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If I hadn't fallen asleep at 8 yesterday
Sep. 10th, 2010 06:09 am... I wouldn't have woken up at 4.30 today. Must be a combination of imminent change of weather, change of seasons and probably the ubiquitous hormones. Yesterday was one of those days when I feel like I'm allergic to my own skin. 1,5 hrs tennis helped, though, and so I was just tired in the evening and allowed myself to fall asleep whenever I wanted, which was around 8.
Quality time with the military attaché wasn't more than maybe 1,5 hrs in total, but the guy is just so exasperating. First I had to go through 30 min talking about "important issues", i.e. him trying to understand what's going on in Macedonia and picking my brain.
We went to the airport at 11.30 -- another 30 minutes in the car. I was so bored I honestly don't remember what we talked about (while having coffee in the afternoon, Stefan told me that the same had happened to him: he'd spent about 3 hrs in m.a.'s company on Wednesday evening and didn't recall a single thing).
Fortunately the guys from the General Staff were already waiting for us at the VIP room, and they were nice, and I was able to parade my Macedonian.
What was less nice was that m.a. isn't just boring, he's also surprisingly tactless. One of the Macedonian guys, whose German was really very good, had gone to the trouble of producing a printed programme booklet complete with bios, weatherforecast etc. for the General's visit. In German. He was visibly proud of it, but did of course say that there were probably many mistakes. So I said, "Look, this is so well-made and such a great idea, never mind if there are a few typos." Which is, IMO, the right thing to say.
M.A. opened the booklet, nodded and said, "Yes, yes, there are mistakes, but, hmmm, well I suppose it doesn't matter."
I would've loved to throttle him.
And that wasn't the only time, oh no. I mean, yes, we know that the Macedonian Army is practicaly penniless, and if one gives the matter a little thought, one might surmise that they aren't, you know, exactly happy with the situation. So what one doesn't do is ask the nice colonel, "I suppose the brigade in Bitola has been dissolved by now, has it? Because I heard they're going to sell the barracks and the entire grounds, right, because you don't have any money, right? Ha, ha!"
*cringe*
Anyway, it was over soon -- I merely greeted the General and made a bit of conversation, then went to the hotel with the convoy (never pass up a chance to go in a convoy with lots of police cars and sirens, at an average speed of 150 km/h), and then, after wishing the guest a good time, back to the Embassy.
Today I can actually have a casual Friday and wear jeans for once. Not that I don't like to dress up, but sometimes it's nice to be wearing something more relaxed at work. Maybe I'll take the girls out for lunch today -- I'd have to take Jasna along, too, though... -- so we can alleviate the boredom a little bit. There's absolutely no point in making them sit through the whole day, twiddling their thumbs. We're starting at 9 instead of 8 anyway, but with the consular section closed there's only so much work they can do. Plus I'm too lazy to invent any work for them to do.
And, since Slavica will arrive only at 8.30, I've got a lot of time on my hands, which I'm going to use in a meaningful way and do an early morning pedicure.
Quality time with the military attaché wasn't more than maybe 1,5 hrs in total, but the guy is just so exasperating. First I had to go through 30 min talking about "important issues", i.e. him trying to understand what's going on in Macedonia and picking my brain.
We went to the airport at 11.30 -- another 30 minutes in the car. I was so bored I honestly don't remember what we talked about (while having coffee in the afternoon, Stefan told me that the same had happened to him: he'd spent about 3 hrs in m.a.'s company on Wednesday evening and didn't recall a single thing).
Fortunately the guys from the General Staff were already waiting for us at the VIP room, and they were nice, and I was able to parade my Macedonian.
What was less nice was that m.a. isn't just boring, he's also surprisingly tactless. One of the Macedonian guys, whose German was really very good, had gone to the trouble of producing a printed programme booklet complete with bios, weatherforecast etc. for the General's visit. In German. He was visibly proud of it, but did of course say that there were probably many mistakes. So I said, "Look, this is so well-made and such a great idea, never mind if there are a few typos." Which is, IMO, the right thing to say.
M.A. opened the booklet, nodded and said, "Yes, yes, there are mistakes, but, hmmm, well I suppose it doesn't matter."
I would've loved to throttle him.
And that wasn't the only time, oh no. I mean, yes, we know that the Macedonian Army is practicaly penniless, and if one gives the matter a little thought, one might surmise that they aren't, you know, exactly happy with the situation. So what one doesn't do is ask the nice colonel, "I suppose the brigade in Bitola has been dissolved by now, has it? Because I heard they're going to sell the barracks and the entire grounds, right, because you don't have any money, right? Ha, ha!"
*cringe*
Anyway, it was over soon -- I merely greeted the General and made a bit of conversation, then went to the hotel with the convoy (never pass up a chance to go in a convoy with lots of police cars and sirens, at an average speed of 150 km/h), and then, after wishing the guest a good time, back to the Embassy.
Today I can actually have a casual Friday and wear jeans for once. Not that I don't like to dress up, but sometimes it's nice to be wearing something more relaxed at work. Maybe I'll take the girls out for lunch today -- I'd have to take Jasna along, too, though... -- so we can alleviate the boredom a little bit. There's absolutely no point in making them sit through the whole day, twiddling their thumbs. We're starting at 9 instead of 8 anyway, but with the consular section closed there's only so much work they can do. Plus I'm too lazy to invent any work for them to do.
And, since Slavica will arrive only at 8.30, I've got a lot of time on my hands, which I'm going to use in a meaningful way and do an early morning pedicure.
