CIFAS

I've been busy. The whole year I have been on an international accounting standards training programme for the insurance industry. It consists of five modules, which take place roughly every two months with a longer break during summer. Each module comprises a three day seminar, which ends with a written exam at the end of day 3 and a self study, which has to be prepared after the seminar (usually 10 questions to be answered in six weeks time).

This week was the last of the five modules and today I wrote what I hope was the last ever exam of my life! (But I have thought that before, so who knows.) One more self study to do and then I can add a fancy title to my business card: Certified International Financial Accounting Specialist or CIFAS. Are you impressed? Well, you shouldn't be. It doesn't mean anything. But it has been the best training course I have ever been on. They have taught me things that have relevance for my work and helped me getting my job done better. This is not a matter of course! Most other courses just cost lots of money and are a waste of time.

After the exam today Thorsten, who had been sitting next to me for the last three days (in fact, he has been sitting next to me in most of the other modules too), said that I was "the most emotional woman" he had ever met in his life. I am not entirely sure, how this was meant. Is it a positive or a negative thing to be emotional? I guess, he said it today, because during the exam he had to witness my first ever complete blackout followed by a nervous breakdown. Questions 1 and 2 were easy. So - in hindsight - was question 3, but during the exam my mind went completely blank and I forgot how to add and substract numbers. I am a mathematician for Christ's sake! I do hope that I managed to get the necessary 65 out of 100 points to have passed the exam.

Tomorrow is my first official day back at work after the holidays. This little terrorist called Blackberry tells me that the whole day apart from one hour in the afternoon (and I am honestly not exaggerating) is made up of meetings. I do not know what the are about and if they really are all necessary (I will probably play Bullshit Bingo all day long; do you know this? it's fun). All I know is, that I will not get any work done tomorrow.

Since I will also not come home early, I have done tomorrow's marathon training unit today. Running fast also helped me get over the exam frustration a little. I should have taken some more upbeat music with me though. The Lilac Time is not really something for fast running. Have to keep that in mind for next time.

Will open a bottle of wine now and listen to The Devils. Need some food intake too. Take care everyone!