Tag: france

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Diary From the Attic

I Will Survive

Totally ridicules!  If not for Francis’s phone call and the room service phone call, I would have slept until God knows when.  Finally I woke up at seven pm.  Had a long hot shower and rushed off to my favourite Japanese restaurant.  One thing good about going to the same restaurant all the time is that they treat you really good.  Extra sushi and free cup of tea.

And the next thing was rush to watch a movie.  Wanted to watch the “5th Element” by Bruce Willis but it was full. So I watched “Shine”.  Very touching movie.  With the ticket voucher given (lent) by Aurore, I’ve got a really cheap bargain.

Annie’s email is always so practical and always reminds me of the cruel reality.  She even suggested that I shall stay in YMCA instead.  Alright, this is when the reality bites.  I shall survive.  I will survive.

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Diary From the Attic

Home Sweet Home (at a Hotel in Paris)

First day of work after a long holiday.  I was in general a very jolly mood although the weather was very bad.  Not much heavy work and in the name of “knowledge transfer”, I am not suppose to work on any SIRs.  Great, isn’t it?

Confirm that JP didn’t send me letter, nor did she send me an email and there is no Octel message from her.  Hence confirm that she has gone from my life.

Grace called and told me that there will be something exciting happening tonight.  First four of the BNP team members (plus one client) arrived at the Irish Pub (and Restaurant) twenty-five minutes late.  Of course, I waited for a while and started siting down and order my food.

Grace they all arrived well past nine and we all had a great time.

The hotel management has moved all my stuffs back into my old room and spent a while unpacking most of my stuffs.  Home sweet home.

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Diary From the Attic

Flying Back from American to Paris

With the time difference (9 hr), it is kind of hard to say what is yesterday.  But technically, it was last morning when we have to get up early and drove to the airport.  Colin has been quiet since – May 4 – and he didn’t try to make any conversation at all.  It is very strange to me and I kept on thinking that maybe it’s me who has done something wrong.  On the other hand, maybe it is his personal reason.  Just that what a pity that the holiday ended that way.

Quite a long and adventurous travel for me as I have to fly from LA to Chicago and from Chicago to Paris.  Really surprised that my luggage can be automatically transferred through as the first trip was American Airline and the second one is Air France.  (Although at the end, the Air France part got confused and my luggage was the last one to come out.)  Watched Pulp Fiction a few times on board.  And the air hostess was drop dead sweet with a very nice smile.

Got back to my beloved hotel and my old room will not be ready until tomorrow.  Went for a haircut and my favourite barber was not around and I ended up with the one who can’t speak English at all.  Lucky Eric came out at last and it wasn’t too late.

Called up Sophie and she even wanted me to come to work in the late afternoon.  Crazy.

Called up Mohamed and we had an Indian food.

Tomorrow – back to work!!

Before I stop, I do receive 74 new mails today.  Wow!

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Flying to America

Saturday, woke up early in order to pack up for my US trip.  Stepped out of the hotel after midday and took a taxi to CDG airport.  And there I go, I have to fly again.  Called up my family at the business lounge.  Always nice to talk to family.

The flight was about eight hours.  I still think that Singapore Airline is the best so far.  As for the Air France business class, it was not at all that fantastic.  Kind of a bit disappointed.

Today was pretty cloudy in US.  So not a very nice day indeed.  It was just as depressing as Europe.  The funny thing is that I don’t really feel that much as compare to what I have imagined.  This really puzzled me.  Guess when one travel too frequent, everywhere is just the same.

Colin left me a message and when I knocked onto his room, he was not in.  Kind of disappointed and as I have missed the dinner hour, I have to go to the Social Centre and had my pizza.  By the way, the American beer – Honey Brown – is pretty good.

Left a message in Colin’s room and we met at the Social Centre.  Throughout the night, he was very tired and we didn’t get to talk much.

Feeling kind of lonely.  I miss JP again.

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Diary From the Attic

Let There Be … War?

Spent the whole day composing my status report.  This time I am sure I will start a war between the Technical and Functional Team.  Knowing that there will be a big meeting between the bosses of the two teams, I don’t want to know the result.

Just too much tension between the team.  And Michel is a truly racist.  Look at Claude, I feel heartbroken.  That guy was suffering with the report.  What have I done?  I never mean to cause anyone unhappiness.  And just today, everybody wanted to work with me for a few hours.  But I just didn’t have the time.  Shame.

I dined with Claude tonight.  He took me for a very long walk and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  He has shared a lot of his thinking with me and has truly enlightened my life.  The French restaurant was a very family type and the food was okay (although Claude really enjoyed it).  I will miss him for I will only be able to see him one day when I will be back in May and he will be heading to Cairo.

We smiled, shook hands, I stepped out of the Metro at Concord.  I looked back, smiled at him and gave him a final wave. Friends …

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Diary From the Attic

So You Love My Poems?

Aurore was not in the office today (and tomorrow as well) so I walked into the office pretty late.  Anyway I had nothing better to do.  Not exactly right, I need to pass the ticket number to Ginger and tomorrow will be a public holiday in Singapore.

And I have got my business class ticket to US.  Wow!

Tonight, they have arranged a birthday party (dinner) for Grace, our AC project manager and Oliver, the BNP project manager.  Coincidentally, their birthdays fall onto the same day which is tomorrow.

The dinner was at 8:30 pm.  I left the office at six and returned to the hotel in order to download the SWIFT stuffs for Alvin.  Took me quite a while.  And planned to go the WH Smith and get some English books or/and magazine.  Reached there after seven, thinking that it will still be opened but it was closed at seven. Shame, could have made it.

Took a nice walk and sat somewhere near to the restaurant.  Waited for more than an hour and the BNP project manager arrived first.

The food was nice (French food) and I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.  Grace told me that she loves my poems.  I was speechless.  There was ten of us altogether. What a crowd!

Still thinking of the show “Romeo + Juliet” the whole day.  See, what kind of impact has it done to me ?!

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Diary From the Attic

The Movie Romeo and Juliet Moves Me

Spent half a day doing an evaluation on the Technical Team.  Another half a day having MUE meeting with Sophie and discussing the matter with Michel.  That guy has a temper problem.  Personally I don’t think he can handle the design at all.  Mohamed was very curious on what I wrote on the evaluation but of course, that is confidential.  For the eye of Aurore only.

Romeo and Juliet was on today, therefore I called up the BNP team.  In the end, Karin, Puyee (?) and Munchie came along.  All the literature was there.  At first it was kind of strange to mix the modern setting with the old literature but as the story went along, you kind of get use to it.

Romeo was very cute (and handsome) and Juliet was very sweet.  A very sad ending.  Indeed, just too sad.  It has such an impact on me!

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Diary From the Attic

Kids, More Kids

Called up Annie this morning and I think that her personally life is not a lot better than mine.  Think about all the loneliness.  She commented that the new friends she made in Singapore is nothing compare to the old ones.  Yes, I agree.  In that case, doubt if I can get a girlfriend better than … oh no!  Not again!

The people around me in the office, so many of them are having kids.  Small kids.  That makes me really long for a family of my own.

As for the new guy Federick, don’t think I know him well yet.  Maybe one day.  And today, I can feel that Aurore may dislike me.  Probably because of the result of the status report.

Come to think of it, it could have been very nice if JP and I actually work out.  My house.  My house.  And that’s lost.  Think about the physical separation.  With her, we are complete.  Without her, well …

Today, I have received the study version of Revelation from Athena.  She is really nice.  Really nice.

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Diary From the Attic

What Have I Gained in Paris?

Monday.  First day in the “new” office with two FX guys as Eric (the third one) is having a one week holiday.  Pretty quiet and made a few phone calls.  First one to UOB and finally found out that one of my card’s mailing address has not been changed.  That is why.  Second phone call to IRA and extended my deadline til June 27.

Francis called me up and I am sill very undecided about my future.  As he said that I will “shine” if I stay with VTF.  Oh god, really don’t know.

Nope, Mylene Farmer’s new concert album has not been out yet.  Felt really lonely today.  First, spent one hour at FNAC and went to a Tunisian Restaurant.  What have I gained in Paris?

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Diary From the Attic

Killing Time

I couldn’t really sleep last night.  Gone to bed at 10:30 pm and woke up at 2:30 am.  And I couldn’t go back to sleep.  Got up, obsessed with my coming broadcast and tried to go back to sleep at six.  Couldn’t.  Hence ordered breakfast.

Eventually, woke up at noon.  Nice sunshine today.  Desperate to go out and bathed in the sun.  Contemplating whether to call the BNP guys or not but I didn’t.

Sunglasses on, I went done to Châtelet-Les-Halles and decided to watch “Blood and Wine”.  Took the same route as Claude took me to 2 days ago.  Had lunch at one very nice bar.  Actually planned to watch the show at six in the afternoon but I couldn’t wait no more.  Just too much time.  Hence watched it at four instead.

Very good show.  It’s Jack Nicholson.  Went to Virgin store and walked aimlessly at the busy street of Champs-Elysees.  In the end, decided to go back to Châtelet and had my Japanese food.

Been thinking of my future house all the time.  Suddenly I remember one of the reason of coming back to Paris was to be able save some money for my future home (+ decorations and so on).  Shame that things do not always work out the way they suppose to be.