IESE MBA 2006

Dragon Boat Race

2009-09-10T21:47:00.004+02:00

Last weekend my company entered a Dragon Boat charity competition to raise money for cancer. An excellent cause and good reason to have fun in the sun!

Lavaux

2009-09-10T21:44:00.002+02:00

The Lavaux is a region in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, in the district of Lavaux. It was built mostly by monks about 800 years ago and consists of 830 hectares of terraced wineyards. Enough reason to spent a day driving up and down the little vineyard roads and stop at every Caveau to taste the local wines! And yes, the scenery is amazing!

France 2009

2009-09-10T21:43:00.002+02:00

Last month a spent a long weekend in France; as always a great time!

Max @ 1.5 years

2009-09-10T21:41:00.002+02:00

Yes, time with Max flies, already 1.5 years old.

Watery Geneva

2009-09-10T21:39:00.002+02:00

Ever wondered what the Jet D'Eau in Geneva would look like from up close? Jubin and I found out! Luckily the wind blew in the right direction!

Deep Sea Fishing in Korea

2009-07-16T08:29:00.004+02:00

Last weekend I went for a fishing trip in Korea. A small boat, no life vests; truly a back to 'nature' fishing trip.

Kendo

2009-07-05T09:59:00.002+02:00

Last week I spent in training... not for Kendo but market development. Attendees were encouraged to give presentations about their unique aspects, hence two kendōka displaying their skills.

Signal de Bougy

2009-07-05T09:55:00.002+02:00

Ducking for thunder and taking shelter from the rain, nothing about this round of golf was ordinary. A round of 83, a bit disappointing after the 81 i scored a month earlier. Need more time to practice!

Poker Night

2009-06-28T10:56:00.002+02:00

A sure way to earn some money is to invite me to your Poker Night! Great special effects from my phone, as if we are playing in a shady and smokey basement.

Cambodia, Tomb Raider Style

2009-06-28T10:37:00.003+02:00

Besides Korea another Asian trip, this time to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Two days of visiting the temples; Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Preah Kahn. Absolutely great and highly recommended!

Korea!

2009-06-28T10:35:00.001+02:00

After Singapore earlier this year, another trip East to visit Korea!

Derby

2009-06-28T10:33:00.001+02:00

Got to love a good training in a nice place. Believe it or not, the picture below is a Marriott hotel in the UK, including a pretty sweet golf course.

Golf in Bougy

2009-06-28T10:31:00.002+02:00

Terrible, it's been weeks since a proper update; blame the tardiness on my computer! Any how, a couple weeks ago a round of golf on Signal de Bougy. Incredible views onto Lake Geneva and a score of 81; not bad considering it was the first round of the year!

London

2009-06-12T10:59:00.002+02:00

Somewhere I had time to visit Tim & Rev in London and hang out for a couple drinks.. with strange decorations...

Snails?

2009-05-03T11:46:00.003+02:00

Just outside my balcony, snails. A pretty dangerous place for these delicacies in the French speaking park of Switzerland!

London

2009-05-03T09:13:00.003+02:00

Last week I was in London, attending the SAS conference. Thanks, T&R, to meet up on Thursday for drinks and dinner!

France

2009-05-03T09:11:00.002+02:00

Easter weekend I spent in France, a great time to enjoy nature!

Max

2009-05-03T09:09:00.002+02:00

Max, the family dog, will be one year old this month. Time to give a picture update on him:

Skydive

2009-03-30T00:11:00.002+02:00

Last year I made an attempt to go skydiving, but the foul weather did not permit any jumps. This time around, after a 3 hour wait for the weather to clear, the jump did happen. Truly an amazing experience; falling 200km/hr three kilometers above the island of Texel.

Skiing Daytrip

2009-03-30T00:09:00.003+02:00

As all Swiss do, a simple day-trip to go skiing, or, in my case, snowboarding. This time in Nendaz, just an hours drive from Lausanne.

Geneva

2009-03-30T00:07:00.001+02:00

The last post has been a while, so a short update. A day trip to Geneva: besides looking a the hundreds of watch shops a nice climb up the local church for some amazing city views!

Geneva Auto Show

2009-03-08T16:03:00.004+01:00

A Sunday that truly tickles the fancies; the Geneva Auto Show. Well worth waking up at 7.30 on a Sunday!

Morzine

2009-03-07T21:30:00.004+01:00

Empty lifts, empty slopes, full sun; Morzine on a Saturday! A perfect day for snowboarding!

Singapore

2009-03-03T19:53:00.003+01:00

Last weekend I attended the wedding of my good friends Jenny and Eddie in Singapore. A spectacular wedding in a fantastic location! Congrats to the new couple!

Weekend Tour

2009-02-16T19:46:00.002+01:00

Besides the slopes, I day tripped along Lake Geneva from Nyon to Chateau Chillon near Montreux. Super weather, awesome views with a dot of Olympic sprinkles.

Snowboarding

2009-02-15T21:34:00.003+01:00

When in snowy Switzerland, there is only one thing to do; head for the slopes! Despite the start of the grammer/highschool holidays in France, Switzerland, Germany (and Holland), the excellent snow conditions allow for some magnificent runs! This weekend I tried snowboarding, I am hooked!

Lake Geneva

2009-02-11T21:11:00.004+01:00

I cannot complain, this is the view each morning when I walk to work. Beats the morning traffic in NL!

Les Paccots

2009-02-08T15:29:00.003+01:00

First time skiing in Switzerland at Les Paccots, just outside of Lausanne. Perfect conditions, overnight 40cm of snow felt!

Luge a Nuite

2009-02-05T18:54:00.003+01:00

This week a great company team building event; an evening sledge ride down a 7.5 km mountain path, rewarded with a neat fondue!

Snow

2009-02-01T10:00:00.003+01:00

A day after buying my first ski gear and "Grade B" hiking shoes, it snowed! Timing could not have been better, though I am hoping for more precipitation to really put my purchases to work!

Lisbon

2009-02-01T09:56:00.004+01:00

The last couple days were spend in Lisbon with a broken camera. The latter got replaced and my blackberry helped me out... a little bit!

Switzerland

2009-01-14T16:58:00.003+01:00

So I have been here for exactly 10 days now, so far so good, and here a couple shots from Lausanne and the balcony of my apartment... Life it tough with such a lake view. Apparently there are mountains on the otherside of the lake; i have yet to see them!

Farewell, this time mine!

2009-01-06T18:13:00.002+01:00

Recently a trend was started, people are leaving Amsterdam. This time it's me though and the destination is Lausanne! I could not go before a proper farewell party! A great dinner van Van Kerkwijk on the Nes, after that drinks at Cafe Schuim! A fun night and hangover in the plane the next day!

Moving Day

2009-01-06T18:11:00.001+01:00

December 31st, last day of the year and last day that I saw my beloved apartment contents until I found a new apartment! It's moving day to Switzerland!

New Years!

2009-01-01T21:21:00.002+01:00

Happy New Year! Many thanks to Rick for hosting a great party at his place last night! Also thanks for allowing us to light the fireworks from your window! Yes, the Dutch go nuts with fire and gunpowder on an evening such as this. The picture will illustarte what i mean!

Christmas Stall

2008-12-26T17:07:00.002+01:00

Every year my parents set up a Christmas stall, only this year i got around to snap a couple pictures of the statues!

Sushi Mania

2008-12-26T17:05:00.004+01:00

Believe it or not, last week, despite all the Japanese cooking that i do, I made sushi for the first time. By the time we got to dinner i was already full from sampling all the rolls!

Max

2008-12-26T17:01:00.002+01:00

As regular readers recall, Max is the dachshund addition to the family. About 7 months old by now and spoiled during Christmas with several bones and a rubber frisbee. Instead of catching the items with his mouth, he bit the toy in several bit size pieces within minutes of unwrapping the gift.

Madness in Moscow

2008-12-08T23:31:00.000+01:00

The last couple days were spend in Moscow, simple one big party ranging from ballet at the Bolshoi, city tours, exclusive shopping and partying at TheMost. Simply awesome!

PAN Amsterdam

2008-11-23T18:31:00.000+01:00

This Saturday it was the opening of PAN Amsterdam, the art fair of, you guessed right, Amsterdam. Lots of art, free drinks, snacks and people. I'd recommend it.

Dinner, Part "A Lot"

2008-11-23T18:27:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I stretched myself again to cook Kaiseki for a crowd of six! From shopping for ingredients to actually finishing the meal too close to 11 hours! Well worth the effort, i'd say!

Museum Night

2008-11-07T19:43:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday was "Museum Night" in Amsterdam! The concept is stunningly simple, museums are open at night.. till late, very late with Museum afterparties afterwards. My gang of renegades for the evening: Jubin, Kye & Diederik! Who thought you could drink beer at the Biblical Museum, drown yourself in trapist beers at a Church and take photo's from the 19th century at a photo museum?

France-3

2008-11-02T21:47:00.001+01:00

Perhaps a classic "hit and run" trip to France this weekend, just to pick up some stuff. A treat, due to the mystic autumn colors in the surroundings!

Bye, Bye Itaru

2008-11-02T21:43:00.000+01:00

Itaru has left Amsterdam in search of desert gold and oil! Before he could go, a Kaiko treat, organized by the best customer of the last year himself. As a farewell gift, wooden shoes with the signatures of all whom attended!

Food?

2008-11-02T21:39:00.000+01:00

Perhaps a new hobby of cooking extensively, mainly Japanese. Some example of the dishes I create:

CN Tower Views

2008-10-20T20:25:00.001+02:00

Ever wondered what the world look liked at a height of 447 meters? Well the CN tower in Toronto can give you some spectacular views at that height!

NASS, Toronto

2008-10-20T20:07:00.001+02:00

Last week was spend in Toronto, attending the North American Spine Society's Conference in Canada. An enormous event, steak dinners and tall buildings!

Last China Post

2008-10-07T15:02:00.000+02:00

The last post with China impressions; the Eastern Tombs, Forbidden City, Great Wall, biking around town, Tea City and the new CCTV building. See you in two years!

Fog, low hanging clouds? Or..

2008-10-07T14:58:00.000+02:00

smog? Much has been said/written about this phenomenon in Beijing. Just judge for yourself. (And that is not the moon in the last picture!)

China in Space

2008-10-07T14:56:00.000+02:00

Finally some time to update my blog with pictures from China! The day I arrived was historical for China; their first space walk.

China

2008-10-01T02:58:00.000+02:00

The first pictures from China; so far a very exciting trip. too bad it's only for a week!

IESE Alumni BBQ

2008-09-22T15:26:00.001+02:00

This past weekend the annual IESE Benelux Alumni BBQ too place in Laren. A great way to stay in touch with your fellow IESE-ians and enjoy thet last rays of summer. One of the highlights; our IESE Gaucho who took his own BBQ set to grill the specially imported Argentine meat. Simply amazing!

Ronald Kolk's Autumn Show

2008-09-16T18:52:00.000+02:00

Last night Ronald Kolk presented his spectacular Autumn collection in a unique fashion and location: mannequins at the Jan van der Togt museum in Amstelveen. It's always a great pleasure to attend his events!

Sales Conference

2008-09-16T18:45:00.000+02:00

Last week our company's sales meeting took place. After weeks of planning the party took finally place in "rockstar" fashion! Of course, i took one of my many fancy dress outfits literally out of my closet:

Sky Dive!

2008-09-13T18:59:00.001+02:00

Well, almost. Last weekend i bummed around Texel in the hope to make my first tandem jump. Unfortunately the strong winds, low hanging clouds and rain prevented experiencing this trill.

Weekend in France - 2

2008-08-26T11:04:00.000+02:00

Another weekend spent in France; more of Max, blooming sunflowers and the experience of low tide in Trouville.

New Family Member

2008-08-14T20:04:00.000+02:00

Since two weeks there is a new member of the family; meet Max, a wire hair dachshund. Currently three months old and already eaten a balloon, the leg of his toy teddy bear and two frogs. Welcome to the family Max!

Lenny in Amsterdam

2008-08-06T08:51:00.000+02:00

For one night Lenny could free himself from his consulting team to hang out with the Amsterdam crew for a proper meal and drinks! Lenny, next time you should just call, hanging out at the Okura hotel is not bad either...

Rene's Surprise Birthday

2008-08-04T11:37:00.001+02:00

Plenty of food, beverages and a huge bonfire; all the ingredients for a succesful surprise party for Rene in Brussels. My surprise for the weekend was a flat tire...

Weekend in Hamburg

2008-07-28T19:00:00.000+02:00

More or less a spur of the moment idea to party it up Hamburg on Saturday. A mere four hour drive guarantees a huge party at the Reeperbahn! Go Hamburg!

1st Quartely Brunch & GTA

2008-07-21T13:10:00.000+02:00

This weekend I hosted the first quarterly brunch and GTA afternoon, though brunch became more like an early dinner by Dutch standards.

Concert: Jack Johnson

2008-07-14T09:24:00.000+02:00

A little break in concert types that I usually attend, but a most excellent Jack Johnson concert in Zuiderpark, Den Haag. The weather held up, the sun came out and the picknick basket had the usual ingredients; beer and snacks! A perfect Sunday afternoon!

The Good Old Days

2008-07-13T14:49:00.000+02:00

A publicity stunt for leaving your car at home, protest against gas prices, or just a trip down memory lane with your horse and carriage. Last night a long column of carriage went through my street , parading some impressive carriage and costumes!

Soccer, Part II

2008-07-09T11:12:00.000+02:00

Despite the 3-1 Russia loss, the atmosphere was great and I was able to wear some old orange props from the IESE closet! See Here The wig always results in instant attention from the guys!

Volleyball

2008-07-07T15:18:00.001+02:00

Last year, our business unit was not able to motivate enough people to form a team, but this year we did and how! With a 6 & 1 record Spine BU came in second during the company's annual beach volleyball competition. Below four of the six proud winners!

Before the win, with beer:

After the win, with cup!

Housewarming

2008-07-03T22:46:00.000+02:00

Not my housewarming, still have not planned one and it should actually be apartment warming if such word exists. Any how, last weekend Chris showcased his new place in style with a boat arrival and great bbq!

Boating Sunday

2008-06-29T18:51:00.000+02:00

After a day of swimming, Sunday was reserved for boating. Full sun, beers, snacks and great company while exploring the canals of Amsterdam. Capsized rowers, ducks using soccer scarfs as nest building material while some guy adores his swan!

House Warming

2008-06-29T18:47:00.000+02:00

and warm it was! A full day of sun, swimming, a BBQ and tossing the host in the pool! No better way to spent a Saturday in Belgium!

Bertrant The Burgler

2008-06-29T18:44:00.000+02:00

Yes, sometimes you have those days where you forget your keys inside your apartment. Luckily Bertrant left his window open...

Taimur, Katie & Zariya

2008-06-25T11:09:00.001+02:00

I have not seen my old/ex colleague Taimur in 4+ years and much has changed since! On his world travels he found some time to stop by and have dinner with Katie and their 4 month old daughter!

Out!

2008-06-25T11:05:00.000+02:00

Despite the convincing 3-1 loss against Russia, it was still fun to watch the game on the big screen of the Marriott Hotel. Fortunately there was plenty of beer to drink away the sorrows!

2 & 6

2008-06-10T18:49:00.000+02:00

The European Championship has started out well for the Dutch, so am I in our office poule! Second place so far, despite some weird calls. That BBQ set will be so mine!

In other random lists and ranking news, currently I'm in 6th place on Facebooks' "Question Of The Day." Finally found an outlet for my vast, useless knowledge I have gathered over the last decades!

Eighty Five!

2008-06-03T20:54:00.000+02:00

Last weekend my grandma turned 85! Besides a fitting present from her oldest grandchild (me), she took her whole family out for dinner! Congrats again, grandma!

What's In The Name?

2008-06-03T20:51:00.000+02:00

It's that time of year again; conference time; Neuro Days, OVO Training, CC Spine and of course the mother of all spinal conferences: SpineWeek in Geneva! Yup, i was there, part.. erm.. following the scientific talks.

Tenerife Revisited

2008-05-14T09:28:00.000+02:00

There goes the argument that the company meeting in Tenerife this past January was purely business! Perhaps I can recover the argument by asking the reader to spot the only sober person... not...

BBQ, Vol. 2

2008-05-12T09:07:00.000+02:00

With the weather continuing to be close to perfect, the Amsterdam IESE alumni decided to have an impromptu BBQ at the Vondelpark. Main attraction that day was Jordi, who came to visit the city and Fede rescuing a drowning frisbee!

Communion

2008-05-12T09:01:00.000+02:00

This past weekend I spent a day in Belgium to attend the Holy Communion of my godchild.

BBQ, Vol. 1

2008-05-12T08:54:00.000+02:00

Unbelievable, the weather in Amsterdam seemed to have skipped the "Spring" phase and has gone directly to Summer. Temps are nearing 30C; which is an automatic sign to scrape the rust of your BBQ and start the meat grilling season!

Queen's 2008

2008-05-01T18:56:00.000+02:00

One huge hangover later and Queen's Day 2008 is just another memory! If you weren't here, well, too bad, you just missed the biggest party of the year! A day where many people sell their attic trash at flea markets and being sober is forbidden! Yup, Queen's Day 2008!

Fire, Fire

2008-04-28T18:48:00.000+02:00

The other day i thought i would become homeless, simply by the amount of noise the 4 fire trucks made. A cigaret lit dry leaves in a restaurant 4 doors down. A nice spectacle paid for by my local taxes!

Books?

2008-04-28T18:39:00.000+02:00

With Queen's Day just around the corner, Amsterdam is gearing up for another mondial event. This year Amsterdam was chosen to be the "book capital of the world." I thought i was hallucinating, but it's true! Check out this link. If you can't make it to the world's best party in two days, you might want to check out the city on May 18th, when Amsterdam hosts the largest book market in the world. No fewer than 1,000 stalls with books will wind through the city centre.

Starsky & Hutch

2008-04-14T20:24:00.001+02:00

Hmm.. i guess it has been a while, but I'm still here. This time with pictures from a dress-up party with my partner in crime! Who knew that fighting crime was necessary in Amsterdam...

Weekend in France

2008-03-26T12:51:00.000+01:00

This past Easter weekend I spent watching the incredible weather in France. I believe the three minutes of sunshine made the 1320km trip worthwhile. The other 71.57 hours i spent watching snow flurries, hail and heavy sea storms, rain and lightning.
For the first time ever, I went to the WWII Memorial in the city of Caen. Not only am impressive building, but an exhibition that leaves a permanent impression of the horrors of war!

Bored

2008-03-26T12:46:00.000+01:00

So it has almost been 2 weeks since a last update. What has happened so far? My first experience cooking with a Tajine and putting up my funky kitchen lamp. I am open for comments, please do not submit "it looks like a bomb explosion" I have heard that one before! ;-)

Tefaf 2008

2008-03-17T09:06:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday we took a leisurely 2.5hr drive to Maastricht to visit The European Fine Arts Far. A splendid collection of fine arts (for sale) that made the drive totally worth it!

Cirque du Soleil: Varekai

2008-03-12T17:51:00.000+01:00

If a fashion show is not enough, the week long party continues with a Tuesday Cirque du Soleil show: Varekai. Hopefully I can welcome some of these performer as customers for our spinal implants; some of these performances were just mind boggling!

Ronald Kolk Fashion Show - Summer '08

2008-03-11T14:34:00.000+01:00

Last night, Ronald Kolk presented his summer collection 2008 at the Krasnapolski Hotel in Amsterdam. Stunning show with beautiful fashion and people!

Friday!!!

2008-03-07T17:22:00.000+01:00

Tjeebus, it's time for an update again, no? This week i lived part-time in Belgium, missed the IESE BOM (Bar Of the Month) on Thursday, drive again over 1000 km and just bought curtain rails for my bedroom curtains. It's about time you might think and you are right!
Below a picture of a follow-up dinner with the Japanese guests. Good times!

Well..

2008-02-27T20:32:00.000+01:00

The other day I had to deal with yet again with a helpless situation in which the last items on the remodeling agenda were completely messed up. Then again, the apartment has come a long way:

Before:

After:

Week In Review

2008-02-22T21:27:00.000+01:00

A cool 1200km on the odo, a last minute tea meeting with Bram, a bouquet of narcissus and the installation of all the IESE class binders in my meter closet. I am glad it's weekend, time to enjoy my apartment!

Following Saturday...

2008-02-18T20:29:00.001+01:00

So, to return the lovely Friday dinner, a road trip through the Netherlands (visiting Leiden & Den Haag) concluded with Belgium beers at Gollum, fridge hugging, and a home cooked pasta dinner!

A Typical Friday

2008-02-18T20:21:00.000+01:00

Typical, I am not sure: 'just' dinner with our newly found Japanese friends in the Jordaan!

Revan In Amsterdam

2008-02-07T16:32:00.000+01:00

Twenty three days from now, Revan and Tim are getting married. The visit to amsterdam was probably the last chance for Revan to shop at THE cheese store as a single woman! For Tim, i just hope he will survive his upcoming bacholor's party! Any how, a nice dinner at Restaurant Baltazar in Amsterdam; as always, great food with great friends!

Epernay, France

2008-02-03T21:06:00.000+01:00

So what do you do after an 'intensive' week on Tenerife? Celebrate my girlfriend's birthday in style with a surprise weekend in Epernay, France. Visiting the champagne cellars of Ruinart, touring around the grapevines and enjoying the French food and drinks. Happy birthday!

Tenerife

2008-02-03T21:01:00.000+01:00

Where have I been? All over the place, that's for sure! Last week was spend at my company's Sales Kick-Off Meeting in Tenerife. Part work, part party, part golf, part just having fun with your colleagues! Below some impressions of the resort and golf course.

Japan, Vol. 1

2008-02-01T21:20:00.000+01:00

Okidoki, finally a minute to check some of my 1200+ photos I took at my most recent Japan trip. Below a collage of just the first 7 days, so more to come!

Making Rice Cakes

2008-01-23T20:43:00.000+01:00

Yes, on my trip to Japan I even had an honest workout! Just watch the video of me making rice cakes:

Wakayama

2008-01-06T01:20:00.000+01:00

After a couple days in Hiroshima (with a visit to the A Bomb Memorial), we arrived at Wakayama. A visit to the local castle and little restaurants was worth while the train trip down!

Junko, Part 3.5

2007-12-27T22:35:00.000+01:00

Tokyo, Montluçon, Amsterdam and now Tokyo again; meeting up with Junko is truly a worldly event. Just fresh from her own holidays, Junko is never tired for a nice meal and 'a' drink!

Japan, here I am!

2007-12-27T22:26:00.000+01:00

Yes! My holiday has finally started and we just arrived in Japan! Flying business class never really tires and even provides nice views: Mt. Fuji. This was my 3rd try of seeing this illustrious mountain, previous trips to Hakone were always accompanied by heavy fog!