A week earlier: a 'debate' with a European Member of Parliament

Last week, and it allready feels like ages in the past again... I had a debate, if one could call it that, with European member of Parliament Sophie in 't Veld from Democrats '66, a dutch party member of the European Liberal Group in the European Parliament.
Originally I was expected to have this debate with Boris van der Ham, the National MP for D'66, but due to family situation he was not able to come to Delft and instead Sophie was willing to come to Delft all the way from Brussels. The debate tok place during the political cafe of the delft branch of D'66. For me, as a liberal from the dutch VVD, it was a change of scenery to attend a meeting of D'66.
But debating about gay rights with a European member of Parliament is somewhat harder for me then a national MP, because on the european level its so hard to disagree with eachother and our problems look so petty compared with elsewhere in the European Union. Nonetheless I was able to make my local/regional points though knowing that Sophie could not be of any help with getting these problems in more positive waters. I realise and realised that she has tougher nuts to crack, and ofocurse wish her lots of good luck with doing so!

Sadly we only had roughly 20-30 minutes, the Democrats also wanted to discuss freedom of speech, as a consequence of the Wilders-movie Fitna. I disliked that because we give this guy way to much credit and attention and specially if one has not even seen the much bespoken movie yet. All of us and the world is still waiting for the release of the movie and some think it will turn out to be a hoax. I think the movie will come tohugh because he will be the laughingstock of the whole world if he doesn't go ahead with it now after all that has happened just as a consequence of him announcing the making and arrrival of the movie.
I hold and stil have the opinion that as long as there's no movie there's not much to discusss about and we should instead discusss those things which we can judge, like how gay rights are developing at present, the attitudes of the general public to gays, etc. And how the futur of our gays looks like....... but well, we were just guests at this political cafe so what can one do.....
BUT all in all it was still very pleasant and nice to be able to at least to have this little 'debate' ;-)

A cold Easter with even some snowfall, the day before leaving for Thailand again!

24th of March, am waking up at my Delft home in The Netherlands, suffering from a heavy cold and not feeling very well these days because of that, while also having to prepare for my departure to Thailand the next day.
I took this picture today while making my last walk with my dog Didi before she is leaving with her temporary host for the duration of my absence. Didi is crazy about snow and really enjoys walking in it, as I normally do I have to admit. BUT not today! I am shiffering, my nose keeps running like it has to finish in a new world record marathon.
The remainder of the day I walk around like a zombie, hardly anything I get done .... which is bad because tomorrow I will leave for Bangkok and I try allmost everything to get rid of the cold. Now, allmost midnight here in Holland, I slowly seem to have beaten the worst of the cold and start feeling better again......
The administration I wanted to finish this Eastern Weekend but because of feeling really lousy I failed in doing, is now on a pile. I am going to take the whole damn lot with me on the plane and will try to do as much of it during my first days in Thailand, while still in Bangkok! Hopefully all is done when I leave for Patong Phuket on friday to finally meet up with my Kik again.

My suitcase is partly filled with clothes but also with some goodies and souvenirs for some of our friends in Patong Phuket. I can only hope they like it!
Am looking forward to see Kik again, much to talk because a lot has happened since I left Thailand end of January. Not between us, but with his familly. I want to put Kik's mind at rest about all that, if I can. If I still need to! Originally I was booked on the flight to Bangkok on the 6th of april but after receiving all these gloomy messsages and calls about what happened I promissed him to try to fly down as early as I could in the circumstances and so thats tomorrow. All very short notice but well, he's my futur husband and I don't want to create the impression that I am only there for the good times, also the bad times we need to be able to share if we can. To support eachother in difficult times if possible!

Well, have to admit , its now also turning out into a blessing in disguise. The weather is so cold for me...it seems since I returned from Thailand end of January I have more difficulty dealing with our weather system. The warm, and at times hot Thai weather seems so much easier and more agreeable. Will discover the truth in all that soon enough. From around 0-4 degrees during daytime and -4/5 nighttime I'll now go to an area which has temps between 28 nighttime and 30/35 daytime.

This evening I also had my last meeting with the Jubilee committee for DWH 40 years, which we hope to celebrate 3d weekend of October. On sunday, in 2 weeks time we'll hold a meeting via Skype: me in Patong, they behind their desks/computers here in Holland. They all sounded pretty jealous when I told them about the temperatures, specially Sergio, he's from Surinam and he loves warm weather and is not at all that pleased with the present weather here. He goes back to Surinam second half of August.... just the period when we have mostly very attractive and warm weather here........ well, Kik wil be hopefully here in Holland again, this time for allmost 3 months, till the end of October. BUT thats all still plans of which I can only pray and hope they all will become true. My 50th birthday celebration and marriage to Kik as the highlight of this comming autumn and hopefully a very good start of a life together with Kik.

Pictures on picasaweb from now on!!!!!

For a long time I had problems showing pictures made during my last trip to Thailand. I hope I now solved this problem in a good way by using, also from google, like this Blog, athe picasawebsite for publishing my pictures.
Sofar I allready placed a large part of my Thai pictures online, and more will follow because their are many and its a lot of work.
I hope my visitors wil enjoy them, because I know lots of you simply like to see pictures belonging to the stories told in my blog. Now you can. For the site, look to your right and you see the info in my profile information below, also a new addition, my picture ;-)
Slowly all the pics will end up on this site for al to see, so please: let me know what you think of them!

O, I only give general info with the pics, I name no names of others shown in them, only the occasions.