What a year, and it hasn’t ended yet. We tried to start writing our blog at the beginning of this year, hoping that we would have time to write a few words every now and then. Little did we know that we would be in for a rollercoaster ride of disaster, chaos, reflection and change. I’m glad to say that the good times are here again and hopefully to stay – some would say we have gone full circle, others might say we have turned a corner.
To keep a long sad story short (and if I can remember everything that happened – believe me there was a lot), Toni got demoted and I got made redundant, courtesy of the recession. Our fridge stopped working and boiler broke down. We had a leak through our kitchen ceiling and a window got broken in our bedroom (kids playing football or something). Then Papa died.
It was an intense few weeks in which this all happened. Toni and I got to the point where we were rolling our sleeves up, looking up at the sky and yelling “what next? Bring it on!”. So much change in such a little space of time. It was hard to take it all in.
We are happy to say that we have replaced the fridge, had the boiler fixed and had the kitchen ceiling repaired. The window is still outstanding but we will be getting that fixed soon.
In terms of work, Toni was demoted on paper and paid peanuts but expected to carry out the same duties. With the unemployment rate reaching nearly 2.5million (figures out this week) and fewer jobs out there for the taking, he had little choice but to carry on. He has been working crazy hours and for 3 months we had hardly seen each other. I did a paralegal stint at Lovells and then sat at home threatening to shoot myself having gardened myself out of things to do and ran myself into the ground (I did the 10k British Race in very hot weather with wanting to wee the whole time). I am now working in the public sector taking a relaxed approach to life, having made some lovely friends in my colleagues.
Toni successfully renewed his visa and can remain here indefinitely. His immediate thought was of his parents. He worked several 19-hour shifts in 10 days and then jetted off to see them – a first in two years. A week later he was back at the slog working his guts out. Until 2 weeks ago. Which is when our super-plan came to fruition.
We had spoken about our dream before we got married of a road trip to Norway by car via mainland Europe and when we had returned from our road trip to Scotland last year we planned to do Europe in the summer of 2009. After the economic bang they call the recession, the plan was blown out of the water and parked for another lifetime. But somehow we managed to get back on track with finances and keep our heads (barely) above water. What spurred us on though was the need, more than anything, to spend time with each other. So we went on our road trip on 31 July and it was fantastic – pictures are up on FB.
We drove through France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany to reach Scandinavia. We stayed in Oslo, Geirenger and Trondheim in Norway, Hudiksvall near Stockholm in Sweden, and Copenhagen in Denmark. We stayed with friends, camped in a tent and even stayed in a hotel courtesy of our dear friend Stian. Stian had won a competition, the prize being a night’s stay including dinner and breakfast. We gladly obliged. Toni and I spent time with family and friends as well as each other. Just being in the same room/space at the same time, saying little if nothing to each other, healed the stress of not seeing my hubby.
I have come back having fallen in love with Norway and fallen head over heels for my husband all over again J.
Norway felt like home because of our family and friends that live there. It felt like home because it was relaxed, beautiful and cultural. The air was clean and the views breathtaking. What I loved about Norway is that life is simpler, easier and just as fun. There is no “rat race” lifestyle. The country puts a huge emphasis on home life and making sure that you have time to spend with you nearest. Norway does not allow its employees to work more than a 40 hour week. It is also the fifth highest paying country in the world. Minimum wage is around the £14-15 mark.
I have bought a self-teach pack to learn Norwegian and who knows, Toni and I might just end up there for good soon. At the very least I will be able to speak with and write to my niece and nephew in their native language.
The crash we have experienced this year has made me realise what is important in life. Sometimes you need to sail the rough seas to appreciate the life that you have. Toni and I are still honeymooners when it comes to being married. He is my best friend and we are lucky to have good health. We both have jobs which can pay the bills and we live in a lovely house. We have a loving family and circle of friends that would drop everything if we ever called them for help. We have a car which, admittedly broke down (twice) in Norway but gets us from A to B without any other hitch.
What I have realised is that I had been racing through life without stopping to take a breath and realise what I have in the present moment. The city culture in London is to live a fast life and to get ahead as soon as possible. That would mean working all the hours God sends at the expense of a social life. Toni would encourage me because he knew it was my goal to be promoted. He would support me when I had to work late and weekends. The lawyer in me still wants to work with business. But now I am appreciating something I said a long time ago to my dad (which he reminded me of recently): work is a means of making money only. We do not work to live. We work so that we can play.
And so we’re back on the blog – for good. Keep reading – there will be plenty more to come!
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Monday, 16 February 2009
Friday 13th
Keeping in the spirit of Friday 13th, we had bad news. Toni was told that he could either leave the company or be demoted to a duty manager with part-time hours. 20 hours a week. Pay is to be negotiated. To be honest, I am disgusted with the handling of the process. I am disgusted that everyone recognised his hard work and efforts except the man who had the power, the man who seems to have it in for Toni and so made sure Toni could not continue on his current salary.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Let it snow let it snow let it snow...
As if you couldn't guess from the heading, yes it has snowed. And not just a dusting but a full 20cm or so, enough for me to get out my Timberlands and wear them to work in true Lara fashion with suit and tights.
The good news is that Toni has survived the redundancy procedure...for now. It seems like the orders from above is to confuse, create chaos and put the worry of God into their staff. Toni has been transferred to the flagship store in Edmonton and has two weeks to show off his talents before being assessed to see whether he has done enough to make the cut. That is the order. But there are underlying pointers that don't add up and are creating havoc with the brain in decifering the truth. For one, the flagship store boss was not told he would be sent there. Second, he was not on the rota. Third he was sent on to another store (nearby) on his first day in Edmonton.
The company are not doing very well in the communication stakes. One could argue that it is part of the bigger plan in cutting costs. The less you know the more they save since they don't have to spend time or money contacting you. However it is counterproductive since staff is not convinced of the firm's actions.
I am hoping and praying that it all works out. Toni is a very hard worker, as you know, and an honest man. He doesn't play games. He is a straight down the line kinda man and all this to-ing and fro-ing is stressing him out (and me). I'm pretty sure he can handle another two weeks. I hope it is good news on the 16th.
Other news is that it snowed heavily last night and all day. Toni and I were lucky (or is it unlucky) to both be able to make it to work but we were both turned out before time since the commute/drive was likely to be a difficult one. I thought about putting my hands to some cosy baking but I decided on some yoga instead by which time Toni had arrived. We then went out into the garden and built our very own snow man. Although admittedly, he does look like something out of a horror show. It'll be as difficult if not more to get into work tomorrow.
Watch this space for more updates on the scary mary saga of life as we know it.
The good news is that Toni has survived the redundancy procedure...for now. It seems like the orders from above is to confuse, create chaos and put the worry of God into their staff. Toni has been transferred to the flagship store in Edmonton and has two weeks to show off his talents before being assessed to see whether he has done enough to make the cut. That is the order. But there are underlying pointers that don't add up and are creating havoc with the brain in decifering the truth. For one, the flagship store boss was not told he would be sent there. Second, he was not on the rota. Third he was sent on to another store (nearby) on his first day in Edmonton.
The company are not doing very well in the communication stakes. One could argue that it is part of the bigger plan in cutting costs. The less you know the more they save since they don't have to spend time or money contacting you. However it is counterproductive since staff is not convinced of the firm's actions.
I am hoping and praying that it all works out. Toni is a very hard worker, as you know, and an honest man. He doesn't play games. He is a straight down the line kinda man and all this to-ing and fro-ing is stressing him out (and me). I'm pretty sure he can handle another two weeks. I hope it is good news on the 16th.
Other news is that it snowed heavily last night and all day. Toni and I were lucky (or is it unlucky) to both be able to make it to work but we were both turned out before time since the commute/drive was likely to be a difficult one. I thought about putting my hands to some cosy baking but I decided on some yoga instead by which time Toni had arrived. We then went out into the garden and built our very own snow man. Although admittedly, he does look like something out of a horror show. It'll be as difficult if not more to get into work tomorrow.
Watch this space for more updates on the scary mary saga of life as we know it.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Bhullars are back in
Hello
Apologies to everyone. The site has been locked down for a while and Toni and I have been busy enough to forget to write. Not a plausible excuse, but something at least.
I just read the last excerpt. The one about the guy on the platform. Well, he has a name and we have become train buddies since. I wont name him since it would be inconsiderate of me to do so without his consent. But we have been train buddies for about a year now and catch the train together all the time.
What is new? Lots. First I started writing again on my personal blog - amritkalsi.blogspot.com and today I thought about writing here about the Bhullars and what we have been doing over the past year. It has been a busy year and you can read about most of it on the amrit space but lets say that Toni and I have been loving married life.
The big news (if you have returned from another planet) is that the economy has taken a thrashing of late and the country was officially in a recession as of data for the last quarter coming in at a terrible low. Jobs cuts on the rise, home repossessions and lack of flowing money is shrinking the economy. This is a good thing since the country has been living on credit, superficial credit, for too long and needs to sort its house back in order. The challenge for us is to survive.
I did by the skin of my teeth last September when my firm made redundancies. Toni is facing it now, having been told he is at risk and will find out next week. It is happening all over the country. It's not a big shock anymore. The hope is that we get through it all with enough £s to pay the mortgage and bills. The task is to keep smiling. It is hard. But Toni and I are trying. And we think we're doing well.
Married life is a funny thing. When I think that Toni and I knew each other for a period of six months before we got engaged, having met each other for the first time in person, and then meeting for the second time for months later to get married and knowing that this was perfectly right and normal to do, and then to begin living with each other without any experience of living with each other prior to the 1 June 2007, and looking at how far we have come today (a very long sentence I know but it has a point), and realising that we fit together so well, makes me smile. I feel that I am still living in a honeymoon period, but for the economic crisis that is giving us little pockets of stress. I love being married. I love spending my life with Toni. We both have God to thank. He has blessed us.
We are fast approaching our second anniversary. Can't believe it has been two years. It feels like we got married only yesterday whilst at the same time I feel like we have been together forever. It's a very beautiful feeling knowing that I have a great man, a great husband, a great friend who I share my life with.
He is at work right now. I will be cooking up some fish pakoras for his return home and sticking a few beers in the fridge just as he asked. The dutiful wife. It's nice to dote and serve Toni and I don't think I do it often enough. I hope he doesn't read this otherwise I will be getting constant requests!
Anyway, 2009 is looking like a tough test against a tidal wave of financial woe. Toni and I are armed with experience of tackling disaster together. We got an early dose on our honeymoon so I think we should be ok. You can keep up to date with us on here since I promise to write regularly. It may be that my writing switches between here and amrit space and I will keep both open for you to read. Leave us a note, comment, thought or anything.
Looking forward to writing our lives again.
Apologies to everyone. The site has been locked down for a while and Toni and I have been busy enough to forget to write. Not a plausible excuse, but something at least.
I just read the last excerpt. The one about the guy on the platform. Well, he has a name and we have become train buddies since. I wont name him since it would be inconsiderate of me to do so without his consent. But we have been train buddies for about a year now and catch the train together all the time.
What is new? Lots. First I started writing again on my personal blog - amritkalsi.blogspot.com and today I thought about writing here about the Bhullars and what we have been doing over the past year. It has been a busy year and you can read about most of it on the amrit space but lets say that Toni and I have been loving married life.
The big news (if you have returned from another planet) is that the economy has taken a thrashing of late and the country was officially in a recession as of data for the last quarter coming in at a terrible low. Jobs cuts on the rise, home repossessions and lack of flowing money is shrinking the economy. This is a good thing since the country has been living on credit, superficial credit, for too long and needs to sort its house back in order. The challenge for us is to survive.
I did by the skin of my teeth last September when my firm made redundancies. Toni is facing it now, having been told he is at risk and will find out next week. It is happening all over the country. It's not a big shock anymore. The hope is that we get through it all with enough £s to pay the mortgage and bills. The task is to keep smiling. It is hard. But Toni and I are trying. And we think we're doing well.
Married life is a funny thing. When I think that Toni and I knew each other for a period of six months before we got engaged, having met each other for the first time in person, and then meeting for the second time for months later to get married and knowing that this was perfectly right and normal to do, and then to begin living with each other without any experience of living with each other prior to the 1 June 2007, and looking at how far we have come today (a very long sentence I know but it has a point), and realising that we fit together so well, makes me smile. I feel that I am still living in a honeymoon period, but for the economic crisis that is giving us little pockets of stress. I love being married. I love spending my life with Toni. We both have God to thank. He has blessed us.
We are fast approaching our second anniversary. Can't believe it has been two years. It feels like we got married only yesterday whilst at the same time I feel like we have been together forever. It's a very beautiful feeling knowing that I have a great man, a great husband, a great friend who I share my life with.
He is at work right now. I will be cooking up some fish pakoras for his return home and sticking a few beers in the fridge just as he asked. The dutiful wife. It's nice to dote and serve Toni and I don't think I do it often enough. I hope he doesn't read this otherwise I will be getting constant requests!
Anyway, 2009 is looking like a tough test against a tidal wave of financial woe. Toni and I are armed with experience of tackling disaster together. We got an early dose on our honeymoon so I think we should be ok. You can keep up to date with us on here since I promise to write regularly. It may be that my writing switches between here and amrit space and I will keep both open for you to read. Leave us a note, comment, thought or anything.
Looking forward to writing our lives again.
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