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

De aproape o sapatamana acum, iar reclimatizarea (la modul propriu) nu a fost prea usoara: de la 30 de grade si mult soare am revenit la temperaturi de 24 grade si nori. Sonali mi-a spus ca toata saptamana cat am fost plecata vremea a fost foarte buna, dar asta nu m-a incalzit cu nimic cand am ajuns aici. Ma rog, unii ar da fericiti vremea din Bucuresti pe cea de aici, dar va spun eu, asta nu e vara cand inca mai porti o jacheta (subtire) in timpul zilei.

Ca sa imi inchei, temporar, socotelile cu Berlinul, va anunt ca inca nu am luat o decizie in legatura cu apartamentul, astept sa vad ce imi spun si cei pe care i-am vizitat. Am pus in balanta ceea ce am vazut in saptamana respectiva, am verificat si cat ar dura drumul zilnic pana la "serviciu" si facut un fel de clasament. Prima mea preferinta ar fi, totusi, o camera de vreo 21 mp, in Mitte (zona buna, bloc renovat), mobilata, 300€. Caci am observat ca nu e usor sa gasesti o camera in care mobila sa ramana, deci iau in considerare si optiunea asta, camera nemobilata. Insa nu e panica, in Berlin este foarte usor sa gasesti piese de mobilier la mana a doua, la preturi cat se poate de decente (si chiar mai ieftine decat la Ikea), uneori chiar si gratis, singura problema ar fi transportul. Dar om trai si om vedea, intai sa ma vad eu cu o camera la Berlin. Sper doar ca voi primi raspunsurile toate in aceeasi perioada, caci nu as vrea sa ma vad pusa in situatia neplacuta de a alege o camera inainte de a stii care sunt optiunile viablie ramase (temandu-ma ca nu voi avea nici o camera in final) si nici nu as vrea sa taraganez un raspuns pt o persoana asteptand vesti de la o alta.



In week-endul asta a fost Godiva Festival aici in Coventry, cel mai mare festival gratuit din UK - de asta nu ma si mira ca nu sunt nume cunoscute sau actuale :) Insa atmosfera e in regula si asta a fost principalul motiv pt care am mers. Am fost cu Nicoleta la 2 zile din 3 (vineri si sambata), dar destul de tarziu, caci ea termina lucrul spre seara. Sambata chiar ne-am dat intr-un fel de 'ciocane' (caci festivalul include si un parc de distractii), pt prima data in viata mea si a fost o experienta ciudata, tinzand la un moment dat catre naspa, caci am avut niste senzatii nu tocmai placute in burta (dar nu de voma) si nici nu am avut ochelarii (mi-ar fi cazut), asa ca nu am putut tine ochii deschisi, m-ar fi ametit prea tare sa nu disting bine ce e in jurul meu. Dar chiar si asa, nu regret momentul, dar probabil ca nu o sa repet experienta prea curand. In seara respectiva, la intoarcere spre casa ne-am ratacit, caci mergeam in directia opusa centrului orasului (nu stiu cine ne-a pus sa ascultam de un tip beat cand l-am intrebat de indicatii), deci am ajuns tarziu acasa - mai ales ca ne-am oprit si la o bere intr-un bar irlandez (caci la Festival standurile cu bere s-au inchis foarte devreme).


Joi plecam, in sfarsit!, in Sicilia, desi toata organizarea asta a atins cele mai absurde cote la un moment dat: pe langa faptul ca abia am reusit sa stabilim o data de comun acord si apoi sa ne strangem sa rezervam biletele, am avut probleme si cu obtinerea fondurilor pe care Universitatea le promisese. Intial era vorba sa ni se dea o suma care sa acopere cheltuielile de transport, apoi ni s-a promis mai mult, ca in final sa aflam ca nu mai exista bani si ca persoanele care nu au apucat sa aplice pt fondul asta nu or sa mai primeasca nimic. Eu aplicasem chiar in week-endul precedent (anuntul a venit intr-o zi de marti), dar nu primisem nici un mail de confirmare, deci eram intr-o situatie incerta. Nu mai spun ca altii nici nu apucasera sa trimita documentele...Asa ca ne pregateam deja de o rascoala, cu furci si topoare (a se citi e-mailuri si scrisori), caci toata treaba ni s-a parut lipsita de profesionalism. In fine, nu o sa intru in detalii - mie mi-au confirmat acordarea grantului, iar pt ceilalti s-au gasit surse de finantare. Asa ca de pa 8 pana pe 15 iulie o sa va salut cu drag din Palermo! :)

In alta ordine de idei, sambata au inceput sa ma doara amigdalele, dar am scapat repede de asta si am ramas doar cu un nas care imi curge incontinuu si cu starnuturi. Mi s-a mai intamplat chestia asta prin mai, cam aceleasi simptome si nimic in plus: nu tu febra, nu tu dureri de cap. Aici se tot vorbeste de 'hay fever', 'febra fanului' in traducere, sau mai exact 'rinita alergica'. Insa asta e provocata de polen, iar in familie chiar nu eu am fost persoana afectata de vreun fel de alergii. Probabil ca o sa imi treaca subit, asa cum a fost si data trecuta. Dar cum o 'nenorocire' nu vine niciodata singura, am impresia ca imi iese o (alta!) masea de minte! Tot jos, dar in partea staga de data asta. Nu sunt 100% sigura momentan, dar simptomele mi se par cunoscute. Stiu ca oricum maseaua poate iesi incet, asa ca ar fi bine sa mai astepte pana ma intorc acasa, caci m-am chinuit enorm data trecuta si chiar nu imi permit asta acum.


Azi mi-am dus telefonul in service, caci aveam unele probleme, si tot azi l-am luat acasa. Sper ca totul o sa fie in regula acum, doar ca trebuie oricum sa ii refac setarile pe care le aveam (practic sistemul a fost formatat) si ma enerveaza acum ca nu reusesc sa revin la tema pe care o aveam pe ecran - rosu si negru -, ci e un fel de gri...Zici ca e un televizor alb-negru!

Am senzatia ca mai trebuia sa mai adaug ceva, dar momentan mi se inchid ochii de somn, asa ca o sa ma gandesc cu alta ocazie.

Pe curand!

PS: Am reusit sa stau 2 ore la soare in Berlin, mai mult nu am putut caci trebuia sa merg sa vad o camera, dar nici nu as fi reusit - era atat de cald! Insa tot am capatat un bronz frumos, dar o sa ma 'lucrez' la el in Sicilia :D

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Again in Albion!

For almost a week now and it wasn't easy to get used to the climate again, to switch from a lovely sunny weather of 30 degrees to clouds and 24 degrees. Sonali, my housemate, told me that during that week there was really hot weather in Coventry too, but that's not helpful at all now. In Bucharest many would trade this weather, but this ain't no summer if you have to wear a light jacket during the day, I'm telling you.

To temporary close the Berlin topic, I'm just saying that I haven't decide on a room yet, I'm also waiting for the e-mails of those I've met. I weighed up what I saw, I checked how long would it take me to reach my "job" from each apartment and I made a sort of top. My first preference would be a 21 sqm room in an apartment in Mitte (good area, renovated building), furnished, 300€. I realised it's not that easy to find a room with furniture included, so I'm also taking into consideration this option - unfurnished room - because I cannot afford to be picky now. However, no panic, in Berlin it's not a hassle to find second-hand pieces of furniture, at decent prices (sometimes cheaper than Ikea), even for free in some cases, so the only problem would be the transport. But we'll see, my main concern now it's getting a room. I really hope I'll get some answers kind of in the same period, I definitely wouldn't fancy choosing a room before knowing which are all my valid options (fearing that I won't get a room at all) and I also wouldn't like to delay a reply to a person waiting for news from another one.



This week-end we had Godiva Festival here in Coventry, the biggest free festival in the UK - that's why I'm not surprised there aren't any familiar or up-to-date names :) But the vibe is nice and that's the main reason I went there, with Nicoleta, at 2 out of 3 days of festival (on Friday and Saturday), although pretty late, because she was working till evening. On Saturday we even hopped onto a thrill ride (a spinner), as the festival includes also an amusement park. It was a first-time experience for me , a weird one, not-so-cool-anymore at one point: I experience very bizarre sensations in my stomach (but I didn't feel like vomiting) and plus I could wear my glasses as they would have fallen, so I kept my eyes closed (it would have made me too dizzy otherwise). Even so, I don't regret doing it, but most probably I won't repeat the action any time soon. In the same evening we managed to get lost on our way home, because we were walking in the opposite direction from the city centre (this is what you get when you listen to the indications of a drunk chap), so we arrived home very late - but we also stopped for a beer in an Irish pub (since at the Festival the beer stalls closed very early).


On Thursday we're finally going to Sicily, although the entire (dis)organisation reached absurd proportions at some point: as if it wasn't enough that it has been very difficult to reach an agreement concerning the dates and then to book the plane tickets, we had issues in getting the grand the University has promised to us. Initially they were supposed to give us money to cover only the travel expenses, but afterwards they promised more, but in the end they have announced that there aren't any money in the International Experience fund and so the persons who didn't manage to apply for the grant by then won't get any money. I applied in the previous week-end (the announcement came on a Tuesday), but I had not received any confirmation e-mail, so my situation was very unclear. Other didn't even get the chance to send the documents...So we were getting ready for a riot, with pitchforks and axes (please read e-mails and letters), considering that the Uni has handled the situation in a very unprofessional manner. Finally, I won't give you too many details - but they have confirmed my grant and they found some ways of funding for the other. So I'll gladly salute your from Palermo between the 8th and the 15th! :)



On the other hand, on Saturday my tonsils started aching, but I got rid of this quickly and now I only have a runny nose and I'm sneezing a lot. It had happened to me before in May, when I had the same symptoms and nothing more: no headaches, no fever. It's probably 'hay fever', although I never had issues with allergies before. I hope one morning I'll wake up and it will all be gone, as it happened the last time. But since a woe never comes alone, I think I'm getting 9another!) wisdom tooth! In the lower part, on the left. I'm not 100% sure right now, but the symptoms are very familiar to me. I know that it can grow very slow, so it'd better wait until I get home, I don't have time for this now.


Yesterday I went with my phone in service (it had dome malfunctions) and I got it back the same day. I hope everything will be fine from now on, just that I have to get back to my personalised settings (the system has been reinstalled) and it really pisses me off that I can't get my old screen theme back - red & black - but just a sort of grey. And it looks like a black'n'white TV!!!

I have the feeling that I should be mentioning something more, but I really can't remember now, so perhaps some other time!

See you soon!

PS: I managed to get 2 nice hours of sun in Berlin so I'm quite tanned right now, but I'm planning to work on it in Sicily!