Mmmm

Sometimes I want a little secrect forum where i can meet all my female friends and where we can chat hahaha (i wanted to say gossip, but that's such a negative word hehe), especially because we are all a bit apart from each other these days... But a bit of MSN and some text messages back and forth keeps us updated anyway.. I look forward to tomorrow when I will be able to meet at least some of you again, then we can have some tea again..
Haha did I tell everyone about last weekend? When I was in the Netherlands for well.. two days? Haha.. There was a big family party on saturday. I had totally forgotten about it, otherwise I would have planned things differently. But i felt terrible about not going.. I hadn't seen most of my nieces for three years and last time I saw my grandparents was also a while ago.. It was a very nice day, even though it was raining.. But well, we were on a boat all day, what could possibly make me any happier? :D And ofcourse it was very nice to see everyone again.. To see how old all the little children had become, to hear what my nieces had been up to the last three years, to hear who got engaged (although I already knew, MSN ftw haha). And to hear my grandfather say that he was happy that I was there because he didn't think i could make it.. that makes it worth flying in on friday afternoon and going back on sunday morning (with some parental support ;)) Anyway, I was very happy that I went..
Back here nothing special has happened, with the exception of the cute doctor asking me to have icecream/ a drink with him.. Hahaha brilliant.. Finally the first spontaneous contact, but I don't know yet whether it's a smart plan :) First a nice week of Maastricht is coming up.. to which I am looking forward a lot!
But now.. back to work!
xxx

edit: omg, i make the most mindnumbing posts.. I think this blog never has become a real blog, only some half-half diary of some sort.. Terrible haha.. Who wants to hear about my family weekend? hehe Maybe this is just some kind of conversation I could have with either of you, about what I did last week or something.. But in writing it looks quite pointless..

edit again: seems like today is my lucky day.. The sailors who wanted to be on a picture with me, i don't mind, but an older guy trying to pick me up when I'm laying the park is quite annoying.. It was quite a sympathetic guy, but when they start about: when can I meet you again?? it gets on my nerves.. Hehe too bad that I cannot be reálly rude.. Maybe someone can teach me ;) He had the same name as the doctor haha funny enough..

Philippine sailors

Hahaha now I only post when something makes me laugh.. And the tourists here are sure fun sometimes :) I was lying in the park near the tower, as I always do during lunch-time.. Then two guys walk up to me and ask me if they can take a picture with me. I thought, ok they want me to take a picture of them in front of the tower... No, no, with you. Ehhh ok? (oeps I switched to Dutch.. delete....) So first one with me on the picture, then the other one.. In the meanwhile they ask for my name and tell me their names and that they are sailors, just coming of the schip. Haha and then they say, it was nice to meet you, we shake hands and they're off again hahahahaha.. Haha so I think they will go home thinking that they are on the picture with an italian girl hahaha..
Kind of strange no? hihi
Furthermore:
Did you know that:
- the orange traffic light here is a sign to double your speed and try to get across as fast as possible before the light turns red? :P But I must say, it takes some seconds before the other lights go green after the opposite turned red, that is much better than in Holland, where it goes simultaneously...
- I still don't know the Italian words for: go straight ahead.. Haha because I get asked the way here by more Italian people than foreign people, but I can only direct them to the left or the right hehe.. Except when they are about 50 feet from the station, then I can just point hahaha..
- I am surprised by the amount of dutch tourists here.. I always play a little game with myself, which is guess the nationalities :) And recently I heard a language I didn't know, very intriging (except for the fact that I ofcourse can also not distinguish Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc from each other..hehe) But a lot of dutchies here..
- I finally know why Italians love soccer so much? Because there is nothing else interesting to watch on tv! Hahaha. No, but it is really true. I even turn on the soccermatches, even the ones that aren't even Italian (Madrid vs some small English place or something hahaha) I even started watching a bit of Lost yesterday (IEK!), so then soccer is much preferred!

Ok this was a complete nonsense post.. But Francesco is to Napels, Lucia finished her internship more or less, Ilaria is working ánd studying for her specialization exams and my ICA components look like crap. :P
Back to work!

whahaha

Ok, I didn't really want to post this weekend, because my mood wasn't that great.. The first two weeks here went pretty ok (with exception of the first two days..) I wasn't feeling that terrible, quite at peace, although it was not so nice to see that Lauran was having more difficulty this time.. But this weekend, I really started to be fed up with being alone (+ working half of the weekend) and really really wanted to see some of you again, and do some nice social things.. But well, two more weeks..and then a week of fun.. (and work, work, work)
But just now I was having a laugh, so I just wanted to share that.. :P Did I ever tell that there is one cute doctor here? Floor knows haha.. Before, I wanted to write that he is probably about 35 and married with two kids, so no worries.. :P But today he came to ask for Francesco (as everyone who walks in here does) and asked me what I was doing and told me what he was doing and what my name was and his name was and.. how old I was? Hahaha, now what do you want to know that for? hahaha Sorry, hihi I was just laughing in myself..
But he and Prof. Caramella (very very nice guy, told me that I should go party and that his kids know where, but he doesn't because they don't tell him haha) are in the top of my list of friendly people here.. together with my friends at the foodshops hahahahaha.. Kind of sad no? That the people I interact most with, are the people I get lunch from haha.. The ladies across the street are very nice, and always laugh at me for eating the same thing.. And the man of the other shop starts "ciao bella-ing" me (but in the nice way, not in the nasty-Rome-way :P)
Haha but these things chear up my mood a bit..

Ah and on friday I scanned the first subject (Ilaria hahahaha) of our new (3) experiment.. The data don't look that great though.. Hehe but it could have something to do with the fact that Ilaria sees very bad with one eye and didn't have her lens in her eye... Maybe not that great for a visual experiment! Hehe.. But first some more analyses...

Please help me get through the week with some nice emails/posts ;) hihihihi Anything exciting happening there? Sure not here hihi

THE SEA!

:) (!!!!)

It's still weekend, so still some time to post.. Today (after having had some needed sleep.. (I sleep bad here..)) I went to Viareggio..! Famous for carnaval here in the neighbourhood, but besides the sea there is not much else.. I would not call it as bad as Bari (hehe), but it's a bit.. well... bad maintained.. But when I arrived at the station I turned on my sea-sense and walked straight to the sea! (Not that it is that difficult, just one long street hahaha).
Just to smell the sea in the air! Magnificent! I felt happy instantly..!
Unfortunately their was one huge row of private beaches.. and really.. I really refuse to pay to swim in the sea! Where in Holland do you pay to swim and lay on the beach? But well, being about 500 meters from the sea and only privated beaches for some kilometers long.. I ofcourse could not manage turning back and not laying in the water! So I paid anyway.. ghe :)
I've noticed before when we went swimming with Jasper and Paolo near Rome that noone ever goes far into the sea or really goes swimming, just playing along the shore.. But I dived in ofcourse hahahaha :) :) Maybe it is still too cold according to Italian measures, but to Dutch measures it was wonderfully warm! The water is at least 10 degrees warmer than in Holland :)
So I enjoyed myself.. I love the water....

(so if anyone now feels the need to swim also, you are very welcome to drop by! hihi ^_^)

Did you know that..

(Ok I might be repeating things here.. ;))
Did you know that:
- people here never increase their pace when they cross the streets, not even when cars are coming from both sides? (try that in Napoli or Londen and you will be run over three times hahaha)
- Italian people as I have met them here are very very polite? Ok sometimes they yell at each other hehe, but in general they far more polite than dutch people.. Mostly good, sometimes I like them to speak their mind a little bit more hehe dutch-straightforward-ness ftw!
- there are far more pretty girls than pretty guys here? (hihi)
- bread is more expensive here and very not dutch (I've finish my last bits of dutch bread :( ..) and pesto in the supermarket is not cheaper?
- when I go shopping I don't buy clothes (iek!) but books, books, books? (I've sinned again today..)
- no tourist ever had the idea to keep the tower of Pisa from falling over by putting their foot against it instead of their hand?
- people in Italy are in general more prude than in Holland? Hehe and this is not my opinion, but those of Letterio and Fabio who went to Iceland and were surprised to see naked girls in the sauna or something haha... Also in dressing only the foreign girls walk around in tops, the rest prefers to wear sweaters untill it's 30 degrees..
- people tend to be fond of music (me like!)
- mosquitos start to arrive now in Pisa and will stay untill the end of the summer? :(
- now I forgot what else I wanted to say? :) (I had a good one, but I will save it for a next time then..hihi)
etc etc :P
Any more prejudice? Hehe it would be very interesting to see a foreign person make such a list of Holland/Maastricht :) Things you don't (want to) see in your own people or yourself :) Hahaha it would be very interesting..

little update

Just a little update, because nothing much has happened this week.. I am a fool for going to work today haha, but I won't work too long and make sure I also catch some sun.. But it is nice now, because I can finally make a little bit of time to do the things I should do, like writing on my article and redefining my regions of interest and other things to finally finish my first project.. During the week I am kept quite busy with other things, because Francesco now really wants to start one of the new projects. So I try to keep both Elia ánd Francesco happy, by both focussing on finishing the old project (and all the HBM things I have to do!! Iek!) and starting a new project a little bit too.. Hehe

As I said in my last post I have talked to Francesco, and we chatted quite nicely on (when was it?) wednesday evening or something.. However, the things I really wanted to talk about didn't really turn out great, because now we are still going to do 2 or 3 projects at the same time hahaha (well ok we're only slowly starting on the new one, so I guess it's 1,5, that's doable..) ánd about when Francesco goes to Maastricht (and therefore me).. it is still unclear! Hehe because I got a little bit scared when first he talked about fall and now about winter... I kind of need something to hang on to, hehe but that's not going to happen ofcourse.. So we will wait and see... I think he officially starts for real in september (now he has an honorairy position) but I think he plans to go there a bit later.. (as in: months later..) I don't know. I just wished that I could go back in October or something.. That would be doable for me.. Maybe I should ask Harry Timmers to give Francesco a teaching block early in the academic year hahahaha.. :P And we talked a bit about how Francesco hopes that his children will come to visit him in Maastricht.. I really feel sorry for him about that part.. Somewhere I really don't understand why he chooses to go and work in Maastricht if his family lives in Napels.. But then again, I am not going to stop him :P No but seriously, it must be hard for him.. Hehe I feel like I am becoming him a little bit too.. Always travelling between two places..

Ohnooo now this post is becoming long again! Oh well, then you have at least something to read.. And these things were not even what I wanted to talk about.. I wanted to say that this time I felt a little bit quicker "at home" again (not really home yet).. Last time it took me two weeks before I didn't feel terrible anymore, but now I am doing quite ok.. The first two days were not so nice, but now in general I am ok.. With the occasional relapse ofcourse hehehe... At the moment I also don't mind staying here for a while, and I also think it is necessary.. But I will probably be back somewhere before HBM because I really need some help on my poster I think, and to hug some people also ;) But then I will be back only for a little while.. I think 4 or 5 weeks here, 1 week Maastricht is better than 3 weeks Pisa, 3 weeks Maastricht, when you know that I am supposed to be here... hihi.. Even though Maastricht is my favourite place to be I really should put an effort in showing that I also can be here.. Hehe tomorrow I will go look for the sea I think! It's really a shame that I have not been to the Pisa-sea yet!

And I am glad that when I have to be far away from my family and friends that I at least am in a beautiful country.. When I get on my bike in the morning and bike to the hospital I see the mountains in the background and (palm)trees on the foreground and the nice houses.. then I cannot help but enjoying that..

Ok maybe I am now making my blog-post a little happier than I am at the moment hahaha.. I just try not to keep my head down :) It will all be fine, right? As long as I have something to do, I don't go insane.. Hehe Lauran suggested I should write a book hihi.. Anyway, I've chatted enough.. Please enjoy me with some of your stories..
Kissss

back in Pisa

Mmmm the three weeks in Maastricht were great... Sometimes difficult also.. a lot of emotional stuff going on.. But fun also.. Hehe the parties were great.. Chica's night out with a lot of happy people and a to-many-girls very charming Francesco G. ;) Harm's party where we arrived definitely too late because of the many "happy" (mexican term ;)) employees, but also many cute people hehe I liked it a lot.. Birgit's party where it was nice to see the cancel-peeps again.. Lauran's party (ok well, the real party will still come..) which ended in some nice dancing with Anne and some familiar faces.. It was all good.. Best of all was just to hang around (also at the uni) and see everyone again and talk a bit and to be close to everyone again.. (my family also!) Now that I am here again I miss that the most.. I remember thinking: oh it will probably just be a few weeks and then I will be back in Maastricht.. But now that I have been here for three days I'm already down to the ground again.. It's really an adjustment.. In Maastricht I was happy if I could be one evening in the week by myself and here I am happy if I can spend one evening in the week with someone else!
Hehe but I've send Ilaria a message if we will eat together.. She will probably read it áfter she has eaten as always, but then we can eat together tomorrow :)
I'm now waiting for Francesco to come back because I wanted to talk a little bit about the planning (very unitalian, yes I know), because he and Elia had a brilliant new plan for a new project for me (and it indeed sounds very interesting) but Francesco also wanted me to still do the project we had just started (which is also very nice) ánd I have to finish my old project with Elia so.... Hehe some planning would be nice.. I also want to hear in which month I can go back to Maastricht "for good", but that probably won't happen... (but one can always dream haha)
But pfff it's hard to concentrate if you are all alone in the office working all day! Then I get negative thoughts like, who will still be there when I come back? Which of my friends will be gone? Why can't I spend time with them in these last few months.. Depressing ha? Hehehe :) It is very much, but I try not to think of it, because in Maastricht I also don't give it a lot of thought.. I'm a little bit too fond of the people around me ^_^
Well my dear friends.. I go back to work for a little bit.. I hope you will all think sometimes about me, as I think of you...

Oh! btw I want to thank everyone who has sent me a card! Unfortunately the mail doesn't seem to work that good, because Floor's and Marije's cards never came to my doorstep (Chun's and my family's did, so thanks for that again!) Maybe it's an english bug, although Chun's card did arrive from England.. I don't know! Keep trying though! ;)
Kiss