On this day [via wikipedia]

Strong 'construction year' [via wikipedia]

One of the many perks of living in The Hague is its public library. Rows and rows of books, divided per subject per floor. Compared to Leiden, their English section is to drool over!

Tomorrow (yes they're open on Sundays in the autumn/winter months) I'll probably bring back the books I've already finished (took me only a week).

One of the books I picked up last week is The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby. As I've taken this book on the train to work each day, my reading has been slow, but not because of lack of trying. I'll be travelling to Amsterdam for my sister's birthday today (Happy Birthday, Marianne!), so I have a good chance of finishing it.

The amazon entry (click the image) has a very good description. I think this book gives you a great view of life on the island of Sicily, Italy in the early sixties.

What happens to you when you work at an Academic Publishing house which has an entire unit devoted to the Classics?

I thought this link: Homer citaten (Homer quotes) would direct me to quotes by Homer. I never expected to find Homer Simpson quotes!

So I have adventurous parents. Some time ago my mom came up with the idea to see if they could travel to New Zealand. My dad, at first, wasn't all that enthousiastic, but as my mom's plans began to unravel, he became more and more interested in the country.

About an hour ago, I received a phonecall from my mom. Their plane had arrived safely at Auckland International Airport. They'll be staying in New Zealand until March 16, at which point they will fly back to Hong Kong and spend a few days. March 21 they will arrive at Amsterdam Airport again.

All I can say: awesome! And I am jealous beyond words. I almost managed to climb into one of their suitcases ;) and I begged them to take me with them.

Mom, Dad - have fun! And take loads of pictures!

As for their itinerary: they will rent a car both on North Island and South Island. They have planned various trips - one which includes whale-spotting!

[more on New Zealand: Official Tourism Site, Wikipedia entry]

For Rent:

Lovely one-room apartment.

Original features.

Houses small family.

Waste-disposal available.