Friday, 4.02 PM
I get to the meeting room 5 minutes late, with my senior manager. It’s her fault we’re late.
The 8 men attending the meeting are all enthusiastic and smiling, they pump hands up and down when introductions are made, and do their best to look smart.
The truth is, each of them would like to kill everybody else in the room.
We sit down, the two parties facing each other. I can’t help noticing that:
- all of the men from the seller side wear violet ties, while those from the buyer side wear red ones;
- both side leaders are fat, bald, wear thick glasses and look 15 year older than their real age;
- from where I sit, I cannot reach water, candies or chocolate. No coffee in sight. This is gonna be bad;
- my head aches.
And then, the negotiation starts.
Friday, 6.00 PM
By this time, we have all understood that the original timing of one hour meeting was unrealistic.
Men have started loosening their ties, people yawn and the air is heavy.
There is no more water, and I still cannot reach candies and chocolate.
My head is getting worse.
Friday, 7.00 PM
My head aches BADLY. I don’t have any aspirin on me. How stupid of me.
Friday, 8.00 PM
By now, I’m convinced I have brain cancer.
The ties have disappeared, and the air stinks. I lost 12 phone calls, and both KS and the Sponsor want to know at what time I’ll be home. As if I knew it.
Friday, 8.30 PM
I don’t know what we’re talking about anymore. Most people in the meeting room fake listening while reading their emails on blackberries.
I’m picturing what my friends are doing right now, in this precise moment.
Polish Chick is partying in London.
KS is driving to get to my parents place, ignoring I might not make it home tonight.
A bunch of colleagues are having aperitivo at Armani’s
Is Thailand is 3.30AM, so Andrea the Hunter is probably banging some random chick whose name he doesn’t know (and doesn’t care to learn).
Nicola is on a cruise boat between Australia and New Zealand, sleeping (maybe. Or maybe drinking Jack Daniels).
Friday, 9.00 PM
Maybe it’s not brain cancer but aneurysm and I’ll die within the hour.
Anyway, 15 more minutes and I’ll lose the last train home. KS drove all the way there, he’s going to kill me if I don’t get there.
Shit.
Friday, 9.10 PM
Okay is this guy nuts or what? He just proposed another meeting at the same time for next Friday. Get a life, you dork.
Friday, 9.14 PM
It’s over. I still have 10 minutes to reach the Central Station (forget about the ticket) and jump on the last train. Run, DDgirl!!!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday meeting
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
... and yet I really want to buy it!
I want a Vespa. I’ve been in love with the idea of owning a Vespa for a long time.
Why the hell don’t I go and just buy myself a Vespa?
There are, actually, plenty of reasons.
Reason n.1
I wouldn’t keep my Vespa in the city, because it would be way too dangerous. I’d keep it at my Parents’ place, by the lake, which would limit its use to what? 25 weekends per year? I still feel that paying all that money for such little usage would be a waste of my savings.
Reason n.2
What I really want is an OLD Vespa. You know, the models of the Sixties, like this:
Why the hell don’t I go and just buy myself a Vespa?
There are, actually, plenty of reasons.
Reason n.1
I wouldn’t keep my Vespa in the city, because it would be way too dangerous. I’d keep it at my Parents’ place, by the lake, which would limit its use to what? 25 weekends per year? I still feel that paying all that money for such little usage would be a waste of my savings.
Reason n.2
What I really want is an OLD Vespa. You know, the models of the Sixties, like this:
Problem is these beauties do not work with the gas you can buy nowadays. They need OIL to be added. And can you honestly picture DDgirl running around on her Vespa with an oil tank? Well, neither can I. Furthermore, the old ladies need constant maintenance. And I’m no grease monkey.Reason n.3
I’d really like a “big” Vespa, maybe a 150 or a 250. But my driving licence only allows me to drive a small 50, otherwise I’d have to apply for another licence, pass the driving test (please refer also to Reason n.4) and last but not least, spend 300 more Euros for the licence.
Reason n.4
I don’t really know how to drive a Vespa. But hey, I know plenty of idiots who drive one, so it cannot be that hard, can it? Plus, Bro promised to give me lessons for free if I buy it!
Reason n. 5
Given that I would have to buy a new Vespa, like this one:
I still cannot set between dark blue and red. But I agree that’s not a major issue.Reason n.6
When I’m staying at the Parents’ place, I don’t drive often: I’m lazy about driving for some reasons, so I walk everywhere I can (I usually drive only when Granny or her sister ask me to take them somewhere). If I had a Vespa, I would probably ride it instead of walking, which means I would train less and get fatter.
Now you probably wonder, what would I do with a Vespa? I’d use it to go on holiday to the mountains, in first place. I’d drive slowly, my honey curls blowing in the wind. I would clean it on sunny summer mornings, before riding it by the lake.
So I know this is something I dream on and will probably never happen....
Monday, October 12, 2009
A beautiful friendship
Nicola came and went, and the world did not shake
Nicola came and went, and it seems we can finally enjoy seeing each other like old friends, without skipping heartbeats.
I hoped for this for such a long time, I still have trouble believing it. Then again, why would I assume he would hit on me? Whatever. Who the hell am I kidding? I assumed so, because we both restrained so much in the past. But it’s good to see we both moved on.
I came home late on Thursday night, and both Nicola and Polish Chick were waiting for me, so I quickly changed and we headed out for drinks and food. We found a cool place to hang out, two friends joined us soon, and we all chilled out drinking prosecco and exchanging stories. Just like normal old friends do, and there was no tension, no drama.
Then we went home, Nicola and I, and we were both too tired to do the talk we still need to have, to talk about what happened to us both when he disappeared. The time will come to do that as well. Anyway we said goodnight, I had pulled out my convertible sofa for him and I retreated to my bedroom to spend a difficult night thanks to the bad cold I got.
And this morning I had to leave early, so I just slipped out letting Nicola sleep. Next week he’ll leave again, working on ships, but he’ll be back in 6 months or so and who knows, maybe I could even pay him a visit by the sea in Sardinia, with a friend or something. We’ll see. The drama is over, and to quote a famous movie: “I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” ;-D
Nicola came and went, and it seems we can finally enjoy seeing each other like old friends, without skipping heartbeats.
I hoped for this for such a long time, I still have trouble believing it. Then again, why would I assume he would hit on me? Whatever. Who the hell am I kidding? I assumed so, because we both restrained so much in the past. But it’s good to see we both moved on.
I came home late on Thursday night, and both Nicola and Polish Chick were waiting for me, so I quickly changed and we headed out for drinks and food. We found a cool place to hang out, two friends joined us soon, and we all chilled out drinking prosecco and exchanging stories. Just like normal old friends do, and there was no tension, no drama.
Then we went home, Nicola and I, and we were both too tired to do the talk we still need to have, to talk about what happened to us both when he disappeared. The time will come to do that as well. Anyway we said goodnight, I had pulled out my convertible sofa for him and I retreated to my bedroom to spend a difficult night thanks to the bad cold I got.
And this morning I had to leave early, so I just slipped out letting Nicola sleep. Next week he’ll leave again, working on ships, but he’ll be back in 6 months or so and who knows, maybe I could even pay him a visit by the sea in Sardinia, with a friend or something. We’ll see. The drama is over, and to quote a famous movie: “I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” ;-D
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Voices from the past
It seems all kind of memories from the past get back in my life this week.
Okay guys, you’re never going to believe this: Tomorrow I’ll see NICOLA.
He’ll be in town and he’s gonna crash on my couch for the night because he needs to be in town on Friday as well.
So he called me yesterday (and it was pretty out of the blue), asking me if we could have dinner together tomorrow night, and of course I said yes and I inquired about where he would sleep and ended offering my couch.
Just to make things clear, I’m totally happy to get to see him, it’s been four years since we last met!! And to make things even clearer, I offered to give Polish chick (who knows him from back in the nineties, but haven’t met him in like, 10 years!) a call to ask her to join us for the evening, and he said it would be great to catch up with her as well.
Just so that everybody (Nicola included) knows that this is no date or something!
Yet, I somehow freak out. Because I’ve changed so much, and he didn’t. He’s still in the same place he was 10 years ago: working temporary jobs here and there around the world, never sticking too long in a place. Which is totally okay, because it’s how he wants to live. While I have grown up. Most of all, I moved on, because I didn’t have any other option.
Whatever! I can’t wait to hear about Nicola’s latest crazy tricks!!!!
Okay guys, you’re never going to believe this: Tomorrow I’ll see NICOLA.
He’ll be in town and he’s gonna crash on my couch for the night because he needs to be in town on Friday as well.
So he called me yesterday (and it was pretty out of the blue), asking me if we could have dinner together tomorrow night, and of course I said yes and I inquired about where he would sleep and ended offering my couch.
Just to make things clear, I’m totally happy to get to see him, it’s been four years since we last met!! And to make things even clearer, I offered to give Polish chick (who knows him from back in the nineties, but haven’t met him in like, 10 years!) a call to ask her to join us for the evening, and he said it would be great to catch up with her as well.
Just so that everybody (Nicola included) knows that this is no date or something!
Yet, I somehow freak out. Because I’ve changed so much, and he didn’t. He’s still in the same place he was 10 years ago: working temporary jobs here and there around the world, never sticking too long in a place. Which is totally okay, because it’s how he wants to live. While I have grown up. Most of all, I moved on, because I didn’t have any other option.
Whatever! I can’t wait to hear about Nicola’s latest crazy tricks!!!!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Old confessions from The Hunter
I got a message from Andrea the Hunter, yesterday night. I was sleepless, and he had just got out of bed in Bangkok, so we ended up chatting a bit on FB. We talked about Eivind. I don’t think I ever mentioned Eivind, but back in grad school the three of us were inseparable. We’ve already talked about Andrea, and Eivind is a guy from Norway who came to Italy for grad school. We met by chance, and we used to spend all out time together, and with our three blond heads and pairs of blue eyes most people thought we were all Scandinavian.
Back in that year, I had a stable boyfriend, but Andrea hinted several times that Eivind was interested in me (he never made a move, but it could be because he knew I was not on the market).
At the end of grad school Eivind met a Swedish girlfriend (that Andrea hates) and went back to Scandinavia. By that time Andrea had already moved to Thailand; however we had a fight over the Eivind matter. It turned out Andrea saw us as his “backup family” of a kind, the place he could always go back to. Therefore, he always hoped Eivind and I would end up together. When Eivind left, I guess his dream kind of shattered, and he blamed me, and it took him a while to get over it and move on, which of course he eventually did.
When he came back after the Tsunami and he stayed at my place, we did a lot of talking. I remember this one I noted in a diary on the same night we had it. (please read the post about the Tsunami if you hadn’t, or it will look weird).
Andrea was thanking me for taking care of him, and then he said: “It’s funny how, even now, you still support me. After all of the things that I’ve done, when even my own family doesn’t care that much, you’re so good to me! You waited patiently, yet when I got upset with you, you still had to ask me if I cared about you.”
“I never said I was perfect, Andrea. But it seems I still managed to take you home”
“I’ve walked on shells to come here, it’s been tough, but now that I feel better, I can see you’ve changed as well. You are still beautiful, but you have changed. You’ve got you life and your job, you’ve got different problems now. I regret fighting with you about Eivind. You were doing well with your boyfriend, and Eivind wanted to go back to Scandinavia.”
“You know very well Eivind cares a lot about you, Andrea. And that I do, as well. It is always you the one that disappears. You’re the one who charmed us and went away! Now we’re no longer students, we grew up and set our lives, but neither Eivind or I ever forget about you. It was hard for us to accept your choice to live in a completely different way. It is not something we could have done ourselves, even if we wanted to. Eivind does not come from money, and even I do not own enough to live like you, but even if we were rich…. We wouldn’t live like you. And it IS hard to always worry about you. In a way, it’s easier for me, because you tell me things that you keep from Eivind for fear of upsetting him.”
“Sometimes I pray for a miracle, DDgirl. Deep down, I don’t know what I’d do if you had indeed chosen a lifestyle like my own: you are my anchor, my safe port. Even if Eivind went away. I don’t think this will ever change”
And that was it. I think it may represent the only time Andrea expressed warm feelings in the last 10 years.
Back in that year, I had a stable boyfriend, but Andrea hinted several times that Eivind was interested in me (he never made a move, but it could be because he knew I was not on the market).
At the end of grad school Eivind met a Swedish girlfriend (that Andrea hates) and went back to Scandinavia. By that time Andrea had already moved to Thailand; however we had a fight over the Eivind matter. It turned out Andrea saw us as his “backup family” of a kind, the place he could always go back to. Therefore, he always hoped Eivind and I would end up together. When Eivind left, I guess his dream kind of shattered, and he blamed me, and it took him a while to get over it and move on, which of course he eventually did.
When he came back after the Tsunami and he stayed at my place, we did a lot of talking. I remember this one I noted in a diary on the same night we had it. (please read the post about the Tsunami if you hadn’t, or it will look weird).
Andrea was thanking me for taking care of him, and then he said: “It’s funny how, even now, you still support me. After all of the things that I’ve done, when even my own family doesn’t care that much, you’re so good to me! You waited patiently, yet when I got upset with you, you still had to ask me if I cared about you.”
“I never said I was perfect, Andrea. But it seems I still managed to take you home”
“I’ve walked on shells to come here, it’s been tough, but now that I feel better, I can see you’ve changed as well. You are still beautiful, but you have changed. You’ve got you life and your job, you’ve got different problems now. I regret fighting with you about Eivind. You were doing well with your boyfriend, and Eivind wanted to go back to Scandinavia.”
“You know very well Eivind cares a lot about you, Andrea. And that I do, as well. It is always you the one that disappears. You’re the one who charmed us and went away! Now we’re no longer students, we grew up and set our lives, but neither Eivind or I ever forget about you. It was hard for us to accept your choice to live in a completely different way. It is not something we could have done ourselves, even if we wanted to. Eivind does not come from money, and even I do not own enough to live like you, but even if we were rich…. We wouldn’t live like you. And it IS hard to always worry about you. In a way, it’s easier for me, because you tell me things that you keep from Eivind for fear of upsetting him.”
“Sometimes I pray for a miracle, DDgirl. Deep down, I don’t know what I’d do if you had indeed chosen a lifestyle like my own: you are my anchor, my safe port. Even if Eivind went away. I don’t think this will ever change”
And that was it. I think it may represent the only time Andrea expressed warm feelings in the last 10 years.
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