July 2004 Archives
Sat on Nieuwmarkt for a while this afternoon, testing my new lens. You can see more Nieuwmarkt pictures at Flickr.com . (And some from Oosterpark a few hours later.) Well pleased with this lens - good colours and contrast, auto focus is fast. It hasnt gone (too) soft on me yet. At 60 euro, this was a bit of a bargain.
It's been a while since I shot with anything larger than a 28-105mm, so it took a few minutes getting used to the freaky enlargement. It definitely feels like cheating.
While I was sitting at the foot of De Waag sneaking shots of people, a guy came over to say hello. I recognised him, but had forgotten his name: an intern I worked with close to ten years ago - probably one of the first interaction design students in the country. Turns out he is working at De Waag ('society for old and new media') now. Good on him.
- 'We're on our holidaaaaays.' (imitation of 'In America' kid)
- Picked up packages from various post offices. New lens!
- While away, FedEx dropped by with Canonet Giii. Next delivery:not till monday. Grr.
- He got the part, he got the part!
- So, so proud.
- Did I mention new lens?
- It's hot.
- SoddingNancyTribe sent me a Bernstein CD. Sweet!
- Out for lunch. Bye.
- My summer break starts on Friday. One more day to go.
- Postman attempted delivering several packages while I was out.
- Lovely Google adsense check arrived
- Two blue tax envelopes arrived
- It's wasp season and it's official: 'they're very aggressive this year'
- 'Mac user' still can't operate iBook, 'loses' toolbar
- Dad remembers I owe him loadsamoney
- Rumour: U2 to play 3 gigs in The Netherlands next June
- Dirty laundry pile higher than clean laundry pile
- Let's not mention the pile of dishes
- The nice Pakistani gentleman four doors up the road does great clothing repair
- I now have H&M brown pin stripe slacks cut to my 'length'
- I'd like (and am taking preliminary action) to move to another part of town
- My neck/shoulders are killing me
- My physiotherapist isn't very good
- I've been asked to play a mixed doubles tournament
- My backhand needs work
- My tennis shoes are too small
- My service seems quite effortless this season
- I haven't seen a good gig in ages
- Who's going to delete my spam while I'm away?
(probably taken with a Voigtlander Vitomatic)
Today's challenge at Photo Friday is 'mother' (which seems a little tired after 'father' a few weeks ago, but anyway). I only have one picture I took of my mother and grandparents when I was 11 or so, and I can't find it. I've no other shot that fits, so I'm not competing in the challenge. But I'll honour the theme with this shot that my father must have taken. Mum with red bag, me with white hat and toy camera. With apologies for the quality, I really need a better scanner. (Click to enlarge)
Received some sad news earlier on today.
Some get married, others part. It is, will always be, an emotional time. (qt)
More nastiness: we just read a police message on Teletext that gave me and my colleagues a bit of a shock. Someone we work with (in a related company here on Mediapark) went missing a week ago, on her way to work -- a route some of us travel daily.
I met up with Rachel and the newly wedded Derek and Heather in Amsterdam last night.
Derek I hadn't seen since 1999 when he worked in my country for a while and we ended up traveling to Ireland together.
It was the first time I met Rachel and Heather. At one point we all showed each other our babies.
The warm weather suited our 'rijsttafel' dinner at Tempo Doeloe on Utrechtsestraat. It was fun to see people discover the delights of 'spekkoek' (a dense, tasty layered cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and aniseed flavoured cake). I thought the food was better last time I went, but that's probably because I couldn't choose between talking and eating.
I believe I was a little hyper and talkative -- I felt there was so much to say and so little time, as the honeymooning couple are off to Paris today.
Posted from
"Of course you may not have a membership.You can browse many information without membership. But it is recommended that you gain a membership in order to enjoy advantage in using our website."
"The DPRK practically guarantees the people genuine political freedom and rights according to the fundamental requirement of the Juche idea for enhancing man’s independence and creativity in every way."
Aw, bless!
I'm introducing a new design trend, the retrograde (see header, reverted to pre-2003 image). At Caterina's party on Wednesday, Rogerio mentioned that he had liked my cranes header a lot. I said 'it's still there', but of course, it wasn't, since I'd changed it to a shot of willow trees in January this year. Since apparently I still think of this site as the one with the cranes header, I might as well put it back on.
Caterina's party was very strange for me, but in a good way. I had been slightly apprehensive since I didn't know anybody else invited, and was slightly in awe of their collective resumes.
It's not unusual for me to either avoid parties or end up not talking to anyone and leave early. I haven't mastered the art of small talk and I'm sure I give off a negative vibe, because people rarely approach me and I'm too shy (or too uninterested) to approach anyone. Usually I find within minutes there is nothing left to say or ask.
However, at Wednesday evening's gettogether I ended up talking to several people about various subjects: geek stuff (including a Bluetooth session), photography stuff, history, food, language, dutch media, etc. I enjoyed listening as much as talking. People were engaging and friendly.
When it was time for me to go home (work awaited in the morning) I wasn't ready. I wanted to talk to more of the guests. I was sorry I didn't get to talk to everyone. It was an extraordinary feeling, something I hadn't experienced since college.
I'm not sure what conclusion to draw from this experience. Apparently, I'm not the lost cause I thought I was. Have I been going to the wrong parties? Should I seek out other social circles?
It's all encouraging. Maybe I should put that option on a hermit's life on hold. Now all I need is for people like Caterina to come over and throw more parties.
girl: "... you know, I always think of them as people who look after themselves really well."
client: "mmm"
girl: "Like in Amsterdam. You see a lot of goodlooking people in Amsterdam."
client: "Yeah, you do."
girl: "I guess in cities a lot of people are pre-occupied with their appearance."
client: "uhuh"
girl: "People in Holland are better looking than in other countries. I mean, look at England."
client: "oh please... English people are ugly."
girl: "Yeah. And Belgians aren't pretty either."
client: "mmm"
girl: "Germans... no, Germans aren't pretty. The Dutch are the best looking."
client: "So you fancy Dutchmen then?"
girl: // giggles // "Yeah... blond hair, blue eyes. You too?"
client: "Yeah. And tall."
girl: "Yeah, tall... so... what far away places have you been to then?"
client: "Oh... um, South America..."
girl: "Wow."
client: "... on the one side, and on the other side... The Philippines."
girl: "WOW!"
client: "And, you know, other places..."
girl: "And, um, if you don't mind me asking... where are the Philippines? Um... I'm not really good at this stuff."
Me: "???"
Artwork on building site.
- I haven't had a hangover in a long time
- Ow my head
A round of Bluetooth.
My idea of fun: watching palefaces struggle with their chopsticks and unwilling noodles. The look of frustration is very amusing.
Some give up quickly and ask for a fork. Some persevere and conquer triumphantly.
Today at lunch time, I caught a young lady sporting knitted headwear looking over at me to see 'how it's done'. She had been stirring the noodles for a long time, trying in vain to roll them around her sticks.
I couldn't help showing off. Checking my mobile in one hand, sticks with slippery slice of pepper in the other, I absently described imaginary words in the air with my food.
Knitted headwear lady bravely stuck with it and eventually finished her plate.
Chopsticks are, of course, very silly things.
Whatever else you may think of him, this should be enough to doubt his ability to be at the head of the most powerful country in the world. What an immature, small minded, mean spirited man he is. What a sorry excuse for a world leader.
Please register to vote and do the right thing.
My surname consists of 4 words. There's no dash separating two parts. It is a one part name.
Dutch rail's new online member system automatically puts a dash in my name when I fill it in. When I try to change it, it puts the dash back in. It assumes I am married.
This is as annoying as American sites asking for my 'State' and not accepting 'none' for an answer.
North Sea Jazz was possibly the most frustrating concert experience I've ever had. I used to have nightmares just like it - me wanting to see gigs and getting lost and not being able to get in and being too short to see, etc. I found the building and its signage (Congresgebouw) utterly confusing. Twice I nearly panicked because I just couldn't find my way out of a place. There weren't any clear signs to the main exit either. I asked someone working there and they, again, pointed me the wrong way.
In the end I stuck with the largest hall, saw a tiny bit of Stanley Clarke (Ugh... not my thing.) and all of Macy Gray (who was good, but needs to lay off whatever she's on and fucking sing instead of letting the band do all the work). Then I left.
10 Euro on food and drink, 16 on the train fare, 30 on taxi fare. What a waste. Next time I'll go see jazz in a club where it belongs.
I think my expectations were highly romantic and unrealistic. Festivals, by their very nature, suck.
... internet access is just about the only thing that's free here. (toilets 0,50 Euro).
I've been here exactly 30 minutes and have found out:
1. Staff doesn't know ass from hole in the ground (was pointed in the wrong (and opposite) direction twice when asking for the guest entrance)
2. There's no way I'm going to see anything up close - everything is jam packed...
3. ... except here in the internet cafe
4. It's hot everywhere...
5. ... except in the internet cafe
6. There's nothing like the comfort of a PC monitor when you're hot, frazzled and getting lost.
Got my hands on that Yashica T4 Super I mentioned earlier this week. It's a bit of a collector's item because of its excellent Zeiss lens and extra "waist level' viewfinder. It's been discontinued and replaced by a slightly inferior 'zoom' type model. On E-bay it tends to go 125 - 150 dollars and up. I'm picking mine up tomorrow for half that pice.
It'll be a great companion while travelling as I do not plan to bring the Ixus. Shlepping one charger around for the 300d is quite enough.
Music I'm likely to check out at North Sea Jazz on Saturday: Macy Gray, Patti Labelle...
Any suggestions? (programme)
Trying to book a holiday is doing my head in. The idea of going somewhere to do nothing all by myself is frightening in itself. Having to decide where and when is well nigh impossible. I should really learn to drive a car. (Have license, don't drive.)
Update: oh, thank god, I made a decision. Flying (cheaply) to Nice on August 4, will train it to Marseille (only 2.5 hours). Fly back August 10. This is my first 'holiday in the sun' since the early 90s. Cue thunderous applause.
You can now use Flickr to turn your weblog into a moblog.
... so you can send pictures of your workplace out for the world to see.
We're dependant on the network's reach.
It's been a while, a week, or more, or less. My head's been killing me and my shoulders ache in synch. I got a signal outside, he says. How are ya? OK, I say and pause. Continue: moody, up and down like usual.
He says I need a break. I know, I say. I've got one coming up in August.
What are my plans, he wants to know. I stretch out on the sofa and listen to his footsteps and the wind blowing as he walks the road to Mizen head. Any further out West and he'd be in Americay.
Marseille, 'cause I like harbours, I proclaim, or maybe Nice, the flights are cheaper. I don't know and I've no money either. It's tough on your own, I confess.
That's life, baby.
I remember Mizen head and the journey home -- how that man and I listened to the radio as they took Diana to Westminster Abbey. That was the end of that, the golden girl and our tryst laid to rest in one sad week.
Take a train, he says, like he's read my mind. Like he always does. ("Why don't you move to Amsterdam?") I might just do that. Take a train. Travel.
There's no train to Mizen head.
Cats are great Caroline.
Only two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity; and Im not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
The covers of this book are too far apart. - Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)
I do not consider it an insult but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all that agnosticism means. - Clarence Darrow Scopes trial 1925.
There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants; and the other is getting it. - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Broadway theatres are dimming their lights tonight at 8pm.
I suggest we all open our windows and holler in honour of the man:
"Steeeeeeelllaaaaaaaaa!!" (mp3)
I photoshopped some 'U2 sleeves' to go with some
rumours regarding the title of the upcoming album.
'Are those real?' someone asked.
I am still having problems with Field of depth. For some reason, I no longer have ownership of the files created by MT. All permissions are hosed, I can't even delete them via FTP or telnet. I am going to have to rebuild the site at Pair.com. As for now, Field of Depth is on hold. I cannot post or do anything.
I loathe Dreamhost. Over the last few years I've told everybody who ever asked not to use them, but to go to Pair.com. Why I thought things might work out for me there this time, I do not know.
Update: F.O.D. is temporarily available at http://log.nu. Back in the saddle is the best remedy. I've put too many hours into this site to let hosting problems get to me.
F.O.D. is back online.