On "holidays" until September

Here's a bit of news about my job, not much to say, but it made me muse a bit. So it has been extremely quiet on the job front during most of summertime, so much so that I have been virtually on annual leave for a third of July and almost the entirety of August. I did not work except for a few meetings here and there. I will get back to work in a week time, on the second of September. Not much to report, you may say, but it means that I will get back to work at the beginning of the school year. In my psyche, September is truly the beginning of the year and the month of new beginning. Far more than January, or indeed any other month. So I find it is fitting that I get back to work in September.

De la verdure et des bureaux

 Je me promenais avec petit loup dans le quartier des affaires de notre petite ville. Les arbres qu'ils ont planté il y a un peu moins d'une dizaine d'années environ commencent à prendre des dimensions et avoir de l'allure. L'arbre que j,ai pris en photo est un Charme commun, enfin je crois. On l'appelle aussi charmine. Une chose m'est venue à l'esprit: les bureaux dans le coin sont vraiment bien, notamment à cause de la verdure autour. Je n'ai pas travaillé dans une entreprise de la ville où je réside depuis des années et jamais dans le parc industriel. Mais si c'était le cas, ça serait vraiment bien: les bureaux ne sont pas trop loin de chez moi et ça me ferait une petite marche de santé facile. En plus et surtout, il y a beaucoup de verdure.

A Private Security Company

I saw an unusual sight last week, walking back from town: a dark grey van with a tag on it, the one of a private security firm. It had a phone number and a website address at the back. It got me curious: I have never seen a security company vehicle here before. In big cities, yes, but not in a small town like ours before. So I checked online and yes, it's a thing, and very local too: it has its offices in a nearby (bigger, much bigger) town. The town where I used to work some six, seven years ago (the job I hated). Anyway, it provides all sorts of security services, including commercial and residential, and well, all sorts of things. I might use this sight and the company as inspiration for one (or more) of my crime fiction stories. I think I could come off with something interesting and modern.

Le congé du 14 juillet

 Nous sommes le 14 juillet aujourd'hui. C'est donc la Fête nationale française, parce que c'est l'anniversaire de la prise de la Bastille. Je le souligne à chaque année sur ce blogue, parce que j'aime la Révolution française, notamment parce qu'elle a mené ultimement à l'abolition de la monarchie. Enfin, d'une monarchie. C'est un jour férié en France, mais pas ici en Angleterre, bien entendu. Sauf que, comme mes clients vivent en France, j'ai donc pour ainsi dire un congé forcé au travail. Je ne m'en plaindrai pas: avec d'autres employeurs, je m'étais tourné les pouces pendant tout le 14 juillet en m'ennuyant solide.

Fête du Travail (en France)

Un détail que j'avais presque oublié pour aujourd'hui, mais que mon employeur m'a rappelé hier: c'est la Fête du Travail en France. Ce qui veut dire que c'est un congé férié, ce qui veut dire que j'ai été en congé, même si ce n'est pas un congé férié ici. J'ai donc une fin de smeaine de quatre jours, puisque le premier lundi de mai est un lundi de congé en Angleterre. Comme je suis à contrat et à temps partiel, le congé d'aujourd'hui ne fait pas vraiment mon affaire: je ne suis pas payé pour les jours de congé. Mais bon, on ne boudera pas son plaisir, ça fait une longue fin de semaine et ça fait plaisir d'être en congé un vendredi. Et puis, c'est pas comme si je suis au chômage.

Eurostar Journeys

 I took this picture last year at the National Railway Museum in York. I am sharing it today as it suits the topic. My wife and I (well, her mostly) are planning our enxt holiday and we were considering Paris. I am not too keen on it, having been there so often in the past, but Wolfie would love to see the city. There is one thing however that I would be looking for, should we settle for Paris: traveling via the Eurostar. It's been long overdue. All train travels are exciting to me, but there is something about going under the sea like this, in the comfort of a train. The Eurostar is a holiday experience in itself.

Guille, c'est moi

Je reviens sur mon sujet de billet de vendredi dernier, sur le prénom Guillermo et son diminutif Guille. Je dois m'y faire: Guille, ou plus précisément sa prononciation de Guiché, façon Argentine, est mon nouveau surnom au travail. En ce qui concerne mes collègues hispanophones. Qui sont à peu près tous originaires d'Amérique du Sud, ce qui j'imagine tombe sous le sens. Bon, ça va, je ne meplains pas, j'en ai eu des pires. Et puis je trouve assez flatteur de partager le même nom qu'un autre Guille/Guiché, lui aussi d'Argentine. Tout ça pour dire que j'aime bien ma nouvelle job et mes collègues.

Guillermo, Guille et moi

J'ai blogué il y a un mois sur une collègue hispanophone qui m'appelle Guille, le diminutif de Guillermo, qui est l'équivalent de Guillaume. La collègue en question est d'Argentine (en fait elle y demeure, nous nous connaissons via Teams) et depuis avant-hier est ma manager pour un projet, alors j'ai pu lui parler plus longtemps. J'ai donc appris une chose ou deux choses sur mon prénom en espagnol, façon Argentine. Guillermo se prononce "Guichchermo/Guichermo" là-bas, les l étant prononcés "ch", en tout cas s'ils sont placés au milieu du mot. Enfin selon ce que j'ai compris. Guille, encore une fois si j'ai bien compris, se prononce également "Guiche". Morale de l'histoire: j'en apprends tous les jours. 

Paddy for Saint Paddy's

 I went to a local pub today for a drink and more to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. There was only one pub somewhat decorated for the day, so I went in that one. I asked if they had any Irish whiskey to go with my pint of Guinness. They had one: Paddy. The barman was enthusiastic about giving me some, I mean he was surprisingly really happy about it, as if I was the one keeping tradition alive or something. So I had some. End of the story. But I have another anecdote about today: I did really well at work today. Like, really well. So my wife said: "Today you truly had the luck of the Irish." Which deserves to be a great unknown line.

Guille et moi

Petite anecdote à propos de ma nouvelle job et de mon nom. Comme d'habitude, quand j'ai un nouvel employeur, mon nom se fait maganer un peu par mes collègues. Et parfois modifier. Un collègue hispanophone a décidé de m'appeler Guille. Le nom du petit frère de Mafalda. Ce n'est pas farfelu: Guille est le diminutif de Guillermo, l'équivalent espagnol de Guillaume. Et ça me plait bien, car Guille a toujours été mon personnage préféré de la bédé. Je crois que même ma mère m'appelait Guille parfois, quand j'étais jeune. Il partage aussi certains de traits de caractère avec petit loup.

Insomnie maudite

 Bon, je ne sais pas si c'est à cause de ma nouvelle job qui va commencer de manière imminente (en fait oui, je sais, c'st à cause d'elle), mais depuis quelques jours, je souffre d'insomnie. Genre, pas mal. Bon, après le choc du retour au travail, je sais que ça devrait passer. mais sinon, si vous avez des suggestions, veuillez me les donner, parce que le sommeil me fuit sauf si je prends quelque chose avant de me coucher.

Progress on the work front

I have some fairly good news to announce today: if everything goes well (touch wood) I should be starting a new job this Wednesday. I say "fairly good news" as this may not be permanent and it is only part-time, something I was not really aiming at when I started job hunting. But it will provide me an income, it will patch a hole in my CV that was getting a bit too wide for my liking and it is working from home. The job itself is fairly easy, something I have been doing well in the past and it is a decent pay. And it should give me a lot of free time, which is always good. So I am a bit nervous but overall happy with the developments.

Morning TV, Not Morning People

This is an oldie but a goodie, made by YouTuber (and fellow Montrealer) Ryan George. Do you hate morning TV shows? Hate how cheerful these people are, so early in the morning? Cherrful, upbeat and alert? Are you, like me, NOT a morning person? Well, this video is for you. I would unironically watch such morning TV show, if it existed. Anyway, it's Monday, it should cheer you up if you are at work or going to work. I am still unemployed, but this is one aspect of employment I could do without: early mornings.

Black and Blue

 Yesterday, when we picked up Wolfie from school, we saw that the dad of one of his classmate was wearing a suit instead of the usual sloppy dad clothes we dads all wear on school runs. A black suit and a blue shirt, no tie. I said to my wife he probably went to a job interview. I was brave (or reckless?) enough to ask him: "Black suit, blue shirt, that's a dead giveaway that you went to a job interview, am I right?" I was right. Thankfully, I was right and he was not back from a funeral or something else. Anyway, I think that deserves to be a great unknown line. I knew he was wearing a suit for a job interview because I did the exact same thing last week, also a black suit with a blue shirt. It's perfect for interviews ad you appear professional, but the blue is not an agressive colour, so you come off as friendly. It's also perfect for all formal occasions: funerals, weddings, baptisms, first communions, etc. But especially for job interviews. Oh, and for the record, he got the job. I didn't.

"Blue Monday"

As you may know, today is Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year, although this is pure hoghwash. Most years, I don't care, for the reasons stated here. There are of course exception, such as last year's Blue Monday, which truly was depressing to me (and, I suspect, others too). But this year, that should not be the case. Because I'm still unemployed, for one. Also, because there is quite a lot of movement on the job front: recruiters and employers are calling me and I have some job prospects. Therefore I am in a fairly good mood. I quite like January, even in this country, I find Mondays more bearable when I don't have to go to work anyway, so... yeah. Happy "Blue Monday" to you, hoping it's not too blue.

Some movement on the work front

 I have read somewhere that January is kind of dead on the job market, but so far I have been happily surprised to see some traction on this front. I had a few interviews in November, which didn't work out. I was not too sure about them to begin with, but accepted interviews to stretch my interview muscles. Well, since the beginning of the month I have been approached by two potential employers. One of them I'm not so sure it's a good fit, but the other I am interested. I had an interview yesterday and it went well. I will know on Monday if I have made the cut for the second round. Fingers crossed, but I am carefully optimistic.

Unemployed again

 Okay, as you guessed it from this post's title, I am suddenly unemployed again. My new job was short lived: I started early June and did not even make it through probation. No, I did not get fired for gross miconduct or insubordination. It was just a bad match from the start. After a few weeks, I could tell that things were not working, even though I got along well with my colleagues and was giving my all. To be honest, I had a nagging feeling this would be a bad match even at the second interview, but I thought this was due to stress. Anyway, they thought I would do good, I needed somehting then and there, so I accepted the offer. Last Friday, my employers and I mutually agreed that this was not working out. I am disappointed, but on the plus side, I should have a good deal of free time in October, when Halloween is coming, in the heart of autumn. I can spend more time outside, when I am not being interviewed or job hunting. There definitely could be worse moments, especially since we are okay financially.

Mafalda et l'ONU

J'ai trouvé ce gag sur la page Facebook de Mafalda hier. Parce que c'était le début de la 80e session de l'Assemblée générale des nations unies. Si vous vous rappelez, Mafalda voulait y travailler comme interprète. Je ne sais pas si elle a pu suivre ses rêves d'enfants. Parfois je me dis que oui, mais à voir l'état du monde, je n'en suis vraiment pas certain: je crois que le monde se porterait mieux si elle travaillait à l'ONU. Quoiqu'elle n'aurait sans doute pas assez d'influence comme interprète, même avec l'éthique de travail espiègle qu'elle projetait d'avoir. Même comme Secrétaire générale des Nations Unies, je pense que son influence aurait hélas été limitée. Cela dit, elle ferait une excellente Secrétaire générale.

Mafalda et la pluie

 J'ai trouvé ce gag sur la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda. Je me sens mélancolique ce soir, alors je partage. Mafalda a le don de nous faire sourire et verser une larme à la fois.

Back to work today

So as the title of this podt states, I am back to work today, after a long holiday break. As it was a bank holiday yesterday, I am starting on a Tuesday and the working week will only have four days. And thankfully, I work from home. So I should not complain, things should go fairly smoothly (touch wood), especially since I had a very long holiday break. As always, I am kind of anxious about what happened in the office while I was gone, I always feel like this. It was the very first holiday I took since I started in my new job and so it is my very first return from leave. Otherwise, I don't go back to work with a feeling of gloom and doom like I was with my previous job, not for now anyway. Which is always in itself a positive sign.