Five days in Paris

Tentokrat zase cesky :) V nedeli jsem se vratila z jako vzdy okouzlujici Parize. Thalysem (vlak) urazite 262 km jako nic - za hodinu a 15 minut. Nejvetsim zazitkem tohohle vyletu byla navsteva THALESu (svetovy leader ve vyvoji softwarovych reseni pro oblast vzdusneho prostoru, obrany a bezpecnosti) a privilegovana navsteva laboratori THERESIS (THales European REsearch centre for Security & Information Systems), pricemz v multimedialnim centru THERESISu si clovek pripada jak v daleke budoucnosti, ve Star Treku nebo v Matrixu :)
Gala dinner, ktera se konala na clunu plujicim v noci po Seine, jsem bohuzel zmeskala. Doprava z Massy Palaiseau do centra se zastavila kvuli skokanovi pod vlak a tri taxiky me odmitly vzit, ze tak daleko nejezdi. Bylo to protipravni a zvlastni, kdyz by si za jednu jizdu ridic vydelal kolem 80 EUR.
Dalsi dechberouci zazitek pro me byla osvetlena Eiffelovka, na kterou jsme se sestrou koukaly z Trocadera... Potreti v Parizi a nocni Eiffelovku teprv poprve :) Skandal :) A pak uz jen pobihani po vanocnich nakupech :)
A jeste jedna vec. Prvni vecer jsem si zasla na veceri do tradicni hospudky na Saint Michele. Abych se citila dostatecne francouzsky, objednala jsem si raclette, netusic, co je to, ani jak se to ji. Je to zvlastni, ale obycejne brambory varene ve slupce polevane rozpustenym syrem chutnaji asi nejlepe fakt v Parizi :)...

Strikes as a means of democracy?

Have you ever been on strike? Have you ever been blocked in your activity by strike? For us in ICRI now it is a big issue. These days there are strikes in Paris, Italy, there is a general strike in Greece. On Saturday there was a strike in Belgium. We cannot travel, if we are lucky we can use a taxi. Yesterday I felt desperate, today I feel angry.
Strike of course is one means of rights' protection. However, how is that with restriction of other peoples' rights? Where there is a balance? I do not think that some people just should get money or other advantages to be silent and stop blocking a country. Couldn't be such activity considered as threatening with causing a serious damage which force others to do something? In my opinion we could find some common aspects with blackmailing (crime in accordance with provision 235 of the Czech Criminal Code). However, I know this is quite strong statement.
Generally how can we differ between abusive strike and strike which aim is to fight for really just conditions? Probably the only statement I can make now is that we cannot avoid strikes. What is your opinion?

Weekend & Kerstfeest

Vzhledem k nekolika stiznostem na predchozi post v anglictine jsem se rozhodla napsat vam ted cestinou bez diakritiky...

Posloucham zrovna Son Kite - On Air a vzpominam na supr vikend. Prijela sestra z Parize. Uzily jsme si nocni atmosferu Leuvenu. Zazily stavku zeleznicaru a misto do Antwerp se v sobotu podivaly jen do Bruselu. Ale stalo to za to. V nedeli jsme silene zmokly v Oostende na molu. Bruggy jsme obdivovaly jen z vlaku. Zkoukly jsme asi 4 filmy a prokecaly cely vikend. No proste holcici zabava. (K tomu syry a sampanske, oslava nasich svatku :)... )

Ve stredu odjizdim do Parize pro zmenu ja. Ve ctvrtek a patek me ceka General Meeting meho projektu. Casem mi asi zacne opet zivot plny cestovani, tentokrat se k tomu ale prida i nocovani na hotelech...

A v patek vecer nocni Louvre a osvetlena Eiffelovka :)

Na vanocnich trzich jsem si poridila Santa's Cap asi metr dlouhou. Nezbytna pomucka pro Christmas party v MusiCafe. Libi se mi zvykat si na novou kulturu, i kdyz na Cechy nedam dopustit. A zacinam premyslet v holandstine....

Tak co, uz mate rozmyslene pripadne nakoupene darky na Vanoce? Priznam se, ze ja jeste ne... Ale zatim me to nedepta :)

From Leuven With Love

Dear friends,
I know it has been quite a long time since I posted my last contribution. It was just before I left our beautiful country for Belgium.
Since the moment I entered this state I have been catched. Catched by work, by all formalities, by everything. I dedicated myself to finding myself a nice accomodation (have a look there), to find out how ICRI works (web pages there), to dive into my project (www.serenity-project.org), to start a good course of Dutch language and to find out where the best parties take place :-)


Although I wanted to express there my passion for the life I am living there, I have not found a while until now.
First days of me being there were full of surprise. I woke up every day very early with epinephrinaemia. The most exciting part has been meeting new people and new ways of living life. So there is a list of things that fascinated me:

lockers for bicycles are more expensive than bicycles themselves

dancing on discos there is like penguin dancing (holding a beer and moving from side to side, possibly moving only your head... however, music is then more quality as you need to enjoy a party at least somehow)

very often you cannot use international bank cards in shops

in my lease contract there is written that I have to have white curtains on my windows

promotion of ecological way of life (e.g. Posters on elevators: Save energy, burn calories. You win two times.)

And concerning my work, I have to admit they take really good care about us... On a first day I got a notebook and my personal blanket not to feel cold as I sit next to a big window. In our kitchen there is a great supply of coffee. But what surpised me the most is a big amount of candles in the kitchen... Like for romantic moments in the office? Or? I have not found the answer yet.
Or mayby tonight I will find an answer, as we have a party there in Babblebox (a room for seminars) with my colleagues called Coupling Night :-D