I’m taking the train every day. Twice a day. In rush hour. Normally, that’s not a reason to be happy about. There is never (ever) a free seat. Especially the mornings are bad, when I often feel like I’m going to faint. Talking to people doesn’t happen. Why should it? In the morning, I don’t want to talk and in the afternoon, well, I don’t want to talk either.
But last Thursday was different. An old colleague caught up with me in the morning and while we were chatting about past and present bad times in the company, the train ride was over before I knew it.
In the afternoon, I was stupidly gazing into an adjoining compartment, when the girl who was sitting on the fold-out seat said that it was a long train, so I should go and find a free seat. Then she pointed at her little wine bottle, saying that she actually detests people who drink in the train, but that she had a tough week, and she had to celebrate weekend, even though it meant she was now ‘one of them’. I couldn’t help but liking this girl. Maybe talking in the train isn’t that bad after all.
…Extreme Makeover: Home Edition always makes me cry?
De vakantie is goed afgerond en het werkende leven goed ingeluid. Met drukke dagen en avonden is er bijna geen tijd meer over voor een blogje. Maar, lieve lezers, het gaat goed met mij!
Soms zie je hier hele scholen vogels over velden en wegen zwerven. Als lange slingers of kolkende groepen verplaatsen ze zich als waren ze één. Zeer cool om te zien.
Om eerlijk te zijn heb ik hier nog geen hond uitgelaten zien worden, maar straathonden zijn er wel. Echter, ze blaffen niet en kakken niet, dus wat mij betreft geen overlast.
Ook katten zie je hier regelmatig. Bijna even vaak plat op straat als langs de kant van de weg. Ook heb ik nog geen levende kikkers gezien, enkel platte.
Op de boerderij van oma word ik gek van de vliegen. Zij zelf ook. Ze slaat ze dood met een ouderwetse vliegenmepper om ze daarna op het fornuis te gooien. Go oma!
Af en toe zie je herders met kudden schapen of geiten voorbij komen. Ook ezels staan hier en daar, en wij hebben zelf de koe van opa mee terug naar huis genomen uit het veld.
Het mooiste verkeersbord dat ik heb gezien, heeft behalve een auto, bromfiets en tractor, dan ook een paard met wagen eropstaan.
There is a special hangover soup, chorba, consisting of vegetables, a certain meat or fish and most importantly, lemon. As a finishing touch, you put a spoonful of garlic vinegar in it. Supposedly, this all helps to get rid of a possible hangover and provides you with enough vitamins to get through the day. I didn’t try it, I was going for a pancake instead.
Today we went to 7, a fast food place known for its burgers with fries. What you get is a massive round bread with a burger (or a chicken filet, or ham and cheese, or just cheese) topped with french fries and liters of sauce. It sounds fun, it looks fun and it tastes fun. Impossible to finish, but fun to have tried!
When you are invited for lunch, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will eat at lunch time. It means you will have a meal somewhere between 1 and 5 pm. So I have had to say goodbye to my habit of eating lots of small portions of food per day. Here, I get two massive meals a day, dinner is unnecessary.
Is that smoking is still allowed here everywhere. In cafes, bars and restaurants, but also in malls, schools, internet cafes and on weddings. It makes me appreciate the smoking ban in NL even more. What is supposed to be a nice coffee break or lunch always turns out in red eyes and coughing. Gadver.