Another Europe capital

Vienna, here I come! See you next week people, I hope you'll have a lovely week-end.

When it all goes wrong...

How did they not notice it?

"The logo, for the Office of Government Commerce, was intended to signify a bold commitment to the body’s aim of “improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement”, reports the Telegraph.

And it looked like that:


But it never came to their mind to turn it 90 degrees. Because it then looks like that...

It is already famous under the name "the masturbation logo". Haha! Oh, juste a precision, it costed £14 000. That was well invested!

Read the rest of the article on The Telegraph's website (here).

Impôts

Il y a quelques semaines j'ai recu ma déclaration d'impôts, c'est dans l'air du temps au printemps. Je ne sais plus comment c'était en France mais souvent on doit payer. Ici le système fonctionne par prélèvement à la source. C'est à dire qu'on nous déduit une "bonne" marge sur notre salaire tous les mois et c'est tout. Tout est inclus. Je trouve que le système est bien, tout ce qui tombe sur votre salaire est à vous. Pas besoin d'en rendre à l'état plus tard et du coup pas besoin d'économiser.

On nous prélève un pourcentage de notre salaire tous les mois, une partie de taxe "nationale" et une partie de taxe "régionale". A la fin de l'année, ils calculent ce que vous étiez sensés payer, ce que vous avez effectivement payé et la différence. Et souvent, on paie plus que prévu, ce qui fait que l'Etat nous rembourse. 3600 couronnes (environ 400€) pour moi cette année. Et ce, début juin, juste avant les vacances.

Et pour confirmer sa déclaration, on peut signer le papier et le renvoyer par la poste mais on peut aussi le faire par email et même par texto. Et c'est ce que j'ai fait aujourd'hui. J'ai envoyé un texto et j'en ai recu un de confirmation juste après. Simple, bien. Par ici les sous-sous! =)

A grammar lesson

Ok everyone, I need to correct this one because EEEEEEVERYONE is reacting!

On Facebook, "Lorraine is no longer listed as single" means "Lorraine is no longer listed" and absolutely not "Lorraine is no longer single". That's grammar. I added my status not that long ago but I don't think it is a relevant information on my FB profile, that's why I chose to take it away.

Et si FB est nul en francais et traduit "no longer listed as single" comme "n'est plus célibataire", ben c'est pas ma faute! :-p

When I have met someone and it starts getting serious and I feel like you should know, I will let you know people!

EDIT: a friend juste made me realise I made a mistake when I wrote the text... What I actually meant is that the "no longer" part of the expression refers to the being listed, not to the being listed.

Motivée...

Motivée, il faut rester motivée... Zebda, j'adore... ca fait longtemps que je les ai pas écouté mais j'adore quand même.

Bon en fait c'est pas d'eux que je voulais vous "parler". C'est du temps, il fait beau!!! La belle histoire me direz vous. Ben nan! Sachant qu'il fait beau depuis 8 jours non-stop, c'est un record ici, ca était pas arrivé depuis le mois de juin l'an dernier je dirais... Et p****n! Que ca fait du bien! A midi, je me suis même mise au soleil après la pause déj. Aaaaah!

Et puis les jours ralongent aussi, et ca aussi c'est super agréable. Le fait qu'il fasse jour en arrivant au bureau et jour en repartant. Le matin il fait jour de plus en plus tôt et du coup, j'ai commencé à me reveiller avant le reveil. J'ai pas de rideaux et les volets ca n'existe pas en Suède. Du coup en été, je me réveille souvent, ou plutôt, j'ouvre un oeil vers 5-6h du mat' avant de me rendormir jusqu'a l'heure du réveil.

Et bien cette année, je vais essayer de mettre ca à profit. Je vais essayer de me lever a 6h et d'aller marcher ½h le matin. Vu que je ne vais plus que 2 fois/semaine au lieu de 3 l'an dernier à la gym, ca compensera. Donc, la semaine prochaine, quand j'aurai mon salaire, hop, je file chez Stadium ou Intersport et je m'achète une paire de shoes de plus. C'est pour la bonne cause cette fois-ci! ;)

Party's over

That's it, they've left now... It feels very empty right now after being with 4 people non-stop for 3 days... I had a great time, I ope they had too.

On wednesday, the girls arrived and we just chatted to catch up. Went to bed late and went up early to go to work while they wander around the city and did some shopping. In the evening, nice dinner and more chat and more going to bed late and get up early. On Friday, the angels were reunited with their Charlie. Joined some friends and had a nice AW, good wine and the famous shrimp sandwiches on the 23rd floor of the Gothia Towers hotel and with a view over the whole city. Went to be not too late.

Saturday we rented a car and drove north to admire some really nice villages and the coast and enjoy this same coast under the sun. In the evening, some food and wine and champage and a lot of chat but not enough courage to manage going out... Today, another big breakfast, some nice massage, a fika in the sun nearby the lake at Slottskogen, a nice walk back and suddenly it was over...

Oh what a nice time I had! Looking forward to the next time my dears!

And now, time for the next things on my list. 10 days to Vienna and 19 days to the other week-end I'm looking forward to.

Majblomman

Today I went shopping. Exciting, uh? The interesting in it was actually the little boy I talked to. He was selling "Majblomman", the flower of May. It a small pin with a little paper flower on it. This is a typical Swedish tradition.

Every year children between 9 and 12 year old sell these little flowers to people under the last two weeks of April in order to raise money. The money is used to fight against child poverty. It pays for clothes, school books, notbooks, pens and so on. It also sends these kids on holidays in the summer.

I think it's a great idea. And the kids selling these flowers are so sweet, you know Swedish kids, all so blond almost white hair. You just want to hug them but they might wonder why the hell you are doing that and get scared thinking you're a pervert. Hehe!

My week-end

Friday: rented some movies and started with Fur, an imaginary portrait of Diane Arbus with Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. Then I watched A Mighty Heart with Angelina Jolie. I don't like her but she was ok in the movie.

Saturday: easy morning, then I went to a shopping mall with two friends, we got a present for the birthday party in the evening. Party to which we landed more than 1:30 later than the time on the invitation... well, it was a mexican party to it wasn't a big deal. Nice party with a mix of Mexican music and music from the 80's such as Pet Shop Boys. Cool.

Sunday: easy morning and discovery afternoon. The weather was really nice so I went for a walk in the city and I tried to go to some places in the city where I have never been. Woaw! There are so many hidden golden nuggets in this city! So cool! I had a great time.

Countdowns

4 days until my EO friends are coming here

18 days until Vienna and my sweet Melanie. And Miriam and Christian of course!

4 weeks until another European Capital and someone else I'm looking forward to see again.

1,5 months until my little Pruno's wedding and her in a looooovely white dress.

Ohooooooo!!!

Guess what? I got some!

Remember this? Well today is the 10th of April so I went to H&M today after work. And I found the B&W dress (see old post) as well as a top with vibrant colours. Sooooo cool! The dress is just GORGEOUS!!!! Perfect for some of my numerous summer weddings! ;-)

Bordeaux Chênel

Ce soir, mon petit pruno est au concert de Mark Knopfler. Moi j'ai fait ma lessive...

No comment! Sauf que si, un quand même, ma vie est tout à fait fascinante...

Weddings

I haven't even started the 2008 season that I have already a wedding booked for 2009!!!!

I got a phone call from one of my very good friend yesterday and she told me the good news. It's crazy that everyone around me is getting married, check it out:
2004: 1 wedding
2005: 2 weddings
2006: 2 weddings
2007: 3 weddings
2008: 4 weddings (but I can't go to all of them)

And 2009, already one booked. That's just crazy! And to all of these, I'm going as a single of course... umpf! I wonder sometimes how it will be at my wedding, if I ever get married of course... And how old I will be and how many children my friends will have (considered that they are also starting with that!). Well I guess, they will have to get babysitters, hahaha!!

All in all, I'm starting to get tired to go to everyone else's wedding.... But at the same time I love weddings, it's usually some cool parties. And for 2009, it's two very good friends and I'm really happy for them. And it's a good reason to buy a new dress. And with a new dress, what do you need? New shoes! And maybe new accessories, new handbag... See! I always see the positive in things. ;-)

Amsterdam Illustrated

If I was given three words to describe Amsterdam I would say:
-Canals
-Bending houses

-Bikes

So there you go!

A canal, or more precisely, the Amstel river on this pic

Some houses not all standing straight....

One bike, "personnalised" is the least you could say...

Ma vie le samedi après-midi

J'vous fais le pitch. Samedi 16-17h, je rentre d'être allée faire mes courses, je jette un coup d'oeil à mes 2-3 blogs préférés dont celui de Manny-Chouchou (suis le lien, lecteur) et là, sur quoi je tombe? Sur ca!

Une vraie chanson qui fout la patate. J'la kiffe, je l'ai sur mon ipod.

Au bout de 30 secondes voilà que je me mets à danser seule dans mon salon. Les voisins, profitez du spectacle, c'est gratuit! hehe! Du coup, en dansant, je vois le rebord de ma fenêtre ou plus précisément la poussière sur le rebord de ma fenêtre. Du coup j'attrape mon plumeau et je fais la poussière en dansant sur Marvin Gaye. Et bien sûr, quand c'est fait, je garde le plumeau en main et le recycle en micro. Ben ouais, faut bien!

Donc voilà ce que je fais un samedi après-midi vers 17h... Pour citer une autre de mes blogueuses préférées Pénélope (suis le lien, lecteur): "Ma vie est tout à fait fascinante"...