Deja-vu

... all over again. Guess I still haven't learnt!

Okay, am moving away from the computer and towards my unpacked backpack ;)

New favourite

After discovering Pandora a few months ago, I've recently (re-) discovered another online music source: 3voor12 Luisterpaal which lists new (and usually quite cool) albums for a few days to discover.

Excellent entertainment!

The Bus People

I've been working at the same office for over 1,5 years - commuting there every day by bus, mostly with the same people. I say 'mostly' - when I get to the bus stop in the mornings and there is no one there who I recognize I panick and assume I've missed my bus.

However, recently I started to realize that I don't actually know any of these people. We all work at the same office. We all travel on the same bus. But, except for a friendly nod in the mornings hardly anyone talks to each other and the few people that I know I only got to know because we completely accidently got to work together on a project.

After an evening of discussion, chatting and inspiration with cheruchan I've now decided to do this differently. Why don't I know these people?

I have six working days = 12 bus rides left to organize a drink in a pub in town somewhere for these Bus People. It'll be quite a challenge, and I think I'll need a night to figure out an effective way of making this after-work-drink seem like a good plan to the others on the bus. Scary too. But, if it works, it'd be very very cool.

The aim is to get people talking to each other, instead of staring out of the window not caring about others. Of course, even if people show up to whatever I organize, I still won't be able to tell if that will actually be the result as I'm not on that bus anymore... Still, looking forward to trying to organize this challenge.

Expect an update!

On the way to spring & summer

I think this is probably one of my favourite times of the year - the sun is starting to come out, people are out of their houses again, and everyone is happy because the weather is turning to summer again.

Just walking around and seeing people outside having coffee, chatting and laughing is the best. Also one of the major advantages of being a student - actually being able to join in the fun on days like this and not being stuck at the office.

Bliss.

[additionally on 13/3 - I now officially want this weather to continue in the first three weeks of April too. Just managed to arrange that I'll be paid while being at home - wheee! (Well, officially this will hopefully give me some un-chaos to figure out where to go next...) Wanna take bets at how quickly I'll go crazy being stuck in my own house? ;-)]

Azimuth

[update]
The most exciting thing so far that I had to translate? "How can we get internet access?". Well, so far for my exciting satellite building crash course, I guess...
[/update]

[original @ 2/3]
So, I'm heading into my last month at current place of work. Or to be exact, only 2 working weeks and a few days left (me? counting?).

Surprisingly, the next two weeks might be the most challenging yet:

On top of the translation shuttle, the so called P70AE Azimuth over Elevation configuration will be used. The positioner is controlled by ACxxx controller in combination with ACyyy Power Control Units

Right.

Can someone translate that into English? Oh wait, that'll be my job... from Japanese to be exact.

I can only say that my department is SO lucky to have a secretary who just happens to speak Japanese.

A preview of stories to come: Russian bureaucracy

In reality, I suppose I really am quite a spoiled traveller - I've hardly ever been to countries with difficult visas; if I do go there than for whatever reason the visas are easy; have never really had to travel ultra-budget or in a very poor developing country.

The five days in St. Petersburg could therefore provide a whole new experience:

- I'm travelling on a business visa, but going for tourism. Hmm... how honest should I be about what upon arrival?

- I'm staying at a Russian family which means I need to register at the local authorities because I'm a foreigner... Luckily I will have Russians to accompany me to do these, and it being St. Petersburg and not some forgotten hole in Siberia should make things much easier too. It could still potentially be quite interesting of course!

Stay tuned :-D

Japanese lifesaver

My trusty Japanese wordtank is no more.

It feels like the end of an era.

I bought this word tank (for those who don't know, I'm talking about a digital Japanese <-> English dictionary and more) within a few months of living in Japan for the first time 8 years ago and it immediately proved to be indispensable. Not just for studying, but also for daily life while trying to find my way around Japan.

I've used it ever since for any moment that I needed it when living in Japan, studying in the Netherlands, writing emails, doing interpreting jobs etc etc. The thought of relying only on big heavy dictionaries again is quite impossible.

However, over the past year I've hardly used it and as I was replacing the batteries last night - an error message flashed up saying that the memory of the machine had expired! I had no idea such a thing could happen!

I am still kind of in shock - I can't believe I need to get a new wordtank! Especially since I haven't seen many newer ones that seem so easy to use as this one :-( Maybe it really is a sign that I finally need to let go of Japan and everything involved with it?

Salutti Tutti

Watching this video makes me even more annoyed that the Arcade Fire gig in the Netherlands was sold out way before I even found out about it.

I've also discovered why my not-so-legal cd of them has French narration: I think it's this concert instead of their proper cd. Ah well. I'm sponsoring them now in any case as I just ordered their new album Neon Bible. Wheee!

Sushi - but different

Midnight/noise (whose work I love btw, if you are ever wondering what kind of present you should get me...) links to Koo-ki Sushi



Gorgeous looking chocolate sushi for those people who don't like raw fish. Or for those who do, but love chocolate too (that'd be me).

*dreaming*

I haven't even left for St. Petersburg yet... but I can't stop thinking of new travels.

Especially now that my life after 1 April is suddenly wide open I have been thinking quite a bit about what I will do then.

Travel is one of the options. This idea isn't helped much (well, it is actually) by reading Jules' Rome-stories who is currently well and truly living up to her blogname, by being excited for Cookie's upcoming America-trip, by seeing amazing photo's of a friend's trip to Sri Lanka, and by virtually travelling the Trans-Siberian express...

*sigh*

At least I'm excited to be in St. Petersburg in less than three weeks, especially after watching Russian Ark a few nights ago. A movie set in the Hermitage, shot in one single shot and covering several centuries of Russian history... Quite extraordinary in an amazing location.

[oh, the current travel-plan would take me to NY, Washington DC and then Mexico to wander around Central America for a bit and to catch up with friends ... solid plan, no?]