Ooit eens op een datingsite gezeten? Of in ieder geval gekeken wat er nou precies allemaal voor hype omheen is?
Zijn we allemaal zo lui geworden met onze huidige maatschapij dat we echt niet eens de moeite meer willen nemen om mensen te ontmoeten buiten?
Misschien is het geen luiheid die heeft toegeslagen maar een gevoel van snelheid en privacy.
Iemand die achter een computer klimt om een profiel samen te stellen van al hun beste kwaliteiten om die dan te laten zien aan miljoenen mannen en vrouwen kan op z'n/haar gemak alle slechte trekjes achterwege laten.
Ja, iedereen reist veel (of wil graag reizen), iedereen leest graag (of wil graag veel lezen), iedereen is erg sociaal met vrienden en iedereen is op zoek naar die ene persoon die hun kan aanvullen.
Klinkt bekend? Waarschijnlijk omdat waarschijnlijk 80% van alle mensen op een dating website een soort gelijk profiel aanmaken en zo weinig mogelijk dingen invullen die hun kansen om iemand te ontmoeten verkleinen.
Al een aantal maanden zit ik ook op een van de grotere datingsites. Om heel eerlijk te zijn is dit mijn tweede keer. Ook ik ben sociaal, goed gelezen en hou van reizen. Hoeveel is dit nou waar?
Ik lees inderdaad veel. Kranten dus.
Ik ben in mijn hoofd sociaal genoeg maar moet er niet aan denken om 24/7 met andere mensen te zijn. Een beetje privacy graag.
En reizen?
Om precies te zijn was m'n laatste echte vakantie in Maart 2006 naar Curacao.
Grote plannen, weinig uitvoering.
Mijn grootste struikelblok? Het feit dat niet iedereen een foto op hun profiel zet en dat ze wel verwachten dat je na een 'knipoog' of suf kort emailtje, je aan hun voeten gooit.
Daarbij komt ook dat uiterlijke beschrijvingen meestal veel te wensen over laat en vrij kan worden opgevat.
'Ik heb een gemiddeld postuur' betekende voor een man dat de bierbuik die over de riem hing heel normaal was in Londen.
'Goed verzorgd zwart haar' betekende ongewassen rattenstaartje.
Maar m'n favoriete moment kwam toen ik iemand een emailtje had terug gestuurd om vriendelijk te bedanken voor de aandacht maar dat hij niet mijn type was. Daarna heb ik nog drie emails ontvangen van de heer in kwestie die me de huid volschold omdat ik hem had afgewezen.
Goede momenten?
Weinig.
Eigenlijk geen. Wel een aantal dates gehad maar om een of andere reden viel het me altijd tegen. OK we zijn allebei zenuwachtig maar als het klikt, klikt het. Anders niet. En geklikt heeft het nog niet.
Ik blijf denk ik nog even op de site hangen, optimistisch hopend dat er misschien toch nog een iemand tussen zit maar met de hoeveelheid Spanjaarden, Fransen en Italianen die momenteel contact zoeken zijn er maar weinig heren in de omgeving die m'n aandacht vangen!
Voor alle single ladies out there: Goede jacht en geef niet op!!
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Internship IntermeZZo: Day 142
PUBLISHED: 16/01/2006
9.15 AM
The day has started at a fast pace. Today is the day I have been living up to for weeks. The Traditional Travel Trade Christmas lunch day. All my most important clients will be here to have a lunch with the hot shots of Hilton International
and I had to arrange it. With some help of my lovely colleague Scott of course. Right now I am still experiencing the silence before the storm but I am pretty sure that only in a few moments, all hell will break loose.
10.30 am
Still going well, last arrangements made, picked up all the name cards and menus to put on the table. No last minute cancellations at all.
11.00 am
Table setting: check! Candles: check! Flowers: check! Pianist: check! Bar (including gallons of champagne): check! I am ready to go.
Almost at least. Two of my guests showed up, believing I had checked them into a room and since I had no idea what they were talking about, we made a sprint to Christian in Guest Relations. I admit, this was not my favorite time to practice my sweet talking skills on someone of the staff (certainly not the ones who fancy men) but I had no choice! And since Christian is one of my friends, he didn’t mind.
11.10 am
And they’re in a room!!
Phew.. save!
11.50 am
Where are they going with my neatly printed menu cards? When I follow, I get yelled at to stay away but after ten minutes my colleagues re-appear with the menus. Chef made last minute changes so the menu did not correspond with the dishes! Thanks for picking that up guys!!
1.30 pm
One cancellations and two add-ons! My covers on the table: I don’t have enough.
Some quick rearranging of the table settings, printing a name card and some running and we are all set for an extra cover. If I had just thought about the table planning pinned to the board.
Back in the office I decide to do some of the work that has been lying around for weeks now and I realize (thankfully) there were no desperate cases awaiting my attention. It makes life just a little bit easier.
3.45 pm
I went down to see how everything was going, whether anything needed some tweaking or probing. I came in on time to hear the speech of one of the guests from our Head Office and she even mention ME!! Jippy! Thanks and everything, people clapping,me feeling very happy – too bad I couldn’t drown myself in the wine like some of them to
celebrate.
6.50 pm
I want to go home!!! Well, almost then.My last check on the group,who have now moved
to the bar downstairs for some more excess drinking. The merry singing and laughing
sound in my ears as I arrive and I in my mind I can see someone dancing on the table, swinging his hat. But they are all neatly on their chairs, sipping their drinks.
7.15 pm
After the necessary smooching and hugging and shaking of hands I finally make my way back to the office to grab my coat and make my way home. It’s been one hell of a day and when I come in the next morning I have at least a dozen of ‘Thank you’ emails,which makes all the effort worth it!
9.15 AM
The day has started at a fast pace. Today is the day I have been living up to for weeks. The Traditional Travel Trade Christmas lunch day. All my most important clients will be here to have a lunch with the hot shots of Hilton International
and I had to arrange it. With some help of my lovely colleague Scott of course. Right now I am still experiencing the silence before the storm but I am pretty sure that only in a few moments, all hell will break loose.
10.30 am
Still going well, last arrangements made, picked up all the name cards and menus to put on the table. No last minute cancellations at all.
11.00 am
Table setting: check! Candles: check! Flowers: check! Pianist: check! Bar (including gallons of champagne): check! I am ready to go.
Almost at least. Two of my guests showed up, believing I had checked them into a room and since I had no idea what they were talking about, we made a sprint to Christian in Guest Relations. I admit, this was not my favorite time to practice my sweet talking skills on someone of the staff (certainly not the ones who fancy men) but I had no choice! And since Christian is one of my friends, he didn’t mind.
11.10 am
And they’re in a room!!
Phew.. save!
11.50 am
Where are they going with my neatly printed menu cards? When I follow, I get yelled at to stay away but after ten minutes my colleagues re-appear with the menus. Chef made last minute changes so the menu did not correspond with the dishes! Thanks for picking that up guys!!
1.30 pm
One cancellations and two add-ons! My covers on the table: I don’t have enough.
Some quick rearranging of the table settings, printing a name card and some running and we are all set for an extra cover. If I had just thought about the table planning pinned to the board.
Back in the office I decide to do some of the work that has been lying around for weeks now and I realize (thankfully) there were no desperate cases awaiting my attention. It makes life just a little bit easier.
3.45 pm
I went down to see how everything was going, whether anything needed some tweaking or probing. I came in on time to hear the speech of one of the guests from our Head Office and she even mention ME!! Jippy! Thanks and everything, people clapping,me feeling very happy – too bad I couldn’t drown myself in the wine like some of them to
celebrate.
6.50 pm
I want to go home!!! Well, almost then.My last check on the group,who have now moved
to the bar downstairs for some more excess drinking. The merry singing and laughing
sound in my ears as I arrive and I in my mind I can see someone dancing on the table, swinging his hat. But they are all neatly on their chairs, sipping their drinks.
7.15 pm
After the necessary smooching and hugging and shaking of hands I finally make my way back to the office to grab my coat and make my way home. It’s been one hell of a day and when I come in the next morning I have at least a dozen of ‘Thank you’ emails,which makes all the effort worth it!
Internship IntermeZZo Day: 101
PUBLISHED: 22/11/2005
7.00 AM Early enough, on this drowsy Wednesday, after groggily stumbling out of my bed and dragging myself into the shower I run in to one of my house mates, coming back from work. Odd enough I also ran into him the night before; I was going to bed, he was off to work. Now he is going to bed and I am off to work. Funny how that works.
8.45 AM
Traffic jams are wonderful, especially when you are smack in the middle of them, are in a hurry and have a cranky bus driver who won’t open the door so you can walk to your office, which is only 500 meters from the bus. My only consolation was that
when I finally arrived,my colleague had the coffee ready.
10.30 AM
One meeting cancelled, two runs down to reception and three coffees later I settle
myself, determined to prepare for our next meeting when my phone rings.
Guest Relations received a phone call from a guest that he was really pleased to find my business card in his room with a brochure pack (question marks start flying
through my head), which is nice to hear but I have not a clue who this man is or how he got my card. Oh well, a happy guest is a happy Gemma.
11.45 AM
Lunch time.
(Wooohooo)
12.30 AM
After running through the building to check my show round rooms, for potential guests, I storm into my meeting and sit down next to our General Manager, while I flick through the report I am expected to make sense of in two minutes. Interesting, difficult, small print, god I could do with a coffee…
2.00 PM
Breathe, in and out, don’t panic yet! With only three people running two departments, it is very hard to find some time to work on your personal and professional development. As I was working in our Hilton University room, my colleague runs in and while pulling her hair, asks if I could please please please come back to help with the emails and the phones. Another moment of studying shattered.
4.00 PM
Apparently my appearance was rather shocking when I walked back because everyone
suddenly wanted to do stuff for me (do my post, answer my phone, get me something to drink etc). Then again, there is so much to do right now that I have already decided to cheat and go for greasy take away. I have no other choice but to indulge (myself).
5.30 PM
Normally I do leave a little later but today I was keen on running out of the office at this time. Tomorrow an entire day in Croydon for a training and I am very curious
to see how overloaded my mailbox will be on Friday. What I notice every day is how,
eventhough I am running and flying, I still see more than I had expected. Everyone has their own jobs but I notice that when you are troubled or up to your ears in work, there will always be others to help you out, if you just ask.
Day 101 over and out.
7.00 AM Early enough, on this drowsy Wednesday, after groggily stumbling out of my bed and dragging myself into the shower I run in to one of my house mates, coming back from work. Odd enough I also ran into him the night before; I was going to bed, he was off to work. Now he is going to bed and I am off to work. Funny how that works.
8.45 AM
Traffic jams are wonderful, especially when you are smack in the middle of them, are in a hurry and have a cranky bus driver who won’t open the door so you can walk to your office, which is only 500 meters from the bus. My only consolation was that
when I finally arrived,my colleague had the coffee ready.
10.30 AM
One meeting cancelled, two runs down to reception and three coffees later I settle
myself, determined to prepare for our next meeting when my phone rings.
Guest Relations received a phone call from a guest that he was really pleased to find my business card in his room with a brochure pack (question marks start flying
through my head), which is nice to hear but I have not a clue who this man is or how he got my card. Oh well, a happy guest is a happy Gemma.
11.45 AM
Lunch time.
(Wooohooo)
12.30 AM
After running through the building to check my show round rooms, for potential guests, I storm into my meeting and sit down next to our General Manager, while I flick through the report I am expected to make sense of in two minutes. Interesting, difficult, small print, god I could do with a coffee…
2.00 PM
Breathe, in and out, don’t panic yet! With only three people running two departments, it is very hard to find some time to work on your personal and professional development. As I was working in our Hilton University room, my colleague runs in and while pulling her hair, asks if I could please please please come back to help with the emails and the phones. Another moment of studying shattered.
4.00 PM
Apparently my appearance was rather shocking when I walked back because everyone
suddenly wanted to do stuff for me (do my post, answer my phone, get me something to drink etc). Then again, there is so much to do right now that I have already decided to cheat and go for greasy take away. I have no other choice but to indulge (myself).
5.30 PM
Normally I do leave a little later but today I was keen on running out of the office at this time. Tomorrow an entire day in Croydon for a training and I am very curious
to see how overloaded my mailbox will be on Friday. What I notice every day is how,
eventhough I am running and flying, I still see more than I had expected. Everyone has their own jobs but I notice that when you are troubled or up to your ears in work, there will always be others to help you out, if you just ask.
Day 101 over and out.
Internship IntermeZZo: Day 82
PUBLISHED: 31/10/2005
7.00 AM: Finally a decent time to have the alarm go, no strange hours right now (carefully avoiding my timetable on Wednesday and Thursday).
After a strange week with a small amount of hours of sleep, I am glad to sleep in until 7.
8.30 AM:With my fresh bread rolls and a Tall Double shot Toffee Nut Latte (no cream) from Starbucks, I set myself behind my desk and realize there was no reason for getting breakfast this morning. It is FRIDAY!! A.k.a. everyone brings croissants, doughnuts and other types of delicious treats along for the rest of the office and we all start stuffing ourselves.
9.15 AM: Crisis arises, as I am in charge for preparing the show round rooms for potential guests and clients,my colleague harasses me that he needs the rooms in 5 minutes… but they are not clean yet! (as in: housekeeping hasn’t cleaned them yet).
Running down to reception I receive three rooms but when I arrive to check them, they are all OCCUPIED!! Again I dash down to the young man behind the counter, who just moments ago shamelessly flirted and shake him thoroughly and he produces three new rooms… better and (thankfully) empty. Crisis 1 is settled.
10.40 AM: Crisis 2: Guest/Agent complaint. After spending half an hour calming the lady down I finally dash off to Room service and order a fruit basket as a peace offer and write a lovely card. Rest at last.
12.45 PM: No Issues yet. (Ok, I did forget to send my brother a birthday card…hmm)
Finally a chance to keep working on one thing at a time without interruption, no emails, no phone calls, no people crying for your help.
1.45 PM: Suddenly I realise I completely forgot an important memo… The Backstreet Boys are in for a fundraiser lunch! Funnily enough, no one here seems to care or think big of it. I decide to ask.
1.55 AM: Ok, to give a better picture, there was only 1 B-boy coming and whenever someone asked about it outside of the hotel, we’d flatly say: NO! That’s not true.
Well, that was what we were supposed to say. Somehow a few people knew and the lobby was full of interested parties. And I wasn’t there, which was a shame since I would have liked to see the screeching/screaming/hysterically crying deranged fans. (life is so good!) But no… I missed it.
3.00 PM: Sending out my cookie order for next week I realize that it is almost time to go home, fair enough it is still another 2,5 hours but then it is and really will be WEEKEND. Believe me, after you start working for a company like this you start to appreciate your weekends more than while you were a student. There is so much more work to do, such long hours and very demanding people around you that at some points you might feel that it is all about to cave in on you and that you get no rest whatsoever. That’s when your weekend feels like heaven.
Until the next day!!
7.00 AM: Finally a decent time to have the alarm go, no strange hours right now (carefully avoiding my timetable on Wednesday and Thursday).
After a strange week with a small amount of hours of sleep, I am glad to sleep in until 7.
8.30 AM:With my fresh bread rolls and a Tall Double shot Toffee Nut Latte (no cream) from Starbucks, I set myself behind my desk and realize there was no reason for getting breakfast this morning. It is FRIDAY!! A.k.a. everyone brings croissants, doughnuts and other types of delicious treats along for the rest of the office and we all start stuffing ourselves.
9.15 AM: Crisis arises, as I am in charge for preparing the show round rooms for potential guests and clients,my colleague harasses me that he needs the rooms in 5 minutes… but they are not clean yet! (as in: housekeeping hasn’t cleaned them yet).
Running down to reception I receive three rooms but when I arrive to check them, they are all OCCUPIED!! Again I dash down to the young man behind the counter, who just moments ago shamelessly flirted and shake him thoroughly and he produces three new rooms… better and (thankfully) empty. Crisis 1 is settled.
10.40 AM: Crisis 2: Guest/Agent complaint. After spending half an hour calming the lady down I finally dash off to Room service and order a fruit basket as a peace offer and write a lovely card. Rest at last.
12.45 PM: No Issues yet. (Ok, I did forget to send my brother a birthday card…hmm)
Finally a chance to keep working on one thing at a time without interruption, no emails, no phone calls, no people crying for your help.
1.45 PM: Suddenly I realise I completely forgot an important memo… The Backstreet Boys are in for a fundraiser lunch! Funnily enough, no one here seems to care or think big of it. I decide to ask.
1.55 AM: Ok, to give a better picture, there was only 1 B-boy coming and whenever someone asked about it outside of the hotel, we’d flatly say: NO! That’s not true.
Well, that was what we were supposed to say. Somehow a few people knew and the lobby was full of interested parties. And I wasn’t there, which was a shame since I would have liked to see the screeching/screaming/hysterically crying deranged fans. (life is so good!) But no… I missed it.
3.00 PM: Sending out my cookie order for next week I realize that it is almost time to go home, fair enough it is still another 2,5 hours but then it is and really will be WEEKEND. Believe me, after you start working for a company like this you start to appreciate your weekends more than while you were a student. There is so much more work to do, such long hours and very demanding people around you that at some points you might feel that it is all about to cave in on you and that you get no rest whatsoever. That’s when your weekend feels like heaven.
Until the next day!!
Internship IntermeZZo: Day 46
PUBLISHED: 10/10/2005
06.00
How do I getmyself into these things? Oh wait a minute, I didn't! Someone else did.... poor me. Argh too soon, again. At least it's not raining...yet. Oh well, I guess being part of a committee that is destined to save the world requires a bit of self offering. Today I will be giving a few presentations on how we can preserve the environment within the hotel. And of course I get the early shift!
07.00
Alright, no breakfast, no coffee, no sleep! I feel great! But I know that the company takes care of us and before I know it I am blessed with a huge cup of coffee, bacon and eggs, bread and a good mood.This is not too bad, at least it didn't rain!
07.30
Excitement, the first round. A little bit nervous I climb up onto the stage. I open my eyes and see that for this first shift there are only 15 people who showed up... what a relieve, a good ice breaker. As I click along the screen I explain how the Hilton helps to preserve the environment,what efforts are made and how we can all
help. A little bit of interest makes a lot of difference.
09.30
Ok my nerves are now focused on something completely different. This presentation is just as smooth, just as witty and just as touching but my heart is pounding while I
have a meeting… in exactly 15 minutes and I can’t be late. Thankfully the movie goes all well, the images flash by and before I know it I am crashing down the stairs,my bag flying and my heels clicking. Phew, I made it; even without falling flat on my face as I tripped over the carpet in the lobby.
11.00
Hungry – but still in meeting, no food here.
13.30
Lunchtime!!! Well, due to an overfull schedule, only 20 minutes but that is fine with me.
16.00
Ah real working life finally.The moment I was about to leave my phone rings. It’s my boss and she had a list of things for me to do and to check so I guess I am stuck a bit longer at my desk. At least it is something that I need to know as well and which will help me develop myself. Hmm… maybe I can catch dinner here as well.
17.30
Official going home time, I am still at my desk.With a new cup of coffee and typing as if my life depends on it, I cling to the computer (and the caffeine) as my last life line.
19.00
Jippy, I am done… I think I will just find myself an internet café and chat with some friends. Home is not an option yet. I am guessing I will make my way home somewhere around 22.00 tonight and then get up the next day. Yep, I love my job!
06.00
How do I getmyself into these things? Oh wait a minute, I didn't! Someone else did.... poor me. Argh too soon, again. At least it's not raining...yet. Oh well, I guess being part of a committee that is destined to save the world requires a bit of self offering. Today I will be giving a few presentations on how we can preserve the environment within the hotel. And of course I get the early shift!
07.00
Alright, no breakfast, no coffee, no sleep! I feel great! But I know that the company takes care of us and before I know it I am blessed with a huge cup of coffee, bacon and eggs, bread and a good mood.This is not too bad, at least it didn't rain!
07.30
Excitement, the first round. A little bit nervous I climb up onto the stage. I open my eyes and see that for this first shift there are only 15 people who showed up... what a relieve, a good ice breaker. As I click along the screen I explain how the Hilton helps to preserve the environment,what efforts are made and how we can all
help. A little bit of interest makes a lot of difference.
09.30
Ok my nerves are now focused on something completely different. This presentation is just as smooth, just as witty and just as touching but my heart is pounding while I
have a meeting… in exactly 15 minutes and I can’t be late. Thankfully the movie goes all well, the images flash by and before I know it I am crashing down the stairs,my bag flying and my heels clicking. Phew, I made it; even without falling flat on my face as I tripped over the carpet in the lobby.
11.00
Hungry – but still in meeting, no food here.
13.30
Lunchtime!!! Well, due to an overfull schedule, only 20 minutes but that is fine with me.
16.00
Ah real working life finally.The moment I was about to leave my phone rings. It’s my boss and she had a list of things for me to do and to check so I guess I am stuck a bit longer at my desk. At least it is something that I need to know as well and which will help me develop myself. Hmm… maybe I can catch dinner here as well.
17.30
Official going home time, I am still at my desk.With a new cup of coffee and typing as if my life depends on it, I cling to the computer (and the caffeine) as my last life line.
19.00
Jippy, I am done… I think I will just find myself an internet café and chat with some friends. Home is not an option yet. I am guessing I will make my way home somewhere around 22.00 tonight and then get up the next day. Yep, I love my job!
Internship Intermezzo: Day 0: D-Day
PUBLISHED: 21/09/2005
6.00 AM No shit, 6.14, I’m late.Wonderful,my departure day (or D-day if you must) and I got up late. I can’t believe it. Oh well, this is the day, the first day of my internship, on my way to London indeed.
7.45 AM In the car, outside it’s raining cats and dogs and I wonder if my plane will depart at all but when we enter Schiphol I can see the KLM planes head up.
8.03 AM Checked in and all, kissed my parents goodbye (secretly hoping some handsome long lost lover will come running after me before I enter the gate, crying: “GEMMA
WAIT I LOVE YOU!!”…. But no), with a large coffee and a muffin I sit down and watch planes take off. That will be me soon, well at least within an hour.
9.39 AM Or so I hoped…
9.55 AM Still no take off and why?? There is no crew to fly the plane!! Just my luck.
10.12 AM And there we go. Up, up and away. Next to me a man clenches the armrests of his seat as we take off, I guess he’s not a big fan of flying. I love flying, mostly the take off and the landing because it is the most dangerous part. I called my parents before take-off to complain about the weather and I hope that when I am up in the air the weather will be better.. but above the clouds the sun always shines I realize.
10.24 AM (GMT) Ok I’m here!! I’m in jolly old London.
11.25 AM As before the hotel is HUGE and not just for the eye, 1058 rooms, 40 Conference rooms and space for a maximum of 10.000 people. And here I am, just one little person on to start a new adventure, to learn all that there is to know about Leisure Research and have great time.
12.54 PM Got my key – funnily the previous girl to sleep in my room was also named Gemma – and I am now ushered into a black cab where I spend the next ten minutes explaining to the cab driver how to spell the address and eventually I end up finding the address in a phone book!!
1.25 PM Made it out of the cab alive, I must admit, I am not that fond of a driver who considers the sidewalks extra roads and pedestrians just moving objects which can be dodged by honking the horn. Love this town. The people in the employee house were not aware I was coming and so I was ushered into my room feeling just as
amazed as they but no harm done, we still had a nice time and eventually were joined by another girl named Inga from Germany.
9.35 PM Wiped out, tired and looking forward to my first working day I make one last cup of tea and go to bed, my head full of deadly cabdrivers and a missing cabin crew.
Tomorrow I will really start, finally my first day at the Hilton London Metropole.
6.00 AM No shit, 6.14, I’m late.Wonderful,my departure day (or D-day if you must) and I got up late. I can’t believe it. Oh well, this is the day, the first day of my internship, on my way to London indeed.
7.45 AM In the car, outside it’s raining cats and dogs and I wonder if my plane will depart at all but when we enter Schiphol I can see the KLM planes head up.
8.03 AM Checked in and all, kissed my parents goodbye (secretly hoping some handsome long lost lover will come running after me before I enter the gate, crying: “GEMMA
WAIT I LOVE YOU!!”…. But no), with a large coffee and a muffin I sit down and watch planes take off. That will be me soon, well at least within an hour.
9.39 AM Or so I hoped…
9.55 AM Still no take off and why?? There is no crew to fly the plane!! Just my luck.
10.12 AM And there we go. Up, up and away. Next to me a man clenches the armrests of his seat as we take off, I guess he’s not a big fan of flying. I love flying, mostly the take off and the landing because it is the most dangerous part. I called my parents before take-off to complain about the weather and I hope that when I am up in the air the weather will be better.. but above the clouds the sun always shines I realize.
10.24 AM (GMT) Ok I’m here!! I’m in jolly old London.
11.25 AM As before the hotel is HUGE and not just for the eye, 1058 rooms, 40 Conference rooms and space for a maximum of 10.000 people. And here I am, just one little person on to start a new adventure, to learn all that there is to know about Leisure Research and have great time.
12.54 PM Got my key – funnily the previous girl to sleep in my room was also named Gemma – and I am now ushered into a black cab where I spend the next ten minutes explaining to the cab driver how to spell the address and eventually I end up finding the address in a phone book!!
1.25 PM Made it out of the cab alive, I must admit, I am not that fond of a driver who considers the sidewalks extra roads and pedestrians just moving objects which can be dodged by honking the horn. Love this town. The people in the employee house were not aware I was coming and so I was ushered into my room feeling just as
amazed as they but no harm done, we still had a nice time and eventually were joined by another girl named Inga from Germany.
9.35 PM Wiped out, tired and looking forward to my first working day I make one last cup of tea and go to bed, my head full of deadly cabdrivers and a missing cabin crew.
Tomorrow I will really start, finally my first day at the Hilton London Metropole.
The sky’s the limit!
PUBLISHED: 28/06/2005
A goodbye is the birth of a memory.
I think this is true. Each time I say goodbye from somewhere or someone, I make another memory. Not so much of all the good things but also of times that were less… happy.
When I started here at school there were times I didn’t feel in my element and I think that this was a good thing to go through. I still remember it like it was yesterday. But now that I will be leaving as well as so many others before me I
started thinking, what have I seen, what have I learned and most of all; what do I want to remember?
Not just the times I know as good times but also the times which I see as the moments when I tried to reach out, when I tried to find my way and where to fit in. Have I succeeded? I don’t know but I do know that somewhere between the falling and
the getting up again I learned how to fly, so after I was finally able to spread my wings, I didn’t want to go back.
After many times falling down on my face I learned to understand how I was the one who could make or break my own life, that it was me who had the ability to accept others in all their flaws, their mistakes and all their imperfections. After some
time I realized that there is no such thing as perfection, no matter how badly I wanted it. Sometimes you just have to sit back and open up.
This was something that changed my life, it all fell into place and I needed three years for it to happen. Three years of a lifetime which is so short to begin with!
I saw what mistakes I was making and as I admitted to a close friend once, I make those mistakes every day again and again. It seems as if I don’t learn, but I do, I really do.
I learned that there are no limitations to what I can do or what I can achieve. I wanted to dance again, I went back to ballet classes. I felt liberated to take that chance and make that change, no matter how small it was for me. I did it without
looking back. This is the freedom we have.
I proved this while here at school, the very last place I would have expected it to happen. But it did. I saw something in people I hardly was able to see before.
It was trust, it was faith and it was hope. In the past I saw this sometimes briefly but now I know where to look.
So even though this is not my last column, I still want to look back for a moment.What do I want to remember?
Everything. There is nothing I want to forget because forgetting means never being able to go back. And if you can’t go back, I firmly believe that you loose a piece of yourself.
As for now, I say goodbye, to all who were, are and will be.
A goodbye is the birth of a memory.
I think this is true. Each time I say goodbye from somewhere or someone, I make another memory. Not so much of all the good things but also of times that were less… happy.
When I started here at school there were times I didn’t feel in my element and I think that this was a good thing to go through. I still remember it like it was yesterday. But now that I will be leaving as well as so many others before me I
started thinking, what have I seen, what have I learned and most of all; what do I want to remember?
Not just the times I know as good times but also the times which I see as the moments when I tried to reach out, when I tried to find my way and where to fit in. Have I succeeded? I don’t know but I do know that somewhere between the falling and
the getting up again I learned how to fly, so after I was finally able to spread my wings, I didn’t want to go back.
After many times falling down on my face I learned to understand how I was the one who could make or break my own life, that it was me who had the ability to accept others in all their flaws, their mistakes and all their imperfections. After some
time I realized that there is no such thing as perfection, no matter how badly I wanted it. Sometimes you just have to sit back and open up.
This was something that changed my life, it all fell into place and I needed three years for it to happen. Three years of a lifetime which is so short to begin with!
I saw what mistakes I was making and as I admitted to a close friend once, I make those mistakes every day again and again. It seems as if I don’t learn, but I do, I really do.
I learned that there are no limitations to what I can do or what I can achieve. I wanted to dance again, I went back to ballet classes. I felt liberated to take that chance and make that change, no matter how small it was for me. I did it without
looking back. This is the freedom we have.
I proved this while here at school, the very last place I would have expected it to happen. But it did. I saw something in people I hardly was able to see before.
It was trust, it was faith and it was hope. In the past I saw this sometimes briefly but now I know where to look.
So even though this is not my last column, I still want to look back for a moment.What do I want to remember?
Everything. There is nothing I want to forget because forgetting means never being able to go back. And if you can’t go back, I firmly believe that you loose a piece of yourself.
As for now, I say goodbye, to all who were, are and will be.
Hotel Wyswert as shining new entrant to ‘Ljouwert Culinair’
PUBLISHED: 28/06/2005
June 10th and 11th the Prinsentuin in Leeuwarden turned once again into a culinary festival event, when 19 restaurants from in and around Leeuwarden gathered to display and sells some of their trade-marking dishes to the public.
This was the fifth time this event was held but for our own Hotel Wyswert it was the first. A culinary highlight for our hotel, that also might receive a special indication in the Michelin Guide after one of their inspectors came by to visit.
After an intense period of Visitation and Accreditation, refurnishing the bar and decorating the lobby with some high-tech equipment, we were all ready for a break. A culinary break to be precise.
Standing at the beginning of the Prinsentuin, Hotel Wyswert lured the guests into the tent by offering them something truly interesting, a ‘Riper Krite’ lollypop, melted Frisian cheese on a stick and people loved it, making it a true home-run.
Inside the tent, a small replica of Hotel Wyswert was made with comfortable tables and chairs and stunning wall covers with the pictures of the hotel. In the kitchen three special dishes were made and served.
A chilled Gazpacho, served in a special point glass, that was chilled in a bed of ice. A small quiche of asparagus with ham with a delicious mustard sauce and last but not least a sate of quail, served on a bed of artichoke ‘caviar’.
‘Ljouwert Culinair’ is an annual event, created by the Lions Club ’80 in Leeuwarden who decided to do something more for society. Not only is this an opportunity for restaurants to meet and attract guests to their businesses but for every ticket which is sold (to pay for the dishes), 20% is saved for charity in Leeuwarden and beyond.
This year the event sponsored a project in Africa and a cultural project in Leeuwarden, yet to be chosen upon. Friday the event started and even though the weather was no too favorable, hundreds of people came to the Prinsentuin to taste the delicious treats, served mostly with a wonderful glass of wine.
The most important goal for Hotel Wyswert was setting it on the map, making ourselves known to the public and looking at the number of guests who visited, we succeeded.
The sate of quail was a hit and some guests came back the next day to try the other dishes as well. This was an event worth visiting and being at, it gave taste and name
to the hotel and a guarantee to join next year and make it another great event!
June 10th and 11th the Prinsentuin in Leeuwarden turned once again into a culinary festival event, when 19 restaurants from in and around Leeuwarden gathered to display and sells some of their trade-marking dishes to the public.
This was the fifth time this event was held but for our own Hotel Wyswert it was the first. A culinary highlight for our hotel, that also might receive a special indication in the Michelin Guide after one of their inspectors came by to visit.
After an intense period of Visitation and Accreditation, refurnishing the bar and decorating the lobby with some high-tech equipment, we were all ready for a break. A culinary break to be precise.
Standing at the beginning of the Prinsentuin, Hotel Wyswert lured the guests into the tent by offering them something truly interesting, a ‘Riper Krite’ lollypop, melted Frisian cheese on a stick and people loved it, making it a true home-run.
Inside the tent, a small replica of Hotel Wyswert was made with comfortable tables and chairs and stunning wall covers with the pictures of the hotel. In the kitchen three special dishes were made and served.
A chilled Gazpacho, served in a special point glass, that was chilled in a bed of ice. A small quiche of asparagus with ham with a delicious mustard sauce and last but not least a sate of quail, served on a bed of artichoke ‘caviar’.
‘Ljouwert Culinair’ is an annual event, created by the Lions Club ’80 in Leeuwarden who decided to do something more for society. Not only is this an opportunity for restaurants to meet and attract guests to their businesses but for every ticket which is sold (to pay for the dishes), 20% is saved for charity in Leeuwarden and beyond.
This year the event sponsored a project in Africa and a cultural project in Leeuwarden, yet to be chosen upon. Friday the event started and even though the weather was no too favorable, hundreds of people came to the Prinsentuin to taste the delicious treats, served mostly with a wonderful glass of wine.
The most important goal for Hotel Wyswert was setting it on the map, making ourselves known to the public and looking at the number of guests who visited, we succeeded.
The sate of quail was a hit and some guests came back the next day to try the other dishes as well. This was an event worth visiting and being at, it gave taste and name
to the hotel and a guarantee to join next year and make it another great event!
Is life a television show?
PUBLISHED: 07/06/2005
Sometimes our lives can be so magical, so mysterious and interesting. And then there are the days that we feel the world is a drag. That nothing brings us any fun and excitement. And then again the days of magic fall upon us.
This up and down movement of our lives are normal waves and they every day state that we are merely humans. But now and then something unique happens, something so special, it could have been taken directly out of Hollywood. It fancies into our lives and is wrapped in a delicious package of intrigue. A perfect recipe for
another blockbuster movie.
How come lately I get the feeling that everything that happens around us is based on what we see on television and in the movies?
Remember the guy who washed upon the shore of England, who doesn’t speak or react on anything but all he seems to do is play a piano.
A fascinating story, catchy and surreal. Every country has displayed his picture but still no sustainable evidence has been brought in. Why is it then that we are so attracted to this story? Just because of the uniqueness of it all. It’s as if this man has just jumped out of a Scott Hicks* movie. The whole Hollywood-hey-this-is-another-good-script community has awoken as soon as this man came into the picture.
Currently the amount of scripts in the make is set to 5!
Every day time show is guaranteed to use this at least twice in the following years and it is a perfect commercial tool and they’re right, why shouldn’t they? That’s thinking commercially. From the moment we were able to display physically and verbally to others the happiness and the tragedies which strike us,we have acted
these out and we loved them because they show us that we are not alone with our feelings. These little mimics of reality help us explain the situation we are in and it is liberating.
A great example are the ancient Greeks. Their theaters and plays are the ancestors of nowadays movies and television shows. This tradition has been taken over everywhere and now there is no country which doesn’t produce films or day time television.
Our lives are time consumed so for us to watch a television show, it has to be enticing, exciting and interesting or we cannot make ourselves watch it. Basically, there are two different groups of people: the ones who enjoy to watch the misery and daily slumbers of someone’s life, and the group who love, as some critics say, Someone’s extremely clever brain to trick us all in thinking he is for real.
Honestly, when coming back to the ‘piano man’, I am still somewhere between these two groups, I want to believe the man due to my ‘romantic Hollywood- enthusiastic’ heart but my rational mind urges me to think otherwise.
All in all, with washing onto England’s green shores, this man’s life has actually become a television show and whether this is a good thing or not, I leave it up to you.
* Director of the movie “Shine”, which has a unique resemblance with this story.
Sometimes our lives can be so magical, so mysterious and interesting. And then there are the days that we feel the world is a drag. That nothing brings us any fun and excitement. And then again the days of magic fall upon us.
This up and down movement of our lives are normal waves and they every day state that we are merely humans. But now and then something unique happens, something so special, it could have been taken directly out of Hollywood. It fancies into our lives and is wrapped in a delicious package of intrigue. A perfect recipe for
another blockbuster movie.
How come lately I get the feeling that everything that happens around us is based on what we see on television and in the movies?
Remember the guy who washed upon the shore of England, who doesn’t speak or react on anything but all he seems to do is play a piano.
A fascinating story, catchy and surreal. Every country has displayed his picture but still no sustainable evidence has been brought in. Why is it then that we are so attracted to this story? Just because of the uniqueness of it all. It’s as if this man has just jumped out of a Scott Hicks* movie. The whole Hollywood-hey-this-is-another-good-script community has awoken as soon as this man came into the picture.
Currently the amount of scripts in the make is set to 5!
Every day time show is guaranteed to use this at least twice in the following years and it is a perfect commercial tool and they’re right, why shouldn’t they? That’s thinking commercially. From the moment we were able to display physically and verbally to others the happiness and the tragedies which strike us,we have acted
these out and we loved them because they show us that we are not alone with our feelings. These little mimics of reality help us explain the situation we are in and it is liberating.
A great example are the ancient Greeks. Their theaters and plays are the ancestors of nowadays movies and television shows. This tradition has been taken over everywhere and now there is no country which doesn’t produce films or day time television.
Our lives are time consumed so for us to watch a television show, it has to be enticing, exciting and interesting or we cannot make ourselves watch it. Basically, there are two different groups of people: the ones who enjoy to watch the misery and daily slumbers of someone’s life, and the group who love, as some critics say, Someone’s extremely clever brain to trick us all in thinking he is for real.
Honestly, when coming back to the ‘piano man’, I am still somewhere between these two groups, I want to believe the man due to my ‘romantic Hollywood- enthusiastic’ heart but my rational mind urges me to think otherwise.
All in all, with washing onto England’s green shores, this man’s life has actually become a television show and whether this is a good thing or not, I leave it up to you.
* Director of the movie “Shine”, which has a unique resemblance with this story.
How much is too much?
PUBLISHED: 17/05/2005
What would you say when you suddenly notice that everyone around you is different? It’s normal right? You expect people to be different than yourself but what we see is only the outside.We see a cover, an image, a picture of a small fragment of who that person is. Either intentionally or just because that is how she or he is.
But from that small piece we are not able to see truly what keeps them busy, what moves them, what troubles haunt their minds, what joys they have seen and what sorrows cross their heart. It would be liberating sometimes when people would instantly understand you, that they would only have to look into your eyes and see what you are going through.
I hate to burst the bubble but there are only a rare few who have this gift. I was lucky enough to meet one a few years ago and he has been a rescue to me.
My conclusion was that everyone has an invisible little wall around them on which they present an image of who they are, or who they want to be. For some people this wall is thin and almost non-existent, allowing them to be more honest about who they are, what they stand for and what they want to show in their lives.
For others this wall is thick and their sole way of protecting themselves. They hold on to this projection because they can’t or won’t let people get close, they feel that it will keep them from harm but it in fact can cause harm. Pain, for the people who have this wall, seems a daily habit and they try very hard to hide it. They climb away in their shell and turn from what is truly meaningful, they end up forgetting their own goals and values, merely because they have to protect their feelings.
Now the question is: how much is too much? How thick should you have this wall? Should you have one at all?
These are questions you can only answer for yourself, there is no one who can tell you how much you should protect yourself because they can’t stand in your shoes! They cannot experience things the way you experience them and therefore they are not allowed to judge on what should be right.
This is about how YOU feel, what feels right and what IS right are two different things but there is nothing wrong in comparing those to each other. It’s your given right as a human. See what feels comfortable to you and what works best for you, as long as you remain honest to yourself.
The most important thing is to realize to love yourself, to fully understand who you are and what you are. When you can do this, there is nothing and no one who can touch you.
What would you say when you suddenly notice that everyone around you is different? It’s normal right? You expect people to be different than yourself but what we see is only the outside.We see a cover, an image, a picture of a small fragment of who that person is. Either intentionally or just because that is how she or he is.
But from that small piece we are not able to see truly what keeps them busy, what moves them, what troubles haunt their minds, what joys they have seen and what sorrows cross their heart. It would be liberating sometimes when people would instantly understand you, that they would only have to look into your eyes and see what you are going through.
I hate to burst the bubble but there are only a rare few who have this gift. I was lucky enough to meet one a few years ago and he has been a rescue to me.
My conclusion was that everyone has an invisible little wall around them on which they present an image of who they are, or who they want to be. For some people this wall is thin and almost non-existent, allowing them to be more honest about who they are, what they stand for and what they want to show in their lives.
For others this wall is thick and their sole way of protecting themselves. They hold on to this projection because they can’t or won’t let people get close, they feel that it will keep them from harm but it in fact can cause harm. Pain, for the people who have this wall, seems a daily habit and they try very hard to hide it. They climb away in their shell and turn from what is truly meaningful, they end up forgetting their own goals and values, merely because they have to protect their feelings.
Now the question is: how much is too much? How thick should you have this wall? Should you have one at all?
These are questions you can only answer for yourself, there is no one who can tell you how much you should protect yourself because they can’t stand in your shoes! They cannot experience things the way you experience them and therefore they are not allowed to judge on what should be right.
This is about how YOU feel, what feels right and what IS right are two different things but there is nothing wrong in comparing those to each other. It’s your given right as a human. See what feels comfortable to you and what works best for you, as long as you remain honest to yourself.
The most important thing is to realize to love yourself, to fully understand who you are and what you are. When you can do this, there is nothing and no one who can touch you.
Spring Kick-back or a Spring Jump-start
PUBLISHED: 12/04/2005
I’m bored, so bored I don’t know how to deal with it. The foresight of so many things I still need to do is threatening and unappealing but then again they’re all necessary.
Sitting in my office on the 6th floor of a wonderful building I can see people walking outside, enjoying
the sun and I wonder... why on earth am I still inside this building? My recent visits to the sauna have relieved me a lot but still... I felt tired and depressed.
Yesterday was a similar situation and so at the end of the day I decided to take a small tour to the ocean. At dusk everything was nice and quiet. There was a football match on tv so the roads were peacefull and I spent two blissful hours on the beach with no one else but my friend Dane.
He told me that he was feeling the same, there were still so many things he had to do in the following weeks but he didn’t feel like doing any of them. It made me think. We all know the basic ‘Winter depression’ but might there be something as a ‘Spring kick-back’?
I mean look at us. The weather is becoming nice and warm again, we’d rather spend our time sitting on a terrace than in offices and classrooms. These are all things which would constitute the Spring kickback. Maybe the end of the winter is also influencing our behaviour, our feelings. The cold and the snow are no longer upon us, we realize the summer holiday is near again and then it hits us! Another 2 modules of
school to go!! Another 2 modules of hard work, tests, resits, problems etc. before us. Two modules no free times and obligations.
But wouldn’t it be great to look at it differently? How about introducing the ‘Spring Jump-start’? A positive approach on what lies before us, a friendlier way of seeing the work ahead of you. It might be a sore consolation but it could just possibly be your last resource of energy. The last straw of happiness when you
need it.
Think of it this way: Just two more modules to go before we have a holiday. For me it will be the first real holiday in 2 years time! I am looking forward to it! Believe me, let me finish these two modules and I am off!!\
So it completely depends on how you look at it. You can have a ‘Spring kick-back’ or you can have a ‘Spring
jump-start’! It’s up to you which one you prefer. Choice: be depressed?? Or be relieved!
Make it easy on yourself and try to run those last few miles with spirit and energy before you crash and burn in the sun on a beach with a cocktail in your hand!
Good Luck!!
I’m bored, so bored I don’t know how to deal with it. The foresight of so many things I still need to do is threatening and unappealing but then again they’re all necessary.
Sitting in my office on the 6th floor of a wonderful building I can see people walking outside, enjoying
the sun and I wonder... why on earth am I still inside this building? My recent visits to the sauna have relieved me a lot but still... I felt tired and depressed.
Yesterday was a similar situation and so at the end of the day I decided to take a small tour to the ocean. At dusk everything was nice and quiet. There was a football match on tv so the roads were peacefull and I spent two blissful hours on the beach with no one else but my friend Dane.
He told me that he was feeling the same, there were still so many things he had to do in the following weeks but he didn’t feel like doing any of them. It made me think. We all know the basic ‘Winter depression’ but might there be something as a ‘Spring kick-back’?
I mean look at us. The weather is becoming nice and warm again, we’d rather spend our time sitting on a terrace than in offices and classrooms. These are all things which would constitute the Spring kickback. Maybe the end of the winter is also influencing our behaviour, our feelings. The cold and the snow are no longer upon us, we realize the summer holiday is near again and then it hits us! Another 2 modules of
school to go!! Another 2 modules of hard work, tests, resits, problems etc. before us. Two modules no free times and obligations.
But wouldn’t it be great to look at it differently? How about introducing the ‘Spring Jump-start’? A positive approach on what lies before us, a friendlier way of seeing the work ahead of you. It might be a sore consolation but it could just possibly be your last resource of energy. The last straw of happiness when you
need it.
Think of it this way: Just two more modules to go before we have a holiday. For me it will be the first real holiday in 2 years time! I am looking forward to it! Believe me, let me finish these two modules and I am off!!\
So it completely depends on how you look at it. You can have a ‘Spring kick-back’ or you can have a ‘Spring
jump-start’! It’s up to you which one you prefer. Choice: be depressed?? Or be relieved!
Make it easy on yourself and try to run those last few miles with spirit and energy before you crash and burn in the sun on a beach with a cocktail in your hand!
Good Luck!!
CHN Students fighting to change the world
PUBLISHED 12/04/2005
How often do we see it on television? Tsunamis, floods, hunger, rascism and more. How many times do people actually look at these things and that it truly opens their eyes?
Not that often.
But this is nothing to be ashamed of, there is no harm in peacefully going to bed even if you know that there are people who aren’t even able to sleep any more because their houses are destroyed by wars. It is understandable and it is human nature to care but be afraid to actually step in.
The CHN now has something new to offer.
A semester applicable to all educations and institutes in the school is Humanitarian Hospitality Management.
But what is this? And who does this?
Right now there is only one group of 12 students working on this semester. Guided by 2 co-ordinators,
Mrs. Medema and Mr. Megally, these students are learning about situations in the world, about what defines a crisis, the psychology behind it, the NGOs which are there to help, the Governmental Organization such as
the United Nations and of course the violations of Human rights throughout the world.
The semester consists currently of three modules, next year to be replaced by two and will contain all the necessary preparations for a 6 weeks internship in Port Alfred at the end.
In the first module the students learnt about three separate countries, Rwanda, Bosnia and Afghanistan, they analyzed the situations, compared them and proposed a conclusion and further research topics.
But why is this semester offered? Happy Megally and Monique Medema offer a personal opinion of why they
are working on this semester. “I think that on some degree everyone, who is part of society, should help in society, no matter how.” Happy explains,“Therefore it is interesting for students to learn how they can help
and that is why they can go to South Africa.They become part of the population and they experience what
it is like in a situation as such.”
“As a humanitarian worker it is necessary to gain experience in working in a completely different world.” Monique adds,“A developing country opens your eyes which is very useful in this field.This year we will start working in the townships of South Africa with our students. Combining the humanitarian fieldwork with educating students is an ideal situation for me.”
So the students, a motivated group from a lot of different educations, even some graduated, feel that there is a deeper reason for why they chose this semester. For a few it was really the experience, as they feel that they were born in a rich and luxurious country, they desire to see what it can be like when things are different.
Mark Rothengatter:“Everyone has his own interests and core values. It depends on the person what he/she
wants to do and what kind of role humanitarian assitance plays in their lives.Nevertheless, I think this module can be a stimulating factor for students to consider the ‘other side’ of the industry.”
Chantal Alewijnse has another opinion about Humanitarian Assistance.“In my opinion it is an unorganized sector where it is not always clear what their real goals and missions are.” And that is also the importance of
the semester, the realization of the need of proper management in the sector.
Then again, one of the most shared reasons is interest.“I was rather late with the choice of my module, this was very interesting for me because I would like to go to south Africa and I am very interested in the subject.” Twan Welboren explains.
Now the semester has started and many things have already been seen and discovered but a few things really stuck out. The literature! More than 1500 pages were copied for the students to read and they did. But not without the required amount of blood sweat and tears.
The cases! Working in the first module on one country each group had to analyze several intensive cases, which together with classes and lectures were compared.
South Africa, townships in need of help.
A country which was once almost led to ruin by the Apartheid now still feels the differences between people
and in Port Alfred there is a lot of work which can be done. “Most of the students of this group are going to South-Africa to do something for the local people. For example, develop a plan to ensure an increase of tourism.This can help the people there to build on a better future.”
So how does the future of the Humanitarian Assistance look? Renate Barendregt has her own opinion on this.“By educating our group I believe that out of the twelve students there are probably some people who want to continue in this work field. And even if it is only one person, that person might be able to change the world.”
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and it seems that most of the students
have a heart for the case. Birgit Koezema smiles broadly,“My overall impression of this semester?” “Fantastic Interesting New Experiences.”
And Austrian student Katharina Maier agrees:“It has been the greatest and most interesting module in my
whole studying career.”
How often do we see it on television? Tsunamis, floods, hunger, rascism and more. How many times do people actually look at these things and that it truly opens their eyes?
Not that often.
But this is nothing to be ashamed of, there is no harm in peacefully going to bed even if you know that there are people who aren’t even able to sleep any more because their houses are destroyed by wars. It is understandable and it is human nature to care but be afraid to actually step in.
The CHN now has something new to offer.
A semester applicable to all educations and institutes in the school is Humanitarian Hospitality Management.
But what is this? And who does this?
Right now there is only one group of 12 students working on this semester. Guided by 2 co-ordinators,
Mrs. Medema and Mr. Megally, these students are learning about situations in the world, about what defines a crisis, the psychology behind it, the NGOs which are there to help, the Governmental Organization such as
the United Nations and of course the violations of Human rights throughout the world.
The semester consists currently of three modules, next year to be replaced by two and will contain all the necessary preparations for a 6 weeks internship in Port Alfred at the end.
In the first module the students learnt about three separate countries, Rwanda, Bosnia and Afghanistan, they analyzed the situations, compared them and proposed a conclusion and further research topics.
But why is this semester offered? Happy Megally and Monique Medema offer a personal opinion of why they
are working on this semester. “I think that on some degree everyone, who is part of society, should help in society, no matter how.” Happy explains,“Therefore it is interesting for students to learn how they can help
and that is why they can go to South Africa.They become part of the population and they experience what
it is like in a situation as such.”
“As a humanitarian worker it is necessary to gain experience in working in a completely different world.” Monique adds,“A developing country opens your eyes which is very useful in this field.This year we will start working in the townships of South Africa with our students. Combining the humanitarian fieldwork with educating students is an ideal situation for me.”
So the students, a motivated group from a lot of different educations, even some graduated, feel that there is a deeper reason for why they chose this semester. For a few it was really the experience, as they feel that they were born in a rich and luxurious country, they desire to see what it can be like when things are different.
Mark Rothengatter:“Everyone has his own interests and core values. It depends on the person what he/she
wants to do and what kind of role humanitarian assitance plays in their lives.Nevertheless, I think this module can be a stimulating factor for students to consider the ‘other side’ of the industry.”
Chantal Alewijnse has another opinion about Humanitarian Assistance.“In my opinion it is an unorganized sector where it is not always clear what their real goals and missions are.” And that is also the importance of
the semester, the realization of the need of proper management in the sector.
Then again, one of the most shared reasons is interest.“I was rather late with the choice of my module, this was very interesting for me because I would like to go to south Africa and I am very interested in the subject.” Twan Welboren explains.
Now the semester has started and many things have already been seen and discovered but a few things really stuck out. The literature! More than 1500 pages were copied for the students to read and they did. But not without the required amount of blood sweat and tears.
The cases! Working in the first module on one country each group had to analyze several intensive cases, which together with classes and lectures were compared.
South Africa, townships in need of help.
A country which was once almost led to ruin by the Apartheid now still feels the differences between people
and in Port Alfred there is a lot of work which can be done. “Most of the students of this group are going to South-Africa to do something for the local people. For example, develop a plan to ensure an increase of tourism.This can help the people there to build on a better future.”
So how does the future of the Humanitarian Assistance look? Renate Barendregt has her own opinion on this.“By educating our group I believe that out of the twelve students there are probably some people who want to continue in this work field. And even if it is only one person, that person might be able to change the world.”
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and it seems that most of the students
have a heart for the case. Birgit Koezema smiles broadly,“My overall impression of this semester?” “Fantastic Interesting New Experiences.”
And Austrian student Katharina Maier agrees:“It has been the greatest and most interesting module in my
whole studying career.”
Staff exchange at CHN
PUBLISHED: 12/04/2005
The world keeps getting smaller and smaller, and while it does that, people become more aquainted with each other than ever before. We see each other not as the stranger from the other land but as the person who can add value to our live, living and educations.
The CHN offers a wide variety of exchange possibilities for students to keep a good connection with the neighboring sites and other Universtities but what is not so often done is the exchange of staff.
Considering this and the fact that there are still staff members willing to do this, Ronald Noppers, tutor at the CHN decided to switch places with Norwegian fellow scholar Trond Hammervoll and his family.
As part of the CHN Retail Business School, Ronald is the communication partner of approximately 20 contacts througout America, Scandinavia and a few other places in Europe, which allowed this new development to start.
Originating from Harstad, Norway, Trond and his family have accepted the offer to spend the following three
months in the house of Ronald while Ronald will remain in his.
“The contact was established quite some time ago but recently the Høgskolen i Harstad has selected your University for the exchange due to our knowledge and use of the PBL system. Slowly but gradually this University has been trying to turn to this method of teaching and no longer the blackboard method.” Trond explains.
A few visits by a comitee from this University has allowed them to taste what PBL is like and they were enthusiastic enough to enter it slowly into the 2nd year. Now they are willing to take it on full and this is where Ronald and Trond step in.
Teaching has always been part of Ronald’s career and being a ‘professional’ on PBL, he will be guiding the
students into the magical world which we call Problem Based Learning. He will be a trainer for the first year
students so they can prepare themselves for PBL in the second year and he will be giving training for the tutors.
As a wise man once said:“The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to
think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with
thoughts of other men.” Comparing this saying to the PBL system, it fits. Students are attracted to the chance of thinking for themselves, forming their own opinions and feeling they should improve themselves, rather than improving others.
One of the wishes and expectations of Trond is to get to know the styles of PBL, to understand what and how it works but next to school his ideas about his stay are also interesting.
Learning from the experiences here this daring Norwegian family will face all the differences in the Netherlands. Together with his wife Siw and his two children Julia and Magnus, he will try to gain the needed knowlegde and they see this also as an opportunity for letting their children experience a little
bit, what it is to travel and to live abroad.
“I love football and one of the firs things we did here in Holland was go outside and play ball. The weather was lovely, as opposed to Norway where it is winter now.”
So far, they haven’t felt much difference between the Norwegian people and the Dutch, they seem alike in most ways but one thing which was obvious from the beginnin was the country. “Everything here is so flat, we love riding the bike and this weekend we did. It was wonderful.”
The area where they are from is filled with mountains, forests, very different from Friesland but they feel
that they will be very content staying here. The expectations of Ronald are to reach as many teachers as possible and to help them develop the enthusiasm to use this teaching system. Right now it is applied only a little at a time but he hopes that his influence can help their further development and an increase of the use.
Of course for Ronald this is also a change. “We had hoped to stay a longer period of time than three months but this was not the case. I will not just be teaching at the school but we will also try to enjoy as much of the culture, the country and the language as we can. I had hoped to see the dark winter and the light summers.”
Even though the countries are not so different,merely in geography, the impact this exchange will have is
larger than we can probably comprehend. The CHN is sharing its knowledge with partners throughout
the world and is gaining knowledge from it as well. It is never late to learn new possibilities.
The world keeps getting smaller and smaller, and while it does that, people become more aquainted with each other than ever before. We see each other not as the stranger from the other land but as the person who can add value to our live, living and educations.
The CHN offers a wide variety of exchange possibilities for students to keep a good connection with the neighboring sites and other Universtities but what is not so often done is the exchange of staff.
Considering this and the fact that there are still staff members willing to do this, Ronald Noppers, tutor at the CHN decided to switch places with Norwegian fellow scholar Trond Hammervoll and his family.
As part of the CHN Retail Business School, Ronald is the communication partner of approximately 20 contacts througout America, Scandinavia and a few other places in Europe, which allowed this new development to start.
Originating from Harstad, Norway, Trond and his family have accepted the offer to spend the following three
months in the house of Ronald while Ronald will remain in his.
“The contact was established quite some time ago but recently the Høgskolen i Harstad has selected your University for the exchange due to our knowledge and use of the PBL system. Slowly but gradually this University has been trying to turn to this method of teaching and no longer the blackboard method.” Trond explains.
A few visits by a comitee from this University has allowed them to taste what PBL is like and they were enthusiastic enough to enter it slowly into the 2nd year. Now they are willing to take it on full and this is where Ronald and Trond step in.
Teaching has always been part of Ronald’s career and being a ‘professional’ on PBL, he will be guiding the
students into the magical world which we call Problem Based Learning. He will be a trainer for the first year
students so they can prepare themselves for PBL in the second year and he will be giving training for the tutors.
As a wise man once said:“The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to
think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with
thoughts of other men.” Comparing this saying to the PBL system, it fits. Students are attracted to the chance of thinking for themselves, forming their own opinions and feeling they should improve themselves, rather than improving others.
One of the wishes and expectations of Trond is to get to know the styles of PBL, to understand what and how it works but next to school his ideas about his stay are also interesting.
Learning from the experiences here this daring Norwegian family will face all the differences in the Netherlands. Together with his wife Siw and his two children Julia and Magnus, he will try to gain the needed knowlegde and they see this also as an opportunity for letting their children experience a little
bit, what it is to travel and to live abroad.
“I love football and one of the firs things we did here in Holland was go outside and play ball. The weather was lovely, as opposed to Norway where it is winter now.”
So far, they haven’t felt much difference between the Norwegian people and the Dutch, they seem alike in most ways but one thing which was obvious from the beginnin was the country. “Everything here is so flat, we love riding the bike and this weekend we did. It was wonderful.”
The area where they are from is filled with mountains, forests, very different from Friesland but they feel
that they will be very content staying here. The expectations of Ronald are to reach as many teachers as possible and to help them develop the enthusiasm to use this teaching system. Right now it is applied only a little at a time but he hopes that his influence can help their further development and an increase of the use.
Of course for Ronald this is also a change. “We had hoped to stay a longer period of time than three months but this was not the case. I will not just be teaching at the school but we will also try to enjoy as much of the culture, the country and the language as we can. I had hoped to see the dark winter and the light summers.”
Even though the countries are not so different,merely in geography, the impact this exchange will have is
larger than we can probably comprehend. The CHN is sharing its knowledge with partners throughout
the world and is gaining knowledge from it as well. It is never late to learn new possibilities.
Saturday, 14 February 2009
IBMS, a study of the future
PUBLISHED: 21/03/2005
Friday morning, 10 AM, it’s a wonderful , day full of sunlight, surprises and new experiences, new things to learn and new people to meet.
This morning I am meeting with Mark Pomper, coordinator of one of the most special new studies offered in Leeuwarden, the IBMS. International Business Management Studies.While enjoying the sun, Mr Pomper takes his time to explain this interesting study to me and why it is so different than regular studies.
“The most important trademark the IBMS has is the fact that it is given in cooperation between the CHN, the NHL and the Van Hall Institute.Meaning that every student from each school can join this study.
“Every three years the ‘home base’ is transferred between schools. Right now we are located in the NHL building of Communication and Marketing but next year we will transfer to the Van Hall Institute and then three years later we will reside at the CHN.This way it will allow the students to actually be in contact with the education and its flexibility.”
Since the study is accessible for all students it also means International students are accepted, in fact the study was first only offered to international students, and this year is the first time Dutch students are attending.
So why attend?
“It’s just a new experience,”explains 1st year IBMS student Mirjam,“I thought it was a wonderful opportunity of an International study and not having to move away, but getting all the same chances as all the other students.”
But what can students expect of this study?
First of all, this is an International based education, meaning that the entire program is offered in English from year 1. The first 3 years the students will focus on the basics and in the last year it will be possible for the students to attend modules of other educations such as Retail Business etc.
This offers the possibilities of following neighboring studies as a specialization or a Minor if you may.
Having seen his share of studies, Mark explains that this is the first time an education is offered in this way and that is makes it a special trademark as well for the schools.
IBMS no longer implies a lot of stress, get old young and losing a lot of hair when you’re only 40 but it is so much more now. It opens doors which were first shut, even here in Leeuwarden.
Friday morning, 10 AM, it’s a wonderful , day full of sunlight, surprises and new experiences, new things to learn and new people to meet.
This morning I am meeting with Mark Pomper, coordinator of one of the most special new studies offered in Leeuwarden, the IBMS. International Business Management Studies.While enjoying the sun, Mr Pomper takes his time to explain this interesting study to me and why it is so different than regular studies.
“The most important trademark the IBMS has is the fact that it is given in cooperation between the CHN, the NHL and the Van Hall Institute.Meaning that every student from each school can join this study.
“Every three years the ‘home base’ is transferred between schools. Right now we are located in the NHL building of Communication and Marketing but next year we will transfer to the Van Hall Institute and then three years later we will reside at the CHN.This way it will allow the students to actually be in contact with the education and its flexibility.”
Since the study is accessible for all students it also means International students are accepted, in fact the study was first only offered to international students, and this year is the first time Dutch students are attending.
So why attend?
“It’s just a new experience,”explains 1st year IBMS student Mirjam,“I thought it was a wonderful opportunity of an International study and not having to move away, but getting all the same chances as all the other students.”
But what can students expect of this study?
First of all, this is an International based education, meaning that the entire program is offered in English from year 1. The first 3 years the students will focus on the basics and in the last year it will be possible for the students to attend modules of other educations such as Retail Business etc.
This offers the possibilities of following neighboring studies as a specialization or a Minor if you may.
Having seen his share of studies, Mark explains that this is the first time an education is offered in this way and that is makes it a special trademark as well for the schools.
IBMS no longer implies a lot of stress, get old young and losing a lot of hair when you’re only 40 but it is so much more now. It opens doors which were first shut, even here in Leeuwarden.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Alone or Lonely
PUBLISHED: 28/02/2005
Everyone knows how this feels, waking up alone in your bed, cold and bored. As if the world is dressed in a dark grey and silent suit which nothing can penetrate.
Being alone can be a drag but what you do with this time is most important.
You can stay miserable and feel sorry for yourself, or you can do something with it and about it. Change your attitude and color your world into a kaleidoscope of adventure and dreams.
There are several reasons why a person would be alone in the first place. For most people who live alone it is just for fun. No commitment, no other rules but your own, freedom, easiness, coming home at a ridiculous late hour with no one complaining
and so on. These are just a few reasons why I live alone.
I was fed up with having to clean up the mess my brother made and to wash other peoples clothes as well but I realized very quickly that even when living alone there is still junk to be cleaned away. I still have to do my own laundry (I am the
owner of a washing machine, yes…), I still have to do my own dishes and that they don’t get any cleaner when I leave them lying around.
Now when I visit my parents, it is less terrible to do some work around the house.
The end of a relationship is a sad but very true reason for being alone. You want to lie in your bed all day long,watch ‘tear-jerk’movies and you feel like ritually burning all the pictures of you and your lover. This is a less nice reason for being alone but look at it in a different way. See it as a healing process. Finally
you have the time to read that book you had lying around, or to really focus on your (school) work, spend your time the way you want to.
You are alone but there is nothing wrong with it.
Of course the main reason for being alone in this world are your personal decisions. You decide whether or not you want to be alone. People who say they are forced to be alone, indirectly choose to be alone. If you allow someone to take away your social contacts, especially in our society, it still depends on your own decisions.
You can be as social as you want to be, you just have to take the effort of trying.
Keep in mind, there is a large difference between being alone and loneliness.
What characterizes being alone is the fact that you need it and it doesn’t matter where, when and how, you take that small moment to relax and heal and bring back some
music to your heart.
Coffee Heaven, the Colombian drip trip
PUBLISHED: 28/02/2005
Residence Rhenen te Rhenen will be transformed into coffee addict Walhalla
on March 7th because exclusive coffee brand Peeze is hosting their annual
Barista Contest. On behalf of Hotel Wyswert this year, 1st year IHM student
Niels van Felius (23) will compete with a few of the very best to make his own
delicious creation with this dark drink.
When waking up, there is only 1 real important thing... COFFEE. Once called the new sweet, mellifluous drink of the gods but in fact made from little black (green) beans. From the manufactured Colombian drip to the machine caffeine trip, coffee has
many different names. People become more enthusiastic and what would this world be like if there was not a contest in which people try to make the BEST coffee, espresso to beexact.
Niels van Felius didn’t exactly start out in the Horeca business but when he did, it was like slipping in a glove that fits exactly. One of his colleagues actually introduced him to the idea of making coffee into an art. “Making coffee was actually
pushed into one corner until a few years ago.” He smiles, “At home, near the stove was the most typical place to serve your coffee, created by an upcoming brand, which now holds a large portion within the market. Nowadays espresso is making its
comeback because of all the new possibilities. Because of this, a few of the largest espresso brands decided to create this competition.”
But what is a Barista?
“A Barista is actually an Espresso Master, a true Italian bar man, it’s about the 4 M’s. Melange, Mill, Machine and the Master. Have these perfected, you’re good to go.”
The competition is as follows:
before you start, you have to get picked. Everyone will present their arts but if you are in the beginning or in the end, that depends on the judges. The further you are on the day, the more you have to watch your mill. Due to the steam and the
water in the air, the more difficult it will be to make a good ‘mean’ cup.
“You get 15 minutes to make 4 equal Espressi, 4 equal Cappucinni and 4 equal specialty coffees and next to this you are also watched from every side. A camera follows your every move and will show this on a large white screen.
You give your presentation through a microphone and with this it is important, if not imperative, that you present yourself as a host, that you are in control, that you know what to do and that you understand what you are working with. Not many men can do more than one thing at a time, but luckily a lot of things can be taught! After the new Dutch
Barista is chosen, this person will accompany Donar Theunisen in Seattle, and will also work his/her magic in Japan. These are the World wide Championships.”
A specialty coffee is a coffee which is original, different, tasty and most of all unique! What Niels’ specialty coffee will be, shall remain a mystery but for those who know the name El Buli*, this would give a small impression of what it will be
like.
Last year Niels already competed for the same title. Unfortunately he didn’t win but he has learned a few important lessons.
“I think what I learned was to have better knowledge about my products, more interest and attention to my presentation, not just the cups and the saucers but also that I should become more peaceful with my presentation skills. Being prepared
is what I think counts most.”
Enthusiastically Niels shows some videos which present some of the techniques used in the year before and explains that from watching these tapes and making mental
notes, he improves his skills as well as he learns from the mistakes of others.
“I aim to impress this year.My ultimate goal is of course to reach first place but I would be satisfied with a second place as well. I am expecting a third place but this is because a former ‘Latte Arte’ champion is competing as well.
‘Latte Arte’ is a technique with which you ‘pour’ your milk in beautiful shapes into the cup, allowing the milk to make a white figure through the dark crème layer.
Difficult is a word that springs to mind and it is!”
So why represent Hotel Wyswert?
“Of course the brand Peeze is used by our Hotel. It gave me instant access to the company and the options of training with them to better myself and prepare for the
competition. Furthermore I think that there are still a lot of students who have no real skills in making good coffee. When I am a second, and eventually third year student I would like to be able to transfer my knowledge onto them.”
A good goal indeed and so Niels has big plans. Next to that he considers Coffee as a fun hobby, he is not completely sure what he plans to do with it in the future.
“Let’s just say that if I end up in a hotel, there you will be able to get one hell of a cup of coffee. If I end in any other brand, I will make sure that my business partners and friends will always be served the best coffee.”
Even though the world does not exist of coffee lovers alone, it would still be a treat to visit the competition.
If you can’t wait to give your eyes a feast and have a great coffee lesson, this would be Coffee Heaven indeed. Coffee will no longer be considered a sin, nor will it ever be forgotten from people’s minds after having this small moment of felicity.
And be aware, Niels is making his jump towards the Espresso Kingdom.
*World renown chef from Spain. Known for his special combinations of products in dishes.
More information on the
competition:www.peeze.nl/barista
Residence Rhenen te Rhenen will be transformed into coffee addict Walhalla
on March 7th because exclusive coffee brand Peeze is hosting their annual
Barista Contest. On behalf of Hotel Wyswert this year, 1st year IHM student
Niels van Felius (23) will compete with a few of the very best to make his own
delicious creation with this dark drink.
When waking up, there is only 1 real important thing... COFFEE. Once called the new sweet, mellifluous drink of the gods but in fact made from little black (green) beans. From the manufactured Colombian drip to the machine caffeine trip, coffee has
many different names. People become more enthusiastic and what would this world be like if there was not a contest in which people try to make the BEST coffee, espresso to beexact.
Niels van Felius didn’t exactly start out in the Horeca business but when he did, it was like slipping in a glove that fits exactly. One of his colleagues actually introduced him to the idea of making coffee into an art. “Making coffee was actually
pushed into one corner until a few years ago.” He smiles, “At home, near the stove was the most typical place to serve your coffee, created by an upcoming brand, which now holds a large portion within the market. Nowadays espresso is making its
comeback because of all the new possibilities. Because of this, a few of the largest espresso brands decided to create this competition.”
But what is a Barista?
“A Barista is actually an Espresso Master, a true Italian bar man, it’s about the 4 M’s. Melange, Mill, Machine and the Master. Have these perfected, you’re good to go.”
The competition is as follows:
before you start, you have to get picked. Everyone will present their arts but if you are in the beginning or in the end, that depends on the judges. The further you are on the day, the more you have to watch your mill. Due to the steam and the
water in the air, the more difficult it will be to make a good ‘mean’ cup.
“You get 15 minutes to make 4 equal Espressi, 4 equal Cappucinni and 4 equal specialty coffees and next to this you are also watched from every side. A camera follows your every move and will show this on a large white screen.
You give your presentation through a microphone and with this it is important, if not imperative, that you present yourself as a host, that you are in control, that you know what to do and that you understand what you are working with. Not many men can do more than one thing at a time, but luckily a lot of things can be taught! After the new Dutch
Barista is chosen, this person will accompany Donar Theunisen in Seattle, and will also work his/her magic in Japan. These are the World wide Championships.”
A specialty coffee is a coffee which is original, different, tasty and most of all unique! What Niels’ specialty coffee will be, shall remain a mystery but for those who know the name El Buli*, this would give a small impression of what it will be
like.
Last year Niels already competed for the same title. Unfortunately he didn’t win but he has learned a few important lessons.
“I think what I learned was to have better knowledge about my products, more interest and attention to my presentation, not just the cups and the saucers but also that I should become more peaceful with my presentation skills. Being prepared
is what I think counts most.”
Enthusiastically Niels shows some videos which present some of the techniques used in the year before and explains that from watching these tapes and making mental
notes, he improves his skills as well as he learns from the mistakes of others.
“I aim to impress this year.My ultimate goal is of course to reach first place but I would be satisfied with a second place as well. I am expecting a third place but this is because a former ‘Latte Arte’ champion is competing as well.
‘Latte Arte’ is a technique with which you ‘pour’ your milk in beautiful shapes into the cup, allowing the milk to make a white figure through the dark crème layer.
Difficult is a word that springs to mind and it is!”
So why represent Hotel Wyswert?
“Of course the brand Peeze is used by our Hotel. It gave me instant access to the company and the options of training with them to better myself and prepare for the
competition. Furthermore I think that there are still a lot of students who have no real skills in making good coffee. When I am a second, and eventually third year student I would like to be able to transfer my knowledge onto them.”
A good goal indeed and so Niels has big plans. Next to that he considers Coffee as a fun hobby, he is not completely sure what he plans to do with it in the future.
“Let’s just say that if I end up in a hotel, there you will be able to get one hell of a cup of coffee. If I end in any other brand, I will make sure that my business partners and friends will always be served the best coffee.”
Even though the world does not exist of coffee lovers alone, it would still be a treat to visit the competition.
If you can’t wait to give your eyes a feast and have a great coffee lesson, this would be Coffee Heaven indeed. Coffee will no longer be considered a sin, nor will it ever be forgotten from people’s minds after having this small moment of felicity.
And be aware, Niels is making his jump towards the Espresso Kingdom.
*World renown chef from Spain. Known for his special combinations of products in dishes.
More information on the
competition:www.peeze.nl/barista
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