An ode to my name

I have not been a very reliable writer I have to say… bit bad really. But life seems so boring if you have to write it down after you’ve been trough it already! However, I had a lovely weekend, with a lot of laughs, dressing up (like a guy for cryin’ out loud), champagne, seeing old friends, sleep, and Dutch TV. Yeah, that’s right…this girl has realized she can watch Dutch TV for free on her laptop! It is like I have found a massive treasure! It’s cool, because after cooking and having dinner, I can curl up in bed with Big Brother, Expedition Robinson, and Nieuw Dier (jesus, soooo goooood!! The Dutch version of Little Britain really).

Then, on Monday, A. calls me for a glass of wine. Every time she returns from Holland, she text me last minute! Thank God I could make it last two times, but I’m about to tell her off ;) (I need to know up front if I can handle a night out again!)

Anyway, that evening ended up in bed ALL DAY Tuesday! No real hangover though, if that’s what you think! I woke up at 9 (after snoozing since 7.15am)…hahahaha…recognize that Lalo?… Had brekkie at 10 and went back to bed…and re-entered this world at 5pm!!!!!!!!! 5PM!!!!!!!!!! That’s the only GOOD thing about the PhD you know: only work when you’re conscious!
Anyway, I was a bit shocked though. But also realized that if something like this happens, it was bound to happen. My body needed it. And I gave it to her! Go girl!! :D

Then I opened my emails and guess what… another message from the past. From a friend who I had last seen at least 10 years ago!!!! He google-ed and found me!!! (Luc en Carla… herinneren jullie je Ivo nog??) Life’s full of surprises!

Mum, dad… I want to thank you for my name.
After 29 years, this moment has finally come…

1 minuut stilte aub

Gisteren mijn fiets moeten begraven… was nix meer aan te doen volgens de fietsenmaker. Nu moet ik je bekennen, dat ik niet zoveel vertrouwen heb in de engelse fietsenmakers! Maar allez, ik gokte t er maar op dat ie gelijk had.

Was wel jammer hoor! Ben er zo aan gewend om alles met de fiets te doen! Mensen kijken me raar aan, als ik mijn stuur vol met 10 supermarkt zakken alsnog de weg op ga. Of met mijn rood-verlichte achterbroekzak in het donker naar huis fiets.

Daar stond ik dan, om 11 uur ‘sochtends, bij de fietsenmaker (gaat niet voor tienen open. Sukkels… En de eerste waar ik me om 10 uur precies meldde, vertelde me zonder blikken of blozen dat hij me niet kan helpen omdat ik mijn fiets niet bij hem gekocht heb!! Eikels). Anyway, ik toch een beetje verdrietig. Het is ook zo’n gave fiets. Maar ja, de pedaal-as is gebroken, de banden zijn vesleten, de versnelling doen het nauwelijks (zie Harry’s verhaal paar weken terug), en BEIDE wielen hebben een kink. Zo kan ik nog wel effe doorgaan.

En wat zegt die fietsenmaker?
Raad eens?

Komt ie he? Hij zegt ‘What do you want for it?’

Tien minuten later loop ik weg. Met mijn nieuwe bel (ff eraf gesloopt), mijn slot, het voor- en achterlicht, en £10!!!
Hahaha.. effe een biertje halen :)

No hug...but an even more important phone call

Thank you San... for this afternoon.
I guess it was too short, so pls get your butt down to Manchester soon. S. would loooove it too!!!





And I hope you will celebrate well this weekend ;)

OnE vErY lOnG qUeUe...

Stress has found me.
Tears are queuing up to be released into the wide world.
It all seems too much. This PhD seems too much.
(But hey…what’s new?)

I respect my friends who are on the same journey as me.
They must feel the same.
And the ones that have been previously (also respect, but not as much as the first group, because let’s face it… they have graduated already…joder)

Maybe they had also these moments.
And I feel bad that I wasn’t there with them.
That moment.
That exact moment.

Because now I need to cry. And I need a hug. A pep-talk. A sensible word.
Someone telling me it is good. It is ok. The tears and the work…both ok.
Because it all seems so pointless.

But no one is here
Because we are all busy struggling...