Tuesday, August 26, 2008
New business Venture
I am very happy to announce the start of my new business venture Hampi Products. Hampi products imports and distributes natural leaf plates from India. Currently we are talking with several interested parties for large scale distribution in the Netherlands. Please visit my website at www.hampiproducts.com.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Back in the Netherlands I: In between things
I returned to the Netherlands the 16th of January. I arrived at Schiphol around 9 am and my sister and two of my best friends were there to collect me. It didn't feel like I've been gone for long. In October I had been back for a few days and everything still felt so familiar that I was almost disapppointed by how underwhelmed I was.
Five days later I was driving around in my car and listened to the radio. Researchers had found out that this precise day, the 21st of January, was the most depressing day of the year: most suicides, worst weather, most lay offs, you name something depressing and it was most likely to happen on this day. I smiled when I heard this, but I can't remember whether there was a hint of cynicism in that smile or not. Returning to the Netherlands in January is not something I would recommend. Recently somebody said that returning in November might even be worse, but that depends on your feelings about Sinterklaas and Christmas, I guess. Anyway, I can't say that being home again was a relief and January didn't help either. I was in a bood, as Caroline would say. A bad mood.
Perhaps this was only natural. Living in India, once you get the hang of it (and have enough money), is nowhere near as frantic as living in the Netherlands. Things never go as planned and helping hands more often than not cause inconviniences or delays, that is true, but because the whole fabric of Indian society is held together by endless varieties of complicating behaviour, you simply stop noticing every single instance of it and enter a state of nonchalance that becomes addictive. Back here, especially in my current situation, I had to be quite the opposite: assertive, pro-active, precise and focused. Moreover, I had returned, but was not home, first housesitting at my parents' place in the Hague then returning to Amsterdam, but unable to move back into my own apartment as it was still rented out. I was finished with my classes for university, but still had to write my thesis, I had been working for 6 months, but didn't have a full time job yet and worst of all, thanks to a very unflexible Indian airline officer, I had to check in my carry on luggage which included my laptop. After unpacking I discovered it was broken beyond repair. Losing that laptop was like losing a pet dog. I knew it was bound to happen some time, and it had been with me for longer than I had expected, but losing it because of an accident beyond your control just makes it so much worse. If I would have kept it with me, it wouldn't have happened... It still makes me sad thinking about it.
So, to cut this post short, this is where I stand now. Back, but not completely. Almost ready. Nearly there. In between returning and going forward.
Five days later I was driving around in my car and listened to the radio. Researchers had found out that this precise day, the 21st of January, was the most depressing day of the year: most suicides, worst weather, most lay offs, you name something depressing and it was most likely to happen on this day. I smiled when I heard this, but I can't remember whether there was a hint of cynicism in that smile or not. Returning to the Netherlands in January is not something I would recommend. Recently somebody said that returning in November might even be worse, but that depends on your feelings about Sinterklaas and Christmas, I guess. Anyway, I can't say that being home again was a relief and January didn't help either. I was in a bood, as Caroline would say. A bad mood.
Perhaps this was only natural. Living in India, once you get the hang of it (and have enough money), is nowhere near as frantic as living in the Netherlands. Things never go as planned and helping hands more often than not cause inconviniences or delays, that is true, but because the whole fabric of Indian society is held together by endless varieties of complicating behaviour, you simply stop noticing every single instance of it and enter a state of nonchalance that becomes addictive. Back here, especially in my current situation, I had to be quite the opposite: assertive, pro-active, precise and focused. Moreover, I had returned, but was not home, first housesitting at my parents' place in the Hague then returning to Amsterdam, but unable to move back into my own apartment as it was still rented out. I was finished with my classes for university, but still had to write my thesis, I had been working for 6 months, but didn't have a full time job yet and worst of all, thanks to a very unflexible Indian airline officer, I had to check in my carry on luggage which included my laptop. After unpacking I discovered it was broken beyond repair. Losing that laptop was like losing a pet dog. I knew it was bound to happen some time, and it had been with me for longer than I had expected, but losing it because of an accident beyond your control just makes it so much worse. If I would have kept it with me, it wouldn't have happened... It still makes me sad thinking about it.
So, to cut this post short, this is where I stand now. Back, but not completely. Almost ready. Nearly there. In between returning and going forward.
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