Member since:
April 29, 2007

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année

December 20, 2008 04:16 PM EST

views: 193 | rating: 10/10 (13 votes) | comments: 64

As I prepare to spend Christmas here in Brussels away from family in friends, I want to wish all of my Gather friends a happy and joyful holiday season and all the best for a productive and prosperous new year.

view all photos

You need the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Install the player now

Tags: xmas, christmas, david k posts, dabester

To Groups: ! Post Office @ Gather Town !, !!!TODAY'S TOP PHOTOS AND ARTICLES!!! (submit your favorite articles and photos), !!!~Pictures Galore~!!!, !!na na hey hey we want points!!, !Point it Out!, ***all_photos_welcome***, **Let's Get Together~ Post anything!**, *P*O*S*T**I*T**A*L*L**2*0*0*8**, 2008 Archive - any article created in 2008, 2008 Quote of the Day, 2008 Resolutions, 365 Photos, @ to Z - Post everything from A-Z (minus the X stuff), A new beginning to a new year, A Pathway to Points... post it all, A place for all you point gatherers to connect!, All About You And Me, Any article, picture or comment...Oh My!, Anything and Everything, Arielle's Points Parlor, Article and Photos (post any thing group), Artistic Minds®, aworldgroup4all, change, Change the World, Current Hot topics., Desperate Gatherwives - Publish Anything, European Explorer, Everything Accepted!, Explore Europe, Extraordinary Photographic Work not Your Run of the Mill Photos, Free Thinking, Friends on Gather, Gather Explorers, ~Gather Games~, Gather Games and Quizzes, Gather it All and Share it with Your Friends, Gather Travel Essential, Gather Your Photos, Gathering For...., Gatherism, Get the point?, ! Get To The Points, GOTTA GO .... GOTTA TRAVEL ..., Independent Minds, International Travel (Here and Abroad), Inviting-Points, Isn't it about TYME?, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE POINTS - POINTS MAXIMIZER - JOIN MY GROUP, It's all good, Media Bytes, Midwest Skeptic Society, Monkey Around To 3000, News, Politics and the Economy, Northern Virginians Unite!, Now where did I put those points?, One Article at a time, Opinionated Opinions, Orange Juice, original photos and art gallery, People With Something To Say, photo palace, Photo World - Show Me the Pictures!, Photographic Edge, Photography Fanatics, Photography Inspiration, Pictorial Odysseys, Picture Time., Pilers Anonomous, Point me to the Points!, Points - Whatever You Want To Post, Points Extravaganza, Points Generator, Points Maximizer, Points Points Points, Political Boxing, Post anything..., Post It All!, Posting Frenzy, presidential points, Rake 'em in! Rack 'em up!, Rejected? Never here, post it all!, The 2006 Travel Writing Contest, The News Cafe, The Nonconformist, The Photo Essay Experience, The Vacation Spot, THE WHATEVER GROUP, Things You Should Know About, Think About This, This & That, This, That and the Other, Travel Bums, travel photos, Travel the World, Type and post What You want AND dont get Deleted!, Unified Individualists, Vivians Various Variable Voluminous oh just Post it all, Wanderlust, WE HEART GATHER!, Winter Time, World Travel, World Travel Group, YaDaYadaYada, You Gotta Love it!!

rate

link to this page

Bookmark this post:

Comments: 64

Richard Frisbie Dec 20, 2008, 4:21pm EST

And back at you, David! Merry Christmas!
with wishes for a safe and healthy New Year

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 4:28pm EST

Thank you Richard.

reply to this comment

Mary M. Dec 20, 2008, 4:30pm EST

Travel safely!

reply to this comment

Cindy B. Dec 20, 2008, 4:30pm EST

Merry Christmas to you too! =)

reply to this comment

Elizabeth V. Dec 20, 2008, 4:31pm EST

Merry Christmas to you, too, David.

I haven't asked before: you say you're away from family and friends, but do you have any family there? Did you already have any friends there when you got there? Why did you decide to go? I realize you went as part of your job, but relocation is always an option. It had to be your decision.

I'm curious because I relocated for a job once. I always lived in Michigan, then relocated to California (which seemed like a foreign country to me then, something I only saw on t.v. and movies) for a job with General Dynamics. I had a second cousin there who I barely knew and no friends. But I wasn't moving so much because I wanted to go to California as because I wanted to leave Michigan. And now, 23 years later, here I am again.

Do you know how long you'll be there? I thought I'd stay in California for a year, a sort of extended vacation, but I stayed for 20.

reply to this comment

Jule's dreamin of a wonderfilled life for all research mode again Dec 20, 2008, 4:32pm EST

And Happy Holidays to you also Friend!
this is my first year far from family and friends I am learning alone isn't necessarily lonely
blessings~Jules

reply to this comment

Nana to Seven Cutiepies Dec 20, 2008, 4:33pm EST

Thank you and...

reply to this comment

Chris W. Dec 20, 2008, 4:35pm EST

Vous aussi David. We hope that the new year will bring you more wonderful experiences, and we will be with you in spirit until you return to these shores.

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 4:36pm EST

Elizabeth - No family here...all are back in the states. I came here because 1) a new law was passed here that is driving much of the work in my field, and 2) I wanted to experience living in Europe so I could take advantage of the short distances between countries and travel. Within a two hour flight I can be in something like 30 countries.

I don't see me staying here 20 years, in large part because the employment rules are such that I'm pretty much limited to no more than 5 years. But the work I'm doing has a deadline in December 2010 so I'll probably be here until about that time or a little more before heading back to DC.

Or maybe I'll go work in our office in Shanghai :)

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 4:37pm EST

Thanks Chris. I do feel like I have lots of folks here with me.

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 4:38pm EST

Thanks Jules. I still might hop a last minute flight to some place warm for a couple of days next week...or maybe take the train over to Cologne in Germany where they have an amazing Christmas fair right next to the Dom (the huge gothic cathedral).

reply to this comment

Elizabeth V. Dec 20, 2008, 4:42pm EST

David, what law?

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 4:46pm EST

Elizabeth - It's called REACH, which basically is a new way that Europe is regulating chemicals. Basically every company that makes a chemical in Europe has to register it, which requires a very large collection of health and safety data and analysis. That's what I'm doing, is helping companies comply with the new requirements.

reply to this comment

Elizabeth V. Dec 20, 2008, 4:58pm EST

David, that sounds like something I'd enjoy writing/editing.

All of Europe or just some countries? Why do they think it's necessary to register chemicals? For safety reasons? If you help companies comply, you are an authority on this law? How could you be unless the U.S. has been studying this law?

reply to this comment

tammie p. Dec 20, 2008, 5:01pm EST

merry christmas to you

reply to this comment

Marianne R. Dec 20, 2008, 5:05pm EST

Thanks. Same to you!

reply to this comment

Cristina S. Dec 20, 2008, 5:07pm EST

David, there are in fact at least 4 Christmas markets in Cologne - I was just there for a week. All of them are quite different from the others - and all are spectacular! one is a medieval one - I loved them all! Go have a look - you will too!

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 5:07pm EST

Thanks Tammie

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 5:10pm EST

Elizabeth - We have a team of people working on this so we each have our specialties, but in toto we are considered the most knowledgable on the topic. I've been working on this from the states for several years, but too many 5 am phone calls later it just became easier to move here. Which actually was my plan and the reason I came to work for this firm 3 years ago.

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 5:11pm EST

Wow, I didn't realize there were several of them Cristina. Now I definitely think I'll go there. I actually spend a rainy overnight in Cologne this summer when I missed my train back to Brussels...maybe this time it will be nicer.

reply to this comment

Ellie !. Dec 20, 2008, 5:38pm EST

Merry Christmas. Go visit the markets and report back! :-)

reply to this comment

David K. Dec 20, 2008, 5:39pm EST

LOL. Okay Ellie. I'll do that.

reply to this comment

Jules ~ Dec 20, 2008, 5:59pm EST

Happy Holidays, David! One of the nice things about the internet is that we can all be together over the holidays no matter where we happen to be.

reply to this comment

Erica M. Dec 20, 2008, 7:26pm EST

Bonne Année a vous!

reply to this comment

Paul M. Dec 20, 2008, 8:11pm EST

Merry Fishmas, Happy Hogswatch, and Merry Festivus.

reply to this comment

@**Phyllis**@ @ Mom of 2 boys@ Dec 20, 2008, 8:18pm EST

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too. Any plans to come home and visit soon?

Is your son enjoying the "blizzard" we are getting this weekend?

reply to this comment

Randy W. Dec 20, 2008, 9:11pm EST

David, I believe Christmas is in one's heart, not in a particular place.

My friend, I wish you the peace and joy of Christmas and all the best in the new year.

reply to this comment