h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

JEllen!
Well, there might be a difference, although slightly, between you and me. I understand what you are saying about not being able to call R. Believe me, I know the feeling! I have had it a lot the last couple of days and had to restrain myself a lot too.
But luckily I do have my wonderful girlfriend that is here for me all the time and that I can't even get away from because we are living together .
And I have got quite a lot of friends that I might not talk with often but that are there for me now. So it is not like I don't have anyone else. I am gifted with loving people all around me.

This might be a difference from your situation. Are you still living at home, or living on your own. Sorry for asking, I don't know your age, so I hopefully will be alright after this!
It is nice for you that you have a good contact with your siblings, that might help you a bit. And I don't know about you, but I have some online or even email friends and they are wonderful too! And just writing on here and reading other peoples stories helps me a lot in knowing I am NOT alone!

My feeling is that yes, I do develop new friendships, but they tend to be with people who are living in a totally different country then where I live. Otherwise I would have invited you to go see a movie together with me... But I guess that's a bit too far away.

But hey, we can always start an online friendship... I would like to! I have got all the IM clients, so if you want to chat with me just tell me and we could start a friendship, can't we?

Good luck in your every day life and trying to build up friendships, I hope it works out for you!

Jacqueline

Hi Jacqueline. The only instant messenger I have is AOL, you probably don't have that one do you? You're online now, I can see your "eyes", but you are not showing up on my instant message list. I assume you are Angelasgf on IM too?

It must be, what late morning, early afternoon, where you are? It's nearly 6am here, I've been up all night, which is not at all unusual. I went to another singles group dinner tonight. It was fun, but I still feel very much "the new one."

Watched Braveheart again tonight. I like that movie - it had a good cast.

JEllen

Hey, I did a nice long journal entry about Memphis, you might want to drop by and check it out.

Hiya,

well, I do have AOL and I am on now...if you are reading this. And yes, I am also angelasgf@aol!

Hope to see you soon online! What is your aol? If you don't want to tell me on here, then please mail me at: hotmail, same nickname!

Jacqueline

Yah, I'm Justforh2g2Ellen. I'll look for your name to pop up next time I see you on h2g2.

Hi JEllen,

I have added you to my contact list (I use Trillian for all the chat clients) but don't know yet if I succeeded...

Hope to talk to you on AOL!

Bye, Jacqueline

Hi Jacqueline, have you heard about how the Supreme Court just struck down the sodomy laws here in the States? I think that is great news, and it is long overdue. Couples should have freedom in their private lives. I guess it doesn't really affect you in Holland, but you must be glad I bet. It's a big victory for gay rights.

Hi JEllen,

I happened to read about it in the newspaper this morning. It is great news, although I fear that the public opinion in some parts of the States will need a lot more time to change as well. Even in Holland, were the law has been quite liberal for a number of years, there still a fair amount of people againt homosexual relationships.

But, an important step forward has been made!

Terry

Hi,

yes I have heard something about it and it is really great! We are really lucky to be living in Holland, because people are quite tolerant and at least officially we are allowed to be a couple or to be married. In the USA, unfortunately it is still difficult for lesbians and gays. Hopefully that's going to change now. But I won't count on it too much...

Bye, Jacqueline

Hi Jacqueline,

Just curious: did you have a good time in Belgium last weekend?
Lots of and and ?
Terry

Hi,

Yeah, as a matter of fact, we had a great time! It was nice to see our British friend again and the weather was beautiful! Ok, because you asked for it, a quick recap of the weekend:

Friday, I went to Brussels with Euroline, the trip took 4.5 hours. I arrived at the hotel around 17:00. Our friend (Phil) would only arrive at about 23:00, or so I thought. Anyway, went out for a nice meal and didn't do much really... He only arrived at 00:30 though, because his flight had been delayed. But we talked a lot and laughed a lot too,... I talked to him about things I couldn't have dreamt about telling him some years ago...

Saturday we went out early, took a stroll through Brussels and then went to the Atomium and Little Europe. Little Europe is something like Madurodam but then with things of the whole of Europe... Atomium should be an iron molecule about 35.000 times enlarged...
That was really nice, although the atomium I don't know was somehow a bit of a dissapointment, little Europe was great though! In the evening with had a walk through Brussels, trying to find some of the wall murals...the once we found were wonderful... But we kept on getting lost so in the end we decided to eat some dinner and then go back to the hotel...

Sunday we had early breakfast and then went to the train station to go to Bruges. The weather was marvellous, again! And Bruges was really lovely, but we had kinda seen it within 2 hours! We didn't go into anything just walked around, that might be why it only took that short. Anyway, we had a really nice lunch (a farmer's pancake with brown sugar, ice cream and whipped cream...YUM!) and then walked back to the station to go back to Brussels. After we arrived in Brussels we first went to eat some Haagen Daz Ice Cream ( 8 Euros per serving, but trust me, it was worth it!) and then set out to find Janneke Pis. Last time we'd been there for a day we had seen Manneke Pis, but there is also a female version. Well, it was definitely worth the search! The expression on her face is just priceless!!! She is much better than Manneke Pis, actually, or so we think! Later that night we went out for a meal and watched people from the terrace...that was so good! Then we walked to the end of the Upper Town and from there we had a good view on the Lower Town, which was marvellous ( I made some pictures from it, but I don't think I've catched that!), even at 23:00 it was still about 22 degrees! We went to the hotel around 23:15, exhausted, but happy! We talked a lot again...which we had done the evenings before as well... and fell asleep too late really.

Next day, it was basically: long breakfast, check out, back to the station where he had to get his bus to the airport and where the Eurolines bus left. We had a tea over there while talking about whatever we wanted to visit next and then we said goodbye. My trip back took 4.5 hours again and Angela came to pick me up, after which we went to eat in our favorite A'dam restaurant. I have to tell you, I was absolutely exhausted, but it had be fabulous!!!

If you want to see pictures, just let me know...

Hugs, Jacqueline

Hi Jacqueline,

You really did have a good time over there!
I have to go to Brussels on business trips several times a year, but somehow I never seem to find the time to visit the place properly. (I did manage to see Janneke, though!)
I am somewhat surprised that you stayed in Bruges for only two hours!
I think it is one of the most wonderful places I have ever seen, third only after Florence and Prague. So relaxed and friendly and full of hidden alleys and medieval streets, great pubs and restaurants. Well, anyway, it is nice to see you all happy and excited about the weekend. That's a friendship that DOES work for you!

Last weekend was the great Summer Meet of H2G2 researchers in London. I saw some pictures of this event and felt really jealous. I hope the Dutch Researchers meet sometime this year and have the same amount of fun! And, of course, I'd love to meet you!

Last week I wrote a silly entry based on Paul Simon's 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover. Today I found it in ! My first ever article in a paper. I will be a famous author one day!

Gotta go now!

Big (and a small )
Terry

Oooo, yummy, pancakes with brown sugar and ice cream sounds wonderful - I've never had them that way, but I will have to fix some soon. Glad you had a fun trip Jacqueline!

Congrats Terry on the Post article, I'll head over and read it now.

JEllen

Hiya all,

sorry for not mailing, but the last couple of days were quite busy. Well, I have had a great time in Bruges/Brussels but we didn't have a long time in Bruges because we didn't visit any museums or anything. And it was really hot, so not much energy for walking.

Then another update on the situation with my friend. Well, she started talking to me suddenly and told me she had been really, really angry when she had received my email. That was why she hadn't replied yet. We kinda discussed it and she said she had just been really busy and in love and that everyone else had been good about it. I told her that it was especially the way in which it happened, not the problem in particular. Well, she told me that she almost had the feeling I was her gf or something and I told her that it had just been really difficult to explain how I felt. Well, now we are just talking when we both have time and I don't really count on anything. My feeling has been really difficult anyway and I guess that left it's marks on me... Well, we'll see what happens.

How are you both?

Hugs, Jacqueline

Hi Jacqueline ,

I am fine! I just came in from playing with my band. A colleague came to see us with some of her mates from the University Boating Club.
They have a big party late September (yes, the very same weekend the Dutch Meet is planned ) and are looking for bands. We are the third band they see, and she told me that we were the best by far!
She also told me that she found it very strange that I am doing my job instead of being a performer all the time. That is a serious compliment!

I had been wondering whether or not your friend had replied yet, but you seemed so happy from the weekend in Belgium, that I didn't want to spoil your fun by asking about it. Maybe you are right about seeing what will happen. Make sure you know which boundaries you don't want her to cross and see what you can (both?) win from this.
It is good that you are talking to her, always better than a nasty reply and a lost friendship.

Gotta go now, my computer is having strange hiccups and lots of blue screens. I'll catch you later this week.

Oh, and the Dutch meet is not over for me yet, I will be able to be there on Friday (I live only 25 kms from Alphen) and perhaps on Sunday. (And Saturday if the gig is not booked for some reason)

Terry

I got a reply from my friend R too. Says she's sorry that we're not close anymore, and sorry that she can't explain any better why. But she says she still values my friendship. I'm just kind of pondering that tonight.

JEllen

Hello!

Well, just a small reply from here. It has been really hot today, so I spend most of the day inside. Because there are vans here and cold water. I have studied some English today and now I am just watching tv and reading/writing some emails.

Just wanted to say that I am still alive...

Bye, Jacqueline