Friday, October 17, 2008

Sorry... no photos?

To those who have asked.... nope no photos at the moment! I need to replace my camera power pack. But first I need to have money.... so work first!

US elections.....

With the beginning of September I became more and more interested in the US presidential campaign. I became active on some forums, voiced my opinion a few times, asked plenty of questions, shared my multicultural experiences and got attacked a lot of times.

I have been told that as a European I should mind my own business. I have been told to stop telling the Americans what to do. I have been told that I can't vote so it should not interest me.....

Whoa!!! Hello..... we live in a very very global world! And I needed to clear up some points....

I am not European! What does that mean anyway? My passport may states that I am Dutch, but I was not born there and did not grow up there. I was born in Taiwan - no I am not Chinese. I grew up in Indonesia and Singapore - no I am not Indonesian or Malay. Actually I have blond hair, green eyes and fair skin! I was raised on :
  • Indonesian, Chinese, Indian and Western food
  • American TV
  • primarily the English language - leaning towards the American accent (much to the dismay of my English teachers at the school in Singapore)
Then there is this thing about my telling the Americans what to do??? I never did such a thing - I only voiced my hope! And in this global world we live in you will hear from people everywhere! We are connected not only via the internet, but by everything else! It is no longer one band one sound! It is one Earth one sound!!

Sure it is up to the Americans who they want to have as a leader. They are the ones that have to live with it in the first instance, but we "Europeans" will fell the effect too. As well as the rest of the non-European world.

And lastly - I love America!!! So why would I do something to hurt, insult or offend the Americans!!!

BUT I will keep a low profile now until November 5th!!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Mottos?

What is your motto?
How many times do we - all over the world - come across this question?? oh...sigh.... too many times. I could list some here, but will not bore you.
But what is even worse is: how many have "Mea Culpa" as their motto? Do these guilty people know what "Mea Culpa" means???

Mea Culpa is from Latin and literally means: "I am to blame".

Wow! How many people out there (and I have noticed this on lots of German dating sites and sites where you can get to know people who have the same interests as you ie hobbies, political views, preferences etc.). .... woops lost the thread here.
Well how many people out there actually claim to take the blame!? If I had the time I would try to get some statistics to apply to my daily life. Funny thing is that I have never met someone in real life that takes the blame!

Must be my fault - I take the blame for this! I hang out with the wrong gang!!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Inocent ranting.....

My answer to a customer about the US$ and shipping times of parcels from Germany to the US:

They don't lose those packages - I think! I am sure that they get held up in customs (like you were going to build a bomb from doll shoes and dresses or boost growth to certain body parts by inhaling or consuming doll shoes and dresses). Then after about 6 weeks when they run out of shelf space in customs they come across a package with said contents and think - it's only dolly stuff, no one will miss it and chuck it in the garbage.

Oh the German govt...... I could really get all riled up talking about the sh@§$! they dish out!

Don't worry about the US$ - not yet. The Americans are pros at bouncing back after bad news. If this was not the case they would never have discovered the west coast and Hollywood would be outside of New York!!

Here on the other hand, a small glitch makes consumers hold on to their wallets for dear life. Then they get old and senile, get stuck in homes, the money they saved so dearly gets spent on undefinable expenses for medicine and care. Then when the bank account and savings are all gone - woops the old man/woman dies in their sleep!

Please don't quote me. I am a Dutch citizen living in Germany - born and raised in Asia, International schooling, ties with Indonesia and America - if the German govt. gets wind of my rebellious ranting they might just let me disappear for good!

Confusion....

Reading this article about oil prices going down, US$ value going down, demand for oil slowing in the US...... confused me. I give up!

read it here

Here in Germany gas prices at the gas stations do NOT reflect anything but the rising prices of oil. If the oil price goes up, but the US$ value goes down - prices at the gas station go UP!!!

Now they are trying to tell us that oil barrel prices will not hit the $150 limit. And yet here in Germany they are raising energy prices for heating (gas)???? And the reason is because of the high oil prices (well they say something like the acquisition of gas is getting more expensive)....

I could go on and on and on..... The lies or I should put it more like the "fiction" that is served as "fact" to the common people is sick!

Of course the politicians have nothing to worry about - they raise their "diƤten" in such a way that they can still heat their homes, drive on Sundays with no goal, leave lights on in every room!!!

But let me ask them this (not that they will hear me): what is the use of a rich government and rich managers if there are no middle class to buy their products!! Huh?

Monday, July 14, 2008

Fashion & economy flashback

Found this on the web today: Today's crunch feels like the '70s...

Some fashion is not coming back but look at what the celebrities are wearing.... long dresses that sort of look like those worn in the late '60s to mid '70s.
In the '70s the skirt lengths were going up and down..... or not?

Should this have been a warning?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

No one goes there and yet......?

I don't know how it is in other countries, but here in Germany if you ask if someone goes to McDonald's most will say: "Yeach no!".

Funny thing though because they open every morning and new restaurants are sprouting up on a regular basis. Sometimes even they are so busy you have to wait in line!!!

And to add to all of this: this morning in the local paper a tiny article in the left hand corner - there where normally your hand would be holding the paper if not lying flat on a table! McDonald's actually made a bigger profit than the first quarter of 2007. And we are not talking thousands here - add a few zeros to that. Ok so it is in USD - but still! And if the statement is true that about 5% of this profit increase is due to the current exchange rate situation - then which Euro paying nation is actually going to McDonald's.

Honestly I wish my business would operate like that!!! No ones comes and yet my profits increase! Go figure!

But I have a secret - I do go to McDonald's (they have good coffee and even better fries). My daughter loves to go there. My brother takes my daughter and me out to McDonald's when we visit him in Munich. So I've outed myself. It is time that more of us just owned up to it!