we have a government

for how long? isderegeringalgevallen

the internship - part I: the governmental printer

situation sketch:

I'm sitting at my internship desk (I have my own office... as an intern... quite decadent no :)) working on the computer and I come across an interesting report

I click on the print button, select some pages (to save the environment, after all I am talking about a 600 page report) and press "print"

25 minutes later I realize "ow right, I printed something" (which is normal given my short term memory dementia, like Finding Nemo's Dory)
I walked to the printer room where some little light is blinking "out of toner"

I look around... no toner
I check with my colleague, she says the following words: "ah yes, ehm... is it urgent?" - "no, not really" - "then maybe it's best to wait until tomorrow, Y. or M. usually replace the toner" - "ah ok"

now, three days including a weekend later Y. nor M. showed up

so I'm still waiting to print...
and I feel like becoming an ambtenaar of the government myself (oh boy...)

the technological revolution - part I

we all know… in the past decades technology changed massively!

people are reachable anywhere, at anytime, at anyplace; we need internet connection everywhere; checking mailboxes happens digitally, in the real one we only find bills; music files became abstract; and to my personal annoyance we all use GPS (except for me and my dad, cause I hate it), nobody knows how to read a map anymore (except for me, even though I’m a woman) etc…

technology changed so much in so little time, the phrase “do you know how to get there” is without any exception (except for me and my dad) answered by “don’t worry, I have my GPS”.

technology’s revolution even moves people, namely Rand E., to make a very cool flash adobe presentation with an overview of yesterday, today and tomorrow (thank you, Rand).

one of Rands wishes for tomorrow got my attention: “indoor GPS”…

now before I will elaborate on that, let me describe my skepticism towards GPS:

- 1. two examples of human stupidity: about every 5 months, one finds an article in some newspaper about a fool who drove into a pond, river or canal because he was following his GPS instructions;

- 2. a former friend of mine was going to a local theme park, at a specific point there was a signpost leading them towards that theme park (to the right) while the GPS said “turn left”… they turned left, ended up hitting another car in an alley in the centre of the middle of nowhere (PS: he’s not my friend anymore, but for a different reason J)

- 3. some years ago I carpooled with my cousin to another cousins wedding… the first cousin had a new GPS… he knew how to get to our destination but used the GPS anyway… there were two possible highways to take… he took the second… the GPS took the first…

result: over a distance of more than 10km, where every 200 meters you can turn around, the GPS ordered my cousin to make a U-turn… for about 50 times!!! It’s safe to say I went nuts

now… back to the “indoor GPS”

before Rand could explain this particular idea for the future, my imagination of course went crazy…

- 1. indoor GPS: suitable for morning grumpies who tend to bump into every obstacle on their way to the bathroom: “in 1 meter beware for the sock you carelessly left about yesterday evening”

- 2. in case of a cold or illness manifesting in the bathroom: “make a U-turn”

- 3. in case of severe short term memory dementia: “start: front door; destination: toilet – in 3 metres, turn right, go up the stairs, continue straight on for 12 steps, turn right… you’ve reached your destination” (maybe look around and make sure you have actually reached your destination… GPS’s aren’t always perfectly accurate ;))

- 4. in case of dilemma what route to choose: “start kitchen; destination: bath room – 1. choose most economic route, 2. choose most indoor route, 3. choose shortest route” (in my opinion same route each and every time)

- 5. in case of… *poof* (sound of me pull out of my imagination)

… Rand: “indoor GPS: to easily link surveyed rooms together in an AutoCad drawing”

pff… boring… my ideas were cooler!

how to make people smile - part II

- after running for your life to catch a bus you didn’t wanna, but did miss, you can either stamp your feet or keep on running like you weren’t running for that bus that just left

- if you plan on falling on your ass (for instance on a snowy or icy afternoon) do it in style: with a triple salto mortale, land on the ground and bump up again… and then walk on like nothing happened

- dress up in a pink-purple spandex… especially when you’re called Pierce Brosnan at the end of the Mamma Mia! Movie

- and again… smile like you never smiled before

why I love my country – part I

some people seem to be born in the wrong country: a hectic Spanish guy, a punctual Italian girl, an ungründlich German

others are born where they belong, although spreading their wings is of course optional

you know I belong to this last category

why? one word: chaos

where? everywhere

part I: TRAINS

- during rush hour there’s is sadly enough a 90% chance of delay (reaching from 10 to 35 minutes or sometimes even more)

so you might think, “I’m losing time here on this stupid platform, tomorrow I’ll come 10 minutes later, I’ll still be on time”... now when you arrive the day after at the platform, 5 minutes late (not 10, just to be sure), Murphy WILL have struck, cause for 1 night (and 1 night only) your train was on time

- taking the same train every day doesn’t mean you take it on the same platform (right D. ;))   so if you find yourself running for that train cause your late again, do not jump randomly on the train you usually take: especially during rush hour there’s 50% chance you’ll end up in the middle of nowhere because of “spoorwijziging! the train of 8h03 in the direction of Ostend will depart from platform 4 instead of 1” (this message being broadcasted in the station in Dutch of course)

- as you all experienced before I suppose, those times when you’re tired the most and you reached your utter boundaries (so when you’re in need of a quiet train), you’ll find a group of girls that thought it was necessary to come sit next to you, chattering and twittering like a gang of chickens

- when the sign on the platform might say “don’t get in”, even when there’s no train to get in to... (am I supposed to look for an invisible Hogwards Express or something?)

- and last but not least, there are situations like this (notice the time):

the Kafka called NMBS/SNCB :D

... lovely J

date a girl that's broken hearted

she scares you away, she’s not ready to open up yet, at least you think so
she’s afraid to get hurt and you’re afraid to hurt her even more
the pain she’s feeling is worse than any physical pain, she’s telling you not to come closer

but she needs you
hurt her, she’ll get stronger
make her cry, she’ll be grateful cause in the end you’re a sign from destiny itself, telling her she’s worth it

then, fight for her, she’ll break down her wall
sooth her pain, she’ll know she can trust you
be the one who gives the sympathy she has been longing for

she has more love in her heart than before, she gives it entirely to the ones she cares for, so if you love her with all your heart, she gives 10 times more and you’re the luckiest man alive
she has so much courage, so much strength, she’ll inspire you
she has no regrets cause she knows everything happens for a reason

she believes only the good die young, but also that the good who survived will be rewarded for fighting, that faith and destiny will give her the most amazing opportunities
she lives every day to the fullest, she’s not content with anything, the sky is the limit, nothing less

she’s a mystery: when she dreams off, it’s not just a daydream, it’s a world trip along undiscovered horizons
she’s physical: when she meets friends, she really greets them, with a smile that says you made my day, with a kiss that says you’re very dear to me, with a hug that says I missed you so much
she’s driven: after going through the deep depths of her soul, she knows what it means to live

see the sparkles in her eyes when she dreams off, feel the passion in her hug when she greets you, experience the lust for life that shines from her

kiss her, make her fly
she deserves only the best, let her look for it

she misses him, very often
but she’s so much stronger than before
she’s mad at him
but she’s the one who opened up to new horizons
she often thinks about them together
but it’s his loss

and yours if you let her go


for Arnout VHD on his birthday, who saw my sparkles, who felt my passion, who experienced my lust for life… and who broke my heart

now you’ll have to live the misery of loosing what you had

but… thanks for making me a fighter


sincere thanks to Liesje, Than_I and all my friends for the love and support

as an answer to date a Greek girl by Than_I

the secrets of a lifetime - part III

we're not finished yet...
new secrets are revealed

we might have had an idea about it in advance...
all members of the (extended) family had more than one

what? glasses!
bomma and bompa had them, my dad, aunt and uncle had them since they were little, and their aunts and uncles had them
and remember... nothing was ever thrown away

result...

dozens of very hip glasses and sunglasses

look a bit more closely
- half a pair of glasses:

... for the masked ball maybe?

- two halves that used to be one: 

 ... to repair with tape?

 - a pair of glasses without glasses:

... to be used as a toy or for the local drama club?

- a pair of glasses with one glass:

 ... to... ehm... I really don't know