Bl**dy Foreigners

So, I´m feeling a little better this morning, having had eight hours of sleep. It would appear, though, that I´m billeted with the Odd Squad. Actually, that´s a bit unfair, but they´re certainly eclectic.

First up, we have Francisco, from Buenes Aires (is that how you spell it?). It turns out he´s only sixteen, yet already has plans to go to Wharton business school and work as a Private Banker in New York. I pointed out to him I only knew I was going to be working in Private Banking roughly six months before the actual event. So much for spontineiety. He´s sixteen, though, and he´s here on his own. I sat down to check my mail yesterday and found him beside me, playing Solitaire. Now, I´ve done many odd things in my life, but I´ve yet to find myself playing computer games in a ski resort. Yet this guy pales into insignificance compared to the Other Guy...

This one´s called Roberto, and is actually Chillian. He appears to be in his late thirties and, frankly, I can´t shake him. He´s done an awful lot of things, yet manages to be one of the most boring people I´ve met in quite a while (and remember I work in IT). I mean, how can one make paragliding sound dull? Oh yes, he´s on his own, of course. He´s a skier, of course, and wears a paragliding jumpsuit. The mind boggles. There´s something slightly effete about him, too: He has a reedy-thin voice, and a slightly ´careful´ manner. I thought I´d successfully dodged him yesterday (he´s leaving today), but no, he got me again. He has a camcorder, and thinks it would be fun if we film each other´s technique(!). Where, oh where, is a Polish-American bird when you need one? As he left for breakfast this morning, he asked me, ´What jacket are you wearing?´. He wanted to be able to recognise me so we could ´take pictures of each other.´I don´t mind telling you that this one sentence scared teh bejeesus out of me. He went to breakfast. I went to breakfast. I sat down, and then noticed he was on the next table. I made twenty minutes of frantic bread-buttering and coffee-stiring before I heard ´Ah, Nick!´. He came and joined me.

Anway, he´s leaving today, so that´s a result. I have a feeling he´s lurking on the nursery slope waiting for me. With his camera.

Sylv should(!) be here very soon, so I have a feeling these journal entries will tail off somewhat. It´s certainly been an experience being on my own, and, although fun, I´m not sure it´s totally for me. I mean, okay, one meets loads of really interesting and fun people, but there´s nowhere to touch base. Nowhere to retreat to, besides one´s ´own company´. Now, I was thinking about this last night (while willing Roberto to finish his food and just STOP TALKING) and, while I guess I´m comfortable with my own company, it´s only really when I have, say, a PC, a book, music, etc. So, I´m looking forward to having reinforcements here. The food in this place is great, as is the service. Unlike European resorts, where one company runs the ski-fields, while individual hoteliers provide somewhere to stay, this place is all-inclusive. It is, essentially, a cruise-ship, complete with enertainments officers, comedy waiters, and cocktails with the Captain (Actually the resort owner) on a Sunday evening. I have made my mind up to chill this first week, use the gym, the pool, the slopes, the bar. After that, well, we hook up with the tour group and it´s hardcore all the way.

My back still hurts. Ibuprofen is a wonderful thing.