More from India

Well 2 down 3 to go! Tomorrow I have my last training and India and then saturday morning at 6.45 I fly to Muscat. So that means I have to leave my hotel at around 3.30.... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm not so cool.

Today I walked around the area of the Hotel some more after I got back from the Training.

Bumped in to the giys who organised my sight seeing tour. Hello madame how are you? I have not seen you.. hahaha that he still remembers ;-)

I also bought the coolest gift for Jasmijn it is sooooooooo cute, a little sari!!! Now this is the only time I wish a had a girl ;-)

Isn't it Ironic

That you can trust people you think you can't and can't trust people that you think you can?

I have in my possession 2 kilo's of Indian Tea and 2 kilo's of masala spices;-) (okay ik cost me but I have it;-))

Second day of training is done. A really nice group of people. They are quite demanding, which is good and need a different approach then in Holland for etc. They want to know step by step what to do and do not have the need to understand why they are doing it. Just show me .......

I have had a tour of the terminals, seen the cranes up close (very impressive) and been in the crane simulator. They use this to train the crane operators so that they dont cause damage when first on the job a very cool set up. I will write more tomorrow.

Bombay

Greetings from a HOT HOT India

This morning I did some sight seeing. A personal taxi around bombay. The guide was very interesting, giving me all sorts of information. 75000 black and yellow taxi's in Bombay.

35000 buses. That are very good. The train station is an exact replica of Victoria Station in London. Went to the university. At some point he asked where I was from, so I said I live in Holland. AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the red light district. How funny is that this guy has proberly never been to holland but knows all about the red light district.

We went to the laundry spot where hundreds of people are working do the laundry, costs 20 rupee per dress to get cleaned. That is 0,31 euro cents. The hotels all send the stuff there, a shirt that you need cleaned at the hotel costs 295 rupee that is 4,69. Now that's what I call a profit.

Went in to Ghani's house. I quess it's like the Anne Frank House, you expect to relive the book or movie when you walk in but you don't, it is very different to what you expect it to be.

The guide also took me the the hanging garden, Stunning gardens with beautiful flowers and trees, they have bushes cut in the shape of a giraffe and elephant. Under it is a hude resivoir of water and the there is a tower where passhe (no idea how I have to spell that) hange their dead. They leave the dead for the vultures to eat, once all the meat has been pecked off the bones the bones are then ground and thrown into the sea. How gross is that? They also apprantely never never never marry and how childeren outside of their own families so brothers and sisters etc marry and have kids. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I don't think so. No offence sando, I think your a hottie and all but euwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I don't think so!!!!!!

Well my door bell just rang and yes my laundry has just come back, in a basket with a rose on top of it. The shirts is presses and folded around cardboard like it has just come from a shop.

Seriously for 31 cents????? maybe that where the big mark up comes from ;-)

Then to a shop yesssssss they try to sell you everything. No thank you is a sentence they don't quite get. So what''s a girl going to do right? so okay then yes I will buy the Sari I don't need but have the most amazing colors and yes I will buy the scarfs that I don't need but that are pure cashmere whatever and look amazing, and yes i will buy the singing bowl for my sons, 1 no 2 okay then two. How much did you say that was? 35 000 rupee hmmmmmmm that's like 557 euro. i don't think so but thanks anyway. bye. wait yessssssss what you want to pay? Nothing I don't need these things. But madame we give you a good price. blah blah blah and so it goes on until I say. Give me a mintue and I call Jos. (yes I need premission from my husband to spend money, only ion India do they believe this ;-0) So hang up and say i am so sorry but my husband said no. Long story short, I left the store with goods I don't really need for the low low price of 75 euros. Who said i can't get the best deal.

Walking around I got a flower bangle from a woman carring her 1 year old son, who was sleeping in her arms. i thanked her a nicely as I could and said no thank you. But it was on my arm before the SHORT sentence was finished...... so i wanted to then give her some cash. Nooooooo she was not allowed to take that cos she was a begger. (hmmmmmm I not sure she understands the word begger.....) No instead she wanted milk and rice for her son. See now that is something I am sensitive 2. Food and milk for a kid seriously how can you say no. So off to the shop it is. ( I am sure the shop ripped me off but ok,.,,,,,,) She got her milk and rice correction, 2 rice, 2 milk and some oil. I don't mind doing that it's the giving of money and not knowing where it is going thta gets me. SO I am happy I fed a lady and her kid for the next week or 2 for the price of 25 euro's.

Okay enough blah blah blah for now. I will let you all in on my adventures tomorrow.

But before I leave you, what do you think the chances are that people in India can be trusted?

We will find out tomorrow, because I gave my tour guide money to go to the market and get me some good spices and some tea. He will deliver it to my hotel for me tomorrow. I only thought later hmmmmmm I am very trusting here I give a guy I don't know 20 euros to buy me spices and tea. He earns +/- 100 dollars a month I am guess 20 euros will go a long way for him. So he can do 2 things take the money and run. It's not like I know where I can find him or even that I will hunt him down for it, or he can buy the spices and bring them to the hotel. I will let you know ;-)

India

I arrived in Bombay last night. Took and hour taxi drive to the hotel and have spent the morning walking around a bit. What a place, they say the New York is the city that never sleeps well whoever said that has never been to Bombay. This my friends is the city that never sleeps.

The weather is LOVELY and the people are very friendly. I was expecting to be bombarded with people trying to get money off og me, but i must say it's not that bad.

I managed to walk around with out much distrubance.

Tomorrow I will take the boat to elephant cave and a sight seeing trip around the city.

Lunch i had at the hotel (no point in getting sick right ;-))

Lovely hotel with a swimming pool and gardens, so in the shade at the pool I had my lunch. The Colonial feeling really hit me. What it must have been like in those days. The building that bear mark of the English time are lovely only very run down. I areadly am decorating them and painting them in my mind.

At the moment I am in my hotel room enjoying a view of the bay with the door open listening to the sounds of India. Strangely enough it feels calming and exicitng at the same time.

Caden's Secret

First I have to share a conversation I had with Caden my 4 year old.

He has a beer bottle top in hand and says: Mom ik heb een wens gedaan (I made a wish)

and he gives me a cute secret smile.

I ask: What was your wish.

Caden: Dat kan ik niet zeggen dan komt het niet uit ( I can't tell you cos then it won't come true. "we big eyes")

Me: but just whisper it in my ear, I promise I won't tell anyone.

CAden NEEEEEE dat kan niet (No I can't)

a few moments later

Me: Ahhhhhh did you wish for a Toy?

Caden: Nee I mag het niet zeggen (No I can't tell you)

Me: Did you wish thta Papa would be home

Caden: Neeeeeeeeeeeeee

Me: ahhhhh please tel me

Caden: "in a very hushed voice"okay kom ik vertel het in je oor ( OK I will tell you in your ear"Again with the eyes")

Me: Yes

Caden: een Touw ( a rope)

hahahahahahaha what make a kid happy.

Sorry Caden I blew your secret but my angel I am sure all you wishes will come true one day

What's going on

Well Riley is much better and back at school. He and Caden have both had their birthdays. Riley is going to have his party for friends on saturday. I built a castle for their joined party and am now make a pirate shio for saturday. Yesterday I took photo's of Raymond and Barbara. SHe is beautifully pregnant. I will show you my favorite and some castle photo's. Till next time cheers

how we counted down to the new Year 2008

Riley got sick before christmas and on the 30th of December he was taken into hospital. At first they didn't know what it was so I stayed with him while he was there. Jos was home with Caden. Finally on the 1st of Jan in the evening they knew which bacteria it was. Wednesday 2nd of Jan I could take him home, he still needs to take medicine and can not go to school this coming week but it looks like he is getting better. Thursday we need to go back for a check up.

2008

WOW it has been awhile since I have updated my blog and soooooooooooo much has happend.

We are STILL busy with the house. Yes it has been over a year now........ but the results are stunning and the end is in sight so is the end of the money..... oh well more will come I'm sure and we work hard enough; -)

our house on the move

Yes lots as been done this weekend, and Jos is now sick. It is so sad. He even didn't want to be at Ajax which says enough ;-)

But we can now live in the new lounge. We are only waiting for one window, the window seats, electricity points and switches, and one wall needs to be painted and it's done.....

The downstairs toilet should be done by next weekend, and hopefully our bedroom aswell. I leave sunday for Istanbul so ot would be very cool to have some stuff done before then.

Here are some photo's

As you can see we use all the help we can get;-)

Life

Life is full of happy and sad moments.
Saturday I heard that a friend's father had passed away. I felt so sad and down cos there was / is nothing you can do or say to make that better.
Sunday my brother who I haven't seen for more then 2 years come to have dinner with us. I can not put in words how much that meant to me. He is my little brother and I love him so much. I am so happy to see he is starting to look and be more himself. I am also really happy he is back in my life. I have missed him so much.

Marcel Photo Shoot

house update

new photo's of the house

Now I am Oracle

as of monday I offically work for Oracle. Thursday was our offical introduction.

We took a Group foto of the Hyperion team in front of the Oracle office.

rain and sand gives

MUD!!! add a couple of kids and you have A PARTY!!!

update

yesterday I took the ablum track at Piens an finished an album in a day. Italy holiday foto's are in an Album I am so happy. I will add picture of that later.

For now here are some home foto's

so how is the house

so