Ani MollerZero content, 100% of the time

I didn’t know you very well, but you were a good friend to some of my friends in Houston. The nights you played at that I went to in Houston were always fun, and I’m sure you leave a big hole in the scene. You also helped me escape Austin, and for that I am very thankful. I just wanted you to know I was thinking of you.

Rest in peace.

I noticed a while ago that Textpattern RSS feeds often seem to mark themselves as “updated” seemingly for no reason. I worked out that it does this when a new comment is posted. This is really bloody annoying because it means that someone posting a comment to an article that I’ve already read via RSS pushes all the RSS articles to the top of my feed, ahead of stuff I actually haven’t read.

To fix this is newer versions of Textpattern:

There are two configuration options for this. In preferences > advanced, under the Publish heading:

Show comment count in feeds? no/yes
This determines whether or not the comment count is included in the article title in XML feeds (‘My article [4]’).

New comment means site updated? no/yes
This controls whether or not to signal a feed update when a comment is posted.

To fix it in older versions of Textpattern, you will need to modify the PHP file directly, as the advanced preferences tab is not in older versions of the admin system.

Look for admin_config.php which is in /textpattern/lib. Make sure you see:

‘comment_means_site_updated’ => 0,

You might also want to change ’show_comment_count_in_feed’ to 0 for good measure.

While you’re at it, you might want to also change the following:

‘include_email_atom’ => 0,
‘never_display_email’ => 1,

I did anyway. I don’t really want my email address in my feeds, and I don’t want people who post comments to get spammed!

P.S. If you subscribe to my feed and notice that this is still happening, please tell me! I’d be a dummy if I didn’t actually fix it a year ago like I thought I did.

The following information is specific to shipping a cat to New Zealand from the United Kingdom.

Introduction
I have a beautiful and well-travelled cat that I couldn’t bear to leave in the United Kingdom when I was planning on leaving. This is the third time I have shipped her internationally and each time has been a vague drama with getting the run-around by different people and companies. I figure it’s time to share my experience because I couldn’t find any sites online to help me. I hope this may help you!

The amount of difficulty, stress, and cost of shipping your cat (or dog) overseas varies with the country of origin and country of destination. Shipping from an island nation (especially, one that doesn’t have a lot of otherwise common domestic pet diseases) is going to be the easiest, and you may not need to quarantine your pet. For example, when I shipped my cat from New Zealand to the United States, all I had to do was give her to the shipping company and make sure she’d had her annual vaccinations, because New Zealand doesn’t have rabies and the United States do. Shipping her from the United States to the United Kingdom (where they don’t have rabies) was a bit of a pain, and included a bunch of rabies vaccinations and 6-months of “quarantine” (which on the PETS scheme can be done at home). Shipping her from the UK back to New Zealand is somewhere inbetween on the pain-in-the-ass scale.

I said she was well-travelled!

The Starting Point
To ship a cat to New Zealand, you will need to:

• Choose if you will take your cat on the plane with you, or ship it separately as cargo
• Decide if you want to use a pet shipping company or to do it yourself
• Budget for around £1,000

Each time I have shipped my cat, I have used a special pet shipping company to remove some of the stress on me – when you’re moving yourself across oceans and continents this is a good idea! I have also shipped her as cargo each time, because it has always worked out the best solution each time.

Some airlines will not allow pets on board, and if they do they will have to fit in a box under the seat in front. This makes for a very cramped flight, unless of course you are flying first class! Check with the airline you are planning on flying with to see if this is an option.

Contact DEFRA
The first thing to do is to contact your local DEFRA office. They will give you advice on what you need to do to ship your pet, what vets in your area can do the required tests, and may be able to suggest shipping companies.

Find a Pet Shipping Company
The shipping company I used was Airsupply Shipping Agents. I dealt with Michelle Vincent, who was excellent from start to finish. I most definitely recommend this company! I found them online and found them to be the most reasonably priced, were quick to quote, friendly, and have a lot of experience in shipping to New Zealand.

Other companies I received quotes from were Animal Couriers Ltd and Ladyhaye International Pet Travel Agents Ltd.

Check the Import/Export Regulations
The import and export rules for shipping pets tends to change fairly often, so it is worthwhile to contact DEFRA and the equivalent company in your country of destination (Biosecurity New Zealand – formerly known as MAF). I say this because just as I was sorting all of this out for my cat, New Zealand authorities decided that you no longer needed an import permit. Because these things change so often, I also found that a lot of people I spoke to were not aware of these changes, so it is important to get the latest information from the proper authorities – do not rely on second-hand information because this can cause a massive drama (which happened to me when shipping from the US to the UK, but that is another story entirely!).

Find an LV1 Vet
If you want to keep costs down, you may want to get some of the tests done locally by an authorised vet, instead of boarding your cat with the pet shipping agent and having them do everything. This is what I did, but in my case it ended up costing me more because I didn’t factor travel costs into my initial estimation. If you have your own car, which I didn’t, it should save you a bit of money in the end.

You will need to contact DEFRA to find your local LV1 vets.

Find Out What You Need To Do
As I said earlier, this list may change in the future but in November 2005 this is what was required:

• Ensure your cat is microchipped and your address is registered – my cat had been microchipped in the United States in order to ship her to the UK, but apparently this didn’t really matter because my vet in the UK couldn’t scan her microchip anyway! Apparently they use different types of chips in the UK and the US and I had to have her microchipped again. I confirmed that this was okay to do and would not cause any problems when scanning her in the future.
• 2 x negative hookworm test results – these must be within the previous month and taken at least 14 days apart
• Proof of Praziquantel treatment – this must be done within 21 days of export
• Written declaration – this is saying that the pet has been in the UK for at least 6 months, that it belongs to you, and that you agree for it be shipped
• Fitness to Fly certificate – this is a letter from any vet within 7 days of travel stating that the pet is fit to travel. This may not be required if you are not flying your pet domestically, so check with your shipping agent.
• Vaccination card – this may not be a requirement of the country of import, but you will more than likely need it if your pet is staying at a boarding facility.

My Total Costs

Prepare Your Cat
Cats generally find travelling rather stressful, so anything you can do to help them relax will be beneficial to them and probably to you once you arrive at your destination.

• Ship your cat before your furniture – cats often get quite stressed when their surroundings are moved or changed. Try to keep this to a minimum in the weeks and days prior to departure.
• Don’t change their food – changing your cat’s food can cause upset stomachs or a loss of appetite. If you need to change it, try to do it after your cat has moved and settled in to your new home.
• Put items that remind them of home in the crate – a favourite toy, blanket, or an item of clothing that smells like you will help your cat relax during their travels.
• Have your house ready for when they arrive – you will need to buy new bowls, food, a kitty litter box, a scratching post, etc.
• Give them a quiet place when they arrive – your cat may be a bit freaked out when they arrive at your new home, so it is a good idea to put them in their box in a quiet room, with their food, water, and litter box, and let them explore slowly. They may stay in there for a day or two, or they may start exploring your new home immediately. Give them lots of cuddles and speak in a low voice and they’ll get over their flight quickly!
• Remind yourself that it’s worth it! – shipping a pet is really quite expensive and you will be well aware of this by the time your pet is ready to go. Remember how much you love your kitty and don’t think what you could have done with the extra grand!

Good Luck!
I hope this may help you if you decide to take your pet with you when you move overseas. If you have any questions that I haven’t answered already, please feel free to post a comment and I will follow up with you. Bon voyage!

They celebrate weird holidays
On December 6 each year, they celebrate Sinterklaas, which as far as I can make out is similar to Christmas, but for kids. Sinterklaas is the very opposite of policitally correct with representational characters “Sint” and “Zwarte Piet”. I wondered why there were so many white people in town with black face paint on, and now I know why.

Anyway, on Sinterklaas the kids get chocolates and mandarins. Yes, mandarins as a present. We also ate loads of sweet breads and fancy little chocolate and fruits things you’d get from a French bakery. The kids all got a board game and some books, and we spent the next few hours playing games, which is really the only thing you can do when all you can say is “one, two, three, yes, no, please, thanks.”

I like the idea of Sinterklaas aside from the racist black helper thing, and have decided that when I am back in New Zealand I will celebrate “Sinterklaas” on the Saturday after June 6th, in winter. Not that I need a reason to have a fun day of board games and reading books with my neice.

They do not dub television or films
Unlike the French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the Dutch do not dub television shows or movies. Instead, they use the cultured method of subtitles. Apparently the French, German, Italian, and Spanish are too lazy to read subtitles. In Belgium, there are quite a few channels that have a lot of English-language shows and this makes me mildly happy. Although that said, I have now seen almost every National Geographic documentary for this month. That’s what happens when you watch National Geographic more than once a month.

Every house has a septic tank
Over the past year-and-a-half when we visit Antwerp, I’ve always complained to Peter about how the kitchen or bath drains stink, and sometimes drains on the street too. I always thought it was bad drains, but I found out last week that it is because every house has a septic tank. I found this out by walking down the most beautiful street in Antwerp with the most awesome houses, with a big truck outside on of these mansions sucking shit and piss out of a hole. It fucking stunk.

Back in the civilised world, I am used to toilets that flush into a sewerage system that links up to a sewerage treatment facility. Antwerp needs welcoming to the 20th century.

They’re all dirty hippies
People in central Europe are just different. They’re different to the British, and different to Western countries outside of Europe. After doing a lot of travelling over the past few years, I’ve grown to see what things seem to generalise that particular country. For example, the Spanish love mullets – but not redneck mullets, rather some sort of mullet that they make beautiful and fashionable. The French are surprisingly more friendly and eager to speak English than I’d been told. The majority of England is full of scallies. The Dutch are very happy and have funny accents. People from Monaco and rich and snooty. I bet you didn’t see that one coming. People in Belgium, however, are all dirty hippies.

It’s no secret that central Europeans love the hair. Be it on your leg, your armpit, or even your surprisingly bushy pubic area. But when I was travelling these countries, it really wasn’t as obvious as it is in Antwerp. In statistics I’m making up on the spot, only 10% of Antwerpians shave. And only 10% wash their hair regularly (with regularly being at least once a week), with another 20% being unknown due to the amazing amount of hijabs on show. People in Antwerp also prefer clothes in shades of brown and olive, and smoke pot a lot on the street. In New Zealand, they (the hippies) would make up only 6% of the population, but in Antwerp it is at least 98%. These statistics are all true.

They don’t drink fresh milk
That’s right, they don’t drink the goodness that is fresh lactating cow udder juice. Everyone seems to drink UHT milk – Ultra High Temperature, otherwise know as Utterly Horribly Tasting milk. Every house I have been to has UHT milk. They don’t even have a diary section in the fridges at corner stores. Apparently you can only buy fresh milk at the supermarkets and there is only one brand you can buy if they stock it.

The thing about UHT is that is tastes like shit. It leaves a weird fake-milk tasting film in your mouth, and makes tea and coffee taste nasty. The only way I can characterise Belgian coffee is by the flavour of UHT milk – i.e., really bad.

There is a lack of manners
One of the main things I’ve noticed about people in Belgium, specifically Antwerp, is that people do not say “excuse me”. Going shopping is a nightmare, because people will just push past you and not say a word. People also do not respect the personal boundries that I’ve grown accustomed to expect – like my 2-foot personal bubble radius. Sadly, not here.

I was shopping for a book for my neice at a nice store last week, standing right up against the bookshelf with a book in front of my face, and some lady stuck her hand in front of my face to grab at some books without saying excuse me. I turned to her to give her the “omfg get out of my bubble” look and she smiled at me. Wipe that smile of your dial, lady! You’re in my bubble!

The funny thing is that my boyfriend and I were always having big arguments about how he doesn’t say excuse me when he needs me to move, or say sorry if he accidentally hurts me. I’m talking big fights. He would tell me it must be a cultural difference and I used to accuse him of lying “because there is no way not saying excuse me is a cultural difference”. I now see I was very wrong. I’m sorry, Peter!

Old people smoke a lot and drink a lot of coffee
There are cafes everywhere in Antwerp. They aren’t the sort of cafes that serve espresso though – they serve “Belgian coffee” which is the same as using a Senseo machine with Douwe Egberts coffee bags. Err, yum? Anyway, they are usually extremely smokey, kind of gloomy, with lots of wood and things hanging on the wall. I probably need a photo for reference, but that will have to wait until I crack out my camera for the first time since I’ve been here. Anyway, these places are almost completely full of old people and middle-aged men with moustaches. Most of them look like Burt Reynolds, if he were Belgian. I can’t really describe exactly what that looks like. Just guess.

You can get apple pie almost anywhere
IK HOUD AAPELTART MET SLAGROOM. I am going to be reeeeeally fat soon.

Well, I’ve been in Belgium for a week now. I can’t believe I left Manchester two Fridays ago already. It’s scary how time flies.

After a stressful day of finishing packing and cleaning the apartment, we caught our last train to London. Strangely enough, it wasn’t late, delayed, or cancelled. We stayed with my old flatmate from Wellington, Natalie, and her boyfriend Mark in Belham, in south London. I’m not entirely sure how we squeezed into their tiny apartment. I mean, it was really tiny. I’ve never been in a 1-bedroom flat in London before and wasn’t quite expecting the scale of the smallness. You really couldn’t swing a cat. Seriously. Maybe a mouse, but barely.

We had an awesome time in London hanging out with Natalie and Mark, seeing our wonderful humhum friends, and having extremely quick catch-ups with Sara, Adrian, and Penny’s boyfriend Martin. It was rather odd that her Argentinian boyfriend from New Zealand just happened to be in London that weekend. We also bumped into a guy we knew at a restaurant in Soho. This is weird because we know quite a few people in London, but London is massive. The chances of someone who doesn’t live there bumping into someone are seemingly quite high. This is also not the first time I have randomly bumped into someone while in London for the weekend. This is also odd because I never bumped into people I knew in Manchester. Perhaps because I have no mates.

So, we booked a taxi to get us to Waterloo Station on the Sunday evening so we could catch the Eurostar on time. Of course it never came. Never use 9000 Taxis in Belham. They suck. I had words with both the operator and the lousy taxi driver. Luckily we managed to hail a minicab who got us there just in time and for a cheaper price.

When we arrived at the station, we had about 45 minutes before our train left. I knew we were pushing it but I figured we could make it. I was bloody stressed though, also because we had 500 suitcases.

We queued up with about 2,000 other people and wait in line for about 25 minutes. We get to the turnstall to put our tickets into the machine and of course, they won’t go through. We get told to move to another queue to see a ticket guy because there was something wrong with our tickets. We line up some more. The guy goes to sort out our tickets (which had the seats reassigned for absolutely no reason) and the computer crashes. He reboots. It takes ages. We queue for the security machine and suddenly everyone starts pushing. All these stupid people start pushing us and not letting us through. Now, most things piss me off anyway, but people who jump queues really piss me off. After being pretty much pushed through the security barrier, I turn around and ask in a raised voice for everyone to stop pushing. The French-speaking Belgians look at me with vague apathy and continue to push.

We haul our 500 bags on to the x-ray machine. We quickly load everything back up and race to the other end of the terminal. The guard tells us we don’t have enough time to take the elevator and that we would have to take our bags up the escalator. There is no way that would be faster for us and our many bags. We call the lift and wait for it to slowly get to the platform. I am almost crying. We run down the platform to our carriage and pretty much throw our bags on the train, sit down, and the train leaves. Success.

We stayed with Peter’s parents in Zandhoven for a few days when we arrived. Zandhoven is a small village 16km outside of Antwerp city. There are farms and loads of these quaint countryside Belgian restaurants/cafes. We had a few beers (or coffee or tea for me) there. They are good.

Now, we are staying in an awesome studio apartment above a bed and breakfast in a good part of southwest Antwerp city. It’s about a 10-minute tram ride into the city, which only costs €1. There is a square nearby, lots of cafes and restaurants, a street with the most amazing houses, and a “looky store” which is not a porn shop but actually a video shop. Thank God the Dutch don’t dub movies. Not like those damn French! My favourite show (CSI) was on TV the other night and was dubbed in French. Fuckers!

I have more to tell but it’s late. I’ve been writing Christmas cards for the past two hours. It takes me so long because I actually bother to write something different in each card. And also because I am very easily distracted with shiny things on the internet.

I haven’t been taking any proper photos yet, but I am updating my Flickr photostream daily. Many times a day, even! Pop my Flickr feed into your RSS reader!

I will attempt to start taking photos with my D70 very soon. But first, I really need to finish my Christmas shopping.