Mirror mirror...

Me and my big one...

Hot hot hot!

Bleedin' 'eck. I don't want to make any of my Brit posse jealous (love the wellies!), but fuck me it's hot over here! Really disgustingly hot. The sticky, sweaty hot that'll drive you nuts. The hot that'll follow you out of the shower and disguise itself as a sheen of shower water, when it fact it's a fresh outbreak of sweat (Jees, my towel stinks!). The hot that'll leave your t-shirt sticking to your back after a five-minute drive in your air-con car...because the air-con didn't have enough time to kick in.

I'm off to put my head in the fridge...

Paparazzi

I got the nod to publish these. I'm still not sure which pix they'll be using in the mag but these are my faves. Nothing to fancy, but how fancy could I get...?

WunderKinder

Oh for fuck's sake.
Junior's kindergarten told us last night that they are closing down. At the end of this week. Which means a mad rush to find a replacement place. Quite possibly, a very Israeli moment. In 35 degree heat, 75% humidity. I fuckin' love it! It's as hot as bastards out there!

Junior is becoming a well-traveled geezer, this'll be his third kindergarten in 6 months. And it might just mean a few sleepless nights for the anglosaxies as he adjusts...luverly...

TH14

So, this is the end for TH14 and Arsenal. Kinda poignant that it's also my last few days at Corridor Land and I would have had to take down my TH poster anyway. Now I can just rip it to shreds and bin it. Really. Because to be honest, a genius he was, but one more long summer of endless rumours about the destination of the Arsenal captain (I remember at least 3 consecutive summers with Vieira before he finally did the dirty) and I would have started supporting Hapoel Tel Aviv. OK, OK, that's a little drastic...

Some classic moments from the no. 14...pure utter class, no doubt about it. But a new direction for Arsenal. Upwards, I hope...
[sobs into beer]

Just beachy 3

'Scuse me while I experiment, but this is another wide-angle lens distort shot. Too much distortion?

The day is drawing near...

Today is my last "solo" day at Corridor Land. I have a couple of things to finish off, then I'll be back in the middle of next week to "handover" to the new guy. OK, tomorrow I'll be here to chat with the CEO, but apart from that, we're almost through...

Have a couple of part-time gigs lined up, one paying very well, but I'm also looking to spend some time on the beach, drink a few beers, enjoy some quality sunsets with my kids and just clear my head of the last 6.5 years...once the guilt sets in, I'm sure I'll be looking for a few more hours here and there!

UPDATE: Of course, the CEO has played silly buggars all day and changed the appointment at least 4 times. Now, it just happens to be on my very last day. Fucker.

Just beachy 2

Just beachy

Expecting some room on the beach? Ha ha!

This was actually taken with a wide angle lens which distorts the zoom in and edges a bit. I quite like the effect.

Succckkkeerrrrr!

A new writer signed a contract with Corridor Land this morning. Bless 'im. Thought I might have given him the willies yesterday after a barrage of questions fired my way...but he seems happy enough. I basically lied my arse off: "The people are fantastic", "There is a great environment here..." "The bosses really appreciate good work" etc etc. Felt my stomach churn as I uttered some of those...

So, the countdown begins...a week of "handing over" begins next week and then I should finally be free! Ah, I've also lined up a personal meeting with the CEO because I'm fed up with hearing from my boss (yes, she's married to the CEO) that she has no idea if I'll get pitzuim. If the big boss says No, then No Handover Period from moi. An immediate walkout seems like a good option.

Blink and you'll miss it...

Strewth. Where did those last 2 years disappear to?

Yesterday was spent on the beach, complete with junior and juniorette (dressed ever so cutely in her Arsenal shirt!) - the first time we've made it to the beach as a 4-member family. We were also joined by R and S, complete with their 2 littl'uns (the latest addition just a squirming, shitting one month old).

Aaaah, was it just 2 years ago that we were all sitting on the very same beach, no kids in tow, a beer in hand (still happening, don't worry), comtemplating life and dreaming of exotic destinations around the world...? But then again, I don't think I've enjoyed an Irish bar so much (after the beach), with little junior running rings around the waitresses and trying to steal bottles from behind the bar...bless 'em at the Temple bar, they were very patient and understanding!

Life moves very quickly sometimes...all you single/childless buggars, enjoy every second because your world turns upside down in the blink of an eye...

Bloody southerners

Good riddance to the school down south. Officially handed over to the teacher who has been doing the teaching the last month or 2. I sold it for twice what I paid, so can't grumble, though after all the effort I put in, it ain't been worth it, financially. For the lessons it's taught me, it has been absolutely worth every shekel...

Bluffety bluff

Well, I'm back from my first photo gig. And I have to say, it was a fucking laugh! The shoot was on the upper floors of the triangular Azrieli tower, so there was a great view from rather huge windows. My mission was to capture some shots of a round table discussion, involving some bigshot industry types from both Israel and abroad.

I looked the part, I have to say, and when I fastened on the external flash I could see people were drooling with anticipation. Or perhaps they were looking at the rather yummy secretary swaying past the room...who knows? Who cares? I just kept shooting, from this angle, that angle...the conversation babbled on, but I just kept on shooting...I'll find out later tonight or tomorrow if the pix are good enough, but I reckon I have at least 10 crackers, and they need 6 or 7...AND I GET PAID FOR THIS!!!

i am da paparazzi

OK, so more about that dream job...I have my first profesh photo gig coming up on Thursday. Yep, somebody is actually going to pay me for taking some pictures! Suckers! The pix are for a new magazine just about to hit the stands here in Israel (not sure if there'll be an online version), and if I do a good job there should be a few more gigs lined up.

Trouble is, shooting for fun is, well, fun. Shooting for money is a whole different ball game. For a start, I don't have the tools (I've managed to borrow a half decent camera off a friend) or the knowledge...OK, my pix aren't bad, but are they good enough to be in a mag? I think a lot of bluffing is going to be in order on Thursday...maybe if I get me one of those vests with lots of pockets...? Yeah baby!

Things they could have said...

Just thinking, as my Corridor Land days come to an end, if things would have been any different if da management at C Land had ever come out with any of the following:

- "Good morning!" as they walked past my wide open door.

- "If you're happy, we're happy."

- "That is excellent work!"

- "Thank you for your work on the project that you alone implemented and that will eventually save us thousands of dollars."

- "The Pessach gift of 200 shekels in gift tokens was a mistake - it should have been 2000."

- "The 10% pay cut we took last year will be compensated by a 20% raise this year."

- "The one raise in 6.5 years we're giving you is not linked to your hours (would have been nice - the 15% rise I did get was actually only about 10% because I only worked 70%)."

- "The seating arrangement we promised when you joined will be immediately implemented (and not take 4.5 years...you won't believe where they wanted to put me at first...really)."

Nah, you know what, it's better that they never did say any of the above...I'm happy to be going, I've got some interesting options lined up, perhaps even my dream job...yes, more to come soon! Even mrs anglosaxy reckons I'm a lucky bastard!

Just around the corner...

Will someone please put me out of my misery...
I'm not sure how much longer I can wait for the summer to arrive...I mean, I've been wearing my flip flops, my shorts, even my cutoff jeans for a couple of months now, and have been through at least 3 stifling sharavs, but still, the Israeli summer hasn't started. At least according to the news and the weather forecasters*. How much longer can they continue with the denial? The deceit, the lies...my beach bum status is hanging by a thread and yet, do they care?

Are they waiting for the purely sticky days of July /August before they can announce that summer is upon us? Or are they just scared of calling it summer and then having to admit that 3 drops of rain might fall early tomorrow morning? Future politicians, these weather forecasters...

*Easiest job in the world = Israeli weather forecaster - "er, it's going to be very hot tomorrow. And for the rest of the summer..."

Last of the Jacarandas

As the last of the Jacarandas' blooms fall to the ground, thought I'd show you this shot from a couple of weeks ago, in the smallsville mall parking lot.

Where the hell am I?

June - Yooni

I'll be glad when this month's over. Most of the kids I teach won't be continuing with me over the school holiday as they have signed up for Shimmy's Summer Splash or something similar...but bless the little buggars, I'd like to send em off with something in their final lesson...and I don't mean a slap...seriously, what can I give them to remind them that they had such a great time with me and should come back for more next September? I was thinking of a baseball cap with my logo on it, but that's too summer camp, right? I've got around 25 kids, so something cool and classy is needed, but as cheap as chips...

Rejection

Oh dear. The guy with the victory-sign party trick actually turned down Corridor Land at the last minute. Apparently his victory sign did wonders at other interviews and he was hot property. I'm actually quite pleased because the idea of sitting with this guy for a month gave me the absolute willies.

So, my boss is distraught. She now has to go through the whole interview process again. Poor lass. Must be hell being her, really. From one of the richest families in this country, married to the CEO, comes and goes as she pleases...please, please, put your hankies away...

Anyway, I still need a final date, this is becoming way too long and sticky. My motivation is probably in the lowest state it's ever been in at this place, and that's saying something! And all those bugs I planned to leave for the new guy are gonna come back and bite me on the arse very soon if I don't get out of here sharpish!

Bikin' it