How long can a day be?

Last time I wrote I was sharing my new girl nerves.

I got over them and went to my Intro to Sakai session.

We were a small but gorgeous group so we introduced ourselves and then settled in for the next 3.5 hours.

At the break I said Hi to the guy in front of me who’s from Oz. Turns out he lives in Perth – Scarborough!

Yup – small world. He’s a Brit who has an Irish mum and moved to Oz.

I’m a hybrid with Irish parents who moved to Ireland – a kind of karmic people balance.

The Sakai introduction was great and made me feel both shit scared and excited.

Thank God/dess they have the same physical manifestations (increased heart rate and breathing) or I would have been in trouble.

I can see the real potential for Sakai to be the base for the SKIL2 learning space.

And – I have to learn a lot. So much that my head may explode.

And -I do not exclude the possibility that after a year I may not be able to build the vision of SKIL2 that I have … but that’s a very worst case scenario.

What I am experiencing is totally common in any new learning experience ... that sense of the huge chasm between what you want to know … and knowing how much you don’t know and have to learn.

Then Mike and me and Amy (one of the presenters) walked the 40 minutes to the newbie reception. It was fun chatting and laughing as we went along.

Paris is really beautiful and a walking city. Every corner has beautiful buildings and little cafes ….

Met a few really nice people who have offered any help I need to build SKIL2.

They weren’t just saying it - they were asking for time to chat with me during the conference … and was there anyone I wanted to meet … too sweet.

An aside – we find it easy to dump on Americans (and darlin’s some of them really don’t help themselves. I listened to a couple at my gelato stand say things – very loudly – like ‘ there’s no bell,,, I bet we wait here for ever,,’).

Well – Mags and my neighbours (Lynda and Derek) are fab and two of my favourite people.

And the Sakai folks are American – and totally delightful.

I have a feeling that if I asked nicely – they’d pretty much build SKIL2 for me.

I think the real sense of community and support appeals to me.

I’m deeply value driven so it’s a real buzz to have people offering their time and skills for free.

Apart from me - there were 2 things people loved at the reception when I chatted with them – the SKIL2 business card (got rave reviews from everyone – beautiful,cool, love it … ) and Diva (my new 7 inch laptop)

People were asking if they could borrow her to show their mates.

If I was on commission to sell the Asus Eee 701 – I’d be able to finance SKIL2.

I left the reception and walked for over an hour home.

Lolling Liz not happy.

Even with a map I get lost – but what a city to get lost in.

I wandered past the Luxemborg Gardens and down the Boulevard Saint Michel – then into the Boulevaard Saint Germain and into my street – Rue Maitre Albert.

Went to the Creperie for a so so dinner.

I realised around 9.30 that all I’d eaten was a fruit salad for breakfast. I tend to forget food when I am energised.

Drinking about 3 litres of water a day and walking about 3hours.

Tired Lizzy.

What no photos!!!!!! – I hear you yell.

Yeh – and when exactly have I had the time to upload and resize the photos my dear reader?

No time at all at all.

Patience mon ami – I will get it sorted soon.

Love Paris and will be renting this studio for a month either in the Autumn or next year – early Spring.

If people want the contact I will share it only with my devoted readers. And I’m booking it for October.

I feel really comfortable here – as I do in Ballinamore.

Should have heard me raving about Ballinamore at the conference drinks – I love living there.

I don’t speak a lot of French but I say hello, and good, and bye, and thank you instinctively – not just verbally but in my head.

Off to sleep now. Tired … tired,

Sweet dreams.

Bon nuit.

Liz