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Last Day in Netherland

Just a couple of hours before I go to Schipol airport and leaving Netherland, I'm going back to Indonesia - Yipee!

I just want to say that it is a pleasure to come in Netherland and work with collegue here in Netherland, I do learn alot here.

So.. bye.. bye..

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Drielandenpunt

I had appointment with Jose yesterday, He want to come to Nuenen to see the village and We also want to discuss something. We already arrange this appointment from weeks ago, but then on a couple days ago Uncle Charlie tell Me that He want to take Me to a place called Drielandenpunt, So I called Jose to ask whether He want to join Us going there and He said it's Ok.

Me, Ferdy and Om Charlie picked up Jose at Eindhoven station at 12.00 and then We go to Drielandenpunt. Drielandenpunt is a place where the border of 3 countries: Netherland, Belgium and Germany met. It took about 1 hour of travel by car.

There is a tower there where if You to the top You can see those 3 countries: Netherland, Belgium and Germany. There is also a binocular, with 1 euro You can use it to see the view the landscape.

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3rd Times In Amsterdam

Just several days before I'm going back to Indonesia, I want to meet with My friend from Indonesia that study here, His name is Erwin. Erwin is My friend's - Willy, but not Willy at QnAp, I'm talking another Willy - younger brother, so I know Erwin.

We already make an appointment to meet at Amsterdam Centraal station, from there We will go to Haarlem the city where He lives. I arrived in Amsterdam Centraal at 12.00, I must wait for about 15 minutes because Erwin still on the way. Erwin come with His girlfriend Ruth - pretty girl

We take a walk in Amsterdam for a couple of hours, I ask Erwin to take Me to the Red Light district. Red Light is a famous place in Amsterdam, it's a prostitution center - hmm.. it sound harsh isn't it? to call a place as "prostitution center" but it does the center - If You go there, You will see alot of young girls or adult woman behind the glass only using underware trying to sell their body to the tourists.

Amsterdam is a big city where I think it's the most "free" city in Netherland as prostitution and marijuana are sell/practiced legally here.

After walking around the Red Light district Erwin and Ruth taking Me to IKEA, it's a big shop where You can buy furniture and kichen stuff. IKEA is very big, they have a show room where they place the furnitures to show the potential buyers what will the furniture looks like if it's places on a room by doing this IKEA also give some idea of interior design to the potential buyers.

From IKEA We continue to the centrum of Haarlem, it's not big actually just the same with Eindhoven. Me and Erwin had an ice cream in the centrum while Ruth go back to Her house. At 21.00 there is a flower parade called "Flower Corso" if I'm not mistaken, but I only saw it for about 20 minutes or so as it's getting colder and I'm only using sweater. I had a wrong prediction about the weather.  I thought today will be warm enough because yesterday the weather is good so I only use sweater, wrong decision.. it was very cold in Amsterdam!

It's getting late so I must go to the train station and go back to Nuenen. I leaving from Amsterdam at 22.38 and the travel time is one and a half hour so I expect I arrived at Eindhoven at 24.00. I had doubt wheter I can catch the last bus to Nuenen so I call Marc Jongen to pick Me up.. hehe.. fussing Marc again

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Philips Cordless Telephone

Just bought a package of Philips cordless telephone, I want to buy it for My Mom in Indonesia. I went to Media Markt with Marc, He also want to get more information about digital camera He want to buy. The cordless telephone cost 49 Euro, it consists of two cordless handset. I think the price 49 Euro for two handset Philips cordless phone is cheap especially it's a Philips product.

After We arrived at home, We try the phone and its have different cable with telephone in Indonesia. It has a RJ-11 on one end and a 4 pin head - just like male jack on electronic stuff, but in this case there is 4 not 2 - Then We turn on the phone and on initial setup there is only Netherland and Belgium options altough on the startup it's in English.

I'm not sure if the phone will work in Indonesia, but it's only the connector and language, it should be the same hardware everywhere. I think it's impossible if Philips make the phone only for Netherland and Belgium. Well I make the conclusion based on My laptop. I bought My laptop in Indonesia, but it has European connector that have 3 pins - there is also an American connector, but I use the European one - and it still can be used in Indonesia. If the phone does work in Indonesia, the only problem is the languange, guess My family need to learn Dutch hehe

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Volendam and Keukenhof

Today Me together with Uncle Charlie, Aunt Stance, Aunt Sam, Linda and Ferdi went to Volendam and Keukenhof. We leave QnAp office at 09.00 and go to Volendam first.

At Volendam We take photos with traditional Volendam's costume. The costume it self is very simple, a plain black pants, black shirt and a black hat. After finish taking photos, We need to wait for one hour before We can get the result so to killing the time We go to souvenir shop, I want to buy something for My family in Indonesia as the date that I'm going back to Indonesia is near. After one hour We go back to the photo studio to get Our photos. We didn't spend much time in Volendam as the main destination is Keukenhof.

We arrived at Keukenhof around 12.00 then We get some lunch - Aunt Stance and Linda already prepare Our lunch from home - then We enter Keukenhof park. Keukenhof park is very big. There is so many kind of flowers there, it's very beautiful.

I also interested with the music juke box - I don't know what it's name - which operated automaticly. If a CD player using disk to store the music, the juke box is using a card that have holes in it, just like a "punch card" for computer in old days.

Around 18.00 We planning to go back home, but I heard there is a "Pasar Malam" in Rotterdam, so I want to go there and see. Pasar Malam is a market - the name already describe what it is, in Indonesian of course - where the sellers sells asian stuffs, not only from Indonesia. We arrived at the Pasar Malam at 19.00 which only one hour before it is closed and today is the last day so when We came, some sellers already prepare to pack Their stuffs. We spend about one hour there and then visit Aunt Stance's son's house. We stay there for one hour and then go back home to Nuenen. We arrived at 23.00, I'm tired but today is fun for Me.

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1. on April 18, 2006 at 14:56

   Got the name of the music juke box: Draaiorgel thanks to Marc Jongen for the information.

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Tour de Kinderdijk

Yesterday I go to Rotterdam, I had an appointment with Sam Warnaars. I walk to the bus stop at 8.30, I must catch a bus at 8.45 to go to Eindhoven station then I go to Rotterdam by train.

I got some trouble with the ticket machine, it always reject My debit card. I was able to buy ticket from the ticket machine before, so it make Me confused. I end up with buying the ticket on the station office which cost Me 0,5 Euro more - typing cost - but its okay.

I must wait for the train that depart at 9.39, actually there is a train that depart at 9.09, but I'll be to soon to arrive at Rotterdam. Eindhoven - Rotterdam only take one hour travel time. I arrived at Rotterdam at about 10.30 and Sam already wait for Me on the station hall.

After that He take Me to His parent's house to meet His father Lucas. Meneer Lucas is a very nice person, We had a nice conversation about Netherland geographical situation. After that We go to some place where there is alot of windmills, I don't know the name before I read Sam's blog the name of the place is Kinderdijk.

The windmills function is to pull out the water to the main river that connect to the sea - Netherland land is below the sea level, thats why They make the windmill - It was build years ago, once I saw a windmill that build on 1730, thats very old windmill and I think it's still working.

After Tour de Kinderdijk, We go back to Meneer Lucas's house and have some lunch, then Sam take Me to visit His sister Eleonoor. Eleonoor live in the center of Rotterdam with Her two friends, We also had a nice conversation.

PS: She is a good looking girl, You know.. For My friends in Indonesia especially Budi at QnAp Asia: Sorry dude! this is for My private 'collection' no photos

At about 18.00 Me and Sam say good bye to Elenoor and go to the train station, Sam must go to work tomorrow and I don't want to be back home very late. I arrived at Eindhoven station at about 19.15, I was missed the bus to Nuenen so I must wait for about one hour before the next bus come - this is what I hate from Nuenen's bus transportation, the bus frequency is very low, 1 hour a time, well maybe the bus go to other than Nuenen have more frequency but I'm not sure. But I managed to go back to home so no problem.

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Global Positioning System

Uncle Charlie bought a new GPS - Global Positioning System - several days ago and He had some trouble with how to use it. So today I help him to learn how to use it. This is My first time using GPS also, so I need to RTMF - Read The Fucking Manual -  Unfortunetly the manual is so simple and not complete so I a little bit confused how to use the GPS.

I turn on the GPS inside the house but it didn't get any signal from the satellite so I go out, turn it again and it get signal from the satellite. The GPS managed to detect My current location which is Revelingse Erven. Ok, then I input Eindhoven station as the destination I want to go. The GPS start calculating the route for a while and then it show the map and the route i must take to go to the station. But wait.. why the hell it running it self? the triangle - which should be My current location - moving following the route the GPS calculate before and moving 100Km/hour! the GPS also giving sound direction. I'm so confused why it's moving while I'm still standing still in Refelingse Erven. Well it's a good sign, that means the GPS does work.. at least as a map for now

Ok, the triangle already arrived at Eindhoven train station and the GPS speak "Destination..", wierd GPS because I'm still at Revelingse Erven. But then the triangle going back to point at Revelingse Erven, and when I walk the triangle also moving and the GPS said that the moving speed is 2Km/hour. I think the GPS start working correctly, so I tell Uncle Charlie to try drive to the station. Hey the GPS really works! it giving direction correctly, if there is a cross street it give information to turn right or left, if there is a turn over it give information which exit We should take and if We must go straight it give information how far We must go. Its cool

We follow the GPS direction and actually it works good and giving correct way, but doesn't know if there is some works on the last turn it give so Me and Uncle Charlie should be take another way - Of course Uncle Charlie know the way, so We make another turn, not follow the GPS - the GPS the get confused and still keep giving information that We must turn back - which actually a good thing in normal condition, but this is a special condition where there is some work on the road and We can't take that road - it giving a question mark sign - '?' - for a while and then it give another route, it seems the GPS track Our position and then re-calculate the route, but because We keep moving so it takes a while to get the result. The GPS giving a new route and Uncle Charlie said it's correct so We stop on the side road - We not continuing to the station.

Uncle Charlie request Me to input Revelingse Erven as We going back to the office. The GPS doesn't get any signal for a long time, it seems that I must take the GPS out side where there is no roof so it get clear sky and can communicate with the satellite. After the GPS get connected to the satellite I put it back in the car but then it lost the connection again. Because We stop in the road side, We can't stop for long so Uncle Charlie start drive back to the office. On the way back I keep trying the GPS, at last it get signal and start calculating, then the triangle start moving it self with speed at 100Km/hour - same with when I try it at the office - and it show different location with My current location. I wonder why it moving it self now while last time it works fine - giving direction from office to the station - My conclusion is the GPS giving some preview of the route We will take before We really start to go.

When We arrived at the office I check the settings of the GPS and in the setting preferences there is a "Demonstration" choice ticked on, I un-tick the choice and then try again inputing a destination. The GPS calculating route and the triangle is not moving it self, when I walk the triangle start moving and the GPS giving speed information 2Km/hour. My guess was right, the triangle was moving it self because the default setting is to give demonstration of the route.

I input the address and house number of Uncle Charlie house - Yeah its also giving direction as detail as a house, cool so if You know the street name and the house number of someone You want to visit, You can't get lost - the GPS start calculating and then its show the route. I said to Uncle Charlie to try it once again, so We go to Uncle Charlie house - the first time for Me - the GPS works great.

Uncle Charlie house is small, but it quite nice Houses in Netherland usually are small I already write about houses in Netherland on a post before but I forgot which post I stay at Uncle Charlie's house for several minutes and then We go back to the office.

After trying the GPS I very like it, I wonder is there any Indonesian map for GPS as GPS is very rare or even no GPS in Indonesia, well at least not the same GPS with the one Uncle Charlie have. I see once when I'm still in college because there is a GIS - Geographic Information System - class, but it's a different GPS I think as it doesn't have a map and only can store the direction from point to point, first You must record the route and next time You can use it to show which route You take before or it show the route back.

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