Category Archives: General

The Joys

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What I won’t miss from Madrid? Let’s see…

  • The weird seasons.
    We have a sort of autumn that’s very displaced towards the end of the actual season, and you can still see trees with green leaves on (that shouldn’t be) very late in.
    A short and dry winter, not much cold, not much rain, and way too short. We might get one snow or two, with luck, but not often.
    The lengthy srping. Gets warm too soon (for my taste, at least). The trees go nuts pollinating, and adding the pollution, allergy attacks are horrible.
    And we don’t have summer, we have something akin to hell. Dry, hot, and very long. Imagine 42-44ºC in the shadows during the day, and not going below 26-28ºC at night. Impossible to do anything during the day, or to sleep at night.
  • The noise.
    There is noise. Every day, every hour of the day. It might be louder or lower, but there is constant noise. Last month’s measures gave an average of 63dB if I remember correctly. Which means we’re pretty close to what the WHO considers to be way too much.
  • Flying
    Ok, this is not technically related to only Madrid. But this past year I’ve been flying quite often. Weekends are not too bad, but as soon as there is a holiday, all the tourists get out, and go about like sheep to the slaughterhouse. And really, when I fly I just want to get there as fast as possible, and not waste time at the airport

I felt like ranting. And letting you know I’m not dead. Just busy. And tired. And annoyed. And looking forward to just move. Even tho this mean a whole other rant ;)

A Big Bag

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It’s not quite like MaryPoppins’ Carpet-bag, not because I don’t like hers, but because I’m looking for instructions to make one ;) It also doesn’t fit a lamp, or a night stand or an umbrella, but it does fit all the stuff I carry on Mondays to school1.

It’s a simple zippered flat bottom trapezoid bag. Bottom is wider than top and the sides are straight. It has two long wide sturdy straps so you can hung it over your shoulder to carry all the stuff. It’s fully lined, and there is a (giant) hole on the lining to insert a cardboard base to make it stiffer. It also has two small pockets inside, for tissues and other small things that I don’t want to have floating around.

  1. Folder with papers, couple of thick books, pencase, bottle of water, tupper with lunch, fruit for mid-morning snack, and other tidbits. On the way back it also carries my cardigan and scarf ↩

International Women’s Day

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International Woman’s Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women1.

In some countries it’s just a celebration of women as mothers & wifes. Another mothers’ day if you wish. In other countries it still claims back women’s political and human rights.

I don’t think one day is enough to celebrate what women do, to honour them. Equality is not something to be thought about once a year, but to be fought for every single day.

Some facts:

  • Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women
  • 80% of the world’s 27 million refugees are women
  • Women own around only 1% of the world’s land
  • Women do two-thirds of the world’s work but receive only 10% of the world’s income
  • One year out of college women earn 20% less than men and 10 years later 31% less2

And finally, a quote I like:

We will achieve gender equality when useless women reach high powerful positions.3

  1. Taken from Wikipedia ↩
  2. Facts taken from Internacional Women’s Day Website ↩
  3. Anonymous woman dixit ↩

After one week…

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… of class, I can already tell I’m gonna be dead most weekends.

My schedule goes as follows:

  • Mondays 9.30 till 12.45, and 16 to 17 (lab)
  • Tuesdays 9.30 till 12.45,
  • Wednesdays 8.30 till 12.45,
  • Thursdays 8.30 till 12.45,
  • Fridays 8.30 till 12.45.

Of course to this you have to add the hour of transport to get to university, and the hour back. And waking up an hour before I leave the house to do morning ablutions, dress and break the fasting. Plus expending all afternoons after lunch studying, doing exercises and preparing the classes for the following day.

There will be one Monday when I’ll have another lab, between 14 and 15.30 approximatedly. On Mondays I’m taking lunch along, since the food at university is over priced, bad and I doubt it’d pass a Health inspeaction either. On top of that, there are no vegetarian options. So bento lunches it is for me. Or most likely a salad and a sandwich.

Life otherwise is boring on this side. I haven’t been knitting much either. I think I haven’t picked up knitting in over two weeks. No time, not feeling like it, or just plainly too tired. I have started some sourdough, hopefully in a week I can have sourdough bread and other tasty things!

Not Lost

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Just too busy.

I’ve been sick since after Christmas (see that previous post, I didn’t have the strenght to post any more after that…). Got a sinusitis that took me several times to the doctor, got me on two rounds of antibiotics, corticosteroids nosespray, and other assorted medicines. I have to go for the second skull x-ray next week to make sure it’s gone. Cross yer fingers, press yer thumbs, do as ye want, wish me luck!

It’s also exam period. I’ve already had two exams, and I have two more, coming monday morning and tuesday evening. I’m not prepared, because the last month I haven’t been able to study. Guess why? That goddamn sinusitis didn’t let me. I had such a brain fog, nasty headaches and lack of focus, opening a book was a chore that took all my strength, and understanding anything at all was nearly impossible. So, that’s all. Previous two exams I felt like I could have stayed home, but wanted to go in case they ended being easy. The next two I’ll go in case they end being easy as well, which I seriously doubt, but if I don’t go, they will be. Murphy’s laws hate me.

Jan’s coming to Madrid on wednesday. He hasn’t traveled here in over a year, and he’s really looking forward to it. We’ll be going to eat out a lot, and will hopefully walk around the city cow hunting. Other than that, we plan on relaxing and spending five days not doing much. We both need a vacation.

We’re house hunting in Belgium, around Ghent. It takes a lot of time and phonecalls and looking around and online. I wish people would make accurate descriptions of the houses, detailed and up-to-date. And same goes for the pictures, blurry, bad frames that show only details and not the shape or state of the room. Not to say those pictures that were taken 3 years ago, and all this time the house has been left to its own devices. What on the pictures looks like a well laid floor turns out to be vinyl coming apart and rippling from humidity… We have a budget, which is a bugger cause it’s limited. The houses we like are at least 100k over it usually.

That’s a life update for you. Stay tuned, maybe next time it won’t take a month and a half to post again!

It’s That Time Of The Year

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If you’re a reader from years back, you know in 2007 and 2006 I had a Christmas no-contest. No-Contest? Yes, because everybody wins. We like to make our Christmas cards, for Jan and me to send to friends, and since we’re at it, we make a few more, and send them around the world!

So, what do you have to get an original, hand made, Christmas card in your mailbox? You just have to send me an email through the Contact me (and only through the contact me, ok? doesn’t matter if you have my email, use the form, pleaaaaaaaase). In that email, you have to give me your:

  • Name (and Nickname if I know you better by one)
  • Snail mail address (yes, this is old-fashioned paper & envelope). Please include the country too.

Of course, there is a deadline to send me the info. I need to plan the design(s), and know if I have enough cardstock and envelopes or need to buy more, and then make all the cards, and write a little something to each of you. So, you have until the 2nd of December.

Small print? I will only use your address to send this one Christmas card, and I won’t share it with anyone or sell it to anyone.

Edit: He wants a card too!

Blogstalkers 3.0 Weeks 4 & 5 – The morning edition.

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So, for the previous / next weeks (I think it is those two), the topics for Blogstalkers 3.0 are “What is your favourite breakfast?” and “What makes you back into a human in the morning?” that are closely related, in my opinion, so it’s great to write about both at the same time.

First, what makes me back into human in the morning. Because it’s the third thing I do in the morning (after popping in my eyes, and using the toilet :p). Shower. I need my morning showers, it’s to me like coffee to other people. Considering I have caffeine induced sleep, it makes sense. I like to take a quick shower in the morning to get awake. And so that I don’t growl instead of talking if anyone comes near (luckily, in the mornings I’m usually alone, so no biting needed).

Then, after getting dressed, comes breakfast. My daily breakfast is: one multivitamin, one glass of orange juice, two or three toasts (homemade multicereal bread!) with Nutella. My favourite breakfast tho? Breakfast buffet with lots of fresh fruit, different kinds of bread, butter, jam, cheese, some freshly baked pastries, and depending on the mood, hot chocolate, coffee or tea ;) Yep, I’m a spoiled brat like that!

What is Your Taste in Art

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Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test…

Conscientious, Fulfilled, and Spiritual

37 Renaissance, 14 Islamic, 30 Ukiyo-e, -35 Cubist, -43 Abstract and 3 Impressionist!

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life.  Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosopy, religion, art, politics, science, and all other aspects of intellectual enquiry. Renaissance artists looked at the human aspect of life in their art.  They did not reject religion but tended to look at it in it’s purest form to create visions they thought depicted the ideals of religion.  Painters of this time had their own style and created works based on morality, religion, and human nature.  Many of the paintings depicted what they believed to be the corrupt nature of man.

People that like Renaissance paintings like things that are more challenging. They tend to have a high emotional stability. They also tend to be more concientious then average. They have a basic understanding of human nature and therefore are not easily surprised by anything that people may do. They enjoy life and enjoy living. They are very aware of their own mortality but do not dwell on the end but what they are doing in the present. They enjoy learning, but may tend to be a bit more closed minded to new ideas as they feel that the viewpoint they have has been well researched and considered. These people are more old fashioned and not quite as progressive. They enjoy the finer things in life like comfort, a good meal, and homelife. They tend to be more spiritual or religious by nature.  They are open to new aesthetic experiences. 

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at Hello Quizzy

I’m Sick… Again

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For the what? 6th time in the last month and a half.. I’m getting really tired of this cold that won’t leave me. So I decided to stay home and hopefully get rid of it. Also I get bored ’cause I can’t do much but curling on the couch and watch tv, because I can’t focus or do anything that requires bending my head much (runny nose, anyone?).

It’s already November, and that means that I missed my fourth blogging anniversary for nearly a month (check the first post on this blog, from October 8th 2005!). It also means that my birthday is close. One year more on the shoulders. Best friend is helping me plan a party.

November is also National Novel Writing Month and National Knit a Sweater Month, and if you choose so, you can also do National Blog Posting Month (altho this is every month). Guess what? I’m not doing any of them. I’m not setting myself up to failure.

I tried NaNoWriMo last two years, and I didn’t get past the first 5,000 words (out of 50,000). I tried Ravelympics 2008 with a pair of socks, and I didn’t get past the foot of the first. Do you see a theme here? I don’t do well with “Do ____ in ____ time”

End of random scattering of thoughts from a snotty brain high on cold medicine.