Journal Entries
Mini-mini meet in Wuppertal
Posted Sep 23, 2007
Great 
Another meeting in Germany is being announced, because Tavaron is visiting Malabarista. And Wuppertal is just round the corner.
I was hoping that Sho could make it to the meeting as well, because then she could bring her daughters - and I could take mine. The girls got on well during the meeting in Cologne.
And we were all lucky - three girls happy
The meeting was arranged for 3 p.m. in Wuppertal-Oberbarmen, and not the main station, which would have been closer to Malabarista's home. But this way we could go some way with the "Schwebebahn" which certainly is an interesting thing to do. Instead of going on a street, we were above the ground, hanging. This tram passes over the river Wupper and it is great to be able to see your surrounding from high above.
From the main station, where we got off, we passed a little through the center and went to Malabarista's home - not straight away because she let us mount stairs. (Wuppertal is not a flat city, but it is going up and down all the while). Finally we arrived there - and luckily we had burnt some calories on our way there, because lovely cake and muffins where there to be enjoyed.
The girls where fascinating by some middle age armour and playthings - and soon where disguising themselves as knight or lady. Later they where shown how to hold and fight with a sword (not a sharp one - they weren't in danger of getting hurt at any second).
We all enjoyed a lovely afternoon - and then where invited to dinner.
I must admit, I never expected such a well equipped kitchen at a students home. And the food was just delicious.
The bathroom was worth a look as well - we baptised it "the golden room".
It was a great day - and hopefully not the last meeting.
On the way back my daughter and I could share a train with Sho and her daughters, which made it nicer for us (not only because it was cheaper this way).
We arrived back home just before Midnight - tired but happy
Thank you all for a great day 
Discuss this Journal entry [55]
Latest reply: Sep 23, 2007
Happy - Happy - Happy
Posted Sep 11, 2007
Why am I so happy?
I finally managed to get a job. Part time, but well paid and with a high probability that I will have to work more hours from some time next year.
After a long while of looking for a job this is simply great.
And not only that I got this job (which itself is just wow) - it is a job I love in a kind of business I really like.
So please help yourself to some 
and thanks to those who wished me well for my applications and interviews
Discuss this Journal entry [34]
Latest reply: Sep 11, 2007
German mini-meet in Cologne, 25th of August 2007
Posted Aug 26, 2007
Which time do I have to get up to be in time?
And which S-Bahn (a regional train, but not called regional train...) will I have to take?
Alarm went off at 7 a.m. and I was under the shower at 7:30 (and coffee machine was starting its work). Woke up my daughter, since she was going to join me.
What do we need?
Something to eat and drink for the way...
Some money
Cigarettes (I know that smoking isn't good for my health...)
Is ist as warm as predicted? I had my doubts, my daughter didn't - so we packed some woolen jackets just in case, and an umbrella).
Then off - and trying to get the right ticket at the station. Tricky, because for more than going within the same city they are a little complicated (but I calculated to stand before this machine for at least 5 minutes, so we didn't miss the train).
After having arrived in Cologne we checked were Trillian's Child would arrive, since we knew time and place of departure - and we acutally found her (couldn't be overseen in her H2G2 T-Shirt 
). Then we decided to wait for the others in a café just outside the entrance - and one by one they arrived.
I certainly was curious how everyone was - but not afraid, since I have made the experience that most people in this wide world of Internet are in real life as they are in writing, at least those who do go to meetings (would not make much sense to be different if wanting to meet people, would it?).
So we were sitting and relaxing a little just facing the dome, trying to make a plan of the day, and letting the girls run around, get to know each other and to have fun.
The first impression on our way to the dome were the living statues - it must be exhausting and difficult to stand still for a very long time being stared at and constantly photographed.
Another impressing thing was a chalk painting they did - they only started when we passed there and were almost finished when we came back to the dome at the end of the day. It seems to have been some famous kind of painting, but I don't know which one.
The seemingly endless queue to climb up the Dome actually took away the problem of decision from me - I wasn't sure I wanted to go up there (one reason is I am very very lazy, the other one is that I am afraid of hights).
So we walked along the Rhine to the chocolate museum. Since we all wanted to know how it is made (the 
, not the museum ) we decided to form a family (Sho being the mum, all three girls her children and Toybox the father) - that way we could save some money (the entry fees are expensive enough anyway).
Now we know everything, from the cocoa plant to the lovely product that at least ruins my body 
. We even had the chance to try some of it, coming directly from a chocolate-fountain. Then we stormed the museum-shop, but not everyone bought something (for me it was just too much of a choice and I could not decide on what to buy).
Since everyone was starving then, we went off for lunch. I still don't know how we ended up in a Bavarian place, in midst of Cologne - that is a lot of "outlandish business" for me in one day (being from Düsseldorf and all the time fearing that someone could ask me to see my visa 
) And with "outlandish" I mean Bavaria and Cologne, not England or France .
After lunch we went on to discover the beauties of Cologne.
But first we went to the English shop, where I felt "at home" (I know England isn't my home, but it always felt like that for me). And I did some shopping there (for sentimental reasons, the food never tastes the same here as it does in England).
Then we went to the famous Glockengasse 4711 (is there anyone who doesn't know 4711 - Echt Kölnisch Wasser *real cologne water*?). Unspectacular for such a famous place, but very nice to look at (I love old buildings). And interesting that the bells do play the Marseillaise (besides some other well known tunes).
To finish off this 
day we sat down at a beer-festival, where you could buy and drink beer from a lot of countries. But we drank Kölsch (don't tell anyone that I did ).
The day ended at the station, everyone being slightly tired and happy the same time.
Besides all this I can say, it was a good decision to meet the others. They are all really nice, and my daughter says so as well. And she wants more meetings, especially with Sho's daugthers (the girls exchanged their email-adresses, so they must like each other). Btw - I think the girls are nice, and just normal in their behaviour, especially the argues between them, I know that from my boys when they were younger.
What I really enjoyed, besides the company, was that we changed languages constantly, starting something off in English and ending in German (or vice versa). And it was interesting as well, that there were only two Germans - the rest being English, French/German and Tunisian/German).
If anyone wants to have my opinion:
We should make this meeting a regular one (of course everyone who couldn't join us yesterday would be welcome).
Thank you all for a day
Feel yourself 
and
Tina
P.S.
"the company" that is:
in alphabetical order
B'Elana
Sho (with daughters)
Toybox
Trillian's Child
and me, matodemi (with daughter)
Discuss this Journal entry [48]
Latest reply: Aug 26, 2007
GuideML or how to make my PS more interesting
Posted Aug 17, 2007
Perhaps you can help me
I have seen that about everyone else does have a fantastic PS, with pictures, colours, texts that slide from one side to another....
How did you do that?
Did you know html before?
How did you start?
Where did you get the pics?
Just a few hints might be helpful, and I will be grateful for them....
Discuss this Journal entry [36]
Latest reply: Aug 17, 2007
How does one get a job?
Posted Aug 3, 2007
...this is just an entry to get rid of my frustration.
Coming back home today I saw right away a big brown envelope on my table, and I knew it was again one of these:
>> Thank you for sending your application. But we had so many appliances, that we decided to give someone else the job. Do not take it personally. We wish you good luck for the future. <<
I do write good applications - I have let them being checked by experts and non-experts.
I am good in doing my job (and the references say so as well).
Only thing is: due to "family management" plus doing a sort of apprenticeship quite late I do not have much job experience that counts.
And right now I am very frustrated, that noone gives me a chance....
And I don't know how to be successfull in finding a job...
(every idea is welcome)
Sorry to bother whomever is reading this - just had to write it down to relieve my mood....
Discuss this Journal entry [26]
Latest reply: Aug 3, 2007
matodemi
Researcher U8020366
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