Well... after I got over my anger about my lenses I got an idea...
'Why don't I call my old contacts providor in Holland and check what they charge me?'
Would you believe that it is less EVEN if I calculate in my flight to Holland?
So guess where I am going Friday afternoon?
Yay!!
I am going to stay another 9 days like last time, that seems to work really well, arriving Friday evening, going back the Sunday a week later so I have 2 weekends in Holland and can fit in seeing everybody.
and... added bonus this time.. my little niece celebrates her birthday the 3rd and it will be lovely to actually be there for a change.
and here is where the secrets and lies come in...
Is it considered a lie when one omits facts from ones communication?
Coz... my brother and I thought it would be great to surprise my mum, who will be on that particular birthday as well.. we did think about her having a heartattack but she is not that kind of person really :-) (she says full of hope)
So.. this will be fun for her... expecting only my brother and his kids she will get me thrown in as well as Kevin who takes the opportunity to see his mum and eat nice 'Disney Princess' cake baked in a tin that I ordered on eBay. ;-)
I do feel a bit guilty though when I write her mails and she says 'going to Michelle's birthday Saturday' and instead of saying 'Yeah, me too, I see you there', I say 'have fun!' which of course is perfectly allright except for that big void where I should come clean ;-)
Can't wait ;-)
Oh and.. my birthday is the 5th, so that will be different as well (since we normally don't even acknowledge the fact really ;-))
So, to celebrate that day I made the appointment with the contacts people, they are going to check my eyes, order my lenses and send them to the UK registered mail. How international.
I feel like such a foreigner running back home but come on.. they only charge me 175 euro in total which is about 120 pounds which is 130 pound cheaper than here! Tsk...
AND... I can fill my suitcase upto the limit with cheap red wine to take home! Getting better all the time. :-)
Anyway, hope y'all can keep a secret, 3 more days I need to sit on this before I can shout SURPRISE! ;-)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
An eye for an eye
Well... when I was 16 I looked absolutely horrific... you know that part of adolescence where you are not quite 'finished'? I was very chubby (fat of course in my eyes) and I wore glasses that made me look SO ugly it is a good thing I don't have any pictures anymore of that time.
Anyway...... I think my father agreed so he forced me to a contactlens specialist to get contacts, it took me forever to get used to them since the only lenses I could have were the 'hard' ones that let some oxygen through, called Rigid Gas Permeable lenses in English apparently. I must say though, after I got used to them they have done me proud until at some point soft lenses were the vogue and I got to try those. They screwed my eyes up so badly that I wasn't allowed to wear any lenses for over a year and was told that I could never ever have soft lenses again. (bum!)
So.. not a problem, swapped to hard lenses again and have been happy with them ever since. I am a horrible lens wearer though, I have been told from my 16th that I should take them out a few hours before going to bed and a few hours after waking up. Well.. of course when my glasses were still alive I did that, sometimes. When those broke 20 years ago (yep...) I gave up on any glasses on the side. So.. it goes like this: Wake up, open eyes, have wee and insert lenses. (Sorry for that mental picture but wanted to make sure you realise how efficient I am). Same again when I go to bed but then the other way around. Suffice to say I am not very nice to my eyes.
Since it is 6 years or so ago that I got a new pair of lenses (right before we left Holland) they have become more and more difficult to look through comfortably. They are supposed to have 2/3 year lifetime. I also got told off by my brother when I dropped him off at the busstop last time he visited because I mistook a truck for the bus coming, then when I needed the bus myself later I could only see the number when it nearly drove over me. Not so good.
So, I went to Black and Lizars in Greenock for an eyetest which, would you believe, is free! All eye tests in Scotland are free. But wait for it, I understand why now! Pfah...
Anyway, I had to come to my appointment without my lenses in (had to officially not have worn them for 24 hours but Celebrity Big Brother eviction was on so, come on, surely 11 hours will do!) they gave me the once over, tested every eye disease under the sun and it turned out that my eyes had deteriorated with 2 points... I now have 8.50 and 8.25 (minus, for short sightedness). I never really noticed this change myself in daily life (unless trying to read the busnumber) since due to old age I need reading glasses as well and apparently those two factors have levelled eachother out quite nicely as long as I stay inside.
Luckily (in retrospect) I ran out of time so I asked them to call me with a price for the lenses. Now.. when I left Holland I got the pair I have now for about 100 quid including all tests.
So today, the call. And suddenly it became clear how they get the money for that free eyetest back! The pair of lenses would cost me £150 so I thought oh, that is not too bad, even though I have seen them on the internet for £60 including postage, I know that when you buy them in a shop and you had a test and all that it will be more expensive. JUST when I wanted to open my mouth and say 'oh ok then, that is not too bad' she said 'and on top of that there will be £100 for fitting them.'
'Oh', I said all optimistic that would not be for me since I have been wearing lenses for 30 years, I just need a new pair with higher prescription. 'Oh no, you will have to be tested what sort of lenses you need'. 'Huh? I have had to come without my lenses on a special day to meet the contact lens specialist? Who has written it all down? Checked my Curve, axis and everything?' ,'No, that was something different, if you want to buy these you have to be tested all over again'.
WHAT!!! Anyway, I was being British and I said 'OK, I will get back to you'. And that is quite funny about communicating in British. Both of us knowing I was totally pissed off and would never contact them ever again. Ever.
Pfah!
I did a good thing though (since this was my only new year resolution; to take care of my eyes), I ordered with the prescription I got from them (hehe, they are obliged to give you the basic info) a pair of glasses online for only 20 quid. I am sure they will be obnoxious because of their jamjarbottom properties since I of course was too mean to pay for the sexy 'flatter than flat' lenses and because I have ordered minus 7.75 (they didn't have any higher, or lower depends on how you look at it for that price) the jamjarbottom factor will be quite high.
Bought these, but then in black.
Got painfully clear again that I have a huge head. Already knew of course that I have the tendency to be big headed and I had already noticed that hats in general do not fit. And I have had enormous embarrassing moments at the hairdressers in the time that I wanted highlights and the plastic hat didn't want to stay on my head! Got the solution as far as glasses go though, I just check for gents or unisex glasses and pick the one with the biggest bridge, widest frame and longest arm.
I can't wait.... do you know what having glasses on the side again means? That means that if I wake up in the middle of the night I can grab my lenses and read the clock projected on the ceiling, when I then waddle to the kitchen I can see that Johns slippers are in the middle of the hall and prevent tripping and all those scary shadows in the night will suddenly be recognisable as things!
Note to self when wearing glasses: 'Avoid mirrors!'
Anyway...... I think my father agreed so he forced me to a contactlens specialist to get contacts, it took me forever to get used to them since the only lenses I could have were the 'hard' ones that let some oxygen through, called Rigid Gas Permeable lenses in English apparently. I must say though, after I got used to them they have done me proud until at some point soft lenses were the vogue and I got to try those. They screwed my eyes up so badly that I wasn't allowed to wear any lenses for over a year and was told that I could never ever have soft lenses again. (bum!)
So.. not a problem, swapped to hard lenses again and have been happy with them ever since. I am a horrible lens wearer though, I have been told from my 16th that I should take them out a few hours before going to bed and a few hours after waking up. Well.. of course when my glasses were still alive I did that, sometimes. When those broke 20 years ago (yep...) I gave up on any glasses on the side. So.. it goes like this: Wake up, open eyes, have wee and insert lenses. (Sorry for that mental picture but wanted to make sure you realise how efficient I am). Same again when I go to bed but then the other way around. Suffice to say I am not very nice to my eyes.
Since it is 6 years or so ago that I got a new pair of lenses (right before we left Holland) they have become more and more difficult to look through comfortably. They are supposed to have 2/3 year lifetime. I also got told off by my brother when I dropped him off at the busstop last time he visited because I mistook a truck for the bus coming, then when I needed the bus myself later I could only see the number when it nearly drove over me. Not so good.
So, I went to Black and Lizars in Greenock for an eyetest which, would you believe, is free! All eye tests in Scotland are free. But wait for it, I understand why now! Pfah...
Anyway, I had to come to my appointment without my lenses in (had to officially not have worn them for 24 hours but Celebrity Big Brother eviction was on so, come on, surely 11 hours will do!) they gave me the once over, tested every eye disease under the sun and it turned out that my eyes had deteriorated with 2 points... I now have 8.50 and 8.25 (minus, for short sightedness). I never really noticed this change myself in daily life (unless trying to read the busnumber) since due to old age I need reading glasses as well and apparently those two factors have levelled eachother out quite nicely as long as I stay inside.
Luckily (in retrospect) I ran out of time so I asked them to call me with a price for the lenses. Now.. when I left Holland I got the pair I have now for about 100 quid including all tests.
So today, the call. And suddenly it became clear how they get the money for that free eyetest back! The pair of lenses would cost me £150 so I thought oh, that is not too bad, even though I have seen them on the internet for £60 including postage, I know that when you buy them in a shop and you had a test and all that it will be more expensive. JUST when I wanted to open my mouth and say 'oh ok then, that is not too bad' she said 'and on top of that there will be £100 for fitting them.'
'Oh', I said all optimistic that would not be for me since I have been wearing lenses for 30 years, I just need a new pair with higher prescription. 'Oh no, you will have to be tested what sort of lenses you need'. 'Huh? I have had to come without my lenses on a special day to meet the contact lens specialist? Who has written it all down? Checked my Curve, axis and everything?' ,'No, that was something different, if you want to buy these you have to be tested all over again'.
WHAT!!! Anyway, I was being British and I said 'OK, I will get back to you'. And that is quite funny about communicating in British. Both of us knowing I was totally pissed off and would never contact them ever again. Ever.
Pfah!
I did a good thing though (since this was my only new year resolution; to take care of my eyes), I ordered with the prescription I got from them (hehe, they are obliged to give you the basic info) a pair of glasses online for only 20 quid. I am sure they will be obnoxious because of their jamjarbottom properties since I of course was too mean to pay for the sexy 'flatter than flat' lenses and because I have ordered minus 7.75 (they didn't have any higher, or lower depends on how you look at it for that price) the jamjarbottom factor will be quite high.
Bought these, but then in black.
Got painfully clear again that I have a huge head. Already knew of course that I have the tendency to be big headed and I had already noticed that hats in general do not fit. And I have had enormous embarrassing moments at the hairdressers in the time that I wanted highlights and the plastic hat didn't want to stay on my head! Got the solution as far as glasses go though, I just check for gents or unisex glasses and pick the one with the biggest bridge, widest frame and longest arm.
I can't wait.... do you know what having glasses on the side again means? That means that if I wake up in the middle of the night I can grab my lenses and read the clock projected on the ceiling, when I then waddle to the kitchen I can see that Johns slippers are in the middle of the hall and prevent tripping and all those scary shadows in the night will suddenly be recognisable as things!
Note to self when wearing glasses: 'Avoid mirrors!'
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Jurification
Well.....
I didn't even make a point of it but on Christmas Eve this year it was my 5 year anniversary of living in this country. The 8th of January was my 5 year anniversary of working for BAC. I didn't make a lot of that at all, I don't do birthdays and celebrations like that and anniversaries in general have never meant anything at all to me (which makes remembering other people's birthdays and special dates REALLY hard!)
Anyway... I have this feeling that it was no coincidence that Saturday I suddenly got a letter which said that because I was on the electoral role I was asked to be a potential juror and that I had to return the letter within 7 days (or otherwise get a fine of upto 250 pounds) saying when I was going on holiday so they would know not to invite me then.
Of course, my initial reaction was 'oh this is not for me' since I am not even allowed to vote for this countries government. Strangely enough I am allowed to vote for the local government but I am ashamed to say that I can't care enough to actually get to the voting place so I let my vote pass. I even wondered if I still wanted to be on the electoral role last time they asked us (they always send a letter to confirm you are still alive, kicking and want to participate in the voting). Since I didn't have a clue if that would have any effect on my status in this country I thought I'd better...
So, I thought I would have a good look at the back of the letter which stated lists with ineligible people (like policemen, lawyers and people who have ever had a more negative run in with the law) and other reasons why you couldn't partake but 'being Dutch' was not one of them! It did say that you can only partake if you have been in this country for more than 5 years.
Now... can it be coincidence that 5 years after starting my job with the Big American Company I suddenly get this letter with this invitation? I wonder how that all works!
Anyway.... for a Dutch (and very curious) person like me this is SO exciting.. I mean.. in Holland we don't have juries, we have a judge or 3 judges if it is serious stuff but that is it. As I understand it in Scotland there are 15 jurors in each case (dear me) which are chosen by the lawyers of the prosecutor and defender I think. If this is really going to happen I do have to read up on it a bit more!
Apparently this entire process is normally considered by normal people to be a 'drag'. Something that if it happens you are not happy because you need to travel to the court, be off work and... well sorry.. for the life of me I can't think of any negatives about it. To me it all sounds like good fun, something to look forward to, a new experience.
So.. now it is waiting for the invitation.. listening to people who have had experiences with this (= read blogs) when you get one of these letters, the invitation is imminent. All that then needs to happen is that somebody actually wants you on their jury.
I will keep you informed! :-)
I didn't even make a point of it but on Christmas Eve this year it was my 5 year anniversary of living in this country. The 8th of January was my 5 year anniversary of working for BAC. I didn't make a lot of that at all, I don't do birthdays and celebrations like that and anniversaries in general have never meant anything at all to me (which makes remembering other people's birthdays and special dates REALLY hard!)
Anyway... I have this feeling that it was no coincidence that Saturday I suddenly got a letter which said that because I was on the electoral role I was asked to be a potential juror and that I had to return the letter within 7 days (or otherwise get a fine of upto 250 pounds) saying when I was going on holiday so they would know not to invite me then.
Of course, my initial reaction was 'oh this is not for me' since I am not even allowed to vote for this countries government. Strangely enough I am allowed to vote for the local government but I am ashamed to say that I can't care enough to actually get to the voting place so I let my vote pass. I even wondered if I still wanted to be on the electoral role last time they asked us (they always send a letter to confirm you are still alive, kicking and want to participate in the voting). Since I didn't have a clue if that would have any effect on my status in this country I thought I'd better...
So, I thought I would have a good look at the back of the letter which stated lists with ineligible people (like policemen, lawyers and people who have ever had a more negative run in with the law) and other reasons why you couldn't partake but 'being Dutch' was not one of them! It did say that you can only partake if you have been in this country for more than 5 years.
Now... can it be coincidence that 5 years after starting my job with the Big American Company I suddenly get this letter with this invitation? I wonder how that all works!
Anyway.... for a Dutch (and very curious) person like me this is SO exciting.. I mean.. in Holland we don't have juries, we have a judge or 3 judges if it is serious stuff but that is it. As I understand it in Scotland there are 15 jurors in each case (dear me) which are chosen by the lawyers of the prosecutor and defender I think. If this is really going to happen I do have to read up on it a bit more!
Apparently this entire process is normally considered by normal people to be a 'drag'. Something that if it happens you are not happy because you need to travel to the court, be off work and... well sorry.. for the life of me I can't think of any negatives about it. To me it all sounds like good fun, something to look forward to, a new experience.
So.. now it is waiting for the invitation.. listening to people who have had experiences with this (= read blogs) when you get one of these letters, the invitation is imminent. All that then needs to happen is that somebody actually wants you on their jury.
I will keep you informed! :-)
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Storm
Received a bit of a disturbing mail from my brother saying:
'We are going to get a WF 9 storm and it is all your fault'
Huh????
Luckily he pasted the link to an article which said that due to a depression over Scotland a storm is developing which will hit Holland on Thursday :-)
Told you he was funny!
Now all we have to hope for is that what they get is the offspring of the big daddy that starts here, so far it sounds REALLY ominous - it makes us think at a regular basis if it was a good idea to be perched on a cliff.. John reckons that if a roof tile or other projectile hits our window the roof will come off because of the air pressure....
Watch this space, that is what I say, fingers crossed those roof tiles stay were they belong!
'We are going to get a WF 9 storm and it is all your fault'
Huh????
Luckily he pasted the link to an article which said that due to a depression over Scotland a storm is developing which will hit Holland on Thursday :-)
Told you he was funny!
Now all we have to hope for is that what they get is the offspring of the big daddy that starts here, so far it sounds REALLY ominous - it makes us think at a regular basis if it was a good idea to be perched on a cliff.. John reckons that if a roof tile or other projectile hits our window the roof will come off because of the air pressure....
Watch this space, that is what I say, fingers crossed those roof tiles stay were they belong!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Happy New Year!
It was an eventful end of the year indeed! My job got manic since we had to finish a big job before the 21st (and I was flying to Holland the 22nd!)
But.. of course we DID it....I still feel elated, this has been really good for our PR.
Anyway feeling like I earned a present I bought myself a new watch on Schiphol right on arrival in Amsterdam. I always want a swatch because they are all plastic and anything that even remotely looks like any kind of metal on my skin makes me break out in a mega rash, not nice. So.. a swatch.. the way to go. I also like the way they go mental with their watch designs so I bought one that so far only *I* like.. everybody looked at it and sort of politely hummed hehe..
Meet Funky Red Tie:
Well I love him anyway, he is my special friend!
Then onto Rotterdam Central where Karin (bless her) picked me up and took me to Dordrecht to a cafe where a friend was performing, very nice jazzy Norah Jonesie type music. Lovely.. Had a Shoarma (doner kebab I think they call that in the UK) at 0200 in the morning which is a must on a night out and.. I didn't faint once! :-)
Saturday was about doing shopping with THE family which was great, all of course to prepare for Christmas. Can't even for the life of me remember what I did Sunday, old age is a horrible thing. Probably tonight in bed I will suddenly remember!
Anyway, Christmas was great, Kevin has a girlfriend now (which of course immediately pushes me into the next generation, funny :-)) They were adorable together all over eachother like a rash all day :-) An impression:
And now it is 2007... my resolution for this year is to get my lenses sorted out, I have had this pair since end of 2001, worrying really, problem is I don't have any glasses anymore, I am so used to wearing them it gives me no problems. But.. when I took the bus to the airport I couldn't read the number on it and it was a guess if I was halting the right bus which was a bit embarrassing so I reckon my eyesight has deteriorated quite dramatically. Exciting.. I have an appointment on the 20th and need to be without lenses for 24 hours (yeah right as if that is going to happen!! ;-))
Still playing with my iPod, what a great little thing, totally discovered Christina Aguilera, I feel she brushed up and grew up and is now making grown up music which touches my heart, listen to 'The Right Man', 'Hurt', 'Oh Mother' but also 'Still Dirrty' :-)
Preferably REALLY loud with a lot of BASS which I can now do because we - very decadent - bought yet another Logitech Z2300 PC speaker set, now for in the lounge (we already had one in the room John always works in) so we can alternate our music sessions, love it!
It was an eventful end of the year indeed! My job got manic since we had to finish a big job before the 21st (and I was flying to Holland the 22nd!)
But.. of course
Anyway feeling like I earned a present I bought myself a new watch on Schiphol right on arrival in Amsterdam. I always want a swatch because they are all plastic and anything that even remotely looks like any kind of metal on my skin makes me break out in a mega rash, not nice. So.. a swatch.. the way to go. I also like the way they go mental with their watch designs so I bought one that so far only *I* like.. everybody looked at it and sort of politely hummed hehe..
Meet Funky Red Tie:
Then onto Rotterdam Central where Karin (bless her) picked me up and took me to Dordrecht to a cafe where a friend was performing, very nice jazzy Norah Jonesie type music. Lovely.. Had a Shoarma (doner kebab I think they call that in the UK) at 0200 in the morning which is a must on a night out and.. I didn't faint once! :-)
Saturday was about doing shopping with THE family which was great, all of course to prepare for Christmas. Can't even for the life of me remember what I did Sunday, old age is a horrible thing. Probably tonight in bed I will suddenly remember!
Anyway, Christmas was great, Kevin has a girlfriend now (which of course immediately pushes me into the next generation, funny :-)) They were adorable together all over eachother like a rash all day :-) An impression:
Still playing with my iPod, what a great little thing, totally discovered Christina Aguilera, I feel she brushed up and grew up and is now making grown up music which touches my heart, listen to 'The Right Man', 'Hurt', 'Oh Mother' but also 'Still Dirrty' :-)
Preferably REALLY loud with a lot of BASS which I can now do because we - very decadent - bought yet another Logitech Z2300 PC speaker set, now for in the lounge (we already had one in the room John always works in) so we can alternate our music sessions, love it!
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