zondag 28 december 2008

X-mas is over...

Early this morning I have brought my mum to A., we said “adieu” and they went home, 900km east...
Again, I have the feeling that week turned to be some how shorter then it should be. It was a very good X-mas with the closest family and friends. A lot of food and time to talk, walk and enjoy freezyyy weather.

For now... two days work and Wednesday...free again, saying goodbye to old and welcoming the new YEAR!

Checking my old posts I came across this girl. Do you remember, almost one year ago, one of the participants of Idol... and now having her first single and preparing album... Pauline.

dinsdag 23 december 2008

Faster, faster, faster, faster …

… and so many things to arrange and take care of… X-mas is coming, actually is knocking already to my door and me, still not ready, no make up, wet hair, mess around, walking in my morning suit thinking “Could I organize the time even better?”…

… but Christmas carts are sent on time, Christmas tree is beautiful (white and green this year), presents are ready but still waiting to be packed, the Polish cuisine is spreading a nice smell through the whole neighborhood, fridge is full of delicious stuff like never before and tomorrow we can enjoy…the Christmas Time!

… by the way, Fuyo has passed her exam 96,5 points…could be better but … we can start another course, as from end January… and as always this TIME we will practice more (one of our New Year resolutions)…

For those who read my blog from time to time ;))) this is still not the story that I would like to write about…still will come …

=== something to listen to ===== The Killers – Human and a bonus track.


http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=n6r4KT8-VX0

maandag 8 december 2008

I wanted to…

write something else, actually. I had an inspiration in the train, the story is almost ready…for another day. Today I will write only this that is very cold, no perspective for weather improvements but only for more cold days and the evenings.

Next Sunday we will have the exam. 9:24 Fuyo is going to show what she have learned the last 3 months: sit, stand, down, walk, sit and wait, down and wait, come to me, go and get, show your teeth and don’t jump when somebody wants to give your boss the greetings and the hand shake… we can get maximum 130 points, but 70 points is enough to pass...

We will train a bit more… Can she do it? Yes, she can!(I hope so).

maandag 1 december 2008

On the way to…

It does not matter if I go to my work or back home… I have to wait. THIS IS one of the things I hate the most. Waiting is waste of time, you cannot go forth or back, you are stuck here and now and you do not have choice but feel hopeless.

Last week I tried to go to my work earlier so took the train at 7:09… it went up to next station, no further, “the workers on the rails”, they did not finished reparation before the dead line… no connections between the Hague and Rotterdam… train back, metro, metro…one and half hour later I was at my work…way back even worst…

This morning, story continues, one and half hour, train did not come, metro had some problems and was late…so perfect start of the day, of the week, of the month…

Lets the day be over and tomorrow better…

dinsdag 25 november 2008

The first snow in Limbourg …

When we have planed our weekend in Belgium we did not expect that the weather will be like this. Snow, that’s what we got when arrived in to the small village Limbourg. We just entered the house at … number 1, took the luggage up in bedroom when started to snow…”Grate” we though, hoping that the next day we will be able to reach the start points of some walking routes.

The house was exactly like on the pictures: the kitchen and the sitting room down stairs, the bedroom, bathroom and the toiled up. Small, cozy, clean and just perfect for three of us. It was situated just in front of the church with the tower bell informing us what time it was by one bell every half hour and number of bells at whole. Despite the bell, we were sleeping very good…

Limbourg is a small city near Verviers in the province Liège. The old part is located on top of a hill which is surrounded by the river Vesdre. Old houses made from stone briks, small streets, little castle and city walls remembering the time that the people inside needed to be defended from the enemy. The surrounding is mainly hilly fields and the forests. A lot of places to make nice, long walks.

On Saturday we have visited dam on Lac de la Gileppe. We did not have idea that something like this exists in the neighborhood. Thanks to the “guide” we found in the house (in French) we figured that it was only few kilometers away, so we packed Fuyo, the gloves and the scarf and we went…we have a good walk, took some pictures, beautiful place and so quiet that you could almost hear the snowflakes falling.

On Sunday, just before w left we went to Solwaster, the tiny village in Ardennes to have a walk in National Park Hautes Fagnes Eifel. Stunning nature, the hills, the stream with the freezing water, and trees heavy from the snow…

Hard to go home when there is so much to see and three of us enjoy the time…but now is time to plan the next trip…so many places to choose from.

dinsdag 4 november 2008

Master of disaster…

Or I should rather say mistress… this time it is not me but Fuyo. First of all, she has destroyed the mattress which was her bed. I ask my aunt to repair it and she did a very good job. And for what ??? … After 4 days Fuyo has already eaten a big hole in one of the corners and took 1/3 of the sponge out. Secondly, the beautiful wicker basket that we bought for her in Poland, survived downstairs only two and half nights. Now, it is laying on the attic waiting for the better times and Fuyo to grow up… The last but not the least ware my warm, thick, woolen slippers … died today.

But well it’s not that bad… I know dogs that can eat and bite more valuable items… f.e. a remote control, a cell phone, a laptop battery, new shoes, a bank pass, a well prepared minced meat for dinner for 6 people, a sugar bowl full of sugar, a picture (without the frame) and many, many other…

Who?? Me?? NEVER… I am not guilty.

zondag 2 november 2008

The last hours of my holiday…

Sunday, dark and cold outside but at home warm and the dinner is ready…
This is the last day of my official holiday this year… I went home, to Poland. I should rather say to my mum, because since couple of years it feels that going back to the Netherlands is going home…

As usual for me it was busy time and one big attempt to divide time between those members of my family that I would like to visit. It did not help that in the weekend the time has been turn backwards and I gained one hour extra…

The usual things that I am doing while in Poland are: shopping for cosmetics and food which I like and cannot get in NL, shopping for presents and shopping for books (this time I have bought pretty nice collection). In general, I would also go to the hairdresser and the beauty center but because I was doing the unusual things (later in the story) simply I did not have enough time to do so…

The unusual what I did was “the back in time trip” to Borowiec, the place where my grandmother lives and place of my childhood holidays. Peace and quite that the perfect words to describe the place. There are four houses, four sheds and the hunter’s castle. The road ends there and there is a big forest around, nothing more and nothing less. The first grocery shop is 4 km away and there is no bus or other transportation going to this place… what you can hear there is rustle of the trees, the birds singing, the barking of the dogs…and your own thoughts. I loved it and next year want to go for the whole week, just to walk, read, work in the garden, make the jam-jars, pick the mushrooms and rest from the everyday hectic and busy life…


The hunter’s castle...

Back to basics…

Road to the end of the world…

vrijdag 17 oktober 2008

Try walking in my shoes…

Friday, the weekend finally arrived. I left my work on time, the sun was shining but the cold air reminds that the warm days belong to the past…

There were not a lot of people in the metro but you could see that everyone was tired after the whole week of work, sleepy eyes, grey skin and meaningless look everyone hoping to get home and rest. I was sitting and looking at my shoes. I bought them 3 weeks ago and they have already small scratches. How could it happen? I start looking around...

 Big, firm, black shoes of the worker, splashed with the paint and dirt
 Black high-heeled shoes made of suede which belongs to the 50 year old lady with the heavy makeup
 A lot of “All stairs” (Converse)worn by Chinese students, young mother, cool guy and the rock chick type girl
 The brown shoes which have been custom made, the girl had one leg shorter (I guess) because the extra 3 cm sole has been added to the original one…
 Blue patent leather shoes ….

A lot of people a lot of shoes …a lot of stories behind …

woensdag 15 oktober 2008

Spring rolls that’s not the only thing from China…

I have my favorite book series, a Polish one - “Series with the broomstick”. The writers are only women of various nationalities. Reading those books is like a travel to different countries (doesn’t cost extra fee days at work) and discovering unusual worlds.

My most recent read book “Candy”, written by Mian Mian, tells the story of the young girl Hong (red) and the underground China of the late 80’s through mid 90’s. It is description of 10 years of her life as a difficult child, a night club singer, a party girl, a duck, alcohol and emotional pain addict.

I have asked my Chinese friend at work if she ever herd about this book or the writer but she did not (the book was very controversial and eventually forbidden by the government). She asked me what the book was about, I told her shortly and asked rather it what was happening back then in China, she did not know. She said: “unlikely”. I think she was living in a totally other reality…


maandag 13 oktober 2008

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close


Jonathan Safran Foer, a young writer, even one year younger then I am, and already two books in his biography.

I had just finish his “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”, in Dutch “Extreem luid & ongelooflijk dichtbij”. I think it is very good book, the extraordinary story and refreshing way of presenting the world around us. The main character is nine years old boy who lost his father in the terrorist attack at WTC at 11th September. He discovers a key in his father’s cupboard and since that day he decides to find the lock that belongs to it. Just like this I was pulled in to his adventure and the history of his extraordinary family. Did he find the lock that fits the key? Just read… it is worth!

zondag 5 oktober 2008

The traffic jam ruined my plans…

Everything turned against me. First A. injured his ankle and cannot walk (at least first two weeks). Secondly K. informed me that she is not taking part in the run because of the weather. Actually the weather sucked the whole day but despite the headache I firmly decided to go…near Arnhem, to run my 10K. 2h 30 min to get there…I thought … more that enough time. I was wrong, because of the traffic, I arrived when the run already started… pissed off I went home ...why why why the days like this exists!

woensdag 1 oktober 2008

Run Forest Runnnnnnn…

The 4 months passed and on Sunday I will run 10K. Of course I haven’t train enough. I started with the good intentions and good spirit… and my spirit died or I left it somewhere and could not find for a very long time.

What I have is the start number 1060 and the route that I have to cover. What I do not have is good form and the running shoes. What I need is A LOT OF LUCK!

So wish me good luck 5th October 2008 at 13:30…and keep the fingers crossed at least one hour! (make 1h30min … just in case).


zondag 28 september 2008

The Last King of Scotland…

The movie is two years old but we have watched it this weekend…the story will stay in my mind for quite some time... The 70’s, just-graduated Scottisch doctor Nicholas Garrigan moves to Uganda and meet the new president Idi Amin, becomes his personal doctor, advisor, friend and eventually…the “white monkey”. This story shows how despotic and cruel the Amin was and what was happening in the country during his leadership … extraordinary, unbelievably shocking and tragic. Similar to “Blood Diamond” but better…
A. told me to watch “Hotel Rwanda”, also based on the real story … and also very extreme. I am curious…



zaterdag 27 september 2008

If you haven’t got any bread for lunch …

There is something else what you can eat, small pancakes which are called the “poffertjes”. There are special cooking pans to have them baked but I have a special, easy to use and easy to clean toast maker. I can make the different kind of toasts but also the hamburgers and poffertjes… 5 minutes of work, a bit of sugar powder and … simply delicious!!!




zondag 21 september 2008

The black Sunday…

It was suppose to be such a nice Sunday afternoon…
I went with Fuyo to the park, and instead of relaxing walk we got the chain reaction of the accidents. The park was full of people on the bikes, children, walking couples, old ladies, and the runners. Normally, deserted place today was full of noise and distractions.

So what actually happened was that the lady fell down on the bicycle because of Fuyo playing with another dog. The screaming and crying girl run and hide by her parents because Fuyo had barked at her and wanted to play. And when eventually I found the place in the middle of the forest, far from paths, children and bickers, the place where we could play with the ball, the grandma with 7 years old appeared thru the trees. Fuyo started to bark and behave tough, ready to “protect” us…

What can you do when your walk with the dog became the down hill journey? You take the dog on the lash, say to every one to back off and you go home watch TV.

dinsdag 16 september 2008

In and Out of Love

Saturday ... The Sand and the sound. Long time no trance, I hope to have a good time...


Armin van Buuren ft Sharon den Adel

zaterdag 6 september 2008

Paris, Paris...

My short visit to this city, this time with my mum, has been full of sight seeing, walking, talking, enjoying good food, coffee and the weather. First day we have already seen half of the city, Eiffel Tower in the morning (too long queue to go up, waste of time), in the evening (30 min. is acceptable to wait…but why did we choose the wing “with the stairs only”)…, Arc of Triumph, Champs Elysées, Nespesso Café and many other places that will stay not only in my memory but also on my hard disc.




maandag 1 september 2008

The progress…

Fuyo finished the puppy course … she finished as the last one. 15 pups got more points that she did. Was I disappointed … no, not at all. Kidding, I was!!! My dog, the last one, my pride suffered… I had always the best grades. I was always on top of the class, at least…well… A. said that her diploma looks 100% better that the ones he has been getting from school…now we know from whom she got it ;)).

Currently we are following the next course. This one is suppose to help us to go through the puberty period. Yes, she is more then 4 months, changing her teeth, being annoying and pushing “her way” from time to time.

The first two lessons, I had the feeling that she didn’t give a shit to do anything we asked for. Until today I had my doubts if we ever going to teach her something and pass the exams in December…and today…WOW...the miracle happened. She was behaving very good, sit, down, wait, come …like all the words found the right drawer in her tiny brain. I loved her; I was proud and wanted to squeeze her from the happiness. The lesson for us…we have to practice more and she will learn a lot!

Fuyo and her friend Jaba from the puppy course




dinsdag 5 augustus 2008

Fuyo, the you tube star...

Sunday afternoon, cold, windy, rainy and gray in general. How to make the day a bit more colorful and playful? Take the dog to the beach and make the film ;)) just for fun, just for memories. She is growing so fast!! We came home wet and tired but happy, with two bags of French-fries…lekker!!!

zondag 3 augustus 2008

When enough is enough…

Lately I have been thinking about the people, the relationships and when the marriage vows “I do” changed in to “We will see”. The quote from one of my favorite movies...The Mexican...

“If people truly love each other, when do you say enough is enough?”

Is it 2 motnths, 2 years,5 years, 10 years or maybe 33 years...???

The answer is simple "NEVER"...

maandag 28 juli 2008

Mirelle Matieu feeding the cat...

Almost every morning I see a woman, who looks almost exactly like Mirelle Matieu, giving Whiskas to the homeless cat…This morning I was even sitting next to her in the train…I had a close look at her behind my “Metro” newspaper…I remember this French singer very well, because of the program which was showed every Sunday on Polish TV - Best whishes and the songs… “Koncert zyczen”. I was like 7 years old, sitting in front of the black and white TV set, watching and listening to the little woman with the strong voice…and 25 years later, in the Netherlands she is feeding cats…weird world…

zondag 27 juli 2008

Mama would be proud...

To those people that don’t know me that good, I want to say that I am cooking and not only from the packages or pre-prepared ingredients. If you take a chicken breast, the carrots, cheese, an egg and roll all of it in the Chinese cabbage leafs, you will get “Gołąbki [gɔ’wɔmpki]”. I made it!!! It took me 15 min to prepare them, 15 min to cook them and 15 min to eat them (not alone). Lekker zeg…

zaterdag 26 juli 2008

I am not the ignorant…


I am just not aware about things around me. Friday during the lunch I have been told about the nice museum of M.C.Escher…in The Hague. I live here more than eight years (the time flies) and I have never been there…funny enough, I know the work of Mr. Escher…once, like ten years ago when I knew how to use a pencil and a paint, I have copied one of his drawings …. Up and Down (1947). I admire people with great imagination and the possibilities to look at things from a different perspective…and his perspective is …. QUITE different. Shapes, dimensions, black and white and the eternity…

http://www.mcescher.com/

dinsdag 22 juli 2008

ER during the night hours...

Do you know what is worst than 6 hours of sleep? I will tell you,4 hours of sleep…
This can happen when your dog will eat something which was not exactly for her/him… The entire “show” started at half past three in the morning … poor Fuyo…and poor us. My mum said long time ago that a sick man at home it is a night mare… but I think, sick dog at home that is the nightmare times two… Luckily, when I was leaving to my work, everything was back to normal. Now, 10:20 p.m., I am ready to grasp as much sleep as I can… I am not that good in power napping...at my work.

zondag 20 juli 2008

White and black…

And this is not about the song from Michael Jackson …. La la la la Black and whiteeeee… that the video clip (that time) has cost the fortune (not for M.J.)…and was super, was high tech with a lot of computer effect … This is about our lovely Fuyo and the morning walk in the rain… in Westerpark in Zoetermeer.

WHITE…

BLACK…

And so it is...

I almost forgot…but the rainy Sunday helped me to remember and recall this song…and the movie “Closer”, which is as good as the song…in my opinion …


Jut sit on the sofa after walking in the rain… sit with cup of tee, the blanket … and listen…


Damien Rice...

zaterdag 19 juli 2008

Listen Baby...

Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe…

It was such a long time ago that I, or I should say rather, WE have been climbing.
I am not going to explain why we had to stop, but after almost two months, we are on track again. I have to admit, this is not the level that we had … I could do 5A, and K. could even do 5B and from time to time attack 6A… and now…we start with 4+ , our muscles hurt, our arms hurt, our Egos hurt.

For those people that are wondering, what the fuck I am talking about, explanation…

French climbing grating:

“Grades are numerical, starting at 1 (very easy) and the system is open-ended. Each numerical grade can be subdivided by adding a letter (a, b or c). Examples: 2, 4, 4b, 6a, 7c. An optional + may be used to further differentiate difficulty. For example, these routes are sorted by ascending difficulty: 5c+, 6a, 6a+, 6b, 6b+…”

So…we decided to climb regularly, do not complain, do our best…and reach the TOP!

donderdag 17 juli 2008

zondag 13 juli 2008

Sunday evening... the sun is back...

Weekend is almost gone but it seems that the sun suddenly got the idea to shine for the while. A. is working and me with the big headache trying to enjoy the last hours of Sunday. I know for sure that if Fuyo would not be here I would be just hanging on my couch. Because of her … even the headache has a ray of light.



zaterdag 12 juli 2008

First needs…

Lately I have been thinking…why people want some things so much…and want them RIGHT NOW …Yesterday A. sent me sms from her new iPhone happy as a child in the candy store (I could not see her but I can imagine…). She bought it after waiting in line from the midnight, I hope that was midnight because I saw people standing there already at 9 pm. The shop organized the pre-sell from 0:00 till 2:00, since yesterday was officially the first day that the iPhone was available in NL. I would never do it , never, nooit, niet, nie … why not wait couple of days…I know, never say never but still…

The same is with the books or CD’s…why people want to have them immediately?? Why wait hours in front of the shops… is it some kind of rush or addiction…?? What will happen if they will buy it later??… I guess I will never know…if I have to wait more than 15 min. for something I get annoyed…and I am just looking at the lady or guy behind the counter thinking that my gaze speed their movements…

vrijdag 11 juli 2008

Sensation White…

I know that a lot of people think that Sensation White has been commercialized for all those years of existence but I like it… not love it… but like it. It was my second time that I’ve been there. This time I went with A. and A. The theme this year was “Ocean of white” and it was…and the ocean and the white. The top DJ, Fedde le Grand, rest did not count for me… Looking around you could see some of the people jumping like the mead man, in the trance, after some drugs…power, power…dance, dance…We, on the other hand went home at 3 am…where our “white sensation” has been waiting to go out…


woensdag 2 juli 2008

wind...

I want to have…

Yes, I want to have a lot,a lot time to sleep, time to work over hours, time to read, time to scrap, time to see my friends and time to play with Fuyo, time to go see the movies in the cinema, time to sport, time to walk on the beach and time to breath, time to take a long bath, time to have long talks with A., time to travel and time to visit places all over the world, time to have children and time to paint, time to clean the house and time to organize it ….Why we have so little time and we have to choose what and when … that is not fair …so many things … so many things ….

dinsdag 24 juni 2008

World at 6:00 a.m.…

In fact not a lot of people from my neighborhood see the world at 6:00 a.m. Maybe they are spying through the window but definitely they do not see it from the outside… I know, because I do see the world at this time. Since we have Fuyo, I have to see the grass with the morning dew, the ducks, their little ones and I can hear nothing but the ringing of the tram and birds singing… I am quite awake, aware that the day has just begun and will end after 16 hours of my precious life…

maandag 23 juni 2008

Why the e-mails never stop coming…

I am getting crazy…who has the same problem, put the hand in the air…coming to my work 130 emails to be processed….12:30 I have still 50 but going to lunch because starving and not thinking anymore …coming back…80 on the counter…finally going home after the regular working hours…happy to have my mailbox almost empty…and the next day the story begins… why, why, why … people LEAVE ME ALOOOOOONE… and when the telephone rings, I want to kill the person on the other side…with the help of the yellow cheese…

zaterdag 21 juni 2008

The beach…

Our first time on the beach. Until last week we were just talking about it with A. We have been thinking how nice it would be to have a dog, run and play in the sand and the water. Yesterday we had our preview… One more thing, for all people struggling with the weight problems,our advise is buy the dog! We have lost 5 kilo (together with A.) in one week… no sleep, no time to eat and going outside 10 times a day… but still... WE LOVE IT!!!!