Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Carneval 2006 Maastricht

  • QuickTime


  • train ride



  • another look! trying to get the movies uploaded on another server...

    movies to come!!
    I found some glasses along the way

    Maastricht town center

    Erk and Carneval

    No comment...

    Maastricht Carneval 2006

    Daan and myself ready to depart. 3 layers of clothes is warm.

    Eindhoven railway station. Erk (left) Daan (right) Ready to go to Maastricht

    Friday, February 24, 2006

    Brains and Beauty

    Sunday, February 19, 2006

    Wintersportvakantie or ??

    I guess, I should back up a bit. The week prior, work was getting to me. I needed to take a break. Designing solutions for Multi-Array 3T coils without my pcb design software, is a pain in the butt... So, I asked very nicely to the boss, and he obliged. Thankyou!!!
    I wanted to do so many things last week. 1. Relax 2. See a good friend in Beograd(spelled in English Belgrade) 3. Visit with Jure in Ljubljana 4. Go to the Olympics. I made three of the 4. The Olympics got the boot, due to the fact, that I enjoyed my time so much in Beograd.
    Beograd is the capital of Serbia. In previous times was the capital of what people, not sure yet the history of this, decided to call Yugoslavia. It is in the region of Europe called the Balkan Pennisula or better know as the Balkans. Through this land leads Europe down the path to the middle east of Asia. It is more commonly known by it's scars from the recent "civil" war, as western media calls it, in which an arbitrarily created nation of polyglot people linked under one common star eventually dissolved.
    The interesting thing is the stories of the why and the how and the history that brought these slavic peoples together and finally apart.
    Beograd is a city that reminds me of Detroit but with a European feel. Not Detroit, like 8Mile or "crackhead park" near the "wagon wheel". But Detroit in the sense that it shows the remains of a time passed, remains of a better more profitable past which is gone. Detroit, the city is, despite what superbowl Sunday did for it, (don't believe the hype), is mainly a city that shows the unsustainable nature for living in a business first human living second society. Currently when you visit, you can see some signs of recovery from the old economy in the casinos that are glowing with electric energy, and in the new stadiums as crowds are attracted from the surrounding suburbs. Despite all this entertainment potential the city no longer exists for families to live respectfully, work, and grow old. The city of the middle class died, and I think when it "resurrects" it will only be a place for those to visit and be entertained and get out quickly back to their homes 45 km away. It is painfully clear everytime I drive up I-75 as I turn my head to the right and view the abandoned sky-scrapers, the deserted corners, the "tumble weeds" rollin' down the 4 lane avenues.
    Despite it's status on the mainstream American progress highway, it is a great place for the underground. Those that like and appreciate what the mainstream generally passes over, often appreciate the buzzing cool vibe energy that can be felt in the city center. House, Goth, Industrial, as well as Hip Hop emanate from this once upon a time working man's town. However, one thing that is very hard to find in Detroit is fresh, cheap, and good food and people walking around on a saturday afternoon.
    In Beograd, fresh, cheap and good food is the staple for many of the inhabitants and I observed many people walking everywhere, eating, talking, hanging out. The most famous in my opinion is a Serbian Burger, and the barbecue!! As I made my first walk through Beograd my nasal cavity immediately channeled the strong flavor of barbecue to my brain!! It was amazing to smell and finally taste. But as many of you may not know, Beograd has a very long history, some reports say remains from the Celts can be traced to around 500BCE. But "Slavic" people have been inhabitanting there from around, i think, 500 CE. It is one of, the oldest cities of the Europe. Situated on the point where the Sava River meets the Danube, life here seems to beat not just to a different drum, but completely different rhythm from it's neighbors only 1000 km (600miles)to the north. In the past, Beograd was the capital of Yugoslavia. As in all capitals of nations all collected taxes for the state can be utilized in in government buildings and infrastructure. Beograd was no exception, the city shows the signs of a capital city. Fancy boulevards (with pot holes), prestigious parliament buildings, large cathedrals, and integrated logistic infrastructure(50 year old trams!!). The city is also home to about 2.4million inhabitants! Many of these inhabitants possess very hedonistic tendencies. It must be the ironic twist of human nature, that those who have less materialistic possessions live on the average happier(at least the folks I met expressed this). For a place that has seen so many bombs fall and turkish swords raised it is an amazing tribute to the human spirit that faced with such adversity people can still have style and look so cool. So unlike Detroit, where time passed and left it's concrete polluted baggage and empty streets, Beograd is alive and full of spirit. A testiment to human nature that when culture is present and vibrant the surroundings need not matter, it is what is in the heart and the spirit which push humans forward. Business' come and bring opportunity and business go and possibly bring despair, it is easy to leave and move if you have the means, but if you don't and you are stuck, you might as well keep on living and maintain style, visit Beograd and see for yourself.

    Jure's BMW

    Austria

    Austria, road from Maribor to Linz

    Gypsymobile, streets of Beograd

    Davor and friends

    Last night before I drove back to Netherlands, In Ljubliana

    Memorial to Children killed in 1999 NATO bombing

    First brushless motor model, built by Telsa himself.

    Tesla Museum!!!!!

    Church of St. Sava

    Sunday, February 05, 2006

    Wine and Politics Blog lInk.

    Don't know, if you check any of the links on the right of this page, but my friend writes a pretty good blog. The content is based around the title, wine and politics. While it isn't his personal writing, he posted the link. Since it revolves around an interest of mine, sharing information on topics that impact everyone. Topics that should get more press but do not. Here you go.
    Why Republicans Want Huge Trade Deficit

    Oh, no pics, but I went to Maastricht yesterday afternoon. That is an amazing town. In my opinion, the most interesting town in the Netherlands, that I have visited so far. Anyone traveling to The Netherlands must visit Maastricht.

    Wednesday, February 01, 2006

    Museum tourin'

    This weekend went to Rotterdam, found this cool museum: NAI_museum

    The exhibits were great! Check the pick below, Titled :"Instant Democracy"





    Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam




























    Walk of Fame in Rotterdam, RIP!!!