donderdag 29 december 2011
Best wishes for 2012
Dear friends,
we would like to wish you all the best for 2012. Peace, happiness and good health to you all, and we hope to meet up soon again.
dinsdag 1 november 2011
G4S drops the deal with ISS
As some of you might know, I work for ISS, one of the largest facility service companies in the world. And a couple of weeks ago G4S (Britain's largest security firm) announced that they were starting a £5.2bn bid to buy ISS.
Today they announced that they are dropping the bid because some shareholders opposed the deal in the current economic climate. They deemed it "too risky". I can only hope G4S will pay ISS a break fee.
maandag 17 oktober 2011
Lagavulin Single Malt
Lagavulin Single Malt is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay (Scotland). The standard Lagavulin single malt is 16 years old (43%), though they regularly release a 12-year-old cask strength variety.
zondag 9 oktober 2011
Ethical Vegetarian Alternative (EVA) wins the Flemish Culture Prize
Good news from Flanders: The organisation EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative) has won the 2011 Flemish Culture Prize for a social-cultural organisation. EVA is awarded this prestigious prize for their "Thursday Veggie Day" campaign. In schools and administrative offices around Ghent children and city employees receive vegetarian meals on Thursdays. A great way to contribute to a healthier life-style and an ideal way to raise awareness about where our food is coming from.
Surprisingly, Flemish Farmers organisation "Boerenbond" already criticised the initiative, saying the campaign implies that "eating meat is unhealty". Furthermore they find it incomprehensible that children are not given an alternative option to eat meat on a Thursday. What the Boerenbond fail to mention, is that on the other 4 days of the school week, children are not given an alternative option to eat a vegetarian meal either.
What I find the most striking is that an organisation like "Boerenbond", that represents farmers who grow wheat, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage and many other vegetables, would find it a bad thing to promote vegetables.
zaterdag 4 juni 2011
First pictures of Ciara
After less than 64 hours Claudia and Ciara were already allowed to go home. Luckily we still had Caitlin's old Takata Bugaboo seat so transporting Ciara was not difficult.
Caitlin is already very proud of her little sister who gets to wear all her old clothes.
maandag 30 mei 2011
Ciara is geboren!
Wij zijn heel trots om jullie de geboorte te melden van onze dochter Ciara (uitspraak: [kira]).
Ciara werd geboren op 29/5 om 18u07 en weegt 3,580 gram. Ze is 50,5 cm lang en maakt het net zoals haar moeder uitstekend.
Ciara werd geboren op 29/5 om 18u07 en weegt 3,580 gram. Ze is 50,5 cm lang en maakt het net zoals haar moeder uitstekend.
Ciara (IPA: /ˈkɪərə/) is een populaire Ierse naam. Het is de vrouwelijke versie van de naam Ciarán, wat "zwart" betekent" in het Iers. De naam bestaat ook in de Engelse versies Keira or Kiera.
Proudly introducing...Ciara
Great news! Ciara (pronunciation [kira] was born yesterday at 6:07 pm. She weighs 3 kg 580 grams and is 50,5 cm long. Get out your calculators to convert that to inches, stones, Watt and degrees Fahrenheit! :)
Mother and daughter are doing fine and send you peace and blue skies from Belgium.
Mother and daughter are doing fine and send you peace and blue skies from Belgium.
Ciara (IPA: /ˈkɪərə/) is a popular Irish language female name and was tenth on the list of most popular names given to baby girls in Ireland in 2006. It is the feminine version of the name Ciarán, meaning "black" in Irish Gaelic, and was also the name of Saint Ciara, a seventh century Irish saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. The name's spelling has occasionally been Anglicized as Keira or Kiera.
zaterdag 14 mei 2011
Solar Impulse arrives in Brussels
Today I saw the Solar Impulse fly over Grimbergen on its way to Brussels. Solar Impulse is a European long-range solar powered plane project, and hopes to succeed in the first circling of the earth with a piloted fixed-wing aircraft using only solar power.
On 13 May 2011, HB-SIA took off on its first international flight to Brussels (Zavantem) airport
On 13 May 2011, HB-SIA took off on its first international flight to Brussels (Zavantem) airport
woensdag 16 maart 2011
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Breast milk (as opposed to artificial milk that the food industry is trying to force upon us) has many benefits.
1. Superior nutrition
2. Less Diarrhea
3. Greater immune health
4. Higher Intelligence
5. Long term health effects
6. Fewer infections
7. Less atopy
8. Protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
9. Health Effects for mothers
10.Bonding
11.Hormone Release
12.Weight loss
13.Natural postpartum infertility
1. Superior nutrition
2. Less Diarrhea
3. Greater immune health
4. Higher Intelligence
5. Long term health effects
6. Fewer infections
7. Less atopy
8. Protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
9. Health Effects for mothers
10.Bonding
11.Hormone Release
12.Weight loss
13.Natural postpartum infertility
dinsdag 8 maart 2011
My Name is Fastolph Proudfoot
You can find everything on Facebook. Most apps are of course total rubbish and a waste of time, but every now and then there is a little gem. Like this Hobbit Name Generator that generates...your Hobbit name, yes, how did you guess?
Anyway, I'm called Fastolph Proudfoot and please use that name from now on when you are addressing me. The Lord of the Rings wants it so.
Because the Facebook link does not seem to work I will put the link to the "real-world" website here: Hobbit Name Generator
Anyway, I'm called Fastolph Proudfoot and please use that name from now on when you are addressing me. The Lord of the Rings wants it so.
Because the Facebook link does not seem to work I will put the link to the "real-world" website here: Hobbit Name Generator
maandag 7 maart 2011
Tom Waits Until Spring - A Review
On Wednesday January 14th 2009 I went to the Roma, an old cinema in Borgerhout (Antwerp) that has been converted into a multi-cultural area. Multi-cultural because it offers many cultural events for different kinds of audiences. This time it was a tribute to Tom Waits, a so-called "fantastic" programme about Tom Waits in a Late Night smoky Bar.
The musicians were Antje De Boeck (voice) - a famous Flemish actress, Jef Neve (piano) and Rony Verbiest (accordeon). Tom Waits' voice can be described as a low, raw, almost rumbling voice. Very similar to Antje De Boeck's voice, somebody must have thought. I liked the result a lot.
However, the concert started differently from what I had expected. Antje De Boeck first brought a fairy-tale about the last boy in the world. You could sense that the audience didn't really know what to do with it either, but it became clear during the performance that this little boy represented Tom Waits who has his own peculiar way of looking at the world.
Then followed some entertainment that can only be described as perfect. Top musicians Jef Neve and Rony Verbiest brought the best of Tom Waits (replacing the saxophone with an accordeon) and even if it sometimes seemed that they lacked the routine of playing together, their spontaneity and craftmenship brought emotions of the highest level.
Of course Antje De Boeck is no professional singer, but some might say that neither is Tom Waits. She brought some of his classic pieces in a very intimate style (Tom Traubert's Blues, In the Neighbourhood...) and sometimes when you closed your eyes, it really sounded like Tom Waits up there on the stage. The way she moaned, whispered, rumbled really touched the right nerve.
If you are in Belgium, try to catch their act. A list of dates and places can be found in the Tom Waits Until Spring Agenda.
The musicians were Antje De Boeck (voice) - a famous Flemish actress, Jef Neve (piano) and Rony Verbiest (accordeon). Tom Waits' voice can be described as a low, raw, almost rumbling voice. Very similar to Antje De Boeck's voice, somebody must have thought. I liked the result a lot.
However, the concert started differently from what I had expected. Antje De Boeck first brought a fairy-tale about the last boy in the world. You could sense that the audience didn't really know what to do with it either, but it became clear during the performance that this little boy represented Tom Waits who has his own peculiar way of looking at the world.
Then followed some entertainment that can only be described as perfect. Top musicians Jef Neve and Rony Verbiest brought the best of Tom Waits (replacing the saxophone with an accordeon) and even if it sometimes seemed that they lacked the routine of playing together, their spontaneity and craftmenship brought emotions of the highest level.
Of course Antje De Boeck is no professional singer, but some might say that neither is Tom Waits. She brought some of his classic pieces in a very intimate style (Tom Traubert's Blues, In the Neighbourhood...) and sometimes when you closed your eyes, it really sounded like Tom Waits up there on the stage. The way she moaned, whispered, rumbled really touched the right nerve.
If you are in Belgium, try to catch their act. A list of dates and places can be found in the Tom Waits Until Spring Agenda.
Mental Feng Shui
Do you know Feng Shui? Feng shui - pronounced fehng-shway in English) is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to utilize the Laws of both heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive Qi.
The words feng shui literally translate as "wind-water" in English. This is a cultural shorthand taken from the following passage of the Zhangshu (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty.
Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.
Many modern enthusiasts claim that feng shui is the practice of arranging objects (such as furniture) to help people achieve their goals. More traditionally, feng shui is important in choosing a place to live and finding a burial site, along with agricultural planning.
I received another spam message, asking me to forward it to 21 people for good luck. I don't believe in that kind of stuff, but the lessons in the email are worth preserving.
Mental Feng Shui
There's some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you're not superstitious. This Lotus Touts has been sent to you for goo d luck from the Anthony Robbins organization. It has been sent around the world ten times so far.
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO.. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling..
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN! ... When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze .
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.
The words feng shui literally translate as "wind-water" in English. This is a cultural shorthand taken from the following passage of the Zhangshu (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty.
Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.
Many modern enthusiasts claim that feng shui is the practice of arranging objects (such as furniture) to help people achieve their goals. More traditionally, feng shui is important in choosing a place to live and finding a burial site, along with agricultural planning.
I received another spam message, asking me to forward it to 21 people for good luck. I don't believe in that kind of stuff, but the lessons in the email are worth preserving.
Mental Feng Shui
There's some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you're not superstitious. This Lotus Touts has been sent to you for goo d luck from the Anthony Robbins organization. It has been sent around the world ten times so far.
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO.. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling..
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN! ... When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze .
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.
I'm tired of all those silly love songs
this article was first published in February 2005, when I was
One more week and it's Saint Valentine again !
I'm a single person but I cannot help being slightly euphoric at the thought of all these wonderful warm people hugging each other and kissing and....oh, that sentimental feeling !
But have you noticed how almost all songs talk about love ? After I broke up with my girlfriend, every song seemed to talk to me. When driving home from her house after our final fight, the fist song was "Missing you" by Everything but the girl. And when I put in a CD, I had Natalia singing "I've only just begun to fight".
So maybe there is a higher force that is talking to me through the music on the radio. Have you ever thought that maybe your all life course is being mapped out by music ?
You know what, i'll put it to the test. I'm walking now to my radio, switch it on, and the song will tell me what I should do with this ex-girlfriend.
==> the song they are playing now on Radio 1 is called "she's no lady, she's my wife"...i'm not sure how to interpret this..
One more week and it's Saint Valentine again !
I'm a single person but I cannot help being slightly euphoric at the thought of all these wonderful warm people hugging each other and kissing and....oh, that sentimental feeling !
But have you noticed how almost all songs talk about love ? After I broke up with my girlfriend, every song seemed to talk to me. When driving home from her house after our final fight, the fist song was "Missing you" by Everything but the girl. And when I put in a CD, I had Natalia singing "I've only just begun to fight".
So maybe there is a higher force that is talking to me through the music on the radio. Have you ever thought that maybe your all life course is being mapped out by music ?
You know what, i'll put it to the test. I'm walking now to my radio, switch it on, and the song will tell me what I should do with this ex-girlfriend.
==> the song they are playing now on Radio 1 is called "she's no lady, she's my wife"...i'm not sure how to interpret this..
Aachen 6 - Nürnberg 2
february 19th, 2009
I have never been a die-hard football fan, but I like a good game and have always followed the national and international football games with more than a passing interest. When I was still at primary school in Grimbergen, you had to choose between Anderlecht and Brugge, at that time the two most successful soccer teams in Belgium. I chose Club Brugge and with players like Jan Ceulemans and Raoul Lambert they were quite successful. Lately they have lost a lot of their charm and competitive edge, but I still follow their games on TV.
My wife is from Nürnberg and just like Club Brugge their football team is called "The Club" : 1. FC Nürnberg. This weekend they played against Aachen and since we live there, I went together with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. Unfortunately the "Club" did not play well at all, and we got a 6-2 trashing. It was freezing cold and it even started snowing towards the end.
Standing among the "Ultras" of Nürnberg was quite fun, and even when they were losing the game they kept up the good cheer and shouted abuse at Aachen players and umpire. Whenever the name of an Aachen player was mentioned over the stadium PA system, the Nürnberger Ultras shouted "arschl*ch", which means exactly what you think: A**.
Oh, one nice detail: at the end they announced how many litres alcohol-free Bitburg beer had been sold during the game: 1600 litres.
I have never been a die-hard football fan, but I like a good game and have always followed the national and international football games with more than a passing interest. When I was still at primary school in Grimbergen, you had to choose between Anderlecht and Brugge, at that time the two most successful soccer teams in Belgium. I chose Club Brugge and with players like Jan Ceulemans and Raoul Lambert they were quite successful. Lately they have lost a lot of their charm and competitive edge, but I still follow their games on TV.
My wife is from Nürnberg and just like Club Brugge their football team is called "The Club" : 1. FC Nürnberg. This weekend they played against Aachen and since we live there, I went together with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. Unfortunately the "Club" did not play well at all, and we got a 6-2 trashing. It was freezing cold and it even started snowing towards the end.
Standing among the "Ultras" of Nürnberg was quite fun, and even when they were losing the game they kept up the good cheer and shouted abuse at Aachen players and umpire. Whenever the name of an Aachen player was mentioned over the stadium PA system, the Nürnberger Ultras shouted "arschl*ch", which means exactly what you think: A**.
Oh, one nice detail: at the end they announced how many litres alcohol-free Bitburg beer had been sold during the game: 1600 litres.
A letter from Monique - 13 years later
I'm slowly putting all my belongings in boxes, since I will join my wife and daughter very soon in our new house here in Belgium. I stumbled across a letter from a penpal of mine, Monique. It was so funny to read again about our lives 13 years ago.
She had paid me a visit here in Grimbergen,somewhere in October 1996 and I took her to the Mamoet (our local youth club/pub), we went to a concert of "Boerenzonen op Speed" who had just released there first (and only) massive hit: "Vel tegen Vel" - Skin against Skin. We also went to a disco party, co-organized by my cousin Johan.
And here is a short extract of what Monique wrote to me : "I hear you have a computer at home. Do you also have internet? And what is so fun about it, I hear it's mostly waiting, waiting, waiting".
How things can change :-)
She had paid me a visit here in Grimbergen,somewhere in October 1996 and I took her to the Mamoet (our local youth club/pub), we went to a concert of "Boerenzonen op Speed" who had just released there first (and only) massive hit: "Vel tegen Vel" - Skin against Skin. We also went to a disco party, co-organized by my cousin Johan.
And here is a short extract of what Monique wrote to me : "I hear you have a computer at home. Do you also have internet? And what is so fun about it, I hear it's mostly waiting, waiting, waiting".
How things can change :-)
A quick visit to South England
this entry deals with June 19th - June 23rd 2002
From June 19th till June 23rd 2002 I went to the south of England with a German friend of mine, Christine. We drove with my green Fiat Punto down to Calais, where we got on a boat from the SeaFrance company. In those days a 5-day ticket for 2 persons and a car cost 153 Euro. I wonder how much that would be now.
If my memory serves me well, we visited Dover, Rye, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Canterbury and we stopped at a friend's, Gary. I have to check for more information, as it is all a bit blurry at the moment, but I do remember visiting a chapel that was actually an ossuary.
Further research on the internet reveals that it was actually St Leonard’s Church in Hythe. Better known as “The Church with the Bones” due to the ossuary in the crypt. It is one of only two ossuaries in England (the other being in Rothwell, Northants) and contains 2,000 human skulls, 8,000 thighbones, a few jaw bones and other various artefacts. The skull and thighbones were usually kept as it was believed that it would ensure physical resurrection.
The exact origin of the bones is unclear, legend has it that they are the remains of Saxon soldiers killed in a battle fought nearby that were dug up when the existing church was built in 1080. A more likely explanation is that they were dug up and stored in the Middle Ages when it was customary to re-use burial plots.
I also remember we slept in a place called "The White House Farm". I'll try to find more details later.
Update: Christine contacted me and helped me remember some more details. I updated the blog accordingly.
If my memory serves me well, we visited Dover, Rye, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Canterbury and we stopped at a friend's, Gary. I have to check for more information, as it is all a bit blurry at the moment, but I do remember visiting a chapel that was actually an ossuary.
Further research on the internet reveals that it was actually St Leonard’s Church in Hythe. Better known as “The Church with the Bones” due to the ossuary in the crypt. It is one of only two ossuaries in England (the other being in Rothwell, Northants) and contains 2,000 human skulls, 8,000 thighbones, a few jaw bones and other various artefacts. The skull and thighbones were usually kept as it was believed that it would ensure physical resurrection.
The exact origin of the bones is unclear, legend has it that they are the remains of Saxon soldiers killed in a battle fought nearby that were dug up when the existing church was built in 1080. A more likely explanation is that they were dug up and stored in the Middle Ages when it was customary to re-use burial plots.
I also remember we slept in a place called "The White House Farm". I'll try to find more details later.
Update: Christine contacted me and helped me remember some more details. I updated the blog accordingly.
My name is Lólindir Culnámo in Elvish
You can find everything on Facebook. Most apps are of course total rubbish and a waste of time, but every now and then there is a little gem. Like this Elvish Name Generator that generates...you Elvish name, yes, how did you guess?
Anyway, I'm called Lólindir Culnámo and please use that name from now on when you are addressing me. The Lord of the Rings wants it so.
Because the Facebook link does not seem to work I will put the link to the "real-world" website here: The Elvish Name Generator
Anyway, I'm called Lólindir Culnámo and please use that name from now on when you are addressing me. The Lord of the Rings wants it so.
Because the Facebook link does not seem to work I will put the link to the "real-world" website here: The Elvish Name Generator
August - Pieter-Jan De Smet
I was listening to Radio 1 on the way to work, and I heard a wonderful song with a great text: August, by Pieter-Jan Desmedt, a Belgian singer/songwriter and actor with Theater Zuidpool.
Here are some of the lyrics that really hit me :
"Fleur gives names to all the anomalies
That have bruised her petals and bruised her heart"
"It's August
And we're dying
little day by day
It's August
And we're trying
To kill our joys
With pain"
Pure poetry
Here are some of the lyrics that really hit me :
"Fleur gives names to all the anomalies
That have bruised her petals and bruised her heart"
"It's August
And we're dying
little day by day
It's August
And we're trying
To kill our joys
With pain"
Pure poetry
Rostock and Warnemünde
June 15th, 2009
After our visit in Lübeck we drove to Rostock where we would spend the night at Hampa's, a medical student who is just like us a member of BeWelcome.
The highway road from Lübeck to Rostock is quite boring and we were happy when we found the flat quickly, since Caitlin was getting fed up with being in her carseat all afternoon. Hampa's flat was right above an Italian restaurant and we met her flatmates. Hampa herself was not in Rostock that weekend, but we could use her room. We were not alone, however, as she has three cats who kept us company. I guess we can say that Caitlin is not allergic to cats
We ate some of the cake that Tinchen had prepared us, drank some tea and then we left for Warnemünde. The place really feels like a seaside resort, and everywhere were little stalls where you could buy fish (although they were closing by the time we got there).
We just took a stroll near the port, saw the three lighthouses and ate an icecream in an Italian restaurant.
Right at that moment the skies opened and there was a massive downpour. Luckily it ended by the time we finished our ice-cream. We then drove to Rostock for a quick visit by night (looking for an old light-house which we never found) and then it was time for bed.
After our visit in Lübeck we drove to Rostock where we would spend the night at Hampa's, a medical student who is just like us a member of BeWelcome.
The highway road from Lübeck to Rostock is quite boring and we were happy when we found the flat quickly, since Caitlin was getting fed up with being in her carseat all afternoon. Hampa's flat was right above an Italian restaurant and we met her flatmates. Hampa herself was not in Rostock that weekend, but we could use her room. We were not alone, however, as she has three cats who kept us company. I guess we can say that Caitlin is not allergic to cats
We ate some of the cake that Tinchen had prepared us, drank some tea and then we left for Warnemünde. The place really feels like a seaside resort, and everywhere were little stalls where you could buy fish (although they were closing by the time we got there).
We just took a stroll near the port, saw the three lighthouses and ate an icecream in an Italian restaurant.
Right at that moment the skies opened and there was a massive downpour. Luckily it ended by the time we finished our ice-cream. We then drove to Rostock for a quick visit by night (looking for an old light-house which we never found) and then it was time for bed.
woensdag 16 februari 2011
Nokia 5800
March 12th, 2009
I won a new Mobile Phone / GSM: The Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic. It is supposed to be Nokia's answer to Apple's iPhone and costs about 350€. Not bad for just making a little chat with Roos Van Acker on Studio Brussel, Flanders 'alternative' Radio Station. They had asked their public to send in a list of their favourite songs for every moment of the day. And my song "Drive" by R.E.M was choses as "ideal song to wait in a traffic jam".
They called me up one morning (when I was just waiting in a traffic jam) and we talked a couple of minutes about traffic, BeWelcome.org and life in general, and then they told me I was the proud owner of this new mobile phone. Since my old GSM (also a Nokia, not sure about the number since it doesn't say so on the cover, but I imagine it's a 3120) is getting a bit old.
I'm looking forward to my little playtoy...hopefully it arrives soon and I can tell you all about it.
They called me up one morning (when I was just waiting in a traffic jam) and we talked a couple of minutes about traffic, BeWelcome.org and life in general, and then they told me I was the proud owner of this new mobile phone. Since my old GSM (also a Nokia, not sure about the number since it doesn't say so on the cover, but I imagine it's a 3120) is getting a bit old.
I'm looking forward to my little playtoy...hopefully it arrives soon and I can tell you all about it.
dinsdag 15 februari 2011
2 Weeks without Internet
March 20th, 2009
We are busy moving house and this will mean 2 weeks without Internet. In Aachen they stopped our telephone subscription with Deutsche Telekom, and here in Belgium it will take 2 weeks before Telenet will come and install the necessary material. And suddenly it is so obvious that I'm addicted to internet. I'm really suffering from cold turkey, and I even had problems finding a place to write this post.
2 weeks without reading my emails, no more information on Wikipedia or checking the news, and even part of my social contacts will be on stand-by.
It is amazing how much my life is being influenced by internet. I remember some time ago there was a call to stop using Facebook for one day. I participated in that, and it worked fine. But 2 weeks is probably too much...
2 weeks without reading my emails, no more information on Wikipedia or checking the news, and even part of my social contacts will be on stand-by.
It is amazing how much my life is being influenced by internet. I remember some time ago there was a call to stop using Facebook for one day. I participated in that, and it worked fine. But 2 weeks is probably too much...
maandag 14 februari 2011
I won a complete Photostudio on Ebay!
Yes, after weeks of preparations, I managed to win my own perfect little photostudio on eBay for a fraction of the price. Thanks to some good Tips for Beginners I won the following:
Aurora XXL- Studioset Camray 300/300/300
The normal sales price is about 2000 euro (about 2600 dollar) and the best price ever on eBay had been 1000 euro (about 1300 dollar). Well, by putting my tips into practice (and being lucky that nobody was online on Easter Monday) I managed to get it for less than 600 euro (700 dollars).
First they wanted me to pay 200 euro transport costs, but in the end I called them and we settled on 40 euro
What am I getting for my 600 euro :
3x Aurora Camray C-300 Studioflashes
1x Aurora Fusion Softbox, 60x80cm
1x Aurora Strip Softbox, 70x150cm
2x Aurora Speedring mit Adapter Camray
3x WT-806 tripods AIR, 285cm
1x Aurora Studiobag
1x Aurora backgroundreflector
1x Aurora difusor
a lot of extra bits and pieces including extra lamps and reflectors.
Aurora XXL- Studioset Camray 300/300/300
The normal sales price is about 2000 euro (about 2600 dollar) and the best price ever on eBay had been 1000 euro (about 1300 dollar). Well, by putting my tips into practice (and being lucky that nobody was online on Easter Monday) I managed to get it for less than 600 euro (700 dollars).
First they wanted me to pay 200 euro transport costs, but in the end I called them and we settled on 40 euro
What am I getting for my 600 euro :
3x Aurora Camray C-300 Studioflashes
1x Aurora Fusion Softbox, 60x80cm
1x Aurora Strip Softbox, 70x150cm
2x Aurora Speedring mit Adapter Camray
3x WT-806 tripods AIR, 285cm
1x Aurora Studiobag
1x Aurora backgroundreflector
1x Aurora difusor
a lot of extra bits and pieces including extra lamps and reflectors.
zondag 13 februari 2011
Belgian Politicians are seducing women!
On LevensLangLeren.be there were some tips & tricks on how to seduce women. The funny thing was that I received exactly one (1) reaction from a guy who asked me if there were any good books on how to seduce women.
I didn't think much about it, but now one year later that same guy contacted me again. He said he wanted me to remove his reaction from our website and threatened with legal actions if I didn't do it. Not a very nice way of asking me to do something, but I'm a good guy so I removed his name.
But now he complains that if you type his name in Google or on Yahoo, some links show up to his reaction. This is quite logical, as the web crawlers have of course found his name over the last year. And the funny thing? It turns out this guy is running for parliament for an extreme rightwing party...
I told him to complain to yahoo
I didn't think much about it, but now one year later that same guy contacted me again. He said he wanted me to remove his reaction from our website and threatened with legal actions if I didn't do it. Not a very nice way of asking me to do something, but I'm a good guy so I removed his name.
But now he complains that if you type his name in Google or on Yahoo, some links show up to his reaction. This is quite logical, as the web crawlers have of course found his name over the last year. And the funny thing? It turns out this guy is running for parliament for an extreme rightwing party...
I told him to complain to yahoo
zaterdag 12 februari 2011
My granny died today
Today is a bad day. My granny died at age 92. My last grandparent. We had lunch together only yesterday, and she was doing fine, so it came as quite a shock. I have some wonderful memories of her, travelling to Austria every year for 12 years in a row. Life will not be the same without her. Rest in Peace, sweet Rose.
Caitlin is finally registered in Belgium
It has taken us blood, sweat, tears and a lot of money, but our daughter is finally registered with the local authorities in Belgium. After receiving so much contradicting information regarding registration, nationality, health insurance and child benefits, we are finally seeing the end of the tunnel.
The list of problems was long, here some of the more urgent ones:
- In Germany they had a problem with her first name.
- In Belgium they cannot understand that my wife and I have the same surname
- In Belgium they don't accept the German 'Wedding Book'
- We needed a certified translation of such a simple thing as a wedding certificate, and in the end they did not accept it as we could not provide them with an original (a copy of the original, signed by the responsible authorities was not enough apparently).
- We couldn't get health insurance for Caitlin, as long as she was not registered.
- Child benefits gave us the same answer...but today I sent all the necessary information so I hope we'll be able to deal with that as well
The list of problems was long, here some of the more urgent ones:
- In Germany they had a problem with her first name.
- In Belgium they cannot understand that my wife and I have the same surname
- In Belgium they don't accept the German 'Wedding Book'
- We needed a certified translation of such a simple thing as a wedding certificate, and in the end they did not accept it as we could not provide them with an original (a copy of the original, signed by the responsible authorities was not enough apparently).
- We couldn't get health insurance for Caitlin, as long as she was not registered.
- Child benefits gave us the same answer...but today I sent all the necessary information so I hope we'll be able to deal with that as well
vrijdag 11 februari 2011
Leise Peterle Leise - German Lullably
1. Leise, Robin, leise,
der Mond geht auf die Reise.
Er hat ein weißes Pferd gezäumt,
das geht so still, als ob es träumt.
Leise, Robin, leise!
2. Stille, Robin, stille,
der Mond hat eine Brille.
Ein graues Wölkchen schob sich vor,
das sitzt ihm grad auf Nas und Ohr.
Stille, Robin, stille!
3. Träume, Robin, träume,
der Mond guckt durch die Bäume.
Ich glaube gar, nun bleibt er stehn,
um Peterle im Schlaf zu sehen.
Träume, Robin, träume!
4. Ruhe, Robin, ruhe,
der Mond hat goldene Schuhe.
Er hat sie schon bei Tag geputzt,
weil er sie ja nur nachts benutzt.
Ruhe, Robin, ruhe!
5. Schlafe, Robin, schlafe,
der Mond hat goldene Schafe.
Sie gehn am Himmel still und sacht
und sagen Robin "Gute Nacht!"
Schlafe, Robin, schlafe!
der Mond geht auf die Reise.
Er hat ein weißes Pferd gezäumt,
das geht so still, als ob es träumt.
Leise, Robin, leise!
2. Stille, Robin, stille,
der Mond hat eine Brille.
Ein graues Wölkchen schob sich vor,
das sitzt ihm grad auf Nas und Ohr.
Stille, Robin, stille!
3. Träume, Robin, träume,
der Mond guckt durch die Bäume.
Ich glaube gar, nun bleibt er stehn,
um Peterle im Schlaf zu sehen.
Träume, Robin, träume!
4. Ruhe, Robin, ruhe,
der Mond hat goldene Schuhe.
Er hat sie schon bei Tag geputzt,
weil er sie ja nur nachts benutzt.
Ruhe, Robin, ruhe!
5. Schlafe, Robin, schlafe,
der Mond hat goldene Schafe.
Sie gehn am Himmel still und sacht
und sagen Robin "Gute Nacht!"
Schlafe, Robin, schlafe!
Caitlin's Sleep Routine
We created a simple sleep routine for Caitlin. Around 8pm we take her up, change her diapers, put on her pyjamas and sleeping bag, and give her a final serving of breast milk.
Then she gets a cuddle from my wife and I, and we put her to bed. Next we sing a German lullaby called Leise, Peterle, Leise and tell her we love.
Sometimes it works, and she falls asleep, something she needs a top-up of breast milk.
Then she gets a cuddle from my wife and I, and we put her to bed. Next we sing a German lullaby called Leise, Peterle, Leise and tell her we love.
Sometimes it works, and she falls asleep, something she needs a top-up of breast milk.
donderdag 10 februari 2011
Caitlin at the Osteopath
Caitlin is doing fine. She is three months old now and a happy, active, fun baby. However there was one thing we were a bit worried about. It became clear that she always had an inclination to turn her head to the right. She would never turn her head to the left out of her own will, and when we tried to force her gently in the other direction, her head would always turn back to the right or middle position.
After the U4 (the German medical examination for babies who are 3 months old) the doctor said that Caitlin's head was starting to show signs of flattening and we should contact an osteopath or enrol in physiotherapy to help her turn her head more to the left. Friends of ours directed us to an osteopath who lives near us, and he examined Caitlin and softly touched her vertebra. Nothing like the "neck-cracking" we normally associate osteopathy with.
He found out her C2 vertrebra was blocked on the right side, and managed to unblock it. Now it is up to us to make sure she looks in all directions. The osteopath is however confident that Caitlin will have no permanent problems because of this.
After the U4 (the German medical examination for babies who are 3 months old) the doctor said that Caitlin's head was starting to show signs of flattening and we should contact an osteopath or enrol in physiotherapy to help her turn her head more to the left. Friends of ours directed us to an osteopath who lives near us, and he examined Caitlin and softly touched her vertebra. Nothing like the "neck-cracking" we normally associate osteopathy with.
He found out her C2 vertrebra was blocked on the right side, and managed to unblock it. Now it is up to us to make sure she looks in all directions. The osteopath is however confident that Caitlin will have no permanent problems because of this.
Improve your chances on eBay
Have you also tried to win an auction on eBay but failed because somebody beat you in the last second? Fortunately there are some things you can do to improve your chances.
Tip 1 : Know the value of your product
Try to figure out the value of your product by checking previous biddings. You can find these with 'advanced search' and choose 'show completed listings only'.
Tip 2 : Know your limits
Make sure that your maximum offer is really the maximum you want to buy. This will prevent you from being outbidded in the last second.
Tip 3 : Keep up to date
eBay has the possibility to warn you of a status change by sms or mail. Check your e-maikl messages regularly and install some of the eBay tools.
Tip 4 : Use My eBay
Check your status on My Ebay, so you are sure you are still in the lead.
Tip 5 : Use the eBay toolbar
With the eBay-toolbar you can follow objects, even when you are not logged in on eBay. This is what you can receive on your desktop::
- Messages when you are being outbidded.
- Messages about objects that you are following.
- Messages about your search criteria
Tip 1 : Know the value of your product
Try to figure out the value of your product by checking previous biddings. You can find these with 'advanced search' and choose 'show completed listings only'.
Tip 2 : Know your limits
Make sure that your maximum offer is really the maximum you want to buy. This will prevent you from being outbidded in the last second.
Tip 3 : Keep up to date
eBay has the possibility to warn you of a status change by sms or mail. Check your e-maikl messages regularly and install some of the eBay tools.
Tip 4 : Use My eBay
Check your status on My Ebay, so you are sure you are still in the lead.
Tip 5 : Use the eBay toolbar
With the eBay-toolbar you can follow objects, even when you are not logged in on eBay. This is what you can receive on your desktop::
- Messages when you are being outbidded.
- Messages about objects that you are following.
- Messages about your search criteria
Tartex: the ideal vegetarian breakfast
Last year my wife and I travelled with BeWelcome to Linz in Austria, and were warmly welcomed by another member of this hospitality exchange network. He was vegan, and in the morning served us a delicious breakfast made up entirely of products that contained no animal products of any kind (so no milk, no eggs, no cheese). All the "traditional" ingredients that would contain animal products were replaced by tofu, seitan, soy milk and similar food items.
And now we moved back to Grimbergen and we found a good Bioshop just around the corner. There they also stock vegetarian food, including the famous Tartex organic patés. I'm not sure they are 100% vegan, but they taste deliciously and come in 19 different flavours like Mushroom and Herb Meadow.
So what are you waiting for? Try some healthy organic breakfast instead of smoked ham with eggs...
And now we moved back to Grimbergen and we found a good Bioshop just around the corner. There they also stock vegetarian food, including the famous Tartex organic patés. I'm not sure they are 100% vegan, but they taste deliciously and come in 19 different flavours like Mushroom and Herb Meadow.
So what are you waiting for? Try some healthy organic breakfast instead of smoked ham with eggs...
A Bongo Box for a Healthy Lunch
I recently participated in a competition for Yoplait, a dairy company. I won a Bongo Box for a healthy lunch somewhere in Belgium. A Bongo box is a very popular concept in Belgium, that has 3 parts:
1) the box: Here you can see what kind of gift the box contains. There are many different kinds of arrangments, for example a wine-tasting evening, a weekend in a luxury hotel, or a massage
2) the book: A list with all the participating companies with explanations about the gifts.
3) the voucher: Which should be handed over to the participating company.
1) the box: Here you can see what kind of gift the box contains. There are many different kinds of arrangments, for example a wine-tasting evening, a weekend in a luxury hotel, or a massage
2) the book: A list with all the participating companies with explanations about the gifts.
3) the voucher: Which should be handed over to the participating company.
A Tribute to Madonna
On Sunday I went to Evergem (near Ghent) for the second show of A Tribute to Madonna Dancing Queen, an amazing spectacular spectacular tribute to the Queen of Pop. I had already participated in the first show (not as a dancer of course, but as a photographer) and this time they were going to Flanders to perform in a cultural centre.
The first time i ran around all the time, taking pictures wherever I could. This time the roles were better divided and I arrived around 4pm to register the rehearsals. You could already feel the tension rising and small (or bigger) problems with costumes, dvd players and lighting caused visible stress among all the volunteers and dancers/singers.
I'm quite happy about the pictures I took during rehearsals, as you can be like a fly on the wall and steal great shots. I uploaded some pictures on a English-speaking blog here or on my Facebook account.
During the show I agreed to take pictures from far away while another photographer (Alain) took close-ups. The lighting was not very good and even with my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens I had problems getting sharp pictures, even with my tripod. I hope my colleague had more luck. Still, i managed to get some good photographs at the end of each choreography when the music stopped and the dancers froze.
In the end, I was amazed at the professionalism, the fun and the commitment of all the participants. Congratulations to everybody!
The first time i ran around all the time, taking pictures wherever I could. This time the roles were better divided and I arrived around 4pm to register the rehearsals. You could already feel the tension rising and small (or bigger) problems with costumes, dvd players and lighting caused visible stress among all the volunteers and dancers/singers.
I'm quite happy about the pictures I took during rehearsals, as you can be like a fly on the wall and steal great shots. I uploaded some pictures on a English-speaking blog here or on my Facebook account.
During the show I agreed to take pictures from far away while another photographer (Alain) took close-ups. The lighting was not very good and even with my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens I had problems getting sharp pictures, even with my tripod. I hope my colleague had more luck. Still, i managed to get some good photographs at the end of each choreography when the music stopped and the dancers froze.
In the end, I was amazed at the professionalism, the fun and the commitment of all the participants. Congratulations to everybody!
woensdag 9 februari 2011
A bag full of bio goodies
Claudia does her shopping at a biological farm near our house. When they offered her a customer card, the shop assistent discovered she was the 1000th unique client, and today they had a small reception for her at the farm. There were some journalists, and she got a nice hamper filled with vegetarian and bio food.
Here is a list of all the nice things we will eat in the weeks to come:
- vegan Panda licorice
- muesli cookies
- apple & pear juice
- Allos Amaranth chocolate muesli
- Women's Balance Yogi tea
- La Bio Idea - Minutini pasta con carotta
- Lima tomato/basil crunchies
- Pajottenlander apple/pear juice
- Pizzolato organic prosecco
- De Rit peanut butter cookies
- Ekoland wallnuts
- Whole Earth organic sparkling apple & raspberry fruit juice
...and lots more!
Here is a list of all the nice things we will eat in the weeks to come:
- vegan Panda licorice
- muesli cookies
- apple & pear juice
- Allos Amaranth chocolate muesli
- Women's Balance Yogi tea
- La Bio Idea - Minutini pasta con carotta
- Lima tomato/basil crunchies
- Pajottenlander apple/pear juice
- Pizzolato organic prosecco
- De Rit peanut butter cookies
- Ekoland wallnuts
- Whole Earth organic sparkling apple & raspberry fruit juice
...and lots more!
Finished painting, finally!
After a week of intense painting, we finally put the final stroke on the walls in our new house. Still one week to go before we have the big move, but at least one part of the work is done. We chose colours from the Coloresdelmuno range of Levis. Havana Red in the living room, Nepal blue in the kitchen, and Java green in my study. Oh, and let's not forget BeWelcome.org orange in the hallway. I can't wait to see the rooms in full glory once we moved our furniture.
How to Make Yoghurt
I'm going frugal and decided it was time to make my own yoghurt. Just a little bit of left-over yoghurt and some milk will produce loads of yoghurt.
Here are the instructions, I hope you'll give it a try as well:
Yogurt is a healthy food that can be made at home. One way to make it is to first buy some yogurt from a store or purchase dry yogurt culture. Add two small spoonfuls of the yogurt to two cups of milk. This will be the starter for your own yogurt. A cup is about 25 centilitres.
When making yogurt, it is very important to have clean equipment, clean hands and good temperature control.
Pour eight cups of milk into a large cooking pot. Heat the milk to eighty-five degrees Celsius. Then cool the milk quickly to forty-three degrees. To do this, you can put the cooking pot in cool water.
Keep the yogurt at forty-three degrees and add one-half cup of the starter. The remaining starter can be kept for later use. If you want a thicker yogurt, you can also add one-third of a cup of dry milk.
Cover the pot and keep it at a temperature of forty to forty-five degrees Celsius for four to six hours. After that, your homemade yogurt is ready. It can be left at room temperature for up to twelve hours if you like a stronger taste.
You can add fruit, nuts, honey or spices.
Source: "how to make yoghurt" leaflet from our local bioshop
Here are the instructions, I hope you'll give it a try as well:
Yogurt is a healthy food that can be made at home. One way to make it is to first buy some yogurt from a store or purchase dry yogurt culture. Add two small spoonfuls of the yogurt to two cups of milk. This will be the starter for your own yogurt. A cup is about 25 centilitres.
When making yogurt, it is very important to have clean equipment, clean hands and good temperature control.
Pour eight cups of milk into a large cooking pot. Heat the milk to eighty-five degrees Celsius. Then cool the milk quickly to forty-three degrees. To do this, you can put the cooking pot in cool water.
Keep the yogurt at forty-three degrees and add one-half cup of the starter. The remaining starter can be kept for later use. If you want a thicker yogurt, you can also add one-third of a cup of dry milk.
Cover the pot and keep it at a temperature of forty to forty-five degrees Celsius for four to six hours. After that, your homemade yogurt is ready. It can be left at room temperature for up to twelve hours if you like a stronger taste.
You can add fruit, nuts, honey or spices.
Source: "how to make yoghurt" leaflet from our local bioshop
I kissed Katy Perry and she liked it!
March 7th, 2009
Tonight I saw Katy Perry in concert, and I liked it. But more than that, I liked the whole atmosphere around the show. It started with watching the public line up to get into the concert hall at the AB (Ancienne Belgique) in Brussels, Belgium. I guess the average age was 15 or 16 years, and I was amazed to see how young kids are nowadays at concerts. When I was that age, the best I could hope for was to go on an organized excursion to Torhout/Werchter, or see maybe a folk group (Kadril) or a comedian (Urbanus). But nowadays it seems that every 14 or 15 year old has been to concerts all their lives, starting with going to K3 shows and ending up seeing the latest internet hypes like Lily Allen or Katy Perry.
The support group was called 3OH!3 from Colorado, an electronica hiphop band known for their funny skits and outrageous costumes. It seemed they were quite popular, as everybody was dancing to their music and shouting the lyrics to the songs.
And then the moment came that everybody was waiting for: the first concert on Belgium soil by Katy Perry, America's latest teen-sensation. Queen's 'Killer Queen' came through the speakers and K.Perry ran onto the stage dressed in a pink/green outfit. Katy is famous for her "vintage style" and her clotes looked like something my mum might have worn when she was 16. Lots of colours, lots of funny touches without getting too kitschy. Except for her diamond-studded microphone, that was a bit over the top.
The stage looked fabulous, with a giant inflatable cat (called Kitty Purr) and lots of fruit. Much tastier than an inflatable pig!
The first song, Fingerprints, got the crowd wild and then the most amazing thing happened. Instead of clapping their hand or dancing or swinging (like we used to do in the good old days), the majority of the audience got out their mobile phones or cameras and started taking pictures. But because modern cameras have screens, I saw a sea of screens in front of me, all displaying Katy. A surreal experience and proof that I am no longer in touch with the modern music scene. Everybody was more busy with sending sound bites of the concert to their friends, than actually enjoying the show.
The show was well executed, with a good mix of popular tunes and some new stuff. One of her biggest hits, Hot 'n' Cold was played early on in the show, and the little chats between the songs were a bit corny and clearly aimed at younger people.
Another amazing thing was that the audience actually let her play slow, intimate and accoustic stuff.
And in the end she threw all her fruit (giant inflatable strawberries) in the audience and she stage dived during "I kissed a girl", her biggest hit and clearly what everybody was waiting for. This anthem for bi-curious girls and players alike got the whole hall dancing and everybody around me tried to kiss Katy Perry as she stage dived towards us. Some of us succeeded
The support group was called 3OH!3 from Colorado, an electronica hiphop band known for their funny skits and outrageous costumes. It seemed they were quite popular, as everybody was dancing to their music and shouting the lyrics to the songs.
And then the moment came that everybody was waiting for: the first concert on Belgium soil by Katy Perry, America's latest teen-sensation. Queen's 'Killer Queen' came through the speakers and K.Perry ran onto the stage dressed in a pink/green outfit. Katy is famous for her "vintage style" and her clotes looked like something my mum might have worn when she was 16. Lots of colours, lots of funny touches without getting too kitschy. Except for her diamond-studded microphone, that was a bit over the top.
The stage looked fabulous, with a giant inflatable cat (called Kitty Purr) and lots of fruit. Much tastier than an inflatable pig!
The first song, Fingerprints, got the crowd wild and then the most amazing thing happened. Instead of clapping their hand or dancing or swinging (like we used to do in the good old days), the majority of the audience got out their mobile phones or cameras and started taking pictures. But because modern cameras have screens, I saw a sea of screens in front of me, all displaying Katy. A surreal experience and proof that I am no longer in touch with the modern music scene. Everybody was more busy with sending sound bites of the concert to their friends, than actually enjoying the show.
The show was well executed, with a good mix of popular tunes and some new stuff. One of her biggest hits, Hot 'n' Cold was played early on in the show, and the little chats between the songs were a bit corny and clearly aimed at younger people.
Another amazing thing was that the audience actually let her play slow, intimate and accoustic stuff.
And in the end she threw all her fruit (giant inflatable strawberries) in the audience and she stage dived during "I kissed a girl", her biggest hit and clearly what everybody was waiting for. This anthem for bi-curious girls and players alike got the whole hall dancing and everybody around me tried to kiss Katy Perry as she stage dived towards us. Some of us succeeded
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
With nothing better to do (and after dealing with some heavy financial calculations) we decided to sit down for the Eurosong Festival 2009, which this year is being held in gay-unfriendly Russia. This song contest (often called the Kitsch and Camp-festival of the year) brings us 25 songs from as many countries.
Here my views on some of the contestants:
- Finland: up-tempo song with a silly rapper, and I'm afraid they won't manage the same surprise Lordi did a couple of years ago
- Turkey: Flemish singer Hadise delivered a good performance, although the song was a bit weak. Still I think a Top 5 position is possible
- Germany: Very silly song, but with a gorgeous Dita Von Teese. What else did you expect from a group called 'Alex Swings Oscar Sings'
- Estonia: a beautiful singer with a beautiful voice...unfortunately not the kind of song that will win the Eurovision Song Festival
- Ukraine: My favourite, a very kitschy up-tempo song with beautiful women, Roman gladiators and funny lyrics. My favourite for the first place.
Here my views on some of the contestants:
- Finland: up-tempo song with a silly rapper, and I'm afraid they won't manage the same surprise Lordi did a couple of years ago
- Turkey: Flemish singer Hadise delivered a good performance, although the song was a bit weak. Still I think a Top 5 position is possible
- Germany: Very silly song, but with a gorgeous Dita Von Teese. What else did you expect from a group called 'Alex Swings Oscar Sings'
- Estonia: a beautiful singer with a beautiful voice...unfortunately not the kind of song that will win the Eurovision Song Festival
- Ukraine: My favourite, a very kitschy up-tempo song with beautiful women, Roman gladiators and funny lyrics. My favourite for the first place.
Creating our own little bio garden...
Today we started work on our own little bio garden. We selected a patch in our garden where there is enough sun and it's still not too windy. Then we started digging a 15 cm deep trench and planted pumpkins, sun flowers, radishes, zucchini and eruca sativa (no, not THAT kind of sativa, you naughty people), better known as rocket or arugula.
Finally we watered everything thoroughly, and now we are patiently waiting for July or August to see the results.
If you want some nice pumpkin soup, be sure to book in advance.
Finally we watered everything thoroughly, and now we are patiently waiting for July or August to see the results.
If you want some nice pumpkin soup, be sure to book in advance.
ICE = In Case of Emergency
Update: Although the idea of putting an emergecy number in your mobile makes sense, you should ALWAYS first put the ICE number on a piece of paper in your wallet. Thanks Bartek for clarifying that.
In case of emergency (ICE) is a program that enables first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers, to identify victims and contact their next of kin to obtain important medical information. The program was conceived in the mid-2000s and promoted by British paramedic Bob Brotchie in May 2005.
It encourages people to enter emergency contacts in their cell phone address book under the name "ICE". Alternately, a person can list multiple emergency contacts as "ICE1", "ICE2", etc. The popularity of the program has spread across Europe and Australia, and has started to grow into North America.
When interviewed on July 12, 2005 on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Brotchie said:
"I was reflecting on some difficult calls I've attended, where people were unable to speak to me through injury or illness and we were unable to find out who they were. I discovered that many people, obviously, carry mobile phones and we were using them to discover who they were. It occurred to me that if we had a uniform approach to searching inside a mobile phone for an emergency contact then that would make it easier for everyone."
So what are you waiting for? Put those ICE numbers in your wallet and in your mobile phones NOW!
source: emails, Wikipedia.org
In case of emergency (ICE) is a program that enables first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers, to identify victims and contact their next of kin to obtain important medical information. The program was conceived in the mid-2000s and promoted by British paramedic Bob Brotchie in May 2005.
It encourages people to enter emergency contacts in their cell phone address book under the name "ICE". Alternately, a person can list multiple emergency contacts as "ICE1", "ICE2", etc. The popularity of the program has spread across Europe and Australia, and has started to grow into North America.
When interviewed on July 12, 2005 on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Brotchie said:
"I was reflecting on some difficult calls I've attended, where people were unable to speak to me through injury or illness and we were unable to find out who they were. I discovered that many people, obviously, carry mobile phones and we were using them to discover who they were. It occurred to me that if we had a uniform approach to searching inside a mobile phone for an emergency contact then that would make it easier for everyone."
So what are you waiting for? Put those ICE numbers in your wallet and in your mobile phones NOW!
source: emails, Wikipedia.org
Looking for a service provider in Belgium
March 12th, 2009
We have been looking for a good service provider here in Belgium for our telephone, internet and television needs. Belgium is a special country, where different providers exist in different parts of the country. You will not find Voo in Flanders, and I doubt you will find Telenet in Wallonia.
Luckily we had some kind of shopping list, because otherwise it would have been impossible to make a selection. Every provider has different offers and it's next to impossible to compare them.
We first check the internet for information, saw some providers like Belgacom and TV Vlaanderen at the Food Fair in November 2008, and started making a list of all our needs.
For telephone we needed a subscription that would allow us to call all fixed telephone numbers for free, if possible also the European ones. Since my wife is German, she would like to stay in touch with her parents in Germany. Skype was an option, but since not everybody has skype or is available on the internet, we decided to look for a "real" telephone.
For internet we needed a quick wifi-connection, but no real heavey upload or download limits. We don't dowload movies, so that saves on the budget.
For television we first thought of getting just plain old cable television. I haven't had a television for 7 years now, so I didn't miss a lot and I'm quite happy with just 4 channels. But after seeing the quality and the offer, we decided to put Digital Television on our "nice to have" list.
After careful consideration and by talking to other users, we immediately removed TV Vlaanderen from our list, since they could not provide us with a full package. Belgacom was an option, but their difficult price structure and the bad feedback we received, made us choose Telenet. They have a Golden Shake offer that will not only give us digital TV, internet and free telephone calls to 35 European countries for just 58 €, but it also comes with a digital HD recorder of 320 GB. That should be sufficient.
We are now waiting for the people of Infrax to come and install the cable, and then we can go for it. We'll keep you posted
Luckily we had some kind of shopping list, because otherwise it would have been impossible to make a selection. Every provider has different offers and it's next to impossible to compare them.
We first check the internet for information, saw some providers like Belgacom and TV Vlaanderen at the Food Fair in November 2008, and started making a list of all our needs.
For telephone we needed a subscription that would allow us to call all fixed telephone numbers for free, if possible also the European ones. Since my wife is German, she would like to stay in touch with her parents in Germany. Skype was an option, but since not everybody has skype or is available on the internet, we decided to look for a "real" telephone.
For internet we needed a quick wifi-connection, but no real heavey upload or download limits. We don't dowload movies, so that saves on the budget.
For television we first thought of getting just plain old cable television. I haven't had a television for 7 years now, so I didn't miss a lot and I'm quite happy with just 4 channels. But after seeing the quality and the offer, we decided to put Digital Television on our "nice to have" list.
After careful consideration and by talking to other users, we immediately removed TV Vlaanderen from our list, since they could not provide us with a full package. Belgacom was an option, but their difficult price structure and the bad feedback we received, made us choose Telenet. They have a Golden Shake offer that will not only give us digital TV, internet and free telephone calls to 35 European countries for just 58 €, but it also comes with a digital HD recorder of 320 GB. That should be sufficient.
We are now waiting for the people of Infrax to come and install the cable, and then we can go for it. We'll keep you posted
Is our daughter a demon?
We have an angel of a daughter, but sometimes I wonder if we shouldn't call the Exorcist.
Some of her behaviour makes me think she might be possessed by a demon.
The evidence?
1. She talks in a strange and ancient language, that nobody around us can understand. Sometimes it even sounds like she is talking backwards! And now and again she mutters "Ba'al"
2. Just as in the movie The Exorcist, she can turn her head almost completely around. Very creepy
3. Sometimes she spits and vomits with such a force, that it would push a grown man from his bike!
4. She sees dead people, I'm sure of it. Sometimes she just looks through me, or she sees things that nobody else sees. She can look at the wall and suddenly start to laugh, probably because a ghost told a very funny story.
5. She can put her feet almost over her head, and curl her toes like a wild animal
6. When she cries, it is like something we have never heard before.
and the biggest proof:
7. I just put on "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones, and she started to move frantically and shouted "whoo, whoo, ... whoo, whoo"
Some of her behaviour makes me think she might be possessed by a demon.
The evidence?
1. She talks in a strange and ancient language, that nobody around us can understand. Sometimes it even sounds like she is talking backwards! And now and again she mutters "Ba'al"
2. Just as in the movie The Exorcist, she can turn her head almost completely around. Very creepy
3. Sometimes she spits and vomits with such a force, that it would push a grown man from his bike!
4. She sees dead people, I'm sure of it. Sometimes she just looks through me, or she sees things that nobody else sees. She can look at the wall and suddenly start to laugh, probably because a ghost told a very funny story.
5. She can put her feet almost over her head, and curl her toes like a wild animal
6. When she cries, it is like something we have never heard before.
and the biggest proof:
7. I just put on "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones, and she started to move frantically and shouted "whoo, whoo, ... whoo, whoo"
My Name is Lushikatome
I received the following note from a friend of mine through Facebook:
Your name is Lushikatome
Here are the instructions if you also want to find out your name:
For the instructions, add your name on the list and simply spell out your name using the given Japanese letter- translations below. Have fun. (how for this actually is based on something real I have no idea but I found it fun to do )
TRANSLATION:
A - ka
B - tu
C - mi
D - te
E - ku
F - lu
G - ji
H - ri
I - ki
J - zu
K - me
L - ta
M - rin
N - to
O - mo
P - no
Q - ke
R - shi
S - ari
T - chi
U - do
V - ru
W - mei
X - na
Y - fu
Z - zi
Your name is Lushikatome
Here are the instructions if you also want to find out your name:
For the instructions, add your name on the list and simply spell out your name using the given Japanese letter- translations below. Have fun. (how for this actually is based on something real I have no idea but I found it fun to do )
TRANSLATION:
A - ka
B - tu
C - mi
D - te
E - ku
F - lu
G - ji
H - ri
I - ki
J - zu
K - me
L - ta
M - rin
N - to
O - mo
P - no
Q - ke
R - shi
S - ari
T - chi
U - do
V - ru
W - mei
X - na
Y - fu
Z - zi
Rostock and Warnemünde
After our visit in Lübeck we drove to Rostock where we would spend the night at Hampa's, a medical student who is just like us a member of BeWelcome.
The highway road from Lübeck to Rostock is quite boring and we were happy when we found the flat quickly, since Caitlin was getting fed up with being in her carseat all afternoon. Hampa's flat was right above an Italian restaurant and we met her flatmates. Hampa herself was not in Rostock that weekend, but we could use her room. We were not alone, however, as she has three cats who kept us company. I guess we can say that Caitlin is not allergic to cats
We ate some of the cake that Tinchen had prepared us, drank some tea and then we left for Warnemünde. The place really feels like a seaside resort, and everywhere were little stalls where you could buy fish (although they were closing by the time we got there).
We just took a stroll near the port, saw the three lighthouses and ate an icecream in an Italian restaurant.
Right at that moment the skies opened and there was a massive downpour. Luckily it ended by the time we finished our ice-cream. We then drove to Rostock for a quick visit by night (looking for an old light-house which we never found) and then it was time for bed.
The highway road from Lübeck to Rostock is quite boring and we were happy when we found the flat quickly, since Caitlin was getting fed up with being in her carseat all afternoon. Hampa's flat was right above an Italian restaurant and we met her flatmates. Hampa herself was not in Rostock that weekend, but we could use her room. We were not alone, however, as she has three cats who kept us company. I guess we can say that Caitlin is not allergic to cats
We ate some of the cake that Tinchen had prepared us, drank some tea and then we left for Warnemünde. The place really feels like a seaside resort, and everywhere were little stalls where you could buy fish (although they were closing by the time we got there).
We just took a stroll near the port, saw the three lighthouses and ate an icecream in an Italian restaurant.
Right at that moment the skies opened and there was a massive downpour. Luckily it ended by the time we finished our ice-cream. We then drove to Rostock for a quick visit by night (looking for an old light-house which we never found) and then it was time for bed.
Katy Perry in the AB - Brussels
March 4th, 2009
On Saturday March 7th Katy Perry will give a concert in the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. Katy Perry is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Born in California to pastor parents, she grew up listening to gospel music and singing in church. Katy Perry rose to fame in 2007 with her internet hit "Ur So Gay", and later scored in 2008 her breakthrough single "I Kissed a Girl".
I have a ticket but am not sure yet if I can make it. If anybody is interested, I might sell it for € 35. Seeing the concert has been sold out for over a month now, it might be a good deal.
I have a ticket but am not sure yet if I can make it. If anybody is interested, I might sell it for € 35. Seeing the concert has been sold out for over a month now, it might be a good deal.
Lübeck: History, Architecture, Marsipan
The night in the Etap room was quite comfortable with Caitlin between us, since the travel bed would not have fitted in the room. We decided from now on to leave the travel bed in the car, since Caitlin was fine and the disassembling of the bed causes only frustration and arguments.
The breakfast we had booked for 6 euro extra was a buffet consisting of bread with the usual jams and spreads, some sausages, cereals, yoghurt, cheese, juice; tea; coffee. Not what you would get in a regular hotel, but much better than the 2 croissants and jam that you get in a Formula 1 hotel or most Italian hotels. It was filling but not special. Even though we were not too far from the city centre, we decided to look for a parking closer to the centre. Especially with the clouds hanging over our heads. Tinchen had given us a good tip where to park, but we decided to try for a parking near to the famous Holsten Tor.
We were lucky enough to find one without any time limit and got ready for some serious sight-seeing. We unpacked and assembled our Bugaboo and strangely could not move it a single centimeter! After some experiments and puzzling we found that the cable for the brakes was wound around a knob and thus blocked the brakes. What a relief! We headed for the Holsten Tor and bought a small map for € 0,90 with a (very limited) guided tour which we followed as much as possible. Normally the tour would take us 2 hours, but because we went inside many of the landmarks, we spend most of the day.
The Holsten Tor is a late Brick Gothic city gate, UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered a major landmark of Lübeck.
Other landmarks we visited were The Town Hall, The Lübecker Dom and Maria Church, Günter Grass's house, the Salzspeicher (historic warehouses where salt delivered from Lüneburg awaited shipment to Baltic ports) and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit (one of the oldest social institutions of Lübeck).
We took a break at a medieval market, where all the shop assistants were dressed in ancient robes and sold strange things like lutes, mead (alcoholic beverage made of honey) and roasted pig.
In the end we made a quick stop at the factory outlet of Niederegger, a worldwide acknowledged producer of marzipan and sweets. They had a 50% off sale for Easter products, so we bought some stuff for during the rest of our trip.
Next stop: Rostock!
The breakfast we had booked for 6 euro extra was a buffet consisting of bread with the usual jams and spreads, some sausages, cereals, yoghurt, cheese, juice; tea; coffee. Not what you would get in a regular hotel, but much better than the 2 croissants and jam that you get in a Formula 1 hotel or most Italian hotels. It was filling but not special. Even though we were not too far from the city centre, we decided to look for a parking closer to the centre. Especially with the clouds hanging over our heads. Tinchen had given us a good tip where to park, but we decided to try for a parking near to the famous Holsten Tor.
We were lucky enough to find one without any time limit and got ready for some serious sight-seeing. We unpacked and assembled our Bugaboo and strangely could not move it a single centimeter! After some experiments and puzzling we found that the cable for the brakes was wound around a knob and thus blocked the brakes. What a relief! We headed for the Holsten Tor and bought a small map for € 0,90 with a (very limited) guided tour which we followed as much as possible. Normally the tour would take us 2 hours, but because we went inside many of the landmarks, we spend most of the day.
The Holsten Tor is a late Brick Gothic city gate, UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered a major landmark of Lübeck.
Other landmarks we visited were The Town Hall, The Lübecker Dom and Maria Church, Günter Grass's house, the Salzspeicher (historic warehouses where salt delivered from Lüneburg awaited shipment to Baltic ports) and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit (one of the oldest social institutions of Lübeck).
We took a break at a medieval market, where all the shop assistants were dressed in ancient robes and sold strange things like lutes, mead (alcoholic beverage made of honey) and roasted pig.
In the end we made a quick stop at the factory outlet of Niederegger, a worldwide acknowledged producer of marzipan and sweets. They had a 50% off sale for Easter products, so we bought some stuff for during the rest of our trip.
Next stop: Rostock!
PhotoCompetition about France
I am participating (together with my Thorgal67) in a PhotoCompetion about France.
The idea is that you send in maximum 4 picture (one per category) in 4 categories :
1. Nature & Sport
2. Fun and Party Time
3. Fashion & Culture
4. Relax
The idea is that you send in maximum 4 picture (one per category) in 4 categories :
1. Nature & Sport
2. Fun and Party Time
3. Fashion & Culture
4. Relax
Illegal Substances
Tonight I will take a bath in a mixture of illegal substances. We got a bottle of Dr. Kneipp's Opium and Hemp bath oil which contains Cannabis Sativa Oil and Papaver Somniferum. According to the leaflet the oil will "relax both body and mind".
Sebastian Kneipp (May 17, 1821, Stephansried, Germany – June 17, 1897 in Bad Wörishofen) was a Bavarian priest and one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement. He is most commonly associated with the "Kneipp Cure" form of hydrotherapy, a system of healing involving the application of water through various methods, temperatures and pressures.
In Norway he is mostly known for his bread recipe based on whole wheat. Kneipbrød (Kneipp Bread) is the most commonly eaten bread in Norway.
Although most commonly associated with one area of Naturopathic medicine, Kneipp was the proponent of an entire system of healing, which rested on five main tenets:
- Hydrotherapy
- Herbalism – The use of botanical medicines.
- Exercise
- Nutrition - A wholesome diet of whole grains, fruits & vegetables with limited meat
- Spirituality - Kneipp believed that a healthy mind begot a healthy person
During his time in Bad Wörishofen, Kneipp was able to counsel many people. Tens of thousands came from all over the world to receive his healing advice. He was the author of the books "My Water Cure", "Thus Shalt Thou Live", and "My Will".
source: Wikipedia
Sebastian Kneipp (May 17, 1821, Stephansried, Germany – June 17, 1897 in Bad Wörishofen) was a Bavarian priest and one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement. He is most commonly associated with the "Kneipp Cure" form of hydrotherapy, a system of healing involving the application of water through various methods, temperatures and pressures.
In Norway he is mostly known for his bread recipe based on whole wheat. Kneipbrød (Kneipp Bread) is the most commonly eaten bread in Norway.
Although most commonly associated with one area of Naturopathic medicine, Kneipp was the proponent of an entire system of healing, which rested on five main tenets:
- Hydrotherapy
- Herbalism – The use of botanical medicines.
- Exercise
- Nutrition - A wholesome diet of whole grains, fruits & vegetables with limited meat
- Spirituality - Kneipp believed that a healthy mind begot a healthy person
During his time in Bad Wörishofen, Kneipp was able to counsel many people. Tens of thousands came from all over the world to receive his healing advice. He was the author of the books "My Water Cure", "Thus Shalt Thou Live", and "My Will".
source: Wikipedia
My first BBQ
I have never owned a barbecue in my life. Bad experiences at friends and an intolerance to unhealthy, burned and greasy food are probably to blame. But Claudia and I wanted to buy at least one item together (since we already had almost everything) so the only item left on the list was...a Barbecue:)
Now that we have a garden, friends, and a fridge filled with yummy stuff, we decided to throw a small barbecue party for 7 or 8 friends who happened to be around on this very day.
I thought putting up the BBQ would not be a problem, providing the pieces didn't need holes to be drilled or none of the parts were missing...and of course the instruction manuel should be at least in English (not in Korean) and straightforward. Unfortunately, it wasn't. All the parts were there, that was not the problem, but in the end I was left with 2 plastic parts, 4 metal bits, 2 hooks and one screw. No explanation was given in the manual what those items should do.
With a bit of logic I deduced that the plastic was for the legs, the metal for protection, the hooks for the grill plate and the screw...well, i guess for screwing :)
Ok guys, the BBQ is up and quite stable. Let's grill the zucchini to death!
Now that we have a garden, friends, and a fridge filled with yummy stuff, we decided to throw a small barbecue party for 7 or 8 friends who happened to be around on this very day.
I thought putting up the BBQ would not be a problem, providing the pieces didn't need holes to be drilled or none of the parts were missing...and of course the instruction manuel should be at least in English (not in Korean) and straightforward. Unfortunately, it wasn't. All the parts were there, that was not the problem, but in the end I was left with 2 plastic parts, 4 metal bits, 2 hooks and one screw. No explanation was given in the manual what those items should do.
With a bit of logic I deduced that the plastic was for the legs, the metal for protection, the hooks for the grill plate and the screw...well, i guess for screwing :)
Ok guys, the BBQ is up and quite stable. Let's grill the zucchini to death!
maandag 24 januari 2011
January 3rd: Fake Cupcakes
My wife loves baking, but also sewing. So now she is combining both: making cupcakes from cloth. She also makes fake bananas, raspberries, turkey and carrots. Oh, and her fake omelets are a feast for the eyes (as long as you don't try to eat them).
If you came her to look for a real cupcake recipe, why not try the following:
Vegan Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
15 ml apple cider vinegar
355 ml almond milk
250 g all-purpose flour
200 g white sugar
9 g baking powder
2 g baking soda
3 g salt
120 ml coconut oil, warmed until liquid
6 ml vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 C)
- Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 18 paper baking cups.
- Measure the apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup.
- Fill with almond milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let stand until curdled, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. - - In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, coconut oil and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with desired frosting.
zondag 23 januari 2011
January 2nd: The Backmeisters
Since we got a baking machine we are getting fresh home-made bread every two or three days. With olives, with peppers or just with spices (chili, pizza, paprika)...
The house smells nice, the flour from Aldi Süd makes for delicious bread (you can mix it as well) and we never have to eat stale bread.
donderdag 13 januari 2011
January 1st: Little Drummer Girl
Eat your heart out, Ringo Starr! A new drum sensation is hitting the streets, banging the bongos like a little monkey...
Project 365: One Photo A Day
We are starting a new project: One Photo A Day. As you may deduce from the title, we will try to take one picture every day in 2011 and upload it here. It can be something that happened at work, an object we found interesting or a memorable situation.
maandag 10 januari 2011
Proudly introducing...
Great news! Our little family will soon be extended with another baby. Everything is going fine and we are all looking forward to May 2011 when she will be born. The doctor is quite convinced it will be a girl, and our gut feeling tells us he is probably right.
We'll keep you posted and can hopefully publish some nice pictures. The scan at the beginning of our post is not so clear unfortunately.
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