2010/05/31 Amsterdam
Taxi
How is the food?
Tonight I had dinner with the editor in chief of a Dutch newspaper.
We dined at Roberto’s in the Amsterdam Hilton. The food was good; the pasta a bit better than the carpaccio, the panna cotta was an A+.
We spoke about the newspaper business, the future, the past, love, and ambition.
When we walked out I saw an ex-girlfriend having dinner with a young man with blond hair. At least that’s what I thought.
I could have gone to her table to say hello, but I wasn’t even sure if it was my ex. Besides that I’d planned to work a bit this evening. And what do you say? “Hello, how are you? How is the food?”
So I said goodbye to the editor in chief and I asked the concierge to call a taxi for me.
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22 comments 
Reminds me of the commercial for the yellow papers you were in.
Hi, do you like my new shoes?
Panna cotta
You could have written a little note to be delivered by a waiter: "The panna cotta is irresistible today. A.G. Curlilocks."Joachim
Oh, how I loved those clips. That's when my interest in Arnon is born.Arnon
Can't you get me in for your talk with Goudsblom? I waited too long, there are no tickets available any more.voetnoot
And why say hello when you know it will make an awkward situation almost unavoidable.Also, my compliments for your 'Voetnoot' on identity today in De Volkskrant. I believe the world would be a better place if people based their indentities on a desire instead of on their cultural background.
@Simon
but the disere's are partly formed out the cultural identity@Simon Nak
I do not want to be a womanizer.
I do not want to be a womanizer.
@Iz
maybe, but they're not the same. A desire is something you want, something you want to change in your present situation. Background is something fixed, something completely inflexible.Mieke
I can get you in.Alas I have other obligations, otherwise I would have made the trip to this encounter. Will anyone be taking notes?
Is a desire something you want to change in your present situation? That is already too much rationalizing to me. And that is what we do all the time. And that is also why our memories aren't fixed at all.
picknick
does anyone of you remember the proposal to have a picknick together? Maybe Dens does, or Mieke at least..@Simon
tell what you desire and what's your background...and the 'why' might be clear, otherwise say nothingArnon
You are a darling. Should I take up contact with the organisation or should I just mention my name at the entrance?Hanny
I thought it was Aliefka's idea. But you can call me in. I've already met some and am realy curious after some others. Some would have to give up their alias though.Mieke
You can mention your name.Johannes
Thank you very much.@ lz
I'm not completely sure I understand your question, but:- I come from an intellectual, atheistic, all-dutch family from the west of Holland.
- Some of my desires are to work as a scientific researcher or as a journalist, have a lover, a family, friends I can talk to, freedom of speech, no environmental problems and a nice cup of espresso every day.
There are probably a lot of links between background and desires, but I still think it's better (and different from the first) to base my identity on the second.
Hanny and Mieke, I proposed a dinner in April, but the plans for that never materialized. I'm sure I'll have dinner with Eric Wander though, one day.
Aliefka
You make me jealous.My dearest Aliefka
it is Juneand
June it is......
your Eric W.
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