Thomas Bosboom

  • Vilnius

    I managed to get a ticket to Vilnius for next to nothing. With Baltic Air. On a Fokker 50 propeller driven, duct tape enhanced peace of nostalgia.
    No worries though. There where only 10 passengers on the flight so it must have been light work for the machine.
    On the airport I had some very friendly assistance from a local who was also taking the bus to the old town, he even paid my bus ticket. Nice!
    From the bus stop i had a pleasant walk through most of the old town part of Vilnius which looked nice enough. The hostel was located on a small alley just off one of the main streets, tricky to find but a very cozy hostel.

    I was feeling brave that night so I decided to go ahead and try the local special dish, "Zeppelins".  As all Lithuanian food, the main contents are potato and meat. Zeppelins are like small meatballs, covered in a 2 cm thick layer of potato dough, liberally sprinkled with cream and other artery clogging stuff.  I can’t say it is the most refined meal but it certainly helps you regain your strength.

    Monday I spent most of the day running around old town Vilnius, which really is beautiful. Aside from the churches, which are nice, there are the most amazing views to be found when you just wander around.
    Feeling rather chilly after this, I decided to visit a museum. Something warm and cozy …. well, maybe not. The local KGB museum is quite impressive, so I went there. It certainly was impressive, documenting the Russian oppression on the first floor and in the cellar, the original KGB prison could be viewed. People tend to think of the Germans as nasty to oppressed peoples, but the russians were quite capable as well.

    Back in the hostel I happend to meet two dutch girls and a guy, Carla, Jacqueline and Merijn if I remember correctly. We had a little dutch night out in a pub, broadeway, just around the corner from the hostel.  The pub featured a number of live perfomances by local musicians. Some were very good, others weren’t

    Then came the time to leave.. unfortunately there where no direct busses to Lviv.
     Which explains how I ended up in Krakow, which I’ll post about later.

    The photos I made in Vilnius are here, including some bonus comments

  • Helsinki

    Harbour in HelsinkiSunday I made a short trip to Finland, Helsinki. It was quite the experience. The first three hours I spend in a corner of the bar onboard the ferry, wondering how these people manage to drink beer before breakfast.
    I am not the kind of guy who absolutely needs sunshine to enjoy a place but Helsinki was positively dreary that day, even to my taste. I think the photo’s will reflect that.
     
    I did enjoy the sculptures that are all over the center. I can see that the place must be kind of charming when you’re really into shopping or something.

    So here are the pictures, and I’m off, back to Talinn!

  • Korte update uit Talinn

    Sorry to my english speaking friends, I just typed this message in dutch and now realise I promised you to swtich to english.
    The very short version in english: i´m doing fine 😉 the next update will be translated for you!

    Inmiddels zit ik alweer twee dagen in Talinn. Vergeleken met Riga is het hier eigenlijk weer wat meer west europees, maar de prijzen zijn nog erg vriendelijk. Je kan hier voor 5 euro prima een hap buiten de deur eten met een pint lokaal bier erbij…
    Ik heb vandaag een Zorki C camera gekocht, een russchische kloon van de Leica 2 rangefinder cameras. Is weer eens wat anders dan een digitale camera. Maar wel een mooi stukje sowjet techniek uit de jaren 50, gebouwd als een tank.
    Was ook wel een avontuur om te kopen, samen met een australische jongen uit het hostel op de russische tweedehandsmarkt.
    Ik heb weer een boel fotos maar de internet verbinding is hier zo traag dat die nog even op zich laten wachten.
    Binnenkort dus meer en dan hopelijk met fotos!

  • Riga – buiten de gebaande paden

    Vandaag ben ik buiten het toerischtische gedeelte gaan kijken, onder andere naar het spoorweg museum, naar het industriele oude havengebied, naar de prachtige oude wijken met klassieke gebouwen en van daar weer door het oude centrum terug.
    Erg mooi allemaal, de contrasten die je hier vind zijn te gek om te fotograferen.

    http://thomas.macconsultant.nl/GL_Gallery2/riga2/

    Morgen ga ik verder naar Talinn, als alles goed gaat…

     

     Uitzicht

    Oud en nieuw

  • Bericht uit Riga

    Ik ben inmiddels rustig Riga aan het verkennen. Ik heb een aantal foto’s, met commentaren, online gezet in de gallery:
    http://thomas.macconsultant.nl/GL_Gallery2/Riga/

    Kort gezegd: het is een hele ontdekkingsreis, maar zeker leuk. Probeer maar eens ingredienten voor pasta te vinden in de supermarkt hier…

    Ik ben ook blij met mijn thermo ondergoed inmiddels, bij temperaturen onder nul de hele dag buiten fotograferen is tamelijk fris!

  • Bericht uit Berlijn

    Een eerste berichtje uit het Oosten: ik zit nu met Renee in berlijn en check even snel hoe het staat met mijn bulaanvraag. Het lijkt allemaal goed te gaan, gelukkig.

    Ondertussen zit ik met Renée super luxe in een suite van 80 m net onder de Zoo, een prima plekje echt. We hebben zelfs TV in de zitkamer en in de slaapkamer. Het ligbad is fijn, de keuken heeft een wasmachine … we willen bijna niet meer naar buiten.

    Dat hebben we gelukkig wel gedaan, en dat bevalt ook prima. Mooie stad, mooie musea, rijke historie en het weer zit zelfs behoorlijk mee!


    In de Zoo


    Verplicht nummertje


    De originele muur, incl. de achterliggende lege strook… (Bernauer strase)


    Op aanraden van Lisa bij kunstenaarskolonie in Tacheles, erg cool en een beetje eng ook wel. Te gekke kunst, aanradertje voor Marek …

    Mijn tijd is op, ik meld me snel weer met meer!

  • Kotter on Change Management

    More or less a reminder to myself:

    Harvard Business School professor John P. Kotter outlined an eight-stage change management process in his 1996 book, Leading Change. This framework has been embraced by many as an accurate representation of the steps needed to effect major change within an organization.

    Kotter’s 8-stage Change Management Process

    1. Establish a Sense of Urgency

    Often employees do not take the need for change seriously enough; the organization is often very complacent. The effective change leader will educate the organization about the urgent need for change and the consequences of sticking to the status quo.

    2. Create a Guiding Coalition

    The change leader should assemble a group of people who support the need for change and have enough institutional clout to make change happen; the task is then to get this coalition to work together as a team.

    3. Develop a Vision and Strategy

    A change leader needs to present a picture (or vision) of what the organization will look like after the change and to propose strategies to move the organization to this ideal state. The goal of the vision is to get employee buy-in, so employee participation in articulating the vision is useful.

    4. Communicate the Change Vision

    The change leader must coordinate a communications effort that broadcasts the new vision and strategies. Management must communicate the vision of change to all relevant employees to further develop buy-in. Kotter believes that the guiding coalition should “model the behavior expected of employees.”

    5. Empower Action

    Management should remove barriers that impede change. Employees should know that acting in accord with the vision will be rewarded. Risk taking should be encouraged.

    6. Generate Short-Term Wins

    By breaking up the desired change into smaller steps, change leaders can create a feeling of progress as well as opportunities to reward employees for success. This progress should be communicated widely so it is recognized throughout the organization that change is happening.

    7. Consolidate Gains and Produce More Change

    Change leaders can use the increased credibility that comes with early “wins” to alter whatever in the organization doesn’t fit the vision. Recruiting and promoting those who can advance the change process (or perhaps even help lead it) is vital in continuing progress.

    8. Anchor New Approaches in the Culture

    Emphasizing the benefits of the change effort, and linking it to organizational success, is one way to help anchor the new approach. The idea is to have new practices replace the old culture. (This final step takes time; it comes last in the transformation process).

  • Scherpe amerikaanse cabaretier: George Carlin

    Leuk & kritisch, een goede combi:
    http://www.flabber.nl/archief/021482.php

    Meer filmpjes achter de “read more” knop

  • Nieuw icon voor Tekstedit in Leopard

    Toch mooi die high-res icons. Volgende stap is dat de hele tekst er op past:
    Here’s to the crazy ones.

    The misfits.

    The rebels.

    The troublemakers.

    The round pegs in the square holes.

    The ones who see things differently.

    They’re not fond of rules.

    And they have no respect for the status quo.

    You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,

    disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

    About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

    Because they change things.

    They invent. They imagine. They heal.

    They explore. They create. They inspire.

    They push the human race forward.

    Maybe they have to be crazy.

    How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
    Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
    Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

    We make tools for these kinds of people.

    While some see them as the crazy ones,
    we see genius.

    Because the people who are crazy enough to think
    they can change the world, are the ones who do.

  • What do you make?

    Leuk punt, helder uitgelegd.

    Leuk punt, helder uitgelegd.