After long last, I felt properly productive at work — way less management, a lot more design. It didn’t happen without putting in some extra hours, but I am glad to be feeling this way.
The troubles with hanging the bedroom mirror were solved this week when Amber rented a Bosch Universal Detect so we could find safe spots for drilling. Turns out there aren’t too many of those in most of the walls around the house. There appear to be some kind of metal reinforcement running horizontally. Even so, we made some adjustments to our plans and we now have a proper full length-mirror. My printer was delivered mid-week, and so was our order of IKEA odds and ends. Now I am ready to hang some art as well, hopefully on the weekend.
I’ve always been fascinated by cardboard/paper furniture that uses honeycomb structures for strength, but it has been tough to source anything like that in India. I was very excited to get something for our apartment in Brussels — two stools in a lovely indigo shade, that will brighten up the living space and entryway. Those arrived this week too. Friday was also book mail day — I got my copies of Alfabeti Modernisti Italiani and Designing Type Revivals from Lazy Dog Press. I already spent some time poring over the samples in Alfabeti Modernisti Italiani, it is such a beautiful book.
Last Saturday, Amber and I visited the Cimetière d'Ixelles. It closes rather early so we couldn’t spend a lot of time there, but it was both beautiful and peaceful. There was an alley lined with apple trees, all blossoming. It was a sight to behold.
In our quest to visit all the parks in Brussels, we went to Parc Léopold and Parc du Cinquantenaire one evening after work. Parc Léopold was lovely, and I hope to go back soon with a picnic and a book to read. I was a bit overwhelmed by Parc du Cinquantenaire, though. The walking/running paths were narrow, and so it felt crowded. The large colonial monuments in the space did little to make one feel comfortable either. We walked over to Saint-Boniface for food, and again, I was over stimulated all the way. That theme continued through dinner. The highlight: Francesca Albanese was sitting a few tables over from us. On Friday, we returned to Parc Tenbosch after a few weeks, with gelatos from La Gelateria Giotto, which has recently been awarded high honours. There was a long line at the shop, but the gelatos were well-worth it.
I had a dental filling come out a few days ago, so I had to find a local dentist even before my insurance has kicked in. I found someone with excellent reviews on our street, and visited them on Thursday. All seems to have gone well.
Now that Fishbowl is released, we were able to have a proper catch up with Prateek and Rhea on the weekend, after my weekly check-in with my folks. Later in the week, we chatted with Purneetha, Harshay and Mayank. It’s funny, I feel like I am staying in better touch with friends now that I am farther away.