x-mas

This is me, as my avatar Gausman, in christmas style on SL, but there was more..

For a while I did not add messages to my English blog. Only special, international occasions that call for an English approach get this special treatment. This christmas I was invited by the Salem family to join them on boxing day. An honour. Here's my good friend Bens' family:

..that accepted me in their midst, together with former collegue Heleen and her misjpoge,



Ben, hassling over fondue..

..and real English x-mas pudding..


..made my christmas 2009 in the end complete and happy: a big thank you for the Salem clan and the rest of the E. extended family for making the end of December 2008 a warm, extraordinary experience..

kluivert

The most beautiful weekend this year so far. We sailed and set the kluivert, a small jib in front of the big jib..


..and then Ine dedicated herself to sailing which resulted in speeds of 5 knts and more..

..sad to know it was probably the last warm weekend of the year, luckily we have the cultural season.

season

The cultural season has begun. I met miss Holland and asked if I could take a picture and instead of reacting bored she was actually flattered and posed very professionally. Here's a picture of our gang yesterday before we went to the Stubnitz, a very big fishing boat that showed videowork of MonteVideo/TimeBased Arts (I know that's not the name anymore but it is just better)

moonies

two moon related items:
first on the roof of all time favorite Graham Smith of his new apartment in The Hague -near the beach..

..second a 4/5th eclipse of the moon while we were almost sleeping on the IJsselmeer:

I know there's not much to see, but that's what eclipses are about, no?

waterland

Our readers abroad have the advantage of receiving a touristic tips about Amsterdam and its surrounding area's. This time we focus on Waterland, close to the North of Amsterdam and surprisingly untouched by civilization. As usual my good friend and colleague Ben Salem was invited to have a sail and a walk..

..he enjoyed the breathtaking langscape with always on the edge of the horizon the outskirts of Amsterdam..

..and don't say nothing happens in the countryside: only today a manure container almost fell in a ditch..

English readers

This is an entry especially written and edited for my English-reading visitors, as all entries are in this blog. Benjamin Salem, my Algerian, French and English colleague accompanied me to Monickendam during the maiden voyage of my boat. It was beautiful..

..and Ben surprised me by diving in the IJsselmeer without any hesitation:

Also from TU Eindhoven: a wonderful football game concocted by masterstudents. It challenges even old men like the coaches to really enjoy playing soccer..

Dutch artist sells work to Brad Pitt

At the opening of the very European Zuiderzeemuseum by Dutch minister of Cultural Affairs Plasterk (the one with the hat, obviously)..

..we met Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout:




Van Lieshout just placed a giant set of bowels, complete with a dito anus in the museum..

..that focuses on Dutch culture and also boasts on a very interesting collection of ceramics..

The world famous artist told us he just sold a more neutral piece to actor Brad Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie..

..called Family Lamp:

Although van Lieshout is familiar to the burdens of stardom by now he stated that he was surprised that mr. Pitt was followed by such a large group of female admirers.