Singapore 2011

Nearly 15 years after leaving Singapore to go and live in Hong Kong, I was back. Even though I was back I did not really recognize much, except the smell did seam to trigger a few old memories. Strange how at such a young age I remembered all of these smells, which made me feel right at home. Pandinha and I checked in to a small hostel near the city center (close to the China Town). After the long trip we explored around the hostel, discovering all the smells, shops, malls, exciting life in Singapore. It is outstanding to see how many years this “little” city is ahead of Eindhoven. In the morning we decided to visit the Buddha's Temple (where his tooth is exposed). On our way we had to stop for a nice breakfast in the local market which can only be described as chaotic, but tasty. Picture, hundreds of little stores all selling coffee, fried duck, backed Pork, dumpling Soup and any combination of the above, being cooked on the spot, with everyone stopping by as the room smells, but it is clearly the starting point for a Monday morning for many. The little lady in the back to struggles to take her food to a free table, while the gentlemen in a suit quickly finishes his coffee makes this day unique to me but is simply just another day in these peoples life.

In the afternoon walking around the city we discover a small shopping center with 6 floors of ONLY computer stuff. I my heart goes crazy as there is an entire floor dedicated to tables. Can life get any better?

Portugal 2011

It had been a while since I went back to Portugal, this time I wanted to show Pandinha Portugal through my eyes. We travelled to Faro and rented a car. Starting with the amazing August sun, I knew I was home. Pandinha really liked Portugal. The challenge is always when you go back home you end up visiting everyone who misses you and this leaves one with not enough time for truly visiting the country as planned. We did however spend some time in the Algarve, visting Silves, Sagres and Lagoa. Of course we had to stop in the wonderful Slide and Splash. How that brought back nice memories… After Algarve we ended up going to Lisbon, to taste the Pasteis de Nata, to visit o Bairro, o Castelo de S.Jorge, os Santos, Costa da Caparica and of course to meet up with my buddies which 5 years after leaving Portugal are always willing to listen to my strange stories from around the world. Jeronimo was also a must, as Pandinha had to try the famous Pasteis de Belem and see o Padrao dos Descobrimentos.

All of these places even though they are part of who I am, they really become alive when I see the with Pandinha whos smile was increasing bigger and bigger with each day.

One week later it was time to travel back to the Algarve to fly back home. It was a great holiday, however maybe not as relaxing as expected never the less still outstanding break.

A weekend in Rome

It was time to travel again, I thought that I would visit Rome with Giovanna for a weekend. To be honest Rome is one of Italy's finest pearls, as it has everything from great food, to history, to amazing culture, to crazy traffic jams, and of course the Italian Passion thrives within the city. The weather was hot, and all I could think of was having nice cool ice-cream …

Turkey 2011

I had not yet visited Turkey. This trip however was not for fun but for work. It was my first time that the MathWorks invited me to speak outside the Benelux. As a result, I ended up going to Ankara and Istanbul for 1 week. The good news is that in between hotels, conferences, seminars, customer visits I had the opportunity to visit Istanbul. The city is amazing. Starting with the fact that half of the city is in Europe and the other half in Asia. There many things to be seen, of which I really only saw: Galata Tower, Hagia Sophia and the Galata Bridge.  This is really a city to come back to.

Cambridge 2011

Some say that all good comes to those who wait. Well I waited 29 years to see Cambridge and I must say I was impressed. This little village of 300 thousand people clearly dominated by its large Colleague student community brings something young and vibrant to the city. University of Cambridge actually covers over 20 different Colleges and most of the city is devoted to education. Students have to eat in their colleges 1 a week with the warden of the college all dressed up. This is unique to the life of most University students. The result is clear, people learn from example and Cambridge is unique in the UK as it has the lowest crime rate associated with drinking.

There are loads of things to see, however I guess one of the highlights is the punting, a bit like the Gondolas in Venice. this is mainly organized by the students trying to get a few more pounds in their pockets.

 

While I was there, I was lucky enough to catch the air show at Duxford, a little outside Cambridge. This Sunday afternoon was dedicated to female pilots who have made their mark in the UK over the years. It was amazing, to see all the different planes, stunts, and just enjoy the nice weather. Of course there is a museum which is worth a visit for 20 pounds(they have a B-52), but actually seeing the Spitfires in action was like a dream come true. I had never seen a air show in my life. I guess it is true all good things do come to those who wait.