X-mas

X-mas is already over, time flies when you're having fun :). We had a good time, and even my tree made it till X-mas, but now it drying out quickly. I think it will stay till New Years, and that's it. I didn't put the little angles in, I'll leave those for next year.

On X-mas morning I went skiing with my dad, and in the afternoon I had to go to work quickly to feed some cells. I x-country skied to work on my new skies. They are lovely :) On the way back I met Siebren and my dad on Bolgen Plaza. Bolgen is always nice in winter with nice weather. A lot of people come there to Apres ski and to enjoy the sunshine :) Also lots of paragliders pick Bolgen as their landing spot, always an exciting sight.

After the sun dropped behind the mountain we went home because it became cold and I had to cook the turkey. While the turkey was cooking in the oven, we had a drink and opened some presents. I had bought some small gifts, because I think they look nice under the tree, and Siebren brought some gifts from his mum :) He had bought me two beautiful shawls.

On Boxing day (second X-mas day in the Netherlands) we went skiing on Jakobshorn, but the snow wasn't very good. We stayed there untill lunch beacause we met my mum there to eat some lovely Freddy Fries at Fuxagufer. Jakobshorn is very nice for drinking and eating, but for skiing I prefer Parsenn, especially with the small amount of snow we have now. For some reason the snow on Parsenn is just a little better.

As you can see on the picture from Schifer lift, there isn't much snow here at all. Almost all the snow on the slopes is man made. But there is some hope. According to most weather forecasts there will be a lot of snow coming from Monday on :) We need it.... If the weather stays like this, I am sure they will have to close some runs....

Well, I am off to London tomorrow morning, I will write again when I am back... Have a good New Year!!!

PS. As always, pics on Dutch Blog

Skiplausch

My parents have been here for 2 days now and we have done quite some skiing already. My mum stays on the langlaufloipes (x-coutry tracks), and me and my dad have been on Parsenn. Tpday we missed an exit... We planned to go to the Schifer lift, but we ended up on the piste to Kloster... Well, that one was on the 'to do' list of my dad, so, that's one is done. The snow isn't too bad and a lot of pistes are open. OK, it is mostly artificial snow, because we've been having blue skies only. I guess we'll have to wait till January to get some real snow. I have put a picture of my dad in action in the Dutch blog :)

X-mas tree 2

You know where to find the picture :) On Thursday I'll get some more decorations, so maybe when they are in the tree I will put up an other picture....

X-mas tree

Yep, I have a X-mas tree, the first one of my life :) This is the first time I have an apartment where I can put one without it taling up all the space:) Siebren and I baked tree decorations last Sunday. I didn't feel like spending a fortune on X-mas balls, and I have to say, that the decorations I have now look very nice in my tree :)

It is almost X-mas, and this Thursday, my parents will arrive to spend X-mas and New Years here in Davos. My dad is very excited to use his 'new' skis :) Unfortunately, there isn't that much snow here yet, but the snow on the pistes is pretty good. I just hope it won't get too crowded over X-mas. If all goed according to plan, Madrisa, Pischa and Rinerhorn will open this Friday, so, we'll see. I know that they are making snow on Rinerhorn, so, let's see how that'll be.

I don't seem to be able to locate the cable of my camera, so a picture of my tree will have to wait till tomorrow...

I wish you all a merry X-mas!!

I almost forgot...

I wanted to show you some pics from during the AO course. I have put them on the Dutch blog. You can see me sitting in the 'studio'. I had to be there almost all day playing with the switches for sound and lights :)

The other picture shows the candidates during the 'practicals'. Per pair they got a plastic model of a lower leg, and had to fix the fracture in there :)

Winter has come to Davos

It is finally cold here :) We also had quite a bit of snow last Saturday. It was horrible weather to ski, but nice to lie on the couch and watch a movie :) We did go up to ski for a bit, but we couldn't see much and it was unpleasantly cold.

Sunday on the other hand was a great day for skiing, but many impatient people have wrecked their skis on not so deep, but very tempting powder snow... Too bad the layer underneath excited of rocks... I didn't do much off piste, just a little very close to the piste, and only hit one rock, no damage to the skis :) (some pics on Dutch Blog).

Also some X-country trails have opened, can't wait till I can buy new X-country skis:) I am really looking forward to start the 'skating' again. Talking about skating... They have started to make ice at the oval :) I think I'll try it again this year, just for fun.... (Hmmm, nice sunny skate at lunch time)...

A drawback of winter is not the cold (I also biked in Calgary) but the road situation. Just imagine a road covered in slushy snow. Then take a couple of cars and heavy truck cutting nice patterns into then snow with snowchains, and then imagine this cut up snow freeze again overnight. Now imagine riding your bike over this.... Sounds like fun eh!

I haven't fallen off my bike yet, let's hope I'll keep it this way.....

Banquet

Last week Thursday was the last day of this years first Davos AO course week. This means traditionally that we have to celebrate by going to the course banquet. It was great! Lot's of fun, and of course great food :) The food was a bit different from last year, which was actually quite nice. We were welcomed at the congress center with some champagne, and music. When the food was ready we went to 'our' table. I'll show some pictures now (Dutch Blog), and maybe some leter when I'll get more :)

After the food there was of course the dancing. The band was funny (same as last year), and played a combination of great and less appropriate oldies, but we had a great time.

Well, have a look at the pics :)

Snow

It is finally snowing :) I am still working at the AO course, playing with the sound and ligth switches but not very busy now. It will be busy in half an hour. This afternoon I went to the AO, to work in my PhD project for a couple of hours over lunch time, and on the way back, the rain was turning into snow :) I had to go outside a minute ago, and it turned into full heavy snow :) Let's ope it'll stay.

That's it for now

AO Courses

This week the AO courses are taking place here in Davos. This means that the town of Davos is full of surgeons that think they need to learn more about a surgery techinques in general, or specific new or old techniques developes by the AO. Because the organization is a lot of work, many ytudents were asked to help out, so that is why I am sitteng att he conference centre right now. My job is to make sure the lights are on and ff at the right moments, and that the instruction viedeos are started, and during discussion session, we have to run around and give people that wish to speak a microphone, so the rest of the room can hear them. Sometimes it is pretty busy, especially when the microphones and the ligths have to be manned at the same time (in two different rooms).

So far it is going well, and luckily there are also plenty of times when we have hardly anything to do (now for example). I have just shown the video and all participents are drilling and screwing into plastic models of a lower leg. I guess they have to fix a fracture in the plastic Talus bone that is somewhere inside this model. It looks like a fun job, especially since the model doesn't bleed :) They are very wel made.

During the long lunchtime most participents go sliing, or hiking. Since there isn't that much snow yet the latter is probably more popular. BUT, good news... From Wednesday on it is supposed to snow!! I have even seen a forecast of 'heavy snowfall', meaning more than 30 cm down here in Davos, and more up the moutain :) So, this is looking good :)

OK, I stop now, so my team mates can use the computer :) Maybe a picture later....