Hello everyone who's still reading this!
Yes, I'm still alive, no, I'm not posting much, maybe, I'm sorry. Things are still fine, working hard, having a nice time in Edinburgh. Gee, what can I say that won't bore you to death?
Here's a silly story: (Sorry for the broken, incorrect English and poor grammar coming up. I'm quite tired, but I just wanted to write something)
I needed to get some cash, so I went over to a cash machine, inserted my card, and entered my pincode. Now, some of you may know this, but I'm a terribly unorganised person. This very blog is proof of that. Whenever I get a receipt, business card, etc., I just shove it into my wallet and forget about it. As a result, my wallet always looks like I've got more money than I can spend, or like it's just full of receipts and junk. Also, because I was already carrying around a lot of cards from Holland, I didn't have enough room for my new Scottish ones. Practical as I am, I just kept two cards in each designated pocket of my wallet. (You can see where this is going, can't ya?)
PINCODE INCORRECT!
I was sure I entered the right one, so I took a look in my wallet to see if I had actually inserted the right card. That's when it hit me. I had inserted both my Scottish, as well as my Dutch debit card into the machine at the same time! I had lost a debit card to a machine before, so the prospect of losing two wasn't very pleasant to say the least. I decided that the only thing I could do, was just enter my Dutch pincode and hope for the best. It worked! At least, my Dutch card came out, as well as some cash! Then the machine started beeping... Oh no, bye card...
But wait! The beeping stopped and my card actually came out! Well, it was quite exciting when it all happened, I can assure you.
Oh, I've been to Glasgow with some collegues. It was quite nice. There was a parade that day, but we missed it. And we walked around and saw all kinds of stuff, like a cathedral, Glasgow's oldest house, a big graveyard and the world's largest terracotta fountain! Oh, and the museum of religious art. And this marketplace, where they sold bootleg DVD's and all kinds of other illegal stuff out in the open.
The weather's been really weird around here lately, it keeps going from really sunny and hot, to really cold and wet. Guess it keeps you on your toes... or something.
No great stories, but at least it keeps you informed. Until next time, same URL, same nonsense.
Marcel
Saturday, 30 June 2007
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Month 2: The Revenge
Has it really been that long? Wow. What does one say at a time like this?
Well, everything's still going fine. Having lots of fun and working a lot. Still no internet at my house though. And it looks like it could still take a couple of weeks. They'll probably come install it right before I move back to Holland.
You see, in order to be provided with internet access, I had to get a phone line installed first. After a couple of attemps I finally became a customer of a certain telephone company. They gave me my very own phone number and would come round on Saturday the 19th to install the line. On Friday the 18th, while I was at work, I got a call from a mechanic from said phone company, who had come to install the phoneline. I explained to him that my appointment was on the 19th, but that was not what his schedule said. He said he'd try to squeeze me in on Saturday, but could make no guarantees. Of course the next day he didn't show up, so I had to make a new appointment. Fine. I called the phone company again, explained the situation, only to hear it wasn't that person's department and that she'd have to patch me through. About 30 minutes and ten pounds later (pounds as in: currency, I didn't experience any sudden rapid weight loss or anything) I finally got to talk to someone who told me there were thousands more customers like me and that they were working on it and that they'd get back to me in about ten working days. To be continued...
And now it's time for Marcel's movie reviews! "Pirates of the Carribbean 3: The Something of Someplace or Something". It's not very good.
So, I've finally picked up karate again, and my former fellow karatekas will be sad to hear that I've given up on Shotokan and have picked up Shukokai karate. (Anybody reading this who doesn't know what Shotokan or Shukokai means, just nod your head and say: "Why yes, that does sounds interesting!") Some of my former fellow karatekas from The Hague will be pleased to hear though, that this particular form of karate is a lot like the one we were taugh in The Hague, so it all works out.
As long as we're on sports, last Sunday I went rock climbing for the first time in my life. Well, it was indoor rock climbing, so there weren't any actual rocks. At first I didn't really know what all the fuss was about. Once you get up there it seems kind of pointless, because you'll have to make your way back down again, but I must say that it's actually kind of fun. In fact, I could be doing it right now and I really wanted to, but I could hardly squeeze the toothpaste out of its container this morning, due to aching forearms. (What do you call those things toothpaste comes in in English anyway?)
I'm also still playing squash, well, I've played it here once so far, but I wanna pick that up again too. The animators around here are an active lot I tell ya!
And on a cultural note: Two weeks ago (Has it really been that long? Yes! We've already gone through this!) I caught the last day of the local Pixar (animation studio) exhibit in the Royal Scottish Museum. If it's ever somewhere near you, go there! They've got loads of concept art and sculptures that yes, you can see in the "Art of" books, but now you can actually see it at its original size! Also, there was a so-called zoetrope which was just amazing. If you don't know what a zoetrope is, you can look it up, but I'll try to describe it to you as best as I can. It can be built in many ways, but basically, in this case, it's a big round disk on top of which several, three dimensional, characters are mounted, in sequential poses. The disk is spun at a certain speed, until it's hard to see the characters, because your eyes can't keep up and the picture becomes all blurry. A strobe light, that flickers a couple of times per second, (like the ones they use on dance floors and at concerts sometimes) breaks up the fast motion so the motion blur is gone and you can see the individual poses, one at a time, in rapid succesion, just like you would watch any other movie. That's about as clearly as I can say it. It just comes down to a big disk with a lot of characters from Toy Story "moving around" on it and it looks really cool.
If I can think of anything else to tell you, I'll let you know. For now, I bid you adieu. And that concludes the French part of this post.
Marcel (Yes, the Marcel)
Well, everything's still going fine. Having lots of fun and working a lot. Still no internet at my house though. And it looks like it could still take a couple of weeks. They'll probably come install it right before I move back to Holland.
You see, in order to be provided with internet access, I had to get a phone line installed first. After a couple of attemps I finally became a customer of a certain telephone company. They gave me my very own phone number and would come round on Saturday the 19th to install the line. On Friday the 18th, while I was at work, I got a call from a mechanic from said phone company, who had come to install the phoneline. I explained to him that my appointment was on the 19th, but that was not what his schedule said. He said he'd try to squeeze me in on Saturday, but could make no guarantees. Of course the next day he didn't show up, so I had to make a new appointment. Fine. I called the phone company again, explained the situation, only to hear it wasn't that person's department and that she'd have to patch me through. About 30 minutes and ten pounds later (pounds as in: currency, I didn't experience any sudden rapid weight loss or anything) I finally got to talk to someone who told me there were thousands more customers like me and that they were working on it and that they'd get back to me in about ten working days. To be continued...
And now it's time for Marcel's movie reviews! "Pirates of the Carribbean 3: The Something of Someplace or Something". It's not very good.
So, I've finally picked up karate again, and my former fellow karatekas will be sad to hear that I've given up on Shotokan and have picked up Shukokai karate. (Anybody reading this who doesn't know what Shotokan or Shukokai means, just nod your head and say: "Why yes, that does sounds interesting!") Some of my former fellow karatekas from The Hague will be pleased to hear though, that this particular form of karate is a lot like the one we were taugh in The Hague, so it all works out.
As long as we're on sports, last Sunday I went rock climbing for the first time in my life. Well, it was indoor rock climbing, so there weren't any actual rocks. At first I didn't really know what all the fuss was about. Once you get up there it seems kind of pointless, because you'll have to make your way back down again, but I must say that it's actually kind of fun. In fact, I could be doing it right now and I really wanted to, but I could hardly squeeze the toothpaste out of its container this morning, due to aching forearms. (What do you call those things toothpaste comes in in English anyway?)
I'm also still playing squash, well, I've played it here once so far, but I wanna pick that up again too. The animators around here are an active lot I tell ya!
And on a cultural note: Two weeks ago (Has it really been that long? Yes! We've already gone through this!) I caught the last day of the local Pixar (animation studio) exhibit in the Royal Scottish Museum. If it's ever somewhere near you, go there! They've got loads of concept art and sculptures that yes, you can see in the "Art of" books, but now you can actually see it at its original size! Also, there was a so-called zoetrope which was just amazing. If you don't know what a zoetrope is, you can look it up, but I'll try to describe it to you as best as I can. It can be built in many ways, but basically, in this case, it's a big round disk on top of which several, three dimensional, characters are mounted, in sequential poses. The disk is spun at a certain speed, until it's hard to see the characters, because your eyes can't keep up and the picture becomes all blurry. A strobe light, that flickers a couple of times per second, (like the ones they use on dance floors and at concerts sometimes) breaks up the fast motion so the motion blur is gone and you can see the individual poses, one at a time, in rapid succesion, just like you would watch any other movie. That's about as clearly as I can say it. It just comes down to a big disk with a lot of characters from Toy Story "moving around" on it and it looks really cool.
If I can think of anything else to tell you, I'll let you know. For now, I bid you adieu. And that concludes the French part of this post.
Marcel (Yes, the Marcel)
Sunday, 6 May 2007
MONTH!!!
Yes, it's true, I have been in Edinburgh for a full month now! Time flies when you're drawing all day. And what a month it's been; bouts with burocracy, electric cookers, weird scottish weather phenomenae and more. A full month and I'm still writing all of this from an internetcafe. But not for long, because I finally have a phonenumber! Yes, it's true. You see, I can't remember if I told you this before, and I can't be bothered to look it up, but in order for me to get an internet connection set up at my house, I needed a phone line. And in order to get the phone line installed, I needed a UK mobile phone number. Well, I've almost got two out of three now. The phone line will be installed somewhere next week and then I can get an internet connection set up so I can finally leave this place full of other people and sticky keyboards forever! (Unless I invite a lot of strangers to my house and spill lemonade all over my keyboard) Wish me luck.
Living in another country for a month can also make you think about all the things you miss that you took for granted in your own country. Before the hate mail starts, yes of course I miss all of you! Well, maybe not all of you. You know who you are. But before I came here, I never thought I would miss this: bread. They have bread in Scotland. But it's well, not that great. Factory made, squishy stuff, posing as bread. See, when you get some bread at a supermarket in Holland, it may not be as good as the bread you'd get at an actual baker, but it's alright. Here it's gross. Same with vegetables. I have yet to find a green grocer who sells vegetables of some actual quality. What I have found though, is a baker. One who sells bread that tastes good, great even! Only one problem though: last week I went down there to get some more bread, so I could have lunch at the studio in stead of having to go out and get something unhealthy. When I got there, they where closed! They open at 9:30! What self-respecting baker opens at 9:30?! Guess I can only get bread during the weekend. Still better than no bread at all.
One thing about Edinburgh that I'm still not used to after all this time, is the smell. I haven't touched on this in my previous posts, but if the wind blows in the right direction, Edinburgh stinks! There's a brewery nearby and smell is just nauseating. Let's just give it another month.
Oh, and last week I found out it's a bank holiday this Monday. I didn't have time to plan anything, so I guess it's just gonna be a relaxing day off.
End of month one.
Living in another country for a month can also make you think about all the things you miss that you took for granted in your own country. Before the hate mail starts, yes of course I miss all of you! Well, maybe not all of you. You know who you are. But before I came here, I never thought I would miss this: bread. They have bread in Scotland. But it's well, not that great. Factory made, squishy stuff, posing as bread. See, when you get some bread at a supermarket in Holland, it may not be as good as the bread you'd get at an actual baker, but it's alright. Here it's gross. Same with vegetables. I have yet to find a green grocer who sells vegetables of some actual quality. What I have found though, is a baker. One who sells bread that tastes good, great even! Only one problem though: last week I went down there to get some more bread, so I could have lunch at the studio in stead of having to go out and get something unhealthy. When I got there, they where closed! They open at 9:30! What self-respecting baker opens at 9:30?! Guess I can only get bread during the weekend. Still better than no bread at all.
One thing about Edinburgh that I'm still not used to after all this time, is the smell. I haven't touched on this in my previous posts, but if the wind blows in the right direction, Edinburgh stinks! There's a brewery nearby and smell is just nauseating. Let's just give it another month.
Oh, and last week I found out it's a bank holiday this Monday. I didn't have time to plan anything, so I guess it's just gonna be a relaxing day off.
End of month one.
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Lamp to the Slaughter
I was having lunch at a Chinese buffet (for some reason everyone around here loves to do that, and you know me, always doing what everybody else does so people will think I'm cool), when I got a call from an electrician. He was sent by the letting agent to install my new lamp.
You see, the living room ceiling light that was there when I moved in, wasn't going to win any beauty contests, but it did its job and blended in well enough with its surroundings. I had already discovered the box in my hallway containing the new one, but I didn't really feel like putting it up, because 1: My ceiling is quite high and I don't have a high enough step ladder, 2: It's very, very ugly.
But alas, it's technically the letting agent's appartment, not mine, so they installed it. I have to say though, now that it's actually hanging from my ceiling, I can see just how ugly this thing really is. The entire room is light; wood coloured floor, magnolia coloured walls and ceiling. The new lamp is dark grey, almost black. It hangs from a chain and is shaped like a chandelier, with five lightbulbs.
Then I turned it on. Wow! That's one bright light! With the flick of a switch, my once cosy living room changed into an O.R.! This light is so bright, I'd rather stare directly at the sun for half an hour than turn it on. This light is so bright, it can be used to send morse signals to spaceshuttles. This light is so bright, you could send it off to college. At least the chain is short and the ceiling is high.
This other time I was hanging out, watching a movie (I finally saw my first Hitchcock film, North by Northwest! Yay!) when I heard two loud beeps. I had no idea where they came from, so I came to the only logical conclusion: digital ghosts! Later I found out it was the entryphone. It beeped again and when I picked up this voice was asking for someone whom, as far as I knew, didn't live in my appartment. Turns out he had pressed the wrong doorbell. In stead of the button underneath the appartment number he was trying to reach, he pressed the one above it. Or the other way around, it's confusing anyway. I sure hope this won't happen too often.
Worst. Post. Ever.
End of days... is a film so bad, it's funny.
You see, the living room ceiling light that was there when I moved in, wasn't going to win any beauty contests, but it did its job and blended in well enough with its surroundings. I had already discovered the box in my hallway containing the new one, but I didn't really feel like putting it up, because 1: My ceiling is quite high and I don't have a high enough step ladder, 2: It's very, very ugly.
But alas, it's technically the letting agent's appartment, not mine, so they installed it. I have to say though, now that it's actually hanging from my ceiling, I can see just how ugly this thing really is. The entire room is light; wood coloured floor, magnolia coloured walls and ceiling. The new lamp is dark grey, almost black. It hangs from a chain and is shaped like a chandelier, with five lightbulbs.
Then I turned it on. Wow! That's one bright light! With the flick of a switch, my once cosy living room changed into an O.R.! This light is so bright, I'd rather stare directly at the sun for half an hour than turn it on. This light is so bright, it can be used to send morse signals to spaceshuttles. This light is so bright, you could send it off to college. At least the chain is short and the ceiling is high.
This other time I was hanging out, watching a movie (I finally saw my first Hitchcock film, North by Northwest! Yay!) when I heard two loud beeps. I had no idea where they came from, so I came to the only logical conclusion: digital ghosts! Later I found out it was the entryphone. It beeped again and when I picked up this voice was asking for someone whom, as far as I knew, didn't live in my appartment. Turns out he had pressed the wrong doorbell. In stead of the button underneath the appartment number he was trying to reach, he pressed the one above it. Or the other way around, it's confusing anyway. I sure hope this won't happen too often.
Worst. Post. Ever.
End of days... is a film so bad, it's funny.
Saturday, 28 April 2007
Learn to speak Scottish! It's free!!1!!!!1!!!!
I was walking to work when I ran into an old, very drunk looking (it was nearing ten o' clock in the morning) Scotsman. He turned to me and said: "Haryaldy?" When I gave him a surprised and slightly confused look, his expression changed from its initial smiling position to a more angry one and he proceeded to exclaim: "Chrupdyalalbre!"
As I'm living in Scotland, I feel obliged to learn to speak at least a little bit of Scottish. Some of my Scottish coworkers have complimented me on my accent (Though it takes me at least two pints to pull it off), but to understand guys like that will probably take a lot more practise. (Or pints)
As I continued my yourney to work, I tried to analyse the sounds that were hurled in my direction just moments before.
Haryaldy?
H'ar ya ldy?
How are ya laddie?
I say, how are you doing today, my young friend?
Aha! He was merely enquiring about my personal well-being at the time.
Chrupdyalalbre!
Chr up yad*alal&re!
Cheer up ya d*%lal&re!
I say, cheer up you ?????????!
Aha! He was merely instructing me to act a little (or wee bit, as they say in Scotland) more cheeful!
I did learn some actual Scottish phrases, but apparently these are rarely ever used:
(Estimated spelling:) Awee an bayl yer heed!
(Also known as:) Away and boil your head!
Obviously an insult.
(Estimated spelling:) Dannuh gimme de book!
(Also known as:) Do not give me the ????!
(Actual translation:) Don't make me sick!
This concludes lesson one of: "How to speak Scottish poorly, in 625000 steps."
End of days... Ah, who's counting?!
As I'm living in Scotland, I feel obliged to learn to speak at least a little bit of Scottish. Some of my Scottish coworkers have complimented me on my accent (Though it takes me at least two pints to pull it off), but to understand guys like that will probably take a lot more practise. (Or pints)
As I continued my yourney to work, I tried to analyse the sounds that were hurled in my direction just moments before.
Haryaldy?
H'ar ya ldy?
How are ya laddie?
I say, how are you doing today, my young friend?
Aha! He was merely enquiring about my personal well-being at the time.
Chrupdyalalbre!
Chr up yad*alal&re!
Cheer up ya d*%lal&re!
I say, cheer up you ?????????!
Aha! He was merely instructing me to act a little (or wee bit, as they say in Scotland) more cheeful!
I did learn some actual Scottish phrases, but apparently these are rarely ever used:
(Estimated spelling:) Awee an bayl yer heed!
(Also known as:) Away and boil your head!
Obviously an insult.
(Estimated spelling:) Dannuh gimme de book!
(Also known as:) Do not give me the ????!
(Actual translation:) Don't make me sick!
This concludes lesson one of: "How to speak Scottish poorly, in 625000 steps."
End of days... Ah, who's counting?!
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
Did Shu Si That?
The new mat in my shower works great! No falling in the bathtub for me anymore!
It does make for a boring blog though. Let's see, we praciced a bit of life drawing in our free hours last night. We didn't have a model, so we took turns posing. We had a box full of props, like badminton rackets, sticks and a toy machine gun. Got some nice drawings out of that. Other than that I've just been hard at work.
I tried out a Chinese take away restaurant in my street last night, called "Rice King". When I got home with the food, I realised I didn't get any rice. I should have been suspicious when I read the sign that said: "Fresh, hand-made shusi!" Never trust a restaurant that misspelles their own food. But anyway, it's nice to have a place nearby to get a quick bite after a long night.
Today was just another day at work, creating magic and dreams...
End of days 13 & 14
It does make for a boring blog though. Let's see, we praciced a bit of life drawing in our free hours last night. We didn't have a model, so we took turns posing. We had a box full of props, like badminton rackets, sticks and a toy machine gun. Got some nice drawings out of that. Other than that I've just been hard at work.
I tried out a Chinese take away restaurant in my street last night, called "Rice King". When I got home with the food, I realised I didn't get any rice. I should have been suspicious when I read the sign that said: "Fresh, hand-made shusi!" Never trust a restaurant that misspelles their own food. But anyway, it's nice to have a place nearby to get a quick bite after a long night.
Today was just another day at work, creating magic and dreams...
End of days 13 & 14
Saturday, 21 April 2007
Disobedient appendages
Friday started out as just a typical day. I was taking a shower, expecting this to be another boring day that I could write nothing about, when suddenly my left foot decided it had been on the bottom of my bathtub long enough and that it was time to explore higher altitudes.
I looked down at my raised foot and decided it had had its fun and that it was time for it to settle back into its previous position.
Before I could accomplish this task however, my right foot, the impressionable one of the two, decided it should follow its sibling's example and started to slowly slide forward. It was truly a morning of decisions. The shift in balance overruled my decision to end this nonsence once and for all and caused my upper body to arch backward and to keep my left foot right where it was. As I stood there, trying to keep my balance and foil my right foot's plan of escaping gravity, I realised how little objects there were around me to hang on to. My hands, who were still loyal to their master, clutched at both the mirror on my left side and the glass shower screen on my right side, but to no avail. My right foot shot forward with a loud "FREEDOM!" and I landed right on my right knee, elbow and shoulder. I lay in the tub for a while, with the water still beating down on me. I eventually got up and assessed the damage. Apart from some severe pain, it seemed my body was sturdier than I had previously thought, no bruises were to be seen. In one final, vengeful decision, I decided to punish my feet by strapping them in wool and leather and stepping on them all day. That should teach them.
Nevertheless, I was quite nervous, standing in the shower this morning. That's why I went out and bought one of those mats today, that prevent slippage. The revolution of disobedient appendages ends tomorrow!
End of days 11 & 12
I looked down at my raised foot and decided it had had its fun and that it was time for it to settle back into its previous position.
Before I could accomplish this task however, my right foot, the impressionable one of the two, decided it should follow its sibling's example and started to slowly slide forward. It was truly a morning of decisions. The shift in balance overruled my decision to end this nonsence once and for all and caused my upper body to arch backward and to keep my left foot right where it was. As I stood there, trying to keep my balance and foil my right foot's plan of escaping gravity, I realised how little objects there were around me to hang on to. My hands, who were still loyal to their master, clutched at both the mirror on my left side and the glass shower screen on my right side, but to no avail. My right foot shot forward with a loud "FREEDOM!" and I landed right on my right knee, elbow and shoulder. I lay in the tub for a while, with the water still beating down on me. I eventually got up and assessed the damage. Apart from some severe pain, it seemed my body was sturdier than I had previously thought, no bruises were to be seen. In one final, vengeful decision, I decided to punish my feet by strapping them in wool and leather and stepping on them all day. That should teach them.
Nevertheless, I was quite nervous, standing in the shower this morning. That's why I went out and bought one of those mats today, that prevent slippage. The revolution of disobedient appendages ends tomorrow!
End of days 11 & 12
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