Old life and young life

These people are Pieter Ably and Henriette Jeanne Ably-Tritsch who have been married for 80 years! They are both 102 years old. I just watched a documentary about the couple and I was touched how sweet the man was for his wife. Their daughter explained that the husband met his wife in France in 1928 and brought her to the Netherlands. It took her a long time to get used to life in a different country and as he had brought her here he decided to be extra sweet to her.
Our new Australian secretary suddenly uttered a loud shriek in the afternoon and it turns out we have mice in the office. A full nest of babies. As the only man in the office today it was my task to catch them. Needless to say I failed miserably.

Norway legalises same sex marriage

Members of Parliament in Norway approved a bill that will allow same-sex couples to marry. The new law, which passed by 84 votes to 41, will make marriage gender neutral. The new legislation will replace a 1993 law that gives gays the right to enter civil unions similar to marriage, but refuses them the right to church weddings or to be considered as adoptive parents. As well as more equal partnership rights, it would expand the provision of parenting rights.
Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt, introducing the bill in March, called it "an historic step towards equality." She also had a message for some members of Parliament who claimed the bill would weaken tradition marriage. "The new law won't weaken marriage as an institution," Huitfeldt told Parliament. "Rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won't be worth less because more can take part in it."
Norway joins Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, South Africa and Canada in granting gay people full marriage rights. Six countries now, and many to follow!

Party afterthoughts

It was a nice party. Everyone we expected showed up - the first ones a few minutes before the official opening time at 5pm, and the last guests left around 2am. The caterer did a good job as the food was excellent - people had 2nd and 3rd plates later in the evening, CR was so nice to be our barman all evening, HE and CC took turns as DJ s mixing contemporary music with 70s and 80s hits and Dutch sing-along songs. We got many nice gifts: books, CDs, pieces of art, hard cash and so many bottles of champagne, wine and other spirits that we have enough stock for the next few years. Some of our straight friends (the cute ones, of course) had never had so much attention in their lifes, and the few fag hags that managed to get invited felt like in heaven. The quiet lounge upstairs got a steady stream of visitors throughout the evening (including me spending a few minutes of quality time with our cutest guest KN), but it was all very decent until the last two went upstairs - you know who you are. I was drunk but not too drunk. Only negative was GZ' bag that went missing - I sure hope that someone took it by mistake and it will show up soon.
The party hosts took a day off on Monday and we were busy cleaning and returning the music equipment, the glasses and other stuff to the owners. And we had lunch together and cleared the last beers after the work was done. Another nice day. I am blessed to have such friends as WI, HE and MA. And all the others who contributed in making it a nice party.

At the traffic light

Scene: me waiting for a red traffic light, next to me an older gentleman with a young girl on his carrier.
Girl: "Hello Sir"
Me: "Hello how are you?"
Girl: "I am fine."
Me: "Well, you are a lucky girl that your granddad takes you on a bike tour."
Girl: "He is not my granddad, he is my dad."
Me: OhshithowamIgonnarescuethesituation...(Saved by the green light): "Bye".

Party time!

Today is the big day of MA, HE, WI and my party. We expect some 125 guests. WI and MA were busy with all the preperations last week, so it will be HE and my task to clean up tonight and tomorrow. I must do my best to not drink too much too early, as it is very unbecoming to be drunk at one's own party.
Last night I went to PA's 40th birthday party. PA is an expat from Ireland living in Amsterdam, towards the end of the month he, his boyfriend MR and their dog LU will move to Germany. LU is known for his frequent and very smelly farts - yesterday every so often people would move from one part of the room to another after LU left a smelly trail. I have only known PA, MR and LU for a short while, but they will be missed in Amsterdam.

Images of Ireland

A perfect day and the best hotel in the world

You know that song: it is just a perfect day. Today was such a day: woke up after a great sleep, had a nice leisurely breakfast, drove slowly along long, winding roads in sunny, breezy weather along the Donegal coast, arrived at the best hotel I have ever stayed (I always thought the best hotels in the world are in Asia, but after staying at great hotels such as The Oriental in Bangkok, the Shangri-La in Singapore, the Formosa Regent in Taipei and the Peninsula in Manila, I must say that Harvey's Point Country Hotel in Donegal beats them all! Who would have thought that the best hotel in the world is in Ireland?), had a nice walk, sat in the sun with a pint of beer, had a great, great 5 course dinner, watched the Dutch football team beat France 4 - 1, and had an Irish sing-along session in the hotel bar. Pity the holiday is almost over and tomorrow after breakfast I will drive to the airport and we will fly back to Holland in the afternoon.