New Moon On Monday!

And, no, it's not Slim Shady! XDDDDDD

IT'S ME!!!

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, WORLD!

I've been a bad BAD LJer and friend, because I actually came back to Rosario last Sunday, but I've been too lazy to post anything. XDDDD

I'm back full force now - back at work, back studying, back at pretty much everything. But that doesn't mean I'm back in reality, because I certainly ain't! This trip to Buenos Aires was one of the best things that ever happened to me, not only because I really managed to disconnect myself from my usual routine (we had no schedules, nothing was predetermined), but also because sharing nine days of my life with four awesome people like Rory, Ryo, Nadia and Catu has been a really changing experience. I can't believe how much I've learned apart from all that we enjoyed the time we spent together.

If things go well, I'll be back in Buenos Aires in March/April! We've ravaged lots of stores and bought as many Duran Duran things as possible, BUT I WANT MORE! XD SO BEWARE, BUENOS AIRES! XDDD

I'll try to catch up with your latest entries one step at a time, but I just wanted to say HI! WE'VE ALL BEEN MISSED!

Lots of love,

-V

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO EVERYBODY! :D

First of all, thanks for all the kind birthday greetings and everything. :D I felt really loved yesterday, and you're responsible for a great part of that feeling. :D

Now I'm posting this hiatus note because I'm going away to Buenos Aires for nine days. :D I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and I'll be back on Sunday Jan 27. I will most likely not be checking my email during those days (and if I do, it won't be too often), so I'm not gonna be commenting on posts and all that jazz. Will try to catch up when I'm back, though. :P

So, for now, don't miss me too much, even though I'm positive I'm gonna miss you. :P

CHEERIOS!

-V

Remember I promised some proper posting a while ago?

( Well, wait no more! )

Had the lousiest day ever in class (feeling totally discouraged right now; FMF on that subject will come soon; this is the kind of moment that really makes me feel like I can't wait for my next therapy session), but I still have good news:

( Photo! )

And this next thing is for drbillbongo:

( Photo Number 2! )

Well, that'll be all! :D

CHEERIOS!

-V

...BECAUSE I'M SEEING DURAN DURAN LIVE IN MAR DEL PLATA IN TWO WEEKS AND I'M NOT PANICKING YET!

It kinda hit me last night, because as I was trying to fall asleep the radio aired "What Happens Tomorrow", a song I hadn't heard in AGES. And that's when I thought "WAIT, AT THIS TIME IN TWO WEEKS I'M GONNA BE HEARING THIS SONG LIVE!" WOOT!

Anyway, I guess I'm having a hard time actually realizing how big this is (all of you who know me from a way back know I had a time when I was a HUGE fan) mostly because my love for DD had come to a historic low. So it's not like I was expecting this concert or anything like it. I even had my doubts about going at first, but now I know it's gonna be such a great pick-up for me. Finally the whole Local Duranie group is gonna meet for this concert - roryfitzgerald, danysanders, catunia and nadiamdq - and that's enough of a reason to make this an UNFORGETTABLE weekend. :D

Oh, and by the way, we don't know anything for certain yet, but, drbillbongo, we've heard MIRANDA! is gonna play in this concert too! :-O Will keep you posted! :D

Anyway, off to get the dust off my DD records and ROCK them once again! (I really need to relearn all the lyrics, mind you...)

CHEERIOS!

-V

Just as I promised, in this post you'll find the pictures I took on my last excursion to the shopping mall, including all the international, completely irresistible and absolutely unnecesary stuff I bought! :D

But first, let me tell you that we had our weekly German Stammtisch yesterday, and we basically mobbed our teacher and asked him as many questions as possible about this idea of going to Germany next year. The basic idea is to spend three weeks there, and visit around 4 or 5 cities. We'll definitely be in Munich and Berlin, and now we're discussing which other cities to visit - Leipzig, Stuttgart (or somewhere closer to the Schwarzwald), Dresden, and some other destinations I don't quite remember right now. (I'm hearing suggestions, if you have any! XD)
We need to gather a group of ten people if we want to make this trip happen. The idea is to go around May or June, when it's already warmer but airline tickets are not as expensive as they are during the summer.
These are all the details I have for now, but I'll keep you posted as we start defining more things. :D What scares me the most is actually getting a group together. I mean, people always get excited about these projects, but when it comes to actually making it real and, above all, paying for it, things can get complicated. So I'm really hoping we'll be able to find people who are able to commit to this project so we can all have a great trip. :D

Our Stammtisch is getting more international! :D A girl from Germany (she's from Fulda, to be exact) joined us yesterday. She's a 16-year-old exchange student who's a friend of one of my classmates. She was lots of fun to be with, and I was really surprised to hear her speak Spanish. She had never studied the language before (although she did study English, French and Latin), but after a month and a half in Argentina, she speaks it wonderfully. She's got an accent, of course, but it was amazing just how easily she picked up conversations. I mean, we were in the middle of a completely informal gathering, where you don't really watch your language, but this girl joined in conversations with almost no effort. O____o Truly amazing. (We ended up speaking English too, which felt very international! XD) I guess immersion is a great way to learn a language. I'm hoping three weeks in Germany will help me open up my ears to the German language! XD I was surprised today by a letter from a penpal in Belgium who also writes amazing Spanish after only three months of learning it. WHAT IS IT ABOUT PEOPLE LEARNING SPANISH SO QUICKLY WHILE I'M STILL STRUGGLING WITH GERMAN? O___o I feel diminished now. XD

Anyway

ENOUGH

and let's move on to what really brings us here:

FOOD!

( PICSPAM AHEAD! :D )

OK, there's nothing definite about this, but

there is a chance

I MIGHT BE GOING TO GERMANY

NEXT MAY

with my German class!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O______________________________o

So far it's just an idea, but just IMAGINE our excitement anyway. XD There's still lots to be planned and, well, of course, money to be saved, XD, but we definitely want to do this. :D

SO I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. :D KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED! :D

*bounces around*

:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

MY GERMAN TEACHER IS BACK

and he brought LOTS of little Swiss chocolates for all his students. XD

( Like this little fellow over here: )

I ♥ my German teacher. XD

We spent half the class watching photos. XD And we even got to see his Freundin on the piccies. Guess what? He's 44 and she's 31. XD

HERE IT GOES AGAIN:

I ♥ MY GERMAN TEACHER. XD

---

Proper update on more important matters (like food) coming soon. :D

I hope you're all doing awesome!

Cheers,

-V

German related comments

1. I aced my Diktat today! :P Looks like all the obsessive-compulsive studying has actually paid off! XD Well, it wasn't really obsessive-compulsive studying... I just happen to enjoy studying German, so I can spend time writing a word 72347829472398 times without really suffering it. And, well, it pays off. :)

2. Another reason to travel to Germany: Klöße. XD

3. In Spanish, we write the words "Europa" and "Euro" just like you do in German. We just pronounce them differently. But, well, after learning the German way, I WILL NEVER SAY "EUROPA" IN SPANISH AGAIN. XD "EUROPA" ROCKS. XD

4. Does anybody know where I can but one of those "Danke Deutschland" shirts? I could settle for a Teamgeist Tour shirt too, but I'd prefer the one that says "Danke Deutschland". Can these shirts still be bought somewhere? And, above all things, is there a shop that sells these shirts and would be actually willing to send me one to Argentina?

Non German related comments

1. I'M GONNA GET PAID MY FIRST SALARY TOMORROW. :D I had to go to the bank today for a few last account details, but, yeah, MY JOB FINALLY SEEMS WORTH IT. XD

2. I was walking to the bank, and who did I see walking along the hallways? Federico. *sigh* :) I noticed him when he was 2 meters away from me, and he ended up walking right by my side... I can't explain the silly grin I had in my face for the rest of the morning. XD

3. I actually found someone who works in the same office as Federico does, and would be willing to pass on some important information. XD She's the daughter of a woman who works with me, and she's coming to my office tomorrow to see what she knows about Federico. XD I LIKE HAVING CONTACTS. XD

4. I'm trying to catch up on my LJ comments, which means that, if you happen to see I'm answering a comment you wrote a month ago, don't laugh too hard. XD I will eventually get to read all your posts and comments, bear with me. :)

German related comment but not really

1. My German teacher is a nearly 40-year-old unmarried man. Why do I find mature unmarried men so fascinating? XD

Hope you're all doing OK. :P

Cheers!

-V

On my next German class on Tuesday, I have a dictation with all the words we've learned so far, which means...

( Someone has to get busy! )

On the other hand, I'm making a progress... I can finally say "Mein Name ist Verónica"! XD (Years of learning English have spoiled me and now I can't bring myself to write "Name" with a capital N! XD)

As you may already, one of my big dreams is to learn several languages... And the idea is, once I finish a course for a language, travel to a country where it's spoken to practice it and to bring the whole learning process to some sort of a closure.
So, I was thinking last night (while writing "leben" for the 14th time), how about traveling to Germany for the 2010 World Cup? I'll be almost over with my German course by then, I have tnough time to save up enough money, and, well, even if the World Cup is in South Africa, watching Germany's games in a German bar/fanzone/whatever surrounded by Germans can be quite an experience! I know, we still have like 3 years ahead, but... Who knows? Sounds like a good idea. :)

Cheers!

-V

I know, I posted the answers on your journal when I should have posted them in mine... XD Well, I'll repost them. Bear with me, please. XD

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better! If I already know you well, expect the questions may be a little more intimate! *
3. You WILL update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

( My answers! )

So, YEAH, epee_girl is in da house! HALLO! :D I wish I had never come back (not because of you, I actually missed you all), but, well, good things don't last forever, and this little trip was a good thing indeed. I had the best of times with nadiamdq (and the Queen Mother) so it's really hard to be back in Rosario.
I got here today at 7 AM, but I think my mind is only realizing it now (it's 8 PM). I should have attended class, I should have handed in my paper on Descartes today, but, well... Nothing has been done. I only went bookshopping downtown (even though I didn't buy a thing, DARN), went to therapy, took a nap and chatted with nadiamdq.
I'm not really good at leaving issues behind, especially unresolved problems. I definitely feel rejuvenated after these 4 days in MdP, but it's really hard to pick up the threads (Frodo dixit) of my usual boring life once again. Good thing is I'm quite in the mood for studying (something I had lost before leaving last Thursday), and good thing is I've realized how much of an awesome friend nadiamdq really is. One of my goals in life is to have good friends around the globe, and, well, I can safely say Nadia is one of them. And that always feels good. :)
More good news (on an entirely different subject) - I got to pimp Mike Hanke for manndecker's Pimp My Player! OH FUCK YEAH! :D *happy dance* I'm gonna start working on that post as soon as I finish this one. :D
I have lots of stuff to add to my scrapbook, so I hope I can do that next Saturday... And I have to get back to my fic. The drive to write is still there... It just needs a little kickstarting to get back rolling. I'll try to do some writing tonight if Mike lets me! :P

Hmm. I guess that's all for now. I have several other things in mind, but I don't want this post to get too long and brooding. So, for now, HALLO, I'M BACK, and YAY! :D

Cheers to you all,

-V

As you know, I'm leaving for Mar del Plata to visit nadiamdq tomorrow night. :) I'm not leaving yet, but I'm going to say farewell now, because tomorrow will be a busy day. I have class both in the morning and the afternoon, I have to pack and I have to do some late-minute shopping. So, I might as well say goodbye to you all now that I still have time. :) I'm only leaving for a few days (I'll be back on Tuesday morning), but I REALLY, DESPERATELY need to leave. NOW.
School year is almost over (classes end on November 10) and things are getting a bit too hectic. Besides, I'm tired. The last part of the year is always rocky, precisely because one gets tired. I feel rather guilty, because my life isn't exactly OMFG!HECTIC, but I'm still tired. Well, there are lots of things I'm dealing with (therapy, my family, my career, trying to get a job) and that can wear anybody out. So, I really need these days away, forgetting every single responsability I may have. Besides, I really need some time away from my family. They're driving me insane. I wish I could move away from this house, I'm going nuts.
I've come to a point when I'm totally stuck. I can't really focus, even though I should be studying and writing papers. I know I only need one last effort until the school year is over, but I'm really worn out. So, being away will really help. :)
The only thing I'm focusing on right now is the fic snippet I'm writing. :) You wouldn't believe how HAPPY I am to be finally writing again. I already have 11 pages (6680 words) and counting, and I'm actually proud of how things are coming out. I'll surely do some brainstorming with nadiamdq when I'm in MdP, and I'll be sure to finish this chapter/snippet/short story once I'm back in Rosario. :)

So, anyway...
Have a great time while I'm not around, take good care of yourselves and don't miss me. :P
I won't have Internet access while I'm away, so I won't be checking my email or my LJ until Tuesday. Still, anything you may need, drop me a message and I'll surely get back at you next week. :)

Cheers, kiddies! Behave!

Yours (XD - THIS IS AWFULLY FAMILIAR - XD),

-V

Saturday morning, quite a quiet one... I got up around an hour ago, and now I'm on my PC, keeping up with two of today's Bundesliga games through Bundesliga.de's Live-Ticker - Stuttgart-Frankfurt and Schalke-Wolfsburg. No goals for anybody yet.
I've been having something of a viral flu for a week now, but I've been feeling much much better since Thursday. :P Still, I was stuck at home practically all week. Tons of fun, of course.
I have managed to do something useful, though, as I've been neglecting all kinds of studying and devoted myself to leisure activities. I need to start returning some emails and letters from penpals (it's amazing how those things pile up), but I have managed to do something I've been willing to get done for two months now - write on my brand new travel scrapbook. :) I basically wrote everything about my one-day escapade to Buenos Aires in July, and I'm quite surprised... I ended up writing 14 A4 pages. :-o Where did I get so many things to say? It was just one day away! I assume I'm going end up writing two full books once I start doing some serious traveling! Well, I don't mind. :)
Here are some piccies of my scrapbook. :) They were taken when I was still in the middle of all the writing, so now it looks fuller as I've glued and attached more things. Still it gives you an idea of what it looks like. :)

( The cover is kinda glittery... :P )

Speaking about traveling and everything, I have already planned my next escapade - I'm leaving for Mar del Plata in October! :D Yep, I'm visiting nadiamdq. :) Tickets are bought! I'm leaving Rosario on Thursday, October 12 at 10.30 PM and arriving in MdP on Friday at 8 AM. My trip back home leaves MdP on Monday, October 16 at 9.45 PM, which means I'll be in Rosario by Tuesday at 7 AM. Sounds like a plan. :)

That's pretty much it for now... I'm gonna go get some studying done. I'll play some piano, so I can stay around the PC and check how the Bundesliga games are going. :P

Cheers!

-V

PS: I finally got to see The Godfather last night. Absolutely awesome. Parts II and III are airing tonight and tomorrow.

...and I just went down to the kitchen to make myself my much needed cup of morning coffee. I started eyeing around the magazine that comes with our local newspaper every Saturday, and I found an article with pictures of strange statues around the world, and a link to a site that depicts some of the weirdest.

Check it out here. It's really worth a look. :) (I'm having trouble seeing some of the pictures, but the ones that do load are priceless. :P)

Today was a good day. :)
I'll probably start freaking out in no time, since I have a thousand things to study (2 upcoming mid-terms + those exams for work) and I'm in a wild procrastinating mood, but right now I'm feeling calm.
I had to run some errands today, so I spent the entire morning outside. Went to the post office to send a letter to one of my penpals, searched around for a postcard for him while I was getting to the post office, and I also got myself a beautiful custom-made notebook for a very special purpose - I'm going to start a scrapbook. :) Basically, it's a travel scrapbook. I haven't traveled extensively yet, but I do have one or two anecdotes about a couple of trips I've done. I've went to Buenos Aires three times already on my own to meet different people, and now roryfitzgerald, nadiamdq, danysanders, catunia and yours truly are planning a big Duranie get-together (the Secret Oktober Convention) in Mar del Plata next October. That's going to give me plenty of material to write about, I'd say. :P
The main idea is to add photos, comments, and any sort of memento I can get from any trip I might do. :) For now, I'll start with my escapades to BA (which are quite interesting per se), but I dream of having a bunch of scrapbooks someday, written in several different languages, with a million comments, memories, impressions and pictures. Since I'm interested in learning several more languages, I dream of writing about each trip in the native language of the country I've visited - v.g., when I visit Germany, I'll write the entire experience in my scrapbook in German. The same with Italy, France, Sweden... Well, you get it. Those scrapbooks will probably go to my nephews when I'm gone... And, well, they'll just have to learn the languages if they want to read them. :P

But, changing subjects abruptly, this was a good day, not just because of my scrapbook, but rather due to the general good mood people seemed to be in. I went to a thousand stores, and everybody greeted me with a smile. And those who weren't smiling, well, they eventually ended up doing it. Like the employee I had to talk to in the post office... She seemed kinda down, and suddenly I mentioned something about me liking the taste of the glue that comes with the envelopes, and she just laughed. :P "You're the only one who likes that glue," she said. And then we continued talking about a project for flavored glue... And, well, she kept smiling. I felt good about it. :P
I also stoped to chat with a guy on the street. He's HIV positive, unemployed, and gives away brochures about AIDS and it's prevention on the streets in exchange for a couple of dimes. I remember seeing another guy doing the same thing, but this time I didn't find him. I always stop to talk to people who are HIV positive and are working on the streets. He pretty much told me his whole story - he's HIV positive (non-symptomatic) and so are his wife and his 6- year-old son. His kid is actually a symptomatic patient, very prone to pneumonia. Spent 20 days in the hospital until last Tuesday due to it.
I don't know, there's something about people with AIDS that touches me. I don't know any close friends or relatives who are HIV-positive, but the disease just strikes me. Anyway, I stopped and chatted with this guy, took a brochure and gave him 2 bucks. Whoever he is, may God bless him.

That was pretty much my day...
Dinner's ready and my father's being a pest, so I should get going...
Be ready for my whole story about the BA adventure tomorrow. :P I'm also considering doing a little picspam... I owe you a picspam.
We'll see. :)

Cheers, and take care,

V

If you ever got past the header with the pictures of Timo Hildebrand and Jens Lehmann (I'm positive nadiamdq never did), hello. :) I'm in the mood for some pointless updating, mainly because I want to update but I have nothing important to say. :)
I have a new layout, as you must have noticed, following the "Glory Awaits - Danke Deutschland" series. I have other ideas for layouts, like "Vision, Creation, New Sun", based on a song by Fischerspooner, but I need to find the perfect pictures before finally designing that one. I want to do more Andy Warhol layouts, especially now that I'm in such a pop art mood after checking the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit in Buenos Aires last Thursday.
By the way, about Buenos Aires, I'll be posting the detailed account of the BA adventure this next Saturday night. :) I've been rather busy lately, because, as you may know, I'm trying to get a job. :) Thing is, the Provincial Judiciary (I believe this is the right English translation) is holding a series of exams next August to choose and take new employees. There will be three exams - mechanography, orthography and an oral exam about the general organization of the Provincial Judiciary. Thing is, I've been studying judicial lingo since March. :) Among other reasons, I had decided when I was 13 or 14 years old that I wouldn't study Law because I can't stand judicial lingo... Well, now it's back to bite me in the ass. :P
Anyway, no matter how boring law-talk can be, this job is actually good. Great working hours (Mon-Fri, 7 AM to 1 PM), good pay, medical coverage and the like, and, above all, stability (it's a job that depends on the state, and, well, they can't fire you as easily as a private corporation can). I know what it's like, because my Mom worked for the Provincial Judiciary her entire life, and my brother is also working there now. So, yeah, it's a good job. Thing is, like in any other good job, competition is quite fierce. This means I need to study and sharpen up, because I really want this job.
It'll be a great step towards independence. You know, getting an apartment, traveling, those things. Besides, getting your first job is always quite a life experience. I guess you really does start to become a bit more of an adult when you're working.
Anyway, that's it. :) I want to get these exams out of my way so I can focus on other things... Like the four books on art history I bought in Buenos Aires (God, you wouldn't believe the suffering I've put my poor piggy bank through! :P).

That'll be all for now...

Take good care of yourselves. :)

Cheers for all,

V

I got back from Buenos Aires a couple of hours ago. :)
I'm exhausted, which means that I can only think about going to bed now, but I promise I'll be writing a detailed account of the whole adventure in the next few days. :)
What I can say right now is that this has been one of the best days in my life. :) Thanks to everyone who made it possible. :)

Cheers,

V

Tickets are bought! :D I'm leaving for Buenos Aires at 8 AM on Saturday morning, arriving into the big city at 12 PM, then grabbing lunch and going to the Malba Museum for the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition! :P I'm making plans to meet catunia afterwards, at least for a cup of coffee, before leaving BA back to Rosario at 8.30 PM. :)

I'm excited! :D I don't know, I just feel like this is a small sample of what real independence feels like... Right now independence for me means going to BA for a day. Maybe in 10 years time, it'll be going to Germany for 3 months... Who knows? I certainly don't, and that's exciting itself. :)

Cheers,

V