142 m2 in the center of Copenhagen!

Isn't it beautiful?

Guess I can say it officially now, since everything suddenly seems to be come together somehow, and really fast.

Granny will move to a home this weekend already (I'll spare you another shot of venom at the Danish system...) and it actually coincides with the fact that the flat will be in my name as of the 1st of May (total coincidence, funny enough!).

You can imagine I am quite happy about both things. Finally my dear old granny will be taken care of properly and I will be the proud inhabitant of a flat in the center of Copenhagen: 5 rooms, 142 m2 and about 50 meters from the lovely lakes here.

It's probably for the better anyway she is moving straight from hospital to a home, as she cannot stay at home anymore anyway, plus: she wouldn't recognise it because of the total state of chaos.

The last week I have started to seriously clean out the flat, which also means that chaos needs to be created first... Man, there is a lot of crap to be thrown out!
First I need to have all the stuff gathered and packed that we will bring to the flat in the elderly home (in a crap area of CPH btw...) and then: step by step make it into MY place :)

Soooooo, if you feel like visiting: after 2 years I finally have the possibility to receive many again!

I'll always have a bed, matress, sofa, or a bathtub with a pillow for you! (and I know some of you have tried all these options already...)

The next weeks are booked already though, so make sure you give me good notice, heheh...

This coming weekend my parents, to help with the moving, then the weekend Scott from London, then the weekend after our favorite crazy Indian (the w...ehhh, banker from Bahrein) will be here again, after that Japie will drop by, one week of break, but then the weekend after that I will be in Jutland for a family birthday (another excuse for too much food and wine) and the followin weekend: visiting Guillaume in Antibes for his birthday (if it works out) and then we have started June already... and as I return from France Scotty Scott will have arrived from Los Angeles...

Life is good!

Buuuut, hmmmm, when on earth am I going to fix up this place?

Anyone know a good painter btw? I need to have a whole flat done! (yes, I am lazy...)

So, see you soon then?

This is why I love football...

It's simply beautiful, no words... sit back and enjoy, and have a big grin on your face! It doesn't matter who you support, this is sheer beauty!



(I hope the video is still up, others disappeared too fast... )


Update (22.59 hrs):

Just a little additional comment... it's been a good day, actually. From early morning messages of concern and interest, old friends suddenly appearing out of the blue, basically making me happy with their messages that they will visit dear old Copenhagen again... thanks, you made my day!!

(Im)mortality?

*deep sigh*

I don't want to get old... no way... not the way I have seen too much now in a hospital.

Many years ago a crazy Indian read my hand. He told me my life line was long and strong, which meant I would have a long life (my love line is a bit crooked apparently...).
Now considering my genes that isn't something special (the life line that is, the other one I won't discuss here, although there are some pretty cool family rumors from the 19th century...).
I have many family members who made it to very respectable and venerable ages. My granny of course first: she made it to 94 yesterday. Then there is my grandfathers' aunt who made to 106! She was actually complaining about those young kids of 80!

Heheh... it must have been quite a sight...

But for real, what I have seen just today for example, brought a vague thought to the front of my mind: this way I don't want to get old.

I saw my granny, who was hospitalised yesterday for the 2nd time in 1 month, in total state of confusion, trying to reach out to the world and understand what the hell was going on...
This other old lady lying in her bed with tubes all over and coming out of her. She was sleeping, but whenever she woke up she was crying her eyes out, deeply frustrated and saddened by her situation. She spilled a little bit of juice and she got totally scared and bewildered...
Next bed: a 80-something who had just lost her husband a few months ago, and now had gone through chemo therapy... But still going strong...

That is what I respect very very deeply about my granny: all the crap that happened in the last months and she still keeps her spirit up. It's amazing...

She can hardly walk, and everything else is failing for this tiny, frail, very old woman, and still she sits and makes jokes... my deepest respects!

Still, this day, and the way I see everything fail for her, I realise I don't want to get that old. Not that way. Even when she has been 'lucky' and made it this far without big problems.

It's so undignified and humiliating to see the ones we love literally crumble away, fade away into the shades...
(And the Danish health care system certainly doesn't help: In this country 'available all day' means between 9 and 11 am, and between 13 and 14 pm. If you call 1 minute too late: too bad... take an aspirin and call us again when you are dead...)

Naaahhh, you know what? Give me the quay at the Guadalquivir in Sevilla, with a view on Tirana, at that terrace where Alvaro, Jose Antonio, Magdita and I sat so brilliantly enjoying the warm winter sun on the 31st of December 2004.

Put me there, when I am 60 or so, give me a good glass of Cacique and Lemon, made the good way, and let me be... Let me think of all the great people I have met over the years and my loved ones. Don't make it fussy.
Let me just die of whatever, quick and easy.

Don't say: naaah, too young, still so many years. No way, I have seen the end of the line. And it's ugly.
So little respect, dignity and self-esteem left must be a terrible feeling to have: not to be able to feel and do what you are used to.

Of course, I hope my granny will live to be 150, but to get old like this I cannot recommend.

I really don't want to be a cynic and a pessimist. I love life, and there are so many great things in store still, but please let us have that shred of decency when we get old.

So... there it is. My testament? Hahahah, no... just some gloomy thoughts after seeing someone get very old.
I hope you understand: everyone deserves to get old, but if we see them slip away and even one of the richest countries in the world isn't able to provide proper care to those we love (while claiming it is alll soooo woooonderful), I don't want to get that old.

Live is short, play hard then? Let's have a great summer!!!

And now, my dear friends, I need life, in every sense of the word... which is why I am considering visiting Dani & Sarah in summer when their baby boy will be born. It would be nice to be in a hospital when a new life is starting actually!!

Of Mice And Men...

...or more: of what mice supposedly come out of their holes for and what any man will always come out of any hole for... ;)

The mice thing first: Cheeeeeeese!

Many years ago, back in Holland I was in a football team, with guys from my town. One the guys was at the time working at the sales department of a Dutch cheese producer (Vergeer Kaas) in Reeuwijk, a town not too far from mine.

After I moved to Denmark he contacted me at some point to ask me about some info about the Danish market etc etc, as they were considering expanding their export and were looking at Denmark in the process.
I helped him with some names, phone numbers and contact of the big supermarket chains here and thus gave him a first nudge into Denmark. Who knows what it could lead to, right? At the very least some better cheese...

Then last week I saw it! In Netto, of all places!! A beautiful young Gouda cheese, from Vergeer Kaas, Reeuwijk. And I immediately had to think of the above story...

So, this last week I have enjoyed some simple, but fantastic cheese sandwiches, and they taste marvellous! Ahhh, the pleasure of a good cheese!
And please leave me the little dream that I had a bit of a hand it getting that product to Denmark... ;) It's always a nice story to tell, isn't it?

Next one.. Of course let's not forget the men, or more the 'women'... Ohhh, sweet Denmark, with your spring finally here! It is a true pleasure to be walking through Copenhagen these last 2 weeks. Where do they suddenly all come from?
It's great to see everyone suddenly smiling more, being more active and most of all: be outside and enjoying themselves. No more sour winter faces (well, not too many anyway...), and a loooot less layers of clothes ;)
Danes seriously go nuts, as soon as the first sunray of Spring hits... I am still walking around with my winter coat, as the air is quite chilly, but I have seen people in shorts and a t-shirt!! It's 12 degrees for f....s sake!
They are crazy, they really are... :)

Anyway... as 'funny' as the above might be, these last weeks have been quite demanding. As great as the weather is and the fact that winter is over, it is very sad to see my granny in hospital. For 2 weeks already now... I wonder how much longer she will last. She is old, and worn out: next week is her 94th birthday. Let's see...
I'll spare you the details, but we are seriously considering a scathing comment on the utter lack of competence and total lack of proper care she has received and is receiving from that great Danish health care system... what total crap that is!

One thing I am sure of: don't get old here... I have rarely seen such complete waste of resources, absurd procedures and total lack of empathy, competence and basic interest in the subject as in these last 2 weeks...
I felt at times I was living in a Kafka book. Unbelievable!

Well, have had some days off work and although I am scheduled to do some work this Easter, I am mainly relaxing and gathering myself... It is terrible to see her in such pain. It's killing me every time I see her cringe of pain.

Still, it honestly does help on my mood to hear the chatter and tiny voices of all the children playing in the court yard behind the building I'm living in. These days all windows are open, and I love the sounds that are drifting in from outside. The world just gets brighter with them!

Call me a softie and a sucker for children, but having looked at the bitter side of mortality and old age for the last few months I cannot help but have a big smile on my face when I see 3 little girls argue over a toy: "no, you're baaaad, it's MYYY turn..." I wish those were still my only worries!

Welcome to spring... may it lead to a beautiful summer!

(and many more posts! Many changes in my life over the next months, so I'll try to keep you tuned...)