¡Feliz Navidad a todos!
miércoles, 24 de diciembre de 2008
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lunes, 15 de diciembre de 2008
Second hand market / Mercado de segunda mano
Save some money! / ¡Ahorra algo de dinero!. Photo by Steve Woods
In these times of economic crisis we all have to save money somehow and the second hand market becomes a possibility as it is quite big in The Netherlands. There's a website called Marktplaats (in Dutch) where you can find almost everything. Moreover, there are lots of expats who come here for one year and at the end of their stay they sell a lot of stuff almost new.
Of course, bicycles are the flagship product in the second hand market. Ours are second hand and they are in a very good condition. When we came here we bought some second hand stuff because we didn't know how long we were gonna stay here, so we thought it was not worth buying new furniture. For example our diswasher is second hand and I can tell you it's way much better than the new one we bought a few years ago in Spain.
Have you ever bought any second hand good?
domingo, 30 de noviembre de 2008
Visitors, visitors, visitors... / Visitas, visitas, visitas...
"Peludín" and Edu at the skating rink in Leidseplein, Amsterdam.
Once again, visitors!! This time you probably remember them: Ángel and Eduardo.
It was the first time abroad for Ángel, a.k.a. "Little furry". He was fascinated with things like the Dutch fast food (FEBO) and the hectic traffic in Amsterdam with trams, bicycles, cars and boats all around.
Eduardo is far from being a rookie when it comes to Dutch habits as he used to work in Eindhoven. In fact, it turned out that he knows Amsterdam better than me and he acted as our guide around the city.
jueves, 20 de noviembre de 2008
Animals rights / Derechos de los animales
Photo by Benjamin Earwicker
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged on the way its animals are treated". Mahatma Gandhi
I wonder if we could ever have this kind of news in the Spanish newspapers:
Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop has been asked to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of a dog which was the mascot of a Dutch military base in the Afghan province of Uruzgan. Source: Expatica.com
lunes, 10 de noviembre de 2008
Weekends around Europe / "Findes" por Europa
Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin. Photo by SomosUno.
One of the good things of living in a country as big as Extremadura is the weekend trips you can make (just by car) to different countries like Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg or France. For example, we have been in Berlin, Hannover and Paris in less than one month. Berlin was a great, great discover. A vibrant and very modern city. Paris, although it wasn't our first time there, is always so romantic! And this time it was even more because this trip was my birthday gift and it was a long weekend full of nice surprises. I have to thank Daniel (once again) for the best gift ever!
miércoles, 22 de octubre de 2008
Shopping in Holland / De compras en Holanda
Where would you prefer to go shopping, Madrid or Amsterdam?
Well, it may seem difficult to answer at the beginning, so to make things easier here you go the opening hours of a well-known shop in Amsterdam:
Mon: 12:00 - 18:30
Tue-Wed: 10:00 - 18:30
Thu: 10:00 - 21:00
Fri-Sat: 10:00 - 18:30
Sun: 12:00 - 18:00
The same shop in Madrid:
Mon-Sun: 10:00 - 22:00
This is not a particular case, this is almost a rule. It's not only that you would need a PDA or a piece of paper in The Netherlands in order to remember the opening hours for every single day of the week but also you have much less time to go shopping in Amsterdam than in Madrid, or Spain in general. Besides, the closing time in Madrid means that you can go to the cash register at that time, even later, but in The Netherlands, the closing time reflects when the shop has to be completely closed.
Sometimes is even worse and the shop closes 5 minutes ahead, so you might think that if the shop closes at 18.00, for instance, at that time the shop assistants will be already at home. So you better get your shopping done 15-20 minutes before the closing hour, otherwise you'll be kindly requested to leave the shop and of course, don't even dare to think about entering the shop in the last half an hour.
Having said that, the next question would be: in which of these cities would you prefer to work in a shop? No need to answer this one :-)
domingo, 12 de octubre de 2008
Spanish National day in the Netherlands / Día de España en Holanda
Dutch flags on the National Day. / Banderas holandesas en el Día Nacional. Photo by SomosUno.
Today is the National Day of Spain, also known as Hispanic Day, which commemorates Columbus' arrival in the Americas in 1492. There is a big military parade in Madrid, presided by the Spanish King, the President and some other authorities. To celebrate it we have raised the Spanish flag in our house, as here houses come with a flag holder already included in the facade so everybody can rise the Dutch flag on special dates like Queen's Day or Liberation Day.
12th of October is also celebrated in the Autonomous Community of Aragon, as it is their patroness' day: Our Lady of the Pillar ("Nuestra Señora del Pilar", with one "l" only in Spanish as many people write my name incorrectly). That means it is also my name's day! And the best man on earth surprised me taking a marvellous breakfast to bed, gift included.
martes, 30 de septiembre de 2008
Spanish-Dutch love / Amor hispano-holandés
This photo is the proof that LOVE between different countries and cultures is possible.
He: Dutch, elegant, athletic, courteous.
She: Spanish, beautiful, spirited, temperamental.
martes, 16 de septiembre de 2008
You've been Dutchified! / Te han holandesizado!!!
Photo by Bianca de Blok
I have a theory. It is a very serious theory and a theory I have been shaping up for some time now. Do you have milk with your lunch? Then, you have been Dutchified!!! You are really Dutch inside, no matter where you are from. You cannot hide it. You cannot escape from it. You are one of them.
In Spain, milk is only for breakfast and also maybe for this marvellous thing called "merienda" (badly called "afternoon snack" in English) when you can enjoy a delicious "Colacao", but certainly not for having lunch. I have not been Dutchified yet!
jueves, 4 de septiembre de 2008
Punctuality / Puntualidad
Photo by Tnarik
Punctuality of Dutch public transportation is absolutely brilliant. Contrary to the Spanish system, more based on “estimation”, here they must use complicated mathematical equations.
Over the last months I’ve been using the train for commuting to work and the first days I used to miss the train. Why is that? Because if you check the timetable and see that the train comes at 09:05, then the real meaning is that the train will leave the station just at that minute. If you arrive at 09:04 you will have few chances of getting on the train, specially if you arrive in the second half of that minute. I will explain this example in detail: at 09:04:45 (yes, I have to use seconds here to explain this) the ticket inspector leans out of one door and introduces a key to close other doors. After he makes certain everything is ok, he presses the button to close his door around 09:04:50. Then, during the next 10 seconds that door is completely closed and all doorsteps are folded up. Finally, the train starts moving at 09:04:59 (feeling happy because everything was punctual and well done).
It is also incredible that if the train arrives only 5 minutes later they announce that over the PA system and apologize for that (at least that is what I think they are saying... in Dutch).
There is an essential tool for all those who use public transportation in The Netherlands: 9292ov.nl. In this website you simply introduce your departure point and destination and then you get the best options for your journey and accurate timetables for all public transportation. And not only trains are that punctual in The Netherlands but also buses. For example in Hoofddorp some electronic panels have been installed at the bus stops that presumedly will show the minutes left for the next bus... or maybe even the seconds left!!!
jueves, 28 de agosto de 2008
Do not get old in The Netherlands! / ¡No te hagas viejo en Holanda!
A few days ago I was in shock while reading this news on DutchNews.nl:
The health inspectorate is to begin an investigation into a care home in Amersfoort which does not resuscitate the over-70s unless they have specifically stated they want to continue living.So, let's imagine the situation for a moment: I'm a person of 74 years old who's living in a care home in Amersfoort. I'm happily walking after playing cards with my also old fellow mates when suddenly I feel terribly bad. I'm having a heart attack!! And while I am fainting I see the nurse trying to open the database and exclaiming "oh shit, this damn computer!!!" and I hear the classic Windows rebooting sound. My last words would be "Oh God, I am fu...!!"
(...) the director of the St Pieters en Bloklands Gasthuis care home said people’s records are always consulted if they are in need of resuscitation.
I think the best solution would be to wear a t-shirt saying "I wanna live" or maybe to tattoo "Resuscitate here!" in big letters in the middle of your chest. (My goodness... a new world opens up before my very eyes!! Right now I have discovered that many people have a "Do not resuscitate" tattoo in their chests!!!)
martes, 26 de agosto de 2008
Our support / Nuestro apoyo
A short post dedicated to Spanair plane victim's relatives. Wishing them enough strength to get through (if that can ever be possible) this tragedy. Wishing the survivors, who are still recovering from physical injuries and will have a long psychological way to go, all the best.
We have been traveling quite a lot lately and usually you simply don't think about this possibility. I took a train the day before 11M attacks and I took a plane the day after this crash. So, though it might sound cheesy, I just simply want to thank God for giving me another day to enjoy life with all of you.
sábado, 9 de agosto de 2008
Short summary / Pequeño resumen
Photo: Pichí's new brother, Bacardi.
It has been strange these last weeks around here. A lot of new things happened. I will try to stick to the chronological path.
- I started "working" in a company like one month ago. The quotation marks are because I'm actually doing my thesis project there, thus I am not an employee but an intern. It's a good project, even more related to what I wanted than I expected. It's also a good company and an international one, so english is the official language at work. Alas, at lunch I am almost the only non-dutch speaker and then, as lunch is not "working hours", they speak in Dutch. As I don't understand any Dutch I seize the opportunity to think about stupid things like "what if music ends due to the end of notes permutation?"
- We have the craziest weather this summer. Dutch weather can be described as having four seasons in one day. It can be rainy and foggy in the morning, then sunny in the afternoon and windy in the evening. For example, I was caught by a heavy storm on Thursday and when I got to the office my hair was dripping wet as getting out of the shower. Later on it was completely sunny, as if nothing had happened... except my hair was still a mess :-(.
- Our friend Edu left the Netherlands one week ago. We don't know yet if it's going to be permanent but he decided to spend with us his last days here. Honestly, I don't know if it was due more to logistic matters than sentimental but we toasted with mojitos and played "WoW". Edu is completely addicted to WoW and we are trying to make him go to rehab but he says nooo, noooo, noooo (easy joke).
- Our friends Óscar and Yolanda passed by Amsterdam during a trip along France, Belgium and, naturally, The Netherlands. It was quite a surprise because we didn't know they were here and we managed to arrange a nice evening for all of us (Edu and my brother included) in Haarlem. Thanks for saving some time for us friends.
- We have adopted another cat!!! (see photo). This is really recently news 'cause it just happened a few hours ago and Pichí (our cat) will have to get used to the fact that she just had a little Dutch brother. She is snorting right now... humm, I guess that's not a good sign but we have to give her time. "Bacardi" (beautiful name, huh?) is a one and a half years old tabby cat and he seems very well-behaved, so far.
domingo, 20 de julio de 2008
Dutch stairs / Escaleras holandesas
Of course, we had visitors! (again). This time I know for sure they are the eldest people that will ever visit us. They are more than 80 years old each one and they are lovely and grumpy, adorable and grouchy at the same time.
Having elderly people has been a challenge for us because dutch houses are definitely not made for them. I really wonder what happens when the elderly cannot use the stairs anymore, because let's face it... this narrow houses with almost spiral staircases can be a pain if you are not on top form. Even for us, it was difficult at the beginning and also for Pichí (our cat). And we have to be grateful because our stairs are not completely in a spiral shape and steps are open (otherwise I am sure our foot wouldn't fit completely in the steps and this would make it even more difficult). At least we do have a banister which is really helpful for those not accustomed to going upstairs and downstairs several times a day.
We are very proud of Emilia and Félix because many people, and probably even younger than them, would wish to have both the vitality and courage needed for going on a trip like this. Thanks for coming!
jueves, 3 de julio de 2008
Balloon trip / Viaje en globo
A few days ago we celebrated our seventh anniversary (needless to say, these have been the best seven years ever in my life). Our anniversary is a very special date for us because we remember how lucky we are to have each other in our lives. In fact, we are aware of that each passing day but the anniversary is the perfect excuse to celebrate it even more. We usually try to surprise each other with a secret and unexpected gift. What does this have to do with the Netherlands? (this blog is about living here, right?). Well... this year, I invited Daniel to a balloon trip and it was amazing. The dutch landscapes are perfect for this experience for you can see the green fields, the endless horizon, the farm animals, birds "below" you, canals, rivers... The nature all in its glory.
Although we live in the Randstad (the most populated area in The Netherlands) it's awesome how nature is still present everywhere, probably thanks to this humid weather dutchies use to hate so much. A balloon trip around Madrid would have been very different. Probably we would have contemplated urban agglomerations surrounded by arid terrains (waiting for being urbanized as well). Nevertheless, a balloon trip in Asturias (north of Spain) would have been more similar to this wonderful experience.
martes, 24 de junio de 2008
Mad about football (II) / Locos por el fútbol (II)
Photo by Tnarik & SomosUno. Source: elmundo.es
In my last post I forgot to mention the best part:
"Football fanatics who worry that they might have to cancel their holidays if the Netherlands reaches the final of the Euro 2008 championship in Switzerland and Austria, can now take out football-related insurance.
Insurer Europeesche Verzkeringen has created a special football policy to cover cancelled holidays if Oranje makes it through to the last two." Dutchnews.nl
I'm afraid they don't need it anymore.
miércoles, 18 de junio de 2008
Mad about football / Locos por el fútbol
I always thought that Spain was the country where football awoke more passions. We are, in fact, passionate people with this mediterranean character that makes shouting, gesticulating and laughing really loud part of our idiosyncrasy. However, there is a thing we don't do: we don't decorate our houses with football motifs. Maybe a truly big fan could put a scarf of his/her favorite football team near the television while watching an important match, but what we certainly don't do is decorate the facades. Well, here they do and they are great in doing so. The funny thing comes when you also see some people wearing orange clothes and accessories (and not only on the day Holland is playing but during the whole competition), flags raised at the top of some houses with the slogan "Hup Holland Hup", orange bouquets at the flower shops and special tarts and cakes with orange football motifs at the supermarkets.
Even for every €15 purchase at Albert Heijn (the most famous supermarket in the Netherlands) you get a little lion, called "Welpie", which is of course the dutch soccer mascot. They even have a funny advertisement where everybody uses Welpies to cover every sort of things. Naturally, Welpie's hair is orange, but there are also another versions with blue, white and red hair and guess what... those are the colors of the Dutch flag!
miércoles, 11 de junio de 2008
Invader Stu Tribute / Homenaje a Invader Stu
Photo: Invader-Stu Website
When we came to the Netherlands we were lost, without direction, without a clue, without internet!!! But we managed to find open WIFIs to look for some info. Sometimes, the best infomation came from expatriates who told their stories, feelings and experiences in this country. The best blog I've ever found in this respect is invader-stu.com. "The story of an accident prone Englishman" he says. It's true. Stu is prone to accidents but he is also a great cartoonist and a talented writer.
I am sad because today I've read that he's not gonna write anymore... or he's seriously thinking about not writing anymore (it seems there's a slight possibility that he might reconsider). I am sad 'cause I never dared to leave a comment in his blog (I know I am always asking for comments in this one, I know, I know), but it was because when I read his posts I suffered again this Stendhal syndrome so I was speechless. His stories were so funny, so well written... Besides I always admired people that can draw (like my brother). I am sad again because I never had time to go to his improv shows but now I am free of university assignments so I should try to go to the next one.
Well, although it may be too late, this is my small tribute to Invader-Stu. I hope that those who didn't know about this blog can enjoy his past posts and maybe we can convince him to update once a month :-) It's true that writing a blog takes time, I can tell you that writing a bilingual blog takes much time, but it's fun and that's why I keep on doing it. Anyway, MANY THANKS Stu, for sharing your absolutely great stories, for all the time invested in your blog and your amazing illustrations.
Update: Stu came back to the blogosphere on September 2009! Yay!
Actualización: Stu volvió a la blogosfera en Septiemre 2009. ¡Bien!
miércoles, 4 de junio de 2008
Dutch Caribbean / Caribe holandés
It's been quite a long time since the last post but we've been very "busy" lately: we went on a trip to the Dutch Caribbean!!. To be precise, we went to Aruba, which is situated in front of Venezuela. Maybe some of you are thinking now "Dutch Caribbean??? What the hell!!" Yes, yes, Aruba is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
A good thing about the also known as "ABC islands" (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) is that they lay outside the hurricane belt, so it's safer than going to other northern islands. The weather is quite stable, mostly 31ºC degrees all along the year, and there's usually a very pleasant and slight breeze that helps to make temperature softer. Its white sand beaches and acquamarine waters make this island perfect for scuba diving and we, of course, took advantage of this and now we are certified divers!. We want to keep on training and become experts in this field as diving is an amazing activity that leads to discover one of the most unexplored territories in this planet (it's well-known that we know more about moon's surface than oceans' floor).
In short, Aruba is a caribbean paradise, a safe place with a high standard of living and a low unemployment rate. It has excellent hotels, it's a great island for water sports and you can enjoy the relaxing atmosphere that helps you to take the most of your holidays and forget about your daily working routine.
As a final remark, that links our countries again, Aruba was first colonized by Spain but, as usual, we lost it and it became part of the Netherlands.
lunes, 5 de mayo de 2008
Family matters / Cosas de familia
Last visitors have been very special to me: my brother Carlos and his family. They have enjoyed the fantastic weather we had last weekend. We visited places like Alkmaar and its cheese market; Enkhuizen, which has an outdoor museum that shows how Dutch people used to live a century ago; Den Haag, where we had a lovely lunch with my elder brother (another one) and family. Here we also walked along the Clingendael park, where we saw (and stroked) some farm animals and visited the nice Japanese garden. We took advantage of visiting Keukenhof by bike (last saturday, bikes were allowed inside the park for the first time in history).
Moreover, this great weather made possible to see the tulip fields in all its glory. I had never seen this before and I can tell you I almost faint due to Stendhal syndrome.
miércoles, 23 de abril de 2008
Comparisons are odious / Las comparaciones son odiosas
I think the photo above says it all but for those who need an explanation, the strippenkaart is on the top and the metrobus is on the bottom. I cannot explain my feelings the first time I held this "strippenkaart", which in its longer version is as an A4, nor my astonishment when I discovered I had to fold it, according to the zones I was going to pass by, before validate it in the automatic machine. Luckily the "metrobus" is much more easier, smaller and modern (God bless magnetic stripes).
Anyhow, this wouldn't be completely fair for the Dutchies. In 2009 the strippenkaart will dissapear and the OV-Chipkaart, which is already in use in some cities in The Netherlands, will replace it.
Now the question is... what are we (spaniards) going to do to this respect? The competition has already started! We need a contactless smartcard NOW!
domingo, 13 de abril de 2008
My daily trip / Mi viaje diario
I've been waiting too long for recording this video. I'm very lucky to live only 6 km away from my company and thanks to the best bicycle lines in the world, I'm able to use this ecological transportation on a daily basis. The thing is that going to the office in Madrid was a tedious and contaminant routine that now has turned into one of my best times of the day. A mixture of sport, nature and beatiful eyesights that makes you happy and removes any accumulated tiredness. It's so nice going to the office or coming back home this way! P.S. Pilar and Pichí say hi to all of you at the end of the video ;-)
domingo, 6 de abril de 2008
Low-cost
KLM, Iberia, Vueling and Transavia (KLM's low-cost company) were the companies flying from Amsterdam to Madrid. This provided us (and our visitors) with a quite wide supply when comparing prices and schedules. Nevertheless, low-cost companies Vueling and Transavia removed AMS-MAD route at the end of March, so the wide supply is not so wide now and prices become more expensive. Paradoxically, we have usually flown with KLM and not because we like it more (which is also true) but because when you are a procrastinator and you don't buy your tickets ahead of time, regular companies have even better prices than low-cost companies (the latter have lower prices but only when you buy your tickets months in advance). Unfortunately KLM has also removed our favourite flight "back home", MAD-AMS Sundays at 20:55, and I am still wondering why (it was always full).
Perhaps we have to blame Schiphol Airport and its high landing fees and that would explain why Ryanair operates from Eindhoven (and yes, Ryanair keeps on doing Eindhoven-Madrid route). Perhaps the solution could be Vueling and Clickair merger so the resulting firm will resume our beloved AMS-MAD route.
The funniest thing of all is that Vueling keeps on flying from Amsterdam to Malaga, Seville and Valencia (of course also to Barcelona). For me it's unbelievable that Amsterdam-Seville generates more income than Amsterdam-Madrid. Why didn't they reduce the number of flights instead of removing the whole route so drastically?
martes, 1 de abril de 2008
The revenge will be terrible / La venganza será terrible
A friend of mine, a charming and kind guy, an exceptional mate who turned the going-to-work daily routine into a fun and really worthwhile experience (girls, he is still single!), told me that my posts are very short lately.
Butter up Mode OFF
Revenge Mode ON
Let's see the hidden things he is revealing in this short sentence:
1) I use to read your blog
2) though I never told you before
3) and I never wrote any comment
4) so I am a lurker
5) and moreover I am a cheeky
6) 'cause I am even demanding longer posts!
Ángel (a.k.a. "Little Furry" or "Peludín"), I am sorry but my revenge is to publish your photo in my blog and now you can comment whatever and defend yourself :-)
lunes, 24 de marzo de 2008
Esther, Marta & Víctor
Once again, we had visitors! Esther, Marta and Víctor came to stay for the shortest time with the coldest weather. Polar temperatures, it's snowing right now. We visited Muiden, Lelystad, Enkhuisen, Hoorn, Edam, Volendam, Monickendam, Heemstede, Zaandvort, Gouda, Dordrecht and Haarlem. We laughed a lot, played darts, sang in the car, danced in the street... By the way, there will be a prize if you guess what we are dancing to in this photo:
miércoles, 19 de marzo de 2008
Mountains / Montañas
For those who don't know... THIS is a mountain. I remember 8 years ago, a Dutch priest was saying in his homily: "I saw a mountain for the very first time when I was 18", so Dutchies who never saw a mountain, here you are.
Photo: Candanchú (Aragón), Spain.
domingo, 9 de marzo de 2008
One of the persons I admire the most / Una de las personas que más admiro
Photo: Daniel with my brother.
I think I've never mentioned that one of my brothers is also living here in The Netherlands. In fact, he came here 8 years ago and finally these 8 years yielded a result. He was hired by the European Space Agency (ESA) and he has been working almost all this time on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) which has been launched almost one hour ago. A complete success for him indeed, because his job was about the ground test platforms, meaning that his part finished at the moment the ATV took off and that's already done.
He is one of the persons I admire the most specially because he has a great motivation for learning the most diverse range of topics from playing piano (studied in Madrid at the Royal Conservatory of Music) to learning Esperanto (self-study) including painting, having excellent grades in his degree (Aerospace Engineering) and also drawing amusing comics. He is a self-taught person (he learned English just listening to the radio!!) and to do this you need to be steadfast and persistent. He did also some sacrifices 'cause his job demanded a lot of travelling from Russia to France, Germany and even French Guiana too (where he is right now). From The Netherlands I want to say CONGRATULATIONS! to my brother 'cause you deserve all this great success and so much more.
martes, 4 de marzo de 2008
Under the canals / Bajo los canales
I didn't mention the places we visited last time with our guests. Apart from the "classic tour" (Amsterdam, Den Haag, Delft and Leiden), we also visited Utrecht, Amersfoort, Cothen, Wijk bij Duurstede, De Haar and Haarlem. This photo was taken in Leiden, and it seems that this is what you can find under the canals: bikes, of course, but also shopping trolleys and scooters!! They were there waiting to be picked up (by the garbage truck I guess) and it smelt awful.
By the way, I think there is a guide handed out by the government about what to do if you fall into the canal while driving :-) Please, if somebody knows where to find an online version, tell me!
martes, 26 de febrero de 2008
Visitors and surprises / Visitas y sorpresas
We had special visitors this weekend. On one hand, the prettiest, my earthquake, my beloved and amusing Judith. She needed a break from her routine and thanks to her I took a break too. I had a great time with her and I had the privilege of enjoying her fantastic conversations. She is one of a kind. If I have a daughter someday I will name her Judith.
On the other hand, a surprising discovery: Eduardo. Another Spanish in The Netherlands who is also trying to settle here, in this flat land. Amusing, kind, a clever talker and a very good photographer. Pestosín, his best friend, also joined us and he just won my heart, I hope he is also missing me.
The thing is that the combination of all of them during the weekend has been more than special. It's been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much. Moreover I finally escaped from myself and I learned to make mojitos (thanks Edu!) and I also had some problems with my pronounciation and some mishaps with parking tickets. Even the windmills chased us like they did with the famous knight-errant (hey! we are Spaniards!).
Finally, when they left, there was nothing but a big vacuum. And the question remains... could these fantastic moments happen again?. Simply, there are not enough words to express this. I really miss you. I mean it.
martes, 19 de febrero de 2008
Participation Inequality Rule / Regla de participación desigual
Mr. Nielsen (the usability guru, in case someone doesn't know yet who he is) states that in online communities user participation often (more or less) follows a 90-9-1 rule:
- 90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don't contribute).
- 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time.
- 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions: it can seem as if they don't have lives because they often post just minutes after whatever event they're commenting on occurs. (useit.com)
Considering that this blog doesn't have any users of the latter one, I would say that I have a 98-2-0 rule :-) and the funny thing comes when he asks: "How to Overcome Participation Inequality?" and the answer is: "You can't." Simply devastating.
Please lurkers... can you just write a small comment?? something like "Hello, I was here"? It would mean a lot to me :-D
miércoles, 13 de febrero de 2008
First anniversaries / Primeros aniversarios
19th January -> One year posting
29th January -> One year in The Netherlands
5th February -> First lecture at Utrecht University
9th February -> First day working at UPC (Daniel)
9th February -> One year living in this house
This is the first photo we took in The Netherlands: a big question mark at Amsterdam University. Our future here was uncertain at that moment but now everything is crystal clear and the assessment after on year living here is very positive.
viernes, 8 de febrero de 2008
Conversation Spaniards <-> Dutch / Conversación españoles <-> holandeses
- So, do you like Holland? (said the dutch)
- Yes yes, we love it
- You love it... really? (said the dutch with a strange face)
- Yes, we love it... is it weird? you have a beautiful country and an excelent quality of life.
- But I would love to move to Spain, nice weather...
- Yes, but in Spain you cannot afford some things, you cannot afford a house... young people keep living with their parents, some of them until they are 35.
- Really?????? That cannot be possible (face like "you must be exagerating, I don't believe you. I am going to move to Spain anyway")
- I can give you an example... a job like yours: customer service department, answering the phone and dealing with clients... can have a salary under 1000 euros. Probably only 900 euros per month.
- WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT??????????????????????????
domingo, 3 de febrero de 2008
Things I have learnt last term / Cosas aprendidas en este trimestre
Photo: The odious university papers.
- I am not good at understanding abstract concepts.
- My learning skills are decreasing each passing day.
- Ignorance is bliss
- I don't remember anything from my French lessons
- For some people, modesty is not considered a virtue.
- I cannot stand people that do not care about things. The rest does not matter, I only need them to show some interest.
- My friend Vicka is like the brilliant Rory Gilmore.
- I am a chaotic and histeric Lorelai Gilmore (if only I had her beautiful face & body *sigh*)
- Despite the aforementioned, some people still love me (God bless them)
- Once a year (approximately) I feel the urgent and weird need to smoke cigarretes and get drunk.
- Promises made 2 years ago (like having an irish coffe with a friend ;-) can be fulfilled.
lunes, 28 de enero de 2008
"THE" exam / "EL" examen
I have to study a lot (exam on Thursday) and Pichí knows it. She is trying to keep me out of my favourite addictions: messenger, email, youtube... in short, the computer. Her method is very simple, pressing constantly a random key while lying in the laptop. Well... only this post and then back to study again. Wish me luck!
viernes, 18 de enero de 2008
I am lucky / Tengo suerte
I am a lucky girl, I know. This man never ceases to amaze me. Daniel is the official cook, lately. I am so busy with my assignments and so that he is becoming a great cook. The other day, when he said "dinner is ready!" I went downstairs and I found this (see photo!!!). When I saw it I was laughing for almost 30 minutes. This man is adorable. God bless Mexico!!!
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