Whoops, I forgot I'd been tagged

Via chimera and iggy (and hopefully am not forgetting anyone).

Each person tagged gives seven random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write on their blog seven facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and need to read your blog.

1) My head is almost spinning... When does July start again?

2) Newest favourite quote as seen on the London tube: "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - by Virginia Woolf

3) I'm thoroughly frustrated that I have NO travel planned from now on. And no, weekends in Gelderland and Friesland don't count. Grrrr.

4) You sometimes hear that you could probably make a personality sketch of the books people read or what they have in their house. So, riddle me this, my latest reads and purchases: Platform - Houellebecq, Strange Days - Murakami (Ryu), Cosmopolitanism - Appiah, Small Gods - Pratchett, In search of Kazakhstan - Robbins. Hmm.

5) Have taken on a two-day freelance gig. If the guy on the phone was right, I should definitely be changing careers! Actually, come to think of it, it could solve #3 ;-)

6) Am recently discovering that I'm very clueless and naive about some stuff (oh, and cryptic, but too many people are reading this I'm afraid...). It's weird how things are always so out of balance....

7) And another recent discovery - Lauryn Hill's unplugged cd. Excellent music for coming home late at night needing to clear my head (see #1).

Unfortunately it seems that almost everyone else in the blog-posse has been tagged already so am leaving this up here for who ever feels like continuing on to their own blog - it's yours!

Londinium

Back from a long weekend wandering around in very British weather. Ugh.

But, had a great few days - despite some accomodation issues, the weather, and a big delay on the flight back.

It confirmed my idea that I'd really enjoy this city to live in for a while. Met some old friends again which was great and definitely added to making this a good weekend :-D

Am superbusy so if you see pictures appearing here or on flickr anytime before the weekend that is not actually a good sign since I should be doing other stuff! so, more later.

Random dots

• I can't make up my mind. I was walking around the Ministry of Economic Affairs this morning and thinking: 'this is the type of work I want to do. International, challenging, etc etc. I should stop bothering with all the rest of it'. Then tonight I was at a civic forum (is that the word?) - participative (is that English?) democracy at a very local level. And thinking 'I want to know more about this, this is fascinating stuff'. Gah. Although admittedly, I suspect the first thought might be recurring more often....
• am looking for information about legislation in Japan. Can anyone help? I don't know where to look... apparently there's a legal revision entering into force on June 7 (or being confirmed then?) and it should be about day-to-day living conditions of inmates (specifically on death row?). I don't really know where to find out more - this is all I have. Anyone?
• Two more sleeps until London! Wheeee!
• Lots of jobhunting stuff to work on - don't know when though...
• The more I read Japanese over the last few days the more I'm freaking out about the interpreting job. I can't back out anymore, can I? :-/
• Oh and, my resolutions from the beginning of the week (pc off by 10pm, in bed by 11pm, breakfast!) are failing miserably.... *sigh*
  

Lists

I tend to make lists of stuff I need to do. And then generally don't pay any attention to them.

Lately I've been doing much better though. As in: my lists are long....! And the good thing about the current lists is that I'm really paying attention to them and that there's a fair bit of crossing off to be done as well. Excellent. I feel I'm actually making progress.

Unfortunately the length of these lists is not diminishing as new stuff is added even quicker than I can work to get rid of the old stuff.

*sigh*

As always this is again proof that I need to be busy to actually get myself into gear and working. Gah. And currently I'm not even getting around to the more important (but more difficult and time-consuming) things. Like tomorrow's meetings.... I know I'll hate myself for this in the morning.

Hmmmm....

Semi-continuing on from yesterday's post, of course I enjoy most of the stuff I do related to Japan. Such as this afternoon, when we had organized a sake tasting session. Ten different types of sake with explanations about what makes sake different etc. And of course sushi! Very good afternoon.

As a result I now have half a bottle of bishonen sake at home which should be drunk in the next few days. Does anyone want to come and help?

Osaka

(sorry, a mushy post)

I was chatting to a very good friend of mine earlier this afternoon which made me realize again how much I miss some people. We hardly ever properly talk, but really, I should just make more time to stay in touch with these friends!

It also made me realize that my travels over the past half year have all been connected by one thing: Osaka.

I guess by now I can honestly say that I made some close friends when living there in '01/'02. I can't believe it's already been five years!

The trip to Krakow was together with a friend I met in Osaka. St. Petersburg was partly to see a friend I met in Osaka. Antwerp and most of all Leuven was to attend a wedding of friends from Osaka. And the upcoming trip to London is together with the Krakow-friend and we'll be meeting up with a friend who we met in - you guessed it - Osaka.

Seriously, travelling to see friends is one of the most ideal ways of travelling. It is so good to find out how people are doing, and to have them show you their life and their city.

Maybe it's the wine from tonight, but I can't help feeling really lucky to have these people as my friends. Not surprisingly, the friend I openend this post with is also an Osaka-contact. Can't wait to see him again - hopefully this year too as a trip to Spain with many of these people is supposedly on the calendar....

Pulled back in

I don't actually want to do anything with Japanese in a future job (let's put that another way: I don't want a job which is 100% focused on Japan). And for the past two years, since returning from Tokyo, I haven't been looking in this direction at all.

Yet, I keep being pulled back into the Japan-field.

Of course, I ultimately chose to take these opportunities because I think/hope I can use them to my advantage in other ways. And not least because I enjoy them.
But still, it is turning out to be tough to completely step away from Japan.

So, the next two weeks will be spent frantically brushing up my Japanese knowledge on anatomy and the like. *sigh* At least it is a big compliment that the person I will be interpreting for specifically asked for me, right?

Phones

I admit that I don't particularly like phones. I would much rather make appointments and communicate through email - especially if it's something where it is important to make a good impression and then the phone just seems a lot more risky.

But, I also do see that it is so much more effective. In my last job almost everything would be communicated through email. I tend to do this as well in my current job but my boss picks up the phone, or even better, gets up and walks over to the other office even if he's busy doing other stuff. And he gets things done immediately.

Not surprising of course. And I don't really know why I don't like phones but I'm definitely going to change my ways with this.

Am I the only one like this? I can't be alone in my dislike of phones, right?

On a similar note, someone said the other day that texting should be illegal in romantic relationships. Absolutely. So why aren't we picking up the phone to actually talk to eachother? Gah.

Ontlurken

I should probably write this in Dutch, but let's not confuse too many people.

Just stumbled onto Zezunja's post on the Dutch de-lurking week*. A fairly hilarious idea I thought, and I know there are plenty of people reading this but not making themselves known, i.e. lurkers.

Now is the time. From 14th May until the 20th May.

I look forward to finding out who else unexpected is reading!

* There should also be an international/English week, but haven't been able yet to find out when. January, I think?

Monocle

I posted about the magazine before, but the new issue of Monocle again has some cool features it seems:

- M-Flo! A big piece on one of the members, DJ Verbal. Plus a single to listen to on-line. Yay.

- there should (can't find it online) also be an article in there on what is supposedly the world's most bicycle-friendly city: Groningen! My furusato, in a way, so quite surprising to see it in this magazine.

Maybe I should start buying it but at E10 per issue...

Too many hats?

Sometimes it feels like I'm too busy for my own good. Not often, but at the moment I have a To Do list which is much too long with way too many different things on there.

My evening tonight:
* in the train home studying about local government and the politics behind it all;
* sending out some emails for an ex-student club thing I'm involved in;
* making some phone calls to prepare a meeting that I have on the weekend for a Japanese alumni association;
* continuing on to my inbox from my volunteer work to write some emails and prepare tomorrow's PM meeting;
* finally getting around to having a look at tomorrow's AM meeting and focusing on that for a bit - actually the most important of the list!
* and finishing off with a few jobhunting ideas...

And I wonder why I'm tired. Luckily tomorrow is a day off (well, after my two meetings that is...)

[disclaimer - despite evenings like this, I love the stuff I do. If I wouldn't have things like this to keep me occupied, thinking and challenged I'd turn into one huge couch potato! Yuck.]

Two things

* I sometimes forget that this blog isn't quite as anonymous anymore as it started out.... Hmm. Not bad in itself, but I sometimes catch myself having written stuff that maybe shouldn't have been out here. Or I find out about people reading who I didn't think were reading at all (although this is usually a good thing I think). Oh well.

* One of the things that is suddenly very different since leaving my last job: I don't speak English anymore! My life used to be bilingual. English in the office, a little bit of Dutch/German/French in between; Dutch outside of the office with English mixed in with certain friends and so on. Right now it's all English. Except for the occasional phone call or meeting with non-Dutch friends. Quite bizarre.

Meme

I've run out of inspiration for the one-post-a-day-thing, so am tagging onto Jo's meme:

1. PICK OUT A SCAR YOU HAVE, AND EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT IT.
I have a small dent in my shin when I fell onto the corner of the back part of a furniture truck which was unloading my parents' new living room furniture when I was about 10 or so.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
In my kitchen: a 1960's Mao poster. In my living room: a hand-written Japanese kanji scroll and a blue African print-type cloth.

3. WHAT DOES YOUR PHONE LOOK LIKE.
A very standard Sony Ericsson model. I would LOVE to use my hot pink Japanese phone here though!

4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
All kinds. Lately, a lot of Zita Swoon, Arcade Fire, starting to listen to some more drum'n'bass again, etc. And online stuff through 3voor12 and Pandora of course.

5. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT DESKTOP PICTURE?
The same as it has been for two years or so (too lazy to change): a view across a gorgeous Mexican lake.

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
To sleep (in 15 minutes!). And a proper job, what else?

7. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GAY MARRIAGE?
Well, yes, just as much as I believe in any other marriage I s'pose. Although I mostly see it as a great reason for a fantastic party!

8. WHAT TIME WERE YOU BORN?
No idea.

9. ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL TOGETHER?
Yes. 30 years and counting.

10. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
Just turned on a drum'n'bass collection cd.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED OF THE DARK?
Nope, not really.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
Probably my GP.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?
Don't have many but I like the Naomi Campbell scents.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOUR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Dark hair, blue/greyish eyes I think.

15. DO YOU LIKE PAIN KILLERS?
Nope, but hardly ever have a reason to take them.

16. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
Probably yes. Although it hardly happens that I'm interested enough in someone to want to ask him out. And I'm getting better at it :-D

17. FAVE PIZZA TOPPING?
Mozzarella, tomato, basil. Yumm.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Nothing. Too tired!

19. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?
No idea, I hope no one!

20. IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU?
Not quite yet, getting closer maybe/hopefully....

A quick work post

Just because I guess I should update with what's going on:

# a three-day-a-week job is great! Unfortunately my bankaccount is not so great :-/
# even though the job itself is supposed to be quite administrative, my boss almost immediately started to put me onto some of his other projects. It feels so good actually to be taken seriously again, to have someone respect and value your opinion, and to be thinking again!
# I share the office of my boss and am going to learn so much from him. Very good.
# it's also quite the social experiment. I've never been particularly good at just talking to random people but at the moment I don't really have a choice unless I want to have lunch by myself every single day.
# working in Amsterdam is fun! I really should move there.
# have a couple of quite exciting (scary?) informational interviews scheduled...
# have been invited to test my interviewing skills for a column in a national magazine. Still trying to figure out how I can make that meeting next week, but I really should go.

All in all, although unemployment was fun and it would have been good to have it last longer than just one measly week, resigning and then taking this temp gig was a pretty good decision.

Yes, the sky really was that blue

Talking to Chimera the other day we both agreed that we love the Sartorialist and wouldn't it be cool if we would also have enough guts to make pictures of people. And I don't necessarily want to take fashion pictures of cool people or anything, just an attempt of bringing life into my shots. Because I know just buildings and churches and streets are not all that appealing.

Alas, this is what you will see again when clicking on to the Flickr-shots (not in a seperate set unfortunately, I need to upgrade *sigh*). I just feel weird and embarrased when focusing on people in my pictures. I try to, but these are not out there on Flickr, because it just doesn't really capture what I want to do. I'll keep experimenting I guess.

3 May: Press Freedom Day

I almost forgot, but, today is the international day for press freedom.

There are so many situations in which it is important that journalists should be allowed to do their work properly but aren't that I think today is an important day to pay attention to this problem.

More information is here through Amnesty International.

Also, if you want to support the Dutch campaign from Amnesty International (a.o.), please sign the petition to free U Win Tin in Myanmar here.

Escapism

Am just home from dinner with a friend who I hadn't spoken to properly for a very long time. Tonight turned out to be a really good evening too. I don't think we've had conversations this intense and personal and good before.

I think we're more alike than we realize. In a way we are both quite hard on ourselves, travelling is our escape mechanism but we also realize that it is just that - escape - and we want to make life work here and not in some faraway place in Asia or Latin America even if that would be easier.

A very good night. It's evenings like these that really make me appreciate my friends.

China vs. Japan

For some interesting reading, the current China Brief from the Jamestown Foundation is all about Sino-Japanese relations. Have only scanned over the titles of the articles but it looks quite good!

Koffkes, bollekes & smskes

Okay, trip report on Antwerpen and Leuven before I jump into bed. I was only away on an overnight trip but it feels like a week-long holiday. Perfect example of how good trips don't have to be to far away destinations.

My time in Antwerp was mostly spent wandering the streets and sitting in the sun - along the Schelde river, or on a terrace sipping Belgian beer, or waking up with coffee on the Grote Markt. It didn't matter what, there was sun everywhere. Didn't do much else as I arrived late and most sights turned out to be closed on both days anyway. I didn't really care. The sun was bliss and perfect for clearing my head and making some decisions.

Didn't see much of Leuven either, except a very sunny garden with good food & plenty of champagne and wine. A great afternoon of meeting old friends, talking to new people (I love Flemish! It is too cute!) and celebrating an upcoming wedding (come to think of it, there were no speeches, aren't there always supposed to be speeches?)

And, I should try a new career: professional matchmaker! If all my introductions turn out like this happy couple I could be rich! ;-)

(can you tell I'm trying to keep up the one-post-a-day-momentum?)

(I kept thinking during these past two days that I really really really loved being away from my current life and loved being on foreign trains and wandering through foreign cities... hmmm)