'Caribbean', Double Bay, Kawana Island.January 8 already? Get away! Oh well, I might as well fess up and say that I have been having a good time and the days have just got away from me, so sorry for the big gap between blogs.
(Our BBQ spot beside the beach)Many thanks for the emails and updated contact details from near and far. Much appreciated.
Christmas came and went enjoyably - hooray! Roman, a friend from Switzerland, joined us for Christmas. Like a good boy I bought loads of prawns and oysters for Christmas lunch, alas Roman announces he doesn't like seafood (I had asked Rene to check with him prior to coming if he liked seafood - he didn't). OK, Plan B - some smoked cooked turkey I just happened to buy 'just in case' something like this happened. Anyway, we went on the beach on Christmas Day but it wasn't great for swimming so we had a swim in the pool. That was our last swim until around four days ago, the weather turned bad and we had strong winds and lots of heavy showers, sometimes really raining, for the next fortnight.
Christmas came and went enjoyably - hooray! Roman, a friend from Switzerland, joined us for Christmas. Like a good boy I bought loads of prawns and oysters for Christmas lunch, alas Roman announces he doesn't like seafood (I had asked Rene to check with him prior to coming if he liked seafood - he didn't). OK, Plan B - some smoked cooked turkey I just happened to buy 'just in case' something like this happened. Anyway, we went on the beach on Christmas Day but it wasn't great for swimming so we had a swim in the pool. That was our last swim until around four days ago, the weather turned bad and we had strong winds and lots of heavy showers, sometimes really raining, for the next fortnight.
New Year's Eve was delightful. It was spent with 14 or so friends at Di and Torquil's in Brisbane. The night before was our 5th anniversary, so I arranged a night at a leading hotel in South Bank and we also headed to the Treasury Casino. After the morning of New Year's Eve spent at the Andy Warhol exhibition at GoMA on South Bank, I thought at 3:30pm how on earth I'd stay awake until midnight? No worries! Rene and I saw 3am - we had a brilliant night.The rain in the region has produced another 4 months of storage for our dams, so that's good, but far from enough. The best thing is that the populace at large are feeling very optimistic about good soaking rains coming soon (this is our rainy season). The 8 day Woodford Folk Festival near to us here in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast was a very muddy affair, but the loyal fans adored it still. Me? No way Jose!
A few days ago I tried to go for a walk in the light rain and strong wind (it was warm though) down to the local beach. Alas, when I reached there it was gone! Just dunes and a dramatic drop to the flat sand that was being pounded by the waves (I love this rough weather). Although the beach was eroded, it'll return soon enough. All the beaches here on the Sunshine Coast have dunes left to protect them. Over at Mooloolaba Beach it was fine, fairly normal beach conditions (although closed to swimmers). Our beach (Warana) was not suitable for swimming anyway, but the ever present lifesavers were still on duty checking the beach goers. What a superb job they do.
Whilst it was pouring one day Rene and I ventured to the local cineplex to see a film. After much fun fighting for a car park space we ended up at the foyer of the 12 screen complex only to find the largest assembly of humanity I'd seen in years. Scratch one film, but Rene did some serious clothes shopping instead. I'd already done some earlier at Myer and David Jones so I had enough, but Rene was out for more. Both our wardrobes needed sprucing up. Consider it done.
We've had a swag of visitors over the past few weeks. Some have been for the day, others have stayed over. It's been lovely, and the feeling of holidaying at a resort rather than living a normal life in an apartment is having a relaxing effect on me. I still have 2 weeks to go of vacation, but I'm actually ready to go back to work now.
GALLERY
The official launch of our temporary Kawana Island gallery is Saturday January 26. If you are around the Sunshine Coast on the Australia Day weekend, consider yourself invited to it, between 4-6pm. Email me if you want some more details. Rene is enjoying having the apartment next door to work in. It is slow at this time of the year, but I can tell you that one painting has been sold to The Netherlands already, very good to have that 'first' out of the way.
Rene's lovely sister had her birthday recently. I think her partner spoils her a bit, don't you think? I love this picture.
Our apartments are situated at beautiful Double Bay on Kawana Island. Very nice location. Here are some pictures that I quickly took this afternoon.
MURDER
I read on a Dutch website where in 2007 there was a decline in homicides in The Netherlands - 147 for 17m population. I couldn't find our 2007 figures but over the last decade we've averaged 315/year for 21m people. A per capita figure of nearly double for Australia would seem rather alarming to me, I really can't conjecture any reason for the difference (from Expatica.nl):Record low murder rate once again 02/01/2008 00:00
147 murders were committed in the Netherlands last year.
2 January 2008
AMSTERDAM – 147 murders were committed in the Netherlands last year, one fewer than in 2006 and therefore a record low, according to the annual report from Elsevier.
There has been a declining trend in the murder rate since 2002. In the 1990s there were an average of 250 murders a year.
The number of murders in Amsterdam rose from 15 in 2006 to 26 last year, but only a few cases were crime world assassinations. In February 40-year-old Turkish businessman and drug criminal Nedim Imac was shot and killed in Amsterdam-West. The public prosecution department believes the crime was connected with other underworld killings.
The number of murders in Rotterdam rose from 15 to 19. The numbers for Utrecht and The Hague remained virtually the same, with three and five murder victims, respectively.
The weekly publication reported that the large number of victims of muggings, stabbings and shootings, especially in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, was notable. In other cities the motives for murder were primarily relationship-driven. In most cases the victim was the murderer’s partner.
The study classified murder as the deliberate killing of another human being, not necessarily the definition used by the justice department.
Mind you, we Aussies take New Year's Eve wayyy too casually compared to Holland. There was nothing reported anywhere across Australia other than a usual arrests for drunken and disorderly behaviour (feel free to correct me) but in The Netherlands there were riots, burned cars and 20 school fires as well as homes burnt down to welcome in 2008 (from Expatica.nl):
Massive celebrations, fires, riots and extreme fog characterised the Dutch New Year's festivities.
2 January 2008
AMSTERDAM - Massive celebrations, fires, riots and extreme fog characterised the Dutch New Year's festivities.
At Dam Square in Amsterdam and on the banks of the river Maas in Rotterdam tens of thousands of people gathered at both festive countdowns of the old year and the subsequent special fireworks shows.
A police spokesman said Tuesday there was more fist- fighting and rioting in many cities than in previous years, particularly in Amsterdam.
In Rotterdam the situation remained under control with just 85 arrests.
Three people were arrested - two German 18-year olds in Amsterdam and one Dutch national in Maastricht - after firing shots into the air with real guns.
In The Hague, the military police had to control rioters, while in Utrecht, in the centre of the country, the police were understaffed and unable to control the situation.
Dozens of cars went up in flames and rioters threw fireworks at civil guards.
In southern Vlaardingen, a firework explosion caused damage to tens of homes. Elsewhere in the town, four people sustained knife wounds during a fight.
In Rozenburg, also in the south, 30 people were arrested after rioting near a mall.
A police spokesman said on Tuesday that a record number of buildings went up in flames during the night in the Netherlands.
Extremely dense fog resulted in chaos on the roads and many traffic accidents during the night, particularly in the east and north of the country. On the highway near Putten some 30 cars collided. One person died.
Shortly after midnight the police issued a warning to all drivers to stay off the roads.
Many schools set on fire New Year's Eve 04/01/2008 00:00
More than 20 schools were set on fire on New Year's Eve this week.
4 January 2008
APELDOORN – More than 20 schools were set on fire on New Year's Eve this week, compared to less than ten during the festivities a year earlier.
Most of the fires were the result of "heavier fireworks" set off deliberately in the direction of the buildings. A spokesperson for insurance company Centraal Beheer Achmea said this on Friday.
Most of the schools affected are primary schools. The spokesperson from Achmea says this is evidence that primary schools are not adequately secure.
"More should be done to prevent these situations, by setting up camera surveillance for instance." More schools should also install sprinkler installations, the insurance company says, to spare society the high costs of the damage caused by these kinds of fires.
At the request of broadcaster NOS, Achmea, which insures most of the schools in the Netherlands, investigated how many schools suffered fire damage during New Year's Eve festivities. An initial estimate places that number at about 20, compared to seven last year. The total damage is reportedly between EUR 20 and 25 million.
"It causes a lot of damage for society, aside from the fire damage. Children cannot return to school immediately, for instance, and childcare has to be arranged," the spokesperson said.
MELBOURNE
The beautiful city of Melbourne, Victoria's capital, got a write up this week in the New York Times. It makes for a good read (in fact the NYT Travel section archives are a mine of useful information). Here's the link: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/travel/06hours.html?ex=1200200400&en=0a69ed550494b26d&ei=5070&emc=eta1
I read on a Dutch website where in 2007 there was a decline in homicides in The Netherlands - 147 for 17m population. I couldn't find our 2007 figures but over the last decade we've averaged 315/year for 21m people. A per capita figure of nearly double for Australia would seem rather alarming to me, I really can't conjecture any reason for the difference (from Expatica.nl):Record low murder rate once again 02/01/2008 00:00
147 murders were committed in the Netherlands last year.
2 January 2008
AMSTERDAM – 147 murders were committed in the Netherlands last year, one fewer than in 2006 and therefore a record low, according to the annual report from Elsevier.
There has been a declining trend in the murder rate since 2002. In the 1990s there were an average of 250 murders a year.
The number of murders in Amsterdam rose from 15 in 2006 to 26 last year, but only a few cases were crime world assassinations. In February 40-year-old Turkish businessman and drug criminal Nedim Imac was shot and killed in Amsterdam-West. The public prosecution department believes the crime was connected with other underworld killings.
The number of murders in Rotterdam rose from 15 to 19. The numbers for Utrecht and The Hague remained virtually the same, with three and five murder victims, respectively.
The weekly publication reported that the large number of victims of muggings, stabbings and shootings, especially in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, was notable. In other cities the motives for murder were primarily relationship-driven. In most cases the victim was the murderer’s partner.
The study classified murder as the deliberate killing of another human being, not necessarily the definition used by the justice department.
Mind you, we Aussies take New Year's Eve wayyy too casually compared to Holland. There was nothing reported anywhere across Australia other than a usual arrests for drunken and disorderly behaviour (feel free to correct me) but in The Netherlands there were riots, burned cars and 20 school fires as well as homes burnt down to welcome in 2008 (from Expatica.nl):
Massive celebrations, fires, riots and extreme fog characterised the Dutch New Year's festivities.
2 January 2008
AMSTERDAM - Massive celebrations, fires, riots and extreme fog characterised the Dutch New Year's festivities.
At Dam Square in Amsterdam and on the banks of the river Maas in Rotterdam tens of thousands of people gathered at both festive countdowns of the old year and the subsequent special fireworks shows.
A police spokesman said Tuesday there was more fist- fighting and rioting in many cities than in previous years, particularly in Amsterdam.
In Rotterdam the situation remained under control with just 85 arrests.
Three people were arrested - two German 18-year olds in Amsterdam and one Dutch national in Maastricht - after firing shots into the air with real guns.
In The Hague, the military police had to control rioters, while in Utrecht, in the centre of the country, the police were understaffed and unable to control the situation.
Dozens of cars went up in flames and rioters threw fireworks at civil guards.
In southern Vlaardingen, a firework explosion caused damage to tens of homes. Elsewhere in the town, four people sustained knife wounds during a fight.
In Rozenburg, also in the south, 30 people were arrested after rioting near a mall.
A police spokesman said on Tuesday that a record number of buildings went up in flames during the night in the Netherlands.
Extremely dense fog resulted in chaos on the roads and many traffic accidents during the night, particularly in the east and north of the country. On the highway near Putten some 30 cars collided. One person died.
Shortly after midnight the police issued a warning to all drivers to stay off the roads.
Many schools set on fire New Year's Eve 04/01/2008 00:00
More than 20 schools were set on fire on New Year's Eve this week.
4 January 2008
APELDOORN – More than 20 schools were set on fire on New Year's Eve this week, compared to less than ten during the festivities a year earlier.
Most of the fires were the result of "heavier fireworks" set off deliberately in the direction of the buildings. A spokesperson for insurance company Centraal Beheer Achmea said this on Friday.
Most of the schools affected are primary schools. The spokesperson from Achmea says this is evidence that primary schools are not adequately secure.
"More should be done to prevent these situations, by setting up camera surveillance for instance." More schools should also install sprinkler installations, the insurance company says, to spare society the high costs of the damage caused by these kinds of fires.
At the request of broadcaster NOS, Achmea, which insures most of the schools in the Netherlands, investigated how many schools suffered fire damage during New Year's Eve festivities. An initial estimate places that number at about 20, compared to seven last year. The total damage is reportedly between EUR 20 and 25 million.
"It causes a lot of damage for society, aside from the fire damage. Children cannot return to school immediately, for instance, and childcare has to be arranged," the spokesperson said.
MELBOURNE
The beautiful city of Melbourne, Victoria's capital, got a write up this week in the New York Times. It makes for a good read (in fact the NYT Travel section archives are a mine of useful information). Here's the link: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/travel/06hours.html?ex=1200200400&en=0a69ed550494b26d&ei=5070&emc=eta1
VOIP
After much trouble we have a wifi internet connection plus a VOIP phone line that gives us overseas (10 countries), local and national calls for free - all thanks to not being able to get a landline connection on the island. We've used the net based phone to call home phones already in America and Holland, and the quality is great. I can highly recommend it (it's like Skype, only you phone to another phone, not a computer).
Hey, I'm overdue for a dip in the pool. Just a note, our apartment balconies are the two surrounded by blue in the pool picture. One is with our office apartment, the one to the right of it is our home apartment. I like the one of Rene (below) standing on his office balcony. Just like Beatrix, he has his working apartment and residential apartment separated :)
That's about all for now, thanks for reading this. Have a terrific remainder of your week. We're heading off to Brisbane staying with friends and shopping and buying a new iMac for Rene's business. 
1 comment:
Is that were you live now? My god, it looks like Dallas or Dynasty!! Nice pictures, glad you are doing well.
X, Linda.
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