With a pandemic running around there is a clear need to do something. In Spain all non essential things have been stopper for two weeks already. Last weekend these two weeks have passed and have been extended for a couple of weeks extra. Probably we will have to stay at home for around two months. There is a first time for everything, and this is clearly the first pandemic experience for all of us. A strange situation.
Last month our dinner date fell in the sand. Literally. The fine dust was the topic of the evening and we did not discuss anythings else. This month should have been better, but no, it was even worse. We’re locked in our home and are unable to do anything at all.
The corona virus is here. An actual pandemic. The entire world seems infected. It seems like the virus is everywhere. Such a small bug with such a big effect. Yesterday we got the announcement that the schools will all be closed for two weeks. The hospital where Ana works in suddenly a place of stress. At my work the option to work from home suddenly seems to be valid. Supermarkets are partly empty and people are hamstering. It is a strange time.
Someone found 25 million dollars somewhere in a tent in a terrorist camp. The money was hidden in a box, and after some debate it was decided the money should go to the red cross. Instead of just handing it over a much more complex plan was devised. The red cross would secretly transport the box with the cash to me, using the diplomatic post or a deceased soldier.
The box with money needs to be send to a trustworthy person, and for some reason the person who found the money (and seems to not know my name), has decided that I am this trustworthy person. For my troubles I get to keep a past of the cash (30%, around 8 million) and the rest I should hand over to the red cross.
Maybe I am just being paranoid, but something smells fishy here.
Dear, Sir.
I want to trust you with this confidential proposal. Before I continue, let me introduce myself to you, I am Col. SPARKIE H WHITE the commander of the Special N.A.T.O coalition force with the United Nation troops in Afghanistan, on war against terrorism. I was working with General S McChrystal, the former commander of U.S and NATO forces in Afghanistan before he was replaced by another General. I am serving currently in a Taliban territory; a remote Village in Bamyan province to the bustling capital Kabul (CBC’s Doc Zone).
Because of series of killing of England/United States troops in Afghanistan especially the shot down of UN helicopter that killed 30 American soldiers and 12 England Soldiers on the 5th of August 2013 and the five American soldiers who were killed by a bomb in Afghanistan. After this series of killing I and my colleague decided to share the money we recovered on our raids on terrorist’s camp in Afghanistan. I have now in my possession the sum of $25M (Twenty Five million US Dollars).
I have carefully packaged the money in a box; I have made contact with a friend who is working with the UNITED NATIONS RED CROSS here in Kabul. He will assist me move the consignment out of the trouble area down to your country, which is the only safer means of moving it out of this hell hole, he will deposit it with the United Nations Red Cross as a diplomatic luggage as I have told him that the luggage belongs to one of our soldier that died during the attack but before giving up he told me to make sure the luggage get to his family. He will deposit the consignment for safe keep and to make contacts for its proper use.
So I need someone I can work with on trust and that is why I contacted you. So if you accept, I will put you forward as the beneficiary/owner of the funds and then the box shall be deposited on your name as the beneficiary and the Red Cross Agent will transfer the box to you anywhere in your city. I just need your acceptance and all is done. I have 100% assurance that you will surely receive the box without any hitch through United Nations, every arrangement will be made to proceed to your country.
Once I confirm your interest to my proposal, and your positive reply I will proceed with the arrangement to move the consignment out of the trouble area and register your name as the beneficiary then move the consignment to your country Red Cross office. I am willing to give you 30% of the total sum when the money is delivered to you. I wait for your response so we can proceed immediately. In less than 7days the money should be in your safe custody.
The only telephone access we have here is radio message which is for our general use and is being monitored; therefore all communication will be via email till we finish our assignment. Please keep it to yourself even if you are not interested.
Iedere week vijf euro betalen. Zomaar opeens, gemakkelijk via de telefoon rekening. Zonder dat je er iets voor hoeft te doen. Zelfs niet eens toestemming geven.
Zo ging het met onze telefoonrekening. Opeens betaalde we iedere week 5 euro voor nummer 900 814 644. Het bleek om een abonnement te gaan op ‘game-station’. Gelukkig (voor ons) hadden ze precies het nummer van Ana, en dat bleef niet ongemerkt. Na een paar telefoontjes kregen we het geld, inmiddels al weer 20 euro) weer terug. Toen bleek ook dat je dit soort nummers gewoon uit kan zetten. Nooit meer ongevraagde superdure nummers die je kan bellen. Vreemd dat dit niet standaard uit staat, maar waarschijnlijk komt dat doordat de telefoonmaatschappij er ook niet slechter van wordt.
Every Dutch person likes to eat cheese, but in Spain they also eat their fair share of cheese. Dutch cheese is even present in every supermarket. We always buy Gouda or Edam cheese and these can be found everywhere. A nice cheese for a nice Dutch breakfast.
The last pachage of cheese had something that called my attention. There was a small german flag on the package. Strange, because Gouda for sure is a city in the Netherlands.
Finding out what was going on was easy. I send an email to the cheese manufacturer and within a day I got my answer. It seems that the name Gouda is not protected at all. Only “Holland Gouda” or “Dutch Gouda” are protected names. As long as the words Holland or Dutch do not appear on the package everyone can call their cheese Gouda. If seems that I have been eating non-Dutch cheese for breakfast for years.
A class photo is a very nice way to remember your class for when you are a bit older. It is nice to see your classmates and even nice if you are still in contact with some of them. A picture makes it easy to remember, but it seems that pictures are not a very reliable way to remember anymore.
Alex just got his class photo of his class with 5 year-old. A nice picture but with something strange. Just look yourself: 
At first glance there is nothing wrong with the picture. A typical picture with a lot of kids that remarkably all look more or less at the camera. We only noticed Alex who seemed to have his eyes a bit closed, but hey, they are kids after all, so this is to be expected.
Then I noticed something else. The boy on the bottom right seems to be floating. A better look makes it clear somethings up here. The boy looks at the camera perfectly, has a clean black uniform, and his colors are more crisp. This boy has been added to the class photo using a photo made in a studio.
The teacher and the two most right boys were cut from the rest and moved a little to the right. The new kid was added and moved to the background, blurred a little, and then the teacher and two most right boys were moved a little in front of the new boy. Just like he was there. But in reality he wasn’t there. Should we want him in the picture even if he was part of the class? If we are going to edit the class photo anyway, why not just all studio pictures of all kids, smiling, clean and looking at the camera, and paste them all in a class composition.
English is without a doubt a very important language. Still, in the education we are giving Alex and Alan it is a little less important. For our sons Dutch is much more important. I want them to have at least a basic knowledge of Dutch so that they can manage themselves once in Holland. At school English is also a little less important. Alex’ school focuses more on German, with German classes every day, and English only twice a week.
We still feel that a little English at school, and all the English we can get on the TV should be enough to get a basic understanding. At least, as long as he is not taught incorrectly. At his school Alex got a drawing with the English title “What’s doing the dog?”, the words are in an incorrect order, which make it quite wrong. It should have been: “What’s the dog doing?”. Such a mistake in just once sentence is sure making us a bit worried.