If you had all the love and knowledge for perfumes you have today but were to start your hobby all over again what would you change in terms of testing, consuming media, collecting and using perfume? What went well and what didn't? Who/what was your biggest influence?
For me, I watched too many perfume related long ass videos on YouTube. At least some of it was in languages I'm learning, so not a complete waste of time, but it influenced me in perceiving having tens and hundreds of perfumes as normal (I don't think it is as much as I love perfume). This level of consumerism and chasing the next high is harmful.
I spent a lot of time reading and writing on perfume related discussion forums and met some great people online and IRL which was great.
I was very fortunate to be able to sample many perfumes in stores and sometimes wrote little notes on fragrantica about my first impressions. It's funny to see how some have changed over time. So that was a fun exercise.
What I regret doing is not saving for the ones I really loved because they were out of my comfort zone for spending on perfume and instead ended up with many "liked" ones because they were on sale or a rare find. Truth is, among 60 bottles I own I love about 15, strong like another 15 and the rest are just here..
I would have instead gone for the ones that had me at hello and set an yearly limit of just a few purchases that were coveted and appreciated.
I wouldn't have made any swaps or FB purchases out of curiousity either.
If I were staring all over again by now I'd have 10-12 full bottles, every single one being special and well thought out. I would like to savour my perfumes, not hoard or collect them.

Introducing Deliveringparcel: Your Ultimate Solution for Seamless International Shipping

Are you a French expat or business looking for a reliable and efficient way to manage your international shipments? Look no further! Deliveringparcel is here to provide you with unparalleled forwarding services designed specifically to meet your unique needs.

Service Overview

Deliveringparcel offers a comprehensive range of forwarding services tailored to French expats and businesses. Our innovative approach combines the best practices from renowned international platforms such as Mailboxde, Shipgerman, Viabox, and Colisxpat to deliver an exceptional shipping experience. Whether you need a shipping address in Spain, sourcing in Italy, or smart forwarding solutions, we have you covered.

Unique Features

Personalized and Efficient Delivery Options

Our service ensures that your packages are securely and efficiently delivered to France, providing peace of mind and convenience. We cater to both individual and corporate clients, offering a range of delivery options to suit your specific requirements.

Exclusive Partnerships

We have established exclusive partnerships with leading French and international carriers, enabling us to offer competitive rates and a wide array of shipping options. This ensures that you receive the best possible service at the most affordable prices.

Innovative Online Platform: Porsay BetweenBox

Manage and track your shipments effortlessly with our state-of-the-art online platform, Porsay BetweenBox. This tool provides real-time updates on the status of your packages, allowing you to stay informed every step of the way.

Dedicated French Office and Multilingual Support

Our dedicated French office is staffed with multilingual support agents, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free customer experience. Whether you have questions about your shipment or need immediate assistance, our team is here to help.

Specialized BPM (Business Parcel Management) Service

For our corporate clients, we offer a specialized BPM service that provides tailored solutions for bulk shipments. Our BPM service includes detailed tracking and management options, making it easier for businesses to handle large volumes of parcels efficiently and effectively.

Target Audience

Our primary target audience includes:

French Expats: Individuals living abroad who need a reliable forwarding service to send packages back to France.
French Businesses: Companies looking for efficient and cost-effective shipping solutions for their international operations.
Corporate Clients: Businesses requiring specialized BPM services for bulk shipments.
Competitor Users: Customers currently using services like BPM Lux, Sourcing Italy, Smart Forwarding, MyGermany, Mailboxde, Eurosender, ShipGerman, and TipTrans who are seeking a better alternative.

Get Started Today!

Experience the ease and reliability of Deliveringparcel for yourself. Sign up today and take advantage of our personalized delivery options, competitive rates, and innovative tracking platform. Let us handle your shipments so you can focus on what matters most.
For more information or to RSVP for an exclusive consultation, contact us directly via email or phone.
Deliveringparcel – Making International Shipping Easy for You!
Follow us on social media for the latest updates and special offers:
https://www.instagram.com/delivering_parcel/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FC5XaU8Puzd2%2F%3Figsh%3DMzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

It’s been a long time I wanted to submit this story to the Potato Queen herself!
It’s a long story, actually it’s two stories in one, because as it involves the same person over more than decade long, it’s worth telling the whole story all at once (and it makes it may more fun too!). I decided to share it because it’s the kind of story that doesn’t seem to happen very often.
Below you will find goodies about an ex, a wedding, a dress, a delivery company and more! Please simply be mindful English is not my first language, trying my best to entertain you all the same.
This story goes back a long way, when (let’s name him) Frank (M) and myself (F) were both in college (both 17 at the time, we’re now 33), young and naive teenagers. We started as friends and eventually decided to be together. We then decided to move to another city together, as I was about to start university.
It went well for a while and then started to go south. So, long story short, after about two years together, we decided to break up. It wasn’t a mean breakup or anything, I think we were mostly disappointed it didn’t work out. Anyway.
We live in the province of Quebec. For those who don’t know, there is this weird tradition of starting and ending about any lease on July 1st. I have no idea why, but Canada’s Day has always been for anybody moving, in this province, a synonym of sweating under the sun, moving boxes, lifting heavy things and ending the day with cold beer and cheap pizza in a new and probably not so clean apartment. Why this context? Because we broke up two weeks before July 1st. It means it was virtually impossible to find another apartment so close to this date. We were about 7 hours away from both our families living on the countryside. We were also awfully broke students. We decided to give it a chance at being roommates.
Yes, it was super awkward at first, really not easy to manage to say the least. We were walking on eggshells and were definitely on edge for a while. There were also some pretty awkward situations, like this one time he decided to bring a one night home as I was sleeping in the adjacent room. Not only that, but the shameful phone call he had to make, waking me up in the middle of the night, so I could unlock the front door because he had forgotten his keys to find out he had brought home an acquaintance of mine. Nowadays I find this story delightfully funny tbh. But on that night, as I couldn’t go back to sleep because the gal decided to show off how an amazing singer she could have been —because, oh boy, this voice carried loudly all the way to my ears for more than an hour — I did not find it funny. I was furious, but prepared myself for the eventuality it would ever happen again. Do you remember the “Tiny Wall Challenges”? Let’s just say I had some games ideas after that night.
Anyway, anybody would probably have walked away but we still deeply cared for each other. We even did better than just survive through this whole year as roommates, we decided to move into a bigger apartment with two other friends. Believe it or not, we stayed there two more years. Moreover, these years were some of the best years and I still keep lots of good memories from this period.
Fast forward to the second part of the story. After being roommates for years, at some point we parted ways and lived our lives. We maintained contact throughout the years and when Frank finally started dating his wife to be, I was absolutely happy for him. He asked her to marry him and she said yes! Our friendship still held such a high place in both our hearts that he asked me to be one of his groomsmen, with his other best friend and his little brother. I felt so honoured, as I was technically a female, to be chosen to be on his side at the wedding.
The bridesmaids chose matching dresses in a beautiful forest green, all from a specialized website from UK, and I was to also be in a dress on the groom’s side, but matching the colour of the other groomsmen suits. With Frank, We all shopped together for their suits, chose a beautiful dark grey for his and a light grey for us, and we were able to match it perfectly with clothing samples I ordered from the website. Everything was going as planned. That being done, I ordered the dress, considering buying two inches heel shoes to go with it. It would take about four months to be done and the dress would arrive about a month and a half before the wedding. I decided to wait for the dress to arrive to pick shoes to go with it.
Four months passed, and I finally received a notice that the dress was on its way. The bridesmaids dresses arrived a bit before mine and they were all absolutely beautiful. As we all ordered from the same shop, we were able to choose different dresses that suited each of our styles, with identical fabrics that made the whole thing look fantastic.
I received the delivery’s notice, saying it was to be delivered by DHL. (If you never had to deal with this delivery company before, let’s just say this in itself is a red flag, but what could I do.)
I chose a delivery date that I could be home all day. I awaited their arrival, and waited. At some point I received a notification that they couldn’t deliver it because there was an error in the address. I called DHL customer service as soon as I read it and could verify with the clerk on the phone that there was no error on the original delivery address and that actually, internally, they miss-wrote a letter of the postal code. The person assured me that the delivery person would be notified and they would then be on their way back.
I waited. It never came.
The next morning, I received a notification that, unable to deliver it, the expeditor had agreed to DESTROY the package! I screamed! Why in the world would the UK online shop allow to destroy a custom made dress that took four months to do?! And why the hell the delivery service didn’t make any other attempt after being responsible of the address error in the first place. I was beyond mad. I called DHL, they confirmed someone at the company had agreed on the destruction of the item. I wrote to the person I was in contact with from the beginning at the online shop (this lovely clerk who clearly never asked for any of this). Over there, they couldn’t find who the hell agreed to this insane request to destroy the dress. They were also appalled and didn’t understand how it could have happened. They could put a request to redo the dress rush, but we first needed to either try to stop the destruction from happening by going to the DHL warehouse directly, or to obtain a proof from DHL that the dress was irreversibly lost forever.
It felt surreal! The fiancées were both furious too. There was only one DHL warehouse we could go to do this kind of request in the city and it was really far. As the clock was ticking, they jumped in their car, joined me, and to the warehouse we went, arriving a few minutes before closing like an epic movie scene. The clerk there was mind blown by the whole situation. It seemed we were too late and the best we could do was to have the proof that, in their system, the dress had effectively transited and was destroyed.
With photos as proof in hand, I forwarded everything to the clerk of the online dress shop. Days passed, as they were awaiting the okay to start sewing a new dress. They were really trying their best to help the situation but it seemed to be a mess over there about the whole situation. We were now a month before the wedding. At some point, I was starting to panic. They finally agreed to redo it, but it would be waaaay too close before the wedding to receive it. Like a few days before kind of close, if nothing happened in transport this time.
I decided to go shopping for another dress. I spent a whole day trying to find the perfect grey that would fit the other groomsmen suits. In the last possible boutique, there was one dress checking all the criteria. I bought the new one and wrote to the first shop, hoping they would agree to refund the lost dress.
I took an appointment later that week to do the adjustments on the new dress. I then shopped for shoes. I found a cute pair with one inch heel that would be perfect for me. I’m not used to walking with heels, so the lower the better after all.
Like all this turmoil wasn’t enough, my family called and told me that my grandfather’s health suddenly decreased. Remember? Seven hours drive from family. I canceled some plans and bought a ticket for the night’s bus ride right after the dress fitting. On that morning, the UK shop agreed to refund the dress. That part was a big relief. I went to the dress fitting. At last, three weeks before the wedding, The second dress would be ready in about seven days. I came back home to gather some things to get back out to catch my bus.
But suddenly, the doorbell rang.
I opened.
Some DHL delivery man casually gave me a package and left.
Yes. That’s what you think.
I closed the door, went to my room, sat on the bed, opened the bag. It was indeed the first dress. I had a melt down. I cried so hard. I put the dress down, looked at it, told it “I’ll deal with you when I come back” and went away to the bus station.
Few days later, coming back from the family, I collected the second dress and dealt with the first one, which no longer fitted the length of the shoes! My MIL at the time knew an old lady who was lovely enough to accommodate me and do the fitting of the first one for a as modest price. I decided to keep it a secret until the wedding day. (These friends wouldn’t do any drama about reveals etc, nor would they think it was stealing any of their thunder, don’t worry about that.)
On the wedding morning, I effectively surprised the bride and groom with both dresses. They were mind blowed, flabbergasted to say the least! I put the original one for the official photoshoot and discretely changed right after dinner for the other one. People around that had followed the incredible adventures were laughing out loud and finding it hilarious that I decided to wear both of them as I had so much troubles!
Quite a story with dresses and with an ex, right? Guess what, I’m also the godmother of their first child!

TL;DR I'm looking for a job, and I'm not hiring
Hello! I am a freelance virtual assistant from the Philippines that specializes on non-voice admin assistant task and basic video editing offering my services. I'll be willing to encode your documents, do web research, convert your documents, and edit your videos while you're busy doing your primary tasks.
I'm also open to any repetitive computer related tasks/s, but preferably non-voice.
CV provided upon request.
Video Editing Portfolio: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A_648tQacTJQ-sQ6TW_iaAd3P7SsWXtT?usp=sharing
Prior experiences:

Data Encoding
Files and Schedules Organization
Payroll Computation
Video Editing (Subtitles, Educational, J and L Cut)
Creating Time Sheets
Web Research
Online Inventory
Mediawiki Based Website Basic Editing

Skills:

Video Editing (Slideshows, Educational, Subtitles, Motion Tracking)
Document Editing (Adobe Acrobat, MS Office, Google Docs Editors)
Data Conversion
Web Research
90 WPM Typing Speed
Basic photo editing (MS Paint and Photoshop)