Let the Christmas season beguin

Hello girls

Just a quick hello and post to show you the Christmas decoration. We had a tree trimming session with mulled wine. It was so lovely.

I am definitely in the mood now :)

Nothing really unusual to report other that yesterday's reflective day of graces certainly did make me think how thankful I am to have you in my life. So thanks for being there, you make it more interesting every day that passes by.
Oh... That was a bit porridge , no?

Oh and yes I had the pleasure of seeing Bella cut Poirot into pieces on her birthday. That was something.

Oh and today there were contestants for a new show called The Voice queuing up to audition (shuuut) you're not supposed to know anything.) anyway I may have crossed the path of the next music icon of the year...

Voilà sending you all my love
Miss you tons
Bxxxx

Happy Birthday Bella

Just wanted to send you my wishes darling :)
Have a great Birthday and a magnificent year ahead (maybe including a little trip to NY?)

Miss you!
C

My first blog from my new iPod

I am so disappointed the camera on this thing is so shit. Check the picture I've just taken :(
I was hoping an iPod would be the answer to a poor phone and an even worse camera...but I guess I haven't been lucky with the tech lately!

Anyway...

So nice to hear from you H! Sounds like you are having an awesome time!!! That's great, and the most important thing: life is not just shitty work and crazy boys, although sometimes it can feel like that, right? I'm really happy to hear you are doing lots of fun things, enjoying your life and what Australia has to offer :)

As for me, work has been busy and kind of "business as usual", with the only difference that up until a few days ago I was working on this big presentation for BlackBerry. I am so glad it's over now!!
I was quite stressed about the preso and the meeting; this account was in trouble since BB cut jobs in the summer, which is when we lost our main contact in the business, so I felt all eyes were on me.
I needed to show our directors in London that I'm more than a copy-paste machine, and that all the work I have been doing has made an impression on the client.
Luckily, it went very well, and the guys at BB had great feedback about my work :) I'm hoping for a pay rise now!

Soon it's Thanksgiving, yey, and we get a break! I'm spending it at B's sister's, which should be nice...I'll update you on how family time is going next week ;)

But I'm still thinking hard about what I want to do with my life...kind of waiting for inspiration, kind of decided it's gonna be in the art/fashion space, but I also want to see what happens at work: do we get junior help? A bonus? A pay rise? I wouldn't mind staying longer in this job if we got the right resources.

Some other news: B and I are going back to St John for another week in three weeks!!!!! I am so excited, I love it there :)
And we have booked our trip to the UK: we will be in London from the 12th to the 16th and then to Scotland until the 20th. Really really hope to see you all there!!!!!!

Also, we have started talking about moving in together...
There isn't a date or anything like that yet, but I think it will happen early spring next year.
Most likely I will move to his place for a couple of months, and then we'll look for a bigger place together...
I'm not getting too excited yet, because, as I said, there isn't an actual plan, but I think we are moving in the right direction!

So, we are very happy :) not to say everything is always perfect...relationships are really full of ups and downs.
Sometimes I get so angry about silly things, sometimes I make a big deal out of something just because I'm moody, pms-ing, hungry or stressed out...anyway, you know what I mean...it's amazing he hasn't run off already ;)

I miss you all immensely! Wouldn't it be great to talk about silly and less silly things over lunch-brunch-coffee?
So much is happening to all of us...I want to be part of everything that's happening with you, and I want you to be part of everything that's happening to me! It's hard, but we have to try!

Sooo, please write more on the blog!!
XX, Bella, haven't heard from you in ageeees!!!!

Love,
C

Summer fun

Busy! That is the word that can describe my last few weeks. I wanted to write the blog so many times then the moment I am ready for it, I sit and write on my bed and start falling asleep. Feeling a bit sleepy right now too so will probably keep it short for today but definitely want to keep up with this more often. And I hope you girls write more soon too. Miss hearing your news and stories and everything else.

Summer has trully started here, even if not officially yet. It is hot during the day and the evenings are lighter. Lots is happening. Last weekend I went to Harvest festival. My first music festival in Australia. The setting and the line up was awesome and I spent the day listening to great music and having a fun time. Sometimes there is nothing better than being at a good concert in a cool crowd dancing and singing away.

And this weekend I organised a girls weekend away on a canoeing/camping trip in the Kangaroo valley. 10 of us drove there and paddled with the canoes through the valley, then swam in the river to cool off at the end of the day, set up camp, had a camp fire with 2 locals that were there too and shared some nice stories and laughs. Today we got up early, had pancakes with banana and nutella for breakfast and then canoed for a few more hours. I now feel like my arms will fall off. I have no idea in how much pain I am going to be in tomorrow. But it is a good pain.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

Now it is time for me to get some proper sleep in my bed. There's lots more I want to tell you about what has been happening in my life here, how happy and proud I am of my sister who has started the most amazing job as a fashion designer, how I do miss my family and about my travel plans over xmas to South East Asia, how I would like to see you girls and more and more... so that is for the next post. Now it is sweet dreams time for me.

H x

I want news too!!

I agree with Cle, it's been sometime now and I know nothing about you girls... We don't even send emails anymore :((((

Since last time in the desert, I went to Crazy horse for 4 days and then a week after to Dahab for 5 days to see Valentina and Jack and to take my diving course. Now I'm a certified open water diver YUPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Diving Instructor, Diving Buddy and Happy me :)))

My life is being a bit crazy lately and me trying to do a lot of activities as the weather is perfect and I want to do many many many many things and usually no time

Next month, I'm buying my bicycle and one of my friends will teach me how to play Squash... Sooo Excited about that too

Boys are now always activities' buddies... So i have my diving buddy, my shisha buddy, searching for my cycling buddy now hehehehehe

The general situation is not always good, working in politics turned to be emotionally consuming and I get to a lot of points where I struggle to stay positive or even smile... so that's why, i think, activities level is increasing to make the balance

I really miss you all and I keep talking about you girls all the time,

Lots of love,

Tas

xx

The name says it all

Our blog name that is :)
It's been really busy here too.Where are those hours???

Cle, am so glad you had a great time with the parents. And the 'meet the parents' episode went well too.

Tas: I just think one day you will be the president. This day will come. You're right to take on all these activities because the day you became president you would clearly not have time.

News from planet Beril: We went away on holidays to visit a friend in Morocco. It was a but stressful before I left and it's back to crazy rythm before Xmas. Tas I know what you're thinking, our next trip will be Egypt. I want to go to all these places you keep mentioning!

My dad is over this week, so I will be busy again. (He's so funny; he likes being here as he gets to chill and not do much. Leisurely walking in the Xmas ornated streets and meeting me for lunch, discovering the pleasure of taking pictures).

Today we're starting a Christmas decoration gorilla war at work. I asked my dad to bring a couple of items and obviously I ended up with a bag full of kitch Xmas stuff. Bring it on!
Given Matt doesn't care about Xmas decoration at home, I'm going to satisfy this need with doing it at work.There we go.

Am starting to get excited about Xmas (and obcessed! How many times am i mentionning xmas in this post? Oh dear...).
We will be in france during that time.
What are you girls planning to do?

Looking forward to hearing more about you and seeing some of you on the 23rd :)

Lots of love
Missing you terribly.
Bxxx

So sad to see

That no one has posted anything in a while :(
Girls!!!

My parents left two days ago and I am still very sad they are gone. I think I got used to having them around, also because I don't remember the last time we spent this much time together!
When I go home it's totally different, with friends and family around, while these two weeks were really quality time for us.
Seeing them go was really tough and it's taking me time to get over it. I think I also feel a little guilty for living so far away and spending so little time with them. But I guess at least I appreciate them more? I'm sure you understand how I feel.

Anyway, we had two great weeks. We did a lot of the typical things turists do in NY - Empire State Building, boat tour to the Statue of Liberty, Time Square and a walk in Central Park + rowing in the lake followed by lunch at the Boathouse...oh and yes, lots of eating out!

My parents on the Brooklyn Bridge

They of course met Bernard :) my mum liked him a lot, so much that she started planning my wedding (sic!) Communication was hard of course, I had to translate everything, and Bernard got bored a little at times, but I think overall went very well :)
We spent the weekend away, just the four of us, drove around Long Island, did some sightseeing, drunk some wine in local vineyards...we had a nice time!

Now it's back to work :(

We have a big RIM presentation coming up, so I am super busy on that. Lara ended up having to do all of the reports for Apple because of that (and because I took time off when my parents where here), she wasn't very happy, but hey!

I can't wait for that to be over, and then it will be Thanksgiving.....more time off, yey! And then it's Christmas....can't believe the year is almost over!!!!

Today we watched the marathon, and now American Football....kind of boring...buys and sports!

Love,
C