Fall day out

What do you do when you haven´t been out for a while and are bored out of your mind?

That right, you hijack friends and family to go out with you. And who knows, maybe they have some fun out of it as well. So I went to the paper exhibition at Museum Rijswijk wit my mum, on a shopping trip to the Primark in Nijmegen with my friends and to the Fall Fair at Hunting Lodge Mookerheide with both my parents. That's right, you read it: paper exhibition. Don't believe me? Check the pictures.

Watch a video tour of the exhibition here!

No pictures of the shopping and the Fall Fair though. My friends didn't really appreciate me sneaking into the changing rooms to snap their outfits (party poopers) and as for the Fall Fair, well... I totally forgot! Shopping in such a beautiful setting does that to a girl, she'll forget all about her duties to the blog. So all I can give you is and old post card, but pretty non the less I would say.

Or check out their website

Wasting time

I could write a post right now, but really, I have no idea what it would be about... My life: boring. I'm applying for jobs, and that's it. And even though it takes up some of my time, there's only so much I can do for it on a day. After the applications it can take up to three weeks before I hear something back, and in the mean time... well... I'm bored.
So I try to stay in touch with my friends, and try not to spend all my money on eBay. Cause face it: when a woman has too much time on her hands, she will shop! It's a fact of life. In fact, is has gone so bad that I'm buying stuff for my imaginary house. Ugh, I want to move out...

Got any tips to waste time?

I'll be on 9gag...

Bored...

I'm in this weird in between phase: on the one hand I love (love LOVE!) sleeping in and playing Skyrim and Assassins Creed all day, but on the other hand I also feel like a complete loser, wasting time. I knew it was going to take time to find a job, but I'm so freaking impatient! Applying, aint nobody got time for that! Even though I got rejected twice now, I've had an interview last week and one coming up this week. So I can't complain, at least I get invited right?

Applications, birthday and holiday

Top of the morning to ya (or afternoon depending on where you are)!
After my birthday weekend I thought it time to write another post and small update on my life. Although nothing really exciting has happened lately... I've been mostly busy with PhD applications and doing pre-interviews. These days there are so many people applying they have to do an interview before the actual interview. And when I say many I mean 90+ people for 1 position. At first I was really disappointed to get only 2 replies for the 5 applications I send out, but I'm quickly starting to realize it's not all that bad. But I'm afraid I'm really going to need some more replies, because after two interviews one said she had other candidates more suitable, and the other went so horribly wrong they'll never invite me for a proper interview. I really suck at this *sigh*. Why do they always have to ask such stupid questions during interviews? Like "describe yourself in 5 words" and "why do you want to be in science?". What am I supposed to do with that? I'm here because I want the job!

For all you people out there looking for a job: I now understand and feel your pain. But if you need more good replies to bullshit questions like this have a look here

But my life isn't all shit. I went to the country estate fair at Marienwaerdt with my folks. Even though it was muddy as hell we had an amazing good time, and the weather was awesome!

Find out more about this beautiful estate on their website (in Dutch only, but the pictures are gorgeous)

And of course my birthday was last Saturday the 23th, which started of with a surprise early wake up call from the florist. Thank you Mister N! The flowers are absolutely delightful!

I celebrated the rest of the day with my folks in my favorite city Utrecht! We went for tea and cake to Count Floris (right under the Dom Tour! Check out their website) and decided to do tea and cake there on Thursday after my graduation ceremony as well. 

 

Yeah, you're wondering about the bras? Me too.. Something feminist from Wageningen. But did those hill billies really have to molest our beautiful canals?! 

Summer holiday

Ah, the summer holidays! The best time of the year (after Christmas of course). It took me some time, but the paper work for official registration of my internship and funding has all been submitted. Especially the University International Office was a pain in the ass, not responding to phone calls and coming late to the appointment. But, that being said, I officially graduated on July 31! Whoohoo, go me! :D I have to wait a little to really celebrate though, as the graduation ceremony is on the 28th of August. But in the mean time I'm going to have a little fun during the summer holiday. I went to see the Grace Kelly exhibition at Palace The Loo (and no, that doesn't mean toilet!), of which you can see some details on their website. And of course I couldn't resist going to an antique market in Apeldoorn. Where I found a gorgeous ring and some champagne glasses. What more does a girl need, right? But its not all rainbows and sunshine, I'm also looking and applying for possible PhD positions, so cut me some slack will ya?!

Hope you are enjoying your holiday as much as I am!

p.s. Thanks to one of my guy friend in Oxford I now have even more time to waste playing video games such as Assassins Creed, Batman Arkham City and Skyrim. Mister N, you know I mean you and I owe you big time!

The stables of Paleis Het Loo (Palace The Loo), Apeldoorn

The gardens of Paleis Het Loo

The Grace Kelly Exhibition at Paleis Het Loo

The antique market at the town center in Apeldoorn

Home at last!

I still can't believe it: I'm finally back home! Woohoo! And more good news: today I had my final presentation for my co-supervisor at Utrecht University, which means I'm now officially done! Over! Finito! My internship (from hell) is O-V-E-R! Say it one more time! OVER! 

So lets hand this shit in and graduate! :D 

Have a nice holiday! (I know I will!) 

Freedom!

A little overdue (one week to be exact), but my internship is over! Freedom! My last day was on Thursday, which I celebrated by bringing cake to the lab. Friday was spent packing, cleaning and having a nice farewell dinner cooked by one of my girls from the lab. So sweet! 
But Saturday was the day I had been waiting for for 6 months: leaving Oxford! My parents came to pick me up late in the afternoon, stuffed my junk in the car and drove us to our holiday cottage in Moreton in Marsh. And since then is has been nothing but shopping, cream teas and country estates. Holiday Heaven! Here are some pics of places we've visited over the last few days ;)

Painswick Rococo Garden
Check out their website

 Waterperry Gardens 
Learn more about the gardens on their website