Did I ever say an engagement was an elephant, madam?

I was supposed to go home, eat my healthy bit of leftover chicken noodles and go to the gym.

Instead, I went into town and ate a pie and chips with mayonnaise about half an hour ago.

Justification: received an email this afternoon about tickets to a Nevermind the Buzzcocks recording. Phoned them, nailed some reservations and went to the studio straight after work (after a plea to leave early, which was good, because we only just managed to get in). Finally succeeded in getting hold of Nicky and she rushed White City-wards as well. Slightly gutted it wasn't last week's (David Tennant aaaaagh, it's just not meant to be is it), but only slightly, because we had a fucking awesome time. Noel Fielding is so much funnier and cleverer than I thought he would be, wheras Phil Jupitus is really as you think he is (good!). David Walliams was quite an interesting host as well: his interaction with Basshunter was priceless. Sometimes it's cringeworthy if the foreigner who doesn't quite get what's going on is being the centre of comic attention, but this time it was because he thoroughly enjoyed being just that, and knew he was missing half the jokes. My favourite joke, David Walliams: "Neil Tennant is incidentally also what I say to my lodger when he fails to pay the rent" That and all the IKEA and Swedish cook references. I do hope they don't cut out the best bits.

I love living in London.

I've been neglecting my LJ in favour of my Dutch blog. Sorry! Can't abandon the old livejournal, so I better start posting a bit more regularly.

So, er, yes, not much going on.

My job is great, hope I can stay on for a bit longer.

I still love London.

I love our flat, especially when it's all nice and tidy as it is now.

I haven't planned nowt this weekend, except for a little freelance translation work.

A JOB. One I'll actually like. HR translator for Coca Cola, can you believe it!

Sainsbury's slices your nice bread for you if you ask for it!

This is going to make my life so much easier!

We should get proper internet today, yay!

My god. It's working. Jumping with joy.

I played around with it a little bit and the connection started working again! I'm now on an illegal one but, who cares, when our O2 router arrives in a few days I'll have the internet!! That internet cafe across the road is getting no more of my dosh!

We went to Wimbledon for the day and it was bloody brilliant!

Sorry, can't chat. Have to pack pack pack. Holland and Danskland, here I come.

Received the keys to our Pebbledash Palace in Tootinkk today.

Quite a big moment.

Bought a wok too.

Now it's clear I'm spending most of my weekend on a coach back and forth to London, the time really has come for my Roskilde playlist.

http://www.roskilde-festival.dk/uk/music/bands/

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (AUS)COLDPLAY (UK)FAITH NO MORE (US)NINE INCH NAILS (US)OASIS (UK)PET SHOP BOYS (UK)SLIPKNOT (US)TRENTEMØLLER - DJ Set with Live Guests (DK)KANYE WEST (US)2MANYDJS (BEL)TONY ALLEN (NGA)AMADOU & MARIAM (MALI)TIM CHRISTENSEN (DK)DEADMAU5 (CAN)DOWN (US)EAGLES OF DEATH METAL (US)FEVER RAY (S)FLEET FOXES (US)HÅKAN HELLSTRÖM (S)GRACE JONES (JAM)LIL WAYNE (US)MADNESS (UK)MALK DE KOIJN (DK)THE MARS VOLTA (US)MEW (DK)RÖYKSOPP (N)SOCIAL DISTORTION (US)VOLBEAT (DK)LUCINDA WILLIAMS (US)YEAH YEAH YEAHS (US)

Which songs by any of the bands of that list should I definitely memorise for next month? That does include HÅKAN HELLSTRÖM as well, my dear mofjes! Need some titles so I can start stealing them off somewhere.

Amsterdam yesterday: Scots, everywhere. Kilts, bagpipes, ginger wigs, the lot. And Scotland weren't even playing last night, they are tonight. Didn't stop the fans from decorating the Dam war memorial with massive Scottish flags. It was really quite funny, we were passing on the tram and we could hear them chanting from halfway across the Damrak. There were some riot police vans but the atmosphere was generally quite friendly. Couldn't help being reminded of Manchester full of Ranger fans last summer though. Best, friendliest atosphere ever, but that's when they'd just started drinking, and they ended up wrecking half the city centre later that day. Anyway, the match that had completely slipped my mind explained the random Scottish The Sun double decker I saw from the Leiden-Amsterdam train. I do hope Scotland wins tonight.

As for other Scots news, me and Nouk are seeing the View in Utrecht a day before the Maximo Park gig. Good birthday pressie or what?

Marieke sent me this link this morning, under the title "het kan altijd erger"

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trijntje_Keever

'tis true.

Right, sent off to applications for London jobs already, I'm on a roll! Library and uni admin jobs mostly. One every night this week hopefully. Except for Friday, which is when me and the sisters are off to Dam for a comedy night! Marieke's treat, as my birthday present. Should be really good.

Amazing cake. Really, it looks so lovely, Nouk's outdone herself.

Ramsey Nasr - Kapitein Zeiksnor. Love it!

"De honger is voor zwakkelingen, want slechts van voorbijgaande aard. Koffiedrinken daarentegen doe ik des te liever! Alle dagen koffie, dat geeft veerkracht aan de botten. Koffie houdt kwalen op afstand. Jazeker!"

So true. And it's his birthday as well.

'heppie bursdee toejoe' card from Ria. She makes such an effort to get you a personal card, it's so sweet!

coffee with Liesbeth. Lovely!

My mum knows the woman who works in the bookshop in town, so I just got a boekenweekgeschenk with an English book yesterday, gehe.

Off to Utrecht when mum gets back from school, yay!

My hip is really playing up. It must just be a sore muscle but it's unbelievably annoying. It's quite conforting to know I don't have any actual hip problems (it's the exact same pain I had after the other operation, in my other hip, so it'll just be that I'm straining the muscles of the non-operated leg too much) I guess.

Oh, I'm trying twitter as of today, but writing them isn't as fun as reading other people's. To be honest, I need to get a life before I can start tweeting about it. My boring knee-translating LJ posts are bad enough as it is.

Very excited about seeing everyone tomorrow!! Just hope this granny and her hip are able to dance the night away. Or at least the late afternoon.

Woo managed to finish knitting my new bag in time for Friday, result!

Also, Netherlands chapter, check. On to the intro, where we actually get on to recent terrorist naughtiness.

HEMA sent me the jaaropgaaf 2006 only. Specifically asked for 2005 as well, silly Amsterdamse Eenheidsmaatschappij.

Furthermore, tapas recipies and grocerie list for Friday, check! I insisted on gambas.

Received my first bday card! I think it's off Jo bless her.

Me and Nouk have discovered Twitter and Gavin & Stacey. We're so last year it hurts.

"Mum, what was life like when those Moluccan train hijacks were going on? Did you just continue taking the train and that?"

"Yes of course, I just took my knitting on the train to college."

"So you could stab the hijackers with a knitting needle?"

"Noo, so I'd have something to do in case we got hijacked."

By this rate I'll have finished this chapter in a week. Time for an evening of relaxation.

Doctah tomorrow! That X-ray better reveal my leg is completely healed or I may lose my nerve.

Excitement galore.

( Also, five from de mofje )

That's the airline with which my parents are flying to Istanbul in May, that's just crashed at Schiphol, on its way back from Istanbul.

Footnotes excepted, I've as good as finished the judicial chaper. All I need is a good translation of 'rechtsvrede' and I just can't find one anywhere.

Also, in the spirit of me starting Lent three weeks early, my mum is not making pancakes tonight. Sadness ensuing. Exactly a year since me and Matt's pancake tasting session and the subsequent korfball training session with very full bellies as well. Manchester I miss thee.

..and, as many people are aware, we've not much to show for it in Nederland.

But who we do have, as my dad just pointed out, is 'Jack de Knipper'

http://www.ad.nl/utrecht/oost/2851897/Jack_de_Knipper_terroriseert_flat.html

Cracked me up.

Het enige verdachte materiaal dat de antiterreurbrigade in hun woning aantrof was een Hema-wekker.

"The sole piece of incriminating evidence the antiterrorism brigade encountered at their house was an alarm clock from a widely-known Dutch department store."

any suggestions, HEMAwise?