Monday, February 29, 2016

Week 8: Throwback | Same Same, but Different

Last Saturday, we had our first ever high school reunion, more than 25 years after graduation. There were some people whom I had not seen since the 1990s, a few that I had bumped in every few years in random places and a handful of close friends whom I still see regularly. Interestingly, everyone among those who came was easily recognisable, with the exception of one guy (we all agreed on that) whom age hadn't been so kind on. It was so funny to see that after all those years and - supposedly -  some maturity processes having happened people essentially still acted the same. Our former school hottie, no longer model material, was his old superficial self, going on about his cool "projects" (read: hot air) while not thinking of asking the person he was talking to what they have been up to. Our drama queen who did actually become an actress still smiling a mile a minute and putting on her sensitive, caring front, while turning around mid-sentence to the next person as she found what the Mermaid was telling her not quite interesting enough. There was this awkward moment when I said goodbye to her (who also lives in Vienna, actually not far from me) that could have been filled with an "let's exchange numbers! Let's meet up!" that thankfully neither of us filled with those lines. If age has taught me one thing, it is to leave out those pleasantries and not collect pink elephant numbers in your phone directory.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Week 7: Apprehension | What's Next?

Last week was split between busy evenings - meeting friends (some of whom I had not seen for months, or years, even) and uneventful days. I first wanted to use the adjective "bored" as I really feel I was just biding my time at the office, waiting for the appropriate time to leave, but it was a strange feeling of passivity fuelled by apprehension, rather than just doing nothing, full stop. I don't want to go into too much detail, but basically, I am about to change my job and whether this will just be an internal move within the company, or not, should transpire soon. This might sound straightforward enough a project, but believe me, it is not.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Birthday Splurge

I have treated myself to some pretty little and not so little things recently. Among them an 11" Macbook air (for which I immediately ordered a marbled vinyl decal) and silver Tiffany's bracelet. Well, the latter was actually more of a belated Christmas present bought with money I got from my parents. I love both and while I had been toying with the idea of purchasing a private Macbook rather than using my work one at home as well for quite some time, the bracelet was an impulse buy and I was in and out of their Vienna flagship store in 5 minutes or so. Last summer, I bought a "Tiffany's inspired" charity bracelet in Australia, which of course was only silver-plated and got tarnished rather quickly. Unlike the (very) pricey original, it was on an elastic band and I loved it for its practicality. I don't like typing with clunky bracelets and would often take off my arm candy at work. I therefore opted for the only type of bracelet available - at least in Vienna - that has an easy closure that you don't need assistance with every time you want to take it on or off.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Week 6: Unexpected | An Offline "Like" from an Archangel

Last Tuesday, something happened that made me smile all day to the point where random strangers stopped to look after me or smile my way. My day started with something unexpected and quite flattering. As on most weekdays, I got my daily Starbucks fix ("grande skinny melange with one pump vanilla syrup to go") at their Michaelerplatz branch and was window-shopping my way down Kohlmarkt en route to the office. I had almost reached the Firm's address, takeout coffee in hand, when steps that I had heard behind me for a while caught up with me and a male voice said "Excuse me!" I stopped to turn to the stranger and looked at him expectantly, thinking he would ask for directions or tell me I had dropped something. In fact what he said was "Forgive me, this is going to sound weird and cheesy now, probably, but I have watched you for a while and you looked so nice that I wanted to ask you if you would perhaps have a coffee with me..." He looked as if he totally expected me to dismiss him and politely decline, but he was actually really good-looking and since I am NOT the type of person who often gets asked out on a coffee-date by handsome sober men in broad daylight I was flattered and told him that I was on my way to work (never mind that I had a coffee in my hand already, there is only so much caffeine you can take on a given Tuesday morning), but happy to take him up on his kind offer another time. I asked him for his name (one of the archangels) and if he also worked nearby and, on a whim, gave him my card, telling him "well, since you don't look like your average chain-saw murderer, here's my name and number". Once we had established where I worked and in fact reached my office, I asked him what he did for a living and he, quite solemnly, replied, "take a guess, I obviously look so typical for my profession, everyone tends to guess right." And I did, at the first try. He's an architect and everyone who knows me will find this ex-treme-ly funny as I always say that this is the "sexiest job" a man could possibly have in my book. We then said our goodbyes, him repeating that his offer for coffee was still valid.
Sure enough, he hasn't called. Men. Even if he ended up stalking me online and found out I was considerably older than him (likely) and decided not to call for this or whatever (lost the card/was abducted by aliens/had a sudden onset of dementia) reason (just as likely) or simply and sadly is some kind of pick-up artist acting out a dare by his mates (you never know) he does get kudos for approaching me and putting a smile on my face for a day. 

Monday, February 08, 2016

Week 5: Calming down | After-Party

After the emotionally taxing run-up to my birthday, I really enjoyed the calmer week with a lot of after-partying and thoughtful presents. I love birthday festivals, i.e. belated presents (as long as nobody forgets to congratulate me on the day proper, that is) and surprises. I spent a long weekend in KLU and enjoyed a great ski day on Saturday in glorious sunshine. All in all, a very good week!

Monday, February 01, 2016

Week #4: Rollercoaster | Ups and Downs

Last week started on the same emotional note as the previous one finished, but then decidedly got better and I spent a lovely "Birthday Eve" having cocktails with many of my favourite people in a lovely new bar that I had booked as Plan B originally, but that I will definitely return to. It was a good strategic move to take Friday, my actual birthday, off, as I was half dead until noon. I possibly had the first real hangover of my life and am not planning to repeat that experience. By Friday night I was revived again and fit for jumping up and down to Ellie Goulding. A great concert. Saturday was good too with a lovely unexpected gift (and one to myself, more about that soon) and 2 good exhibitions (picture above from one of Olafur Elisasson's kaleidoscopes). On Sunday the mood curve went downwards again with most of my friends off somewhere due to their kids' semester break and myself having too much time on my hands to let a certain somebody's (predictable) behaviour get to me. Here's to you, February!
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