Last day at work

Yesterday (29/8) I worked my last shift at the Schakel. It begun strange because I got called out of bed because someone called in sick. I rushed to The Schakel. It was a verry bussy shift. We worked really hard to get everyone out off bed and organize the lunch. After lunch the kids had a suprise for me. They had bought a pressent but I couldn't open it before I closed a suitcase. First
I had to pack my suitecase with items that I have to get from all the residents. I had to ask Onur in withs room I had to collect a specific item to put in my suitecase. Finaly I managed to get all items and close the suitecase and I could open the present (a book about traveling to amerika).
Then the final houre in my shift. I cleared out my box and said everyone goodbye. This took me quite some time so at 4 pm I waifed for the last time and drove off on my scooter.
When I came home I planned all sorts off things to do in the comming 3 weeks I sat down and relaxed a bit. A new periode has begun...and just 3 weeks before departure.

greatings jose

Nederlands:

Gisteren (29/8) was mijn laatste dienst op De Schakel. Het begon freemd omdat ik uit bed werd gebeld omdat iemand ziek was. Ik haaste me naar de Schakel. Het was een erg drukke dienst. Wij werkten hard om iedereen optijd uit bed te krijgenen de lunch te organiseren. Na lunch hadden de bewoners een suprise voor me. Zij hadden een kado maar ik mocht deze niet alvorens ik een koffer sloot. Eerst moest ik de koffer met spuillen inpakken die ik van alle bewoners moets krijgen. Ik moest aan Onur vragen bij wie ik een specifiek item moest verzamelen om de koffer te vullen. Uiteindelijk die ik erin geslaagd om alle spullen te verzamelen en de koffer te sluiten Nu kon ik het kado openen (het was een boek over het reizen naar amerika). Toen kwam het laaste uur van mijn dienst. Ik haalde mijn postvakje leeg en zei vaarwel tegen iedereen. Dit nam nog vrij veel tijd in. Om 4 p.m. zwaaide ik voor het laaste iedereen vaarwel en reed op mijn scooter weg.

Toen ik huis kwam heb ik een lijstje gemaakt van alle dingen die ik nog moet doen. Een nieuwe periode is aangebroken..... en nog 3 weken vóór vertrek.

My new notebook

Yesterday I did some BIG shopping. It was the day that my notebook finaly arrived in the store. I also had to buy a keyboard, mouse, notbook standart, 400 gb external harddisk and my notebook offcourse.
As soon as I came home I unpacked everything. Wow the HP 6570 ED notebook looks really awsome. I'm so glad I waited a bit. I started the computer and installed the software by my self. (never did this before). My notebook is now operational. I have to get MS office and transfer al my data from the main computer to my notebook before I can really work on it, but so far I'm really impressed and verry happy.

As you might know we have lots off photo's and movies on oure computer. I alway's pland to do something with it. So yesterday I made my first movieclip. It is about a motocross that we visited in nunspeet in 2006 check it out:




Nederlands:
Ik heb gisteren goed geshopt. Mijn nieuwe laptop was namelijk geariveerd in de winkel, maar ik had nog meer nodig; muis, toetsenbord, laptopraiser, 400 gb externe hardeschijf.
Toen ik thuis was heb ik alles uitgepakt en er even van genoten. De HP 6570ed is echt heeeeeel erg mooi. Ik heb zelf de sofware geinstaleerd. Nu moet ik nog MS office en mijn data van de hoofdcomputer er op zetten. Tot nu toe ben ik er heel erg blij mee.

Verder heb ik gisteren ook een filmpje gemaakt zie hierboven

We found a house in Freiburg

Just 4 weeks before we depart to Freiburg we found an appartment in Freiburg. It turned out to be much more difficult to find a suitable appartment than we thought. Even now it is not perfect because the appartment was rented out for two weeks in the periode that we want to stay in the appartment. Never the less we had to take it because it was oure only option. We searched for another appartment for a period off two weeks, and we found one yesterday. So now we have everything for the housing sorted out.

From 21st september untill 6th off oktober and from the 21st off oktober untill 30th march 2008 we will life at the Jos-Fritz-strasse in Freiburg. This is the discription from internet about the appartment:
Schöne am Waldrand gelegene und gut ausgestattete 2 zimmer Wohnung: 1 Schlafzimmer mit Doppelbett, geräumiges Wohnzimmer, Einbauküche mit Spülmaschine, sep. Essecke, Bad mit Dusche/ WC, Loggia und große Terasse, TV mit Kabel-und Internetanschluss, Radio, Waschmaschine im Untergeschoss.
The furniture looks classic, but it is in good shape and we have internet and a dishwasher. The neighbourhood is beautifull, near the woods. Click here to see the location on the map.

from 6th off oktober untill 21 st off oktober we will live in another appartment in Freiburg in the Richard-Kuenzer-Str. check out the internet site: http://www.apartment-freiburg.de/
It is a smaller appartment without internet but still verry nice. Click here to see the location on the map. Nederlands:
We gaan van 21 september tot 6 okteber en dan van 21 oktober tot 30 maart in de Jos-Fritz-strasse in Freiburg wonen
De tussen gelegen periode van 6 oktober tot 21 oktober gaan we in de Richard-Kuenzer-Str wonen. De eerste woning was helaas niet de gehele periode vrij waardoor we moeten verhuizen voor twwee weken. Maar we hebben gelukkig een huis vier weken voor vertrek!

Romantic weekend

Matthijs and I planned a romatic weekend in a hotel this weekend. On saterday we traveld by train to Bilthoven (NL) because matthijs his grandpa and grandma lives there we fisited them first. We stayed with them untill 16.00. His grandpa gave us a lift to the hotel.
The name of the hotel is Best western; Ernst Sillim Hoeve and it is located in Den Dolder (NL).
It is a 4 star hotel with a verry good restaurant, swimmingpool, sauna, gym, bike rental and forest to walk in. We first took a walk in the park and had a afternoon snack. Than we took a dive in the swimmingpool and warmed up in the sauna.
We changed clothes and went to the restaurant. The food was just perfect and with the perfect wine to acopany the dishes it became a late night as we drank, talked and laughed together.The next morning we had trouble to get out off bed, but the extended buffet breakfast made it much easier. We drank coffee, frech orange juice and ate pancakes while looking outsite into the forest. It was just perfect. We dicided the night before that we would rent bikes.
We checked out of the hotel at 11 am and picked up the bikekey's and a lunch package. We cycled a bit in the forest around lage vuursche. At the perfect spot we sat down on oure plaid and ate oure lunch. I even slept for a bit. It was such a romantic place. Verry quite and green. We talked about our stay abroad. We are so exited about it. We have just one more month to go.
We cycled a bit more and came across a pancake restaurant witch we couldn't resist. At 16.00 we cycled back to the hotel and droped off the bikes. We walked to the train station and as we arrive so did the train. In only one houre we where back home in Rijswijk. (To bad).

We had some real quality time together and that is verry importent. The stress to get everything organized is enorm at this moment. We have so many things to do in such little time, but we are so exited to move to Freiburg and Colorado. I can hardly wait..........
More about oure progress soon

greatings josé

Nederlands We hebbennet een heel romatisch weekend achter de rug. We zijn zateradg ochtend vertrokken naar bilthoven, daar wont matthijs zijn opa en oma. Om 4 uur zijn we afgezet bij het hotel: Best western Ernst sillim hoeve in Den dolder. Eesrt hebben we wat in het bos gelopen en een snack gegeten i nde bar. Toen zijn we gaan zwemmen en zijn opgewarmt in de sauna. Na omgekleed te zijn dineerde we in het luxe restaurant. Het eten was werkelijk heerlijk en met de juiste wijn erbij werd het erg laat. Het was dan ook lastig om uit ons bed te komen, maar het ontbijt buffet maakte het wel een stuk makkelijker. Met een kop koffie en pannekoekejes voor ons neus keken we naar buiten het bos in. Ech prachtig.
Om 11 uur checkte we uit en haalde we de gehuurde fietsen en het lunchpaket op. We zijn in de omgeving van de laage vursche lekker rond gaan fietsen.
Smiddags kwamen we nog een pannenkoeken restauratn tegen waar we lekker gezeten hebben. Om vier uur leverde we de fietsen in en gingen we weer opweg naar huis.
Als ooit een goed hotel wilt bezoeken voor een goede prijs dan moet je hier zijn!!!!

Vacation camp

Yesterday evening I returned from the vacation camp from my work De Schakel. I had an awesome week. It started on friday the 10th last week. When I arrived at work me and some other collegue had to pick up the busses. I drove on off them. It feld verry cool to drive a large bus. Fist we pack almost everything from the Schakel in busses. And then we waved the famalys of the kids goodbye and we drove off to Zeewolde (nl).
We had a bungelow with the older kids from the Schakel, robert, johan and franklin. There where two other collegue's ellie and roel. We where close with the bungelow next to us. We did al sorts of stuff together like: dinning, going out and drinking untill late in the night. We had a great team and we really worked together. Not once did we had problemes. This is the list of what we did:

Friday: departure day, packing and unpacking, eating and we went to a bar/dancing in Almere (untill 2.30 am, in bed at 04.30)
Saturday: slept untill late, relaxed, went out to a club in Almere (untill 3.00 am, in bed at 05.30)
Sunday: relaxed and went out for dinner in a resaurant
Monday: one group visited a exotic garden and one group went swimming in the evening there was a BBQ for everyone from te Schakel. We had drinks at night
Tuesday: shopping in batavia city (outlet stores)
Wensday: a hole day in amsterdam (including a ride in the tube, the waterloopplein markt, chineese neighborhood and the red light district)
Thursday: packing and departure home at 05.30 pm

I had no more than 4 houres sleep per night. And because of the handicap of the children we had to help them with the daily routine. (getting in and out of bed, shower, get ready to leave) Because the kids had a really great time it was no problem for me to wakeup every morning at 8 am (had to give medication) and not be grumpy. At the time of the camp I didi't feel it to much of my tieredness. You get a lot off energie if you see someone enjoying him or her self. And when we drove back home the kids told me that this was their best holliday ever. To me that feld like the best reward for a week hard work! As I came home I relaxed a bit in front of the tv and went to bed early and I slept really well!!!!

In my next entry I will tell more about oure hotel visit off comming saterday and there is more news about housing in Freiburg.

Greatings josé

Nederlands:
Gisteren ben ik terug gekomen van het schakel kamp. We hebben heel erg veel lol gehad en leuke dingen gedaan. We vertrokken op vrijdag 10 augustus. Ik reed een van de bussen met kinderen tijdens het kamp. Dat was in het begin erg wennen maar wel heel erg leuk. We hebben de volgende dingen gedaan:

vrijdag: inpakken en uitpakken, s'avonds naar bar dancing gegaan in Almere
zaterdag: laat uitslapen en s'avonds stappen in almere in een discotheek
zondag: relaxen en s'avonsds zijn we uit eten gegaan.
maandag: de ene helf is gaan zwemmen en da andere helft is naar een tropische tuin geweest.
dinsdag: dagje shoppen in batavia stad
woensdag: dagje amsterdam met rokin, waterloopplein chineese buurt, en de wallen.
donderdag: inpakken vertrek naar huis.

Ik heb niet meer dan 4 uur geslapen per nacht. Tijdens het kamp voelde ik me totaal niet moe omdat je heel erg veel energie krijgt van het zien genieten van de kinderen. Het was dan ook geen probleem om om 8 uur s'ochtends op te staan om medicatie te geven. Een paar kids vertelde me dat dit hun beste kamp ooit was. Toen ik om 5 uur thuiskwam gisteren voelde ik wel. Ik ben vroeg naar bed gegaan en heb heerlijk geslapen.

Sportsday at the Schakel

Yesterday me and cheraldino (a resident at the schakel) held a sportsday at the Schakel. As you might know De schakel is a residense where handicapted children live and it is where I work.
Cheraldino came to me with the idea to organize a sportsday during the summer holliday. It took us a couple off day's to come up with the ideas and organize everything. We had to come up with games to do, make posters to anounce the sportsday, prepare food and drinks for the lunch, gather al the items we needed for the sportsday and get everyone exited! We divided the children and personel into two teams. They where playing against eachother. They had to participate in 4 games:

1. a game called moving (own creation)
2. a hockey match
3. an estavette run
4. making a non-alcoholic coctail and present it
   

The sportsday started at 11 am (it shoulds started at 10.30). First we play the fist two games. As time past the players came more and more competitive. Especialy at the hockey match. Than we had a lunch break. We sat on the ground and enjoyed our sandwiches. A lot of children had to go to the toilet so we made a pitstop at the Schakel.
We continued with game 3 and 4. The final game, making a coctail, was a real succes!
Each group had 3 kinds of lemonade, 1 bottle of plain water, 1 bottle of sparkling water, fruit juices (appel and orange), a parasol, a fresh lime, and a coctail glass. Each team had to make 1 glas and present it to the jury and make a bottle so everyone could tast it. The teams came up with perfect coctails.
While everyone was zipping from their own made coctail the jury dicided how won the sportsday. It was team 1
It was a great day everyone enjoyed himself and everyone asked if we could do this more often.
We will see......

First I'm going on a camp with the schakel. We are going away on friday 10 th of august and come back on thursday next week. I have to drive a bus with 6 people in it for the first time, so I'm a bit nervous. You will hear more about it later.

Meanwhile the search for a house in freiburg is continuing. The three that we pick as first choise where already rented out. It is getting thight..........

greatings jose

Finding a place in Freiburg

One week ago we found out that matthijs and I have to find oure own appartment in Freiburg. We received an internet link of the international office from the universety off Freiburg. On the internet page we could find al sorts of rooms that where available in and arround Freiburg.
I started to make a selection of rooms that where in oure price range and in a good location.
I looked for fully furnished appartments with one, two or three rooms. The size of the appartment was important to us. It shouldent be smaller than 50 m2. And there should be an internet conection.
I found 10 posible rooms (see map). Matthijs and I selected a top 3.
Matthijs maild oure top 3 to the international office. They replyed and gave us the adresses of the people how rent out the 3 apartments. Today matthijs is contacting the people by e-mail. Hopefully we hear something soon!!!!Last weekend we fisited matthijs his family probably for the last time this year. It was great to see them and we had a lovely day. But saying goodbye was a bit strange. At these times you realize what is going to happen in just 7 weeks.

My project
Today I started making the interview for my project. At 2.30 in the morning I woke up with such a good ideas, that I just had to get out of bed and write them down. The idea was about the use of the information in a database or internetsite. When you know where you want to use the information for you can think about how te get this information from an interview.
Much earlier I thought about the 4 subjects I want to use to create a database with information about international care for handicapted children.
There is still so much to do so I just take it one step at a time

Greatings josé