A wonderful bird is the pelican

On my most recent visit to the blood bank, faithful and friendly receptionist Leo handed me this guy on the right: a stuffed pelican as an acknowledgment of my 40th donation. Thanks!

I've been a blood donor for some years now, but my blood type is not that useful for regular donations: I've got type AB, which means I can receive any other type of blood, but mine can only be given to others that also have AB (about 3% of the population). That's why they've asked me to become a plasma donor, meaning that during your donation, the blood cells are returned to you while they get to keep the plasma. One advantage is that this is less strenuous and thus can be done more often than regular donations.

Donating blood is really easy: register at the blood bank, and get a call around 2-3 times a year. You then may show up at any moment in the two weeks following the call. You get free coffee, a sandwich and a medical check. I can recommend it to anyone (who's eligible). And to answer the FAQ: no, you don't get paid.

Edit: facts apply to the Netherlands only. No pelicans were hurt in blogging this post. Your blood type may vary.