Farewell

I left lastminute.com last Friday and my lovely colleagues were able to break me into tears...
I am a bit of a dramatic person, I suppose... but I loved my job there and leaving it made me realise how important work is for me.
Mainly because the people I work with.
It's so true that if you love your job, you will not work a single day in your life.

Anyway, here a little gift they prepared for my farewell:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBi_lsiHbk&feature=youtu.be

A presto.

Image of boxes

I don't have many words to fill this white space. Or maybe I do but they are hidden somewhere.
I feel like I have been put in a box. With my words. There is not enough space for all of us, so I leave them out.

Outside the box there is lots of space. Also light. Ideas can flow freely, occasionally crash into objects, but it does not matter: they grow stronger. Sometimes boxes are used to protect ideas, but they are made of a soft transparent material and are never locked: everyone has got access to them.

The box I feel I have been put in has got solid walls and most important you can't see what's outside.
It's containing me, it's not protecting me.

There is a little corner called the Labs out there. We have got boxes but only to keep cables of ideas and voices called phones.

There was a little corner out there and I was flowing in. I am now in a box already missing that little corner: there are no cables here though.

Pensieri non detti

Di quel disagio dissolto nel verde

di una campagna belante

e agnelli festosi il cui simbolo

scompare

in una terra ancora straniera.


Di quel disagio la cui voce

ancora

non ha parole

ma sussurri di noia

e significati fraintesi.


Di quel disagio sciocco

di cui la mente e` custode

fra sbarre di pensieri

e morbida lontananza

di visi e parenti,

famiglia e tormenti.


Di quel non voglio parlare.

New job, new smells.

Just a quick update on my life, although I don't want to disclosure any particular detail at the moment. But yes, I am starting a new job, the one that I have been impatiently waiting for ages! The funny thing is all the emotions I am experiencing now: excitement, confusion, fear, happiness and much more. It's like... being in love. All I can think about is my new job.

And the funniest thing is the smell. Yes, I do smell offices whenever I start working in a new place (well, I don't go around sniffing every corner...). I am just using another sense a part from sight, touch and hearing. I did smell something familiar while yesterday I went through the hall and the various departments. It was just familiar, known and I still cannot work out what it is. But it makes me feel at home. It reminds me of my bedroom in Brighton, for some reason.

All is good, all is new, all is unknown.

For those who believe in human rights and freedom of speech

Aung San Suu Kyi has been released a few hours ago after 15 years of detention. I feel that this is one of the most joyful moments of the year for the entire world. Suu Kyi: a woman that is an example of courage, and an inspiration for all those people that fight for democracy and respect of human rights. A woman that, because her beliefs, was isolated for years, denied the use of the internet, phone and access to post. A woman that was not allowed to see her husband before he died of cancer. A woman who has been a part from her two children for 10 years. All of this because she has been fighting for a country whose regime forbids freedom of speech and still detains more than 2000 political prisoners. The journey towards Burma's democracy is still long, however I want believe, I HOPE this historical moment is a step closer to the end of one of the last-official-dictatorships in the world.

Just words

It's like when you swim under the water and you hold your breath. All is dark down there, but you have to keep swimming to reach the light and start breathing again. This is what I felt in the last months.

Although, I do like swimming under the water and exploring the seabed. I much prefer seeing lights and colours. Breathing again and observing the horizon on the sea.

If I don't stop to see dark when it's light, this blog will become the most boring journey in the most boring soul of a young woman.

Back in England

I know, I know... it's terrible... I haven't written anything for about five months. If it is of any consolations I always thought about doing it, but I have been too busy on thinking...
Well, actually a few things have changed since last time I updated my blog and will try to summarize them very quickly. I left South Korea the 3rd of November last year and as soon as I got out of the mad Korean rushing life, I missed it. Fortunately, I did not have much time to feel particularly nostalgic, as we jumped in a plane to Bangkok ready to enjoy our SIX- and I say SIX- weeks holiday. We spent a couple of weeks in Thailand, first in the capital then in a lovely island called Ko-Lanta. I loved the spicy fresh Thai food and the gorgeous beaches. I have to admit that, at first, the big move from the Korean working life to the heaven made quite difficult to appreciate silence, calmness, the absence of schedules to respect, long hours of sleep and being barefoot all the time (which I love!). I got there pretty soon, anyway.

Then, we went to Vietnam and visited Hanoi, which was like a lovely mixture of French and Chinese images and colours. Pity for the pollution, though.
A quick trip to the historical Hue whose changeable and nasty weather was more impressive than the city in itself...
Hoi-An: it was like a small pretty painting missing the frame. Even the houses seemed to be painted in watercolours. Adorable.
We got a couple (or more) of tailor made suits and they haven't fallen in pieces yet.

We spent the last two weeks back in Thailand, before the big return to Europe. I went to Italy to finally visit my family and Rob went to England. After reciprocal visits and bla bla, we are now back in the UK and preparing for the next move: LONDON.
No Hong Kong as planned, no Spain or France, but London. I love London. Although, it is painfully expensive and I am dying to have a job, I love this city.

So, that's it. I am here and starting again. New life, new job (hopefully very soon!), new flat (soon as well, I hope!) and new... no, boyfriend is still the same :)

A presto