saturday

The kitchen was full of Germans...(OK, just 2) making biscuits. I went to salsa in Selly Oak. There was a live band, I with I could play flute like this!!!!!!! Was good evenings, thanks for dances with J, M, F,  D and two whose names I do not know.

Somebody got a bit of shock when she saw me...."Did you cut your hair?" No, it was just all plaited and up, ready for spins, not like at the Christmas party ->

The floor was a bit slippery or I did not brush the shoes enough, the soles were full of glitter from the christmas party.

Now cleaning shoes, then off to play flute and then 4 last days of work before going home and making plans of seeing everybody and making gingerbread, walking in Tallinn, walking in my hometown, going to see a fire installation, Christmas and maybe something else.

lets go whereever!

A few weeks ago I emailed an old friend with whom we used to go cycling. I remembered that after one my summer trek she said she would like to go somewhere. So I gave my "plans" for next summer's European trek (with destination open.....depends on who is going and what languages we know or are able to learn basics in).

She said it would be her first hike of this kind, "don't worry, I am strong!" That's the correct attitude, I am not as strong as some of my friends either....
 Also, she does not mind where we go (and I can make plans....as chaotic as I want), as long as it's in beautiful nature and with a tent!

Yesterday was the floor's Christmas meal. It is very strange, I am living here for more than 6 years and I feel home in the company of two kinds of people, foreigners and geeks (in the best sense). I left home 7pm, because I can really only leave home on x.00 or x.30. Went to the restaurant, nobody was there, so I walked around in Harborne a bit and next time I went, there were people, but not from my office. So....they are nice, but without usual topics of potatoes, hiking, or the things we talk in the office.....I felt strange.


Today the house is full of Germans, E is making Christmas biscuits. And I will go to salsa later.

Taize, the special place

I miss it! From summer, song practice:

                                                                        

a bad day

Morning wake up, rush to uni to have "coffee" with S and R (I took my own tea, as I did not want to have tea with milk and did not want to go to office to use the kettle in the kitchen) and taking my flask from the "camping drawer", I thought, since uni does not sell any good food, we could cook good campfood outside (a bit more interesting than microwave). So....I paid by card in a shop. A crowded shop that does not have customer service. Unfortunately, I forgot my card in the machine and could not get it back, because the queue was too long and there was nobody to talk to. So went to bank on same street and was advised to cancel the card instead. Had to phone some place and they had courage to talk to me about credit card. No thanks, I would rather use the money I have. I could not use the card I did not have....so thought, I shoudl take some cash out from the Estonian account (I have been paying back the student loan, so need to make sure it has money on all the time) and the machine ate the card! Went inside to ask about it, I need to contact my bank. Meanwhile, mum was trying to phone me. At home, she gave me the contact of Estonian bank and they also closed this card. I am cardless. Then, trying to pay the electricity bill, it does not work, because I owe them £0. Yes. Because the landlord had set up a different account for me in the same address 2 months after we moved in. I opened an account from 1st August and had paid 1st bill in Sept. He opened a new account for the same address, same person,in October and told us. I phoned the company and they said they will just cancel the new one. Yes, my old account was active, I submitted meter readings online, but now got a paper bill for a different account. My old one has "temporary technical problems. Do not worry, we are trying to fix it". The normal behaviour, phoning them does not work on Saturday. OK< they want my money, they have to wait until Monday......because it's their problem for creating all these difficulties. Nevertheless, I managed to buy a book from Estonian bookshop, epub, then convert it to kindle. Jumping down the stairs, I saw E. J:"I am going to read this book in bed now!" E: "You mean articles?" J: "No, a book!" Oh yes I should work......but just a bit of book I lie to myself. I know I will finish when the book is read. The book I would have wanted for Christmas, but I do not want a paper copy as it will add more bulk to my belongings (yes it is nice to have a bookshelf, but not when I do not know what country I will be in a few years time) Good night....I will probably appear online late rot do some midnight programming and such fun.

better

Now, when I feel better, it is a good idea to do some strange exercise in the evening, so strange that next day it is impossible to say why I am aching. Just because I cannot go skating. Today I went to see the P...D Movie. I was not bored, but think I could have used the hour or so in a better way. I must be happy because I could not relate to the negative side. In addition to that, it did not have a story. Of course, it had useful points too: "have a life". I was not going to bachata and rueda, but submitted my abstract and went. And after submitting the abstract and dancing, somebody wanted some serious advice, something I am not the best to say anything. I hope he does not generalise my opinion and leaves it as my opinion, not everybody's. Evening....I did not crochet, one round and a bit on my poncho. It might be ready by new year if I keep the snail pace.