On the home front, Oli and Eladio are back, Oli starts with RTVE, news from abroad, my role as an employment recruiter and other things

Eladio and Olivia in Istanbul
Hi again,

On the home front the week has been quiet but actually full of activity.

Oli and Eladio came back safely last Sunday from their trip to Istanbul. They were loaded with goodies from the Grand Bazar and Spice market. All in all it seems they had a great time and the break had done Oli a power of good.
Oli at the Spice market
On Monday Oli started her new job with RTVE as a reporter for the website. She had been working there this summer on an unpaid internship and she is one of the only students to have been taken on full time. The contract is just for 6 months but the experience will be fantastic. Her timetable is from 3 pm to 10 pm and she comes back exhausted. She has to write on any subject under the sun so has to be prepared for anything. One moment she is writing about the financial crisis and another about bombs in Pakistan, or else doing a chat with an actress from a famous series in the 80s or updating the new films coming up at the end of the week. Variety is the word but she says the organisation is chaotic as no one specialises in anything.

My father had the operation on his big toe on Tuesday and is slowly recovering. It’s not easy when you are nearly 90, have walked all your life and don’t know what a headache is to bear with a set back like this. However, he is a being a “good soldier” and we hope he will be better soon.

News from abroad refers to news from my cousin Zuka and from Susan Wright, my parents’ neighbours in Heaton Grove. Zuka seems fine and we would love to have her come and stay. Will you Zuka? Susan rang about her mother Margaritte whose 100th birthday is at the end of this month. Unfortunately she has had a small heart attack and although recovering will not be able to have a big party, rather small visits from friends. Daddy was going to go out for it but with the problem of this foot the trip will have to be postponed. Well let’s hope that that trip can take in the not too distant future.

This week has also been one dedicated to keeping up with friends. I had lunch with Ana from the Spanish news agency and with Ramón, the A3TV weekend news presenter and MAM, a well known personality from the Spanish telecoms scene. I also met up with Elena, my friend and neighbour and whom I see for sort of informal coaching sessions. “Virtually” I found Eva and Lauri too thanks to LinkedIn as well as Axel Meyer.

I also seem to have been active trying to find employment for friends. I can think of at least four occasions this has happened this week. Two of the cases seem very promising so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Eladio and I have also been busily planning our Indian adventure in December. One big step was taken in that direction when we bought our tickets on internet last Sunday. With one simple click we sealed our destiny. Now we are near to closing the details of our trip with the Indian travel agency. Our trip will start in Delhi. From Delhi we will drive through Rajasthan and then take the plane to the holy city of Varanasi. From Varanasi we will fly on to Kathamandu and then back to Delhi. It’s going to be one hell of a trip and I so hope it all works out ok.

Yesterday, Eladio and I returned to our weekend routine and went to the cinema and then out to dinner to our old time favourite, “La Alpargatería” and dined at table number 7, the most romantic one in the restaurant. The film we saw was Sangre de Mayo (May Blood) by José Luis Garci. It’s about the famous 2nd May uprising in Madrid by the people of the city against Napoleon’s troops and is based on Benito Pérez Galdós novel “Episodios Nacionales”. The film was good but nothing to write home about. It was certainly not Garci’s best in our opinion.

Next week will bring a lunch I’m organising for the ex Motorola “girls” and it will also bring a family reunion with a Cuban motif. But more about both these subjects next time.

Cheers
Masha