Recently we did a trail near Sloten. I’d like to share some images with you.

1. The church of Wyckel

A very large church for such a small village.

2. Sailing on the Slotermeer (Lake of Sloten)

Boat was gaining speed again after a tack manouvre.

3. What’s in boats name?

This boat rental company has a simple solution for the boat’s names: #1, #2…

4. A perfectly relaxed animal

As seen on a terrace in Sloten.

I tried Khoreshte fesenjun but am afraid that it lacked some taste. However, the rate of colourfullness was ok.

Maybe an idea to cook by myself with this recipe.

It takes the ferry of AG Ems (Borkumlijn) about 50 minutes to reach Borkum after departure from the Eemshaven.

It was a good day to watch ships during the trip from Eemshaven to Borkum.

1. The ferry ‘ Nordlicht’  heading for Emden

2. The Pilot vessel ‘Kapitan Bleeker’

3. The ferry ‘ Ostfriesland’  leaving the port of Borkum

1. Scenery beneath the entry road of the Church of Annunciation (Nazareth) Photo taken: June 5th, 2012

Christian pilgrims are warned… You may consider this sign as intolerant? I can image that fully. But a fellow pilgrim said wisely: rejoice that this is possible in the modern state of Israel.
Yes, that makes sense.

2.  Scenery shows The Separation Wall (between Jeruzalem and Bethlehem)
Photo #2 and #3 taken: June 8th, 2012

Meet the Separation Barrier, aka: The Fence, The Anti-Terrorist Fence or just: The Wall. The Wall locks up 665,600 (Source: Gilbert) human beings on the West Bank.

The Berlin Wall held 28 years (1961-1989) and locked up 16,111,000 inhabitants of the German Democratic Republic .

How long will this 21th century Wall still stand?

Van 4 t/m 11 juni 2012 heb ik deelgenomen aan een Israëlreis. De reis werd – met heel veel passie – begeleid door pastor Nellie Sluis, verbonden aan de Vijf Samenwerkende Parochies van Noord-Groningen. Ik wil Nellie hartelijk bedanken voor haar zorg en onvermoeibare inzet om voor iedere deelnemer (totaal: 49 personen) de reis tot een succes te maken.

De week heb ik ervaren als een onderdompeling in het Heilige Land, en als zeer intensief: het programma was vol. Overvol met bezoeken aan heilige plaatsen, en daarom zou ik de Israëlreis een pelgrimage willen noemen.
Een pelgrim bezoekt immers heilige plaatsen. Een doel van de pelgrim is om er geweest te zijn, maar dit vind ik een beperkt doel. Wat ik veel interessanter vind is wat zo’n bezoek met je doet.

Welke heilige plaatsen deden wat met mij? Welke raakten mij? En waarom?

Mijn Top 7:

1. Heilig Grafkerk (Jeruzalem)
   Als protestant vond ik een bijzondere ervaring mijn rozenkrans te mogen wijden op de Steen der Balseming.
2. Domus Galilea (meer van Tiberias)
   Ik werd getroffen door het icoon dat de achterwand van de kloosterkerk siert. Het icoon toont het Laatste Oordeel. De Hel is zichtbaar maar heeft geen bewoners op de duivel en één verloren ziel na. Een krachtige manier om de genade van God te tonen en daarmee de hoop die we als mensen mogen koesteren.
3. De Berg Tabor (bij Nazareth)
   Een eenzame plek boven op de berg die volmaakte stilte en rust uitstraalt.
4. Tabgha (meer van Tiberias)
   De kerk van Tabgha herinnert  aan de Wonderbaarlijke Spijziging. De vissen zwemmen nog steeds rond in de vijver voor de kerkingang.
5. Geboortekerk (Bethlehem)
   Een plek waar Christendom en Islam elkaar in de ogen kijken.  Zeker als het vrijdag is en rond het islamitisch middaggebed. Iedere oecumenische gedachte lijkt hier ver weg te zijn.
6. Ecce Homo (Jeruzalem)
   Deze kerk markeert het begin van de Via Dolorosa. De geschiedenis van de veroordeling van Jezus is hier tastbaar.
7. St. Petrus in Gallicantu (Jeruzalem)
   Op deze plek zei Petrus volgens de traditie: ‘ ik ken Hem niet’ (3x). De kerk is een eerbewijs aan de deugd van de Trouw.

Naast al die heilige plaatsen was er overigens voldoende gelegenheid om kennis te maken met die andere geneugten van Israël: het klimaat, veel natuurschoon en een keuken die is als het land zelf. Een mengsel van Christelijke, Joodse en Islamitische invloeden. Zoals ook blijkt uit de Mazza:

Mazza zijn voorgerechten die met name gefundeerd zijn op de Arabische keuken.

We started in Middelstum and via Kantens and Toornwerd we returned in Middelstum. The weather was windy (NW, Beaufort 4-5) with low temperatures (Celcius: 12 maximum) for May but no rain after all. I consider dry conditions as fun factor #1 for hikers.

When walking on the ‘Hogeland’ the churches are eyecatchers, specially the Church of Saint Hippolytus (Middelstum).

The looks of this large church are from the 16th century and specially the tower is  high.

The Church of Antonius in Kantens is smaller with a  modest tower but the looks of this church hasn’t (hardly) change since the 2nd part of the 13th century. Amazing when you think about that: only 7 centuries ago.

More than a year ago I wrote after trying the Samsung Galaxy Tab: “When will the iPad be available?”

This has unfortunately taken some time for different reasons but this weekend I am allowed to try the iPad. What’s up with the Look and Feel of the first tablet computer ever?

Look
It looks really good to me. The rear of the iPad is packed in a silverjacket.  The touch screen shows high quality graphics. The screen is protected by a Original Genuine Smart Cover. The cover is an example of smart innovation: it works as a switch for wake up/go to sleep, as a keyboard stand and more… amazing.

Feel
Touching the rear of the iPad causes a sensation of  ‘coldness’.  It’s really genuine metal. This surprised me in our plastic world.
Touching the screen is also a surprise. It is responsive (but not too much) and working with it is really a pleasure.

I consider the iPad as smooth and easy. It’s cool to use and I guess exactly what Steve Jobs meant what Apple products must be: an experience for the user.

But there is more…
The iPad delivers experiences, but is their more? Yes, any tablet computer will need software and delivers content.

In this regard I am afraid access to software or content with an iPad is restricted or difficult.
Software: there’s an app for that, but it will only be delivered through the Apple Appstore.
Content: E-books are more and more common and popular. But you’re asked to buy special iPad books.
I don’t like this sense of restricted access very much.

Therefore the perfect tablet computer for me would be an iPad with Android.

When I visited the Rheinturm I took a photo of the Landtag from above (168 metres above ground level).

Very strange how the huge Landtag building looks like from above.

I wonder: Are architects interested in how their creation will look like from above?

I joined this unconference because I was curious about it. What in the world is an UNconference?
In Amsterdam [thanks for the hospitality: Hogeschool van Amsterdam] I discovered the most important features of an unconference:

• highly informal;
• less structure;
• program? Must be compiled by the participants.

And the very interesting program was compiled: in less than an hour. I was surprised about the fact that a group of 150 human beings (which in most cases do not know each other IRL) is able to reach this, compared with the time which was necessary.

I am convinced that an unconference has potential to gather people, connect them and as a result: share ideas and knowledge in an highly effective way.

LibCampNL was very well organised and prepared by @librarydonna
@wbk500; @jstaaks; @DapperBas and @Tenaanval. Thank you so much for that!

More content? Just use the Twitter hashtag: #Libcampnl12

Preparing a poster session is hard work. It’s difficult to summarize your research on a piece of paper. And it should be done in a visually oriented way, not textual. This site was a great help.
I hope I’ve succeed. Maybe, however, there was a lot of discussion, and lots of feedback:

1. Try to answer the ‘why‘  question. Why the difference between their daily lifes and as library patrons?
2. Your research is interesting but it is quantitative orientated. Is this the right method for your purpose?
3. Your sample (N=68) is restricted. Try to get more data about another group of students. Maybe you can spread your survey on another institution for higher education?

Enough to think about.

When I moved around I saw a lot of young people. ‘ Yes, Bobcatsss is specially for students and young professionals in the field of information’, so said a member of the organization committee to me. ‘ But also older professionals are very welcome to present their papers, doing a workshop and share so their knowledge and experience’, she contined. Hmm, nice to hear, but I felt old