Friday, April 13, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Formula, easter, mosquito
The other day I discovered that even though the Belgian Grand Prix was cancelled last year, it was reinstated this year. Furthermore, it takes place on the 16th of September. My birthday! I was of course extremely excited, until I saw the price of tickets. It may be a dream to see a race, but for multiples of my monthly salary I won't... Maybe next year. Still, with Formula 1 coming to Belgium there should be alot of related activities and parades and such, and this I'm looking forward to see.
Easter was nice, even though we only had a single holiday. On Sunday Elisa invited everyone over for an easter brunch, and we gorged on the food for most of the day. Eventually we could no longer bear the heat inside and went for a refreshing walk along the river and sat on the riverbank sunbathing for a while, before returning to Elisa's for a game of Anti-Monopoly and then Uno. All in all a great day. (For those in Iceland: +18°C)
And finally, another season first. I got bitten by a mosquito yesterday. However, I did track it down and kill it before it did any more damage. 1 - 1... but it itches like hell (at this point I feel forced to repeat: +18°C).
Easter was nice, even though we only had a single holiday. On Sunday Elisa invited everyone over for an easter brunch, and we gorged on the food for most of the day. Eventually we could no longer bear the heat inside and went for a refreshing walk along the river and sat on the riverbank sunbathing for a while, before returning to Elisa's for a game of Anti-Monopoly and then Uno. All in all a great day. (For those in Iceland: +18°C)
And finally, another season first. I got bitten by a mosquito yesterday. However, I did track it down and kill it before it did any more damage. 1 - 1... but it itches like hell (at this point I feel forced to repeat: +18°C).
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
ID! Finally...
Finally I got my first Belgian ID card. It's still a temporary one, and I haven't even got an 'NN-nummer' yet. Only a part of it; right now it says 790916/.../.., I'm really looking forward to finding out what the other numbers will be.
But for now I have to accept that to the Belgian state I'm mostly a puntje-puntje-puntje.
But for now I have to accept that to the Belgian state I'm mostly a puntje-puntje-puntje.
Friday, March 30, 2007
White Socks
We had a heated (not really) discussion about white socks at the dinner table last night, where I seemed to be the only one not overly concerned about them.
I'm wondering if I somehow missed the meeting where white socks were deemed completely unacceptable, or if this is maybe just a Belgian pet peeve.
Everyone but me seemed to fall in to the "I would rather wear my underwear on the outside of my pants than wear white socks" category, while I'm in the softer "I don't wear them but I know people who do and we tend to like the same films" category.
To be clear, I don't mind people not liking white socks, but the general level of complete and utter repulsiveness expressed by my dining buddies - and my contrasting feeling of not caring so much - made me think I may have some catching up to do.
But first I need to confirm if this is a world wide opinion, or just something the small group of friends that got together last night has in common by pure coincidence.
The small group of friends, with the exception of one, that is.
So, gentle reader, pray tell, what category would you put yourself in when it comes to white socks?
I'm wondering if I somehow missed the meeting where white socks were deemed completely unacceptable, or if this is maybe just a Belgian pet peeve.
Everyone but me seemed to fall in to the "I would rather wear my underwear on the outside of my pants than wear white socks" category, while I'm in the softer "I don't wear them but I know people who do and we tend to like the same films" category.
To be clear, I don't mind people not liking white socks, but the general level of complete and utter repulsiveness expressed by my dining buddies - and my contrasting feeling of not caring so much - made me think I may have some catching up to do.
But first I need to confirm if this is a world wide opinion, or just something the small group of friends that got together last night has in common by pure coincidence.
The small group of friends, with the exception of one, that is.
So, gentle reader, pray tell, what category would you put yourself in when it comes to white socks?
Thursday, March 29, 2007
First of the season
Two evenings in a row spent on a terrace bathed warm sunshine, drinking exquisite beer.
Summer is coming. :)
Summer is coming. :)
Friday, March 23, 2007
Crisis!
The office vending machine has been out of waffles for a week!
Out of waffles! In Belgium! I fear a mutiny if this hasn't been fixed by Monday...
I've been really bad at writing lately, and I could use the lack of waffles as an excuse, but I won't. I've just been lazy. It's not that nothing's been going on, because it has. Let's see.
My apartment is for sale. Check it out on www.eignaval.is (can't link directly to my place, but it's listed under newest properties).
Most of my stuff is also for sale, if you're interested.
I'm coming/going to Iceland (depending on your location). 28th of April - 6th of May. Update your calendars please.
I'm now listed as Björn Kristinsson - Belgium in the Icelandic National Registry.
Life is exciting :)
Have a nice weekend everyone.
Out of waffles! In Belgium! I fear a mutiny if this hasn't been fixed by Monday...
I've been really bad at writing lately, and I could use the lack of waffles as an excuse, but I won't. I've just been lazy. It's not that nothing's been going on, because it has. Let's see.
My apartment is for sale. Check it out on www.eignaval.is (can't link directly to my place, but it's listed under newest properties).
Most of my stuff is also for sale, if you're interested.
I'm coming/going to Iceland (depending on your location). 28th of April - 6th of May. Update your calendars please.
I'm now listed as Björn Kristinsson - Belgium in the Icelandic National Registry.
Life is exciting :)
Have a nice weekend everyone.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Spring
This is the first time I see spring approaching in another country.
It's nice: 15°C, and the trees are blooming. Nice white and pink flowers... on the trees. I can't stress this enough, folks, they have some sort of strange mutant tree-flowers around here.
The incident with the policeman has a simple enough explanation. Ingibjörg was right; he was at my place to see if I actually live there. This is something they do around here.
Some weeks ago I registered my new address, and was told a policeman would come for a visit. I had nearly forgotten about that promised visit when finally I got a letter asking me for my address. Read that last part again if you didn't catch the absurdity. :)
That meant the policeman had come by a few times, and I was never there. Later I found out that he had come by 9 times, all but once sometime between three and four in the afternoon. Of course I wasn't home, I was at work! *sigh* So I had to go myself to pick up the policeman.
---
Belgian police stations are funny. The policemen look like cartoon characters, most of them with a moustache, really fat or somehow otherwise a caricature of a caricature.
The first one had a moustache. Asked me what I wanted, explained I was in the wrong place, and I explained I was, in fact, in the right place. He asked me to wait. Another policeman, this time the special 'I-come-to-your-place-to-see-if-you-live-there' agent (fat), came and asked me what I wanted, explained I was in the wrong place, and I explained I was, in fact, in the right place. He also asked me to wait, but at least this time I was offered a seat.
The fattest policeman sat opposite me while I waited. Gulped down a can of diet coke while disinterestedly asking me about my reasons for being there. Got off his chair and disappeared for a few minutes, then came back with another diet coke.
A policeman that looked like santa claus walked in, looked bewildered, then walked out again. It would have been kinda funny if it wasn't for the gun he had strapped to his waist.
Finally my policeman came back with all the required paperwork, and told me he would be at my place in 15 minutes. Hence the wild dash back to my apartment for some last minute tidying up.
And that explains that!
It's nice: 15°C, and the trees are blooming. Nice white and pink flowers... on the trees. I can't stress this enough, folks, they have some sort of strange mutant tree-flowers around here.
The incident with the policeman has a simple enough explanation. Ingibjörg was right; he was at my place to see if I actually live there. This is something they do around here.
Some weeks ago I registered my new address, and was told a policeman would come for a visit. I had nearly forgotten about that promised visit when finally I got a letter asking me for my address. Read that last part again if you didn't catch the absurdity. :)
That meant the policeman had come by a few times, and I was never there. Later I found out that he had come by 9 times, all but once sometime between three and four in the afternoon. Of course I wasn't home, I was at work! *sigh* So I had to go myself to pick up the policeman.
---
Belgian police stations are funny. The policemen look like cartoon characters, most of them with a moustache, really fat or somehow otherwise a caricature of a caricature.
The first one had a moustache. Asked me what I wanted, explained I was in the wrong place, and I explained I was, in fact, in the right place. He asked me to wait. Another policeman, this time the special 'I-come-to-your-place-to-see-if-you-live-there' agent (fat), came and asked me what I wanted, explained I was in the wrong place, and I explained I was, in fact, in the right place. He also asked me to wait, but at least this time I was offered a seat.
The fattest policeman sat opposite me while I waited. Gulped down a can of diet coke while disinterestedly asking me about my reasons for being there. Got off his chair and disappeared for a few minutes, then came back with another diet coke.
A policeman that looked like santa claus walked in, looked bewildered, then walked out again. It would have been kinda funny if it wasn't for the gun he had strapped to his waist.
Finally my policeman came back with all the required paperwork, and told me he would be at my place in 15 minutes. Hence the wild dash back to my apartment for some last minute tidying up.
And that explains that!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
(mostly) True story
I raced over the tram-line tracks as fast as I dared and took the last turn before arriving at my house, tyres squeeling*. I hastily dashed across the road, and rushed into my apartment, taking the stairs two steps at a time**.
I somehow managed to unlock the door despite my hands shaking, and I ran inside. Threw some empty cans and bottles into a bag, covered up the items lying on the chair with a blanket I found, emptied the kitchen table as well as I could, found more empty cans, couldn't find the bag...
The doorbell rang.
I hesitated.
It rang again.***
I put the cans down and, resigned to my fate, went to the door phone. I picked it up and the screen flickered to life. The black-and-white image showed my front door eclipsed by a large bald head.
"Yes?" I said.
"It's the police," came the reply.
To be continued.****
* Not really squeeling. But I did go kinda fast.
** Not true. I took the elevator.
*** Not true either, just for dramatic effect.
**** In the comments or otherwise ;)
I somehow managed to unlock the door despite my hands shaking, and I ran inside. Threw some empty cans and bottles into a bag, covered up the items lying on the chair with a blanket I found, emptied the kitchen table as well as I could, found more empty cans, couldn't find the bag...
The doorbell rang.
I hesitated.
It rang again.***
I put the cans down and, resigned to my fate, went to the door phone. I picked it up and the screen flickered to life. The black-and-white image showed my front door eclipsed by a large bald head.
"Yes?" I said.
"It's the police," came the reply.
To be continued.****
* Not really squeeling. But I did go kinda fast.
** Not true. I took the elevator.
*** Not true either, just for dramatic effect.
**** In the comments or otherwise ;)
Tow-aways
The Parisian adventure, as far as I was concerned, mostly consisted of losing and recovering things.
Before we even left Gent I realized my wallet was missing and after racing back to the apartment to look for it, then to the supermarket where I last remembered seeing it, then frantically trying to call the bank to lock my cards, I finally found it, lodged between the driver's seat and the door of my car.
I felt embarrassed at that point, but knowing that someone else would be more embarrassed later that day would have given me some consolation if it wasn't for the circumstances of that embarassment.
Excited yet? No? Ok, I won't go into too much details, but basically I lost my car. It was parked illegally, and the police took it away. And I was the only one who insisted that we shouldn't park there, while the others said "C'mon, everyone else is doing it, nothing will happen." But something did and the others were embarrassed, and I would have been in a gleeful "I-told-you-so" mood if I hadn't been worried sick about my car having vanished.
Apart from that, Paris was nice. I got to see all the major sights: la basilique du Sacré-Cœur (pictured), the Eiffel tower (from a distance), Notre Dame, Louvre (the outside) and many more. Had some crêpes and a bit of quiche.
Of the two capitals I've visited since leaving Iceland, it's a solid second place, though ;)
Before we even left Gent I realized my wallet was missing and after racing back to the apartment to look for it, then to the supermarket where I last remembered seeing it, then frantically trying to call the bank to lock my cards, I finally found it, lodged between the driver's seat and the door of my car.
I felt embarrassed at that point, but knowing that someone else would be more embarrassed later that day would have given me some consolation if it wasn't for the circumstances of that embarassment.
Excited yet? No? Ok, I won't go into too much details, but basically I lost my car. It was parked illegally, and the police took it away. And I was the only one who insisted that we shouldn't park there, while the others said "C'mon, everyone else is doing it, nothing will happen." But something did and the others were embarrassed, and I would have been in a gleeful "I-told-you-so" mood if I hadn't been worried sick about my car having vanished.
Apart from that, Paris was nice. I got to see all the major sights: la basilique du Sacré-Cœur (pictured), the Eiffel tower (from a distance), Notre Dame, Louvre (the outside) and many more. Had some crêpes and a bit of quiche.
Of the two capitals I've visited since leaving Iceland, it's a solid second place, though ;)
Friday, March 2, 2007
P-p-p-p-p-p-paris
Is only 3 hours away, so why not pop over there for a weekend? Actually there are probably hundreds of reasons you could come up with (fuel costs, time, laziness, the French...) but I won't listen and I'm going anyway. Avec mes chers amis Renoit et Elyssa. Je m'appelle Byornues et j'ai une baguette dans mon pantalon! VIVÉ LA LIBERTÉ!
As you see, I'm already getting into the mood.
As my readers pointed out in my comments, it was Gaston la Gaffe's 50th birthday the other day. To celebrate - and this was inspired by his epic battles with parking meters - parking was free in Brussels for the whole day (any money put into the parking meters went to a childrens' hospital). Which was nice.
Also, I look like a mouse detective.
That is all for now. Au revoir!
As you see, I'm already getting into the mood.
As my readers pointed out in my comments, it was Gaston la Gaffe's 50th birthday the other day. To celebrate - and this was inspired by his epic battles with parking meters - parking was free in Brussels for the whole day (any money put into the parking meters went to a childrens' hospital). Which was nice.
Also, I look like a mouse detective.
That is all for now. Au revoir!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Vocabulary
Ingibjörg gave me an idea in her comment on the last post. Sort of. She said I could be the inspiration for a good, Belgian comic character.
Now, this somehow stuck in my head, and after brewing in my brain for the weekend, a most pleasing beverage of an idea is ready to be tapped.
My old friends, Svalur og Valur, aka Spirou et Fantasio, aka Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot will help me improve my vocabulary. After all, I am living in their country of origin. And even though many of their adventures have been translated into Icelandic, many of the 49 (arguably, depending on how you count) books will be new to me.
IFIL BBÚLGROZ!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Proud bike owner
You wanted a pic, so here's a pic. :)
My adventures with the bike so far:
Day one: Accidentally threw the rear light in the river while trying to take it off the bike
Day two: Left the front light behind in the Hot Club de Gand jazz club (it was fortunately recovered by Renaat.)
Day three: Bought a replacement rear light, but managed to lose the screw from the fastening thing before I even managed to put it on the bike for the first time.
Day four: Broke the fastening thing for the front light, so now it cannot be taken off the bike (probably for the best, or it might end up in the river as well).
Day five: Got the rear wheel stuck in the tram tracks and flew off at maximum speed. Luckily only hurt my pride.
Day six: Didn't ride the bike that day; nothing to report.
Day seven: No incident so far...
Despite all that.. I LOVE MY BIKE! :D
My adventures with the bike so far:
Day one: Accidentally threw the rear light in the river while trying to take it off the bike
Day two: Left the front light behind in the Hot Club de Gand jazz club (it was fortunately recovered by Renaat.)
Day three: Bought a replacement rear light, but managed to lose the screw from the fastening thing before I even managed to put it on the bike for the first time.
Day four: Broke the fastening thing for the front light, so now it cannot be taken off the bike (probably for the best, or it might end up in the river as well).
Day five: Got the rear wheel stuck in the tram tracks and flew off at maximum speed. Luckily only hurt my pride.
Day six: Didn't ride the bike that day; nothing to report.
Day seven: No incident so far...
Despite all that.. I LOVE MY BIKE! :D
Monday, February 19, 2007
Bicycle-Björn
I bought a bike last Saturday! It's old, it's green and it's lovely.
I picked it up from a guy who lives in a small village just east of Sint Niklaas, the repair and restoration of bikes is a bit of a hobby of his. So my bike's in a perfect state: bad enough to be fairly cheap and less likely to get stolen, but good enough to get from A to B with some pride and grace.
I've already covered quite a few kilometres on my bike, and my thighs hurt alot. Still, it's totally worth it. From my place to the city centre it's about 10 minutes' drive (Ghent is a maze of one-way streets if you're on a car, so the quickest route takes you away from the centre before you get there), plus five to infinity minutes to find a parking space. By bike I can take more scenic routes and it only takes about 15 minutes. Gent is quite flat like most of Flanders, which adds to the pleasure.
The cobblestones are a bitch though.
I picked it up from a guy who lives in a small village just east of Sint Niklaas, the repair and restoration of bikes is a bit of a hobby of his. So my bike's in a perfect state: bad enough to be fairly cheap and less likely to get stolen, but good enough to get from A to B with some pride and grace.
I've already covered quite a few kilometres on my bike, and my thighs hurt alot. Still, it's totally worth it. From my place to the city centre it's about 10 minutes' drive (Ghent is a maze of one-way streets if you're on a car, so the quickest route takes you away from the centre before you get there), plus five to infinity minutes to find a parking space. By bike I can take more scenic routes and it only takes about 15 minutes. Gent is quite flat like most of Flanders, which adds to the pleasure.
The cobblestones are a bitch though.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Snow in Ghent
This is what I woke up to last Thursday. Just lovely.
I believe this is the river Leie (someone please correct me if it isn't ;)). The Leie is known as the Lys where it starts, far away in France, but passes through Dutch speaking lands before going to the sea.
I believe this is the river Leie (someone please correct me if it isn't ;)). The Leie is known as the Lys where it starts, far away in France, but passes through Dutch speaking lands before going to the sea.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Registering
Orders: Go to the stadhuis (city hall) and register.
One afternoon just before 4 I drove to the city center and entered the lovely picturesque stadhuis close to where I used to live. Turns out that's not at all the right place for me to be, I should go to the administrative division, close to the main bus station, Zuid. Furthermore, it is open from 08-13, so I'm way too late. It is open on Saturdays, though (handy!) so I can go then.
Updated orders: Go to the stadhuis, administrative division on Saturday and register.
So on Saturday I enter the administrative division shortly after they open and take a number. There are more than 40 people ahead of me. 2 hours later it is my turn and I find out that not only is it not possible to register on Saturdays, but I'm in the wrong place. Because I live south of the railwaystation I should go to the dienstcentrum for my area. The dienstcentrum is at Rerum Novarumplein, just a few blocks from my house. It is not open on Saturdays.
Updated orders: Go to the dienstcentrum by Rerum Novarumplein on Monday and register.
I did and it worked!
Now I have to wait for a policeman to visit to check if I actually live where I say I live, and I'm formally a resident of Gent. Huzzah!
One afternoon just before 4 I drove to the city center and entered the lovely picturesque stadhuis close to where I used to live. Turns out that's not at all the right place for me to be, I should go to the administrative division, close to the main bus station, Zuid. Furthermore, it is open from 08-13, so I'm way too late. It is open on Saturdays, though (handy!) so I can go then.
Updated orders: Go to the stadhuis, administrative division on Saturday and register.
So on Saturday I enter the administrative division shortly after they open and take a number. There are more than 40 people ahead of me. 2 hours later it is my turn and I find out that not only is it not possible to register on Saturdays, but I'm in the wrong place. Because I live south of the railwaystation I should go to the dienstcentrum for my area. The dienstcentrum is at Rerum Novarumplein, just a few blocks from my house. It is not open on Saturdays.
Updated orders: Go to the dienstcentrum by Rerum Novarumplein on Monday and register.
I did and it worked!
Now I have to wait for a policeman to visit to check if I actually live where I say I live, and I'm formally a resident of Gent. Huzzah!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The only Björn
I've grown accustomed to being one of the Björns (there were three of us at Hexia), so I'm finding my newfound uniqueness hard to cope with.
Still, there's alot of other naming coincidences I can use for comfort; my boss and his boss are both called Jan, across the hallway is an office of Marios, and the Stijns are too many to count.
This is my second workplace in a row where I have a colleague named Yuko.
Anyway, it was fun being Icelandic this morning. Everything was covered in snow, and wherever you looked you could see a car stuck or spinning wildly on the icy roads. A long line of cars stuck behind a Porsche. Snowmen on bicycles.
I got tremendous satisfaction out of overtaking slow drivers on the narrow, twisty roads near the centre, and proudly displaying the Icelandic flag on the back of my car before disappearing into the distance.
Mwahahaha!
Still, there's alot of other naming coincidences I can use for comfort; my boss and his boss are both called Jan, across the hallway is an office of Marios, and the Stijns are too many to count.
This is my second workplace in a row where I have a colleague named Yuko.
Anyway, it was fun being Icelandic this morning. Everything was covered in snow, and wherever you looked you could see a car stuck or spinning wildly on the icy roads. A long line of cars stuck behind a Porsche. Snowmen on bicycles.
I got tremendous satisfaction out of overtaking slow drivers on the narrow, twisty roads near the centre, and proudly displaying the Icelandic flag on the back of my car before disappearing into the distance.
Mwahahaha!
Monday, February 5, 2007
Lokeren
Me and Elisa went on a sofa hunting tour around neighbouring towns and villages, including a short stop in the scenic centre of Lokeren. Didn't meet any of the dozens of Icelandic football players living there, but the church looked nice. The weather on Saturday was fantastic: clear skies and sunshine, and felt a bit like early summer in Iceland.
The sofa was only found the next day and close to home: in Ghent.
The sofa was only found the next day and close to home: in Ghent.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Expecting pictures?
Hope not, still haven't uploaded any.
I did take a few Berlin, but fewer than I would have liked, mostly due to technical reasons. The technical reasons being I forgot to charge my battery before leaving, I forgot to bring the recharger with me, and I forgot to take a spare battery.
This meant I was on low batteries all weekend, and tried to save it for as long as I could.
So what, Berlin was far to cool for me ever to get it properly on film/chip. Yes, Berlin rocks and I can't wait to go back.
In other news, I'm getting sick of Danish. Wish we'd beat the bastards the other night, but no such luck.
Back to the stød.
I did take a few Berlin, but fewer than I would have liked, mostly due to technical reasons. The technical reasons being I forgot to charge my battery before leaving, I forgot to bring the recharger with me, and I forgot to take a spare battery.
This meant I was on low batteries all weekend, and tried to save it for as long as I could.
So what, Berlin was far to cool for me ever to get it properly on film/chip. Yes, Berlin rocks and I can't wait to go back.
In other news, I'm getting sick of Danish. Wish we'd beat the bastards the other night, but no such luck.
Back to the stød.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
B-b-b-b-berlin!
Gone to Berlin for the weekend.
Ah, the wonders of living on the mainland...
Expect pictures! Finally.
Ah, the wonders of living on the mainland...
Expect pictures! Finally.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Scrape, scrape, scrape
There was ice on my windshield this morning.As I was busy scraping it off, I imagined the scores of curious Belgians who must have been, at that moment, standing by their windows in all the surrounding houses, gaping in awe at this fantastic device used for that purpose. So specific, so effective against such a rare natural phenomenon that ice on the windshield surely is in this part of the world.
"Where do you get this sort of thing?" asks one in wonderment.
"What kind of genius could come up with such a device?" asks another.
"I wonder if he might also have some sort of cheese-cutting implement?" ponders a third.
"For God's sake," exclaims a fourth, "he's no superman!"
And I felt proud of myself and my northern heritage and my mastery of sub-zero conditions right until I took a wrong turn on the way to work and got lost. Again.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I heard the news today...
... and there was no mention of Iceland's EPIC victory over EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS France.
We lost what should have been the fight for second place, only to go on and do the impossible and beat France and win the group.
Huzzah!!
Next Sunday: Iceland v. Germany ;)
We lost what should have been the fight for second place, only to go on and do the impossible and beat France and win the group.
Huzzah!!
Next Sunday: Iceland v. Germany ;)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Handball
I've been trying to spark some interest in handball among my friends and colleagues, what with the world championships going on, but with little success.
I will still report on this page about the latest results, at least as long as they're favourable.
So Iceland started with a bang, beating Australia 45 - 20. It's a good indicator of what vastly different levels the teams in the handball world are at when you consider that Australia beat Cook Islands 63 - 5 to qualify for the finals.
Should Iceland qualify, they will end up in a group with Germany, so there's a chance I'll be able to see Iceland - Germany play while I'm in Berlin next weekend. But before then, there's some interest to spark. ;) Not counting on it :P
EDIT: And with yesterday's loss against the Ukraine it looks like I won't have to worry about it anyway. Bleh.
I will still report on this page about the latest results, at least as long as they're favourable.
So Iceland started with a bang, beating Australia 45 - 20. It's a good indicator of what vastly different levels the teams in the handball world are at when you consider that Australia beat Cook Islands 63 - 5 to qualify for the finals.
Should Iceland qualify, they will end up in a group with Germany, so there's a chance I'll be able to see Iceland - Germany play while I'm in Berlin next weekend. But before then, there's some interest to spark. ;) Not counting on it :P
EDIT: And with yesterday's loss against the Ukraine it looks like I won't have to worry about it anyway. Bleh.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Wind
Two lives claimed in Belgium by the raging storm.
Raging storm? Only a few days ago while battling the Reykjavík wind I was thinking how I didn't remember it ever having been terribly windy in Belgium. Was it simply that my memory wasn't better, or was Belgium really not a windy place? Less windy than a flat, barren peninsula sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean, surely.
I guess I was wrong. On Thursday the wind was definitely a full match for a... well, a fairly windy day in Reykjavík. It wasn't until I ran into a tree that had snapped and lay on the road, and few minutes later one uprooted, leaning against a house, that I noticed that maybe this was more serious.
The next morning, as daylight shone on the backyard of the house, nay, mansion I'm staying at in Sint-Denijs-Westrem (it's a Bed and Breakfast just outside of Gent I'm temporarily living at), I saw that all of Madame Francine (the landlady)'s pine trees were either uprooted or broken in pieces, a large pile of branches in one corner of the backyard, next to the swimming pool (I mentioned it was a mansion, right?).
And then news of the casualties started coming in. Did I really misjudge the ferocity of the storm so much, or is this just an area not used to such storms as are so common in Reykjavík, making the effects more apparent? I don't know what the wind speeds were here, but certainly nothing close to what they had in Germany.
In any case, it didn't take long to clear the roads and get the traffic moving again, and in fact this evening when I went with 13 other (former) Nuance employees to the restaurant La Rustica for a pizza there was hardly any trace at all of the storm that had passed over just hours before.
Raging storm? Only a few days ago while battling the Reykjavík wind I was thinking how I didn't remember it ever having been terribly windy in Belgium. Was it simply that my memory wasn't better, or was Belgium really not a windy place? Less windy than a flat, barren peninsula sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean, surely.
I guess I was wrong. On Thursday the wind was definitely a full match for a... well, a fairly windy day in Reykjavík. It wasn't until I ran into a tree that had snapped and lay on the road, and few minutes later one uprooted, leaning against a house, that I noticed that maybe this was more serious.
The next morning, as daylight shone on the backyard of the house, nay, mansion I'm staying at in Sint-Denijs-Westrem (it's a Bed and Breakfast just outside of Gent I'm temporarily living at), I saw that all of Madame Francine (the landlady)'s pine trees were either uprooted or broken in pieces, a large pile of branches in one corner of the backyard, next to the swimming pool (I mentioned it was a mansion, right?).
And then news of the casualties started coming in. Did I really misjudge the ferocity of the storm so much, or is this just an area not used to such storms as are so common in Reykjavík, making the effects more apparent? I don't know what the wind speeds were here, but certainly nothing close to what they had in Germany.
In any case, it didn't take long to clear the roads and get the traffic moving again, and in fact this evening when I went with 13 other (former) Nuance employees to the restaurant La Rustica for a pizza there was hardly any trace at all of the storm that had passed over just hours before.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Not quite
The plan didn't really work out, I ended up arriving in Denmark 3 days and 8 hours late. This included arriving in Bergen three times: once from the Faeroes, once after sailing for nine hours towards Denmark only to turn around because of the weather, and once when we had to turn around when the engine failed.
I won't go into too many details about the trip now, but to alleviate the boredom of waiting for the weather to clear up I had some truly inspiring conversations like this one:
I won't go into too many details about the trip now, but to alleviate the boredom of waiting for the weather to clear up I had some truly inspiring conversations like this one:
Location: Somewhere on the way from the Faeroes to Norway.But I made it in the end, and now I'm in Belgium starting my new job. :)
Passenger (pensive): "My geography isn't very good. What ocean is this we're sailing on?"
Me: "This would be the North-Atlantic."
Passenger: "Ah. And the Mediterranean?"
Me: "Uhm... Well, it's a sea, not an ocean. And it's to the south of here, you know, between southern Europe and Africa, reaches all the way to Turkey and..."
Passenger: "Oh, and the Indian Ocean? That's in Africa, right?"
Me: "... it's close to India. India is in Asia."
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Plan
It's all shaping up. The plan is now as follows
- Monday:
- Tuesday:
- Chill
- Wednesday:
- Morning: Leave Akureyri
Afternoon : Arrive in Seyðisfjörður, board ferry- Thursday:
- Noon: Arrive in Tórshavn
- Evening: Leave Tórshavn
- Friday:
- Afternoon: Arrive in Bergen
- Evening: Leave Bergen
- Saturday:
- Sunday:
- Morning: Leave Hamburg
- Evening: Arrive in Gent
- Monday:
- Morning: Go to work
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Parma
Ég var að hlusta á Orð skulu standa á Rás1, og þar kom fram uppruni orðsins spaghetti. Orðið er sumsé dregið af orðinu spago, "spotti", og þessu alkunna ítalska smækkunarviðskeyti skellt aftan á. Spaghetti þýðir þá einfaldlega "smáspottar".
Ef við skoðum svo rétt eins og spaghetti Bolognese er þar með öðrum orðum átt við smáspotta frá Bologna, sumsé Parma, sem er bara örfáa kílómetra þaðan. Þannig má draga þá ályktun að spaghetti Bolognese þýðir líklegast Parma. Þá er bara eftir að skikka Ítalina til að kalla Parma skinkuna góðu prosciutto di spaghetti Bolognese.
Ég vil taka fram að þessar pælingar eru gerðar seint að kvöldi.
Ef við skoðum svo rétt eins og spaghetti Bolognese er þar með öðrum orðum átt við smáspotta frá Bologna, sumsé Parma, sem er bara örfáa kílómetra þaðan. Þannig má draga þá ályktun að spaghetti Bolognese þýðir líklegast Parma. Þá er bara eftir að skikka Ítalina til að kalla Parma skinkuna góðu prosciutto di spaghetti Bolognese.
Ég vil taka fram að þessar pælingar eru gerðar seint að kvöldi.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Memories
I could never remember my Visa PIN number. Finding an unopened envelope from Visa today explained why.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Busy bear
busy bear. n. Much like a busy bee, only much bigger and a lot busier, especially during the hibernating months. Famously likes saying: "I can hibernate when I'm dead!" Generally eats large quantities of pizza while busy.
So much to do in a really short time. I got back from Akureyri yesterday evening, and I'm leaving Reykjavík again next Monday or Tuesday. Before then I will have to empty out my apartment and clean everything, as well as take care of various details not related to the apartment. So, a bit of wild juggling ahead. Just hope the sailing will be smooth and relaxing, so I can recover some energy before the long drive to Belgium...
Enough of this, the pizza is ready.
Monday, January 1, 2007
tvöþúsundogsex -> tweeduizendzeven
Gleðilegt nýtt ár
Happy New Year
Gelukkig nieuwjaar
Happy New Year
Gelukkig nieuwjaar
As you can probably imagine I can hardly wait for the new year to start with a new job in a new country. With everything so new it was nearly poetic when it started snowing, and this morning everything was white: my footprints writing the first words on the empty sheet the new year presented me with.
Note I said nearly poetic, you should see what happens when it's REALLY poetic.
But as much as I look forward to the coming weeks and months, these days I'm thinking equally of the year that's passed and all the happy moments I've had with all the wonderful people I'm honoured to call my friends. :)
Skál! Cheers! Gezondheid!
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