15 August 2006

Computers are the fastest way to suicide (Part 2)

I have to explain why I haven't been writing that much lately. As usual it is due to technology taking a turn on me again. Last week, I finally got to install the super adobe première. I was going wild, making movies and all, getting acquainted to the software, getting along fine, when suddenly my laptop wouldn't connect to internet any more. He kept telling me he couldn't find any wireless networks, while there's two of them here and they're functioning just fine. So we restarted, checked all of our settings, restarted again, even uninstalled première (you never know if it might have caused a conflict situation). All systems seemt to be woring fine, software and hardware. We were getting out of our wits and decided to reinstall the drivers of our wifi. And now it works again. I was almost driven to abandon computers altogether.

Discovering Swedish medicine

Yesterday, David woke up with a somewhat weird fenomena on his leg, it was lightly swollen and warm and had some little points on it, kind of like zits. He went o work and as the day passed, it got worse and worse. By the end of the day it was very warm and completely swollen and the points had multiplied enormously. So we called David's parents (who are both doctors), to ask wht it could be (we even sent them a picture and all). We went to the pharmacist to see if she could give us something, but she had never seen such a thing and I don't think she really knew what she was doing. We couldn't get any antibiotics, because you need a prescription. The doctors here stop working at four o'clock, so since it was already six, he wanted to go today.
The very nice representative of this company called the doctor's service and they told him David could just drop in. So he did, and when he got there, they said all doctors where occupied untill thursday (!!!). So now we're just waiting and hoping he can go somewhere else this afternoon. In the meanwhile, his leg hurts more and more and he starts feeling dizzy.
That's what you get for not bringing your full first aid kit as usual, because you want to diminish the waight of your luggage.
Furthermore, I myslef am sick too, but I have only a soar throat. I asked David when he will ever have a normal illness, he laughed.

On being an expat

We've moved house yesterday. Olivier left this weekend and we took his appartment, so Jeroen can get back into his own. Slowly but surely I start feeling like a nomad. But they have the advantage of carrying their house and everything with them on their camel, while I have to adjust every time. But the appartment is fine, it's a bit smaller, but this time it's completely ours untill the day we leave here.
Being an expat does change you. I can only account for myself, of course, but I find myself appreciating things I never thought about at home. Stupid, small things you don't even notice become suddenly clear. I very much miss delicate food. Food that looks like food and tastes like food.
You also notice how quick life is. At home, we almost never bothered to take pictures, unless it was a special occasion, or on holidays. Why take pictures if you can see eachother every day if you want to. Now we now we can't see anybody everyday... except eachother. We're strudding around al of the time with our camera, because frankly: will we ever see these people again after we left? We eagerly ling on to the moments we live, because tomorrow they might be gone. I noticed the same behaviour on Olivier, walking around with his camera all the time, never failing to take a picture when the opportunity arises. For him it must have been worse, since he had been here for four months and made friends. You're never sure when and if you will see them again.
I'm very carefull now, I feel that I am keeping more of a distance to people than usual. I don't want to allow anybody in, because I know I will be leaving.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:02 PM

    Ik denk dat er geen probleem is " to let people in " even if you love on. You can always cherish the moments you shared with them and keep this a lovely memory and as u know, memories never die.

    ReplyDelete
  2. amaai zo filosofisch!

    ReplyDelete