Heaven Help

I am now avoiding reading emails that come from anyone with a Chinese sounding name. I know it will be bad news. Yesterday for example I emailed a site and I received an out of office from the client coordinator for ASIA informing anyone who actually bothers to read an out of office that he was moving back to the USA. It would have been nice to be told....I consoled myself that evening with stinky goats cheese and a 2004 bottle of French red syrah...it helped take the edge off!

Everyone tells me this trip will go well. It has to but I currently I don't see how I will make it through the next 5 weeks and keep my sanity. For example I asked the big boss who do I call if I need to contact someone urgently say 2am and I am locked up in a jail cell in far flung China...he responds "me...but if it is 2 or 3am in the morning send me a text first!" He then gave me his blackberry pin! I have decided to take the direct dials of all the CEO of the group, head of finance....anyone that counts and I will call them all if I get into difficulty.

Today there is a strike on the RER (public transport lines in Paris) just for a change! I am doing my own little strike at work...I have stopped talking. Yes, moi has stopped talking. I have nothing to say. Especially since yesterday I came into the office to see a big wall gawping back at me...no explanation...Friday I was in open space staring at people I don't particularly like and today I stare at wall and my right to light has been severely limited. To add to my woes it is hot here in the office but there is the war of the air conditioning. One person puts it on and then someone gets up to turn it off and then we open the window and someone complains. I just say RIP OUT the air conditioning unit and seal up the windows because it is becoming increasingly tempting to just kick one or two people out of the window. And, yes the windows open all the way!!

Aside from that it is wet and grey in Paris which mirrors how I feel inside. There is the fête de la musique tonight with bands playing all over Paris which will be a welcome distraction from having to actually get on with the practicalities such as packing my suitcase and organising myself....that would be too much!