i miss you

he just left...
i have no words...
it is raining in my heart...

please come back soon!!

Back in Manchester again

It’s Monday, bank holiday, and I’m sitting in the office…. The whole department is EMPTY, and so I triggered the alarm of the whoooole building at 9am! Joder!

I’m back! My suitcase is unpacked, my voice is back, my trousers are white again, my boyfriend and plants have been given loads of love, my old flatmates have left, my new flatmates are back in town… in other words, it seems I never left!!! Joder joder!!

A smallie update for everybody who didn’t join us: LowLands was GREAT!!!! It was a slightly new experience this year since there was no bribing: within 15 minutes we had fixed our tent and 15 minutes later the party tent as well! And that all while the sun was shining, and our beer was still cold!!! Kinda strange actually…. We are definitely getting more experienced with age (and watching other people doing it for us)!!! In other words, all the hotdogs were ours this year!!! Friday and Saturday were absolutely FAB, people, music and weather-wise! Fifty-five thousand people, Blue Grass Boogiemen, Anouk, Snow Patrol, Placebo, Urban Dance Squad, Ziggi, Guillemots, La Troba Kung-Fu, Massive Attack, and LOADS of SUN! Manamana… tutuutututu. Then it became Sunday. With rain. Lots of rain. And mud. Lots of mud. I don’t remember the bands I went to, and I think I don’t need more words here… (except for manamana of course).

And then it was sleeping, shopping, and eating with mum and dad. I have the feeling I was away for over 3 weeks! A great way to celebrate your holiday!!! But now back to business. In 4 days, my baby is leaving for Mexico for I don’t know how long, on Saturday I start my new job (thanks Annemiek!) and in 2 weeks I need to finish my final project and leave to Denmark for a week. Lots to do, lots to prepare, lots to finish. Joder joder joder!!!

I have to go. Too busy again!
Ps. Jik, I hope you’re feeling better again!!! Take care, and we’ll meet again soon!!

a bubbly time

Only 4 more days… and then its LowLands time (http://www.lowlands.nl/)…. For all you ignorant people, this is a GREAT music/dance/theatre festival in Holland. Better than Glastonbury (especially this year!), bit less than Sziget (have you seen that program?? WOOOOoooW).

For me, it is 4 days of dancing away in my own bubble! For several years I have been going on a girlie tour to Biddinghuizen… NO BOYS ALLOWED…We miss them though: with a push car loaded with beer, cheese, hotdogs, coffee, eggs, mayo and ketchup, the three of us are ready for some serious bribing!! This means: we cook some nice hotdogs, and any guy/girl (the latter one normally won’t buy this…) who is willing to set up our tent, our party tent, or blow our airbeds will get one for free!!! Great deal I would say!!! Every year it’s the same picture: there we are, sitting in the grass (or smoking it), drinking some beers, cooking some hotdogs, and surrounded by guys who fixing our home for the following 4 days…I have to say, every year it’s (one of) the best moments of LowLands!!! And that’s just the START!!!

Four more days, and life will be sweet again!!!
I cannot wait.

Just going out for ONE drink:

And what happens?
I have a hangover...



Please leave me alone...

Bush = :)

It is strange how we response to certain events. I guess the british goverment/police has a point making us aware of any plots to blow our heads off....but to be honest, police didn't give any information about when this attack was actualy planned.

They found out about a terror attack with the idea to blow up passenger-jets, causing mass-murder.

So how do we respond?

Stop all incoming flights to several airports in the UK (not Manchester, so you are welcome to visit me today!!!). No hand luggage. Twenty-one arrests. America is just waking up and getting ready for some serious increasing stress-levels. Total chaos. Mr Bush will be happy.

But what about tomorrow? Or next week, next month? Because when was this planned again??? NOT TODAY!!!!!
Fuck man, this world is coming to an end. Hopefully....

BB

Big brother is taking over life in Britain. Not mine anymore,I have been able to escape the hype. Not by myself though. I am quite weak. I needed the help of my dearest friend C. from Rotterdam (who camped for a full week in Manchester and made me miss the first 7 episodes in a row ever since it started 3 months ago), then a weekend camping in Lake District with my japanese, english, mexican, and scouser friends, and then the moving in of two lithuanian flatmates E1. and E2 (who are terribly funny BUT loud..hehehe).
This cascade of events have led to quietness around 9pm.

Good thing though, because it was boring anyway... All the bastards were voted out in the first few weeks! And eventually, although they were absolutely horrible, those people make the show!!

Can you read between the lines?
I miss it

A story about a little papaya

The breakfast has now extended to lunch-time and even dessert...This blender is amaaaaaaazing!
But you know what is more amaaaaaaaazing? Little Lalo coming home this afternoon, after an incredibly hard day at work, with a ripe papaya... a PAPAYA!! Put THAT in a blender, with mango, and ooohhhhh....... little orgasm (or a little number seven, if you are a big Friends-Fan)...

I dunno if you ever had a papaya. I love it. Where I live, there are many indian markets with loads of exotic fruits. And papaya is one of them. Did I mention already that I love it? We had loads of it while travelling through Mexico last year, and seeing, smelling, and tasting that makes me smile. Unfortunately, they don't smell that much anymore after they travelled all the way from any tropical country.

So for all your papaya-aliens: You should try it!

(but be careful: make sure it is slightly soft when you buy it... like avocado)

a bit lazy today...

....

a Zoo

I study at the University in Manchester. Trying to understand what happens in the eyes of diabetic people. Working on this for 2.5 years already (and still no f***ing clue what’s going on in there!). Only 6 months to go…

Quite depressing you know. Sitting in front of PC al day. Crunching numbers. Double vision. No windows, so even animals in the Zoo are better off than me…

But now and then I am allowed outside. I bike to the hospital or take a train to Birmingham, and see patients. We have discussions about their disease, and I investigate their eyes. Sometimes I see them for 4-5 hours at a time, other times for over 12!!! And you know what? They are always happy to help out. To be part of research, because they are hoping for a cure. To make life easier. Not for themselves, but for other people. In the future.


That is brilliant, you know? Because without them, my work sucks. So, even if we never find a cure for diabetes, they saved at least one life!!
Mine. And I am grateful.

ff bellen op z'n engels

Ik fiets. In Manchester. Een licht blauwe fiets. Dat valt op. Hoef ik niet zo'n stomme helm.

Maar mensen verwachten me niet. En horen me niet aankomen.

Dus kocht ik een bel. Een HELE mooie. Groen met paarse bloemetjes. En maar bellen. AAN DE KAAAAAANT....!!

Maar mensen verwachten dat niet. Ze herkennen het geluid niet.

En dus roep ik maar weer. Op z'n engels. EXCUSE MEEEEEEE....!!

Tja... 'to the side' klinkt zo stom...

your smile is a gift

I wonder how many people are happy. Happy with their lives, their work, their everything. I picked up a boomerang card the other day with the phrase ' your smile is a gift'. I wish the author meant a beautiful gift, however I believe you should interpret it as scary ....

Try it! Smile to people, on the street, at the train station, everywhere! Throw them a PROPER smile, one which exposes your teeth! My experience taught me that, unless you know the person, people are anxious to smile back at you. People think your weird, or that you want something (money would be good hehehe)! Makes me believe that they are either unhappy with their lives, grumpy old bastards (you see Art, this is the stuff that they want me to re-write!!), or busdrivers in Manchester.

Now, you might think that I live in some horrible city. Which is partly true by the way. But I have tested this abroad as well, and still crap results.

So, as a result, this is a task for all of us: Try to smile more often. To everybody. To friends, but also to the people you don't know, the mail-man and the homeless people. However, use your most grumpy face to the bus drivers in Manchester. They deserve it!!!