Glorie
december 11, 2011Op veler verzoek ga ik weer eens in mijn moerstaal schrijven. Beetje chauvinisme kan geen kwaad. Het hemd is nader dan de rok. Ook al zijn we een raar land soms. Een land waarin de burgemeester van Amsterdam geld geeft aan de Hells Angels om op te rotten. Waarin het nieuws beheerst wordt door de…
Occupy what
oktober 17, 2011Occupy wall street, Beursplein, Rome, Brussels, Sydney. All around the world activists are protesting against banks, investors, politicians that are blamed for this economic mess we are in. But shouldn’t they go to the White house or to Harvard or Yale as well? Were those not occupied long ago already by Wall street? If I…
upper philosophy
september 29, 2011Ach, do a bit normal man! that was what he said, the great white philosopher from Venlo. Do self normal, said the spectacled upperstudent. Gee! It seemed like a wiseguy conversation in a bar or street, but it was in our parliament. Well, great fun, great theatre. Not. And as the custom dictates, the next…
Radio
september 14, 2011Today called in at Prem Radakishun’s show in radio1. That was a rare occasion, I mean I seldom make a call in talk radio, and hundreds of callers are there. I must have been one of the few to be called back. Good experience. I could give a good opposition to his opinion that all…
post holiday
augustus 31, 2011“Hij is voorbij deze natte zomer” the famous dutch song says. Actually, today is not that bad but it was overall a quite terrible summer as far as weather is concerned. Well now that holiday is over I have the feeling all is starting up again. Asking people how holiday was at the coffeemachine, traffic…
Bolivia
mei 4, 2011Back in tierra boliviana, one year after the first acquaintance I made with this fascinating metropolis. Ok, hard work does not allow to see much, but at night to plaza Avoroa, the casco viejo (the old town), the mountains around make you smile. Zona Sur where i am now and where our office is located,…
Adios ayer
maart 15, 2011Happy about today. Though my hosting regional manager had fallen ill, I made good progress with the rest of the crew, including now the Haitian colleagues. Could even cover more issues than expected, including fraud policy, contract closure and emergency, especially the management of the Haiti earthquake projects. What a irony that just now that…
Dancing on the volcano
maart 9, 2011Today is Dia de Mujer (women’s day) so to all women who read this: congratulations. That is at least what I wished my female colleagues in the office this morning. La directora also dedicated a speech on this occasion, so it is quite a big event here. Perhaps because the position of women here leaves…
Oh oh Nica
maart 7, 2011Not bad to start my week here in Nicaragua during the weekend. Namely an excellent opportunity to get myself a Nicaragua crash course. That is how it feels. Yesterday I ‘ did’ Managua on foot and by taxi. I started my tour climbing to the Loma de Tiscapa, a hill overseeing the unique crater lake…
Happy new year
januari 1, 2011A brand new year has started. Bye bye 2010. Best wishes to everyone. I had a good prosecco yesterday, was as good as real champaign I noticed. Even the sekt without alcohol was not so bad. And how it started. The spectacularly varied tones of the new years concert in the Concertgebouw were amazing. New…