saylerman

Viking Chili Recipe

2011-01-16T19:48:00.001Z

Viking Chili
for making in a 4 quart slow cooker

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lentils
1/2 cup Pearled Barley
à follow directions on bag, or mix and soak both; skim off junk; heat 2 1/2 cups water with pinch salt; bring to boil for two minutes; turn off heat and leave on burner

One can - 15.5oz can of Chick Peas (garbonzo beans) (drained)
Three cans - 15.5oz can of Red Beans (drained)
One 4.5oz jar - Whole Mushrooms (drained)
2 cups of Onion (or 1/2 large onion), chopped in large chunks and sautéed after meat is done
One can – small – corn kernels (drained)

Meat:

1—1.5 lb of Meat (shredded)
à Recommended meats: Lamb Shoulder with bone; shredded beef, shredded pork, or go exotic with hestur, hvalur, etc.

à Brown the defrosted meat with two teaspoon (tsp) of olive oil and some spices (listed below)

à While meat is browning, stir in 1/4 of the spices listed below

Spices – mix all spices into a small mixing bowl:

2 table spoons (T) salt
1/4 tsp Peppercorns (cracked)
8 T of paprika
4 T of chili powder*
1/2 T of red pepper/cayenne *
1/2 T of Garlic Powder
* For Volcanic Viking Chili – double or triple spices, to taste, plus, add sliced jalapeno peppers.

Directions:

% Start pre-cooking the lentils and barley; Brown meat, adding spices; then add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir in with salt and peppercorns

% add 3 cups of water or until water reaches one inch below top of slow cooker (for thicker chili, reduce water, but doing so may char onions which float on top)

% one hour prior to serving: add 1 cup chopped red, yellow, or green pepper (for color); and add more water, as needed

% Cook in slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low

Optional condiments:

1 cup – chopped red, yellow, or green pepper (for color)*
1/4 cup - Freshly chopped scallions or onion
1 cup - Shredded cheese
* For Volcanic Viking Chili - add raw sliced fresh hot peppers (to your own daring)

Sayler London broil marinade

2011-01-16T19:46:00.001Z

Sayler London broil marinade

Steak (London broil type meat) 1-4 pound
5 - cloves Garlic minced
Black pepper, 1/4 tsp
Crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp
Coarse salt, 1/2 tsp
Teriyaki marinade sauce, 1/4 cup
Balsamic vinegar, 1/8 cup
Worcester sauce, 1/8 cup
Virgin olive oil, 1 cup (for marinade)
Rosemary, 1/2 tsp
Clementine, 1/2 juiced
Cranberry, 1 tsp

Mix marinade together in bowl and warm 45-60 seconds in microwave; pour over meat.
Score meat in cross hatch pattern to allow marinade to soak in.
Marinade 6 hours to overnight (longer better) to soften meat; turn over every 30-60 minutes.
Sear meat on grill's highest setting for 3 minutes each side (lock in juices), then cook on lower heat until medium rare to medium (do not over cook or meat will become tough)

Around Iceland May 2008

2008-07-02T02:55:00.008Z

The original Geysir...

and his cousin Strokkur

Thingvellir... home of the world's first parliament C.A. 970
some other amazing photos from our amazing adventure... Around ICELAND

icelandic vids

2008-05-05T03:49:00.003Z

some icelandic pics

2008-05-05T03:35:00.004Z

New Adventures... ICELAND

2008-05-05T03:30:00.003Z

My bride of 8 months, JRPS and I are off to the next coolest adventure... Iceland. There she'll meet most of Islensku fjolskildi minn (my Icelandic Family). Not only that, we'll experience the exotic, sometimes icebound countryside where glaciers, geysers, volcanos, and elves sometimes enter the mix. We're excited, and plan to keep you posted. ELS

The JUNE 30 BP in DC...

2007-07-11T03:33:00.000Z

Thanks to my groomsman Matt for hosting the BP in DC. The Nation's Capitol will NEVER be the same as Erik, Matt, Rob, and Mitch took DC downtown!!!

We started the night at DC's famous Brickskeller... over 4000 beers available, or so they claimed.

This is Matt and me....
This is Mitch and Rob
This was our waiter who... seemed to have enjoyed some mind altering substance prior to serving us that night!
This is the Cabby, who took us to the 930Club, where we watched the Polyphonic Spree in concert! The Cabby called out Mitch, saying "Iffy... what's Iffy!!!"

A photo of the Polyphonic Spree in concert. http://www.thepolyphonicspree.com/

The boys enjoying themselves at the concert!!!

Leaving the 930Club and crossing Florida Ave.... reminds me of home!

Our BP met up with a B-etteP... These are the last nights of our singleness... Gott Sie Danke!!!!

The end of the night... good times had by all! Thanks men!

Post-Script: earlier in the day, Matt and I bumped into some really "hot" ladies wearing about 7 layers of clothing at Arlington National Cemetery. when they found out that it was going to be my BP in DC, they couldn't resist!!!! They also said, this better be as wild as it gets!!!!

The next big adventure begins... August 4, 2007 ~ www.mywedding.com/erikandjana

the promised pictures...

2007-02-17T21:54:00.000Z

In St. Augustine over Thanksgiving...

The lonely ring... waiting for its new home...

The ring is finally home on the hand of my beautiful fiance...

This picture (from December) illustrates the smile on Jana's face just after she saw the ring and I placed it on her finger...

Her smile melts my heart everytime...

The Engagement of Jana and Erik

2007-02-17T21:49:00.000Z

Dear Friends, Family, and many long lost acquaintances . . .

As we were celebrating 11 months of dating (on 2/14), I proposed, Jana said “YES!”, and we’re gonna get married. Our hearts overflow!!!! J Hope this email isn’t a repeat, but if it is, skip to the picts. There are a couple new ones. Two of Jana’s lovely ring; and two of the happy couple.

Below is my “It’s Now Official!” announcement followed by Jana’s which includes “the scoop.”
I hope you enjoy reading both.

Enjoy the pictures and thanks for sharing in our joy.

Many Blessings

Erik & Jana

From Erik

It’s Now Official!
Jana & I got engaged last night while celebrating the 11th month anniversary of our dating relationship (or 11th mo’versary). It was nice that it coincided with Valentine’s Day. I pulled out all the stops. We’ll include all the wonderful engagement details (the scoop!) later. J
I’ve attached a picture of Jana’s ring & my beautiful fiancé. (It’s not our actual engagement photo. But her wonderful grin sums up our mutual excitement!!!!!) FYI - We’re thinking summer (late July early August), but don’t know yet.
Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.
More details will follow as we move forward . . .

Excitedly yours,

Erik

From Jana

Dear family and friends,

Last night, Erik proposed and I accepted! We are so thrilled!

He reallly did pull out all the stops. Yesterday morning a chocolate rose and a Valentine's day card were waiting for me at my car. At lunchtime, he told me to look in the trunk of my car, where I discovered a bag full of chocolate and Valentine's Day candy. I knew we had planned to go to dinner at about 5:00, but I certainly didn't expect four men in tuxedos to walk into my office at 4:30! They serenaded me with three beautiful love songs and then Erik whisked me away to dinner. After a lovely meal, he wanted to go on a walk and took me to a local park with a lake that we have walked around many times. I knew he was planning to give me a gift, but I didn't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed. He took me out to the gazebo and tested his camera, filming me singing a couple of songs. Then he pulled out the gift, and as I started to unwrap it he got down on one knee!

After we had walked around the lake another time or two (to calm down and keep me from going into shock!), we visited some friends and then went back to his apartment to open a bottle of champagne and call our families.

We are so excited for what God has in store for us, and are very thankful for all of your love and support.

(Be sure to read his email below and look at the photos!)

Blissfully,
Jana

P.s. wenn ihr Fragen habt ueber was ich geschrieben habe, bitte schreib mir
zurueck... aber das Wichtige ist dass ich verlobt bin!

travelling advice for a female friend

2006-06-28T22:12:00.000Z

A friend asked me about some traveling advice for her and i guess a a newbie traveller =-). I thought it was pretty good advice, so I decided to post it, minus the personal information. Enjoy reading.

-----------------Travel Question-----------------
Hey!
How have things been going?
Its been awhile but from photos it seems as though life is treating you well. I see you have a new lady friend in your life ;) exciting.

So I’m planning a trip to Europe on a whim, and knowing that you are an experienced traveler yourself, I was wondering if you had any suggestions. The following countries have been considered...
Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Greece and France.
I’m bringing a newbie, so of course she wants to see the main attractions. Have you visited any of the above?
I’m asking around cause I know people find favorites throughout their personal journey. I usually visit family but on occasions like this I wouldn’t want to involve strangers into my slow paced fun. Its too expensive for that, and for some, a trip to Europe happens only once.

So if you have any advice on the top of your head, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks! And hope your doing wonderful!

L

-----------------Travel Answer-----------------
thanks... i'm honored that'd you'd ask me for travel advice. much of it will depend upon HOW MUCH TIME and MONEY you two have.

I'm assuming it's a female friend, but male friends can be just as fun (especially if there is 'mutual interest' between you both. + Europe is terribly romantic... wink wink). the reason I ask is b/c of accommodations. You can go the hotel route, but that means either sharing a room (expensive) or getting two rooms (really expensive). or the Youth Hostel route (i recommend that one myself b/c it's way cheaper, co-ed is ok, and you usually meet all sorts of interesting people along the way!!! =-)

also, how do you want to sight-see? in a large group, or just the two of you and your handy guide book (lonely planet or let's go are both good). if you want a large group, tour guide experience, then you can book a package deal like a cruise that will visit Spain, France, Italy, and even Greece. or take a cruise down the Danube. (but that's probably pricey!!) that saves you from train tables, buses, etc. someone else does that for you.

finally, when do you want to go? if it's a whim, then you want to go soon. If you end up in Germany b/4 the world cup is finished, then you'll be in for a great party!!! if afterwards, you'll arrive during whatever afterglow arises from the world cup festivities.

I've been to Paris and Normandy, Rome, Brussels, London, Berlin, Vienna, and Sarajevo. I can tell you about those places, and of course, Iceland.

if you can manage, you could fly Iceland Air, spend a couple three days in Iceland either coming and going. Iceland air flies to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, and a few other places.

so, let me know what interests you, your budget and time frame. if you had just one week, and you wanted to see just one country, I think Italy has the most sight-seeing bang for the buck (Rome, Florence, Venice, and Mt. Vesuvius). but if you just want to chill somewhere and do low key, very off the beaten path sight seeing (meaning being one of the first of your friends to go there), i'd strongly recommend The Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Amazing rocky coast, beautiful water, nice people, and relatively cheap... Dubrovnik, Split, and other cities, and you could possibly rent a room from a little old lady for a week or a whole flat for a month. Very cool.

also, don't skimp on visiting your Dutch relatives, school airport is a great hub for lots of very cheap flights all around Europe (and the train to Paris is only what 5 hours or so??)

Do let me know... hope that was helpful.
have fun with your whimsical travels!!!
Regards,
Erik

just messing around with Microsoft paint...

2006-06-18T20:47:00.000Z

the following are entitled: black n white graffitti and my girl

Alrighty then... i've killed enough time playing around. now back to the serious work of studying for the Florida Bar! cheers...

NW Friends... gee i miss 'em

2006-05-27T18:24:00.000Z

I'd like to take a moment to thank all my hosts and friends on my May 13-24 visit to the NW... it was very much like a home coming. I snapped many photos, but some got away.... (Not pictured are Brady Bobbink, Dave Knebble, Janet Halpin, Rachel Gavin, and a whole bunch of others.)
Thanks again. It was so nice to reconnect with each of you and more! Blessings to all of you. Enjoy these and my other photos on this blog....

Brian & Elizabeth Maher

Paul, Stephanie, Hans, and Asher Wendler, plus Stephanie's Mom

Hendor, Janelle, Gabriella, and another little Rodriguez

plus a whole host of B'ham friends:

Jeff & Bethany Flint (my hosts!); Sean* & Julie Hall (& kids), Kim & Joe Castilloni(?sp); Jason Houtsma*; and Ethan Lowe

* founding members of Daydreamer

NW Visit.... & NW Chica!!!

2006-05-27T17:03:00.000Z

Let me introduce you to Jana... my girlfriend!

(don't laugh too much at my Willy Wonka Glasses)

Outside the gate at Mt. Rainier.

See how much snow fell this winter?

Riding the top of a WA Spruce Tree...

The remains of a fantastic dinner...

Jana's Parents Mt. Rainier View

Law School Graduation Picts

2006-05-27T16:18:00.000Z

These Men are Bad to the Bone!
Erik, Stefano, Tavis, & Ha!

...My mom & dad...

after three years of studying law, i finally graduated! YYYYEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

4 days til graduation....

2006-05-01T23:56:00.000Z

it's coming up quick... gee wiz! i can hardly believe it. 3 years of school ending in less that 5 days! YEAH!

that's it. haven't blogged in some time. but will add some picts and thoughts soon, maybe.

erik

Ha with his Uncle Hay

2006-03-06T00:15:00.000Z

Ha with his Uncle Hay in Georgia - Before...

& After

These photos were taken while on the "Tavis Souder Birthday Roadtrip to Atlanta Adventure" March 4-5.

crashing the wedding crashers....

2006-02-24T02:10:00.000Z

yeah, this is probably old news by now, but just in case you haven't seen it before, check out the following link:

http://www.weddingcrashersmovie.com/crashthistrailer/index.htm?id=263168
(copy and paste)
take a quick visit and tell me what you think!

part of the legislative record... officially recognized (busted) for skipping class!

2006-02-23T00:50:00.000Z

Not many law students can say that their skipping class was officially recognized by several Members of the Florida House and chuckled at!

No kidding... today's incident will be part of the legislative record, at least the audio cd version of the meeting, FOREVER! Here's what happened...

On Feb 22, 2006, at 4:45pm, the Florida House Rules and Calendar Council meeting came to order. As Chairman Goodlette, R, from Naples, FL, was opening the meeting, he decided to recognize a few people and thank them for their hard work and service. I was among those that he recognized. While thanking me and mentioning my past service as a House Fellow and present service in the Rules Council and the House, and just as he explaining that I was NOT able to attend because I was "in class," the committee administrative assistant whispered to him that I was sitting behind him. At that moment the Chairman and the rest of the Council turned around to stare at me, he and others chucked and said "I guess he's skipping class." **ha ha**chuckle** I smiled with a little embarrashment at the attention and the realization that my "skipping class" was now and forever "Officially part of the record" of this legislative Council meeting. LOL!

That was the high point of the meeting, at least for me. It definitely seemed to be "most humorous" to some of the Members.

Just for the record... I was "not really" skipping class at all; I had gotten my Professor's permission to skip. On a side note, how can one skip a class they are not officially registered for? *smile*

Grace & Karma - the difference

2006-02-01T04:31:00.000Z

The difference between grace and karma, as i understand it:
karma is a principle ~ "what goes around, comes around." but karma won't give you favor with God. we can be nice people but being nice or good isn't the same thing as being righteous or holy.

that's where God's grace, through jesus, comes into play. we all need grace as a starting point in our relationship with God and with others. we need to be gracious in our relationships with our fellow human beings. when we experience true grace, then we can be gracious. our graciousness looks like karma. as we show grace (acceptance, love, forgiveness, etc) towards others, we'll receive the same in return. or as Jesus said, "Do unto others as you'd want them to do unto you."

God gives grace freely, but we must willingly receive it. it's a gift, never earned. it's received in repentance (or turning away from selfishness and towards God). if we don't receive God's grace, i believe, then we cannot properly share true grace with others.

don't know if that makes sense, but i think you know what i'm getting at, right? i welcome your thoughts.

iceland photos & more

2006-02-01T04:23:00.000Z

below this post are several photos from iceland. these were taken in northern iceland, near the island of Hrisey, where my mom was born.

yes, my mom is an icelander; my dad is an american (north dakotan by birth, part Russian/German and Real American - from a family that settled in the USA pre-1776!!). so i been sort of an international mutt - 51% icelandic and 50% american (ok, the math doesn't work, but it reflects my attitude). until recently, legally, i was only 100% american, but on 9 December 2005, by act of the icelandic parliment (althingi), i was granted icelandic citizenship!! way cool!! so officially, a dual citizen of Iceland and the USA! The best of both worlds... so i'm 100% american and 101% icelandic (another case of bad math).

regardless, enjoy the photos below.
cheers,
Erik

misc photos that i like from my other homeland ~ Iceland

2006-01-20T01:20:00.000Z

for more photos from europe... go to archives

2006-01-11T00:11:00.000Z

for more european photos, please look in the archives for October, November, and December. you'll find photos from my Berlin trip in October, France & Italy in November, and still more others in December. enjoy.

the magical city of prague... part 1 of ???

2006-01-04T06:29:00.000Z

My friend Tavis from FSU College of Law and I took a trip to see the amazingly magical city of Prague! We spent one day in Amsterdam, then spend four days in Prague... these photos (part 1 & part 2) are from these few days in the city... enjoy...

Happy New Year...

the center of prague... the jumping off point in this most cool city.

the Charles Bridge, jazz musicians on the bridge, the changing of the guard at the Prague Castle, and a host of night photos

the ultimate duck dinner.... yummy

this is a photo of the coolest baroque style church in prague that you're not allowed to take photos of...

prague... part 2 of ????

2006-01-04T05:38:00.000Z

from the top of the crazy prague clock tower....
amazing sunset photos...

icelanders ... taking over Prague... just kidding

background... charles bridge and prague castle

fotos of the Charles Bridge toward Prague Castle...

this is the amazing electic blue prague christmas tree... you can SEE the electricity flowing off this tree... wow.

my buddy Tavis was thirsty... so he tried Absenthe... you know, the Green Fairy from Moulin Rouge... that's the bev that he was trying...

End of the Year Starting a New

2006-01-01T01:52:00.000Z

While at a friend's house in Nashville, it suddenly hit me... it's New Year's Eve! As I sit here at the end of another year, I realize that could to do a little reflecting over the past twelve months or just watch T.V. and veg out. The latter is what I really want to do, but I’ll try to do a little of the former.
This time last year I was eating dinner with some friends and their family just north of Reykjavik, Iceland. I was eating some exotic Iceland foods such as smoked reindeer, puffin, and goose that my friend Atli shot, and having a few celebratory libations. Then just before midnight, I went with Gunni and some of his friends up to Halgrims Kjirk (Church) to watch thousands of fireworks ringing around the city of Reykjavik (like an artillery barrage). It was like a fun version of "shock & awe." The next day, with a slight headache, I walked to the harbor and around the city of Reykjavik thinking about what this New Year 2005 would bring.... this is what it brought:
Relationally: I dated two different women, went out with three or four more, but still managed not to find anyone that I want to spend the rest of my life with... their might be one, but the timing isn't right right now for either of us.
Friendships: made a ton of new friends while living in Europe, some that might last a lifetime; strengthened existing friendships; lost touch (unfortunately) with some; and survived some rocky times in others. All and all.... I’m thankful for the blessings that friends have been in my life. Friends and family are one of life's true priorities and they take work to maintain.
Family: the week before Christmas, we spent about a week with dad's family... two sisters, a brother, one brother-n-law, along with my dad and step-mom in North Carolina.... it was the first time that we all had spent any length of time together since I was in college (over 10 years ago). it felt a lot like old (good) times, yet was a bit different... like my sisters have kids now (they didn't back then =-) and we're all over 21. It was really a wonderful time getting to know my kid brother and sister as grown-ups. We had some great conversations.... the surprise of the week was getting to know more about my brother's Filipino Girlfriend. It almost proves the adage - the more things change the more they stay the same (except for our waistlines).
Mom turned 70 years old in December, but she looks and acts like someone 10 years younger. I’m so proud of her. She’s an awesome woman and a great friend.
For those who didn't know, I have a ton of extended family in Iceland - more there than in the USA. My mom has a brother and had a half brother and sister (deceased) and between them they have about 10 children (cousins) and many grandchildren (2nd cousins). Also, my great aunt had three sons and they each had several kids. My cousin Oddur was the one who really encouraged me and helped me apply to Icelandic parliament for my dual Icelandic citizenship. I'm fairly close with many of them... I love my family and am so thankful for them. They are great!
Law School/Career: Last Spring, I interned with the Florida House of Representatives in the Insurance Committee. That experience was very fun! Watching the legislative "process" was very addictive. I really loved it and am seriously considering this work full-time. I am fortunate to be working there again in the Spring.
Last Summer, I interned in the Office of Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead. I was basically a clerk for one of his law clerks... I really enjoyed that and plan to apply for a vacancy when one arises.
Last Fall, I went to The Hague, Netherlands, to intern with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. I worked on a trial team in the Office of the Prosecutor on Bosnian Serb crimes. I got to know some wonderful people. My flat mates and fellow interns shared some excellent adventures… including a trip to Oktoberfest!
Travels: most of my travels began when I went to Holland to intern with the ICTY. In just under four months, I traveled to Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, and Delft (Holland); to Berlin and Munich (Germany); Linz and Vienna (Austria); Sarajevo and Mostar (Bosnia); Rome and Milan (Italy); Caen, Normandy Beaches, and Paris (France); Bruges, Gent, and Antwerp (Belgium); and Prague (Czech Republic). You can find some of my photos here on this blog.
God: I continue to remain a believer in Jesus and try to follow Him. I’m far from perfect and let others know that when sharing my faith with them. As I get older, I am becoming more humble regarding absolutes… I firmly believe that Jesus is the only Way to really know God, because He said it and He rose from the dead. However, I know in the end, God will be just when it comes to sorting out who really follow and know Him. I believe that faith is more of a journey than an objective and that it’s ultimately God’s Grace and not my Karma that dictates my final destination. I rely more on His grace and less on my works… I’m trying to unlearn old religious habits and replace them with a true relationship and spiritual disciplines. This past year was not so good in the spiritual disciplines, but I hope this new year will be better. As a wise man said, let’s follow Him together.
As New Year 2006 approaches, I hope to travel more, start my legal career, deepen my relationship with God, grow in my relationship with my friends and family, and find love… I hope that you achieve similar goals too. I welcome your comments and thoughts
Happy New Year and Many Blessings!

Aslan is on the move....

2005-12-31T06:51:00.000Z

I'm sure you've heard all the hype about the movie "Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." Did you know it was written by C.S. Lewis - A man who once was an atheist who became a believer in and follower of Christ? He wrote many of his fiction books with an echo of Christian theology. He wanted us to remember that echo whenever we encountered the message of Jesus for the first time. He told his friend J.R.R. Tolkien that he wrote books about Christianity that the comman man could understand because the theologians weren't. I'm glad he did. For a listing of books by Lewis, look him up on Amazon.com.

Sarajevo... part II - late November

2005-12-30T06:38:00.000Z

Sarajevo Collage Part II

After leaving Vienna, I spent 4 days visiting Sarajevo to see what the former Yugoslavia looked like. I'll never forget the people or some of the stories that they shared. I visited many places in the city with my fellow youth hostel travellers. Some of our adventures are recorded in these photos.

the symbol of Sarajevo... the 1984 Olympic City

my youth hostel... with marks left from an artillery barrage; fellow youth hostelers

Sarajevo rose (red cement in a mortar splatter mark) and other remnants of the 44 month conflict

a fun photo

Former Yugoslavia... Mostar and Sarajevo ~

2005-12-30T06:04:00.000Z

After leaving Vienna, I went to visit Sarajevo to see what the former Yugoslavia looked like. I previously wrote some thoughts about this trip. It was an extraordinary experience. I'll never forget the people or some of the stories that they shared.

Enjoy PART I of these collage of photos from these two cities taken between 22-26 November 2005.

Near the Sarajevo Airport Tunnel - supplies and personnel were brought through this tunnel during much of the 44 month seige of Sarajevo

one of many mortar "splat" marks still remaining in Sarajevo

the eternal flame ~ remembering WWII on Bosnian Statehood Day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tough guy of the Mostar Mafia

The Mostar Bridge

Mostar at night from its most famous bridge

picts from Linz & Vienna ~ Austria

2005-12-30T05:33:00.000Z

prior to my visit to Sarajevo in the Former Yugoslavia, I visited my friend Jana in Linz and Vienna... these photos were taken between 19 and 22 November... Enjoy...

some friends at the Linz Christmas Market

A few night shots from Vienna...
... at a Christmas Market with friends

some famous buildings with names that I don't remember...

but we had a nice walk through the city

fresh from Europe... an Icelander!

2005-12-19T17:12:00.000Z

I know i know.... i haven't updated this place in nearly a month. but for 3 out of the last 4 weeks i was travelling all over europe: Linz & Vienna, Austria; Sarajevo & Mostar, Bosnia (but didn't make it to Croatia); Antwerp, Bruges, & Gent, Belgium; Prague, Czech Republic; plus a little bit of Amsterdam, Delft, and Den Haag, Netherlands... not to mention the fact i moved back to the USA and have spent the last week looking for a new flat in Tallahassee (i think i found one).
So, finally, i have a little break/breather... i'm near Asheville, NC, spending time with family for a small pre-Christmas celebration.
I do hope to upload some photos over the next two weeks from the above mentioned places, but be patient. =-)
as for the "an icelander" comment, as of 9 Desember 2005, I have dual citizenship with Iceland!!! i'm excited about that. If you want to hear why, i'll tell you. but briefly, my mom's an icelander and i had to apply to the Althing (iceland's parliment) to receive it. i hope it'll help me in the future in practicing international law.
one last word, I do miss Holland and all my friends very much. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Years... come visit Florida when you can... anytime!
Erik

the former yugoslavia... sarajevo... 1984, 1994note -all z = y on this keyboard... apologize for typing too fast to correct

2005-11-25T18:12:00.000Z

after interning with the ICTY (the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) and reading all about the conflict/dirty war that occurred there, i decided that i just had to visit and meet the survivors of this conflict (for many, it was a modern day genocide). i needed to see the country as it is today, not as the wartorn country it was in 1994 when Sarajevo was under seige from Serbian forces for 44 months.
i have listen to their stories and felt some of their pain. hopefully the work of the ICTY will help heal their wounds, but really only time and forgiveness (i believe) will bring them healing.

...

as for travels, yesterday i went to Mostar while on my way to Dubrovnik... however, i did not make it to Dubrovnik... (a story for another time). while enroute, i met a wonderful woman from Sarajevo my moms age named Dorthy. We talked about many things, including the war though she (and others i have met) really did not want to talk about the past, though once they start they talk quite freely.

as for Mostar, very quant. it was cold and rainy, but the old bridge was nice. google Mostar bridge and you will see what i mean.

then on the train back from Mostar, i met a Bosnian poet and two Canadian girls. We had a wonderful 3 hour conversation.

then, today (friday) just explored Sarajevo with two Aussies from the hostel. nice time.

vienna & sarajevo

2005-11-23T17:51:00.000Z

i made it safe and sound to sarajevo after a wonderful visit to linz and vienna in austria. saw my friend jana there. we visited the christmas market; had steaming hot drinks while it was also lightly snowing.

in sarajevo, it is beginning to look a lot like christmas... it snowed all day here. the city still bears many scars from the war even 10 years later. but the people are wonderful.

today looked at the old holiday inn where the international journalist stayed during the conflict and walked down snipers alley a bit where the bosnian serbs beseiging the city would take shots at anyone in the open. visited the Tunnel museam where food, medicine and arms were smuggled into the city literally under the airport. it was .8km long. i will have to write more later.

I also wanted to wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! please pass my greetings along

where to next...?

2005-11-15T01:52:00.000Z

well... it seems that this friday (18 Nov) will be my last day at the ICTY. i'll really miss that place, mainly the superfantastic people that i've met and worked with...
as for the next adventure, on saturday (19 Nov) i'll fly to Vienna, Austria, then immediately travel to Linz for a day or so with my friend Jana, then back to Vienna to sight see, then fly to the Former Yugoslavia to visit several cities: Sarajevo, Mostar, and Dubrovnik... then fly back to Amsterdam... rest 36 hours, then meet my good buddy Tavis flying in from the good ole US of A... we'll spend time in A'dam (seeing Museams like the Van Gogh) and then to Prague for a few days... returning to A'dam briefly to drop off Tavis... then boarding a flight to Budapest for a couple days... then back again... and then back HOME to the US of A on 8 Dec...
well, that's the plan for the moment. it could change tomorrow (oops, actually later today).
i'd welcome any thoughts or comments....
cheers

Paris France

2005-11-13T21:21:00.000Z

A few pictures from my weekend trip to Paris and Normandy. This obviously was the Normandy leg of the journey. But, I have one thing to mention, I had quite the adventure returning from Paris late that Sunday night. Apparently my "direct train" from Paris to Den Haag, when it stopped in Brussels, "divided into two." You guessed it... I was on the wrong half. By the time I was able to back-track to Brussels, all the trains were finished running for the night. I met a Belgium guy on the way back who graciously stayed up all night (1am to 5am) talking with me at the hotel across from the train station and translating for me when necessary.
Thanks Cederic - I owe you one buddy. Wish you the best with your new movie venture. Cheers.
That's it... hope you enjoy the picts from Paris.
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A skyline view of Paris from Place de la Concorde

The Obelisk of Luxor at Place de la Concorde

Towards The Louvre

The glass enterance to The Louvre

Sellers beside the Seine

A Parisian Street

Rodin "The Thinker"

No caption necessary...

Arc de Triomphe from the center of the Champs-Élysées

Views of Notre Dame Cathedral - Inside and Out

Place de Saint Michel - my favorite place in Paris. This was where I started my first walking tour of Paris eight years ago. The coffee you see was bought at the same little cafe I visited on that trip with its view of Notre Dame on Ile de la Cité across the Seine River.

On the steps leading up to the Sacré-Cur Basilica

Normandy trip

2005-11-12T21:35:00.000Z

These are photos from my day trip to Caen and the Normandy Beaches. Caen is a sizable city with an old fortress (now museam), many fine old churches, a cathedral, and abby (where I listened to an Organ and Trumpet Concert). The first three pictures are from the center of Caen and it's fortress. The flower reminded me that this was a trip of remembrance for me as much as it was an adventure. I wanted to see the place where the Allies invaded Europe 61 years ago in order to free it from the grasp of Hitler. The Normandy Invasion has loomed large in my mind for many years - I just had to see it. It was fantastic.

A flower of remembrance, in the garden near the fortress. Below a view from the fortress of Caen and of the fortress itself.

Flags standing outside the "Caen Memorial-A Museum for Peace" - It is an excellent source for information on World War II, D-Day, the battle for Normandy, and the Cold War period. It's located in Caen, Normandy, and offers package deals, including Normandy Beach tours (like the one I booked through them).

From the cliff high above Sword Beach in the British Sector. This was where the Allies build one of two artifical harbors. Sixty-one years later, you can still see the concrete breakwaters that were towed into place and sunk to form the artifical harbor. It was an amazing technological achievement to float these across the Channel and sink them in place. This artificial harbor allowed the Allies to bring fresh men and war material into the ever expanding Normandy Pocket. Eventually, the Allies broke out of Normandy, leading the Allies to think they would be marching into Berlin by Christmas.... For more information on the D-Day Invasion, click here.

One of three German Naval Gun emplacements overlooking the English Channel just west of Sword Beach in the English invasion sector. Most gun emplacements were destroyed after the war, in order to erase the memory of the German occupation. Also, the guns were scrapped for the several tons of iron they contained.

Pointe du Hoc is located strategically between Omaha and Utah Beaches in the American Sector. This small peninsula commanded views of both beaches where the Americans were going to land on D-Day. Thus, it had to be taken through a verticle assault up the bare cliff face. On D-Day, a U.S. Ranger Battalion of 225 troops climbed atop this rugged outcrop under enemy fire and defeated the Germans manning this position. Many soldiers died in the attempt and subsequent German counter attack. It took the U.S. Army several days to reach Pointe du Hoc after D-Day, then only 90 battle weary men were able to bear arms.

Standing in a bomb crater and (below) the remains of the ammunition magazine which the Rangers blew up.

A view from the windswept top towards Utah beach.

Reagon's speach on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day, click here.

Omaha Beach in the American Sector - one of the bloodiest beaches on 6 June 1944 D-Day Invasion. One in ten American Soldiers were cut down by Germans that day.

Above Omaha Beach in the American Sector

American War Cemetary above Omaha Beach

British War Cemetary at Bayeux

My Roman Holiday

2005-11-12T13:11:00.000Z

In late October, I travelled to Rome with a few friends - Allison, Terrence, and Meagan. In three days, I saw quite a bit of Rome. The Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, many famous piazzas, the Coliseum, Pantheon, many fountains, and even the Catecombs. It was a wonderful trip. Will have to go there again. Enjoy the photos - they enlarge when you double click them.

The Vatican early in the morning on our first morning in Rome.

A hazy view from the Copula on top of St. Peter's Basilica.

Terrence, Allison and I taking a funny snap shot while on Copula.

The Trevi Fountain by day... according to legend, those who toss one coin into the fountain will one day return to Rome, those who toss two coins will find love in Rome, and those who toss three coins.... well, they are suckers! Just kidding about the third. I was captured on film just before tossing in my first coin.

The Trevi Fountain by night... very beautiful and romantic! too bad it didn't have a "special someone" to share it with! laugh out loud LOL! perhaps next time.

The Coliseum where the gladiators fought each other, killed fierce animals, and according to Church tradition, martyred Christians - all for the sake of entertainment. According to our guide, you couldn't buy tickets because they were freely given by politicians to the people in exchange for their popular support. Don't know if that's true, but interesting none the less.

An inside look at the Coliseum - at the seats and the missing floor. The ancient wooden floor of the arena long ago collapsed... from under trapdoors in the floor, gladiators and lions could unexpectedly spring.

Holding up Constantine's Arch by the Coliseum

One of the smaller fountains in Piazza Navona. It's famous, no doubt, for reasons other than being mentioned in Dan Brown's book - Angels and Demons. Quite spectacular by day... wonder what it looks like at night?

The Pantheon - the largest free standing dome remaining from the Roman times. It has survied numerous earthquakes that have toppled other structures. Formerly a temple but not a Church. It's amazing to behold from inside and out. To this day, modern construction engineers are not quite sure how the Romans built it.

A firebreathing performer on the street by the Piazza Venezia during some Roman cultural festival I was lucky enough to see.

The Appian Way - you can see the original larger blocks of Roman roadway surrounded by the "modern" Roman roadway.

Piazza Venezia at night.

Tremore - a band with a great "live" sound

2005-11-07T16:48:00.000Z

This weekend I went to Caen, in the Normandy region of France. I wanted to see the Normandy beaches where the Allies landed in WWII. I'll post some photos about that soon.

While in Caen, I just happened upon this band called "Tremore" (French for Earthquake). I was walking down the avenue looking for something to do Friday night, and saw that the Irish Pub had "Live Music." I walked in and was immediately impressed with the band. I first I thought they might be playing covers, because they were so creative, sounded polished, and sang in English! To my surprize, their band promoter said all their original music - WOW! That impressed the heck out me!

If you're interested, click the picture above or below. It should take you to their website (www.tremore.com.fr)and directly to their "demo tracks." Click on a song, then press "Le titre en entier" on the pop up window to play it. These tracks sound good, but a bit rough, and don't nearly do justice to how well the band sounds live! With a good producer, these guys could go far!

When their albums comes out, I'm gonna be one of the first to own a copy! Check 'em out.

Den Haag various views...

2005-11-02T22:03:00.000Z

my desk at home.... where i publish my weblogs, including this one - Enjoy!

my desk at work... where you can see that i'm working hard

this is where i work ~ the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (or ICTY, for short). it's an interesting building. new people usually get lost in it for about a week or two... its a maze of varying modular configuration, especially the fourth and fifth floors. i work on the fourth and have a nice view to the North Sea. Ah... very nice.

a view that i love to enjoy... when the weather is nice, it is amazing! i can see the ocean spread along the horizon!

today the weather was changing... first sunny in the morning, then cloudy and rainy, then cleared for a bit before the clouds closed back in at sunset... (my desk is one floor below, looking out the same direction)

the beach at sunset... some beauty for the soul. in september, i could leave work and watch the sun plunge into the sea... very peaceful. now, because of "daylight savings time", it's dark when i leave work. i get to watch the light fade to black from my desk now instead (it makes you wish for Spring to return in a hurry!).

the Peace Palace at night. this is where the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is located. it was built with funds donated by andrew carnegie just before WWI started. it's very beautiful from the outside... i hope to tour it before i leave. it's supposed to have an amazing legal library!!!

the Dutch Parliment Building - it's beautiful to see at night.

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Den Haag is a very beautiful city with some interesting sculpture and building designs.

a 3D view of Rembrant's "Night Watch" - this sculpture is a duplicate in three dimentions of the original painting which is hanging in the Reichsmueseam in Amsterdam.

a view of the inner castle on the grounds of the Dutch Parliment complex. sure the photo is a bit crooked, but why not see life from a slightly different angle.

now we have come full circle... we are looking at the place where we began. this is the corner on which my flat is located. our flat is on the ground floor, it includes that corner green door and then down to the left for a bit. believe it or not, our flat once was a butcher's shop.

Berlin day 4 ... THE WALL and more...

2005-11-02T21:30:00.000Z

one of the last remaining sections of the old berlin wall. now there is a fence around the wall to prevent tourists from taking a bit of it home with them...

this section of the berlin wall has been nicely "decorated". however, according to the signs nearby, it seems likely to be torn down and replaced with some new structure. look closely, it says "don't destroy history"... it's located near potsdamer platz

the berlin wall remnant at potsdamer platz... plus some tourist posing...

one last WWII sight which according to the guidebook is the location of Hitler's Bunker. obviously the communists did not want to memorialize it or recognize it in any manner. in fact, they could hardly destroy it... they blasted it over and again with TNT, and finally filled it up with sand and covered it with rubble. now it's just fallow ground waiting to be covered over with something....

you might be asking yourself, why did i take a photo of this U-Bahn sign (subway sign in german)? it will likely have little meaning to you unless you are a U2 fan. take a closer look and see what i mean.

at the end of our journey, we boarded the u-bahn to Zoo Station, then took a bus to the airport, where i boarded my flight back home to den haag.

berlin was FANTASTIC - i'd love to go back. special thanks to Fritzi and Sebastian for the wonderful weekend, and special thanks also to my friend Jana. cheers

Berlin Day 4

2005-11-01T23:49:00.000Z

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for some reason...i cannot upload any more photos.... i'll get on this right away.

Berlin ... Day 3

2005-11-01T23:15:00.000Z

Potsdamer Platz by Day and by Night... amazing examples of modern architecture

Potsdamer Platz was formerly the boarder between East & West Berlin. It's been redeveloped over the last 15 years since the Fall of the Wall. Nearby there are remnants of the old Wall itself in the midst of the "New Skyline" of Berlin.

Berlin is celebrating the Year of Einstein. Huge E's are located all over Berlin.

Pizza with Friends... Celebrating Jana's Birthday: Jana, Fritzi, Sebastian, and Kattie - it is the BEST pizza I've eaten in Europe, including Rome!

Day 2 Part II

2005-11-01T22:55:00.000Z

Some more pictures from day two in Berlin. Day two included a visit to Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, Checkpoint Charlie, the Memorial to Jews Murdered in Europe by the Nazis, and then Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (not pictured). Hope you enjoy them.

Branderburg Gate just after sunset - superb photo by Jana. It's almost better than seeing it in person. This is perhaps my favorite picture from my trip to Berlin.

The stone stella of the "Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe" ... It's located next to the location of the future US Embassay in Berlin, Germany (see yellow box in the background).

A moment of silence at the Memorial... looking across the field of stones.

Checkpoint Charlie... the most famous boarder crossing during the Cold War...

Berlin Day 2

2005-11-01T22:36:00.000Z

Jana and I met a surviver from the NAZIs - Erich (Elajuruh) Levi escaped Germany and walked to Palestine (now Israel), but his father was murdered at Sachsenhausen...

The Infamous Gates of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp - then and now

Victory in the Gator Bowl!!! Been too long!

2005-11-01T21:39:00.000Z

Apparently Gator Fans had a great weekend. The Gators defeated the dasterdly Georgia Bulldawgs yet again in Jacksonville before another sellout crowd at the Gator Bowl!!!
See the article: Gators shut down Dawgs' Cocktail Party Not only did the Gators take down the Dawgs a couple notches and out of the national championship hunt, but Steve Spurrier's SC Gamecocks knocked the hated Tennessee Volunteers out of the Top 25 rankings!!! FSU did OK this weekend, too. Now, if only the Jacksonville Jags could find a way to win...

* * * * * * *
As I said, it's been too, too long since my last post. but I've been sorta busy... i went to Rome and now hopefully to Paris and Normandy this weekend (if i can afford it).

Without further ado... I'll post a few more picts in a bit. Hope you enjoy some more picts from Berlin and from Italy and Den Haag

Berlin Day 1 - September 2005

2005-10-10T20:15:00.000Z

Here are some photos from Day One in Berlin, more will follow.

Landing your first job with the United Nations… helpful suggestions in pursuing a UN career

2005-10-10T07:48:00.000Z

***Source: ICTY In-House Lecture: 6 Oct 05***

Three UN employees gave a short talk to a group of ICTY Interns about their careers with the United Nations. One has worked in administration and management, another worked in human resources, and the third worked as a legal officer. All seem to have had fascinating careers opportunities.

These are just a few of the things they shared with the interns about their careers and landing a post with the UN:

Pros – The UN gives you many opportunities to grow and gain practical work experience. You don’t have to have seniority to be responsible for an important project. You have opportunities to travel and work around the world at various UN missions. You will work in an international environment with persons from every corner of the globe.

Cons – The UN can be very political, especially in Geneva or New York City. Sometime people are appointed to positions, not because they are best qualified, but because they are a political appointee. The wrong person in a position of authority can make life miserable for those they attempt to manage. With living abroad, it becomes difficult to visit your extended family or parents. You might travel home once a year and this is especially difficult as your parents age or when children attend university. International living can be very hard on spouses and children, especially at isolated postings, because they are far from home, might not be allowed to work, and lack the connection with their home culture.

A UN Career
Getting your foot in the door – you must first apply! There are three principle ways of securing a position with the UN. 1) Applying directly to the various agencies of the UN for vacancies; 2) via the Junior Professional Officer Program; and 3) via National Competitive Exams. The first option is by far the most difficult, because so many qualified people apply for each vacancy, but willingness to take a position with a Peace-Keeping mission or hardship post, will increase your chances of securing a post. The reason: Most people want to work in NYC, not southern Sudan.

The second option, unfortunately not open to American citizens, is the Junior Professional Officer Program. Several nations participate in this program, but not the US. The selected applicant’s salary is paid by his host nation for two years while he/she works at a UN posting. This is a fantastic way to gain work experience while making connections that will further one’s career. He/she may apply for a permanent position with the UN at the end of their term of service.

The third option is taking the National Competitive Exam. This option is open for nationals from underrepresented nations who have certain skill sets. If you pass this exam, then you have a good chance at a securing UN job. Ironically, the US is underrepresented at the UN. Therefore, any US citizen who has the skills that the UN is seeking may sit for this exam. However, one must do so prior to age 32. For listings of UN vacancies and the National Competitive Exam, go to the UN’s website (or google it).

Becoming a good applicant: According to these UN professionals, the UN looks for people with education and work experience. You must have education in the field in which you are applying and to be competitive, some extensive work experience. One gains work experience by interning, either with a UN agency or an NGO (non-governmental agency). Research and publishing academic articles in the field for which you are applying also helps distinguish you from others. A good place to look for fulltime or intern NGO positions is www.reliefweb.int – it has become a clearing house for vacant international positions. In addition, having fluent English or French is a must, but having additional languages is definitely distinguish your application.
Networking: Wherever you intern or work, be sure to meet the people who do the hiring. Introduce yourself to them while you are there and maintain contact once you leave, because chances are, they will remember you when you start applying for a vacant position later. Also, every department head has a special assistant to the Director. Be sure you introduce yourself to this person in the location where you wish to work. He/she might put in a good word for you or do the initial vetting of candidates for a position. Moreover, he/she (or the office secretary) may tell you whether the vacancy has been pre-selected. Even then, apply anyway. You might excel in your interview and still land the position.

Last bits: Be willing to work part-time or take short-term assignments. It’s an ideal way to get work experience WHERE you want to work and MEET the people you hope one day will help further your career. Apply for a field post, not a position at UN HQ. There are fewer people applying for field positions and you stand a better chance of landing the UN job of your dreams.

Bus 100 Berlin - the starting point of a four day adventure

2005-10-06T18:25:00.000Z

Upon arriving in Berlin on 22 September, Jana* and I embarked on a four day sightseeing adventure, and visit to Jana's old friend Fritzi. We started our adventure by taking Bus 100 from Zoo Station... the same Zoo station that U2 made famous years ago. This photo is taking from the top of the bus near the Memory Church (Gedaechtniskirche) which was heavily bombed in WWII. Enjoy a sample of the photos from our little adventure.

* For those who don't know Jana, she is an old friend of mine from Bellingham, WA. We have known each other for nearly 5 and half years. She was a student in the college ministry at Western Washington University, called Campus Christian Fellowship. I first interned with CCF and then spent 2 years on staff with CCF, a nationally known Chi Alpha ministry and training center for college ministers. Jana was one of several reliable CCF office volunteers (she's an expert in making tapes, copies, announcements, etc.) and later we co-lead a small group for young adults at Hillcrest Chapel. The year I headed back to Florida, she interned with CCF. The year following her internship, she moved to Austria to pioneer a Students For Christ college ministry. Since it had been over two years since we last saw each other and since neither of us had visited Berlin, we planned this trip.

Needless to say, we had a BLAST!

If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes... it will change

2005-09-29T15:09:00.000Z

Over the course of the day from my fourth floor window, I’ve seen every type of weather imaginable but sleet and snow (not counting tornados, dust storms, and hurricanes)!!! This morning it rained, then was sunny and blustery, windy, then heavy rain, more sun and racing clouds, some more rain, patchy clouds, heavy downpour, clouds, wind, and… who knows what next. That’s what comes from being located on the coast of the North Sea!

I'll post some pictures from my trip to Berlin soon, but probably not before going to Munich this weekend.
This a "post-fall of the Berlin Wall, circa November 1989" photo courtesy of California State Polytechnic University Pomona - History 327 - Europe since 1945 - Prof. Englehart's Syllabus

Cheers!

heading to Berlin this weekend... hope to see lots of Rob's Best of Sights

2005-09-20T20:40:00.000Z

I'm off to Berlin this weekend to see a friend of mine. Since I've never been to the Biggest and Best City of Deutscheland - Berlin... I thought I'd ask my flatmate Rob, (Rob ist ein guter Freund von mir und ein super Kerl), what sights he would recommend. This was condensed from three different emails.... hence a blog-versation.
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Q: Hey Rob, what sights can you recommend seeing while visiting Berlin this weekend?

A: Ok, here are some suggestions; the best of berlin ... suggested sights

Berlin’s Best Sights – By Rob Schaeffer

1) Brandenburger Tor and Unter den Linden (famous East Berlin Shopping Street with Humboldt University and Embassies)
2) Reichstag (seat of German Parliament) and the glass dome - can go up there, very nice, but always line-ups
3) Siegessaeule (victory column)
4) Berliner Dom (huge cathedral) - very nice
5) Holocaust Memorial
6) Palace of the Republic - East Germany's parliament building
7) Checkpoint Charlie and Museum
8) Rathaus Schoeneberg (City hall) - Kennedy's Ich bin ein Berliner speech
9) Potsdamer Platz/Sony Center - modern complex, shops, cinemas, etc....
10) Funkturm or fernsehturm - towers for panorama observation
11) Kudamm and Gedaechtniskirche - nice shopping street and famous memorial church
12) Kadewe - Berlin's Harrods
13) Museum Island (pergamon Museum)

Erik, this should be enough for now. if u want more or more elaborations on the above, let me know..........by the way, this is no coolness ranking.......and it would be quite hard to do such a ranking.....all of it is interesting

Geographical Locations:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13 – are in the centre so all within walking distance
9 and 10 are only 2 stops or so from the city centre
11 and 12 are close together and also only a few stops from the city centre
7 is a lil way off but easy accessible by subway
8 is further away, maybe 10 min by subway

Have a good time!

Please pick me up a Berlin Starbuck coffee mug... just kidding!!!

Four week anniversary...

2005-09-16T16:36:00.000Z

No, i'm not seeing any of the dutch chicas or anyone else. It's my Fourth week at the ICTY. I've spent the last four weeks working on a long term project regarding Adjudicated Facts. Don't want to bore you with the details, b/c unless you're a lawyer or interested in such things, it'll be.... dull!

In the past four weeks, I've made some pretty good friends. Robert (germany), Evelise (France), Alim (Canada via Texas), and Eugenia (Australia via Russia). These are my flatmates and we've shared some adventures together. My good buddy Matt from law school and his girl, Kim, came for a little visit. We had a nice time together - seeing the Van Gogh Museaum (pronounced Van Goof for some reason).

Have I learned any dutch? No, not much! I'm sorry to say that everyone here speaks English and that hinders one's ability to learn, b/c you don't HAVE to learn. In Cairo, very few knew English, so i had to learn some Arabic (taxi Arabic).

What's Holland like? Have you ever been to Lynden, WA? Lynden's dutcher than the dutch. Overcast and rainy; cool and moist. It's like Seattle, WA, without Mt. Rainier to break up the skyline. But, I love the quant dutch architecture, row houses, etc.

Well, i'm off to attend a "Beach Party" of sorts. Tis sponsored by all the international organizations based in Den Haag (the hague): tonight i'll mingle with folks from
EUROPOL
EPO
NATO
ICTY
ESA\ESTEC
OPCW
ICC
ICJ
EUROJUST
and more....

perhaps I'll meet someone who can fulfill one of my dreams.... finding a job, living and working overseas.

Cheers for now....

ps - don't mind the speelling, caus i don't =-)

Radio Free Colorado...

2005-09-16T16:24:00.000Z

My favorite online radio station is Accuradio.com, but i can't access it b/c of the firewalls and other restrictions at the ICTY. So my newest favorite on-line music resource is Radio Free Colorado. Between listening to my CDs and to live courtroom audio feed, I listen to this website. It has a great collection of classic rock from the 60s, 70s, & 80s. Commercial Free!! So, spread the word & turn up the volume!!!

Click the link to the right: Radio Free Colorado. If it's broken, google it! Ciao!

phone number correction

2005-09-03T21:23:00.000Z

+31-6-46695205

31 is the country code for the netherlands

Thoughts on the destruction of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina - by Karen Thomas

2005-09-03T12:16:00.000Z

This response was by Karen Thomas, a friend and member of Centerpoint Church, the church I attend in Tallahassee, FL. I found it moving.
Erik
==========================
Thoughts on the destruction of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina - by Karen Thomas

Dear friends, I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, and although I generally avoid mass emails, this is the most effective way to share my thoughts with you. I welcome any comments, and look forward to hearing from you. It's kind of long, so I've attached a file that's easy to print out if you wish.

August 31, 2005

Thoughts on the destruction of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina

Why I love New Orleans

I grew up on the Gulf Coast in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, but New Orleans is the place I chose to live once I left home. I attended Tulane University there, and in New Orleans most of the central passions of my life were ignited: my engagement and early years of marriage to Chuck (our engagement party was a crawfish boil in Audubon Park, where we gave all the leftovers to street guys afterward); my love for teaching and academics and Southern history and literature under inspiring scholars with whom I remain in contact over fifteen years later; my conversion to a true and whole Christian gospel that broadened my individual walk with God to include and integrate His passion for prophetic social justice and racial reconciliation; my delight in the live music and food and festivals and culture of this richly diverse city, through nearly every neighborhood of which I ran, bicycled, drove, or rode buses and streetcars and Mardi Gras floats (like the thousands of residents who couldn’t evacuate, I didn’t own a car for most of the six years I lived there). Nearly every room of my home contains reminders of New Orleans: in my kitchen, authentic Blue Runner Creole red beans and gumbo file from our last visit in February to take our seven-year-old daughter Phoebe to see Mardi Gras for the first time; on my walls, black-and-white photos of Jackson Square and the gorgeous, gothic live oaks out in the bayous and the kids in the Desire neighborhood where I worked three summers and a weeping angel statue from one of the distinctive cemeteries—even my bathroom has a poster from the New Orleans Museum of Art, whose treasures are probably under several feet of water right now.

Natural disaster and God’s sovereignty

Some of the news reports have termed Hurricane Katrina "a disaster of biblical proportions." Insurance policies label natural disasters "acts of God." The Great Flood in Genesis comes to mind when I see the footage of utterly inundated neighborhoods where only the very ridges of the roofs break the surface of waters as much as twenty feet deep. But natural disaster is actually a theme that runs throughout the Bible, particularly the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for destruction carries the meaning of "the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the LORD, often by totally destroying them." So in the Old Testament, sacrifice, submission, and destruction are sometimes one and the same (e.g., Leviticus 27:28-30). But why would God use nature to destroy? He is mightier than the waves of the sea (Psalm 89:9) and when Jesus calmed the storm, witnesses marveled that "even the wind and waves obey him!" (Matthew 8:27) The answer lies in Romans 8:20-21, which points to God’s longterm purposes in allowing suffering and destruction: "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." John Piper puts it best in his book, "Desiring God": "When God looks at a painful or wicked event through his narrow lens, he sees the tragedy or the sin for what it is in itself and he is angered and grieved. ‘I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the LORD God’ (Ezekiel 18:32). But when God looks at a painful or wicked event through his wide-angle lens, he sees the tragedy or the sin in relation to everything leading up to it and everything flowing out from it. He sees it in relation to all the connections and effects that form a pattern or mosaic stretching into eternity. This mosaic in all its parts—good and evil—brings him delight" (p. 40).

Hurricane Katrina and social justice

Given everything I know about New Orleans and what God has been doing in my life to incite me to care about urban ministry and racial harmony, my first response is to realize that the areas destroyed by Katrina are among the poorest in the United States. The disaster has affected people of all races and classes, but the inescapable fact is that poor African Americans have been disproportionately hit by this tragedy. According to the U.S. census, Mississippi ranks first in the number of residents living below the poverty line, at 18.6 percent, Alabama ranks third ( 16.9 percent), and Louisiana ranks fourth (16.7 percent). The national average in 2004 was 12.7 percent, up 1.1 million to 37 million people now living at or below poverty levels in our country. These states also have the nation’s highest percentage black populations, with Mississippi first (36.4 percent), Louisiana second (32.5 percent), and Alabama sixth (26.0 percent). New Orleans’ population is 67.3 percent black. The connection between poverty, race, and the effects of Katrina is perhaps most powerfully demonstrated by New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, one of the city’s poorest inner city neighborhoods, where a breach of the levee along the Industrial Canal connecting Lake Pontchartrain with the Mississippi River poured as much as twenty feet of water into the streets. These people were least likely to own cars and be able to evacuate, and they are the ones you see trapped on their rooftops in many of the TV reports. This is also the neighborhood where the urban ministry I used to work for, Desire Street Ministries, is (was?) located, because my friends Mo and Ellen Leverett chose to live incarnationally in the nation’s poorest inner city neighborhood that was not already served by a ministry. Though all of New Orleans is vulnerable to periodic flooding, its lowest-lying areas generally correspond to its poorest. Basement apartments and real estate in flood-prone neighborhoods are cheaper, and thus tend to attract low-income tenants. Hurricanes hit hardest at both extremes of the income spectrum: property damage is worst among the luxury homes along beachfront and other waterfront property (such as the yacht club section along Lake Pontchartrain), but mortality and human losses are worst among those who do not have the means to evacuate and whose often substandard housing is in the lowest lying areas and least able to withstand high winds and heavy rain, such as mobile home trailers.

How to respond?

"For such a time as this" I am now trying to tear myself away from the internet and TV coverage of Hurricane Katrina to consider how God wants me to actually respond. First, Hurricane Katrina presents a teachable moment. People around the country are eager to understand and process this event, as they were after September 11 (whose fourth anniversary is almost upon us). In my opinion, Katrina represents a worse domestic disaster in many respects than Sept. 11, in terms of the geographic scope of destruction and the longterm challenges of restoring a basic level of sanitation, health, education, infrastructure, and other public services (this does not, of course, include the tremendous cost and human loss of the Iraq War as an indirect consequence of September 11). After addressing the most urgent needs of rescuing those that remain trapped, providing food and shelter for the tens of thousands of refugees, repairing the levees and stemming further flooding, returning civil order, and securing basic public health and sanitation, the process of planning the rebuilding of the devastated areas will begin. This represents the most daunting and important public policy challenge since Reconstruction after the end of the Civil War. The promise of real and lasting justice and prosperity for the nation’s poorest citizens shines as brightly in the former slave-trading capital of North America as it did after the similarly catastrophic Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 (read John Barry’s excellent "Rising Tide") and exactly 140 years ago, when black freedmen, having endured the adversity of slavery and war, surged into New Orleans full of hope and ready to claim the rights and responsibilities of equal citizenship (John Blassingame’s "Black New Orleans" is an amazing account of how remarkably successful they were in the 1860s and 70s, before white supremacists used violent means to write segregation and disfranchisement into law at the end of the nineteenth century). So one thing I would like to do is reach out to the 70,000 college students I live among in Tallahassee and help organize "teach-ins" similar to those that followed September 11.

But the most important thing I want to do is to encourage my friends, my church, my denomination, and everyone within my network of influence to prayerfully consider how they can help the victims of one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, whether by giving money, volunteering for a relief team, donating blood, or even housing those forced to evacuate who may have nothing to return to. I think of two passages of Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-2, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." This is my prayer for those who still wait to be rescued, for all the relief and rescue workers, and for all those who evacuated: that they would know God’s protection and presence and love for them in a powerfully new way. And for those of us who, through no righteousness of our own, have been spared and remain in a position to help, I pray that we will heed the example of Queen Esther, whose cousin Mordecai warned her when her husband threatened to exterminate her people, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)

Perplexed but not in despair,

Karen

Karen Kruse Thomas, Ph.D.
Research Affiliate Claude Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy
Florida State University
karenkthomas@hotmail.com

America's Heart, Inc: an organization helping with the aftermath of Katrina

2005-09-03T12:13:00.000Z

Greetings and Blessings:

Hurricane Katrina came ashore in Florida one week ago today. Her eventual path surprised us all. Food, water and clothing were delivered to South Florida on Saturday and Sunday.

Katrrina restrengthened. We and our partners began gearing up. ACTS Ministry-Holley, Florida did not know whether to evacuate or bring in food and water. The storm hit, the tidal surge wiped out Bayou La Batre: made famous by Forest Gump. Sherry and Ronnie Johnson drove the ACTS Ministry truck into Bayou LaBatre on Tuesday while we were driving over from Jacksonville. Today 1,000 families have been supported for more than three days.

Compassion Alliance was on the ground in Gulfport, Ms., on Tuesday evening. We have been working under a letter of understanding with the Mississippi EOC and have now been given responsibility for aid distribution over a six (6) county area. We control from Pass Christian all the way to Pascagoula, MS. We are responsible for receipt and distribution of all local, state, public, corporate, private, faith-based and even FEMA donated materials. We need help and prayers. Promised monies from several ministries have not yet arrived.

We (America's Heart) currently have 134 truck loads enroute to both locations and the area south of Jackson, MS., This is not enough and this endeavor will last for many months to come. Our transportation costs average $2,700.00 per truck plus the cost of the contents. We are now beginning to move trucks from as far away as Massachusetts and this will be very expensive.

Monday we will arrive in Gulfport with a medical team, RVs and a helicopter from Christ's Fellowship-South Florida along with food and other supplies.

We are sending in Light In A Can, food, water, fluid milk which does not require refrigeration, OTCs, diapers, diesel fuel (18-55 gal drums)
thanks to supplies made available by Soy-Ultima, Taylor Outreach Ministries, manpower from H.O.M.E., Inc., two of our sons. Becky helped to find us fuel containers, Middleburg HS made a large material donation as did Waste Not Want Not and Grace Episcopal Church - Orange Park, Florida. Danny will assist by driving a truck on Monday. Our ministry friends at Cross International have been a great friend during this crunch time.

We need a portable medical clinic or a large tent much the same as what an Evangelist would use. We need tow behind generators, electric cords, portable lights, large fans and RVs or motor homes. We need portable fuel tanks to hold diesel fuel and gasoline in support of the distribution center. We can use ag diesel for this endeavor. We need volunteers willing to spend a week and assist in the efforts.

A mobile kitchen will accompany us which will be managed by Ray Pringle-Calvary Church of GOD and capable of feeding several thousand daily. The big hurdle will be keeping this unit supplied as well supported with a refrigeration unit.

Pastor Wiggins (father and son) Evangel Temple AOG - Jacksonville are helping to raise funds, food and volunteers.

ISON is traveling into New Orleans, invited by N.O. SWAT, to assist with the search and rescue effort.

Trucks must run in convoys due to the high incidence of hijacking. Security is a major concern. Nobody runs after dark.

A high ranking delegation will arrive in Jacksonville tomorrow morning. We will meet tomorrow afternoon in between loading trucks and sorting food items. We will put them into the hotel and then pick them up at 1630 for a welcoming reception at 1700 and dinner at 1800. We will have some entertainment in the form of a competitive cheerleading performance. The delegation will accompany us to church the next morning, we will have lunch and immediately return to our discussions. On Monday we will tour the hurricane devastation with the delegation. We want to thank David, Linda, John and ShaRRon for all their help preparing for the reception and dinner. We depend upon you ... Thank YOU.

Baby food, diapers, bottles, bibs, feeding spoons and bowls, baby formula, feminine products, OTCs, bandaids, coolers, water jugs, stock tanks filled with potable water ... RV's, motor homes, etc., et al still remain big items.

We will be traveling with a large number of volunteers and fuel will be a problem. This will be a very long day. We will most likely return to Jacksonville in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Our convoy may number 30 vehicles.

Ron Miller, Food For Tots, was in Florida on Monday buying food for distribution through his warehouse in Hattiesburg, MS., When Ron finally made it home he found the rear of his warehouse destroyed and the contents looted. He lost the roof to his home. They will not have electric for 3-4 months. Gypsies wanted to charge $3,700 to cut up one fallen tree. Ron needs your help and your prayers.

If teams of carpenters are looking for someplace to donate their skills we can put you to work in Hattiesburg, MS., at homes and churches.

People had become complacent even after the 2004 hurricane season, hard to believe isn't it? If a Category-1 were to threaten the S.E. coast people would begin to panic, a Category-2 and above would be a disaster simply because we do not have enough fuel for those who would wish to evacuate or simply could not afford the $3.25 to $6.10 per gallon cost. All the hotels are filled. Food is even in a short supply. Please pray we do not have another storm. Please send help for those in need.

Your drivers will need a copy of the Mississippi EOC letter. Send me and e-mail and we will fax you a copy. We are set up in the Outlet Mall parking lot at the Junction of US-49 and I-10 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Your point-of-contact is Steve Ewing or Chad Holgerson. If you rather, you may send your contributions to our location in Jacksonville, Florida and we will see the items are delivered to the area of greatest need. Our locations are provided police/sheriff and National Guard security.

We NEED a LARGE SUPPLY of MATCHES, IMMEDIATELY.

We will pull the trucks out of our warehouse parking lot on Monday and will be congregating at Evangel Temple AOG parking lot early for a 0700 departure. Some will be staying at the Best Western Hotel & Suites on Collins Road, just off I-295 and US-17/Roosevelt Blvd. We have two trucks enroute to Bayou LaBatre this evening. Due to the size of our convoy we might be better off traveling in two groups.

Mission First Coast sent out a communication identifying America's Heart as one of three ministries they recommend to receive donations for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. We were humbled by this recognition.

Thank you for your prayers and support for these ministries. Thank you and LORD Bless.

IHS,
Bill H.

William A. Henry - President / OverseerSanta Fe, Suwannee & Tampa Bay, Inc., / America's Heart, Inc.Ofc: 2531 Eagle Bay Drive (Whse: Rear-2137 Liberty Street-Jacksonville, FL USA 32206)Orange Park, Florida, U.S.A. 32073-6155 E-mail: sstbinc@juno.comTelephone: 904-278-8076 Facsimile: 904-278-8061

Katrina Thoughts From the USA - by Osbey Sayler

2005-09-03T12:09:00.000Z

Some thoughts from my dad on Katrina news in the USA:

Monday night after the hurricane had passed and Mississippi and the other coasts were totally destroyed and parts of New Orleans & suburbs were destroyed, the reporter on Bourbon street was walking around on dry pavement saying there was very little damage there while every window on the high rise Hyatt hotel was blasted out, looking like the Murragh building in Okla City. The locals were out on the street remarking that it was the first time they had every seen the stars from Bourbon Street. A few police were lounging around and not enforcing the curfew becausde they wer outnumbered.

It was eerie to see this scene, and I remarked to Mary Etta that it appeared that the Devil had protected his territory.

But the last few days have shown scenes that made me cry. People walking in chest deep water to get to the I-10 bridge where they waited to be picked up.Yes, they were mostly blacks, like 67% of the population. (Today I saw white people climbing on Army trucks to be carried out of the flooded areas as well.)

We saw kids without parents. I cried real tears when saw a man with one grandchild tell how he and his wife climbed onto their roof with as the flood waters rose . He was holding his wife's hand while she held 2 other kids until the house split in two and the 3 were swept away and drowned. DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHETHER THEY WERE BLACK OR WHITE ?? NO NO NO !!! THEY COULD HAVE BEEN FROM THAILAND OR SRI LANKA OR INDONESIA - THEY WERE HUMAN BEINGS AND I THINK IT IS DESPICABLE FOR POLITICIANS AND ANYONE ELSE TO MAKE THIS TRAGEDY A RACIAL THING!!! We saw Vietnamese people in Gulfport MS who had escaped Communism 30 years before, worked and saved and built new lives and homes, only to see them destroyed by the hurricane as well.

While watching the tragic needs and losses that make me cry, at the same time I am DISGUSTED with certain people ( starting with the incompetent New Orleans mayor) COMPLAINING that people were not transported immediately out of danger !! - That no one brought port-a johns to them along the interstate highway !! (Guess how high and far a port-a-john will fly in 150 mph winds.) - That no one had food and water waiting for them at the Super Bowl or New Orleans Convention Center which were isolated by flood waters !! - That 500 busses did not instantly fly over the flood waters ! That 40,000 soldiers did not parachute into the city moments after the governor wished for them!! That the Navy hospital ship did not orbit the earth and hover over Charity Hospital and beam up the patients and staff !! (It actually had to take on supplies and fuel and personnel and wait for the hurricane to pass before arriving! Meanwhile, other Navy ships from Mississippi are arriving in Jacksonville where they were sent for safety) .

The TV shows all the complainers saying they were not treated as well as the tsunami survivors, etc. Some even had to walk TWO MILES to get to an air conditioned bus ! And then they had to wait all day for the bus ! (The tsunami survivors are still waiting for their air-conditioned busses 9 months later - and for an Astrodome to replace their plastic tarpaulin makeshift tents.)

MEANWHILE, criminals have been shooting at helicopters with medical relief supplies and even at the doctors and nurses trying to load critical patients onto helicopters at Charity Hospital.

I give kudos to Houston - they are taking THOUSANDS of New Orleans refugees - as fast as 500 busses can bring them. Some say over 25,000 already there. Ordinary people all over the USA are giving money and goods and time. In the Jacksonville area, about the same population as New Orleans, people have filled dozens of 18 wheelers to send. (These, however, will need to be driven through traffic and damaged roads and somehow get around destroyed bridges and will take a few days to arrive, like the military convoys that arrived in New Orleans Friday September 2, 2005, 4 days after Katrina went through and 3 days after the delayed flooding caused the most severe problems.

ABC nightline did show a wonderful piece on Houma, Louisiana, a small rural town 75 miles southwest of New Orleans and evidently of a much different demographic (racial) mixture. With no outside help, the mostly all white residents have taken in thousands ( I think 5000 but of that I am not sure) of refugees from New Orleans (mostly black from the pictues I saw) , feeding them and clothing them and housing them for now in their civic center. The private Catholic middle and high school of 900 students is preparing to accept from 300 to 600 more students. This is, I believe, a much more true picture of America and, indeed, Louisiana, than that which certain race-baiting persons seen on TV are attempting to portray (unsuccessfully, I hope).

If you want to see how people and organizations are even now producing real-world solutions to trhis monumental disaster, please see the attached e-mail from a man who has been to the heart of the disaster area in Gulfport, Mississippi, with a truck full of supplies and returned with a PLAN and real-world commitments to help ALL the victims.

Osbey L. Sayler, M.D. -

ps - Erik - please feel free to post this and Bill's e-mail announcement on your blog (posted in the next response)
Love, Dad

Amsterdam Highlights

2005-08-30T16:12:00.000Z

This is my attempt at html programming. If I messed it up, can any of you offer suggestions?

The Amsterdam Adventure....

After exiting our Hostel, we turned right on Damrak Street heading toward the Dam Square (it's where the Amstel river was first dammed by the locals to help create the precursor to Amsterdam).

We decided to hit the Van Gogh (pronounced "Goff" in Holland) Museaum. We spent about an hour looking at all his works. Did you know that he was an intinerant minister of sorts before becoming an artist? well, now you do!

After a couple hours, we headed back to the youth hostel for a little rest. Matt was massively jetlagged. I visited the Olde Kjirk in the Red Light District while Matt was in the rack, before getting some rack time myself.

After recharging the batteries for a bit, we met up with a few fellow flying pig hosteleers... and some of us headed out to grab some grub and see the RLD. While there, we were curious about the "First Amsterdam Coffee House" called "The Bulldog." Very unimpressive. Well, the American guy who joined us started feeling really sick, so we took him back to homebase were we swapped him for an Irishman. We went back out, b/c he was curious about the RLD.

For those who have never been, it's definitely a curiosity. But, after awhile, one senses the darkness and starts feeling really sorry for these women who choose to sell themselves and for the men who buy their wares. It's basically sex reduced to a commodity and an act. Nothing spiritual or beautiful about how sex and sexuality is treated. What did I expect? Probably about what I saw.

I suppose one can draw an analogy to the first couple centuries AD when sex was sold by temple prostitues in Roman & Greek cities, except now the god is money, and not Diana or Aphrodite; and the temple is a long alley of windows in a district famed for its red lights, and not some edifice dedicated to a pagan fertility god.

The next day, Sunday, Matt and I headed over to the Amsterdam Cultural Fair. This weekend was the opening of the artistic season. We saw a Dutch rap band perform! Very fun/funny to see it.

About an hour before we boarded the train to Den Haag, we visited the Olde Kjirk located in the heart of the Red Light District. It was a fitting way to end the day and our visit to Amsterdam. It reminded me that there's always hope and God's grace even in the midst of darkness....

signing off for now...

ps-one photo from the adventure...

Landed in Amsterdam

2005-08-27T10:20:00.000Z

Hi,
Met my buddy Matt from lawschool this morning at Schipol. We took the train into downtown Amsterdam. Checked into our Hostel - http://www.flyingpig.nl/. We're about to roll out!
cheers

Base of Operations ~ Established

2005-08-18T12:45:00.000Z

After a couple days of searching, I finally found a place to stay. My fellow flat mates are quite nice. I'm definitely the "old man" of the place. The place reminds me of a dorm come youth hostle. We have a common kitchen, communal area with TV, the promise of internet (but, I might just do mine at work), and a little back garden where one can chill out. My room faces the street and can be quite noisy with street traffic (ie - walkers & bikers) and the walls are thin, but I have ear plugs. In a couple weeks, I'll be able to tune out the sounds. I might buy a fan for my room to make some noise to cover the street sounds ~ at 3am, the street is SO still and SO quite ~ like they say in hushed whisper in the horror movies "It's too quite!!!"

The weather has been sunny and mid-70's the past three days. Most excellent! Yet, I'm afraid I've also caught a cold. My sinuses have been draining since I got here, and this morning I woke up to some chest congestion. Instead of sounding my "normal self," I sounded like James Earl Jones meets Barry White. I was two octaves lower than ususal! Suffering jet lag and sleepless nights have not helped either. Fortunately, I have this weekend to rest up, sleep in, and recover. I start my internship on Monday!!

I hope to post some pictures to my blogspot.
My Address: Erik Sayler, Obrechtstraat 418, 2517 VJ The Hague, Netherlands.
Mobile #: (31) 6-46695205 -- the 31 is the country code and 6 signifies it's a mobile number [note: i corrected my phone number; previous attempts using 06 instead of 6 wouldn't work from overseas]

Dat was alles voor dit moment! (sound very dutch-like, doesn't it?)

Cheers

Arrive Safely

2005-08-16T15:52:00.000Z

After a gruelling 24 hours in airports & airplanes, I finally arrived! I arrive safe and sound and so did MOST of my luggage. One of my bags looks like it was dropped a few times... now it doesn't roll properly. It flips over instead. Moreover, the bags were covered with yellow pollen or something. Well, one must expect adventures when traveling.

On my two flights, I met an engineer, a pilot, and a 16 year old from Serbia. Ironic, don't you think. I asked all of them lots of questions, but did not get much sleep on the plane as a result.

I've landed and will let you know more in a few days.

done with the MPRE & it's done with Me!

2005-08-13T10:28:00.000Z

the MPRE = Multistate Professional Responsibility Ethics exam... this exam is a pre-req for most state bars (lawyer stuff). yesterday, i took the exam in Gainesville (where I attended undergrad) and it took me by surprise. i studied for it this summer when I took PR (professional responsibility) class, and then BarBri... well, i thought a couple days of study would suffice..., well, after taking the exam, i'm not so sure! 6 weeks from now when I get my results i'll know. but until then, i don't have time to worry about it since i'll be interning at the ICTY in Den Haag (the hague, netherlands).

speaking of the hague, i've gotta pack. so much to pack in so little time to do it.

ciao

Last Saturday in Tally

2005-08-07T21:26:00.000Z

Hasta la vista ~ Thanks to all those who were able to attend. I really appreciate your stopping by last night. Hope you had as much fun as I did. This blogspot is dedicated to friends. Cheers, farewell, sjaumst.