Ma Turns 70

IMG_3455, originally uploaded by Christo's POV.

I had the honor of attending Wilbert's Mother's 70th birthday party yesterday. There was more family there than I had ever seen, and it was really fun. I'm sort of jealous of Wilbert for having all his family so close by, and is often the case with someone who has that luxury, he doesn't seem to fully appreciate it. And there are some really nice people among them as well! I was especially impressed with his Uncle Piet, who even at his ripe old age is still very interested in internet, satellite TV, and all sorts of other technologies. Cool guy!

He insisted (and quite rightly so) that the immediate family get together for a photo. With Caroline living in France, they don't get to see each other that often. Was also nice to meet Perry's new girlfriend, who seemed like a really nice gal and a major improvement over the last one. :-)

In general, I feel really lucky to be able to enjoy my partner's family, since my own is so far away.

Luckiest man in the world

As is often the case, I fell asleep in bed last night while reading or playing with a new gadget or something like that, and Wilbert was still upstairs playing on his computer. But for the first time ever, I fell asleep with my socks still on (a sign that I was deeply engaged with a new gadget, because my socks usually get ripped off the first moment I walk in the door!). When he came down to go to sleep, Wilbert gently woke me in the dark and asked sweetly, "Can I take your socks off for you, honey?" and proceeded to do so. That had to be about one of the sweetest, simplest things anyone has ever done for me, and it touched me deeply. I'm really lucky to have him in my life. Ik hou van je, mijn lieve huppel puppie!

What it would look like if...

...Wilbert and I decided to have kids. This is the neighbor boy, a really happy little lad. Though we both like kids (Wilbert is more patient with them than I am), we've made a conscious decision not to have any. But we're surrounded by nephews, nieces and neighbor kids, so we get to 'borrow' them every once in a while. But this picture had us both wondering what it would be like.

Lunch with John

Had my usual Saturday lunch date with one of my several Purmerend homegirls, John. We love to get together and talk about people. Today's favorite subject was a teenage American girl sitting with a group of Dutch kids and totally dominating the conversation while talking at lightspeed. Imagine that!

Vision Update

Well, it's been a while since last updated you kind folks out therein Blogland on the current status of my recovery, so here we go...

Things are going slowly but well. I went back to the doctor last Friday and my incisions were fully healed. But my vision is still pretty blurry. I can drive during the day, but it's sort of difficult to read road signs from faraway. I've gotten pretty used to computer work again, but the lack of sharp vision frustrates me greatly. I'm told that I'm progressing normally, but I'm very impatient. If things aren't better after another week then I'm going to start stepping up my demands on my doctor. "God grant me patience, but please hurry up!" Being back at work at least keeps me busy and distracts me.

Will keep you up to date!

Don't fuck with me, biatch!

A traditional Dutch carnival game called Photo Shooting. Hit the target and win a Polaroid of yourself.

The Summer Fair in Hoorn 2

The Summer Fair in Hoorn 1

Lazy Sunday

Night on the town

After a wonderful dinner at one of our oldest favorite restaurants in Amsterdam, Swaggat on the Langeleidsedwarsstraat, we met up with Jan and Michael for a drink on the Rembrandtsplein. Was good to see them, and in general the night was really enjoyable and relaxing before heading back to work again tomorrow. Hartstikke bedankt voor een gezellige avond, heren!

Party boy

While I was at home recovering from my eye surgery, party boy Wilbert was out enjoying gay pride with some friends after a long, hard week of work. The margarita death toll was considerable, which necessitated this little cat nap on the way to Amsterdam in the train. :-) We are going our to celebrate my improving vision as well as our impending 9th anniversary later this week! Thanks for taking such good care of me this week, lieverd!

Gay Pride Amsterdam... without me. :-(

Yesterday was the famous Gay Pride parade on the canals of Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I missed it, because with my current eyesight, I wouldn't have enjoyed it very much anyway. I'm pleased to say that I'm seeing a little bit better every day, especially if I keep my eyes well moisturized with artificial tears. So I'm a bit more hopeful and less pessmistic than I've been the last few days. Being like this for so long is a bit depressing. And I was really sorry to miss the canal parade, especially when it was gorgeous weather for once!

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow to look at my progress, and then I hope to go back to work. I might not be able to do much computer work, but there's so much work that has to be done in the next four weeks that I HAVE to get back. Plus I'm sick and tired of sitting at home along most of the time and am aching for some social contact! :-)

Kobe House restaurant Amsterdam

They were playing Christmas music in August (and had the guts to defend it!) But the food was good.

Lasek Day 5

Not c good day. Vision is not improved, and though they removed my bandage lenses this morning, my eyes have not yet fully healed. I am praying things start to look up soon because I'm starting to get really impatient. Wilbert took me out for Japanese tonight to cheer me up, which was very sweet of him. Tomorrow is a new day; fingers crossed!

Nurse Kitty loves Daddy's iPod too!

Another gratuitous cat photo from my sick bed. Recovery is going slightly slower than expected (well, hoped for) and trekked all the way into Amsterdam this morning just to find out that it was 1 day too soon to have my bandage lenses removed. So back again tomorrow. 
Little or no pain, but as predicted my vision got worse again yesterday but will slowly improve from here on out. I'm getting headaches as my eyes have difficulty focussing through my 'new' lenses, but that should clear up soon too. Pills were making me sleepy all the time so I stopped taking them. Can't wait to 'see' the end result!

Lasek Day 1

I drove to Delft this morning with Wilbert for my laser eye surgery, and everything went well. Had a difficult spell this afternoon when we got home, lots of pain and a constant stream of tears, but after opening my eyes for a while, the pain went away! I am taking no less than 7 medications (5 drops and 2 pills), so the pain is well-managed (as well as infection and inflammation). I already have a marked increase in my vision, but the monitor is making my eyes hurt, so I'll keep this short. All in all, a good first day. It could get worse before it gets better, though, so Í'm prepared for that.

The treatment itself was a piece of cake. It was slightly gross to smell the laser burning a hole in your eye, but other than that, not a lick of pain during the procedure. The doctor (Monika Ladesz) was excellent, and I recommend her to anyone. In general, VisionClinics is what you would expect of a high-priced private clinic: the best, most trustworthy, and service-oriented. I go back for my first exam tomorrow and again on Thursday, when they remove the contact lens bandages I have on. But for now, I'm feeling great!

13 hours and counting...

Nokia Fashionista Disaster

With the exception of a lovely chat with Anneloes and David outside after escaping this tired excuse for a social event, the Amsterdam Fashion Week opening party sponsored by Nokia was an unmitigated disaster. :@

Held at the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam, we waited for more than half an hour to get in, and would have never gotten in had we not powered our way to the front of the line. We didn't have tickets but were on the Nokia guest list, so you'd think we would have been treated a little better. When we got inside we found a crowded, tropically warm room with a very unglamorous group of people. Very little going on except for a single crowded bar, a bunch of wannabes trying to figure out why they were there and a few second-rate Dutch celebs. Tired! We wandered around for about 30 minutes then decided to get out.

Then when we tried to leave they wouldn't let us because there was too large a crowd outside waiting to get in. And the emergency exits were locked! Can you say fire trap? We were afraid they were going to sell us into slavery to make third-rate Nokia phones in a third-world country somewhere. I then got out my Sony-Ericsson phone (the apparent brand of choice at this party!) and threatened to call the police if they woldn't let us out. Anneloes threatened to fake a fainting spell. I think here threat was by far more dramatic; you win, honey!

So the only good thing that came out of this was a nice chat with two new friends. Thankfully the first half of the evening went MUCH better (see above), and the trip to Amsterdam wasn't a total loss.

Special occasion?

Is this the last time I will ever put a contact lens in my eye? With laser surgery on Monday it very well could be! I'm not allowed to wear them the day before surgery, so today was likely the last time; knock on wood!

Sleepy ball of feline love

Our oldest, Angel.

Looking butch!

Got my hair cut this week and am looking pretty butch! She went a bit overboard with the clippers but I'll survive.
I'm really conscious of the fact that when I put in my contacts today that it could easily be the last time I ever do so and that feeling is so bizarre! Lasek eye surgery on Monday, wish me luck!
Last night I missed the last step of the staircase at home and managed to fall on a knee. Ouch! Could barely note it without screaming last night but a lot better this morning.
Tonight improvisational comedy and dinner followed by the closing party of Amsterdam Fashion Week.

Our neighborhood

Unfortunately our street isn't this gorgeous, but this is right around the corner and is really peaceful and lovely.

Christo With Blogging Camera On The Loose!

This is what my hot man looks like during a hot night of shopping! And you'll be seeing a lot more photos like this because of the Sony Ericsson K800i, which has a 3.2 megapixel camera and lets you take a photo and send it directly to your blog, like I just did here! Cool, eh?

Finally!

After many difficult, sleepless nights of extreme heat, it finally got cool enough last night to sleep with the duvet again! Cool!

Saeco Primea Cappuccino

Our new pride and joy! This little puppy makes every DELICIOUS kind of coffee imaginable! Purchased from the fabulous folks at Kaldi Koffie in Purmerend, this fully automatic machine makes 8 different kinds of coffee (and tea!) and includes a fresh milk container that it uses to steam perfect frothy milk for cappuccino (3 cm thick foam on top!). And it has the sexiest little touch screen controls! Very gadgety!

We're having lots of fun making every conceivable type of coffee possible, but my favorite, considering the current heat wave, is of course an iced latte! :-)

I have an old Saeco Nespresso machine (fully automatic) for sale with 150 Nespresso capsules to whoever gives me the best offer!

Sick & Tired

I've been fooling myself for a long time. Fooling myself that I can be this overweight without any consequences. But in recent years the signs have started to pile up, and I just can't ignore them any longer. I'm getting increasingly tired. I've had some funny diseases. I'm snoring. My knees hurt. It's getting more and more uncomfortable to travel. I really hate the way I look. And I hate the lack of activity, adventure and fun in my life. And I hate to disappoint Wilbert, who is the most accepting and loving person I could ask for, but I know it hurts him to see me this way too. I'm becoming more and more of a hermit and I don't like it. And I'm back at the weight I was at when I started dieting some 7 years ago. Lost 50kgs and gained it all back again. I'm furious with myself.

So time has come to do something. To break out of this spiral before it becomes a self-fulfilling death sentence. I'm going to an obesity clinic on Friday for a group information session and intake discussion for possible surgery; probably a lap-band (a silicon band filed with saline that they put around the top of your stomach, essentially creating a smaller stomach without actually cutting into the stomach itself).

I refuse to give up my life without a fight.

So wish me luck. You can follow my adventures here online. No dates yet. Have to get through the laser vision correction surgery first on Monday!

How many people have this picture of themsevles?

Sorta cool to have a picture of the day when it all began, eh? Much more common with digital photography these days, but a rarity for someone who was born in the '60's, I think! I treasure this quite a bit!

Jan & Michael

After having a mediocre Japanese dinner on the town square (where there was a fat guy who put me to shame both in the size and ability to eat department - he kept ordering more and more and more!), we went to visit some long-time acquaintances who we both like very much because of their down-to-earth and incredibly friendly natures, Jan & Michael. Wilbert has been chatting with them recently on the internet, but we'd never really had time to get to know them without other (slightly loud) people around. We had a lovely evening of conversation, coffee and cocktails in their backyard, which provided some welcome relief from the heat. All in all, it was a really relaxed evening with some really nice people, and hope we get to do it again soon! www.jansnoek.nl

Cna yuo raed tihs?

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too!

Cna yuo raed tihs? I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Remembering Todd

Christine, Me, Peio and Louis in Madrid. Christine & Louis are Todd's younger brother and sister, and Peio is my friend from San Sebastian who introduced me to Todd before he died in 1991.

Surprise from the Past

I've been so on the move this past week that I haven't even had time to tell the most amazing story: how a gifted but troubled young gay man who chose to end his life 15 years ago brought four people together in Madrid last weekend to remember him, tell stories of his and their lives, revel in Madrid's Gay Pride celebration in his (and our) honor, and strike up new friendships while healing old wounds.

I was sitting at dinner with colleagues at the Clubhouse in Vouliagmeni, Greece (see below), when I got a call from a TV producer from the U.S., who said he was making a film about an old friend of mine, Todd , whose name I didn't immediately recognize. It then hit me like a bolt of lightning what he was talking about. He had found me through research and the internet... I had spoken to Todd's mother once briefly shortly after it happened, and they found my parents, who gave them my mobile number.

The story 15(+) years ago.

- Todd graduated from high school and went backpacking across Europe.

- He met Peio on the street and they spent four beautiful days together.

- He went on his way, but they stayed in touch.

- Todd went to college but made plans to come to Spain to study and see Peio.

- Peio, in the meantime, met Javi and decided to move in with him.

- Todd came to Spain anyway to study, but to another city.

- He had difficulty with the superficiality of gay life in Madrid, and struggled with not wanting to disappoint his parents.

- He and Peio remained friends, and Todd accepted that Peio was in a committed relationship.

- Todd visited Peio in San Sebastian where I met him.

- Peio's boyfriend Javi pitched a fit, and Todd went home.

- I needed a place to stay in Madrid, so called Todd.

- I went to Madrid, but Todd was nervous and depressed, and demanded I find somewhere else to stay.

- When there was nowhere else to stay, he kicked me out anyway. I found a place.

- I flew home, and after a few days got a telegram for Peio that Todd had jumped to his death.

- I was devastated, and for 15 years had thought I was the last one to see him alive (now we're not so sure).

- Actual cause/circumstances of death were never determined/known by family/friends.

So that brings us to present time.

MTV-owned gay & lesbian LOGO network in the U.S. is doing a documentary on gay siblings, and Todd's twin brother and sister are gay as well. They were going to fly to Madrid and record images of them remembering their dear older brother. I then suggested we find Peio and bring him in as well. With one consultation of Google.es, I found him, called him, and he agreed to come to Madrid. It was the first time I'd spoken to him in 13 years, as we'd lost touch several years after I left Spain. Bizarre that it was so easy to find him!

It was an emotionally and physically exhausting weekend. I wasn't actually aware of the whole Peio/Todd love affair because when I knew Peio, he was with Javi and didn't confide his history with Todd to me. I imagined that I, being the last one to supposedly see him alive, would have the most to tell Louis and Christine, but I didn't. And Peio had been carrying around a significant amount of guilt for the last 15 years about Todd's death (we told him that's rediculous, but people feel what they feel and there's nothing you can do about it). The bond between Christine, Louis and Peio was clear, and in the end I actually played a very small part in the story (other than supporting Peio through this difficult time.

After the interview (program will air on LOGO in November and we'll get DVD's of it), we were surprised with the fact that some of us would be going on a float in the gay pride parade, a huge affair in Madrid. But there were only four "places" and the obligatory costume (tight t-shirt) didn't fit me. And having been clearly sidelined by Peio's powerful story and with the cameras still rolling, I was left to walk behind the float, which thoroughly exhausted me. It might sound exaggerated, but that's the way I felt.

The parade, however, was fun, and I survived it (it was VERY hot!) because of the excellent company of the Spanish translator we had (completely unncessary considering my presence) and her girlfriend, both of whom where delightful and charming women. They took good care of me.

We then met Peio's current boyfriend of six years, who was struggling with the situation, but came around after meeting the twins and hearing the story. He was adorable and very sweet, I hope I get to spend more time with him and Peio in the Basque Country.

In the evening, we went to dinner with the whole gang to the Kupula Basque restaurant (see below), where Peio and I had eaten the night before as well. It was a fun time and the wine/food flowed freely. In the end, Louis picked up the bill and surprised us all with his generosity. I then went back to my hotel while the others went out, because I was flying out the next morning and it was already 2.30 in the morning. They stayed out til after 5, so I was glad I did.

The following day, Peio, Louis and Christine had tattoos done that were appropriate for the occasion: per aspera ad astra (through the thorns, to the stars) - a statement of the sacrifices required in order to achieve a better situation in life. We all mourn the fact that Todd didn't make it through the thorns of coming out as a young man in the early '90's, but celebrate the inspiration he gave us while he was alive and the gratitude we have for the fact that we were luckier and did make it through the thorns and to the stars.

18 hours at home with Wilbert and the kitties, then off to Rome (see below). Now home for three days before Prague, so happy to be spending a 2-day weekend at home. Clebrating Wilbert's belated birthday with a hamburger barbeque and his friends on Sunday. Looking forward to it. And looking forward to staying in touch with Peio in the future as well.

Week from Hell

I want to crawl in my bed and not come out for a week. After a very busy but pleasant two weeks (Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Athens, Madrid, then back to Amsterdam for only 18 hours), all hell broke loose in Rome and I nearly lost it. The taxi's were on strike, and it took a lot of time (and money) to get from A to B to C. At one point I threatened the hotel where the conference was that I would sleep in their lobby if they didn't give me a room (to no avail). I also threatened the conference organizers that I would get on a plane and fly home before giving my presentation unless they got me sorted out (which they did their best at). In the end I went for the only sure thing I could get, which was a room at the airport hotel with guaranteed shuttle service to and from the conference. Beds were too hard, but watching World Cup games in the bar was fun (especially Italy-Germany - the Italian crowd went nuts!).

My saving grace and calm in the storm for the whole thing was my colleague Nadra, who kept me sane and was an excellent travel companion for the second week in a row. She's going with me to Prague next week as well. It's a good thing I'm gay, or people would start to talk!

I have done enough trade shows to last me for a year, but at least I get a break until September and can just work. Will be nice to be at home for a while with Wilbert and the kitties. Just one more short trip to Prague on Monday, then I hope to stay put for the rest of the summer!

No additional restaurants of note to report. Rome's Airport Hilton is a comfortable, modern facility if you ever need to stay there, but like all airport hotels, you pay about a 25% premium. Nice business hotel, decent buffet, but get there before 22.00 and pay €30 instead of €37. A small bottle of Coke is around €5! Outrageous! In the Executive Lounge on the 5th floor, the exact same bottles are free!

Kupela restaurant (Madrid, Spain)

Kupela
Marqués de Cubas, 8 - 28014 Madrid
+34 91 523 3450 - info@restaurantekupela.com http://www.restaurantekupela.com/

So good that we went two nights in a row! This piece of the Basque Country in the middle of Spain could create enough good will with its food to end the conflict between the two parties! Located with ZERO fanfare on a small side street of Calle Alcalá, it's a fantastic place for either an intimate dinner or a large group of friends because of its several small rooms.

The food is very Basque and very good. We took the ciderhouse (sidrería) menu both nights, which included a cup of hard apple cider (definitely an acquired taste, but I acquired it long ago), thin, spicey txistorra sausages, a cod omelette, and very rare (read: bleeding) gigantic ribeye steaks (chuletón) cut into strips to share. The traditional dessert is idiazabal cheese, whole walnuts and quince (membrillo). Other people enjoyed small red peppers stuffed with cod, small squid (txipirones) served in their own ink, and other Basque delights.

The service was brilliant. The second night we showed up with 9 very rowdy, happy people at a few mnutes before midnight (when the kitchen was supposed to close), but they admitted us without complaint and catered to our every whim and fancy for more than two hours. Really well done, muchachos!

We of course ended our meal with a glass of homemade patxaran, a Basque anis liquer cured with currant berries served on the rocks. The stuff of gods! :-)

Seriously worth a detour to find in Madrid!

Wilbert and I in Greece

Like many tourists in Athens, one day we decided to go on a day-long tour of the Greek islands. It was a giant boat with every conceivable nationality on board, though Asians seemed to predominate, as they tend to travel the globe in large groups. Lots of little culture clashes to witness over the course of the day... interesting. All in all a LONG but fun day!

The Clubhouse restaurant (Vouliagmeni, Greece)

Situated in the Astir Palace resort complex, about 20 minutes outside of Athens, this restaurant sports the single most stunning view of any restaurant many of us had ever eaten in (with La Perla in San Sebastian, Spain, running a close second). It has an almost trendy interior, but where it really shines is the patio that overlooks one of the many small bays that dot the peninsula it's on. Stunning.

A self-proclaimed "gourmet restaurant", the food was good but not meriting any stars. Most of us had seafood risotto and pasta and were satisfied but not blown away. The staff was very helpful and attentive. Price-wise you certainly pay for the view, but it's worth it.

So all-in-all, definitely worth a try if you're in the area. But make sure to bring both your hunger and your camera! And make sure to time your visit for sunset!

If you're looking for a similar view but a dining experience a few notches down in both quality, service and price, try the restaurant in the Nafsika hotel that's also part of the Astir complex.

Zorbas Restaurant (Athens/Mikrolimano, Greece)

http://www.zorbasrestaurant.gr/

Purportedly one of the best retaurants in the small Mikrolimano port area outside of Athens and on the other side of Piraeus. Right at the beginning of the road that circles the port, with the restaurant on one side of the street and a well-appointed terrace right on the water, where we sat.

The view was lovely. We arrived before 9, so the sun was still up. They made good wine and fresh seafood recommendations - we had a mixed appetizer plate of fresh shrimp and calamari, and for our main course we each had a whole red snapper, which was delightfully seasoned and cooked. For dessert we shared a strawberry millefeuille (sp?) and something else I no longer remember, also good.

So in all, the food was good to excellent (and we got out of there for under EUR150 including a playful, crisp bottle of Greek red).

The service, however, ruined the night. It was abismally slow. As a former American, I am still more sensitive to this than most Europeans, but in general in Greece, the wait staff seems more interested in discussing/arguing with each other than serving customers. It took our food a little bit longer than was acceptable (even by Southern European standards, which are slower), but the piece de resistance was when we asked for the check and a taxi at the same time and the taxi arrived 15 minutes before the check did (forcing us to pay a waiting fee on the meter - good thing Greek taxi's are so cheap).

In short, the good quality of the food and view was overshadowed by the poor service, and we left feeling like we would try a different restaurant next time.

www.zorbasrestaurant.gr

Metropolitan Hotel, Athens (Greece)

Booked through Expedia for a special rate of about €120 per night (double occupancy, no breakfast), this modern hotel is half-way between downtown Athens and the port of Piraeus. A €25 daytime fare from airport, but keep an eye on the meter because Athens taxi drivers are the most crooked lot I've ever come across. They seem to randomly make up their own prices so watch them like a hawk. The hotel offers a free hourly shuttle to Syntagma (Constitution) Square but a taxi ride should only be €5-10.

The hotel has a modern, friendly atmosphere. The rooftop pool, restaurant and bar offer lovely views of the port and are great for relaxing and casual dining/drinks. Staff is mostly helpful (especially on the roof), but lobby restaurant service for breakfast and lunch was slow, unfriendly and poor. Rooms are small but very comfortable, but beds are rock-hard (staff was very accommodating in finding solutions, but the hotel should change the mattresses). Housekeeping staff was helpful and very friendly.

Despite the distance from the action, I would highly recommend this hotel (unless you have a bad back or are impatient in restaurants) because of its excellent value for money proposition.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 7 (great value but uncomfortable beds and inconsistent wait staff).

On a side note, something I've figured out about hotel and restaurant staff in Southern Europe (think Italy, Greece and Spain). In these countries wait/reception staff tends to often be from older generations - generations less experienced with customer service and the idea that the customer is always right. Many of them seem like they're waiting for their pensions to kick in and it's the only reason they show up to work. Younger people usually tend to be more polite, more eager to help and generally more resourceful than the older ones, who in many cases are outdated fixtures of establishments they've worked in all their lives. This might sound disrespectful or over-generalized, but the truth is that I've gotten much better service in general (with very few exceptions) from younger people than I have from the 50/60-year old crowd. They're also harder to connect with because of language issues - the younger generations seem to be more tuned into English than the older generation. Even so, I speak a number of languages, and the same concept usually remains true regardless of my ability to communicate with the staff or not.

This was also true at this hotel. With the exception of a really great host on the top floor restaurant, the older reception staff was generally quite unfriendly, and the younger staff was more helpful and polite.

So hospitality industry, if you want to do right by your guests, either retrain your existing staff (good luck!) for the 21st century guest, or get in some fresh, eager young blood who will take good care of your patrons.

Travel Reviews

I was at dinner with Wilbert last night (a bizarre experience... see next entries) and it occurred to me that I get to visit so many places, stay in so many hotels and eat at so many restaurants that it would make sense if I actually wrote something about them as well. And considering
that I can e-mail my reviews from my mobile phone directly to my blog while the impressions are still fresh, then why not? So today we'll start out with one good one and one mixed one...

Hope you find them interesting and useful!

Gadget du jour: Nokia E61

I'm totally impressed! Got this thing two days ago and it's fabulous! Form factor is easy to hold in one hand, it's light but doesn't feel/look cheap.

PC synchronization works well as well. Just a bummer Nokia (predictably) chose for a proprietary cable instead of a USB-B. Motorola and HTC are on the right track there, makes life a lot easier.

As is the case with most mobile phone companies offering BlackBerry Connect, the details around it are all extraordinarily (and unncessarily) mysterious, but some quick Googleation led to a simple solution and I was up and running in minutes.

The phone has the most useful standby screen I have ever seen on any device(even with add-on software!). Most recent Blackberry emails and upcoming appointments give you a view of your day at a glance. The thing is as stable as can be (not a single crash yet!). Love Nokia's choice for putting ALL sound through the Bluetooth headset, so I can listen to my podcasts in boring meetings. :-) The scroll-wheel for SE and BB users is missing, but you can get great one-handed operation with the joystick as well.

Speaker-independent voice dialing is great, but I'm missing a RAZR v3i-like opportunity for choosing WHICH phone number to dial for a contact. Haven't quite figured out yet how the phone makes an assumption as to WHICH number to dial (home, work or mobile). In general I'm quite chuffed with the phone. The price point for retail purchase without a contract was really reasonable for such a powerful device, I though. I'm still curious to see the new SE line (m600i, 990), but in general the E61 is hot stuff!

Feeling bitchy? Try one of these!

Thanks to my dear friend Gail in Northern Virginia for these!

Can someone explain to me...

...why certain Americans calling themselves "Christians" consider the two of us a threat to their family? Doesn't make any sense to me at all. We've had gay marriage in the Netherlands for years now and I don't know of one family (or child) that's suffered as a result. What are you so scared of? Why do you want to make our lives so complex? Securing the same rights (i.e. inheritance, hospital visitation, etc.) costs us tens of thousands of dollars to arrange while for you it comes automatic with marriage.

Can't you imagine that we might love each other the same way you love your husband/wife? Is that so impossible? Stop trying to meddle with the fulfillment of our basic human rights and get back to worshipping God instead of trying to impose your narrow idea of religion on the U.S. It's dangerous and it can end in nothing but a repeat of the inquisition or McCarthyism all over again. Your passion and lack of logic and perspective is starting to resemble that of Islamic fundamentalists more and more every day, and I see no way your attempts to turn the U.S. into a theocracy can end in anything but the meltdown of American freedoms, liberties and traditions.

Here is some of the debate coming out of congress from CNN:

"I don't believe there's any issue that's more important than this one," said Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. "I think this debate is very healthy, and it's winning a lot of hearts and minds. I think we're going to show real progress."

"The federal marriage amendment debate simply is an opportunity for us to affirm our support for marriage," said Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican. "It is an important debate to have in this country."

But Sen. Ted Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, denounced the proposed amendment Tuesday as "an instrument of bigotry and prejudice," which he said was designed by the GOP leadership "to try to bring Republican senators out of the ditch of disapproval."

And Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said that "the reason the Senate Republicans are pushing this marriage amendment is because they don't want to address the real issues of this country."

"This is an effort by the president and the majority in the House and the Senate to distort, to misdirect what the real issues are," he told reporters Tuesday.

SuperModel 2006 Video MegaMix

I remain completely obsessed with RuPaul after all these years. She's the definition of fabulous! I've been following her since about 1992, including owning ever piece of music she's made, and I read her blog religiously. A true artiste! Enjoy this little shameless commercial!

Home Sweet Home & Cool iPod Accessories

Had a fabulous flight on a KLM 777, which probably has the best business class seats/service I've ever had. Forgot my 3 remaining Ambien on board... ouch. Good news is my doctor hands them out like candy, so I'll pick some up tomorrow! Made it through customs unhindered with my shopping as usual (all you have to do is act American and they're not interested in you) and had a safe trip home and slept for about 4 hours (only got 2-3 on the plane - short flight).

Now that I'm back, I can reveal my special gift to Wilbert (for all his support over the last year) and second favorite iPod accessory: the iHome iH5B - a fully-featured alarm clock with iPod support and great sound:

My first favorite accessory continues to be Harman Kardon's Drive+Play - the kit that makes using the iPod in the car elegant and easy as opposed to messy and difficult (though you pay through the nose for it: €179 + professional installation that costs about the same):

Fun in NYC!

After leaving the mountains, I spent a wonderful night in Denver - a quick bit of shopping at the restyled Casual Male XL (formerly Casual Male Big & Tall - I'm told Big & Tall made people feel bad so they didn't shop there), and attendance of not one but TWO movies - what decadence! I saw "The DaVinci Code" (I wish they had webcams so you could watch the faces of the few Christian fundamentalists who actually dare to see the movie - I'd love to watch them squirm at its "heresy"!), followed by the latest X-Men film. I really liked DaVinci, but felt indifferent about X-Men (despite it's phenomenal performance at the box office this holiday weekend). Got up at the crack of dawn and left for NYC yesterday.

Arrived in NYC, checked into the W Hotel in Times Square - a very hip and sylish place, to be sure. I was upgraded to a corner room with two views of the city - very cool. I then went out for sushi with my friend Margaret and went back to her apartment for some sorbet and watched the last-ever episode of Will & Grace on her Tivo. I thought it was OK, but in their desire to satisfy fans with a neatly wrapped-up ending (which is good), it got a little disjointed and didn't flow as smoothly as most of their episodes do - their writing is usually VERY tight. They took a lot of liberties with this last episode, which I guess is OK. Margaret's apartment was worth the 5-flight stair climb to see it, it was small but really nicely decorated.

Then went out for margarita's followed by Thai with my dear friend Mike from colleage. He's doing so well, has a fabulous boyfriend (wasn't in town but Wilbert and I met him at Christmas), is on his way to a fabulous career in psychiatry, and is buying a brownstone in Brooklyn (you're forgiven, darling). Is always so nice to see him - he's one of my favorite people and I think he always will be. Love you, Jennifur!

Today was all about shopping - first Rochester Big & Tall where I fed my Ralph Lauren addiction with five lovely, brightly-colored button down shirts, then to the new Apple store on 5th Ave. where I got something fabulous for Wilbert that I can't yet talk about because it's a surprise! :-) Then lunch with my cousin Key, who is very smart and very sweet and is marrying a very cute 1/2 Russian boy next month! Congrats, hon! I was sorry to have missed her sister Ashley who also lives in the city and works for Wilbert's and my favorite company, Aveda.

Now sitting at JFK ready to fly home. It's been a very fun trip, but I have missed Wilbert and the kitties a lot and am ready to be at home for a while. Unfortunately, I'll be on the road again pretty quickly - Prague, Copenhagen and Athens all in the month of June. No rest for the wicked! Might sound disingenous to complain about having to go to such fabulous places, but believe me, it gets old after a while.

The Wedding Party

It was a windy but beautiful day for my sister's wedding. My brother and I took over 1000 pictures, but here's a good one of the bride and groom and both families. It was a fantastic weekend and it was great to meet Mel & Heidi's friends and family; they were all really great people.

Goin' to the Chapel...

I'm in Colorado this weekend for my sister's wedding (this afternoon!). It's her second marriage, and it's to a great guy, Mel, she met about two years ago. I've met him 2 or 3 times and he seems a'ight! And they'll be moving to Boston soon with my little niece Merrick, where I'm hoping they'll be very happy together (and at least temporarily concentrating both my siblings in one city!). It's taken Heidi a while to find happiness in life after one false start, and I'm confident she's found "the real deal" now. It was especially nice meeting Mel's family last night, and to have my whole family here as well. It's rare we see each other more than once a year!

Here's to you, Heidi & Mel (and Mer!)! May you have a long life full of happiness and love together!

(Above: The happy couple with friends from Boston)

The Beaver Creek Creek.

A bit of old Colorado, updated for tourism purposes.

Colorado snow in late May! Bizarre for someone from a country that's mostly below sea level! :-)

The gorgous patio right outside the reception room for my sister's wedding. Weather looks to be upper 30's (C) / 80's (F) and gorgeous today!

The gazebo where my sister will be married today, on a mountain in Cordillera, Colorado.

Dad, the bride to be and me looking like a squished banana. :-)

Some of Heidi's friends and Mel's family from the wedding party at lunch in Beaver Creek Villiage.

The happy bride and groom to be at the family dinner on the night before the wedding.

The Next Generation

It's a bit after the fact, but this is a very special photo that was taken at Christmas time of my siblings (black sweater and pink sweater) and our partners. It's the first time that the three of us were ever present with all three partners, representing a pretty major milestone in our lives. It took us all a while to get there (wonder what that's all about - a topic for another blog entry!), but we're finally all happily partnered, living together and/or about to be married. I'm happy we all made it this far (not everyone does), but think it's a testament to my parents having taught us that relationship is never easy, but that it's worth the hard work required to make it work. So here's to Christopher & Wilbert, Heidi & Mel (and Merrick!) and Josh & Lorie!

My Man the National Knitting Spokesmodel!

Wilbert on a national Dutch TV show promoting knitting in a segment about knitting for men. Wilbert is the guy on the right. He's taken a very active role in promoting knitting in Holland as a hip, trendy and relaxing passtime, and he's the "go to guy" for knitting info and trends. I'm really proud of him!

Home Sweet Home

Gosh, it's nice to be home. It was a good trip to the U.S., but gosh, was I ready to get back to Holland!

It was wonderful to see my parents and especially to have their undivided attention for five days so we could enjoy each others' company uninterrupted. It's never quite that way when my brother and sister (and spouses/kid) are at home. I had some great, deep conversations with my mother about our family "dynamics", which is incredibly valuable in both explaining the past as well as helping me to understand who I am today. Also did some great shopping (mostly shoes and clothes - so much cheaper than in the U.S. and they actually have my size!). Not to mention both my mother's WONDERFUL cooking and some great restaurant outings. Thanks, Mom & Dad for a great time, and see you next month for Heidi's wedding (my sister is getting married at the end of May in the mountains of Colorado, so I'm logging a lot of family time this spring!).

Vegas was nice. Great weather... not too hot and not too chilly. Things I did:

• Went on a time-share tour of the Marriott Le Grand Chateau. Maybe...
• Gambled with acceptable losses
• Got a Sony Vaio TX770P. VERY powerful & tiny laptop with built-in GSM modem!
• Worked hard at the National Association of Broadcasters trade show
• Met two really nice guys in Las Vegas who I hope to maintain a friendship with. Thanks for the great chats/meals, Chris & Vincent!
• Went to a great variety show at the V Theater in the Aladdin. Very funny!
• Ate prime rib THREE times, including twice at my favorite restaurant in the whole world, Blackstones in the Monte Carlo. We don't generally have prime rib in Holland, so it's always a special meal for me.

The trip home was crap. United Airlines flies a lousy 767 on the Chicago-Amsterdam route, and the business class seats are so narrow I can barely sit in them. The economy flight from Las Vegas to Chicago was more comfortable. Even the First Class cabin isn't up to KLM 747 standards. It really sucked and I got very little rest. But I got home, got some good sleep, and am starting to get my energy back. All in all, a very fun but very expensive trip!

Back in the USA!

Well it's been FAR too long since I've written anything here, so my apologies. I've been very busy at work, what with a major corporate takeover, old staff leaving, new staff joining, new line of brochures, bla bla bla. In general life has been good, but I've really been needing a break.

So on Good Friday I flew to Iowa to hang out with my parents for a few days, and had a really enjoyable time of good fellowship (and good Iowa food!). Had some great conversations with my Mom that gave me a lot more insight into my youth, which I always appreciate. The nice thing is that I'll get to see them, as well as my siblings, at my sister's wedding next month in Colorado.

Yesterday I flew to Las Vegas to spend a few days in the Southwestern sun before the National Association of Broadcasters meeting begins next Monday. It's not often I've got to spend any leisure time in Las Vegas by myself (despite being here at least once a year for the last six years!), so I look forward to the next few days.

That's about all for now. Time to clean up and go see what adventures Las Vegas holds for me today!

Brunch with those who escaped...

It was called to my attention by H.M. Margaret (H.M. stands for High Maintenance, not for Her Majesty!) that I forgot to mention our lovely visit with her and some other former colleagues from my company. It was a delightful time and it was great to see her and meet these other folks who left before my time. And she picked a VERY cool place: the Vinyl diner on 9th Ave. in NYC. Great to see ya, hon, and best wishes to you and your mom for a fabulous 2006! Next time we have to make sure to get you in the picture as well!

Home Sweet Home

Back home safely. Was a very long day. The companies that made it easier were the Flamingo Hotel & Casino, United Las Vegas ground staff (especially the supervisor), the company that makes Ambien (my favorite new drug - zonk-o-rama!), and a great Dutch taxi driver. The companies that pissed me off were Wendy's Dulles (incompetent, rude people), the United Flight 946 Business Class cabin crew who were surly and unfriendly. So glad to be home with Wilbert and the kitties! Now time to unpack!

More Old Friends at X-Mas

Got a very special treat this holiday season... I got to Las Vegas a day early for the Consumer Electronics Show which I'm attending for my company, and arranged to meet one of my fellow students from the exchange program I was on in Spain in 1990-91. Kahunya was one of my dear friends while I was there and helped make life bearable in a world before cheap phone calls and ubiquitous e-mail access. He's now finishing up grad school in Oregon and it was great to spend 36 hours with him (even though we both snore like hippos!). :-)

One of our outings included a session at an oxygen bar and one of those dry water massage capsules. Silly but fun! It was great to see you, man, y te deseo mucha suerte con tus estudios y con escoger el proximo camino que vas a caminar en tu vida. Un abrazo muy fuerte!

Living High on the Hog

Sometimes I just have to laugh out loud at my life. But in a good way.

This morning I was reviewing my loyalty points on various websites and came across a summary of my last three months of hotel stays with the Starwood chain (to which I am insanely loyal because they've been very good to me). It looked something like this:

• Jan 04, 2006 Aladdin Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
• Jan 03, 2006 Sheraton Manhattan Hotel
• Dec 17, 2005 Sheraton Belgravia Hotel, London
• Nov 28, 2005 Four Points by Sheraton Milan Center
• Oct 17, 2005 The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing

Add to that the 9 flights that I will have taken between 22 Dec and 8 Jan (and a fistfull of shopping mall and amazon.com credit card receipts), and that gives a pretty good picture of what my life has looked like for the last quarter. A combination of business and pleasure, but still... for a three month period, this is a pretty intensive and dreamy schedule for a guy from a state that produces corn and soybeans. There's still that very Iowan part of me that thinks traveling two hours away from home by car is a big deal, so let's just say that part of me is very impressed with the life I lead today. The funny thing is that almost everyone I work with leads a very similar life. It's the nature of international business and being an expat (or a former one).

Bottom line is that I love my life (for lots more reasons than just this!), and that it's made all the more meaningful by having someone wonderful to spend it with. I love you, scheetje! Our next hotel stay together is in only 14 days... :-)

And the most special moment of the year...

And why is that? To be announced... (op z'n tijd).

Friends at New Year's in New York

It was fantastic to see old college gal pal Dr. Mike and his "matzah belle" boyfriend and famous gay author, Joel! Check out (and buy) his book! They're a great couple and we really enjoyed and appreciated our time with them. We look forward to seeing them in Holland sometime soon.