Oh god, how annoying was that potato-trick, every morning having to pull them of my pointy toe-boots before going to the office.. “Hey new boss, I’m that Crazy-Dane, who not only read too many forwards, I take them pretty serious too! You should probabloy reconsider my e-mail access”…
- Alright, alright, back to life. So how is that new job coming on?
I’ve been getting loads of mails, and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to answer most yet :(
- Alright, alright, back to life. So how is that new job coming on?
I’ve been getting loads of mails, and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to answer most yet :(
So, hope this will be a proper update (yeah, even I wish that - since I have this probably well-known thing about spontaneously liberate the imagination, that not even I can’t control … ‘huh? What was that??’…).
I’m basically still ongoing with the ‘introduction-week’. Very specified agenda you receive around here, Go home Brussels! - Introduction to the intranet, to the objectives of the Agency, to different databases and to the way of how things work around here. And, not to forget, the ‘tour of the house’! A tour where you’re visiting every single office, and get to repeat your name, where you’ve been and what you will be doing there for the future, for around -hmmmm- a 100 times? (it was the holiday-season, not everyone was there - still regret I didn’t bring a bottle of water thou..).
I’m not yet installed in my own office, as it’s, well under re-organisation. Same-same as Commission. Perhaps there’s an EU office-policy on that? “Article 14; Re-organising offices: Confuse your employees till they got use to the new surroundings - then repeat the procedure and re-organise”
In this current office of mine the previous occupier was called…
“Hey! You’re not Marc??!”
Swinging around in my chair to see who’s standing in the doorway. Never seen the person before… “Uhm…no. I’m not Marc…” Not only giving my full support to that statement, I can’t help to feel that I’m also disappointing this person. “Eh, I’m Christina? You know. The old Eva?”
I’m still thinking; who’s Eva?
When my colleague took me around the house to introduce me to every single person working here, her explanation about me and what I was going to do was quickly shorten down to: This is Christina, she’s the old Eva. Especially the scientific people left half a smile and a confused look in their eyes ‘Aaaah….-ha…’ And then they would quickly dig back in to their mountains of books and papers again. Probably thinking like me, Who is Eva?
“Hey, but haven’t you done the ‘tour of the house’??”
“Eh, yeah..?” Very famous tour, everyone asks me about that.
“But I haven’t met you before???”
And after the 4th person passing by announcing that I’m not Marc, and sort of claiming that I certainly hadn’t done that tour, I start to point out the holiday season that I had ‘accidentally’ been recruited in, and therefore this person must obviously have been on holidays at the time of the tour. “Oh yeah, I was!” A big pleased smile spreads on the face “Oh, great weather we had, wasn’t it?? Amazing heat, huh! Ah, some of the more positive sides about that global warming…ha ha” and the colleague leaves again giggling loudly down the corridor about this ‘old’ joke. “oh!” He returned 10 seconds after thou “I’m Thomas, nice to meet you, and welcome to the house! ...so-ehm, do you know where Marc is??”
…I know where Marc is – after the 3rd person asking, I thought it would be a handy kind of information. And now it typically just goes:
“You’re not...” and before the person in the door-way finishes after calculating how fast a an average man can grow long hair, I burst in “..he left, you missed the party” – I’ve stopped turning around, now I wait till people actually say something and then I swing around if necessary, i.e. to work-wise colleagues (you get dizzy otherwise! Marc was a weavy popular man!)
But I have to say, it’s a very happy little Agency, people, whether they call you Marc or Old Eva, are always in a mood for a chit-chat. Even the chef in the canteen making the only café latte (lait russe) a day, the one for me, concerned yet cheerfully met me this morning; Oh Christina, you look bit moody today, huh? That gotta be with a double instead of a single espresso, there! And two chocolates, I’m in a sweet mood today – but tomorrow you get none, he he he he! Have a nice day! And he disappears back to the kitchen. Now - however you felt before - you’re left with a rather more confused look 'do I look moody? But I'm not moody, or, perhaps I am. Am I?'. And from the kitchen a lovely smell of all sorts of dishes is deliciously spread into the rest of the colorful canteen. Lunch gonna be good, again, today… ;) Hey! But did you notice?? Yeah! We get Belgian chocolates to the morning coffee and caramel chocolates to the afternoon coffee, all served on a little plate arranged with a REAL spoon that doesn’t disappear in the mountains of foam only to get choked in your throat back in the office – cos this spoon here is looong enough for the glass it’s served in (it’s a tricky one), and cane-sugar on the side (and, anyone wanna know more about my morning-coffee, can call me on this number; 555-you’re bored and need a life, like me…).
The food… Never forget the food! The Agency is known for its best kitchen inside the EU. Aaand, no wonder. It’s an eldorado for food-lovers. Like myself. One big buffet with several starters, several main-dishes (mix as you want – Wouw, Christmas again today?? ;p), something new every day, and check this patriot out, Cake on Fridays! “Hey guys! It’s Friday!! Who wants a piece of home-made chocolate cake!??” (Yes I know Kitija, you would luuuuurve it here ;)).
Coffee, chocolates, food…hmmm, what haven’t I told you about yet in my new job??
Oh! Theeee job of course! ...Yep. Definitely. I like it.
Ok, ok. I really do. And I actually managed to get the “But then…don’t you need an assistant? I can copy, I can carry, I can note, well no, I can’t note and take minutes and stuff, but I can pretend!” – through! And what does that mean exactly? I’m going to Barcelona on a mission!
I’m basically still ongoing with the ‘introduction-week’. Very specified agenda you receive around here, Go home Brussels! - Introduction to the intranet, to the objectives of the Agency, to different databases and to the way of how things work around here. And, not to forget, the ‘tour of the house’! A tour where you’re visiting every single office, and get to repeat your name, where you’ve been and what you will be doing there for the future, for around -hmmmm- a 100 times? (it was the holiday-season, not everyone was there - still regret I didn’t bring a bottle of water thou..).
I’m not yet installed in my own office, as it’s, well under re-organisation. Same-same as Commission. Perhaps there’s an EU office-policy on that? “Article 14; Re-organising offices: Confuse your employees till they got use to the new surroundings - then repeat the procedure and re-organise”
In this current office of mine the previous occupier was called…
“Hey! You’re not Marc??!”
Swinging around in my chair to see who’s standing in the doorway. Never seen the person before… “Uhm…no. I’m not Marc…” Not only giving my full support to that statement, I can’t help to feel that I’m also disappointing this person. “Eh, I’m Christina? You know. The old Eva?”
I’m still thinking; who’s Eva?
When my colleague took me around the house to introduce me to every single person working here, her explanation about me and what I was going to do was quickly shorten down to: This is Christina, she’s the old Eva. Especially the scientific people left half a smile and a confused look in their eyes ‘Aaaah….-ha…’ And then they would quickly dig back in to their mountains of books and papers again. Probably thinking like me, Who is Eva?
“Hey, but haven’t you done the ‘tour of the house’??”
“Eh, yeah..?” Very famous tour, everyone asks me about that.
“But I haven’t met you before???”
And after the 4th person passing by announcing that I’m not Marc, and sort of claiming that I certainly hadn’t done that tour, I start to point out the holiday season that I had ‘accidentally’ been recruited in, and therefore this person must obviously have been on holidays at the time of the tour. “Oh yeah, I was!” A big pleased smile spreads on the face “Oh, great weather we had, wasn’t it?? Amazing heat, huh! Ah, some of the more positive sides about that global warming…ha ha” and the colleague leaves again giggling loudly down the corridor about this ‘old’ joke. “oh!” He returned 10 seconds after thou “I’m Thomas, nice to meet you, and welcome to the house! ...so-ehm, do you know where Marc is??”
…I know where Marc is – after the 3rd person asking, I thought it would be a handy kind of information. And now it typically just goes:
“You’re not...” and before the person in the door-way finishes after calculating how fast a an average man can grow long hair, I burst in “..he left, you missed the party” – I’ve stopped turning around, now I wait till people actually say something and then I swing around if necessary, i.e. to work-wise colleagues (you get dizzy otherwise! Marc was a weavy popular man!)
But I have to say, it’s a very happy little Agency, people, whether they call you Marc or Old Eva, are always in a mood for a chit-chat. Even the chef in the canteen making the only café latte (lait russe) a day, the one for me, concerned yet cheerfully met me this morning; Oh Christina, you look bit moody today, huh? That gotta be with a double instead of a single espresso, there! And two chocolates, I’m in a sweet mood today – but tomorrow you get none, he he he he! Have a nice day! And he disappears back to the kitchen. Now - however you felt before - you’re left with a rather more confused look 'do I look moody? But I'm not moody, or, perhaps I am. Am I?'. And from the kitchen a lovely smell of all sorts of dishes is deliciously spread into the rest of the colorful canteen. Lunch gonna be good, again, today… ;) Hey! But did you notice?? Yeah! We get Belgian chocolates to the morning coffee and caramel chocolates to the afternoon coffee, all served on a little plate arranged with a REAL spoon that doesn’t disappear in the mountains of foam only to get choked in your throat back in the office – cos this spoon here is looong enough for the glass it’s served in (it’s a tricky one), and cane-sugar on the side (and, anyone wanna know more about my morning-coffee, can call me on this number; 555-you’re bored and need a life, like me…).
The food… Never forget the food! The Agency is known for its best kitchen inside the EU. Aaand, no wonder. It’s an eldorado for food-lovers. Like myself. One big buffet with several starters, several main-dishes (mix as you want – Wouw, Christmas again today?? ;p), something new every day, and check this patriot out, Cake on Fridays! “Hey guys! It’s Friday!! Who wants a piece of home-made chocolate cake!??” (Yes I know Kitija, you would luuuuurve it here ;)).
Coffee, chocolates, food…hmmm, what haven’t I told you about yet in my new job??
Oh! Theeee job of course! ...Yep. Definitely. I like it.
Ok, ok. I really do. And I actually managed to get the “But then…don’t you need an assistant? I can copy, I can carry, I can note, well no, I can’t note and take minutes and stuff, but I can pretend!” – through! And what does that mean exactly? I’m going to Barcelona on a mission!
(Mission Impossible theme song starts(hear it?): Christina in a black suit – wearing black sunglasses – black mobile in one hand – black matching handbag in the other – style, class, she’s walking out of the airport in BCN – then, she’s checking one corner – checking the other corner - suddenly! With a quick move, she’s pointing the mobile at two delivery-boys “Get down, naaow!!! On your stomach! I said! ON YOUR STOMACH!!” (there’s always something suspicious about them delivery-boys) … (huh? What was that??)
…In what seemed to be a harmless ‘suggestion’ turned out as a possible career boost – thou, I shall try and leave the suit at home, or at least be wearing summer-skirt, clip-claps and a fluffy handbag (just to be sure) on the travel itself. Promise. After all, the weather BETTER be damn good! As it’ll be three days of work and five days of holidays sipping drinks at the beach and delivering hot salsa-moves at night. My colleague knows exactly which bars to go to, she’s been there 10 times before :) Gotta love that new job…
Ok, several reasons why this was cool to tell you. First; Have you ever imagine me as special agent before?? Huh??? …No? Ok. So, anyway second, I’ve been preparing the first 1000 missions for colleagues in the past 4 years, and now I actually get to go - and I don’t even have to prepare it myself! Which is kinda odd actually, but ok. And for the best reason -drums please- First beach holiday in 2 years! First holiday in 1 year.
(I’m loosing readers here…you didn’t really wanted to know e-ve-ry-thing, did you??)
Anyway, despite the fact that I’ve just had internet for an entire month IN A ROW (yeah a-ha! I go giiirl!) for the first time in my life, I could do nothing but stand helpless and watch the sacrificing to the Nordic Gods - who apparently got pretty pissed lately, and had a week of furious anger (aka thunderstorms, biiig intensive thunderstorms “it’s ok Sweety, you just count the seconds after the lightning till the big boom and you know how far away it is, wanna try? Uh! There it was, one, two…” CRRRRRRIIIIETCH… BROOOOOOOOOOOM!!! - “Waaaaah!!! MOOOOOMMYYYYYY!” – my niece wasn’t really in for the counting-thing yet…), every single day for an entire week. There’s more electricity in the air now than in an entire full-length Madonna-concert!
Right. Despite the internet is down (is what I meant), I’m still home in my big city miniature tree house (aka home) and am basically ready to drag my hard-working-SPECIAL-AGENT-body into bed… (it’s not really that far, but still, dragging… Luxury body tired, needs sleep).
Hopefully (for those who’s still around reading this part…ahem) I’ll have some evenMORE exciting news soon! ;)
Tah-taaah… :)
Christina x
Ps – but I still MISS YOU LIKE HELL!!!
(…interesting expression actually… Like Hell... …ok, stop, enough, bed, please, someone, take the keyboard away from me…pleazzzzzz)
…In what seemed to be a harmless ‘suggestion’ turned out as a possible career boost – thou, I shall try and leave the suit at home, or at least be wearing summer-skirt, clip-claps and a fluffy handbag (just to be sure) on the travel itself. Promise. After all, the weather BETTER be damn good! As it’ll be three days of work and five days of holidays sipping drinks at the beach and delivering hot salsa-moves at night. My colleague knows exactly which bars to go to, she’s been there 10 times before :) Gotta love that new job…
Ok, several reasons why this was cool to tell you. First; Have you ever imagine me as special agent before?? Huh??? …No? Ok. So, anyway second, I’ve been preparing the first 1000 missions for colleagues in the past 4 years, and now I actually get to go - and I don’t even have to prepare it myself! Which is kinda odd actually, but ok. And for the best reason -drums please- First beach holiday in 2 years! First holiday in 1 year.
(I’m loosing readers here…you didn’t really wanted to know e-ve-ry-thing, did you??)
Anyway, despite the fact that I’ve just had internet for an entire month IN A ROW (yeah a-ha! I go giiirl!) for the first time in my life, I could do nothing but stand helpless and watch the sacrificing to the Nordic Gods - who apparently got pretty pissed lately, and had a week of furious anger (aka thunderstorms, biiig intensive thunderstorms “it’s ok Sweety, you just count the seconds after the lightning till the big boom and you know how far away it is, wanna try? Uh! There it was, one, two…” CRRRRRRIIIIETCH… BROOOOOOOOOOOM!!! - “Waaaaah!!! MOOOOOMMYYYYYY!” – my niece wasn’t really in for the counting-thing yet…), every single day for an entire week. There’s more electricity in the air now than in an entire full-length Madonna-concert!
Right. Despite the internet is down (is what I meant), I’m still home in my big city miniature tree house (aka home) and am basically ready to drag my hard-working-SPECIAL-AGENT-body into bed… (it’s not really that far, but still, dragging… Luxury body tired, needs sleep).
Hopefully (for those who’s still around reading this part…ahem) I’ll have some evenMORE exciting news soon! ;)
Tah-taaah… :)
Christina x
Ps – but I still MISS YOU LIKE HELL!!!
(…interesting expression actually… Like Hell... …ok, stop, enough, bed, please, someone, take the keyboard away from me…pleazzzzzz)
