Through a somehow twist of fate I have found myself twisting traditions. The easter one, and that of visiting ireland.
Since I know I do not write half as frequently as I should I am not pretending I have much of a following on this blog. However most of t he people that read this know me in person which makes it a lot easier to write for. If you do not know who I am please feel free to leave a message. I would like to hear from you.
I first discovered Ireland, or accurately Dublin when I was a teenager. In the usual way at the time. Poping over to alegedly learn/improve my English. What I really ended up doing was setting up a solid base in beerology. Meeting people from all over the place, and practice all the other languages that I also knew. I have as a call of fame to have learned German in Dublin. Yes I know that sounds weird but it may be material for another post.
Well the big difference now is that instead of staying in a house with an ederly lady, with some advanced alcoholism problems and three dogs, and meeting and drinking with people from all over the planet(all over europe rather). I am in a golf course hotel somewhere in Portmarnock, playing the little mind game of guessing the nationality of each one of the staff members and being annoyed at overhearing the conversation of people with very soft irish accents, yet very loud voices.
I guess you can not pretend to be posh without being plane stupid. On the other side I never mange to greet the staff in their own languge. I guess I am avoiding the embarrasment of falling into stereotypes, getting it plain and simply wrong,
or to be more accurate, avoid showing off.
Here the tidal areas and the sea together with the dunes make for a wonderful landscape in the sun. Sun that has now pretty much burned my nose making me a discrace of a Spaniard. I have become so pale, gathering the light from a computer monitor, that even the Irish sun burns me. Wasn't it suppossed to be the other way. Glowing red Irish tourist in Spain. The whole situation is not without irony.
But to come back to the original idea of the post. Tradidions.... Easter is a big thing in my region. People usually go travel, if they can, or spend the long week-end with friends eating and drinking beyond sanity. This is usually done by the sea and the opening of the summer season starts around this time of year.
Well the tradition in that respect has been kept. Dublin has always been a summer place for me. So spending easter here is natural. With the diaspora of friends that I have I also have an old teenagehood friend here. He has now been working here for 5 years and seems to have settled down for a bit. He is preparing his first exhibition, which somehow makes me feel good. You see I know an up and coming artist. In fact I know several, but those thougths are so vane I will have to get them out of my skull double quick.
On the other side, just taking some time to relax, not do much but sleep or blog.... at last... is always good for the soul. I have to make some sort of resolution, lets call it an easter one, new years are so passè, to blog more.
As most of you know I have recently acquired some new geeky kit. That will consume some of my time, but hopefully not enough to keep me away from blogging.
Or perhaps I will blog about the secret life in my shed. May be a bit more of a way of getting the rusty old fingers to do some exercice. Not the phisical exercise of typing with which I earn my living but the intellectual exercise of writing a story or telling a tale in a half pallatable way.
To all of you out there, from all of us in here, greetings.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
On growing up
It has recently occured in my life that I have crossed a milestone in this weird variable called age. Nothing really changes at the occurent mile stone, one is not transformed from a frog into a prince overnight.
One just carries on with life, just noticing two subtle differences.
1) Things appear to repeat themselves.
2) In presence of a situation the outcome of it is minded instants before it occurs.
3) Hangovers are horribly worse.
4) Patience is limited with kinds of people with which there was a lot.
5) Annoying traits of character in others are directly indentified as: Damn I used to be like that once upon a time.
6) Every bottle in my bar has a story associated with it, and I do not need to be drunk to tell them.
7) I have less time for reading, and even less for writing.
8) Looking at the past is inevitable as everyting reminds you of it.
9) Your pictures of friends are only of weddings or babies.
10) Holidays are a rare comodity.
11) Most of the brilliant ideas of the past that I may have had, have made it to be succesful products without any involvement on my part.
12) The need to make lists out of everything seems to be stronger than anything.
I do not know if aany of this makes any sense but I guess its all part of growing up to start swapping insanity for senility ;P
One just carries on with life, just noticing two subtle differences.
1) Things appear to repeat themselves.
2) In presence of a situation the outcome of it is minded instants before it occurs.
3) Hangovers are horribly worse.
4) Patience is limited with kinds of people with which there was a lot.
5) Annoying traits of character in others are directly indentified as: Damn I used to be like that once upon a time.
6) Every bottle in my bar has a story associated with it, and I do not need to be drunk to tell them.
7) I have less time for reading, and even less for writing.
8) Looking at the past is inevitable as everyting reminds you of it.
9) Your
10) Holidays are a rare comodity.
11) Most of the brilliant ideas of the past that I may have had, have made it to be succesful products without any involvement on my part.
12) The need to make lists out of everything seems to be stronger than anything.
I do not know if aany of this makes any sense but I guess its all part of growing up to start swapping insanity for senility ;P
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Old cities new beginings
Whenever I have the opportunity to travel and it happens less and less often due to the complications of adult life. AKA work. I find myslef instead of enjoying the mindlesness of the modern tourist, which I should do more often. I end up checking the suitability of the place that I am visiting as a place to live. As if I was in constant search of a new spot on the planet to hang my jacket.
Such an approach has always been fruitless as in any of my moves I have never chosen the city. The city has chosen me. Back, now more than, 8 years ago when I landed, or should I say crash landed in London, it was not a desire to live in London that drove me there in the first place. I just had to get my-self a university. Similar thing happened, two years ago when I made it to The Netherlands. I was just in search of another challenge, basically had to get myslef a job.
As som of you know I have now moved to live in a slightly more lively city but more thrown into the outback of The Netherlands. The commute stays the same only the wind that I have to face changes. And no, my job has not changed I stil write software.
I do not know what is the point of this post but saying that as I have turned 30 and begin to have very few clear things in life. I have decided I need to write and be more present on this blog. And perhaps on the others too. But for technical elements more time is required and I do not feel comfortable blogging about work stuff. How ever you never know.
All I can really say to finish this random rant, is that last night at the convert of Kusturicka, and the non smoking orchestra. Something from the old self came back. A need to express and fell, and that I have to honor. I thank my girlfriend for the brilliant evening and week-end that she organised. Thanks a lot. Love you to bits.
Such an approach has always been fruitless as in any of my moves I have never chosen the city. The city has chosen me. Back, now more than, 8 years ago when I landed, or should I say crash landed in London, it was not a desire to live in London that drove me there in the first place. I just had to get my-self a university. Similar thing happened, two years ago when I made it to The Netherlands. I was just in search of another challenge, basically had to get myslef a job.
As som of you know I have now moved to live in a slightly more lively city but more thrown into the outback of The Netherlands. The commute stays the same only the wind that I have to face changes. And no, my job has not changed I stil write software.
I do not know what is the point of this post but saying that as I have turned 30 and begin to have very few clear things in life. I have decided I need to write and be more present on this blog. And perhaps on the others too. But for technical elements more time is required and I do not feel comfortable blogging about work stuff. How ever you never know.
All I can really say to finish this random rant, is that last night at the convert of Kusturicka, and the non smoking orchestra. Something from the old self came back. A need to express and fell, and that I have to honor. I thank my girlfriend for the brilliant evening and week-end that she organised. Thanks a lot. Love you to bits.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Quick course in management
How to be a good manager:
Some simple rules
1) Make an assumption.
2) Defend it as a fact.
3) Give the orders so that it becomes a fact.
Little illustrative dialog.
Man: We can simply do this because the bookazoid manager is only invoked once.
Dev: Its not that simple.
Man: Well it is like that.
Dev: No it isn't, you can check the source. It's called from all over the place.
Man: Why did you implement it like that.
Dev: I didn't, the bookazoid manager has been like that since before I joined. (i.e. ancient history in a start up)
Man: Then it better be like that.
Dev: We will need to put that in for when we schedule the other work.
Man: I do not care about this, make it so!
When was the last time you heard something like that. And when was the last time you heard your boss make assumptions about idyllic situations.
I really don't know how to feel about this. Should I just go to management, so that I can do this to others or should I offer the other cheek and be conciliating.
Advice welcome in comments.
Oh yeah and I guess this makes me officially back in the blogosphere.
Some simple rules
1) Make an assumption.
2) Defend it as a fact.
3) Give the orders so that it becomes a fact.
Little illustrative dialog.
Man: We can simply do this because the bookazoid manager is only invoked once.
Dev: Its not that simple.
Man: Well it is like that.
Dev: No it isn't, you can check the source. It's called from all over the place.
Man: Why did you implement it like that.
Dev: I didn't, the bookazoid manager has been like that since before I joined. (i.e. ancient history in a start up)
Man: Then it better be like that.
Dev: We will need to put that in for when we schedule the other work.
Man: I do not care about this, make it so!
When was the last time you heard something like that. And when was the last time you heard your boss make assumptions about idyllic situations.
I really don't know how to feel about this. Should I just go to management, so that I can do this to others or should I offer the other cheek and be conciliating.
Advice welcome in comments.
Oh yeah and I guess this makes me officially back in the blogosphere.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tupperware Economy
Yes my office is in such a place that no Tupperware means no lunch or a 5 minute cycle ride. So this was my Monday lunch, and in style please.
Bacalhau al abras, tomato and mozzarella salad.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Reason for my web absence
Well as you have all noticed I have been quite absent from my blog and other web presence elements lately. This hints towards the reason and of course this new batch will keep me away from the web for non work-related purposes for another while. ;-) life is great.
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