No time to waste today kids. Let’s jump directly into the mailbag…

Wife: The last time you tried to jump, you pulled 6 muscles.
Dave: That’s because I do EXTREME jumping!
Wife: You were chasing a butterfly.
Dave: * giggles uncontrollably *

EFEX
EFEX is coming up again and I was wondering what your thinking is about this expo. Is it getting better each year, staying the same or getting worse?
- Dot

I think I should revisit this question in next week’s mailbag because I’m going to EFEX tomorrow (Saturday). I went in 2008 and stood all 4 days at my company’s stand. I was working for a company that sold hardware and software for shops, restaurants and hotels and as the IT guy, my job was to basically demonstrate how everything worked and what the advantages were of using our software.
I ended up quitting a few months later and now I’ll be going back with my little press card to cover the event for the company that I’m currently working for.

Part of me thinks that I’ll be disappointed and that it will be the same stuff again. I looked at the floor plan and most of the companies that were there in 2008 are there again and they’ll probably be bringing the same things with them.

The only thing that I liked in 2008 was the 3G modem that UTS unveiled. I signed up on the spot and have regretted it ever since. The irony…

Carawaraweg
How is it possible that the Carawaraweg in Bottelier is the most crappy road on the whole island for years now? I can’t visit friends of mine who are living their because I’m driving a extremely low Volkswagen Beetle. The biggest villas are located there with their wealthy owners. They need to have a pickup or big SUV to enter the villa if they don’t want to change their tires every week. I just don’t understand.
- Suus

Don’t worry Suus, I’ve lived in Bottelier for a total of 11 years now (lived there 10 years, moved away, been living there for 1 year again) and I don’t understand it either. The Carawaraweg might be the worst road on the island and nothing is ever done about it. I’ve asked around to see if anyone knows why that is, but it’s always a dead end.

But you are right. Bottelier is one of the premier neighborhoods here but driving through Carawaraweg feels like driving on the moon. It’s not a problem for people who have huge SUVs, but folks like you and me who drive smaller cars are basically just asking for trouble.

I just try to avoid Carawaraweg altogether and just drive via Zuurzak, but sometimes I have to pass there depending on where I’m going. It should be no surprise that I’ve had to change 3 tires already during the past year.

Beaches
I’ve been seeing some beach reviews recently on Meet Curacao. Which is your favorite beach on the island?
- George

I’ve always had trouble with this question because it keeps changing. When I was small, we used to go to Sea Aquarium Beach almost every week. We had the membership and we used to milk that baby for all it was worth. Then Sea Aquarium started to get a little crappy and we started to go more to Barbara Beach and also Jan Thiel Beach. I used to love Barbara Beach, but I guess the answer right now would be Caracasbaai.

Why is that you ask? Well, I really like that area, it’s very close to home and I like that you can just go there, swim, have a BBQ or just do your exercise. The main reason that I like it, is basically because it’s a very short drive.

I hate driving so I don’t make trips to Banda Bou very often. Don’t get me wrong, beaches at Banda Bou are amazing, but the drive kills it for me. I need to prepare myself mentally and physically for those drives and

Wife: We’re going to Banda Bou tomorrow.
Dave: Oh, let me start calling friends and loved ones to tell them about our long and dangerous trip! Then we need to alert the neighbors! And start stocking canned foods and water! How will we ever survive that grueling journey into the unknown????
Wife: It will only take 45 minutes to an hour for us to get there.
Dave: THE HUMANITY!!!

I agree with what Sebastiaan wrote in one of those reviews. People like choosing one side of the island and I chose to be way over on the Eastern side. That means that I’m going stick with good ol’ Caracasbaai.

Restaurant hopping…again
Isn’t Restaurant week the best excuse to go restaurant hopping?
- R.D.

Hellz yes. If people tell you that you eat out too much, you just tell them that you are just contributing to a great culinary event and that you would be letting the island down if you did not. And just like that, you’re in the clear. See how awesome that is?

I’ve made a couple of reservations already for next week, meaning that the Top 10 Restaurant list may be getting an update sooner than expected.



World Cup
Where will you be watching the World Cup? The afternoon games won’t be a problem I think, but those early 7.30 start times are really messing with me.
- A.R.

Ugh, the dreaded 7.30 am kick-offs. Horrible. It reminds me of the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, where some of the kick-offs were really early as well. But since Holland didn’t qualify, I didn’t give a crap and spent most of those days crying and watching Spongebob Squarepants.

There’s no getting around the early hours this time though. I get to cover the Holland games for work, which is cool, but I’m still not sure what to do with those early times. Do I stay home and watch it from the comforts of the couch? Do I go somewhere and sit amongst strangers at 7.30 am??? I’M USUALLY NOT AWAKE AT THAT TIME. WORK WITH ME HERE FIFA!!!

I don’t know. I’ll probably watch the afternoon games either at Tropen or Pampus, with the crowd that I usually watch WK or EK games with. In the morning, it will probably be at Wilhelmina Plein (pretty sure that they will be open).

Wife: But remember our deal. No yelling at Dirk Kuyt.
Dave: * thinks of Dirk Kuyt * * has emotional breakdown * * Watches World Cup from inside mental facility *

Hmmmm…I’ve always said that Dirk Kuyt would some day lead to my downfall….

Want to be in the next mailbag? Feel free to send an e-mail to david@curacaoconnected.com with your Curacao-related question or comment.

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