The Road to the Horizon

How is news made?

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:58:24 PDT

A video guide for TV reporters on how to make news reports. With thanks to Jan for the tip! :-)) More satire on The Road

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Snapped: Sunset in Marche

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:05:00 PDT

An inspiring sunset in Marche

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Snapped: Views from Marche

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:34:44 PDT

This year, we went for a week to Marche, in the east of central Italy. A Friend recommended Marche as "the undiscovered Tuscany", a stretch of rolling hills between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic coast. The fields on the hills were less spacious than in Tuscany, but no less appealing: condensed fields of olive trees, vineyards, wheat and sunflowers dotted for as far as the eye can see. Here are some views taken from the house we stayed in. Our garden by sunrise At...

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Snapped: Sunflowers in Le Marche

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:15:02 PDT

Last year, I published a series of sunflower shots from Tuscany. Here is a followup from Le Marche, on the Italian east coast.

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Snapped: Sunset near Perugia

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:47:53 PDT

Impressions from a sunset near Perugia, Center Italy.

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Snapped: Orbetello

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:56:04 PDT

Many people come to Rome, and stay in the city. They miss quite a few stunning sights in the area, though. About two hours drive from the center for Rome, you'll find the peninsula of Orbetello, which I featured in some posts before. Orbetello gives an amazing view towards the mainland, and the islands of Elba and Giglio.

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Snapped: Lunch on the beach

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:01:00 PDT

It is sizzling hot here in Italy. The best place to get a refreshing breeze is... on the beach. We love to just drive off, and see where we end up. This time, we got lost somewhere a 100 miles north of Rome, on the coast. We found a small stabilimento in what must have been the southern part of Tuscany. "Stabilimenti" are the Italian version of "beach resorts". Some are just wooden shacks on the beach, nothing more than a bar which rent out beach chairs and parasols. Others are more...

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Snapped: Dinner in Fiumicino

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:01:28 PDT

It is that time of the year: evenings on the beach! There is a small shack on the beach in Fiumicino, near Rome. Nothing more than a wooden structure, few square meters of covered space, and a deck. But Stefano serves one of the best dinners around. A typical Italian setting: low key, limited choices, but fresh. And in a idyllic setting, facing west, over the Mediterranean. Dinner on the deck A view of the sea through the restaurant. A significant sign. Sunset as we...

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Picture of the Day: The loo with the most exciting view

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:40:18 PDT

Just before leaving home, I found back a box with pictures, randomly mixed. I scanned some of them. This one was taken in 1994, during our first expedition to Antarctica. I once wrote a couple of shortstories about the landing, "a day in paradise" and the departure on this remote island. We set up camp on a glacier, a few hundred feet above the ocean with a 270 degree view of the ice bergs floating by. Not much more than a wooden crate on its side with tarps tied on poles to protect...

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What is the verb for "lazy"?

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:49:23 PDT

I am "lazying"?

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Not to worry, your life is in good hands

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:58:45 PDT

Not that recent of news, but I only discovered it now: On Feb.16, one of New York's JFK's air traffic controllers thought it would be a great idea to have his kid take control of the microphone. (Full) Show the relativity of flying. Reminds me of an old joke. On the speaker of jet just after take-off: Ladies and Gentlemen, we just took off from JFK airport and are on our route to London Heathrow. This is the first commercial flight entirely controlled by computers. Having no pilots...

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The wisdom of Larry, the cable guy

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:08:56 PDT

Because it is a slow, lazy Sunday: 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a short memory. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of...

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You've been an aidworker for too long (Part 10)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:11:10 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... ..when you come home after a six month's mission in Asia and your three year old hugs the taxi driver, crying "Daddy, I missed you so much".

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You've been an aidworker for too long (9)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:20:00 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... ..if you know the different tribal chiefs in Kandahar but don't believe people claiming East" and "West"-Germany are no longer separate states.

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You've been an aidworker for too long (8)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:02:00 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... ..if after one minute of speaking your mother tongue with a colleague, you switch back to English.

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You've been an aidworker for too long (7)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:57:00 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... ..if you know the fifteen guards at the UN club in Islamabad by name, but forget how to drive to your brother's house.

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Apology on behalf of the British Weather

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:09:09 PDT

We apologise for this temporary interruption to the usual British summertime weather. We realize that temperatures above 20°C are rather inconvenient. Of course, we are working hard to ensure the speedy return of intermittent rain, cloudy weekends and days that start promisingly but turn out to be shitty. In the meantime, please do not wear socks with your sandals or try to match chequered shorts with a chequered shirt. Post inspired by UK Red Cross Blog, discovered via The NonProfit...

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You've been an aidworker for too long (6)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:50:50 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... ..if you have 20 "best friends". Who live in 19 different countries. The last time you saw any of them must have been... ooogh.. seven years ago?

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You've been an aidworker for too long (5)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:51:26 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... ..if your memory is indexed refering to the different humanitarian emergencies: - "My oldest daughter was born the year after Angola" - "I got married three years before Bosnia" - "Just after the Tsunami, my parents finished building their new house" - "I bought that car the third month after the start of Rwanda" - "My brother started his company the year before the Iraq war"

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You've been an aidworker for too long (4)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:28:12 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... when your kids hide behind your wife's skirt when you finally come home. Picture courtesy TheGotoMom

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You've been an aidworker for too long (3)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:17:44 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long... if your own dog growls at you when you finally come home.

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My daily struggles with technology

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:00:14 PDT

I shuttle between Italy and Belgium. I have an iPhone, which I use in Italy, and an old Nokia for Belgium. Yesterday, the Nokia's plastic casing just crumbled to pieces. Don't understand why. Bought it right after the Iraq emergency. That's only six years ago. Anyway I thought it would just be better to put my Belgian SIM into my iPhone when I arrive in Belgium. Swap SIMs rather than phones. Then I don't have to drag two phones with me. Seems simple enough. From time to time, I use my mobile...

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You've been an aidworker for too long (2)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:37:00 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long if... Half of garderobe consist of Tshirts from past emergencies. UN - Afghanistan 2002/Iraq 2003 UNHCR - Goma 1995 UN - Lokichoggio 1996 PS: Top Tshirt was IFRC Angola 1994

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You've been an aidworker for too long (1)

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:28:49 PDT

You've been an aidworker for too long, if... ... If you resist throwing away that torn up, washed off, ravelled UNHCR T-shirt. Nobody understands your justification "but I wore that during the Rwanda refugee operation". Your kids say it makes you look like an overaged hippie. Admittedly, the Rwanda crisis was 16 years ago. Which is a real long time in the life of a T-shirt. But the memories are still so vivid. T-shirts are forever. And so are the flashbacks that go with it.

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Picture of the day: Twitter from Space

peter@theroadtothehorizon.org (Peter) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:51:00 PDT

This picture from the Aurora Australis, or the "Southern Lights" above Antarctica was taken by an astronaut. While aboard the International Space Station, @Astro_Wheels posted it via Twitter on TwitPic. I guess he was using wireless. :-)

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