New years resolutions

Happy 2010! My new years resolutions are 1. write more pieces for this blog, 2. more running, biking, swimming and learn to play squash, 3. finally have lunch/drinks/dinner with friends I haven't seen for much too long. You can audit the fulfillment of my first resolutions, for the others I'm on my own. If you want to pressure yourself into living up to your own resolutions by throwing them onto the www, please do so in the comments section below.

I celebrated Christmas with my family in the Netherlands with amazing food, lots of 'gezelligheid' and a tree with real candles. Getting there and back was not easy. I flew from Newark to Schiphol with a layover in London in the snow disaster weekend of December 19. I got very lucky with only a five hour delay (friends who also tried to get across the pond faced delays of up to three days), but I do hope I will never again have to experience taking off in a snowstorm after there were three blackouts in the cabin while we were still on the ground.

On the way back I was subjected to the heightened security regime following the failed attack over Detroit on Christmas Day: pat downs for everyone, all carry-on luggage searched, and flight tracker switched off on board (for some whiny passengers the latter was the worst of all). Another consequence of the attack: the Dutch home security minister on CNN, a novel sight.

NY new years eve lacked fireworks on the sidewalks and the Dutch greasy treat 'oliebollen', but made up for it with confetti, party hats, noisemakers and plenty of champagne. Even though I missed my friends and family who were partying in the Netherlands, I definitely enjoyed the absence of small but dangerous and noisy fireworks in the hands of rowdy 14-year olds. All right, I will be back soon, promise, and I hope that 2010 will be a great year with lots of Dutch speed skating gold in Vancouver, a sunny and baby-rich Spring, and a beautiful summer!