To swim or not to swim...

Decisions, decisions. The weather is beautiful but cool - north wind since yesterday, and today's maximum temperature won't exceed 25°, plus the wind is rather strong, so it's probably going to be running instead of swimming. Much though I'd like to have a reason not to go to Vienna, a headcold won't be enough; it would only make something I don't want to do even less agreeable. Besides, I haven't done any running for at least 3 weeks, so it's time I did some before it gets too hot again.
Speaking of hot: on Friday, when I was playing with Elena from 4 - 6, the temperature was 37°. 1,5l of half-green-tea-half-water went down like nothing, and right out again -- one of the sweatiest experiences I've ever had. The shower I took afterwards was pure bliss. Since it was so hot, cooking was out of the question, and I'd had a warm lunch anyway, so I merely had cheese, almonds and ham for dinner. I needed the salt anyway.
Then, some time during the night, the wind turned, and I woke up shivering with cold -- ah, that delicious feeling of pulling up the hitherto despised duvet and snuggling into it!
Even though Elena made me run a lot yesterday morning -- we played from 9-11 -- it was a piece of cake compared to Friday, since the weather was cloudy and the temperature 21°.
And, though it sounds really conceited, I have to say that I'm getting quite good. Elena, who used to be a professional player, certainly doesn't play at 100% when we play games, but even at 80% she's quite formidable, and I'm holding up really well. Sometimes I manage to win a game fair and square, without a third serve or her just not running too much.

Last night Stefanie, Elena and I went out for trout, chips and salad to that quaint little place where they don't make anything else but trout, chips and salad, but, oh, they do that very, very well. A weekend in Brussels with Stefanie, probably in October, has been added to my travelling plans -- a common friend, who used to work for EULEX in Kosovo, is now in Brussels, and we have an open invitation.

No other news. Tomorrow I'll be off to Vienna on the 16.00 Croatian Air flight. I'm going to try and make the most of it -- at least I'll get to see some people I haven't met in five years or more. And Klaus. And my mother. And there shall be running every morning, except on Tuesday, which is the first day of our training thingy, so I don't want to be late. As for the following days, I couldn't care less.

Oh, and Dicky's questions!

 1. Why did you go into the diplomatic service?
I kinda drifted into it. I was studying Latin and French at the time, and had my thesis half finished. Then I realized that getting a job in academia was almost impossible. I didn't want to become a schoolteacher. So I thought, well, what *can* I do? I speak a few languages but otherwise don't have either experience nor qualification. Let's try to become a civil servant. And the Foreign Ministry was the first to answer my application and invite me to an entrance exam. That's the whole, unglamorous story.

2. If you could work in  any embassy, anywhere, where would it be?
The "where" wouldn't matter as much as the "with whom". So I'd say, preferably somewhere on the Balkans, because I just love this part of the world, with my current boss, and I get to choose the staff. Also, under the same conditions, one of the Baltic countries, Kiev or Canberra.

3. Kirk or Spock?
Spock, definitely. I like the ears and the intellect. But please tell me I don't have to wear the same uniform as Uhura!

4. What got  you into fandom and writing fanfic?
My mother gave me the first HP book (in German) while I was still in Milan. I was fascinated, got tome 1 through 4 in English and was completely sucked in. I desperately wanted to talk about it with somebody, so I discovered fannish communities -- HP for grown-ups was the first I think. This, in turn, led to discovering fanfic, and I'd always wanted to write. I still blush when I think of my first fanfic. Horrible, horrible Mary Sue fic, but it was a beginning. Then I discovered WIKTT and challenges. By that time I was back in Vienna, not terribly happy and completely underchallenged, so writing fanfic was pure escapism. As it was during my time in Ankara.

5. Argus Filch gets all prettied up (as far as possible) and invites you out to dinner. How do you react? How  does the evening go? (I am assuming you accept, at least out of curiosity.)
Assuming that I know who he is -- i.e. not just some strange guy but the caretaker at Hogwarts -- I'd certainly accept. I suppose I'd ask him lots of questions about his life and war experience, we'd certainly discuss cats a lot, and I'd really like to know how he copes with being a squib among wizards. I guess it would be an interesting evening, and I'd suggest that we repeat the experience, hinting that he might bring a friend next time *coughSnapecough* ;-)