Hi all,
I will be writing this blog in Dutch while I don't have a lot of time at the moment but I do want to let to know everybody how I'm doing here in Dublin.
Het gaat goed hier. Ik zit in een prima hostel, dat is op zich niet zo erg. Het enige is dat het wel jammer is dat mensen allemaal een beetje op zichzelf zijn en dus niet echt van een praatje. Vooral die Fransen zijn echt erg, maar niks aan te doen. Ik slaap op een 4 persoons kamer met een Franse jongen (ruimte zat dus) die op Affelay lijkt. Wel een aardige jongen, dus dat scheelt. Hij heeft me ook al aan zijn vrienden voorgesteld waarvan er sommige ook hetzelfde gaan studeren als ik. Dat scheelt dus alvast!
Internet is hier gratis, dat is een hele erge meevaller. Ik kan door het hele hostel wireless dus aan internet geen gebrek. Heb wel 1,5 uur in de stad naar een stekkerswitcher gezocht, dat viel nog niet mee. Al die gekke Ieren hebben alleen maar plugs die van Iers naar Europees gaan, en niet andersom. Gelukkig toch nog een campingwinkel gevonden: daar hadden ze m wel. Weer €6,50 weg, maar het is beter dan geen stroom ;-). Over geld gesproken: alles is hier reteduur. Chips betaal je gewoon 2 euro voor, en dan heb je van die knakenchips van het huismerk. Beetje jammer dus. Gelukkig is t avondeten nog wel betaalbaar, hoewel dat niet echt geweldig was. Maar goed, eten is eten en dat is al genoeg ;-).
Het ontbijt was karig maar ja, iig gratis sinaasappelsap. Ze hadden niet eens pindakaas, dat was wel naar. Dan maar toast met boter en suiker gegeten: iig voedzaam.
Ik ben druk aan het mailen voor kamers. Vind het nog wel een beetje eng om zomaar de telefoon te pakken (helemaal daar je niemand zo direct verstaat) dus eerst maar even per mail. De kamer waar ik gister was gaan kijken viel me hard tegen. De buurt was prima (erg vlakbij de uni en de stad) maar de kamer zelf was amper 7m2 en daar moest ik dan €550 voor betalen. Nevernooitniet dus. Ik was echter wel scherp en vroeg dat meisje dus waarom zij (als vertrekkende) een nieuwe bewoner zoekt. Blijkt dus dat de mensen die eruit gaan dat moeten doen, anders krijgen ze hun borg niet meer terug. Over genaaid gesproken. Helemaal omdat die kamer dus overpriced was, en daar vind ik nooit meer een ander is. Dus gauw verder zoeken. Zometeen om 2 uur heb ik alweer een afspraak, dus maar even kijken. Ook heb ik die Griffith Halls maar weer gemaild, daar wil ik ook even langs. Die zijn ook al in prijs gezakt (99 per week ipv 128) dus wellicht dat ik dat toch maar ga doen.
Verder is het centrum van de stad wel mooi, maar waar ik eerst met de bus doorreed een grote zooi. Daar werd je niet echt vrolijk van, en zeker niet als je al met wat twijfels afreist. Maar goed, heb wel wat meer vertrouwen weer gekregen dus het komt hopelijk allemaal goed. Ik hoop vooral dat ik snel wat meer leuke mensen tegenkom, want op deze manier zit ik hier wel redelijk allenig nog. Die Fransen zijn in ieder geval een start, en een meisje uit Seattle waar ik mee praatte ook. Als het zo doorzet dan komt het helemaal goed.
Ik heb gister ook maar gelijk een Iers nummer gehaald. Het nummer is 0858348318 (+353). Ik probeer nog wel te switchen tussen mn Nederlandse en mn Ierse simkaart, maar ws zal mn Ierse er vanaf nu wel vaker inzitten. Ik hoop snel weer wat uit Nederland te horen, en ik zal vanavond kijken of ik mijn skype aan kan zetten (username = petermoedt).
Ik hoop dat jullie allemaal deze blog in de gaten gaan houden en ook een reactie plaatsen. Dat zou leuk zijn: dit is (als het goed is) voor iedereen mogelijk door op "comments" te klikken.
Allemaal tot snel, en boek een ticket om langs te komen. Ik heb al wel hele mooie dingen gezien in de stad die het zeker waard zijn om beter te bekijken en ik hoop jullie snel te zien!
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Long time no blog
[Friday 21 November] Long time no blog. I am a busy man, school is asking much from me as well does my social life. Although I am still injured and so I do not practise sports very often, I do not find enough time for all the things I would wish to find it for. But, and that is the far most important fact: I am having a lot of fun lately.
Take this morning: I got home at 6am from a house party (gangfeest) at campus. It was fun, just until they ran out of beer. But fortunately for the inhabitants of the student house, anarchy was avoided. I spoke with strange people, that was kinda spooky though. There were some good people to talk with too, so not that bad ;-).
Even better was the party me and my friends from Babylon dropped in Malle Babbe (Nijmegen) last Tuesday! It was surprisingly crowded, given the fact that we had the flyers only one day in advance. That was a serious bummer, but the party rocked. It was so much fun working behind the bar and laughing with friends while doing your job, and I certainly want to do stuff like that again. The party itself had a Volendam-theme, which normally means terrible Dutch music. But it was Volendam with a twist, as we wanted to name the party ,,We hate Volendam, you too?!”. But that was not allowed: We were told that we were spreading hatred and so we had to change it into a cynical ,,We love Volendam, you too?!”. But people got the message anyway, so it all turned out well.
[Tuesday 23 December] Let’s write on. I finally found some time to write more, as I still have an hour before I have to catch the train to Schiphol Airport. For the fourth time this week I will work for KLM as a ground steward. Nice work though, helping people from around the world checking in. I even met famous people like Pierre van Hooijdonk (Feyenoord, Galatasaray) and Miralem Sulejmani (Ajax Amsterdam). Especially Sulejmani was fun to meet: We had a chat about his injury and Ajax; he’s a nice guy!
The last couple of weeks I’ve been very busy working on my university stuff, as we have to hand in many assignments. On top of that, my Bachelor Thesis requires much time. Now that I finished the literature and method sections of my study, it’s time for the actual research. So starting from this week I will send out questionnaires in order to obtain 100 respondents. I hope to finish before 31 December so I can hand in my pre-final thesis in the first week of January.
Last Friday I went to a wicked party in Rotterdam: Soulwaxmas. Elektro and Elektrorock music is alive and so was that night in the Maassilo. A gig by Justice, Soulwax, 2ManyDJs, Tiga, Erol Alkan and many more was sold out, and I was there with two friends from Nijmegen. Especially Justice and Erol Alkan were good, although I enjoyed all the other DJs too. Soulwax was playing live, and that was refreshing. That’s definitely something to keep an eye out for!
These last days of 2008 will mean hard work on my thesis and seeing my family again. Although last year was a drag, I certainly have good hope for the next few days because I won’t be bored.
Finally, on the 31st of December, I will go to Rotterdam to celebrate the National NYE party at the Maas. After that, me and three friends will go to Outland Rotterdam were Roger Sanchez and Sebastien Ingrosso will blast in the new year with awesome house music. I’m very looking forward to this night and I’m sure it’ll be great!
So, that all for now. As for Dublin, I got everything in order now, so I’m ready to leave. The university finally approved all the stuff I had to arrange, so Ireland here I come. I will fly on the 19th of January, and my Hello-Goodbye party will be on Thursday 15. Please drop by, I would very like to see you then! And don’t forget that photo!
Next blog I will inform you about Dublin. What I’m going to do, where I will live, when I leave, etc. So keep logging on!
Best things I did this year:
1. Lowlands 2008 (with Pim & Jurriaan) (& Eva)
2. London 2008 (with Jurriaan)
3. Madrid 2008 (with Berthold, Pim, Casper, Paul, Jurriaan and Jeroen)
4. IT International Student Football Tournament Groningen 2008
5. Groningen 2008 (with Sanne & Pieter)
Best gigs:
1. Crookers, Tommy Sunshine, Digitalism @ Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
2. David Guetta @ Outland Rotterdam
3. Erol Alkan, Soulwax, Tiga, Justice @ Maassilo Rotterdam
Finally, my music “review” charts. This one’s special, cause it’s got the obvious 2008 review.
2008 charts
Best album: De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig – De Machine
Best electronic album: MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Best pop/rock/jazz: Room Eleven – Mmm Gumbo
Cheers for: Junkie XL – Booming back at you & Juno Soundtrack (2008)
Best song: Room Eleven – Lovely Morning
Best electro track: MGMT - Kids
Best rock track: Sugarplum Fairy – The Escapologist
Best house track: Meck ft. Dino – So Strong (Impetto remix)
Best newcomers: Sugarplum Fairy, MGMT, Crookers
At this moment:
Best track: MGMT – Time to Pretend
Best electronic track: The Presets – My People (Dim remix)
Best pop track: Adele – Hometown Glory
Best Album: Soulwax – Nite Versions
Next gig:
NYE Rotterdam – Het Nationaal Nieuwsjaarsfeest (31 December 10:00 pm)
NYE Rotterdam – Roger Sanchez & Ingrosso @ Outland Rotterdam (01 January 02:00 am)
See you all next time!
Take this morning: I got home at 6am from a house party (gangfeest) at campus. It was fun, just until they ran out of beer. But fortunately for the inhabitants of the student house, anarchy was avoided. I spoke with strange people, that was kinda spooky though. There were some good people to talk with too, so not that bad ;-).
Even better was the party me and my friends from Babylon dropped in Malle Babbe (Nijmegen) last Tuesday! It was surprisingly crowded, given the fact that we had the flyers only one day in advance. That was a serious bummer, but the party rocked. It was so much fun working behind the bar and laughing with friends while doing your job, and I certainly want to do stuff like that again. The party itself had a Volendam-theme, which normally means terrible Dutch music. But it was Volendam with a twist, as we wanted to name the party ,,We hate Volendam, you too?!”. But that was not allowed: We were told that we were spreading hatred and so we had to change it into a cynical ,,We love Volendam, you too?!”. But people got the message anyway, so it all turned out well.
[Tuesday 23 December] Let’s write on. I finally found some time to write more, as I still have an hour before I have to catch the train to Schiphol Airport. For the fourth time this week I will work for KLM as a ground steward. Nice work though, helping people from around the world checking in. I even met famous people like Pierre van Hooijdonk (Feyenoord, Galatasaray) and Miralem Sulejmani (Ajax Amsterdam). Especially Sulejmani was fun to meet: We had a chat about his injury and Ajax; he’s a nice guy!
The last couple of weeks I’ve been very busy working on my university stuff, as we have to hand in many assignments. On top of that, my Bachelor Thesis requires much time. Now that I finished the literature and method sections of my study, it’s time for the actual research. So starting from this week I will send out questionnaires in order to obtain 100 respondents. I hope to finish before 31 December so I can hand in my pre-final thesis in the first week of January.
Last Friday I went to a wicked party in Rotterdam: Soulwaxmas. Elektro and Elektrorock music is alive and so was that night in the Maassilo. A gig by Justice, Soulwax, 2ManyDJs, Tiga, Erol Alkan and many more was sold out, and I was there with two friends from Nijmegen. Especially Justice and Erol Alkan were good, although I enjoyed all the other DJs too. Soulwax was playing live, and that was refreshing. That’s definitely something to keep an eye out for!
These last days of 2008 will mean hard work on my thesis and seeing my family again. Although last year was a drag, I certainly have good hope for the next few days because I won’t be bored.
Finally, on the 31st of December, I will go to Rotterdam to celebrate the National NYE party at the Maas. After that, me and three friends will go to Outland Rotterdam were Roger Sanchez and Sebastien Ingrosso will blast in the new year with awesome house music. I’m very looking forward to this night and I’m sure it’ll be great!
So, that all for now. As for Dublin, I got everything in order now, so I’m ready to leave. The university finally approved all the stuff I had to arrange, so Ireland here I come. I will fly on the 19th of January, and my Hello-Goodbye party will be on Thursday 15. Please drop by, I would very like to see you then! And don’t forget that photo!
Next blog I will inform you about Dublin. What I’m going to do, where I will live, when I leave, etc. So keep logging on!
Best things I did this year:
1. Lowlands 2008 (with Pim & Jurriaan) (& Eva)
2. London 2008 (with Jurriaan)
3. Madrid 2008 (with Berthold, Pim, Casper, Paul, Jurriaan and Jeroen)
4. IT International Student Football Tournament Groningen 2008
5. Groningen 2008 (with Sanne & Pieter)
Best gigs:
1. Crookers, Tommy Sunshine, Digitalism @ Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
2. David Guetta @ Outland Rotterdam
3. Erol Alkan, Soulwax, Tiga, Justice @ Maassilo Rotterdam
Finally, my music “review” charts. This one’s special, cause it’s got the obvious 2008 review.
2008 charts
Best album: De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig – De Machine
Best electronic album: MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Best pop/rock/jazz: Room Eleven – Mmm Gumbo
Cheers for: Junkie XL – Booming back at you & Juno Soundtrack (2008)
Best song: Room Eleven – Lovely Morning
Best electro track: MGMT - Kids
Best rock track: Sugarplum Fairy – The Escapologist
Best house track: Meck ft. Dino – So Strong (Impetto remix)
Best newcomers: Sugarplum Fairy, MGMT, Crookers
At this moment:
Best track: MGMT – Time to Pretend
Best electronic track: The Presets – My People (Dim remix)
Best pop track: Adele – Hometown Glory
Best Album: Soulwax – Nite Versions
Next gig:
NYE Rotterdam – Het Nationaal Nieuwsjaarsfeest (31 December 10:00 pm)
NYE Rotterdam – Roger Sanchez & Ingrosso @ Outland Rotterdam (01 January 02:00 am)
See you all next time!
Monday, 29 September 2008
Sent out to the front
I should be writing one of my researches, and at the moment I should be reading articles about International Communication Management. But there was a third thing I should be doing, and that’s writing this blog. So here it is, my brand new what’s my life like in a nutshell.
Around me - that’s on, under and next to my desk – lie important papers. For example, there’s my agenda. I started to use this “element of survival” at the start of this semester, so I can write appointments in it I make at uni. For some people this may sound like it’s the most normal thing in the world, but for me this is all new. I still stick to my calendar, but now I can also make appointments when I’m not at home and write them on my calendar when I arrive back at base. A revelation and sign of my constant improvement I must say. You can applaud afterwards, as we would say in the Netherlands. Another important “object that lies around” is my financial situation spread on paper. The annual 3 Dwaze Dagen (3 Crazy Days) of the Bijenkorf (Dutch department store) are coming up and that mean massive price-drops and discounts on high quality (and priced) brand clothing. That means spending loads of money. And that means that I’m gonna take part in one of the most crazy fights Holland “organises” each year. Forget hooligans, nothing is more dangerous than hundreds of women (75%) and men breaking loose at 8am to buy Björn Borg boxershorts with a 10 euro discount. And, on top of the massive price advantage you get, the experience of a lifetime that you get from seeing two women fight over the final pairs of their product of choice is priceless. So on the second and third of October (gotta skip the final day) I’m going to the battlefront. Finally, and most importantly, discussed are the last papers on my desk: research proposals, academic texts and guidelines for all sorts of English and Dutch research articles. The following months will be my “research months”. It’s crazy how much research I have to conduct in the following three months, including my Bachelor Thesis. I already have a topic that for research: City marketing. Nice topic though, gonna enjoy writing. But, like all study business, there has to be a start. And that’s the problem; I keep postponing that start. Well, starting from next week deadlines will appear in my agenda (woohoo, agenda, woohoo!) so I’m sensing that start will not be far from 29th September 16:57h.
This week is going to be a great but busy week for me. Things like participating in researches for money (made 30 euro last week) and attending Babylon’s (student organisation) constitution drink are nice, but probably the best thing that’s gonna happen is the Coldplay concert at Ahoy’ Rotterdam this Thursday. A colleague told me the Köln (Ger) concert was awesome, so I’m really looking forward to this great night! And, to be sure there will be more great nights for me this months, we are going to buy tickets for the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). This is an enormous 4-day festival in our capital city featuring the world’s best DJ’s. I will certainly go to Digitalism and Crookers, and probably to Audio Bullys and Armin van Buren. Tremendously looking forward to those nights; Digitalism was awesome at Lowlands and I cannot wait to hear more from them.
Final thing I want to share with you is that my birthday is coming up, and so is my birthday party. Probably somewhere around the 8th (Oct), celebrating my 22nd birthday. I haven’t decided where I’m gonna drop the party; at Graafse ringpad (home) or in Nijmegen city centre (some local pub). But you’ll certainly hear more about that all.
Well, things to do for me are:
- Recovering from my hamstring injury
- Start your bloody study work!
- Drink your tea (done!)
- Get rid of the clutter and mess I’ve made in my room
- Give you my latest music choices (working on it now!)
Best track (rock/pop): N.E.R.D. ft. Santagold ft. J. Casablancas – My Drive Thru [Recommend]
Best track (electronic): Dizzy Rascal ft. Calvin Harris – Dance Wiv Me [Recommend]
Best track overal: Dizzy Rascal ft. Calvin Harris – Dance Wiv Me
Best upcoming: DeathMau5
Best mix: Ministry of Sound Ibiza The Annual 2008
Best Podcast: David Guetta FMIF
Props for: Converse for getting N.E.R.D.; Santagold and J. Casablancas together and letting them make an awesome track.
Currently listening to: New Bloc Party CD is out, so gotta check that one out.
Last gig: Lowlands 2008
Today's: Sleepy Sleepy
Next gigs:
2 Oct. Coldplay (Ahoy' Rotterdam)
15 Oct. Sugarplum Fairy (Doornroosje)
22-26 Oct. Amsterdam Dance Event > Digitalism/Crookers/ManyMore @ Melkweg
Thanks for reading my blog, please tell me what you think about it!
Around me - that’s on, under and next to my desk – lie important papers. For example, there’s my agenda. I started to use this “element of survival” at the start of this semester, so I can write appointments in it I make at uni. For some people this may sound like it’s the most normal thing in the world, but for me this is all new. I still stick to my calendar, but now I can also make appointments when I’m not at home and write them on my calendar when I arrive back at base. A revelation and sign of my constant improvement I must say. You can applaud afterwards, as we would say in the Netherlands. Another important “object that lies around” is my financial situation spread on paper. The annual 3 Dwaze Dagen (3 Crazy Days) of the Bijenkorf (Dutch department store) are coming up and that mean massive price-drops and discounts on high quality (and priced) brand clothing. That means spending loads of money. And that means that I’m gonna take part in one of the most crazy fights Holland “organises” each year. Forget hooligans, nothing is more dangerous than hundreds of women (75%) and men breaking loose at 8am to buy Björn Borg boxershorts with a 10 euro discount. And, on top of the massive price advantage you get, the experience of a lifetime that you get from seeing two women fight over the final pairs of their product of choice is priceless. So on the second and third of October (gotta skip the final day) I’m going to the battlefront. Finally, and most importantly, discussed are the last papers on my desk: research proposals, academic texts and guidelines for all sorts of English and Dutch research articles. The following months will be my “research months”. It’s crazy how much research I have to conduct in the following three months, including my Bachelor Thesis. I already have a topic that for research: City marketing. Nice topic though, gonna enjoy writing. But, like all study business, there has to be a start. And that’s the problem; I keep postponing that start. Well, starting from next week deadlines will appear in my agenda (woohoo, agenda, woohoo!) so I’m sensing that start will not be far from 29th September 16:57h.
This week is going to be a great but busy week for me. Things like participating in researches for money (made 30 euro last week) and attending Babylon’s (student organisation) constitution drink are nice, but probably the best thing that’s gonna happen is the Coldplay concert at Ahoy’ Rotterdam this Thursday. A colleague told me the Köln (Ger) concert was awesome, so I’m really looking forward to this great night! And, to be sure there will be more great nights for me this months, we are going to buy tickets for the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). This is an enormous 4-day festival in our capital city featuring the world’s best DJ’s. I will certainly go to Digitalism and Crookers, and probably to Audio Bullys and Armin van Buren. Tremendously looking forward to those nights; Digitalism was awesome at Lowlands and I cannot wait to hear more from them.
Final thing I want to share with you is that my birthday is coming up, and so is my birthday party. Probably somewhere around the 8th (Oct), celebrating my 22nd birthday. I haven’t decided where I’m gonna drop the party; at Graafse ringpad (home) or in Nijmegen city centre (some local pub). But you’ll certainly hear more about that all.
Well, things to do for me are:
- Recovering from my hamstring injury
- Start your bloody study work!
- Drink your tea (done!)
- Get rid of the clutter and mess I’ve made in my room
- Give you my latest music choices (working on it now!)
Best track (rock/pop): N.E.R.D. ft. Santagold ft. J. Casablancas – My Drive Thru [Recommend]
Best track (electronic): Dizzy Rascal ft. Calvin Harris – Dance Wiv Me [Recommend]
Best track overal: Dizzy Rascal ft. Calvin Harris – Dance Wiv Me
Best upcoming: DeathMau5
Best mix: Ministry of Sound Ibiza The Annual 2008
Best Podcast: David Guetta FMIF
Props for: Converse for getting N.E.R.D.; Santagold and J. Casablancas together and letting them make an awesome track.
Currently listening to: New Bloc Party CD is out, so gotta check that one out.
Last gig: Lowlands 2008
Today's: Sleepy Sleepy
Next gigs:
2 Oct. Coldplay (Ahoy' Rotterdam)
15 Oct. Sugarplum Fairy (Doornroosje)
22-26 Oct. Amsterdam Dance Event > Digitalism/Crookers/ManyMore @ Melkweg
Thanks for reading my blog, please tell me what you think about it!
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