walking along Regents Canal

A nice walk in pleasant autumn weather towards Angel.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

trying my new mobile camera...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Mobile blogging

D came to London this past weekend and gave me enough moral support for me to buy a brand new mobile. Not just any mobile, but a cool smartphone. That means that I am totally connected. Any time. Any place. And I like it!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Missing you

Columbia flower market

It's been a while since I last addressed this topic. But I still think about it just as much as before. I think the outside world just expects you to not express it so often now that a certain period of time has passed. I even expect that of myself. But it is still so hard. I miss dad so much. When something good happens in my life that I get very happy about, I get this feeling of sadness, that I can't share it with my dad. It puts a shadow over all good things.

Dad I miss you.

My new life

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I got a new job with a competing company. Today was my first day. It was very intense, but also very exciting. We got to learn so many things about how things are done in the new company. They are quite different from what I am used to, but not necessarily in a bad way. Most of today was dedicated to training, but we also got a few hours to get to know our new colleagues and they all seem very nice. When I say "we" I mean the other girl who will do the same thing as myself who also joined today. She is also very nice. Can't wait to see what tomorrow will be like!

The nicest thing

I had an amazing birthday party yesterday. I couldn't have wished for anything else. It was perfect: my brother and his girlfriend J, my bfriend D, my best friend M and her husband V, my closest friends in London and ex colleagues were there... It was an amazing turnout. Also, I got some incredible presents. Each and every one so thought through and great. It just goes to show how well they know me... I love them so much. 

One special gift stood out among all the amazing presents. A gift that cannot be bought with money. It was a poem from a very special person in my life. I can't even begin to describe how honoured I feel, how much it means to me and how beautiful I think it is. This is something very special that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

If this is how it feels to be thirty I have not the slightest thing against it! Bring it on! 

30

Today is my birthday. I am turning 30. Actually I was born in the middle of the day on the 16th of September 1980, so technically I'm not 30 yet. It is a few minutes after midnight now so I have to go to bed. I also have another big thing coming up tomorrow: My last day at work. I think it's going to be an emotional day. Both happy and sad.

It will be my first birthday without my dear father. That hurts very much. But in some way I know he will be here watching over me. Like in the poem below, by Henry Scott Holland. I have to think that he is still here, just not the way I am used to.

Now I will remove my belly button piercing. I think I just outgrew it. ;-)

Before

After

Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all

I have only slipped away into the next room

I am I and you are you

Whatever we were to each other

That we are still

Call me by my old familiar name

Speak to me in the easy way you always used

Put no difference into your tone

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow

Laugh as we always laughed

At the little jokes we always enjoyed together

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was

Let it be spoken without effort

Without the ghost of a shadow in it

Life means all that it ever meant

It is the same as it ever was

There is absolute unbroken continuity

What is death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind

Because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you for an interval

Somewhere very near

Just around the corner

All is well.

Nothing is past; nothing is lost

One brief moment and all will be as it was before 

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Life is changing...

This year has been so full of bad news that I find it hard to believe when something good happens. I always think: "OK, this good thing happened. What other bad thing will happen now to destroy this moment?".

I resigned from my position in IDC almost 2 weeks ago. Just before going to Mallorca on my holidays. The reason was that I had just been offered a job with the competition. It's not like they just called me up on the phone to offer me this, naturally. But a friend of a friend was looking for someone with my background and my friend said "I know just the girl!". 6weeks and 4 interviews later the jobs was mine. I still can't believe it is true. I will be doing more or less the same thing as I do now, but for  brand new product and for more money... Maybe I will buy myself my beloved Louboutins with my first paycheck? I think I deserve them now!!

My favourite photos

Pictures from July

D enjoying the sun in Spitalfields

Bubba in the grass

Surprised!