night

I find a quiet solace in the dark of the night. The distant sounds of cars driving by, the soft breeze gently blowing between the trees. Alone with my thoughts, in the dark, quiet night. 

Music has always been a constant in my life, from when I was a very young human. My taste in music may have expanded over the years, and it changes according to my mood, but there are some constants throughout.

Every now and again on social media there will be some kind of music challenge – 10 songs that changed your life, 20 albums that influenced you, etc – and I will always participate, because it is so absolutely core to me. Even when I do not listen to music for weeks on end because, well, life gets in the way.

I bought my first walkman when I was 9 years old. It was a cheap piece of shit, but it was a start.

When I was 10, I saved my pocket money for months until I had enough to go and buy a good walkman. This one was much better.

When I was 12, I again saved my pocket money and finally bought myself a boombox – except I would never have called it a boombox. It was a deluxe double tape deck FM/AM radio. The double tape deck was the important thing, because it was the time of mix tapes.

And taping your favourite songs from the radio.

That was an art in itself. You had to time it perfectly. You had to know the first few beats of the song, and hit the button just as the DJ stopped talking, and then hit the pause button – never stop, always pause – as the song approaches the last few beats, just before the ad for got knows what ruins the ending completely.

And this is why you needed a double tape deck.So you can edit out these little annoyances. And compile the songs in an order that tells a story – mostly that you are making googly eyes at some guy :)

My walkman and I went everywhere. There was no greater freedom than me, my bicycle, long summer days and my walkman. I would cycle around the neighbourhood aimlessly, just so I could listen to music. It was glorious.

These days, my phone is my walkman, and I have Spotify – so there is no need to wait next to the radio to hear my favourite song to make a compilation, and I have the world’s music at my finger tips, for the most part. There are still a few favourite bands that are not on Spotify, but I can savour them at the right moments.

So I’ve been making a bit of a mixtape again. A mixtape with no limits. And every song I love. It is a work in progress, a labour of love.

It is the uncertainty

It is the uncertainty that keeps me awake at night.

In a few short days I will celebrate the third anniversary of me getting onto a plane and leaving the country of my birth behind to start a new life. And as each anniversary passes, the big end date gets closer. The expiry of the visa.
It is terrible that such a small piece of plastic can have such a big influence on our lives.

Because not only is it the end of our stay in the UK, but it also marks the end of our unity as a family. Our kid will be moving on with their own life, probably in Norway, just a few weeks or months before the husband and myself move on to our new home, possibly Ireland.

Despite the turbulence of the current political climate in the UK, we have had the best life here so far, and the thought of leaving it behind is very hard. All our long term friends live here, and we've made so many new ones too. We've seen so much and done so much in the three years since we've been here, much more than we could have imagined.

There are options, but they are out of my control. And so I am in limbo, unable to make plans about the future, stuck in a pudding of uncertainty.

And it is the uncertainty that keeps me awake at night.

And here I am again…

And here I am again, aimlessly scrolling through post after post on social media, a visitor in the lives of many I haven’t really spoken to in years. Some are from a previous life. And yet, we cling to each other in a desperate hope to feel human, like we have this vast audience of others, that we are important.

And while I scroll, I lament the minutes, hours, I could have spent doing other things.

And I promise myself that tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow is the day where I ditch social media to return to the things that made me happy before.

But tomorrow, I will sit and look at pictures of books rather than reading them. Again.

On Anger

I have been angry for pretty much my entire life. I was a livid teen, a raging young adult and furious in my thirties. I calmed down to a mild provocation in my early forties, but have found the wrath has returned recently.

I am annoyed by anti-vaxxers, who place other people’s lives at risk for their own misplaced beliefs that vaccines cause damage, even though this has been disproved.

I am irate with people who use dictator run countries as examples of why socialism is terrible, especially when countries like Sweden, Finland, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands are shining examples of it working.

I am furious at people who still believe Trump is a better option. And don’t get me started on Brexiters.

I am fucking fuming at people who want to use constitutions to protect their own beliefs, but will cry foul when people with opposing beliefs want to do the same.

I am exasperated by those who spread othering, and unfounded fear of others. And fuck those who want to take away our freedoms, especially under the guise of ‘security’.

But mostly, I am angry at the fact that our previously left-leaning parents, who fought against Apartheid and raised us to believe in freedom, justice and equality, have now joined the ranks of the Trump-loving, fake-news spreading growing nebulous cloud of doom. And I feel completely powerless, because there is no way to fix this, because of the division that has been created in our societies. Because if I address it, I will be accused of shouting down a valid opinion, and opinions trump (ha!) facts these days.

On Heroes and Villains

We’ve been watching Once Upon a Time recently, and it has had me thinking about Heroes and Villains quite a bit.

In stories, typically the heroes and villains are quite well defined, it is the way the story is constructed typically. In real life, it is not quite as simple. And with the way words can be twisted and opinion manipulated with media, it is easy to lose sight of the heroes and villains in real life.

I saw someone share this on social media recently, and it made a bit of a dent in my head:

It is easy to forget that everyone is the hero of their own story. It is even easier to forget that we may be the villains in someone else’s story.

Everyone deserves a happy ending, even villains, but no-one’s happy ending should come at the expense of another’s.

I think that is where the clearest distinction between heroes and villains is seen. If you are willing to knowingly sacrifice someone else’s happiness for your own, you may not be the hero of the story.

At the end of the day, it comes down to this:

On protests and rich white dudes

Because, of course, the two are a little related
I caught the end of the anti-Orange One protests in London on Friday. It was great to see so many people turn out to raise their voices against racism and other kinds of isms, but it was also clear to me that the protest was against more than the big Cheeto.

It was against the entire system that allowed the Fart to raise to power in the first place. Against old rich white dudes in power.
The last protest I attended was the Zuma must fall march in South Africa, and remembering this, I was struck by some differences. But it is not what my racist fellow Saffers assume it to be.

Protests in South Africa are a lot more violent, but it is because the people have been angry for a lot longer, and have more reason to be. As they have been affected by this system of old white rich men for a lot longer. So it is easy to make comments about the violent nature of the protests if you’ve not been affected by oppression or on the receiving end of racism.
Protestors in South Africa are also, legitimately, afraid of the police. They do not get to pose for selfies with the police, or ask them for directions. Police in SA come to protests with rubber bullets and tear gas.
It is important to understand the difference before passing judgement.

But speaking of rich white dudes…
Rich white dudes have a few role-models that they can look up to, and strive to emulate. But I like to think that, mostly, they have a choice of becoming either Tony Stark or Lex Luthor.
Both come from rich families, both start off as spoilt brats, both are amazingly smart humans and have great technologies at their disposal. Tony Stark, however, does become a better person and tries to protect the world. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, remains a spoilt entitled brat and tries to destroy the world.
I can think of a few rich white dudes that have pursued the Tony Stark path, but it seems most of them end up on the Lex Luthor path, while thinking they’re Tony Stark. I know it is hard to be a rich white dude these days, because, you know, the world is against you and stuff, but damnit, E***, you should try harder. Be more Tony.

On Africa and old views

I’ve been missing in action for a few weeks. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to write about, I’ve just struggled to get the words to line up right. I still don’t feel like I have full control over them yet, but I think I can convince them to string a sentence or two together.

I went to Africa! Actually, I had a lovely trip for work to Uganda, a country I’ve never visited before. I had some concerns about visiting, as the country’s legislation around LGBTQI rights is atrocious, but I had a great visit. I met up with a colleague one evening in the hotel for a glass of coke, and took this picture from the 10th floor of the hotel. This is Kampala at night.

It is important to me to portray Africa in a different light. It is too easy to post pictures of poverty and rural Africa, but it’s not really accurate. While I hate the generalization, it is important to note that typically African cities are great hubs of activity with a lot of new developments happening. It is also important to remember that Africa is a continent made up for 54 countries, each with its own culture and traits that make it unique. The common theme in Africa is the lasting effects of colonialism.

I’ve recently found myself in the world of Mad Men. I somehow missed watching it when it aired, but as it is on Netflix, thought I would give it a try. What a ride it has been. I have found myself consistently angry while watching it, mostly at the blatant misogyny and racism of the time. I also realise that this is the time that the Orange One and his deplorables talk about when they talk about the golden days of the US, and the times they want to return to. It was a time that only worked for straight white men, so as someone who isn’t a straight white man, it is easy to see why we don’t want to return to those days.

I leave you with this glorious picture. This is Summer in England

On growth and make-believe

I’ve been doing a lot of introspection recently. And, by recently, I actually mean the last six months or so. I have felt some perceived pressure to change direction, and it really is perceived because, for some reason, I have made myself believe it is there, even though it isn’t.

And while thinking about this in great depth, I have noticed how easy it is to lull oneself into a false sense of growth, just because one is ticking all the boxes. And doing things simply because it checks all the boxes does not really allow for growth.

And looking back over the last few months, I have wasted a lot of time anguishing about this perceived pressure, rather than doing things as I would have in the past. And by doing this, I have killed off a bit of my mojo.

Time to return to that space outside my comfort zone, where I create things rather than consume and chase dragons rather than cuddle kittens.

Just one question: where did I hide the gummy berry juice?

On social media

Most people who know me well know how much I absolutely hate having to use the telephone. As in, phone a human and speak to them. I struggle to read queues as it is, and without being able to see the person’s face, I am completely befuddled by telephone conversations. Having to make a telephone call fills me with a dread only matched by finding a spider somewhere near my person. As a socially awkward introvert, I have really loved living in the age of social media. It has meant that I could keep in touch with family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues from all over the world without having to directly interact.

The downside of the social media age, however, is that we, and our information, have become products. Not too long ago, you only had to take care what you share if you were a public figure of sorts, but in the last few years this has shifted tremendously when companies and politicians realised that public opinion could be swayed by analytics and injection of half-truths into the public narrative. And while I have nothing to hide, I am certainly not comfortable with just anyone having access to my information, or that of my family and friends.

And so I have been considering slowly extracting myself from certain social media sites, especially Facebook.

I tried it briefly this week, but realised that one of the ways they keep you hooked into the matrix is by allowing you to use your Facebook account to sign into to many other sites. So I need to work through each of the other sites, change my log-in method first and then I can disable my Facebook account again.

It does leave me with a vacuum, as there is currently nothing really to replace it. And, when divorcing Facebook, it also means leaving WhatsApp and Instagram behind, because, well, they’re both members of the Facebook family.

In the mean time, I have locked down my Facebook account as much as possible. Which only goes so far in, especially since some of my connections on Facebook are to people who insist on completing every single quiz under the sun – quizzes being one of the main methods of harvesting information without our permission, and not just our own information, but information about every single person we are connected to.

I am grateful that I grew up in a time when we did not need to consider these things, and avoiding stranger danger was something we only had to worry about in person. I am constantly aware of how difficult it must be to be a young person growing up in this time, where they not only have to deal with the general anxieties of growing up, but also with the ability for dangerous situations to infiltrate their lives in a way we cannot even imagine.

I am not sure how to move forward, because I have enjoyed staying in touch, but I know I no longer feel safe on Facebook, and so will probably continue with the divorce proceedings without finding a new social space for a while.

On revolutions

“I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

There is a revolution happening. An awakening of sorts, and our young people appear to have decided that they have had enough of the bullshit passed down to them by older generations. And I am so proud of this young generation, standing up to those who believe the youth should blindly follow them simply because they are older. A revolution is starting, and it will bring about much needed change.

You watched a generation grow up on a diet of Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Marvel movies, you stripped away their hope, their jobs, their futures, and then backed the most cartoonish super-villain in history for President, and you're shocked the children are fighting back?

— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 21, 2018

This revolution has really become visible after last week’s school shooting, and young people like Emma Gonzales has risen up and made their voices heard in a way that we haven’t seen in a long time. I am so proud of them, and so excited for the future because of them. It feels like there is hope again.

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
― Joe Klaas, Twelve Steps to Happiness

We finally got round to watching Black Panther last night, and I am so happy that the movie was made. While it is first and foremost a comic book movie and an origin story for a super hero, it also told a story that is incredibly relevant at this time.

In a time where racial tensions are running high and are being fueled by political leaders, a story with strong POC characters that defy stereotypes is incredibly important. And the movie not only provides strong POC characters, but also strong female characters that are well written and simply fabulous. And I can only hope that Princess Shuri can be a rolemodel to girls of all colours to attract more girls into STEM.

On Truth, Opinions and Big Steps forward

This week, I removed someone as a friend on Facebook because of a post they shared that contained a bunch of racist, homophobic, transphobic and sciencephobic statements and untruths. When I commented that every line in the post was untrue, I was told that I have my opinions, and they have theirs, and if I don’t like it I should just move along… As if facts can be objective.

Somehow, it is acceptable now to position a fact as an opinion, and suggest that such an opinion is wrong, and even on the wrong side of godly law (i.e. Satanic). So, what is the difference?

A fact is something that can be backed up by evidence, while an opinion is based in belief or point of view. So, stating that the earth is round is based in fact, but your unhappiness with this fact is your opinion. The earth being round can never be an opinion in this universe, no matter how much you argue that it is.

In this post-truth world, fact checking is important, and there are a great many resources available for doing so. Even when reading the news, make sure you read from a variety of sources, as single outlets cannot be trusted to report objectively anymore. But then, my single reader, you know this already

This week, many of us used technology to witness an amazing event – the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy. It seemed to have captured the attention and imagination of many people, even not directly involved in scientific work, for several reasons. Reusable rockets suddenly bring humans so much closer to affordable space travel, and man, that landing of the booster rockets was seriously impressive. I mean, just look at this:

Suddenly, the rest of the solar system is a lot closer than it was a week ago, and space exploration is possible. And this is very important, considering the Orange One has no interest in scientific investment and wants to stop funding projects like the International Space Station in the near future.

I may also have a small intellectual crush on Elon Musk, and love the fact that he launched his own Tesla Roadster into space, paying tribute to both Douglas Adams and David Bowie in the process. And, of course, for giving us images like this:

(images found with a Bing search)

It also gives me hope for humanity. Because, at a time when truth can be positioned as opinion, we can still achieve great things, and we can, for a moment, forget that right wing opinion appears to be main stream again.

Glimpses of wealth and colour

It is quite a thing, this blogging regularly again. Because I have specifically made it a goal this year, and booked time in my calendar for it, my brain has kicked back into gear and I start thinking about content for my next blog post halfway through the week already.

Because I travel a fair bit for work, I get to stay in hotels fairly often, and, because I have learned the value of loyalty points, I try and stay with the same chain wherever I go. As a result, I recently hit gold status with this hotel chain. The result is that I now get breakfast for free, access to the executive lounge where I can eat and drink for free and loads of other benefits.

And I realised that this is a small glimpse into the world of the wealthy, and this is just how it works. When you have and do not need, you get. The wealthy receive free gifts and food and many things they do not need, simply because they are wealthy. And those who really need rarely receive. I know this is a simplistic take on it, and I may expand on it in future in a more eloquent way.

I travelled to Leeds for work this week, which is one of my favourite places to travel to in England. I also like the journey because I travel via London King’s Cross, which is one of my favourite stations in London, and it is quite photogenic.

On Star Wars and current politics

I have been thinking a lot about politics recently. And by recently, I mean the last few years, actually.

I am by no means politically savvy, and I often feel so lost in the noise created on social media and in the media, that I dip into little pools of apathy on occasion. But the decisions made by people in far bigger offices than I ever hope to occupy often have such a big influence on how we live, that I have no choice but to think about politics.

I tend to lean towards left social libertarian on the political scale, which generally means I believe that government exists to serve the interest of the population, not just a select few, and believe in individual freedom as well as social equality. Because I want a future for my child. And for my husband and myself. And everyone else I care about. And every one else in the world too. I make mistakes often, but I am willing to learn.

Having grown up and lived in South Africa for most of my life means a lot of the thinking I’ve been doing has revolved around South African politics, but the recent re-emergence of the right in both the US and UK have expanded my thoughts to include more of the western world. There have been flare ups of right wing activity across Europe, but it has not been quite as visible as in the UK and US, especially after first the Brexit referendum and then the US elections that put right wingers firmly into the White House.

I have learned a lot about politics from the media I consume. And I consume a lot of media. But the two biggest influencers on my political learnings have been Star Wars, and the writings of Terry Pratchett.

It is no secret how much I love Star Wars. And while the series has some flaws, it is a very good alternate universe to relate our current political situation to. In particular, I often think about the parallels between Palpatine and current world leaders, and specifically Jacob Zuma, the current president of South Africa.

There has been a lot of talk on both social media and in the news about the state of South African politics and the influence that a certain family have on Jacob Zuma. And many have speculated that this family control the current political landscape in the country.

I have a slightly different theory. I believe that Jacob Zuma is a master manipulator, and very good at playing politics. He, like Palpatine, has been manipulating situations for a very long time, and have lined up several fall-guys long before they are needed. And I believe the Gupta family play the role of the Trade Federation from Star Wars. They are perceived to be in power and pulling the strings, but I think he has set them up as fall guys too. In his mind, he will be the ultimate ruler of the empire – well, either him or his son, who has benefitted greatly from his father’s political dealings.

No amount of dirt will cling to JZ, because he will always have a fall guy lined up, and he will always be several steps ahead of everyone else, especially because most people believe him to be an illiterate fool. And this is why he laughs each time someone takes him on.

Living the expat life

I have been in the UK for 8 weeks now. Eight full weeks. My family have been here for five.

In these weeks, we have moved into a new house, bought and built a crapload of IKEA furniture (and are at risk of looking like an IKEA catalogue), been to London once as a family, been to Reading a couple of times as a family and slowly made peace with the chilly weather.

I have travelled to Leeds three times for work, and made peace with the British rail system. The husband has found a lovely contract position, which means he is making some money and feeling like a productive human being.

And, in this very short time, we have become a much happier bunch of people.

In South Africa, we lived in constant fear. It is not the obvious, surface, “I’m being hunted” fear, but rather a deep, subconscious fear that you don’t even know is there. We had a high wall around our house, and an alarm system linked to an armed response company. We, as a family, communicated constantly on WhatsApp to let each other know where we were, to let each other know we were safe. We lived close to one of the biggest parks in Johannesburg, but could not walk through the park alone during the day, and you definitely did not go anywhere near the park after dark.

When we started looking at houses in England, I had this romantic notion that I would like to live in a small village in the English country side. After a lot of searching, we found just such a place.

We found a lovely terraced house in a little housing estate deep in the Berkshire forest. It is idyllic, to say the least. When I walk out of my front door I can see the horses from the neighbouring stables grazing and squirrels playing in the trees. At night, I can see stars in the sky.

The biggest downside of where we live is that the closest train station is a 2 mile walk, but I get to walk through a beautiful woodland area and a golf course on my way. The walk has also helped me regain a bit of fitness and shed some of my baby fat *grin*

I do this walk when it is dark most of the time. And my biggest fear is walking into spider webs.

We no longer have fitful sleep because we are no longer afraid. We no longer need to spend 10 minutes before bedtime locking up the house and making sure the alarm is set. We no longer worry when one of the family members go for a walk, or even travel across the country.

Of course, we are not completely naïve, and understand that crime still exists in the UK. But it is not as woven into the fabric of every day life that you need to live in constant fear. All round, we are a happier family because the fear has been removed. And this makes all the things we have left behind, the little sacrifices, very much worth it.

Scars

I saw a homeless woman
bathe on the street today

She calmly disrobed
as if in a luxury private suite
Scars on display for all to see

The women around me
tutted at the inconvenience of her

How dare she put herself on display

The bus turned the corner
and the conversation returned
to middle class apathy

10 of 30

We finally went off to register to vote today. It was a lovely walk in the sunshine under the Jacarandas in full bloom.

I am really enjoying living in the new area. It is nice to be able to walk around and to the park without fear. We even have a little shopping centre within walking distance from the house, so we don’t need to drive to pick up milk and bread either.

Raindrops on roses

“… during the filming of this series I developed a deep irritation with the intellectual vacuity of those who actively seek to deny the reality of evolution and the science of biology in general. So empty is such a position, in the face of evidence collected over centuries, that it can only be politically motivated; there is not a hint of reason in it. And more than that, taking such a position closes the mind to the most wonderful story, and this is the tragedy for those who choose it, or worse, are forced into it through deficient teaching.”

~ Prof. Brian Cox, The Wonders of Life

I believe in Science and fact, not so much in religion and superstition. I have tried for years and years to find things in religion, other than a good moral code, that makes sense, but I have in recent years made peace with the fact that I am mostly atheist, and that science is my religion. Of course, I appreciate that different things make sense to different people, so while I do not believe in deity, I do not deny others the right to believe in it, just like I do not deny others the right to believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Clause. Recently, in casual conversation with a colleague, I happened to mention my plan of resuming my studies over the next couple of years, and hopefully gaining access to an astrophysics undergrad degree at one of the local Universities. A puzzled look flitted across his face, and he asked ‘Isn’t there a lot of myth and untruths in that?’ I laughed and said ‘No, you must be thinking of Astronomy. Astrophysics is science and fact.’ He smiled and said ‘Oh, ok. Jano, my sister was involved in that stuff for a while, and she had a lot of funny ideas about a big explosion causing it all and so on. I can’t believe that everything just started from nothing.’ I stopped the conversation at that point, because I realised he was a creationist, and honestly did believe that astrophysics was filled with myths and things.

V: People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

~ V for Vendetta

I used to write about politics often, but realised that it was a futile exercise that also put me at risk of incarceration or disappearance. I am tired, however, of the futility of all current forms of government that provide fried chicken and homesteads to the select few, while hiding truth and funds from the people they are supposed to serve. I think it is time for a revolution and something new. And I say this as I prepare to, yet again, go register to vote in an election that I do not believe will show the will of the people of this country.

[eta] and then there is this:

Shared with respect. Original found here.

On travelling – some thoughts and tips

I think it is very important to travel outside of the world one knows, and to explore distant cities and cultures. Travelling helps greatly with gaining a greater understanding of the world, and it also assists greatly with reducing any prejudices one may have picked up along the way.

I always believed that travelling is reserved for the rich and famous, because it is generally thought of to be too expensive for the common man – especially if you live in a country with a weaker currency. When we finally started looking at the costs of travel a couple of years ago, we realised that it was well within our reach – especially if you plan the trip carefully and well in advance.

The biggest expense is typically the actual travel component – plane tickets, train tickets and so on – but there are ways to reduce this cost too.

Flying from South Africa to Europe can cost you anything from about R6000 to R15000 per person, depending on your destination, and the airline you choose. Most airways have regular special offers, so you just need to keep an eye on the specials, and use services like SkyScanner to get the best deal. Also do not accept that you have to fly at full cost to your final destination.

As an example, if your holiday is to start in, say, Austria, you may find it cheaper to fly to Frankfurt, and then get a cheaper connecting flight from Frankfurt to Vienna using a low cost airline like Ryanair.

Many airlines also offer rewards programs with points for travel, which doesn't help you with the first couple of trips but starts paying off when you travel regularly.

It is also possible to traverse most European countries without needing to rent a car. The public transport systems are outstanding, and most cities/countries offer multipasses or similar. I am particularly fond of using Eurail for train tickets, as they offer great multiday travel passes with options to cover multiple countries. Using such a pass is also a great alternative to flying between cities, and allows you to see a bit more of the country you're travelling through than simply flying over.

In South Africa, hotel rooms are charged per person, while, in my experience, hotels in Europe and elsewhere are typically charged per room, so you often pay about half for a hotel room in Europe of what you would pay in SA. Again, many hotel booking sites, like Hotels.com, offer rewards programs with deals such as free nights for frequent use. Many South African hotels are also affiliated with these sites, so you can also book locally to rake up those rewards.

The last big expense is feeding yourself daily. While food can be relatively inexpensive, it is the exchange rate that kills us. What I do when I start planning a trip is to work out how many Euros (or Pounds or whatever) we will need for the trip and include that in the budget. I also overestimate the exchange rate (as it can fluctuate quite dramatically) and then put that rand value into the budget. While we're travelling, we will then draw cash in Euros, and we know we have x amount of Euros to spend. If you are happy to live on quick meals and take-out while you're travelling, you need to budget in the region of €50 per day for two people. You can typically pick up a nice filled roll and a cold drink for around €5, and a burger with chips from Burger King also goes for about €5, while a pizza slice will cost you in the region of €2.

Dining out at a restaurant can cost a little more, especially if your tastes are more delicate. At a reasonable family restaurant you can look at around €10 for a main meal, while more up market restaurants could charge up to €30 for a main meal. Also look if your hotel has a restaurant, as it may, in some cases, provide better value for money. But not always…

On our first trip to Europe, we visited a couple of cities in Germany first, and then ended off our holiday in Amsterdam. While in Germany, we made use of the in hotel restaurants a couple of times and found the food to be great while relatively inexpensive (€20 for two people, including a couple of beers). So, on our first night in Amsterdam we also visited the hotel restaurant and ordered without really paying attention to the prices, assuming they would be along the lines of what we experienced in Germany – big mistake. The portions were considerably smaller, for double the price, and that meal consisting of main course and desert for two people, as well as a beer for the husband and a coke for myself set us back €65.

And, of course, you want to make sure that you have enough money to spend on gifts and trinkets. This depends on what your budget can spare. Some things can be much cheaper in Europe than you would expect, and buying things isn't something you can really plan that much for, unless you go for a specific purpose, such as buying electronics. Each country has their own speciality, and you will want to bring home things that remind you of your trip – so be sure to leave yourself at least €200 to €400 for such items. And don't forget to leave space in your suit case for such things – we generally put an empty shoebox into each suitcase just for this purpose.

And lastly, be sure to schedule all your account payments, etc for while you are on holiday, because the last thing you want to do is worry if the bills at home were paid while you are ticking items off your bucket list.

Saturday 10:20

Oh my word. In just 20 days, we’re on a plane again

I fell down some stairs Sunday evening past, walking down stairs while trying to take a picture of the supermoon. It resulted in a twisted ankle with torn ligaments and a fuckload of pain. It may impede my ability to explore foreign cities in said upcoming trip a little, but I have a moonboot and I am not afraid to use it.

I am feeling a little nostalgic today. I spent some time on Tumblr this morning, going through the Blixa Bargeld tag, and remembered again just how much I love Neubauten, and how much I have always shipped Nick and Blixa, even before it was called shipping . And this video/song…

I really miss writing at the moment, and hope the stories return. I read one of my old stories yesterday after someone on twitter asked for a link to something I’ve written, and then missed writing even more – because, every now and again, I write something that I do actually like.