Finally found some time to try and improve my professional website. I mainly re-organised, but also added a page on software reviews (in a sort of blog, I guess). Other projects on the way will provide more detailed information on polyploid evolution. Have a look if you want. Since it is a project in progress, I am ready to receive tips, especially regarding the links among the different pages and the browsing experience you have.
Comments very welcome (thanks Joe, you are my only fan).
Monday 23 August 2010
Friday 20 August 2010
Nostalgic website still floating around the web...
Hmm, good old times... Would be fun actually to be able to save this somehow, but I gues at some point this will disappear into a black hole in cyberspace. For now, still fun to look at though... Our daughter when she was veeeeeeeery small.
Click here to access destiftjes.tripod.com
Alas, if anyone has a tip to store this (locally or online) for the future (or forever), please let me know...
Click here to access destiftjes.tripod.com
Alas, if anyone has a tip to store this (locally or online) for the future (or forever), please let me know...
Wednesday 4 August 2010
Pleasures of life... bureaucracy...
You know that feeling. You need to go to the bathroom, but you can´t, for example because you are in a bus. Frustration, discomfort: you know you will simply have to cope with it for the time being. But then once you have finally found a place to let go of the cropped up liquids in your bladder: yessssssss! That is gigantic pleasure, satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment.
Today my car tax was due. Of course, paying tax is never pleasant, but the Portuguese system has a way of me never walking a way without a feeling similar to the one I described before. Unlike in Britain, where the tax is simply debited from your account which leaves you with a hollow sense of robbery, the Portuguese system of cashing in gives one a strange sense of achievement. So how does it work? Well, first you find out more or less by accident when the tax is due. No reminders in the mail, simply common knowledge that on the anniversary of the registration date of your car´s license plate (so not the date you purchased the car). If you are late, a fine is the consequence for your ignorance. Alas, I was lucky enough to find out on time. A good start, but only the beginning. Then you have to find out where to pay, which in my case was simple as this was the office where I had already spent plenty time waiting for other bureaucratic purposes. Frankly, this scared me a little, because my previous visits had not always been successful, and the infamous words "Não pode ser!" echoed in my mind. So it took me a few days to gather enough courage to drive down to the city center and pay Finanças a visit. Once in I got a number (push letter J to be admitted to the right queue) and the wait began............... until after just less than two hours my number -J046- was called. I had my NIF ready (Fiscal number), and proudly handed my car documentation. Whatever the clerk responded, it was not "Não pode ser!" and I got a nice document confirming my payment. Yessssssss! And I walked out of the office with this great sense of achievement that comes with sailing the system. It lasted for the day.
Today my car tax was due. Of course, paying tax is never pleasant, but the Portuguese system has a way of me never walking a way without a feeling similar to the one I described before. Unlike in Britain, where the tax is simply debited from your account which leaves you with a hollow sense of robbery, the Portuguese system of cashing in gives one a strange sense of achievement. So how does it work? Well, first you find out more or less by accident when the tax is due. No reminders in the mail, simply common knowledge that on the anniversary of the registration date of your car´s license plate (so not the date you purchased the car). If you are late, a fine is the consequence for your ignorance. Alas, I was lucky enough to find out on time. A good start, but only the beginning. Then you have to find out where to pay, which in my case was simple as this was the office where I had already spent plenty time waiting for other bureaucratic purposes. Frankly, this scared me a little, because my previous visits had not always been successful, and the infamous words "Não pode ser!" echoed in my mind. So it took me a few days to gather enough courage to drive down to the city center and pay Finanças a visit. Once in I got a number (push letter J to be admitted to the right queue) and the wait began............... until after just less than two hours my number -J046- was called. I had my NIF ready (Fiscal number), and proudly handed my car documentation. Whatever the clerk responded, it was not "Não pode ser!" and I got a nice document confirming my payment. Yessssssss! And I walked out of the office with this great sense of achievement that comes with sailing the system. It lasted for the day.
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