Dubai 2010

The first impression of a city/country usually is the most important and long lasting feeling. That warm feeling you get when you like a city is not only defined by the monuments, buildings, food, smell  but also with whom you are with and who you meet along the way.

I would like to share with you what I felt during the first 24 hours in Dubai.

Dubai`s airport is the cleanest airport I have ever seen. Not only that it is also one of the most organized for example: catching a taxi to the hotel  is an adventure as there are normal taxis and lady taxies. Yes lady taxis, what an invention! The person behind the wheel is a women and she can only take families or other women. Her taxi is different from all the others as it is pink and smells like an artificial strawberry.

At the hotel hospitality was overwhelming a clear characteristic of the national culture for example the butler who came with a glass of pineapple juice to welcome us at 3am!!This customer orientated treatment is something that I believe Europe has lost over the years. The more one walks around the city specially the souks (markets) the more one realizes that this place is as or even more consumer orientated than the USA. I really feel that Capitalism thrives and drives this society. It is all about having the latest gadget, the best car, the newest watch, the nicest perfume and as a result shops and commerce are exceptionally good at selling. In the States one finds a huge multicultural reception of people all chasing the “American dream”, Dubai is not that different. There are people form all around the world all looking for a better life from the east to the west. This city is like not other in the world. Initially one does get the impression that with the huge exotic buildings that everyone is living the life. However after going out to the Marina I had the pleasure to talk to a local taxi driver who set my expectations to a more realistic picture. He actually has lived in Dubai for 24 years, came from Bangladesh and works 5pm to 5am every day. He does not own a taxi, as the government controls and owns all the great fancy taxis. My friend actually only receives about 1/4 of what the taxi receives. His salary is 3600 AED just under a €1000 a month. His reality is that he shares a house with 6 people, he sleeps on a double bench bed for the price of 300 AED a month. He explained how the prices have increased phenomenally during the last few years, how all the buildings popped up. His impression of the city is that it is now empty as all the people who chased fortune in Dubai realized that the city actually is very expensive and most of apartment blocks are not full. He believes that Dubai is heading for a huge crisis. In contrast, I went to the largest mall in Dubai: the Dubai Mall (next to the Burj Kalifa) where there is a huge aquarium in the middle, with a zoo, ice skating ring, cinema, ponds, water fountains which make the Bellagio look small. This shopping centre has a entire fashion floor where money is not an issue as I saw a couple of ladies spend over €4000 together and had their own maid carry the bags. The walked to the door where their white and shinning Rolls' Royce was waiting. What a big contrast.

Of course we visited all of the tourist attractions which make Dubai famous but in a single sentence this is what I thought of Dubai: Where the west meets the east, making it the most glamour city I have ever  visited, where all of the following adjectives make sense: biggest, most, highest, brightest, nicest, hottest, cleanest, latest…

… A Glance into Racial Diversity in Cinema …

Have you ever wanted to be that guy who has so much passion about something that he gives up everything to get there and just never had enough courage to take that leap of faith to make it?!

Well this entry is dedicated to a couple of Italian friends of mine who had the courage to do exactly that … Here is their breakthrough: a short film which shows the fear of the difference amongst humans. This is a delicate subject which affects political and social life around the world but particularly sensitive in Italy.

Take a few minutes to see this prize winning short film.

Thanks Cesare. Keep up the good work.

Tips for you when flights are cancelled

I have travelled around the world and I thought I would share some thoughs based on my experience of what to do when things don’t go according to plan.

I would like to say that my heart goes out to every traveller who is trapped due to no fault of his own. But remember that the journey is just as important as the destination. Make the most of every hour you have. Even if you are stuck in an airport you can still have fun and remember those pain full hours as another story to tell when you get home.

Recently I was trapped in Scotland, Edinburgh for a few days due to bad weather. This was not what was planned but one always learns a few new things every time you travel. Please note that these tips and tricks are personal and my view on how to deal with the situation. I want to share this with you as some people just don’t know what to do. I hope that this helps.

TIP#1 - Be prepared for the unexpected.

TIP#2 – Phoning is also an option.

TIP#3 – Don’t get angry.

TIP#4 – Ask the right questions.

TIP#5 – Talk to people.

TIP#6 – Ask the right people

TIP#7 – Be connected.

TIP#8 – Make the right friends.

TIP#9 – One step at a time. Worry about today not on what if scenarios.

(leave a comment/idea at the bottom if you have other tips)

TIP#1 - Be prepared for the unexpected. Most people don't think of taking small laptops with them on holiday, however if things go south, guess what it is really nice to be able to search online for alternatives. That extra kilo actually isn't that bad. For less than 300 euros you can get a small laptop. Use the laptop to charge your phone/camera and store your photos too.

TIP#2 – Phoning is also an option. When that flight is cancelled most people head directly to the service desk of that airline. This is a good practice however if you are in a rush, pick up your phone and make the call to the service desk. Both people have the same information and you potentially jump ahead of the queue.

TIP#3 – Don’t get angry. If you find yourself frustrated, don’t yell or loose your calm. It turns out that the people behind the desk are not to blame, if you are nice to them, they will be inclined to spend that extra time finding you the best solution for you. Take a second and think how you would feel if you had to deal with 300 angry people. You want to really help the few which come up to the desk and say: Hi, how are you doing today? Looks like you have a tough day ahead. I will try to make your life easy… This will get you along way.

TIP#4 – Ask the right questions. When you are frustrated it is always easy to forget to ask the right questions. Whatever the case always remember to ask for the following:

- What are my alternatives?

- Where is the best place to get a cup of coffee/meal? (this is always a good question, it breaks the ice between you and the guy behind the desk)

- If I need to stay in a hotel where is the best place to find a cheap place.

- What kinds of public transport exist to the city centre.

- Does the airline cover anything? *sometimes you get free lodging and transport.

- Ask how to claim expenses back.

- Get the airline service number so you can phone in. Also get the airport front desk information.

TIP#5 – Talk to people. The best way to spend an afternoon in a queue is to talk to the person behind or in front of you. Everyone hates waiting, but it never seems that bad when you listen to how everyone's story. Knowing that the guy behind you is in a worst position than you makes you feel better. Knowing that he is listening to you if you are in a worst situation than him… makes you feel better. Start by saying: where were you going? How long have you been here for…. That is all it takes and you will be surprise on how friendly people are in crisis situations. If you consider your flight is cancelled potentially is a crisis.

TIP#6 – Ask the right people. Sometimes it is hard to know your best option if you are abroad. Take the time to ask the locals. If there is a local near you ask him for advice. Go to the airport information desk, the service desk, the bus ticket man. It is always a good idea to get more than one option.

TIP#7 – Be connected. Most airports/train stations have internet available, if you pay it is still cheaper than phoning on your mobile phone. If you have to leave the premises go to a hotel/hostel with net. Some bars/restaurants have free internet. Use it. If your flight is cancelled to weather, you have to get out of that city as soon as possible, look at flights in cities near by. Trains are not disrupted as easy as flights. Don’t forget to get train information. Every big city also has intercity bus trips. Ask for that. Airlines are always more than willing to get you out of the city with bad weather. It gives them more room and more options. Internet is always good here. I like surfing online for multiple airline companies. Don’t just stay with yours ask for other options. There are always low cost flights available. If you think about it they are going to be cheaper than a hotel room.

TIP#8 – Make the right friends. If your plans are destroyed, and you need to get a taxi, make sure that you get that guys number. Talk to him on the trip, it is always nice to be able to call for a taxi. If he likes you and he cant make it he will make sure that one of his buddies picks you up. Saves you waiting those extra cold hours in the taxi queue or bus station. Ask about pricing of what is reasonable and not (all taxi drivers know bus/train ticket prices off by heart).

TIP#9 – One step at a time. Worry about today not on what if scenarios. It is a common mistake to start thinking about tomorrow, the day after, or what if scenarios. Take a deep breath worry about the next thing and then make your plans. Don’t spend hours worrying about the plan. Take a decision and stick with it. Make the most of it. Step by Step you will get to your destination. The world is not going to end. Phone the people you have to, but don’t panic. Worry about what you will do next. Do not solve all your future problems which may or may not come to pass.

 

To conclude I would like to tell you my story in Edinburgh. The snow arrived early in the year and my flight was cancelled 3 times. I had to spend 3 extra nights in Edinburgh before I travelled to Glasgow and flew back to Amsterdam.

Most people say what did you do and why are you so happy? Well even though it was a challenge to spend so many hours in airports, waiting, phoning, finding places to stay, drinking cup of coffee after cup of coffee this is what I learnt:

Everyone has a story. I meet the most amazing people…

A professional chef who left the states to come to the Netherlands. He told me his life story and mine pails in comparison. He fell in love with a Dutch lady and is happy as ever. Never expected that his life would turn out like this.

A couple of guys who were E-learning trade show sells men. They wanted to sell the concept of E-learning. Told me several interesting approaches. Their family who too was across the world in the States, Scotland, and Singapore. They had travelled around the world and had the most amazing stories to tell. Of course they had heard of MATLAB but Wolfram was the first company which came to their mind:(

The taxi driver who told me his life story and how he started his own business. How he travelled to Jamaica and Australia and these trips changed his life. How he prepared for his job interviews and how he got to where is is today. How much he liked Australia and tips and tricks for me to do/go when I am over there.

The ladies at the hotel/hostel who all had an amazing smile and story, coming from Romania, Hungary, Scotland, Mumbai and Russia. The guys in the coffee shops who told me how they go started. The lady behind the souvenir shop you had just got back from a trip to Kosovo and her impressions as she works on her final thesis about morals over the years.

I most likely will never see these people again but they truly made my trip worth while. Thank you. This are the things that I wish to remember and not being trapped in Edinburgh for an extra 3 nights with nothing to but wait for the weather to lift!

Weekend in Edinburgh

It had been a while since I was last in Scotland and wow, it was great to be back. During the 2 years I lived in Scotland I had never visited Edinburgh… I know what a disgrace so I thought I would put thing right by visiting it with a few friends.

I caught the plane from Amsterdam and landed in Edinburgh. The airport is actually not that big. But my first impression was wow, it is so easy to get to the city centre… Bus 100 and there you go 20 minute bus ride with free internet.

 

Walking around Edinburgh is amazing, well specially in the snow. There are several nice things to see in Edinburgh, but just like any other tourist headed towards the Castle.

 

After the castle and a bit of touristic shopping walking down the Royal Mile (because it is exactly one mile from the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse). Of course a meal of Fish and Chips was in order. To give the Scottish credit, with the cold weather the idea of warm deep fried fish with vinegar and the famous brown source (similar to HP) is very very nice, specially if you are cold and hungry.

 

One big highlight for me was the Elephant House, where Harry Potter Books were born!!! What a nice little cafe next to the Scottish Museum.

It was a special feeling to see Princess street, the main shopping road in Edinburgh as there was a German market on. It is kind of strange to Travel from Netherlands to Scotland and have Fritzel, so I decided to have the proper Mead, being a warm 14% drink which is also known as honey wine.

“As long as only one hundred of us remain alive, we shall never on any conditions be brought under English rule”

 

There are a few things which really make Edinburgh interesting, not only the castle and the tourist attractions, but the fact that so much history happened in this place. Being known for ghosts and being able to go around the city late a night looking for ghosts, or going to the Grassmarket where there is always going on, or the fact that there so many international people studying/working. Just walking down the street you get a warm feeling. Weather this is what true Scotland is about I am not sure, but is definitely a side that I had not quiet experienced and I am really glad that I made it to Edinburgh.

 

Of course like all trips there is always a catch… I caught the snow, and this caused the airport to close for a couple of days…Being stranded in Scotland is actually not too bad. Complete chaos at the airport, ticket service desks, hotels, but to be fair no one controls the snow or the weather. This is what the castle looked like on the first day I was there.

 

 

Tips and Tricks for Visiting Edinburgh

It is actually very cheap to fly to Edinburgh.

There are several hostels hotels, i would recommend near the city centre on the bus root. I stayed in Haymarket which is a good place. Within walking distance to the castle.

Travelling around: I would go by bus, get a daily ticket 3 pounds. It is 3.5 pounds to the airport via bus. Or if you are pushed for time: 20 pounds by taxi.

Food: Be sure to try Haggis, Fish and Chips. Well the truth is go in to a pub and look at a menu I am sure that most of things on there will be worth trying at least one:) I also enjoy the beer/whisky but if you are not an alcohol drinker, or just are thirsty try the orange wonder: Iron Brew.

Experience: Glasgow is known for its football, but Edinburgh is much more a Rugby city, so go to a pub and watch a game of Rugby. There is nothing like that. Of course at night you must have a wee whisky. Single malt is recommended. Take the opportunity to ask about whisky as there is much more to it than a few brands like Glenfiddich.

Time: To truly know Edinburgh I would say 3 days is a good amount of time, as there is so much in Scotland to see it would be a pity to stay too long in Edinburgh.

Why do I like Google?

Hello everyone,

 

I know that there thousands of critics and views on Google. Lately most of them point towards comparing Google either to Apple or to Microsoft. I thought I would put together my view on why I really appreciate what Google is doing. At the same time putting things into perspective of what Microsoft and Apple did too.

 

If you think about it Google has become in the last 10 years one of the most successful companies in the world. How did they do it? Here is the story from a Technical perspective…

Here is my view on the great technical milestones that they achieved which paved the road to their success:

- Google Search… beats yahoo coming out of the .com crash. Why? Because it was easy, simple no adverts, powerful, quick and appealing.

- Google creates gmail… Which is by invitation only! Great Marketing trick, you could only get a gmail account if a friend of yours gave you one… result… it was fashion to have a gmail mail account. Everyone wanted it! They were one of the first to say well you can have 1Gb of email storage: and each day it would grow slowly. People really thought this was a great thing which made it even more appealing. Several people at the time drew tha analogy between money growing and gmail space growingl.

- This was a period where google grew popularity and made their hiring process aimed at the very best… true engineers. It actually attracted a certain type of person, I would even say border line: geeks only. This proved to be a fundamental part of their success.

- Google maps becomes a reality. Independent if they bought this idea or not they managed to integrate it with Google search. Google Earth the next step was a HUGGEEE success. Around the world people were searching their homes, cities trying to see their pasts.

- With Google maps the whole world wanted to be on it, have their own place, and since Google has never been scared of overwhelming amounts of data they embraced this and said thank you to everyone.

- Of course there were multiple versions of Google earth came out, but the idea of having layers, measuring seeing anything anywhere in the world well that was a huge breakthrough. So they still grew even further.

- The company philosophy at this stage and still is today that everyone has 20% time off to be creative, which is amazing. With this free time there were several projects growing and becoming successful. The famous Google Labs was a reality. A very successful one. Innovation drives companies!

- Google decided to map entire libraries online… this got them into trouble but still is a valuable resource for them. Google Scholar and Google Read are examples of what came out of Google Labs.

- Google goes for YouTube, huge purchase but at the end of the day this was a great win for them. Not only web search, geographical search but now video were under their control. It is also integrated into their Google Video.

- At this stage critics begin to worry on the speed that the company is growing… but what do they do? Google Documents/Calendar all come together integrated with gmail.

- The concept of having gmail as a hard drive or even using the web as a development environment comes back to reality. The push the documents, spreadsheets, forms, colanders, drawing, presentations all online for free. Because it is for free Microsoft isn't worried…

- Then of course the idea of having their own browser becomes a reality… why? to better integrate online development in their way. A baby step to creating their own OS. At the time it was a myth or a rumour that Google would ever create their own OS.

- Google Chrome took the world by surprise, the fastest, easiest, simplest Browser… and guess what… that is what the world wanted. IE was too heavy. Firefox still had the majority because of the flexibility, so who ended up loosing users?! Microsoft!!!

- All of  sudden Google becomes a threat do Microsoft.

- In a few years Google then launches: Google finance, on a par with yahoo finance…if not better in many ways.

- they give the possibility to the world to use their graphs open source!!! This is great because there has never been an easy way of plotting online. They created it for Google Finance and let the world use it… great:)

- Google also made available to the world of who and how people used Google itself with Google insight…. get a report of how many times someone types in a key word in your region. That report of course has the same graphs as Google Finance.

- Given that their main activities or revenue came from advertisement, they said hey why don't we let anyone use us and we will pay individuals… for revenue we get… What an idea!? Adsense was born and their revenue skyrocket. AdWords was the natural extension to this.

- With Adsense of course tools were needed on their side to analyse web traffic… so they then make Google Analytics available for the world!!!! Everyone could create and track web traffic to their websites companies. What a success that was! What a great service for free!

- On the Social networking front Google purchases Blogger. People could now create their own blogs… a baby step to Google sites. Google now would also allow one to create their own websites. Giving people a VERY simple approach to this. At the beginning no one really thought anything about this but…they had a hidden agenda… they wanted to be able to create intranets for companies!!! This was the first baby step. When Facebook became so popular they came up with Buzz. Not that powerful in comparison until you tie that together with where people post thing. Now they have a true advantage over Facebook from a marketing perspective.

- Of course their next great achievement, not sure if this happen before blogger was purchased was Picassa!!! This appeared at a very similar time to Flicker. What was powerful was that because gmail had the space, every user could upload all their pictures and share them with the world. Web Albums now existed!!!

- Picassa was also born to help integrate that process of uploading and managing the albums online. The interesting thing was that Google had other plans for picassa… integrating it with blogger, making simple image processing algorithms for the pictures. This was great and simple to use. No one really predicted where it was going….

- Today Picassa identifies faces and you search your photos based on faces… not only that you can tie your photos to positions which can be placed on Google maps AND your contacts can automatically have pictures that you took. GREAT!!!

- Google then realized that Microsoft still had a competitive advantage: Messenger, there were and are many instant messaging services around the world… but Google noticed that most companies could block Messenger or AOL or Skypess due to the ports and settings… So they took email and converted it into the Google Chat. Now everyone who had gmail, which at this stage is most of the world could talk online via there email account to their friends. No company could block this without blocking all emails!

- Recently they added the capability to add video feeds from webcams and now you can even make phone calls to mobile numbers… Skype watch out. Google has now taken on Skype with one huge hammer!

- Street view was the next amazing thing, even thought Microsoft had something similar, the moment that Google had was overwhelming and when they brought out street view around the world… well everyone was crazy about it…Google sends cars around the world to take pictures of all the streets and then allows you to see your street! This was the next step to the Google Maps. No one at the time really realized that this was the building block to take out TomTom, with their own Navigation program. Now you could get directions on Google maps from A to B (recognizing all the places that people put on there) but now you could get pictures of the intersections where you need to turn. Not just a map but a real life photo!

- There was more to come… Android.. the Google OS for mobile phones. Now this was a surprise because the mobile phone market was really dominated by Nokia (Symbian) developed from QT, BlackBerry and of course the iPhone3. Windows CE was clearly struggling here. So what/how/why did Google take this on? At the time a lot of people did not really believe that this would be a reality or a good idea….But looking back they had this GREAT idea. I believe the thought process was as follows: we will never bring Windows down for desktops, but for mobile device the market is full BUT nothing is for free… And free is where Google rules.

- Android was created, now the powerful thing was that they said you know what anyone can and should be able to develop things for a phone. They opened Pandora's box. Apple wanted to keep control over this but Google launched Android and allowed the world to contribute. At this stage they have embraced JAVA (Apple disregarded JAVA from Sun now Oracle), for the plotting their online services, wanted to work cross platform, and people began to show some curiosity. Nothing special. Not an easy battle. But within 2 years of this, Google took a lot of good ideas coming from Apple, and made their OS attractive for Mobile phone companies: its free, easy to use, you can integrate gmail, calendar, pictures, movies, GPS, download any app, its easy to use, multitasking, it will improve faster than any other OS…and ANY mobile phone provider can use it…. HTC jumps on this and starts to sell phones with Windows and Android. At the beginning clearly iphone was still way ahead of the game, the look the style, the ease of use. All of which Google embraced and is moving faster than Apple I would say…

- Samsung then realizes that Android is powerful enough to use, and they bring out the Galaxy. This is a turning point. It beats the iphone, on techs, ease of use, and it on par with the iPhone4…Just cheaper and anyone can use.

- The important thing here that due to Googles moment of the last 10 years people really get on board and took it serious. Android supports JAVA, flash, and it integrates all of Googles products better than you would expect: picassa, google chat, google talk, Google earth, Navigation + street view (ooohhh by the way be careful TomTom), calander, email, contacts, documents, spreadsheet…

- And of course the concept of the iTunes which worked so well for Apple… Google decided to create Market place… and guess what it is growing exponentially faster than the iTunes store.

- All of this is interesting however the concept that I notice is that Google took on the iPad at the same time… so tablet PCs could also have an OS based on Android, but now ANY hardware provider could use it…What does this mean, tablet PCs are faster, slick and can be used as large phones… iPad was a huge success but did not support flash or have have a web camera. Google was not bound to this and because any HW provider could use the OS… Samsung and many others have begun to use Android for Tablets not only mobile phones…

- The question I ask myself now… is what about desktops… well if you can have a tablet PC running android what is stopping you have your desktop to the same? Microsoft…takes another huge hit!

- Some people always state well Google is always aimed at the user and not really for companies so Microsoft will always be alright… well a couple of years ago that changed. Google create Google apps which is basically the whole Google tool chain that could be installed on internal server for companies so no data would be exchanged with the real world. It is cheaper, easier to use that than what Microsoft provides. I agree that it is perhaps not scalable today but due the the huge success of Google the integration of ERPs, finance tools, marketing tools, email, tracking graphs, makes it so attractive for start-up companies. So now most start up companies embrace this as web pages can be created quickly and easily, pictures, documentation, shared and stored (actually SharePoint be careful). version control on top of all of this comes for free.

- So what is the next step for Google? Well my personal favourite is Google Goggles, so with your phone one can always take a picture, but Google then scans it and search based on the photo, weather it is bar code, a art, a street, a name, a picture… it is all there. What an amazing way of searching.

- If you integrate Google translator into this the sky is the world… say you are in a different country you see a billboard in the street, take a picture it gets translated automatically for you and you find out where where that show, movie is showing and for what price!!!!

 

Given all of these technical functionalities that Google provides what is the catch?! Well the truth is, Microsoft has been a dominant player in the software world with no real competition for several years, it is really good to see someone step up. The problem is that Windows is GREAT, and everyone will use it. Specially windows 7, however if you take into account how Microsotf tried to copy Google with more resources with the MySpace concept they failed. And Google grew faster than anyone could imagine. They took advantage of the world giving them data. They just organized it. Of course with new monopolies there are always people who dislike this, and Google clearly is at that stage. Bing - Microsofts search engine tried to take out Google’s popularity and did to a certain point specially with their Bing Travel, but this is still only available in America. Microsoft has done some great things in the last decade but I for see that things might change….

With all of this there is the Apple story, which cannot be ignored in this analysis…Steve Jobs took a different approach… and did so very successfully, ipod, iphone,itouch, ipad, itunes, Quick Time, iMac, all of which were huge success. The Company really did reinvent it self which does not happen that often in the software world. How will Apple continue? Well they do look good their products are good and easy to use. Their name too has a huge moment that even Google cannot take on. An Apple Product says something and looks great wherever you put it. It works and is maintained by Apple guaranteeing that everything works. Apple only needs to support what it wants making it easier to maintain. But this comes at a cost. Google does not charge people so no one can really complain!

Let me finish this entry with one single question:

Have you ever given your credit card or any money directly to Google?

 

Gareth

Weekend in Bari

Hello everyone,

 

It has been a while since my last entry however I thought I would let you know that life is still as interesting as ever. This weekend I had the pleasure of travelling to the south of Italy: Bari.

 

This place has a special meaning for me as I went to see where “Pandinha” comes from. It was great to meet her family and friends. More than that I went to see a true Italian Party and an Italian football match: Bari – Parma.

So if you have ever wondered what an Italian Party is about well let me tell you: it is not quite like you would imagine… yes of course everyone is dressed to impress. The women have taken the time to do their hair put make up on actually they are all extremely beautiful: fashion is part of the Italian life style. The men are also very conscious of how and what they dress. Makes the party interesting: almost like a gala night straight out of the box. Beyond that is the music, there is a whole range of Italian songs that foreigners never see or hear. However these songs have the ability to get everyone wild and crazy. (I guess every nation has this). The food is amazing. Now the interesting thing is however that I would have thought that the Italians by nature are known as the true “lovers” of the world but the truth is that the society still is very connected to its roots: men typically hang out with the men and the women with the women. Why? I do not fully know. Still it is interesting to see. Dont get me wrong when the music gets going there is no distinction just party!!!!

 

The other highlight for me was to see a football game in an Italian Stadium. The stadium is actually beautiful!!!

What I found amazing was that even though I went to see Bari=Parma, the 58000 seat stadium was 40% full!!! Which means that football is such a big part of society. That is what people do: watch football on Sundays. I was in the “Curva Norte” where all the “hardcore” supporters cheer their team. It was great to see the environment and the passion/support for the team which currently is in last position of the league. That did not matter for 90 minutes the flags, the songs went on and on. Even thought the team lost at the end, there was still enough passion in the air to be proud of. I really loved it:)

 

Of course there were many other highlights, romantic moments during this trip but I would like to say that the last night was special as I spent a truly  Italian night with Pandinhas friends. They are all great. Even though my Italian is not fluent, their body language helps one understand what is going on. Imagine this…

Having a meal with 6 Italians, (of course they know the owner) in this little cozy restaurant, which is part of the old city, decorated with 70/80 music stars, the room is filled with “arcs” which remind one of a church, no lights, only candles on the tables. We all have a glass of wine or beer eating the traditional pizza and sharing funny stories. What a night. Thank you guys:) http://www.lauascezze.com/

 

 

Tips and Tricks for travelers to Bari:

Arriving in Bari it is an adventure to find the city center as the roads in the south of Italy are very confusing. I always find myself complaining about why do the Dutch keep digging up the roads, but the alternative is Bari. Even though driving in Bari is perhaps what makes it a special place. Of course parking is a challenge so if you get a car, get the smallest one you can find.

 

I traveled there by plane: it is cheap (40 euros return ticket from Dussuldorf) and great. Thanks Ryanair:)

The city itself is big, where the highlight clearly is the old part of the town. It is beautiful. I have travelled around but there are few places on this planet which are as nice as the old part of Bari. If you go to Bari it is a MUST. There are several churches all with their own history. It is actually very interesting as that part of Italy has been ruled by so many nations: result it is visible throughout the city. I particularly liked the Basilica of Saint Nicolas, the Cathedral and the Castle. But again 2 days it is hard to see everything that the city has to offer.

 

Italy actually is driven by football so if you can watch a game during the weekend you will see what I mean. The game is like a passion that the nation thrives on. Some would say that it is an outlet of frustration of the current political situation but is an experience which justifies the trip itself.

 

Meals are GREAT, I mean you have to start the day with a Cappuccino and a Cornetto (chocolate is great), after that your day can only get better. There are great little pastry shops all over the place… meals are about 10 euros including drinks. It is just paradise on earth.

 

I would say that 2 days + travel time in Bari is the perfect amount to stay there.

Highlights of 2009

At the beginning of each year, I really like taking a moment to think back about the previous year and remember the highlights of that year. Most people like remembering the negative points, well it is easier to do that… however I would to share my best moments of 2009 with you. These include mainly my travels around the world as this is big part of my life but there are many more. So here goes…

- started the year in Eindhoven

- my new home, I had an unfurnished flat and a new job at The MathWorks

- finished moving from Scotland to the Netherlands, and was not sure what 2009 was going to be like…

- turned out that the job was a perfect fit for me

- Miami on a cruise to Cozumel

- rented a limo in Miami and toured the city ending up in VIP rooms of night clubs….

- played pool for money with some local mexicans in Cozumel… close game but still lost the money. The experience on the other hand had no price

- Discovered Boston for nearly 3 weeks

- Drove to Berlin and back

- Went to my first F1 race: Nurburgring:)

- Met up with friends in Dusseldorf

- Broke up with Martine…. it just wasn’t meant to be

- Travelled to Portugal for Ines wedding:)

- Discovered the Netherlands: Den Bosch, Utrecht, Delft, Rotterdam, Den Hague, Amsterdam, and many other places…

- Skydiving in Rosendaal

- Space cakes in Amsterdam

- Red light district and ice bar in Amsterdam

- Did the transsiberian with some GREAT friends

- Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Moscow, St Petersburg

- Drove to Prague

- Went to Vienna

- Went to London for a crazy weekend

- went to Brussels, Bruges, Gent and Luxembourg

- Discovered Stockholm

- Had a crazy weekend in Las Vegas

- Made it to Venice twice…

- Paris and EuroDisney with an amazing italian:)

- Travelled to Milan and Bergamo

- Furnished my flat and made lots of new friends in Eindhoven:)

- Succeeded in my new job:) Got offered several jobs during the year which I turned down just because I am happy where I am:)

- Organized and played football with German colleagues in Eindhoven and Aachen

- Went to Aachen to a mixed Spa… had my first true massage… (amazing)

- Went to Aachen and Charleroi on my way to Paris.

- Spent Xmas Eve with my friends in Eindhoven

- Flew to Portugal and went down to the Algarve for Xmas and the few days after that.

- joined a 5 a side football team here in Eindhoven:)

There are many other things which really made 2009 a great year for me… I cant put them all down… but I am really glad that I made it to the Netherlands… and I cant wait to see what 2010 has installed for me:)

 

Gareth the world citizen.

New Year in Milan?! Yeahhhh

Ya, after the family Xmas is always the huge party…This year I decided to celebrate it in yet another country: ITALY!!! The last few years… New year has been in Portugal, Netherlands, Spain… and now Italy:)

I flew to Bergamo, and caught the bus to Milan to meet up with some friends.

I had the time of my life… ended up walking around, shopping, eating, and partying through the night… I arrived on the 31st in Milan and what a night that was… I did and saw things that I never thought possible… but it was truly amazing to be surrounded by Italians who are actually really friendly and passionate about everything. You can tell this from the way they move their hands when they talk:) I made lots of new friends and practiced my Italian… it is actually very similar to Portuguese so it was not that difficult.

So here is what happens in Italy on new year… everyone buys fire crackers… and there are little (well maybe no so little) explosions all over the place… Milan sounded like it was in a civil war…For those of you have weak hearts… I do not suggest Milan for new year…. however if you an adrenalin junkie looking for a thrill there is no better place. It was a real thrill, and then at the stroke of midnight… well the place goes wild.

We had not booked any special party or reserved any venue and ended up in this bar which was amazing… the music fantastic and EVERYONE was having so much fun… I would have never ended up there on my own… but you know what they say… life begins when you leave your comfort zone… and that is what I did… and I really enjoyed it!!! Thanks guys:)

The next day… was a calm day walking around Milan and getting ready for the Milan sales… ya… the 3rd of January Milan goes on a huge sale…. and all the women in the country go wild…. It is actually an amazing experience to see so many women so happy with what they are buying. I loved watching the boyfriends/husbands carry the bags while their partners just keep spending and spending… The truth is that there are really good deals… as 50% in Milan actually is a lot of money:)

 

After shopping and my first movie in Italian… it was time to go to Bergamo… I had heard wonderful things about Bergamo… this little village of a 120 thousand people to the north of Milan. There is a huge shopping centre but the most important thing is the high city… which is this little old city surrounded about walls for historical reasons… and it is AMAZINGGGG!!! I was lucky enough to get a guided tour from some friends…. and I really enjoyed my self… I mean the simple life style that you read/dream about actually does exist… you just need to go the right places!!! Bergamo!!!!!!! Had a traditional Italian meal… and ended up going to bed with a smile on my face like I was in 7th heaven!

 

I am now currently sitting at Bergamos airport waiting for my flight back to Eindhoven… but I am thinking that I will come back to Bergamo… it is a beautiful place… well worth coming back to!

 

Gareth

Xmas?!

Yup it is Xmas again… that time of the year where people spend fortunes in presents and families get together… It is not my favourite time of the year, however it is always nice to get a chance to catch up with your loved ones. This year I was not sure how I was going to see, my family and friends at the same time… well i came up with a plan…. Xmas eve in Eindhoven, with my dear friends from Eindhoven… Amazing dinner and it was really nice to be with them as life as an expat you tend to be far from your family so you friends fill that gap…. and it is really nice as you an choose your friends and you surround yourself with people who truly understand you as they are all in a similar situation:)

Then breakfast in Eindhoven on Xmas day… quick drive to Amsterdam through the snow storms… fly to Lisbon. It is actually really cheap to fly in Xmas day… I guess no one wants to fly… on that day….i was at Schipol just after the famous flight to Detroit took off… what a thought!? Schipol was amazing, as there were Santas, rain dear, 3 kings all over the place… It really felt like Xmas was in Schipol (my favourite airport in the world).

Made it to Lisbon, saw my family, rented a car and on the 26th went down to the Algarve… Had a great few days, relaxing, and eating lots… until the 29th where I then handed in the rented car, (had lunch with some mates at the airport) and flew back to Eindhoven:)

 

Here are a few nice pictures of the Algarve… at Xmas:)#

 

 

 

Gareth back in Eindhoven:)