Christmas Day 2008

Well, today is the day after boxing day and we have had a wonderful couple of days with visitors galore. Who would have believed that we would be sitting in our own home in Belgium, and have both Vennik and Morch family for Christmas day lunch - lunch that went on for hours, actually...

We started with Froie Gras and Sauterne ...

and ended with Pavlova and a wonderful sponge cake that the Bussem Venniks had made to warm our home.

A gezelig day had by all...

Merry Chistmas

Well, it Christmas eve and it's been a busy day today, getting all those last minute things done. I decided to go to the supermarket first thing after dropping Mike off at work and it was still nuts. There were heaps of people that decided to do the same thing and within 10 minutes of opening it looks like a Saturday afternoon. Alas no hams in Belgium, so we have beef and Chicken.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY.

Zurich Airport

Yay! I am so 'connected' now. Sitting in Zurich airport with my new toy, surfing the internet with wifi - I love this world of mobile connectedness...

But the other night I was so frustrated becuase I had bought myself this new toy, and if I couldn't use skype then I was damn well going to just have a bit of a surf. It turned out that day the internet cable between Afirca and Italy had been severed and all traffic to and from the Middle East was affected. It was ridiculously slow or not working at all and I thought I had bought a lemon, but it turned out the next day there was same problems at work and then I found out the cause.

Now I am in Zurich airport and I am so connected! I thought it was an hour earlier, so rang my beloved to tell him I was almost ont the plane, and he was not pleased, as it was only 0730 - Sunday morning. I thought it was 0830 - and then found I had an hour to kill - so out came the laptop and I found out how to get connected, I am so proud of myself...

Now I have the next month at home, I am actually looking forward to the cold. Believe it or not it has actually been quite cold in Oman this last week. the Omani's are wandering around with scarves, still with sandals on their feet though - quite comical realy as it is still 20-25 during the day and when the sun is out it gets over 25 degrees C that is. It has been cloudy and was probabaly about 18 - 20 degrees the day I left. It also rained the night before - apparently December is when they get all their rain.

Well, off to get on the plane...ciao for now...

Band Aid

They are playing Christmas songs in Oman - it's kind of weird - this has to be one of my favourites - I have heard it a lot lately. I can not believe it was almost 25 years ago! Arrggghhhh!!!

Going home tomorrow

Yay, it has been a very long two weeks! The day I arrived, two of my collegues were coughing and spluttering and sure enough two days later I came down with the lurgi - and I have actually been quite sick since. But now seeing as one is working for one's self there is no sick leave anymore... So I struggled on and finally tomorrow I get to go home and relax for a bit.

I also bought myself a new toy yesterday - a laptop - so that I could download skype and be able to do video conferencing with my beloved's while I am away. But I knew that the Omani government has blocked skype - I thought I would try a work around somehow - lucky one has an IT versed husband. We'll see what we can do when I get home.

I also got to have a cultural experience. An Indian collegue of mine invited me and another collegue to his house for dinner. He has been promising us a genuine Indian meal and now that his wife has arrived from Delhi we were invited to sample some Indian cuisine. It was an interesting night. We drank red wine from Chile, in the company of a Kiwi, Scott and Englishman from Yorkshire, in the home of the hosts from India sampling Indian fine food. It was wonderful, and mighty spicy, even though they promised us they had made it mild especially for us.

Get back home on Sunday morning - just in time for Christmas. Have a month at home this time - thanks to Christmas time and some f=good negotation skills. Looking forward to hosting in our new home this year - Santa better bloody come this year otherwise I am going to be mighty miffed! He never did the last couple of years, and I am sure it was becuase he was a bit confused with the move - not at all to do with the fact that we might not have been good... Perhaps ...

Sisters

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration. Instead of, like markJ, who when uninspired blogs youtube music videos, as I often do, I decided this time to take some inspiration from the opening line of someone eles's blogg and ran with it.

And like all pairs of sisters, of mine
We understand the secrets together
We know the moments we have left behind
Keep us allied beyond forever

Because, we know, like all pairs of sisters
It does not matter if we share the same blood
Nor the same gender, as some would insist
It’s the unity we know that creates our own love

Creature Comforts

'Snovember

Well we got the snow that they predicted this weekend. The photos here show a nice light dusting on Saturday and then on Sunday we got several inches as it snowed most of the afternoon and evening. We had some friends for lunch and spent a nice warm afternoon inside watching it snow outside, by 3ish they decided to leave as the snow started to settle on the car, for fears of not getting home.

It has warmed up over night - to about 3 degrees so most of the snow melted overnight. Nice to have the prettiness on the weekend but no hassle for Mik to have to hit the road to work this morning.

Sue's Home

Back again from another tour in Oman. It has gotten a lot cooler there now. When I left the office round 6pm on my last day, the sun had gone down and it was noticeably cooler, funny how 25 degrees all of a sudden feels cool.

But then I got back to Brussel the next morning and it was about 8 degrees - brrrr - now that is cold! Luckily my beloved brought me a jacket, as I decided to leave it in the car when I left - to avoid havng to haul it to Oman and back again. But I like the cold, especially when you ahve a nice warm house or boots and a nice warm jacket. I have had a really nice week just pottering around and cooking and cleaning until my heart is content - now I need to get back into some work again.

Mispronouncers Anonymous

It's pretty grand here at The Grand Hyatt...

Had an interesting couple of days. For the last couple of days I had to go through security to get into the hotel, as apparently the Prime Minister of India is staying here also for a few days. Haven't got an invite to the ball though - they are obviously not aware that I am in country, other wise I am sure I would have recieved an invitation. No staying here in December though as the Sultan has booked it, and two other hotels up for a GCC Conference. So it is back to the Radisson. But the good news is I found a really good restaraunt that is walking distance from the Radisson - it is Turkish and I went there tonight with a bunch a peole from work. Beautiful food and cheap! It only cost about 5 Rials = 10 Euros for starters and a main. I had grilled Hamour fish - it was the whole fish and it was yummy.

7 more sleeps and I get to knuffle my three boys again...

A slice of Dubai

Back in Muscat today. For those of you whom I did not tell I was going to Dubai, I was there for work. Lot's of work and a little sightseeing, but there is so much to see, so I am sure I will have to go back again - definitely with my beloved one, when I have some time to see some more sights. I really only had one afternoon, so I did the bus tour round the city. It was worthwhile when you have little time, but it made me realise that there is so much to see and do. I made it to the the Palm Island Jumeira, which you can get a pretty good view of here...

Or if you in the real estate market you can click on this... that was seriously impressive.

What seriously impressed me was the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Muscat, when I first walked in. They do not do things by halves in the Arab world - that is for sure.

Another new city - Dubai

Well , here I am sitting in a hotel in Dubai now. What on earth? - well yes I am getting round a bit for sure. I tell you what Dubai - as Jo and Steve know - is amazing. It is like the 29th century has been plonked down in the middle of 19th century Middle East.

The city is fantasical at night - a bit like The Emerald City - I think - not that I have seen it, but as I had imagined it. I found out this morning, after drawing back the curtains that I have a great view of the skysrcaper -cityscape from my hotel window, with a dwarfed Mosque in front.

The photo speaks more words than I can!

I have to tell you of my latest cultural experience last week in Oman. A collegue of mine, who is Indian invited me and my other collegues to an Indian bar, where there was Indian dancing girls. Looking around, I said, "Are you sure we are allowed to be here?" - "Oh yes, no problem. I was here last week and I saw some white people here." - "No", says I, "I mean is this a male club?". "Oh yeah, but that is OK."... "OK", I said, "they are not going to take their clothes off are they?" No ... thank goodness they didn't, and I had a really wonderful evening admiring the beautiful silk dresses and way in which they moved. It was very respectfull, more than I can say about my cultural experience in China, several years ago. But then I can not tell that story - certainly not in the blogg - even though I do not work for that company anymore, and come to think of it - neither does anyone else that was there....interesting...

Fun in France

A Chateau we visited on Sunday morning - Mik caught the image in the lake also.
Wine tasting - after this one we totally filled up the car to the brim...

Our little home for the weekend - a sweet little cottage in a country village...

Picnicing at Versailles

Back ... in Oman

So why did I only blog twice in the last three weeks?

Because of previous posts one is likely to assume that the silence has been due to unhappiness – but au contraire mon ami – this time, it has been due to major busyness – and a bit of writers block really - normally it is evening time when I am able to write and well, wanted to spend every possible moment with mon cheri - haven't I? I have had, I think the most happiest 3 weeks in a long long time. It was a wonderful feeling to move into a house that we own again, and it really feels like home – we feel like part of the community now and Mik is in major fix it mode - kinda necessary really - another story for another blog. I even spoke Dutch by myself (without Mik for support) with the Fokers (dog breeders – they do not speak English), when I dropped off and picked up F&F last weekend. We went to Loire Valley in France for the weekend and I even dusted off, what little French I could muster too! The Fokers even complimented me how well I was speaking too – very proud!

We moved into our new house, with all the big furniture being moved on the 13th of this month and around either side of that we have been moving anything that could fit in the car ourselves. Tell you what it has been a mission – that and Mik putting up fencing to allow the doglets to roam around in safety and putting in a doglet door (one for large cats actually – that I am sure Picasso would not make it through) so they can come in and out during the day as they please. And the timing is impeccable as Mik tells me it is minus 1.5 degrees in Huldenberg this morning. Me? Yip made it back to Oman – day one today of my second rotation. Luckily it has cooled off – phew – it is only 30 degrees now when I go and come home from work – during the day it is only reaching 35. I got myself a car this time so I can roam a little bit further than office and hotel.

Speaking of roaming, today someone told me they found a good wine called Goats do Roam. I said “I think you mean Cote du Rhone sweetheart”. “No seriously,” he said “it is called Goats do Roam from Australia I think?”. “Aha’” says I, “surely, that is something the Aussies would do”. But tonight I find on the room service menu – there it is and it is from South Africa! Just a sec and I can let you know if it is any good ... a novelty wine I think! It’s a bit harsh – but then I have been a bit spoilt lately.

Photos soon to follow from weekend in Loire Valley – we went with our French friends who live in Leuven and we had a wonderful time – absolutely knaffed on Monday but would not trade it for nothing. Between us we brought back slightly over our limit per car load – 90 L of wine! Yip we had a great time!

Red State Update: Sarah Palin Picked As McCain's VP

Even though I promised myself that I was not going to blog anything political, I had to do this one. "Sarah Palin is gonna make a terruffic VP!"

Broadening the mind is healthy

Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Broad wholesomeness and charitable views cannot be acquired by vegetating in one tiny corner of the globe.
Mark Twain.

Borrowed from Di at http://womanwandering.blogspot.com/

Muscat from the Hotel Window

I am now back home, day 2 of time at home. The last weeks was a wirlwind as my friend and collegue arrived and we spent time cathing up and seeing a little bit around. As we were both working we managed to visit some restaraunts, the mall, and the market (sooq) at the Muscat port. Belgium has really chilled off, the days are around 15 degrees and the autumn is here for sure. The leaves are changing colour - I am frozen after being in the desert for three weeks.



Sue & Ronaye at the sooq...

Day 14 done

And there you go, two thirds done of the first tour, only 7 days to go now. Ramadan finishes tomorrow, and is followed by Eid. The locals get 6 days off work for Eid from Tuesday - Sunday. Apparently this time is for family and fun and partying, in major contrast to Ramadan. It is customary that the children go from door to door asking for gifts and they are given money or sweets. Doesn't it sound like Lent, Christmas and Halloween all rolled into a month and a bit? Well to me the concepts seem the same...

Anyway, I must say this trip has opened my eyes to the Arab and Islamic world. I think you know one of my objectives in life is to learn as much as humanly possible and this trip has been well worth it. I have "connected" with my driver who is Omani - his name is Nasser. Yesterday he said, "You (pointing at me), your heart (pointing at his heart), white."..."My heart is what?", I say? " you heart ... white, you nice!"..."ahh I say, I think you mean pure or good? You say you think I have a good heart?" ..."Yes, you heart is good!". "Shukaran (the second arabian word he taught me on the first day - means thank you) - you also - I think you also have a good heart." Says I. Even though we struggled at times to understand each other we have have had much laughter.

This country, he says, is a land of too much...too much Indians, too much heat! Belgium I say also a land of too much, too much people, too much rain, too much taxes!

He also introduced me to Akon.

Rob Paravonian - Something You Already Know

This guy is very clever. I've been enjoying some of his stuff on youtube tonight.

The newly possesed house.

So we promised some photos of the new house and here they are...

We finally took possesion of the place last week, and I am only just a weeny bit jealous that I can't get to see it up close and personal yet for another week.

A lovely autumn day by the looks in Belgium too... we thinks some of those trees will have to go, so Mike has been measuring the circumference. Whether we need to get permission to cut them down or not is based on the size of the circumference of the tree at 1m high. Oh you got to love those beauracrates - we will likely need to pay for the privalige of them giving us their permission.

Just clocked day 11

I realised that there had been too many videos on lately. Well 4 of them were from one night of enjoying War of the Worlds on youtube. Thank god for youtube, and thank god I finally got my new laptop. It is so much easier being away from my three boys, when I have youtube, my new 32 gig ipod, a swimming pool, over 30 degrees and sun everyday, and some great middle eastern food!

I just got over hump day so it is all down hill from here. 10 more days to go and I am back on the big bird bound for my new house and lots of kisses with my three men at home. Big huge thanks goes to my love from me for sorting out the house buying thing, in a foreign country, I might add, but I must say I am a little jealous and can not wait to get in my new front door. I am day dreaming about it already. He says the previous owner left a nice bottle of champagne in the fridge - wat een schatje! - What a sweetie, even that she also left the fridge was pretty cool.

Speaking of fridges I got invited to a party last night, so I went. Unusual in Ramadan, but the inviters and invitees were not Muslim, so it was a well kept secret party. The guy that had the party had a bar set up in his front foyer, most excellent! He had all the bar paraphenalia, and a fridge with a glass front and I thought I would like one of those! So it was like the united nations partying in an english pub. It was a hoot and I got to socialise with my new work collegues, who are a bunch of really excellent people. I feel more welcome here in 10 days than I ever did in three years at my previous job. Even my driver, Nasser, gave me a present the other day... I will never forget this...

I mean to go out sometime and take some photos, so I can blog them for you. My lovey has promised some photos of the house on the weekend so hopefully we can blog some of them. Maybe I will ask Nasser to stop on the way back tomorrow so I can get some fotes. Saturday tommorrow and everyone is back at work, full on, as their weekend is Thurs/Fri here.

Oh well here is one fote that I stole of Greystoned. All looking super georgeous, might have something to do with the happiness shining through...

Flight of the Conchords - Ladies of the World

These guys are soooo funny...

"If every soldier laid down their guns and picked up a lady, what a wonderful world it would be"

Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds - The Spirit Of Man

Ditto - promise this is the last one...

Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds: Thunderchild

Enjoy but you must watch part 1 and Forever Autumn below first...

FOREVER AUTUMN LIVE

You should watch part one below first...

Jeff Wayne - War of the worlds (Live) (Eve of the war)

I just found out that there is going to be a 30th anniversay world tour of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds in 2009 starting in Dublin and I am totally going! Apparently they have bought Richard Burton digitally back to life for it...cool...

Reminded me of a couple of naughty sausages in Eizer

A few fotes

I thought you might like a couple of photos. I have not been out and about to take any yet, but nothing a bit of google images can't fix.

This is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. I drive past it on the way to work. According to my driver, Nasser, it is only 3 years old.


This is a view of Old Muscat. According to http://www.freewebs.com/alsalmi/capitalofoman.htm this is the History of Muscat...

"Muscat's recorded history goes back to the fist century A.D. when it was almost certainly the 'concealed harbour' mentioned by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. In the early Islamic times, Muscat was minor port by comparison with Sohar, but it was of growing importance by the 9th century A.D. Ships sailing from the Gulf to India called at Muscat to draw their last supplies of water for the voyage. During the 14th and 15th centuries A.D. Muscat increased considerably in importance. The famous Arab sailor Ahmed bin Majid sailed from Muscat and has left description of its trade in 1490 A.D.:" Muscat is a port, the like of which cannot be found in the whole world, where there are businesses and good things which cannot be found elsewhere. Muscat is the port of Oman where year by year the ships load up with fruit and horses and they sell in it cloth, vegetable oils and grain and all ships aim for it. It is a cape between who different routes, safe in every wind and possesses fresh water and a hospitable and sociable people who love strangers." Muscat reached its greatest prosperity under the first ruler of Al Bu Said dynasty. Imam Ahmad bin Said, the founder of the dynasty, ruled from Rostaq (60 kms south of Muscat). Under his peaceful and progressive rule Muscat flourished as never before. Under Imam Ahmad's son, Muscat became the capital of Oman. Through the eyes of a visitor C.E Parsons visited Muscat in 1776 A.D. The town was then the emporium of the Western Indian Ocean, and so effective was the rule of law that theft from the valuable cargoes that flowed through the city was unknown. Parsons wrote: "Muscat is a place of very great trade, being possessed of a large number of ships which trade to Surat, Bombay, Goa, along the whole coast of Malabar, and to Mocha Jedda in the Red Sea. It is the great deposit for the goods which they bring from those part: it is resorted to by vessels from every port in Persia, from Basra and all the parts of Arabia within the gulf and from the coast of Qaramaniah without the gulf as far as the Indus River, and many places adjacent to that river."

Day 7 in Oman

Back again - had a good day today. I was very proud of myself, as I did 30 lengths of the pool today. Never been much of a swimmer before so I thought I would start with 10 lengths the first day and increase it by 2 each day. Well within 3 days I managed to do 20 lengths. Then I decided to see what I could do in 30 minutes today and got 30!

So swimming has become part of my daily routine, as it passes the time and the water is nice and warm and relaxing. So the routine is pretty much rise at 6.30, picked up at 7.15, learn another Arabic word on the way to work, tell the driver something about NZ or Belgium, work, Scottish collegue tells me a joke or two, get picked up at 4.30, back to Hotel (possibly after a spot of food shopping on the way back), swim for 30 minutes, shower, guitar for 30 minutes, have dinner, ring Mike - talk for ages, watch a movie, ring Mike again - talk for ages, fall asleep if I can, if not watch late night TV, possibly call Mike again - talk for ages - fall asleep, and then it happens all over again - so I do this once?? - nooooooo - 21 f'n times! Then I get to go home.

Joke of the day - Scottish collegue (think thick Edinburgh accent)- says "Me oonkul eemmigraetid tooo Ostraelia und when heee arraeved at thee airaporit was usked uf hee hud ay creeminul recorid, tooo whuch hee replied "ee thought thut was nooo longer ay requirement!"."

Day 2 in Oman

So here I am 2 days in Oman. Sure I did not write anything after one day as I was in this exhausted state of “oh Christ…what am I doing? Surely the only thing I want to do right now is to be lying on the couch listening to my love serenade me on the guitar with doglets cuddling me “ … or knuffling – the Dutch version of the word, which I like better – more onematapaeic – if there is such a word as onematapaeic – well there is now as I just made it up!

What can I say about Oman? It is always warm that is for sure. Lucky for me not too warm at this time of the year. It is only 32 degrees in the morning when I go to work. In summer time it is more like 45 – 50 degrees. Surely one’s blood would boil at the temperature? I can not imagine it yet. I have arrived in the Holy Month of Ramadan – so it an interesting cultural experience for me. We can not eat or drink or smoke in public during daylight hours and there is no drop of alcohol existing anywhere – not even in the mini bar as they have cleared them out for the month. Good way to dry out and loose some kilos perhaps? I am told it is followed by a week of going crazy – apparently the Omani’s are party people, just not for one month of the year.

Everyone in the office is very friendly – heaps of xpats so they know what you are going through, plus the project is relatively quite young, so loads of people have not been here very long.. They remember still what it was like on their first day. Those I have met so far only joined weeks ago, months ago or on the same day. So we understand what each other is dealing with.

The Long Awaited Photos of the long weekend in NZ

I said something really profound today...

Today my collegues had a farewell lunch for me and after the ceremonial present giving of course I had to say thank you and I said something really profoud...

"This morning I was driving to work and thought, oh my god, it's Thursday - what am I going to say? I decided not to write a fomal speech and just decided to speak from my heart. In the car I thought about the years I was leaving behind and shed a little tear. So I thought - no I won't talk about that or I'll cry. Koen also promised me that he would not cry - so I am not going to talk about how much I will miss Koen. So this I decided to say ...

three years ago Mike and I were sitting in our spa pool and discussing this oportunity over a bottle of Champagne - or maybe it was good old New Zealand bubbles - I don't know. Anyway Mike said "what do you think?" And I said, "well I do not want to be on my death bed and think - oh I wonder what it would have been like" - so he said...that's it's then we go! So we made the decision in 5 minutes and now at least I know what it was like.

You each know it was a big challenge - it was a big challenge moving countries, but with challenge comes reward and the reward for me was growth. I grew tremendously as a person and I got to meet some wonderful people and I got to do some wonderful things...I got to buy a BMW at half the price it would have cost in New Zealand, I got to live in the same country as my sister for the first time in 10 years, I got to buy a new house - soon - but most of all I got to work with some wonderful people and some of you, as you know I am proud to call my friends.

What I think I will miss is the comaraderie - and as I am going to work as an independedent - that will be a big gap for me. You guys have a great team here and you should cherish that. The testimony to that is what we did when we got together last year and produced what we did for the Christmas party, the best team building I think we could have ever done. I really enjoyed that party - and I will miss the christmas parties, the team buildings and the breakfasts.

Thank you all for the little impression that each of you have made on me. You all make me the person that I am today and for that I thank you....

Now I guess you can all have dessert?"

The four day weekend in NZ

So this is it. We are now sitting in the Koru lounge in Palmeston North, as there was a high chance of snow on the Rimutakas we drove north to Palmy and still there was snow on the Pahiatua Track. It was such a fantastic weekend starting with drinks at the local on Friday night. Mum's party was a great bash on Saturday night. Full of warmth, intimacy and new and old friends. The starters and the stayers were one and the same- a good sign! Fotos to follow...

Off to New Zealand Today

Yip - off on the big bird again today. This time me and my sister are going home for our Mum's birthday. A previously well kept secret, but now the cat is out of the bag. We are seriously going for a long weekend. We arrive on Friday and leave the following Tuesday, but it will be worth it. Looking forward to seeing the whole famdamly again - Only two son in laws that have to keep the home fires burning back in Brussels.

The baggage handlers at Zaventem were on strike yesterday, so to avoid catastrophy arriving in NZ for four days with no luggage - we decided to book the train to London. So we are leaving a little earlier than originally planned. From when we leave Brussels on the train we will arrive in Wellington 34 hours later.

The Morch Kiddies

FIVE QUESTIONS:

Hi all

Inspired by the end of this article, I thought I might challenge you to share your answers to these questions ...

1. David Bain: Guilty or Innocent? Innocent.

2. What is your favourite drink? Champagne

3. Have you ever called in sick when you weren't? Yes

4. Do you run orange lights? Yes
(In Belgium orange means go faster and red means only 6 more cars please)

5. Who is your favourite politician? Rob Muldoon

Actually I was inspired by the whole article ... click here

The perfect e-mail rule...thanks to Jo

I am sorry I can not respond to your e-mails today.

Something has crashed on my computer and the mouse has gone missing...

Finally another post ...

Thought it was about time for a new post. Sorry it has been a bit thin on it lately, but there has been so much going on. So much that I just could not put out on the WWW for various reasons. Supersition being one on them.

Things have been pretty topsy turvey of late, but now I can finally share the latest news as it is all official now. Sue has a new job - woohoo! It has been several months in the making but now it is all happening, contracts are signed, notice is handed to the current employer and we can now all come out in the open about it. But what to say? Suffice to say it is a good career move consulting in my technical field mainly in Oil and Gas - finally moved on from the dark side to work for the evil empire, but it will take me to some interesting places to meet some interesting people.

Promise we'll get back on the bloggy wheel soon.

We did it!

After much deliberation and watching the market, we finally did it and tookthe plunge. Last night we signed an agreement to purchase this house. Arrrggghhh - very exiting!

Anyone for a walk?

Mr Frodo just infomed me that he has not been blogged for a while - so here goes. Mik caught this one during another doglet photo shoot the other day.

Three more sleeps to go ...

Three more sleeps and Mr Forrest is finally splint free. It is hard to believe it has been 6 weeks already, although sometimes it feels like 6 months. But we have to say that the guys at Anubis Dierenklinik have been really fantastic, even though our wallet is a couple of thousand euros lighter it has surely been worth it. I am also sure our Fozzie would challenge the record for the fastest land animal on three legs right now!

Finally got back on the bike.

It is Wednesday already and I am just getting round to blogging the Sunday happenings ...



We went for a ride, we did, Team Duvel that is. I hadn't been on the bike since the Rond Van Vlaanderen (early April) so it was quite a stretch for me. We only did 25km, but it was a hilly 25km. Somehow Greg talked us into it - there is only two hills he said - he neglected to tell us that the first one was 4.5 km's long!!!!

Needless to say, we were pretty stoked that we had taken Monday off, main reason being that we had another doggy recky to Antwerp to change the splint.

Joni Mitchell - 1970 - a good year!

Living ev'ry day - My Title ...

Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons ev'rywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on ev'ryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev'ry fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say 'I love you' right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living ev'ry day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

HiDef - BGT - Andrew sings Pie Jesu

Sorry to keep harping on on one theme - but this guys has to make you think ...

This little girl is amazing - persevere through the build up - it's worth it!

Words of wisdom

When in doubt, act happy - it will drive everyone nuts.

Heathrow Terminal 5

I was in Heathrow terminal 5 yesterday and what an outfit that was. Everything was brand new and the shopping was pretty good. I had several hours so once I exhausted the shops, I sat at a seafood bar and had some King Crab and Champagne, not a bad way to spend Saturday lunchtime - except that I was alone, as were others sitting around the same bar. While people watching I noticed one in particular that tickled my fancy. On the opposite side of the bar a young man with bright yellow Blues Brothers sunglasses sat down and never removed the sunglasses, then this popped into my head...

Sunglasses fastened to his face
in yellow, a mellow fellow was he
he drank his coke, alas no smoke
as we're in Terminal 5, a hive
of activity and revelry

One of the things I like about Europe

MarkJ makes the following post on his own blogspot last Wednesday...Beem me there

"The following email appeared in my mailbox today. I wonder in the future, upon reflection, if historians will view polictical correctness the same way that they do McCarthyism from the 40's and 50's. I believe it's gone too far, and sooner or later there will be a backlash....

The following is the winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A & M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term.This year's term was 'Political Correctness'.

The winner wrote:
'Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.'"

That same day I took a train from Brussel to Amsterdam and came across this billbooard in the metro...

Under the word drive it says "a mini". It is an advertisement for Spa Rood, which is water with bubbles. It goes on to say "win explosive gifts". I thought of Marks politically correctness blog and thought - in NZ, a billboard such as this would likely cause a stir - much like the Toyota bugger adds. Suffice to say I also thought how refreashingly practical the Europeans are, when it comes to free will to makes up one's own mind and make one's own choices in life, and hence take responsibilty for one's own self - what what!

Crickey it is June already

Back again, can you believe it is June already? The official summer time is almost here and the weather has been quite nice of late. Everyone is freaking out at work becuase Q2 is nearing an end and then in the summer months of July & August it is damn near possible to get anything done as people literally take at least one of the months off. Isn't it amazing what people get so uptight about. We have forgotten that we are really just there to earn money so that we can live and afford to do the things we love to do, but the ego seems to cloud that vision sometimes, well a lot of the time really ...

Finally things seem to be looking up in our household. You may have noticed that there has not been much blogging of the last few months and there is a good reason for that, or should I say a dreary reason. The reason is you will not find doom and gloom on this blogg, just as you will not hear us complaining about life's mishapppy meanderings in person. The point is things are looking up, even though Mr Forrest has had said accident he is on the way to recovery and the sedatives work wonders to keep him in a calm, sleepy, and healing mode - they work wonders on triming the edge of his brother too. While I write, I am at home with both of them fast asleep in their cages, it needs to be done I am afraid so that we can continue to bring in the bacon that keeps them in a manner to which they are accustomed. Today I am leaving a tad later to work as I need to catch a train to Amsterdam for a meeting. Quite a long way for a two hour meeting, but that's they way it goes with pan european business. So long as I can still sleep at home most of the time, it's quite fun to have the variety.

Well time to get to metro to catch that train, way easier than driving into Amsterdam and mucking around with parking. It's a 3 hour ride so better get into it. Ciao ciao ...

Mr Forrest and a Series of Unfortunate Events...

Sorry to say that Forrest is in bad way and his parents are a little worse for wear as well.



Monday last week, Fozzie broke his leg and it has been a hell of a week. Monday night saw Mik driving to Antwerp, while a thunder and lightning storm followed him up the highway, taking Fozzball to a specialist clinic. He had surgery on Tuesday and we were able to bring him home on Wednesday - several tousand Euros poorer.



Both bones in his lewer leg snapped in half and he now has pins and plates holding them together and needs a splint and bandage for at least 6 weeks. So now we have to keep him calm for the whole time - yeah right ... try keeping a Yorkie calm? Especially when his brother is Frodo alias nutcase! So luckily we have sedation but it is still a feat!



Sorry for the sad news - normally i try not to blogg unhappy stuff - but this is pretty big news.

We're back

Yes, well sorry to our loyal readers that it has been a while. After Sue got back fromm NZ, it was a bit of a whirlwind; first had to ponce of to Barcelona for a couple of days and then for a week's work in England. We then spent a lovely weekend in Holland with the Bussum Venniks. It was nice time of sitting and playing in the garden and on Sunday we went for a lovely walk in a Forrest. F&F loved it - for sure!



Thanks Eric, Marija, Neils and Judith for a warm stay.

Mik and Judith ahead of the pack...

Speech Animation in Paintings

Duffy - Mercy Official Video

Duffy - Rockferry

And I also picked up this one.

Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game [Official Music Video]

Amy Winehouse Back to Black

And on my way out of Wellington I managed to score this album.

My visit to Greystone

After spending time with in NP I managed to slip in a few days at Greystone. Click here to see thephotos and details.

The Mom Song Sung to William Tell Overture with Lyrics

Things I didn't know I missed

And just to top it all off - this morning already I have had Weetbix with butter and marmite, an anzac biscuit and now I am muching on a gingernut.

Back in New Zealand

Yes, it has been a while. For various reasons the whole bloggy thing has almost flown out the window in the last month or so. But we are back! Being back might have something to do with the fact that I don't fancy blogging gloomy stuff and now I am sitting in my sisters kitchen in NZ and it is so not gloomy at all. New Zealand is calm, warm and it smells fresh. I arrived in Auckland about 6am in the morning, and during the walk to the domestic terminal I could smell the salt on the air. Ahhhh, it was like being in paradise. Well actually it is ... now I know why the European's think NZ is a tropical island paradise - because it totally is!

An Obituary on a Birthday

Miss Cleo, born November 1993 and died April 4 2008. She had a long and happy life and passed peacefully in the end. We were fortuate enough to adopt her and her brother Picasso in 1993 and Evan & Sally of Greystone adopted them both in 2005. She was a quirky little cat and we all loved her.

On the same day, Forrest was the star of the show. It was two years ago that Mr Fozzie was born and of course we made a little fuss for both of them.

Funny as a Fart

Dinosaur Tries To Eat Pig

It is amazing what you can find on youtube when you have some time to kill.

We're back!

Gosh, it's been a while. Things have been pretty nuts here for the last couple of weeks and the evenings and weekends have been a blur. As you can see we did manage to blog some photos of Venice but after that the days seemed to have merged into each other. Mainly Saturdays have been lying on the couch absolutely exhausted.

But now I think we are back on track. A long weekend we have and of all things we got flurries of snow! In this picture you can see the buds on the trees that are almost bursting into life, just being held back by the snow.

Lucky there was no snow in Venice the week we were there, but it sure did feel like it. During our planning we looked up the weather on the internet and it was sunny and 18 degrees, we thought, woohoo, we'll take a light jacket and she'll be right. Suffice to say she was not right! A cool blast came in from the north and we could see the snow covered alps in the distance. We didn't realise it was so close to the alps, actually. Anyway despite the weather we had a wonderful time, and the photo Mike managed to snap of me with curly hair was thanks to the rain.

We also managed to get a ride in yesterday. It has been many months since any of us have been remotely interested in riding, but we got out in a chilly 5 degrees yesterday on the Leuven-Dijle Kanal. Following buying a roof rack for the beema, the Duvel and Fritjes half way was the best idea.

Kris strikes another pose!

Venice Photos

The Beer Essentials

Click on the new blog here http://beeressentials.blogspot.com/

Time keeps on ticking ...

Forrest likes to sit in the sun and watch for intruders, but I am sure he is looking at his own reflection in the glass. This is the clock that tells the right time twice a day.

Mika - Grace Kelly

Oh yeh, I forgot to tell you what attracted me to Mika in the first place. I thought he sounded so like Freddy... check it out!

The Goodnight Kiwi

From the days when TV didn't go all night and there was only one channel to choose from.

Tragic Romance

Seeing as we were going to see La Traviata in Venice soon, I thought it might be a good idea to understand the story line and found it is a tragic romance, in true passionate Italian style.

Here in lies the synopsis of Verdi's La Traviata ... I better take take a hanky!

ACT I. In her Paris salon, the courtesan Violetta Valéry greets party guests, including Flora Bervoix, the Marquis d'Obigny, Baron Douphol, and Gastone, who introduces a new admirer, Alfredo Germont. This young man, having adored Violetta from afar, joins her in a drinking song (Brindisi: "Libiamo"). An orchestra is heard in the next room, but as guests move there to dance, Violetta suffers a fainting spell, sends the guests on ahead, and goes to her parlor to recover. Alfredo comes in, and since they are alone, confesses his love ("Un dì felice"). At first Violetta protests that love means nothing to her. Something about the young man's sincerity touches her, however, and she promises to meet him the next day. After the guests have gone, Violetta wonders if Alfredo could actually be the man she could love ("Ah, fors'è lui"). But she decides she wants freedom ("Sempre libera"), though Alfredo's voice, heard outside, argues in favor of romance.

ACT II Some months later Alfredo and Violetta are living in a country house near Paris, where he praises their contentment ("De' miei bollenti spiriti"). But when the maid, Annina, reveals that Violetta has pawned her jewels to keep the house, Alfredo leaves for the city to settle matters at his own cost. Violetta comes looking for him and finds an invitation from Flora to a party that night. Violetta has no intention of going back to her old life, but trouble intrudes with the appearance of Alfredo's father. Though impressed by Violetta's ladylike manners, he demands she renounce his son: the scandal of Alfredo's affair with her has threatened his daughter's engagement ("Pura siccome un angelo"). Violetta says she cannot, but Germont eventually convinces her ("Dite alla giovine"). Alone, the desolate woman sends a message of acceptance to Flora and begins a farewell note to Alfredo. He enters suddenly, surprising her, and she can barely control herself as she reminds him of how deeply she loves him ("Amami, Alfredo") before rushing out. Now a servant hands Alfredo her farewell note as Germont returns to console his son with reminders of family life in Provence ("Di Provenza"). But Alfredo, seeing Flora's invitation, suspects Violetta has thrown him over for another lover. Furious, he determines to confront her at the party.

At her soirée that evening, Flora learns from the Marquis that Violetta and Alfredo have parted, then clears the floor for hired entertainers - a band of fortune-telling Gypsies and some matadors who sing of Piquillo and his coy sweetheart ("E Piquillo un bel gagliardo"). Soon Alfredo strides in, making bitter comments about love and gambling recklessly at cards. Violetta has arrived with Baron Douphol, who challenges Alfredo to a game and loses a small fortune to him. Everyone goes in to supper, but Violetta has asked Alfredo to see her. Fearful of the Baron's anger, she wants Alfredo to leave, but he misunderstands her apprehension and demands that she admit she loves Douphol. Crushed, she pretends she does. Now Alfredo calls in the others, denounces his former love and hurls his winnings at her feet ("Questa donna conoscete?"). Germont enters in time to see this and denounces his son's behavior. The guests rebuke Alfredo and Douphol challenges him to a duel.

ACT III. In Violetta's bedroom six months later, Dr. Grenvil tells Annina her mistress has not long to live: tuberculosis has claimed her. Alone, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont saying the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo, who knows all and is on his way to beg her pardon. But Violetta senses it is too late ("Addio del passato"). Paris is celebrating Mardi Gras and, after revelers pass outside, Annina rushes in to announce Alfredo. The lovers ecstatically plan to leave Paris forever ("Parigi, o cara"). Germont enters with the doctor before Violetta is seized with a last resurgence of strength. Feeling life return, she staggers and falls dead at her lover's feet.

A Funny Friday

Well, sometimes so much happens it's difficult to decide what to write about ... so here goes...

It was a funny Friday yesterday. Not funny as in ha ha, but funny as in weird; odd; bizarre. The previous Friday, all of a sudden 50 other people decided to use my road to go to work! Not the road I take to work, but MY ROAD! Well Steven and My's road. I have another collegue who travels the same way to work. Luckily he had just lent me a double CD of Simon & G, so I was able to enjoy an extra 20minutes of the stuff while crawling through Hoeilaart. So, Steven tells me of another way which I decided to try yesterday .... errrrrngh bad idea Steven. Instead of a 20-30 minute drive it took me 50 minutes and when I got in the lift to go up to the office, who should be there, but - yep Steven ... who got stuck in the same traffic jam! And it's Friday so we turn up when everyone else is merrily enjoying breakfast (Friday ritual 9am communal breakfast).

That was the beginning of my day and after work was even more eventful. I went to what I thought was going to be a farm to pick up some farm fresh beef, yes dead animal. It was kind of odd to see the "beefy" grazing in the field and knowing I was about to eat one of his mates. Not a connection I really wanted to make. If I had to do it myself I can defintely feel a vegatarian life coming on. But even more interesting was it was not a farm, but a castle - or more appropriately Le Chateau. Really interesting fella, who also provides us with fire wood, honey and now prime beef. So today we are cooking up "beefy" of the slow cooking variety and it smells great.

Here is another Gem

A boy named Sue

And then a classic... I suddenly realised that I knew of but had never actually heard this one.

Johnny C

And I think that Johnny C does a good job of it too...

Neil Young plays a new song ...

This is one of my favorite songs of all time and so simple.

Mr Bean does Puccini's O mio babbino caro

A little bit of track, but I think brilliatly funny! This is a scene from Mr Bean's Holiday which we bought on DVD and have watched at least three times and love it. What I really liked about it was that he was travelling through France with a Russian boy and noone could understand each other, which is what is perfect about it, I think.

Verdi - Traviata

Off to Venice soon

Well we told you that we had decided to do something different for our 15th Wedding Anniversary and had previously settled on a trip to Lapland to drive Huskies through the wilderness - but that didn't work out. They were not running the trip the week we wanted to go, and it was horredously expensive too so we decided to dispose of less of our hard earned Euros elsewhere. So we are totally going to Venice...

This photo I just downloaded of the internet, but we will blog some stuff after we get back. Not going till early March though. The reason we settled on Venice is becuase we started looking for tickets to an Opera in Italy. We found that a troop are performing La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi in Venice on the night that we celebrate our anniversary so we totally got tickets and built the rest of the holiday around that. The very massively groovy part of the deal is is that it is being performed in the same venue on the same night that it was first performed 155 years ago. The venue is apparently spectacular and we have booked an Apartment for the week right in the centre of Venice and a stones throw from the opera venue. Will let you know how it goes, currently brushing up on our Italiano.

I am the Walrus - Jim Carrey

Just in case you hadn't heard it - here is Jim Carry singing I am the Walrus - pretty good actually. Very Johnny L.

My Dream on

I've never had a huge amount of respect for long haired bands - but usually when I actually listen to their ballads I have to say I like them. Aerosmith is no different - despite the size of that mush!

Just as Living in the Dream was inspired by The Beatles - I am The Walrus, so my Dream On was inspired by Aerosmiths Dream on - en een kleine bijtje middenleven probleem // and a little bit of a midlife crisis ...

Dream On ...

Every time I look in the mirror
I’m reminded of the saint and the sinner
Telling me just how I am to go
Riding through the ebb and the fast flow

Dream on, dream on, riding through the waves in the mirror
Dream on, dream on, riding through the lines on the sinner

The progression of my life is the coming of my age
Letting the dust settle on the lines of the sage
And I know just where I mean to be
In the space where I am all of me

Dream on, dream on, sliding through and through every age
Dream on, dream on, sliding through the packets of the sage

Now I know that I can not read the prophecy
Even though it’s all about the new me
The mirror shows me just what have to I breathe
Not the humble worn out place I have to leave

Dream on, dream on, writing every word of the prophecy
Dream on, dream on, writing every cell and bone that is me

Dream on, dream on, dream on, dreaming, dreaming, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dreaming, dreaming, dream on

Aerosmith Dream On

Inspired by a blog from MarkJ at http://absolutely100percent.blogspot.com/2008/02/miss-independant.html I then went on to take the first line of this song and ran with it ...

The Carnaval Goes On Just The Same

It's been a big week, we were wrecked right from the start as last Sunday we went to the Carnaval in Aalst and it was mad! We had a wonderful time though. F&F came with us, and they were absolutely wrecked and slept the whole way home on the train.

Here you can see Sue, Mik, Forrest, Frodo, Ronaye, Laurent, Laurent (yep, two Laurents), Celine, Florian and Florian's date enjoying the afternoon in Aalst.

This borrowed from Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentlemen - The Carnaval Goes on Just the Same ...

What is this thing that comes here so
And makes us laugh and shout and cry like the insane
Is it real or just a game
The carnaval goes on just the same ...

La, la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la ...