My girlfriend is beautiful. And because she is beautiful, smart, lovely, cute, caring and a great person on the in- and outside I give her gifts. As most women, I suspect, she's also curious. So when ever I tell her I have a gift, she wants the know what it is. But I never tell her. I like giving her surprises. In fact I love surprising all my loved ones. Surprising them with a gift I think suiting them. A gift based on their personality, their attitude and interests. This way all gifts are unique and most of the time enough to give them a genuine smile. That is my reward. I love making people smile. Soon I will send out a new gift box for my girl. One part she already knows. I will send her a pocket dictionary of Dutch-Chinese. She needed that for her Dutch course. The rest will be a surprise. I am sure she will like it and her happiness is the best reward a boyfriend can get.
The weekend has passed and I've been to the biggest Photography fair in the world. I was excited because it was held in Cologne, Germany. The bus ride was 3 hours and even though I had a Nintendo DS with me and a magazine about China, I didn't need it. I was with a friend and we talked. So the three hours passed like it was only a one hour ride. The fair was big. The friend wanted to find information about a new compact camera, so we looked for that. Sadly it was so big we never found what we were looking for. But what I did find were models and my camera loved them. I have a Standard lens so I couldn't get them in close-up, but still it was a nice new experience AND good for my portfolio. The sun was shining, but sadly there was no way to leave the fair for a short break. That was a pity though. I would have loved to go out and discover Cologne, together with my camera. Next time I will go by car, so I can leave when I want to leave. The food in the fair was pretty expensive and sadly not of the famous German quality. But all in all it was a nice experience. So if your into camera's and less in shows, then this is the fair for you.
In theory Tai Chi seems easy, but in reality, at least for yours truly, it isn't as easy as it looked. 'Move your foot to the left, lean on your leg, move your body to the front and turn. And do it with grace.' Not that the teacher is pushing us, but being a perfectionist I'm good in pushing myself Wednesday I followed my fifth lesson again after an absence of two months and it turns out I've forgotten everything already. So I was standing there as the other beginners, wondering what to do. I tried to relax, but all I feel now is a cramp in my legs. Yesterday I tried to explain the benefits to a co-worker of mine. He needed something to relax himself and I recommended Tai Chi. I still think it's something good for him as well it will be for me, but I think I need to have more lessons before I'm able to qualify myself as being moderate. So far I haven't been able to relax or remember the steps. I never like quiting, so I will continue. I will overcome the cramp and I will be the best I can be. At least it feels good to get off my lazy butt again. It was getting too big anyways. I do have fun.
My neighbor died. She was 86 years old and lived upstairs. I didn't know her. I only knew her from the noise her tv made around 9 in the evening. I always assumed she couldn't hear well, so I didn't mind. My neighbor next door, three high, told me all this. She also told me I needed to clean my garden. It was full of weeds, according to her, and no sight for the people walking by. I have weeds, but not many people walked by my house because the garden was a bit isolated, so only two or three neighbors and the guests to my house could see it. This Sunday I cleaned my garden. I killed the weeds, I picked up some glass of the floor and trashed it, I swept the stones and cut some bushes. My neighbor was pleased. She even let me borrow her broom. Maybe I should invite her at my next garden party.
I've been to Germany. Nothing special, but still nice. The first time I've been there I was surprised to see all the candy again I've been missing since my youth, like a banjo. In many ways Germany looks a lot like Holland, but in equal as many ways its so much different. The food is in most cases of high quality. It's good and honest food. No small portions, but big schnitzels, bratwursts, baked liver with onions (my fav.) and of course big glasses to drink. If your into beer, Germany can be your nirvana, your Valhalla. Many types of beer and all in huge glasses. I have a German friend and she said every town has it's own brewery, so it can be a treat to visit more cities. I was in Oberhausen with two friends. We enjoyed shopping in the shopping mall called CentrO. There's also a cinema, Sea Life and a small amusement park for kids and parents. We were all without kids, so we just looked and enjoyed the sun. I took a sip from my Starbucks Chai Tea latte and we all ate a piece of cake. It was a nice day.
I saw a girl. I'm assuming she was a student. She looked young, had long hair and was waiting in front of the train station. I saw her while I drove by on my bicycle this morning. She was holding a cup. There is a little shop inside the train station. People can buy coffee, tea, lemonade, sandwiches, magazines and of course train tickets. I usually come there to pass some time. I look at the magazines and when it's time I walk upstairs to the platforms. This girl was just standing there with her cup of coffee or tea and she was looking at the people passing by. She wasn't smiling at them, she was just standing there, probably thinking thoughtful things. I think she was trying to get energy from her cup before starting her busy school life. Wait till working life starts, I thought smiling. You'll probably need more cups of coffee before being able to start your day.
There's a spider in my house. I can never tell if it's a he or a she, but for the sake of this story I just keep it a he. I hate spiders. I am a guy, but I still think they look creepy. I know they won't do anything. My skin is too thick and I am sure they have no intention of biting me anyways. I am just too big. But still I am afraid. So there he was; hanging in my bathroom. He was on the left side and it seemed he was sitting there not moving at all. I am not violent at all, so I decided to leave him there. Also a good way to overcome my fears as many shrinks would say. Confronting your fear can let your fear go away. I believe they call it 'flooding' when you are presented with your fear in a multiple way. I never did, but one was more then enough for me. Me and him had an oath. He would not move and I would not kill. But today he has moved. He's now at the other side of the bathroom. I haven't killed him yet. But when ever I sit down I feel his tiny eyes looking at me. What would he do next? I can only hope the shrink is right, so for his sake I'm leaving the spider as it is. But boy do I hate spiders.
I wish I was a pigeon, so I could fly away into the weekend and not having anything to worry about. Nothing except what to eat. What to choose to do. I see them everywhere around the train stations and they've totally adapted to life between humans. They eat what they loose and when they are done, they rest on the station lamps, high up in the skies. So they can overlook, like a feathered God, human life. They are free. They have nothing to complain about (simply because they probably lack a neo cortex which gives people the ability to wonder). They have no work to go to and they have no social commitments. Tonight I have to go out to dinner with co-workers and customers. It's a charade, but good for business. I rather like to be free. I don't care about fancy food or social commitments with people from work 9unless they are friends of course). For me consuming a simple pancake with friends or family is good enough. But I will keep up my smile and swallow the food they got for me. And in my mind I will keep on flying.
Holland is a coffee country, but I rather drink tea. I do like cappuccino and coffee creations with the whipped cream, flavors (like caramel (yummy), hazelnut (not bad), vanilla (divine) and more), sprinkles (in all colors or chocolate ones, milk, sugar and more coffee shops can think of (we have for now only one Starbucks located in Holland, so I can only use that term starting next year). But the plain vanilla coffee is just too bitter for me. I can add milk and 20 lumps of sugar, but I am trying to convince myself I'm on a diet. So I drink tea. I always used sugar and sometimes even milk. But since China I drink it as they drink it there. I got tea as a gift and as they showed me it is common to put the dried tea leafs at the bottom of the the cup and then drowning them in boiling water. Wait a bit and then start to drink. If you do well, most leafs stay at the bottom, but when ever I start to drink I always seem to get a few leafs in my throat with coughing as a result. It looked easy when I saw my girlfriend and her family doing it, but so far I haven't managed to drink it without swallowing a leaf or two. I will keep trying, but for now I baptize this as drinking Chinese tea the Dutch way
I arrived at this world today 39 years ago. I can't recall anything about it, but I can only imagine it being a happening, as most babies are a happening for their parents and other loved ones. A lot has happened in life and it made me different, stronger and it made me the person who I am today. I am satisfied, but still full of ideas and goals for the the future. I believe we always need to keep on growing, so having something to work for isn't a bad idea I got a boxed chopstick set from my girlfriend a few days ago. But the best gift she already gave me 10 months ago. And I'm still happy with her today. So next year I will celebrate my birthday in China, with her. I will be 40 and I always hear people saying life starts with 40, so I will be ready. I am already looking forward to the coming year. It can only get better. Happy birthday to me
