Quality

Just read this great text written by a college at the Bank. So no text written by me but something written about quality from someone else.

Quality

Company quality can be achieved throughout the whole organization. Imagine for example a company that has a stable and solid base for a long period of time, good saved knowledge due to lack of staff turnover and a strong positive brand that almost hasn’t changed over the years, but which is still very popular with young people.
On second hand the production is ran with a military precision; always on time, even if the circumstances are not ideal. Also peak production periods and last-minute orders will not throw them off their game; their time schedule is always met.
In this organization there is personal attention for the client as well. Despite you’re one of the few million customers, the big boss still knows you and creates a set of products that is especially put together to your personal needs. It wouldn’t surprise you to hear that there are almost no customers dissatisfied and all clients are looking forward to the next meeting.
Last but not least, in such an organization there would be excellent secondary terms of employment; working hard for just a small part of the year and the rest can be spent in a nice warm climate, relaxing, plenty of food, specially designed clothing and housing.
Utopia? I don’t think so. Sinterklaas is running this company for more than 450 years now!
Happy holidays!

Regards,
M

Impression Ubuntu party

Impression Ubuntu party, no I was not there, but who knows me will recognize the person who inspired me to work with IT and computers.
Yes, I feel a bit nerdy by posting this, but that's also me.
:)

'Succes gaat altijd ten koste van iets'

Okay, following is a copy paste action from the NU.nl website. Not my own text, sorry. But it makes you wonder in what area do we/I want to have success... but maybe more important: What area do we ignore to get this succes?
For the English readers, sorry, Dutch only, maybe you can put a babelfish in your ear?
WIki on what Babelfish is.

In een vloeiend betoog - helaas per video - hield de van oorsprong Zwiterse schrijver het publiek op de TEDx-conferentie in Amsterdam voor dat iedereen krampachtig bezig is met succes. "Mensen willen overal tegelijk succes in hebben. Dat gaat niet. Als je in het ene domein succes hebt, gaat dat altijd ten koste van iets anders." Op humoristische wijze borduurde De Botton losjes voort op de voor hem bekende thema's als statusangst. Al eerder beschreef de filosoof dat mensen zich veel te veel laten bepalen door wat anderen van hen vinden. Mensen zijn verslaafd aan status, gedefinieerd door de omgeving.

The road to Japan (part 1, some thoughts before the trip)

The road to Japan, started a while ago, not sure when we took of, but I am pretty sure we are on our way now.

First something about us, me and my training buddy. We started doing iaido at the same day and are coaching each other for a few years and we did all our examans together. Although our iai looks quite different I think we are still on the same track.
This might also be the most difficult thing to handle, if one of us will fail or delay an exam. Not because of the prestige of the exam and grade. But it might loose the feeling of growing and training together.

Budo is a difficult path to walk on, I am confronted with my personal life and friends that became a part of my budo family who parted from our path. Starting and learning some new movements is/was easy, but now I am confronted with the fact that my body does not always do what I want it or I find myself in a situation that I don't understand why this week I'm not training on the level of last week.

Well, it started almost three years ago, we decided we wanted to try to pass for our fourth Dan exam in Japan and now around 9 months ago our Japanese sensei told us it is okay to come to Japan for exams and he is willing to receive us for training.

On the subject of informing or asking people if you can do shinza. This can be quit difficult because of the cultural differences, I don't necessarily mean the Dutch-Japanese relation but also within Holland. I have to admit sometimes my small ego is getting a bit enthusiastic and starts to run without realizing the situation of the people around me.
I guess working in harmony with the other practitioners is one of the most difficult thing to get in budo. All I can say, to to people around me, my sensei and sempai, I'm sorry for the last years. I'm sorry for my arrogance and thank you for all your patience, I'm learning to keep myself in check and even becoming more aware that harmony and respect starts from my inner being. I am not a perfect person yet, and nowadays I am becoming aware of my 'old' behavior and consciously trying to improve it.

Bad Coffee

I thought I liked coffee....

I am not pink!

Maybe you see me wearing pink...
But trust me, I am not pink!

Singapore

Today I went to Singapore for a presentation....

is this me?

Is this how people see me? because it doesn't feel like well, me...

Nice Lunch

Had a great lunch, thanks Teddy!

Choices

Life is about making choices.

Some people rather stay,...
Some people rather run away,...
Some rather ignore everything around them,...

It all doesn't matter, as long as we make choices.

Tourist

Tourist in my own country.
Walked around with a colleague and found out that there still are sooo many places I haven't seen yet. Maybe I should take some more time to study my own country or the city I work.

family

Not family by blood, well, maybe a bit....
Family by the Japanese sword.

A part of the good memories of last Orly seminar.

A story by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

Sometimes we all feel like Alice in Wonderland...

Anyway, I like the image of the white rabbit, "follow the white rabbit".
The story starts with Alice seeing a white rabbit walking by her, telling he is going to be late, checking his watch nervously. Alice (as curious as she is?) follows it and tumbles down the hole and finds herself in Wonderland.

"follow the white rabbit" or following the white rabbit signals a start of a adventure. (question to myself, am I tumbling down the hole?, am I already in Wonderland? Or just realized I found my white rabbit and the adventure is just getting started?)

One of my favourite passages in the book:
"`Cheshire Puss,' [Alice] began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. `Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
`--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'"

sake sake, love you long time...

sake sake, love you long time, well this joke doesn't work for the Dutch..
So to them I say: Hupsaké!

There is a new Dutch website on sake you can find it here. Cos maybe in the future I would like to know a bit more about this drink, have a nice taste of Japan.

own house

Who doesn't want to have his own place?

We let's start to give one to the birds...
(a gift filled with memories)

Even biggger this year

He/she/it? Is getting bigger every year.

A quote from the movie Leon:
Léon: [referring to his plant] It's my best friend. Always happy. No questions.

More info on Leon: here

Ben Harper - Waiting for you (lyrics)

I somehow felt like posting the lyrics.
(please don't read them, listen to them, only then you know what it is about.)

------------------------------
I’ve been waiting for you
I’ve been waiting for you
Never found anything else to do
But waiting for you

I’ve been calling your name
I’ve been calling your name
Never found anything else to say
Nothing to say

You can kill a lot of time if you really wanna put your mind to it
Leave it all behind if you never want to go through it

I keep hearing your name
I keep hearing your name
Nothing else sounds the same
As hearing your name

You can kill a lot of time if you really put your mind to it
Or leave it all behind if and never ever go through it

I keep hoping for you
Keep hoping for you
What else can I do
But keep hoping for you?

You can kill a lot of time if you really wanna put your mind to it.
Or leave it all behind and never really have to go through it
We can kill a lot of time and never really have to go through it

What else can I do
But keep waiting for you ?

I found a home-made video on youtube, you can listen to it here.

Dutch championships 2009

Dutch championships 2009, I really liked the matches.
I enjoyed the day, next year we will do it bigger and better!

I would like to thank everybody who helped us out on this big day.

Sorry for the picture of myself, but this might be the first iaido picture of me that is not really bad...

away, Belgium?

I want to get away, forget everything here...

Already a while ago, but we really had a good time in Belgium, the path we walked was not as planned, so maybe we have to go back soon.
:)

green or purple heart

This is a picture of the green heart, or should I call it the purple heart?
Well, I know it is a heart filled with all kind of emotions.
The world is changing around us, do we change with it or do we choose our own path?

Hard working girls

Hard working girls...
both of you, thank you.

poster

A poster voor the Dutch Championship Yushinkan organised.