I'm writing this blog with Yaki Chan purring on my lap. He says hi by the way.
Summer is over in New York and it was a short one. I believe we had three weeks of good weather back in August. After last year's awesome weather, I guess we cannot be too spoiled. What happened since my last post? I went to Mexico for work...don't worry...no swine flu for me. I enjoyed a full day at the US Open and got to see Federer, Roddick, Sharapova, Djokovic and Wickmayer. I did not get to see Clijsters play life but I was in front of my TV when she won the finals with tears of joy in my eyes. September, as every year, is marked by a lot of birthdays and visitors. Consequently, overtime for my liver. Luckily I had the last week of September off to relax. My good friend Joke came over and we flew to Jamaica...Ya man...of course, we followed the local customs and went Jamaican all the way.
Now, fall is setting in with my annual business trip to Brussels coming up. I will pass via London and Edinburgh while in Europe and then no more long distance business trips anymore this year. (finally).
A big hello to Bavo and Sandrina who are on their trip around the world. Know that I envy you and eagerly read every of your posts!
Let me start by telling you a true story. Some time in May, a Greek lady from Brooklyn found a stray pregnant cat in her garden. Not being able to watch the poor animal alone and hungry, she invited it in and took care of her. On June 1, that cat gave birth to 5 little kittens in the Greek lady's lap. Having her own family to raise, she cannot take care of 6 cats but decides to find them a home once they are older. Meanwhile, Rudi (that's me) goes to work in July and upon arriving in the office, he finds out that his colleague found a little kitten on her front porch. The poor thing is barely 10 days old and its mother rejected it as it has an infection on its eye and on the lungs. A kitten this young needs to be fed every 4 hours, so my colleague could not leave it alone at home. She is named it Fernanda and we all got to feed, hold and love it. My colleague went on holidays and left Fernanda with a caretaker. The lung infection was cured but the eye infection still caused some concern. In the meantime, Rudi received an email that a Greek lady in Brooklyn was giving her kittens away. Having held and fed a kitten, a desire to have one of my own started coming up. And since yesterday I adopted a male cat which I named Yaki. Sadly, today we received a message that Fernanda had passed away. Although her infections were nearly gone, the poor animal had no immunity. To be continued...
Summer is in New York...humid, thunderstorms and temperatures around 28 degrees. Nothing special ahead of me in August. September will be marked with Gene's visit and then Joke with whom I am going to Jamaica...woohoo!
Just came back from my yearly big trip. Genevieve (also known from previous posts as Guevarra) and I did an organized trip in Jordan with an extension of 1 week at the Red Sea in Egypt. Fabulous trip. We started the journey with a jeep ride in the desert of Wadi Rum. That night we slept in tents. I have to find the person who said that nights in deserts are always cold, because he/she is going get punched in the face. It was boiling hot in our tent and we were eaten by Mosquitoes! Oh yes, these annoying little insects do live in the desert. Anyway, it was worth the experience. The next day we visited Petra. Some of you might remember this site from the Indiana Jones movie. Breathtaking! The next days we visited the capital Amman and some Catholic sites (such as Jesus' Baptism and Moses' burial site). Definitely worthwhile visiting is the Roman ruins of Jerash. The last day we stopped at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. After some floating around, we did a mud treatment. While afterwards your skin feels as soft as a baby's behind, you stink for two days. Afterwards, we went to Taba, Egypt to relax for a week at the Red Sea in an All-in resort. I hadn't done this in years and it was just what I needed. We had a lot of catching up to do on our sleep. It was the ideal vacation to replenish our batteries and absorb as much sunshine as possible. Pictures are on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/Jordan2009
All good things come to an end and now I am back in New York. While last year we maybe had 10 days of rain in Spring and Summer. This year is the exact opposite. Winter lasted too long and Spring is just plain depressing. No stable weather and rain nearly every day. Those days that we are blessed with sunshine, I spent in Central Park. It seems to become a tradition to pack our blanket, food, beer, music and lounge the afternoon away in the sun in my "backyard".
Work remains stressful but as usual I try to organize fun events. Last Thursday we had our Spring Party. Another tradition that begins establishing itself, is going to a karaoke bar. I know...me singing...maybe that is why it keeps raining...lol Well, at least I am having fun.
In the meantime, my second Godson is growing at an incredible speed. He is barely three months old but already looks like a 8-month old baby. He is just amazing, love him.
And Britney is back. Saw her concert yesterday in the Prudential Center in Newark."Circus" was the theme and a circus it was. Her show was preceded by a 45 min performance of the Pussycat Dolls. They amazed me by their life singing. I did not expect them to be so good. Their outfits on the other hand left nothing to the imagination. Then at 9pm, we got a several acrobatic acts to digest. Was "Cirque du Soleil" or "Circus" the name of the show? Anyway...half an hour later we got to see the one and only Britney Spears (finally). I did not expect her to sing life but at least to interact more with the crowd. She basically brought us her 1.5hour set and ciao...I guess she had to tuck in her kids and give some money to her ex-husband. Overall, the show was good but nothing out of the ordinary.
Another sensation I like to comment on is Lady Gaga and her song "poker face". Did you ever listen to the lyrics? She is bluffing with her muffin... Where did she get it? Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Wallmart,... If anybody knows, please tell me. LOL
By the way, aloha to all of you. (No, I am not going to Hawaii)
What else happened to me in the last three weeks? Well, I spent a weekend in New Orleans. Amazing city. The French Quarter is the French Quarter; booze, bars and bikers ?. There are some areas of the city which are beautiful with lots of colonial style houses. I also visited a plantation nearby and took a little swamp tour on an air boat to observe some alligators in the wild. Pretty wild, I must say. Pictures are on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/NewOrleans
I also spent a week in Europe which I named "Padrinoweek". The week was composed of 2 days Belgium - 2 in Spain and another 2 in Belgium. I got to see my first Godson (4years) and my latest nephew (1 week) in Spain. And my dear friend Ellen gave birth to a healthy, yet heavy, boy called Louis of whom I also the Godfather. One week being surrounded by diapers, burping and farting babies. Fun times. That is it for now folks. Time to relax and recover. Can you feel that spring is coming? Can't wait.
I hope you are well and you had a nice New Year's celebration.
New Year's eve for me started off with a bad note. Me and some friends had bought some VIP tickets for this club in Manhattan. To keep the story short, we never got into the VIP section and were treated like cattle. I have this claim going on with the club to get my money back. The fight ain't over. We ended up celebrating at my place and had a blast. Sophie and I were the last ones standing (as usual), dancing in my living room till 4am.
2009 started off in cold weather with snow here in New York and temperatures going to - 20C some days. Financial crisis is still tangible and as a result that we will hardly be rewarded for our enormous efforts put into our job in 2008. I stay positive and remain grateful for having a job and being able to live in this amazing city.
A place where the crisis cannot be felt is Las Vegas. Coincidently, that is where I spent my last weekend. Verdict, I am broke now. This city is the capital of decadence and "no limits". The only place in the USA where you can drink on the streets and everybody has to do it. Vegas boulevard or the "Strip" is littered with one hotel after the other, each with its casino, theme, attraction and show. My favorite hotel was Luxor but I stayed at Caesar's. Unless you go with a group of friends, you have seen the city after 24 hours. That is why the second day, I went on an helicopter flight to the Grand Canyon....magical. The flight back to New York was quite an adventure. We spent the usual 1 hour circulating the NYC area because of congested air traffic but when finally allowed to land and being 10 feet above the ground, we had to pull back up as a plane was blocking the runway. Our second attempt was successful but slippery due to the snow. I made it safely back home and did not go for a swim in the Hudson river.
Now back to reality with a painful credit card bill but a sour hangover after Sophie's Birthday party. I have 3 weeks to recover before my next trip which will be New Orleans.
After the weird temperature fluctuations of the last weeks, we were hit yesterday by the first snow storm of the season. Went out this morning to my backyard and took some pics. http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/NYC20Dec08#
Winter came earlier than last year. I was able to catch a few glimpses of the beautiful fall colors. I don't know when it usually gets cold in New York as it is only my second winter here. All I can say that we already some pretty cold days.
What happened during the last few weeks? I had a blast on Halloween. I spent at a friend's place who had bought helium balloons and lots of wigs. This in combination with alcohol...well...the picture says enough, right?
Work has been extremely busy. The workload exploded. Upon my return from Belgium, I had to start preparing my business trip to Mexico. I had to go with two of my colleagues to deliver a seminar. We were lucky as we left on Saturday and only conducted the seminar on Tuesday, so we had two days to relax. Since I already saw the city in May with Guevarra (remember), I was the guide for Christine and Stephanie. The first day we stayed in Mexico City and the next one we visited Teotihuacan. This last site dumbstruck me the same way it did the first time. Always worth to visit. All the hard work paid off (mentally at least) by receiving an excellent review by my most important client. Now we are waiting for the financial aspect of this review...and my guess I will have to wait a long time. Anywho...
The Twilight mania is over...for me at least. I saw the movie after months of waiting. The movie was not that bad but the book is ten times better. I heard the books made their way over the ocean and are apparently flooding the stores in good old Belgium. Good luck!
Thanksgiving is over as well. Too much food for me but it was worth it. Too bad I had to work the next day.
Now I am off till December 8th. I still had 5 days left and since I cannot take any days for X-mass and New Year's, I took them now. My mother, previously named Conchita in other posts, decided to pay me a visit. Last Wednesday, while getting out of bed with her left foot first, she picked up the phone and called the travel agencies to book a ticket to the Big Apple. I bet she just wants to do her X-mass shopping here. We will see...
For people on the northern hemisphere, dress warmly. For my friends on the southern hemisphere, enjoy summer!!! I envy you.
Quite some time passed by since my last post. I know, but I have a good excuse, I was extremely busy.
September I had quite a memorable birthday celebration this year. Actually I should say that I had several celebrations and lots of great gifts. Firstly, Ellen came over and like last year (I know...another year passed) we went to the US Open. In addition to this, we had in her "60-hour trip on American soil" a massage, great food in several restaurants and strippers. Decadent, right? Pfff, so what... we only live once!
I had several days to recover before Genevieve (you might remember her from previous posts as Guevarra or Gene or fashion police) stepped out of the plane for her two-week shopping/party extravaganza in the Big Apple. We immediately started the minute she arrived on Friday September 5 and by Tuesday we were exhausted...shopping, drinking, eating and laughing can be tiring...especially if you take our age into account. I know, I know...I am only 28. We spent a couple of days eating light food and drinking lots of liquid to give her body time to cleanse. We also stayed home in the evening to allow our bank accounts to cool down. Second weekend arrives...dinner plans and another birthday party for yet another Virgo amongst my circle friends. We celebrated my colleague Stephanie Birthday in a club in Manhattan,...posh, good music and even celebrities.
October After all those parties and visits, I had exactly 5 days to recover (while working) and to pack my bags for my trip to Belgium to follow a two-week intensive training program on financial markets and Euroclear (the bank I work for). I had decided to fly over to Belgium one week prior to the training because I wanted to see my friends and family. I also took my parents to London for a day as a Christmas present. I also managed to squeeze in a business trip to London and Edinburgh to visit my most important client. During the training, I had to stay in a hotel and during the weekends (when I was free), I was going from one friend's place to another. I had fun but three weeks was long. I am glad to be back in New York where Central Park is in full fall glory. Beautiful red/yellow colored leaves which are twirling around with the wind, greet me every evening when I go for a walk.
As you can tell, I have not stopped moving, partying, travelling,...for two months and I can feel it. Time to unwind now...not for long as I am going to Mexico in three weeks for work. I know, I know...Rudi is travelling again...but it is the last trip of this year. Not to worry, I have already three trips on the Agenda for early 2009.
I would like to share the below song with you. It belongs to one of the greatest song writers of our time, Sarah Mclachlan. It perfectly describes the last 6 weeks of my life.
You walk on by Clueless and so high Following your aimless Path away from us You're so far away And what can I say Cause I can't be the one You wanted me to be
So tell me How do you feel It's so confusing If you let it all go It'll fall apart Do you want me to stay And say I still want you U want me 2, don't you?
So what are we saying Our eden's a failure A made-up story To fit The picture-perfect world The one with I do's And I love you And we are made For each other Is forever over now?
And tell me How do you feel It's so confusing If you let it all go It'll fall apart Do you want me to stay And say I still want you U want me 2, don't you?
I hope there's forgiveness In the distance between us Can we make what lies Ahead of us A better place to be?
August is nearly over...one month after the solar eclipse...time to deal with the changes.
I don't know if you can feel it, but change is in the air. I sense some things will happen that will alter my course. I might be wrong but I doubt it. I am not going to say more now. I will tell you all when the moment arrives.
You know I always associate songs to places, experiences, events,... Well, the song which describes the state of mind of one of my best friends at the moment is Tori Amos' Bouncing off clouds. Here are some of the lyrics.
Bouncing off of clouds we were Is there a love Lost and Found
Make it easy, make this easy It’s not as heavy as it seems
We could be Bouncing off the top of this Cloud Bouncing off the top of this Cloud
Failure to respond, but I did, but did you listen?
Bouncing off the top of this Cloud About what you said, has it come to this? Bouncing off the top of this Cloud
Well you can stare all day at the sky But that won’t bring him back That won’t bring him back You say you’re waiting on Fate but I think Fate is now, I think Fate is now waiting on us
I would like to congratulate a friend of mine which I have known for 25 years. Yes Bjorn, I am talking about you. I wish I could attend your wedding on 08.08.08. All the best!!!
For the rest of you I have three words. Keep enjoying life!
Another destination on my list...Vancouver. Left New York on July 2nd with the marvelous airline Cathay Pacific. Heads off to Hong Kong, their national carrier is one of the best. Christine (colleague) and I were greeted by grey and rainy weather upon our arrival in Canada, but that did not stop us. In two days we walked well over 15 miles to visit the city and its immediate surroundings. If you look at the buildings, they are not pretty. There are too many windows but it is understandable since it can rain 20 days per month. Once the sun shines though, you are truly blinded by its beauty. All the windows reflect the light. Also the situation is ideal, mountains on the left and the ocean on the right. We booked an airplane to take us for a scenic flight over the mountains and glaciers. Unfortunately the weather gods were not favorable of our plan and decided to ground us. I am sure there will be a next time. We did go whale watching though. I haven't felt so cold since years. With the summer in my head I embarked in shorts, t-shirt and jacket. Well, once in open sea, I was freezing my ass off!! We got to see killer whales though....no Willy...since he was freed, he decided to go explore the world, his sister told me. ;-) During our little cruise we stopped in Victoria, a charming little town on Vancouver Island. Pictures can be found on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/Vancouver
Here in New York and in the rest of the States, Stephenie Meyer is quickly becoming an icon. Biggest hit since J.K. Rowling. At my office, 4 people are excited about it and more will follow. Her first book, Twilight, will hit the big screen in December.
Change is in the air, I can feel it already for a couple of days. There are some things that are going to happen soon. I don't know what, so don't ask.
How are you all? Well, I hope. Give me some news when you got a chance.
Summer is in town and New York survived its first heat wave of the year. Temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius for 4 days. Did I suffer from this?? Fortunately not. I was in Argentina for work. It seems like an eternity since I was in Mexico. Been so busy preparing for Argentina but it was worth it. I left on June 6 and had a small weekend to do some sight-seeing in Buenos Aires. I have to say that I was not that impressed with this city. I could still feel some leftovers of the economic crisis of 2002. Nevertheless, I feel you have to visit Buenos Aires when you are in Argentina. Night life is pretty good. We conducted a seminar on Monday June 9 and visited 8 clients the next two days. It was great to shake hands with the clients we talk with on a daily basis. I was not alone in Latin America. My charming colleague Stephanie was with me. We took the advantage while being in this country to extend our trip to pay the Iguazu Falls a visit. These waterfalls start in Brazil and end up in Argentina. We were on Brazilian soil for three hours to admire this side of the falls. Pretty awesome. Pictures can be found on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/Argentina
Back in New York now for the summer. Don't start thinking I have no future travels ahead now, you know me better than that. I never stop as long as my bank account holds up. In 10 days I will be in Vancouver, Canada for a couple of days. I want to see why this city is the third best in the world to live in.
That is it for now. Hugs to you all and enjoy the summer!!! (Winter for those on the southern hemisphere).
My last posting I talked about Chicago. Well, I will always remember that trip and the little friends I carried with me to New York. My legs started itching a week or so after my return. When my mother came one week later, I was waking up at night because the itching was killing me. After seeing a doctor, I realized I had picked up scabies (like fleas) in the Mariott in Chicago. Don't worry, we parted on good terms and agreed never to cross path again. As I mentioned, my mother came over for a week. It was good seeing her again and nice to have somebody doing my spring cleaning. My father and I affectionately named her Conchita after the many Mexican cleaning ladies here in New York.
At the end of April, my good friend and fixed travel partner, Genevieve aka fashion police aka Guevarra aka Gene picked me up in Newark Airport to go to Mexico. Our 2.5 weeks there can be described as an epic story but is too long to do via a blog. I will try to keep it as short and entertaining as possible.
We flew to Mexico City where we stayed for two nights. We experienced a little earth quake while there. Genevieve was sipping her mojito...I started feeling dizzy thinking that they put something in my drink...Genevieve was still enjoying her mojito...people started evacuating the bar...I was still dizzy and Genevieve still sipping...But then the quake abated and Genevieve saw the light... The bar was empty and wondered what happened! Sorry to make fun of you, Gene, it was too funny!! We rented a car in Mexico City and after having received directions, we got lost. When stopping to ask for new directions, the car broke down. We got a new and bigger one which we called the Batmobile. We lost 4 hours with this incident but were finally on our way for a 3000km adventure full of laughter, some stress, funny incidents and beautiful archaeological sites. Renting a car to do what we did, is not advisable but we survived. Road signs??? Where??? Traffic lights??? Mostly bumps on the road or topes like Mexicans call them. Speed limits??? Highway to no way at all... Cows on the road... Police asking if we had a driver's license... Just have a look at the pictures and you will understand. http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/Mexico
We ended up in Tulum for a well deserved couple of days on the beach. It was just perfect and also the perfect place to get sunburned. (that is an essential part of holidays).
Upon my return in New York I was greeted with a warm welcome at customs. They asked why I was in New York to which I replied that it is my home now. They kindly reminded me that NY is not my home but a temporary place in which I have been granted to stay thanks to my visa. Heartbreaking...isn't it. Anyway, returning to work wasn't easy as I suffered from holidays blues but that is life.
That's all for now, folks. Next trip...Argentina...will explain some other time.
I hope you are all doing well wherever you are. Take care,
I hope you are well wherever you are. Two weeks ago, we had the annual pillow fight on Union Square in New York. It was the third edition and I heard the same event took place in London as well. I did not participate but went as an observer. I was covered in feathers anyway and decided that next year I will join the fight to have my revenge for the hour I spent cleaning my coat. Pictures can be found on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/PillowFight
Last weekend I went to Chicago. Cool city. It is nothing compared to New York but nice nevertheless. It must be great during the summer months. We did all the tourist attractions and in the evening we attended a Flamenco show in a restaurant. I felt my blood heating up during the performance which was not that bad, actually. Pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/Chicago
Nothing else earth-shaking going on. Spring is slowly setting in. Yesterday we had a sunny day with 15 degrees Celsius. Shorts and flipflops did their appearance in Central Park and the great lawn was covered with people playing ball or sunbathing. Three more weeks and I will be in Mexico on vacation. Till then I will have the pleasure of welcoming my mother in New York. Take care all of you.
Rudi ps: If you wanna see a great movie, I suggest Stop-Loss
Spring is coming!!! We changed to summer time last week. As a result, the sun sets later. We don't go out of work when it is dark anymore. Plus temperatures seem to be rising.
I had some visitors over for the last two weeks. 2 friends which I had not seen in years. It was great to reconnect. Needless to say that we had a blast together. But all good things come to an end and now it is time to recover...
Last week Madison Square Garden had the pleasure of hosting a match between two tennis legends, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Being a tennis fan, I could not miss that event. The first set was great but then you could feel that Federer was holding up to allow Sampras to win the second set. At that point, I decided that it was enough and left. Pictures of my friends and the tennis event can be found on the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/JCSVisit
Congratulations to my friends Bjorn and Sara. They became the proud parents of a baby girl named Kaat. Good luck to both of you.
I hope you are well. For those who did not get my New Year's wishes, here you are. Happy New Year. Better late than never, right?
Long time no posting on my blog. I know but I am not sorry. I have been busy. Between work, visits and travels, there is not much time to write something decent on this blog of mine.
Like every good Belgian, let's start complaining about the weather. I am telling you, it is crazy. We went in one week from -21 degrees to +17 degrees Celsius. Needless to say that the flu has been raging in the Big Apple. Enough about that.
Last weekend Christine (colleague) and I rented a car and went on a road trip to Pensylvania. We did not plan to get a GPS since we are expert map readers. LOL But my intuition gave me a little nudge and we got one from the brand Magelan. Since all GPS give directions via a female voice, we affectionately called ours Magelane. We were glad to have her with us (although we screamed a lot at her) because otherwise we would have ended up in Canada....hmmm...maybe it would have been more interesting.
Anyway, with the excellent directions of Magelane, we drove down to Gettysburg.
Prior to 1861, the United States of America "were" known as separate states that created most of their own rules and regulations. An ongoing debate argued whether to have each state or a singular central government decide issues such as taxation, commerce of products and, in particular, the issue of slavery. The northern states opposed slavery while the southern states, whose economy depended on it, supported the institution. In 1861 and 1862, Confederate armies achieved many victories over their Northern counterparts. By the summer of 1863, the brilliant General Robert E. Lee was in command of the Army of Northern Virginia. He decided upon an invasion of the north, which would pull both armies from war torn northern Virginia, where most of the fighting had previously been. By invading the north and particularly, winning a victory in the north, it might cause disenchanted northerners to pressure the Lincoln administration to seek a settlement toward peace, thus ending the war. This decision eventually brought the war to the doorsteps of a small, rural south central Pennsylvania town called Gettysburg. This area is best known for July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863 - the Battle of Gettysburg. Though the conflict ended well over a century ago, each year nearly 2 million people make the pilgrimage to this venerable site, the largest battlefield shrine in America with over 1,000 monuments and cannon and over 40 miles of scenic avenues. They come to see for themselves the spot where thousands fought and died for their "cause". It all sounds very impressive but to be honest, there is not much to see.
The second day of our 3-day trip brought us to the Amish. Being winter the fields are not attended. Furthermore, it was cold, humid and gray, so sensible people stay at home. As a result, we did not get to see that many Amish. 3 Amish kids waved at us from their cart. What would you do if two tourists are staring at you?
The last stop of our road trip was Philadelphia. We entered the city via the Ghetto. Between you and me, not a real tourist site of the city. We found our way to the historic part of Philly located in what is called "America's most historic square mile". We saw the Independence Hall (where a very important piece of paper was signed... I am sure you know what I am talking about), the Liberty Bell (ding dong) and the National Constitution center explaining the US Constitution.
It was a fun little trip. It felt so good to be out of New York but also so good to be back afterwards.
Pictures are on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/Pennsylvania
Take care and stay tuned for my next adventures... Chicago...
I hope you all had a good X-mass and partied like it was 1999 on New Year's eve.
My holiday is over. I had Ellen and Emilio over the week before Christmas. It was good to see them again and as usual we had a blast together. Good laughs and talks!!! Miss them already.
Then my parents flew in on 23 December to spend X-mass with me. They enjoyed New York very much and as every good European, they took advantage of the low value of the dollar to shop like crazy.
There was no New Year's celebration for me though. A fever kept me in front of my tv, but that did not bother me. I am tired but very satisfied from my 10 days vacation. Although I stayed in New York, I had a good time. The only thing I regret is not having rested more.
I have no regrets about 2007. It was a very good year for me.
Time flies. I know I probably already said it but just think about it. It is almost New Year and 2008 is standing on our doorstep. It seems like only yesterday I left New Zealand.
After my short stop in Belgium for Thanksgiving, I am back in the Big Apple. Christmas decorations are being put up and people have started their X-mass shopping. This morning I woke up to a white and snowy landscape. I decided to take my camera and immediately check out Central Park. Check out the pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/WinterWonderland
"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, There is rapture on the lonely shore, There is society where none intrudes, By the deep sea and the music in its roar; I love not man the less, but nature more." Poem by Lord Byron
Just saw the movie "Into the wild". http://www.intothewild.com/ Check it out.
Life is never a perfect picture. I have been complaining a lot lately, to my friends and to myself, about New York and work. Don't get me wrong, I still love the city and do not regret my decision of coming here. New York drains you of your energy. The city is always alive, always moving, always loud. People always seem to be in a hurry. Sirens everywhere, but that is the way the city is. After three months and a half here, I need to get out of the city. And I don't think I am the only one like this. I looked for a place to go during Thanksgiving weekend, but of course, everything is booked or too expensive as most Americans will be travelling to their families. So I decided the go to Belgium for three days. It will be nice to see my parents again and there is a also a very important friend that needs me. I will go back to NY exhausted but at least I will be relaxed.
Work has been extremely busy lately. I thought it would quiet down after my last trip to Boston but I was mistaken. Don't worry I am not falling back into my old habits of working over 50 hours per week. I do my hours but rarely leave my desk. My colleagues and I went out this week and we had a blast. That definitely improves the team spirit. We help each other out as much as we can and have good laughs at work. But Euroclear will be Euroclear. Some of you know what I mean.
Living alone has been wonderful. I cannot express how good it is not having to share an apartment anymore. I do what I want, when I want. Again, I am not saying I did not enjoy my time with my roommate in Belgium, but I am over that.
My last business trip to Boston was a blast. Hard to believe, I know. I enjoy working with one of my clients a lot. We had diner and drinks together. They are good people.
Central Park still remains my favourite spot of New York. The leaves finally bear those beautiful fall colours as temperatures dropped. Gusts of freezing winds reminds every three days how cold winters can get here. I hope it snows. A white Christmas has been very rare in my past.
Well, I hope you are all OK.
Latest pictures can be viewed on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/AnotherDayAnotherDollar They will show how much fun my colleagues and I had this week.
The last two weeks have been hectic. Work has been keeping me very busy. Am flying to Boston for three days on October 17 and this demands a lot of preparation. The good news is that I won't be tied up in meetings all day and will have time to do some sightseeing (at least if the planning does not change).
I had some visitors over this week. And I am grateful for their visit, otherwise I would have spent my evenings at work. They invited me to an evening of Soul and Jazz in Harlem. I am glad I joined but never again. It was a first class tourist trap but we ended having a good time by making fun of the other tourists.
On Saturday we went shopping and shopping is what we did from 11am till 6.30pm. Needless to say we were dead at the end of day, but very satisfied with our spendings.
Weather has been weird. Last week 30 degrees and humid, this week cooler and rainy. Fall is slowly coming, trees are starting to shed their leafs, so Central Park looks beautiful as always.
My latest pictures are on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/SoulAndJazzNight http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/CentralPark
I am finally settled into my apartment. On Tuesday, I got a call saying my furniture finally passed customs and was ready for delivery. I decided to take Thursday and Friday off to clean up the place and arrange all my stuff. Well two days later and I must say that it looks good. It also feels good to finally have a place to call home.
Yesterday we had a rainy day. I went for a walk in the evening in Central Park. It was magical. Due to the high humidity, it was kinda misty and it brought a mystical atmosphere to the park. Quite nice.
Hope you are all doing great.
If you liked James Blunt's first album, you are going to love his latest one.
Is a poor man rich in solitude, or will Mother Earth complain? Did the beggar pray for a sunny day, but Lady Luck for rain? They say a million people bow and scrape to an effigy of gold. I saw life begin and the ship we’re in and history unfold.
Strong words don't you think.
Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and have a great week.
Another two weeks since my last posting. Time flies, don't you think.
The last 10 days were marked by another visit of my little sister. I took her to Washington DC for my birthday last weekend. It was a nice change from hectic and crowded New York. The capital has a lot of wide lanes and buildings. There are no skyscrapers at all. It is a very formal city that offers a lot of historic buildings. You can actually feel the power of the most powerful man of world hanging over the area. We saw all the important buildings as well as the declaration of independence, the magna carta. But thanks to a tip of a really good friend of mine, we visited the sixth biggest cathedral in the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is located in D.C. and trust me, it is worth a visit. On my birthday, we had dinner in a Belgian restaurant where I indulged myself on Kriek and Leffe accompanied by tomat-krevet and stoofvlees. A meal fit for a king. It was on a terrace surrounded by lovely people, beer, dogs and the perfect weather that makes you want to stay right where you are. Unfortunately, the bank account does not allow you to as Belgian beers are 4-5 times more expensive then back at home. Pictures can be found on http://picasaweb.google.com/Rudiinthecity/WashingtonDC
Back in New York, I am still staying at the hotel. My furniture is in America, but still passing through customs. They are certainly taking their time and my patience is being tested to its limit. I will keep you posted of course.
Well, I have not moved into my apartment yet but at least I have the keys. My furniture has arrived, but it should now be going through customs. Hope they leave my stash alone...LOL Weather has been treating us well lately, we cannot complain. Nice and sunny with temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees.
My good friend Ellen dropped in from Belgium last weekend to celebrate our birthday together. Hers was last week, mine next Saturday. It was magical and the best birthday ever. She arrived at 1pm, we went immediately to Ikea to look for some stuff I needed. Then I showed her my apartment, which she approved. Apparently, she thinks my future place is awesome. At 7.30pm, I got the call from the doorman telling me my taxi was waiting for me. Ellen had rented a limo to take us for a ride through New York for 1.5 hours. It was amazing. We drank a bottle of champagne while gazing at the beautiful scenery. We were completely mesmerized. Afterwards we had dinner at a restaurant located in a cathedral. After a bottle of wine and a nice dinner, we had a good laugh and decided to call it a night. (we were exhausted actually).
On Sunday, it was my turn to give Ellen a present. So we went to the US Open to watch the tennis matches in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. We saw John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal, the Williams gorillas...euh...I mean sisters, Andy Roddick and even Justine Henin. This last one being our countrywoman, totally blew us off by not signing the Belgian flag we were waving at her. Needless to say that we were pissed off after that. Justine is never getting any cheers from me again. That B**ch... Later that day we indulged ourselves of food and wine at an amazing restaurant. No wild parties, sorry, as we were both exhausted from all the excitement at the Open.
Ellen left yesterday, leaving me behind alone... But I don't despair as she will be back soon. Besides I have another guest arriving tomorrow and next weekend Washington DC will have the pleasure of welcoming me.
First of all, I am doing great. Work is treating me well, I can’t complain. I held a seminar already and am visiting a client next week. So I am kept busy but not too busy. Colleagues are fun as well. I have been named Social Event Director of the office since I am organizing drinks and other events for the office. Furthermore, I got everybody to bet money every week on the lottery. So far, we haven’t won but we don’t despair.
I am still staying at a hotel. My application for the apartment is still to be approved by the Board of Directors owning the building. They are taking their time since a lot of them are on holidays. My furniture has not arrived yet anyway, but still I am getting tired of sleeping amongst all these loud tourists and want to move into my place. Patience is a virtue…
The first week was marked by many events. First of all, a black drag queen/ astrologer who reads hand palms to predict your future. This was followed by heavy storms flooding the subway and making lower Manhattan inaccessible via subway. Millions of people walking downtown. A couple thought I was a vendor in a store and started to ask me all these questions. Apparently I look very latino and am therefore categorized as working in a store. And lastly, a very good-looking girl who started crying next to me in the Mc Donalds for having eaten a hamburger. This is not a joke!
My weekends have been filled with tourist attractions, movies and meeting friends. I have caught up with all the movies I wanted to see. Transformers blew me away. The special effects were absolutely fantastic. I went to Liberty Island and Ellis Island and walking my way through Manhattan. Every weekend another area.
That is it for now. Watch out for Hurricane Dean. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are on the verge of breaking up. Britney Spears dominates every magazine with her custody battle. Victoria Beckham's credit card has $5 million spending limit. My apologies for this, but I try to watch quality tv.
Every time I fly, I leave a piece of myself behind. If you think about it, I haven’t stayed in one place for more than 2 years during the last 5 years. It is all very tiring, but it is worth it when you are looking for your place on this planet like me.
I arrived in New York last Friday. I am staying in a hotel now until my furniture arrives. I will be living in the Upper West Side near Central Park. I love the area. I showed it to a friend of mine and she liked it as well. Yesterday, I walked around the city, to explore my new home. The city is crazy, so alive and I like it. The only thing I will have to get used to, are the tourists. They are everywhere. You see that I don’t consider myself to be a tourist here anymore. I am a local now.
I already have a lot of plans for the weekends to come. The first two weekends of September I will be having visitors. The weekends before, I will be busy buying the necessary stuff for my appartment. And during the weekdays, I will be working of course. I have been working for two months only and I could use some holidays. The last month has been so exhausting. Having to prepare everything for my move. The coming weeks will be the same, but at least the end is in sight.
A big congratulations to Bjorn and Sara who are expecting their first child. I am so happy for you guys. The same goes for Kim and Inneke. Too bad I am not going to be there to watch your bellies expand.
A big hello to all family living in Australia. Sorry I could not make it in Spain. I hunger for news of you all.
Take care all of you and I will keep you posted on my life in the Big Apple.
I have been back in Belgium now for almost three months. After three weeks I paid a visit to my employer to see what was in store for me. A proposal was made which I could not refuse, namely a 3-year contract to work in our New York Office. Belgium does not want me and I don’t want her anymore either. I did what I had to do here and extended my stay for far too long. This week I finally signed my contract confirming my departure for the United States of America in August. This date can still change (unfortunately) as my work permit is far from ready plus I have no place yet. Now I am drifting in a kind of temporary zone. I cannot prepare much material things because no dates are confirmed, but mentally I am ready. Once my permit is issued, I can fly to New York to look for an apartment, fly back to Belgium, pack up my stuff, ship it overseas and move into my new permanent place for the coming years.
I started working again on June 1 and so far everything has been going well. Keeping firmly in mind what I have been through, I do my job in a efficient way without allowing anyone nor myself to put too much pressure on me. I have been screwed enough during my career and when I look at my salary, I still am. But something I realized during the last year, is that we live to live, not to work or to worry about materialistic things. A lot of friends, colleagues, relatives tell me that I don’t stand still, I am always on the move, never staying for a long time in a certain place. Well, let me sing to the following to you all:
My friends from Belgium Are dating their long-time friends Moving into houses in the same ZIP codes Where their parents live
But I, I could never follow No I, I could never follow
I hit the airway in a big plane with stars on the ceiling Lived like a gypsy Six strong hands on my memories
I've been a long time gone now Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down But I've always found my way somehow
By taking the long way Taking the long way around
I met the queen of whatever Drank with the Irish and smoked with the Italian Moved with the Maori’s Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to
No I, I could never follow No I, I could never follow
It's been 18 months now Since the top of the world came crashing down And I'm getting' it back on the road now
But I'm taking the long way Taking the long way around
Well, I talked with a stranger and I met myself I opened my mouth and I heard myself It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself Guess I could have made it easier on myself
But I, I could never follow No I, I could never follow
Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down If you ever want to find me I can still be found
Taking the long way Taking the long way around
It did not write this, but the Dixie Chicks did (a big thanks to my good ex-teacher Rachel Fitzgerald for introducing these talented ladies). I just altered the lyrics a bit to suit my gender and my life. The song, which I will never sing as my voice is not suited to be heard through a microphone, describes my way of living very well. A few weeks back, my mother asked me to count the number of countries which I have been to. Well, I have set foot in nearly 30 countries. Not I visited the whole country when I was there, but still, it is an impressive figure. My mother asked me if I will ever stop. She knows my financial situation and agrees that I am far from being wealthy. I am not saving money to buy a house or a car, but pill up some cash, look at my list of countries still to visit and am off (if the budget permits it). I honestly don’t know when it will stop, although sometimes I wish I did. I still haven’t found the place for me and probably won’t stop till I do. Live in the present, think about the near future, but don’t worry about the coming years. Anyway, I think I bored you readers enough for this time. I am doing fine and hope you are all doing the same.
13 days spent in Egypt flew by in a blink of an eye, but it was worth it. I did not go alone, but was accompanied by a lovely friend of mine with whom I had a lot of fun. This was a cultural trip to visit all the important historical sites from Alexandria to Abu Simbel. Some general information about Egypt. It covers over 1 million square meters of which 6% is cultivated and the rest is desert. Over 70 million inhabitants from which 18 million live in Cairo. The first revenue of the country is the Suez Canal, followed by export of oil, textiles, natural gas and then tourism. Let's give you all a little recap of our trip. The pictures will follow later.
We arrived on Sunday evening 29 April and embarked on a cruise ship at Luxor. During the whole trip, we slept little, woke up early and ate like pigs. The first day (30 April) we visited the following historical sites: _ The Collosi of Memnon _ The Valley of the Queens where we visited the tomb of Amunhirkhepshef, the 11y old son of Ramses III _ Temple of Hatshepsut _ Valley of the Kings, where we explored the Tombs of Ramses III and IV and Tuthmosis III _ Temple of Karnak _ Temple of Luxor It was an extremely busy day where we received tons of information from our guide. Thank god, we were well fed on the ship. All meals were in buffet style, so we strecthed our stomachs to the limit.
Tuesday 1 May We sailed during the night to Esna where we visited the Temple of Khnum and the local souks. There we were harassed by a group of Egyptians who were selling their goods at negotiable prices. Afterwards we sailed further south on the Nile to Edfu, where we arrived around 3pm in time to visit the Temple of Horus. Here again (just like at other sites) we were overrun by the local vendors. After the visit, we continued sailing in a southerly direction to Kom Ombo.
Wednesday 2 May Early in the morning, we explored the temple of Haroeris and Sobek at Kom Ombo, where we learned what kind of medical skills the Egyptians had back then. I cannot recommend any of them... The rest of the day we were free while cruising south to Aswan. We could then work on our tan.
Thursday 3 May The last stop of our Nile cruise was Aswan. Here we visited an unfinished obelisk, the Aswan dam, the Temple of Philae dedicated to the Goddess Isis and a Papyrus factory. A very busy day again in temperatures that were extremely high for this period of the year. That part of Egypt was suffering a heat wave where temperatures in the shade came near 48 degrees and in the sun around 55 degrees. Needless to say that they were sweating and drinking many bottles of water.
Friday 4 May We ended our cruise on the Nile and embarked on a plane to Abu Simbel, almost. We were delayed for 4 hours in the airport of Aswan due to a problem with our tickets with Egyptair. After a turbulent flight of 30 minutes, we safely arrived at Abu Simbel where we went onto another ship to cruise on Lake Nasser. Before lifting the ancer, we visited the beautiful temple of Abu Simbel. This site is composed by two constructions, one dedicated to Ramses II and another to his favourite wife Nefertari. That evening we went back to the site to watch the sound and light show, which was amazing. Our guide for the cruise on Lake Nasser was an incompetent fool with a poor level of French. At least, we could make fun of him.
Saturday 5 May We gently navigated in a northernly direction on the Lake and passed by the Temple of Qasr Ibrim. In the afternoon, we stopped at an oasis and visited the Temple of Amada, the Temple of Derr and the Tomb of Pennut. Although they were some palmtrees around, they did not grant us any shade. Being surrounded by sand and a cloudless sky above our heads, made us drink countless gallons of water. Of course, we were not complaining as our tan improved considerably.
Sunday 6 May We woke at 5.45am which was hard and but it was to expand our cultural knowledge. We were once again dropped ashore to visit the Temple of Wadi El-Seboua, the Temple of Dakka and the Temple of Maharraqa. These constructions are located in a beautiful area as you will see from the pictures. The rest of day we relaxed and slept a little siesta in the afternoon to recover from the early morning and also to gain some strength for the last part of trip, Cairo.
Monday 7 May In the morning we were back at Aswan and ended our cruise on Lake Nasser. But before disembarking we visited the following historical ruins, the Temple of Kalabsha, the Temple of Mandulis and the Kiosks of Qertassi and Beit al-Wali. We waited then for 3 hours before being transferred to the airport for the last internal flight to Cairo. We arrived in one piece and were taken to our hotel right next to the pyramids at Giza.
Tuesday 8 May The moment I had been waiting for had arrived. I was finally going to have a closer look at the pyramids. The first one we visited was the eldest, the one called Saqqara - 32km south of Giza. It was built around 2800 BC and was the Tomb of King Zoser. Afterwards we stopped at the Tomb of Titi nearby and the Mastaba of an High Priest. We were taken afterwards to the old capital of Egypt, namely Memphis. This was very disappointing after all we had seen that morning. But after lunch, we got the dessert, the famous Pyramids of Giza, with Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus as biggest ones. These constructions were built around 2600 BC and are part of 9 pyramids built for the royal family back in those days. You have to know that the first one of Cheops is 146 metres high and the top was covered in gold. In front of those pyramids, we found the guardian of the site, namely the Sphinx. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by this statue, I always thought it to be more imposing. Anyway, this day was glorious and will be remembered. But the day did not end after Giza. That night we took a little trip through Cairo and visited the different areas. Very colourful.
Wednesday 9 May We started the day being exhausted and visited the Citadel of Salah al-Din with the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer, but the King of Egpyt back in the 19th Century) and the Mosque of Sultan Hassan built in the 14th Century. That afternoon we stopped at the British Museum where we could finally contemplate some of the 150,000 art pieces displayed. The collection found in the Tomb of Tutankhamun was breathtaking.
Thursday 10 May Our last day and since we are adventurers, we decided not to let this day go by without visiting Alexandria, 220km north of Cairo. A 3.5 hours ride through a traffic unbound by any rules, took us safely to this city at the Mediterranean Sea. Here we visited the National Museum, the Pillar of Pompey, the submerged Royal Quarters, the Amphiteather, Fort Qaitbey and the Bibleotheca Alexandrina. This last one was quite impressive and left me in awe. If you don't have time to spare, I do not suggest to visit this city. I am glad I have seen it, but it is not worth the 7hour return trip from Cairo.
Our holiday ended the next day. I am quite pleased of this trip. I saw everything I wanted to see, ate some good food, got a nice tan and gained some new unforgetable memories. As mentioned above, the pictures will soon follow.
I have been back in Belgium for two months. Time flies when you are not working, believe me. The getting-used to Belgium took me nearly a month and since then the weather has been superb. We are living 10 degrees above the average temperature normally expected this time of the year. Global warming is a fact and cannot be denied anymore. I am not complaining about this good weather, but rain is necessary for nature. Anyway, enough serious matters. What have I been doing since my return? Well, walking my dog, Luna, hanging out with friends, painting in my parent's house, a little trip to Paris, another trip to an amusement park here in Belgium, a ball organized by my old college... Basically, enjoying my free time as much as I can, because I still have to work till I am 65 and I need money. I should probably start working again in June. Future prospects are looking good, but I cannot elaborate on this now as it is not yet confirmed. But don't worry, I will keep you posted. The travelbug inside me is not completely silenced, so I decided to go to Egypt with a friend. As a result, I am leaving next Sunday for two weeks to explore the land of Pharaos and the Nile. Can't wait. You can expect a full report and tons of pictures upon my return.
I hope you are well and please give me some news when you can. Take care.
Mijn avontuur aan de andere kant van de wereld is gedaan. Ik ben namelijk terug in Belgie sinds een paar dagen. Nieuw-Zeeland heeft al mijn verwachtingen overtroffen. Ik heb alles kunnen doen wat ik had gepland en veel meer. Ik heb mensen leren kennen en vriendschappen ontwikkeld die ik heel mijn leven zal koesteren. Het was tijd voor mij dit prachtig land te verlaten en een nieuw etappe in mijn leven te beginnen. Waar? Wel, dat zal de toekomst onthullen. Maar ik ben gegroeid als persoon en vele ervaringen rijker.
Dear all,
My adventures in New Zealand have come to an end. I have been back in Belgium for a couple of days now. New Zealand has surpassed all my expectations. I did all I wanted to do and far more. I got to meet a lot of people and develop friendships which I will cherish for the rest of my life. It was time for me to leave the country and to start a new chapter in my life. Where? Well, the future will tell… But I can say that I grew a lot over the last couple of months.
Na twee weken in Wellington heb ik besloten mijn familie in Brisbane, Australie op te zoeken. Op woensdag 14 februari ben ik op een Air New Zealand vlucht gestapt met eindbestemming Brisbane. Eenmaal ter plaatse ben ik hartelijk verwelkomt door een mijn nicht Servanda. Ik heb deze reis ondernomen met twee doelen in mijn hoofd: mijn familie te leren kennen en voor het eerst in mijn leven voet aan wal zetten in Australie. Wel, beide doelstellingen zijn vervuldigd. Mijn familie in het algemeen is niet een van de gelukkigste. We hebben onze problemen en eigenaardigheden en een goede verstandhouding is bijna fictie. Maar in Brisbane heb ik voor het eerst in lange tijd familiale liefde gevoeld. Ik ben met vreugde en met open armen verwelkomd en dat doet goed na 6 maanden verwijderd te zijn van mijn naaste verwanten. In Australie woont een van de tantes van mijn vader met haar twee dochters en kleinzoon. Samen met hen heb ik Brisbane verkend, ben ik naar Surfer’s Paradise aan de Gold Coast geweest, heb ik een koala vastgehouden en een kangoeroe geaaid, een paar woorden Grieks geleerd en vooral veel gegeten en gelachen. Mijn familie woont in West End, de Griekse buurt van Brisbane. Een aangename en familiale buurt vol leven en Grieken, uiteraard. Daar heb ik ontdekt wat een interessante taal Grieks is en ik denk dat ik deze taal in de toekomst zal leren. Brisbane geniet van een tropisch klimaat wat normaal regen inhoudt gedurende de zomermaanden November tot maart, maar dit jaar lijden ze onder een droogte. Toen ik daar was, schommelden de temperaturen tussen de 25 en 30 graden met een luchtvochtigheid rond de 80%. Niet zo aangenaam dus, maar veel water drinken, lichte kledij en airconditioning helpen dit kleine ongemak te overwinnen. Tot slot kan ik deze 6-daagse uitstap beschrijven als onvergetelijk en kan ik met zekerheid zeggen dat Australie mij in de toekomst nog zal mogen verwelkomen.
After having spent two weeks in Wellington, I decided to go visit my relatives in Brisbane, Australia. As a result, I embarked on the morning flight from Wellington to Brisbane on the 14th February. I received a warm and lovely welcome from my cousin Servanda. I went to Brisbane for two reasons: to get to know my relatives and to set foot for the first time in Australia. Well, these two desires were fulfilled. My family is not one of the sanest. We have our problems and a good relationship and understanding between us is almost fiction. But in Brisbane I felt a bond filled with love and honesty. I received such a warm welcome which I will never forget. My family down under which is composed by my father’s aunt, her two daughters and grandson, took me on an exploring trip through the city, a fun trip to a water park and surfer’s paradise on the Gold Coast, a koala sanctuary, a gambling night in a casino and a lovely lunch in a Greek restaurant. We had serious conversations and lots of laughter. And I got to learn some Greek which is a very interesting language. I think I might learn some more in the future. Brisbane has a tropical climate with lots of rain in the summer months November till March. But this year they suffer a draught and water is getting very scarce. It was still very hot and humid, but drinking a lot, light clothes and air conditioning helped me overcome this minor inconvenience. I can honestly say that this 6-day trip was unforgettable and that Australia will see more of me in the future.
Lang geleden he. Wel, hier ben ik weer met nieuws.
Ik heb Queenstown vorige week verlaten.
Wat is er allemaal gebeurd gedurende de voorbije twee maanden?
De maand december was een maand vol gebeurtenissen, vol leven, emoties en avontuur.
Het nieuwe jaar heeft een kalmere periode met zich meegebracht.
Na een twaalfde maand gekenmerkt door een passionele maar mislukte relatie, nieuwe ontmoetingen, raften, shotover jet (meer informatie www.shotoverjet.co.nz), BBQ op strand, zeilen... heb ik kunnen terugkijken op een 2006 rijk aan extremen - geluk tov depressie, dagelijkse sleur tov nieuwe avonturen, bureaujob tov boerenjob, slechte gezondheid tov goede conditie,... Daarom heb ik de maand januari ingezet met de beslissing dit te vereeuwigen op mijn lichaam door twee tattoeages te laten plaatsen. Een op elke schouder. Ik heb ook de beslissing genomen Queenstown te verlaten. Ik kon niet blijven voor de natuur, hoe adembenemend die ook kan zijn. Ik kan terugkijken op een geslaagd verblijf in dit stadje zonder verkeerslichten, gelegen aan een meer en omgeven door bergen, vol interessante mensen waarvan ik sommigen zal missen. Maar ik kan mezelf niet blijven overtuigen er te blijven. Alles is er tijdelijk, de mensen, de vriendschappen, de relaties, de sfeer en daar kon niet mee leven. Het mooiste uit januari is de foto hierboven. Er is namelijk een komeet over dit deel van de wereld gevlogen en er wordt gezegd dat deze de helderste ooit was.
Sinds vorige week vertoef ik in Wellington - de hoofdstad van Nieuw-Zeeland. Een bruisende, gezellige en aangename stad gelegen in het uiterste zuiden van het noordelijke eiland. De terugkeer van verkeerslichten, toeterende auto's en stadsdrukte was een hele aanpassing. Maar ik ben flexibel en keer mijn rug niet voor nieuwe avonturen.
Dat is alles voor nu.
Groetjes.
Rudi
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Dear all,
Quite some time since my last posting. The last two months I have been residing in Queenstown, said to be the most expensive city of New Zealand. Well, my bank account felt it alright. I have enjoyed my time here, but the voice in my head told me to move on. Queenstown has a temporary vibe hanging over it, which does not suit me. After meeting a lot of people, going out a lot and a failed relationship in December, January is marked by the opposite, which made me realise how temporary everything is in Queenstown. I found a new peace and balance in my life in December which I am still carrying with me today and will hold on to for a long time. I even decorated each of my shoulders with a tattoo representing my life and the warmly welcomed balance.
There are more foreigners than locals in Queenstown. Foreigners who come and work here for a couple of months, party and as a result meet a lot of people like me.
The city is blessed with gorgeous surroundings which make me stare each time I am outside, but I cannot remain here for the nature. I enjoyed the shotover jet and rafting, the gondola and luge, sailing on the lake, having a BBQ on the beach while playing volleyball, watching somebody else bungy jump, lying in the park,... Still, this city or town (as it is really small) is not my place. Time for something else.
That is why I moved to Wellington last week. Coming from a small town without traffic lights and moving to the capital of NZ was quite a change. But I am flexible and don't shy away from new challenges.
Ik wens jullie allen een Zalig Kerstmis en Gelukkig Nieuwjaar. Moge 2007 het voorbije jaar overtreffen en jullie geluk en een goede gezondheid brengen.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May 2007 surpass this last year and bring you joy and a good health.
Je vous souhaite a tous un Merveilleux Noel et une Bonne Annee. Que 2007 vous apporte plein de bonheur et une bonne sante.
Een maand is voorbijgegaan sinds mijn laatste melding op mijn blog. 30 dagen later, 1000 foto's verder en talrijke onvergetelijke ervaringen rijker, ben ik gestopt voor een tijdje in Queenstown op het zuidelijk eiland. Ik kan niet alles verwoorden wat ik gezien en meegemaakt heb, de foto's zullen alles duidelijk maken.
Kim, Genevieve, Yannick en ik zijn van het noordelijk naar het zuidelijk eiland gereisd. Hoe zuidelijker we reden, hoe mooier de natuur werd. Ik kan niet opsommen hoeveel keer ik tranen in mijn ogen had van wat ik zag. De natuur is adembenemend, de landschappen doen je gapen en de mensen zijn zo vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Je ziet de natuur, je voelt ze en je kan ze aanraken. Het is een paradijs voor mensen zoals ik die van de natuur houden en graag wandelen. Als het regent, zie je het regenen. De wolken hangen hier zo laag en ze zijn enorm. Ik ga stoppen want zo kan ik uren verder gaan. We zijn met z'n vieren aan boord van een Toyota Previa of een tank vertrokken uit Auckland. Na een korte halte op de boerderij waar ik vorige maand gewerkt zijn we naar het oosten gereden. Het was prachtig weer en we hebben besloten te stoppen in Whakatane waar we een wandeling gemaakt hebben en warme zoutbaden hebben bezocht. Verder langs Rotorua hebben een Vulkanische Valei, de Huka watervallen en de maankrater bezocht om te stoppen in Waitomo waar ik mijn vrienden wou laten proeven van de rafting in grotten. Spijtig genoeg had het te hard geregend de dag ervoor en waren de waterstromen in de grotten te gevaarlijk om in te raften. Dus hebben we maar de grotten te voet bezocht wat ook de moeite was. Van Waitomo richting Wellington. Onderweg hebben een ongeval gehad. De wegen zijn hier niet zoals in Belgie. Er zijn heel veel bergwegen, bochten, hellingen en om het erger te maken zijn ze overal aan het werken. Op een afdaling richting Wanganui is de wagen beginnen slippen en zijn tegen de rotswand gereden. Niemand was gewond maar de bumper had wel een ferme klap gekregen. Dankzij de hulp van voorbijgangers, hebben we onze reis kunnen verderzetten.We hebben maar 24u in Wellington vertoefd. Spijtig dat het heel slecht weer was, want het leek mij een mooie en aangename stad te zijn. Shoppen was de enige en perfecte bezigheid op dat moment.
De overtocht van het noordelijk naar het zuidelijk eiland was in slecht weer en een woelige zee. Eenmaal aangekomen in Picton, zijn we naar Nelson gereden waar we drie nachten vertoefd hebben.We hebben van deze halte volop gebruik gemaakt om te rusten en ook Abel Tasman National Park te bezichten waar een namiddag gewandeld hebben en een dagje op zee gekayakt hebben. Daar hebben we kennis gemaakt met de eerste zeehonden en dolfijnen van ons avontuur.Hierna zijn we verder gereden langs de westkust naar Hokitika dat onze thuisbasis werd om de Franz Josef en Fox Gletsjer te verkennen. Normaal gezien gingen we het per helikoptervlucht doen, maar het weer dacht er anders over en hield ons aan de grond. Dus zat er maar 1 ding op - te voet in de regen, wat ook ongelofelijke beelden heeft opgebracht.Van Hokitika zijn we langs Arthur's Pass naar het oosten gereden. Alweer talrijke gaapmomenten en stomende fototoestellen. Op de oostkust hebben we twee dagen in Kaikoura vertoefd. Daar hebben we walvissen, dolfijnen, zeehonden en albatrossen mogen aanschouwen.Voor Kim en Yannick zat de vakantie erop. Vanuit Christchurch zijn ze terug richting Belgenland vertrokken.Genevieve en ik bleven achter en hebben een binnenlandse vlucht naar Queenstown genomen. Prachtig dorpje omringd door een meer en besneeuwde bergtoppen. In deze streek hebben we de kers op de taart gekregen, het was de apotheose van de vakantie, Milford Sound genaamd of Milford fjord.Vanuit Queenstown zijn we naar Te Anau gereden waar een bus ons stond op te wachten om ons naar Milford Sound te brengen. Daar hebben we een cruiseschip genomen die door de fjorden tochten maakt. Die avond sneeuwde het en was het misschien 5 graden. Niets weerhield ons ervan een kayak te nemen en langs de kustlijn te roeien waar pinguins gezien hebben.We zijn op de boot blijven slapen om wakker te worden door een prachtige zon en sneeuwbedekte landschappen. Bovendien werden we ook gegroet door een groep dolfijnen die langs het schip aan het spelen waren. De foto's zullen jullie meer duidelijkheid brengen waarover ik zonet geschreven.Na deze onvergetelijke ervaring hebben Genevieve en ik een beetje geflaneerd door de streek rond Queenstown van waaruit zij vertrokken is.Ik blijf hier nu een paar maanden om rustig aan al de activiteiten deel te nemen die deze regio te bieden heeft.
It is time to share with you what happened in November. One month passed since my last posting on my blog. Now, 30 days later, over a 1000 pictures taken, did I come to a stop in Queenstown. New Zealand’s nature is something like I have never seen before. You can see the nature, you can feel it, you can touch. Good or bad weather, does not matter, it still takes your breath away. I could go on for hours, but the pictures will tell you everything. How many tears welled up in my eyes from what I was seeing. Incredible. The more south you go, the more beautiful it gets, with the climax being Milford Sound.
Anyway… My Belgian friends and I rented a Toyota Previa or a tank since it is so big. We drove from Auckland via the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula to Whakatane where we walked around and enjoyed some hot salted water pools. From there we continued via Rotorua to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, the Crater of the Moon, Huka Falls and Waitomo. There we wanted to do the black water rafting in the caves, but nature thought otherwise. It rained and the water streams in the caves were too wild to swim or float in, so we did a guided tour on foot through the site. From Waitomo we drove south towards Wellington. On one of the mountain roads, we lost control of our car and crashed into the mountain wall. Nobody was hurt, only the bumper was damaged. Shaken but in good health we continued towards Wellington. We arrived on a rainy Thursday, walked around the city and did some shopping. The next day we took the ferry to cross over to the South Island where we stationed ourselves in Nelson for a couple of days. We hiked and did some sea kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park where we spotted the first seals and dolphins of our holidays. From Nelson we drove along the west coast to Hokitika passing by the Pancake Rocks. We stayed in Hokitika for two days which gave us the time to visit the Fox and Franz Josef Glacier. Afterwards we took the Arthur’s Pass to drive from the west coast to Kaikoura on the east coast. Another amazing place in wonderful New Zealand. We spotted sperm whales, dolphins, albatross and seals. For two of my friends, the holidays were nearly over. We drove to Christchurch where they took the plane to Auckland to continue to the other side of the world, being Europe. Genevieve and I were left with time left on our hands, so we decided to fly to Queenstown. We stayed there one night and continued to Te Anau where we embarked on one of the most beautiful trips of my life, being Milford Sound. We took a bus in Te Anau and drove to our ship at the beginning of Milford Sound. It was snowing and pretty damn cold when we got there, but it did not stop us to go kayaking. We spotted penguins during this little sea voyage. We stayed overnight on the ship and woke up to a beautiful sun and breath-taking scenery. Here again I refer to the pictures, because it cannot put it into words. After Milford Sound, we relaxed a little bit, visited Wanaka and Arrowtown until Genevieve left as well back to Belgium. I am staying behind now in Queenstown where I will take my time to visit the area and do all the activities this region has to offer. To be continued…
