Today I went to our vet in Maastricht for the last time.. as we move out of Maastricht, we thought it might be wise to implant Siepke a chip should he get lost on the way to Amsterdam somehow.
That, and something against worms and fleas to get the moving done as smooth as possible together with some tranquilizer for the trip.
Siepke now carries a RFID-chip and is registered at europetnet/BackHome as our pet. I hope it helps :)

She told me that RFID chips are very popular at discotheques for storing money and membership details of the carrier inside it.. she was actually quite scandalized about it. Also the latest idea of Rita Verdonk, minister of immigration and integration in The Netherlands scandalized her, “…to emphasise Dutch identity, including speaking Dutch in the street…”
The whole population of Zuid-Limburg (the wild south of the Netherlands) can not be understood by a person from the north without subtitles.. just ridiculous :)

Now for the bureaucracy:
Her treatment-room is to the right of the entrance, the waiting room to the left. Usually when there are a lot of people waiting you register at the counter, that is straight in front of you, then go to the waiting room and when the last patient has left the room through the door on the right, you enter by going behind the counter.
Like, you have to go one round and you complete the round by going out of her place.

As I was about to go in the waiting room, I realized I was the only one but out of a habit I entered anyway.

She told me that I don’t have to do the full round today, as I am the only one :)

Now, I would never admit defeat to such a joke so I pointed out that in german bureaucracy you often have to walk the full circle even if you can just go straight, it’s just them rules.

She just smiled and told me her story:

While she was working in Africa, she once had to pass a border (between Kenya and Tanzania, if I remember right). There she had to be controlled for a couple of things like her passport, driving licence, visa, work permit, the usual…
Now, they had built 4 counter; each consisted of a table on which a number was painted.
The man at counter one controlled her driving licence and told her that she needs a document from counter 2 to be able to get her driving licence accepted, he filled in some form and handed it to her.
Sighing, she stepped one large step to the right and was standing in front of counter 2. :)
There the procedure repeated but some other document was asked for. She was sent to counter 4. Two large steps sideways and she was standing there getting the document signed. ;)
Now, the funny thing is that the small guy always said “thank you” politely, then nodded, moved over to the next counter with her and continued with his job as another person. :)
Already being quite amused at the situation, the doc had to get one last paper filled in at counter 4, the final slip of paper that would allow her to pass the tollgate at the border and enter Tanzania.
Laughing at me, she said, she almost couldn’t drive her car anymore after she had finally seen the small guy run to the border and sit down in the small hut where the border official is suposed to sit and control her papers that he had just filled in 5 minutes ago. :D
Now if you imagine the dutch vet as a real dutch lady, 1,90m tall and quite massive from stature. Compare her to your average african guy, probably 1,60m and thin as a herring… but VERY important on this day ;)