Kimmetje's World: Kim's Blog : News / Personal website for Kim Leonard Smouter, 25 year old, mixed-race boy working in the Eurocrat world - Creative writer, model railroader, and community activist. en-gb This site is powered by e107, which is released under the terms of the GNU GPL License.The content of this website are copyright Kim Leonard Smouter, all rights reserved. kimmetje@nospam.com (Kim) kimmetje@nospam.com (Kim) Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:24:21 -0400 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:24:21 -0400 http://backend.userland.com/rss e107 (http://e107.org) 60 K + W go to NL http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.56.1
Anyway, whilst going to sleep at 3am wasn't part of my mission, I think Wouter and I had a blast - one of the things we also did whilst visiting Rotterdam and getting our Burger King fix taken care of, is visit a place I've been wanting to visit for a while - in Rotterdam there's an indoor massive model railway layout of some 500m2, and I finally got to see it!

I didn't think the camera took good pictures, so unfortunately I went easy on the camera - 'cause actually the pictures it did took aren't half as bad!

Check them out!


Wouter and Kim go to the Netherlands
]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:45:46 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.56.1 Italian trip's been brilliant http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.55.1
I just thought I'd write this little note to give you guys a link to the Picasa gallery where you can the pictures of Wouter and I having a blast, and all the sights and sounds that we saw!

There are even a couple of videos on there, but I apologise as I don't think any of them really came out great!

Check out the Italian trains and trams at:

Italian Trams and Trains
And for the whole trip just point your browser to:

Kim and Wouter's First Trip to Italy
]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:51:01 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.55.1 Off to Italy next week! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.54.1
It's been a while since I've posted to the blog!

Vacation has finally arrived, and boy did I need it! There's been a lot of work to face up to, and whilst generally it's been kept under control, my mental capacity to think and plan ahead has been rather wanting of late - so for the first time in a long while, I'm really looking forward to a slightly longer vacation than I normally take. I just hope I don't come back with three times the work I left (though I fear this may well be the case!)

I'm a big supporter of one-to-two day extended weekends and I find that that usually recharges my batteries just fine but this time around I think the "two-weeks or so" that we've planned is going to be grand!

So we're off to Milan, Venice, Florence for a solid week end of July- it's my first time to Italy and I'm looking forward to it! We're going to be staying in nice hotels (according to the pictures at least), and I've decided to accept nothing less but first class for the train journeys we're going to take within Italy!

On another note, the second article about my rolling stock is now up. The TGV POS article chronicles my latest purchase!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 17 Jul 2010 11:15:16 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.54.1 May Holland Win http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.53.1
I'm an Oranje fan and I hope Holland wins the World Cup!

In fact, I think the next thing I'm going to do is head towards the Netherlands to see the final this weekend!

Hup Holland, Hup!
]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:57:06 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.53.1 The first rolling stock article is up! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.52.2
I've used them as the basis of my first article on the future rolling stock of the layout. For the next year or so, my focus will be on acquiring a couple more rolling stock pieces which I have my eye on, whilst also starting to look at the benchwork, i.e. the lumber work that will be needed to get this layout going.

Check out the article!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:28:13 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.52.2 The layout plan gets scenery http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.51.2
I've also been working on my model trains - working to finalise the plans for the model train layout. It's looking absolutely fantastic, the next phase will begin sometime next year, I think, I need to start collecting the tools to make the layout - and I guess just need to bite the bullet and actually get it done. This year though, I'm going to concentrate my available funds on purchasing a couple of trains I've had my eye on. I'll run them on the Brussels model railway club which I'm a member of in the meantime. Here's what the layout looks like now. The three cities will have very different feels to one another, and there's plenty of operational interest really.



Now, I've gotta get off my lazy bum and do some food shopping! That's another thing Wouter and I are discovering, the joy of cooking in an awesome kitchen! As Wouter says, "the kitchen invites cooking!"
]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:37:34 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.51.2 The layout plan takes shape http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.50.2
I wanted to share the layout plan to those who follow the blog so you can see what's planned with that top floor Wouter and I spent money on! Essentially my layout will run on 3 levels. The ground level will be a place where visitors will be able to see some freight action, and where I can park trains I do not intend to use (see the green track). This ground level is connected to Level 1, which is the level where trains travel either to Wouterke (left station) or Villedadam (right station). Level 1 is the AWA1 Line, Arnou, Wouterke, Adamstadt which is one of the busiest stretch of rail in Rosebourg.

Both Wouterke and Villedadam stations sit on Level 2 whilst Level 3 is reserved for the Arnou central station terminus. I intend for this to be a very impressive diaporama, The station itself will be composed of 4 kitbashed kits brought together to form a very impressive station indeed, whilst I hope to have more than 20 covered train-sheds and additional platforms to really give it a Wow factor.

Have a look at the plan below:





]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 02 May 2010 07:43:38 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.50.2 A New Logo: Take 2 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.49.2 Bruno Debieve.

He's come up with an absolutely awesome logo for the CFR/RS model railway! I think even the SNCB, SNCF, NS, and what not would be jealous of the CFR's logo! Find out more about my imaginary country where my model railway will be based under the category: Model Railway.

But before you do, check these out yourselves!



If anyone know of anyone recruiting a creative like Bruno, don't hesitate to point them to Bruno's website

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:47:21 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.49.2 A new logo for the Rosebourg railways http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.48.2
Well it turns out that there wasn't that big a fair, so that part of the trip was a bit wasted, but I did come back re-energised to look at the train stuff, and in particular looking at designing a new logo. I already had a logo on the website, but I just wasn't quite sure about it.



So I've come up with a new one:



What do you guys think, could this fit a modern European railway?]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:34:53 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.48.2 The final touch http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.47.5


]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:14:23 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.47.5 Vacation plans... http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.46.1
We're going to have breakfast with bubbles in Oostende, one of the really cool house warming presents our friends offered to us. Afterwards, we're going to Blankenberge where there's a model train fair that's taking place so maybe I will find something worth buying!

And talking about vacation - in July - Wout and I are going for a week to Italy. It's one of the European countries I have never been to, so am quite looking forward to it. Milano, Venezia, Fiorenze, here we come!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:39:19 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.46.1 Updated model rail section http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.45.2
The Kingdom of Rosebourg, that European country sitting in between Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium and Germany. Did you even know such a country could exist?

Wouter, Pieter, and I have been working on the concept behind the Kingdom going so far as to build a little storyline of how the country could have come about during the Protestant Reformation.

Check out the story and tell me what you think? Is the story plausible??

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:34:49 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.45.2 Officially residing in my new loft! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.44.1
We're now fighting the Belgian and Dutch bureaucracies in order to make a legal declaration of cohabitation. Once that's done, we're definetely one step further in our relationship!

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:45:26 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.44.1 Say hello to the guestroom! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.43.5
One of the things we asked our friends to help us out with was small contributions to help us lay the laminate flooring on the top floor. Our friends and family were so generous that our guest room had a major boost!

We got a convertible futon from the all knowing Ikea, and a new desk chair from Leen Bakker to replace the old one we had - she had collected so much dust from the construction works that there was no way of saving her.

So without further ado, here are some pictures of the top floor - taken from a crappy camera - I might well have to borrow the office one again to take some acceptable shots!











]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:55:36 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.43.5 Le look final prend forme! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.42.5
One thing that is going well, however, is the house! So well in fact that I’ve started to take pictures of certain floors that is really starting to look like the finished product! Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself!

First up, the living room – we’ve placed the Ikea furniture which I’ve talked so much about, the television and speakers are hanging, and some of the decorations from our old place which are making the cut have also been placed. The ikea furniture has both sliding doors and normal doors; we’ve got all our plates and glasses in there as well as our collection of CDs, DVDs, and BluRays which we’ve just finished merging together! One step further in our relationship!









Next up, the dining and cooking area, the Ikea furniture really connects the two spaces together, though the white door helps to delineate the two spaces. The kitchen table is all prepped for our guests. Today, I built an extra 4 Ikea bar stools to serve as reinforcement when we’ve got loads of visitors coming over. Wouter and I also spent some time cleaning there too.









I think one of the things I like best about the ground floor - is the ceiling and the original support beams.







The guest toilet, strangely enough, one of my favourite rooms in the house simply because of the contrast between dark browns and white being so well executed. Take a look yourselves.










Going upstairs now, the staircase with its carpet is yet another sign of things being nearly finished. There’s only one light which has to be placed close to the top floor and then this space can be declared finished off.





On the first floor, our bedroom, our closet, and our bathroom – only two things left to do here really, placing the lamps on our headboard (the workers have to get new ones ‘cause they screwed them up), and rewiring one lamp which has been wired to the wrong sector.







I've never managed to keep a bathroom this clean...









... and check out the metal beams!





The top floor is where the last bit of work still needs to be done – the workers will need to build me a custom-built table to serve as my workshop for my model railway, as well as my office. We need to lay a new floor, and then get the final accessories to allow our guests to sit and sleep comfortably. Oh, and guess what: I got a new computer screen!





All in all, not too shabby, eh?
]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:54:42 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.42.5 Found my floor for the trains! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.40.2
Unfortunately, Belgium has some sort of border which makes it unable to acquire many of the American junk food that its neighbours have adopted. In the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, one can find Burger Kings, KFCs, and many other delights from the US. So, as one of my Christmas presents, I managed to get my partner to agree to drive me to the nearest Burger King in Dutch Limburg. As my partner's parents live in Belgian Limburg, this didn't represent an outrageous drive.

So, BK Day arrives, and we drive to Kerkrade, and we notice opposite the Burger King that there's a hardware/home improvement shop (Hornbach). I'd heard on web forums that flooring was cheaper in France, and I was just curious to see whether it was also the case in the Netherlands. We enter this huge hardware shop, and come across this floor which is on special offer. For 5,95 eur/m2, I can aquire a parquet which has a dark colour, is 8mm thick, and is a class 33 (suitable for heavy residential, moderate commercial use). In Belgium, for 5,95 eur/m2 you get a 6mm thick, certainly not class 33 floor, and never a dark finish.

The Floor is a Tarkett Select 833:



For 50m2, with the underfloor mat, my total bill is less than 400 EUR!

It was an awesome offer by Belgian standards. Despite having driven here with a Clio, I am sold, and I think my partner is too - we buy the flooring on the spot, without having a clue how we're going to get it back to Belgium.

Anyway, my partner and his father are now on their way to pick it up with another car - but I'm still amazed that just crossing the border really can make a huge difference on your purse. Might even be able to get that custom built table done now!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:47:27 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.40.2 X-mas approaches, as does the end of the tunnel http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.39.5
Indeed, as I begin my Christmas vacation, I am pleased to report that we are now looking at television in the living room, and that dining on our dining table is now made all the more pleasant by the fact the workers gave it its final coat of paint. After a debate between dark-stained brown or gray, we elected to keep it a coat of gray in order to give it a cohesion with the rest of the kitchen area.

We were really worried about the television in fact - we had to buy an signal amplifier in order to make it possible to look at television downstairs and upstairs. The Numericable technicians were very unsure that it was going to work because they felt the cable wire installed by our electrician was too thin and therefore the signal just wasn't strong enough to be split between two levels of the house - but luckily the amplifier is making it possible to do just that. A few hiccups, but now the signal seems to be strong enough everywhere, whew!

We finally unwrapped the sofas and coffee table we bought nearly 8 months ago, and I can report that they fit like a glove and we're really enjoying the final look for it. My little bro and mum bought us some candle-holders which fit perfectly with the coffee table.

We've placed our japanese curtains up too - and I don't think we could have many better choices regarding it! We've also started populating the library with some of our hard-cover books, though we still need to find a good place for the paper backs.

The only thing really left for us to do is to place on the wall the final piece of the puzzle, a 8m long furniture piece that will hold some of our cutlery (mostly champagne flutes and that sorta thing), and our CD and DVD collections (most of which are Wouter's who seems to have decided he wants to compete with my Dad in terms of who will have the most CDs in all the land). The workers will then add some finishing touches, light strips underneath the furniture to give it an atmospheric glow, and some holes to hide our wires.

All in all, the end of the tunnel is very near indeed! At least this phase of it... Our plans for the garden are going to have to be placed on hold for some years due to the costs of the construction work inside, and there's still a floor and a work table I need to save up for upstairs... still some years before the dream becomes a full reality!



















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:03:30 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.39.5 Finishing touches... http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.38.5
My contractor has been focusing his attention on placing the final work-tops for the sinks in our main bathroom and in the kitchen. The gray laminate came specially from Italy by a company called Abet Laminati. The laminate is incredibly durable and can withstand water. They've also been painting the final layers of glossy paint on most of the furniture - the results are absolutely stunning.

See the latest pics taken!











]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:34:40 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.38.5 Here's a ground floor update! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.37.5
Comments? You know where to post them!



]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:42:51 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.37.5 Our floor's nearly done! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.36.5
Good news boys and girls, our floor, the one thing which we'd dreamed about and hadn't seen yet has finally been placed and is nearly finished drying! We've been able to have our first walk bare feet across the first floor's floor, though the ground floor one still needs some drying. We really love the finish! What our workers did was buy a binding agent in order to ensure that the sandy bits on top of the cement floor stopped moving. They then levelled the floor and finished it off with three coats of specially-made floor paint. We chose the lightest shade of gray available on the catalogue - and yet it's still very clearly gray.

We're really pleased with the result - hope you guys are too after seeing these pics taken today. Haven't been able to get the ones of the ground floor done what with the floor drying off... but don't worry, I'll get on it right away.

The workers have also taken delivery of the final worktops for our kitchen and our bathroom, so that bit should also move forward very quickly (at least, I hope)...









]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:57:45 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.36.5 We've moved in! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.35.5
Time to put that straight - so, we've moved into the new house. It's a fabulous feeling to be living under our own roof, though there's still a lot for the workers to get on with before the house can be declared finish. Everything is working out pretty good - cooking in the kitchen is absolutely lovely, and the rain shower is just delightful though we have to get used to the water draining rather slowly.

Ikea has made a healthy profit from us - we had to buy the Besta furniture to cover a 7m20 stretch of wall... the furniture will sit on the wall, about 40cm off the ground and will just float there. We also needed to buy the Stolmen closet system for our future closet (and then a few other things, how does Ikea manage to do it each and every time?). A pretty hefty bill - but then again 7m20 represents a whole hell of a lot of boxes. The Ikea lady calculated nearly 450 kilos of worth of product

Just to give you an idea, this is kinda what the Besta furniture looks like:



We've also started buying some accessories - a 24-piece fork, knife, spoon set for the kitchen, and also bought some bathroom accessories so that our guests can feel luxurious

We thought we were going to be in the house and have some time to adjust to the place - but the workers came back with a vengeance, they launched themselves straight into the renovation works. At the moment, they're busy finishing our floor. They're placing a product which will seal and level the cement floor and then will put several layers of paint to make it level.

So... despite being on vacation, we're rather exhausted, but all the suffering is clearly going to pay dividends! Enjoy the latest pics of the house, don't hesitate to comment!









]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:55:29 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.35.5 Moving in T-14 Days http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.34.1
I've just come back from Newcastle where I've picked up an ear infection and a cough, how lovely - don't think it's Swine Flu, but will be seeing doctors at the hospital tomorrow to make sure (and of course, to deal with the problems head-on)... Also getting an intervention done on one of my toes, so I may have trouble walking this week... *sigh*

In other, much better news, we're closing in on the year's most important date! Wouter and I woke up to the fact that we're moving into our new house in less than two weeks! We spent the afternoon yesterday preparing for our arrival doing some cleaning of the top floor where we'll be living whilst the other two floors' finishing touches are put on. It's probably going to be end September/October before we can really be said to have moved into all the floors.

I finally got the camera to cooperate with the batteries, so I can even share with you some of pictures of our new bar stools for the kitchen, and the state of play in all the rooms. Do note that now all faucets are sparkly clean thanks to my intervention. Wouter's made the top floor look more ready for a move in than ever before! I had taken some pics of Wouter but they all came out wrong, so Wouter gets his way and those won't get published - sorry fans!

Without any more ado. Here are the latest pics of notre charmante maison!



The first thing you come across as you walk in... our library in all of its glory. The library also features a storage space for shoes and other knick-knacks.



Here's something I haven't shown because it's just been placed - our videophone. We'll be able to see your faces before letting you guys through to our building! Also here's a close-up of one of the lamps that provide light for the staircase.



Here they are! Our new bar stools adorning our kitchen table. Delivered from Paris, we found this shop close to the Champs Elysees that sold the nicest bar stools at the most competitive price - despite us taking a Thalys ride down to Paris to give them the proper sit!



Close-up of our latest acquisitions, aren't they gorgeous?



Here's one of the views from the back of the kitchen, with a close-up on some of the halogen lamps that will provide lighting for the back sinks.



See the mess they've left us with? Here's a view of our utilities room, and the very dirty control vanes for the floor heating.



Here's a view of the downstairs toilet, with its dark chocolate paint scheme.



The dark chocolate paint-scheme is off-set by white accents provided by the ceiling and the sink to be used by guests to wash their hands.



Let's go upstairs to see what's been done in the bedroom and bathroom... and this gives you a more atmospheric view of the staircase.





The bed's headboard is in place, the workers still have to work on our reading lights (having screwed both of them up!), also here's a view of one of the sliding doors to give you an idea of that too.





As with every nearly every other place in the house, the walkway to the shower is lighted.



Here's our fantastic shower - I am so looking forward to taking one... From the shower you can see the bath giving a real sense of space.



Close-up on the Dornbracht controls for the shower - nice uh?




The more I look at that sink, that bathroom cupboard and that lamp and not to mention that faucet....



Wouter's handi-work on the top floor means that floor is ready to become our temporary living floor for a month or two. Hopefully just one!

Anyway, I hope you liked those photos! We're hoping to move in on the weekend of the 22nd of August... At 26 years and 4 month, being in my own home is going to be one amazing feeling indeed!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:21:20 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.34.1 The workers take their well earned break http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.33.5
Today, the whole prospect became even more real as the Brussels region's gas and electricity supervisor stopped by the house to inspect our installations and to open our counters so that we can receive electricity and gas from our provider. We've picked Lampiris, with the Power 4 You subscription which allows us to get a few nifty rebates. Hopefully the promise of cheap green power will be fulfilled. Those of you living in Belgium can have a look at Lampiris if ever you're looking for a power provider: http://www.lampiris.be - I'll keep you posted with regards to how I feel about them after having been a user for a few months.

Whilst the gas and electrical supervisor's delegates inspected, I took the opportunity to take a few pictures of the house before the camera did an ungraceful "no more battery, bye!" on me. So unfortunately didn't get to take half as many pictures as I wanted. Anyway, looks like we're on track to move in late August. Unfortunately we won't be able to live on all the floors as we had hoped. The floor finish on the ground and first floor still needs to be placed so we think it's adviseable we stick to the top floor until all of that is done. Looks like we'll have to deal with our Polish team for some time yet - just hope it's all done by 1st October really.



The first imposing piece of furniture you're greeted by is our library, complete with storage for shoes and other knick-knacks.



Some of the glorious views of the kitchen, seen from the living room area



Close-up of the kitchen area, and a view on the sliding doors leading to our guest restroom and utilities room



Every kitchen needs a gorgeous sink and faucet, and a well organised storage space. Soon featuring an integrated dishwasher and fridge unit.




These pictures don't do justice as regards to the beautiful guest restroom. From the design controls for the toilet, to the beautiful dark colours...



Here are some pictures showing some of the cool, expensive lamps that have been placed for us. The lamps were picked out by our architect and I have to admit we can't fault their beauty.



Time to show you some of the cool things that have been done with the fake ceilings and original features of the house. Very sexy - to the extent that these things can ever be.



The luxury suite that is our bathroom - full view of the bath, the sink area, and the shower - can't wait to give that shower a go!



Some of the lamps on the first floor and also look at some of the cool water controllers we've been blessed with - once again picked out by our architect and I have to admit to it being worth the money!

This is the last picture I was allowed to take before being left out to dry - hopefully facing the right direction: the doors to our laundry space - for the laundry machine and dryer of course!




]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:17:54 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.33.5 Hard work continues http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.32.5
We've been hard at work in the house, Wouter and I had as mission to get as much of the old paint off the top floor metal strut. Took us a few days of intense hammer work before we got it done - but now it's a done thing and the construction workers can go ahead full with their paint work.

The electrician's come back and has started placing lamps and things - all starting to come together and looking very fabby indeed! Meanwhile the glass is being placed in their designated spaces and the ceramic tiles are being placed in the shower-room.

See for yourselves:



















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:01:51 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.32.5 Roller-coaster ride http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.31.1
Wouter and I immediately threw a hissy fit and brought the contractor and the architect together to talk about this budget gone out of control. Luckily that 22.000 EUR is now no-longer there, but we’re still looking at where we can cut in the budget and trying to figure out a floor-type we can afford, and all of the rest. Anyway, basically we’re not doing as financially well as we thought we were and it’s a big huge shame. Our architect’s also going AWOL again – and that pisses me off quite tremendously.

Furthering the news of a shaky week, one of my colleagues, Laura, has tendered her resignation so we’re going to be recruiting in the office for a new office manager. I swear I’ve only been in the office a little over a year and I’m already the senior policy officer – heck the senior anything in the office! A little scary if I might say so, as my boss is soon going to go on maternity leave as she’s expecting a kid!

I just hope we’re going to be okay…

Thought I’d show you what’s sitting in the camera I keep stealing from the workplace. Whatta ya guys think?

















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:21:29 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.31.1 Time to pick the colours! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.30.5
We had a meeting earlier today with our architect with the big objective to pick out colours. In the midst of our contractors hard at work starting to place the sliding doors on the ground floor. It's really starting to come along I have to say.

Also, the tiles for the bathroom have been delivered - though there's a whole box of them which were shattered en route. Uuurgh! Also, the bath itself was delivered.

The bad news in all of this is that our contractors no longer think the house will be ready in time for us to move in - it looks like we're going to have to move into a construction site - not at all what we had planned!

But anyway, that wasn't really why I wrote here - I thought I would show you guys the colours we're likely to pick! Our architect is suggesting we use Trimetal's Colours of the Times collection.

On the ground floor we're going to have three colours:

The main colour will be what is known as "Guillaume Tell", whilst the accent walls will have either the colour known as "Mastic" or "Pilat."




Inside our ground-floor restroom, the walls will be painted in a "Havana" colour which we hope will contrast very nicely with the white finish to our sliding doors, the white porcelain of the toilet, and the furniture that'll hold the sink.



On the top floor we're going to be going with a similar colour palette and similar split between a main colour and an accent colour:

We're debating between either using Blanc Tourterelle or Guillaume Tell



For the accent wall we're debating between "Campagnol," or "Taupe," the accent wall being where the bed will be located and the bloc containing the shower.



For a bit I thought the colours weren't at all what we had in mind at first, but actually I think I like these quite a bit! What do you guys think?]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 30 May 2009 18:07:17 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.30.5 We've got a new floor! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.29.5
The renovations are continuing to take place. Our workmen have laid a new floor on top of our floor-based heating, and the plastering work on the top floor is progressing quite nicely. We're not sure if all the works are going to be done in time though, so our alternative plan consists of us moving into the top floor and working with an unfinished project whilst the renovation works continue on the floors below. With the summer coming, that shouldnt' be too big a problem - I just hope everything gets done in time.

One of the big hurdles preventing us from doing that is that the guy who manages the bills and accounting for the co-property (meaning all the owners of the shared grounds) hasn't been doing his job meaning the work-site for the shared grounds is way way behind schedule... I just hope it doesn't become a huge problem.

Anyway, here's some more pictures to keep your appetites satisfied! Whadda ya guys think of it?















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 17 May 2009 10:29:42 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.29.5 You guessed it... photos of the house! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.28.5
Of course, work pales in comparison to Wouter and my biggest concern - the house is still under renovation work! We've moved more or less from the building walls and getting a staircase installed towards new pastures. The floor heating is currently being installed by our plumber and the workers are also starting to plaster the walls on the top floor and install the isolation underneath the roof... So all in all they're keeping busy!

Since I've been letting the Facebookers get all the fun, this time it's the bloggers who get first dibs on the latest pictures... Enjoy!

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Fri, 01 May 2009 10:44:26 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.28.5 Visitin' the work site on a saturday afternoon... http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.27.5
The result being of course... that I have more pictures to share of the renovation works!

As you can see, the work on the staircase are progressing very well indeed, the retaining wall is almost complete. The work on the bathroom is also progressing quite nicely, we can really start to see the outline of the shower.

The more the house's skeleton starts to come together - there more we're starting to see just how much space there'll be - and that's a nice feeling indeed.

Once there's a safe access to the top floor, I'll also be sure to take pictures of that floor too.













]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:07:48 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.27.5 Surprise visit at the future house... http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.26.5
Wouter and I have been waiting for ages for them to start going - and it seems that the wait is definetely over! I stopped by for a surprise visit only to stumble upon 4 hard-working guys who seem to all be doing fantastic work! They're busy on the top floor isolating the roof, busy on the first floor setting the bones of our future bathroom, and on the ground floor setting up the staircase and the divider for the hall-way!

All good stuff!

See the pictures below, taken with my work-place's camera! Much better quality!

















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:27:43 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.26.5 And so... it begins http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.25.5
The staircase will be 80cm wide, and will have stairs that are 16.5cm high, and each step is 21.5cm long.

I tried taking some pictures with the camera but it didn't come out very well... I'll have to borrow the camera of the office to take some better pictures me-thinks.















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:19:02 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.25.5 Gala Hang Over http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.24.5
Hang-over - mmm yeah - when I used to work for the LGBT Intergroup, I co-organised a European Gala event taking place in the context of the Brussels Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. It's now become a fairly permanent feature of the Festival and I was asked to help out with the co-organisation this year. Probably had a few too many drinks - 'cause a couple aspirins later and I still have a headache. Clearly not used to it anymore - but it was a hell of a lot of fun - stayed out 'till 3am dancing the night away!

So, I mentioned pictures... pictures of the house of course! I decided to take a few pictures of just *our* bit of the house, so that people who are still curious can know exactly what we've bought. I had a good meeting with my architect yesterday where we talked about the staircase and the fitted library which we're going to get installed for Wouter's humongous book collection. That boy collects so many books and CDs!

At the moment, the renovaton works to our house haven't begun, but the complex's works are moving forward quite a bit. They've poured a new concrete base where the garden will be - it's currently being dried... The same thing is happening in the basement of our building where they're pouring the concrete base for the parking lot. All very exciting indeed!



















]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:24:25 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.24.5 Blessed be those who don't keep their word... http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.23.5
My architect keeps promising me documents which I never see arrive, and everything I contact him 'bout it, it's always the documents will be there tomorrow, promise. Yeah... well, if each and every time this happens, doesn't exactly give me much faith in ya, does it?

I've also got the same thing going on on eBay at the moment and it's really drivin' me nuts.

Why do I get the feelin' that I won't be sleeping well tonite again?

Urrgh...]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 18 Jan 2009 10:52:11 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.23.5 Santa was really generous (continued) http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.22.1
I got a book about real railway locomotives from across the world.

And.... (as an excuse to actually post some pictures of myself)... A DVD from the cartoon series Bernard, and a Planet of the Apes DVD.




]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:10:28 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.22.1 Santa was really generous http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.21.2
A Mehano DB Lint 41


A Mehano DB ICE 3 trainset


3x Piko Freight cars

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:46:19 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.21.2 The front entrance http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.20.5




]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:44:32 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.20.5 A visit to our home http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.19.5












]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:05:40 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.19.5 Let the Christmas shopping begin! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.18.1
Anyway that's not really what I wanted to share... what I wanted to share is actually my amazing discounts on model trails that I've collected. A shop offered me a £35 discount for a train normally £135. Got my father to buy it for me as my X-Mas prezzie.



And then, I stumbled on an even better deal a train normally €299 being sold for €169!!!! Even Wouter was amazed. It does mean my train budget is empty for December and January, but that's something I can live with, I think .



So looks like the Christmas shopping is going to be absolutely fine this year. Just hope I don't overshoot my budget!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:39:08 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.18.1 Long, but rewarding week http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.17.5
To say that I was pleased to be back in Belgium is an understatement!

Whilst I would have loved to have slept in on Saturday - unfortunately, we didn't get that opportunity! Wouter and I had a meeting with our architect with view of selecting the different sinks, toilets, bath-tubs, shower-heads, etc... We also found out that the private works will begin in mid-January, hopefully finishing 4 months after the works begin.

Here's some of our selection below - modern and contemporary, just the way I like it!

Our kitchen sink will feature one deep sink, and one shallow one from the Franke brand:



The sink for our bathroom will come from the Alape brand:



The same brand will also offer the sinks for our downstairs restroom, and the train room's workshop:



Moving on from sinks to the bath, the Cassandra line from Villeroy & Bosch:



Moving on from the bath to water dispensers:

The shower suite will be supplied from the brand Dornbracht:




The bathroom, kitchen, and restroom water dispensers will also be supplied from the same brand:







Whilst the water dispenser for the train room will come from the brand Ideal Standard:



Last but not least - our towels will be dried by a towel heater from the brand Vasco:



Pretty neat designs, uh? ]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:42:43 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.17.5 Here come the windows! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.16.5
Yesterday evening, we met the construction workers who are going to be doing our house up - the guy's name is George and he is from Poland (how stereotypical, huh?) - and for those who are asking themselves - no, he isn't as gorgeous as the Franco-Polish plumber.

Anywho, he showed us one of the lofts he's done up in our architect's apartment complex, and the finishings are really up to snuff, so we're looking forward to a really good execution for our house - the only downside is that they're not a big outfit, so it's likely to be a bit slower than expected.

I say two days, because today we went to the Cocoon interiors design salon in Brussels - though there wasn't all that much that was interesting, to be perfectly honest.

One of the exciting things Wouter and I did today though, is collect a couple pictures of the house - the front facade is showing some might fine windows being installed, which suggests we're going to be on schedule for the construction works!


]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:19:56 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.16.5 Open House at De Pijl http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.15.2
It's definetely worth the visit - See below the photos I was able to take of the exhibition. Apologies for the low quality of the photos, I don't have the most performant of cameras.

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:51:49 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.15.2 Fresh photos of our future house http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.14.5
The big news is that the terraces which are going to be for the apartments in the main building, are nearly finished. The metallic structure supporting them has been put up, and they're in the process of putting the bangkirai wood floors.

Rumour has it that windows and doors will be installed within a few weeks. We've got a meeting of the co-owners' association this weekend, so hopefully we'll be getting some good news.





]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:14:54 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.14.5 Let the city planning begin http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.13.2
A demanding person, I am... I wanted at least three passenger stations - and that too conditioned the layout - but in the end, I managed to get something which was very suitable indeed!

I've finished the track work and am now doing the city planning. Three cities will be represented by the layout - Arnou, the capital city of my imaginary country: the Rosebourg Monarchy, Wouterke, and a city further down the line towards Belgium and the Netherlands: Adamstadt. Check out the model railway section for a map of Rosebourg. I'll be moving Trekken and Adamstadt for the sake of the layout, and also 'cause Adam, one of my best buds will be helping me build this layout, and so I want to have a city with his name on it.

The buildings for Arnou are more or less in place, I intend to have a double-track tram line running through the city, just to make things all the more interesting - 'cause I like it that way!

So where's the plan, I hear you ask, well here it is... See below:

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:15:24 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.13.2 Yes we can & all that jazz http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.12.1
It's going to be weird not having a gaffe-prone individual in charge of the most powerful nation in the world!

Anyway, despite what everyone keeps saying, he's not the first Black president, he's the first mixed-race president. I also happen to be mixed-race, so it's a great day for us mulatos! Wonder if I could do the same in Europe.... mmmm... what do you guys think?

Anywho, as my boss said upon coming to the office "yay Obama!" - couldn't have said more poetically myself!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:52:18 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.12.1 Update to the layout plan http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.11.2 Brabant Wallon.
Anyway, I've been working on getting the layout plan finished and polished off! I'm rather pleased with the result, what do you guys think?



I've also changed some of the security settings to make it easier for everyone to sign up - so no more excuses!
]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:44:30 -0500 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.11.2 Top floor planning moves forward http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.10.2
I thought I would share the progress that of my plans for the train room / guest room. Our architect's come up with a guest room nook where we will have a 2 person convertible bed. I'm also going to have a workshop with a sink and a paint spraying booth for my models. Whilst this means that I'm going to have to sacrifice my glass desk (avis aux amateurs), I think the space couldn't be more primed and ready for me to exercise my hobby.



At the same time as the architect has moved forward in planning for the 2nd floor space, I've also moved forward with planning for the layout. I've managed to fit in two spots for big train stations that have platforms long enough to welcome full-length TGV trainsets (in the scale that I model - which is HO - these are 2m40 long, meaning it was quite a challenge fitting in two stations with platforms that were long enough). I'm rather pleased with the layout outcome! What do you think?

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:41:22 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.10.2 Mechelen Rail Expo 2008 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.9.2
I went to the Expo with a group of friends from my local model railway club - I joined this club several months ago as a way for me to get involved and start learning the ropes of building a layout - speaking of layouts, my architect gave me some bad news in terms of the arrangement of my train room which I'll have to factor into the design... end-result: I'll no doubt have to redraw a new layout - and just when I was about to finish the one I had designed and was starting to get attached to it!

Not only did the exposition has some nice layouts, hopefully Sebastien, one of the guys I went with will be able to hook me up with some pictures - but there were also some amazing deals... I managed to get a nearly complete TGV set for 1/3rd the price it should normally be. Needless to say, I'm real pleased with myself and I had a blast!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:46:09 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.9.2 Bloggin' for Bloggin's Sake http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.8.1
Wouter and I are busy visiting his parents in Limburg, we had a huge dinner to celebrate his Mum's birthday - I have to say, I can never match Wouter's ability to stuff himself with food

In other news, I have nearly finished the first draft of a layout plan - it's looking pretty good, not sure yet if I like it or not, but at least I've got a design which I think in theory will allow me to have all the things I wanted. I'll post it up real soon.

Had a torrid week at work - co-organised with Mama Pilar (Raul Romeva's assistant's nickname) a major conference on multiple discrimination - coup de grace, not only did we get a VP of the Parliament to chair a session, we also got the French Presidency to reveal loads of stuff on the progress of the negotiations.

Anyway, I better get back to planning this dream layout of mine Don't forget to become a member on my site if you haven't already signed up!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:59:24 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.8.1 Draft arrangement for the train room http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.7.2
I've been trying to find ways to maximise the space that will be used for train operating, but still allow the space to be comfortable enough for people to walk around.

So without further ado, here's the plan - opinions half welcome lol.

]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:19:27 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.7.2 Launching e107 sites everywhere http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.6.1
I've just finished installing e107 on the server, and am going to be unveiling it to the other co-owners next week. Hopefully we use it and I don't get too many requests for support!

I'm hoping to work this weekend on putting up a bit more of the concept behind the model railway - I am in the mood to turn that particular section into a place full of thoughts and ideas!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:18:51 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.6.1 My life is being controlled by me! http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.5.1
I've just signed up for a tennis course, which will eat all of my Tuesday evenings.... and the next day I've joined a model railway club which eats up on my Wednesday evenings...

Love both things very much, but I think the days when I could flexibly go to whatever I want are done and done!

In other news, I'm waiting for my architect to call me back - I've only been trying to reach him since the beginning of the week! My patience is... shall we say... wearing thin?]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:53:48 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.5.1 What an awesome week... http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.4.1
I've been in Newcastle most of the week, left on Tuesday evenin' and came back on Thursday - had a whole load of good back-to-back meetings, and I feel really psyched about the job once more. I'm hoping to be developing some big things to put NEEO on the map in terms of education, employment, and social affairs.

I had a lovely chat in the taxi back from the airport last night - with a francophone Belgian who could actually speak...French, English, and Dutch perfectly! Yes, you heard me right, perfectly! It was a real pleasure catching up on Belgian news with him!

This morning (that's Friday morning) had a couple meetings related to the house we're buying in Anderlecht. A delegate from the region of Brussels visited the house to see if the construction works qualified for a renovation subsidy and it's looking like it will! Also had a meeting with our architect who presented to us some stellar plans about the house.

It's a really awesome concept - I'll write all about it when we've sorted the concept with him.]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:10:20 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.4.1 All sections have bits and bobs http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.3.1

Time to go and spread the word about the existence of this new website!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:52:38 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.3.1 Say hello to first bits of content http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.2.1
I've also begun work on the model railroading section, putting up some of the first bits and bobs that will make the future model railroad layout seem more real.

Still undecided about what will go in About Me and how I'll organise the model railroading section eventually... But for a first day, not bad at all!]]> kimmetje@nospam.com (kimmetje) Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:21:16 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.2.1 Welcome to the new Kimmetje's World http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.1.1
Finally, now that some of my other hobbies are having a resurgence of interest on my part, I decided I wanted to share them online - and thus the personal website project was reborn.

I'm actually way ahead of schedule, 'cause I thought coding my personal skin would take much longer than it actually did!

Hope you enjoy this site, as much as I hope I will!

- K]]> Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:37:33 -0400 http://kimmetje.rpgnewworlds.net/news.php?item.1.1