| Vienna trip |
Apr 4, 2007 12:39 am
1239 Views | Past weekend I've been to Vienna. Vienna is the city of Johann Strauss and the waltz and filled with a lot of history. Type in Vienna within Wikipedia and you will find more then I can tell you.
So I've been there with my co-workers. The company I work for celebrated it's 15th year of existence and we were all invited, together with a partner of choice, to visit Vienna.
We got a city tour, a dinner in the real Austrian style - complete with Wiener Schnitzel and two gypsies playing the violin and harmonica, and a 24 hour metro ticket to see the city on our own.
I was with a good friend and we shared a room together. She loved it and I treated her on the famous Sacher Cake. Sacher Cake is originated from the Sacher Hotel and, according to Wikipedia, a chocolate cake, invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties.
We also visited the local flea market and I was treated on peppers filled with cream cheese. It all looked great and the atmosphere was good.
Vienna is old and you can see that in the buildings. Every building looked like it was built in 1800. According to our city guide, 70% of the city is still in it's original state and 30% was rebuild after the war, but again in it's original state. So you can smell the history and there are many spots to take wonderful photos, which of course I did.
So if you are into history, old buildings, low crime rate and Sachertorte, well then Vienna is certainly a place to visit.
I had a good time and I think the rest of the company too. | |
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| My house |
Mar 26, 2007 1:27 am
Mood: confused, 914 Views | Sometimes life pulls out some surprises. Some good and some bad. I had one this weekend. I am hopeful it turns out OK, but it was still a scare this past Sunday.
I got a letter from my housing corporation. I rent a house and I've done so for the past 8 years or so. About a year and a half ago I learned from the corporation that they wanted to rebuild my house and my neighborhood, to fit the modern standards again, especially since my house is from the 50s and in some kind of decomposition. So they visited everyone and asked for their wishes. I wanted a three bedroom house with a dry shower since my current one is leaking all over the place. They wrote it down and left.
This Sunday I opened a letter and the letter told me I need to leave my house by the first of October, this year. I don't have another house, I don't know about any relocating plans from the corporation, I don't know anything yet. So I called and learned all the people around me had someone visiting them about 6 months ago, telling them the plans and offering them a substitute. Here in Holland the housing corporation needs to give you a temporary substitute house when they have plans to rebuild your current. You can also choose to find a new permanent house for yourself, but it all goes by points. You get more points when you are on a urgent list. Like now, when they need your house. Or when you have a serious risk of living on the streets.
So I called and they will call me back for an appointment. I need to leave but the 1st of October and I don't know where yet. I had no one visiting me yet. So all these plans are new to me. I really hope I won't get a higher rent because that will cause problems.
So my weekend was full of surprises. I hope by the end of next week I know if it's a good or bad surprise. I really don't want to move. | |
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| Dangerous |
Mar 23, 2007 5:23 am
Mood: amused, 1029 Views | A renowned doctor, a famous gastroenterologist, was addressing a large audience
in Tampa, Florida at the end of his presentation:
The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting
here years ago.
Red meat is awful.
Soft drinks corrode our stomach lining.
Chinese food is loaded with sodium and MSG.
High fat diets are dangerous, and these diets can be truly disastrous.
The facts are that none of us realizes the insidious long-term bodily harm caused
by ordinary common germs present in most of our drinking water.
But there is one thing, one single food, one that is utterly and absolutely the most
dangerous food of all.
And we all have, or will eat it, and this without exception includes every single
one of us.
Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering
for years after eating it?"
After several seconds of quiet, a 75-year-old man in the front row raised his hand,
and softly said,
"Wedding Cake” | |
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| Cooking and stuff |
Mar 21, 2007 3:39 am
1317 Views | I'm not really into reality shows or tv competitions. To me it's cheap tv and I don't see the joy in watching people compete at each other to win a Grand Prize. I can imagine it is joyful for the participants, but I'm not a spectator. I don't care to see the private ups and downs of people purely out of amusement. But lately I am into a Dutch program called 'Mijn tent is top', or roughly translated 'My place is cool'. Four couples start a restaurant and compete with each other to gain the Grand Prize of 300.000 euros. It's not a unique program, but in contradiction to the International versions, the couples can keep their restaurant when they loose, simply because they own it. They only do it for the 300.000 extra, but even without that they try to make a great restaurant.
I love food, but I also like cooking. During the week I 'cook' everything in my microwave. However for friends and special occasions I try to create my own dishes with recipes I find on the net or just by experimenting with things in my head.
The show is a good inspiration to A. go out more and B. try to get into cooking again. I am still kinda lazy, but I know I will get back into cooking again. Not for the 300.000, but for the smiles on the faces of my friends.
So if you know something nice and easy to share with me, we might be able to swap recipes and experiences. I am not the worlds greatest cook, but it's still fun though. | |
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| Friends |
Mar 19, 2007 1:50 am
928 Views | While sitting here, sipping from my morning coffee, I'm thinking about the friends I have in my life. Some are offline and others are on line. They are friends, so it doesn't matter where they are living. Friendship can over come any distance.
Most are women. Not that I have something against men, but I just like talking with women. Them and me are more on the same page with many things then I am with guys. But I have one good male friend, I call him a brother.
My female friends are all different when it comes to looks, culture and views on life and that is what I like about them. They enrich my life with everything they say or do. Some are beautiful, others are cute, but all have a place in my heart for unique reasons. So to me they are all equally beautiful because beauty is in the heart and not in the looks. Yes some I can look at for hours and feel in love, but if their looks were the only attraction, I wouldn't be friends with them for a very long time. I need a bonding, a connection, I just need something more to be able to call them friends. A pretty girl alone isn't enough for me. Maybe that makes me different then most guys. Most guys seem to like girls just for one or two things and talking isn't one of them.
I hear stories from my female friends. Stories about their men, their awful men (there are also good stories of course, because the world isn't black and white luckily, but for now I'm focusing on the bad seeds) and how they treat their women. Their women, who I call my friends. And it makes me mad. I am not a person who gets mad easily. I can forgive, but my friends are my family. So don't mess with that.
I don't have a girlfriend and there are probably a lot of reasons for that. There are nights and days I wished I could have more then a friend, but then I think that I am already blessed with having their friendship. With that I also have their trust. No I don't get passionate kisses, I don't get the hugs I like, but I do get to see their souls, their true beings. They come to me when they feel alone and sad. They come to me without masks and that alone is worth more then kisses and hugs.
So I am blessed with my friends. I don't say it enough, so this post is for them.
Love you, where ever you are. | |
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| Chocolate milk |
Mar 16, 2007 2:36 am
Mood: amused, 1284 Views | I was planning on writing a different entry, but since a co-worker brought in chocolate eggs (yes for Easter) I was reminded of something else. Nothing special and certainly not unique, but to me it was a first time.
I went to a cafe with two friends. I like going to the cafe for lunch or a cuppa cappuccino. I don't like coffee, but I do like the whole atmosphere around it, when I sit there drinking it with loads of sugar and milk and talking about life with my close friends and in some cases with my mom. So therefor I like going out for a cup of coffee. The coffee itself is just the side dish, while the company is the main dish.
Anyways.. we sat there and I bought my usual cappuccino. My male friend had tea and my female friend wanted chocolate milk. Hot chocolate milk with whipped cream. Better choice then mine, but as said the coffee is never the important ingredient for me anyways. So she had chocolate milk.
We talked about our day. My female friend loved it and that made us, as the males, happy. And at a certain point (in my opinion too late) we got our order. Everything looked as we have seen it before, except the chocolate milk. It was just hot milk. Normally chocolate milk is dark when you get it at the table, but this was just ordinary milk with a side dish of whipped cream, and a piece of chocolate on a stick. After looking around for other customers with the same chocolate stick, we noticed that the idea behind it was to put the chocolate in the hot milk, stirring it and wait until the chocolate was melted and mixed with the milk. Add the whipped cream and you had hot chocolate milk with whipped cream. Not practical if you ask me, but it was funny to see. Especially since I didn't order it. So with a smile I took another sip of my ready-made cappuccino. | |
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| The seagull |
Mar 15, 2007 7:11 am
Mood: amused, 859 Views | Did you know that a seagull can tap dance? I didn't know, but I saw it with my own two eyes. We have grass in front of the company and it rained a few days ago. I was, as usual, looking outside. There is a metro line next to the company, so many people walk up and down. When you want to pretend thinking about a difficult problem or just need an excuse for not working, it's a nice waste of time to look outside the huge windows at all those nice people catching the metro.
As said, it just stopped raining, and I saw a seagull standing on the grass. He was just standing there in one place. It looked a bit strange, but nothing much worth of my attention, until I noticed it's legs. They were moving, while his body wasn't. It reminded me of the movie 'Happy Feet', in which penguins tap danced. It was so odd to see, but yet also very cute. So I laughed and when I think of it now, it still makes me giggle 
So I saw a seagull tap dance, or was he just looking for worms and imitating the rain with his dancing? I think he just liked dancing. And the worms enjoyed his show. | |
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| Long Distance Love, part 1 |
Mar 13, 2007 7:45 am
972 Views | This story started many years ago. I think it was about 6 years or so. Time makes me forget things, but not the important things. So this story is about a girl.
I met this girl online. I was selling X-files stuff since I've ben a huge fan of that tv-show. I collected hard to get stuff like Cd's, scripts, books and more. I wanted to trade with people, so I listed myself on the Gillian Anderson Website and got trade requests there. One girl was interested in a cd and we started mailing. Not long after that she asked me about my last name since it sounded very unusual to her. Granted it isn't common, but I guess for Americans it's even more unusual. So we talked about that and a mail exchange started. It was fun and we clicked, so not long after that we decided to meet. It would be my first time in a plane and my first time in America, so it was pretty exciting.In fact I was scared, but it was the good kind I guess. I don't think my bath room was thinking the same way because of my frequent visits, but I got on the plane eventually and met her.
She was living in Laramie, Wyoming and the airport was small. In fact it was only available for smaller planes and it was just a small building with one desk and maybe 30 seats. I expected bigger, but this way she was easy to spot. We met and went to her house.
All her family members warned her. They said meeting a stranger and inviting him in your house for two weeks wouldn't be a good idea. Especially since she was living on her own. But her mom had read my mails and said I would be an OK guy. I know I would be, but I cannot expect others to think the same way. Trusting someone isn't always easy when you meet someone online, but she and her mom did.
I stayed there for 2 weeks and the first week was just well.. living there. We didn't do a lot. We talked, watched some TV, played Trivial Pursuit and slept. It was almost boring, but for me it was my first time abroad, so I didn't mind the relaxing times. But apparently she did because after a week she opted to go on a small road trip. And so we did.
It was my first road trip and the first time in America, so I saw a lot and sadly I also forgot a lot. I remember a all-you-can-eat dinner somewhere in Boulder. I remember eating at Denny's and feeding us on way too much fudge while I told her in a very late night talking session that I kinda liked her more then friends (a lot can happen on a road trip I guess). I remember a nightmare in San Francisco, where we had to find gas late at night in a neighborhood I wouldn't even drive during the day. I remember huge bread sticks from an Italian restaurant in Springfield and a one dollar movie at the same place. And I remember a wild life park with wolves. They were really cool.
So the trip was nice, except for one incident. This incident came to a total surprise to me. She broke down in tears and I felt bad. She had a bad youth and I didn't know about her past. So I stepped on some toes without knowing what it would trigger. It took me hours to convince her I meant well. And luckily she believed me.
At home she had another fall back. Not my fault, but I don't know the exact details anymore. She was raped at a younger age, so she had a hard time trusting me. It took me 8 hours to convince her not all men are alike. She knew I was different, but needed someone to hear her story. And I listened and she liked it.
The next day we were engaged. yes it is a jump from one end to another, but it happened. I still don't know the exact reason, but it happened and at the time I wasn't feeling bad about it either. We thought we loved each other and I gave her a ring before I left for Holland.
I missed her for a year, but the love faded away. I don't think there was love to begin with. Our relationship was based on just listening to each other. We both needed attention and some care. We were friends and nothing more.
It was a unusual experience for me. It gave me a lot of grief. I cried the whole year. I can say I wished things would have gone differently, but yet it formed me. Next time I will do better. | |
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| The morning train |
Mar 6, 2007 2:01 am
838 Views | I don't live near my work. So every morning, at 7.30, I have to ride my bike to the train station, take the train, then 5 minutes the metro and 5 minutes walking, before I'm in the office. I do have a drivers license, but no car. But the train is more sufficient anyways because of the many people on the road in the morning. It seems most people are so eager to get to work that they step in their steel horses even before the rise of the sun, trying to conquer the asphalt roads as fast as they can. Sadly good thoughts never go alone, so within no time the roads are overwhelmed with cars.
So my choice is the train.
Every morning I wait for the train. This morning I was wet. It rains and I ride a bike. That's asking for it. So I was standing in the train with big rain drops still on my glasses and a wet pants. I hoped to be able to sit this time, but that hope I lost a long time ago. Every day more people take the same train, so now I'm just happy to stand.
Many years ago I went with the train to Leiden. I could sit and study. I did a psychology course for a year and it worked. So this time I had the brilliant idea of studying Spanish in the train. It takes 30 minutes one way and 30 minutes back home. So 60 minutes a day of study isn't bad. I am not a great learner, but 60 minutes I can manage.
Now I stand in the train every morning. Most days I have my books with me, but when ever I open them I feel my eyes growing heavy and I feel myself falling into a deep black hole. I am so tired that even sleeping standing up isn't a problem anymore. I am able to stay awake (barely) during my working days, but in the train my body wants to sleep. I'm not alone. I see many people yawn and sitting or even standing with their eyes closed. So I don't feel alone. I'm happy for that. I know I should study, but sleeping is the best excuse for not doing it | |
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| I saved a life |
Mar 2, 2007 5:25 am
1082 Views | I saved a snail today. Maybe this story isn't good for my reputation as a wannabe tough guy, but I will share it anyways. So I saved a snail today. I wanted to get my bike and there he was (or was it a she? I can never tell). The little guy was on the pavement and I almost stepped on him. So I moved him to the grass next to the dangerous road.
I got my bike and gave him a last look. Oddly enough he was still at the same spot. I placed him on some leaves, but he didn't move. Despite that, I felt good about myself. I saved him. So I got on my bike and left. Not a minute later it started to rain. The sky looked clear when I saved the snail, but yet the rain was enough to give me wet pants. I don't know if the two are related, but maybe the snail was praying for some rain. Maybe he wasn't crossing the road at all and got mad at me because I placed him at the wrong side. So the rain was my thanks.
Still I am happy that I saved him. Not even some rain can get me out of my mood.
So how was your day? | |
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