Here's the Football Fashion presentation of the Ajax Amsterdam adidas 2008-09 home kit.

holland and rosemont most dangerous intersection
with a total of 48 crashes in 2007.  the general assembly has approved the use of cameras and there is plans to install a camera there.

dolphin counting
will take place saturday "from the lower chesapeake to southern virginia coast."  this is the 16th annual counting.  counting the dolphins will also help show where their habitat is located.  there are 75 volunteers.

CHESAPEAKE

just a dollar at the dollar store
even with raising prices everywhere, the dollar store continues to provide products for just one dollar.  how do they do it?  by shipping once a week to stores, having distribution centers spaced out for better delivery and dropping products that they can no longer sell for a dollar.

NORFOLK

raymond "boots" riley charged with profanity
he was issued a citation for using foul language to introduce members of the band, galactic.  festevents pressed charges and the judge dismissed them.

VIRGINIA BEACH

man with alzheimer's missing
he "was last seen driving a 2003 gold Chrysler Concord, police wrote in a news release. The Virginia license plate with a handicapped symbol has the number 287481.
Foster was wearing tan pants, a blue Navy Retired cap and glasses with large frames, police wrote. He carries a wooden cane. "
click on the link, there's a photo of him.  call 757 385 5000 if you have any information.

Secondo una recente statistica di Mercer, la citta` piu` cara nel mondo e` Mosca, mentre quella piu` economica e` Asunción, in Paraguay.

Ecco la tabella:

Milano e` sedicesima e Roma diciottesima....mentre Amsterdam e` sedicesima...e mentre Milano e Roma sono rincarate, Amsterdam ha mantenuto lo stesso livello.

I 111 euro del Bolshoi mi pesano di meno :)

I den første sæson for Hamburg begyndte van der Vaart at vise hvorfor han var blevet købt af Hamburg, van der Vaart begyndte at spille playmaker og fik nummer 10 selv om han hellere ville have nummer 23, men klubben mente ikke at det passede til van der Vaart med nummer 23.
Van der Vaart viste meget af det talent og spil som van der Vaart tidligere var blevet kendt for i hele Europa.

Van der Vaart spillede en fantastisk første fodbold sæson for Hamburg.

I den første fodbold sæson for Hamburg blev van der Vaart topscorer og Hamburg vandt Inter toto cuppen og fik en meget fin placering i Bundesligaen som nummer 3 mange gav van der Vaart meget af ærer for at Hamburg havde haft sådan en god fodbold sæson og mange skrev: nu havde van der Vaart fundet sin gamle form og nu spillede van der Vaart det rigtige sted på fodbold banen, hvor der ikke var tvivl om at han jo er bedst.

Så blev van der Vaart anfører igen.

Allerede i sin anden fodbold sæson for Hamburg blev van der Vaart udnævnt til anfører for klubben og det var selvfølgelig en stor ære for van der Vaart at få dette klap på skulderen det beviste over for van der Vaart at det var rigtigt det han gjorde og at klubben virkelig var glade for ham, og det betyder meget for van der Vaart at vide at omgivelserne er med ham og ikke i mod ham.

Con *B e con Nelly (Nelly e` un'amica di *B di 55 (?) anni, deliziosa, molto gentile e generosa, non abbiente, purtroppo costretta dalla malattia a stare sempre in casa, che ha una gatta di nome Fifi che in passato e` stata maltrattata (le hanno bruciato la coda e adesso ne rimane solo un mozzicone)), andremo a vedere il Bolshoi Ballet in "Spartacus".

Il Bolshoi sara` qui ad Amsterdam per 4 giorni: Vrijdag 25 Juli - 20:00 uur, Zaterdag 26 - 14:00 uur, Vrijdag 1 Augustus- 20:00 uur, Zaterdag 2 Augustus- 14:00 uur.

Ad ospitarlo sara` il famoso teatro Carre (si legge Carre`) di Amsterdam

I prezzi sono un po' alti (21, 51, 76, 100, 111, 136, 150 euro) ma e` un'occasione raramente ripetibile, dato che il Bolshoi tornera` ad Amsterdam tra 11 anni.

Noi abbiamo quelli da 111 euro...e regalero` cowe regalo di Natale anticipato il biglietto a Nelly, dato che ci teneva tanto a vederlo...

UPI.com:

Dutch invent new word for married gays

AMSTERDAM (UPI)  The Dutch Language Union has invented a new word that translates to "birthname" to accommodate married gay men who feel awkward listing their "maiden" names.
The word, geboortenaam, was invented by the union after a civil servant approached the group and explained that it could be "embarrassing" for married gay men to have to list a maiden name on forms, Radio Netherlands reported Wednesday.

"The word was needed because men who entered into a gay marriage had to fill in their 'maiden name' on official forms when they wanted to take on their spouse's surname," the language union said in its announcement.
...

Felicitatie goedgeluimds!

...

• die drei eindeutigen Niederlagen Griechenlands,
• den von Ivo Vastic verwandelten Elfmeter gegen Polen,
• Gianluigi Buffons Elferparade gegen Adrian Mutu,
• den bedeutungslosen Abschiedssieg der Schweizer für Köbi Kuhn,
• den Aufstieg Hollands und Italiens aus der Todesgruppe C,
• die dreifache Aufholjagd der Türken,
• das Ausscheiden Italiens im Viertelfinale,
• meine vier Halbfinalkarten und letztlich durch
• "il trionfo della tecnica sul calcio muscolare dei tedeschi", wie die Gazzetta schreibt.

Die spanische Inquisition hätte ihre Freude gehabt.

Recebi o seguinte comentário sobre este postal -- que não publico porque não apresenta argumentos racionais mas apenas traduz a subjectividade de um estado de alma:

• Esta gente defende a pena-de-morte em versão light, e depois diz que eu tenho palavras "assassinas"; quem é assassino sou eu!
• Repare-se como a eutanásia vem de mãos dadas com o ateísmo: "Já que ninguém nos pediu autorização para virmos ao mundo (...)". O niilismo utilitarista é evidente; este comentário resume os últimos postais em que tenho falado na visão evolucionista em relação ao ser humano.
• Depois, nota-se que existe uma obsessão pela recusa dos cuidados médicos paliativos; a visão é radical e economicista: " ...ter que fazer prova da ausência de dívidas (...);
• Repare-se que eu escrevi: "O número de pessoas eutanasiadas na Holanda ascendeu a 1.923 em 2006, e em 2007 subiu para 2.120 casos, dos quais, cerca de 900 pessoas não deram o seu consentimento expresso para serem mortas.". O facto de pessoas serem assassinadas não altera a visão desumana de gente deste calibre; estamos a falar de pessoas que são eutanasiadas contra a sua vontade para poupar dinheiro ao erário público.
• O problema é de saber se o conceito de "liberdade" inclui a possibilidade de se pode atentar contra vidas humanas; eu acho que não. Sendo que a liberdade não pode ser uma licença para matar, gente desta tem que ser controlada no sentido de não ascender ao Poder. Infelizmente, já chegaram ao poder em alguns países da Europa e agora as soluções passam por medidas mais drásticas.

The Rotterdam Journal — The Dutch are building windmills again. Up and down the coast, out from port cities like this one, you can see them: white and tall and slender as pencils, their three slim blades turning lazily in the North Sea breeze.

These generate electricity, of course, rather than grind grain. The government has already built one enormous farm of mills far off the coast, where they're inoffensive to tourists, and there are plans for a second farm. Yet it is also building, and rebuilding, mills like the squat, homely ones that have seemingly always dotted the Dutch countryside, and reflect as much the nature of the country as do tulips or Gouda cheese.

"Revival might be a bit strong," said Leo Endedijk, director of the Dutch Mills, a group that supports mill restoration. Yet last year the government, concerned that one of the foremost symbols of the Netherlands was about to disappear out of neglect, approved an $80 million program to build or restore 120 mills, of roughly 1,040 still standing. That has created a backlog of work for previously strapped mill restorers.

"We have special companies, very specialized mill makers and restorers," said Mr. Endedijk, in an office in the shadow of De Gooyer, a soaring 18th-century mill now housing a popular brewery. "They would not have the capacity to restore 120 mills."

The need to find renewable sources of energy is driving the Dutch to build the modern mills, which Mr. Endedijk insists be called turbines, not mills. "We as an organization don't work with modern wind turbines," he sniffed, adding, as if to underscore the gap between the traditional and the contemporary, that while the four blades of traditional windmills turn counterclockwise, the three of modern wind turbines go clockwise.

But the fast pace of change in the modern Netherlands is reviving interest in the old mills. As immigration changes the face of Dutch cities and globalization spreads its veil of uniformity over life in the Netherlands, many among the Dutch are looking for their roots. "It's a little bit of national pride," said Lukas Verbij, whose company, Verbij Hoogmade, is one of the leading mill builders and restorers.

Some of the renewed interest in mills is driven by the search for traditional food and drink. Patrick Langkruis, whose bakeshop, Het Bammetje, features 28 different kinds of bread and 35 different rolls, uses only flour ground by a traditional mill. "The taste is fuller, there's more flavor," he said. "It's also because the grains are ground slowly."

His supplier is Karel Streumer, who has been grinding out ordinary and exotic grains for the last eight years at his mill, De Distilleerketel, or distillery pot, in Delfshaven, on the edge of Rotterdam. He uses technology — huge mill stones and enormous wooden gears that make visitors feel they're inside an immense and ancient clock — that has not changed since the mill was built in 1727.

Mr. Streumer, 54, his shock of curly white hair perpetually dusted with flour, is one of a growing number of millers who are taking over restored or rebuilt mills. In addition to wheat, he said, counting off his products on a dusty hand, he grinds familiar grains like corn, rye and oats, and some unfamiliar ones, like grain sorghum, or milo, and spelt (a kind of wheat). One customer arrives once a month from Frankfurt to pick up 55 pounds of mashela, or pearl millet, which is widely used in African cooking.

Curiously, though the revival of the mills is a back-to-the-roots thing, many customers are natives of a wide range of countries, Mr. Streumer said, including Ethiopia, Morocco and Turkey. "Eighty percent of my customers are not natives of the Netherlands," he said.

One of them is Samson Tesfai, whose restaurant, the Taste of Africa, specializes in dishes of his native Eritrea, which he fled in 1986 because of the fighting between his homeland and Ethiopia. Each week, he said, he buys mashela, sorghum, ground corn and wheat flour from Mr. Streumer to use in the ethnic dishes he prepares. "We can find it elsewhere," said Mr. Tesfai, 43. "But this is a good address, with a good product, so why go somewhere else?"

Neither the spread of ethnic restaurants, with increased immigration, nor the return to traditional tastes among the Dutch is enough to keep millers like Mr. Streumer in business. Without a crew of volunteers who help out on weekends, he said, the mill would not be profitable. "It's hard to make the money to keep the mill in good shape, and to pay employees, too," he said. "We are not professionals."

So the mills remain a matter of the heart, rather than the pocketbook. Except, of course, for builders like Mr. Verbij, 48. He represents the fourth generation of his family to run the company, which was founded in 1868 and employs about 20 master wood and metal workers.

"A wave of building is coming," Mr. Verbij said, when the government releases its latest round of subsidies. "Every owner could apply," he added. "It's a kind of lottery."

He just finished a $1.9 million project to rebuild with traditional technology a mill in the town of Soest that was destroyed in 1930. So attached were the townspeople to their mill, he said, one woman donated money from the sale of her home.

Not only the Dutch but all the world seems to love a windmill. Mr. Verbij has built four in Japan, beginning with one in Osaka in 1989. And despite the crush of work in the Netherlands, he now finds time to work on three mills in the United States, including restoration of the giant Murphy Windmill in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, one of the world's largest, which was built in 1905 and is badly dilapidated.

"It's our biggest project," Mr. Verbij said. "It's nice to see all those people happy at the sight of a windmill."

And the 91-year-old World War II hero and Congressional Medal of Honor nominee has indeed relished an interesting and meaningful life.

The Fond du Lac County Veterans Memorial Building at 500 Fond du Lac Ave. was named in his honor Saturday. He has been a card-carrying member of Fond du Lac’s Trier-Puddy American Legion Post 75 for 61 years. Family members, friends, Army buddies old and new, and fellow Fond du Lac residents gathered to celebrate the honor with him. As he would gladly tell anyone within earshot, it was an honor not only for him but also for the community that nurtured and molded him.

For those who don’t know Megellas, it’s worth pointing out that he is a genuine war hero and a person dedicated to a life of public service.

For those who do know him, nothing more needs to be said.

It’s time to decide

The description of his gallantry at the Battle of the Bulge reads like the climax of a movie. His book, “All the Way to Berlin: A Paratrooper at War in Europe,” is a bestseller. He is the most decorated officer in the history of the acclaimed 82nd Airborne Division. Among his more than 20 military medals are The Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

It’s no secret that he deserves the nation’s highest military honor — the Congressional Medal of Honor — even if it is six decades too late. Bills exist in the House and U.S. Senate urging that the highest honor be accorded to Megellas. It’s about time Congress voted.

I had the pleasure to meet Megellas last week during his hometown visit. There is an indefinable quality about him that emanates from people of his caliber. There is nothing “91” about him, except the wisdom and the insights that naturally flow from experiences of people of that vintage.

Thoughts and insights

He talked about the Medal of Honor, his regard for today’s soldiers, the need for a military draft and the seemingly unending war in which the nation is embroiled.

“It has greater significance than the man who wears it,” he said of the Medal of the Honor. It would be “an honor for Fond du Lac, an honor for Wisconsin, for all of us.”

On the status of the War on Terror, he noted, “America is at war, but the American people are not at war.”

Unlike the World War II era, the only ones making sacrifices in the war effort are the troops and their families, he stressed.

His most animated, almost joyous, comments came in response to a question about where he went to grade school.

“Washington School at the corner of Doty and Follett,” he said with a wide grin he couldn’t tone down even if he had wanted to. The memories poured out as fast as he could frame the sentences.

Boyhood memories

He remembered the Armistice Days of his boyhood and how all the sirens in the city sounded and students faced east at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to recall the end of Word War I and honor those who had died.

He recalled Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans in the city’s Memorial Day parades.

“I remember the impact it had on me growing up — the military history of Fond du Lac,” he added.

He also remembered Sarah Fahey, the principal at Washington School in the distinctive Greek neighborhood near Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox and St. Louis churches on the city’s northwest side. Washington School is long gone, but the Fahey School building on Doty Street stands as a reminder of a special ethnic neighborhood and an educator who obviously left her mark on local members of the Greatest Generation.

Abiding by his principles

It’s interesting to me that stories about Jim Megellas and the contentious issue of diversity appeared side by side at the top of Page 1 on Wednesday.

To those who might not know, suffice it to say that Fond du Lac does not have a sterling record in the area of welcoming people of color, those of different creeds or others viewed as “outside” its traditional mainstream.

As a member of a distinct ethnic minority, Megellas experienced the sting of prejudice and discrimination. So did his Washington School classmates, the great majority of whom distinguished themselves during the war and the years since.

It’s not a subject Megellas dwells on. But it is a part of him. He proved throughout his life what is important to him. He had the highest regard for his ethnic background, his city, his country and the principles on which this nation was founded.

He understood the principles for which he fought even if others in his treasured hometown did not. He did his duty to the utmost of his ability.

For that alone, he is a man of honor.

Michael Mentzer

I’m not really one for writing detailed LRs, but I wanted to break this one down just to demonstrate what is possible in Day Game. It’s also a good reminder of how far I’ve come. To think that a few years ago I couldn’t even imagine talking to a beautiful young woman in the cold light of day, let alone sleeping with one on the same day I met her, is incredible.

There are two themes to this story that are important for developing your skills with women (and indeed, improving any area of your life): Experimentation and Persistence.

Whenever you get good at something, you will find you periodically reach a plateau in your skill level. At this stage, you need to experiment and start trying different methods and techniques. In this case, I wanted to experiment with daytime physical escalation. I normally advocate that my students avoid serious kino (physical touching) in Day Game until they are on a date with the girl. But I was curious to see whether I could kiss girls quickly in the daytime and still seduce them.

The second theme is persistence. It is important to realize that when you think something should be possible, you need to be persistent in order to achieve it.  99% of people don’t have enough determination and will give up too soon. But if you really believe something can work and you persist at it, eventually you will crack the secret. That’s how I originally got into Day Game.

The Holland Trip & Real Man Conference 2008

SmoothDoc from the Dutch Seduction Lair invited my good friend Dr Yen and me to visit him in Holland to give a talk to the Dutch Lair. I’d never met this guy before, but was completely in awe of him when I did. He’s putting together the Real Man Conference 2008, which is an international summit for guys wanting to improve their skills with women and is taking place in Amsterdam on the 20th and 21st September.

What really impressed me about SmoothDoc was his devotion to the event. He’s not even sure if he’s going to make any money from it. He already has the lifestyle he wants: a lovely house in the suburbs, a flash car and a loving and beautiful wife. He tells me he is putting together the conference because it is his dream. He equates it to seeing a beautiful woman on the street and thinking, “I have to approach her, I have to try.” For him, this conference is the same deal. There’s nothing I respect more in a man than determination and integrity.

Experimentation

Hanging out with Dr Yen is great. He came to one of my London lair talks about half a year back and has now become a good friend. It’s amazing when you teach someone something and then you watch as they develop it and improve upon it until they have their own unique style.

Dr Yen is a powerhouse of sexual energy. Skinny with bleached blond rock star hair, he is the Italian Stallion of the modern era. He tells me about pushing physical escalation boundaries on the street at night and how this helps him to filter out the girls that aren’t going to go home with him.

It sounds intense but exciting. I normally make it a rule not to escalate physically with a girl in Day Game until we’re on an instant date. But I have started to wonder how fast and far I can push things physically in the daytime.

I am doing a few street sets the first day I’m in Amsterdam when I spot a beautiful girl wearing sexy, big sunglasses sitting at a table outside a coffee shop. I go over and run one of my standard direct openers, “Excuse me, you are so gorgeous I had to come and say hello” – she opens up like a can of beans. A few minutes later, I’m taking her number and trying to establish a logistical plan for spending more time with her.

She tells me she’s going to Paris early tomorrow morning, so I’m thinking either I try to sleep with her this afternoon or when she’s back from Paris a day later. I have to get back to Dr Yen, so I take her number and leave. A little while later I meet her at the station for a few minutes and just think, “Fuck it, go for the kiss.” It’s broad daylight and I’ve interacted with her for all of four minutes, but all I can think about is pushing things as far and fast as I can.

I look at her, start giving her my seduction eyes, lean in slowly to kiss each cheek, pull back, and then pull her in to kiss me on the lips. There’s tension and some resistance, but my lips touch hers. There’s more resistance, so I add in some tongue and her resistance falters. She is mine.

I try texting and calling her to meet me when she comes back from Paris, but she flakes. Damn it. I conclude that I pushed too far in the initial interaction without having good enough logistics to continue it. The rapid daytime makeout needs modification, but I am determined to make it work.

Persistence

Next up is a Chinese girl with a loose green top that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. I open her on the street and start touching her arms and hands immediately. There is resistance, but I keep talking and making her laugh. I tease her by saying that she wore those clothes on purpose so that I would approach her.

Once I’ve got her giggling, I convince her to come have a drink with me. Something about her top and billowing breasts possess me while we sit there in the hot sun, and suddenly I turn into super kino escalation guy. My hands are ALL over her and at first there is resistance, but then she starts to enjoy it and keeps saying, “This is so crazy!” I keep going for the makeout, but there is even more resistance. I am fighting through it like a trooper.  I start kissing her neck and whispering all the naughty things I want to do to her into her ear. It’s about 3pm, broad daylight outside, and I’ve known this girl for all of ten minutes.

I convince her to come to my hotel room another twenty minutes later. Then I have to wait until Dr Yen gets out. While he is getting ready, I build some meagre comfort with the girl. When Yen leaves, I caveman her onto the bed. There’s more resistance and ultimately she refuses to have sex with me. Damn it. This time I had the logistics, but I didn’t have the comfort. With some seriously blue balls at this stage, I resolve to make the rapid daytime makeout work.

Reward

Yen and I decide to hit up the free music festival in The Hague. Festivals are awesome because everyone is always in such a good mood. I spot a beautiful young brunette girl on the tram over there, but she’s too far away to open.

We get off the tram and a few minutes later I notice she’s just in front of me walking slowly by herself.  Boom! A girl walking slowly is always a good sign for a Same Day Lay; they’re typically in a slightly dreamlike state, almost waiting for something exciting to happen to them. It also means she’s not in a rush to go meet anyone either, which means you could be the person she spends the rest of the afternoon with.

One of the great things about Day Game is that once you get over your approach anxiety, it’s actually very simple and easy to strike up a conversation with a beautiful woman. In most situations you can either use a Direct or a Situational Opener and then transition off it with something interesting and/or funny. My goal is to make a girl laugh within the first minute or two of the interaction; that way she’ll completely relax and happily continue talking with me.

Dr Yen runs off to open some blonde girl in pink tights. I walk up behind the young brunette girl and tap her lightly on the arm from behind.

Soul: Hey, my friend has just gone to chat up that girl over there, so I’m bored and need company. How are you?

Her: Oh, ok [smiling]. I’m fine thanks.

Soul: So have you been to this festival before?

Her: No, it’s my first time.

Soul: Awesome, me too. I’m in Holland for the weekend, I love it here.  Everyone is so cute and friendly. I love the Dutch accent too. It always sounds like you guys are talking with your mouth full!

Her: [Giggles]

Soul: Where are your friends? [I’m establishing logistics]

Her: I’m meeting a friend a bit later, but just thought I’d come by myself for a bit and wait until she gets here.

Soul: [*Ding ding ding* A girl walking around by herself is waiting to be swept off her feet] Wow, that’s brave of you to come to a huge festival by yourself. I really like that kind of independence in a woman.

Her: [Beaming smile] Thanks!

I continue walking and talking with her. Five minutes later I’m wondering whether I can kiss her or not. I always tell my students, “Don’t be someone who makes assumptions as to whether something is possible or not, be willing to test those assumptions with your actions.”

So I stop her, tell her that she has amazing skin, and stroke a lock of her hair back. No reaction. She just keeps on looking at me. It’s a good sign. I lean in and she reciprocates. We kiss, softly and gently at first, and then more voraciously. I learned my lesson from the previous daytime makeouts, so I pull away a few seconds later. I am not going to make the mistake of doing too much, too soon.

I take her by the hand and we keep on walking and talking. I run my standard comfort and kino escalation stuff – we sit down on the grass, listen to the music and I put my arms around her and stroke her gently. I find out all about her passions, her interests, where she has travelled, and what she wants to be when she grows up. I tell her a bit about myself, without giving too much away.

Girls don’t need to know all the details about you. They just want to see some evidence that you could be the kind of man they spend time with. What this is exactly varies from woman to woman, but there are certain characteristics that are almost universally attractive, such as passion, ambition, determination, adventurousness and integrity.

We keep walking and eventually meet up with her friend. I tell her that I’d love to spend more time with her and seed the idea of having drinks at my hotel later on in the evening. When you seed an idea like this early on, it achieves two things. It tests the water to see how they react to the idea and it makes it seem smoother later on when it’s actually time to move back to your place.

I start setting sexual frames as well to make sure that she understands (on an emotional level) that we are going to be intimate. I tell her I am going to kiss her delicious skin all over, and that she’s going to enjoy running her hands over my muscular, taut body. She is smiling and says, “That sounds nice.” It’s on.

I go catch up with Dr Yen while she goes off with her friend. I leave them to chill for a while, and then tell her to come meet me outside the festival. We get in a tram and head back to my hotel.
Once we get inside, she looks at me, and says, “I have to tell you something.” I’ve heard these words enough times to know what’s coming. “I’m a virgin,” she says.

I’ve been with plenty of virgins in the past, and I’m grateful to have learnt from my mistakes enough to give every virgin I meet a great first time. The old adage, “Leave them better than you found them,” is never more relevant than with a virgin.

Soul: [Big, warm smile] That’s ok. We don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to. I’m going to take care of you tonight, ok honey?

Her: I know. That’s why I came home with you.  I just felt so comfortable with you. This is crazy.  I’ve never slept with any of my boyfriends before. I always lied and told them I was waiting for the one, but I don’t think I was. I think I just needed someone to make me feel as comfortable as you have.

I look at her, smile, and lead her by the hand to my bed. I say, “Let’s get into bed,” and we take off our clothes.

I spend the next half hour making the softest, gentlest and most sensual love to her. Once I’m sure she’s enjoying it and it’s not hurting her, I shift up a few gears and pound her into the bed.

I get this text from her when she gets home,

“Hey Soul, how are you? I just wanted to let you know that I really loved spending time with you. This night was amazing, just as you are. I wish you and your friend a good time in Amsterdam. We’ll stay in touch. Xx”

It was a beautiful day outside and night had just begun to fall.

Soul

So after sitting in a field for three hours, Jools Holland eventually came out and stunned us with his masterful tinkery of the ivory magnificence, I couldn't see much as he was at the other end of the field.

So, £30 to stand in a field and watch Jools Holland from the other end of it...

La realidad es que se trata de un fake distinguible a kilómetros de distancia.

Deja un buen sabor de boca el buen nivel en la filmación del mismo, el cuidado que se tuvo en su producción y dirección de actores, en la iluminación y el diseño de audio también gozan de un alto estándar, pero las primeras señas de ser un hijo ilegítimo salen rápidamente a la luz: prácticamente en ningún país en pocos países del mundo está prohibido tocar bajo ninguna circunstancia una bebida alcohólica (si no me creen, chequen en su TV más cercana comerciales de bebidas con alcohol y verán que la mano del hombre jamás se acerca a la bebida o vaso) y muchísimo menos llevarla a la boca y darle un buen sorbo.

Esto, junto a otros muchos obstáculos legales en cuanto a comerciales de este tipo de productos, también es completamente verificable.

El tema obedece a una disciplina más bien escolar, en la que estudiantes del Hallo Ad Academy en Holanda realizaron este comercial (junto a uno más que podrán ver más abajo) a manera de trabajo estudiantil para Heineken:

Todo bajo el concepto Fuck it! que, obviamente, es extremadamente campañable y de un modo extraño, bastante adecuado.

Ante todo hay algo que me hace un poco de ruido, pero al parecer se trata del par de puntos legales que tocamos arriba. Sin embargo confieso que tengo un sentimiento incontrolable de salir corriendo por una buena cerveza.

Salud!

Actualización: gracias a los comentarios de lartkma y LuisR, nos enteramos que en Perú la legislación sí lo permite, y aún con mi escepticismo ahí está el tan maravilloso beneficio de la duda. Gracias!

Skaderne har ødelagt meget for van der Vaart, han har næsten været uden for i 2 hele sæsoner med knæ skader og han har fået fjernet hele sin menisk efter flere operationer. Alle de skader kan have haft indflydelse på at van der Vaart i sin sidste sæson i Ajax ikke spillede særligt godt og de har været med til at stoppe hans udvikling. Skader kommer aldrig på et godt tidspunkt men van der Vaart har været hårdt ramt i de tidlige år hvor han virkelig skulle udvikle sig.

Flere skader til van der Vaart i 2004-2005 sæsonen.

Van der Vaart blev skadet i en fodbold landskamp for Holland og det var mod Sverige og uheldigt nok var det van der Vaarts medspiller i Ajax Zlatan Ibrahimovi´c som skadede van der Vaart, dette resulterede i at Zlatan meget hurtigt blev solgt til Juventus og det efterlod Ajax uden nogle gode angribere, så da van der Vaart endelig kom tilbage til fodbold banen så blev han sat i angrebet og kritiseret meget for sit spil.

Van der Vaart blev skadet igen.

Van der Vaart betyder meget for Hamburg, det viste sig da van der Vaart blev skadet og den skade betød at Hamburg kom til at ligge helt nede og kæmpe for at undgå nedrykning, men da van der Vaart blev klar igen så skete der noget han scorede mål og fik styr på holdet igen, van der Vaart scorede 3 mål i 3 kampe champions league og det var lige ved at Hamburg gik videre.

Now THIS is my favorite style of shoe  :)

 Our three kids, ready to go...

Well, not really. I mean, we did ride our bikes for forty-five minutes straight. Forty-five minutes!  And there weren't exactly any rough seas, either. But, we did have to cross a small canal. Thankfully, some thoughtful person had set up a little bike ferry for us (een pontje***) and all we had to do was wheel our bikes onto it. Actually, that's not all we had to do, because my manly husband did have to crank the wheel of the ferry which was connected to a wench and a chain, and quick as you can say "Alstublieft!" we were transported to the other side.

 Het Pontje

My Manly Husband

Just to keep things real, the wind was at our backs most of the way. And, it didn't really rain. It threatened rain, though, and maybe a few stray drops sort of found their way earthward. Oh, and we never actually made it to those faraway lands. But, we did visit (and you can click on the link to see a picture) a beautiful little village, de Meije (pronounced "duh-My-yuh"). And as long as I'm confessing, I might as well admit that although de Meije is quite charming and picturesque as a post-card, it has been pretty well touched by human hands and has definitely experienced the presence of many, many Dutch bicycle tires.

We were invited to de Meije by my sister-in-law, Jacqueline and her husband, Dirk. The purpose of our journey, well, if I'm being honest I should say our jaunt, was to rent several kayaks and canoes and row around the canals in the area. Of course, since rowing is so labor intensive (and I'm NOT kidding about that) we were compelled to load up on calories beforehand by enjoying some Dutch apple pie with whipped cream and a cup of coffee. Strictly business, of course.

Appelgebak met slagroom

I rode in a canoe with Jacqueline and Dirk. Dirk sat in the back of the boat as our oarsman/navigator, and I sat in the front as an oarsman, or oarswoman if you prefer. Jacqueline sat in the middle and did not row at all. She had the all important job of urging us along by yelling, "PULL! PULL! PULL!" Not really, but she did give us lots of encouragement, and she made me laugh until I thought I might wet my...uh, let's just say I laughed so hard I could have easily lost control of my...um...I think you get the idea. Well, after running aground a total of approximately twenty-seven times, okay six times, we finally got the hang of all that rowing and navigating and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

One of the most interesting landmarks around de Meije is a water tower called "Het Potlood." In Dutch, that means "The Pencil." Can you guess why they call it that? Click here to see a photograph of Het Potlood. I read somewhere that during World War II, pilots used it as a landmark. It's no wonder since the thing is so tall and distinctive. Sort of like me. Ok, I'm not tall, maybe just a little bit distinctive, but no, not tall at all.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time rowing amidst the reeds and amongst some very curious cows. We even lashed ourselves together (aren't you impressed with my use of the nautical term "lashed"?) so that we could relax while still in our boats and eat the sandwiches Jacqueline had thoughtfully brought along for us.

Rolling on the River (Cow Alert on the Right)

Curious Cow

Now, the only drawback to our little outing was that in our excitement, we forgot that if we rowed two hours out that it would necessitate rowing two hours in. By the time we finally made it back to our starting point, my arms were rubber, my back was stiff, and my derriere was completely numb. But that's okay. I chose to look on the bright side of my situation. We thoroughly enjoyed our maritime adventure in the seas of de Meije, well, actually not seas, more like canals, or polders, or rivers, I always get the names mixed up, but at least the fun did not end there. We still had a forty-five minute bicycle ride back home. Forty-five minutes!  

Phew. Needless to say, that night I fell into bed and slept for a million years. Well, maybe not a million years, but I did sleep in a little the next day. Til seven. That counts. Right?

Right?

***If you have two minutes, you can click on this youtube link and not only see exactly how een pontje works, but also hear some rousing Dutch classical music.

I was originally asked to fill out the expat interview form when I was still living in Taiwan. Since I was asked just before I was due to return to the Netherlands, I decided to put it on hold. I considered filling it in when I moved here but again decided not to as I felt it was going to be overly negative (I was living with my partner's parents at the time and having trouble adjusting to life here). Two years later, I finally got around to taking the interview.

You can read my interview here. Feel free to leave any comments or take the interview yourself. :)

Ein dreijähriges Mädchen ist gestern mit seinem Fahrrad ausgebüxt und nach Holland geradelt. Das Kind habe in etwa zwei Stunden sechs Kilometer zurückgelegt und die Grenze überquert, berichtete ein Polizeisprecher im niedersächsischen Meppen. Die kleine Rennfahrerin bewältigte die Strecke mit Stützrädern. Die in Haren lebenden Eltern meldeten das Mädchen bei der Polizei als vermisst. Polizisten griffen die Ausreißerin im niederländischen Emmen auf und brachten sie nach Hause.

Quelle: DPA