Una vida Holandesa en Mallorca

Last saturday I was invited to accompany friends on a flight over the Tramuntana in a 4-seat plane. Incredible! The weather was excellent, views great! Here a picture of Sa Calobra from the air.........

Now it really gets interesting.....
My country vs. the country I live in, it will be exciting (and a bit scary) sunday...... Lucky I have my orange vuvuzuela (and Spanish are not as enthusiastic with these kind of details)

This is the first time in my life that I am officially on strike. Okay, I am working (who cares if I work or not? well me when that paper does not get finished!) but anyway I signed up for the official strike. The Spanish government decided it was easier to lower the salary of it governmental employees (ambtenaren and contracts) then raise taxes on second, third or fourth houses, cars, or high (commercial) salaries. After 6 years (postdoc-ing) in Spain, I still EARN LESS THAN A DUTCH PHD STUDENT 6 YEARS AGO (I am sure they even earn more at this time). And for those that say that life must be cheap here: Well NO. Only my car, and food&drinks in bars, in the supermarket it is similar and clothes (especially children´s clothes) and many other things (e.g. IKEA) are CHEAPER in Holland. It is a disgrace how low the salaries (and pensions) are in Spain. And the politicians rob the country clean, millions stolen only in the Balearics, if only they´d return that.................
So I do NOT agree with this proposed 5% LOWER income. Fuck you Spanish government. Take my day´s salary and the penalty on participating in the strike and choke on it.

We will be almost a month in Svalbard. During that time we managed to get hindered (shops closed, uni closed etc) by a total of three national holidays!!! The last one was Norway-Day.
It is a lot like Mallorca-in-the-freezer here, weird people, inefficiency, need to know people to get something done, never friendly, have managed to get kicked out of restaurants, bars AND taxis. But Mallorca has one thing going for it. They are WAY better in celebrating things:-)

Okay, 12 degrees short form the pole. But cold, icy and snowy. And full of problems........
Will upload photos when possible. Keep an eye out for my Flickr page, Facebook and our scientific blog on:
http://www.eu-atp.org/wordpress/

Last thursday I reached the bottom. I have been feeling down before but this is the only time that ´seriously really depressed´ felt like the only way to describe it. Since Easter Lucas is crying when I leave him at childcare, making me feel an awful mother. I have had so many problems and stress at my work and negative feedback that I could not see one positive point of my work anymore. I have been really tense preparing for the big experiment in Svalbard and I really doubt if things will work out. Husband has taken advantage of me still being at home and been out for work a lot. Not to mention a bit distant. I cannot describe it by words, it was a truly awful feeling. It has gotten a bit better but I still can play the harp on my nerves so tense (if I had a feeling for music that is). Tonight I am leaving. For a month. To go to the eternal day and snow at -16C. Coming from +27C, short skirts sandals and beach. 43C difference and a month away. I feel so guilty I hardly notice how much I will miss my nice sunny home and the happy (and sometimes very demanding) voice of Lucas. And it is going to be so troublesome and so hard to get this experiment done.......... Wish me luck. And my family as well......

On a positive note: these kind of moments show you how good your life actually is. I will not forget. If I ever make it back to o.a. a decent climate again.....

Beach weather!!!!!! Cala Pi is beautiful and soooooo empty in April. I brought the tent because the sun is already strong for very sensitive baby skins. Good I put sunscreen on baby. Too bad I did not on myself. Though a week April sun would not do me harm..... well. Not so much anyway. And it is a good reminder:-)