Well, we had exceptionally nice weather the last week, and this resulted in some fabulous sunsets. Impossible not to try to capture it. Think I succeeded rather well with these, with a bit of help from Picasa editor to get rid of some reflections...
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Just a random sunset...
Well, we had exceptionally nice weather the last week, and this resulted in some fabulous sunsets. Impossible not to try to capture it. Think I succeeded rather well with these, with a bit of help from Picasa editor to get rid of some reflections...
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Thanks guys for happy B-day!
And a happy one it was. Filled with surprises: surprisingly warm weather (a t-shirt in January is not bad...); a nice lunch; nice presents (among others espressooooooo!); 3(!) beautiful cakes (thanks Diana, Pam, Katya); and a nice dinner. So in summary, a great day!
Sunday 24 October 2010
Monday 23 August 2010
Website update!
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).
Comments very welcome (thanks Joe, you are my only fan).
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.
Friday 30 July 2010
Monday 19 July 2010
The grass has germinated...
Real grass, not the commonly smoked Dutch version of it...
And we have sown the first veggies...
Healthy life, here we come...
And we have sown the first veggies...
Healthy life, here we come...
Thursday 8 July 2010
And we are connected...
After lots of very fancy technological tricks (pic on left) our home is now literally connected to the world... Now we wait for our stuff, our container is at sea by now and hopefully this (pic on right) will not happen...
Saturday 3 July 2010
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