Back to the Weekly Reads schedule. In the past couple of months I slacked with my weekly posts but now that the studies are over, the holidays have passed and I am back in the office – yes, I decided to return to the office for the very last day of the year – I should really have no excuse for slacking anymore.
I spent a little over a week in Islamabad in Pakistan, attending the wedding of some close friends, and what an experience it has been! We were fully immersed in the culture – Pakistan has a very strong culture and tradition that is impossible to miss – and with a 3-day wedding celebration, I wasn’t expecting any less. The highlights of the trip are the mehndi (henna) I got on my hands (you can see a picture below), the “Bollywood” style dance we prepared & performed for the bride & groom during one of the receptions – we really thought we would not be able to pull it off, but with a few rehearsals we nailed it and had lots of fun while doing so – & joining the locals in the dances at the wedding celebrations. It truly was one of a kind experience.
On the way back to Berlin we also spent a few days in Istanbul, to slow down the return to reality. The city surprised us with its diversity and how different, yet vibrant each neighbourhood turned out. We did not have enough energy to be tourists 100% but we enjoyed many things, from getting lost in the Grand Bazaar to visiting the mosques, eating delicious baklava and drinking Turkish coffee.
Before we get to the weekly reads, below are a few pictures from the travels:
New Jobs. With the turn of the year, maybe many of you are thinking of finally taking the leap and look for a new job. The Every Girl has a few simple tips you can use to kick start your job search such as updating your Linkedin profile or upgrading your resume. This might not sound as much but when you are just getting started, having a few things to tick off can definitely make you feel the progress. For the resume piece I got you covered. Earlier this year I created a resume template that you can easily use and download (for free) here.
How to build confidence. Channelling confidence always sounds easier in theory than in practice. It takes time and practice to build confidence and at the end of the day, it’s the sum of many little things. Doing things such as learning new skills or recapping your past successes (sounds flimsy but I also find that when recapping you take the time to process events differently and realize certain things about yourself, your professional ability, etc..) are what over time help you build your confidence.
A tale of shopping & sales. I have done some glorious shopping at Zara this weekend, as the sales kicked off right when we made it back to Berlin. I think this must be the biggest shopping I’ve done at once so far, but I am very happy with every single piece I got. I grabbed a bunch of stuff from a velvet blazer to a beautiful, exotic-looking, long shirt dress or a simple, black wool coat and a black wool sweater among a couple of other pieces. I am planning (hoping) to keep this as the only shopping spree during the sales so fingers crossed I can keep my hope.
What I am watching. On the way to Pakistan, I took advantage of the movie collection Turkish Airlines offers and I watched Where’d you go Bernadette. While I didn’t read the book, I completely loved the movie; Cate Blanchett is absolutely amazing in this role and I can’t help it but always be drawn to stories of self-rediscovery/reinvention, especially if the main character is a woman.
What I am drinking. I am obsessed with the Nordic Almond Cake Variation from Nespresso. My only sorrow is that it’s a limited edition and while I stocked up, I don’t think it will last me that long based on my consumption pace. Nonetheless, I highly recommend trying it; I drink it with Oatly Barista oat milk for a perfect taste and I promise you won’t regret trying it!
Thank you for reading and I hope you are having a great week – ideally off and enjoying the time with your loved ones!
