Sentimental in Berlin Blog: February 2014

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Time to go back to school!

After years of pause from studying and agonising on the right course for me. I think I see the end of the tunnel now!.

..or maybe not...

I went to the university open evening at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Hopefully my next university!

Luckily as there were some annoying tube strikes in London, not as many students-to-be turned up, thus I could go into a seminar about the school's introduction and after that when I wandered around the hall to check the stalls, a woman was just passing me shouting if anyone was interested in talking to the course leaders then should follow her. Of course as a puppy I followed her to the door where I got admission immediately to the highlight of the evening! Happy :)

I was seated at a table with another girl, who was also interested in the public health courses they offer. A man was already sitting with us who was an alumnus, from the exactly the course I want to apply for! I felt delighted talking to him, however it did not last long, as an annoying man arrived, who was not even interested in the courses and was just there because his employer would pay the tuition fee. How annoying. I mean he was annoying, because once he arrived neither the other girl or me had another word with the alumnus, as he took the lead for the conversation, even though he clearly despised the alumnus.

Anyway after the talks I still had some time to interact with people and found some alumni who were really happy to chat! And here after so many positive things, like they assured that the course is definitely doable despite someone is in full time work and gave some ideas about the course layout and about the dissertation.

However here came the kick which frightened me a bit. I was asked what my future goals were and how I could benefit from this course in my career development.

As a well educated and mannered woman I elaborated on my goals...but while I was talking, I felt I might just talk rubbish, because one of them looked at me in strange way...then she told me...

'Have you checked other universities? I think this course is not for you! Your career development is too specific and this course to be honest is too generic, maybe you should check other courses too!'

Well of course I did and half of the course is related and teaches what I want, the other part are bonuses for me and I also have to take into account that this school has its name out there!
If I completed a master degree with them...employers will gladly open their doors for me! And this counts a lot as well!!!

So my to do list for now!
1. Finally I started to write up my personal statement!

2. I contacted my supervisor from the previous university where I completed my bachelor degree.

3. And I approached Mr Novartis, my ex-lover, also who told me that he was going to provide me an excellent reference! :) Isn't he nice!

Wish me luck for a good application that should lead to an unconditional offer!

Monday, 17 February 2014

Barbie and Selfridges! It means another One of a Kind collection arrived

Since Selfridges opened its own and the one and only Barbie shop in London, Selfridges and Mattel teamed up with designers to create One of a kind - OOAK dresses for Barbie to wear, which then sold as limited edition dolls in Selfridges for a hefty price.

Sadie Williams' creations landed in store this month, February, just in time for the Fashion Week, however as all the previous creations, they are not really my cup of tea, but I am sure there are collectors out there interested in them!

New Sadie Williams' design on Barbie Mattel in Selfridges London

I am interested to see the next designer....and his/her designs in couple of months time again.

Do you like these dresses? Pattern? Shimmer? Shine?

Friday, 7 February 2014

Homes! Favourite interiors!

I thought I would show you 2 homes I came across on the internet and it was love in the first moment with them...

1st one....

....was LOVE at first sight!!!! and guess where it is from?????? Yess it's from Berlin! It has 4 bedrooms! In a cool area where my favourite eatery is and my favourite German man is :) etc...

Some people might not like this flat but i can see all the potentials in it...and knowing that this flat cost less than the studio flat I live now in London, sounds a joke, but hey Berlin is still more affordable than London! This is also amongst the reason why I want to move to Berlin eventually!

Hmm... I could so imagine this house for Udo and me....and haha for our future beautiful kids! :)

Berlin Flat Interior

2nd flat...

...was love at first sight too....is from Stockholm...is small.... a little beauty :) is a typical Swedish style home, with white walls, huge windows and colours that break the white surface. What I really like in them is for example that with the right colours and arrangements of furniture this flat looks like 70 sqm however it is only 36sqm :) I also love the details and the turquoise wallpaper, the flowers...the balcony...the bedroom...everything!

Stockholm flat

Stockholm flat Interior

Stockholm flat

Stockholm flat view

Source: http://www.Otthonkommando.cafeblog.hu
Source: http://www.fantasticfrank.se/

Have a fantastic weekend to all you sentimentalist!!! :)

Thursday, 6 February 2014

Friends: the always changing friend circle scene in London

Friendship! Jump! Beach! Sunshine! Friends!

I imagine for a Londoner or Brit this is easier as they have school friends, family or friends of friends here, whereas all those people coming from the outside world, we are a bit rootless...as we don't have day to day relationship with our school friends or family, and here in the new country we might not yet have such deep friendships. With time, this is changing :) of course by now I have some friends that I can always count on and know me from inside and out.

Friends in London, I now know is always easy to find and hard to keep.
Why? Because of the fast fluctuation of people coming and going!

The above sentence is not entirely true, because if one takes good care of these ‘lost’ friendships they can still bloom and I know that whenever I’d meet those people again in the future we could still carry on from where we left…which is always a good feeling and they are in my heart and vice versa.

Since I am here in London (2007) I had many encounter with different people, from university from different work places, from places where I lived…yes even in a hostel for 6 months! I still think about it as a great time of my life! Always surrounded with people and party! Never any silence! Something was always happening…the unfortunate thing is that at the time I did not really have money. Anyway my point is that throughout those 6 months I met many people…and had friendships formed from the craziest things/conversations. With these people even though they moved back to their home country I am still in touch via email, facebook or meet them in the country where they reside at the moment or in London!

So I am a bit sad again because I had to face some losses again. My favourite colleague, left work and will leave the country and even the continent! I am hoping that I could visit him maybe in Canada! :) But he was the one always brightening up my day at work in the past 2 years and now who will be this person???

My good old friend from Hungary also left London...well to be honest it was kind of expected with his attitude and how he felt here in London. Nevertheless his move was so unexpected! Going back to Hungary for Christmas and working from there...we were texting that he was going to come back and a week later when I asked what was going on with him...He just said - I resigned and not going back to London ever again. Well I am sad, but I guess it will be better for him. He has a beautiful flat in the capital right next to the Parliament building in Budapest and here he was just renting a room, always felt discriminated and in my opinion he was too reserved and introverted for London with utopistic ideals in his mind about why the government don't give him a flat and transport and everything for free. He was against the benefit system, but he still wanted these for free...In which society would you get these for free, I am asking this!

Most positively...my then best friend from London, in whom I was very disappointed since last June and we have not even talked, called me last week and we were chatting on the phone for 4 hours! :) I was very happy as I am not a person to hold grudge and I still like him with all his mistakes! He really hurt me last year, I think in his opinion I hurt him, then he never answered the phone, text, email or anything...so I gave up on him. BUT since the New Year he is kind of trying to ease things between us :) for which I am truly happy, however I learnt that with him I better keep a bit of a distance in the future :(

Anyway another positive end on the scale, a friend of mine from Italy is strongly thinking to move back to London...or guess where? To Berlin!!!! :) Either would be awesome!

On this note, let's just say take care of your friendships and never let them die, never hold grudge and know that you can forgive, because your friends are the people you can rely on in a world where there is no family. So treat them as the most precious gifts you can have in a foreign country...and of course wherever you are! Smile with them! Talk to them! Listen to them! Sometimes just sit and stare!

Friendship

And lastly, a note and picture I got from my from my childhood friend! :)

We'll be friends until we're old and senile then we'll be new friends! :)