robberies

One of the neighbourhood shoppingcentres was confronted with yet another robbery.
Last thursday one of the shops was target of an individual (as far as we know), and today 3 people robbied the bakery.

A couple tried to make them give up and they were hit by a hammer.
Outside someone parked his car in front of their car, so they had to run away. They lost art of the money.

This is the third robbery in a short time in one of the neighbourhood.
The police states that they're conducted by different people.

Well, I feel very unconfortable when I'm in the shops, even though I'm shopping at another part of town.

The old lady I care for was worried too, and she asked me if it was possible to order groceries and have them delivered at home, like in the old days.

No...

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Was it a real gun?

One of the supermarkets nearby was attacked by some stupid man who thought it fit to ask for money.
It's not clear if he got some, but the people present were able to describe him well.

I wonder if it's the same guy who tried to rob one of the other supermarkets.
It was the second time there and the girls told him "no", when he wanted the money.
The owner was robbed before and he was tied to his chair, this time the robber left the shop.

Well, we've informed the parents and told them that they shouldn't allow children to go to the shops until the police is able to tell them otherwise.

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disgusting deodorant

I had to go back to university to fetch something.
In the lift someone stood beside me with a very heavy odeur around him.
The smell nearly took my breath and I saw that some people covered their mouth with a handkerchief.

The guy didn't realise what he was causing.
At the next level everyone left and walked to the next lift.
It was like an organised march.

Why do people use that heavy smell?
Do they really feel better than when they use ordinary deodorant?

Do they really thin all girls will come and adore him?

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national songcontest

Yesterday was the national songcontest.

An old songwriter wrote a song which was boring and outdated.
Several artists sang it.
During the election two singers got the same amount of points.
And the artost had to chose.

he didn't want to make the choice and after a lot of pressure he kind of waved the choice away, said it was better to toss a coin and then he said rather unkind that the girl was the winner.

I pity the girl.

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site of the dentist

My dentist is a nice guy.

He wants to radiate professionalism and he does.
It's nice to know he's critical about the latest gadgets and he enjoys to share his views.

So I wasn't amazed when he told me he would get a complete make over for his website.

It looks nice, but his webdesigner didn't have the critical attitude about the latest internettoys than he does.

There are so many new thingies incorporated in his site, that it's so slow that even the old dentist from my youth moves faster. (I think he's dead..)

I don't think I should be the one to tell him that even with a fast connection the site does take an eternity to load, on the other hand... who does tell him??

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snow and snow and..more!

It was a slippery slide this morning.
And when snow began to cover the streets, I had problems seeing the slippery parts.
I nearly fell against a car, but was lucky to be able to get a grip on the ground with my feet.

The children were less concentrated.
So I helped out a teacher in the classroom.
But when large snowflakes slowly drifted down by the thousands I just did what I wanted to do and invited the kids to do the same: open the curtains and watch!

We told the children that when they were bored they could sit down and read or draw in silence.

After 10 munites everyone was sitting and silent, and when we started they were able to concentrate.

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assisting at gymnastics

Assisting at gymnastics is a real job.
You need to have ears and eyes everywhere, or you need to subject the children to military training.

We didn't do anything dangerous, but even then it was a 100% concentration job.
The inhibit the enthousiastic without taking their enthousiasm away, and to motivate inhibited children is very important.

When parents would understand that they would value teachers more.
I'm sure of that.




Graphic made with scrapkit from Kittz Kreationz

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Parents and bullying

First day at the new "job" today.
All went well, as was expected.
I took the opportunity to watch the remedial teacher.
To me the most interesting were the younger children (between 6 and 8) with concentration problems.
She was very playful with drawing their attention.
It makes me wonder what the causes of the attention problems are.

The evening about bullying was a huge success.
A lot of parents and almost all teachers came, including the people who watch the children in the lunchbreak and even two of the cleaningladies.
It's a subject that concerns them all.

Before I started I told them about the option of having this evening to give them information, including some tips to deal with day to day bullying, and to put another evening on the agenda to look back on the results of the tips and to answer questions.

In the end we all liked the fact that I gave the option, because the people who live far from school would be home at a reasonable time and all had the opportunity to test out some tips.
A strategy was proposed and accepted to deal with bullying during the lunchbreak, so the school and parents can use their enthousiasm immediately.

And a father offered tapes or DVD's so the safety camera of school can be used to record what's happening during that break. And we can all see it if we want.
Isn't that great.

Some I'm very happy.

Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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a challenge to go home

Because our studies start again tomorrow we needed to go home.

Yesterday evening traffic in a large part of the country either came to a halt of people got stuck in slow moving traffic for hours.

One of my uncles offered to drive us, but we didn't accept his offer. We can't risk him being on the roads for almost all day.

But he got us to the railwaystation and we had a nice talk before a train arrived.

Going home was a kind of challenge, because not all trains were on schedule.

The roads were OK by the time we arrived here in town. So we took the bus and we're at home now.

I'm so happy to sleep in my own bed again.

But it feels strange after being away such a long time.
It's silent here in the house, and chilly.
I kind of feel like I've landed on my two feet after a long free flight in the air.

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irresponsible people causing death

The rescue services sometimes have a hard job recuing people at sea and in the mountains. I admire them to bits.

Last summer many people went to swim in sea, far away from the beach, against all advice and warnings not to do so.

Lots were pulled out of the water, exhausted, because they couldn't cope with the strong currents.

Yesterday and today rescue workers were killed due to the brainless activities of skiers.

When you're told to stay on the pistes, stay there. Don't get yourself in trouble by going outside the prepared areas.

It seems so easy, but it clearly wasn't.

The last two days more than 7 rescue workers lost their loves due to people who didn't care.

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Are people different?

There's so much snow, its beautiful!

On the news people were warned not to go on the ice.
But people did anyway.

My uncle prepaired one of the fields, so children and others could skate safe.
Yet, people complained about the snow on the ice.

I don't understand they get stuck in complaining instead of going home and getting a broom to swipe the ice snowfree.

I remember some years ago.
We were about 15 young people and we all went home, got brooms and then cleaned the ice.
It was the least we could do as a gesture of appreciation that my uncle gave his field for ice.
People don't understand what parked cars and the icelayer itself do to the fields.
No crops in the spring. So that costs a lot of money for a few days of fun. Free fun. People even go to the loo at the farm and leave their litter everywhere.

Maybe the people of this year are different?

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hello from 2010

Hello!

A quick hello from wintery looking world at the farm here.
We're having a great time, except for that I fled away from a far too stressful TV series... young married couple, on their way to the reception, accident, car on ice and the ice is cracking.

I hate that!!

So I'll just do with the sounds to follow a bit what's going on and have the family boys laugh about me for taking a break.
Later I'll laugh about them for watching the series. Hah!

I hope you started your year well.

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christmas and family

It's always a busy time: christmas.

We've had fun christmasdays, and it was nice to see so many family members when visiting around a bit.

I think I gained 30 kilos. LOL!
There were so many special things to eat and nice drinks to drink.

Tomorrow morning we'll leave for my friend's family.
I don't feel at home there as much as my friend feels at home at my family.
Each time I feel like lending a hand I feel awkward, and they act like I'm offering something strange.
But I'm so used to help out at everything that needs to be done.

Well, we'll see.
I've repacked the bags, done the laundry and we're set to go.

In case something happens and we'll stay there without computer:

Have a happy change of years and a good start of the new year!

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old age

Each saturday I help an elderly woman.
The last time she doesn't need only groceries and a bit of help in the house anymore.

In the past she did all her chores, but the heavy ones, like the floors.
But the last months she's getting worse and she can hardly keep up with washing the dishes.

I went to her more and more, untill I was there every evening to cook her evening dinner and clean up.

For me it was nice to eat with someone and she wasn't as alone, but this can't go on.

At first she was against informing the family, butt today she finally gave in and agreed with me it was time to look around for a nice old people's home or for someone in the house every day.

She first asked me to come and live with her, but I can't do that.
I feel that I have to protect myself from becoming even more involved, and I also think she can do with a real nurse at times.

In a way it's so sad to see someone deteriorate that fast.
But it's good she is able to accept the changes.

Next week we'll visit an old peoples home not to far away from where she has been living a long time.
She knows the neighborhood, and even some people there.

I think that she needs to make up her mind before the family does it for her.
They're almost never there, not even last year for christmas.

I hope all will work out well.

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a clever student can't be conned

Making money is for some people more important than anything else.
They don't mind conning people.

Like a russian guy who presented himself as a violinist and violin teacher in Rome.

He bought second hands violins and sold them as very valuable 18th century pieces.

He must have laughed a lot.

But he couldn't fool a clever student completely.
He bought one for 650.000 euro (a student....tell me how can he afford that?).

He took the violin to be valued to an expert.
The value of the violin was 3000 euro.

The student told the guy he wanted a second violin and took the police with him.

They interrogated the russian con-artist.

When he came home he hung himself from the balcony.



My mind is still bugged...
Where did the student got the 650.000 euro from?

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