Mum got paid out at work (i.e. fired) so she decided to pay a visit to a family and friends back home in Croatia, including a stop over visit on the way there, and back, to her precious (i.e. moe).
Back in mid July when she first got here I gave her my - now, a very custom and routine - tour of Spora. And for her way back, I decided on something lazy, somewhere in SE Asia. Since she broke her leg on her second day back home, the resort on Lanta Yai, near by Krabi, in Thailand, turned out to be a perfect place for a week of rehab - pool exercises.
Unlike first time in Thailand, when I travelled around with my sister, this was a great week of resting: lots of sleeping, having chats with Mum and reading the book. Looking back at it, my Mum's attitude and spirit during the holiday was very impressive, not just because of the double fracture on her right ankle - one of the worst broken-bones type of injuries that have rather long and uncertain recovery; but even more, when taking into consideration the attitude of the environment in which she was brought up , and her own history with it.
zivilaDraga...!
Ps: I meant to say '...visit to one of her precious' but it just didn't sound as good - sorry Yogic :)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Sunny skies
I like the mix of tasks that currently take up my time:
To learn and balance them better - to schedule better - is still a work in progress...
every day in every way...!
To learn and balance them better - to schedule better - is still a work in progress...every day in every way...!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Turist => pay
Through all the SE Asia travels I've done so far it has been the same... after a bus arrives at an destignation it gets swarmed by taxi/bike drivers offering a ride and accomodation. ...Just people trying to make a leaving, nothing unusual there...
As I was just finishing of the post about my Vietnam trip, I got remained of a bit of an unusual situation that happened once I got of the bus in Mui-Ne, that earned me a nick name 'Sheep' with the locals for the duration of the stay.
As the bus ride form HCMC was some 6h, first thing I wanted to do was to get to a toilet... so somehow I comunicated to one of the many guys wanting to pick up tursts that I'll be back... Then while making a way from a toilet to a bar to grab some water I made an eye contact with that guy in the group, indicating to wait a bit longer... After I was finally ready to sort out the accommodation, and was going back to meet this group, some 5-10 of them now. As I was approaching one of them came forward with his right hand high, as though to give me a 'high five' ... I extended my hand forward, palm facing up, upon which he slapped it pretty hard, while giving me a visit-card of some hostel. Then he grabbed my arm and started dragging me, at the same time saying something in Vietnamese... I'd guess something along the lines of 'this one's mine'. Naturally, I didn't want to have any of this, and I stopped, trying to explain that I'm not a 'live stock'... I was using body language and cow, horse, sheep sounds... Though, in that initial moment I got a bit upset, it turned out to be a good laughter for all. And since they are all staying around the place where that guy I made an initial contact with took me, around there I was know as Sheep, something sounding like:
beyNee...!
As I was just finishing of the post about my Vietnam trip, I got remained of a bit of an unusual situation that happened once I got of the bus in Mui-Ne, that earned me a nick name 'Sheep' with the locals for the duration of the stay.
As the bus ride form HCMC was some 6h, first thing I wanted to do was to get to a toilet... so somehow I comunicated to one of the many guys wanting to pick up tursts that I'll be back... Then while making a way from a toilet to a bar to grab some water I made an eye contact with that guy in the group, indicating to wait a bit longer... After I was finally ready to sort out the accommodation, and was going back to meet this group, some 5-10 of them now. As I was approaching one of them came forward with his right hand high, as though to give me a 'high five' ... I extended my hand forward, palm facing up, upon which he slapped it pretty hard, while giving me a visit-card of some hostel. Then he grabbed my arm and started dragging me, at the same time saying something in Vietnamese... I'd guess something along the lines of 'this one's mine'. Naturally, I didn't want to have any of this, and I stopped, trying to explain that I'm not a 'live stock'... I was using body language and cow, horse, sheep sounds... Though, in that initial moment I got a bit upset, it turned out to be a good laughter for all. And since they are all staying around the place where that guy I made an initial contact with took me, around there I was know as Sheep, something sounding like:
beyNee...!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Congrats to Marina&Mile
So I got there on Thursday evening. Spent Friday in Zaton with Uncle - he's trying to complete the house over there (been at it 10+ years, that's how things still are over there...) - and his family. That was my only dip into the wonderful Adriatic sea.
In the evening we went to the village (Rastevic; 5km from Benkovac towards Zadar) , they went to say good-byes to all the family before the morning trip back to Germany, and I stayed there for the night, before morning ride to Pag, an island some 50km away where the wedding was taking place.
Wedding and all was just nice... I was rather still buggered by the loooong trip, jetlagged... and later drunk with bit of upset stomach - to much of prsutto and paski sir, so that gave me a great excuse not to jump-around to 'good old' Cro music.
When I woke up on Sunday morning, I felt great... energy to the full, no jetlag, no nothing - thought, it must of been all that Malvazija which I filtered though my body that did the trick. Spend the Sunday with cousins in the village.
Monday I was around the town, meeting with some few friends at the old neighborhood over there. For dinner, met with my freshly married cousin.
Tuesday morning at 7:30 I was on the bus, on my way back.
Reached Spora Wed evening, back at work Thursday morning.
quick&sweet...!
In the evening we went to the village (Rastevic; 5km from Benkovac towards Zadar) , they went to say good-byes to all the family before the morning trip back to Germany, and I stayed there for the night, before morning ride to Pag, an island some 50km away where the wedding was taking place.
Wedding and all was just nice... I was rather still buggered by the loooong trip, jetlagged... and later drunk with bit of upset stomach - to much of prsutto and paski sir, so that gave me a great excuse not to jump-around to 'good old' Cro music.
When I woke up on Sunday morning, I felt great... energy to the full, no jetlag, no nothing - thought, it must of been all that Malvazija which I filtered though my body that did the trick. Spend the Sunday with cousins in the village.
Monday I was around the town, meeting with some few friends at the old neighborhood over there. For dinner, met with my freshly married cousin.
Tuesday morning at 7:30 I was on the bus, on my way back.
Reached Spora Wed evening, back at work Thursday morning.
quick&sweet...!
Got approval to go back home-home for cousin's wedding
I understood the rule 'no one takes leave during the exam period, unless there is a valid concern related to the imitate family. ' That being said, I was still surprised that the point that got me the approval of the leave, from that beautiful eM, was actually just a side point relating my Mum's holiday mishap:
- Also, currently my Mum is visiting over there as well. She landed in Croatia on the 17th of Jul, then she broke her leg on the 20th of Jul. Now she's bed tied w/ a cast on her left leg till the last week of her holiday - 1st week of September. As an added bonus, it would be nice if I could pay her a visit as well.
I've ended up sending that eM cos Director, after telling me on Friday to come and see her on Monday, took the annual lave herself on Monday - surely it was something related to her parents (apparently she lives with them; never married) or siblings.
I got an reply to the eM on Tuesday, telling me to come and see her. Thought she did not want to tell me 'no' via eM. Again, I was wrong. She wanted to once again reiterate all the many points she already told me after the contract negotiation process and the mis-understanding caused during leave approval for the Vietnam trip... She also told me that HR is still upset about IF who caused so much trouble.... To which I replied that if they are still talking about that insignificant instance, then they must be bored over there at HR - she did not find it funny - As a back paddle, I continued: 'I mean what really happened, I asked for something they said no, what's a big deal.' She had nothing to say - guess she couldn't, cos it's the truth.
So after leaving all that piljavina behind her... or in these terms, after scolding - they love that word round here - I get the approval for the leave on Friday and Monday... Luckily my RO is understanding so I get couple of extra days on the credit. [Worth mentioning is that, if it wasn't for the need to swap my exam invigilation duty, Director, nor anyone else, would have had to know about my tip].
Then there was a race to get the air-ticket, I was booking and canceling flights from Saturday onwards, as I couldn't get the approval. Prices were all they way up to $4.5K, where as usual would have be around $1.3K.
Finally on Wendesday I got $1.5K flight for that evening, 5h wait in Instambul - can! RO gives me ride to Little India to pick up the ticket. Then it was on to clearing out all the things and making sure no one misses me (all but one cleared, there was one re-marking of the Final Year Project demonstration, that someone had to sit instead of me as a second marker) I made it to the airport at the - now usual time - 20min before the departure. 32 hours later I got to Zaton (little tourist village near Zadar where my Uncle has a house - Mum was there).
- Also, currently my Mum is visiting over there as well. She landed in Croatia on the 17th of Jul, then she broke her leg on the 20th of Jul. Now she's bed tied w/ a cast on her left leg till the last week of her holiday - 1st week of September. As an added bonus, it would be nice if I could pay her a visit as well.
I've ended up sending that eM cos Director, after telling me on Friday to come and see her on Monday, took the annual lave herself on Monday - surely it was something related to her parents (apparently she lives with them; never married) or siblings.
I got an reply to the eM on Tuesday, telling me to come and see her. Thought she did not want to tell me 'no' via eM. Again, I was wrong. She wanted to once again reiterate all the many points she already told me after the contract negotiation process and the mis-understanding caused during leave approval for the Vietnam trip... She also told me that HR is still upset about IF who caused so much trouble.... To which I replied that if they are still talking about that insignificant instance, then they must be bored over there at HR - she did not find it funny - As a back paddle, I continued: 'I mean what really happened, I asked for something they said no, what's a big deal.' She had nothing to say - guess she couldn't, cos it's the truth.
So after leaving all that piljavina behind her... or in these terms, after scolding - they love that word round here - I get the approval for the leave on Friday and Monday... Luckily my RO is understanding so I get couple of extra days on the credit. [Worth mentioning is that, if it wasn't for the need to swap my exam invigilation duty, Director, nor anyone else, would have had to know about my tip].
Then there was a race to get the air-ticket, I was booking and canceling flights from Saturday onwards, as I couldn't get the approval. Prices were all they way up to $4.5K, where as usual would have be around $1.3K.
Finally on Wendesday I got $1.5K flight for that evening, 5h wait in Instambul - can! RO gives me ride to Little India to pick up the ticket. Then it was on to clearing out all the things and making sure no one misses me (all but one cleared, there was one re-marking of the Final Year Project demonstration, that someone had to sit instead of me as a second marker) I made it to the airport at the - now usual time - 20min before the departure. 32 hours later I got to Zaton (little tourist village near Zadar where my Uncle has a house - Mum was there).
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
1st Anniversary
Year ago today, I landed at Changi airport, for the start of my bigOE.
Though I thought I'll get out for few drinks tonight and celebrate, instead 'I'll just follow the law' and go once again thorough the exam marking... I have to go though all of the 321 exam scripts tonight, cos they did not like how I added up the numbers... I did not show the break down of the mark for the (sequence) diagram part of the question; after few ticks and crosses, I just added the marks in my head... - or actually worse, I added the negative marks then deducted them from the total mark (apparently that's a big no no, cos we 'award marks, we don't take the marks away' - hmmm what is the difference 15-7=8, and 0+8 is still = 8!? isn't it???). One would think that others - cross-checkers and cross-checker-checkers - can do that as well, should anyone of them end up looking at it THAT closely in the 1st place... - though, I must say that after one year, I should not be surprised if they look at it using electronic microscope.
Here's to the next 365 Spora days,
Cheers...!
Though I thought I'll get out for few drinks tonight and celebrate, instead 'I'll just follow the law' and go once again thorough the exam marking... I have to go though all of the 321 exam scripts tonight, cos they did not like how I added up the numbers... I did not show the break down of the mark for the (sequence) diagram part of the question; after few ticks and crosses, I just added the marks in my head... - or actually worse, I added the negative marks then deducted them from the total mark (apparently that's a big no no, cos we 'award marks, we don't take the marks away' - hmmm what is the difference 15-7=8, and 0+8 is still = 8!? isn't it???). One would think that others - cross-checkers and cross-checker-checkers - can do that as well, should anyone of them end up looking at it THAT closely in the 1st place... - though, I must say that after one year, I should not be surprised if they look at it using electronic microscope.
Here's to the next 365 Spora days,
Cheers...!
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