> > > > Well, Jacqueline and I will be visiting my parents in North Carolina from Thursday until Monday. My folks do have 'Net access at home, but for three of those five days we'll all be in a rented cabin in the NC mountains. So no RinkForum for me 'til next week, probably.
> > > >
> > > > I expect you all to behave like good girls and boys while I'm away. :-)
> > > >
> > >
> > > Dont worry, i'll keep an eye on them ;-)
> > >
> > > > Toodles!
> > > >
> > > > Iss "oh, I'm leavin', on a jet plane" achar
> > >
> > > Jom"the-substitute"meke
> >
> > Speaking of vacations, my daughter, who vacations for a living, just got back from Amsterdam. She's a flight attendent. She said her hotel was right on the beach, but it was too cold to make any difference and storms kept blowing in from the sea. Poor baby! She's been in all the famous cities in the world, so what's a little cold rain?
> > Anyway she brought me some Dutch coffee. We haven't finished the French coffee yet. Next trip? Milan. Actually, being a flight attendent is a job with lots of responsibility, hard work, and long periods on duty, but it beats teaching.
> > So what do your kids do for fun?
> > Howard
>
> ....then you know that i have jump into the conversation (considering my background)!
>
> (by the way, i looooove the expression 'going dutch', anyone knows the history of that expression? i find it funny that my country-neighbours are used in that expression, with such meaning - is there an expression for us, flemish or belgian people? [:)] )
>
>
> Some things for which i think you should start to check out on your daughter (lol): I dont want to start a discussion about the weather here, its summer, thats true but the last 2 weeks were rainy and a bit colder than normal summer, so its possible that the weather wasnt that fine over there in Amsterdam.
>
> But one thing which isnt true: Amsterdam is NOT situated at the coast! But i'll give her the benefit of the doubt, she may have had a hotel in an other city (which can have had a beach) :)
>
> Anyway, i think the job of flight attendant is much under-rated (like you said in the last paragraph). I mean, people think of it as a beautifull job, you see lots of cities, all around the world, but really, it isnt that simple and adventuruous. I dont know this by experience, but i once spent a pleasant evening talking and chatting with a (female too) flight attendant.
> As a flight attendant you have to rush from this to there, you come home from Cuba..., if your lucky you have 'some' hours of sleep, but then you have to depart again to, hmmm ...., Japan, and the work on the plane is really stressfull and frustrating. If your lucky you can climb up in the management....and then you can stay on the ground and organize the work and trainings of the attendants on some airlines, thats the dream of every attendant, they sure dont wanna stay in the air and rush all around the world for more than a couple of years!
>
>
> Jommeke

We also use the expression "Dutch treat," which is the same thing as going Dutch. The bottom line is that everybody pays their own check.
Howard