Bonjour! Au Revoir!

Yes, I'm back from Marseille, but I've been putting off updating my blog with pictures if my fabulous trip. (Procrastination...)

Anyway...here it is!

One thing I have to say about Marseille is: The weather is much much much better than what we're having right now in the UK. Oh, I know it's not news, but then again, how can anyone complain about good weather? Lots of sun, sea and fantastic view of the Mediterranean sea.

First, let's start with the city itself.

The old port of Marseille.

La Canebière.

On top of La Garde.

View of Marseille.

View of the Mediterranean sea from la Garde.

Notre-Dame de la Garde by night.

Next, comes Cassis. OOohhh, this is my favourite. I just love love love love LOVE the view there! A bit scary when you look down the edge of the calanque though, but I can overlook that! Hehe...

(Forgot the name of the cliff. Emily did tell me, not once, not twice, but THRICE, and I still can't remember it.)

View of Cassis (from the same cliff).

I took loads of pictures still from this place but then I'd already put them on FB and so I would spare everyone from my cam-whoring.

Next, let's take a look at this...

Does anyone recognise what this is and where have you seen it?

Another hint:

Got it?

Yeap, yeap...it is.

The cafe featured in Love Actually (where Colin Firth proposed to the girl)!!!

I know, I know...I can't believe that I was there as well! It's a very very old cafe (according to Emily), and everything is so...so...so..........................err.......vintage. From the tables and chairs to the tiled floors and bar.

And thanks to my gracious hosts...I had a wonderful time!

Emily's parents...

The grandparents...

Her brother, Vincent...

And here's one with Emily, Nathalie (her sister), and me!

Thank you so much! They really are an interesting family. (Trust me when I say they are...) Oh, more about Christmas with them in another post!

Last but not least...other friends that I met!

Dounia and Sophie (and of course, Emily.)

James and Angelique (I'm sorry if I got the spelling wrong!!!)

Nic, Roma, (and Emily), Pip, Sophie, Dounia, Nathalie. (Oh yes, we went clubbing! HAHA...)

But then again, one week just flew by and it was time to go home. (So sad. *sobs*)

So on the last morning, we took one last trip to the beach and had some breakfast in the sun (and outdoors too!!!) before leaving for the airport.

I definitely miss Marseille...but who knows, I might go back next time! :)

Just shoot me

I'm serious.

But I'm still alive.

Unfathomable

I just can't understand nor stand people that just don't get back to you when you tried calling them a MILLION times already. And I'm not even trying to sell anything!!!

No, instead I'm trying to BUY something. Well, buy services anyway.

I've been trying to get this estate agent guy for the past two days following my viewing but he just won't pick up the phone!!! Nevermind that it's a weekend, it says so on their website:

"We're open EVERYDAY from 9am to 8.30pm!"

*snort*

Yeah, right.

So what? They're too busy to even pick up the bloody phone is it?!?!??!

Even when I tried calling to arrange a viewing...it took them a whole week to get someone to get back to me...then another week for the appointment...

I'm not trying to see a doctor...I'm trying to get one of their rooms!!!!!!!!!!
(Even if I need to see a doctor, with this speed, I might have been dead already)

By right, anyone would expect them to be biting my hands off. But NOOOOOOOOO...I can't even get someone RELEVANT to pick up my calls.

I am so the broke

I know this is nothing new lar...but then I still wanna whine about it. And I'm going to say it again.

I am so the broke!!!

This is the time of the month and year where almost everyone is broke. Come end of the month, everyone's running low on their pay and can't wait till the next payday. Plus, it's Christmas and there're presents to get too.

The same situation goes for me...but this year it's different. I have to scrape enough through to try and pay the deposit and all for a new place and a Christmas party to attend at work as well. The dress is there, but I still need to get other stuff to go with it, like shoes, makeup, accessories, and other minor details that I shall spare you all from. I don't mind this party at all though, since we're getting free food and drinks for it. (Though drinks are a little bit limited cos last year people got so pissed when it was free flow.)

I can't wait till payday next week...

***************************

I was off last Monday, having a nice long weekend...only to return to work to attend an urgent meeting on Tuesday morning.

Apparently, our company has just been bought over a few hours earlier by another US based company. Right....

First thought: What, are they going to downsize the company?

Second thought: Or not, are we all going to get a pay rise? (No harm dreaming of it...)

Third thought: Do I get to do attachments abroad then?

Yeah yeah...I'm in a world of my own.

But then people can't help worrying about this major transition in power in the highest management level. Though our COO reassured us that it's not going to affect any of our operations, that things are going to go on as normal, but you never know. It IS under a new management now.

On a lower level, I was surprisingly pleased when my boss decided to let me do my own conjugation on Friday. And instead of following the standard operating procedure, I was asked to start everything from scratch. Well...not really...it's just for everyone to 'pretend' that this is something new, and I had no prior knowledge of it. So...without anyone constantly there to probe me on what to do next, I was on my own. Good news: I'm giving myself a chance to test myself to see how well I'll do. Bad news: There were quite a few hiccups here and there. (And both my bosses knew about it...shite)

Though everyone reassured me that it was ok, I can't help but feel frustrated cos I know that I should and could have done it better...

Anyway, my boss decided to pull me out of the conjugation team in January (NO, not because I was doing badly) to get me to work with her for a month on another task. This is because, I'm, I quote "driven, motivated, energetic, enthusiastic and willing to try new stuff". (Yes, I am.)

Not too bad...hehe...

Back to the 'Rock'

Yo yo yo!!!

In case anybody's wondering, the 'Rock' is Batu Pahat.

And yes...if u got this far, then you most probably would know what I mean.

*ahem*

*Imagine loud ringing speaker mode*

Ladies aaaaaaaaaannnnnndd Gentlemen...

Please take note...

Yours truly...

Your one and only...

Ms Goh Yi Lin...

Will be back in BP in February 2008...

*clap clap clap*

I am SOoooooooOOoOo going back for Chinese New Year!!!!!

Muahahahaha.....

Everything's done. Flights booked, paid for, seats reserved and details confirmed. Contacted family, arranged pick-up, itenary scheduled and leave approved. Yippee!!!

I can't believe my boss was actually supportive of me taking 2 weeks off so soon after starting. I was already surprised that they actually asked me to clear my 2.5 days leave for this year before Christmas closedown. But it doesn't beat this. I'm so so so so so so so so excited.

This means, after Christmas, when everyone's still having post-Christmas blues...I'll have something to look forward to after Christmas in Marseille. Come Chinese New Year, I'll be home celebrating it!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

I sound ridiculous but I just can't help it.

**************

Oh yeah, I completed my first supervised conjugation. I think I might be doing something on my own pretty soon.

It's 3 weeks and counting...

To Christmas that is...

I haven't really felt the Christmas spirit ever since I got here, don't know why. Probably didn't know about the hoo-ha going on, so wasn't really psyched up. (In fact I was only psyched up about my 10 days off and probably the party before that.)

Now now...when Becky & Becky decided to put up and decorate the Christmas tree today, the atmosphere at work somehow changed. Christmas songs were even played in the main lab for a good first part of the day.

They're just putting the trees up.

Tadaa~! Bright and decorated!

Soon there'll be presents underneath the tree as well, I think. Coz there's this Secret Santa that's going on. And the people taking part will have to draw out a person's name and buy him/her a present. So everyone will get a present! YAY!

And Darren got lots of us into the Christmas quiz as well. Usually I'm not into quizzes but it's different this time. The winners get cash prizes. CASH!!! Like Darren said, my eyes practically lit up when I heard that. (Who in their right minds wouldn't?)

So not bad then, I keep myself occupied with the quiz in the meantime, and if everything goes well, I might just win something. If not, I'll just have a very nice holiday in Marseille then. It's a win-win situation for me anyway. HAHA!

******************

Oh yeah, last Saturday's weather over at Cardiff was mad. MAD, I tell you!

It was a bright and sunny morning...I opened my eyes, and was juuuuust about to get up...when it rained cats and dogs.

SO. I plopped back down onto my bed and carried up sleeping until 11.

Then I washed up and got ready to go out. (Supposed to meet Rushmi for shopping.) Bloody hell, this time it's even worse than raining cats and dogs.

There was practically a hailstorm when I stepped right out the door!!!

This was taken only after the hails started to thaw.

If I had been 2 minutes earlier, I might be in the hospital now with a concussion.

But the weather forecast said that the weather on Sunday would be even worse (which was right) so we went ahead with our plans anyway.

My God, I was practically frozen by the time I got there.

No mood to shop anymore. So went looking for food.

Stumbled into this cosy little restaurant called La Boheme, which sells Italian Food (Surprise!!!), but currently has only the Christmas menu for us to choose from. :( But then again, the food was quite good, so I'm still happy with it. Hehehe...

Need to go to bed now. Getting sleepy...

And btw, I FINALLY started my first Supervised Conjugation today.

I'm getting there!!!