A ham, philadelphia and Leberwurst (liver spread - something that Matt came to enjoy while staying with us) sandwich... a sandwich with all the main required food groups... umm... anything to keep the student going :)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Uni lunch...
A ham, philadelphia and Leberwurst (liver spread - something that Matt came to enjoy while staying with us) sandwich... a sandwich with all the main required food groups... umm... anything to keep the student going :)
Get a job!
All these months of being a student made me realise that I miss being employed! Not! Nah, well actually I seem to function better in a cycle where I have very little spare time, and more stress... Not! Anyway - I'm not sure why I applied for these jobs, but I guess I did. Mainly for something to do... it came up... and I think we can use the extra money - may be it'll give me a chance to fund my piano classes. Basically I'm just being spontaneous me without any reason at all. I'll have a think about whether to do it if I get it... besides who knows, may be noone wants to employ my gorgeous self and I'll have to continue being a student/housewife/renovator :)
So what did I apply for? Weheeheheell... wouldn't you like to know :)
Allright I'll stop being silly... I applied for some Web-Dev jobs, but already got a "thanks, but no thanks" from one... and not sure if I actually want to work for the other ones. I guess I could always go back to Aperto, I mean the job was interesting and the people nice... but the lack of management and low pay sux. I also applied for a 'tour-guide' job at The Story of Berlin - one of the local museums... I hope this one will have more cred than the last one I applied for at New Berlin Tours, where the 20-something CEO started touching my legs and shoulders :( ewwwwww AAAnyway... got an interview there tomorrow. And I also got an info from a friend about a Studentische Hilfskraft (Student Assistant) working at the Max-Planck Institut for Human Development. It's for someone with database skills maintaining their data for a project. Databases are not really my speciality, and that's what I told them straight out - so have to see. They also need someone to start straight away, and I can only start in April, 'cos I'm gonna be in Ruskiland in March. But as such this job would be good... it'll be working in their department of Lifespan Psychology, so they do a lot of interesting research on ageing, etc., and it's also a really cool building. Plus for 40 hours a month I'll be getting paid the same as I did for full-time in Aperto doing my Praktikum. I had an interview there this morning and they promised to let me know sometime next week. Dunno - I think they liked me but I don't have immediately all the computer skills that they need. Time will tell.
So that's just an update from a student on a lunchbreak :)
So what did I apply for? Weheeheheell... wouldn't you like to know :)
Allright I'll stop being silly... I applied for some Web-Dev jobs, but already got a "thanks, but no thanks" from one... and not sure if I actually want to work for the other ones. I guess I could always go back to Aperto, I mean the job was interesting and the people nice... but the lack of management and low pay sux. I also applied for a 'tour-guide' job at The Story of Berlin - one of the local museums... I hope this one will have more cred than the last one I applied for at New Berlin Tours, where the 20-something CEO started touching my legs and shoulders :( ewwwwww AAAnyway... got an interview there tomorrow. And I also got an info from a friend about a Studentische Hilfskraft (Student Assistant) working at the Max-Planck Institut for Human Development. It's for someone with database skills maintaining their data for a project. Databases are not really my speciality, and that's what I told them straight out - so have to see. They also need someone to start straight away, and I can only start in April, 'cos I'm gonna be in Ruskiland in March. But as such this job would be good... it'll be working in their department of Lifespan Psychology, so they do a lot of interesting research on ageing, etc., and it's also a really cool building. Plus for 40 hours a month I'll be getting paid the same as I did for full-time in Aperto doing my Praktikum. I had an interview there this morning and they promised to let me know sometime next week. Dunno - I think they liked me but I don't have immediately all the computer skills that they need. Time will tell.
So that's just an update from a student on a lunchbreak :)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sofa so good...
Sometime early 2007 we bough a new sofa (having decided to use the existing sofa as our bed, and put the bed in the storage room - long story about beds and Germans, but we'll leave that for another time).
So in memory of this momentous occasion we thought we'd update the sofa to something more funky:
So in memory of this momentous occasion we thought we'd update the sofa to something more funky:
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Destroy and Rebuild - a tale of eBay and (somewhat) Polish labour
We've been renovating, as you know, and slack in posting about it, as you also know. So here's what's been happening.
We used the marvels of eBay to turn our unwanted goods:
into a whopping 29.99€ with only a minor bugger up (the people who bought the kitchen sink never turned up, which they bought for the grand total 1€), but a 9€ tip (the oven people) as well so we're definitely coming out ahead - that money might buy half a bucket of paint ;-)
We made our pile a bit neater, so that we and the builders could actually get in and work.
Stripped the remaining wallpaper, night after night after night until it was finally all done
We ripped out the bathtub with some help from Matt, decided that open plan living was the way to go, and then decided that the open plan loo was perhaps a bit much - it's just too hard to concentrate on the newspaper when there's so much else going on
The electricians have been doing a great job of making the place somewhat hazardous, but the builders will be patching that all up in good time (i hope)
The plastering has been started, the ceilings are almost done and the walls are started.
Speaking of walls, most of the new walls are up too
We've also been running around like headless chickens trying to get all the stuff we need, suddenly realising that we have nothing no knives, no forks, no towels, no vacuum, no mop, no broom, no bed - and done a surprising amount of shopping on the net. Bathtub, taps, microwave all online and so far so good. The prices have been right and the service better than expected.
With time counting down (end of Feb we have to be out of this place) so we're hoping to be able to get in and do some painting, would be good to start that in the evening next week, that way if we do some before the floors are in we wont have to care about the mess so much... and hopefully we can get at least one room done before we have to be out of here.
We used the marvels of eBay to turn our unwanted goods:
We made our pile a bit neater, so that we and the builders could actually get in and work.
Stripped the remaining wallpaper, night after night after night until it was finally all done
We ripped out the bathtub with some help from Matt, decided that open plan living was the way to go, and then decided that the open plan loo was perhaps a bit much - it's just too hard to concentrate on the newspaper when there's so much else going on
The electricians have been doing a great job of making the place somewhat hazardous, but the builders will be patching that all up in good time (i hope)
The plastering has been started, the ceilings are almost done and the walls are started.
Speaking of walls, most of the new walls are up too
We've also been running around like headless chickens trying to get all the stuff we need, suddenly realising that we have nothing no knives, no forks, no towels, no vacuum, no mop, no broom, no bed - and done a surprising amount of shopping on the net. Bathtub, taps, microwave all online and so far so good. The prices have been right and the service better than expected.
With time counting down (end of Feb we have to be out of this place) so we're hoping to be able to get in and do some painting, would be good to start that in the evening next week, that way if we do some before the floors are in we wont have to care about the mess so much... and hopefully we can get at least one room done before we have to be out of here.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Talk about surprised!
well it goes a bit like this...
You're gonna turn the big Three Ohhhh-my-god-I'm-OLD and as such you're not particularly thrilled about it. You try to ignore it and spend a bit of time putting off the idea of parties, guests, celebrations and the like. You fully intend to wallow in some serious einsam misery. Then life throws you a curve ball...
Just before new year you get sent out of the house with the other "males" because the girls want to spend some time together. They look all innocent too.
Ok so we go out and wander from pub to pub, and you know Marx and Engles did look pretty lonely...
It turns out these two ladies have been scheming away since June 2007! Don't they look like cats with cream?
So with a bit of help they set me up
I completely and totally was not expecting this as you can tell from my expression, I really wasn't expecting to see my mum here, having recently received what turned out to be wild goose chase emails detailing her plans for Christmas and new year.
So what cures shock better than a bottle or four of chilled bubbly? Nothing, so that's just what we used to calm me down, judging by the background photos this may have been a mistake ;-)
I got a cake, with candles, waaaaay too many candles, but by this point I was happy enough not to care in the least.
After the success of those candles, we moved on to Roman candles, they're a lot harder to blow out, but have the added advantage of blowing up ;-)
With all the balloons around we made a fun and interesting pet for Cat, her own inflatable, deformed puppy, she seemed to quite like him too
Some folks sent video messages which Polina was sweet enough to put them together into this:
Watching them really knocked me out, but I was okay in the end.
I'd really love to thank all of the guests who came by, the people who sent videos, those who called or emailed or sent cards. The worlds a scary place, at 30 even more so, but with so many people who care it makes it a much better place to be.
So after that night I thought the fun and games were over, my wonderful gorgeous spectacular wife assured me that that was it... until on the 7th of Jan me and my mum went to a museum, when we got back she'd backed muffins for lunch. Then the doorbell rings and it's my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin from Frankfurt.
They even cooked breaky for us on the 8th, it being my mum's birthday too (yes my family is freaky)
Later in the day on the 8th my cousin from Frankfurt called too, asked what we were up to etc..., I thought he sounded a bit near by at that point, and then about 20min later he turned up at the museum, having not told anyone he was gonna come over the surprises didn't stop.
He's also a bit of a clown and engaged in the fun sport of Polina Tipping as can be seen here
We all went out on the 8th of Jan and had a great meal at a good Chinese place (it's across the road from the Chinese Embassy, and the Ambassador can be seen eating there).
When I get around to using my birthday gift of a two day stuntman course I'll post some about that too.
There's only really one thing left to say about all of this, Thank you so very very very much my incredible wife. I love you completely and totally and you made my 30th birthday the most wonderful and least scary birthday ever!
You're gonna turn the big Three Ohhhh-my-god-I'm-OLD and as such you're not particularly thrilled about it. You try to ignore it and spend a bit of time putting off the idea of parties, guests, celebrations and the like. You fully intend to wallow in some serious einsam misery. Then life throws you a curve ball...
Just before new year you get sent out of the house with the other "males" because the girls want to spend some time together. They look all innocent too.
Ok so we go out and wander from pub to pub, and you know Marx and Engles did look pretty lonely...
It turns out these two ladies have been scheming away since June 2007! Don't they look like cats with cream?
So with a bit of help they set me up
I completely and totally was not expecting this as you can tell from my expression, I really wasn't expecting to see my mum here, having recently received what turned out to be wild goose chase emails detailing her plans for Christmas and new year.
So what cures shock better than a bottle or four of chilled bubbly? Nothing, so that's just what we used to calm me down, judging by the background photos this may have been a mistake ;-)
I got a cake, with candles, waaaaay too many candles, but by this point I was happy enough not to care in the least.
After the success of those candles, we moved on to Roman candles, they're a lot harder to blow out, but have the added advantage of blowing up ;-)
With all the balloons around we made a fun and interesting pet for Cat, her own inflatable, deformed puppy, she seemed to quite like him too
Some folks sent video messages which Polina was sweet enough to put them together into this:
Watching them really knocked me out, but I was okay in the end.
I'd really love to thank all of the guests who came by, the people who sent videos, those who called or emailed or sent cards. The worlds a scary place, at 30 even more so, but with so many people who care it makes it a much better place to be.
So after that night I thought the fun and games were over, my wonderful gorgeous spectacular wife assured me that that was it... until on the 7th of Jan me and my mum went to a museum, when we got back she'd backed muffins for lunch. Then the doorbell rings and it's my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin from Frankfurt.
They even cooked breaky for us on the 8th, it being my mum's birthday too (yes my family is freaky)
Later in the day on the 8th my cousin from Frankfurt called too, asked what we were up to etc..., I thought he sounded a bit near by at that point, and then about 20min later he turned up at the museum, having not told anyone he was gonna come over the surprises didn't stop.
He's also a bit of a clown and engaged in the fun sport of Polina Tipping as can be seen here
We all went out on the 8th of Jan and had a great meal at a good Chinese place (it's across the road from the Chinese Embassy, and the Ambassador can be seen eating there).
When I get around to using my birthday gift of a two day stuntman course I'll post some about that too.
There's only really one thing left to say about all of this, Thank you so very very very much my incredible wife. I love you completely and totally and you made my 30th birthday the most wonderful and least scary birthday ever!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)