Countryside

Yesterday me, Boyfriend and Mother with two dogs - my Krecik and Boyfriend's Sara went to our family's home in the countryside. I absolutely love this place. It was there where I first got on a horse (or rather was put on a horse) when I was only 3. I've spent some amazing summers there. Although sometimes I was bored, sometimes I was annoyed that there's no cellphone coverage... now I truly appreciate all these things (where in the world there's no cellphone service?!): peacefulness, nature and a blue sky. It is literally in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods and fields. The nearest shop and asphalt road is 40 minutes walk through the forest and hills.  

A Little History of the World by Ernst Gombrich

Ugh. So Boyfriend left and he's boarding the plane right this second. To be honest, I still can't believe that he left and I'm all alone until Monday. I have this feeling that he's gonna come home any minute from work and enter the room with huge smile on his face. I keep myself busy with cleaning, mini-at-home SPA and watching Jersey Shore. I also have plans to read The Slap and maybe some leftover Sunday Times magazines. 

Last week I've finished reading A Little History of the World by Ernst Gombrich. The book is fantastic, and starts with the enternal 'Once upon a time...'. The introduction is brilliant and interesting. The book starts slowly explains the history of the world and provides a great outline for both adults and children. It does tell a 'story' in such a way that encourages you to find out more. The only drawback for me was that I realized at the very end of the book that it was written over 50 years ago (I had no idea who Gombrich was, as far as I know, Boyfriend got him mistaken with Polish writer Wiktor Gombrowicz). Therefore, I disagree with some of his views - especially concerning modern history - World War I and II as well as the communism era. He focuses on the industrialization and the connection between machines and people in whole chapter, regrettably omitting USSR and Marxism. I was also disappointed not to have any information on communist China (even though there are few China chapters along the way) or Korea and Vietnam wars. So that's why towards the end of the book I got a feeling that he was bored with writing and wanted to wrap it up as soon as possible. A real shame, because I would gladly give this book 10/10.

Picnic at Primrose Hill

Because we enjoyed our picnic at Regent's Park yesterday so much and we wanted to take a full advantage of the beautiful and warm London weather, we decided to go for a picnic also today. This time we went to Primrose Hill, which is even closer from the bus stop than the Regent's Park. I've never been there and it's the place to be. If you know the second Bridget Jones movie, the opening scene when Bridget and Mark Darcy are running on the hill was filmed exactly in that location. It is a hill of 78m, so there is an amazing panorama of central London with London Eye and the City.

On the way there, I texted Dom-dom and even though it take her a while, she got there and we spent an amazing time together joking, laughing and simply talking. We even came up with little business idea, which will hopefully flourish to something big, as both of us are unhappy in the situations we're currently in - she is unhappy with her job, I am with unemployment. So I think we're gonna be partners in crime. Exciting!

Sunday on the move

Because we were so tired after clubbing, we woke up really late. But we went out anyway. We had major problems with Boris bikes today and it was a huge disappointment for me. Plus, it kinda ruined our plans, we were supposed to go cycling around Hyde Park, but it has to wait. The weather in London was good today and we left late, so there were no bikes in the docking stations. 

In the end, we had a walk from St John's Wood, through Hyde Park to the Baker Street, where we had Sunday roast (vegetarian, naturally). 

 

 

Then we walked all the way to Marble Arch. Boyfriend had a dessert after lunch - his favourite chocolate fudge cake - and my treat today was Costa coffee. Because I don't like strong coffee, I ordered latte with less coffee and more milk, but what I got was 99% milk. And I sweetened it. Not good. 

We were in a hurry, because we wanted to go to the cinema and see Source Code. The movie is really good, but it left me a little bit paranoid about the terrorist attacks in the tube. When you see the train being blown-up so many times, it sticks with you. It was more than I was expecting and I was really happy about the ending. It's good to be positive and I don't think that it's cheesy. 

I am so tired that I'm going to take my make-up off, brush my teeth and read something in bed. This last three days have been non-stop moving and I am really, really tired. My back hurts (I think I strained it in the gym), my feet ache and all I want is sleep. Tomorrow in the morning is gym time and I'm already dreading the treadmill.

Valentine's Day

Maybe I'm not feeling very well, maybe I'm angry and sad. Sometimes I'm fed up of everything and everyone and just want to hide from the world. But at all times there is this special someone, who stands by me and supports me - always. I don't have to pretend or act when I'm with him. He knows me more than anyone in this whole wide world universe. 

I love you in a place where there's no space or time;

I love you for my life, 'cause you're a friend of mine.

Discovering the Hummingbird Cupcackes

It was supposed to be snowing today in London. It didn't, but it is VERY cold. I was wearing my extra-warm gloves, long woolen scarf and a teddy hat which ended up in my bag, but I think it will see the world tomorrow. I was freezing, but I'm happy. I love pre-Christmas London - all the decorated shopping windows, festive atmosphere on the streets and random reminders of the gift-season.

That's what I want for Christmas!

Our plan was to go to the Spanish Bookshop so I can buy some books for studying, dinner and cinema. When we climbed the stairs on the Oxford Circus it appeared that whole Regents Street and Oxford Street are closed for shopping and some festive stuff.

OK, I'll also settle for this lot.

We managed to find some freebies like acid-green bag and I spent some time salivating in front of Liberty. The Manolos, Kiehl's cosmetics, scarves and lots and lots of little gems...

I've bought some books: Temas de derecho - Español en el ámbito jurídico, El cronómetro: Manuales depreparación DELE and Spanish Elle. Then we were looking for a place to eat from the TasteCard application on the phone (Boyfriend has a card so he gets various discounts), but after wandering around for like an hour we've given up and by accident decided to go to Byron. Luckily they do have vegetarian hamburgers so we didn't starve in the end! The PERFECT dessert was the Hummingbird Cupcake! I have no idea that next to the Oxford Street - is one of the most magical places with the BEST cupcakes in the world! Now I know when we're gonna desserts every time aka tomorrow.

Boyfriend's 24th Birthday

I don't want today to be only marked as a date of my failed interview, so I decided to write about something more cheerful. Yesterday was Boyfriend's 24th Birthday! Poor thing is really excited and terrified at once when this day comes every year. Because I am 6 months younger than him (and Mother sent me to school one year earlier; I was am smart and intelligent), I tease him by saying: "You're sooo old". He reacts VERY aggressively and immediately after makes a sad face and noises which I can only describe as "Sniff, sniff".

Yesterday was our little celebration. Boyfriend got his presents - extremely modest this year due to my non-working - but because I know what he likes they were spot on! I also chose a very nice card, from the series we follow for various celebrations - anniversaries, Christmas, I-like-giving-you-a-card days, I-am-so-in-love-with-you-it-hurts days etc., etc. Boyfriend was happy and immediately got suck up in the surprise book. It was a lazy Sunday, but I like those. It's the time when you can relax, we can eat BIG breakfast sitting together - and Boyfriend prepares everything. In the evening there was my guilty pleasure - Xfactor and looking out of the window to admire a full moon*.

On Saturday we had a little birthday celebrations linked together with the housewarming party of Dom-dom and AP. There was a lot of champagne, food and vodka. We certainly know how to party! But because I had stupid interview today and Boyfriend was driving (Dom-dom and AP's crib is not far away, but to get there by tube takes around 1-1.5 hour, because you need to go to Central London first to change to the Northern Line) - i.e. not drinking except very little champagne and beer (we are strict on Driving = Not drinking; that's how Boyfriend's Father had a small car accident) - we decided not to go clubbing. Everyone was already wasted and clubbing was in North London - not Central where all my favourites are. I truly have fabbest friends who understood, so off we went, to bed and to get some beauty sleep.

* I've recently found a new admiration for the moon when I learned that it is made of SILVER! How cool is that?! I hope one day to have my very own Moon Silver pendant, earings and bracelet! And a ring to match!

What to wear: Halloween Edition

Every day is a never-ending saga of What to wear (My wardrobe is full and I STILL have nothing to wear!). There is only week and a half before a special edition of this programme: What to wear: Halloween Edition. This is serious. Dom-dom reminded me yesterday that we didn't discuss any possibilities! This year, like usually, we're going to be dressed up and clubbing somewhere in central London. Apparently, there is this girl which is organising a party and our Group Elite is coming. I need to think fast and make decisions even faster. I do NOT want it to be like last year.

Last year I was so busy with my studies that I put off buying my costume for the last minute. It was a very bad decision and I regretted it dearly. I was constantly on the telephone/texting/BBM with Dom-dom, AM, Monx and AB about which outfit to choose and what is SHE wearing. In the end I've chosen to dress up as a Marie Antoinette. Sexy one. I mean barely-there dress, white stockings with blue ribbons and extreme silver heels. And what did I get? Certainly nothing like that.

Me and Boyfriend decided to venture to the biggest and most-well-stocked costume shop in London. They say that it has 6 floors for crying out loud! I was so excited! So off we went, on a Saturday afternoon. My dreams were crushed and reality hit me when we were standing in the queue OUTSIDE of the shop for about 40 minutes. Inside was even worse, cramped like sardines in a tin I was beginning to feel like this is a fight for survival. Of course my natural instincts of preservation and finding a good piece of prêt-à-porter kicked in and I delegated Boyfriend to his floor to find something* for himself. I didn't have time for it!

When I finally got to the last floor (stairs and the place is tiny) - because OF COURSE ladies' costumes must be in some "dark" corner - I've found out that EVERYTHING from my prospective list of Items To Buy When There Is No Marie Antoinette Costume is sold out! After spending painful 2 hours trying to get attention of sales people I gave up and chose a fairy outfit** with last minute addition of sparkly wings. A far, far, FAR cry from my FABBEST choice.

Still, we did have an amazing night, but for the whole year now all I can think about how amazing I would will look in the costume I wanted. And now I've visited the website and some of them are already out of stock on the website! No way. On Tuesday I'm going there and I'm not leaving without a fight.

* He also had a bit of a problem, because some costumes were sold out, but in the end he settled for Robin Hood. He was not impressed.

** I panicked and it was a safe choice. No-one can try the items on, because it is one-of-a-kind-very-expensive-and-child-labour-stuff-from-China. Packed in a sealed plastic bag. Apparently if you have spare £70, you can become an owner of these amazing pièces de résistance.

Mouse in da house

Great. I THINK we have a mouse in the house. I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but other person living in the house saw it (small and innocent) in his room. In the room which is on the same floor as ours. How the hell did she manage to get on the second floor completely abandoning nice cosy kitchen downstairs and take on an Everest climb of numerous stairs? Maybe she is a magician mouse sent by mistake and by now she disappeared to an Amazon jungle? Or a special-trained newest-generation spy? Or maybe she just possesses some extraordinary abilities like climbing the wall using her little disgusting tail? Today a trap will be bought and we will try to bribe her with some Cheddar and Gouda cheese. We’ll see which she prefers better.

In the previous flat during 4 years of living there we only once encountered a meeting with a mouse. I remember when Boyfriend wasn't feeling very well and was already in bed when I (perfect girlfriend) went to kitchen to get him some water. Kitchen was small (we didn't even have a table/chairs so we ate in the living room) and dark. The doors were closed because there was laundry going on in the washing machine. I opened the door, turn on the lights and... I saw HER. On the floor, just by the sink. Looking at ME. I shrieked - not because I was scared, but because it was just such a surprise! Then I quickly closed the door in time to catch a glimpse of her running frantically in the opposite direction. We immediately called her Suzy in memory of Phoebe's mouse (from Friends). We even considered keeping her as a pet, but abandoned this idea pretty quickly. We are just DYING to have a pet - especially dog. My little dog is living with Mother back home and I love him and miss him so, so, so much. Boyfriend was always surrounded by dogs, so we are used to have some furry friends. Unfortunately it is impossible for now and will be for next couple of years. But a girl can dream.

Anyway, Suzy was a very polite visitor living her little 'gifts' everywhere in the kitchen and scaring me (almost) to death in the living room when surfing on the Internet. The traps were not really working and she ate insane amount of Boyfriend's favourite cheese which was sent especially for him from Poland. EVERYONE makes fun of him because of that. 

Finally a day came when a trap was moving! But to our astonishment it was not Suzy in the trap, but TWO even smaller mice. Then we realized that Suzy was kind of pregnant when she first visited and now her offspring also decided to become visitors. So the efforts to catch them all (but how many exactly?) intensified. Sometimes in the morning we were finding two in the trap and sometimes no-one (but the cheese was still eaten anyway). Boyfriend was releasing them away from our flat, but always in the same place, because I was panicking that they may never find each other. Once when he was opening the trap to check how many are hidden, one just jumped out on his hand, he shrieked like a tiny little girl (I still tease him about that) and run away. But all good things come to an end and the day came when we caught Suzy. She could barely fit in the trap she was so huge. It was obvious that she didn't loose those post-pregnancy pounds because she looked more like a rat than a mouse. We released her and that was end of it.

I told Mother the story when everything was over. She is just panicking when she even hears that a mouse might have been in the place where she is/lives/visits. She is just so afraid of it that I could never get a hamster or guinea pig, because to her they look exactly the same. I am not personally frightened by mice, although their tail - thin and naked - is pretty disgusting. On the other hand, I am PETRIFIED by spiders, but that's different story.

I hope we will catch our present Suzy 2.0 quickly and release her safely, before she will find this poisonous food in the vacuum cupboard.

First Official Interview

I should write since adrenaline is still pumping through my veins and I can still feel my feet from wearing these incredibly high (but also cute) heels. Well, I am still alive. The interview was not at all as scary as I thought it would be! I arrived early - as always. I am ALWAYS punctual and just HATE when someone is late. So I demand nothing less from someone else than from myself. There was a time when I was living in Poland my relationship with the Boyfriend was still at the beginning when he was constantly late for every date. I just hated it and had few words with him about that. Since then, I have trained (taught) Boyfriend that being late shows no respect, is rude and will not get you anywhere (especially with me).

Well... so I was on time. In painfully high heels. Black and patent. Just the ones you should wear on your interview. I sat, I've been given IQ test. The nemesis I was so scared of. 50 questions. 15 minutes. Pass mark is 50%. Vast majority of people do not finish all questions on time. And the first question was asking about prologue - what is it (beginning, note about author, ending). SERIOUSLY? Right then and there I knew I'm gonna be fine. And I was. Of course there were questions with numbers and calculations, but I've either: omitted/guessed/tried to answer them. And then was a psychometric test (without a pass mark, duh?!) which I don't even know what it is for. And then was... actual interview! Something I was not prepared for, because I was sure to fail IQ test! 

The interviewing lady was really nice, I made her laugh and I was answering honestly. The position is for a fixed term, so I had no problem with being honest. I wasn't nervous, it didn't feel like an interview to me. I was in a familiar area, talking about studying nearby, going to the shop across the street and being myself. (Which is being pretty AWESOME, but I think she got that straightaway.) At the end she told me that she has a couple of interviews lined up this week and I should know something next week. This means that I was the first one to be interviewed for the position. I hope I will be the measure for the rest of them!

I slowly, very slowly start to believe that 'When the door closes, another window opens'. Just when being stuck on the tube on my way to the interview, I've checked my BlackBerry for messages of encouragement and wishes of good luck. To my astonishment I've found a reply e-mail for the position I've applied last week. I was hoping (i.e. praying) for someone to get back to me on that one. Seems pretty challenging but great. I've called the agent, but he was busy and still didn't call me back. Anyway, I hope I'll talk to him soon and schedule another interview. 

It is an universal truth that you can be the best person for the job, but not know how to present yourself during the interview. It is a technique that needs to be learned and practiced like any other skill. I just hope I'm good at it. Good enough to secure a job one day.