Planning

Dutch plan. They plan all their business and free time weeks in advance. Sometimes you’ll have to wait weeks before you can spend an afternoon with a couple of friends. This way of life is quite annoying, because your diary is constantly filled with all kinds of obligations and you never have free time. Free time vanishes if it’s planned week in advance. I feel imprisoned if my diary is filled with appointments like this.

Ukrainians don’t plan. They plan neither business nor free time. Get up in the morning, decide what’s important and do it. That makes it impossible to make long term strategies, or to rely on anything. Time becomes fluid. I can’t be in such environment – I’m not a good swimmer.

Is there a way in between? I’m trying. These Christmas days are the result. Thursday evening: dinner with four instead of two. Friday: an unexpected West Side Story treat. Saturday: unexpected plan to visit the Winterparade in Amsterdam and an unexpected decision not to go to Amsterdam after all. Tomorrow: I’ll be meeting a friend for a coffee at 11:00 and for the rest – we shall see.