Apparently I'm not getting my housing benefits this month, resulting in me not being able to pay either my tuition fees or my rent. Problem. Luckily I have by now learned how to shrug off these problems and see the brighter side: at least I'll have some money to live on this month (as I am still getting my wage, low as it may be). I'm gonna pay half my rent, leaving me with about 100 pounds to survive on for a month (heaps of money in comparison to the 30 pounds I thought I would have) and then hopefully my housing benefits will come in quickly, providing me with more than enough money to pay off both my tuition fees and my rent.
Until that time, I guess I'll just struggle on.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Quick update
I hit my head and went to a spa, my brother's birthday is tomorrow and I'm going to Belgium next weekend.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
New Pictures - Spring is coming!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74179&id=1012737481&l=fe56ceab09
Saturday, 12 February 2011
It such a perfect day
It started when I opened my curtains and saw the sun flooding everything around me. A wonderful shower, some toast and a quick facebookcheck before setting off through a perfect day of early Spring, along fresh green fields with playing youngsters, people walking their dogs and endless singing birds. A perfect timing, printing in the library and arriving on the dot at Tom and Liz's. Having some banter about the places in the car. Cheesy pop songs, blaring through the speakers and us joining in. Bickering over navigation but laughing about it. MacDonalds on impulse, a lightsaber in a Happy Meal. More singing, more sun and landscapes. Getting lost but having fun with it. Karting, feeling the exhiliaration in my heartbeat and the wind in my hair. Not finishing last. Driving back in the car, seeing the sun behind the clouds, a brilliant silver lining, music in the background, friends' laughter and feeling truly happy and in exactly the right place. Going to ASDA, finding my favourite Belgian beer at a very decent price and getting flirted with by a cute ginger Irish male cashier. Eating some salami-sausage and a Scottish egg. Watching telly and just talking while waiting for the food to get ready. Drinking my beer. Eating gorgeous food, playing Trivial Pursuit and Wii, more laughter. Watching Take Me Out and feeling good about myself. Actually feeling like doing exercise when playing more Wii. Saying goodbye to my friends, cycling home in the chill Winter evening. Coming home and realising that this was a perfect day.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
See a familiar face and wave
The landscape of my friendships is forming and I'm liking the view. I've reached that crucial point, the moment where every other time you venture outside, you see someone you know. In growing up in a small city and especially in studying in an equally small city, I would always see someone or other on my way to uni or work, throw a little wave out of my sleeve or stop for a chat. I have now reached that point and am enjoying it to the fullest. Bumping into random people is one of my favourite things in the world and nowadays it happens at least once a day. Whether it is in the library, on campus or on my way to work, there is always someone to wave to. I love that.
Happiness rate
When I look back at the last 7 months, my happiness rate has definately increased. Money can't buy happiness? I disagree. Although you can be perfectly happy with a small income, no income at all is a definite happiness killer. It's only now, when I finally have job security and a relatively good income, that I can breathe, feel free to do what I want and enjoy my days off. It is still a bit of a struggle, as it always is the first two or three months after starting a new job, paying off debts and trying to find that place where you know how much is coming and going out and what the extras are. But at the moment, I am quite happy. No money worries per se, university which has finally started to be interesting, lots of friends (more on that in another blogpost) and a very busy calendar. I am living a very fulfilling life and very much enjoying it, and apart from perhaps some travelling and an amorous element, I am perfectly happy with what I have. For the travelling, once I get some money in, I'll hopefully be able to cram in a lowbudget city trip for a day or two, break away from it all for a short period (as it's the time of year where I traditionally get out of the country and explore a brand new city) and then roll back into routine again. The other thing, well, we shall see what time brings.
I must say, I am quite happy. Spring is coming (I discovered krokus's next to my front door!), I am "finding my turn" and when people ask me how work or uni is going, I always answer positive. Happiness level: reached.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Life as a working girl
I have neglected this blog for a while and to be honest, I had good reason. I am finally slipping into the pattern of work and am now routinely experiencing the feeling of relief the working man (or woman) feels when they get home after a long day, plunge down on their sofa and switch the television on. I am not working long hours (3,5 hours a day, if I'm lucky), but with all the other activities going on (uni, friends, administrative business), it always feels like a long journey home. What is more, as I cycle in and out of town every day, it is a long journey home.
I have to be in work at half eleven, most days (that's 11.30am, for those Europeans amongst us), which means getting up at ten(-ish) and setting out for town at eleven. That might sound like a dream to most of you, but if you know me and you know my sleeping habits, ten o'clock will just cut it and the thought of anything earlier scares me. Anyway, at eleven (though it's mostly 5 past by the time I leave the house), I set out, cycling up the hill to city centre. As Liverpool is basically built on a donutshaped hill (so, to get into town from out of town, you need to first cycle up a hill and then you cycle down a hill once you reach the city), I need to collect my strength beforehand. Luckily my bike is working like a charm nowadays (*), which means the hills aren't too hard to muster, althought I must admit that approximately 12 minutes into my journey, I approach the last, hardest bit of the hill (the actual part where you can feel it) and I get off my bike and walk for two minutes, as I'm usually a little too worked up by that time to want to climb it the normal way (I cycle the first part of the ride quite quickly). Then I get to the top, cross the big street, get on my bike, cycle through the park, go past uni and down Hardman Street we go. That is probably my favourite moment of the ride (apart maybe from riding down the first hill right outside my house which runs by Wavertree Park), as I can see the Liverbuildings tower over the rest of the city, with the Mersey running behind them. It's a beautiful view and if I ever get a decent camera (the one I have works, but it's hard to take really nice pictures with), I will certainly take a picture there. For now, it's for my eyes only. At the bottom of Hardman Street I turn into Bold Street and then I'm basically at work. My boss is a really nice guy, my colleagues are nice and the work itself is not too bad either. I'm still getting a grip on it, making only one sale a day, but hopefully that will soon grow to a nice number of 5 a day. I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem. After 3,5 hours I finish work (mostly it's even less, as my boss tends to have meetings and such, which means coming in later or finishing early), clocking off at 4.30pm. It is rare that I go home straight after work, as I often have plans in the evening or right after, be it with friends or for socials (frisbee, Cafe Home, Sticky Floor...). If I have to be somewhere in the evening, I tend to go to the library or to friends, hang out at either place until my appointment is due. The issue with that is that it means I often spend some money getting hot food, which would be cheaper to make at home. But considering some chips and mayo is only £1,50, I am not too worried about it. Plus, I tend to pack lunch, saving money there. I usually tend to go home at around 11pm if I have a social occasion, if not, I get home around 5 or 6, pop some food in the microwave or on the stove and put BBC iPlayer on. It's a luxury we don't have in Belgium (not the BBC, anyway) and I love the programs on it.
As you can see, my days are very filled, with adventures and fun, but also with work and a lot of sleep and tv. I am exhausted at night, going to bed at one (yes, mom, I know you think that's late, but for me, that's perfect), falling asleep right away and up and ready for the next day nine hours later.
(*) The round disk on which the gears run at the backwheel was the original one on my bike, and as I've had this bike for 12 years, it was completely worn down, as was the chain itself. I had both replaced and now it runs like a charm again and I can use my gears and get the right result for the first time in five years. I did get three punctures in three weeks because of the huge amount of broken glass in this city - if you're used to clean cities such as Leuven or Brugge, Liverpool can be a bit of a shock -, but now I'm running again.
I have to be in work at half eleven, most days (that's 11.30am, for those Europeans amongst us), which means getting up at ten(-ish) and setting out for town at eleven. That might sound like a dream to most of you, but if you know me and you know my sleeping habits, ten o'clock will just cut it and the thought of anything earlier scares me. Anyway, at eleven (though it's mostly 5 past by the time I leave the house), I set out, cycling up the hill to city centre. As Liverpool is basically built on a donutshaped hill (so, to get into town from out of town, you need to first cycle up a hill and then you cycle down a hill once you reach the city), I need to collect my strength beforehand. Luckily my bike is working like a charm nowadays (*), which means the hills aren't too hard to muster, althought I must admit that approximately 12 minutes into my journey, I approach the last, hardest bit of the hill (the actual part where you can feel it) and I get off my bike and walk for two minutes, as I'm usually a little too worked up by that time to want to climb it the normal way (I cycle the first part of the ride quite quickly). Then I get to the top, cross the big street, get on my bike, cycle through the park, go past uni and down Hardman Street we go. That is probably my favourite moment of the ride (apart maybe from riding down the first hill right outside my house which runs by Wavertree Park), as I can see the Liverbuildings tower over the rest of the city, with the Mersey running behind them. It's a beautiful view and if I ever get a decent camera (the one I have works, but it's hard to take really nice pictures with), I will certainly take a picture there. For now, it's for my eyes only. At the bottom of Hardman Street I turn into Bold Street and then I'm basically at work. My boss is a really nice guy, my colleagues are nice and the work itself is not too bad either. I'm still getting a grip on it, making only one sale a day, but hopefully that will soon grow to a nice number of 5 a day. I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem. After 3,5 hours I finish work (mostly it's even less, as my boss tends to have meetings and such, which means coming in later or finishing early), clocking off at 4.30pm. It is rare that I go home straight after work, as I often have plans in the evening or right after, be it with friends or for socials (frisbee, Cafe Home, Sticky Floor...). If I have to be somewhere in the evening, I tend to go to the library or to friends, hang out at either place until my appointment is due. The issue with that is that it means I often spend some money getting hot food, which would be cheaper to make at home. But considering some chips and mayo is only £1,50, I am not too worried about it. Plus, I tend to pack lunch, saving money there. I usually tend to go home at around 11pm if I have a social occasion, if not, I get home around 5 or 6, pop some food in the microwave or on the stove and put BBC iPlayer on. It's a luxury we don't have in Belgium (not the BBC, anyway) and I love the programs on it.
As you can see, my days are very filled, with adventures and fun, but also with work and a lot of sleep and tv. I am exhausted at night, going to bed at one (yes, mom, I know you think that's late, but for me, that's perfect), falling asleep right away and up and ready for the next day nine hours later.
(*) The round disk on which the gears run at the backwheel was the original one on my bike, and as I've had this bike for 12 years, it was completely worn down, as was the chain itself. I had both replaced and now it runs like a charm again and I can use my gears and get the right result for the first time in five years. I did get three punctures in three weeks because of the huge amount of broken glass in this city - if you're used to clean cities such as Leuven or Brugge, Liverpool can be a bit of a shock -, but now I'm running again.
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