Le vin delie les langues
Wine unties the tongues.
Another day of complete and utter madness.
As a general rule i have about 10 - 15 projects up and running at any given moment.
These projects last for about ten weeks, so i've gotta be on the ball to ensure that new projects start well before the others end - to allow them time to become bedded down, as it were.
That's what i do, day in day out, it's my job.
It's not often that, in real life, what we call 'les decideurs' (RH directors or financial directors from huge french companies) call you by your first name and employ the 'tu' designation - as in: we're on familier terms and comfortable with each other....
During the day i basically spend my time doing, as we say, relancement (it's not really french but it will do) - phoning back/chatting up everyone that i've seen recently to keep them on the boil - we often say you need to call five times before you finally get the contract signed, done and dusted on the sixth call.
I'm constantly looking at my start and finish dates : if a client has finished today then the next one really needs to have already been started last week ... that kind of thing.
This explains why i'm often out on visits and why i come home late (although i try to avoid the coming home late bit).
As a kind of finishing present we organise wine tasting evenings with the guy who runs The_parisien_school_of wine who was voted best wine taster 200x (or whenever) - a major accolade here in France.
This takes place in a private apartment on the rue Rivloli, filled with replicas of old masters and Fabergé eggs - all very chic but in an understated kind of way - un cadre exceptionel, as we say.
It's a great way to round things off and get feedback in a nice, relaxed manner.
We really do learn, over the course of an evening, just a minimum about wine - how to accurately describe its colour (la robe), it's perfume (le bouquet) and its aromas (l'arome) - it only lasts for about 2 hours or so, but it's a great evening and everyone enjoys themselves.
It's not an excuse for a booze up, i might add ... no no no ... the guy explains to us how to taste and evaluate 6 or 7 (exceptional) wines from different regions, or terroirs, and tells us the best one for which dish.
Tomorrow, we've got another one which revolves around the theme of 'Which wine goes best with which cheese'.
I've been delegated as the point man, ie:i need get at least a dozen people to participate.
I started seeing people about two weeks ago and went through the steps of making tham aware of the event, making them interested, keeping them interested and finally making arrangements for them to be shepherded around (the most feeble and unsure anglos, that is) to make the RDV.
The upshot is that, i've fulfilled my 'contract' after much cajoling.
Today, between doing my real job and smoothing over feathers, i've had a full day of neurotic clients telling me about their private problems: difficult divorces, unfaithful husbands and cheating boy friends ... i just sense that tomorrow is going to be the same ... i'm not a social worker, me, i'm just your average nice guy who's got his own bootfull of problems ... does any one care ? - don't think so.
More cow PORN for the blogspot searchers :-))
Massive teets on this one
Humoungous round thing
Pink thing
WTF ?
Milk ads ... erm huge jugs ??
Another day of complete and utter madness.
As a general rule i have about 10 - 15 projects up and running at any given moment.
These projects last for about ten weeks, so i've gotta be on the ball to ensure that new projects start well before the others end - to allow them time to become bedded down, as it were.
That's what i do, day in day out, it's my job.
It's not often that, in real life, what we call 'les decideurs' (RH directors or financial directors from huge french companies) call you by your first name and employ the 'tu' designation - as in: we're on familier terms and comfortable with each other....
During the day i basically spend my time doing, as we say, relancement (it's not really french but it will do) - phoning back/chatting up everyone that i've seen recently to keep them on the boil - we often say you need to call five times before you finally get the contract signed, done and dusted on the sixth call.
I'm constantly looking at my start and finish dates : if a client has finished today then the next one really needs to have already been started last week ... that kind of thing.
This explains why i'm often out on visits and why i come home late (although i try to avoid the coming home late bit).
As a kind of finishing present we organise wine tasting evenings with the guy who runs The_parisien_school_of wine who was voted best wine taster 200x (or whenever) - a major accolade here in France.
This takes place in a private apartment on the rue Rivloli, filled with replicas of old masters and Fabergé eggs - all very chic but in an understated kind of way - un cadre exceptionel, as we say.
It's a great way to round things off and get feedback in a nice, relaxed manner.
We really do learn, over the course of an evening, just a minimum about wine - how to accurately describe its colour (la robe), it's perfume (le bouquet) and its aromas (l'arome) - it only lasts for about 2 hours or so, but it's a great evening and everyone enjoys themselves.
It's not an excuse for a booze up, i might add ... no no no ... the guy explains to us how to taste and evaluate 6 or 7 (exceptional) wines from different regions, or terroirs, and tells us the best one for which dish.
Tomorrow, we've got another one which revolves around the theme of 'Which wine goes best with which cheese'.
I've been delegated as the point man, ie:i need get at least a dozen people to participate.
I started seeing people about two weeks ago and went through the steps of making tham aware of the event, making them interested, keeping them interested and finally making arrangements for them to be shepherded around (the most feeble and unsure anglos, that is) to make the RDV.
The upshot is that, i've fulfilled my 'contract' after much cajoling.
Today, between doing my real job and smoothing over feathers, i've had a full day of neurotic clients telling me about their private problems: difficult divorces, unfaithful husbands and cheating boy friends ... i just sense that tomorrow is going to be the same ... i'm not a social worker, me, i'm just your average nice guy who's got his own bootfull of problems ... does any one care ? - don't think so.
More cow PORN for the blogspot searchers :-))
Massive teets on this one
Humoungous round thing
Pink thing
WTF ?
Milk ads ... erm huge jugs ??
posted by Damiel | 8:00 PM
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