Goodbye to the international team

Tonight we went our for snacks & drinks with most of the "Seneca International" team. Some nice words and a very unique farewell gift: cooking outfit in orange (cause me and my big plans...!)....

I will miss the nice and diverse team of colleagues; a true small United Nations.....

Starting retirement...

Retiring from Seneca at the end of this month (January 2020). The five years at Seneca were an excellent ending of 40 years of full-time work (two years at the Ministry of Industry in The Hague, one year at Istha Industrial Design in Utrecht, five years at Fokker Aircraft in Amsterdam, seven years with MSF/Doctors without Borders in Maputo, Toronto and again Amsterdam, nineteen years with Niagara College, one year in Bogota with Colleges & Institutes Canada and five years with Seneca College in Toronto). A privileged path and along the way so many exceptional colleagues to work with. Yesterday my Seneca International colleagues organized a nice retirement event.

Nice farewell words of Nevzat, the VP to whom I have been reporting to the past two years, followed by a few words of thanks of yours truly....

Retirement will be something to get used to, I am sure. I hope to stay active through a few volunteer activities and will continue to make posts of that every now and then.

Christmas in Sarnia

The Vandenboom-Laird-Nolle family was reunited again in Sarnia to celebrate Christmas together in the new house of Marcy and Joe. They did an amazing job building this new house together and their three sons Spencer (18), Parker (17) and Wil (14) did a lot of work with their Dad to make it happen.

Carly and Mark were there for two nights from Toronto together with Hilary and Shayd who came over from Vancouver for a few days. We brought Opa Vandenboom from Fonthill.

Fiona, Sue and Ralph completed the party. We ate some good food, played a few games and went for walks; we read poems to each other we all had prepared in advance with some presents (poking fun at each other through the poems a bit) and unpacked presents. A few nice days to close of 2019.

Hilary visiting

Last night I picked up Hilary at the Toronto airport when she arrived for a week at home. She has a few weeks break from her work in Vancouver; so nice to catch up in person with her!! Shayd will follow on Friday and we will all go to Sarnia for the annual Christmas get-together. Hilary and Shayd fly back to Vancouver again on Christmas Day (cheaper flights....).

Seneca International action

Today another MOU signing with an excellent university in Korea. Their first agreement in Canada; for Seneca the 6th of such partnerships in Korea. The signing is relatively easy; the hard work afterwards follows to make the good intention and plans a reality.

Winter wonderland

After a day of icy rain + a night of light snowfall; December 3, 2019 in Fonthill....

Opa Vandenboom

Opa Vandenboom is happy living in Fonthill now so close to Sue, Ralph & Fiona, as well Mary and me. We all spend time with him and play many evenings "Rummikub". Last Saturday I took him for a few hours to the Seaway Mall where we walked around, had a coffee, did some "people watching" and talked a lot about the past.