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.