Ruggles's Travels

A traveling we will go....

2011-07-26T10:02:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I am just not as into this as I used to be ;) Since my last post on Sicily, we have been to Macedonia to visit friends, I've been to Moldova again for work, and I am due to return to Moldova this forthcoming weekend - with a stopover in Bucharest (Romania) to do a little exploring.

It's hard traveling without the fam and missing little Ian so much. I'd love to take them with me everywhere - and we do plan on taking Ian with us to many different places in our lifetimes!

Anyhow, I have lots of photos and some stories, but with my readership and lack of energy to do 2 blogs (we have one for Ian), I am considering to discontinue this one! It was just to share a bit of news with friends and family, to let them know what I was up to over here and to show a bit of the world, but I had no idea it'd go on for 6+ years! :)

So, perhaps this is my last post...we'll see....I will just share my photos another way!

A short trip to Sicily

2011-06-03T04:03:00.001-06:00

Al and Arno enjoying a beer in Monreale piazza

So, my brother is now a 1st Lieutenant in the Marines and on his 4th or 5th (?) deployment - this time aboard a ship, the USS Bataan - under NATO command for Libya. Anyhow, they pulled into port in Palermo in Sicily, Italy last weekend. As they are not allowed to disclose the dates and location until last minute, we only found out the details 2 days before we actually arrived. Fortunately, there were affordable flights to Sicily (Trapani) with the great budget airline Ryanair.

We had only a little bit of time with Al, since some stupid guys on the ship screwed up their free time on the Saturday, but we enjoyed the time we had anyway. We took him and his friend, Jason, to a small mountainside town above Palermo, called Monreale. Beautiful cathedral there.

Where we ate one evening. Freshly grilled fish and a possible mafioso sighting

Palermo is an ancient city and still largely mafia-controlled, but it's pretty nice. Not your typical polished overly tourist Italian city. Well, most Italian cities and towns are not that polished, but this one is even lesser so. Palermo felt very authentically Italian to me.

All in all, a short but sweet trip. I'd love to go back and travel to Mt. Etna!

Inside Cathedral of Monreale

Enjoy the rest of the photos by clicking here!!

Palermo, Sicily

2011-05-29T02:07:00.000-06:00

Copenhagen, Denmark - a delightful city

2011-04-28T04:40:00.007-06:00

The only really busy place in Copenhagen

I don't normally use the word 'delightful' to describe anything, but Copenhagen is indeed just that. It's picturesque, not densely populated like Amsterdam, with a very laid back atmosphere - even more so than in Amsterdam.

Ian is chillin'

We took a roadtrip over the Easter holidays to visit our Danish friends, Ulla and Andreas. We had a 'delightful' time exploring the city, laying in the parks, eating traditional Danish foods and, of course, drinking some traditional Danish beers ;) Ian was a great trooper, as usual, and maybe even learned some Danish along the way - 'tak' for thank you, and 'hi hi' for goodbye.

Tip to foodies out there: Copenhagen does boast the world's best restaurant now, Noma, beating out El Bulli in Spain. Unfortunately, we did not have the pleasure of dining there, but maybe in the future ;-)

cool modern angles

Check out more pics of our delightful trip to this delightful place!

Ungheni and Chisinau, Moldova

2011-04-12T14:27:00.003-06:00

Moldova, Moldova....I don't think many people know about this country. I mean, I didn't until I started this job. It used to be part of Romania and the people speak Romanian (also called Moldovan, but it's not a separate language or dialect). Everyone understands Russian as well, and the older generation still speaks Russian as their main language. There are many villages where the residents just communicate in Russian (! Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and a large percentage of people want to re-join with Romania (part of the European Union), however, that isn't very likely. For a more detailed account of the country's history, you can check wikipedia ;)

I only spent 4 days in Moldova on this trip, but I will be returning in June. We support a project, called Fundatia Muncii, training youth in various skillsets/trades to find employment in a company, or to start their own businesses. Moldova is traditionally an agricultural country (including a long and noted history in viticulture - wine making), so the youth are often not really well-trained for other types of labor. There is also a large exodus of young people to Russia, Romania, and other countries, because the Moldovan economy is just so terrible. In terms of GDP, it's the poorest in Europe (average monthly salary is around €150/month). There are poorer people on the planet, of course, but this is on the modern, European continent!

Anyhow, at first appearance, I thought the landscape was quite grim. Of course, the trees and flowers still had not blossomed and it was rainy, so the old delapidated communist high-rise buildings and factories of Ungheni and elsewhere, were quite depressing. After a couple of days, however, I got to see more of the lovely countryside and, I dare say, it looks like Virginia. At least, I could picture myself in Virginia as we were driving....rolling hills, vineyards, the trees, etc. Have a look at the photos towards the end and see what you think. Besides, the Moldovan people made the country appear much brighter with their sincere warmth and generosity (according to some experts I met who have traveled extensively throughout the former USSR, the Moldovan people are by far the nicest).

Well, that's it for an update. I will be tasting more of the respectable wines on my next visit to the world's largest underground wine cellar, Milestii Mici!

Here are the rest of the photos!
*I didn't take our nice DSLR camera because I didn't want to lose it, so please bear with the less than perfect quality. ;)

Hiatus soon to end...

2011-03-23T07:26:00.000-06:00

After several months without travel (except to the States) due to the new addition to the family, I am happy to say, I will begin travelling again...perhaps not as frequently as before, but I suppose that's ok.

First trip will be work-related to Moldova, the first week in April. Heading to a town called Ungheni (circled in green) just on the border with Romania in the west of the country.

The second forthcoming trip will be a roadtrip in April to Copenhagen, Denmark and perhaps a short visit to Malmo in Sweden! Yay!

We have other travels in mind for this year, but I will wait with saying anything about those!

I will post something more about Moldova soon!

Travel and Blog Hiatus

2010-10-07T02:58:00.000-06:00

So, with the baby due in just about 10 days, this blog will be on a longer hiatus than usual. Unfortunately, no exciting travel plans in the near future, except for perhaps a trip to the States to introduce the baby to everyone :) We do hope to have a nice trip or two (or more) in 2011, but the destinations are unknown as of yet!

Anyhow, our new adventure is just around the corner!!! :) Yippee!!

Cheers,
Melissa

Babymoon to Portugal

2010-08-03T07:48:00.008-06:00

In between parental visits and other small side trips and things, Arno and I planned a babymoon - a kindof 'final, pre-baby, just the two of us' trip to Portugal. Of course, the baby was actually very present, making it difficult for me to walk up big hills and stairs in the blistering Portugese sun, but well, you get the idea...

We traveled from the North of the country - Porto - to the South, the more touristy area - the Algarve - over a 10 day period. It's a nice country with some beautiful architecture, azulejos (tiles adorning buildings), food and landscapes (most notably the jagged Algarve coastline). Unfortunately, I did not try any port - yes, I go to the country where Port

originates and I did not try a drop! Sad, eh? Well,

when you're pregnant and with pregnant people,

alcohol is obviously not as much a part of the agenda...plus, I am sure there will be a next time, since I didn't get to explore Lisbon and the port/wine producing region enough.

Anyhow, all in all, it was a lovely trip. So, now, enjoy the photos (by clicking here), particularly all of the rock formation ones! The camera doesn't do them justice, which is naturally the reason to only take more! :)

>> I have never seen a Jesus figure like this one! Love it!

Greece, Athens and Agistri island

2010-06-12T01:42:00.023-06:00

It has taken over a month, but I am finally posting about our short trip to Greece at the end of April. As I said in my previous post, Athens is not a great city. Of course, my photos tell a different story. I must say, though, if you get a little outside of the center, away from the busy streets and pollution, it is quite nice indeed. Funnily enough, 2 days after we were at the Acropolis, protesters temporarily seized the Acropolis, hanging large anti-government, etc. banners everywhere....glad we missed that!

Agistri, the little island we escaped to, was a nice retreat from a chaotic Athens and a crazy month for me. There was no shortage of beautiful photo ops - vines and flowers adorning houses and walkways, lovely seascapes, etc. Needless to say, our Greek experiences in the future will again center around its island life :)

Here are some photo highlights. And click HERE for the rest!

-->A convenient way to sell flowers - Athens

--> How would you like your seafood prepared?

-- Ah, Yes, I'd like it blow-dried, please...

--> Simple rustic charm

Travel Craziness

2010-05-16T03:26:00.003-06:00

The last 3-4 weeks have been nothing short of crazy. My U.S. trip (and Target visit) was not as exciting as anticipated, given the wonderful volcanic eruption in Iceland and related canceled and re-routed flights, lost luggage, and unexpected extended stay...although I was lucky (or unlucky I guess) to have even gotten a flight out in the first place -- my flight out was the day of the eruption so some were still going and I was (sadly) persistent enough to get on another flight to the U.S....This is my U.S. travel nightmare in a nutshell, because I am too exhausted to recount it in detail at the moment.

I was only home from the U.S. a couple of days before having to travel to Greece for a business meeting and short holiday...trust me, it sounds great, but it wasn't very relaxing and we managed to get out just before the economy-related strikes and protests (and further cancellation of flights) got underway. Note to travelers: Athens is NOT a nice city. It is extremely polluted and just not very nice, i.e. not a lot to see/visit, not a very walkable city, etc - sorry that I cannot elaborate further, butif you have specific questions, I can answer them :) . My suggestion is to spend 1-2 days maximum in Athens to visit Acropolis and museums, then head to a nice island somewhere. We headed to a nearby island which was great, but next time I will be flying directly to one of the islands!

Finally, 2 days after our return from Greece, my family (dad + stepmother + 2 toddler siblings) arrived for a 2 week visit!! We took a family roadtrip to southern Germany - the Bavarian region - for a week and drove ALL around upper Bavaria...very tiring to say the least, but I am happy to have seen some new towns...strikingly religious down there!

At this point in time, as I sit here and type away, my family are all out visiting the Keukenhof flower gardens and I am staying home to rest, because at almost 5 months pregnant, I need a BREAK from all of this. The pregnancy is just now starting to 'hit' me and I can't walk around as much as I used to! Aaah!!!

I am definitely looking forward to my life returning to normal. I need it to normalize a little, so that I can actually begin to grasp the next adventure ahead - having a baby. Even at 5 months, it's hard for me to get my head around and I definitely need some down time to mentally prepare and also to get everything else ready! 20 week ultrasound in 2 weeks! Yay!

I will also post travel photos soon! Stay tuned....

A Caged Bear

2010-04-11T02:11:00.007-06:00

Next weekend I am flying to the U.S. (Clemson, South Carolina to be exact). WHY? To be in a friend's wedding. Only for a weekend. Crazy, huh? I am not rich and this kind of jet-setting is really not my style, but, hey, my friend flew from southern Africa to attend my wedding, so I think I can fly to hers for a weekend, especially since she has asked me to be a bridesmaid...unfortunately, I have not been able to do this for all my friends' weddings, which I have sadly missed over the years :(

But, anyway, that is not the point of this blog story. The point of the story is....aside from the wedding and the beautiful Southern summer scenery and SUN, do you know what I am most looking forward to???

TARGET! Yep, after many months of not visiting the U.S. (and years not living there), when I do visit, I am like a caged bear who has been released back into the wild....only for me, it's release into the world of consumerism and I have a particular thirst for the unbeatable quantities and varieties of products one can purchase in stores like Target, Walmart, etc. You see, in Europe, well at least in The Netherlands, these kinds of stores simply do not exist! Ikea is the closest thing and who wants to buy everything there - ick- boring!

When you do need to buy several different things here, you have to go to several different stores to find them. Not so in the U.S.A. - the land of plenty (ignore the fact that so much of it is manufactured in China)....If I need something for the bathroom, for the living room, some clothes, some toiletries, and don't forget FOOD, you can go to one place!!! ONE PLACE! And you have so much to choose from in that ONE place!!! Different colors, prints, styles, sizes, etc. It's a consumer paradise. Sure, it's sometimes nice to browse around all of these little European shops, but it's also time consuming and - not to mention - not cheap!

First of all, finding which shops have which products takes forever, and then learning the pricing of products at these numerous shops, takes years to master!!!!!! I still don't know where to go to find certain things (recent example - one of those hangy thingys for the shower)! This is why I most often resort to online shopping, which involves learning the word in Dutch and then googling different varieties of the word to see if there is a shop even selling it online)!

Needless to say, I am so incredibly looking forward to walking into Target, breathing in the wonderful smell of ultimate consumerism and embracing it, at least for the few hours I have to do so. I will soak in the variety of choices, take time to browse and decide, and do what Americans do best, CONSUME! :)

Upcoming travels

2010-04-03T05:14:00.004-06:00

We have lots of European travels coming up with my family visiting in May and July!

- April: Greece for business and pleasure!
- May: Munich and Bavarian region with the father, stepmother and half-siblings

- June: Portugal --> Arno and I will also finally have a belated honeymoon!! Never been to Portugal, so really looking forward to exploring the country over a 2 week timeframe.
- July: Paris, for about the 5th time with my mom! I love this city!

Unfortunately, no fun trips outside of Europe, although, if I am really lucky - maybe a long weekend to Istanbul....hmm.....

Anyhow, will be posting photos from Greece in a couple of weeks! Stay tuned. Fun times!

Brief article I wrote from my MSF trip to the Congo a little while ago...

2010-03-09T07:31:00.006-06:00

...I don't think I ever shared this on here, but here's a brief article I wrote based on an interview I did with a family in Shamwana, DRC (Katanga province). It was translated and put onto the Dutch MSF websitehttp://www.artsenzondergrenzen.nl/over-ons/dossiers-en-themas/themadossiers/dossier-moeder-en-kindzorg/babyverhalen-uit-het-veld.aspx, but here is the English version. I am reminiscing about my trip there and just thought I'd share! The interview took place in their humble home and it was a very interesting, wonderful experience! This healthy baby is more the exception than the norm, unfortunately...

Bifani from the Democratic Republic of

Congo

Throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is customary for people to seek the guidance and treatment of a traditional healer. The healer performs a range of rituals for a variety of illnesses in an effort to heal the ailing person. This health-seeking practice has partly to do with long-held local customs as well as the lack of quality medical facilities. In the experience of MSF staff throughout the country, the traditional healers’ remedies can have positive, but also negative effects.

MSF works in 2 hospitals in Shamwana and Dubie, in south-eastern Congo. There, we've seen that there is a custom which requires mothers who have just delivered a baby to wait to start breastfeeding their newborns until after a visit of a traditional healer. The traditional healer must first perform a small ritual before the breast milk is deemed ready to give to the baby.

However, the mother may have to wait a week or more until the traditional healer's visit, thus preventing the baby from receiving the special first breast milk (the colostrum) containing vital nutrients and antibodies a baby needs in its first days of life. As a result, and without the availability of milk formula, this widely practiced tradition has unfortunately led to the death of many newborns in the region.

However, newborn Bifani Kenna – who is named after a former MSF nurse who worked in the Shamwana hospital – is more fortunate. Her parents, Willy (38) and Hatti (25), recognize the importance of beginning breastfeeding immediately after a baby is born. Willy and Hatti have also tried to spread this information informally by talking to other mothers and families, but have met with resistance from other villagers who strongly value this particular custom with the traditional healer.

In order to provide health services to better meet the population’s needs, MSF is also beginning to address this paradox by adapting its programming. In Shamwana, and in other villages where there is a similar concern about some of the negative effects of the customary health-seeking practice, MSF is starting to engage with local traditional healers to establish a positive cooperation. One possible solution, for example, is bringing the traditional healers to the hospital immediately upon the birth of a child to perform the ritual for the breast milk. The challenge facing MSF staff is a delicate balancing act, but one, if achieved, can result in more healthy babies.

During my conversation with Willy and Hatti and as they proudly showed me their newborn Bifani, they asked me to share this significant issue with the wider public to raise awareness of some contradictions which exist between traditional customs and Western medicine, and the dilemmas which regularly occur as a result. Willy and Hatti wish more parents will be able to have a healthy baby like their Bifani

Melissa Ruggles

Melissa was in the Congo to accompany and support the MSF operational advisor in her work.

Willy and Hatti are both Congolese nationals who came to Shamwana from other parts of Katanga. Willy works for MSF in the Shamwana project as a Social Mobilizer. In addition to newborn Bifani, Willy and Hatti have 3 other healthy children, 2 boys and 1 other girl, and they hope to have at least 5 kids in total.

Morocco Part II

2010-01-30T07:26:00.009-06:00

The beauty of this meticulously hand-painted, hand-carved door (probably a couple of centuries old) exemplifies the beauty found all over this land. Morocco is like a huge rough rock with many precious gems to be found inside.

I've taken a lot of photos and I hope you do take the time to look through them to see more of this very interesting country. I can't wait to go back in the future and explore some more!

Click here to see the photos!

Morocco Part I

2010-01-26T14:09:00.010-06:00

(NB: The videos work now - had to upload them to YouTube)

We recently traveled to Morocco for a short holiday trip (it's only a 3 hour flight, so why not?!). We spent our time in Fes and in the Erg Chebbi dunes in the Sahara desert. Until I get the photos uploaded, here are 2 short videos for you.

One is from within the Fes medina in the souks. This medina is far more interesting and dynamic than captured in this video. The noises, smells and stimuli were endless. Several times, I even had to jump to get out of the way of loaded donkeys hauling various goods, lol!

This short one is in the dunes...

What I can say, even from our short visit, is that this country is simply amazing. The country is is incredibly rich in both culture and nature. The diversity of nature and dramatic, scenic landscapes was really a surprise for me...we traveled through snow in the Atlas mountains, through rugged moon-like and Irish-like landscapes, and of course experienced the desert...there is also much more to this country (incl. beaches, other interesting ancient cities, etc. etc.) than we were able to see on this visit.

I highly recommend this country to travelers. People are very friendly, it's not a strict Muslim country; however, I do recommend traveling with someone if you're female!

We'll definitely be heading back to explore Marrakesh and other interesting places in the future!

More to come soon....

Rrrriga

2009-12-29T09:07:00.013-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, I traveled with two friends to Latvia's capital city, Riga (pronounced 'Reega'). As you may recall from history or geography classes, Latvia is one of the 3 Baltic states (the others being Lithuania and Estonia). It's safe to say, many people (including myself) do not know much about these northern countries. I was aware of their history of occupation by the Soviets and Germans, but not much more. This little knowledge, combined with the cheap flights offered by RyanAir, is one of the reasons I picked Riga for a visit.

-Top Left Image:Christmas market in front of Dome cathedral

Riga is a small, charming city; and, visiting close to the Christmas holiday made it even more so. We frequented the two Christmas markets, visited the Occupation Museum, and simply went from cafe, to bar, to restaurant, because it was SO cold (mind you, this is a place where people wear furs not only for fashion) and the food was excellent!

This city boasts a number of awesome bars and restaurants, including an authentic medieval place, almost entirely lit by candlelight. This place was a great find on one of the freezing nights. The candlelight, intimacy and warm medieval honey drink warmed me to the bone. It wasn't too cheesy either - highly recommend it if you're in the city.

One of the funniest and most notable things about the city is the tendency for bar and restaurant staff to dress in costume according to the theme of the place. You could expect this in, say, a medieval restaurant as I just mentioned; however, we observed this in 3 out of 4 places. For instance, at a trendy student bar called Cuba, employees were wearing sun dresses and flip-flops; in another trendy bar decorated completely in hospital/medical theme, staff dressed in medical outfits (with the women in short nurse attire, uh-hem); and, in a homey place serving up hearty Latvian food, staff wore what must have been traditional Latvian clothing.

Keep in mind, this is not a super touristy location, especially in mid-December, so this trend cannot be attributed simply to tourism. Regardless of the reason, it's pretty hilarious and entertaining.

Given that we were only visiting for a weekend, we didn't get the chance to travel outside of Riga. However, there is apparently a nice coastal resort town quite close to Riga, which you could visit in better weather - Jurmala, a place formally favored by high-level Communist party officials.

Anyhow, it was a pleasant weekend. I only took a couple of photos - mostly of the Christmas market area. For more photos, click here!

Prettige Feestdagen!

2009-12-19T15:39:00.005-06:00

We had some snow in Amsterdam recently...not as much as is hitting VA now, but we can be happy for the little we received, since it doesn't come very often.

Here's the Christmas card I created for this year. Eco-friendly! :)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Our Amsterdam buurt (neighborhood)

2009-10-27T04:33:00.008-06:00

So, the Riga trip this weekend fell through because apparently the reservation was never confirmed. However, we re-booked and got even cheaper flights in December...60 euros per person to be exact - gotta love those bargains! Instead, this weekend, I am visiting the same friend I will be traveling with, in Brussels, which should also be nice, of course. Brussels is a beautiful city and I love the mix of 'Dutchness' and 'Frenchness' you find there.

Anyhow, the point of this post is to actually show you a bit of our neighborhood, the 'Indische Buurt', in Amsterdam. We live nearby a large, beautiful park, called Flevopark, which is where most of the photos are taken. We often go for walks or runs here. Considering I always post photos of other places, I thought I'd show you a bit of our immediate surroundings - including some typical Dutch sights, such as random abstract art, a large canal still used for shipping freight, a standard bike path, road signs, and bicycle madness. Enjoy!

Our building (we are just left of the tree) and bike parking madness on our street

Question....

2009-10-18T14:37:00.003-06:00

...why do some of my friends come to Europe, sometimes for the first time, then not tell me until it's too late?? Really, what's the deal? Hmmm...I feel like I am missing something....it's a tad annoying and disappointing, to say the least...

Riga, Latvia in 2 weeks!

2009-10-16T03:45:00.004-06:00

Well, in the last month of free time, before I start a new job on November 16th, I decided it would be prudent to take a small European trip. Since Arno can't go with me, it had to be somewhere that he wouldn't be envious of ;) Actually, a few days prior to me booking a trip to Riga with my friend, Arno and I had made a loose list of priority countries we want to visit in the coming years. The Baltic States weren't one of the priorities. Luckily, there are very affordable flights with RyanAir from Brussels (where my friend lives) to numerous locations, so alas, I settled on Riga!

I don't know really what to expect, except that it's still apparently very 'Russian-esque' from so many years spent under rule of (among others) the former Soviet Union. The two largest ethnicities are indeed Latvian, followed very closely by Russian.

Check back in sometime after 1 November for some photos!

Atā! (apparently that is Latvian for 'bye'!)

NatGeo Place of the Week

2009-09-05T07:28:00.005-06:00

To spice up my fading blog, I thought I'd add a widget...what better than something from National Geographic?! Every week, you can read up on and travel in spirit to some foreign place - maybe somewhere you've been...or maybe not. I am pretty certain that every locale featured will be somewhere I'd like to travel, so I will definitely start checking my own blog each week now....lol.

Enjoy!

Something to Ponder...or not...

2009-08-20T13:31:00.004-06:00

...I don't know why this question came to mind and it's not directly related to travel, but...

When is an acquaintance no longer an acquaintance, but a friend?

I feel whatever criteria I subconsciously used before to make such distinctions have only become blurred as I've grown older, or maybe it's a part of living the expat lifestyle where everything is transient....?

Would be interested to hear people's thoughts on this....

Sailing and exploring the island of Elba, Italy - June 2009

2009-07-10T06:53:00.014-06:00

Sailing. It's simply awesome. There's nothing more peaceful than being on the water, the rumbling motor off, with a good wind and full sails, just gliding along with no set agenda. This is the second time we've had the fortunate and unique opportunity to sail with my good friend, Jaap. Because he is a certified sailor, or captain, he's able to charter sailboats himself; meaning we don't have to hire a crew to sail us around, which also means very low costs for what is usually an expensive activity, and complete freedom on the boat. In Europe, there are several companies which rent out sailboats from various ports and this year's trip started in the port of Follonica, Italy. Destination: the island of Elba. For you history buffs, you will know it as the island to which Napolean was exiled for a couple of years. En route to Elba, we also passed by the island of Monte Cristo. (Note: the boat pictured above is the boat we sailed on; Aulona, was her name. Sleeps 8 people.)

The added special bonus of sailing is that you can reach uninhabited islands and secluded, less populated locations that you often cannot reach without a boat. We often anchored offshore and swam to the beach (sometimes to find that wearing bathing suits was not the norm)! What a nice workout! I am so thankful to have had this opportunity again and am thinking of taking formal classes to learn how to sail myself. Thanks, Jaap!

Elba. It's a gorgeous, rugged island with the most friendly locals that I've encountered anywhere. At bars and restaurants, the locals spoiled us with freebies. Now, in many places around Europe and elsewhere, staff will offer you a digestif or something supposedly on the house, but it then shows up on the bill. Not here. The bar and restaurant staff/owners at 4 different places showered us with melon wrapped in prosciutto, battered shrimp, meat platters, fruit bowls, a bottle of muscat, and more! Unbelievable. Typically, in such smaller, traditional towns, the villagers are a little "anti-outsider", but we didn't get this feeling whatsoever. It was fab. These handouts may also be, in part, due to the abundance of these yummy foods on the island, but perhaps also due to the fact that there seem to be few tourists in Elba.

The island is full of rustic, delapidated buildings that I just LOVE, as you will notice from my numerous photos of the subjects. There is something about the old, colorful doors, red-tiled houses, steps, and bougainvillea-adorned buildings and fences, that I am intrinsically drawn to. There is a sweet charm to these scenes. This island is not special in that, given that these characteristics describe many old villages and cities throughout southern Europe.
In truth, many of these rustic buildings are actually falling apart due to lacking funds and priority to maintain them. You will rarely come across such delapidated places in northern Europe (also due to a difference in architecture and climate). Regardless, these old, lovely places make for great photos :) I can honestly say that, if I ever live in a climate which supports bougainvillea, they will also adorn my home :) I simply love them and think they are one of the things in the world, which epitomizes simple 'beauty'.

So, here are the rest of my photos from the week-long trip. We didn't get as much sailing time in as on our Spanish sailing tour in 2007, primarily due to uncooperative weather/winds, but the trip was great nevertheless. Also, FYI, there are a few photos in the beginning from Pisa and a few in the end from Florence. I was in Florence in 2002, so I hardly took any this time.

See also the short video below for a bit of the smoother sailing! Arno was steering the boat in this video.

For anyone visiting Italy, I highly recommend Elba and, in particular, Portoferraio (also where Napolean's domicile is). You can take a ferry to Elba from the port of Piombino, just south of Pisa (there are regular trains from Pisa to Piombino).

Vevey, Switzerland - a stunning place for a wedding...

2009-05-14T00:09:00.006-06:00

The first weekend in May, we traveled to Vevey, Switzerland for a friend's wedding...it's just over an hour by train from Geneva on the large lake, Leman, not far from Lausanne. It also happens to be the home of Nestle!

Vevey is simply stunning. The view of the snow-crested Alps on the lake is magnificent. With such a landscape, the town must at least try to match its beauty - which it did quite well with its voluptuous gardens and lovely buildings.

Some of my favorite photos are below. But for more photos of this beautiful place, as well as the wedding, click here.

For Ever Let This Place Be a Cry of Despair...

2009-04-23T06:31:00.012-06:00

and a Warning to Humanity...some words from the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp (which is comprised of 3 massive complexes spanning 2 neighboring villages in Poland).

The sheer cruelty with which we humans can treat our own kind is appalling and disgusting and so many other things. Physically being at Auschwitz-Birkenau on a paradoxically nice Spring day left me speechless. I did not feel the need or want to talk, but only to try to absorb, to feel, to reflect on, what actually happened there.

This blog post is dedicated to the millions who were persecuted, tortured, and murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of its kind under Nazi Germany, as well as in the many other camps (and elsewhere under the Hitler regime).

This post is dedicated to the millions worldwide - past, present and future - who are persecuted, tortured and murdered because of their race, culture, creed, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or other propagated reason....may their human lives be remembered...

Will we as a human race ever learn from such events, prevent future grave catastrophes??? I am not so optimistic on this point...

For photos from my visit, click here (I have put in titles to explain some things).

Yeah, so the post, or topic, may be considered "depressing", but this happened and similar atrocities continue to happen around the world, so instead of brushing it off as depressing for being a downer topic, face up to reality and reflect on our humanity for a bit...I am 100% glad I went, even on an Easter weekend - it was moving and memorable. I highly recommend that if you are ever in Poland, or in a country where such atrocities occurred, to visit the site and to remember those people who lived and who were persecuted, tortured or murdered because of something so immaterial...

There are a quarter of a million registered nudists around the world

2009-04-02T07:21:00.008-06:00

In the first of my inter-travel posts, see below an article on the plans for Germany's first nudist hotel....

How far would you go to be 'one with nature'??

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The house rules of the planned hotel
Access to the hotel is reserved exclusively to followers of the nudist movement
By entering the hotel grounds, guests agree to comply with the binding house rules
Guests are obliged to be naked inside the hotel precinct
Sexual harassment will not be tolerated
Sexual acts are strictly prohibited in the common areas
Photography and filming are only allowed with permission of those photographed

For the full article, go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7978656.stm

A new post, for the sake of it

2009-03-27T14:14:00.004-06:00

It has been over three months since I last wrote, namely because I haven't been anywhere to really write about. Well...I did travel to Brussels two weekends in a row (3.5 hour train ride), but since I have one or two posts on Brussels already, I chose not to write on the city. Although, what I can say about this lovely Belgian city is that I only recently discovered what a nightmare it is to navigate the bloody place. Every time I've been, I walked the streets with someone who was living there and knew her way, but left to my own devices on the most recent visit, the city was truly a maniacal maze...and I've been in my share of labyrinthine European cities!

Anyhow, I was thinking today (prompted by a friend's blog post that, of late, the bloggers he follows are not writing much new stuff) that I'd add something new to my blog. Since it's a blog on travel, I thought I'd stay within the parameters and add an article or news piece related to general travel, on a more regular basis. Thus, in between my own travels, there will still be something interesting or fun to read. Let's see if I can keep this up!

I will start with posting something in the next couple of days since this post in effect satisfies the condition of updating my blog :-)

Despite the relatively quiet past 3 months in terms of travel, we do have some very exciting travels coming in the Spring/early Summer!

If all goes accordingly, we will be traveling to Poland (Warsaw and Krakow) over Easter weekend to visit friends. A little less than a month later, we will be traveling to Geneva for a friend's wedding (I haven't been to Switzerland since 2002!)...then, I will be headed to the U.S. in mid-May to take care of some wedding planning and to have my bachelorette. A month thereafter in June, we'll be heading out on a week-long sailing trip with friends along the southwestern Italian coast and the island of Elba!!!

This sailing trip is a repeat of the one from Mallorca to Ibiza and back in 2007 (refer to earlier post on this). I am simply so lucky to have a dear friend who is a certified captain, meaning we can charter sailboats without having to hire a crew! It's ridiculously affordable and nothing short of fabulous.

What great things to look forward to! I need these things to keep me going in this dingy, cold and windy Dutch weather.

That's all for now, but stay tuned for another post soon!

Guatemala 29 December 2008 - 09 January 2009

2009-01-16T09:17:00.005-06:00

Several months ago, we planned a trip to Central America. With a connection flight between Guatemala City and San Jose, Costa Rica canceled, we decided to instead just focus on exploring Guatemala.

After quite the adventure and illness following the Congo trip, I wasn't very keen to go to Guatemala. Thankfully, it is just developed enough that it wasn't so much of a hassle. Not to mention, I could apply my deteriorated Spanish skills that I had studied so long to acquire... :)

Guatemala is not a destination if you desire any kind of luxury or a nice beach holiday. Go to Costa Rica if you want that. I had actually never backpacked for an extended period of time, but that's just what we did throughout Guatemala. It was mostly relaxing and easy-going with only a small amount of stress related to coordinating travel times between various cities.

Our 11-day journey took us from Antigua, a former Spanish colonial stronghold, to the Lago de Atitlan and Panajachel which are surrounded by 3 inactive volcanoes, to the Tikal Mayan ruins, along the beautiful Rio Dulce and then to Livingston, a Caribbean Garifuna town only accessible by boat.

The weather was generally perfect and warm, with the anticipated humidity in the jungle around the Tikal Mayan ruins in the North. The highlands were a bit cooler, but nice as well.

Along our travels, we encountered many indigenous Mayan people - the women all wear beautiful colorful clothing and the Mayan people today still speak a form of the ancient Mayan language! Very cool. I always think it would be so neat to learn one of these ancient, hardly spoken, languages...(however, I still need to improve my Dutch, so I don't think I will start that anytime soon).

Last and certainly not least, the trip will forever be a memorable one because my dear Arno PROPOSED TO ME in front of one of the Tikal Mayan temples!!!!!!! It was so romantic. There was nobody else around, we were sweaty from walking in the jungle, but Arno could not have picked a better time and place to ask. A wonderful event :)

Enough of the talk, though, click here and enjoy my photos!!!!!

<< this little girl was so incredibly cute in her little handcarved wooden canoe that I had to photograph her. How many 5-7 year olds, or so, do you know canoe as a means of livelihood????

Photos from the Congo

2009-01-16T09:00:00.008-06:00

Well, this post - like others - is a bit belated and will be short because there is no way I can include all of my insights and reflections in this one posting. Besides, many of you who read this have actually heard some of my thoughts from the trip.

Anyhow, it was an amazingly insightful trip and I am glad to have gone, despite getting malaria and a stomach parasite (both of which are gone now). It's an experience that may not be surpassed in my lifetime...

So, enjoy the photos. I don't have a lot of MSF's clinics and patients in the photos, but may add more in the coming month or so from a colleague's camera which I used from time to time.

Into the Heart of Darkness

2008-11-21T01:37:00.020-06:00

The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad...I still remember reading it for one of my high school IB English courses and recall the horror, the intrigue, the curiosity it provoked in me with regard to the mysterious, the unruly Congo. The name alone conjures images of jungles, gorillas and all things WILD....At the time of reading that book, I had no idea that I'd actually be able to travel there....

Next week on the 26th, I am going with a very experienced colleague from MSF to visit some of our projects in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)!!! I am thrilled to have this opportunity to go with MSF and explore what kind of work we're doing there, as well as some of the country, as this is my first time into the 'heart' of Africa. Refer to the link to a map below - I will be traveling, roughly, in the area within the black circle.

MAP of DRC

Yes, it is a country which has been plagued by war and dire poverty for many years and a country in which there is still an ongoing war and extreme poverty. The current conflict which has been all over the news recently is localized in the North Kivu region to the northeast (closer to the border with Rwanda and Uganda). This conflict is several hundred or even a thousand miles from where I will be (keep in mind the size of the Congo is approx. 1/4 of the size of the U.S.).

We'll be spending most of the 11 days in the 'bush' with no means of communication except for satellite. We'll be looking at how the MSF programs in Dubie and Shamwana are running...I will encounter malnourished patients, patients with cholera, tuberculosis, malaria and a number of other diseases or ailments. You can imagine I've had tons of vaccinations to prepare!

The prospect of this trip is both exciting and scary and will surely be an eye opener into the peoples' lives and what MSF is doing to help those in need there. I fully expect I will be very humbled by what I witness and experience...seeing suffering with one's own eyes, rather than through the television will be...emotional, to say the least.

On a less gloomy note, the added bonus of this trip is that we end with a day or day and a half in Lubumbashi where a good friend of mine is living, so I get to see her! :)

Anyhow, stay tuned for photos! I will try to take as many as possible.

Hruba Skala, Czech Republic for my Friends' Wedding

2008-09-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, my good friends, Ida and Eric, got hitched. Ida is Macedonian (that's near Greece) and Eric is an American who has lived abroad for many, many years. I met Ida first because she was in my Master's program at Leiden University and I obviously met Eric through her. Arno has also become good friends with them so we were very happy to attend their wedding in the Czech Republic (sadly, I have missed several other good friends' weddings in the U.S. in the years I have been overseas...).

The wedding weekend had a medieval theme - we stayed in a lovely castle, called Hruba Skala, for the entire weekend in the Czech countryside about 1.5 hours from Prague. It's a beautiful countryside, too. The rock formations in the area of the castle have been wonderfully sculptured by the water over the years (check the photos - they don't capture how cool they are). The area has a Narnia or Robin Hood kind of aura.

Needless to say the weekend was splendid. In true Balkan style, there was a wonderful feast and party the night before the wedding. Festivities included: roasting a lamb on a spit; music from a medieval trio; flame breathing and juggling; belly dancing (see above - I am in the top right, my betrothed friend is in the middle); general wild dancing, and drinking some strong spirits, of course...great fun.

The wedding night was a BIT tamer. The highlight - aside from the very interesting Czech wedding ceremony which was translated into English for everyone - was the gorgeous fireworks set off from one of the castle terraces. It was a perfect setting, reminiscent of Romeo & Juliet, the version with Leonardo de Caprio and Clare Danes - anyone remember that one?

So, congratulations once again to my friends, Ida and Eric, and I wish you well in this new chapter of your life :) Thanks for keeping us in it! :)

Please enjoy my photos by clicking here - the first few are in Prague and the rest are from Hruba Skala castle and the forested surroundings.

Our trip in July to the Cote d' Azur in France

2008-09-02T12:16:00.009-06:00

Well, it's officially September and the end of summer, at least here in Europe where the skies turned cloudy precisely as August came to an end on Sunday. The last weekend in August was great, though - some of the best weather we've had here in the Netherlands all summer! Imagine living somewhere where it rains, drizzles or is cloudy the majority of the year, no exaggeration. We probably have 50 sunny days a year here! Anyhow, I digress...

My point was, it's officially September and I have yet to post photos from our July trip to the south of France. We drove from Amsterdam which took approx. 14-16 hours. We stopped in the middle somewhere in the middle of France in a very cute village (these are the dark, rainy photos in the beginning of the slide show). Fortunately the bad weather only lasted that one day, while we were still enroute...

We rented a place from one of my colleagues in a lovely mountain village called Sainte Agnes. It's apparently been rated by some French tourist/gov't board as one of the most beautiful villages in France (it is very close to the Italian border and at the base of the Alps overlooking the Med. sea). I must say, it is indeed one of the most beautiful villages I have ever seen in Europe. Moreover, this lovely and difficult to reach village (narrow road with treacherous curves) has some history as it was one of the main defense points on the Maginot line during WWII. There is a huge bunker built into the cliffside which was really cool to explore...before that it was established in the Middle Ages (there are still some ruins).

From Sainte-Agnes, we took short trips down the mountain to Menton, Cannes, Monaco or Monte Carlo and Grasse (the perfume capital).

It was very nice and relaxing to say the least! I wasn't very impressed with Cannes or Monaco, so if you ever head to the south of France, I highly recommend trying to see some less touristy towns or villages. Better yet, take a sailboat out and enjoy it from a distance :) Next time we head that way, I will be sure to avoid them...they were gritty and trashy (save of course the strand with the expensive, top-brand stores, which are also not very appealing to me)! Picture the Ocean City boardwalk....not the image I had in mind for Cannes.

The three photos on this page are from Sainte-Agnes. The bottom one is the view from the backyard of the house where we stayed.

Anyhow, don't take my word for it. Explore for yourself if ever in the neighborhood!

Here are some more photos for you to enjoy!

Cycling from Amsterdam to Beijing (no, not me!)

2008-07-30T04:45:00.005-06:00

A few friends of mine know these two Dutch girls who decided to embark on a cycling trip from Amsterdam to Beijing to make it in time to watch their friends row in the Olympics.

Isn't it amazing - can you imagine doing such a trip??

I thought I'd share their blog with you because I am simply impressed. The blog is in Dutch and English...they have just crossed the Chinese border.

http://biketobeijing.blogspot.com/

This site has more photos on it (it's in Dutch but you can click on the different stories to see the photos)
http://www.nrcnext.nl/projecten/fietsenpeking/

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Melissa

Belated Stockholm post

2008-07-22T13:35:00.009-06:00

About a month ago, I traveled to Sweden to visit a former classmate and friend, Chiara, who is presently living in Stockholm. It was midsummer's festival weekend, although none of us knew exactly what that signified in terms of celebrations. We heard of this dancing around a pole singing songs thing, but I really had an all-out, all-weekend cultural festival in mind (a la renaissance fair or something with lots of beer). As part of this midsummer's festival, Swedish people tend to head to one of the many islands to camp.

So, we did the same. Upon arriving in Stockholm's very cool underground, cave-like train station, I met up with Chiara and we immediately headed to meet our other friend who had flown in earlier, Frank, at the ferries who was patiently waiting with our mountain of goods. Our destination was the island of Vaxholm, about 45 minutes by ferry from the city. We were on a boat, the weather was sunny, fairly warm, with a mild wind...the only thing missing? A beer, of course! The beers were a whopping 14 euros (that's approx. $USD 22)!!! I've been to Oslo and I knew Sweden is renown for its high price tags, but I had no idea a medium-sized beer would be so incredibly pricey! I guess that's why my friends *smartly* pre-prepared our drink supply, buying from the local supermarket.

Upon arriving to said island, we hauled our luggage to a campground - it has been years since I've camped (in fact the last time I camped was in good ole VA and, while hiking, my friend and I encountered a bear!). Chiara had thoughtfully pruchased two nice tents for the whopping low price of the equivalent of 30 euros a piece.

Funnily enough, the instructions were in English with a Swedish touch. They were very clear, but the final sentence in instruction pamphlet was classic! It said "Erection complete.Congratulation." Isn't that hilarious? It almost seems that it was intentional. Oh, and how could I forget - just as we went to erect our tents, a major downpour of rain bombarded us for an hour or so. Luckily enough and not anticipating the rain, we were able to share a nearby tent with some very nice and interesting Swedish people who did anticipate the rain.

We had an extensive intercultural dialogue lasting a good few hours throughout the night, which included me trying their herring in various sauces (the Dutch are also known for their love of raw herring and I had not tried it until this point! Sorry, Arno). Admittedly, the herring drenched in Thai sweet sauce was not so bad! The Dutch tend to eat their herring whole, completely raw, with no sauce, and sometimes with a bit of onion....

As I soon learned, the Swedish midsummer's festival is nothing more than a time to relax and celebrate the official start of summer with family and/or close friends, involving celebratory activities, such as pole dancing and singing, wrapping ribbons around the pole as they sing and dance, eating some herring in sauce and drinking schnapps (or your other preferred liquor. They practically drink themselves to the next day - I would say until the next sunrise, but the sun never really set (due to its location far north in case you hadn't heard of this phenomenon). This was truly bizzare and completely threw off my sleep cycle for the entire weekend. The sky at 2:00 in the morning was like dusk - the sun looked like it was setting, but it never dropped over the horizon. Needless to say, the evening and night was enjoyable. It included a bonfire, more intercultural dialogue, and volleyball in the sand.

>>This is the sky at about 2am and this is how it stayed until the sun rose completely about 2 hours later.

The next day, we headed back to Stockholm by bus rather than ferry (yes, many of the islands are connected by bridges including the city of Stockholm itself which is comprised of several islands). We spent the time gearing up to watch the EuroCup match of Netherlands v. Russia, which we decided we'd watch at the Dutch Embassy (we had 1 Dutch person in tow and 2 residents which was sufficient for entrance). Good thing, too, the beer was only 2 euros as compared to the 14 euros we'd have to pay elsewhere. Unluckily enough the NL lost to Russia in a devastating game...on that note, we headed out to sample some of the trendy Stockholm nightlife.
As this was a short weekend trip for me, I flew out the next afternoon - but not before having a terrific lunch and stroll through the Gamla Stan - the older part of the city.

The trip was short but very informative and fun :) I'd like to visit again sometime and especially to check out more of the Scandinavian nature.

For more photos, click here!

To the south of France

2008-07-11T09:45:00.005-06:00

Travel update: I travelled to Sweden a few weeks ago which was a very nice time - I will post photos sometime soon. However, the latest travel news is that Arno and I are preparing to leave in approximately 12 hours to drive to the south of France where we will spend the next 10 days. We're staying a village called Menton (pictured below), which is not far from Monaco, Nice, Cannes, etc.!

___________________________________________
It's my first time to the south of France and I've been wanting to go here for many many years. We'll also head a little west to the famed region of Provence! :)

I hope to have some great photos from this trip! Stay tuned!!!

I wish you all a wonderful summer and vacation if you're going on one!

My Mosaic

2008-06-16T13:36:00.007-06:00

I saw this on some friends' blogs and think it's neat. I noticed that with many of my answers, several of the same photos appeared...mine are very nature-oriented...

Follow the simple steps to create your own!

a. Type your one-word answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into a Mosaic Maker.
I used this one http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php

Here are the questions, and my answers:

1. What is your first name? Melissa
2. What is your favorite food? Tex Mex
3. What high school did you go to? Clarke County
4. What is your favorite color? Ocean blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Johnny Depp
6. Favorite drink? Glass of cold water
7. Dream vacation? Secluded island
8. Favorite dessert? Betty Crocker cake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Happy and carefree
10. What do you love most in life? Life itself
11. One Word to describe you. Longing
12. Your flickr name:

These are the titles of the photos coming up from my searches in flickr for the above questions.
1. melissa, v, 2. combo fajitas at Ted's, 3. Rural Athens, GA, 4. Blue Ocean, 5. Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean, 6. glass and ice, 7. north island beach, 8. passover torte, 9. carefree, 10. Call of the Raven (formerly Nature's Special Effects), 11. The Shadow...

May trip to U.S. - Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC

2008-06-15T02:41:00.009-06:00

<<This photo of Al and Natalie on the riverboat before the reception was taken by the wedding photographer. It's a great photo! :)

A few weeks ago, Arno and I made the transatlantic flight to the States once again, but not just for any occasion. My brother, Al, was set to marry his long-time love, Natalie, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

After a few days in VA spent recovering from jet lag (I still haven't mastered this), we embarked on a 7 hour journey southeast to the beautiful North Carolina coast.

All of the families stayed in beach houses on Wrightsville Beach for the week, which was really a grand ol' time. Not to mention, it was simply relaxing to be able to wake up each morning to see the waves and empty beaches. It gets me every time (and I know many of you can relate!)

Anyhow, the week ended with the big shabang - my brother's wedding. It was very, very sweet. I can't (well, I can) believe that my slightly younger brother is married before me! :)

Please enjoy the photos from the week. Unfortunately, the inside photos did not come out so well...thank goodness there will be photos from the photographer!

1. The guys' fishing trip (photos courtesy of Arno)

2. Photos from the rest of the week

In other travel news, Arno and I booked a trip to Central America in December - to combine with our visit to the States for Christmas!!! I am super excited. We'll start in Costa Rica and head up to Guatemala in the course of 3 weeks. :)

Tunisia - 2 year anniversary

2008-05-04T04:55:00.007-06:00

In mid-April, Arno and I celebrated our 2-year anniversary! Wow! ;) To commemorate it, we booked a rather cheap trip to Tunisia in North Africa. Tunisia is known - in short- for its old Roman and Byzantine cities and ruins, such as found in Carthage and elsewhere; beaches, and the desert (some of the Sahara desert is found in Tunisia).

The flight to Monastir is only 3 hours from Amsterdam, and we stayed near a coastal town called Sousse (about 2.5 hours south of Tunis, the capital). It was my first time on the continent of Africa and my first time in an Arab country. The primary language is Arabic of course, but French is also widely spoken. While we were indeed in Africa, I will not consider myself as having really been to Africa until I travel more into the heart of the continent...
Regardless, the trip was fun and a nice taste of north African culture (this brief experience also warrants a trip to Morocco at some point in the near future). We enjoyed wandering around in the souks of the medina in Sousse. It was really what I had envisioned...lots of little vendors, objects hanging from above crowding out the light, the smell of fresh spices everywhere, etc. etc. There is also a very beautiful and ancient mosque in the center (entrance to mosque is pictured below) which is a couple thousand years old...the old stones certainly give you the feeling you've stepped back into biblical times - I can only imagine what Jerusalem and other ancient cities are like.

Since we were in Tunisia for only a few days, we just spent our time exploring the old part of Sousse and hanging out at the beach (not complaining!). On our next trip, however, I would like to travel into the desert and go for a cheesy camel ride or two! :)

Click here to see more of my photos and what I'm talking about...

More photos of the apartment

2008-05-04T03:15:00.005-06:00

Here are a few additional photos of the apt.

Below: the nook for Arno's office...there used to be a closet here but we thought taking out those walls would make better use of the small-ish space. Arno's desk fit perfectly!

The photo with the blue walls is in our bedroom. We basically stuffed that wardrobe into the space there, lol.

The last photo is our extra room which we haven't decided yet how to use...I think it will just stay that way, as an all-purpose room.

Before and After photos of our Apartment!!

2008-04-18T09:12:00.011-06:00

Here is a link to photos of our apartment. There are lots of before photos and a few after photos. I need to take some more 'after' photos to do it justice.

Link to Apartment photos

We had to stucco several walls, sand all of them a lot, paint at least 2 coats on each, lay in our floor and stain the floor! We stained it a dark brown color, with a reddish hint in it.

Thanks to Jan, Arno's dad, for all of the help!!

Bedankt, Jan en Jose, voor jullie hulp en ondersteuning!!

We replaced 3 doors with arches to open up the apartment. They look great!

Here are some more to give you a taste:

We have since hung up a lot of pictures and things so it changes on a weekly basis almost! I will add more photos of the other rooms soon.

Recent photos of my baby brother...

2008-04-17T03:59:00.013-06:00

For recent photos of my baby brother (and other family members), click on this link:

Photos of Jared

You should be able to view them with no problem.

Here are some highlights of the collection:

No new posts and photos yet, because...

2008-03-27T09:14:00.005-06:00

..we still do not have internet at home!!!

We are on our 3rd attempt to get internet from the company here which has a monopoly on internet service provision in the Netherlands, which makes our situation all the more frustrating because we have no other provider to really turn to!!!

I mean, it's not a third world country or anything - the Netherlands has some of the fastest connections you can get and the most comprehensive coverage of many countries in the world - but the problems result from the fact that our address is a 'new' one in the system.

Regardless of this seemingly trivial fact, on the 3rd try, doesn't it seem they could cut some corners to get it to us quicker?!?!?! All they do is send you the items you need in the mail! No installation required on their part....

Ugh, until then, I'm afraid I can't make any new posts with lovely photos, but I promise to update as soon as possible!!!

In exciting travel news, I *may* get an opportunity to go on a field visit with MSF (cross your fingers), but otherwise we hope to travel somewhere for a weekend for our 2-year anniversary; we have a week at the beach in North Carolina in May for my brother's wedding; a week in southern France in a beautiful village on the Mediterranean coast near Monaco in July; and, a big trip somewhere in Asia or Africa in August/early fall!!! Yay!!!!!! :o)

In the midst of this all, I hope to celebrate the introduction of a beautiful baby sister into this world, also in July!

Good things are coming, that's for sure... :)

Just to clarify...

2008-02-21T02:28:00.001-06:00

...the photo below of the interior is not our own interior!! Its taken from a random google search! I will post some actual photos soon :) Stay tuned...

The chaos involved in buying and moving into a newly (but not completely) renovated home...

2008-02-07T08:43:00.000-06:00

Ever since we purchased our new apartment on 21 December, Arno, his Dad, and I have worked every weekend and several weeknights every week on the place (this includes working almost 2 weeks straight over the Christmas and New Year holiday when we had off from work).

We removed old wallpaper, sanded, stuccoed some of the walls that needed repair, primed, and painted. We then laid the wooden floor and stained it with "Rhode Island Brown" oil ourselves. The outcome is beautiful and I will post some photos as soon as I can get them off my camera!

With the floor in and the walls freshly painted, we moved in. Unfortunately the work doesn't end, as there is a lovely Italian styled kitchen to install, curtains to hang, boxes to unpack, and paint touching up to do, as well as general interior decorating tasks.

Where we are now as of today, 07 February: The kitchen is being installed as I write this, the curtains have all been hung, the door trims and painting mistakes have been touched up, and several boxes have been unpacked or moved to the attic. We have no dining table nor a couch (we used much of the landlord's furniture in the previous rented apartment)!! Not to mention, no internet!!

The unfortunate thing is that I am unsure of whether we are able to cook tonight! We have a portable oventop that we've been using to cook on, but now we may not even be able to use that with the majority of the kitchen installed! Yikes!

On top of that, I have a friend coming tomorrow to stay for a week so that adds a bit of pressure to everything. I want to make her feel welcome but I am limited by uncontrollable circumstances! The up-side is, she's coming to visit from Cameroon where she's lived for the past 2 years so I think she will be somewhat accustomed to not having proper, or the most updated amenities :o)

Big Sigh.

I am sure I forgot to mention something...there is so much happening in addition to the typical daily grind! I'm sure many of you can empathize.

Anyhow, had to vent a bit...it's much more stressful than I described! :)

Cheers from Amsterdam!

I've been blog tagged....

2008-01-07T10:47:00.001-06:00

I've been blog tagged and here are the rules: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. or Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list. Or Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old.

So here's my list of 5. Since this is primarily a travel blog, I will list 5 places I want to see or see again:

1. India (the entire country)

2. The continent of Africa (all countries in general, and none in particular)

3. An island that nobody inhabits - I have been to a couple already, but I'd like to visit some more - located in any part of the world...

4. The open sea (or other body of water) while sailing - I absolutely love this. There is no comparison to being on the open water and feeling so free...except perhaps flying like a bird (hand gliding may then be comparable but also a bit more scary methinks!)

5. Latin America (again, all countries in general and none in particular)

So...I'm going to add a 6th - Alaska!
_________________________________________

Ok...I'm also going to give in and provide some more personal information too! Here are 5 little known or weird facts about me:

1. I really like the smell of leather, especially old, worn leather...don't ask why.

2. I still sleep with the blanket my mom made for me when I was a baby. I am thinkin' that maybe I will give it to my children (split into pieces and sewn into another blanket(s) or simply keep it and request that I'm buried with it, lol.

3. I love listening and also dancing to Latin and Arabic music.

4. I already have several, very noticeable gray hairs (so, Kate, I cannot agree with you although I don't plan on coloring my hair anytime soon! :) )

5. The number one question asked of me - whether in the U.S. or abroad in any given country - is "where are you from, I mean, originally, i.e., what is your heritage?" The most common assumptions are: one of the Mediterranean countries (such as Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Spain, etc.) and Arab countries (most commonly, Iran and Egypt). I have also gotten regions, like the Caucasus and the Balkans....hmmm? And these assumptions are commonly from those countries' nationals themselves or people that know the country/region well! lol. I never know whether I should take it as a compliment or an insult...

Rules, continued...
Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

Sorry - I only have 3 blogs!

http://www.chinalauren.blogspot.com/
http://zombiechronicles.blogspot.com/
http://screamsfromthepinkcollarghetto.blogspot.com/

3rd New Year's Eve in Amsterdam...

2007-12-31T06:19:00.000-06:00

Wow, this is going to be my 3rd New Year's Eve in Amsterdam!! I don't think I've celebrated NYE so many times in one location!

This is also a funny and special occasion because it's the first time Arno and I met one another. We didn't say much to one another, but hey it's the first time we learned of the other's existence, and that is pretty special, right? lol. :o)

NYE in Amsterdam is pretty crazy, as you can probably imagine... In addition to the normal Amsterdam craziness, you have fireworks and the rather free and abusive use of them....people started setting off fireworks here about 3 or more days ago - I suppose to 'test' that they work. It's just lovely hearing them in the middle of the night when you're not actually prepared to deal with the loud, exploding noises!

This year's celebration is going to be a rather tame (or lame as some of you may see it) one. We did the club thing last year and, the year prior, the pre-partying and firework extravaganza at the Nieuwmarkt, one of the main squares here.

With the amount of work Arno and I have put into our new place, we're ready to take it easy. We may venture out to another square to watch the firework display, but honestly, it's scary to do so!

People literally set fireworks off overhead from the balconies (which obviously fall to the ground where you are below, thanks to the force of gravity), and from the sidewalk while you're right next to them! I've really never experienced such carelessness with fireworks! As you can guess, I really don't mind staying in and observing the display from a nice distance and away from the ridiculous crowds! I just hope Arno doesn't mind either way.... ;)

Regardless of what you will be doing to ring in the new year, be safe and enjoy!!!

Happy New Year to you!!!

We're proud homeowners and boatowners!

2007-12-23T10:29:00.000-06:00

All within a week, Arno and I have become official, first-time homeowners and boatowners! Merry Christmas to us! Lol. What more could we ask for, honestly?

Needless to say, these new "firsts" - combined with the Christmas holiday - have kept us quite busy.

We started on the interior of our new apartment today (23rd) and will be continue with it throughout the next couple of weeks...we need to paint, put in a new floor and an entire kitchen! Not to mention, we need to buy some key pieces of furniture! Whew...! I know it will look great when we're done and I am really looking forward to it. You're all welcome to come and visit :)

As I mentioned, we also managed to buy a used boat from one of my colleagues for a very good price! This will be a fun Spring project...just need to get some of the rust off, give it a fresh coat of paint, a new name, and then we're set for some Amsterdam canal-cruisin' :) It's one of the most popular and pleasant things to do here in the city on a sunny warm day!

And, in the midst of all of this, Arno surprised me with a cute and real Christmas tree! This is my first time not going home for the holidays, so I really wanted to make it cozy and Christmas-y in our (current) apartment. We went retro and used color lights - it seems most people go for the all white lights these days...alas, we won't have any presents under that tree though because a house, furniture and a boat will just not fit! (Also, the Dutch have a holiday earlier in December called Sinterklaas and we exchanged some gifts then).

We've got all we wanted and more this holiday and we wish you all the same. May your gifts, friends, family and holiday season bring you much cheer and love.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Amsterdam!

Ah, 'Par-eee' - early Nov. 2007

2007-12-17T12:51:00.000-06:00

As mentioned in a previous post, Arno and I went with friends to Paris a little over a month ago...this was my 4th time methinks. No matter what you hear about the French, the city and country is just beautiful...and this one in particular.

For these shots below, I went for the 'antique photo' look :)

Every time I go to Paris, I can't help but stare and take too many photos of the Eiffel Tower...just like every other tourist, I suppose!! Did you know that the Eiffel Tower is the most photographed monument in the world?

What's happenin'?

2007-12-10T03:21:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've blogged, but in the meantime Arno and I have travelled to Paris with friends for a weekend, and I have spent the past weekend in Brussels (Belgium). I have to say, I love both cities. Paris is just great with its chic cafes and shops - and general vibe. Brussels is comparably chic, and also boasts beautiful historic architecture.

I hope to have a few photos from these trips soon...but you can also visit some old blog posts on both Paris and Brussels since I visited both in the past 2 years.

In other news, my dad, stepmom, and baby brother Jared will be visiting for 2 weeks next April! Should be a fun trip! We'll be exploring the Netherlands a bit and also travel to some cities in western and southern Germany by car - most likely Munich, Nuremberg, and Cologne...

This is also my first time not being home for Christmas!! Arno and I are going to make our place very cozy and Christmasy, though...at the same time, however, we're get the keys to our newly purchased apartment on the 21st so our Christmas period will involve a lot of home-related events/things to do...I do hope to find a church or event around town that will have a Christmas evening with the carols and feelings I associate with this time of year!!

Anyhow, to be continued....

Wishing you all well this season! :o)

San Vincenzo, Tuscany, Italy Oct. 6-14th 2007

2007-10-14T12:48:00.001-06:00

There haven't been any posts for a while, but that's because I really haven't been anywhere special lately! To take advantage of my last bit of free time between being a full-time student and a full-time worker; however, Arno and I traveled to a small village called San Vincenzo ('c' is pronounced 'ch' in Vincenzo) in the Tuscan region of Italy, approximately 80 km south of Pisa (for those of you who know Italian geography). It was just spectacularly gorgeous. So picturesque. Really, when you think of Tuscany, this place is what you'd envision. Rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves as far as you can see, quiet villas here and there, and the Mediterranean sea in the near distance. So what did we do for an entire week in the villa where we stayed - nothing but relax! We went to the beach one day, walked loads, visited a very yummy Michelin star restaurant overlooking the landscape, played cards, napped, sipped wine, and read A LOT. We had to travel back to Pisa the day before our flight giving us a full day and night in the city. I really liked it! It's a bit rough around the edges but perky - if you can use that word for a city. The leaning tower of Pisa was doing its job and I was surprised to find that there is actually a beautiful Duomo (domed cathedral) next to the Tower as well as some other great, old buildings that are somehow overlooked in peoples' descriptions of the Tower area.

Another highlight of Pisa was visiting the River Arno! Of course we made some photos of the two Arnos together at last. :o)

Take a look at the rest of my photos by clicking HERE!

Amsterdam's Brothels

2007-09-21T03:27:00.000-06:00

Amsterdam to cut back on brothels

The 700-year-old red light district is a big tourist attraction

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.
________________________________

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

He also said that the trade involved exploitation and trafficking of women, and other kinds of criminal activity.

Dirty money

Prostitutes in Amsterdam's red light district ply their trade in neon-lit street windows and the area's seediness has always been part of its attraction for tourists.

Under the deal, 51 of these windows - a third of the total - will be sold.

The Wallen, as the area is known in Dutch, is in one of the oldest and most picturesque areas of Amsterdam.

But the city's authorities say the windows are a magnet for crime and money laundering.

Mr Cohen said the move was not intended to get rid of prostitution entirely, since it is part of the area's history.

"What we do want is to get rid of the underlying criminality," he said.

We believe that less windows means more exploitation of women

Metje Blaak
De Rode Draad

However, the plan was criticised by the Dutch sex workers' union De Rode Draad.

"We believe that less windows means more exploitation of women," spokeswoman Metje Blaak told Agence France-Presse news agency.

"If the windows close down, women who are being exploited will be hidden somewhere else where union representatives and health workers can't make contact with them," she said.

Prostitutes hire the windows for around 100 euros (£70, $141) for part of the day. One window is usually used by several prostitutes a day.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7005768.stm

New Job

2007-09-05T12:40:00.000-06:00

Dear family and friends,

I would just like to inform you that I will begin working at Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as Doctors Without Borders in English and Artsen Zonder Grenzen in Dutch) here in their Amsterdam office beginning sometime in October. My start date is dependent on when I get my residence/work permit, which should be the end of September/early October.

For those of you who are not familiar with this organization - it is a well-known, very admirable humanitarian organization which operates around the world providing medical aid in emergency situations, i.e. conflict/post-conflict areas and in regions affected by natural disasters. They were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for their work. Also, they cooperate closely with various United Nations' agencies, the International Red Cross, and many more international and non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to people in need around the world.

My role will be to work with the Director of Operations in managing the coordination of the various field operations. The Amsterdam office is one of the main operational centers for MSF so it will be a very exciting and rewarding job. I hope to assume a great deal of responsibility in facilitating the field operations. At this time I will not have to travel to the field, but it may be required in the future if working in another capacity with the organization (which I am not ruling out at this point in time).

To read about MSF and their work, see their website here: http://www.msf.org/

This article is slightly disturbing...

2007-08-29T06:10:00.000-06:00

Care for some dog or bull testicles? How about an aborted deer fetus? Don't want to go on a national television program like Fear Factor to eat them? Well, I have the restaurant just for you.
By the way, if you can read this article without starting to feel even slightly sick to the stomach, please do not let me know...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/5371500.stm

Rugen Island, Germany 17-20 August

2007-08-27T07:55:00.001-06:00

Two weekends ago, Arno and I decided to drive somewhere...the original destination was Copenhagen in Denmark but we decided instead to go to the supposed home of my ancestors - to Rugen Island in northeastern Germany. It is very close to Scandinavia.

Most people are probably not even aware that Germany has some islands, but in fact it does and this one in particular is very beautiful. It is a nature reserve and family beach resort and was formerly part of East Germany. There are a few parts of the island with the good ol' Communist housing blocks. However, for the most part the houses are cute, quaint and beautifully situated.

You may notice that some of the photos aren't so great and that's because we had to use a disposable camera! We brought our digital camera and had forgotten to charge the battery and bring the charger!

Enjoy the rest of the photos by clicking HERE.

Groningen, Netherlands

2007-08-14T12:27:00.001-06:00

Groningen is the largest city in the far northeastern part of the Netherlands and since I'd never been there, my friend Brian and I recently visited for a day (it is 2.5 hours by train each way to/from Amsterdam). The city was nice with, some rather pretty buildings (in photos below), but it was not too drastically different from many of the nice Dutch towns and cities so I don't have many photos from there...it was good to get out and see a new place, though!

Gay Pride in Amsterdam

2007-08-14T12:09:00.000-06:00

One of the best gay pride celebrations happens to be in Amsterdam. What is unique about the Amsterdam gay pride parade is that the floats are on boats and travel down a canal rather than a street! It was really interesting to see some of the outfits - these Amsterdam festivals are always good fun! The photos below include Arno and my good friends, Brian and Jaap.

Our trip to the U.S. 1-22 July 2007

2007-08-09T13:54:00.001-06:00

Finally - I am posting our photos from our trip to the U.S. Photos include shots from our road trip to Miami, Key West and our short visits to the Everglades, St. Augustine, and Savannah on our return to the VA/DC area.

Photos from top: South Beach; Jared, Susan and myself; storm in SoBe; Arno and I in Savannah.

I've been Simsponized

2007-07-27T11:38:00.000-06:00

Here's my Simpson character. My hair was a little wavy in the photo I used and this is what came out! You can simpsonize yourself at www.simpsonizeme.com

Sailing around the Spanish Islands in the Mediterranean Sea

2007-06-09T06:03:00.000-06:00

Sailing around the Spanish Islands in the Mediterranean Sea....yes, it was just as lovely as it sounds. As many of you know, Arno and I joined some of my friends on a week-long sailing trip which began on the Spanish island of Mallorca and continued to Ibiza, Dragonera, and past some other islands. My friend, Jaap (or Jack), is a certified captain and able to charter sailboats so, fortunately for myself and the others, we sailed a 45-footer called "All of Me" from Mallorca to Ibiza, around, and back. I absolutely loved it. The feeling of being on the open water and (sorry for the cliche) with the wind in your hair was simply amazing. We also got to see some dolphins swimming and jumping alongside the front of the boat! :o)

Arno, unfortunately, became seasick the first day and was actually the only one to become so the whole week (sorry, babe!). The rocking took a bit of time to get accustomed to but once we did, standing still no longer felt so normal! I remember going to dinner on one of the first nights and literally felt like I was dramatically swaying from left-right the entire time ...so strange how the human body can adapt so easily to such different circumstances!

All-in-all it was wonderful and very relaxing. I got a nice tan and learned a little about sailing. I will definitely do it again! Thanks, Jaap!! ;)

Please enjoy the rest of my photos by clicking on this link and, be forewarned, there are LOTS of the boat and of me and Arno!

Keukenhof flower gardens

2007-05-15T13:25:00.000-06:00

Since I clearly could not spend Mother's Day at home in the U.S. with my own mother, Arno and I spent it with his mother and father (pictured below). We went to the world famous Keukenhof gardens located close to Leiden where I go to University. It was a nice day but unfortunately we were just a week and a half too late to catch all of the flowers in full bloom which is apparently spectacular! All in all, a very nice relaxing day with Arno's parents :o) For more photos, visit my kodakgallery site here!

Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) 2007

2007-05-05T02:41:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was Koninginnedag - the huge, country-wide festival is to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday. Everyone wears Orange because the royal family's name is ORANGE, wow! Basically, the celebration includes lots of street markets, music, relaxing in the park, and beer.

L-R: Robert, me, Arno, Marnix, Nike, Rudy, Jeske, Jeroen

Cycling, Dancing, and the Beach...

2007-04-12T14:37:00.000-06:00

The past several weeks have been spent doing some work for the organization I am with part-time, working on my thesis, and spending time with Arno and friends in the nice weather we've been having! I love it! It's not summer weather yet but the temperatures have been those nice, pleasant ones you have in early Spring. Just fabulous. :o) I hope all of you have had a nice Easter! Check out the rest of the photos here!!!

L-R: Mirjam (Arno's good friend, and now mine), me, my friend's friend from Denmark, and Ulla (from Denmark).

L-R: Me, Arno, Mirjam and her boyfriend, Remy.

Skopje, Macedonia

2007-04-12T14:20:00.001-06:00

Dear family and friends,

It has been some time since I've posted photos but that's because Arno bought us a new camera in February and I have yet to plug it up to my computer. This blog is on my short, but sweet trip to Skopje for a conference on implementing internship programs at universities throughout the Balkans. My good friend, Ida, from my course in Leiden also happened to be visiting her hometown of Skopje for the weekend. So, when I wasn't in the conference, I was out with her and her friends and family eating, drinking, and being merry.

See the photos here! (be forewarned, there aren't many!!)

In Bizarre News...

2007-04-04T10:18:00.000-06:00

...I ran over a cat (an alive one) with my bike. Yes, something which can only happen in a society where cycling is a way of life and not merely for recreation. I was cycling down this quiet neighborhood street behind Arno - we were almost to our apartment. Another man was cycling to my left. The cat ran under his bike tire first and then scrambled out only to run underneath mine. In the commotion, I noticed that I ran over several parts of the cat's body before it could escape. Yep, not your everyday warm encounter with domestic animals...needless to say, I was a little shaken up from witnessing that happen under my very own bike tire and the cat, although alive, will be in some pain for a little while methinks. Sorry little kitty!

Recent photos of my baby brother

2007-03-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Little Jared is so adorable. Here are some recent photos of him!

First time in snow

What is this??

2007-03-01T15:13:00.000-06:00

We send our troops to fight and put their lives on the line in war zones and don't help them when they're done and returned home? This is ridiculous. See article below.

__________________

"Hundreds of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are ending up homeless."

Feb. 24, 2007 - Kevin Felty came back from Iraq in 2003 with nowhere to stay, and not enough money to rent an apartment. He and his wife of four years moved in with his sister in Florida, but the couple quickly overstayed their welcome. Jobless and wrestling with what he later learned was posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Felty suddenly found himself scrambling to find a place for himself and his wife, who was six-months pregnant. They found their way to a shelter for homeless veterans, which supported his wife during her pregnancy and helped Felty get counseling and find a job. A year later, he's finally thinking his future. "I don't want to say this is exactly where I want to be—it's really not," he says. "But it's what I can get at the moment."

Young, alienated and often living on their own for the first time, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans increasingly are coming home to find that they don't have one. Already, nearly 200,000 veterans—many from the Vietnam War—sleep on the streets every night, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. But young warriors just back from the Mideast—estimated around 500 to 1,000—are beginning to struggle with homelessness too. Drinking or using drugs to cope with PTSD, they can lose their job and the support of family and friends, and start a downward spiral to the streets. Their tough military mentality can make them less likely to seek help. Advocates say it can take five to eight years for a veteran to exhaust their financial resources and housing options, so they expect the number to rise exponentially in a few years. "Rather than wait for the tsunami, we should be doing something now," says Cheryl Beversdorf, president of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

The problem is mainly a lack of resources, advocates say. There are only about 15,000 beds available in VA-funded shelters or hospitals nationwide, and nearly every one is taken. In some smaller cities there simply aren't many places for a homeless veteran to go. And as affordable housing units shrink nationwide, veterans living on a disability check of, say, $700 a month, (which means a 50-percent disability rating from the VA), are hard-pressed to find a place to live. Most shelters require veterans to participate in a rehabilitation program, but a "fair amount" of veterans just go back to the streets once they leave, says Ed Quill, director of external affairs at Volunteers of America, the nonprofit housing group for veterans that helped Felty.

The VA says it's making a concerted effort to reach out to vets before they hit bottom, says Pete Dougherty, the VA's coordinator for homeless programs. Intake counselors are trained to ask questions, especially of newer veterans, to seek out mental health or other problems that could lead to homelessness. "We're much more sensitive than we were 40 years ago for signs of problems," he says. And they have expanded some services. Last week, the VA approved $24 million to boost aid for the homeless, which will allow them to add about 1,000 more beds and increase the number of grants to help the growing population of homeless women veterans and those with mental illnesses.

Much of the work with new veterans is being done one soldier at a time. At New Directions in Los Angeles, a center that rehabilitates homeless veterans, Anthony Belcher, a formerly homeless Vietnam vet who now works at the center, looks out for one particular Iraq veteran who shows up at the center about once a month, filthy, drugged out and tortured by PTSD. "He's a baby," Belcher says. "You can see it in his eyes." So far, the young vet is too wary to accept more than a night's bed or a hot meal. But as Belcher says, at least he has a place to go. That's more than many of the thousands of vets on America’s streets can say tonight.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17315490/site/newsweek/

Prague, Czech Republic 22-25 February

2007-02-27T15:24:00.000-06:00

Prague, what a beautiful city. When walking around its streets, you can almost imagine what it may have been like in the Middle Ages. It is sometimes called the "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city". Indeed it is, as you will soon see from my many photos....the Christians, Austro-Hungarian empire, Jews, Nazis, and Communists have left their mark on the city which is quite evident when exploring it.

It is a very special place and I am looking forward to when I go back next (no plans yet but it will be in the not so distant future). My good friend, Ida, from my course in Leiden is now living there with her boyfriend who is also a good friend of mine and Arno's.

Arno and I drove there which took approximately 9 hours on the German highway and is by no means relaxing. The rest of the weekend was spent walking around the amazing, majestic capital city taking in all of the different, ornate architecture styles and colors. We visited many-a old-fashioned pubs and restaurants, which was great.

The pub culture is somewhat similar to what one would experience in the local pubs in Ireland. The locals are locals, going every night or a few nights a week at least, seats are automatically reserved for them, and there is likely to be some jovial singing. Not surprising once you discover that the original 'pilsner' beer is from the Czech Republic town of Plzen, which is nearby Prague.

To get just a hint of its raw splendor ( my photos hardly do it justice), see all of my photos here.

The map is just so you can orient yourself with where the Czech Republic is in relation to other European countries. It's considered to be a central European state ;)

Arno

2007-02-14T07:32:00.000-06:00

Arno - (pronounced "ar-no")

1. He is my babe 2. He is of Dutch origin, approximately 5'11'', with gorgeous, wavy light brown hair 3. He is smart, talented, silly, ambitious, successful, funny, thoughtful and very romantic 4. He possesses the world's most beautiful smile and also the world's most amazing blue eyes that immediately brighten a room when he enters it

5. He has been dating Melissa Ruggles for almost one year 6. He and Melissa are incredibly happy together 7. Melissa wants Arno, and everyone else, to know that she loves him very deeply 8. He is the wind beneath her wings 9. She looks forward to seeing Arno every minute of everyday 10. Arno and Melissa will conquer the world together and live happily ever after.

I love you, Arno!!! We have so many things to look forward to together :o)

If interested...

2007-01-22T05:41:00.004-06:00

For my thesis, I am writing on reforms which have taken place in Brcko, a town in the northeastern part of Bosnia. Why? Well, I thought I'd provide you with a link to an article from 2005 which gives a background on the town and it's significance in Bosnia and in the Balkan region as a whole. Happy reading.

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article327745.ece

Amsterdam, Edam, and Zaanse Schaans

2007-01-21T05:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, my American friend Kelly (who I met and lived with in London) and her fiancee, Steve, visited Arno and I in Amsterdam.
We walked around the city a lot, showed them the infamous red light district, visited a cute town outside of the city called Edam, and also visited an area with a few windmills, Zaanse Schaans. It was a really fun time!!! The majority of my photos are from Edam and the windmills. We had rare weather on those visits so the photos turned out quite well.

View the other photos here!

New Year, and New Apartment

2007-01-08T15:55:00.000-06:00

So, unlike past years when I've flown back to Europe for New Year's arriving on the morning of the 31st, I planned it a little better and arrived the morning of the 30th -- doing that definitely gave me time to get over some jet lag! Arno, three of his guy friends, and myself headed to a bar/club in the center of Amsterdam that had a Las Vegas themed party. They bought fun suits for the occasion, as you can see ;o) Happy 2007 to everyone!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Below are photos of the apartment and surrounding area from where I am now living in Amsterdam. (Hint: name of the street is pronounced similar to 'rows-strat').

We are the 2nd floor up from the street level, the balcony with the green thing on it...

Christmas in the U.S. 19-29 December 2006

2007-01-08T15:19:00.000-06:00

The Christmas season always seems to come and go so quickly...below are some photos (mostly of my baby brother, Jared because he is so adorable). Hope all of you enjoyed the unseasonably warm holidays!

Feeding Jared - we got along quite nicely!

My younger bro and my youngest bro

Amy, Jared and I

Jared playing and us with Vicki (stepmom's sister and her son, Matthew) looking at a world map!

Below is with my friend Ida (from my course in Leiden) who came down to DC from NJ with her boyfriend for a night to hang out!

The power girls of Bethesda/DC - Andrea, Kathleen, Maria, Sophia, myself, and Charlotte

Barcelona, Spain 15-17 December 2006

2006-12-18T12:39:00.003-06:00

Barcelona, Barcelona....I've been around much of Spain but not to this infamous Spanish city. It was fabulous. I went with Arno and his colleagues (kindof a reward for some help I've provided his company lately). Anyhow, we visited some great restaurants, bars, and sights. The architecture in Barcelona is renown. I absolutely loved the Park Guell which was designed by Gaudi, artist/architect. (see photos below)

The weather was warm and perfect for walking around (which we did quite a lot). We also took one of those corny tourist buses with that has the top floor open so we could see more of the city. The most significant highlight of the weekend was jumping into the Mediterranean Sea with Arno and one of his colleagues! It wasn't even that cold, very refreshing :o)

Here are some photos, but as usual the rest are on Kodak! Click here for those.

Left: Arno, Gerco, and Aart (business partners)

Below: View within Park Guell

View onto the beach and in Plaza Real
Lots of palm trees!!!

Oslo, Norway 7-10 December 2006

2006-12-18T11:22:00.000-06:00

Dear Family, friends, and whoever else might view this blog, It's been a while since I last posted something, but it has been a very busy past few weeks. I finished classes, have some papers to write, celebrated Arno's 26th birthday, Sinterklaas, traveled to Oslo and Barcelona, and am preparing to travel to the U.S. before coming back to Amsterdam for New Year's and writing my thesis!!! Whew....

Highlights of Oslo include: sitting on fur in the bars and restaurants, visiting Statue park (see photos below), going to Drobak (a small town on a fjord an hour away from Oslo), seeing the Nobel Peace Prize winner (Muhammad Yunas of Grameen Bank) and being interviewed by a Bangladeshi TV station on the winner and his work in microcredit (if you don't know what that is, read about it--very interesting).

It was freezing in Oslo, the sun set at about 3:30pm which was strange, and prices were the highest I've seen in any country. Regardless, it was a good time. It felt like an American New England city for the most part. I'd like to go back to the North where you can see the Northern Lights and even get a trip to the North Pole!!

I hope you enjoy these photos! For the whole lot, go to my kodakgallery website!
____________________________________
Some images from Statue Park

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg!

2006-11-12T15:37:00.000-06:00

The weekend before Halloween, Arno and I trekked (drove) down to Luxembourg City in Luxembourg...a country between Belgium, Germany and France. It's a rich city, as it is a country, well known for banking. The people there speak both French and German, and even some dialect called Luxembourgish, or something along those lines...pretty impressive anyway. The city is absolutely beautiful and so pristine. We had excellent weather and all of the fall colors were in full effect. I also ran into a guy I knew from Leiden, lol!
For more picturesque photos like this one, go here!

2006-10-25T04:06:00.000-06:00

Michelle, Jess, Arno and me at the Virginia Wine Festival -
we are undoubtedly drunk at this point, hahah ;)

To the U.S. with Arno, 22 September - 4 October

2006-10-05T17:32:00.000-06:00

Well, it was a very good trip and most people were able to meet my wonderful boyfriend, Arno. We took many photos of our travels and will share them with you below. More photos will be added as I receive them from others, so stay tuned! I had a great time and am just happy Arno was there to experience it with me :o)

Below: Harper's Ferry, where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers converge and Arno and I when we went hiking on the Appalacian Trail in Virginia.

Arno and Jared bonding.

For lots more photos, go to this photo gallery.

A trip to the South...

2006-09-17T03:25:00.000-06:00

This week has been a really good week weather-wise so some friends of mine and I decided to take a day trip to the south (near the Belgium border). We visited two castles (made of brick by the way!) and a trappist brewery (beer brewed by monks). This trappist brewery which brews "La Trappe" beer is one of the few still in existence where the monks are the ones still brewing it. Here's the link to view all of my photos . Below is me hanging in some hops, the plant which is used to make beer!

A photo of me and Arno

2006-09-16T03:18:00.000-06:00

Arno and I went to a marketing party a couple of nights ago and had this photo taken.

Anyhow, see you guys when I return to the States in a week!!!

A weekend in Sarajevo and then to Experience the Wild Beauty of Montenegro!

2006-08-11T07:07:00.000-06:00

Since we seem to travel almost every weekend when together here, Arno and I decided to stick around in Sarajevo for the weekend. After taking in some of the nightlife, we travelled with others to a town just an hour from the city to go...rafting! The story of how we actually got to Konjic, the town where we were meeting up with one of my colleagues and his friends, is an interesting one. Me, Arno, Parish, his girlfriend Mira, Kanako, and one of Mira's friends were at dinner the previous night. We had to meet my Bosnian colleague, Ahmed, the next morning at 9 and still had not decided the means by which we were going to get there--bus, train, taxi?! Well, this topic came up with one of our waiters at the restaurant and he offered us to use his car! After agreeing on a price, we met him the next morning (he was a little late, but hey, at least we got the car in the end) and headed to Konjic. Can you imagine this happening in the U.S. or some other place? Someone just offering and entrusting you, a bunch of randoms, with his car? I was shocked really.

>Heading to Konjic, Parish is driving and Mira is in the passenger seat.

The rafting was good fun...some of the people wanted more rapids but we did have some pretty big ones. Overall, it was relaxing and something different to do. A thunderstorm in the middle of the trip was obviously a high point ;) Another high point was grilling fish for lunch...the entire fish, scales and all just without the guts. I've never eaten an entire fish with my fingers in such a barbaric manner, but I did it and it was tasty! After our trip, there was a huge feast of a meal waiting for us. Just what we needed after being so cold and tired from rafting in the rain. Here are some more rafting photos...it took about 50 minutes to get to the starting point so there are lots of photos of the scenery. Also, sorry, but no good action shots because it was too wet and risky to take photos during the rafting!
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Montenegro
The following weekend, 4-8 August, Arno and I drove to Montenegro (which is really called Crne Gora, like Greece is actually named Hellas, etc.) The country's marketing slogan for tourism is "Come and experience Montenegro's Wild Beauty". Well that is exactly what we did--we first went to the mountains in the north to Durmitor National Park and a town within the park called Zabljak. The mountain range here is very, very high with some snow still sitting on them in places. The area's beauty is really breathtaking. A highlight of the trip to Zabljak was driving on gravel roads which on the map appeared as a normal route. In my experience, gravel roads are NOT even shown on maps, but here this road was--we expected an average country paved road, but got gravel instead...small things like this keep you smiling. :o)

With no place to stay in the town's main hotel, we stayed in a room in a family's house--something which you can do almost anywhere here. We just enjoyed a walk in the national park and an interesting meal with a faithful follower of Law of Time. I leave researching that to you...but if you do, do the research I am a yellow, resonant warrior...hahaha....
We had enough of the quiet, serene wilderness after one evening and night, so we travelled the next morning to the coast. It was just that morning that our trip took a turn for the worse...as I've come to find out since, I had contracted some kind of stomach infection which gave me an extremely sharp pain in the left side of my stomach.

After almost fainting, having a high fever, and being in constant pain, and looking on the coast for a hotel for SIX HOURS, we rested and went to the doctor the next morning. Of all the things to do on the beautiful, wild coast of Montenegro, visiting a doctor and getting pumped with medicine through an IV is not what I imagined we'd be doing. A second day came, still pain, and another IV...we were really enjoying ourselves! Arno was at my beckon call every second and took wonderful care of me.

The pain has gradually subsided and I am doing well today. We saw a lot of Montenegro, but unfortunately didn't have the best trip we could've had. After getting a speeding ticket and essentially bribing the cops by paying the fine on the spot so we wouldn´t have to go to court, we made it back to good ole Sarajevo.

For photos of Montenegro (mostly the mountains because I was too sick to stay outside that much while on the coast), visit this site! Enjoy!

Just one more week here in Sarajevo!!!!!

Croatia again: Zagreb, Podstrana, and Split

2006-08-11T02:26:00.000-06:00

For my 25th birthday, Arno returned to visit me in the Balkans meeting in Zagreb, Croatia. We stayed only a night and part of an afternoon in Zagreb before heading to the beautiful coast yet again. This time we were more north than before staying in a small town called Podstrana which is just south of the main city, Split.

The very nice family run hotel in which we stayed is located directly on the beach which remains relatively uncrowded throughout the day. We had a wonderfully large balcony with just a gorgeous view over the sea. We relaxed all weekend, played frisbee, and on an inflatable raft.

Zagreb does seem like a great city--it is the biggest in Croatia after all, but we (especially myself) wanted to get some sun time.

In travelling back to Sarajevo, we weren't able to take the afternoon bus from Split because it was full so we had several hours in the city before departing that night. Split isn't as beautiful as Dubrovnik but the 'roughness' adds to its charm. Diocletian, a Roman emperor, built a palace here. Compared to other Roman sites I have visited, this is probably one of the biggest I've seen (next to the Colosseum in Rome).

Please enjoy the rest of my Zagreb-Podstrana-Split photos by clicking here!!

A few notes...

2006-08-02T04:19:00.000-06:00

I will be posting photos from my trips to the Croatian coast with Arno, as well as from our upcoming trip to Montenegro within the next week and a half so stay tuned!

To support one of my favorite pastimes, I've started a new blog of revieweing restaurants at rugglesreviews.blogspot.com and plan to add reviews from almost wherever I dine in the world. Right now I just have reviews for some Sarajevo restaurants but I will add some from DC and in the Netherlands within the next month or so.

In other news, I leave Sarajevo on 18 August and after a weekend on the coast, again, I will head back to the Netherlands. My classes start on 5 September and last until mid-December. I have to start thinking about my thesis too which is a bit stressful, but I'm definitely looking forward to finishing it and most likely earlier than the deadline! More on that later when I've decided what I'll be writing on...

I am also going to try and return here for a weekend to observe the elections to be held in October. It will be the last elections before the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the organization basically managing the country, closes and leaves Bosnia-Herzegovina to try and govern itself...should be interesting.

O.k., I hope all of you are doing well wherever you may be! My best to you, take care :o)

Novi Sad, Serbia 7-9 July 2006

2006-07-14T03:22:00.000-06:00

Kanako, Parish, his British friend, Ben, and I traveled to northern Serbia for the largest music festival in Eastern Europe, called the EXIT fesitval. It started in the late 90's sometime as a protest to Milosevic. It took place inside a fortress which was pretty cool--my photos don't show it, but it became so packed with people at night (and I have been to similar festivals) that I could hardly stand it!

The trip to Novi Sad was interesting in itself with Parish's delapidated yellow volkswagen overheating. We spent some time at the festival Friday night and on Saturday relaxed in the centre of Novi Sad which is actually very pretty and civil (as opposed to where we were staying on the outskirts of town across from a big trash heap). Most of the museums were closed for some odd reason but fortunately one of the museum directors heard us complaining and let us in for a special tour of an art gallery containing works from a former Serb diplomat's personal collection. It was a unique experience since we were the only ones there and received explanations on all of the pieces as well as allowed into the archives room...of course, after such a cultural experience, you need to balance it out with some drinks at a cafe, which we did for a number of hours ;o) Some of us made it to the festival Saturday night, but it didn't include me...I know, pathetic right? Sunday afternoon, after eating some lamb and great salads at a roadside traditional restaurant, we made our way down the road. The trip turned into an ordeal with the car breaking down after exiting a pay toll. Fortunately there was a tow truck on the opposite side of the road which carried us 40 km down the road to a small Croatian town (you cross a lot of borders because of the weird shape of the countries) to a mechanic. After restarting the battery and replacing the alternator, we were ready to go. Mind you, this is my first time ever experiencing a car breakdown. You should know I stayed calm and contributed a considerable amount to evaluating and resolving the problem :o)

Of course, restarting the battery was only a temporary fix so en route to Sarajevo early Monday morning, we had to buy a new battery which I put in. We made it! Whew-hoo!

Click here for the photos!

A glimpse of Sarajevo

2006-07-11T04:37:00.000-06:00

I have posted numerous photos of my travels since arriving here, but hardly any of Sarajevo itself. There are some of the old city (Stari Grad), pictured left, also called Baščaršija (pronounced like ba-shar-shi-ya). This part of the city is very beautiful and contrasts the old way of market life in the Turk-Ottoman Empire which lasted 400 years, with newer Western traditions and styles. You will find traditional foods in this area...it's always wonderful to walk through the small, polished stone streets to see the old merchants making and selling their crafts and also to smell the rich aromas of the lamb and beef being barbequed in the many little, family-operated restaurants.

There are some photos of my little apartment as well as of areas outside of the Sarajevo city centre. You see, Sarajevo is quite spread out with many people residing in the hills surrounding the main part of the city which lies in a valley.

Also, I recently visited the tunnel which Bosniacs used to exit the city, to transport necessities, and for soldiers to move to new fighting positions closer to the Serb lines. The Serb army held Sarajevo under siege for 4 years shelling and firing upon it almost everyday for that period, killing about 11-12,000 people and injuring many more. In my photos, there are just a few examples of the mortar, grenade, and bullet holes which litter EVERY SINGLE building in this city. Parks and what used to be open spaces were replaced with cemeteries...in this collection of photos, I have some shots of the largest such cemetery--here is one view.

To read more on the siege of Sarajevo, CLICK HERE for a BBC News Article and HERE for Wikipedia information.

To see the photo collection, please visit this website.

Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik again, Sarajevo, then Belgrade and back to Sarajevo!

2006-06-30T05:55:00.000-06:00

So, it has been a little over a month since I arrived here in the Balkans. It has been an interesting stay so far. After spending the weekend with a friend in Dubrovnik, my boyfriend, Arno, came to visit and we spent a weekend in Dubrovnik with a side trip to a nearby nature reserve island called Lokrum. A very nice time!! :o) Click here to see some photos from that trip!

>Photo above is from the balcony of our room.

We journeyed back to Sarajevo by bus, a 7 hour ride (the form of transportation I use most)...the next weekend, June 23rd-25th, we went to Belgrade which is the capital in the neighboring country of Serbia. (You might recall Serbia from the news stories for once being home to the tyrant & war criminal, Milosevic, and the subsequent NATO bombings in 1999, as well as to its recent separation from Montenegro because Montenegro voted for independence from Serbia). The bus ride was a grueling 8 hours each way with little to no air coming from the air vents--the ride back was ten times worse and like a sauna, literally. Anyhow, after some fun stops by the border police going to and from Belgrade, we did enjoy ourselves in the city.

>Photo above is from the walls surrounding Dubrovnik

Upon entering the outskirts of Belgrade, you notice there is a Roma (aka gypsy) community living among trash heaps--there is a large Roma population in the Balkan region...Well, despite that, the city is a very modern European city which really surprised us. It felt more modern and city-like than Berlin. The food, shopping, and cafes are great there, not to mention still cheap...they even have a McDonalds which doesn't exist in the entire country of Bosnia. There are only about two buildings which NATO bombed which have not yet been rebuilt...the city has been rebuilt throughout history like 60 times or something, so they are used to it and quite good at it. Damage from the war is otherwise not visible. This city has great potential and I think it will again become one of the top European tourist destinations in the next ten years.

Click here for a lot of Dubrovnik photos from my first visit!

>Photo above is an example of mountainous Bosnia

I have been living in Sarajevo now and going to my internship for a month now. The city is nice, as I have already mentioned before. The nightlife (and daylife for that matter) is a cafe culture, going to the cafes in the morning, afternoon, and evening for coffee! Nobody eats at these places because they can't really afford to and you will literally find groups of people sitting there throughout the day just drinking coffee and sometimes juice. The nightlife is rather mild, not much dancing. Since the World Cup, large tv screens have been placed at all the cafes outside, which is where I've been watching several of the games. It's nice to sit there in the cool shade, sip on a beer, watch the games and the people go by. Walking around is a major affair in this city, and in other Balkan cities too. People dress to the nines, especially the women. Low cut, tight shirts and pants, and high heels, and usually lots of makeup. On average the women are pretty, but sometimes they overdo it.

>Photo left is overlooking city of Sarajevo

Work has been good. I have done a few projects for NDI normally consisting of doing some research on a problem the Bosnian government is encountering, write a report explaining the research and providing recommendations for legislation and policies to implement. I am also doing an independent research project for the Office of the High Representative, which is the organization managing the country. It's on local self governance...I know, so interesting for you, isn't it?

Well, Arno has come and we will hopefully see each other again in a month--he ended his stay here in style singing Born to be Wild in karaoke at one of the EUFOR military base bars; the bar is an interesting place to say the least. ;) Also, one of my classmates is arriving tonight and she is interning somewhere else, so we get to hang out now. Next weekend, I am driving with Parish and his girlfriend to another city in Serbia, Novi Sad. There is a huge music festival going on and we'll be dancing in the hot sun all weekend.

> Photos: Me and Arno en route to Belgrade and one of the NATO bombed buildings, near some government buildings.

For more Belgrade photos (and more of Arno and I, of course) click here!

Photos are coming...

2006-06-29T06:50:00.000-06:00

Soon I will have photos from Dubrovnik (Croatia), Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina where I am), and Belgrade (Serbia) posted. Stay tuned, they are great!!! :o)

Arrival in the Balkans, and Sarajevo...

2006-06-01T03:25:00.000-06:00

Well, this is my first real time with access to the internet since arriving in the Balkans on 26 May. I flew into the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia (pictured left) which borders Bosnia-Herzegovina and is located on the beautiful Adriatic Sea. My friend, Matthew Parish (a friend I met in DC, as many of you know), and I had a beautiful room atop a mountain overlooking the old town of Dubrovnik and the sea. Breathtaking view, to say the least. I have taken tons of photos but because I lost my camera usb cord and haven't replaced it yet, I cannot upload any here....anyhow, we spent most of our time walking around the walled city, swimming in the clear water, having some beer, and relaxing. We drove back to Bosnia on Sunday the 28th and, let me tell you, it was one hell of a scary drive along the small roads curving in and out of the mountains--not to mention, the road signs were few and far between and when they did appear, were in cyrillic. I knew this region was mountainous, but nothing like this! It was also strange to see all of the destruction from the shelling and fighting from the war, which is visble everywhere.

Sarajevo has a really neat old town, which I live very near to. It's clearly a mixture of Eastern and Western worlds with churches, mosques, and synagogues all around. The setup of the market area is several hundreds of years old, not changing much since. The buildings in the city are generally drab and evidence of war is overwhelmingly present here. I found myself quite distracted by it when I first arrived trying to imagine what it must have been like to be here during that time...you can see the effects of the experience on the faces of the older people here and the younger people seem to be resilient even though they too were subject to the conflict--I am sure they are more hopeful for a stable political future, but they also don't hold onto the prejudices to the extent of those in the older generations. Some of the nationalist political parties encouraging prejudices and seperatism does not help either.

If you didn't know, the majority of the population here in Sarajevo is Muslim but having said that erase the stereotypes from your mind because that isn't the case here. Muslims, Christians, and the Orthodox people here in Sarajevo are generally not practicing. Only a small minority of the Muslim women wear head scarves and most everyone drinks alcohol, which if you were a strict practicing Muslim, would not do. Intermixing, at least here in the city, is quite normal. As in the rural parts of the U.S. where you tend to find many more of the hardcore religious people who do not have as much exposure, if any, to other cultures as you get in say NYC or DC, the same holds true for the rural people here--they are generally more close-minded and prejudiced. It is unfortunate, though, that these groups acted upon their prejudices more so here which led to the war (upon strong encouragement from people like Milosevic). Furthermore, without proper functioning institutions, one of the main things I am working on improving during my internship, corruption is very present. You do everything through family and friend connections because you will either have to wait forever to get anything done through official channels or have to pay some kind of bribe. The 'rule of law' is something which most of the internationals here are working on developing...

Well, that was just a blurb of what's been going on in general. Arno is visiting me in two weeks so I will get to spend some time with him in Dubrovnik, hopefully taking a boat to one of the many nearby islands, before returning together to Sarajevo. Looking forward to it!! Take care everyone.

For some more info and photos of Sarajevo check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarajevo

Better shot of me and Arno

2006-05-16T04:41:00.000-06:00

Since I failed to put an up-close shot of me and Arno before, here it is now...also from Berlin, in front of the largest section of the wall which is still standing.

Jared Allen Ruggles

2006-05-09T12:08:00.000-06:00

I know I have already sent photos of my baby brother to nearly everyone I know, but I wanted to post a few here as well :o)

Berlin! 05-07 May 2006

2006-05-09T03:37:00.000-06:00

Arno and I began our drive to Berlin Friday morning. Ironically, 05 may is Liberation Day in the Netherlands.

After a long drive, we arrived at our hostel in East Berlin near the Karl Marx street and Communist-styled buildings. The East side is still very delapidated and strikingly different from the West. The city overall, particularly in the East, is alternative and hippy. Among other things, Berlin is reknown for its numerous art museums and diverse architecture.

We spent most of our time walking around, visiting the largest section of the Berlin Wall (pictured above), the Berlin Jewish museum, the outdoor Holocaust memorial, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, the oldest beer garden, etc.
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The infamous sign at Checkpoint Charlie

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Me and Arno at the Brandenburg Gate - at one point, it was also part of the Berlin Wall

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Part of the Berlin Jewish museum

The Holocaust memorial - the cement blocks are of different heights and the walkways in between are not level. Intended to give you a disoriented, uneasy feeling (among others).

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The Reichstag

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A cool club we went to--you can see us sitting there on the couch in the distance

Queen's Day

2006-05-02T04:13:00.000-06:00

So, Queen's Day has come and gone--it was fun with dancing in the streets and fighting with the crowds to walk along the street, but walking around Amsterdam for the entire day was just too tiring..especially after a long night of dancing the night before. I went with some friends to see Armin van Buuren. I only have photos from that evening.

Arno and I are driving to Berlin this upcoming weekend (5-7 May) so stay tuned for some great photos ;o)

With Jack and Joost (Jack's brother)

Below: Joost with Kanako (she will be in Sarajevo interning for part of the summer as well!)

A Trip to the North

2006-04-24T08:49:00.000-06:00

This past Friday, Arno and I drove to the north of the Netherlands and caught a ferry to one of the nearby islands called Texel (pronounced like tessel). We drove around the island for most of the afternoon checking out the views of the expansive green fields, sea, and beaches. It was the first time in eight years that I have driven a manual shift too--scary for me, but Arno was so patient!! :0) I have only a few photos from the trip...
In other news, I have just been very busy with schoolwork...I can't believe it's just a month until I leave for Bosnia!!! Next weekend is a huge party weekend because it's Queen's day. Everyone in the country puts on their orange (FYI, Orange is the Royal family's name) from head to toe and drinks ridiculous amounts of beer.

The biggest news is the birth of my baby brother which is planned (c-section) for Wednesday, 26 April. His name will be Jared Allen--a good name if you ask me. Will have photos of him at some point soon.

Check back in the next couple of weeks for photos of the baby and from Queen's day!

A nice article on Sarajevo

2006-03-22T10:20:00.000-06:00

Click on the link below to read a nice story on Sarajevo, my soon-to-be home for 3 months. Enjoy!

Link to NY Times Sarajevo article, "Emerging from the Shadow of War, Sarajevo Slowly Reclaims Its Lost Innocence

Carnaval in Maastricht

2006-03-04T01:39:00.000-06:00

Last weekend while people were celebrating Carnaval around the world, me and some friends traveled to the very south of Holland where Catholicism is the practiced religion (as opposed to Protestantism in most of the country) to have some fun. I only bought a wig, funny sunglasses and multi-colored boa. The Dutch carnaval music was the folky kind of music that makes you move up and down...almost like at Disney World or Busch Gardens, lol. Everyone at carnaval, young to old, are dressed in something.

The group (L-R): Brian, Mos, Daniel, Kanako, Jack, and me!

Below: Me and Jack posing in one of many bars we stopped in

Two men dressed up as prostitutes who went to the extreme and had this fake store front to sit in for the duration of carnaval. They moved locations from time to time. Lots of people had similar things--I saw a CSI crime scene as well; creative!

Cute little boy forced to wear a costume, hehe..
Mos with some people in extravagant costumes. It was really neat to see what people came up with--a lot of traditional carnaval costumes with ornate masks and dresses, royalty, etc.

Summer Internship will be in....

2006-03-02T11:07:00.000-06:00

...Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (borders Serbia, Croatia and Hungary) with the National Democratic Institute! Check out the organization at www.ndi.org. It's based in DC and has offices around the world. Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State under Clinton, is the Chair of the Board for the organization. It's quite a prominent organization in the post-conflict democratization, reconstruction, and stabilization field. It receives most of its funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

I will be working on some of the following issues:
constitutional arrangements and points of contention, modernizing public administration, policy development and coherence, reform of specific sectors like the police, military and broadcasting, challenges to health care and education, social cohesion, identity and ethnicity, values, urban-rural dimensions, the role of women, migrations and refugees, minorities and human rights, youth attitudes and aspirations, local and world views, etc.

As many of you know, the Balkan region experienced several years of conflict in the 90's, but of all the countries in that region, Bosnia & Herzegovina is one of the safest. One of the biggest dangers are landmines, but these are clearly marked--you just can't go hiking wherever you'd like! I have a friend living and working for an international organization not too far from Sarajevo as well, which will be helpful. For more information on Sarajevo and the country in general, go to:

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2868.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarajevo

I am looking forward to the post-conflict issues I will be working on and the invaluable experience I will have as a result of this internship.

A graceful fall...

2006-02-22T09:50:00.000-06:00

Shortly after awaking this morning, I went downstairs to make some coffee--a normal daily routine. Once the brewing started I headed back upstairs to check my email, another morning ritual. After reading my messages and hearing that the brewing was complete, I did the expected thing and headed back downstairs...only I headed down in a slightly different style. With what I faintly recall as being a slip of the foot, I plummeted down the steep, twisting stairs all the while trying to grasp onto the railing with my right arm. Try and try as I may, my arm only twisted with the rest of my body. Somehow I was alert enough to concentrate on not letting my head, back, or butt hit the stairs, which made for an extremely awkward fall. I let out a girly yell (what else can you expect!) and my two roommates came dashing down to check on me. I was completely faint for a few minutes, drank some orange juice to increase my blood sugar so I would not actually pass out, and then layed on the couch for a few minutes while my sight came back and my arm throbbed. Fortunately, after what was actually quite traumatizing, I am fairly well. I undoubtedly pulled my tricep muscle trying to hold on for dear life, and have scrapes beginning on the front of my arm twisting over to the back side of my arm and up my tricep. My toes on my left foot are bruised and stiff, but fine otherwise. My arm is bruising beautifully and is stiff, but not harmed further. I don't know if any of you have fallen down stairs, but it is one hell of a scary thing. It happens so quickly. On top of this, my roommate fell down them just last week. That tells you something about our stairs; check out the photo I posted recently of the stairs looking down from the top...would make for a better slide. Anyhow, I needed to vent and I hope you were somewhat entertained by my description of what was, at the time, frightening.

Another of the Eiffel tower...

2006-02-19T16:26:00.000-06:00

I tried to capture the flickering lights, which occurs every first ten minutes on the hour. It's quite beautiful and I really like this photo...

Paris!!

2006-02-19T14:31:00.000-06:00

Time goes by(a la Madonna)...in one of the wings of the Musee d'Orsay...

I traveled to Paris for a long weekend to visit a friend, Sravish. Since I visited the city a few years back, I tried to see some new sites. Of course, you cannot visit the beautiful city without passing the Eiffel Tower many times, especially if your friend lives nearby it! I took the elevator to the very, very top!!

Other highlights: walking up to Montmartre at night, drinking wine from glass baby bottles at a neat little fondue restaurant in Montmartre, meeting French men, eating fresh croissants, the Catacombes, shopping on the Ile St. Louis's cute streets, and just walking around with no specific plan. Enjoy the photos.

A view from the top

Some nice face sculptures in the Musee d'Orsay which gave me a little creepy feeling inside for some reason...not as much as in the catacombes, though! The catacombes were constructed from an old underground quarry which became home to approx. 6 million peoples' bones in the 1700-1800's. You walk down some long, not very well-lighted, dirt and pebble-floored corridors to the consecrated site. What a sight it is too (cue x-files or another scary movie tune)...

A bit blurry, but you get the idea. I took the rest on my mobile but can't get them onto my computer...there were bones in various formations, a cross, a heart, etc. Corridors and corridors full. Before electricity, visitors just used candlelight--can you imagine?

More photos of our place

2006-02-09T05:24:00.000-06:00

Since the sun is shining so brightly today, I thought I would update some of the old photos and add some new ones. We just love the place so much! Tonight (Feb. 9th) is our housewarming party and perhaps I will have some good photos from that later.

Our living room--perfect for entertaining, and even a dance party!

The terrace and steep stairs leading up to our bedrooms

And my bedroom...with the new addition of a 19.95 desk from Ikea!!