On Friday evening, I didn't go as usual at the Heeren Van Aemstel. Instead, I went to the Open Air Theatre with the neighbour, her close friend and Elisa, to assist to a Bertolt Brecht play. Nice, well acted, nice scenes. No curtain, so you could see everything behind the scenes. Or, in a sense, nothing was behind the scenes, everything was part of the show, including the actors changing clothes and changing the set. The language was Dutch, and that didn't help a lot.
Sunday was the turn of a visit to the NEMO science museum. Although most of it caters for a children's audience, it was great fun. It was possible to put hands on a lot of stuff, and experiment oneself. And there was an interesting :) section about sex, which was aimed at young people. There was a video which was forbidden to people older than 18. Imagine doing that in Italy. Not as good as the Deutsches Museum in Munich, but very good.
And today, after a long pause, back to the swimming pool.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
I don't understand myself
Sometimes I really, sincerely, utterly admire Elisa. She is good at everything, everything she does she does well, it is a pleasure to conversate with her.
Other times I wonder how I can be attracted by someone who cares so little about how she looks and dresses.
Sometimes I would like to tell her that she should take a little more care in how she looks and dresses (only a little. I hate girls who only care about looks).
Other times I feel that, if I told her so, I would be an insensitive sod who does not really love her and forces her to be someone else.
Sometimes I think that I and Elisa go so well together because we are very much like each other.
Other times I think that we are too much alike, we do not complement.
Sometimes I need more freedom.
Other times I think that, if I had more freedom, I would have more freedom to take wrong decisions and ruin my own life.
Sometimes I am very self-confident. I have qualities, I have some interests, I reached some point of maturity.
Sometimes I feel that I am an annoyance to others, everything I say could harm others or simply bore them, and, anyway, the world can go on if I would not be here, and if I would not be here nobody would care. So I stay silent and tend to avoid human relationships.
Sometimes I take life as it comes, and enjoy the moment.
Other times I think that I should find a determined goal, and live for it. Which is what Elisa does.
Sometimes I like to be alone, independent, and in full control of my life.
Other times I feel that my life is empty without others to take care of, and who take care of me.
Sometimes I am unaffected by bad things that happen, I just bear with them and go on.
Other times I whine about how bad things happen.
Sometimes I complain that nobody understands me.
Other times I think that it is normal. I don't understand myself, so why should others do?
Why am I sleeping so little these days?
Amd, most important, why am I blogging at 7AM?
(BTW, 7AM is very early, not very late)
"I hate my life! I hate everything! I wish I was dead! ...Well, no, I don't, not really. I wish everyone else was dead" (from a Calvin and Hobbes strip)
Other times I wonder how I can be attracted by someone who cares so little about how she looks and dresses.
Sometimes I would like to tell her that she should take a little more care in how she looks and dresses (only a little. I hate girls who only care about looks).
Other times I feel that, if I told her so, I would be an insensitive sod who does not really love her and forces her to be someone else.
Sometimes I think that I and Elisa go so well together because we are very much like each other.
Other times I think that we are too much alike, we do not complement.
Sometimes I need more freedom.
Other times I think that, if I had more freedom, I would have more freedom to take wrong decisions and ruin my own life.
Sometimes I am very self-confident. I have qualities, I have some interests, I reached some point of maturity.
Sometimes I feel that I am an annoyance to others, everything I say could harm others or simply bore them, and, anyway, the world can go on if I would not be here, and if I would not be here nobody would care. So I stay silent and tend to avoid human relationships.
Sometimes I take life as it comes, and enjoy the moment.
Other times I think that I should find a determined goal, and live for it. Which is what Elisa does.
Sometimes I like to be alone, independent, and in full control of my life.
Other times I feel that my life is empty without others to take care of, and who take care of me.
Sometimes I am unaffected by bad things that happen, I just bear with them and go on.
Other times I whine about how bad things happen.
Sometimes I complain that nobody understands me.
Other times I think that it is normal. I don't understand myself, so why should others do?
Why am I sleeping so little these days?
Amd, most important, why am I blogging at 7AM?
(BTW, 7AM is very early, not very late)
"I hate my life! I hate everything! I wish I was dead! ...Well, no, I don't, not really. I wish everyone else was dead" (from a Calvin and Hobbes strip)
House
Not so good news about the house.
Some months ago, my landlady, back from India, seemed so enthusiastic about coming back to India, and looking forward to finding some sort of long-term way to live there.
More recently, she expressed the desire to resume her old job in Holland. And she did not want to renew the contract for a whole year. And she told something about coming back to her own home, of course with a sufficient advance notice bla bla. It is not the most reassuring condition I've ever been. Better look for something else. Pity, I love this house (I love her house?).
And, in the meantime, I hope that my employment contract is renewed. Because, despite a crap August with rain virtually every day, I still love this country.
Some months ago, my landlady, back from India, seemed so enthusiastic about coming back to India, and looking forward to finding some sort of long-term way to live there.
More recently, she expressed the desire to resume her old job in Holland. And she did not want to renew the contract for a whole year. And she told something about coming back to her own home, of course with a sufficient advance notice bla bla. It is not the most reassuring condition I've ever been. Better look for something else. Pity, I love this house (I love her house?).
And, in the meantime, I hope that my employment contract is renewed. Because, despite a crap August with rain virtually every day, I still love this country.
Plans for the future
Tomorrow I will be alive. And the day after tomorrow too. But I don't like to make such detailed plans such a long time in advance
Something new
I did something I never did before: I repaired a hole in the front wheel of my bicycle.
What do you mean, it is not new, and you don't write about anything else? The past times it was the rear wheel!
The eternal struggle continues.
What do you mean, it is not new, and you don't write about anything else? The past times it was the rear wheel!
The eternal struggle continues.
A story with a happy ending
No post in the last weeks. But the last weeks were not so uneventful. (I should have blogged earlier. But I always did something else instead. Much less useful, of course).
Last week I received a visit from two long time Italian friends, and their daughter, who will turn 6 in a few months. They came with their motorhome. Well, they had to take care of theit girl a lot, so probably they didn't have so much spare time to go around and visit the city. But it was fun. And the girl (and her father) appreciated the C64 DTV a lot. I'm such a geek I appreciate those things.
The last day of their visit (Friday past week) they went to my house while I and Elisa were at work, relaxed a little, checked and wrote e-mails etc. When they came back to their motorhome, which was parked in the same street, they didn't find it. They only found a bunch of glass spliners instead. So they phoned me, worried, saying "The motorhome's been stolen!". I was astonished, I would like to help them in any case, but the only thing I could do was to point them to the nearest police office.
Less than one hour after, an SMS gave relief. The motorhome was at the police. Apparently, a petty thief broke the glass and took a bag (which was visible from outside), but then, maybe seen by people who lived aorund, just flew away, neglecting all the valuables inside the motorhome. The police, in order to prevent more thefts from a motorhome with a broken glass, took it away (without posting any signs of doing that). And the bag was found a few meters away in the street. So, after replacing the glass, everything was back to normal.
They left Amsterdam and headed for the Hoge Veluwe .
Last week I received a visit from two long time Italian friends, and their daughter, who will turn 6 in a few months. They came with their motorhome. Well, they had to take care of theit girl a lot, so probably they didn't have so much spare time to go around and visit the city. But it was fun. And the girl (and her father) appreciated the C64 DTV a lot. I'm such a geek I appreciate those things.
The last day of their visit (Friday past week) they went to my house while I and Elisa were at work, relaxed a little, checked and wrote e-mails etc. When they came back to their motorhome, which was parked in the same street, they didn't find it. They only found a bunch of glass spliners instead. So they phoned me, worried, saying "The motorhome's been stolen!". I was astonished, I would like to help them in any case, but the only thing I could do was to point them to the nearest police office.
Less than one hour after, an SMS gave relief. The motorhome was at the police. Apparently, a petty thief broke the glass and took a bag (which was visible from outside), but then, maybe seen by people who lived aorund, just flew away, neglecting all the valuables inside the motorhome. The police, in order to prevent more thefts from a motorhome with a broken glass, took it away (without posting any signs of doing that). And the bag was found a few meters away in the street. So, after replacing the glass, everything was back to normal.
They left Amsterdam and headed for the Hoge Veluwe .
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Chores
I dared do something very difficult, yet boring, and possibly unrewarding: filling the tax return.
In Italy it was not hard, for two reasons. First, I was (and am) an employee, and taxes are deducted from my salary. Second, in Italy companies employ fiscal consultancy agencies, so employees just talk to a consultant, and (s)he does all the paperwork.
Here, one is on his own. The HR department does not know much about tax forms. And the form is strictly in Dutch. And I didn't find anything in it about the so-called 30% ruling. I would like to have my taxes back, since I didn't have a 30% ruling in 2005 but I have now, but the form says nothing.
On another topic, maybe I'll have to change house. The rent in my current house will increase, and Elisa is not sure she will stay in Holland after January, so this house would become unaffordable for me alone. And that's a real pity, becuse I really like this house.
In Italy it was not hard, for two reasons. First, I was (and am) an employee, and taxes are deducted from my salary. Second, in Italy companies employ fiscal consultancy agencies, so employees just talk to a consultant, and (s)he does all the paperwork.
Here, one is on his own. The HR department does not know much about tax forms. And the form is strictly in Dutch. And I didn't find anything in it about the so-called 30% ruling. I would like to have my taxes back, since I didn't have a 30% ruling in 2005 but I have now, but the form says nothing.
On another topic, maybe I'll have to change house. The rent in my current house will increase, and Elisa is not sure she will stay in Holland after January, so this house would become unaffordable for me alone. And that's a real pity, becuse I really like this house.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
What you call heatwave, I call summer
When I came, I thought Holland was different from Italy. Well, it is, in the sense that August in Italy is a summer month, while in Holland it has an autumn-like weather. But there's something in common: people complaining about warm weather. If it were for me, summer should be 9 months longer. 30 degrees is the ideal temperature. Instead, people, TV and newspapers complained the whole July about the heatwave, instead of letting the other people enjoy the wonderful weather.
The heatwave is over, it's cold (that is, you cannot go around in short sleeves), it rains, and I severely need a holiday.
The heatwave is over, it's cold (that is, you cannot go around in short sleeves), it rains, and I severely need a holiday.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Italy won Football World Cup
And I am happy. Because Italy won. And because France lost. Euro 2000's final needed a revenge.
Yet, I think that no World Cup final should end with a shoot-out. In 1982 there was a rule: if the match was a draw after extra time, it should have been replayed. The rule was abolished in 1986. It should be restored.
And, in 1982 (yes, I am so old I remember 1982 World Cup final as it was yesterday) I was far, far, far more happy. Maybe I'm getting old.
Yet, I think that no World Cup final should end with a shoot-out. In 1982 there was a rule: if the match was a draw after extra time, it should have been replayed. The rule was abolished in 1986. It should be restored.
And, in 1982 (yes, I am so old I remember 1982 World Cup final as it was yesterday) I was far, far, far more happy. Maybe I'm getting old.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Holidays are over
Very short holidays. The nice times of when I was a child and summer holidays lasted three months are over (well, actually I don't think that the times of when I was a child were nice, but there were nice aspects).
First, back to Pisa. Just off the plane, I remember how hot Italy is on summer. I like hot weather, but that humid hot weather was unbearable. Voted for the referendum (luckily, "No" won quite largely, so our great Constitution was not changed for the worse). Then I borrowed my father's motor scooter and I and Elisa went to Sardinia. Even though I am Sardinian, I don't know large parts of it. It was nice, a motor scooter really gives freedom of movement and you can feel the warm weather on your skin.
And the natural beauty of some spots was stunning. The island is very little populated (except that the coasts get overcrowded on summer), so there are large stretches of land in which you can walk for tens of kilometers and not see a house.
We arrived to Olbia in the morning, visited the city, then went to some archaeological areas around Arzachena, then to Palau, where we boarded the ferry to la Maddalena. We went around the town and the island, and to Caprera, where we visited Garibaldi's house. It was closed. maybe Mr. Garibaldi was not at home at that time. Jokes apart, it is so stupid to find a monument closed one day a week during the peak season for tourism. Apparently, since museums and monuments are open on Sundays, they are closed on Mondays. Don't those people think that monuments should be open 7 days a week?!? Especially in an island which thrives on tourism!!! After that we visited Luogosanto and Tempio, stopped in a bar in Tempio to see Italy's match, then we hit the road again to visit some churches, and to Sassari. That was our first day. Our holiday was more stressful than our jobs.
We visited Sassari and Alghero (great town, the most beautiful of Sardinia).
Alghero
Then went along the coast to Bosa (almost completely unspoilt coast, great landscape).
Coast between Alghero and Bosa
We shortly visited Bosa, then went further south through nice villages and unbearably hot weather, we reached the archaeological site of Tharros. We spent the second night in an agriturismo with nice Tuscan people.
Tharros
This is not Far West, but the village of San Salvatore near Tharros
The third day we went to Cabras, Oristano, Sanluri, Cagliari and then the final destination by the south coast. And the real holiday started, and lasted a few days.
The return trip was all in one day, along the east coast. There are incredible landscapes. At one point, the road which runs closest to the coast reaches an altitude of over 1000 meters.
Su Gorruppu gorge seen from the road between Baunei and Dorgali
On the ferry back to continental Italy, we watched the semifinal Italy-Germany. At the end people were about as happy for Italy's victory and for Germany's defeat. Apparently not many people in the world love Germans.
Then, I am back to Amsterdam. I shaved for the first time in about 10 days. The weather is much sunnier and warmer than when I left. It was so nice that, last Thursday, I and the downstairs neighbour had dinner in a park, on the grass. Geweldig (as they say here).
First, back to Pisa. Just off the plane, I remember how hot Italy is on summer. I like hot weather, but that humid hot weather was unbearable. Voted for the referendum (luckily, "No" won quite largely, so our great Constitution was not changed for the worse). Then I borrowed my father's motor scooter and I and Elisa went to Sardinia. Even though I am Sardinian, I don't know large parts of it. It was nice, a motor scooter really gives freedom of movement and you can feel the warm weather on your skin.
And the natural beauty of some spots was stunning. The island is very little populated (except that the coasts get overcrowded on summer), so there are large stretches of land in which you can walk for tens of kilometers and not see a house.We arrived to Olbia in the morning, visited the city, then went to some archaeological areas around Arzachena, then to Palau, where we boarded the ferry to la Maddalena. We went around the town and the island, and to Caprera, where we visited Garibaldi's house. It was closed. maybe Mr. Garibaldi was not at home at that time. Jokes apart, it is so stupid to find a monument closed one day a week during the peak season for tourism. Apparently, since museums and monuments are open on Sundays, they are closed on Mondays. Don't those people think that monuments should be open 7 days a week?!? Especially in an island which thrives on tourism!!! After that we visited Luogosanto and Tempio, stopped in a bar in Tempio to see Italy's match, then we hit the road again to visit some churches, and to Sassari. That was our first day. Our holiday was more stressful than our jobs.
We visited Sassari and Alghero (great town, the most beautiful of Sardinia).
Alghero
Coast between Alghero and Bosa
Tharros
This is not Far West, but the village of San Salvatore near TharrosThe return trip was all in one day, along the east coast. There are incredible landscapes. At one point, the road which runs closest to the coast reaches an altitude of over 1000 meters.
Su Gorruppu gorge seen from the road between Baunei and DorgaliOn the ferry back to continental Italy, we watched the semifinal Italy-Germany. At the end people were about as happy for Italy's victory and for Germany's defeat. Apparently not many people in the world love Germans.
Then, I am back to Amsterdam. I shaved for the first time in about 10 days. The weather is much sunnier and warmer than when I left. It was so nice that, last Thursday, I and the downstairs neighbour had dinner in a park, on the grass. Geweldig (as they say here).
Sunday, June 18, 2006
I miss Italy
When I came, I promised I would have never said so. And I maintained the promised for a very long time. But now that time has come. Why? Obvious reason: the weather. Not too bad in winter, in the sense that it's not worse than in Italy. But now, it's definitely colder. First half of May has been great. Second half of may has been dismal. I was afraid autumn was already started, even before spring was over... Luckily, first days of June were great again. Then, again, cold weather came back... Will summer ever come? Well, yesterday and today were not bad, let's hope the weather improves.
In fact, I don't miss Italy. Here one can see all World Cup matches on TV. In Italy, you have to subscribe to a particular pay TV.
A post cannot be a post without mentioning the bike. Now it has new pedals. The rest is old and battered, as ever. No new holes, this anti-leak tyre is working.
And the language: I still suck. As for writing, I never write in Dutch, maybe I should start in order to practice. I am not fluent at all at speaking, and my vocabulary has enormous gaps. I can understand non-Dutch people speaking Dutch (mostly). Well, I understand English better when spoken by non-English, too, and this could be a sort of consolation. But it is not enough. Anyway, who wants to learn a language which includes the word "onafhankelijkheid"?
In fact, I don't miss Italy. Here one can see all World Cup matches on TV. In Italy, you have to subscribe to a particular pay TV.
A post cannot be a post without mentioning the bike. Now it has new pedals. The rest is old and battered, as ever. No new holes, this anti-leak tyre is working.
And the language: I still suck. As for writing, I never write in Dutch, maybe I should start in order to practice. I am not fluent at all at speaking, and my vocabulary has enormous gaps. I can understand non-Dutch people speaking Dutch (mostly). Well, I understand English better when spoken by non-English, too, and this could be a sort of consolation. But it is not enough. Anyway, who wants to learn a language which includes the word "onafhankelijkheid"?
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Time for exams
Long time with no posts. It's because the bike works too well. Actually, after replacing the rear tyre, the rear wheel needed to be replaced because of a small accident (which cost me a fair amount of Euros). So, with completely new rear part (actually, I don't know if the tube was changed), the bike is going as well as ever. And the blog is more silent.
Time for exams. Next Friday I have the company 's performance appraisal. I am actually a little scared. It's not like a university exam, there is nothing to do in the last days, only what I did in the past almost seven months counts. But did I do what they expected me to do?
And soon, don't know exactly when, my landlady is coming back from her long holiday for a few days (after which she will go back to her holiday place). She will see the house, and maybe judge me for how it is maintained.
I am not really worried, but I am actually a bit uneasy about those two occurrences.
Also, the weather is like it's autumn again. Maybe it will be autumn until December, then winter again. There's something missing somewhere. I should be content to have had some weeks of spring some weeks ago, but somehow it doesn't seem enough.
Time for exams. Next Friday I have the company 's performance appraisal. I am actually a little scared. It's not like a university exam, there is nothing to do in the last days, only what I did in the past almost seven months counts. But did I do what they expected me to do?
And soon, don't know exactly when, my landlady is coming back from her long holiday for a few days (after which she will go back to her holiday place). She will see the house, and maybe judge me for how it is maintained.
I am not really worried, but I am actually a bit uneasy about those two occurrences.
Also, the weather is like it's autumn again. Maybe it will be autumn until December, then winter again. There's something missing somewhere. I should be content to have had some weeks of spring some weeks ago, but somehow it doesn't seem enough.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Bad, then good
Things started to go really bad.
Yesterday I realised I lost my bag. There was just one valuable thing inside, but there was one. It must have been on Friday night. So I went to the hotel where the company's party was
While going there, the rear tyre of my bike got its sixth hole. The same day as when I repaired the fifth one. Damn glass splinters left on Utrechtsestraat after Queen's Day!
The people at the hotel found nothing.
Before going to sleep I thought I could have left my bag in the place where I and some colleagues had falafel after the party. But it was midnight, too late to ask.
Today is 1st May, but I went to work. It is not a holiday here. This is the only country in the civilised world where you have to work on 1st May (in the United States it is not a holiday either, but, because of death penalty and the war in Iraq, I have doubts about it being a civilised country).
At lunch time, I went to the falafel place. They told me to try on the evening. I lost every hope.
It started raining. It's May! May is in spring, you know! It's supposed to be sunny!
I went home pushing my bike and riding the metro along with it. Just before coming home, I realised the chain I lock it with was not there.
So I brought the bike to the repairer, asking him to change the rear tyre complete with tube, and replace it with an anti-leak tyre. The conversation started in Dutch, but I was unable to understand his second or third sentence, so we switched to English.
Luckily, after 15 minutes and some tenths of euros, the bike was ready. This blog will become much more silent now. Or at least I hope.
Then I took the metro (it was still raining like hell, better not to use the bike) and went to the city center. I found the chain just where my bike was parked. It must have fallen off just after I unchained it.
Then I went to the falafel place again. My bag was there! And all its content!
Let's hope tomorrow is sunny and warm!
Yesterday I realised I lost my bag. There was just one valuable thing inside, but there was one. It must have been on Friday night. So I went to the hotel where the company's party was
While going there, the rear tyre of my bike got its sixth hole. The same day as when I repaired the fifth one. Damn glass splinters left on Utrechtsestraat after Queen's Day!
The people at the hotel found nothing.
Before going to sleep I thought I could have left my bag in the place where I and some colleagues had falafel after the party. But it was midnight, too late to ask.
Today is 1st May, but I went to work. It is not a holiday here. This is the only country in the civilised world where you have to work on 1st May (in the United States it is not a holiday either, but, because of death penalty and the war in Iraq, I have doubts about it being a civilised country).
At lunch time, I went to the falafel place. They told me to try on the evening. I lost every hope.
It started raining. It's May! May is in spring, you know! It's supposed to be sunny!
I went home pushing my bike and riding the metro along with it. Just before coming home, I realised the chain I lock it with was not there.
So I brought the bike to the repairer, asking him to change the rear tyre complete with tube, and replace it with an anti-leak tyre. The conversation started in Dutch, but I was unable to understand his second or third sentence, so we switched to English.
Luckily, after 15 minutes and some tenths of euros, the bike was ready. This blog will become much more silent now. Or at least I hope.
Then I took the metro (it was still raining like hell, better not to use the bike) and went to the city center. I found the chain just where my bike was parked. It must have fallen off just after I unchained it.
Then I went to the falafel place again. My bag was there! And all its content!
Let's hope tomorrow is sunny and warm!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Queen's Day
Yesterday was Queen's Day. It's 30th April every year. What do you say, yesterday was 29th? Well, apparently there's a rule for which, if 30th April is Sunday, Queen's Day is on 29th that year.
Dutch people go mad on that day. People on streets, live music in stages all over the city, orange clothes (Oranje is the royal family. And also the colour of the football's national team).
In many places, including around where I live, there was the free market: everyone could sell thier used objects. It was more of a dump than a market, with old and useless stuff for sale, but it was fun. Also, stands with food, books, children plays...
Then I and Elisa met in Leidseplein with some of her colleagues, nice people. We strolled around the crowded streets, until finally we got to the Jordaan district and stopped in a pub.
People in boats in the canals
The wise man does not piss in the wind (a Latin inscription near Leidseplein)
A guy who charged 1 Euro to have eggs thrown on him. But very few could hit him
It was very hard to find a place to eat, but, after a long wait, we did. And, after that, we went home with the metro (as there were no trams and buses in the centre). A very fun day.
Dutch people go mad on that day. People on streets, live music in stages all over the city, orange clothes (Oranje is the royal family. And also the colour of the football's national team).
In many places, including around where I live, there was the free market: everyone could sell thier used objects. It was more of a dump than a market, with old and useless stuff for sale, but it was fun. Also, stands with food, books, children plays...
Then I and Elisa met in Leidseplein with some of her colleagues, nice people. We strolled around the crowded streets, until finally we got to the Jordaan district and stopped in a pub.
People in boats in the canals
The wise man does not piss in the wind (a Latin inscription near Leidseplein)
A guy who charged 1 Euro to have eggs thrown on him. But very few could hit himMaybe I will learn this bloody language (eventually) (in 10 years, or more)
I found an ad from a man wanting to exchange Dutch lessons with Italian lessons. So I answered. We exchanged some e-mails: mine were written in Dutch, and his in Italian, and we corrected each other's mistakes.
On Thursday we met. His name is Gert and he is very keen to learn Italian. He already writes very well, and speaks it slowly but correctly. I also tried to speak, and discovered (as if I didn't know before) that I still speak in a terrible way. Slowly, without knowing the indispensable words, and with completely wrong word order. .
But I found the evening very useful. Practice is definitely what's needed. If he is patient enough to bear with me and my horrible Dutch, we both will benefit.
On Thursday we met. His name is Gert and he is very keen to learn Italian. He already writes very well, and speaks it slowly but correctly. I also tried to speak, and discovered (as if I didn't know before) that I still speak in a terrible way. Slowly, without knowing the indispensable words, and with completely wrong word order. .
But I found the evening very useful. Practice is definitely what's needed. If he is patient enough to bear with me and my horrible Dutch, we both will benefit.
Five
Another hole in my bike's rear tyre. The fifth one. My neighbours tell me I should throw away the bike. Maybe they're right. Surely, a visit to a (trustworthy) bike repairer is necessary
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Leaks
Last Thursday I fixed a leak in the rear tyre of my bycicle. It's the fourth time since I'm here. Maybe this blog should be renamed to The eternal struggle of one man against one bike and only report about leaky tyres. There would be enough material to fill a blog, although it would get a little repetitive.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Visits
After being in Italy for the elections, I'm back to Amsterdam. So I spent Easter in the Netherlands. Many tourists came here for the holidays, so the city is much more crowded than usual.
Among those tourists, two former colleagues of mine, of the time I worked in Turin, with their respective girlfriends (one of which works in the same place). It was a pleasant experience. We first met on Friday evening, they let me and Elisa (who didn't know them) in their hotel room (note: they were not use to Amsterdam's steep stairs), then we had pizza together (real Italians! We dared eat one of those touristy, un-authentic, mozzarella-less pizzas! Not so bad though) and had a little walk. On Saturday we did probably the most touristy thing we could: a boat ride through the canals. It was the first time for them, and for us too.
The six bridges over the Reguliersgracht
A house-boat for sale. Anyone wanna buy?
Then everybody came to my house, including a Dutch friend who studied in Turin for his Erasmus, and now studies in Delft. Italian food galore. Actually, not so much, it was the first time a dinner was prepared for so many people. But everybody seemed satisfied. Overall, they've been two great days. Let's hope my friends could visit the Anne Frank museum (when they tried, the queue for the tickets was just too long) before coming home.
Among those tourists, two former colleagues of mine, of the time I worked in Turin, with their respective girlfriends (one of which works in the same place). It was a pleasant experience. We first met on Friday evening, they let me and Elisa (who didn't know them) in their hotel room (note: they were not use to Amsterdam's steep stairs), then we had pizza together (real Italians! We dared eat one of those touristy, un-authentic, mozzarella-less pizzas! Not so bad though) and had a little walk. On Saturday we did probably the most touristy thing we could: a boat ride through the canals. It was the first time for them, and for us too.
The six bridges over the Reguliersgracht
A house-boat for sale. Anyone wanna buy?
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Funny signs
No alcohol (in the Oosterpark)
No noisy thingies. Also no grilled meat (or whatever is that in the bottom right) (in the Vondelpark)
Danger, birds! (on the road to Marken)Some years ago, in Eindhoven, I saw a "No pissing" sign, which is even weirder than those.
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