Dear Diary

Today it's raining... AGAIN! I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, my only permanent colleague is on vacation for 2 weeks and my technical counterpart, who's only here for 2 days per week, is giving me a hard time. Almost nobody can (or wants to) speak english and I changed the hotel for the 3rd time, cos non of them was free for the time I need it. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

....never been able to write a diary for longer than 3 days or so. I think it's some sort of self preservation. When bad things happen or you're having a hard time, one year later all that seems totally insignificant and you forget about how you felt back then. No need to remind oneself of stuff like that.
Right now France sucks for me. I don't know anybody, I don't have any colleagues here and I didn't get the chance to unpack my suitcase because I had to move around. However, the outlook is not too bad. I found myself a nice flat right in the center of Valencienne, which is 30 minutes from work and a rather nice small town. My place is all new, 3 rooms, balcony, 75m2. I'll move in beginning of April and then I have to furnish everything so I guess end of April/beginning of May you can come over and visit :-)
I'll be in Germany for 3 days, but in Offenbach, so I don't think I'll get to see any of you, but I'll also have to hand in my holiday schedule for this year by end of next week and I'll make DAMN SURE it includes Oktoberfest and Bocholter Kirmes!
Oh, the reason that you didn't hear from me earlier is that there's only one internet café and right now we have neither phone nor internet on site. If you want to give me a call just send me an SMS and I'll give you the "Phonenumber of the week" from the hotel I'm staying at.

Sleepless in S... ahm ...Manama
Manama is the capital of Bahrain

Back from my trip to Bahrain ...and what a trip it was! Met a lot of my colleagues that flew in from all over the world. As expected I was the only girl - and I'm NOT complaining - even though it was a bit weired. Got little sleep going to bed not before 2am with a constant level of rest alcohol (jez, these blokes can drink!) and getting up early. Aditionally i dig arabian countries. As a blonde it's just great because every time you I walk up to the bar to order drinks or ciggies (yep, already back to smoking *blush*) some Saudi/Bahrainien/UAE guy said 'Don't worry, consider it covered' So I didn't pay most of the time :-) Almost missed my flight cus got back at 4:30am the last night and had to get up at 7am. Had agreed to meet a colleague at 8am in the lobby, who called me up at 8:15am to ask if I was still in bed. I WAS! SHIT! Everybody who can claim to know me a little, knows that I don't function before 10am, ESPECIALLY NOT without a shower and a coffee (coffee is not AS mandatory as the shower). However, forced by the fact that I - for some unexplainable reason- didn't hear my alarm clock ringing, I had to dump all my stuff in the suitcase and hurry down to the lobby within 10 minutes... without coffee ...WITHOUT SHOWER! AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!
My flight was delayed by 2hrs, so I slept the morning away in the b-class lounge and, later on, on the plane.
Tomorrow it's time to head off towards Frog-Land. Tuesday I have an appointment with a relocation company that will show me around and help me find a flat or a house. I'm confident that I'll have something until the end of the month and hopefully buying furniture 'n stuff won't take too long, so by mid of April you can all come to visit! At the moment I think I prefer a quiet place on the country side to one in the city, because Valencienne (which is the next bigger city) is 40 klicks away and I don't see myself commuting every day - as I said, don't function before 10, so every additional minute of sleep is appreciated. I'd rathe live close to work in a small house with terrace or garden. Seems like they have some stand alone houses that are about 80-90sqm which would be perfect for me. Ah well, that's all speculation, so I'll just go and see what that area has to offer.

Goodbye Paris...

...hello Bahrein! Well, almost. Still at Paris. Got drunk at the Emirates business class lounge. Predicting a smoooooooth flight :-)

*cough*

...that's all I have to say at the moment. Well, not ALL, but once I open my mouth that's what comes out. Apparently I haven't totally defeted my viral flu :-( Really takes forever this time, but hopefully the sun of Bahrein, I will face during the next week, will help to get rid of it.
Apart from that I stopped smoking. Not really free willingly, but the flu sort of forced me to do so. I decided to take that as a sign and just didn't buy new fags. Not as hard as I though. I'm quite sure that me and the ciggies will meet each other again, but for the moment I'm smoke-free!
I'd give you a short "first impression" of my stay in Paris, but I have to reflect a bit to decide if I like it or not. Until then I'll stick to Meg Ryan's little song she sings on the plane in "French Kiss"...
...I hate Paris in the springtime. I hate Paris in the fall. I hate Paris in the summer when it sizzles, I hate Paris in the winter when it drizzles, I hate Paris...