Happy Birthday Lorna!!!

Caro Lorna,

Buon compleanno e lotti di felicità e di amore! Maggio il lustro del sole per tu che ogni giorno come esso fa in Italia:)

Baci grandi.

Val

Translation provided by Babelfish :)))))

Especially for Rob

Hello everybody!
First, say that I am very happy and impressed about the success of the German delegation (I had no doubt anyway) and I hope that you all are doing so fine as well.
I send now a link for Mr. Francis, I found it quite interesting and maybe you do too, although it probably says nothing new to you: BRITAIN’S PRESIDENCY OF THE EU: ALL CHANGE OR PLUS ÇA CHANGE...?

http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/analisis/814.asp

Take care people, miss you a lot (especially now that cold is starting here... I don't know why...)
Carlota

US Supreme Court Seeks EPA Grad!

In a surprise move, the US administration realizing that it needed to match and balance events in Germany (Berlin included) recruited European Public Affairs expert and graduate of the prestigious EPA programme based in ever so famous Maastricht, yes, where so much began. In asking drs. Schaefer, with an ever so German sounding name, to consider the Supreme Court position, the current administration assured her that having "absolutely no experience as a judge" wouldn't matter. After all, she's a female.

Schaefer, however, stated that her preference is deciding issues based on their merit, rather than upon biased party lines, and believing that "some experience may be helplful, niet war?", demurred. Plus, she admitted, she loves wearing really large hats and that would conflict greatly with those dreadful frumpy black robes, "don't you agree"?

More importantly, she added, "my husband and I have a wonderful new flat right here in Maastricht where we expect the distinguished members of the 2005 graduating class of EPA to descend for riotous evenings". Being falling distance from the infamous Cafe Zondag AND Mullins Irish Pub, Schaefer worries the media might interfere too darn much if she were a Supreme Court judge. Instead, she has taken this occasion to offer her new flat as an outpost for her "future" famous colleagues when they return to the scene of their past crimes, oops, she meant to say to the place where they always conducted themselves with such decorum as young scholars of EU Public Policy. Heh, heh, heh. See you soon?

the long forgotten

Hey everyone

Just thought I should let you know I am still alive and kicking :-). I am still in Berlin, but without knowing if this is going to be the final destination or not: on Thursday this week I will have my chat with the guy from the personel-department. Ironically, the fact that my dad is being discussed as new member of the government (which by the way is not definite and by thursday might have proved completely wrong) might pave my way into the job as far as I can tell. I dont really know what these people expect - that I will call daddy as soon as we need a speaker for an event or maybe get us great deals with the ministery...? It's not like they dont see me as anything else than daughter Steinbrück, but it is a bit too many people asking regularly about what's new. But appart from that I really like it here - the job is OK, partly even interesting, and the location is great. I would just love to stay in Berlin. I counted that by now i lived (counting as well places where I stayed only ~ two months) in about 11 cities and this is the first time that I really would like to stay somewhere for an indefinite time! So fingers crossed for thursday that they take me in - I'll tell you then!
So long, I hope you are all well - if I shall stay here, you are all dearly invited to the incredibly luxurious loft that i will own with my own pool, roof-garden and billard-salon ;-)!
Take care!
Anne

Hej!!!!!!

Hej, hej,

Finally I managed to log in on blog after 100 and more attempts, and this time the application was on French!!!!!!! :))

Just to say hi to all!! Nothing new in Skopje, keep up with new thing on blog and hope to see you some day!

If you are coming somewhere close here just write!!!!

Hugssss!!!!!!!!

Bibi

Strange meeting

Hi everybody!
I just wanted to shared with you my interesting meeting today with Christine Leitner!!!
Yes, world is smal.. (and I forget most of the time that I actually work for Cefass, meaning somehow for EIPA!). She came to give short lecture on e-Governance to DGs from the Region. The f****ing b*** also speaks some italian!!! (but she spoke in english). Of course she hardly remember me but she managed to pretend a bit.. hehhe... I was about to say that I was a very close friend of Mariska (which is true) but I decided to be diplomatic...
She was kind of nice... and remarked once again was extraordinary was our group... but, wat's the problem with her hair? ehhehe, just a femenine comment.
I hope they will send me to Maastrciht too some day!

It is a pitty Alison couldn't come this time, but maybe soon.
Any one coming to Milano?
Big kiss to all.

What a tease...

For about half the day today I thought I was going to be in Brussels in two weeks. My company is having a press conference there on some work we do for NATO and I was asked to coordinate the whole show. Until, that is, another project I'm working on conflicted and I had to let one of my coworkers step in and do the NATO thing for me. DAMMIT!!!!

I'm so sad... it would have been great to see some of you guys.

*sigh* Sorry to complain, I just had to share my disappointment. Things are going really well here in DC and I hope good things are happening for all of you!

VISIT TO MAASTRICHT

Well, I posted a comment on the previous Blog, but just would like to make the network start moving to make a weekend visit to Maastricht official. So brain storming for dates, ways of transport, sleeping places, etc. (poor Mariska and Susan!!) ( if I go there I can't leave without a drink in my beloved Zondag..does someone know if the cute waiter is still there? eheheh, forget about that!).
I will start looking for flights to Eindhoven, cos the reason why I postponed the trip to Brussels was the high prices, but maybe I find something to Eindhoven..
I expect reactions!
ciao a tutti!!

Meeting the new EPA people...

Hey peeps, especially those within Brussels's reach,

I really miss Maastricht, Mariska, Susan, our EPA building, EIPA, Fag Stuff, etc. all the good people and things that remind us of the last years adventure. So what do you think about paying a visit to our EPA 2005 veterans in Maastricht and use that opportunity to meet the new EPA peoplem so that we could create our EPA network that we so much wanted to do last year? I'm thinking about the weekend of 21-23 October, especially as our beloved Carlota will be visiting us in Brussels. Let me know.

Cheers,

vp

Curtesy of Susan to all of us! Thank you Susan for this poem!