Me and my kids had tuns of fun the past weekend: we went to see the arrival of Saint Nicholas or "Sinterklaas"
as the good man is known in this country. Protector of Amsterdam merchants and friend to all children, this long dead bishop is still celebrated.
Afterwards we treated ourselves to a sauna-visit. As it so happened neighbour Angélique works there as a volunteer. At first it felt a bit odd walking around in the nude in front of your neighbour but then again, as insiders know, more of my friendly female neighbours have seen me naked...;-)
One of them is no longer a neighbour: neighbour Miriam is from now on: Miriam, the mother of my daughter(s).
Last sunday they moved so from now on I will have to make an appointment whenever I want to see my daughter Eva.
I brought her to school yesterday and the last image I have of her in my head is that of a 4-year old with trembling underlip whispering "I love you daddy..."
One of the present mothers asked me if her daughter could send mine a card and wanted to have the new address.
I had to tell her to ask my ex since I was unfamiliar with the requested data...

On a lighter note: Why do you think the American supreme command refuses the Red Cross to enter the once proud city of Falluja? The image of the US-marine executing an already severely wounded and unarmed Iraqi in a Mosque might help to answer that question. Well, Colin Powell can't be held responsible for the malfunction of The American System ("Let's roll in with all our tanks and then all the citizens wiil cheer and form a Democratic Nation all by themselves!"). From today on poor Condoleeza Rice holds the position of scapegoat
as being "the first black woman" to be Secretary of State. Luckily there are rules to play the game of war.
Does miss Rice have the rulebook and what will she do when a player cheats?
Go tell mommy? If Schwarzenegger had been given her position would the media talk about "The first white male former bodybuilder"? I dont't think so. But then again: I might be mistaken.