Lighting the flame

The first pictures of today were actually taken right before going to bed. The flame barer on his way to light the Olympic flame.

His posture seems to say "OK, is this ever gonna happen?".

But then... IGNITION!

After having slept and being woken up by hailstorms and slept again we got up and went to the post office to pay some bills. Bloody Andre Rieu is still haunting us. When will it stop?!

Then it was off to the central market. On the way there I was traffic-offended in the worst way ever during my driving career by an absolute CNUT who was 4 metres behind me in the lane left of me while approaching a merge and then decided to quickly take me over and push me out. I was ready to drag him out of his car but unfortunately we couldn't stop. Very, VERY aggravating...

Outside the bus station where we eventually parked a group of guys was playing basket ball.

Nicole in her favourite asian shop.

Red and blue crabs at a fish shop.

When we walked back to the car it started pouring down again. We are getting exceptional amounts of rain here these days. South Australia needs it more than ever so we can't complain really.

At home I could see the cocky in her cage from within my own cage.

I basically spent the rest of the day (and still am) reading up on digital railroad systems. A pricey and technical (what else?!) business required for my coffee table model railroad track that will some day come to existence.

(photo ripped from Ilse's blog)
My dad and my sister, Ilse. They picked him up last night at 2AM after having done volunteer work in Moldavia for three weeks. He went there with a group of other people (about 25 of them) to build an extension to an old folks home. There was also some renovation involved. The people there lived in shocking conditions. They did a LOT of good work.

I phoned him and we talked for almost 30 minutes. Apart from the good things he's also seen a lot of crap there. That was to be expected in a third world country. Crossing the border at Ukraine and Poland was outrageous. At the Ukraine they made them wait five hours because three people went home by themselves and were therefore not in the bus. They were on the passenger list though. Big issue. And because you are transporting three people LESS then stated on your papers, we fine you 300 euro! (they forgot to mention that they just made that rule up and that the money would be split between Pjotr, Dimitri and Vladimir who happened to be the lucky border patrollers that hour). After paying the 300 they were allowed to enter the Ukraine. One country off of my to-visit list.

The passport chick in Poland also still lived in her own pre-EU world. She took her time and then said that it would go a lot faster if she could get 2 packets of coffee. Poland is a member of the EU, profiting in many ways. I guess she thought this was one of them. They should have driven over that cow and reversed. Actually, reverse all the way back to Ukraine and do the same with Pjotr, Dimitri and Vladimir.

Anyway, my dad is back home again in good condition so we're all happy :-)

More photo's of this at Ilse's blog.