I cross all the seas, it's fine by me...

Initial planuisem sa scriu despre cu totul altceva, dar cum imprevizibilul s-a produs, va voi povesti despre cum a decurs ziua de ieri.
Inceputul a fost destul de banal: trezirea, micul-dejun, dus, spalat rufe, citit. Apoi am hotarat sa merg sa iau suportul de curs de la biroul unui profesor, asa ca am ajuns acolo pe la ora 15 (trebuia sa merg dupa 14 oricum) si m-am ales cu o ditamai culegere de texte si articole, pentru tot semestrul.

Cum aveam deja o lista pregatita cu ceea ce imi propusesem sa fac ieri (pe unde sa merg si ce sa cumpar), m-am indreptat catre Nat West, banca la care am cont aici. Trebuia sa imi activez cardul si sa le spun ca am o problema cu Online Banking-ul. Am reusit doar sa imi activez cardul si am mers spre un bancomat de-al lor, sa retrag bani de pe contul din Romania si sa ii pun pe cel britanic. Asa imi va fi mai usor sa platesc chiria, sa fac cumparaturi, sa retrag bani fara comision etc, ma gandeam eu.

Scot o suma considerabila de bani si fac, din nou, aceeasi operatiune, pt aceeasi suma de bani. Bancomatul imi arat un mesaj de genul "Tranzactia este in efectuare", apoi "Va rugam sa luati cardul. Banii dvs sunt in curs de numarare". Ia banii si cardul de unde nu-s!!! Bancomatul piuia, cardul nu iesea, banii nu se iveau, pasarile ciripeau, copacii inverzeau, viata e frumoasa...SAU NU!!!

Normal ca m-am panicat, l-am rugat pe un domn, care tocmai isi terminase tranzactia la bancomatul de langa mine, sa ma ajute, pentru ca nu puteam pleca de langa aparat. Pana s-a intors, deja bancomatul era "Out of Service", deci nivelul de panica crescuse considerabil. Insa domnul acela m-a asigurat ca daca aparatul nu mai functioneaza este imposibil ca cineva sa aiba acces la cardul si/sau banii mei, asa ca am intrat "linistita" in banca.
La ghiseu de informatii am primit ajutor imediat, desi initial una din doamnele de acolo mi-a spus ca problema trebuie rezolvata cu banca din Romania, insa altcineva mi-a spus ca ma va ajuta si asa a si fost: m-a intrebat ce card este si mi-a cerut un document de identificare. In doua minute am primit cardul inapoi, cu asigurari ca tranzactia nu a fost procesata.

Nu stiam daca sa respir usurata sau sa imi fac griji incontinuare. Voiam sa ies mai repede din banca pierdusem deja prea mult timp si chiar nu mai doream sa mai stau acolo. Dar trebuia sa imi pun pe cardul Nat West banii pe care apucasem sa ii retrag, asta daca nu voiam sa ma plimb prin oras cu o groaza de lire. Macar aici totul a fost usor, in regula si destul de rapid...

Cum mai imi ramasesera o groaza de lucruri de facut, parea ca urmeaza sa ploua (iar hainele mele erau la uscat afara) si se facuse deja ora 16 (iar majoritatea magazinelor de aici inchid la 17:30), am accelerat putin cursa prin locatii, am cumparat cam tot ceea ce imi propusesem si ceva in plus: o superba pereche de cizme :D

M-am tot uitat in diverse magazine pt cizme sau botine: in Primark erau destul de ieftine, dar nu aveau nr meu; in alta parte aveau modele prea batranesti; in Dorothy Perkins vazusem modele interesante atat pt cizme, cat si pt botine, din piele, la preturi rezonabile; in Bhs cam la fel; in Next chiar am probat niste botine, din imitatie de piele, cu 10 lire mai ieftine decat cele din Dorothy Perkins. Ma hotarasem deja sa nu mai lungesc treaba (mai ales ca suportul de curs si lenjeria de pat abia cumparata atarnau foarte greu) si sa iau o perechea gri de cizme vazuta la Dorothy P. - nu era chiar ceea ce cautam, dar erau frumusele si m-am gandit ca 65 lire pt niste cizme din piele nu ar fi o investitie proasta.

Insa chiar inainte sa intru in magazin, am zarit un altul vizavi, exclusiv de incaltari si mi-am spus: "De ce nu?". Cand am pasit acolo am vazut-o: perechea mult visata, stil cowboy, DAR pe negru. Chiar nu voiam cizme negre (ori maro), eram mai degraba orientata catre gri sau alta culoare care sa dea alt aspect tinutelor mele. Plus ca perechea asta era 90 lire, chiar depasea cu mult orice buget auto-impus. Am mai aruncat niste priviri prin magazin si asa am descoperit coltul cu REDUCERI! :D Si, de la ceva distanta, am zarit ceva albastru (ultima mea obsesie in materie de culori). Ghiciti ce era? Aceleasi pereche de cizme negre, dar pe albastru! O minunatie! Chiar a fost dragoste la prima vedere!!! Si la prima vedere a pretului, evident: de la 120 lire, erau reduse la 60!

Cizme stil cowyboy + albastru + piele + 50% reducere = 60 lire mai putin in contul meu.

Dar cred ca este cea mai buna investitie pe care am facut-o in ultima vreme. Serios! Imi venea sa plec direct incaltata cu ele, doar ca nu aveam nici un fel de sosete sau ciorapi. Le-am scos, totusi, la o plimbare prin oras aseara :D Asta dupa ce am mai cumparat niste lucruri esentiale pentru petrecerea de sambata (gen pahare, farfurii, servetele) , m-am intors acasa si am mancat...

Iar cand ma uit acum pe geam si vad cum ploua marunt, imi confirm ca a fost si o buna sincronizare.

Totul e bine cand se termina cu bine! Relativ - mai trebuie sa rezolv problema cu Internet Banking-ul de la Banca Transilvania, caci se pare ca nu numai mie imi da erori...Urmeaza o saptamana plina pt mine: incep cursurile maine, trebuie sa organizez petrecerea, ma vad cu Alex si Gabel, trebuie sa imi organizez bine timpul ca sa ma pot pregati si pt facultate saptamana viitoare. Va fi coplesitor din mai multe puncte de vedere, dar este vorba de lucruri care imi plac (revederi, vizite, petreceri, terorism :P), asa ca sigur voi face fata! ;)

Acum ma intorc la citit!
V-am pupat!


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Hell of a day!


Initially I was planning to write about something else, but unpredictable things have happened so I shall tell you about my day of yesterday.
The beginning has been pretty common: waking up, breakfast, shower, doing laundry, reading. Then I have decided to pick up the handbook for a lecture so I arrived at a professor's office around 15 o'clock (I was supposed to go after 14 o'clock anyways) and I got a really big book full of texts and articles, for the whole semester.

Since I already had a to-do list (where to go and what to buy), I went first to Nat west, the bank where I've opened an account. I needed to activate my debit card and to tell them that I'm experiencing some problems with the Online Banking service. I only managed to activate my card and I went to an ATM, to withdraw money from my Romanian account and to put them into my English one. It would be easier to pay the rent, to shop, to withdraw money without paying any fees etc, I thought.

So I withdrew a considerable amount of money and I was doing, again, the same thing, for the same sum. The cashmashine displayed a message like "Ongoing transaction", then "Please remove your card. Your money are being counted". But no card and no money!!! The ATM was beeping, the card wasn't out, the money were invisible, the birds were singing, the trees were blooming, life is beautiful...NOT!!!

I started panicking, I asked a gentleman for help, who had just finished his transaction at the machine right next to me, because I couldn't leave the ATM. Until he had returned the machine was already "Out of Service", so the panic level had increased considerably. But that gentleman assured me that if the machine doesn't work anymore it's impossible for anyone to gain access to my card and/or money, so I was able to enter "relaxed" in the bank.
At the information point I received help immediately, although initially one of the ladies told me that the problem must be cleared with my Romanian bank, but someone else said she will help me and so it was: she asked me what type of card is it and she required a photo ID of mine. In 2 minutes I got my card back, with reassurance that the transaction has not been processed.

I didn't know if I was supposed breathed easy or still worrying. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible - I'd lost too much time and I didn't wanted to be there anymore. But I had to put on my account the money that I already had if I didn't want to go around the city with that big amount. At least that time everything went well, easy and quick...

As I still had to do loads of things, it seemed that it was about to start raining (and my clothes were drying outside) and it was already 16 o'clock (and most of the stores here close at 17:30), I speeded it up the race through the shops, I mainly bought all I had on my list and even something more: a superb pair of boots :D

I've been looking through several shops for boots or ankle boots: in Primark they were pretty cheap, but not my size; somewhere else they were too old-fashioned; In Dorothy Perkins I've seen interesting ones (both boots and booties), made out of leather, with reasonable prices; in Bhs pretty much the same; I even tried some booties in Next, they weren't leather, and 10 pounds cheaper then the ones in Dorothy Perkins. I had already decided to cut it short (especially since the bed sheets and the handbook were pretty heavy) and to but the grey leather boots that I've seen in Dorothy P. - it wasn't quite what I was searching for, but nice and I thought that 65 pounds for some leather boots it's not such a bad idea.

But right before entering the shop I saw another one right across the street, an exclusively shoe store and I've said to myself: "Why not?". When I stepped in there I saw it: the most-wanted pair of boots, cowboy style, BUT in black. I really didn't want black boots (or brown), I was actually decided to go with grey or any other colour that would give a twist to my outfits. Plus that this pair was 90 pounds, a bit to much for my budget. So I was looking around the store when i saw the SALES corner! :D And, from a distance, I saw something blue (my latest obsession when it comes to colours). Guess what it was? The same black boots, but in blue! A miracle! It was love at first sight!!! And the first sight of the price, obviously: they were 60 pounds, instead of 120!

Cowboy boots + blue + leather + 50% off = 60 pounds less in my account.

But I think it's one of the best investments that I've made recently. Seriously! I wanted to go home wearing them, just that I didn't have any socks or tights. But I took them for a walk later that evening :D After I bought some more essential stuff for my party (like glasses, plates, towels), I went home and ate...

And now that I look outside and I see a soft rain, I confirm to myself that it was perfect timing.

All's well that ends well! Not quite - I still have to figure it out the problem with the Internet Banking from Banca Transilvania, because it seems I'm not the only one experiencing these issues...Now I can foresee a busy week: I'm starting the classes tomorrow, I have to organise the party, I'll get to see Alex and Gaby, I must organise my time in order to be prepared for the courses next week. It will be overwhelming in several aspects, but it's about things I like (meeting people, sightseeing, parties, terrorism :P), so I shall surely survive it! ;)

Now back to reading!
Kisses!