England, Belgium and Holland!

And you thought the globetrotter had put away her traveling gear and firmly planted her feet into some solid ground...WRONG!

Yesterday I went to Eindhoven (a big city in the south of Holland where a good friend of mine, Michelle, lives and a city which is famous for Phillips) to visit Michelle. I arrive and an hour later we're in her boyfriend's car off to Belgium! We thought: "Hell, why not??? It's only just down the road!" You may think that's an exaggeration but it's not. Ironically, I had to travel over 80kms to get to Eindhoven, and just 30km's south of Eindhoven, we arrived in a little Belgian town. While we were there, we stocked up on some Belgian chocolate...Belgians are famous for their diamonds and beer, as well as there mouth watering chocolates! We also visited some really nice wind- and watermills they used to grind wheat for bread. Very beautiful! I have uploaded a couple of pics though the quality isn´t great....pictures from a mobile phone!

A windmill made almost completely out of wood

Michelle and I have a little posing session

Michelle and her boyfriend Vincent infront of the watermill

The water was gushing like mad!

I guess the real BIG NEWS would be: I'm moving back to England! This Wednesday, I'm flying into Bristol to hopefully live and study there for my PhD. First I'll have to sort out a room and then try to find a job till my PhD starts, though I still need to find funding for my project. So lots of important things to do!

Happy Birthday to two very good friends: Louise and Candice! May you celebrate many more to come!

Life as it now stands

To those who still may check this blog: No, I haven’t dropped off the globe, just merely getting sucked into everyday life. To stop myself writing an endless blog and therefore run the risk of making all you guys comatose, here’s a list of what I’ve been up to lately: 1. First of all - and not least - Merry Christmas to all of you and a Happy New Year!

2. When I got back from my world trip, I went to the doc for a check up only to find I had some skin virus.... YUCK!!! And I went to the dentist who had sheer pleasure in telling me I had to get my wisdom tooth pulled...

3. Get myself on a 2 and a half month waiting list to get my tooth pulled by the orthodontist.

4. Two weeks later I’m in so much pain: In five days I’m able to sleep a total of 10 hours, am so overdosed on drugs (something like 4 times the legal dose and on four different painkillers) and have hardly managed to eat. They finally slot me in for an emergency procedure and take out the last piece of wisdom I have! When they numbed me up, I was like: “I can see why drugs can be so addictive!”

5. Cycled to Germany and back for a day. Was fun to do and we did manage to get a bit lost!

6. My mother celebrated her 58th birthday on November the 13th and two days later was on the operating table getting herself a new hip!

7. My mother gets transferred to a convalescence home for the next two months.

8. Of course, just when my life is the most stressful, an agency finds me a job at IKEA (a DIY phenomenon here in Europe that all started in Sweden).

9. Two weeks later, I start a job at a circus...lots of clowns and animals and LOTS of very difficult clients! Man! Can people get grumpy or what!?!?!?!

10. Had the most fun working on Christmas days with great colleagues I met at this job.

11. My dad manages to fall from his bike due to ice on the road, after warning me that it could be slippery…Great show dad! Thanks for showing me:-) Luckily he didn’t break anything!

12. Job hunting is proving to be frustrating…not enough experience, too highly qualified, not qualified enough…Then I had an interview at this company and I was asked questions which they are NOT allowed to ask! I felt so violated!

13. Applied for a PhD position at the University of Bristol, England.

14. Went to England to discuss PhD projects and visit friends. Was great seeing several old professors of mine, and friends of course, but it still felt a bit strange visiting my old university.

15. After England I went to Ireland, a day later than planned because my flight was cancelled due to the huge storms we had here in Europe. 10 people died in the UK (mainly because of falling trees), all trains we cancelled in Holland, and several boats capsized. Quite relieved when my flight was cancelled!

16. Celebrated my friend’s, Michelle, 25th birthday after which I helped my mother move back home. Now I’m at home helping with all sorts of things we “normal” healthy people take for granted.


Now I’m just trying to get some part time job to tie me over to my move back to England. Also need to organise funding for my PhD and need to get some important things sorted… Life goes on…(sometimes I wish it would pause for a bit and give me a chance to catch up!!!!). Hope to hear from many – and if not – ALL of you guys!

Positive thinking...

So, after my little rant about job hunting, I seem to have had a bit more luck. Next week I have an hour interview with Shell and two weeks after that I have an interview with a big semi conductor company ASML. ASML contacted me and asked me for an interview for a job I don't have a clue about! How about that?!?! They must have thought something clicked in my CV! lol! I'm going to have to do my research becuase if I can't even understand the job description...how will i survive a TWO hour interview with these people? HAHA!

In the mean time i'm trying to get a temporary job which is challenging because it's the so-called "low season"for such jobs....oh hell, I may try get a waitressing job or something. At least that will keep me a bit occupied!

So how are things with people around the world? I'm more positive these days, and tomorrow I'm off to see my gran who just turned 86! Wow! I also recently completed printing my blog: ALL 226 PAGES OF IT!!!! And today I'll go pick it up from the printers where they were able to bind the thing! Also got my photoalbums back from the shop and they are LOVELY! Had a good time looking through my selecion of photos of my world trip and the memories all came flooding back to me:-)

And Donn: unfortunately it may take a while till I'll be able to join you and Suz on a hike in Yosemite!

Job hunting can really SUCK!

So here I am, 6 weeks in Holland and counting...

Still no job and I have to say it's pretty distressing when out of more than 40 applications, I have had a total of 39 rejections, and - wait for it - 1 (yes, ONE!) company invite me for an interview! How long do I have to wait for this interview? 3 weeks. So while I'm still applying for jobs, I sit here twiddling my thumbs, really wanting to work but not being able to because as soon as I tell them my educational background, they grow pale and politely tell me I will not be able to get the job. Out of all those 39 rejections, I have had two reasons: I'm over qualified and/or I don't have enough work experience.

So who decided to give me a bit of a chance? Shell....
And what's my back-up plan? Well, if I don't get a job soon, I've decided to go and do a PhD....a bit counter productive, you might think, considering I'll have another diploma to my name and therefore be even more over-qualified, but the idea is to get into research, so I can stay in the University environment...

The last week I went to see the dentist after two years, and boy could you see he wasn't impressed! Though I was even more unimpressed when he was fiddling around with my Wisdom tooth, and his little metal hook device slipped through a cavity and went directly to my nerve! I shut my mouth - boy is he lucky he didn't have his fingers inbetween my teeth right then!!!! - and turned away so quickly, I took his arm with me! Before then, I didn´t have any problems...now I haven't been able to eat with that side of my mouth and I have to wait till I can go to the hospital to have the damn thing removed...Joy joy joy!

Two days ago I cycled through Germany through a forest which, unlike Holland, was decidingly hilly. Cycled the whole day with my dad and boy was I tired. The weather was fantastic, I got to practise my non-existant german and I ended up cycling more than 70 kms. Not bad for a days work! lol!

My world trip seems to have finished so long ago, and the "real world" everyone warned me about is really starting to get ON MY NERVES!

Lest We Forget

The past two weeks I’ve been busy going to several memorial services to commemorate the many English, German and Polish soldiers that died in the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War. The allies lost the battle, but they gave the Dutch people hope. My neighbours here look after a now 86 year old Scottish veteran, who was a glider pilot. This year he could walk a lot better since he just got both of his knees fixed. A really lovely person and so full of jokes: humour really is an antidote! He was also part of the British invasion of Normandy on the infamous D-Day. Fought 6 years in the war, lost almost ALL of his friends and comrades and yet is able come here every year to remember that time 62 years ago. I learnt a lot, talking to several of the veterans. Very shocking what they experienced as 22 year old soldiers, and yet inspiring.

I also spent three full days helping the neighbours moving stuff around their house so all the walls and ceilings could be painted. Huge job considering all the stuff they had but I have to say that the result was amazing. They used to have everything painted white, but now every room has a slightly different tint of colour on the walls!

Of course I also went visiting grandparents and friends here in Holland and am applying for jobs. It’s frustrating here, because for several jobs I applied for, I didn’t have the relevant experience, was over-qualified or the position was filled already. So I’ve started to apply for graduated jobs at big companies. I still want to do a PhD soon, though I’m keeping where, what and when optional now, depending on what I think of the job I will be doing. No use planning your life so far ahead. Go with the flow…

Holland´s highest windmill

Yesterday I went to see the authentic windmill of the replica I had found and seen in a dutch colony in Brazil, Castroholanda. The authentic windmill is called Woldzigt and is in a little tiny village called, Rodewolde, just 10km south of the big northern city of Groningen. Because it was lovely weather, my dad and I decided to take the train to a place called Heereveen, and cycle to Groningen. With the highway, that distance is 55km. We took a bicycle path that goes to all the lovely places on the way, and most of the time you´re in the forest so you have no annyoing traffic to deal with. The distance: 74km.

The train ride to start cycling took almost 2hrs, and then at 11am we started cycling. It was a lovley route. This part of Holland has a lot of tiny villages and farms all over the place so not that busy... just very charming.

By 5pm we were at the windmill. We arrived about 5min before they were going to shut down the place, so I had a chance to talk to the people there. Several were surprised to hear that there was a replica of their windmill (built in 1852), somewhere in Brazil. And yes, even though the windmill in Brazil looks a lot newer (built in 2003), you can definately see it´s the same. It´s also apparently the highest windmill in Holland...it has an extra floor and therefore it´s higher and all the more powerful. It´s amazing to think that that thing was built over 150 years ago and it still works! They are amazing pieces of machinary to see at work.

It was a very long day yesterday but very worth it. In the end I cycled a good 85kms and boy does my BUTT feel it! Lol!

Well, well. Who Knew?

I picked this up from a magazine not so long ago:

Did you know?

• The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British and Americans?
• The French eat a lot of fat and also have fewer heart attacks than the British and Americans?
• The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British and the Americans?
• The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British and the Americans?

Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. What kills you is speaking English.

Another thing mentioned here was that: American consumers spend about 12 bilion dollars on vitamins and dietart supplements a year (1999). Japan, with less than half the population, spends almost 11 billion dollars a year.

Interesting huh?

Home Sweet Home

Well, I'm home, safe and sound! After a very comfortable flight with BA from Orlando to London Gatwick, I then had to go through the horrors of the security checkpoint in a London Airport. And let me tell you: IT'S NO JOKE! It took me a good 80min to get through security....hmmm. But, when I arrived at the airport, BOTH my mum and dad were there! That was so cool! I normally never have anyone waiting for me at the airport! I feel so special:-)

So what did I do in Orlando for the three days I was there?

Well, I arrived on Sunday afternoon, and that evening I met up with Charlotte by Disney's ticket centre. She said that we could go in because she could get me in for free. So why not, right? So we wandered around Magic Kingdom - one of Disney's 4 amusement parks and the most popular and famous because of its castle...the one you always see at the beginning of every Disney movie. We managed to go in three "rides", also see the parade and the massive firework display....it was amazing! After that we went to "downtown Disney" where we each ate a burger at Planet Hollywood. It was already midnight by the time we were eating! Since the public transport is so shockingly bad there, I had to take a taxi too many times....I'm sure my bank account (and my bank for that matter) loved the extra attention it was getting!

Monday I went to the Space Kennedy Centre (NASA). There are no words to describe such a place, but I walked around in complete wonder at the things they manage to accomplish. I saw the big giant crawler that they use to transport the shuttle from the "workshop” to the launch pad (enormous doesn't even come near to describe it!), I'm really for the space agency, and that's probably because I'm a scientist and so am a bit more in the know as to what they have meant for our every day existence. Many American’s paying taxes think it's a money blackhole....money goes in and never comes out, but believe you me, there are plenty of things that we now take for granted that we should thank NASA for. Why don't we know all these things? Well, NASA doesn't advertise (and that in the grand schemes of things is pretty unique!). I also saw the shuttle out on the launching pad waiting to be launched, but delayed because of the tropical storm and the most recently because of an electrical hitch.

On Tuesday I decided to head for MGM Studios....another of Disney's amusement parks. I choose this one because it's probably the most interesting one if you're on your own....and because it wasn't such a busy day, it turned out that I managed to visit every single ride at least once and then I even went to a couple again! Ok, expensive, but quite a lovely day anyway. I think seeing all these kids really having a ball of a time made it al the more special...

After MGM I went to this cafe, Jellyrolls, where they have to pianists playing any song you wish. You write your request on a napkin and place it on one of their pianos with a couple of dollars and sometime during the night (till 2am) they will play your song. I was supposed to meet Charlotte there too, but as it got to around midnight and she still hadn't turned up (I couldn't reach her on her mobile...) I stayed till around 1am enjoying hundreds of classic 60's, 70's ,80's and even 90's music. It turns out that the one of her friends in the group she was supposed to come with had hurt his back. So they didn't make it....but I have to say it was amazing to see these pianists play anything from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Madonna to the Beatles songs....ANYTHING! And they played the piano and sang. Not once in the 3hrs I was there did they not know any of the songs requested....another nice thing is that the entrance was $8 but the popcorn was free....so I bought no drinks and had lots of popcorn:-) ha-ha!

Now I'm home trying to work through a HUGE list of things that need doing....and most of the jobs are so BORING! All to do with paperwork. But I managed to stay awake till 11pm last night and slept for a full 9hrs and so no jetlag for me! Yey!