Out Of A Job – And Into A New Blog!

114 Replies

It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. I’m not in the habit of plagiarising Dickens, but the two of us do have one thing in common: We were both paid by the word. Were being the operative one in this lamentable context. I shall explain…

Tuesday two weeks ago, at 11 am, I received a devastating call. I had lost my writing gig. “A change of corporate focus,” I was told. A decision taken by management in a far-away head office, by people I had never had any direct dealings with. Unlike all the other times, this latest reshuffle within the company, which had supplied me with a steady flow of work for the past twelve years, had not turned out to my advantage. To put it mildly.

There would still be some work for me, I was assured. However, it was going to be of a different nature and – as far as I could tell – there wasn’t going to be enough of it to keep me in fodder.

In short, it was the kind of news which puts the wind of existential panic up a freelancer’s arse. Or make that a hurricane.

The state of red alert lasted for about 24 hours. A fellow freelancer, bless her kindly soul, shuffled me a contact promising me regular work in my field. A couple of days later, another potential client registered an interest.

Maybe, just maybe, I was going to be OK.

But August being August, nothing happens fast, so I’m having to exercise my very puniest of mental muscles: my patience. A bit of distraction was called for, and seeing as I’d been sitting for absolutely ages on the desire to start a fresh blog venture, I decided to go for it, and my brand spanking new dedicated language blog ‘Multilingual By Choice‘ (it’s meant to make me sound like a purposeful and focused individual who doesn’t spend three quarters of her day lounging around in pyjamas ogling cake porn) was finally born.

No need to groan quite so heartily, people – I won’t be attempting to “make grammar fun” or go on about the aspirated phoneticisation of gerundiated nouns. It’s going to be more about life than linguistics. Take a look: http://www.multilingualbychoice.blogspot.com

But before you dash off to coo over my shiny new baby, do have some cake! I’ve a splendid selection prepared for you, all sampled and approved by yours truly:

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Holiday Cake 🙂

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Lemon sponge cake. One of my Mum’s creations.

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Posh Shopping Centre Cake

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Made by one of my Mum’s friends with apples from her garden

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Another friend, another cake 🙂 Apricot & custard this time.

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And here it is in its entirety

 

Oh, and I’ve got a new blog, did I  mention that?! http://www.multilingualbychoice.blogspot.com

 

114 thoughts on “Out Of A Job – And Into A New Blog!”

  1. samdfb1

    Ahh. Sorry! Man, I have spent all month complaining about articles not getting accepted…or I am ‘too this’ or ‘too that’..give me a break. Anyway, lovely pictures and I will check out your new blog. And gosh, those pictures of cake and puddings were simply divine. If I could reach through my PC screen to take a nibble..I would have! 😉

    Liked by 2 people

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  4. linnetmoss

    Glad to hear that you have some leads on employment. A girl’s got to have cake money! And what lovely cakes they are (I vote for the apricot custard). You won’t be abandoning THIS blog, I hope? I stopped by the new one and enjoyed your post, but I can’t follow you because you seem to have chosen a different blogging platform. Any particular reason for that?

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      I just fancied experimenting with a different platform, that’s all. I have no plans of abandoning WP, or this blog! You can follow the blogspot one by email. There’s also the option of adding it to your WP reader, you´d have to instigate this through WP, but, sadly, it’s not reliable at picking new posts up, in my experience.

      Liked by 1 person

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      5. ladyofthecakes Post author

        Not sure how… but I managed it a long time ago with a friend’s blogspot blog. However, her posts often don’t show up! You can subscribe by email to the new one, though.

        Like

  6. joannesisco

    Oooooh – cake porn!! All of it would be lovely with my coffee this morning 😉

    So sorry to hear about the turmoil in your job life. Ugh. If you’re like me, you made it personal and then moped about how you weren’t wanted any more. You have my sympathy … it’s an awful feeling and August is a brutal time to get momentum except for that hated activity of networking. Things will pick up in September!

    My very best wishes. Hopefully this is the beginning of a great new chapter for you.
    Now I’m off to check out your shiny new blog 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Well, there was a bit of moping, I do admit, but I’m fairly sure this wasn’t personal, or a reflection on my work per so. I was, in fact, lucky to have been kept on at all. “My” people at the company, i.e. those who I deal with personally have always appreciated my work, they were pretty upset about this change of direction and have been doing everything they can to help me. Still are, in fact. We’ll see how it pans out. I’ll keep you posted 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. joannesisco

        I’m glad to hear you don’t slide down my route of self-doubt. I take EVERYTHING personally … it’s a flaw.
        How wonderful that you’ve worked for people who were appreciative and supportive of your work. I hope you find more of those! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. ladyofthecakes Post author

        They are and they always have been, for many years. I don’t think they are faking it to let me down gently 😉 Anyway, these things can all change again, who knows what management might decide in a few months or years down the line.

        Like

  7. NancyTex

    I’m sorry to hear about the corporate re-shuffle. Like Joanne, I also share this experience, and I took it very hard, and very personally.

    Why on earth did you switch to blogspot??? I can’t be trusted to visit two different blogging platforms, lady!

    Liked by 5 people

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Thanks very much PN! And… I’ve not forgotten about our cultural differences post. I have notes and everything! It’s just that the creative urge drove me to push this new blog out -it was totally beyond my control!

      Liked by 2 people

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  12. Sue

    Sorry to hear of the hiatus on the job front, but sounds like you have a lead or two..
    As for the cake, the apple one and the apricot look lovely, but having given up both sugar (except in minuscule quantity) and gluten, they are rather out of reach….

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Cool, thanks for your loyalty 🙂 The commenting thing is a pain in the arse, I didn’t realise that it was going to be so difficult… WHY is there no perfect blogging platform, where everything works without any fuss? Sigh.

      Liked by 1 person

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  14. Carissa Hickling

    Luuuuuuv your amusing new blog. But darn it! I’m such an old fuddy duddy and hate the Blogger approach to comments. Reminds me why I once attempted to do a Blogger cross-over and gave up completely!

    So if you don’t see scads of comments from me? Its cos I’m getting posts via email, chortling away with you but mute thanks to my own inability to learn a new blog platform. And new language?? Beyond my capacity currently – clearly! 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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    2. ladyofthecakes Post author

      I sure do appreciate your loyalty, Carissa!

      Blogspot is trying my patience, I must admit, but am hoping those are teething problems. I realise the commenting part sucks, which is a tad disappointing. If I get too frustrated with it, I’ll just have to pick up my marbles and move somewhere else!

      Like

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      2. ladyofthecakes Post author

        Let me just finish this post so I can say, “Gaynor, there’s a new post! Where? On my NEW blog, that’s where! Drop everything and read it now. And by now I mean bloody RIGHT NOW!”

        Like

  20. tobyo

    In life one must learn to roll with the punches eh? sorry to hear about the loss of your great freelance gig!! but it sounds like things will work out. great time to start a new blog 🙂 All those cakes look YUMMY!!

    Liked by 2 people

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  21. Kim in Fiji

    Where to start with my three competing ideas? ok. 1) OOOOH,,,,, the cakes! the pies! is that streudel?! My hips just grew 2 inches looking at those pictures. 2) so sorry for your regular paying gig drying up, and all best wishes for a new paying job soon. 3) best of luck trying to keep up two blogs – I tried a second one and just could not keep up …. but then I’m more OCD and have mine on a strict schedule, so your flexible nature may make it way more doable. Curious, now – I’ll see you at your other site. Hug hug.

    Liked by 1 person

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      1. Kim in Fiji

        Sorry…. I just now saw this question. My second blog was mildly religious (FloraFaunaWeeklyReport Celebrating the Bahai Calendar). Just one photo, one quote, maybe a short thought ….every 19 days. And I just could not keep up. Sheesh!

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Jackie Cangro

    I’m afraid I’ve become a bit too familiar with the corporate reshuffling bit. It can be scary. I hope this will open new doors for you in a way that you hadn’t even anticipated.

    Thanks for all the cake porn! I love that you had all those cake photos at the ready.

    Liked by 2 people

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      3. aiyshah2014

        Well, the average Malaysian’s sweet tooth is in a whole other hemisphere to what we would like, and there are only a handful of ‘great western cake places’ as we know them…. but saying that – seek and ye shall find! I have devoured an amazing chocolate fudge pudding here….

        Liked by 1 person

  24. Kim G

    Oy! So sorry to hear the news. But you’re a great and funny writer, and I’m sure that if there’s words to be spun, you’re the woman for the job. In short, it’d seem like you should be able to find more work.

    As for your new blog, I’ll take a look. But I must say, I heartily disapprove of your decision to go with Blogspot/Blogger rather than WordPress. If you must use Blogspot/Blogger, I hope you at least implement Disqus commenting.

    Saludos y buena suerte,

    Kim G
    CDMX, México
    Where we are a one-man promotion team for WordPress.

    Liked by 3 people

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    2. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Thanks, Kim! It’s a time of changes, life’s like that… and who knows, maybe new and exciting opportunities will come my way. Fingers crossed.

      You are not the only one to disapprove of my WP infidelity 😉 And no, this blog will NOT be abandoned. I want to keep posting photos – including of CAKES! – and write about other stuff that has nothing to do with languages.

      Liked by 2 people

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      3. Kim G

        I have a Blogspot blog because I too was curious. But I played around with the dashboard and posted a couple of test posts and decided that WP was right for me. I have thought about writing a blog about investing and politics, but want to keep its readership separate from my Mexico blog. Maybe blogspot would be good for that. Anyway, saludos y suerte!

        Like

      4. ladyofthecakes Post author

        That was part of my rationale, too. I.e. to draw in a wider readership beyond WP, access the google community (whatever that is – I’ve still got to actually find them…)

        I’m still planning to post some language-themed pieces here on LOTC (as well as on the new one), but only the ones that have what I judge as a more general-interest appeal.

        If you do start those new blogs, pls send me the URLs 🙂

        Like

      5. Kim G

        I wonder about this “google community” too. I have a google account so as to post YouTube videos, but I (somewhat paranoidly) try to share as little about myself with Google as possible. As for the other blog, yes, if it ever happens, I’ll send it to you. But I think it’ll only appeal to a very narrow audience, at least the trading part. As for politics, that can quickly become a viper’s den, so I may never do that one. Saludos!

        Like

  25. roughseasinthemed

    My first blogs were blogger. I tried both and blogger was infinitely better at the time, say 2007? I could fiddle with templates, customise, I liked the feature of following blogs and new updates came up on my blog. It was good.

    But, as with WP they kept changing things so I took the WP plunge. In the intervening however many years, WP had improved whereas blogger hadn’t. Nor did I approve of being locked out of my blog. Anyways I’ve followed through reader, so I may, *may* get round to commenting. At least I didn’t see any flipping cake over there!

    Freelance writing? Too many of us competing in too tight a market. Difficult times. Suerte chica.

    Liked by 2 people

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  27. TheLastWord

    I know the feeling! Irregular work was my life for the last 6 years. That’s how I was able to spend so much time on SloWord and the reason why it is so popular with the multitudes who steadfastly refuse to read it. The last 18 months were entirely work free, hence the completion of The Play and 80% of “The Diary of a Boring Man”.

    Now, have a full time job again which keeps me commuting into Toronto every day. Very taxing, this work thing! Can’t get any writing done.

    I’m sure things will work out. Look on the bright side, there’ll always be cake to photograph…..

    Why blogspot???? That comment feature on blogspot is sucky!!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Hi there! I didn’t realise there had been a major change in your work life situation… shame about it taking a toll on your writing, it’s clearly where your passion is. Yes, yes, blogspot’s commenting system sucks. Also the stats are very unpleasing, I find.

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      1. TheLastWord

        Oh yes – I was happily telling people I was retired ( or “semi-retired” ) when all of a sudden in the space of a week, I found myself shackled to a full time job.

        Not quite sure how it happened…. 😦

        Liked by 1 person

  29. Jenna

    Jobs come and go, but cake is forever 🙂 Congratulations on your new blog, and I’m sure there’ll be something on the job pipeline soon. Professional cake taste tester, perhaps?

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Hi there Ruth! Been following you for a while – still in Africa? Love reading about your adventures. Busy packing my bags at the moment for a weekend escape. And the new job I’ve been doing for the past month and a bit seems to be working out just fine… at least at the moment 🙂

      Like

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  31. Kally

    I was looking for new reading material and I stumbled upon your blog. Great post. Well written and inspiring. Looking forward to coming back and explore other ones you have.

    Like

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