Feb
20
I estimated today my swimming time and it is not bad at all. I swim 6 kms between one hour and 37 or 42 min everyday. That means an average speed of 48.2 sec or 51 sec which is very decent for an amateur. To be compared to the squad performance, I would not be ashamed. Yesterday it was extremely crowded and one guy had to tell a slow poke to move away from the “super fast lane” since he was blocking everyone else. If I have the chance to swim with very fast people, I tend to improve my time greatly. I would surprise some people if I ever go back to Australia and swim again with the old folks.
I cannot wait for the weekend this time. Last week has been very strange. I was feeling very down and I hope it will be over after the weekend. I am feeling better now.
Feb
19
Feeling Sick!
Filed Under Daily
I am feeling a bit sick today. The pool was closed on Saturday so I had two days of rest since I do not swim on Wednesday. Amy came back on Wednesday morning. She has organized tons of trips for the next 3 weeks an then she will spend one month home for Easter Break. It does last 20 days here starting on March 30. I guess I will be working on my final exams during that time.
I have received on email from Dave M for a social event organized by the Hiking Club today. Some kinda of one man show in a bar in Manchester city. I declined politely since I go to bed quite early.
Linda, the secretary in Australie wrote to me and asked me about my research web page. I have told her that I will probably never do research in my life again so nothing to link. I miss my time in Australia but I was not happy. Now that I have made clear decision about my life, I still do not know how all this will end but I am felin much better. I am no longer afraid and feeling asphyxied as a researcher.
Feb
17
Heroes of Might and Magic II
Filed Under Daily
I’ve spent the whole day playing this old game. The pool was closed because they have some technical issues. I went back home at 6:30 am… not funny! Amy is supposed to come back today but I have not seen her. I guess she is staying longer in Germany.
Feb
16
Strange Day!
Filed Under Daily
I had flashbacks last night. I was at Hoche in Versailles again. If I ever have to describe this period of my life, I’d say it was hell on Earth. This preparation school was simply a waste of my lifetime. Bad night and bad day! I hardly had 3 hours of sleep and the swim was fast and hard. I had a powernap to recover but I was between dreams and reality the whole day.
One of these days!
Feb
15
Weekend Summary!
Filed Under Daily
In one word: BORING! Nothing exciting this weekend. I helped Malinda with her new MacBook Pro on Friday, it took me some times but I quickly got used to MacOS. They are extremely well organized and have made life so easy for people who use them! I will buy a Mac someday, when I have more cash aside. Malinda invited me to Saturday’s party but I never showed up…I did not feel like it. The rest of Saturday was mainly dedicated to sleeping, eating and watching old episodes of Will and Grace. I do not have anything else to watch.
I corrected my CV in french and sent out 2 applications on Sunday. The weather was dreadful and I stayed in my room the whole weekend! I need to print out two reference letters for Chebet on Monday. I also checked for a cheap flight to fly back to Paris at the end of March. I have not bought it yet but there is one perfect return ticket for 111 GBP: Friday to Sunday again.
I read a nice review about the Nikon D700. And it shall be my first big spending as soon as I get a job. I will buy it right away without even thinking about anything else! The Dell Latitude 17’s price has dropped by 50 GBP. I am waiting for it to be around 600 GBP to get it.
Feb
12
Again 5 hours! Very annoying, not because of 5 hours but because it is the same teacher for 4 hours. It is mainly their fault, all these university bastards try to get rid of their teaching hours as fast as they can and compact as much as it is possible their teaching duty.
I went to check for job opportunities in France for patent attorney. I found several positions that are interesting. I wonder if they would give me a chance. Most of these people will eventually become European patent attorney and the law is the same in the EU member states. The principal requirement is to be bilingual in English and French which could work out in my favor. I will apply and see.
Good swim today. I like it when there are not many slow pokes. Last week, it was crowded.
Feb
11
Survival Instinct!
Filed Under Daily
Mine has become weak. I do not know if it is due to my age, the economical situation, or simply the lengthy time it takes to undergo this life change. The temptation to go back to France and maybe become a teacher like my brother is growing inside my head. I do not mind teaching and I enjoyed it a lot in the US. It is very different though, teaching to kids with difficulties is totally different with teaching to university students. Like anybody, I have my up and down mental states. Let see if this one will go away. I am best in difficult and unpleasant situations. I usually fight my way out of hard situations. My mind is sharper! I will stick to my plan at least until June and send out as many applications as possible. I need to give to my plan a good kick before I give up.
Amy is staying one week longer in Bonn, Germany. I am going to get used to this situation. With one person less, The flat has become quiet and very clean. Larsa being never visible, we are like only 4 people now. It does make a huge difference concerning the noise level or the cleanness of the kitchen. I do miss Amy!
Feb
10
Job Application
Filed Under Daily
I answered to 4 job ads. For the 3Rd year, I applied to the EPO. This time I chose The Hague as the preferred location. I doubt they will take me. It looks too much like a relationship thing! Without any insider, I doubt anyone can get in unless they are really lucky. It costs me nothing to try so I did it again.
I received an email from my Australian ex-boss. Someone in the University wanted to keep their database updated. They probably wanted to make sure they did not miss anyone working for them in case they become rich or famous one day. It is very common in the US and it is a great source of income for many universities.
Feb
9
Always Tired on Monday!
Filed Under Daily
Working or not working, Monday has always been a bad day. It is due to the breakup of the routine on Saturday and Sunday. My body has to re-adjust quickly at the beginning of the week.
It was delicate to shave this morning, the tender soft skin of my lips is healing from the herpes and I was very worried I would cut into them using the razor. I could not hold any longer, the facial hair started to itch and was way too long. All is good now, I did not hurt myself. I bought an extra tube of creme in prevention to the new viral attack. Such is my life!
I had a good swim otherwise. Someone very fast was in my lane this morning. It was good to follow his speed for a while. After 90 laps, there were a bunch of slow pokes. I got used to them nowadays. There were two slow girls, very stubborn, they would not let anyone go even though they are the slowest…a bit strange! One of them is an old lady, so skinny, she looks sick. They cause no real troubles to me, they are so slow it takes me two seconds to pass them. I might annoy them but I was in the fastest lane and they were not fast.
Feb
8
My Room My Paradise!
Filed Under Daily
Today I shall stay the whole day in my room doing nothing but enjoying quality time with myself. Such a pleasure! I turned on the radio on my Winamp and enjoyed these old songs from the 80s and the 90s. I played several poker games and did not win nor loose. I might install Civ 3 and play a bit of it also.
I checked yesterday for an extra battery for my Nikon D200. I lost my extra battery last weekend. The cap is a bit loose. I cannot believe the guy in the store told me it was around 40 quids. On ebay, it only costs 7 Quids including shipping! I really dont need it to say the truth.
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