April 17th, 1983
[in Portuguese]
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I'm really not going to want to go back to the UK when I'm finished here next month! Well okay, I have many good reasons for going back, but I have so many reasons for staying here, and- argh. It figures. But I've gotten a bit more used to the International Floo now, so hopefully I'm able to travel back here more frequently. I've got a couple of weeks vacation time coming to me in the summer. Perhaps I'll use a few of them to come back here. And not to work, obviously, but again, there's so much of this place I haven't experienced yet.
Work related issues... Well, there are a couple of new girls working in the offices here, and it took a few days for me to feel comfortable working with them, and vice verca, I would imagine. Though they did compliment me on my language skills on the first day, so that was a bonus. I guess they're just sort of used to being the backbone of things that they take slight offense when an English girl swoops in and flutters around behind the ambassador (who obviously calls the shots when he's here).
I also don't really like playing office politics, but it's something I've been experiencing for the past five years, nearly (I can't believe it will be that long since I started with the DoIMC!), and I've learned to quietly navigate my way through. I don't like stirring up things. That said, it's kind of hard to go through a day around here without being asked your opinion on something.
On a completely different note, it occurred to me recently that three out of my four former London roommates are now married (Lys, Lisa and Aingeal) and two either have a child already, or have one on the way (Lys and Aingeal). It's kind of funny in a way, but also sort of frightening. I mean, they're all my age (more or less), but they have things really, really different than I do. I'm happy where I am, but it's just something to take note of.
Well, it looks like I'm going to be heading back to London on the weekend of the 11th of May. So I've basically got another month here. Things are looking to only get busier and busier as I try to clue up what I've been been working on before I head back (and a few other projects they're likely to assign me to by then).
I hear things are going relatively smoothly in the office back home, so continue to keep things in one piece until I return, haha.
Ren, I doubt I'm going to make it back for our birthday, but I'll make it up to you as soon as I can, I promise (and tell my niece or nephew that Aunt Brielle is very sorry for making your Mum unhappy about that even if she tells you otherwise).
I've got this afternoon off (the ambassador's closed the office on account of everyone having basically worked through the weekend), so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go grab my things and head to the beach. It's such a beautiful day out for it, and it would be a shame to waste any more of it inside!