Youssouf's Sheeplog - Youssouf: Cuddly Sheep / World Traveller

Off to Turkey!

2008-03-23T18:19:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I went off to Turkey. I'm going to Antalya, with some sidesteps to Kemer and Antalya. For a week only. I don't expect many photo's, since my travel buddy only has a film camera, not a digital one.

But the temperature (25oC) sure beats the rainy and cold Dutch weather!

Returned from Cambodia

2007-11-12T00:48:00.000+01:00

I just (well, two weeks ago) returned from a 3 week trip through Cambodia. It was awesome!
The last two weeks I've spent with friends in The Hague, arrived home today.

I'm now sorting out my Cambodia pictures. Be prepared for some Ankor Wat!

Where's Yahoussouf? The app

2007-11-07T23:31:00.000+01:00

I thought other people might like the where-am-I-map on the left I blogged about.

I had the application submitted (a friend helped me out, somehow cuddly sheep seem not to be recognized as application developers) at Yahoo!'s application gallery.

Have a look at: http://gallery.yahoo.com/apps/15419.
Don't forget to rate the application ;-)

If you use it on your blog or site, please let me know. I'm curious. And feel free to link to this blog.

Where's Youssouf? Look at the map!

2007-11-01T01:23:00.001+01:00

Last Saturday I've returned from a brilliant journey through Cambodja. Really awesome.

But the visitors of this blog had no way to see easily where I'm currently around the globe. That's why I've done some sheepish hacking with Yahoo! Maps and some other tools.

The result can be seen permanently in the left sidebar. The map displays my photo :-) You can zoom in and out and drag the map around. From now on it's easy for me to update where I am.

I hope you like this gadget!

Staring at the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark - 16 August 2007

2007-08-22T17:48:00.001+02:00

From 16 till 21 August 2007 I went to Copenhagen in Denmark. The weather was cold, but I had plenty of sun already this year.

I went there to visit some friends. Of course I did a bit of wandering around. Not much though.

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

In front of the Little Mermaid

This statue of the Little Mermaid sits on a rock in the Copenhagen harbour in Churchill Park. This small and unimposing statue is a symbol of Copenhagen, and a major tourist attraction.

The statue was commissioned in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg, after he had been fascinated by a ballet about the fairytale. The sculptor Edward Eriksen created the statue, which was unveiled on 23 August 1913. He used his wife Eline Eriksen as the model.

And of course I, Youssouf, had to have my picture taken with this small but beautiful landmark. Here I am, with the statue in the back.

Looking at the Little Mermaid

I had to stare at her for minutes. I did not really get her attention.

Copenhagen here I come!

2007-08-16T10:00:00.000+02:00

It's been a bit quiet lately. I've been working on some interesting Bleatology papers. Nothing to share here.

Anyways. More exciting: I'm now on my way to Copenhagen in Denmark :-)
So, pictures will be coming up soon.

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XXI

2007-06-29T10:41:00.000+02:00

Visiting the pope - Vatican City, Rome, Italy - 10 August 2007

2007-06-28T09:53:00.001+02:00

The second day of my Rome trip, I went to the Vatican. It seemed the pope was not home, or not giving audience to sheep somehow. I know I'm not a Agnus Dei, just a normal Agnus. So it was obvious I could not see him.

But I saw the Saint Peter's Square, the Saint Peter Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the tombs. And lone lines of people standing in the hot sun waiting to enter the basilica, museums, crypts. Well. Very crowded.
But also very beautiful and impressive. I would not want to miss this!

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Youssouf with a replica of a sheep statue in a shop of the Vatican Museums

I loved the Vatican museum, well actually museums. There are just short of a dozen of museums out there. Actually a bit too much to see. Hundreds of statues, fresco's, religious artefacts.. It's not easy to have full attention for all of them. Of course the Sistine Chapel was amazing.

A copper sculpture at the Cortille del Pigna (part of the Vatican Museums)

No Youssouf on this photo. I think I'm on a photo with a sculpture from the same artist in Milan. Have a look at that photo.

Overview of the Saint Peter's Square from the steps of Saint Peter's Basilica

I did not see the pope. But I had the most lovely sunny weather looking out over the square where all the people can sit on Sundays. The Saint Peter's Basilica is beautiful.

For more info see Saint Peter's Square on Wikipedia.

Monument of Victor Emmanuel II & Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy - 9 August 2006

2007-06-27T09:39:00.000+02:00

After some really ancient Roman sights, I headed for just as impressive, but more modern spots. There's too much to see in Rome. I just love it!

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Youssouf at the National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II

The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II) or Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) or "Il Vittoriano" is a monument to honour Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy. It is located in Rome, Italy. It occupies a site between the Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill. The monument was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1895. It was inaugurated in 1911 and completed in 1925.
See for more info Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II at Wikipedia.

At the Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain. One of the most famous - and most elaborately carved - fountains in the world. I did not toss a coin in the fountain. I did that before in 2004 and this was my return to Rome already! The legend says: toss a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain and you'll see Rome again.

For more info see Trevi Fountain at Wikipedia.

Ancient Rome, Italy - 9 August 2006

2007-06-26T09:31:00.001+02:00

I stayed almost 3 weeks on Elba, so there was plenty of time for another excursion. Two days Rome!

I have been to Rome in December 2004.

The coin in the Trevi fountain worked! I was back. This time for a bigger tour.

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

In front of the Collosseum

Who doesn't know the Collosseum? One of the new seven world wonders. And Youssouf was there.

For more info see The Collosseum on Wikipedia.

Inside the Collosseum looking at the tiers

The inside of the Collosseum. Mighty impressive!

Inside the Collosseum, looking at the arena and hypogeum - Rome, Italy - 9 August 2006.

The arena itself was 83 metres by 48 metres (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet).[2] It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.
For more info see The Collosseum on Wikipedia.

Looking out over the Roman Forum (Forum Romanum)

I did not see ancient Romans somehow. But their Forum was still there. Covered with old buildings, ruins and temples.

For more info see Roman Forum on Wikipedia.

Going medieval in Florence (Italy) - 4 August 2006

2007-06-25T10:40:00.001+02:00

The 1st till the 16th of August 2006 I went to the island of Elba, Italy. The island is reknown for the period that Napoleon Bonaparte lived there in exile. I made a one day trip to Florence and a two day trip to Rome. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of me on Elba itself.

The daytrip to Florence was really excellent. So many renaissance buildings, really too much to see. Awesome!

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

View of Florence from the hill

On the other side of the river you can have an excellent view of the medieval Florence.

Michelangelo's statue David, in front of Palazzo Vecchio

At the Piazza della Signoria is a replica of Michelangelo's famous colossal statue David. It's right in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. An excellent masterpiece of Renaissance art.

Duomo of Florence; The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church (Duomo) of Florence, Italy. The basilica is notable for its dome designed by Brunelleschi its exterior facing of polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.

Chilling at Tenerife, Canary Islands - 17 September 2005

2007-06-22T10:04:00.001+02:00

From 14 till 17 September 2005 I went for a short trip to Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. They are vulcanic islands off the African coast of Morocco. Great sunny weather. I did not see much of the island, since I was only relaxing a bit.

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Here I am, just climbing up a bush for the fun of it. You do strange things after 4 days of relaxing and partying on Tenerife.

Tickle Time! The last day in the Belgian Ardennes - 20 May 2007

2007-06-21T13:24:00.001+02:00

The last day in the Ardennes. A lovely sunny morning, only spoiled by a little raindrop in the afternoon. Relaxing in the garden.

Tickle Time!

And oooh, I love being carressed and tickeled!

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Flapser goes kayaking in the river Amblève - Ardennes, Belgium - 19 May 2007

2007-06-20T11:45:00.001+02:00

19 May we went kayaking in the river Amblève and started at Coo. I was so excited and a bit scared, since I'm not a good swimmer.
To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

In front of the waterfalls of Coo

We went for an afternoon of kayaking in the river Amblève in the Belgian Ardennes. We started at Coo. Here you see me at the waterfalls of Coo. The starting point of our wet kayaking tour.

Sitting on a rock in the river

We were about to start our kayaking trip. I was excited and had to go, but I could not hear the others, since the waterfalls behind me were making too much noise.
Fortunately they did not forget to take me with them.

Looking at the kayaks passing by

Half way kayaking on the Amblève river we stopped. One of the kayaks turned over, so it was filled with water. While one of my friends was struggling with his kayak, I climbed up the shore and up a tree to have an overview of the kayaks passing by.

Kayak upside down

I was helping my friend a bit with turning over his kayak to get rid of all the water that was inside. I think he appreciated my efforts, though I did not contribute much. At least I kept dry feet. He did not.

With our kayaks

At last.. After some hours of paddling we made it to the bridge where we had to get off. I still had dry feet. Here you can see all the kayaks of our group.
It was great fun! Not too much splashing around though..

Kayak close-up

I was a bit tired and felt my fluffy muscles after kayaking for a few hours. But I enjoyed it! Hence the big smile. Always a big adventure for a little sheep.

Flapser's having a Belgian barbeque - 18 May 2007

2007-06-18T10:05:00.000+02:00

After the hiking and walking through the High Fens, we thought we'd deserve a nice barbeque. So that's what we did that night.

We had a big garden near the house we rented in Xhiermont, Stoumont. We were on top of the hill, so you could see all the green forests and farmlands on the surrounding hills. And again no rain!
To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Barbeque preparations

I was excited and waiting for the barbecue. They've put up a little chair with pillow just for me. At the end of the table. I'm a bit to small to carry all the food and charcoal around, so I did not have to help the others. I really enjoyed it!

In my own little chair

That night we were having a barbeque. They managed to get me a chair with pillow in almost my size. Nice and comfortable! The barbeque was great as well. See me sitting there, happily smiling...

Flapser hiking at the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) in the Belgian Ardennes

2007-06-15T17:59:00.001+02:00

Friday 18 May - still on my long weekend in the Belgian Ardennes - I decided to go to the Hautes Farnes, the High Fens of Polêur. A beautiful nature resure with the spongy, acidious wet fens on top of the hills. Beautiful landscape. I loved it.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

At the hood of an oldtimer

Before I walked over the High Fens, I encountered a couple of beautiful oldtimers at the parking place. I had to polish the hood a bit.

At the hood of an oldtimer 2

Zoom in a bit on me at the hood of the oldtimer

In the vegetation of the Hautes Fagnes

The High Fens are very wet. And very typical plants grow there. What kind? The kind that sits quite comfortably. But you'll have to be careful with flapsing around too much. You'll get wet feet.

Looking at a peat pit

Yes, this is where they used to dig out peat. The Dutch call it 'turf'. Anyways. The weather was lovely.

The wooden path

If you build a path here, it won't last. The ground is too wet. So they just drove some poles into the ground and made a path from timber on top of it. Looks nice and keeps your paws dry.

Creek dipping?

Well, I did not intend to fall into the water. Luckily I kept my paws dry.

View from the hill

Nice view when you climb the hill on the edge of the 'Hautes Fagnes'.

Flapser hiking near Xhierfomont in the Ardennes, Belgium - 17 May 2007

2007-06-14T09:46:00.001+02:00

You haven't heart much of me recently. Besides flapsing around, I thought I'd imitate Youssouf and go on a trip of myself as well. Youssouf was on his way to Ohio, so I went a bit closer. One country ahead: Belgium. From 17 till 20 May I stayed in Xhierfomont, part of Stoumont in the Belgian Ardennes. It's not far from Spa - I even passed it. And of course Spa is world famous. All the spa's in the world are named after it.

It's always green - and rainy - out there. Great nature, forests, fens and water. I liked it! Luckily we had quite some sun as well.

The first day I went hiking near the house I stayed in. Up and down the hills, getting stuck by the river (the path ended) and then climbing up the hills again without a round. Quite an adventure for a flapping sheep!

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

A small river

That's the Belgian Ardennes: a lot of water, lots of rain. Beautiful green hilled landscape. And hiking paths that end in a river. So I had to find another route.

Climbing a young spruce

This small spruce was so lovely that I had to climb in it. Dunno why. I just flapsed and there I was.

Rocks & moss

High humidity, a lot of moisture and rain. Ideal climate for a lot of fluffy moss. And fluffy I love.

Back from Athens, Ohio!

2007-06-12T13:04:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday, the 10th, I arrived back home after 3 weeks in Athens, Ohio in The States. You'll be seeing some pics of that trip soon. Unfortunately I was working hard on my Bleatology research, so I did not take many photo's.

Cuddly sheep Koekje watching Flamenco in Madrid, Spain - 4-6 June 2007

2007-06-12T10:10:00.001+02:00

On Tuesday I went to this great place called Casa Pata. It's a traditional restaurant, great interior and excellent tapas. They also have a really famous traditional Flamenco show. I loved it! Excellent guitar players, singers and of course dancers. The star of the show, flamenco dancer Rosa Jiménez, even allowed me to have my picture taken with her.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

- Koekje (cuddly sheep / friend of Youssouf)

Under Construction in Cañizares street

Here I am again, a bit more close-up. Look at those nice cast-iron balconies and the colours! Luckily I'm not under construction, but on top of it. Sort of.

Cuddly sheep Koekje in front of flamenco club / restaurant Casa Pata

There I was. In front of Casa Patas, a restaurant and famous flamenco club. Each night they have a live performance. The line up of that evening:
Dancers: Primitivo Daza, Miguel Cañas and Rosa Jiménez.
Singers: Pepe Jiménez, José 'El Flaco', Pedro Jiménez.
Guitar: Jesus Losada and Victor 'El Tomate'.
They were all great artists and singing, playing and dancing with great skill, passion and explosive energy. I loved it!

Looking down Cañizares street

I was just looking down the street and grasping the atmosphere of the evening breeze and the late sun.

Koekje and flamenco dancer Rosa Jiménez at Casa Patas

At Casa Patas there was a traditional flamenco show. All Spanish people, so you know it's the genuine thing. With great fire, energy and passion the 3 singers, 2 guitar players and 3 dancers gave an excellent performance. Afterwards I went backstage and met dancer Rosa Jiménez. She was very friendly and allowed me to have our photo taken.

Cuddly sheep Koekje goes Madrid - 4 June 2007

2007-06-11T09:56:00.001+02:00

I'm Koekje, a friend of Youssouf. From Monday 4 till Wednessday 6 June 2007 I was in Madrid, Spain. I left home, Utrecht, The Netherlands on Monday and headed for Schiphol Airport. I went to Madrid for business purposes. I haven't done much sightseeing unfortunately. On Tuesday I went to this great place called Casa Pata. It's a traditional restaurant, great interior and excellent tapas. They also have a really famous traditional Flamenco show. I tell you more about that tomorrow.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

- Koekje (cuddly sheep / friend of Youssouf)

Cuddly sheep Koekje at Schiphol Airport, The Netherlands

Just in front of the gate I was sitting around after a long walk passing all the gates at Schiphol Airport. I was excited to be on my way to Madrid!

Watching the planes land at Schiphol Airport, The Netherlands

I'm just a small cuddly sheep, so I'm impressed by those big planes. Sitting at my departure gate at Schiphol Airport I enjoyed watching all those planes coming in.

Sitting on a pile of construction waste in Cañizares street

Sitting on a container of construction waste in Cañizares street was my way of having a bit more overview. It's the highest point in the street. I love those small streets with their balconies and their colours.

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Going back home, at the airport in Houston, USA - 19 April 2007

2007-06-09T14:52:00.001+02:00

After almost three weeks in Belize, Honduras and Guatemala I flew back from Guatemala City to Houston and from Houston (USA) on to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and then by train back home. Here you see me in the underground inter-terminal passenger train, going to my departure terminal at George Bush International Airport in Houston.

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

In the inter-terminal passenger train at George Bush Intercontinental Airport

At the window of the inter-terminal passenger train at George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Boat trip around Lago de Atítlan, Guatemala - 16 April 2007

2007-06-08T11:17:00.001+02:00

After visiting Chichicastenango for it's Maya market on Sunday, the previous day, I continued my trip to Panajachel at the shores of Lago de Atítlan. Lago de Atítlan is a large lake in a volcanic crater, surrounded by three volcano's. Especially in the morning the view is beautiful. Tranquil blue water, blue skies and the volcano's as a gentle shadow at the horizons. On Monday I rented a boat for a trip around Lago de Atítlan. I went from Panajachel to Santiago Atítlan, where I met Maya god Maximón. Then on to San Antonio Palopo for looking at how the coulourful cloths the Maya's are wearing traditionally are made. And on to Santa Catarina Palopo for just a bit of looking around. It's a different world out there!

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Map of the boat trip around Lago de Atítlan

Legend:
Red = travel by bus
Green = travel by boat
Pink = travel by plane
Yellow = Daytrip / excursion (by bus or car)
Yellow with green dotting = Daytrip / excursion by boat

Sailing towards Santiago Atítlan 1

Here I am sitting in the boat.

Sailing towards Santiago Atítlan 2

You can see one volcano in the background.

At a loom for weaving Maya fabrics in San Antonio Palopo

In San Antonio Palopo I went with a lady to her house. Of course she wore the traditional selfmade colourful clothes. She showed me around in her little house, showing the loom she uses for weaving and all the fabrics she made. It was great to see all of that! I love those colours. Each little town around Lago de Atítlan has its own pattern of fabrics.

Kissed by a beautiful model at a wedding - Antigua, Guatemala - 14 April 2007

2007-06-07T09:56:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I just get lucky.

Kissed by a beautiful model - Youssouf at a wedding - Antigua, Guatemala - 14 April 2007.

I was invited to attend a wedding in Antigua. At the end of the party, after some severe dancing, I ran into this girl. This pretty girl turned out to be a Guatemalan model. And she kissed me! I'm still blushing my horns off when I think of it...

To see where this photo was taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Video of Youssouf with lava at the Volcano Pacaya, Guatemala - 13 April 2007

2007-06-06T16:47:00.000+02:00

I also shot a short video of myself with the glowing lava at the volcano.
Have a look and enjoy it!

Lava at the Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala - 13 April 2007

2007-06-04T10:17:00.000+02:00

The trip continued.. A lot of lava to see and feel. Imagine the heat when you're really close. Or when you just missed one sip of breath when your lungs are filled with volcanic gasses.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Vulcanic rocks 1

This was where the lava flow stopped. The grass still present. The rocks are solid and cold now.

Vulcanic rocks 2

This was where the lava flow stopped. The grass still present. The rocks are solid and cold now.

Lava up close

We were walking up the volcano to the lava flows. You think the volcanic rock you are walking on is safe and cold.. But suddenly at 5 meters, some dust and rock slid down and you could see the hot melted rock glowing under it. This photo has been taken at 3 meters (10 feet) from the glowing lava.

Lava up ahead- Youssouf at the Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala - 13 April 2007.

You can see the lava coming down up ahead. But right next to me, on the right, there is a ditch with flowing lava as well.. Awesome!

A ditch of lava - Youssouf at the Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala - 13 April 2007.

This is as close as you can get. I felt like being toasted on a barbeque. The distance was 4 or 5 meters (14 feet) and it was hot.. Luckily my fleece did not get scorched, I did smell some burning rubber from the hot rocks below our feet. It wasn't me. You can't see it, but this lava is still moving and very much alive.

In Antigua and at the Volcano Pacaya, Guatemala - 13 April 2007

2007-06-03T15:20:00.001+02:00

April 12th I took the long bus trip from Copán in Honduras to Antigua in Guatemala. Quite a different climate and culture. Antigua is a colonial city and looks more like the colonial buildings in Madrid than to the rest of Guatemala. Lovely town and not as hot as Copán (moderate temperature).

After a nice and well deserved breakfast, I went for a daytrip up the Volcano Pacaya. It's still active and there's still lava coming out. This is one of the most thrilling experiences you can have. You can almost feel the fibers in your fleece starting to melt. The landscape is filled with fractal shaped black rock. Almost a moon landscape. The sight (and feel) of the glowing lava is something to never forget.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Breakfast at Fernando's Kaffee

The previous day I had a long bus journey from Copán in Honduras to Antigua in Guatemala. So I thought I deserved a nice breakfast. Fernando's Kaffee in Antigua is a great place for breakfast. Good atmosphere and excellent liquados (fruit shakes). Don't forget to take the panqueques con Nutella, chocolate & banana pancakes!

Map of the daytrip from Antigua to the volcano Pacaya

Legend:
Red = travel by bus
Green = travel by boat
Pink = travel by plane
Yellow = Daytrip / excursion (by bus or car)
Yellow with green dotting = Daytrip / excursion by boat

Sitting at some volcanic rock

After climbing the Volcano Pacaya for an hour or 2, we encountered the first parts of the where the volcanic rock had flown. Almost fractally sharp, black rock. Strange stuff. Look at the structure of the rock.

Lava coming down the volcano

This was the first peak we had at the top of the vulcano. You could see the smoke coming out and the hot lava coming down. An out of this world sight!

The History of Youssouf

2007-06-01T15:21:00.000+02:00

It's time to give my audience a bit of insight in my background. So here it goes.

My name is Youssouf. I was born in Jordan, in the Middle East. Well, born.. Do cuddly animals get born? The reproduction of cuddly animals - sheep in particular - is yet somehow a bit of a mystery to the world of science.
I'm.. Well, how many years old? Some people count in human years, some count in dog years or sheep years. And counting in cuddly sheep years is a whole different story. Cuddly sheep don't have fingers on their paws, so we evolved with a totally different counting system, including some function for the horns - if present - as well in our counting. By now I must have gotten you confused. So I can't really tell you how old I am, since I'm confused now as well.

Anyways.
There I was in Jordan. Hopping around a bit with a small flock of fellow cuddly sheep. One day I went out to a nice little market. That was back in 2000. Yep. A few years ago. At that market place a saw a friendly openminded woman. I tried to talk to her, but unfortunately she did not speak any Baahrabic. She spoke Dutch, which I did not understand at the time as well. We both happened to speak English, so we continued in English. Her name was DocD. We sat down and talked for quite a while. She told me about The Netherlands, where she lived. I told her about my plans to go and study abroad. To cut things short: it turned out that in Utrecht in the Netherlands they have the Utrecht University. At the Faculty of Arts you could study Language and Culture Studies with a major in Bleatology. As a cuddly sheep, I'm very much interested in Bleatology.
So, I decided to go to The Netherlands (aka. Holland) to go and study Bleatology. DocD arranged that I could accompany her from Jordan back to The Netherlands. And there I went. Leaving the dust and plush of Jordan behind.

The studies were really great. I was able to do a lot of fieldwork to - e.g. research for the human-plush interaction throughout several cultures. This research allowed me to travel abroad frequently. That's how it happened that since the fall of 2000 I've been travelling the world. I've finished my Master last year. No student anymore. Currently I'm doing research in the field of Bleatology, with some 'side dishes' in human-plush interaction and cultural manifestations of material-sheep.

Some people picked up my idea of material-animals, the not traditionally-living-animals (outdated concept...) travelling throughout the world, like those penguins or the Gnome from the movie Amélie. That's fine with me.

I like to write about my sheepish encounters, Bleatological sheep insights and of course about my travels. You've read about it here.

And now more recently I've started to post all of my photo's Flickr. I've got 100s of them in stock and I'll have to upload, tag and geotag them all. Quite an effort!

To give you an idea of where I traveled: Paris, London, Madrid, Antwerp, dozens of places in The Netherlands, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Trans-Siberia Express, China, Borneo, Cyprus, Malta, Belgium, Austria, France, Guatemala, Belize, Ohio (USA), Honduras, Italy, Isla Margarita, Egypt, diving in the Red Sea, Turkey, World Expo of 2000 in Hannover (Germany), Namibia, Houston (USA) and I'm forgetting some.

Thank you for your attention.

The Copán Museum, Honduras - 11 April 2007 Maya site Copán, Honduras - 11 April 2007

2007-06-01T10:05:00.001+02:00

Next to the archeological site of Copán is the Copán Museum. It contains all the delicate stellae and sculptures. As well as some reconstructed walls, buildings and even a complete temple replica in full colour! Those Maya's knew how to carve stone. It's beautiful.
To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Completing the 3 carved stone skulls

Three carved stone skulss were at display. One was obviously missing, so I though I'd complete the set.

With a replica of an ancient Maya temple

Excellent replica of an ancient Maya temple. The original is still out there, covered by a newer Maya temple. Awesome to see!

At the Copán Maya site, Honduras 2 - 11 April 2007

2007-05-31T10:25:00.001+02:00

So the trip to the Maya ruins at Copán continued. Too much to see. An very interesting culture. And in Copán it ended precisely after 18 kings. The 18th king made a sculpture depicting all 18 kings on the sides of a square stone. The last king meets the first king in the middle. This also meant that the 18th king new his empire would end there. He left to another Maya kingdom. The short version: they collapsed under their own success. Copán was surrounded by fertile ground, ideal for agriculture. As the city expanded, more agricultural land was claimed for the city. This resulted in the end that the population was not able to sustain themselves. They could not produce enough food. That's where the decay and diseases began...
Anyways. It's a great place to visit!

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

With the Two headed flying snake sculpture

A cuddly sheep travelling is one thing.. A two headed flying snake with feathery wings is another. The Maya's at Copán had those. And made a sculpture out of it. In fact, it 's one of their most important gods.

The hieroglypic stairway

We write books on paper (or just on the pc). The Maya's at Copán have written one in stone. The complete stairway is covered in hieroglyphs and tell the history of the Maya's. Unbelievable!

View at a court

On top of one of the bigger temples you have an excellent view of the several courts, their temples, buildings, statues and the magnificent trees.

Another court

I picked a higher point of view and sat on someones cap. The shade is nice, since it's very hot out there.

At the Copán Maya site, Honduras - 11 April 2007

2007-05-30T10:23:00.001+02:00

April 10th I took the chickenbus from Rio Dulce to Copán. A long journey of over 7 hours... See the map below for the route. The goal: Copán. Confusingly the town near the ancient Maya site of Copán is called Copán Ruínas and the site itself only Copán.

April the 11th I visited the ruins of Copán. Really excellent. And hot. So many temples, stellae, statues, carved hieroglyphs. The Maya's did know how to build. No sheep depicted in the stones somehow.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

The map of the travel from Rio Dulce (Guatemala) to Copán (Honduras)

Legend:
Red = travel by bus
Green = travel by boat
Pink = travel by plane
Yellow = Daytrip / excursion (by bus or car)
Yellow with green dotting = Daytrip / excursion by boat

With a macaw at the entrance

At the entrance of the ruins, there were some beautiful macaws sitting at the fence. They were a bit scared to be near me. I guess they've never seen a cuddly sheep before...
The Dutch call a macaw 'ara'.

With some stone monkeys

Too much to see out there at this archeological site. Hieroglyphs, sculptures, temples. These stone monkey faces were put on a temple.

At a court and temple

Copán consists of several courts, with lots of temples. This is one of those temples.

Visiting the town of Rio Dulce - Guatemala - 9 April 2007

2007-05-29T10:33:00.001+02:00

9 April I went - in between the relaxing - from the hotel by boat to the small town of Rio Dulce. Not very much to see out there. Nevertheless, they have a big and high bridge which gives you an excellent overview of the Rio Dulce river itself and the landscape!

I must admit, it's a bit scary standing on the edge of the bridge for a photo.
To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Local transport: travel by pocket

Sometimes it's comfortable and cheap to travel by pocket, as you can see. It's fun and comfortable.

River view from the bridge

From the top of the bridge you can oversee the town Rio Dulce and the river Rio Dulce very good. Excellent view there!

View from the bridge at Backpackers Hotel

Relaxing at the Catamaran Island Hotel - Rio Dulce, Guatemala - 9 April 2007

2007-05-25T14:04:00.001+02:00

Holidays is not just about seeing all the sights. It's also about relaxing. And that was what I was doing for a day. Near the pool, at the bar. Came to rest at the Catamaran Island hotel!

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

At the pool

Relaxing at the pool of Catamaran Island Hotel in Rio Dulce.

Sitting at the bar 1

Relaxing at the Catamaran Island Hotel in Rio Dulce. Sitting at the bar and having a drink.

Sitting at the bar 2

Sitting at the bar 3

Sitting at the bar 4

Nightly encounter with a local cane toad

At night I was walking at the grass near the pool of the Catamaran Island Hotel and encountered a local cane toad. Nice fellow, a bit scared though. And he was not as puffy as most of his relatives.

Youssouf's boattrip from Livingston to Rio Dulce - Guatemala - 8 April 2007

2007-05-24T17:44:00.001+02:00

On April 8th I went from Livingston at the Guatemalan Caribean coast inlands on the river Rio Dulce. Going by bus instead of boat to the town of Rio Dulce is just as easy as going by boat instead of bus through the Sahara desert. So I chose a touristy boat trip, to see more of the Guatemalan jungle.
The Guatemalan jungle has more hills and mountains than in Belize, so that was interesting to see as well.

I just love the jungle.

Legend:
Red = travel by bus
Green = travel by boat
Pink = travel by plane
Yellow = Daytrip / excursion (by bus or car)
Yellow with green dotting = Daytrip / excursion by boat

Youssouf's boattrip from Livingston to Rio Dulce - Guatemala - 8 April 2007.

In the jungle near a small creek. Lovely epifyts and flowers!
To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Daytrip on the Monkey River - Belize, 5 April 2007

2007-05-24T12:54:00.000+02:00

On April 5th I went from Placencia with a small boat (6 people and 1 sheep) through the mangroves to Monkey River town. This Monkey River Tour led up the Monkey river. In the mangroves there were lots of birds; pelicans, great egrids, magnificent frigatebirds. Up the river you could see bats, a fresh water turtle, big spiders, lots of jungle, birds of prey like the black vulture and much more. In the jungle there were lizards, howler monkeys and even a 12 foot boa!

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Click on the photo's for a larger version.

Map of the daytrip from Placencia up the Monkey River
Legend:
Yellow = daytrip
Green = travel by boat

In the Jungle near the Monkey River

In a Bamboo Forest near the Monkey River

Flight from Belize City to Placencia - Belize, 3 April 2007

2007-05-23T10:13:00.000+02:00

April 3 I went from the island of Caye Caulker to the peninsula of Placencia, in the south of Belize. First with the watertaxi (speedboat) to Belize City, from there on with a 10 seater plane to Placencia.

Excellent view of the landscape, the coastline, the swamps and jungle of Belize from the plane!
Also fun to fly in a very small plane: you see everything and the landing on the Placencia airstrip was touch the ground and 3 seconds later you make a turn and you stand still.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Click on the photo's for a larger version.

Map of the travelling from Caye Caulker to Placencia.
Legend:
Green = travel by boat
Pink = travel by plane

In the plane from Belize City to Placencia 1

In the plane from Belize City to Placencia 2

At the Placencia airstrip

Maya Ruins of Altun Ha - Belize, 2 April 2007

2007-05-22T09:58:00.000+02:00

On April 2th I went from Caye Caulker by boat to Belize City, from there on by car to the Maya Ruins of Altun Ha. An excellent site. Very quiet, very green. No ball court or places for sacrifice out there, so the rulers of this ancient Maya City did not have to suppress the population. Quite a unique feature in the ancient Maya world.

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Click any of the images below for a larger version.

Map of the trip to Altun Ha in Belize.
Legend:
Yellow = daytrip
Green = travel by boat

At the Altun Ha sign

Overview of the plaza

On the steps of a temple

Strangler fig

On top of a temple

Trip to Belize, Honduras and Guatemala - 31 March till 19 April 2007

2007-05-21T11:33:00.000+02:00

Currently I'm in Ohio, USA. But, no photo's from that trip yet.

I'm back for a month from my last trip. A trip through Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. Starting March 31st, ending April 19th. Central America is really great and beautiful.

The trip went from the island Caye Caulker to peninsula Placencia, both Belize. From there on via Punta Gorda to Guatemala; by boat to Puerto Barrios and on to Livingston. After a night in Livingston I went to Rio Dulce for some relaxing. And then on to Copán in Honduras, for the Maya ruines. And from Copán on to Antigua in Guatemala. Proceeding the trip to Lago de Atítlan. And everywhere in between I made some nice daytrips. You'll hear about them soon ;-)

Below you'll find the map of my route. Click on the map or the photo's below for a bigger version.

The legend of the map is in Dutch, so here's the translation:
Red = travel by bus
Green = travel by boat
Pink = travel by plane
Yellow = daytrip

Youssouf in coconut palm with bonsai mangrove at Caye Caulker - Belize - 2 April 2007

Youssouf at the beach of Caye Caulker - Belize - 2 April 2007

To see where these photo's were taken exactly, have a look at the interactive map and zoom in and out for a better overview.

Belize, Honduras and Guatemala pics coming up!

2007-05-09T14:56:00.000+02:00

From 31 March to 19 April I made a trip to Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. Soon you'll be seeing the pictures on my blog! It was awesome.

2006-10-06T10:55:00.000+02:00

Yesterday's cartoon from Duck & Birdie as published on their Dutch site is fun again.
And contains sheep :-D
You'll have to understand Dutch.. ;-)

Il Duomo in Milan

2006-09-20T13:38:00.000+02:00

In May I was in Milan for a few days. Of course I visited the famous dome, Il Duomo. The complete Duomo stood in the wharf, so the facade was not visible. So I climbed the roof of the church. It's beautiful. Hundreds of carved pinacles and a magnificent view of the city.

Ernie's Boogie Woogie Sheep

2006-09-17T16:05:00.000+02:00

Greedy Sheep Rescued from Tree

2006-09-15T13:58:00.000+02:00

Firemen may be well-practised in rescuing cats from trees, but the challenge facing the emergency services in Lund on Wednesday morning was an altogether different beast: a sheep stuck in a tree, seven metres from the ground.

When the fire engine arrived at St Lars park in the south of the city, officers found that a tree had partly fallen over and the sheep had worked its way up through the branches, lured by the tasty green leaves.

"It was the owner himself who called us, but the sheep probably would have been able to get down without our help," said fire team leader Martin Kalthofs to TT.

Nevertheless, the firemen removed some of the branches and after a while the sheep calmly turned itself around and strolled back down the way it had climbed up.

A group of children followed the episode with much amusement and afterwards named the sheep Tarzan.

Saving animals who have got themselves into awkward situations is regular work for the fire brigade.

"But this is the first time I've had to deal with a sheep in a tree," said Martin Kalthofs.

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XX

2006-01-31T15:41:00.000+01:00

Baaaah

2005-12-05T15:25:00.000+01:00

Baah? Baaa baa baaaaah!

Gozo here I come!

2005-08-13T09:49:00.000+02:00

Today I am off to Gozo, the small island near Malta. Will be fun and sun!
A two weeks holiday... Love it!

Sheep News: Sheep is Spared Chop after Escape

2005-06-15T11:57:00.000+02:00

Always great to read heroic sheep stories!

A sheep called Myfanwy has been spared the slaughterhouse after a daring escape from a farmer in north Wales.

The sheep was being rounded up to be taken to a fatstock market and onto an abattoir, when she managed to swim across a lake to a small island.

She spent six weeks there before being brought back.

Now farmer Philip Robinson, from Nannerch near Mold, has decided to adopt her as the farm pet.

Mr Robinson was rounding up 30 sheep, which had run across a field towards the lake.

But Myfanwy had been left to rest on the ground.

Before the farmer could reach her with his dog, she pulled herself up and swam 30 yards across the water, which is used for fly-fishing.

After a short holiday on her own private island, living on reeds and vegetation, the eight-year-old ewe was brought back.

Mr Robinson said: "I left her for six weeks because we were busy with lambing and I took a boat over the island. When I tried to reach her, it was difficult..she ended up trying to swim back again".

The 44-year-old farmer, who has 600 ewes, said adoption by a farm park was one option, unless her celebrity takes her to pastures new.

It has echoes of the Tamworth Two, when two pigs were spared after swimming across a river and going on the run in 1998.

Their story was later turned into a film.

As for Myfanwy, she is open to offers, although temperamental.

Mr Robinson said: "You get to know the problem sheep but she had not shown herself before. We decided to give her a reprieve - she's like a pet now, out in the field with the rams but you can't really get near her.

"She's a bit lively and a bit of a runner!"

Found the article at BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | North East Wales | Sheep is spared chop after escape

Belgian Dinner with Sheep

2005-04-28T16:32:00.000+02:00

(Found at Beauty of the Beasts Dog Shirts)

Flapser's Frolicing Wisdoms III

2005-04-27T10:29:00.000+02:00

You can distinguish between sheepish geeks (or geeky sheep) and those who are not sheepish geeks by stating the following:
"All Your Baaahs Are Belong To Us"

The sheepish geek will understand it, others will not.
If you haven't got a clue what it is all about, then you are not a sheepish geek.

Sheep Game: Garfield's Sheep Shot

2005-04-21T10:12:00.000+02:00

Make sure Garfield gets his 9 hours of sleep!
You can help him by getting sleepy sheep into his bed by using the slingshot to launch the sheep. Every time a sheep reaches Garfield, he gets a half hour of restful slumber.

And it is not that easy...

But very much fun indeed!
Garfield's Sheep Shot

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XIX

2005-04-20T09:16:00.000+02:00

Sheep Game: Sheep Dash!

2005-04-19T10:08:00.000+02:00

The BBC has got a great game. In the Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind department (that's were the sheep should be??) you can find it.

The game will test how fast your reactions are.
When you start the game, click the tranquilizer button whenever you see a sheep leaving the flock and running for freedom.

There are five sheep to stop. But be warned, there's a 3 second penalty if you shoot a dart when no sheep are running.

I like the graphics of the game! Not to forget the sounds :D

Please note that no sheep were harmed in the making of this game

How quick are you?

BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Sheep Dash!

Thirsty Sheep

2005-04-18T11:11:00.000+02:00

When a sheep walks through the grasslands it is quite clear where it will drink. There is always a pond, small stream or canal nearby.

But what if you are a travelling sheep like me?
You are wandering through a big city and suddenly you are thirsty...
What would you do? Right. Have a sip from a drinking fountain. That was what this clever sheep was thinking :D

Found the photo at Jokes, Photos, Funny Stories and Office Humour - office-humour.net.

Flapser's Frolicing Wisdoms II

2005-04-17T13:11:00.000+02:00

Do not count the sheep,
instead count the fences

Flapser's Frolicing Wisdoms I

2005-04-14T14:47:00.000+02:00

Don't shear an entire flock
When you knit just one sock

Sheep News: 'Mr president, please slaughter 1 000 sheep'

2005-04-14T14:42:00.000+02:00

Sometimes the world seems bizarre.
Well, read for yourself. But please, do not slaughter 1000 sheep to prevent earthquakes in Indonesia. That's a waste (but 1000 sheep for some nice Indonesian dishes...).

Jakarta - Indonesia's president said on Tuesday he had been told to slaughter 1 000 sheep to prevent a repeat of the disastrous quakes that have hit his country, but he rejected the advice as superstitious nonsense.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he had been bombarded with telephone text messages saying sacrificial lambs could calm the seismic forces that have claimed thousands of lives.

"I have received many SMSs which say: 'Mr president, please slaughter 1,000 sheep',"

Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by the state news agency Antara.

Yudhoyono urged the public not to believe in superstitions, saying that earthquakes were a natural phenomenon and could be explained scientifically.

Indonesia is a mainly Muslim country but belief in ancient mystic practices is still ingrained in the lives of many citizens.

Source: IOL (South Africa) news article: 'Mr president, please slaughter 1 000 sheep'

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XVIII

2005-04-13T11:20:00.000+02:00

Sheep maze

2005-04-12T15:57:00.000+02:00

Sometimes it is necessary to keep the visitors of this blog (you!) busy. Provide some entertainment that may cost them a potential hour or so. And it must be fun.

That is why I posted this great maze.
It should keep you busy for an hour or so (unless you are the brightest student of your flock). Or perhaps your little neighbour kid will enjoy it on a rainy afternoon :-D

Imagine you are a shepphard. You have to find your lost lamb. You have to find the lamb before its lovely flower in the hair has faded.

The theme of a shepphard finding a lost lamb sounds awfully familiar, no surprise I found the maze on Bible Kids' Fun Zone.

Hallmark E-card: Thank Ewe!

2005-04-09T15:20:00.000+02:00

A friend of mine sent me a great Thank Ewe E-card from Hallmark.

It is a funny animated Flash card. Don't forget to turn on your sound!

Pictures of Rome

2005-04-08T17:29:00.000+02:00

As you might know, last December I went to Rome for a couple of days. And I promissed you some pictures.

So here it goes!

Of course I started the journey at Schiphol Airport (near Amsterdam).

There is so much to see in Rome. Way too much. And a small sheep like me always has to watch out for pickpockets (or sheeppockets) and those dangerous Roman scooters.

I am a sheep, I like to bounce, but the Roman espresso's (great stuff!) really made me bounce from ancient Roman pilar to medieval house to the next fountain.

Yeah. Fountains. They are all over the place. Every square has at least one of 'm. So, some fountain pictures!

Here I am at the Mascherone fountain in the Via Giulia. The total count of fountains will be high if they start calling public water taps fountains ;-)

You can't see much of the Forum Romanum, but I am there. Really. At night, on my way to discover the night life (which existed in my case of fountains by night).

This is one of the fountains at the Piazza Navona. The place to meet? Well, I did not meet any other sheep out there. So much for a meeting point...

The most famous fountain of Rome and perhaps even the world: the Trevi Fountain.
It is both enourmous and beautiful. All those detailed sculptured figures. Bigger than life size! A marvelous (or marbelous??) job!
I guess it is one of the most photographed fountains in the world. Millions of photo's are made of this photo? What makes this so special? Me! It is one of the very rare photo's of the Trevi fountain with a plush toy sheep. :-D

Sheep News: Scientists search for bare-bum sheep gene

2005-03-24T15:02:00.000+01:00

All this talk about mulesing lately...
In the future cutting-edge genetic engineering may replace cutting-ass technology called mulesing. Both designed to prevent flystrike with sheep.

Scientists are hoping to identify the gene or genes which resulted in "bare-bum" sheep on a South Australian merino stud, with hopes it can be replicated across the industry.

The genetic mutation on the Eyre Peninsula resulted in a ram that was completely bare in the crutch and hind leg area.

Professor Phil Hynd from the University of Adelaide says he has no doubts that genetics is the answer to the ethical dilemma of mulesing sheep.

"We want to get away from chemical use as much as possible in the sheep industry," he said.

"The chemical mulesing that we're developing at Adelaide University with Australian Wool Innovation is, as I see it, a stop-gap measure.

"When mulesing's banned in 2009, we need something to replace it."

Professor Hynd says the aim now is to identify the bare-bum gene and to see if it is present in other sheep flocks.

"Genetic solutions are always slow, even with markers, but we would hope that if this is a dominant gene or at least a small cluster of genes that we can identify, we should be able to start making big impacts on the industry over a 10 to 15 year period," he said.

Article found at ABC News Online - Sci Tech News 21/03/2005 Scientists search for bare-bum sheep gene

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XVII

2005-03-22T09:37:00.000+01:00

Mulesing along?

2005-03-21T13:33:00.000+01:00

Every coin has two sides (well, three actually for most of them...).
I reported about the horrible practice of mulesing before.

Sir Rantzalot notified me of the article Animal welfare in the Australian wool industry of the Australian Wool industry. Their side of the story.

You can compare it with the agitated reactions to Canadian people killing baby seals for their fur. Most of those hunters do it because they do not have an alternative. European citizens protest against it, but the fact is, most of the hunters used to be fishermen. Not enough fish for them left, because European (!) trawlers are fishing too much in their waters.

Just like that: mulesing is horrible, but 3 million sheep dieing each year of flystrike also... So let's hope they will find a good alternative for mulesing quickly.

Shamy sheepy

2005-03-21T13:20:00.000+01:00

I've been not that active with blogging lately. Shame on me. Indeed.
I promissed photo's from my latest trips. They still have to come.

Oooh. The horror, the shame.

I will try to better my life and be as fluffy and blogging as I used to be.

Baah!

Youssouf Went Twente

2005-03-03T13:26:00.000+01:00

I'm back since last Friday.
I staid in a nice cottage in Boekelo. Boekelo is famous for its salt mines. In the landscape you can still see at several locations the dark brown wooden salt mine towers. Nice view! Of course I made photo's of it. Me included.
Surprisingly it was snowing over there. Usually you don't encounter much snow in The Netherlands. But if it starts snowing somewhere, the first place is likely to be Twente. And so it was. I made some rare pictures of me in the snow. I thought it would be a very rare occasion. Snowy white fields. Encountering a snow man. Licking up snow flakes from the air.
But alas - or fortunately - it was not rare. Now in Utrecht - and the rest of the Netherlands - it has been snowing for a couple of days. Melted away a bit during the day. But now there is really some snow. Even in areas where it does not snow that much a bunch has fallen. 10 to 20 cm in Utrecht and even 60 cm in Groningen! When did this all start? About last Tuesday (which was not so last Tuesday). The day exactly when the meteorological Spring started. Heavy snowfall (according to Dutch standards) in Spring. Right. Some greenhouse effect (not!).

But I am drifting off. Boekelo and surroundings is a nice place to be. I love the Twentish accent of the people. Farmland is alternated by chunks of forrest and 'hout wallen' (wooden walls). Really nice to walk over there in the snow. I also did quite some relaxing. Played some new boardgames. I really had fun! Pictures will follow!

Week in Twente

2005-02-18T12:20:00.000+01:00

As from today I will be on the move again. A week in Twente. A beautiful region in the east of the Netherlands.
And I will be making photo's! Just a bit of hopping and wandering around. It will be fun! I sure hope it will not be raining...

Bhaaaappy Vaahaaalentine!

2005-02-14T13:32:00.000+01:00

Happy sheepish valentine's day to all of you (ewe)!

I found this great sheepish val's day card at Ant Creations.

Ant Creations - Cards-Valentine

And they have more (Welsh) sheep cards than just this one :-D

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XVI

2005-02-14T13:01:00.000+01:00

Draw Sheep in the Big City

2005-02-10T17:28:00.000+01:00

All Cartoon Network fans out there know the toon Sheep in the Big City. Unfortunately we do not have Cartoon Network on the cable anymore :(
But now you can have your own Sheep at home!

The Cartoon Network's Fridays offer a Sheep drawing lesson!

Have fun and enjoy the drawing!

Sheep Cartoon: Black Sheep

2005-02-10T17:13:00.000+01:00

Luckily I do not do politics.
Nevertheless a political sheep cartoon. Found at The Clinton Legacy

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XV

2005-02-09T11:02:00.000+01:00

Mulesing

2005-02-08T11:02:00.000+01:00

Sometimes you can't believe what people are doing to sheep.
Sir Rantzalot noticed me on some truely bad practices in Australia called mulesing:

Can you imagine the public outcry if someone grabbed a dog and sliced away skin and flesh the size of a dinner plate from around its anus and tail with a pair of shears and without anaesthetic.
Well Australian protection laws, whilst prohibiting such cruelty on companion animals, allow this gory primitive act to be carried out on millions of sheep each year.

If you have a strong stomache (there is one gruesome picture) and are prepared to read about this abuse, just read the article on Mulesing from Animal Liberation. Perhaps you can help prevent such misbehaviour...
They should be cuddling those sheep!

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XIV

2005-02-02T13:00:00.000+01:00

Rich lamb and vegetable mix brings home flavor of Sudan

2005-02-01T13:17:00.000+01:00

Cooking is fun. Exotic cooking can be more fun.
To some people cooking lamb is fun. Tastes great! (I am a plush sheep, so I am not offended by you eating a meaty sheep. Is you would eat plush sheep, I'd be offended)

Sudanese lamb and veggies mix can make a great meal. Try it!

A great story AND a nice recipe: Kansas City Star Rich lamb and vegetable mix brings home flavor of Sudan.

The Muppet Sheep

2005-01-27T13:04:00.000+01:00

One of the greatest and funny sheep ever designed, are the Muppet Sheep.
I just love them!

One sheep made his debut in Milton Miller's Barnyard Philharmonic Trio, the others appeared for the first time in the episode guest starring the Star Wars cast (#89)singing "Rama Lama Ding Dong". One of the sheep was a black lamb with white fur, and one of them (who in one episode turned into Super Sheep) had horns.

They should get their own show!

SheepNews: Two-headed lamb born in China

2005-01-26T17:04:00.000+01:00

Spring is on its way. Lambs are being born.
Some people think sheep are dumb. Perhaps some are. But to compensate a little brain by having to of 'em?? Miraculous world.

Anyways. The full article can be found at Ananova - Two-headed lamb born in China.

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XIII

2005-01-26T14:05:00.000+01:00

Sheep News: 'Maintenance-Free' Sheep Replace Lawnmower

2005-01-19T14:26:00.000+01:00

With such a title you have to make a post.
It's not a Lawnmower Man story. Not scary at all.
Just a demonstration of the capabilities of us great sheep!

It’s not as cold in northwest Arkansas as it is in Iceland, but a flock of Icelandic sheep doesn’t seem to mind.

...

“We had some friends here a year ago in October,” said Marilyn Miles. “Dennis told them how much time he spent mowing. Our friends said we ought to get some sheep.”

Read the full story at WCCO.com: 'Maintenance-Free' Sheep Replace Lawnmower

Sheep Game: Baa Baa Black Sheep

2005-01-18T10:15:00.000+01:00

The Beeb (BBC) has of course CBBC, Children's BBC. But they go beyond that and have a CBeeBies section as well! For the wooly diaper lambs out there.

For that purpose they have designed a great game. And it is all about the song Baa Baa Black Sheep. Jolly!
Young children love the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep and they will enjoy matching the pictures to the rhyme. This game was designed for all children but particularly for those with autism and related communication disorders.
Well. It should fit the average visitor of this blog ;-)
I managed to play all 3 levels! Even Flapser managed it.
Try it for yourself!

Lamblet - "To Baaa or Not To Baaa"

2005-01-17T15:28:00.000+01:00

Back in 1997 my friend Gwynt translated William Shakespeare's famous Hamlet monologue to a more sheepish version. Since this sheepish masterpiece may not end up in the bottom drawer of oblivion, I will post it on my weblog.
The original version was published under the Games, Downloads & Miscellaneous Sheep Stuff of Gwynt's Sheep Paradise (which I archived).

Behold. It is not the most brilliant and correct English out there, but you have to make some concessions when you translate the monologue to a sheep dyeing story.

Monologue from 'Lamblet' by Woolliam Sheepspeare

(Act III, Scene I.- A Room in the Castle.
ligne 56: Enter Lamblet.)

Performed with a 'bleat in the throat'.

Lamblet
To baaa, or not to baaa: that is the que-e-estion:
Whe-e-ther 'tis nobler in the maaa-aaa to suffer
The sli-i-ings and a-a-arr-ewes of outsheareous fo-o-ortune,
Or to ta-a-ake rams agai-ai-ainst a sheep of troubles, A-a-and by oppo-o-osing end ram? To dye: two sheep;
No moor; and, by-y-y a sheep to say we end
The horn-ache and the thou-ou-ousand natural flocks
That flesh is here too, 'tis for consumption
Devou-ou-outly to baaa wish'd. To dye: two sheep;
Two sheep: persi-i-istent to scream: ay, they're the dumb
For in tha-a-at sheep of heath what screams may co-o-ome
When we ha-a-ave shorn of this mutton wool,
Must gi-i-ive us grass. The-e-ere's the respect
That makes insanity of such sheep life;
For who-o-o would shear the lips and horns of mine,
The shephard's wrong, the prou-ou-oud ram's contumely,
The lambs of disprized lo-o-ove, the ewe's betrayal,
The i-i-insolence of sheepishness, and the spu-u-urns
The baaa-aatient maaa-aaarit of the unwooly steaks,
When he himse-e-elf flight this delicious steak
With a baaa-aaa-aaare lambkin? who would shephards shear,
To bleat and shed u-u-under a sheary life,
But that the thread of some wool after shear,
The u-u-undiscover'd county from whose bourn
No lavender occurs, dazzles the hill,
And makes ewes rather shear those fleeces ewes have
Then dye -it bothers that ewes know not of?
Thus conscience does ma-a-ake shephards of us all;
And thu-u-us the native ewe with dye-solution
Is painted o'er with the pencils of thought
And ewe disguises in great myth and nonsense
With this rega-a-ard their cutlets turn greeny
And lose the fame of attraction. Soft ewe now!
The hairy Ovinia! Ny-y-ymph, in thy horn-sizes
Baaa a-a-all my sheep ramember'd

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XII

2005-01-17T11:24:00.000+01:00

Baaahaaappy New Year!

2005-01-03T09:34:00.000+01:00

Hurray! A new year!
Best wishes, fleece and sheep to everyone for 2005!

Last week I got a new computer, so the backup of all data and the installation of new software took quite some time. Time not spent at blogging (you have to have a working pc to be able to blog...). I hope to blog more this week.

Keep on bleating this year.

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part XI

2004-12-29T14:23:00.000+01:00

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part X

2004-12-23T11:02:00.000+01:00

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part IX

2004-12-21T11:40:00.000+01:00

Back in Town

2004-12-20T09:28:00.000+01:00

I am back in town again. Rome was great! I made some awesome photo's like me at the Trevi Fountain.
You will see some photo's this week!

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part VIII

2004-12-16T14:30:00.000+01:00

BlogShares Contest: Dead Blogs

2004-12-16T13:45:00.000+01:00

This time not a post about sheep.
Flapser: What? Not about sheep?!

Nope. You see. Weblogs like these are in the virtual world. Some - foolish - people out there think I am virtual too. But I can promise you: I am a very much alive plush toy sheep!

So. I am alive. This weblog is quite alive.

One thing that is also alive and virtual is BlogShares. It is a virtual stock market for weblogs. You can trade in weblogs and weblog ideas and it is really fun. Besides that, if I wanted to trade in the real stock market, I'd have a problem. Toy sheep still can't open a bank account. We are not taken seriously. Nevertheless I enjoy myself at BlogShares. Out there, I am a billionaire!

And now at BlogShares there is a contest. To categorise all the thousands of blogs listed, there are industries and sub-industries. Industries like Religion, Web Technology, Animals and Pets and Portuguese. With this contest you have to propose a new industry. And write about it in your blog. And that's what I am doing right now!

Flapser: But Youssouf, do they already have an industry called sheep?
No, they don't. But - unfortunately - there are not that many sheepish weblogs out there. And it must be an industry that is - like - really needed at the moment. How much I would love to have sheep added as an industry, I will not propose it :(

Flapser: What will you propose?
Dead Blogs. I will propose dead blogs. Below I will explain why.

Industry Proposed

I propose the new industry Dead Blogs as sub-industry of Weblogs.

Description

Dead Blogs are weblogs that have not been updated in three months. Nothing is happening on these weblogs. After a dead weblog is being updated frequently - say at least twice a week - for a month, they can be considered alive again.

History

People love to do things in their spare time. The activities they deploy can be called hobbies. The biggest hobby of them all is starting a new hobby. People tend to start new things "Hey, that's fun!", but give up after one or two months or even after the first attempt. Weblogs are such a hobby as well.

The majority of the weblogs being initiated are not updated anymore after a month or just very infrequent. People who continue with their weblog and find it to be a true hobby might end up with a very much alive and popular blog. The opposits of dead blogs are the most popular blogs around. They have what dead blogs do not have. They have daily posts, are interesting, each post is heavily commented by readers. People use those weblogs as their starting page, they can identify themselves with the weblog. Hundreds of sites and other weblogs make links to these blogs. They are so much talked-about, that posts on those blogs can sometimes even lead to citations in regular news papers. These blogs are growing, linked to often and of high value. They are interesting to invest your BlogShares dollars in.

Dead blogs don't have all of that. Nobody wants to link to them. If there happens to be a scarce post, nobody comments. The blog is not growing. Nothing happens actually. You probably do not want to invest your BlogShares money in them, because the investment will not benefit you. If a blog is in this industry, you might reconsider buying shares.

Sometimes though, dead blogs can become alive again. Suddenly the blog owner gets the spirit and starts blogging. If the blog has proven to be alive, with regular posts for over a month, you can vote against the dead blog industry.

It is interesting to realize that most blogs ever created are within the industry of Dead Blogs. It might be one of the most voted blog industries, though the average blog value will very low.

Modern Non-Blog Resource

I think there is no big need to refer to a lot of non-blog resources. The industry exists, is quite apparent. Just have a look at the discussions by doing a Google search.

Blog Examples

sawthefuture.blog @BlogShares, direct: Jacobs Quebecois Adventure

do i really want to touch that with my hand? @BlogShares, direct: do i really want to touch that with my hand?

Considerations

I started writing this proposal when there was little discussion about dead blogs and indexing at BlogShares. Currently the discussion is more alive with cleaning up the index to remove dead blogs.
Still, this industry is valid.

A blog is dead according to the industry definition if no posts have been made for three months. A dead blog should be removed from the index after six months.
This industry can help cleaning up the index. Reporting a dead blog as error report can be a hassle and costs more time than a vote. The advantage of voting a blog for the Dead Blogs industry can be benificial for both the voter and the index. The voter gets chips and karma for his vote, which would not be the case with reporting an error. The benefit for the index, is that potential six months dead blogs can be detected early, after three months, just by looking at the blogs in the Dead Blogs industry. The industry or global moderators can keep track of dead blogs easily and remove them when they are dead for over six months. This will limit the search by moderators and hoping for error reports.

When you buy stock from the Hot Stock tips, you buy stock because of the potential increase in value. An advantage for the BlogShares users is that they see right away that a blog is in the Dead Blogs industry, which might cause a reconsideration whether to buy stock or not.

Furthermore, most blogs in existing are dead, so this industry would be more than appropriate and valid.

I do hope Youssouf's Sheeplog will never be voted into the Dead Blogs industry...

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part VII

2004-12-15T15:19:00.000+01:00

Sheep News: Colin the Sheep Is Innocent of All Blame

2004-12-15T09:39:00.000+01:00

Don't you just love modern technology? I'm off to Rome and I managed to find an internet access point to post this!
(Actually, I scheduled this post after reading the news yesterday)

A truly sheep interest story (vs. human interest). Will the angry mob fleece this sheep?

A BLACK sheep who was threatened by an anti-social behaviour officer for eating flowers at a town cemetery has been let off the hook.

...

Following extensive investigations, the finger was pointed at eight-month-old Colin, who cheated death as a lamb but was rescued and reared as a pet by Stroud resident Treena Deburiatte.

Was Colin wrongly accused? Would sheep do such a thing?
Read the full story at ic Wales - Colin the Sheep is innocent of all blame.

Off to Rome!

2004-12-14T21:02:00.000+01:00

Hurray! I am almost off to Rome!
I hope Flapser will post something nice for you.

Skiing in Kirchberg in 2001

2004-12-13T14:45:00.000+01:00

Back in Februari 2001 I went skiing in Austria. For the first time of my life.
Quite exiting. Usually I end up travelling to warm places. I originate from Jordan, so a cold, freezing and snowy environment was quite new to me.

But it was great! I went to Kirchberg, in the southern Alps of Austria. The skiing area is called Kitzbühler Alps.
Luckily I have a warm fleece.

Here you can see me looking out over the piste, near the ski lift on the top of the mountain. Great view!

And just a bit zoomed...

One of the more scary things was skiing down the black piste! It was so steap that I could not see the mountain below. Didn't know what was coming. Quite a thrill. One benefit of being a plush toy sheep: you can't break your bones when you fall...

A bit zoomed, still standing at the top of the black piste. It goes down all the way. So did I. I did not fall actually, but people should look out better for skiing sheep. They crossed my path without noticing me way too often.

I love the snow!

Rome Rome Rome Your Boat!

2004-12-12T13:22:00.000+01:00

Actually, I will not be going by boat, but by plane.
Wednesday I will leave for five days to Rome in Italy. The only Rome I have seen before was the Metropolitain (subway) in Paris (Rome is a subway station).

I am looking forward to seeing Rome! I am accompanying a friend on a business trip, so unfortunately not five days of looking around. But two will do as well!
If you want a preview of Rome, have a look at the tourist info. I have seen Roman ruins in Turkey, but not the real stuff.

Ciao!

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part VI

2004-12-11T22:18:00.000+01:00

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part V

2004-12-06T16:19:00.000+01:00

SheepShopping: Christmas Time

2004-12-03T15:43:00.000+01:00

SheepShopping Tip

I am a plush toy sheep myself. I know where to find new plush friends.
And of course I know where and when to find new sheep. In all forms.

There are several periods in a year when it is extra beneficial to get out and shop for sheep. The Christmas period is one of them.

Christmas is about the celebrating the birth of Jesus. Officially. But most people just take the opportunity to celebrate with the whole family, give presents, decorate the Christmas tree and have luxurious dinners. Still the relegious aspect can be found in almost any home. Angels, Christmas stables, you name it, it's there.

Since all those people wanting to have nice Christmas decoration, shops sell them as well.

Christmas stables

A good Christmas stable includes shepherds and sheep. You can buy them at the big department stores or home decoration stores. Those are mainly the standard stables.
But, the more interesting stables - and thus the more interesting sheep - can be found at different stores.

In third world aid shops or Fair Trade stores (for the Netherlands, see Fair Trade winkels) you can find Christmas stables from all around the world. Columbia, Mexico, Peru, Indonesia, India, South-Africa. You name it. Exotic sheep are always fun and it is socially concious as well! Another advantage: they usually also have very cheap and fun miniature stables (made out of tin cans, calabash or coconut fibers). You won't see those anywhere else.

Of course you can find your flock of sheep also in some more specialized stores. Like those with only Mexican or South-African products and art. And art galleries might have their own Christmas stables, it might be a bit pricy though. Just look around.

The disadvantage of Christmas stables is you will have to buy Mary, Joseph, a couple of wise guys and an ox as well to purchase your sheep. Purchasing the complete Christmas crew can become pricy. So what to do? Be patient. The week after Christmas they are put in the sale. Saves you lots of money.

Christmas decoration and candles

Keep your eyes open. There are designer tea-light cups with a shine-through cover with sheep, filt Christmas tree sheep, sheep molds for your Christmas bread, cakes or butter (make your own sheep for Christmas breakfast!). There are sheep chocolats.
Do not forget the paper table napkins with sheep (and shepherd) to decorate your Christmas dinner table. If you have a seventh sense for sheep (yes, seventh, since your sixth sense is the vomero-nasal organ discovered about a decade ago), you will see them everywhere this time of year.
The only disadvantage. Abundancy of sheep also means abundancy of ugly sheep... Be careful what you choose!

Christmas cards

I can't give advice on this one. People sent billions of cards all over the world. Cards with themes about Christmas, winter or New Year. And that includes sheep and shepherd, winter sheep photo's, funny cartoons with sheep. Just keep your eyes open.

Sheep

Shortly, shopping these periods can be stressful. Presents for the whole family, busy busy busy, preparing a fabulous dinner, taking care of the decoration in and around the house... Shopping for sheep can lighten you up. The Christmas atmosphere is mainly great in the shopping centres. And when you are finding some great sheep, Christmas is complete.

Should I have mentioned some great Christmas lamb recipes? Hmmm.

Youssouf's Guide to SheepShopping

Isla Margarita in 2001

2004-12-02T10:15:00.000+01:00

I have been traveling for quite some time.
In May 2001 I needed a small break and decided to go for a week to Isla Margarita.
A small island with sandy white beaches a few miles from the coast of Venezuala.

If you click on the map, you get a bigger map so you can take a closer look. The tiny red arrow is where Isla Margarita is situated.

Relaxing on a boat under the palm trees. The photo's were made with a disposable camera. The pictures are not excessively sharp... And I appear rather small on them, that's why I have zoomed a little.

I love the beaches over there.

After sipping on a cocktail, I watched the sea for hours. Really relaxing!

SheepShopping: Big Horn Sheep Etching

2004-12-01T15:21:00.000+01:00

Sheep Pick

I came across this nice etching by Joe Abbrescia from Abbrescia Fine Art.com.
It's an etching of a Big Horn sheep.
I think it is lovely!

Product description

Etching by Joe Abbrescia.
Title: "Portrait of a Bighorn"
Edition Size: 100
Image Size: 6" x 4"
Unframed: US$85.00 (about 64 euro)
Framed: US$155.00 (about 116 euro)
Framed Size: 8" x 10"

Online

You can find the purchase info here.

This post is part of Youssouf's Guide to SheepShopping

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part IV

2004-12-01T12:20:00.000+01:00

Icelandic Ewes

2004-11-29T10:39:00.000+01:00

There is more than one sheep world.
Like this one. Icelandic sheepworld.

Small, strong icelandic sheep. And quite horny too... (do not read this the wrong way).

They have great names for them as well: Ghiradelli, Sveppur, Hunn and Stumpy.

A Different Side Of Flapser - Part III

2004-11-25T11:20:00.000+01:00