year abroad

Terug van weg geweest

Lieve allemaal,

My last post was a well-wish for an amazing 2009. And amazing it was, it must have been so amazing that I was so busy with amazing things that I didn't have a minute of free time to upload a new entry.

2009 will always be the year in which I found my prince charming, my very own Mr Perfect Also Known As Superman or Mr J.
It will also enter the books as the year in which I didn't graduate and starting eating cheese (I am not quite sure if this was a natural result of not graduating).
The year in which I left Derby for good and dove back in to student life.
The year in which I discovered that EU politics is pretty complex, in which Ruta became mommylicious and in which I experienced that Spain isn't that bad after all.

The year in which Groningen delivered proof to the Netherlands that it is the best city by being a truly perfect host of the 3fm serious request charity action and raised 7Million Euros.
The year in which Kathy, Stanko, Mariël, Kerstin and many other ICV'ers wore their Cap and Gown with pride and the year in which Irene left Groningen and eventually didn't resist the call of the Island and packed her belongings and her insanly high thesis grade.

But of course a year must also have its downsides in this case a pretty heavy one, one from which the warmelo-kingdom slowely starts recovering, Anneke lost her brave battle against that most unfair and horrible illness.. she will always be with us in loving memory.

So now we are in 2010 and what a year it promises to become.

I am currently writing my thesis which will be due for handing in on the 8th March. The processes is quite frustrating but so far I remain confident that I will make it. No matter what the outcome will be, I MUST be waving with my cap in September of I will not be able to live with myself.

Anyway, as most of my friends have left me all alone in Groningen (only Annabanana is left to stroll the Saturday market with) I figured it's about time for me to start packing too, it's time for a new adventure.

Stay tuned.

Tot blogs!

Liefs,

The Fonz

Cheers to a magic 2009!

Allerliefste iedereen,

I wish you all a fantastic, healty, happy and wonderful 2009! I hope you've all enjoyed your days of and stuffing yourself to the max over Christmas. I've spent my holidays back home and definitely charged my battery to start 2009 with a smile on my face.
Tomorrow I'll fly back to Derby to make the absolute most out of my 2 weeks left. I know they're gonna fly by and I will most definitely leave with a tear or two running down my face. It feels a bit unreal knowing that in less than a month I'll be back in Groningen. Something I've been looking forward to for quite a while suddenly feels a bit scary.. my final semester.. and then? I've got no Flipping clue. Anyway whatever will be, wil be and if there is one thing I've learned this year is that whatever life trows in my face.. you usally come out in the end a bit wiser.
I know quite a few people are reading this and I want to thank you all for your emails, they make me smile a whole lot =D.

tot snel!
Kus,

Fonne
Christmas in diffent shapes and sizes
New years eve AKA Celebration of a new Thursday
Hoek v Holland

1 beeld zegt meer dan 1000 woorden

And that's enough said for these photos =D

Wednesday 3rd December

Goed fout
Goed fout en publique

Kus,
Fonne

Groot nieuws

Lieve allemaal,

Ik hoop dat het jullie allemaal goed vergaat.
Voor de verandering is een keer mn blog in het Nederlands. Het is een bezig maandje geweest hier in Little Eaton, maar wel eentje die goed geweest is voor het knopen-door-hakken proces. De maand begon met 5 daagjes Nederland touren met Ben (foto's in vorige blog). Het was heerlijk om weer even in onze (toen zonnige) kikkerlandje te vertoeven. Eenmaal terug op het Eiland was het tijd om ffkes hard aan de bak te gaan op werk, de nieuwe website stond op het punt om online te gaan maar dat kwam nog een hele reorganisatie van systemen en administratie bijkijken. Na veel bloed, zweet, vloeken en tranen is ie er dan eindelijk.. de nieuwe ISPO website www.ispo.co.uk .

Dr is hard gewerkt en vooral veel nagedacht. ISPO is nog steeds echt mn kindje, ik kan dr 24/7 aanzitten zonder dat het me verveeld en ik doe het nog steeds met veel plezier. Maar wat de laatste tijd steeds duidelijker is gebleken is dat er weinig uitdaging en vernieuwends meer in zit, ook begonnen Ben's en mijn management steeds meer te clashen wat niet al tijd resulteerde in al te volwassen gesprekken. Daarbij op tellende dat ik steeds meer begon te merken dat ik het Warmelo koninkrijk, mn vriendjes in Groningen, studeren en Nederland mis heb ik een week geleden de knoop doorgehakt. Vorige week Maandag heb ik mn ontslag brief ingediend en ik hoop eind Januari met de allerliefste pappa van de hele wereld op de boot terug naar Nederland te vertrekken om in Februari aan mn specialisatie te beginnen en (hopelijk, fingers crossed) in de zomer af te kunnen sturen zonder studie vertraging. Ik zie er erg naar uit maar ben meer dan vast beraden om er hier nog de aller mooiste tijd van de wereld van te maken. Ben, Anna, Ruta & het aller mooiste eiland van de wereld, wat zal ik ze ongelovelijk veel missen.

Genoeg sentiment; over naar de foto's want deze maand is niet alleen druk geweest qua werk, ook de weekenden zaten vol gepropt met ISPO trips en familie bezoek.
York Vo.1
York Vo.2
Lathkil Dale
Dovedale
Anna's bday and London Town
Op de thee bij de duke van Devonshire
Upper Derwent Valley

tot horens en tot snel!

kus,
Fonne

uit de oude doos

Lieve allen,

Everyone has them.. pictures just lying around - hanging around in folders in friendly computers. I dusted mine off and uploaded them on facebook.
Ladies and gentlemen I proudly present - my randoms!

kus,
Fonne

randoms

home 1, home 2, home 3

Lieve allemaal,

Well it's been 3 busy weeks. Work is absolutely ridiculously stressful lately but it keeps me entertained and busy. On the 24th it was my well deserved time to go home again. As mentioned before, I took Ben with me to prove him that flatness can be beautiful as well. We started off in Amsterdam to stroll down the canals, visit the Anne Frank huis and start of some serious beering before taking the train home - there is no place like home. Thursday we woke up early to pick up our rented skip on wheels (Fiat Panda), pick up ex-ispo Roy and start our drive up north. We visted the hunebed museum in Borger and headed up to our final destination Groningen (aka the best city in the world) where Iertje was waiting for us. As Ben went for a nap, Iertje, Roy and I enjoyed a ice cold Leffe on a teras. We had a nice dinner at Humpreys before meeting up with the good old ICV crew at Pand48. It was a night full of booz, laughter, tears, memories, good music and spastic dancing - there is no place like home.
Friday was hangover day and the day Ben climbed d'olle grieze (martini tower). We said goodbye to Roy and drove back to Rotterdam trough Friesland & the flevo polder.
Saturday papa Hans toured us trough Zeeland and Zuid-Holland to guide us around in the magic world of the delta works. When we arrived back in Rotterdam Thom's grote mensen feest was about to kick off. It was great to see everyone again.
Sunday we all woke up early to drive to Twente where Papa Hans & Mama Plien planned a walk from Denekamp to Oldenzaal. It was a wonderful day and the scenery was beautiful. We closed the day with patat from Schippers - best in the world!

The whole trip made me realise how much I miss living in the Netherlands and how much I miss my family & friends. I can't wait to be back for Chrismas holiday.

Monday I woke up at 5 to catch my plane. I went straight from the airport to work and real life started again. Ben arrived back on the Island on Tuesday. Weeks fly by when you work 9 till late and relaxation time is vital but is only available at weekends =). Thus, we planned a walk in the peak district - There is no place like home. The Autumn colours and the company were wonderful. Enjoy the pictures!

Kus,

Fonne

Les Pays-bas
Les Pays-bas vo.2
Monsal Trail - Peak disctrict

London baby!

Hoi lieve allemaal,

My German friend Lukas came to work and visit the Island for two weeks and took his lovely girlfriend with him. They were in Sussex a long way a way from Derby but we found the perfect place to meet up. London!

Here are the pictures - London baby
Enjoy.

kus,
Fonne

As some of you already know, I'll be in the Flatlands from the 24th September till the 29th. The 25th I am in Groningen but other then that I'm free as a bird. If you would like to meet up - give me a shout =D.

It's about time we went to Bath

Hoi hoi Lieve iedereen,

After a few weeks of long hours in the office and a little bit of blood,sweat and tears my housemate Ben & I decided it was time for another cross country trip. The orignal plan was to go camping in the stunning lake district. But unfortunately lovely Annyte caught a virus and couldn't join, there was no way we would go to the Lakes without her and so it was time for plan B. Both Ben and I had Bath high on our wishlist and now we had an extra reason because our lovely tea-addict Charlie moved back from Nottingham to Bath. Time for a visit!

The weather in the UK has been absolutely horrible for almost a week now. It doesn't stop raining and I event got used to thunderstorms now. Many river banks have broken already and there will be many floodings. However, we ignored all the weather reports and got our ISPO's together to join us to Bath. We had a great (and slightly wet) day in this interesting, pitoresque, Roman city.

Enjoy the pictures!

kus,
Fonne

Trip to Bath

Trip to Bath Vo.2

nieuwe kiekdoos

Hallo lieve mensen,

I bought a new camera last weekend and immediatly joined the 'annoying-people-who-feel-the-need-to-take-photos-every-2-seconds'-club.
Anyhow, the results of my adventures are to be found on facebook. I've posted the links of the albums and you don't have to subscribe to facebook to see them so just click and enjoy.

Ben's 30th vo.1 - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55723&l=6db17&id=649114224

Ben's 30th & Irene's 22nd -http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55723&l=6db17&id=649114224

After work walk in the peaks - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56108&l=f0445&id=649114224

kus,
Fonne

Dag meneer Percy

15 Augustus 2008 03:22

Mode-ontwerper Percy Irausquin is in zijn woning in Amsterdam overleden. De 39-jarige ontwerper van Arubaanse afkomst gleed uit in de douche en viel met zijn hoofd op de vloer. Een vriend heeft hem daar dood aangetroffen.

Irausquin had zich de laatste jaren stormachtig ontwikkeld en werd in één adem genoemd met topontwerpers als Mart Visser, Viktor Rolf en Frans Molenaar. Zijn stijl werd door de modekenners als chic en supervrouwelijk getypeerd.

Irausquin won met zijn eerste collectie de Frans Molenaarprijs en de Robijn Award. Tijdens de Amsterdam Fashion Week was hij vorige maand erg succesvol.
www.nos.nl

--

I try to keep up with happenings in the Netherlands and was just checking NOS when I read the news on Percy Irausquin. Of course I didn't know Mr Percy Irausquin personally but as a person who has a Elle & Avantgarde collection of 3 years in her cupboard I do feel quite sad and even a weird sense of grievance. Mister Percy Irausquin was well on his way to getting Dutch women dress a little better. His dresses have always been little diamonts and dreams. How Cliche but it's a big loss for the Dutch fashion industry.

Fashion offers no greater challenge than finding what works for night without looking like you are wearing a costume. - Vera Wang