The baterfly returns 13/04/2009

Hello all!

I have one hour left before leaving to Aljustrel, so I’ve decided to usefully spend my time on updating this page

The past two weeks have been very busy.  During the week I work and in the weekend I’m off, exploring the country (like a real Magalhães!) as much as I can before I go home.  Together with my cousin Nathalie, I went exploring the Aquaduct and the water reservoirs of Lisbon.  The next weekend I discovered new territories with René and Stefanie: Tomar and Alcanena.  In Tomar we went to visit a convent of Templars, which was very pretty and big!  We also wanted to pay a visit to the local museum of matchboxes (I really wonder what it must look like) that, if we believe to our guide, was the biggest of the region.  And according to Stefanie, we just missed out on a expo “Books, Antiques and Soups”.  Gotta love the combo!  Personally, I wouldn’t let people eating soup come too close to my antiques and books…

Alcanena then… It had a museum of electricity, but it was closed.  Not much to see there, just a quiet village (apparently the local Manhattan according to its citizens).  We must have been very special too, because when we were in the restaurant, people couldn’t keep their eyes off of us.  And they didn’t bother hiding it either.  Which was kind of unconfortable, personally I don’t like people staring at me while I’m eating.

This weekend I’ll be going to visit the Alligator in it’s lair, the fearfull Aljustrel!!!  No, I love Aljustrel and I’m looking forward to going back for a few days.  If I remember well, it’s all about eating and drinking, just my kind of thing   I have already baked some fresh cookies to offer in return   Anyways, I’m going to start preparing my bag!

Have a happy Easter!!

Girlpower 19/03/2009

I just had to share this…

Yesterday, the 20-year old Toyoto van of my project, decided to no longer open the back door.  Since that van is used for moving around furniture and other big things (except children), the unusability of the trunk is quite problematic.

Everyone (mainly men of course) tried to open it, some even kicked it, but no one succeeded.  Today, as I needed to store old computers in the van to get them recycled, I was in desperate need of that door.  Then, I saw the light!  Some screws on a panel to get inside the door.  Hmmmm could I have learned something from my wonderful, super amazing 29 years old car Fientje?  After obtaining permission, I climb into the trunk, screw off the panel and… I see something that looks like a lock!  I click it and look at Patricia standing outside at the door.  Let’s try it!!  What were seconds, seemed minutes.  Patricia reached for the handle, pulled it and then the trunk swept open.  Fresh air ran into the van, the light got brighter (the windows are a bit dusty) and all became very clear:  the girl had fixed the car!!!!  The GIRL fixed the car.  Girls, let this be a lesson for you all.  I am not the brightest, I am called clumsy on almost a daily basis.  Yet, some things are easier as they seem.  If you never try, you never know.  After all, what is the worst that can go wrong?  Don’t wait for men to do it, give it a shot yourself.  Be brave, be bold, have some GIRLPOWER!!!

So you do want to know… 08/03/2009

I am writing this blog from my sunny terrace in the centre of Lisboa.  Blue skies, 22 degrees, white legs getting tanned without an entire beach to see it.  Wonderful!  And I just took two pictures to prove it :p

View from my terras (including my monkeytoes)

Sunshinyday

I know, i’m teasing you but you would do the same to me if you had the chance.  And actually, it’s pretty annoying to write a blog like this, since I can barely see the screen with the sun blindig my eyes.

Yesterday was also a nice day.  In the afternoon I went to help out Cloé in her new garden.  Well by the time I got there, most of the work was done, but at least I was outside!  We pulled some weeds, I got stung by the palmtree on several occasions (with bumpy red marks on my arms and hands as a consequence), then we made a nice improvised diner with Rene, Anna and her boyfriend and then we made a fire in the garden.  It was very cool, the fire in the garden with a view over the city.  It made a lot of smoke though (dry palmleaves seem to be smokey and I’ve learned that mud doesn’t burn), but only one neighbour complained.  Well we think he did because we didn’t understood a word of what he was mumbling.  We’re not even sure if it was portuguese   Later that night, one of the cats escaped in a complete panic and confusão since she didn’t recognise the garden.  The poor animal was so startled that she jumped over the wall, going 4m down!  She then climed into a tree, crying and crying.  Guess in who’s tree… the one of angry man!  Another girl that lives in the appartment went to get Frieda (the cat).  When the cat came back, they had to wash her because she had blood on her feet.  Not hers, angry mans   Poor guy, maybe he wasn’t that angry with us after all…   Or now he really is…

After that we went to a nice bar near Marques de Pombal (our new discovery) where we had a nice cocktail and ended an interesting day!

Anyways, I have some e-mails to write which I will do inside because I’m starting to sweat (yuk) and a bee is buzzing around my head all the time.  Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your day!

xxx

Mondays 02/03/2009

To prove that I do listen to mommie sometimes, here’s some more news for you!

Today is just another monday, but after a well-filled weekend!  On friday there was a goodbye party for Stefan, the first volunteer to leave our family.  So that was a bit sad…

Saturday we all went to a concert of Carlos (a Spanish volunteer from nearby Santarem) with an Irish friend of his in… an Irish pub!  They played nice music and afterwards we had a little party of our own on the street!  Our instruments were a guitar, my highheeled shoes and the clapping of our hands.  Very nice

Sunday is resting day, also for the volunteers.  We took it easy and in the evening we went to a Japanese restaurant near Saldanha.  Also very nice.

Today is monday, so another workingday.  In Tercena all is calm and time for me to go look for some food because I’m starving!

(pictures on facebook only for privacyreasons…)

1001km in Portugal 13/11/2008

Hello everyone!

Again, it has been quiet for a few days.  Again, I have a very good reason for this: Paulinho was here!!  And time went by way too fast…  Some pictures of these wonderfull days, you can find here.  The first one is a goodie that I couldn’t hold back from you (sorry Paulo, it was stronger than myself )  At the moment I can’t write much, since I’m using a public computer and time is very limited.  But tomorrow at work I should be able to find some time to tell more!

I don’t have that much news to share… The past few days I have been traveling through Portugal.  Something like Lisbon-Coimbra (by train), Coimbra-Leiria-Pinhal-Nazaré-Medieval village-Lisbon-Oeiras (by car), Lisbon-Coimbra (by car, but this time via the highway), Coimbra-Porto-Lisbon (by train).  I think I reached nearly 1.000km   After arriving late yesterday in Lisbon, I went to a small dinner in the bar where we usually have our drinks after Portuguese class.  It was very nice, we should do that more often!  I stayed over in Oeiras (that was closerby) and this morning I went to work as usual!  Tomorrow is another friday and then… weekend!  No idea what I will do yet… Anyways, my time is up for now.  I hope you enjoy the pictures!

kisses,

Annelies

It’s been a while… 03/11/2008

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since my last post, I’m sorry   The week was very busy and I never really got the time to write something.  Not much happened either…  The recharger of my laptop decided to stop working, so now I can’t use my computer and it will take about one month before I get the replacing part.  And then they charge me about 70 euros for that too.  As if HP isn’t rich enough already!  It is kind of sad that they have the guts to charge that much, while they are the ones that offer low quality (that thing is 3 years old!), take one month to deliver and abuse the fact that I have no other option.  Because of course, the plug is so specific that I can’t use a universal device to replace it, only theirs will work!  Bastards… they should be ashamed!

Other news, I haven’t been home all weekend!  On saturday I finally managed to go to Lux, one of Lisbons finest places to party!  It was very nice, I will probabely go there almost every weekend .  To describe best to those of you who know what I’m talking about: Lux is a worthy ”successor” for my other partyspots Apolo (Barcelona) and Silo (Leuven).  Finally I have a home

After the party I stayed over at Cristina’s place (my “boss”) untill this morning when we went to work together.  It was very early this morning, the hour that I arrived here in Tercena was the hour that I usually get up   On the brighter side, arriving at 8h means going home at 14h which is very nice.  I have Portuguese class tonight at 19h so this leaves me plenty of time to do the groceries and make a nice dinner before going to school.  All that’s left to do for me now is count the days untill Pauliiiiinho gets here.  It’s going to be 4 looooong days I assure you

beijinhos!

Vamos a la praia! 19/10/2008

It has been a nice weekend!

Saturday: I stayed in bed untill noon (I really needed that) and in the afternoon I did all my “homework”.  I cleaned, did the laundry, groceries, make dinner for two days (incl. dessert).  It was all portuguese food, thanks to Paulinhos recipies and guidelines   I will for sure get chubby with all the greasy and creamy foods here!  I still have to try Raf’s rabbit (thx for the recipe), I usually don’t like them, but now I’m getting so pissed with coelho that I could eat it   And in the evening I went to party with Cristina, my crazy boss!  We had a good time and made partyplans for next week.  We wanted to go to a place called “Lux” but when we arrived there at 3 a.m. there was a huuuuuge line queueing outside.  So we went to eat a hotdog (I don’t approve chubby comments on this :p).  Next week we’ll get all fabulous again and go a bit earlier.  Watch out Lisboa!!

Sunday: of course, after the wild night comes a long sleep.  It was nice to sleep this long again.  I’m still adapting to the working situation and to traveling to and from work every day.  In the end of the week I really feel how tireing it can be.  So today I had to relax…  I went to the beach with some of the other volunteers and I even took a swim in the sea.  It was so nice, you can’t believe it   At first the water felt chilly, but once you’re swimming, it’s fantastic!  So refreshing, unbelievable for the end of october.  I sometimes forget it’s already fall, I love that   Of course, I have proof of this…  Don’t feel jalous, just be happy for me   Love you all!

beijinhos!!

P.S.: If it can be of any comfort, I was the whitest person on the beach