I was looking back through my real diary and have come to the conclusion that so far, 2005 has been crap. Oh, alright, it was good ’til January 4th. But since then, looking at the positive column: I’ve won a t-shirt versus the negative column: the illness, the getting dumped, the being “investigated” by the Finanzamt, getting sued, getting sued again, the hospital stays, the health insurance (which still isn’t sorted out), the car insurance (which still…), throw in the fact that the t-shirt you won was from a company from whom you purchased a gift for your ex-girlfriend and when the special edition prize t-shirt arrived it was women’s extra small anyway and well, it doesn’t look good. We’re not even going to mention football (I left the pub after the 3rd goal went in).
I try to write in a self-deprecating manner, I’m more than aware that I’ve had a pretty charmed life - I’ve been in the right place at the right time or known the right person much more often than should naturally happen. Yes, I did actually get off my arse and take those golden opportunities when they arose, but I feel, or at least felt, lucky. I just didn’t expect a large amount of misfortune to all arrive at the same time. So, in order to stop this blog turning into some kind of serious moan (I was most disturbed to find that I’d filed the last post under “bitterness” - I’m going to keep the category, but in the future only use it in beer review posts), I’ve just decided that in fact, 2005 starts tomorrow. I reckon I can use some kind of lunar calendar explanation thing.
Tomorrow morning I’ll get on a plane and be in London for a job interview and think “all those bad things happened last year - and in a different country”. And if I don’t get the job, it won’t matter, I’ll just buy myself some piece of utterly unnecessary technology and remind myself how much better things are than last year, and I won’t even have a hangover.
Yes, its a convoluted and stupid idea, that I haven’t given any real thought to, but that’s what this blog is all about.
German Word For Today: “Widerspenstigskeit” - - not telling you
Song playing as this was published: Grant Lee Buffalo “The Shining Hour”
Happy new year!! Hope 2005 is WAY better than that other year in that other country.
Awesome idea! I’m actually tempted to join you…
Hey…good luck with the job interview. Does this mean you will be stay on the other side of the Der Ärmelkanal?
Oh, good luck with the interview - fingers crossed!
I hope your ‘2005 mark II’ is vastly better than your ‘2005 mark I’. It’s weird how there can be a roll-on effect when bad things happen - but it’s also good to remind yourself from time to time that they don’t last for ever, of course. I think that re-starting the year is an excellent idea.
Wait wait wait. So you may actually be moving to London, as in full-time?
goodluck to you, N!
In bocca al lupo, as we say in this lovely land! i mean: does it work retroactively?
Good luck, although I’m guessing it already happened (and that you will have adjourned to the pub by now).
Thanks all: It was just a quick fly over to London have a chat about a job. I have to say that I do really, really like it here in this area of Germany, but the job in London, if it get it, is too good to turn down. I enjoy what I do here, despite the ridiculously anti-start-up business climate that exists (sorry, I meant the pro-start-up schemes that are actively promoted by the federal government, silly me). But I would drop it all for that job.
Weeeee! Happy New Year!!!!!
Oh, you’ll have to change the banner, then - farewell to Germany! I hope you’ll get the job
(although Germany is going to be much poorer then!)
Just came upon your site yesterday and it felt weird going through your stuff and not letting you know that I am here. I am an ex-expatriot (repat?) that lived in Munich several years ago and currently live back in my native land. I am also a scientist by training and deal with biochemistry on the periphery, as well as a recreational runner. So naturally I am curious how your life is going. If you don’t mind having me around, I would like to check in occasionally and see how your doing. Good luck with the job interview!
PS: I could have warned you about german women (one 6 year relationship and one 1 year for me)
820: Feel free, come in, look around, my desire for anonymity is such that I publish a site containing my random musings on the internet. As for your warning about “German women”, well, so far it doesn’t actually seem to be the nationality that makes any difference….
I stand corrected about only placing German women in the crazy pile. One could make the argument that women only come as one package, just in different packaging. I suppose that also applies to men as well. My German ex-girlfriend had no sense of humor at all until she left with most of my stuff and left me with all of the bills. She thought that was hilarious.
[…] ion into account.” I think you know what I’m trying to say. No, I didn’t get the job in London. Well at least as far as I know, I haven’t. I’ve written it off, although a recent re […]