Hi all.
Just to let you know of my new blog.
I decided to create a new blog focused on writing about personal development in all areas of life. You can see the first post now at:
http://thepersonalpyramid.blogspot.com/
If you have any suggestion, critics or just want to say hello don’t hesitate in posting a comment.
Cheers,
Pedro
My sweet wife as just started her first blogging experience with a blog about books. Check it out here.
Can someone guess where the blog name comes from?
Today I start a series of posts about my trip to Japan. The trip is divided in two parts: One week Business, Another week tourism.
So, the first part is over and what do I have to say about Japan? I absolutely adore it! The people are beyond friendly, Tokyo and Nagoaya are amazing cities where you can find everything.
I’ve visited a Toyota factory. When we came to the assembly line with all the robots (more than 1000 in the plant), I felt I was in the Terminator movie….scary stuff. And they have a robot that plays the saxophone.
After one week of discussing Japanese economy and what they are starting to do, and where there are going to invest and opportunities that they have and so on, all I can think is that we (Europeans and Portuguese in particular) have so much to learn from them. Here they are, the second world economy, and they talk as if they know very little, as if they are still starting to learn and as if we ( a bunch of students) have a lot to teach them. A real lesson!
I’ll post pictures soon.
The world most expensive Jambé class
Yesterday I had my first day of the EMBA.
So what did we do on our first day? Played Jambé, of course! Hah?
Can you imagine my face when I came out of the first “class”? I had a lot of fun but definetely unexpected. Funny strategy they did for a team building exercise. I wonder what they will come up with next!
Since i came to the netherlands!
I can only be happy from all that happened in the last year and very curious about what the next year will bring! If it’s going to be as good as it seems it will…I’m a very lucky man!
Just to let you guys know I started a new blog. It’s written in Portuguese (sorry) and it will focus on continuous improvement (also know as kaizen). If you understand Portuguese give it a go!
Today I move to Rotterdam! Behind me is an almost full year in Utrecht and a very different life then the one I had since I came to the Netherlands.
Never in my dreams I would imagine that by now I would have met my girlfriend, be having Russian lessons (and actually understand and talk a bit), had traveled to Russia, Ukraine, Malta, Germany and Luxembourg. Also I was accepted at RSM for my MBA, made friends from all over the world, and learned more in one year then ever!
Not bad for a year! I wonder what the next one will bring?
I’ve been wanting to post this for some time now.
In the beginning of the month I went to my sunny country to show it to my beautiful girl.
So for one full week I was in Portugal acting as a tourist (or as we say: bife)! Camera in hand and speaking English all day including some times with waiters because i got mixed up!!!
We came “back home” (me to Holland, she to Ukraine) with an all bunch of stories to tell. Most of them quite good, some of them not as much!
One that I really found funny was a guy talking to me in spanish trying to sell a photo of me and my “guapa”! You should have see the guy’s face when I replying in Portuguese ahah 
So, we saw palaces, castles, fish and animals (went to a safari), went and see a Fado show that included a traditional dancing show as well (not the image I wanted to show of my country but oh well).
Simples things that I missed while in the Netherlands:
All in all I miss my small big country, but I’m very fortunate with all I got since I moved away from it!
The world is my hoister sort of thing! Now bring the bacalhau please!
The day was too hot so he decided to assume this position to refresh! I wonder if it would not be more efficient to go to the shadow? But what do I know?
Maybe he wanted to do as karate kid?
I will just let the images show how beautiful a place can be…
What do you do when you have someone coming over from your country visiting you?
I don’t know about you, but me….I just lock them inside the house the first day in the Netherlands and go to work!
Why?
Well, I could start rambling about wanting to protect my friends from the Dutch weather, or that it was all an elaborate scheme to make them clean my house, or better still, a revenge for a prank I got a long time ago.
Unfortunately the truth is not as juicy! I’m just not a morning person! Add that to not being used to have people lying around at the flat’s flour ( yes the fact that having a person sleeping right next to the door didn’t ringed any bells)… and you have a very frustrated guest!
Sorry…
…for new posts on this site saying that I broke something! After all I bought a pair of Rollerblades last weekend!
I Have a need….for speed
Everyone that knows me, know that I love books but I’m somewhat of a scrooge…
But, this weekend was the book fair here in Utrecht so I went a bit crazy and bought 28 books in one go! To tell you the truth I was more concerned how the hell was I going to carry all those books in my bicycle without falling then how much they costed!
I’m happy to inform that me (and the books) arrived safely home, after I decided to use the bicycle as a trolley to carry everything and not to try to be a circus artist as the Dutch are. After all, they were born riding a bicycle…I’m just a Portuguese that as some idea on how to ride…not on any more fancy stuff 
Yesterday me and a friend decided to go for a bike tour to a lake near Utrecht. We looked at the distance and decided that 20 km was not bad at all as a weekend sport event (yes we are THAT lazy).
6 hours later and 40 something kilometers later we got back home.
As usual I got lost…Why doesn’t this surprise me?
…when you and a friend are stopped by a group of strangers in the street and asked to do a queue with them and walk around and sing like crazy people?
You do it of course…after all, they needed us to do the task to get a letter of a word!!!??!?!!!????!!!!
Have I ever said that you find the strangest things it the Netherlands?
It was fun none the less
Last Tuesday I was proclaimed the Poker King of Utrecht (well, at least I won the game…no parade, but it was fun)!
After a grueling battle (in the sense that it was grueling boring to watch) between me and the all time winner Matt, I finally won everything leaving the battle field victorious. The fact that he was yoning like crazy and just wanted the game to finish had nothing to do with it…he was just trying to distract me from wining eheh!
As the king of poker, I would like to take this opportunity to say that I’m going to retire from the “sport”….thus continuing victorious… ahah
ok ok, I’ll come back next week 
That I say that I’m authorized to spend a big bunch of money ( aka I was admitted to enter the University )!!!
The things you see when you are showing the Netherlands to your parents (yes, I don’t know how but I convince them to come and visit me)…
This sculpture was showing in Den Hague, it was made by an Australian artist and it’s definitely one of the best and most original pieces I’ve seen lately!
As for the rest, I know I’ve been absent, but let me give a small resume:
I’m in the final part of my MBA admission…only one week till (hopefully) I’m told “give us a whole bunch of money”
I went on holidays to Malta ( no, I don’t have photos…I’ll tell you way on another post, If i have the courage)
Also, went a weekend to Kiev and another one to Luxembourg! Beautiful cities….I’ll post photos later!
As for the rest…all the same all samo…except for the fact of a HUGE fight with the Portuguese Foreign minister because of a visa….so…no news there!!!!! aha
Adendum: Unofficially, Thanks to the help of the MNE legal department, the problem was solved!
Here is my summer palace near St. Petersburg. Because I’m not the luxurious type of person, all the statues are made of gold!
It was build 300 years ago, when the Russians call me Pedro, The Great, and I moved the capital to St Peterburg ( as I said, I’m modest so I named the city after me) and built all my boat fleet based in Dutch Design ( My flaw, it should have been Portuguese design but oh well)
But it is a nice, warm little house don’t you think?
Let’s fight back!
Pictures DO tell more than 1000 words for these two pictures!
For the one that know me, you know I’m not the biggest fan in the world of McDonald’s. But seeing the sign written in Cyrillic was just to funny to NOT take a picture.
I can actually now read properly Cyrillic (can’t understand what I’ve read but oh well).
For those brave enough to learn, here is an introduction!
How to even begin to describe this trip to Russia?
Just to make an introduction on the trip, the plan was to fly to Moscow, after some days catch a train to St Petersburg and again back to Moscow for two final days and flight.
Now, on to Moscow:
First, to start the trip with the right foot, I lose my flight! Nice! I have to thank the Queen of the Netherlands for that! Schipol was a mess!
After a full day at airport, finally I got throe the passport control in Moscow to be received by a nice lady from the hotel very confused by the fact that a Dutch guy had a name like Alves dos Santos! I myself was confused by the simple fact of seeing someone on an airport holding my name….that was a first!
On to the sight seeing of this first post and photo, the red square:
The feeling of being in the Red Square to me is more or less like being in a dream. It’s stuff that you only see in movies, it’s not real! Until you put you feet there!
I actually even saw a parade in the red square (on tv) because of the victory day ( more on this later).
First impressions about Russia? Damn…I can’t read Cyrillic. Not even the damn hotel metro station I can find on the map (You’ll get what I mean in the next post)!
Gago Coutinho e Sacadula Cabral
Did you now that these two Portuguese heroes where the first in the World to fly from Europe to South America?
This Statue is a tribute to their flight and is near the tribute to our sailors ( My nation biggest heroes)
The actual plane that did the flight can be seen in the navy museum two km from this statue and it’s worth seeing!
And with this my series about Lisbon comes to an end! At least until I go back to Portugal on holidays.
Continuing the series on Portugal here are some more photos.
Next we have my favorite place in all of Lisbon ( and those who know me know it’s true): Parque das Nações.
This was the place for Expo 98, a completely rebuilt part of the city that now is a mix between apartments, parks, theaters, one oceanarium, and many other touristy things left by the Exposition.
First a general look on the site:
And now one of the many geizers that exist all over the park:
Last week I went home and as promissed here are some photos of my beautiful city (Lisbon).
The first one is of Torre de Belem. This was a ceremonial building for the Portuguese sailors and also part of the defense of the Tagus river.
Right next to this we have a tribune to those same sailors: O Padrão dos Descobrimentos
…to go to my country after 4 months and a half in the Netherlands. Also, today I’m going to get my visa to go to Russia. REALLY looking forward to go there!
A lot happened since I came to the Netherlands and I’ve learned a lot! So much that most things are yet not processed (Insert your joke here ) but things that I did learn are that people from other countries are very different and very equal, you just have to be open to it. As a friend said: “Everybody has it’s history, you have to know were there are coming from”
The next week I intend to do exactly the opposite I’ve been doing until know. I’m going to take picture of my country so my friends from the Netherlands can see it
So, keep an eye out for it.
It’s spring, and I do think a picture is worth a 1000 words!
First, a tulips field:
And now, Keukenhof, definitely one of the best parks I’ve ever seen, filled with beautiful flowers:
Last Monday I went with some friends to Keukenhof (more on this in a later post) and we saw this Man making the traditional Dutch wood shoes right in front of us.
Really impressive. He first cuts the log with a rough form of a shoe using an ax , then he makes it smooth with what I would call a huge razor. In the end he makes the hole were we put our feet using a kind of spoon (really sharp spoon, but oh well).
Really instructive and entertaining stuff to see. A little girl was so interested that she kept looking at what the man was doing for 30 min with her mouth open! Like only kids do when they are absolutely amazed.
Today I really had a very nice time with my very good kiwi friend and her friends! But I have to admit, against my national pride, I can’t hold my licor against kiwis !
But licor apart, it was really nice to meat such a lovely couple with such a healthy view about life!
About my dear friend, I hope she has the time of her life in her new adventure in New York. I know she’ll love it and that she’ll be terrific in her new job!
Hope you have lots of fun Trudi.
Last Wednesday I went out to dinner on the Portuguese restaurant I already mentioned here. The name was very loyal to the service as they spent more than one hour giving us our food as only in Algarve restaurants do.
But time and cold red wine aside, the meal was very good and very loyal to want the Portuguese cosine is! All the expats liked the food and the curiosity about my country seemed to grow so I’m doing my part as an ambassador to my country
And for those that didn’t went to the dinner, here are some phrases taught during the dinner for essential survival:
Hello: Olá
Goodbye: Adeus
Thank you: Obrigado
You have beautiful eyes: Tens uns olhos lindos (this last one I was this close to teach something else ehehe)
To my small big sister 
Hope you have lots and lots of gifts and that you came and visit me before you go to South Africa.
…the difference in look and feel of Utrecht between Winter and Summer. It has been a whopping 15 degrees, and sunny days, so, just because of that, the Ice cream shops are packed, everyone is outside sun bathing, and there are a lot more people on the streets.
Next weekend I’ll try to capture the feel in some photos and then I’ll post them. Can’t promise anything because the Dutch weather shifts more quickly than I can say “Otorrinolaringologista”.
Tot ziens
…why I haven’t been writing that much lately, I’ve been studying for my GMAT exam. I know it’s not an excuse, but what can I say…after working 9 hours everyday and coming home to study, all I what to do is NOTHING! At least for 30 minutes!
The last few weeks have been very good, but very busy. I’ve sort out all my travel details to Portugal and Russia. I’ve went to two Business Schools presentations, had one day of classes to test one, cycled to one near castle, watched Perfume (and I Highly Recommend it), studied all the material I need for the GMAT, had two weeks at work really busy but good for my ego, got slightly drunk once (let’s just say: Alegre ) and kicked ass playing pool!
In the mean time I was able to get some sleep! Cool!
I go to the door, it’s my neighbor Alex! He tells me that my upstairs neighbor room burned down to the ground and asks me if I have any problems in the house because of it!
I didn’t even realized anything!
Now that he mentions it, I do smell something burned!
I think I’ve been working too much!
What do Dutch do when it’s a sunny day and a whooping 15ºC?
They go out and sun bade of course! You can see an example in the picture…Our little own French Riviera
I actually was in a queue for 15 minutes to get an Ice cream! All I can say is: Crazy people (me included)!
I’m actually curious to see what will they do when it’s summer and the temperature goes up to 25º/30º? Go out naked? I believe anything is possible in this country….
Well, one can hope can’t he?
Last Saturday I went with a friend to a Kamasutra Fair!!!! This is a totally new concept for me. So, simply put, it was a fair where you could see everything related to sex ( this was a difficult conclusion to make after the fair name don’t you think?).
There I saw every kind of “toy”, saw various live shows and learned that there are really tastes for everything!
For instance, there were booths for swingers holidays ( with photos of naked couples in boats exchanging partners…nice… )!
Also there was a booth where they were tying a guy and a girl with a really strong rope and burning the guy with candle wax! After a while, when I was having a snack at the bar…the same guy appears…on a leach…after the dominatrix!!!!!!??!!! He really enjoys his work!
But back to more “normal” stuff, there were some really good live shows, where, yes, they striped ( guys and girls) but they were also very good entertainment. The shows were done with humor, most of them were really funny and not at all sleazy.
In the stores part, you could see everything you usually see in any sex shop in Amsterdam but there were some things that I never saw before: Sexually thematic furniture and also a what looked like Inquisition booth (Really scary stuff)!!!!
All and all, guys and girls, I would say it is always a good learning experience and I hope to see you there next year 
Hmmm..shall I take the left one? or for another 1800km more I’ll be in my dear Expo Home having proper coffee and a Licor Beirão? Decisions, Decisions!
While going for a walk with some friends we came across this sign at the door of an Irish pub. I liked it so much I think I’ll apply it as a motto to my life
Another one Osvvaldo told us that is very intriguing:
You are the only person in the world that is not unique!
And yet another one from the Pub:
Everyone wishes to believe in something! I believe I’ll have another beer!
Lately I’ve been slow to post new things to the blog but I promise there are a lot of new “interesting” things coming!
Just to keep the appetite coming: I went to a kamasutra fair; what do dutch in a sunny day? My new house “mantra” among others
The most tipical Dutch Landscape…
…you see in the Netherlands is of course reindeers! Or at least that would be the impression I would have from my bicycle ride outside of the city
What do a person think when you just go to work in a normal day and come to discover that you no longer work for the same company? I really don’t know!
Yesterday the division I work in was sold to an investment company and it will now become an independent company! Will this affect my life? I don’t have the slightest idea and I think no one knows the answer for now!
Not that I was too attached psychologically to my “old” company but there are a lot of question with no answer that are a bit nagging:
All I can say is: time will tell!
There I was with some friends at the sex museum in Amsterdam trying to take a picture of the 2 girls in the group sited down on a big falus like chair when one of them said: “Take another one because my mouth was open”!
5 min later I managed to stop laughing and take the picture
As some of you know, I went to Berlin for a quick 2 days getaway! I was very impressed by the city in very respects. The city is huge, with beautiful buildings everywhere and many things happening.
One thing that striked me as odd is that I found it difficult to find people that talked proper English! Maybe because everything is dubbed on TV but still, coming from the Netherlands, where everyone speaks English very well, I found it strange!
One think that I didn’t know is that one of the icons of the city is this traffic light man:
He’s called ampelman (literally man of the traffic lights) and was originally(before the fall of the wall) only in the Eastern part of Berlin! He’s such an icon that has it’s own store!
…towards my transformation into a dutch men: Finally I have my own bicycle!!!
Isn’t cool?
My Portuguese Club is considered to be the best Club off all time in Portugal. You can see the news here!
As we usually say:
Toma e embrulha!
Next week I’m going on a two days holiday to Berlin. Curiously enough, I can’t find any Germany guide in Utrecht. Maybe some grudge between neighbor countries? Wouldn’t surprise me!
Does anyone have any idea of what is absolutely a MUST SEE in Berlin?
I’ve always wanted to try to be a fiddler on the roof but all my attempts sounded like I was skinning a cat! 
Just as I told this sad, sad story a friend took pity of me and offered me this wonderful violin
It’s electronic and real easy to play, just touch it at the rhythm of the music
Finally I can play violin properly ( only 5 songs ehehehe )
Just when I tought I was free…
… I go to the supermarket and see this ad:
For a description of what I think of this see here (In Portuguese) .
Be afraid….be VERY afraid…
Today is the day that marks being at work in the Netherlands for 2 months. This means that my experimental time at work is over and that time really flies when you are having fun!
In the last 2 months I’ve celebrate THREE different Christmas, made friends from all over the world, learned how to make sushi, drank more Port wine than ever before and started reading Russian classics!
Not bad, hey?
Looking forward for the rest of the 3 years! Bring it on
Ok, what would you do if you had a Dutch João Pinto as a neighbor? No, he does not have blond hair and he’s not a football player. But he spends all night drooping on the floor with very loud bangs!
Just the other day I was going to bed and heard a very loud noise, like something dropping from the steers! When I went to check it out, there was my neighbor lying on the floor, drunk as I only have seen very few people in my life!!!
Nice!
I was touristing around Harlem with some friends when all of a sudden we saw this picture:
For the ones that don’t know, Santiago de Compostela is the final destination for many pilgrims who take the challenge to make one of many routs either by foot or by bike. Of course that coming from the Netherlands, the route has to be done by bike! Now here is a good holidays idea. Anyone up to the challenge?
With the New Year comes a new cycle and most of us think of it as an opportunity to start over, review what we want and what we don’t want and to do something about it! Well, for me I’m not starting a new cycle since that one started the day I set foot on the plane to fly to the Netherlands but I did come to the Netherlands with some resolutions in mind and here they are:
And you? What are your New Year Resolutions?
…by a group of strange speaking, codfish eating backpackers from Portugal who apparently are here to smoke some strange things, eat cakes from space and go out on the street and burn stuff!
Welcome you guys, I missed you
Today I’m flying back to my adored city of Lisbon! Mixed feelings about it but will sure be good to be with friends and family for Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Posso ter defeitos, viver ansioso e ficar irritado algumas vezes, mas não esqueço de que minha vida é a maior empresa do mundo. E que posso evitar que ela vá à falência.
Ser feliz é reconhecer que vale a pena viver, apesar de todos os desafios, incompreensões e períodos de crise.
Ser feliz é deixar de ser vítima dos problemas e se tornar um autor da própria história.
É atravessar desertos fora de si, mas ser capaz de encontrar um oásis no recôndito da sua alma.
É agradecer a Deus a cada manhã pelo milagre da vida.
Ser feliz é não ter medo dos próprios sentimentos.
É saber falar de si mesmo. É ter coragem para ouvir um “não”.
É ter segurança para receber uma crítica, mesmo que injusta.
Pedras no caminho? Guardo todas, um dia vou construir um castelo…
My attempt to translate a beautiful poem:
I may have flaws, live with ansiety and become annoyed some times, but I don’t forget that my life is the biggest enterprise of the world. And I can prevent it to go bankrupt.
To be happy is to recognize that is worth living, even with all it’s challenges, misconceptions and periods of crisis.
To be happy is to stop being a victim of problems and to become an author of its own story.
It’s to cross deserts out of yourself, but to be able to find an oasis inside your soul.
It’s to thank God at each morning for the miracle of life.
To be happy is not to be afraid of your own feelings.
Is to know to speak off himself. To have the courage to listen to a “no”
Is to have the security to receive a critique, even an unfair one.
Stones on the way? I save them all, one day I’ll build a castle…
by Fernando Pessoa
Since I’ve been here for more then a month now, I think it’s time to take a look back at the time since I’ve been here and share with you what I think about it.
As most of you know there where some funny stories since I’ve been here, like the hugs, sinter klaus, and some very fun nights out with my expats friends. But one thing I’m surprised to find out is that I don’t know that many Dutch (outside work only one actually). I find them always very friendly but also very distant. I don’t think they are like that because I’m a foreigner, it’s really a part of their culture, they separate everything very well and live very much for their family and close friends only.
Another fun thing that I’ve seen is that it’s the small little things you take for grated that you find more strange. For instance, here you don’t take the garbage out, you wait for a certain day of the week and put the garbage in front of your door!!! Or having lunch…you won’t find restaurants open at lunch time, only snack bars!!!!! And of course, not understanding what people are talking around you it’s always strange!
Now a few words about “The working Dutch”. Traditionally they come in from 8 till 9.30 and go out from 16/18. Most of them work 8 strait hours, not stopping for anything. This is a major difference to what I’m used to of course. I do understand why they do it but can’t do it myself. I still stop for “lunch” ( if that is what you call a soup and a sandwich) and go out of work later. It confuses me to go home as early as they do, but they do take more out of the working day.
I’ve found that they are not as organized as I thought they would be. They are serial workers, they do one task at a time. But they also have all the doubt and uncertainty that you find in Portugal! One big difference I’ve noticed is that I haven’t seen any “blamestorming” (copyright by Vitas).
Also (and for me this is bad) is that they won’t give you any information. They assume you know were to get it. This already gave way to some misunderstanding and problems, including me losing the right to have a car
I do think I still have a lot to learn in cultural terms to be able to work to my full potential and not be caught in misunderstandings like the car one, but I’ll get there. The one thing necessary is to have an open mind and not start blaming the Dutch for everything different from my expectations. Some times is hard to do this tho.
Continuing the posts on bicycles (1 and 2) here are two strange photos for different reasons.
Here is a bicycle for drunk people, you wobble one way and she will wobble the other thus going straight. Pretty neet ain’t it?
You see a lot of bicycles like this. And the one on the back, over the fence…I’ve seen some like that but overlooking a canal :S
And now, the Amsterdam version of a Chinese rickshaw :
Today, to “celebrate” being in the Netherlands for 1 month already, I went to Amsterdam! It’s definitely an European capital, filled with tourists (I’m NOT a tourist, I’m an Expat), museums, coffeshops, theaters and etc.
Here is a very nice picture
And how about a nice game of chess?
Yes, I did went to the Red Light District. No, I did not bought any “service” there
Finally I was able to open a bank account. They really reject you if you don’t have a lot of paperwork! To open a simple Bank Account! Jesus!
Oh well. But now (and this is only for my Portuguese friends to make fun of me) it’s not with much pride that I say my new bank account is held at Rabobank.
For those who don’t understand Portuguese, the translation to English is this.
Remember this? Well, yesterday was my turn to try riding a bike as a passenger! The driver was Portuguese eheheehh!
Strange way to ride.
I’ll just say this: If the bike is going to go up or down a sidewalk…get out as there are no suspension on it!
As I’ll try to transmit in the next lines, don’t confuse Sinter Klaus with Santa Claus, albeit Santa Claus we know have many things that was based most probably in Sinter Klaus…
Sinter Klaus lives in Spain and makes his way up to Holland every year in mid November on a big ferry boat. He then hops on a big white horse and rides off to prepare for the big day on December 5th. He has help from the naughty and absent minded Zwarte Pete (Black Pete) who gets stuck with the dirty work of crawling through the chimneys and delivering the presents into tiny wooden shoes. I don’t know why, but all the Zwarte Petes you see here are actually white guys/girls painted in black!!!!
To celebrate Sinter Klaus in very typical Dutch fashion you have to drew a name from a hat and then had to give that person a small present and write them a short poem for Sinter Klaus.
Christmas itself is just a religious holiday, not as important as in Portugal apparently albeit they have two days of holidays because of it!
Here’s a picture just to get the idea
This weekend was really great fun, full of tourism, great laughs with friends and to finish it a wonderful movie with a wonderful friend!
The picture is of the De Haar Kasttle. It’s really near Utrecht and I went there with some Portuguese Friends. It was really good and strange at the same time to speak my language for a full day. By the end of the day I was thinking I was still in Portugal! Weird felling!
In terms of weather…it’s really…wet! But still, with all things considered, didn’t make a difference!
This sounds like the begining of a joke:
A Portuguese, an Indian and a Kiwi were sitting in a bar listening to a Madonna cover band with a pregnant lead singer singing like a virgin…
…the moment you have all been waiting for: Utrecht’s Red Light District!
Yes, it on a canal and yes, it’s in those boats you can see there! A lot of customers by the number of cars parked in front….
For those that want to see a ground picture go here. It actually seems like a quiet neighborhood doesn’t it?
Continuing the series on Utrecht, here are some more nice photos of a city I’m learning to love:
A Windmill in the Netherlands? How strange!
It’s actually a shop…it doesn’t surprise me that much as Dutchmen have an eye for business!
My “artistic” side…nice no?
Remember this post about the dutch and their bike riding skills? Here’s an example of a couple on a bike. It’s much more confortable to sit at the back that way then the usual way because theres is only the grid for the groceries there!!!!
This is commom practice here!
This is the bus I take everyday to work….really big isn’t it?
So what does a Portuguese, an Indian and a Romanian do on a Wednesday night?
They play pool and discover that Gipsys are from India; tea was introduced in the UK by Portugal; and why China is a major Economic power!
Now one works for a NGO, another is a MBA student and senior executive in one of the big 4 Consultancies and your’s truly an engineer that likes management and wants to take an MBA…What if in the pool game we start to speak about politics (it was election night)/socialism vs capitalist ; rich vs poor; companies for profit vs controlled companies by a “third” entity?
Well, what happens is that the game is over and it’s time to go to the bar and have a very interesting conversation, where everyone has a different view and opinion of what’s the best way to make the world a better place for Everyone to live in!
I’ve learned a lot yesterday and enjoyed the conversation immensely. People as this new friends of mine are what makes this trip to the Netherlands worth while.
Another friend of mine, after seeing the last post actually found the explanation.
Thanks Marcio.
Since I’ve moved in to my new house I’ve been discovering some “strange” stuff about Holland.
One of them is the garbage collection. I’ve been puzzled for a while why didn’t I’ve seen large garbage containers since I’ve been here. So today all my questions were answered: Each house/street has it’s own day for the garbage trucks to pass by. So in the prior night, everyone will put the garbage in front of the door. This can be done only after 22pm or else you will get a ticket ( and a big one from what I was told).
So my next question is: Do they go to my street more then once a week? Or do I have to have a smelly garbage bag inside the house?
OK, for the first time since I’ve been here I went out with people After my first meal with someone ( Noddles hmmmm ) we went to a very nice place drink “coffee” and listen to Popular Dutch Music ( sounded like a military march with a strange voice on top…very funny ). Then we went to an Irish Pub to meet with all the Expats ( Expats is what they call people like me here …doesn’t sound very nice but Olga - reads Orra - says it is actually a very good status to have ).
Well, an Irish pub is an Irish pub…so no explanation needed. I’ve meet an American, 1 French, 1 Portuguese, 1 English. All from different areas and experiences. After the Irish, another pub (this one not Irish) , and at the end of the Night disco. The music there was very electronic off course, and the place was packed, but It was very nice to see how different they are, and how similar For instance I didn’t pay entrance to the disco…but I did pay to go to the bathroom! The number of girls/guys are even…and with no control at the door. And I Am sooooooooooooooooooooo small!!!!!
One last thing to note, and this one is important: All the pubs I went and the disco had Offleys Port Wine
I’ve just changed for my new home. It’s really near a street with all kind of stores and 2 doors down from this restaurant
It is already furnished, and is in at street level and for those whom know my house in Portugal: A casa de banho também tem um exaustor a fazer barulho….yuuupiii..
It as only a small room but a good living room and a “back yard” that at the moment locks a little more like a jungle!!!
Ahhh Home Sweet Home!
…ouvir Fado quando se está “emigrado”…não dá bom resultado!
How to describe the 1st day at work in my new job? I suppose it would be…totally different than all that I know…
I started the day at the office at 8am, gone for “lunch” at 12.15…came back at 12.30 with the “lunch” eaten: A raw fish sandwich, eaten on the way back to the office. No, I was not in a hurry, all of them did the same! Culture shock number 1!
My team is composed of 5 dutch, 1 Russian( woman eheheh) and 1 scotch! Ohhh…and 1 Portuguese Nice mix ei?
The hardware is top of the line but I have this nagging program on my computer that keeps telling me to rest for 5 minutes…stretch my arms; look to the horizon; do this, do that; lunch time; morning break; afternoon break…end of day! Christ! And apparently is mandatory by Dutch law to follow those rules! Culture shock 2!
Ohh well, I’ll just have to get used to it, and to the strange schedules, as they worked for 9 hours strait without stopping to have a decent meal!
But the bottom line is: It’s refreshing to see things being done differently, even when they seem strange to me ( and they do). It won’t all be good, but in the end, I hope I can look back and say it was a great experience…and it has everything to work out that way!
… I Think!!!
The house market is so crowded in Utrecht that the landlords actually choose which tennant they prefer! So, I’m hoping that my proposal get’s accepted by the landlord! I’ll know tomorrow! Keeping my fingers crossed
Bicycles until the eye can see…
Dutch people go everywhere by bicycle. I’ve seen them go shopping with them; eating while riding them; talking on the phone; writing SMS messages and riding all at the same time!
They even ride two on the same bicycle ( The one that is not pedaling is seated on the back part of the bike with both legs on one side).
Just to have an idea how many bikes you can see, here is a small part of the bicycle park in Utrecht Central Station ( in total it must be about 5/6 times this).
Olhem só o que achei ( Just look at what I found )
Alguem quer um melão com presunto ? ( Anyone wants smoked ham and melon? )
Contrary to what I said here, there are coffeeshops in Utrecht
When I asked her why, she gave me a hug and answered:”For laughs!”
And I laughed
A typical view in Holand:
Next is the cathedral of Utrecht. It played some really great music for about half an hour, non stop.
The channels in Utrecht are lower then usual. They have walks were there are bristros ( no coffeshops ) and benches…very romantic indeed.
Listen to the excellent music of my good friend Pedro here.
Compacting your life in 20 Kgs + hand luggage!
I’ll have to take the minimum necessary to survive in a new country for a very long time and all I have is 20 Kg and what I can carry with me ( no drinks then )…
My list resumes more or less to this: winter clothes; 3 pairs of shoes; 3 books; a laptop.
I’m not taking: towels; bed cloths; my guitar ; my FM2 Camera :(
What would you carry?
Mio Nombre is Pato ( OR: I’m not the sharpest tool in the toolbox )
I was going to a friends birthday when all of the sudden, all MY friends were there, even the ones that didn’t know the “birthday’s boy”!!!! SURPRISE!!! A fair well party You pricks….I love you all! Thank you VERY VERY MUCH. And to the master minds of this event, the fab “drie” ( yes, you know who you are ): I don’t know what I’ll do without you.
I’ll post some photos as soon as I have them.
Kisses and hugs,
Pedro
Google Sightseeing has a very interesting post about the Netherlands Flood Program. Basically this program is the world’s largest flood protection project. It’s name is Deltawerken (Delta Works) and it consists of over 16,500 kilometers of dams, 300 structures and 1,650 sq. km. of reclaimed land from the sea.
As I haven’t given any specifics on what I’m going to do in the Netherlands and where I’m doing it, here goes: Starting on the 15th of November I’m going to work with my favorite language, Java, on a R&D department in Nieuwegein, near Utrecht. Also, I hope I can manage to enter a MBA program in Utrecht or in Rotterdam.
But first things first, and those are: Get myself a house / room, a flight and lessons of Dutch ( yes, I have to learn the language ). I can already count: Een, Twe, drie, vier, vift, zes, zeven, aucht, negen ( if you could only listen to them…they don’t sound AT ALL the way they are written ).
Well, back to work. Vaarwel voor nu.
Pedro
From now on, this blog is going to be posted in English. I’ll try to transmit here my own thoughts and experiences, specially on my next Big adventure: Going to live in the Netherlands. The first thing I have to do is to decide what goes with me, and what stays. The next…to learn how to speak Dutch ( this is in the work contract ). Let’s see how it goes!
Alguêm me sabe explicar o porquê de um país que não é propriamente rico, precisa de fazer bons investimentos na àrea de tecnologia, e tentar-se diferenciar pela positiva de todos os outros na UE, é precisamente o paìs que a todos os níveis se agarra a uma empresa privada, pagando e agarrando todos os seus sistemas, desde dos públicos ao privados à dita?
Infelizmente já estamos a um nível em que é como era com a IBM à uns anos atrás: Porque nenhum gestor vai ser repreendido por escolher Microsoft!
Ora, isto denota exactamente a falta de coragem que faz com que nós estejamos consistentemente na cauda de tudo o que é bom e à frente em tudo o que é mau.
Já estamos a um nivel em que as próprias faculdades ensinam as tecnologias da Microsoft em detrimento de todas as outras visto ser essa que o mercado quer ( que é a mais pura verdade ). Eu não tenho nada contra a Microsoft, têm excelentes ferramentas e um bom ambiente de programação. No entanto, esta escolha quase cega da mesma empresa sem sequer considerar as opções faz com que cada vez mais o nosso capital intelectual esteja tão virado para a Microsoft que caso um dia alguêm decida investir noutra coisa, é necessário pagar a alguêm de fora para nos explicar! E ai sim….não vai compensar o investimento!
A minha questão é simples: É possivel mudar este cenário? Será que realmente compensa? Eu diria que sim…mas isso sou eu!
Ontem lá acedi ao pedido de uma grande amiga e decidi ir experimentar uma aula de Biodança. Uma coisa vos garanto, é uma experiência da qual não se irão esquecer!
De dança ( estilo salsa, tango, etc ) tem muito pouco. É mais ou menos uma “dança” que cada um faz quando se liberta ( ou não, como foi o meu caso ).
Só digo que para uma pessoa como eu, existiram ali fases em que me senti intimidado, visto seres “forçado” a ter uma interacção muito intima ( olhares, toques de mãos, troca de carinhos ) com pessoas que não conhecia de lado nenhum.
Acho que na altura mesmo que isso não te intimide, é só um pobre substituto ao carinho verdadeiro, a olhares profundos mas com intento, ao dançar e abraçar de quem realmente gostamos.
Como todos sabemos, o tempo que cá estamos é somente um breve piscar de olhos, mesmo para um vida larga. Que esse piscar de olhos seja tão rico e feliz quanto possivel !
Obrigado por tudo avô!
Uma infecção nos ouvidos manda abaixo a aventura do rafting…mas ponho as fotos na mesma…mi aguardem….
Ok, há já muito tempo que não escrevo aqui…Fiquei em PT a trabalhar e para abrir as hostilidades no próximo fds vou para o Minho fazer rafting. Depois ponho aqui as fotos para quem quiser ver!
No outro dia acordei com um trovao…como gajo temeroso que sou, virei-me pro outro lado e ronquei mais umas horas! Quando acordei descobri que afinal o trovao tinha sido uma das maiores explosoes na europa pos guerra…lindo…
Como quem me conhece sabe, vim no dia 5 de Dezembro para londres procurar emprego. Ora tamos a dia 14, vou-me embora amanha, e emprego que e bom….nao tenho! Chato! Mas nao desisto assim tao facilmente, no sir.
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