Remember the internal vacancy I applied for a while back? Well - I got it. No surprises there but it will be a hectic couple of weeks. Getting used to a 'new' country and trying to finish the stack of work that's still waiting for my current ones.
The week in KL has now turned into a slight dilemma though. Going there is part of my job - because I have Malaysia in my set of countries. Except that as of the day I return from KL, that isn't the case anymore. Oops. I think my colleagues in KL might not be very impressed with the news.
Oh well. My manager agrees that this is what happens, and I'll just have to make sure to write a good trip report for my successor.
May 27, 2008
May 26, 2008
Oh, about Saturday
Feist was kind of disappointing. The faster songs were good, I really liked those. But then she'd do two really slow songs - one by herself, and one with the band - which was cutesy but really not very well done I though.
The instant VJ'ing was usually much more interesting but the consultant in our group kept saying how they could save so much money by being more efficient and just taping it. Was fun to figure out what the girls were trying to visualize though.
Oh well. The rest of the night was lots of fun, so it's all good.
The instant VJ'ing was usually much more interesting but the consultant in our group kept saying how they could save so much money by being more efficient and just taping it. Was fun to figure out what the girls were trying to visualize though.
Oh well. The rest of the night was lots of fun, so it's all good.
Guidebooks
I guess you could say I'm a little bit addicted to guidebooks. Although I try to keep it simple - so when I'm just in a new city for a day or two I won't bother. And I try to borrow books from others if I'm really really broke.
But anyway - I bought a guide book to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, because well - even if I'm there for work, I'm still there for six days which in my mind warrants the book (not that I've actually looked at it yet of course).
Except that I'm not actually in KL for six days.... out of the preliminary five day working schedule, I think I'm only spending 1,5 days in the city itself. Very excited, although to be fair I think meetings in the city for an extra day would be more useful workwise. I've been a good girl and suggested that to my colleagues as well. We'll see what happens.
But still - I really should've bought the full-on Malaysia guide apparently.
But anyway - I bought a guide book to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, because well - even if I'm there for work, I'm still there for six days which in my mind warrants the book (not that I've actually looked at it yet of course).
Except that I'm not actually in KL for six days.... out of the preliminary five day working schedule, I think I'm only spending 1,5 days in the city itself. Very excited, although to be fair I think meetings in the city for an extra day would be more useful workwise. I've been a good girl and suggested that to my colleagues as well. We'll see what happens.
But still - I really should've bought the full-on Malaysia guide apparently.
May 21, 2008
Feist - My Moon My Man
Months ago a friend got a group of us tickets to a FEIST-concert. I am finally getting around to listening to her on YouTube. Sounds as if it'll be a good night on Saturday!
May 17, 2008
Dreaming of....
New York.
With summer coming up and everyone asking what my plans are for the summer (none) I am slowly starting to think of some new travel plans. Unfortunately the Malaysia trip offers little chance of doing much touristy (although an old friend is coming up to KL for the weekend with his wife and kid to meet me, yay!) and I don't want to go away during the schoolholidays and high season in July/August.
But: New York & Washington DC and surrounds at the end of September/early October.
The more I think of it, the better this is sounding.....
Now I just need to wait for my finances to sort themselves out and to know whether or not I'll be travelling by myself and I can start contacting my friends there to see if they'll be around. Hurrah!
With summer coming up and everyone asking what my plans are for the summer (none) I am slowly starting to think of some new travel plans. Unfortunately the Malaysia trip offers little chance of doing much touristy (although an old friend is coming up to KL for the weekend with his wife and kid to meet me, yay!) and I don't want to go away during the schoolholidays and high season in July/August.
But: New York & Washington DC and surrounds at the end of September/early October.
The more I think of it, the better this is sounding.....
Now I just need to wait for my finances to sort themselves out and to know whether or not I'll be travelling by myself and I can start contacting my friends there to see if they'll be around. Hurrah!
May 12, 2008
From the water
I love being on the water and seeing a city that way. Even though I've lived here for 11 years, on and off, I've never been on a canal cruise or boat in the many canals we have here. So, today was a first. Lovely weather, and it was really nice seeing some new places, or some old places in a new way.
Old?
According to my friends, I am officially 'old' as of tomorrow. To aid me in my seniority I have been given the above 'rollator' (sorry, my English doesn't include a proper word for this walking aid). Do pay attention to all the details though....
May 09, 2008
@ home
One of my favourite places in my house is a tiny little covered patio thing at the back of my house. Except that I never use it for much more than storing junk. And for parties. So am making it look nice-ish again which is reminding me how I really should use it so much more. Don't you love the red of this huge lantern that's there?
May 06, 2008
*fingers crossed*
I'm sending off an application to an internal vacancy (very similar to my job actually) first thing in the morning to my boss.
I have to admit that I think I've written a kick-ass letter and that probably I needn't even try so hard but this was actually fun! (Who'd have thunk?)
Hopefully this will work out. If not, ah well - I love my current countries and current job so that's okay too.
That sounds sickeningly good, doesn't it. Yuck.
I have to admit that I think I've written a kick-ass letter and that probably I needn't even try so hard but this was actually fun! (Who'd have thunk?)
Hopefully this will work out. If not, ah well - I love my current countries and current job so that's okay too.
That sounds sickeningly good, doesn't it. Yuck.
May 05, 2008
Cake #1
Today was experiment #1 for the below birthday cake. Inspired by cheruchan, we looked up some recipes together and started work on a summery strawberrycake with orange mascarpone. (recipe in Dutch here).
Although it turned out not completely as we expected, it tasted pretty good. Maybe next time a smaller baking tin, more mascarpone and real dough.
Unfortunately not really suited to what I need it for. But at least I have a yummy dessert after tonight's dinner!
Although it turned out not completely as we expected, it tasted pretty good. Maybe next time a smaller baking tin, more mascarpone and real dough.
Unfortunately not really suited to what I need it for. But at least I have a yummy dessert after tonight's dinner!
May 04, 2008
Birthday cake
It's time for a new culinary experiment - please send all good (and simple!) recipes for yummy cakes my way, so I can attempt to make the most delicious (and do-able) sounding option.
Ta!
Ta!
Sukiyaki Western
I just read DJBroadcast's review of Miike Takashi's latest movie Django - sukiyaki western. I had no idea it was programmed at last month's Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival but it sounds great. Definitely want to see this now.
Late discoveries like this always make me realize there's too much that I want to do. Aargh.
Late discoveries like this always make me realize there's too much that I want to do. Aargh.
A Dutch Golden Week
In Japan the first week of May is called 'Golden Week' as it contains three or four public holidays in one week - this year it's about 10 days as my friends tell me.
Here in the Netherlands we have had our own Golden Week this year - Queen's Day, Ascension, a Friday in between on which my company closed down, a weekend, and Liberation day tomorrow where government employees still have the day off. Six days in a row - talk about a Long Weekend.
What I did? Nothing. And it was bliss.
Spent Queen's Day being stuck in the house trying to get better from a bad cold but the days after that were spent lounging around Amsterdam. I love wandering through the city and every time I'm there it strikes me how much variety of things to do and of places to go there is. Were it not for work being in the opposite direction I might actually consider looking for a place there... (that, and the fact that I can't afford this city).
Breakfast outside in the sun, shopping and discovering new fabulous shops (and not being able to decide what to buy therefore not buying anything which I now regret), Hoegaarden and good conversation, good movie (if you're interested in a story about how immigrants are part of - or rather not part of - Western societies, It's a free world is pretty good. Very timely and realistic), and so on.
Back home, shopping for fresh flowers (I love this time of year), fresh food - trying out new recipes at home, chilling out, reading books, and getting excited about next week's party. Wheee.
Here in the Netherlands we have had our own Golden Week this year - Queen's Day, Ascension, a Friday in between on which my company closed down, a weekend, and Liberation day tomorrow where government employees still have the day off. Six days in a row - talk about a Long Weekend.
What I did? Nothing. And it was bliss.
Spent Queen's Day being stuck in the house trying to get better from a bad cold but the days after that were spent lounging around Amsterdam. I love wandering through the city and every time I'm there it strikes me how much variety of things to do and of places to go there is. Were it not for work being in the opposite direction I might actually consider looking for a place there... (that, and the fact that I can't afford this city).
Breakfast outside in the sun, shopping and discovering new fabulous shops (and not being able to decide what to buy therefore not buying anything which I now regret), Hoegaarden and good conversation, good movie (if you're interested in a story about how immigrants are part of - or rather not part of - Western societies, It's a free world is pretty good. Very timely and realistic), and so on.
Back home, shopping for fresh flowers (I love this time of year), fresh food - trying out new recipes at home, chilling out, reading books, and getting excited about next week's party. Wheee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)