Buona giornata

Day 5 in the Big Brother House, not really, I'm in MILANO.

What a crazy 5 days it's been, it's still not sunk in that I am not heading back to England any time soon - weird!
Day 1 I woke up full of alacrity, couldn't wait to get going and get started but it was a Sunday and in Italy Sunday really is a day of rest unless you are a shop located on the gold rectangle! I headed to the Duomo and walked for a few hours up and down main streets and back streets and found a little supermarket and a public park to sit and munch on my cherry tomato's and bread! yum. The sun was out and it was actually quite warm for winter!! - I spoke too soon and now Giorni della Merla is upon us and i'm hoping it really doesn't last any longer!!

Giorni della merla

An Italian legend says that the last three days of January are the coldest of the year and are called the “giorni della merla” (literally: days of the she-blackbird). Different versions of the story say that the “merla” was a bird, a cannon or even a noblewoman. Sometimes the days are stretched until the first of February, but if this period is very cold, spring will come soon and it will be warm.

 

Erika (my new temporary housemate) told me all about Giorni della merla whilst we were drinking tea sat next to the radiator! brrrr - I was telling her about my absolutely horrendous day. It started with some very sad news which made me distracted and I forgot to take my map out with me or charge my phone. I was going to an interview and it was pouring with rain. I knew I had to get on the metro and head to Porta Romana and walk from there but I only realised id forgotten my map when I got there. I got my phone out and it had died - oh how unorganised of me. I headed off in what I thought was the right direction, I was soaked already had rain in my shoes, my gloves were sodden and I just wanted to get to where I needed to be or at least find a news stand so I could buy a map. After walking around for 20 mins in the wrong direction I found a news stand and got a map - phew, I had 15 mins left until I had to be there and I looked on the map and realised I was so far away I didn't think I would make it, by now it was snowing my hair was wet and I had snowflakes on my nose and eyelashes. (Do Rae Mee) I wanted to cry because I was scared but remembered that book Kelly Cutrone wrote called "if you have to cry go outside" and realised crying wasn't going to get me to my interview so I took a deep breath and just walked as fast as I could. Went the wrong way again - HOW CAN I NOT READ A MAP????
I finally made it 15 mins late but put a smile on my soggy face and had the interview.
So I guess I now have a part time freelance tutoring job - its a start and its only day 5 (PROUD)
I have another interview on Tuesday for another job which may co-inside well with this one if I get it. Despite my mild panic and the horrendous weather of giorni della merla things are looking up.

Spring had better be warm and I hope i'm still here!!

xx

SAGs

Oh its Monday, worst day of the week, poor little fella gets so much stick! I don't get the Monday blues anymore because I'm self employed (but mainly just unemployed!) I have a tutee who gives me my food money every week for doing something that I LOVE!

Even though i'm not teaching today and I have no strict plans or places to be, its midday and i've been in the library for 2 hours writing a lesson plan and researching careers sites for information on interviews for a workshop i'm doing on Sunday. I'm not really earning any money right now so why oh why am I so happy?

I spent last week in a "deep rest", not depressed, DEEP REST. Some people think its the same thing, I disagree. I felt very heavy and wanted to sleep most of the time and when I did go out of the house I felt tired and not myself. Its so easy to just hibernate when you have no plans, no job and nothing to do in general so I can see how people get into a very dark state and begin to feel like they are just existing. A very wise friend of mine once introduced me to SAGs - Small Achievable Goals. These are very useful things to concentrate on. So to pull me out of my Deep Rest I set myself some SAGs for today.

1. Write a lesson plan for my lesson tomorrow
2. Research and begin the write up for my workshop on Sunday
3. Blog
4. Make a pea puree some humus and some flatbread
5. Smile at strangers!

So I may not be at "work" or "employed" and earning money today but I'm so busy doing things that I love and enjoy and making sure I do not spend the next 2 weeks in a deep rest.

Don't get me wrong we all need to do a job and make money to survive but when you get the opportunity to take some time out and really concentrate on you, take up a new hobby, read the paper, research a new career path, set SAGs  for your future, it is a blessing.

ENJOY YOUR DAY! set some SAGs :) xx

2014 "Heart Thoughts"

Hello Beauts! Super sorry I neglected the blog but been so busy trying to sort my life out I just haven't had time.

Since I last blogged I moved out of my house,  lovely Carlos moved to Manchester,  I had a temp job at a Jewellery shop and Christmas and New Year came and went very very fast! (Birthday next week though so celebrations still to be had!)

Anyway, I'm back and ready to share some wisdom /  inspiration with you in the form of Louise L Hay. If you haven't heard of her,  be sure to find out more about her and what she is all about!
www.louisehay.com

The story goes like this. Once upon a time I met a girl with glasses and blonde hair, she wore flip flops t-shirts and jeans on nights out and we became besties pretty quickly. 9 years on we talk every day (even though she lives in another country) and we share our thoughts about life, love, people, places and trivial things on a regular basis. This Christmas she bought me the most wonderful gift. A book called "Heart Thoughts" by Louise L Hay. I can't even begin to describe how positive,  alive and inspired this book makes me feel.

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Not a moment before and not a moment later. You need to trust in the perfection of life, and know that everything is in Divine Right Order at all times." Louise L Hay

If you are lucky enough to have it all figured out,  you are happy all the time and you haven't a care in the world YOU ARE LIEING! we are all friends here,  its ok to put your hand up and say "I'm unhappy and I don't know how to change  it"  Been there,  and will probably be  there again at some point, it is called being human!

The book is a collection of affirmations and snippets of wisdom and inspiration for lots of different aspects of your life, whether you have difficulty finding love,  opening up to love, forgiving people who have hurt you, building strong relationships with your parents or changing your path. The words have meaning and they are truly effective.

A friend of mine told me that they aren't happy in their  job, they are bored of what they are doing and they need a change. I have given her this book to borrow! The main lesson I have learned from it is that I am in charge of me, my choices, my decisions and only I can make myself truly happy by doing what I need to do. (The support and encouragement of loved ones helps of course!)
Here are a few snippets from Louise L Hays book. "Heart Thoughts"

"If you are going to listen to people, listen to the winners. Listen to those who know what they are doing and who prove what they are doing"

"If you do not love yourself,  totally, wholly and fully, somewhere along the way you learned not to. You can unlearn it. Start being kind to yourself now."

Change requires you to start from within.  you cannot change your outer world without clearing your inner mind, working it all out in your head and then setting goals and putting these into action. Its the beginning of a new year, where do you want  to be this time next year? and what do you need to do to get there? If you don't have all of the answers yet, be open to possibilities and if your mind starts trying to trick you with restrictions, know that there is ALWAYS a way around them.

I have a few goals for the year ahead,  some may be  a bit too ambitious, others  probably more reachable and realistic but i'll share them with you anyway!

- Move to  Italy to live and work as an English Teacher (already actioned this,  i'm flying on 25th January)
- Learn to speak Italian
- Fall in love, or at least be more open to it.
- Sign up to and start a culinary course.
- Do an Open Mic night in Milan

What are yours?