, i did, i said. i mean, it's not the first time a teacher 'disregards' the rules and we complain about it among the management group, but how are they expected to get it if we let them do what they want all the time? as a teacher, i certainly abide by the rules, and i know quite a few of our teachers do too. one teacher didn't book her holiday until the day the school closed because she had one 1h30 lesson mid-week, when she'd had nothing else since the Friday. on the other hand, we have teachers who just go off for a week at the end of September, say, just after they've had a 2-months break, despite the fact that they're contractually obliged to take their holidays at a time outside of teaching term. it's not fair on those who follow the rules. so yes, i thought i should add that.