it runs in the family ...

good and bad news for this week. after my excursion to paris i went to the doctors and got the good news that everything is fine and that i will be without crutches in about 4 to 5 weeks. i can start putting pressure on the leg . in the first week he said no more than 10 kilo's and than increase till you can support your full body weight. my god i hope that he does not have in mind 10 kilo's more a week, this would mean a freakin x weeks ... :-) ... so far the good news

the bad news: it runs in the family. Riens my son was at the boy scouts this sunday, building a huge raft for the complete group, about 20 of them. you can imagine that a raft of that size needs to be rather big ... well he managed to get his leg under it when they were putting it to water : result: 3 rather big and deep cuts in his lower leg. because it happened at the bank of a river that was full of stones and rocks, combined with the deepnes of the cuts he had to go under narcosis so they could mend everything perfectly ... i felt so much pain when i saw him and before he left for the operation room ...

but he's back now and doing fine, a bit dizzy of the operation (i will now know how he looks when he is drunk the first time), but for the rest all ok ... so now the men of the family are cripple ... we will hold each other up rigth since for me it is my right leg, for him it is his left ...

what a family , anyhow: happy travels

Toon

A typical day in a train

What a morning. I finally got myself convinced that going for a one day meeting in Paris was not such a bad idea, till this morning. First of all it is getting out of your bed so much eelier than usual, lately I do have tendency to get out of bed by 7.45 instead of this morning 6.15.

Also it became very apparent that getting ready "quickly" is something that I need to redefine in my mind, together with an even better sense of co-ordination and planning. Meaning not forgetting the belt upstairs or having to go back up and down the stairs for the damn phone that is still there.

Nevertheless we managed to get ourselves with the help of a friend to the train station, where the first part of my journey started: Mechelen - Brussels South. The wonderful delights of peak hour train visit. First obstacle: damn the automatic escalators are not functioning and no elevator ... completely out of breath I finally arrive on the platform just in time to see the train roll in with the door just in front of me, but too far away. A horde of wolves jumped in front of me almost making me lose my balance.

Ok, I can understand, see that you are the one missing the last seat, in my mind nothing to worry because my train of thought was more like: I’m handicapped for the moment; one person will help me and offer his seat without a problem. But I guess the fact the train was arriving at the platform furthest away from the entrance, the broken escalator, all bad omens I guess.

Getting on the train was already a problem with a bunch of freaking zombies just watching me instead of handing a hand. When I finally managed to get on board the little hall had 4 seats:

seat 1: long haired alternativo; seat 2: Moroccan young lady with loud music; seat 3: public servant I guess, neatly dressed with moustache and his briefcase; seat 4:youngster with Adidas blue - yellow trainers listening to hip hop

situation: me on crutches not resting my foot trying to stay upright whilst the trains starts to move, next to me 3 other people standing (one of them smelled really really nice ) and 4 sitting down. overall feeling: an uncomfortable silence with nobody even daring to watch me or to look in my direction.

I felt the urge coming in me to start shouting on the ones sitting down. The alternativo I imagine was still yesterday signing a petition against racism and discrimination and believes that Tibet should be liberated; but handing of his seat: no way. The Moroccan girl always feeling so bad about being discrimated but being in a position to hand over a seat as a gesture: no way. The youngster in adidas yellow bleu trainers complaining that the world today is an evil place and that he is always misunderstood did not understand in his small brain that standing on crutches on one leg in a moving train is not really easy. And the public servant who kissed his wife goodbye at breakfast this morning wondering why people are so rude to him at the office cannot even find the decency to do something nice himself.

And I’m even not talking about the other 3 who could have said something or at least helped a bit. Conclusion: you are on your own buster, sweat it out because it is not my problem you are a bit less mobile.

Well I could go on and on about my frustration this morning, especially when also the automatic escalators where not functioning in Brussels and I arrived at the complete opposite part of the station as of where I needed to catch the train to Paris in which I’m writing this now. But I need to stop and regain my smile and look at it as an experience I will never forget :-)

 

Happy travels

 

Toon

 

summer is here

well indeed, although i'm not that mobile i can still enjoy the sun in the week-end. And this week-end was just wonderful, we even made a campfire.

it brought out my skills as a boy scout and helped the kids to get the fire going. But we started the afternoon a bit colder . The kids were challenged to a dare to stay in cold rain water from the well for at least 1 minute.

you can see on Lauran her face that she was a bit surprised on how cold the rainwater from my mum's well.

guess we are going back next week-end to do a little campaing i guess.

happy travels

 

T.

Father and son ...

know that feeling: the first sun is out and it is very nice and warm. You can go out with a t-shirt and not feel a cold breeze or having to take with you a sweater just in case of .... The mere fact of leaving the sweater behind is like a huge burden falling of people's shoulders, shaling of the winter and the gloom and opening up for a more relaxed way of life ...

we crawled up our chairs on the terracce of our favorit place De Cirque and started reading in our books. Riens finally took up reading a bit so and i'm on roll, now with " Motorcycle Diaries" from Che Guevarra, another freedom fighter :-) ...

afterwards a lovely Italian dinner with friends in their garden, la dolce vita does really exist, it is just a matter of expanding it out of the week-ends into the weeks, but that is somethign else.

The leg is coming along rather ok, although i must admit i'm not that confident for the moment on a full recuperation. Although the doctor said it would take time to heal one always thinks he can beat the clock. Let's wait and see on Friday the 16th when a new verdict will be given to me on the doctors visit :-)

for now as usual: happy travels

Toon

Taking up the reading

Well there is no reall change to the immobility factor in my life apart from the fact i so much enjoy the spring in Mechelen and the feeling of doing fun stuff with the kids and friends, seated in a wheel chair ...

in light of my immobility i decided that instead of always writing e-mails or planning presentations it was about time to start reading again. Helpend and in a way pushed by my old neighboors i started reading the novel based on the life of Oswaldo Barreto Miliani.

i was so completely abosorbed by it that i forgot all notion of time and started reading friday night and finished the 476 pages long novel just now.

one always says the book picks the reader, and although that this book came to me recommended; my god did it pick the right reader.

Half a life story and half history lesson of the radical left-wing movements of the second half of the 20th century. From Ben Bella to Fidel Castro, from Che Guevara to Salvador Allende, many of the leading revolutionaries of our time put in an appearance.

The book is all about the search for belief in a cause, the recognition of the efforts done to put them in reality and desire to find a love to share it with. This put against the struggle to achieve the goals since one changes as a person and the wrong doings one causes by  letting his ideals and ideas take a too signigicant place in ones life ...

some quotes that maybe can also make you wanne read the book:

"What I cannot tell, is whether the people I left behind, the women I left, the love I spoiled and the pain I caused them was justified. More and more, I fear it was not."

"I didn't achieve much good -- I spent a long time getting nowhere."

http://www.amazon.com/Swallowing-Stones-Lisa-Aubin-Teran/dp/0060781041

For now: Happy Travels

 

T.

Rear window

i feel a bit like James Stewart int he Hitchcock movie "Rear Window", or at least that is what a friend compared me with. And indeed it is amazing what one can observe from his window looking out on one of the center streets of Mechelen.

From strawling people to a guy in a suit who is running like mad and finally trips and falls on his face. From the shop keepster in front of the house who smokes too much to the couple on the 4th floor who seem to be arguiing constantly ... it is something very nice to observe people and absorb the vibe of a city and life in that way.

For the rest life is going its own way here. I have the impression i work even harder than before despite being immobile and the requests from the office do not seem to stop leaving me hardly time to do all the things i had in mind during this "calmer period" ...

i might not be running in reality, my minds is doing all the fast legwork and of course also my fingers on the keyboard. But aside of that i have been able to put a bit of order in my pictures (not a good idea because it makes you rather melancholic) , have created some playlists for my son his drum practice and we were out shopping on Saturday. Father in the wheelchair being pushed by Riens and Lauran.

The shopping was clothing for Lauran and i must say we did go for some very nice things. Green will be the color of the summer and she got two green t-shirts , a white one and a lovely white skirt. Was fun for me too to see how they start having their own idea and preference, but still open to suggestions ... next week-end Riens will be the lucky one to get some clothes.

But my god are they growing up .... I never had the habbit of talking to them in a childish way, but now with them growing up it amazes me how mature they are capable of talking to me and of sharing what they feel and think. Sometimes very comfronting and rather difficult to answer .... especially if it refers to recent wounds in the heart and mind .....

for now i know they will join me in my travels and hope they will be there always

 

Happy travels

 

T.

The reality check

well have been to the hopsital today. I got in with 3 questions in my mind and about 15 stiches in my leg. (the proof below in this post : not for the weak at heart :-) )

Question 1: when i will be able to rest on my right leg.

Stupid me was going in with the idea that i will be able to rest on my leg in the coming one or two weeks. Well reality check: not before the next check-up on May 16th and he was very firm about it.

Question 2: when will i be able to start flying and travelling:

well, my US trip of April 26th is down the drain although i did not have high hopes for that one; but D-day is now set to 22nd of May.

Question 3: when can i start full fysio for the lower leg given the condition and the difference between left and right

well also here a bummer, not before i can have my foot in a 90% angle. but i can remove my brace from time to time to at least air the leg a bit :-) and start little excercise the foot and upper leg.

but for now it is back to the sofa with the laptop on my lap and working through all the mails and conference calls. On top of it i need to sort out the medical insurrance. Advice for everybody: check your insurrances and make sure you get the right coverage :-)

 

Happy mind travels

 

Toon

if you want to see the stiches clikc here

Are you being served

being immobile has its advantages. Lauran is this week-end here (Riens is as said on week-end with the Scouts). So yesterday i have been stuffed with a wownderful chocolate cake ...

and this sunday morning , i have been served pancackes, better than anywhere i have eaten (yes, even better than the International house of Pancackes in the US).

wonder what she will cook up for me for lunch :-) ...

Happy travels

 

T.

Some observations after 2 weeks of immobility

well, it is now two weeks since my little accident that got me here. in my sofa and like one should do ever so on: a status report:

 

Health: is going well. Last Tuesday i went on a medical check in the the hopsital and the doctor is happy when he saw my "raostbeef". I call my surgery the "roastbeef" because with the stiches i looks like a roastbeef before it goes into the oven :-) .

They have changed the cask for a fixed brace, which make my life not easier. I admit: i feel less safe in the brace than the cask. The weight is a problem and just the feeling of tripping is higher. Also sleeping is less easy ....

my physical condition is ok, but amazing to see i have lost alround muscle in my right leg. evn with the suggested daily excercise it is melting like snow for the sun, so rehad : here i come and i will be there for a while :-)

Family: i haven't lived with my mum since i was 12, which is now 28 years ago, but now she is back . She helped tremendeous on everything and so has the rest of my family. if i look around myself and hear sometimes friends talk about their family i can only say: I'm one lucky bastard. We just love each other and they just spoil me.

Friends: if the saying " in the hour of need one knows his friends" is a sign i'm blessed. Thanks to all of you who have offered me help i one shape or form, sent me messages to keep up the spirit, making me laugh and taking care of all.

Horror: strange caption, but it needs to be said. i have an injury, but last friday i went out in my wheel chair to go out and have some fresh air, and suddenly i felt like a wincher or complainer. why ? because all the stories i had to hear from my people i came acros: oh my god that is bad, but you know my uncles brother in law his kid's best friend once had torn of his achilles tendon and by the force of the snap cut open his leg. whilst he was lying there a dog passed by and started chewing on it , he chased the dog away and started stiching himself like a real rambo. (this story is not true of course, but is just a flavour of the stories people seem to have the urge to tell to me; as if they want to comfort me by telling stories that are worse than mine.

Time: more time: FORGET IT. first of all everything you do takes a lot more time. Think about normal things i live as taking a shower; have your breakfast. (try to get a bottle of milk out of the fridge on one leg with crutches) .... and suddenly 1/3 of your day is gone. you try to do your excercises to adhere to the fysio's instruction .. and then the office: a lot of people consider this not an illness. Yep but Toon you are sitting in the sofa: you will be bored to death if we do not keep you busy. Conclusion: feels sometimes i read and answer more e-mails than when i was actually working and not on sick leave.

 

well but it is week-end now, my mum went home for the week-end, but Lauran is coming so we are going to have some nice relaxing time together. Riens just leaft a scouts week-end and father and daughter will do some cooking and baking i guess ...

happy travels

T.

 

 

accessibility

My office : try it yourself

Maybe not the best quality picture, but this is how my office looks like for the moment. A table to rest my pc on when i need to change position, my leg higher up and so getting through the day.

Somtimes i just need to take a rest becaus emy back startst to hurt and the position is not that comfrotable .. I sometimes wonder what the definition is of sick leave, but that is also a bit my own fault i guess ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy travels

 

Toon

Some generations of motorcycle fanatics

 

If there is one man in my motorcycle history I admire and love to spend time with it has to be Jeremy Ferguson. I met Jeremy when I started working at Dunlop and have had since a very good contact with him. Jeremy is Manager International Motorsport for Dunlop and the largest portion of his time travelling with the MotoGP circus around the world.

I love to listen to him about how the world has changed (not that he believes that everything was better before, it was just different; he is a very positive person with a tremendous energy. We enjoy the same simple things in life (although he is now convinced that I do too dangerous things after my ski accident): good food, nice wine and watching good racing.

This week-end he paid me a visit after my surgery along with Isabel and Florian (Florian is an ex colleague from Goodyear Dunlop) and although we covered everything in our discussion: from American politics, to travelling, living abroad, food to of course Motorcycle racing. Even Ines who visited as well - although not a motorcycle freak- was amused by way we could about these things so passionate.

Now i need to start working on trying to convince him to join one of my projects that is still under development. A little secret for now, but one of those pet projects that keeps me smiling and thrilled having a passion that could be combined with my knowledge in digital.

Stay tuned, but for now: happy travels

Toon

an uncomfrotable truth

 

well that is the least i can say.  The hospital was not that fun, That's me still with high hopes on a speedy recovery. seemed they had to work a bit longer on my lang than planned. Normally they can easilly attach the tendon again without a problem. For teh people with a lack of imagination or a very high  degree of curiosity hereby a link on what they actually did:

information about achilles

There was a large gap between the ends of the tendon because it snapped rather high close to the muscle. . The gap needed to be bridged in some manner so they removed some tissue from my foot as well to bridge the gap.

The hardest part is to keep a position that does not hurt too much and does not make the leg go completely numb. I tried to work last night, but this morning i had to give up since the postion in which i have to lay down combined with the position in can hold teh computer are not optimal.

Suddenly you realize how difficult life can be when you are immobile. Everything takes a lot more time, from basic things like taking something to drink, to going to the toilet: count the quadrupple of the normal time.

Anyhow the decision was foreced on me today not to work till beginning of next week, something which was not appreciated by all colleagues. Althiough i must say that the majority has been very supportive and understand that although not sick, going under total narcosis and having surgery has an effect on the concentration levels of people.

Also my mum is here to help me out a bit. It is funny on how we sometimes can work on each others nerves in such situations, but bless her for the willingness to help me out.

For the rest i'm missing out on the fun at work (i cannot be involved in sme very very interesting projects in my area and there is of course my former bosses leaving party that i will have to miss)

but at the end of the day: i will be travelling soon

happy travels

T;

Everybody has an achilles

 

and mine is torn today after a stupid slide on the slopes. It was a very stupid and totally not spectacular, just slightly missed a stop on a steep slope, slide and fell backwards down .. and snatch ... achilles gone in my right leg and torn muscles in my left leg ..

that is me there on the stretcher, being brought down to the hospital. I must say nice and very skillful people those guys from the rescue team. Of to the hospital and there the nurse put me on the torture bench to undo my boots.

At first she just thought that the muscle was torn, but with further examination she broke the bad news to me: 3 MONTHS OUT OF ACTION .... my face went pale and i saw all my travel for work being cancelled and me stuck to the sofa for at least 1 month.

So here am i, stuck on the sofa, waiting to go back tomorrow. Still doubting to fly home or to drive with the kids; not that i will be driving; that is impossible. I still have the option to fly home, but that would be without the kids and not sure i really want this ... I guess with a correct setting in the car i will manage ...

On Monday i will know more on what are the next steps ... keep you posted

Happy travels to you all .. i will stay put a bit for now

Toon

is white really a color ?

 

well who the heck cares when you are sitting in the surroundings of skislopes.

The kids are having a wonderful time. Riens is a star when i comes down to snowboarding (ok the rule for me is: everybody born before 1970 is not allowed on a snowboard, so needless to ask : i did not make a complete fool out of myself by trying)

By the way it was Lauran's birthday today, she turned 13 today. Please do not make any reference to the movie 13, i had nightmares about it :-) ). That is her going down the slopes.

Usual stuff for the birthday: the nice breakfast, cakes, her favorite evenign dinner and the thing she loves the most: Stories from the old days. So with my older sister (with husband and kid) and younger one we had a lot of stories to tell to her about the gold old days.

Even admitting to smoking the first cigarettes with my brother and even remembering the brand: Boule Nationale. Reminds you of the how quickly things can come and go.

trying to enjoy still the last two full days of skiing, but can not reflect on what my daughter was saying this evening when at 21h00 i opened up the computer to check the urgent mails: Dad, is there really no way you can do without ..... and in a way she is right, but only this week 5 phone calls of people apologizing to disturb me on my holiday, but they neede just one info from me. It's strange that the definition of holiday is change to : the days that you are 12 hours in front of a screen, but only 2 if your're lucky. And the worst of all: people expect you to be ....

well happy travels to area's without Wifi and Cell reception

 

Toon

sometimes

 

happy travels

T.

Amsterdammed

well i'm here in amsterdam for a team meeting. About two months ago i would have looked forward to coming over, now i feel a bit strange to be in a city where once part of my life was taking place.

I wonder sometimes if the surroundings can be witness of what happend, asking myself why they are so quiet ...

was in the bar where i earned my name as Mr Oban . Thanks to Mats and Cecilia i once got tricked into a whiskey tasting and bullish me stated i love Oban so much. During the drinking session they swapped my Single Malt Oban for a blended whisky Famous Grouse .. i failed the test miserably . I still have the nametage Mats prepared for me on my next visit to Sweden. Also i feel the salt taste of the turkish yoghurt i drank with the liters the next day to wash away my hangover .

also the numerous meeting at Mediacatalyst come to mind and fill me with a nice warm feeling and a smile on my face. My god did we do some brilliant and amazing works in those days.

Not to forget the last memories of Amsterdam when a possible future moved closer by, but then suddenly returned to move away from all dreams and hopes.

So yes, the surrounding are quiet now that all of the above is no longer there. Did i come to terms with it ? With some of it yes, with others things no way ... I feel i still carry the longing for those things in my mind and now in the deep of the night i dare to admit that, tomorrow i will have to rise and shine and try to get the same feeling of once before ...

happy travels

 

Toon

too much travelling ....

 

towards destinations i did not had in mind. Just back from one week in Seattle on Sunday. Arrived there last week on Sunday and had a very busy week with the kick-off and planning meetings. And of course a perfect enjoyment of the view from my room.

 

don't know what it was but for the first time in a very long time i was really feeling jetlagged. I woke up the first two days at 4 o'clock in the morning, so not such a good thing if you know that after every meeting there was a dinner or drinks.

Arrived back home on Sunday after some shopping : Converse shoes for Lauran and T-shirts of Metallica and Nirvana for Riens. For me there where just some books on China and Mongolia. I loved Pikes market, a public market just at the waterfront of Seattle.  I even enjoyed a nice Phili steak sandwich at the diner there.

This week started off also with travelling a lot. Yesterday monday and today i was in Paris sitting down together with the Channel team to give a feedbakc on the meetings of last week. Juggeling time to make sure we have everything covered and of course not enough time ... rushing back home and now ready to tuck in for a train journey to Amsterdam tomorrow and Thrusday; friday back and forth to London.

But as a friend of mine said: i love it ... but i guess this time it is getting to me. Maybe also the rebound of all that happened in the last weeks, feels so stressfull and exhausting.

But: friday 21st we leave for our ski holiday. Only 4 trips are seperating me from the relaxation of one week of absolute snow and fun with the kids.

Happy travels

 

T.

Getting used to it ...

i'm  getting used to a different life again. It is strange but the silence struck me last week-end. After having spend a nice lunch with Rob, Marjon and their kids i went home to have a bit of time for myself and it struck me that it was so silent in the house. No music, no Online games, no phone ringing, no movie playing, nobody walking around ... just silence as companion.

It feels strange to sit in silence with only your own little voices in your head. It may sound very depressing, but it is not . It felt good to be in complete silence, away from everything; only yourself.

Silence makes reality very clear. Without the kids this week-end and now also without travel campanion , silence brought up the questions in me. What have i done, what shall i do , why did i do this, why did i not do things , the complete story of the why .... Why will remain unsolved for now due to the absence of conversation, but will find its solution in what i make of what is left and where roads will cross again one day ...

Speaking about roads and travelling, me, myself and I decided that we are going to start planning again. Not only will we be preparing for the ski trip in 3 weeks time. it is also time ot look at the summer holiday. Lauran give her suggestion: renting a place with a pool in the south of France and invite friends to have a nice smooth relaxed and chilled two weeks.

So we will be looking for partners in crime to go with the three of us to enjoy the life in Provence or Dordonge . Good food , good wine, evening talks, relaxed brunches ...  we will keep you posted on what is going on there.

But also the big travel is itching more and more: Asia here i come ... first book is bought on China. You see, life is all about travelling and the anticipation to do so.

 

Happy travels

Toon

the proces

As you can see it is basically an old farmhouse she lived in, with loads and loads of free space around it. Riens even was playing with Renaat (his nephew ) in the same trees my brtoher and I used to climb.

 

Their laughs brought back the memories of the place i grew up till is was about 12 years old. I

On the left you can see the view of the room my brother and i were sharing at the attick. and the land where we had goats and sheep to keep us busy during the whole year ....

.

Happy travels

Toon

an unreal world

 

it is strange to be in Dubai, feels so unreal. A ski slope in the middle if the dessert. Of all things can you imagine that people are coming to Dubai and take the opportunity to go skiing .... and than having a large crowd looking from the pathway of one of the biggest malls i have ever seen ... So unreal: a bit like my own life for the moment.

travels

 

Toon