In these shoes?

It feels like something that may have happened some months ago but it was only yesterday that I met my Mum and sister and went to the Clothes Show Live.

Talking to Mum today we worked out that so far in 2008 I've seen my parents for less than 3 weeks. That's less than a short uni holiday. We predict that this trend is likely to continue as I grow up more.

With any luck I'll be running off to Quebec some time in August (2009) until sometime in June (2010) - best part of ten months.

Anyway, yes, the Clothes Show was on tv when I was little and I loved it. Mum always wanted to take me and my sister and has been waiting for us to be old enough.

I feel that I was pretty cunning about the shopping element of it: I got two items that I'd seen in town but couldn't justify at that price and managed to get them for considerably less. I got a pair of shoes that fitted a description I had in my head but didn't know existed for less than expected. Also they are Irregular Choice - a brand I've lusted over for some time. I got a handmade prototype one-of-a-kind top that just happened to be my size and my colour (has a bit of Westwood feel about it).

We saw the main show (from afar) introduced by Dave Berry and Alex Pettyfer, featuring the Saturdays (wearing two-tone tights). The models were accompanied by dancers including a bit to a big band version of Wonderwall - it totally worked.

There was another, smaller, show pretty much just with models but you could get a lot closer which was good as the clothes were the main event there. It featured Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Gareth Pugh, Giles Deacon and some I've forgotten.

I walked home from the station. It was a really good end to the day - a woman outside Vodka Revolution wearing black with gold hotpants and a gold headband was firespinning - I didn't see a hat for collecting money but didn't get close enough to check. When I got to the Co-op I nipped in for Camomile tea thinking that I wanted it enough to pay 79p for 20 bags and then the label said £1.19! Fortunately when the girl bleeped it it said 79p and then we discussed the 50 pence piece I gave her. It had a soldier carrying another - I already had one like it in my small connection of coins with interesting pictures on.

Pretty darned excited at the prospect of wearing my new shoes tomorrow and SWING DANCE! It has been like nine days since I last did it. I'm gasping for a dance. Err?

Also feeling somewhat more smug about Christmas now that I've spent some money on other people (even if it hasn't been dispatched yet). At least I know what I'm doing. Well, not entirely. Don't know about housemates at all. Previously we did Secret Santa but it is different this year as there are very old and very new friendships within the house - don't know half of them at all well enough. I'll make cards. Soon. Yes.

www.cbcradio.ca/radio2 - Drive with Rich Terfry. Yes. It is keeping me up because I don't want to miss any but I know I need to sleep. Poetry on the radio.

Talking of radio, listened to Peach's show today. Started off very well but did go a bit downhill when they started sorting out their social life. Hello, audience *waves*!

Ten days left to get sorted before I go home for Christmas. It doesn't feel like long but I like the pressure.

Wednesday

Was supposed to be researching and writing up of articles, however, we weren't all allowed into Berlaymont so we were sent into town to find our own way.

Mulitilingualism was my choice of topic (because I'm totally into it) and we happened upon and language school so I had a little chat to them, in French, whilst being videoed for the journalism department website.

Also talked to a couple of interpreters hanging about the EC before my brief interview (that really wasn't much of one as he just ignored what I asked and said what he wanted) with Pietro Petrucci, spokesperson for Multilingualism.

It is an area that hasn't really been written about much because it is still pretty new but I can't find and interesting angle.

Caught up with a couple of our group inside and then went to find food and drinkies in town. Waffle! Before getting back to the hotel for 4pm pile. We were supposed to get there and leave pronto for the station. Some didn't arrive until 4:30 (sans apology).

The rest of the day was really just trains and camomile tea.

It fair wore me out.

Bruxelles, ma belle

Geoff Meade (my new hero) disapproves of the blogging/facebook/twitter culture where everyone wants their thoughts to be public, their voice to be out there - yelling along with everyone else in the enormous clamour of the internet.

Yes, it is highly self-centred and most people have nothing noteworthy to say. I include myself within that grouping yet I will continue for I need to practice my English. I should say that I am English but after a year in France I've lost a lot of my linguistic capabilities in my mother tongue.

I really ought to sleep mais j'ai fait la grasse matinée so I'm not overly tired and I want to YAY a bit about Brussels before I forget it all.

Monday - Bus at 8am, Train at 9:15, arrive in London at midday. Brief introduction to the European Commission (EC), everyone started talking to each other and got very excited at the free sandwiches, quiche, party sausages and such like.
Took Eurostar to Brussels that evening, hadn't taken reading material as whenever I do in such situations it remains unread - I nicked the G2 off one of the guys I'd just met.
Arrive about 9:30pm in Brussels, get to hotel sometime after 10pm and go out looking for food/drink. Not greatly successful (but not greatly hungry thanks to fruit pastels).

Tuesday - Forgot to change the time zone on my phone/alarm clock so woke up when Fiona bashed on my door at the time when we were supposed to be going down to breakfast. Got ready VERY quickly. Still, I wasn't late for the meeting of the European Journalism Centre (EJC) rep at 8:15am, others were.
Had little intro bits to the EJC and the EC - one by Jean-Paul Marthoz (dude).
Went to the EC (Berlaymont Building) to check it out a bit, see their AV services, go to a press briefing and meet with a spokesperson for Competition.
Lunch at a fancy restaurant (l'Atélier) - three course meal plus aperitif plus wine - with the head of Press & Public Affairs of the UK Permanent Represenation to the EU.
Back to EJC building to be talked to by Simon Taylor (European Voice) and Geoff Meade (Press Association) and then bother them a bit after, supposedly about the challenges of EU reporting.
Quick coffee break before "European Current Affaires" with Jacki Davis (ex-journo, works for a think tank, married to Geoff - I wish I was related to them) Philppe Ricard (Le Monde, very French) and Hajo Friedrich (Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung, very German).
Dinner at another fancy joint (La Manufacture) - seated next to a journalist for Radio France and opposite one of the main guys for the European Parliament Press Room.
Wandered aimlessly for a bit in the rain after and then ended up at an Irish bar. Ah well. Back to the hotel about half past midnight.

Wednesday - tbc I'm going to bed now