Brussels so far

Yes, I'm in Brussels!

Life here is pretty much the uncertainty of what weather we'll have, as in the mornings it's always greyish...

I've been to a few places already, but still need to finish off the flat. I've been to Amsterdam, Maastricht, Ostende, Waterloo... It's been quite hectic, with my sister here.

We've been to parties, dinners and all sort of cool activities, so the weather doesn't really weight on you.

It's been quite cool, in this month I've been here. Made many nice friends and went to some nice places. The balance is very positive!!

Neighbourhood

This photo is of my new neighbourhood in Brussels.
It's called Chatelain and this street is called Rue du Bailli. It's a bohemian chic neighbourhood, apparentely.
It's got quite a few alternative shops, small designer boutiques and plenty of cafés and cool restaurants. I was told that on the Place de Chatelain there's a Sunday market every week, so I must check it out!
I promise I'll post some photos of my nest as soon as it's ready for a show off! Right now, it looks like a tornado stopped there and twisted the whole appartment. Seriously, I'll transform it, you'll see!

Brussels at last

Hello all, after more than 2 months of total abandonement of this blog (little poor thing!), i'm finally in Brussels. Arrived today and i'm staying at an hotel until my flat is decent to live in - as of now, there's nothing in it! Tomorrow my things and my little bichinho are arriving, together with the office files that we had to bring over.

It will take me a while to settle, as buying and assembling all furniture takes a bit, right?

Have a few favourites from IKEA that i hope to find here, as on the catalogue they don't show up...

These are the ones:
1- sofabed, very important piece of furniture, as i hope to have many visitors:

2- bed, necessary with tidying space, for i have thousands of things!

3 - some curtains, important too, as my windows are huge:
This week things will start rolling, as not only i have to take care of my house, as i also must take care of my work, as we officially start providing service to Iberia. Wish me luck guys!

Atribulations

It's raining and it's cold.

Ok, so my odissey of moving away...you don't want to know!

If before was a bit slow, let me tell you now it's a rollercoaster. Of that previous list, I've solved a few already, like points 1 and 2, since my boss is going to pay a moving company which, apart from moving my stuff, also finds me a flat in Brussels, takes care of my car papers and maybe even carries and assembles my IKEA furniture over there. That's what I call a great choice of company, by the way :)

So, points 3 and 4 are now a little bit less relevant on the list. I still have to cancel all my water, gas, electricity, internet, phone bills - that is actually a pain in the behind, as it takes ages to actually get your message through - I've tried to cancel my internet yesterday and it took 7 calls, 5 different operators, 5 times repeating my name and ID and what I wanted and I'm absolutely sure it's not over yet and that in July I will still be dealing with this. You wanna bet?

As for the work stuff, let me see... I've been to Brussels last week and did point 2 and 4. Point 1 is an ongoing task, unfortunately for me, as it is 3, 5 and 6, which leaves me with so little time for myself. And besides this, I still have my normal workload. It's been nuts and it will continue like this, of that I'm totally sure.

Another thing going on is that I must include the rent of my flat in my tax forms, but my landlord is a bit against it (you wonder why, right?). So, I've just sent him a draft of what I pay in case I don't include my rent, and a draft of what I should get back in case I do. Well, we are talking of hundreds of euros, which obviously I won't let go. Even if he insists, that's money I'm entitled to, as here in Spain, if you're under 35, you can get back from the Tax Office up to 840€ return, which, for me, is almost a month's rent!

Today, me, my sister and my friend were supposed to go for a shopping morning, but the wather betrayed us, and instead, I'm still laying in bed, listening to the rain on the window and thinking of what my breakfast will be: cereals, toast, croissants, chocolate pastries...what? Maybe all!.... I don't if it's the stress or the cold lately or the lack of gym, but I'm eating a lot lately. I've informed myself about the rates of the gym next door to my office in Brussels and, apart from the initial shock, I considered and maybe I'll go for it, as it's so necessary in times of increased stress, especially!

Last week I also had time to do a mini-surprise birthday party to a friend. He arrived and everyone was hiding in the living room with the door closed. He thought it was weird to have the door shut and didn't go there. I had to insist to go ahead of me, also because he's quite a gentleman and always let me go first. He opened the door slowly and they just shouted! It was quite funny and made me realise my acting skills are quite poor!!! I sucked!

Work and no play....

Hope in Brussels I can keep up with these posts, on a more regular basis than up to now.
I have 'to do' lists all spread out the flat, as I have a trillion things to do before June 1st. Just to give you an idea:

1 - find a good moving company
2 - find a few flats in Brussels to have a look at
3 - find out the costs of importing my car
4 - choosing all furniture, etc etc....

Job wise:

1 - coordinate the transition
2 - recruit 2 more people
3 - optimise workloads
4 - assign tasks and clients
5 - learn new report analysis
6 - monitor the work of new trainees
etc, etc, etc....

Meanwhile, I've kept the same workload as before and I'm travelling 3 times more, meaning when I come back, I have a pile on my table...
My Summer holidays are a mirage and an utopia, I will not have them...
Met some Belgian colleagues who are already asking for help, and we haven't started yet....

Helppppppppppppp!!!!!!

PS - well, to soften things a bit, I'm out tonight for a Portuguese Talent dinner. Can't be too bad, as it's in Moma 56.

Enjoy the weekend!

Blonde turnover

I swear I didn't want such radical change! I told the guy to act according to my skin tone and do what he thought would look nice. And he gave me a blonde look.... My hair was reddish before, now it's blondish....Oh dear!!! I'm still getting used to the idea of being one of them :)

Caprice

My latest buy - this cool Samsung flat tv....

I deserved it! I keep spoiling myself! I allow myself many whims lately... Well, if I work hard, then why not, right? hihihi

Here I go

Knowing me, deciding to go wasn't a big thing.

Of course I've accepted and am now in the middle of the process to know exactly when I'm moving to Brussels.

I went there last week and was quite well treated, in a successfull attempt to convince me that moving to the city would be so beneficial for me. They put me in a very nice hotel and my new boss took the day off for me. Our office is right at the center, sharing building with the Sheraton and facing the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza. Just across, a main shopping street. I liked the atmosphere, the place itself. And since the position they offered me is higher than my actual one, it didn't take long to decide to make this move. April/May should be.

Goodbye tapas, movida and splendid sun. Hello chocolate, beer and grey sky! :)

Should I stay or should I go?

'...If I'll go there will be trouble and if I go there will be double...
...So c´mon and let me know....
...Should I stay or should I go?'

20 reasons it's okay to hate Valentine's Day

With its tacky poetry, rip-off prices, pink fluff and diamante, February 14 is to be endured, not enjoyed

Helen McNutt, Times Online

FOR GIRLS
1 You can’t moan about it. If you’re single, you sound like a dried-up old spinster; if you’re in a relationship, everyone assumes you’ve hit a rough patch.

2 There is nothing more disappointing than a man you’d previously earmarked as husband material expressing his romantic intent with a card of a sheep and a pun on the word “ewe”.

3 With the stress, all-over body waxing and pressure to outromance everyone else, Valentine’s Day is like a mini-wedding . .. but in February, the dampest, coldest, rubbishest month. Nobody should be expected to get married in February. And certainly not every year.

4 It produces brain-rottingly awful verse, such as, “How we gain yearly, from the love we share dearly”.

5 All the displays of perfect, flippy-haired coupledom only serve to turbo-charge the sneaking suspicion that everyone else is far more in love and having heaps more sex than you are.

6 The girl you most dislike will receive a gift-wrapped pair of Manolos, and, once her man is out of earshot, declare them “a bit tarty” for her taste.

7 There’s no such thing as a successful Valentine’s Day. Even if you do get a mystery card/gift/bunch of flowers, it will almost certainly be from someone insultingly awful.

8 You become embroiled in competitive dating battles. Okay, so Charlotte in marketing got the most expensive roses, but you got the best restaurant. Aargh! Look what you’ve become!

9 It bullies us into losing weight. The chances that he’ll buy you underwear are pretty good; the chances that those festive Caramel Swirls haven’t quite left your midriff are equally good.

10 Naff, pink and diamanté only ever work for three-year-olds and Italian fashion designers.

FOR BOYS
11 It makes you hate your fellow man. You can guarantee all the decent restaurants will be booked up by smug w***ers, leaving the rest of us paying double for horrible food in a restaurant we hate.

12 It makes men do stupid things, like light candles and stuff.

13 It gets men into trouble when they don’t do stupid things like light candles and stuff. Because, actually, she really wanted you to, but prompting is so unromantic, isn’t it?

14 It’s such a rip-off. With flowers, dinner and cabs, you’re looking at a hundred quid minimum. Wouldn’t she just prefer the cash instead?

15 In new relationships, whether or not you take her out or buy her a gift speaks volumes about “where you’re at”, way before you’re ready for the “are we having a relationship?” chat. (Like you were ever ready for it anyway.)

16 Not only do you have to buy the right size, style and colour of underwear, you also have to look as if you’re not ogling the breasts of the Agent Provocateur sales girls while you’re at it.

17 Valentine’s Day focuses her mind, and because this year there is a February 29 on the calendar, for the following two weeks you feel as sick as a dog every time there’s a lull in the conversation.

18 Isn’t one compulsory annual shopping event enough? Christmas is just about excusable, as it’s okay to drink Baileys at 11am without anyone questioning your sexuality. No such luck on the 14th.

19 Where are the man presents? What do we get out of it?

20 There is nothing more disappointing than a woman you’d previously earmarked as wife material not even laughing at the sheep card.

Carnival

Had a short break and managed to go to Porto for Carnival. Not that I enjoy Carnival all that much, but it was necessary. In one hand, to talk face to face to parents and seek advice, also to meet a potential employer and, on the other hand, to relax and get out of here.

Things at work will be taking a turn on the 15th, after the crucial meeting that will take place in Frankfurt. I keep being pressed to tell them about my interest on the move, and I keep telling them that I will only show my genuine interest after a counter proposal has been done. That’s what I’m patiently waiting. My colleagues aren’t volunteering to move, and apparently, neither are the French ones, therefore, the pressure is huge on the managers. Transferring a whole business without continuity in terms of knowledge is a big headache and a situation prone to be disastrous. The know how and experience is what we have and is what they’re after, but the personal circumstances of each of us and the conditions they’re proposing aren’t attracting any of us.
It’s a huge decision and they are aware of that, so I hope that after this round of conversations, a better menu of conditions is reached.

As for the other job on the line, it’s financially very attractive, also for Belgium, but I’m not so enthusiastic about it. Money isn’t everything and I cannot sell myself to a highly stressful job just because it’s better paid than what I have or want. I don’t deal well with huge pressure, I take it very closely and that necessarily affects your health. And with that I’m not playing. I rather have a more relaxed life without so much money. I’m true to myself. Me and my family above anything else. And this ‘me’ implies a healthy, stress free person, not one that has cash loads but is totally unhappy.
Career wise, I’m messing it up, as this position is for Logistics management, but I rather get that on my company, in a different area of work.
Like I said, money is nice, it brings a lot of commodities and enjoyments, but at the end of the day, you must be happy with what you do. In that line, I rather stay in my company and get all that they offer and a bit more, obviously, and maybe in 1 year get into HR or business management within paper, instead of solar panels. In one year, we’ll talk again….

Week of let downs

If you think of a week from hell, what comes up to your mind?

Lots of work,

Lots of problematic situations,

Lots of conflicts,

Lots of stress,

Lots of crying,

Lots of let downs,

Lots of unbelievable things, like neighbours complaining to the landlord about how noisy are our barefeet,

Lots of all this and more, that's what I'm having in these last few days.

It's been so stressful, also besides the fact that we still don't know anything about us, basically. We don't know the final day of work in the office, we don't know exactly what's being offered to go to Brussels, we haven't had a single email from any superior showing that they're sorrow 5 people will be unemployed in a few months...

To top things up, we know that today the big sharks got together in a meeting here in Madrid but in a salesman's house...They didn't have the decency to come to the office and show their faces. They rather hide than give some sort of explanation or excuse...

It's such frustration and awe between us that I had to explode and started crying like a baby this afternoon. This week has been providing a number of things that are so disappointing, that all I feel like is to leave them stranded and the hell with it. I didn't want to leave on a bad foot, but it's been quite bad. And some attitudes have been quite disappointing.

But hey, the world isn't lost, I guess.

We have till the 15th of February to indicate whether we are or aren't interested in going. I must make up my mind in the days to come, but based on the initial proposals they're considering, it might be a 'NO' rather than a 'YES'. I'd prefer to stay, but maybe a change is what I need...

Moving....again!

My company establishes Western Europe as a Business Area, of which Portugal, Spain, France and Benelux are part of. Now, following the restructuring programme my company is taking into effect since October 06, each country's office is to be centralized in one, representing each BA. This means relocation of offices. In my case, to Belgium, to Brussels in particular.

This came as a shock, but decisions are taken and there's no going back. It's not making much sense to us, if we look at the country they decided upon - it's very costly and the fiscal burden is huge on companies. In terms of savings, Brussels doesn't seem to fit the bill. But, hey, who are we to have a say?


In practical terms, our department of 11 people will have to, either moving to Brussels or leave the company. Out of these 11, 4 will work from home, so they're saved. The rest will be fired, if moving to Brussels doesn't please them. I'm the only one who seems to be in the conditions to accept the deal, as I'm the youngest and have no strings attached in Spain. Basically, they're counting on me. So, the scales seem to be on my side and it's my moment to ask.


The move will take place by the end of June, so we have nearly 6 months to clear all the mess, teach the new Belgians and all of this with a smile. I'm the only one who's actually smiling, but can't show it out of respect for my colleagues. It's a crap place to be for them, as they have kids and their houses to pay.


Conclusion: another country to live and work - it will be the 5th, if I don't count my own, Portugal. Oh dear, just the thought of packing everything again.....

Nano

Here's the cheapest car in the world, and I quite like it. Especially the concept of wanting to change the world by 1,700 €... Ultralow cost, to try and make a change in the emerging countries. Thanks, Mr Tata!

Relocation

Well, the start of the year couldn’t be more auspicious (I’m using this word often, what’s the matter with me?). Apparently, a change of office is on the works, an international change, I mean. So, and if the rumour is confirmed, the change is to a less sunny country…This weekend, you can guess what my homework will be, no? Internet wise…

Meanwhile, this is a photo of the city that I'm talking about. Do you know what is it?

50 reasons why we might be single

From The Times. Might be accurate in some lines, actually....

50 reasons why you’re still single
Do you wonder why everyone else is coupled up, apart from you?

MEN because you...
1 Wear side-buckle shoes
2 Use the word “chillax”, as in “chillax, babe”
3 Use the word “babe”
4 Have glow-in-the-dark stars above your bed
5 Have nothing but a broken sandwich toaster, a camp bed and a 60in plasma screen in your flat 6 Believe that certain things are self-cleaning
7 Wear short-sleeved shirts in the summer, but are not a postman
8 Wear a duffel coat in the winter, but are not Paddington Bear
9 Have “Thug Life” tattooed across the back of your neck
10 Have sold your forehead to an internet advertising agency
11 Affectionately address your friends as “stinker”
12 Prefer the “fist bump” when meeting strangers, and always insist they “lock it in”
13 Have knees that chafe
14 Regard the in-flight meal as the highlight of any flight, or holiday, for that matter
15 Own a pair of Crocs
16 Are only gay when you’re drunk
17 Stand for the national anthem
18 Refuse to remove your Bluetooth headset before making love
19 Throw baked beans at people who tease you
20 Shave your legs “for sporting purposes”
21 Have ever taken more than one mobile-phone photograph of your genitals
22 Have telephoned in a late-night radio dedication
23 Have a stuffed parrot on your shoulder
24 Believe all worthwhile women are under 25
25 Have a name for it

WOMEN because you...
1 Have a calendar stuck to your wall with pictures of babies in plant pots
2 Have a “lucky” thong
3 Have more than zero stuffed animals on your bed
4 Still use scrunchies
5 Are described by your friends as “mad!”
6 Are described by your friends as “Samantha”
7 Know all the words to Mariah Carey’s Hero
8 Have written poetry in Costa Coffee
9 Use the expression “defo”
10 Have an extremely long nail on one of your little fingers
11 Have ever got corn rows on holiday
12 Get visibly angry if people don’t get what you’re trying to mime in charades
13 Spell your name with a “y”, where there should really be an “i”, as in “Clayre”
14 Dot your “i”s with a circle
15 Posed with your cat for your Facebook profile photo
16 Have a five o’clock shadow
17 Have bought yourself a Ginsters All Day Breakfast Roll
18 Write in coloured ink and/or use smiley faces in handwritten letters
19 Think the energy crisis can be solved with crystals
20 Will not relinquish control
21 Spend all your time with your best friend and her husband
22 Own 27 volumes of Now That’s What I Call Music!
23 Have mistakenly given yourself “wedding hair”, thanks to overzealous use of curling tongs
24 Have said, “Oh my God, you’re a Gemini?”
25 Own a pair of leather trousers

Have you ever thought about this? :)

Sick

There, there, there, 2008 is already here for a week and I haven't noticed it yet. Been sick for the last 5 days with all the flu symptoms you can think of. Maybe this start of the year isn't auspicious, but, what the heck, what can I do about it? I've been on my bed for longer than I recall, I'm sick of being sick. My family doctor smiles when I step in his office, knowing beforehand that Ibuprofen is the medicine for me. I'm sick of him too. At least, he gave me 2 sick days to stay at home and not going to work (by the way, I'm supposed to be enjoying holidays!). Arghh, I swear I'll be thankful of my good days.