Last week, the investors of Aviva plc, the world’s sixth largest insurance company voted against an executive remuneration plan, which would have, amongst other things included an 8.5% pay-rise for the CEO, Andrew Moss. This was hardly surprising given the company’s underperformance in recent months. Mr Moss was additionally pressured to step down, which he did on the 8^th of May. This was not the first revolt by investors over pay; on the very same day 40% of shareholders opposed the pay package of Inmarsat’s executives, while Swiss financial giant UBS pay plans were opposed by 37%. Barclays, Xstrata, Man-group and Carillion also faced rebellions. With investors around the world no doubt emboldened by this new status quo, can we expect a domino effect to sweep through the world’s financial capitals?

As I sit here in the departure lounge in CDG Airport (after a mad stressful journey in which my cabbie kept one eye on the road and one eye on the French dubbed episode of 'Monk' he was watching on his in car DVD Player) it's occurred to me just what I've learnt from 7 months living in Paris:

1.  If you don't have food in on Sunday, you don't eat. You know that cookbook that was a bestseller? 'Why French Women don't get fat"? It claimed that French women do indeed not get fat because they consciously eat smaller portions. Well that's bull. A French woman doesn't get fat because her mind was elsewhere Saturday night and she forgot to do a big shop in Monoprix.
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That it most certainly is. 

My assistantship contract finished last week and let me tell you now, it was emotional. (For the kids mostly; they're very attached to me. Naturally). Goodbyes being hurled back and forth in both languages, leaving presents being exchanged; mine was... unorthodox, shall we say. A french cookbook of sweet and savoury crepes. I felt like taking my offering of a 32 box of Ferrero Rocher and bottle of sparkling wine back for myself. But no, it was a very sweet gesture and against my better judgement I'm quite tempted to try some of the recipes when I get home just to show how continental I've become. However, to anyone reading this, if you for whatever reason in the future have to buy me a present of any kind, you cannot and will not go wrong with chocolate and ale.

You’ve probably heard a lot about Greece recently but what does it all actually mean?

What does the Greek meltdown mean for you?

If Greece returns to the Drachma because it’s kicked out of the Euro for not paying debts, there’s likely to be far fewer investors dealing with Greece, meaning less Greek exports – so no more real Greek Yoghurt, real Greek Olive Oil, real Greek dancing...

Worse than that, if the Greek government doesn’t make a coalition soon (you thought the Liberal Democrats were fickle, check a newsfeed on this lot!), they might return to a dictatorship. This may mean that Zante will be too corrupt (Read dangerous) for locals, let alone lairy teenagers, the islands will be off-bounds for those of you who prefer a more chilled holiday and the Greek people, who last year were so friendly and served you as many fishbowls as you can hold, may be reduced to third-world style oppression.

If Greece leaves the Euro, everything starts to fall apart. Italy’s not doing great, Spain is on the brink of ruin and Portugal is hot on their heels. Some supposed academics, but I’m assuming script writers in the making, are calling this the Inevitable Contagion. Holy Guacamole... Save Yourselves!! Much as this may seem a bit dramatic, they do have a point. Greece being kicked out of the Euro is likely to trigger a domino effect that could lead to the Euro crumbling altogether, meaning we’ll be back to bad exchange rates and, for a while at least, far fewer European exports altogether. Goodbye sweet mozzarella.

Okay, so I haven’t done a D.O.N.S entry for quite some months...hell, you don’t know, it’s not like you can see the date. So here I am, hi, I’ve been here the whole time. Drowning under the pressures of deadlines, responsibilities, healthy eating, Chasing Infinity promo and job applications...but I’m here.

Various themes have been running through my mind for a while now about what I could write about, but I’ve been experiencing so many new feelings and thoughts these past few weeks that it’d be hard to talk about them all. But I have noticed they all have one root underlying realisation in common. I am going through some changes (and I don’t mean early menopause, or the suspicion that my maternal instinct is kicking in for real). I, Adele Halsall, am growing up.