Yesterday, with -1°C outside, was time for a learning trip in search for a bedroom, involving, but not limited to, Villa Arena. Apparently, beds in this country come in 2 forms, ledikant and boxspring. Dictionaries are unhelpful (Prisma just translates ledikant as bed, and does not list boxspring at all). After analysing over 100 models of beds, I have come up with a theory, which has been supported by all experiments so far. A ledikant has a bed frame under the mattress, while a boxspring has a sort of second mattress there. So, an Italian would only consider a ledikant.
Still some way to go, but I've started making up my mind.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
How to become completely Dutch
Long time ago, I heard that it was possible to get free Dutch language courses from the city. Curious, I went to the stadsdeelkantoor (neighbourhood's governing office building) to ask for information. Not only was it true, I ended up on a waiting list. After a not-so-long wait (about 3 months) and an assessment test, I started the 6-hours-a-week course. It was great, an occasion to train, in a place where there are so few (Dutch know English very well and are eager to show that off, so they start speaking English at the slightest sign the other party does not master Dutch at native levels). And the people at the course became real friends, invaluable mates in our stay in a foreign country.
The purpose of the whole class is to complete the Staatexamen NT2 (state exam for Dutch as a second language). And lately, the school pressed the students to sign up for the exam. So, reluctantly, I did. A few days ago, the result: sufficient in all 4 topics (reading, writing, speaking, listening). A big thank you to the teachers and the fellow students, you've been great. The only regret is that meeting the classmates will become less frequent. But they won't be forgotten.
The purpose of the whole class is to complete the Staatexamen NT2 (state exam for Dutch as a second language). And lately, the school pressed the students to sign up for the exam. So, reluctantly, I did. A few days ago, the result: sufficient in all 4 topics (reading, writing, speaking, listening). A big thank you to the teachers and the fellow students, you've been great. The only regret is that meeting the classmates will become less frequent. But they won't be forgotten.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
A hard day's n8
Yesterday I went to my third consecutive Museumnacht. And, as always, it was frenetic. The hardest part is to decide what's unmissable, and plan a route which allows you to get to them all without wasting too much time moving from one place to another. A valuable trick is to avoid queues. If there are too many people queuing to enter, it's better to move on to somewhere else: there are so many open museums, and life's too short, and the night is even shorter. 7 hours sound a lot, but they run out quicker than you plan, and you have to plan that. So, among others, Foam, Artis and Geelvinck were simply skipped. What was left:
- failed attempt to find the Huis Marseille (nobody noted down the address...)
- Archaeological museum
- Huis Marseille (this time with the help of the brochure with the correct address). Very interesting, if a little shocking, exhibition about refugees around the world
- Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst (a letdown)
- City archive (been there 2 years ago, yet always a pleasure)
- Skipped Hermitage because of the queue
- Portuguese synagogue. When candle-lit in the night it's spectacular.
- VOC ship
- since it was 0:45, made a second attempt at the Hermitage, and this time the queue was shorter! 2nd tip: leave the most crowded places for last, so you get there when most people are already sleeping. Hermitage is a beautiful museum: new, light, spacious... the only letdown is the collection: it was mostly a description of the tsar's times, with no "real" art. Time to plan a trip to the real one in St.Petersburg.
- failed attempt to find the Huis Marseille (nobody noted down the address...)
- Archaeological museum
- Huis Marseille (this time with the help of the brochure with the correct address). Very interesting, if a little shocking, exhibition about refugees around the world
- Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst (a letdown)
- City archive (been there 2 years ago, yet always a pleasure)
- Skipped Hermitage because of the queue
- Portuguese synagogue. When candle-lit in the night it's spectacular.
- VOC ship
- since it was 0:45, made a second attempt at the Hermitage, and this time the queue was shorter! 2nd tip: leave the most crowded places for last, so you get there when most people are already sleeping. Hermitage is a beautiful museum: new, light, spacious... the only letdown is the collection: it was mostly a description of the tsar's times, with no "real" art. Time to plan a trip to the real one in St.Petersburg.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Some people visit porn sites
I, instead, go to Funda. So many objects of desire can be found there. I look at each one, look at the pictures, and dream of what I would to with them if only I had them. And, when looking is not enough, I ring the agent to book an appointment, so I can be by the object of desire, even inside it. And, of course, dreams stay dreams, and I cannot have any of those. For how long?
Sunday, May 03, 2009
In memoriam
My father has died.
Everything happened quickly and suddenly. According to what I heard at the phone, he was riding his usual Sunday morning bike ride, when he fainted for unknown reasons. He had a heart attack several years ago, so some heart problem is one possible cause. When falling, he hit his head on the road. He was transported to the nearest hospital, Lucca's, but he died some hours later.
He was 63. I spoke to him yesterday, and we spoke about normal things. We actually spoke about my mother, not about him. There was nothing to worry about him.
It is hard to think about good things in this moment. One is that he suffered very little. He was perfectly OK in the morning and dead in the evening.
First news came at about 12PM, he was in the hospital, but nothing about his conditions. Then less than reassuring pieces of news throughout the afternoon. Then the horrible news. It was so much news, and so fast, that I was not really realizing anything about what was happening. I only cried 20 minutes after I heard about his death.
When he left home for his ride he left his PC on. On Skype, he is still online.
Everything happened quickly and suddenly. According to what I heard at the phone, he was riding his usual Sunday morning bike ride, when he fainted for unknown reasons. He had a heart attack several years ago, so some heart problem is one possible cause. When falling, he hit his head on the road. He was transported to the nearest hospital, Lucca's, but he died some hours later.
He was 63. I spoke to him yesterday, and we spoke about normal things. We actually spoke about my mother, not about him. There was nothing to worry about him.
It is hard to think about good things in this moment. One is that he suffered very little. He was perfectly OK in the morning and dead in the evening.
First news came at about 12PM, he was in the hospital, but nothing about his conditions. Then less than reassuring pieces of news throughout the afternoon. Then the horrible news. It was so much news, and so fast, that I was not really realizing anything about what was happening. I only cried 20 minutes after I heard about his death.
When he left home for his ride he left his PC on. On Skype, he is still online.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
A piece of heaven for sale
Forgetting to say that my former piece of heaven is now for sale.
I don't know why I feel bad (just a little) about that.
I don't know why I feel bad (just a little) about that.
Privacy in a public blog
There are several reasons why this blog does not get updated, if not sporadically.
The main one, of course, is the novelty effect (the lack thereof). It is not the newest coolest thing anymore.
Then, writing a blog is ultimately a waste of time. And, lately, there are other wastes of time competing with this. Facebook (it is a waste of time, but I'm spending (too much) time on it these weeks), the old classics Google Earth and Google Maps (Street View is the ultimate violation of privacy. That's why it's so cool)...
But there is another factor. Privacy. So, why does privacy matters in a blog that can be rad by anyone? Well, for some imperscrutable reasons, the process of creating the post is private, even if the completed post itself is not. I feel shy/embarrassed/add your favourite lame excuse here writing a blog post with someone in the same room. That someone obviously couldn't care less, but anyway. Nobody said human beings are simple things.
Incidentally, the latter's one reason why I spent so much of my life in front of a computer (Commodore 64, then Commodore Amiga, but with my faithful 64 on one side, then a 486 which was my introduction to the wonderful world of PC. The rest is history).
Incidentally again, I grew more fond of my fellow human beings with the years. That changed me from a pathologically shy person to a shy/very shy person with occasional moments of extrovertion, and even some friends.
Enough incidents. The long period with no posts has not been uneventful. Job-wise, I did some sort of jump into the dark, by moving departments within the company. So, I stopped being a well-known and respected member of the old department, and started being the new guy in a department I didn't know deeply. Eventually, I slowly discovered that I was not so well-known or well-respected in the old one, and I wasn't so new or unknown in the new one. What happened after simply made me think that the jump in the darkness was actually a good idea.
Still job-wise, the company I work for is less rich than it used to be. There was a downsizing in January. It was incredible to see that the fired people were accepting their fates, while the people who stayed were more emotional. One would have expected the opposite. But everything was so sudden and unexpected, therefore one could expect the unexpected to happen.
About Dutch life: I begon an inburgering language course. The purpose is to turn a foreigner into a burger, that is a citizen integrated into society. A little hard (6 hours a week, all during work days), but great fun. And my Dutch starts to suck a little less. Still a long way before becoming a burger. Also, I got my first fines. Once I went through a red light with my bike, and a police's motorbike was standing there. The second time, my bike lights stopped working shortly before a place where policemen were waiting. And, of course, they resumed working shortly after.
The main one, of course, is the novelty effect (the lack thereof). It is not the newest coolest thing anymore.
Then, writing a blog is ultimately a waste of time. And, lately, there are other wastes of time competing with this. Facebook (it is a waste of time, but I'm spending (too much) time on it these weeks), the old classics Google Earth and Google Maps (Street View is the ultimate violation of privacy. That's why it's so cool)...
But there is another factor. Privacy. So, why does privacy matters in a blog that can be rad by anyone? Well, for some imperscrutable reasons, the process of creating the post is private, even if the completed post itself is not. I feel shy/embarrassed/add your favourite lame excuse here writing a blog post with someone in the same room. That someone obviously couldn't care less, but anyway. Nobody said human beings are simple things.
Incidentally, the latter's one reason why I spent so much of my life in front of a computer (Commodore 64, then Commodore Amiga, but with my faithful 64 on one side, then a 486 which was my introduction to the wonderful world of PC. The rest is history).
Incidentally again, I grew more fond of my fellow human beings with the years. That changed me from a pathologically shy person to a shy/very shy person with occasional moments of extrovertion, and even some friends.
Enough incidents. The long period with no posts has not been uneventful. Job-wise, I did some sort of jump into the dark, by moving departments within the company. So, I stopped being a well-known and respected member of the old department, and started being the new guy in a department I didn't know deeply. Eventually, I slowly discovered that I was not so well-known or well-respected in the old one, and I wasn't so new or unknown in the new one. What happened after simply made me think that the jump in the darkness was actually a good idea.
Still job-wise, the company I work for is less rich than it used to be. There was a downsizing in January. It was incredible to see that the fired people were accepting their fates, while the people who stayed were more emotional. One would have expected the opposite. But everything was so sudden and unexpected, therefore one could expect the unexpected to happen.
About Dutch life: I begon an inburgering language course. The purpose is to turn a foreigner into a burger, that is a citizen integrated into society. A little hard (6 hours a week, all during work days), but great fun. And my Dutch starts to suck a little less. Still a long way before becoming a burger. Also, I got my first fines. Once I went through a red light with my bike, and a police's motorbike was standing there. The second time, my bike lights stopped working shortly before a place where policemen were waiting. And, of course, they resumed working shortly after.
The four seasons in Dutch, with English translation
lente or voorjaar - autumn
zomer - autumn
herfst or najaar - autumn
winter - autumn
Well, there have been 6 consecutive sunny days! So, that's not too bad.
zomer - autumn
herfst or najaar - autumn
winter - autumn
Well, there have been 6 consecutive sunny days! So, that's not too bad.
Monday, July 07, 2008
A sign of life
The frequency of posts has dropped dramatically lately. This does not mean that nothing happened. It only means that I'm lazy.
Summary of what happened.
Summary of what happened.
- 1st-5th May: Paris, guest of a friend who lives there. Marvellous city.
- 18th May: visit to Brugge (or Bruges. In Italy, the French spelling is generally used. Which does not make sense, since it is in Flanders. But French is more familiar, or better less unfamiliar, to Italians). Excuse was that my friend Nicola went there to the TERENA Networking Conference. Fine city, fine company.
- 31st May: went to Naples, to be present at the marriage of a friend. I had never been to Naples before. It is a city with a bad reputation, considered as one of the unsafest in Italy. Innumerable stories about how drivers disrespect traffic lights are famous. And the waste problem is world-famous. Well, I found it a beautiful city. True, many streets of the centre are not in the best state. But nothing I haven't seen also elsewhere. True, the traffic lights near Beverello pier (where ferries to Capri and Ischia leave) are chaotic. But elsewhere it's OK. True, I saw some people whose look was not reassuring. But I was not harmed nor robbed by anyone. And I even walked around the old center between 4am and 6am (long story. To cut it short, when a hotel says "reception open 24h", it does not mean 24h. Or, maybe, the 24h are not all in the same day). True, there was some rubbish around. But not that much (admittedly, in the outskirts the situation was worse than in the centre). The marriage was fun, everyone was happy, and the bridegroom's speech was not boring! The day after, short visit to Capri. Marvellous island, small but with a savage beauty. The sea is almost as beautiful as Sardinia's (I'm still a proud Sardinian). Only downside: the pizza was not the best I ever eaten, it was only good.
- Beginning of June: Elisa came back
- Throughout June: European football championship. Italy didn't do too well. But I wasn't too unhappy (the same cannot be said of some other Italians who live here), it deserved what it got, and anyway it beat France. Disappointments: Netherlands (after such a splendid first phase), Portugal (ditto), semi-final Germany-Turkey (Turkey deserved more). I also discovered what happens when Turkey wins a match. The Turkish community is numerous, and the Turks themselves behave in a very Mediterranean way (which is the same as Italians behave). Therefore, thousands of people around, honking cars, flags, fireworks... And the square near my house was the centre of celebrations. Unbelievable, even more chaos than in Italy.
- 3rd-6th July: Rock Werchter. Loads of big names: Lenny Kravitz, Moby, Neil Young (incredible energy for one who looks like my grandfather), Beck... And of course Radiohead. Sigur Ros were surprisingly good. It was also an experience because of the camping: fun, the tent was waterproof so the rain wasn't too annoying, the mattresses were surprisingly comfortable. Not many people were sleeping, judging from the constant noise.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Amsterdam, Turkey
I came back home and, in the square next to my house, a group of people were cheering because Galatasaray just won the Turkish football league. This says a lot about the ethnic composition of my neighbourhood.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Povera patria
Did I ever say that I was proud to be an Italian? Well, I was wrong.
The only thought that the majority of my fellow Italians gave their votes to a liar, a crook, someone who pretends to be a libertarian and actually invokes state intervention everywhere (as long as he is the state), makes me sick. And makes me want to stay abroad forever (why not?).
Causes? Many. The control of the media is a big reason. The fact that the opponents are often old, afraid of real innovation, and costantly quarrelling with each other, is another one. So, all in all, the future of my own country is bleak.
The only thought that the majority of my fellow Italians gave their votes to a liar, a crook, someone who pretends to be a libertarian and actually invokes state intervention everywhere (as long as he is the state), makes me sick. And makes me want to stay abroad forever (why not?).
Causes? Many. The control of the media is a big reason. The fact that the opponents are often old, afraid of real innovation, and costantly quarrelling with each other, is another one. So, all in all, the future of my own country is bleak.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I'm dreaming of a white Easter
The winter has been rather mild. After a "promising" December with rigid temperatures, the following months have been not so cold, with temperatures seldom below zero.
December
After a Christmas which hasn't been so white, Easter, which this year is also the third day of spring, is unbelievably cold. It's snowing right now!
Snowfall, a few minutes ago
What will happen to the traditional Easter Monday trip?
Seriously, apart being forced in house, I'm rather enjoying this Easter as a single in Amsterdam (Elisa is in Italy with her family). I can't wait for today's dinner, which will be made by an authentic Sicilian mother!
DecemberAfter a Christmas which hasn't been so white, Easter, which this year is also the third day of spring, is unbelievably cold. It's snowing right now!
Snowfall, a few minutes agoWhat will happen to the traditional Easter Monday trip?
Seriously, apart being forced in house, I'm rather enjoying this Easter as a single in Amsterdam (Elisa is in Italy with her family). I can't wait for today's dinner, which will be made by an authentic Sicilian mother!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Sun, oh no!
The company recently moved to a new office. Larger, not cramped, with real meeting rooms. Less central, that's bad. But it could have been much worse.
Windows are large, so there is much light, and being on the top floor also brings a stunning view. I love trains, so it's nice to have the central station so close. Some trainspotting never hurt anyone, did it?
View from my desk
There is something bad, however: the lack of sunscreens at the windows. There is no need for them: Amsterdam's sky is always cloudy, every day of the year, so there's never sun. When there's sun, however, in the afternoon the rays go straight on the PC screens. In order to be able to work, we used a creative solution.
Umbrellas used as sun screen. It's like being at the beach, and you get paid (well, almost like a beach)
This does not happen anymore: now we posted white paper on the windows, so the view is less good, but at least the sun is not so annoying. After a few days, we received a visit from someone at facilities management, saying that said paper could cause windows to explode (!). Now we live in fear that a flood of glass splinters can come to us (not), until facilities management provides proper sunscreens.
Windows are large, so there is much light, and being on the top floor also brings a stunning view. I love trains, so it's nice to have the central station so close. Some trainspotting never hurt anyone, did it?
View from my deskThere is something bad, however: the lack of sunscreens at the windows. There is no need for them: Amsterdam's sky is always cloudy, every day of the year, so there's never sun. When there's sun, however, in the afternoon the rays go straight on the PC screens. In order to be able to work, we used a creative solution.
Umbrellas used as sun screen. It's like being at the beach, and you get paid (well, almost like a beach)This does not happen anymore: now we posted white paper on the windows, so the view is less good, but at least the sun is not so annoying. After a few days, we received a visit from someone at facilities management, saying that said paper could cause windows to explode (!). Now we live in fear that a flood of glass splinters can come to us (not), until facilities management provides proper sunscreens.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Sweet revenge
Last Tuesday I went to the bike repairer in Westermarkt, and tried to tell, in Dutch, that I had left my bike the day before to have it repaired.
The answer was "Could you speak English, please?"
Roles swapped. Eventually.
This says nothing about the quality of my Dutch, however.
And, yes, I went there because my bike had a flat tyre. Just for a change.
The answer was "Could you speak English, please?"
Roles swapped. Eventually.
This says nothing about the quality of my Dutch, however.
And, yes, I went there because my bike had a flat tyre. Just for a change.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Enjoying freedom
The period between yesterday evening and today lunch time deserves a post by itself.
A colleague lives in Utrecht. That's because he met a girl, 2 years ago, who studies there. So, when he joined our company and moved to Holland, a few months ago, the choice of the city was natural.
So, he invited some of the few people who haven't left for Christmas holiday. Those were me and 2 more colleagues living in Amsterdam.
The party went to a Greek restaurant (pretty good, not cheap and not expensive).
Then, Stairway To Heaven, a bar where rock music from 60s to 90s was played, and there was also a dance floor. The walls were covered with guitars, that they claimed had been played by famous rockers. There was also a shirt worn by Kurt Cobain, enclosed in a glass box and venerated as a relic.
Unusual things happened when asking for beer. Once, we got 2 bottles of champagne of beer. This means that we got 2 bottles of beer, but they were 75cl each (!), and they looked like bottles of champagne. Then we asked for 1 beer and we got 8. After telling the waiter we needed 1, he told us to pay 1 and keep the others.
The music was good, and it was also funny to look at the drunken people. A girl with no mobile phone started dancing with us, and later she told us that there is no reality and everything is an impression. Or maybe that didn't happen, it was just an impression.
After the closure, we walked towards the station. The train was leaving in 1 minute, and we needed no less than 10 to get to the platform. And the following train was 1:01 hours later. What now? The guy living in Utrecht offered us to sleep at his place. Good!
We walked for a long way in -2°C and got there. He had the Digitenne TV service, so we told him there was a TV channel he didn't know about. What happened next, in a men-only party, can offend older people, moralists and children, so I won't tell.
I will tell what happened after that. He slept on the sofa, while I and the other 2 shared a double bed. 1 of the other 2 didn't realize he was not sleeping under the duvet, and we were...
Time to wake up. We walked to the Wilhelminapark, see previous post. Then we had a nice breakfast at the Park Café Buiten. Even too much: chocolate pie with whipped cream, apple pie with whipped cream (again), croissant, tea, coffee, wrong coffee.
And eventually we got to Amsterdam again. Time to relax. Or not? No. Some Christmas shopping (not enough), and a visit to the Anne Frank house. First time, after more than 2 years here. Why did I wait for so long? (Because the queue was always terrible, and today it was reasonable, that's why) Really moving, chilling. People who only wanted to live a normal life, and tried in all ways possible to do it. Anne Frank wrote that, after the war, she wanted to become a journalist She did not survive the war, but she did become a writer. Or, simply, she didn't realize what a great writer she already was.
A colleague lives in Utrecht. That's because he met a girl, 2 years ago, who studies there. So, when he joined our company and moved to Holland, a few months ago, the choice of the city was natural.
So, he invited some of the few people who haven't left for Christmas holiday. Those were me and 2 more colleagues living in Amsterdam.
The party went to a Greek restaurant (pretty good, not cheap and not expensive).
Then, Stairway To Heaven, a bar where rock music from 60s to 90s was played, and there was also a dance floor. The walls were covered with guitars, that they claimed had been played by famous rockers. There was also a shirt worn by Kurt Cobain, enclosed in a glass box and venerated as a relic.
Unusual things happened when asking for beer. Once, we got 2 bottles of champagne of beer. This means that we got 2 bottles of beer, but they were 75cl each (!), and they looked like bottles of champagne. Then we asked for 1 beer and we got 8. After telling the waiter we needed 1, he told us to pay 1 and keep the others.
The music was good, and it was also funny to look at the drunken people. A girl with no mobile phone started dancing with us, and later she told us that there is no reality and everything is an impression. Or maybe that didn't happen, it was just an impression.
After the closure, we walked towards the station. The train was leaving in 1 minute, and we needed no less than 10 to get to the platform. And the following train was 1:01 hours later. What now? The guy living in Utrecht offered us to sleep at his place. Good!
We walked for a long way in -2°C and got there. He had the Digitenne TV service, so we told him there was a TV channel he didn't know about. What happened next, in a men-only party, can offend older people, moralists and children, so I won't tell.
I will tell what happened after that. He slept on the sofa, while I and the other 2 shared a double bed. 1 of the other 2 didn't realize he was not sleeping under the duvet, and we were...
Time to wake up. We walked to the Wilhelminapark, see previous post. Then we had a nice breakfast at the Park Café Buiten. Even too much: chocolate pie with whipped cream, apple pie with whipped cream (again), croissant, tea, coffee, wrong coffee.
And eventually we got to Amsterdam again. Time to relax. Or not? No. Some Christmas shopping (not enough), and a visit to the Anne Frank house. First time, after more than 2 years here. Why did I wait for so long? (Because the queue was always terrible, and today it was reasonable, that's why) Really moving, chilling. People who only wanted to live a normal life, and tried in all ways possible to do it. Anne Frank wrote that, after the war, she wanted to become a journalist She did not survive the war, but she did become a writer. Or, simply, she didn't realize what a great writer she already was.
Becoming a Northern European
There are already some symptoms. Maybe they don't mean I'm one yet, but maybe they do.
Summer was dismal, little sun, terrible. September was not too bad. Then, the temperature started decreasing, slowly but steadily. Some days ago, in the night ice was forming.
And, this week, for the first time the city woke up under the snow. It didn't last long, in the afternoon it had disappeared already.
The day after, it snowed again, and it stayed.
And today, I spent an unexpectedly nice morning with three colleagues in Utrecht. Wilhelminapark was covered with snow. Families with children had ice skates at their feet, usual for them (maybe), really weird for me.
And the weirdest thing: I and the colleagues walked on water, like Jesus. Well, in the sense that the pond in Wilhelminapark was frozen, and the ice was thick enough it was possible to walk on it. And skate on it. We walked, Dutch people skated.
Ice was making strange noises, like metal sheets. And we didn't know if that was something to worry about... Dutch people were not worried, and therefore we were not either... We should have been: one of my friends was doing the very last step before reaching the land, when the ice broke. Luckily, he was so close to the shore that he fell on the land.
After that, we were so scared we didn't try again. But children were skating, were playing ice hockey, and one of them was hitting the ice surface with his (her?) hockey club. Those Dutch people are scared by nothing!
Conclusion: I am actually enjoying this chilly weather with no rain! Today was especially good, sun and blue sky. Even though I like snow (maybe because I was born in a place where it never snows), I used to suffer incredibly from cold climate. Now I like it. Is it serious, doctor?
Summer was dismal, little sun, terrible. September was not too bad. Then, the temperature started decreasing, slowly but steadily. Some days ago, in the night ice was forming.
And, this week, for the first time the city woke up under the snow. It didn't last long, in the afternoon it had disappeared already.
The day after, it snowed again, and it stayed.
And today, I spent an unexpectedly nice morning with three colleagues in Utrecht. Wilhelminapark was covered with snow. Families with children had ice skates at their feet, usual for them (maybe), really weird for me.
And the weirdest thing: I and the colleagues walked on water, like Jesus. Well, in the sense that the pond in Wilhelminapark was frozen, and the ice was thick enough it was possible to walk on it. And skate on it. We walked, Dutch people skated.
Ice was making strange noises, like metal sheets. And we didn't know if that was something to worry about... Dutch people were not worried, and therefore we were not either... We should have been: one of my friends was doing the very last step before reaching the land, when the ice broke. Luckily, he was so close to the shore that he fell on the land.
After that, we were so scared we didn't try again. But children were skating, were playing ice hockey, and one of them was hitting the ice surface with his (her?) hockey club. Those Dutch people are scared by nothing!
Conclusion: I am actually enjoying this chilly weather with no rain! Today was especially good, sun and blue sky. Even though I like snow (maybe because I was born in a place where it never snows), I used to suffer incredibly from cold climate. Now I like it. Is it serious, doctor?
Company pride
The company I work for does quite a lot to build team spirit. A borrel every month (to be precise, not this month, but I didn't come in December 2005 and 2006, so that's not so bad). A summer party in June, a Christmas party in December.
It works. It is probably cheaper than increase salaries :), and the consequence is that people are, on average, very proud to work for our company. It is good for work and life satisfaction.
This year's Christmas party was better than last year's: the fact that I didn't lose my camera contributes to this. The place was not far from the centre. Food, while not exciting, was better: people were not forced to sit at a table, they could walk around, and at least the meat was not dry. Music was pretty nice, not too much house-techno (I hate it), more commercial music. Not many people went to the relaxed places: that's a pity, since the music became loud and it was difficult to talk to people. And, especially, it was nice to meet people, some after a long time, chat with them, and talk about past, present, and future.
This week, all employees got as a gift one of the latest products. A few hours later, Internet sales sites were flooded by such products being offered for sale.
And, on Friday, move time. The office where I worked for more than two years had become too small, with all the new employees. So, movers came, disassembled desks, packed computers, and made the old office almost empty. In the afternoon, since working was not possible, I and some colleagues visited the new office. It made us proud (again). It's big, spacious, and new. And there's a phone for each employee. We will miss the old office in the very centre of the city, the new one is a little further away from the interesting parts. Yet, it could have been much worse, all those dreary industrial estates that look like ghost cities after 18.00 and in weekends would have been depressing.
It works. It is probably cheaper than increase salaries :), and the consequence is that people are, on average, very proud to work for our company. It is good for work and life satisfaction.
This year's Christmas party was better than last year's: the fact that I didn't lose my camera contributes to this. The place was not far from the centre. Food, while not exciting, was better: people were not forced to sit at a table, they could walk around, and at least the meat was not dry. Music was pretty nice, not too much house-techno (I hate it), more commercial music. Not many people went to the relaxed places: that's a pity, since the music became loud and it was difficult to talk to people. And, especially, it was nice to meet people, some after a long time, chat with them, and talk about past, present, and future.
This week, all employees got as a gift one of the latest products. A few hours later, Internet sales sites were flooded by such products being offered for sale.
And, on Friday, move time. The office where I worked for more than two years had become too small, with all the new employees. So, movers came, disassembled desks, packed computers, and made the old office almost empty. In the afternoon, since working was not possible, I and some colleagues visited the new office. It made us proud (again). It's big, spacious, and new. And there's a phone for each employee. We will miss the old office in the very centre of the city, the new one is a little further away from the interesting parts. Yet, it could have been much worse, all those dreary industrial estates that look like ghost cities after 18.00 and in weekends would have been depressing.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Lookalikes
I've been told by someone, while I was walking away from the office, that I look like Luis Suarez. I wish it was true...
deep-linked from Wikipedia, license GFDL
deep-linked from Wikipedia, license GFDLNot much else. The only thing that makes me happy is to look at the Serie A standings. If looked upside down, of course.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
n8
Saturday last week was n8 day. It was the third onw since I'm here (the first was just 6 days after I arrived), but the first one I took part to.
It is great fun. Many museums are open until 2am, and with one single ticket one can visit them all. Time permitting. Yes, time is the biggest limitation: 7 hours sound like a lot, but, when there are so many museums to visit, they fly. And many people are around, so there can be queues.
My day:
It is great fun. Many museums are open until 2am, and with one single ticket one can visit them all. Time permitting. Yes, time is the biggest limitation: 7 hours sound like a lot, but, when there are so many museums to visit, they fly. And many people are around, so there can be queues.
My day:
- Rijksmuseum
- Van Gogh Museum (only the temporary exhibition about Barcelona, I had already seen the rest)
- De Appel
- failed attempt to get into the Foam, the queue was too long
- city archive (formerly a bank. The former vault of the bank has still steel doors)
- Stedelijk Museum (only the temporary Warhol exhibition, and not even all of it)
- Hortus Botanicus
Every cloud has a silver lining
Rain, rain... The more you see it, the more you should get used to it. Instead, all this rain makes me nostalgic of Italy. Not that in Italy it never rains... just not so often. In most years.
There is only one upside of this. There are lots of rainbows, also due to the variability of the weather, meaning that rain can fall and sun can shine in just minutes. Some days ago, a full bow
was visible from my office's window. And today, another rainbow while I was riding my bike (I was riding my bike while it was raining. Am I becoming Dutch?).
There is only one upside of this. There are lots of rainbows, also due to the variability of the weather, meaning that rain can fall and sun can shine in just minutes. Some days ago, a full bow
was visible from my office's window. And today, another rainbow while I was riding my bike (I was riding my bike while it was raining. Am I becoming Dutch?).
Rainbow between ships in Amsterdam harbour
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