31 Jul 2009

REBIRTH FOR A NEW BIRTH CERTIFICATE ?

A couple of weeks ago I had called the German Embassy here in Brussels, because I needed a new passport after 10 years. (I wrote about here).

Finally the day had come where I had an appointment. I had everything what they requested and only hoped my picture was good enough, with all the special requests they had for the photographer. But my nose was in the middle of my face my eyes open and my glasses didn't send any lazer rays.

I think it is easier to break out of Sing Sing then going into the German embassy. First I had to go through a metal detector, like in airports and then through automatic anti bullet glass doors. I finally arrived at counter nr. 4. Behind bullet safe thick glass sat a young man, who talked to me with a terrible french accent. I thought that is strange that in a German embassy they employ frenchs but it turned out his father was German and the mother French and he had the German citizenship. I wondered about the thick glass because I had no intention to take out my gun and shoot him. Anyway this was ridiculous, because if a terrorist gets so far he can take all people applying for a new passport as hostages and the thick windows wouldn't protect the employees !

He went through the papers until he saw this :


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my original birth certificate. !

"I can't read that" he said, I can't read it either, I answered and those who still can read it are all dead or don't work anymore. Ordinary people usually retire at 65 and only politicians are allowed to work until 80 or more until they drop dead. He said he couldn't accept it, because it was too old. I draw his attention to the fact that my parents were both in heaven or hell now and they couldn't do a remake of myself only to get a more modern birth certificate.

He looked at me with big brown cow eyes. "I'll ask my boss, if we can accept it". After a while he came back with the excuse that they couldn't accept "handwritten" certificates and it has to be printed. I should call Frankfurt city (where I was born) and ask for a printed version, then come back also with a new certificate of residence, as if I wanted to move after 33 years, now in one week. But rules are rules. Then it will take 6 weeks or more for the creation of my new passport in Berlin. I have a passport since more than 40 years but it had never been so difficult to get a new one and never lasted that long either !

Meanwhile they will give me a temporary one, because I want to go to the UK and finally it isn't my fault if the government services only hires snails.

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FUN MONDAY who is next ?



Finally Sayre devoted herself and will host the next Fun Monday
I am curious to see what she wants us to do !

POSITIVE DAY IN THE BLOGGOSPHERE - FRIDAY FAVE FIVE

Today is Positive Day in the Blogosphere! It is the brainchild of 12 year old Diva residing with all the other dust bunnies here, she is Dustbunny's daughter. You will find other participants on her fabulous blog known as Dust Bunny Hostage.



I am definitively a positive person. With me glasses or bottles are always half full and not half empty. I always think I will find a parking space even when everybody tells me that there is none.

When I take the wrong road I think at least I have seen something else then the usual place and get not angry.



and how could I be negative when I have such a view in the morning ?

*****


Usually I play Show & Tell. But this week I really have nothing to show or to tell about, except a few new cats for my cat collection. Therefore I thought to try this meme. Each week, normally something new should happen !

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Visit her blog to see other participants.

1. My petunias standing in a pot on our terrace, had completey dried out during our holidays in Italy. Everybody told me that they will grow back, and they did ! Even nice then before.

2. This darling innocent little cat lady discovered mouse hunting ! Now I get gifts almost everyday. I don't dare to walk barefoot anymore !



her last victim !

3. Each year beginning July Brussels' City creates a beach along the canal which leads to Antwerp. I had never been there and opened wide my eyes, palm trees in Brussels ! that was quite unusual. Fortunately it didn't rain when I took this picture.



4. When I wanted to pick up my Eurostar train ticket at our station, which I had ordered by phone the guy at the ticket window didn't know how to print out the ticket ! my chance ! He was new. After some razzle dazzle with two others, the three finally managed to print out my ticket. Behind me a long line of angry and unhappy people who wanted to buy a ticket just to Brussels !

5. We were invited to a Barbecue at our neighbor's and really had a lot of chance with the weather. In the morning it had rained but afternoon and evening was such perfect.



The son prepares the barbecue and Yanouk watches, hoping for a piece of meat !

30 Jul 2009

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

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more participants here


13. ....also in the News !

1. After stealing about $1,154 in liquor, two burglars decided to celebrate and got so drunk they fell asleep instead of escaping, police in Swansea, Wales, said.

2. An Illinois man was accused of stealing more than $45,000 worth of eyeglasses from suburban Milwaukee stores because he enjoys being around eyewear.

3. An Adelaide man will face separate drink driving charges after going to a police station to ask for directions.

4. Police arrested a suspected car thief they found asleep in the 2001 Oldsmobile he's accused of stealing.

5. German motorist mistook an underground train tunnel for a road and drove 200 metres along the tracks before he realised.

6. German police uncovered over 1,000 pairs of underpants and more than 100 pairs of swimming trunks after catching a thief nabbing another three pairs for his collection

7. A man was arrested early Saturday after allegedly ringing residents' doorbells naked then leading deputies on a chase in a pickup truck, a San Mateo County sheriff's lieutenant said Thursday.

8. Police in central New Jersey say they arrested a man on burglary charges after he returned to the victim's house to apologize.

9. Canadian police were on the search on Monday for a brazen thief who snatched a take-away meal while making a naked run past a fast food restaurant's drive-though window.

10. A southwest Florida woman was arrested after deputies said she assaulted her 71-year-old common-law husband after he complained about her cooking.

11. A British judge sentenced a 76-year-old man to jail for calling for an ambulance more than 40 times to complain about a sore throat.


12. A policeman who hailed a taxi in Nigeria was shocked to realise it was his own car which had been stolen 20 years earlier.

13. A Connecticut girl overheard her mother's screams during sex and thought she was being assaulted, so the 16-year-old rounded up some friends to attack the woman's companion, police say.

29 Jul 2009

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY



A boy shopping in a night gown

27 Jul 2009

FUN MONDAY - Messy



The idea to show a messy place in your home came when I was sitting in my train to Waterloo and could have a look into the windows along the rails. What a mess sometimes ! A cat could find her kittens.

Looking around here, I came to the conclusion that I am a hypocrite ! At the first glance the whole house looks neat. But don't open wardrobes, closets or drawers !

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Finally I found my room quite messy when I get up in the morning

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and a real permanent messy place is the storage room, where I throw everything in I just don't need. There it is quite difficult to find something.

Now I am curious to see the other participants messy places !

Use Mr. Linky if you participate, don't bother about the Cats, that's the Linky I use for my cat group.

26 Jul 2009

FUN MONDAY

For next Monday :



I have the doubtful honor to be next weeks Fun Monday host.

As the last weeks we had quite a lot to write for FUN MONDAY, I thought we should see something for a change.

That's why I just want to know what you call a messy place and put a picture of it in your post. It's just to compare, if I am messy ...

It can be a room, your basement, the attic, a drawer or whatever, but it has to be messy !

Those who are the perfect housewives or men, please leave one room or other place untouched for 24 h !

This is a sticky post, scroll down for other things.

WEEKLY WINNERS - Antwerp


More participants here at Sarcastic Mom Weekly winners

When I visited Jientje for the first time in Antwerp, she showed me a lot of places, usually not visited by tourists.


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The beautiful station

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Madonnas everywhere on houses, I have never seen so many Madonnas in a city !

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This was a dancing hall and had been transformed now into a shopping center

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more about my visit, see post below.