Cork vs. Cologne

It's been a month-again- since my last post. I'm really bad for writing at the moment but I also didn't have a lot of time.

 

Work was pretty hard during the last weeks. We had lots of very sick patients and unfortunately some of my co-workers were sick as well so there was a lot to do with only a few people working. I was really sick of it and got a bad cold that still hasn't gone completely.

 

Fortunately I'm after having a week off. I spent five days in Cork with Kiki, Jana and Mirjam, Kiki's sister. It was great! We went on Monday and came back late last night and we had a great time. We were all visiting our families and we celebrated Paddy's Day and met lots of nice people. Lisa and Sophie were around as well and I was very happy to see them. Spending time with my Irish family was great as well. It felt a bit like coming home, nothing has changed really, I'm still pretty close to my hostparents and I enjoyed just talking to them. The babies were a bit shy at first but then they were really great. Louise showed me around as they moved bedrooms and all and Ben is talking now. First I couldn't believe he was saying my name but then he started babbling away. About his bedroom, about his toys, about Louise, about their cousins christening... It's so funny-and so scary. They have grown so much and are real little people now. Well, it was hard again to leave them, I hope next time will be pretty soon and just as good.

 

Unfortunately I didn't see all of the people I hoped to, like Laura for example. But I guess it's just hard because I was on holidays and they were all in their normal routines...

A few words about my first Carnival in Cologne, maybe. It was so cool. Caro came to visit for a few days and I went out with her and friends from work every day. I loved it. I mean, I loved Carnival before but that is even better. Can't wait for next year ;-)

That's it for now, I think, I'll just have a quiet Saturday night at my parents' before I drive back to Cologne tomorrow,

 

Jenny, xoxo

Sing, Travel, Relax

I went to the casting of that choir last week and I made it. I went there, totally nervous and saw that there were lots of other applicants. Then I went in there and had to sing in front of three people who wanted to decide if they take people or not. So I sang, we talked a little and I went home, they wanted to send me an e-mail the next morning. I went home, couldn't sleep and the next day at work all I thought about was that choir. Fortunately I went home and saw that I made it. It's so great. I love all the songs we're singing there, the people are really nice and I realize how much I missed singing during the last years... I'm just happy.

Have I mentioned, that I'm going to be in Cork for St. Patrick's Day? I am so excited. I'm going on the 14th of March, only for a few days unfortunately but I am so happy about it. I'm really kind of homesick (I still think it's weird to call it that but that is the exact feeling, I miss the country, my family, my friends...). I'm going with Jana and Kiki, Lisa and Sophie will already be in Cork and I also hope to see Laura and Anna. And of course my lovely Irish family. I'm a bit afraid that the babies won't recognize me anymore, it's been so long. I have seen pictures from Christmas an Ben looks so grown up, it's unbelievable. The poor baby has been very sick a few weeks ago but is better now, thank God. They are so great, by the way, we had already booked a hostel for the time but they offered me to stay in the house even though they won't be at home most of the time. I can't believe how nice they are, I mean, I don't live there anymore and all and they would still let me stay there. So cool.

Today is just another lazy day, I don't really know what to do. I was working nights at the weekend, just got out of work this morning and out of bed a while ago. I think I'll just stay on the couch for the rest of the day enjoying not to work ;-)

Jenny, xoxo

All new...

Everything has changed. And I'm very happy about that. I moved out of the shared flat two weeks ago. After searching for a flat for ages and looking at millions of them in the end it went really quickly. I looked at a flat in the middle of January and i liked it although it's not where I hoped to find something but a little further away from work. Anyway, I decided to take it if I get it because it is just the right size, it's a nice neighborhood and it's all for a reasonable price. So I called the owner and as I was the first to call I got it. So I got two weeks to organize everything, moving out of the first flat, moving into the new one, keeping all my money together as I knew it would be pretty expensive during the first time. So here I am, totally broke but happy.

Let me describe the flat a little bit: I have a small kitchen, there's everything in it and it's the right size for one person, I have a big living room, a bedroom, a little hall and a bathroom with a bathtub. And a small balcony. There's parking just in front of the house which is included in the rent so I never have to look for a parking space anymore. Perfect! And there's a lift so I don't have to carry the shopping up the stairs anymore. 

My parents came the day I moved and we brought all my stuff here in just one go which was pretty good, we were very quick. I painted my bedroom purple and some of the kitchen blue. The living room is supposed to be green and white but at the moment all I have is a green couch. I have the white furniture but  I also planned to paint some green in here I just was too lazy during the last days so that's one thing I still have to do. It's still a bit empty because I need some more furniture but that will have to wait until my financial crisis is over ;-) I also like it this way anyway, with so much space...

Well, living alone is great. Not only coming home whenever I want to and don't have to worry to wake someone up, I also know that nobody will wake ME up. I'm coming home into a nice and tidy and clean flat and if there is something dirty or unwashed dishes I don't care, because it's just my own stuff...

My neighbors seem to be really nice, lots of students but there are also some families and some older people living here. It's pretty quiet, I don't know if they are really quiet or if the walls are just really thick. Anyways, I like it.

Work is pretty hard at the moment. I had my 7th day today and there is one more to go before I have two days off. There is so much to do, I sometimes don't know how to make it all but it works somehow and I think I'm doing a pretty good job (at least I don't hear anything different ^^). I just hope it's getting a bit better soon as I really have an aching back at the moment and am tired all the time. But I'm positive...

That's that. Tonight I'm going to a choir here in Cologne, they are pretty good and they are looking for new members. I hope I'll make it, I really miss singing a lot. And I definately need a hobby. So that's step one.

That's it for now, I'm going to relax for a while before I'm going to the choir,

Jenny xoxo

It's been a while

I know it's been a while since my last post but there has been a lot going on here. Let me tell you what happened in the meantime.

I really enjoy working at the hospital. My co-workers are very nice and the work is pretty interesting. We've got a lot of depressing and hard things as well but most of the time I really enjoy being there.

Most of my co-workers are so nice that I even spend my evenings with them sometimes. It's very good that most of us are pretty young and we get along well.

My living situation is still not the best. I decided pretty soon that I didn't want to live in that shared flat anymore as I don't get along with my roommate pretty well and I hate the fact that the janitor and the house owner don't really give a sh... what's happening here. Every other day the heating doesn't work and it's really freezing in here. There's no good insulation and it's very cold outside so I'm sitting here covered in blankets drinking tea all the time.

The other girl who was living here before, the student, moved out in November and another girl moved in. We get along pretty well which is good but I still want to move out as soon as possible. I have been looking at flats for a while and there were nice ones but it seems like everyone in Cologne is looking for a flat...

That's that. What else? I don't really know. It's the last day of the year and time to have a little resume. I really enjoyed 2010, it was definately one of the best years ever. I have met my wonderful Irish family, a lot of friends on that little island, I came back to the people I love and now I am exactly where I hoped to be: in Cologne, doing a job I really like. Can it be any better? Well, maybe some tiny things, so I just hope 2011 is getting even better, but I'm positive.

Also I have some new plans for the new year, I'll tell you about them as soon as I know how they'll work.

So for now, thanks everyone for making 2010 so special,

Jenny xoxo

Little update

It's time for an update. I'm often too tired to post something these days. What can I say? Life is good. I really like Cologne so far and I really hope to go out tomorrow night with some people from work. Work is great. It's still hard though but I'm pretty sure everything will be very good in a few weeks. Most of the people working there are very young and haven't been there for a long time so they remember how it is starting to work there. They help me and all the other new people a lot and so I get the chance to get used to everything step by step. Really, it's very good.

What's not so good is that it's getting colder outside and we don't have heating in our flat at the moment. Nobody really seems to care but it's really bad especially in the mornings and evenings when you don't really want to go into a cold bathroom and take a shower. And I already had a winter with practically no heating last year so I'm not going to do that again. My roommate tried to call the janitor a couple of times yesterday and today but he doesn't pick up the phone. I really hope we get to talk to him tomorrow because it's supposed to get really cold over the weekend.

Also we still don't have a hoover. I'm pretty bothered because with three people living here things just get dirty and I really can't relax after work in a dirty flat. As nobody's doing anything I think I have to go and buy one although I really don't have the money lying around... Anyway, I'll have to but I'm taking all this stuff with me if I move out (hoover, all the things in the kitchen, tv) and I won't even care.

Well, beside this, life is really good and I'm pretty happy. I feel a bit lonely from time to time, because I don't really know anyone here and most evenings I spend at home on my own (my roommates aren't home a lot). But I'm sure I'll make some friends here soon and everything, I'll just have to go out and be a bit patient ;-)

That's it for now I think and now I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow I'll visit my friend Julia in Düsseldorf and I am very excited!

xoxo, Jenny

There they are...

... the pictures I promised. My "bed" or the place where I sleep at the moment and my bedside table (even with special effect). How do you like it? I have to hide all those wires somehow, they make it a bit messy. Oh, and I brought the DVDs into the living room to make some space for more books there ;-)

xoxo, Jenny

step by step

I've been pretty busy during the last days. I started work yesterday and it was really good. There are two more new people on my ward so it's not that hard for me as I'm not the only one who has to learn everything and ask for everything and stuff. Very cool now I have the weekend off and go back to work on Monday. I'm pretty excited!

At the moment I try to make my room and the whole appartment more comfortable. First of all it needs to be cleaner here. I'm really not a neat freak and stuff but it wasn't very clean when I arrived, especially the kitchen and the bathroom. There's no hoover and nothing to clean with really so I was a bit helpless. But now my roommate accepted that it's disgusting and is helping me with cleaning and wants to buy a hoover. I hope it'll work.

Today I went to the flea market and it was so much fun. It takes place every Saturday so I guess I will be there a lot. Today I bought a children's chair which is my bedside table now (just needs some color soon) and a little shelf for the kitchen. It already looks better now. I'm positive that it will be pretty cosy in here in a few weeks.

I just tried to upload some pictures of my room but it didn't work. So maybe tomorrow!

xoxo, Jenny