blogness

Hi folks-

Here’s what I know. Hope all are well and happy. Missing ya’ll and sending warm thought across the cold

Atlantic

!

I kinda took a break there for a couple days on writing, etc. I overloaded on the e-mailing my first few days here. But I’m back in action with a few tales to tell. Some of these might sound familiar if I’ve e-mailed you recently. Don’t be offended. I cut and pasted some of my e-mails into my travel blog/logs. No sense in taking the time to write stories twice when there’s an immense and stimulating world beyond our doorsteps. Happy reading and don’t be strangers.

Tot ziens,

Dylan

Saturday, January 7th, 2006

Have decided today to start writing in fragment and lists. Not enough time to write the novel I aspire to ramble on towards. This morning: e-mails, menemen, tidy-mo & off to explore. Aspirations: bike ride, museums perhaps, photos, warm hat, gifts, locate school, discover new junk, organize photos, paint town red. Epiphanies: sterrenmunt is licorice, ugg! not chamomile; want to learn html.

Left house via my new wheels. Bicycling in this city is not an easy feat. Follow the locals I figure or maybe not? Eventually I made my way to the Web, a gay leather bar Dexter and I frequented a few times last May. I figured I’d start the late afternoon off with a Heineken and then go do some window shopping, etc. The Web was empty. Bored and curious I went around the corner to Cuckoo’s Nest, another gay leather bar Dexter and I have fond memories of from last spring. Cuckoo’s Nest was far from empty. The place was warm, lively and inviting. Positioning myself on a barstool near the front, I sat and observed quietly drinking my beer longing for my friends back home to be with me. Happy to be out of both my apartment and the brisk air of the city streets I felt extremely content. Moreover, the hustle, bustle, laughter, and customary gay porn on several television screens across the bar suddenly made me feel at home. I just as easily could have been at Daddy’s in

San Francisco

. However, the only differences were I didn’t understand most of the conversation around me and moreover my fantastic pals weren’t there right by my side. Regardless, I sat and enjoyed the joyous ambiance. Ordering my last beer I decided I should probably head out for a while and pound the pavement before perhaps going out again in the late evening. This was of course Saturday night and most venues would no doubt be entertaining. Fortunately, from my place at the bar I had an interesting viewpoint from which to examine the clientele; the bartender was serving right next to me. So, I waited, sipped, smiled and quietly watched.

Then out of no where a gentleman came up to my left, ordered a drink and began speaking to me in Dutch. Awkwardly outing myself as a foreigner he then said in English, nodding, “Cheers” and with that asked if he could join me. We proceeded to ramble on to each other for a long while. His name is Dave and he gives specialized excursions around different parts of The Netherlands for tourists. We conversed a great deal about the city, architecture, culture, geography, etc. until we both finished our beers and he asked me if I wanted to go see his favorite bathroom in all of

Amsterdam

.

For those of you who have never been to this wondrous city let me tell you the design in general of everything from doorknobs to whole buildings is marvelous. Moreover, the bathrooms are often the greatest works of art. Living here before transition I was especially grateful for the bathroom designs because more often than not the stalls are not stalls per say but more accurately small enclosed closets, i.e. very friendly for timid trannies. So checking out this man’s favorite bathroom in all of

Amsterdam

slightly peeked my interest to say the least.

We crossed the Dam and headed slightly north. We ended up at a café on the northern outskirt of the Red Light District. The café was gorgeous and animated. Here we had een café and continued to ramble on with one another once again. After checking out the bathroom, it was indeed brilliant with glass and tile mosaics splashed across the floor, walls and ceiling, we left the café and headed out into the beautiful

Amsterdam

nighttime air. For the rest of the evening Dave and I flapped and enjoyed each others company. Less than one week in this country and I’ve already met a smart and interesting fellow excited to tool around the city with me. Somehow with the magic that unravels itself here before me on these extraordinary and ancient streets, I shouldn’t be surprised, yet every time, I am.

Sunday, January 8th, 2006

Waking up late- 9:00am- at least by my jet lag standards I was excited to have yet another full day before classes began. I ended up crashing at Dave’s the night before as we had spent the entire evening enjoying the city and each others company. So after lazing around for awhile, several rounds of coffee and being treated to a delicious mixture of fresh fruit, yogurt and muesli the two of us left his flat in search of a calm stroll around the city. We walked for a short time and eventually came upon Oosterpark. The park was big and quiet, despite the numerous people wandering around, running, etc. Dave pointed out the local birds and proceeded to go on about their origins. Perhaps it is his job to be knowledgeable of Dutch history and culture, regardless he continually proves to be interesting company. Eventually we approached a pond and ended up feeding the ducks and geese some stale bread. Breadless and near the exit to the park we continued on in the direction of the city center. Knowing I have an interest in architecture and furniture design Dave took us past and through some fascinating furniture stores. I also learned of where you find the cheapest and best tortellini in town. We additionally stopped in a few chocolate shops as he was looking for a special kind of chocolate that one can only find in the winter. Unfortunately despite our attempts we couldn’t locate any. After window shopping and walking we paused at a small shop for a kroket or croquette. Croquettes are deep fried snacks very popular in The Netherlands. 

“Since the croquette is basically a ragout fried in breadcrumbs, it is the ragout – and the meat with which it is made – which is the defining ingredient. Different sorts of meat are used, depending on the quality and desired flavour. The cheapest croquettes are made from horsemeat; a little better are pork croquettes; and the best are those made with beef. Often different meats are mixed; the quality of the croquette is then expressed in the percentage of a certain kind of meat it contains. To produce the ragout, a clear soup is drawn from hand-selected and weighed spices, a critical process. Separately a roux made out of butter and flour is created and together with the clear soup, the chopped meat and some gelatine, is steamed in a large kettle. After the mixture has cooled, a layer of breadcrumbs and eggwhite is added. The croquette is then deep-fried.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croquet_(food)

Kroketten /Croquettes

600 grams (1lb 5 oz) veal, beef, chicken, or turkey
salt and pepper
1 dl (1/2 cup) white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove
2 bay leaves
piece of mace
2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
lemon juice
3/4 tsp thyme
lemon peel
50 grams (2 oz) butter or margarine
40 grams (1.5 oz) flour
corn starch or gelatin
3 eggs
4 cups fine breadcrumbs
or Dutch rusks (beschuit)
oil to deep-fry
When opting for chicken or turkey meat, use ‘leftovers,’ in other words cook the turkey or chicken a day ahead. When using veal or beef, start with fresh meat.

Season the veal or beef with salt and pepper. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan. Put in the meat; add the wine, the onion, parsley, clove, thyme, mace, bay leaves, and lemon peel and 5 decilitre (2 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. The meat should be tender. 

Remove the meat and finely chop or cut into small pieces. Strain and keep the stock.

Melt 50 grams of butter in the frying pan, stir in the flour and keep stirring for a few minutes on low heat. Slowly and gradually add the stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add more flour or corn starch (maizena) or dissolved gelatin if necessary. Add 3 egg yolks (set the whites aside to use later).

Add the veal, beef, chicken or turkey, season more, if needed. Stir well. The mix should be thick and stiff by this time.

Set the mix aside to cool thoroughly. When ready, cut or separate the stiff, thick mix into rolls of about 5cm (2”) thick and about 8cm (3”) long.

On a chopping board spread out the crumbs or crumbed rusks. In a deep plate slightly beat the egg whites.

Roll the croquettes through the breadcrumbs, then through the egg whites and again through the crumbs. Make sure that the second crumbs coating is even and thick and no meat mix sticks out (this could make the croquettes burst when deep fried).

Deep fry the croquettes four or so at a time for about 4 minutes, until they are golden brown. Drain them on absorbent paper.

Serve hot, with French fries or multigrain bread or rice. Put them halved on bread. A good way to season is to slather on mustard. http://www.godutch.com/windmill/recipeItem.asp?id=89

I did indeed try mine with mustard and I must say it was delicious!

After tooling around

Dam Square

we met up with Dave’s friend Dan with whom he was to have dinner with that evening. So I said my goodbyes to my new friend and headed back towards Spuistraat to collect my bicycle. After an easy ride home I opted to bundle up and go for my first run,

Amsterdam

style. It ended up being quite the fiasco. I left my place with my mental map intact and headed towards Vondelpark. When I arrived the park was busy with countless people walking, running, and biking. Unfortunately, the sun was setting and I got slightly turned around. I ended up running for 90 minutes straight instead of the 60 like I had planned. Oy vey. Fortunately, my good sense of direction pulled through and I made it home. Upon arriving back at my place however, I crashed and began feeling slightly ill. Often at West Cliff back in

Santa Cruz

I usually jog for 80 minutes so it wasn’t the distance that freaked my body out. I think it was the cold air. I’ve thus decided all future runs for me while I’m here must therefore occur in the “heat” of the day.

Back home and slightly ill I crashed early, wanting to get plenty of rest for school the following morning.

Monday, January 9th, 2006

Waking up early and revived I got ready for school. With the sun barely yet rising I negotiated the early morning bicycle and car traffic and eventually made my way to school. My teacher is a very nice middle-aged Dutch man and the class is going to prove to be very challenging. We did the usual introductions and learned how the class would be structured. It is organized to give you just the basics for getting by here. We won’t learn much about grammar which is a shame in my mind but I suppose with only three weeks of class it has to be very basic. Moreover, I have additional resources with me to learn some of those other points along the way if I so desire or more likely if I have the time. My classmates are all very interesting. There are people from:

Korea

,

Japan

,

Romania

,

Mexico

,

Switzerland

,

Australia

,

China

,

France

,

Argentina

,

Belgium

,

Great Britain

and of course the States.

At our coffee break I conversed with a man named Ty. He is from the States but is living in The Netherlands with his boyfriend who is Japanese and was transferred here with his job at Nike. After a couple more hours, our day in the classroom ended. I rode back towards my flat to grab my passport which I needed in order to get my password for the computer center. Climbing back on my slightly too tall for me bicycle I took a different route back to the Universiteit stopping for a quick fresh herring broodje. After registering at the computer center I rode home again to spend the rest of the evening studying and writing. I finally reconnected with an old acquaintance from

St. Louis

who is living and working in Den Haag. We’re going to meet up in the weeks to come which should no doubt prove to be enjoyable. Although I treasure my solitude here it is certainly pleasant to be making friends as well. Additionally, I’m hoping Kate, my acquaintance from back home, might be able to give me some insight as to how I might make a more permanent move to The Netherlands. Only time will tell how I can manage to make it all come together. Staying in and studying I had yet another quiet night at home which is fine with me especially considering the fact I was starting to feel a little run down.

Tuesday, January 10th, 2006

Waking up with just enough time to get myself together and bike to school, I somehow managed to take a slight detour enroute. Fortunately, I didn’t get too turned around and managed to make it to class on time. Today we were taught by our other teacher, a sweet yet firm thirty-something Dutch lady. The set up was the same as Maandag: computer work, group exercises, break midway through the class, etc. Afterwards I went home and got online researching jobs, etc. for foreigners in The Netherlands.

Have decided I need to come back and live here. Every time I return I think that. However, this trip has made me realize there’s no shred of doubt in my mind. I’m so damn happy here even by my lonesome self. I can’t explain it. The next big challenge is to figure out how. What am I doing? No clue. A few months ago I set a date to leave

Santa Cruz

: January 2007. I want to stick to it no matter what happens but I’m not sure that I can finagle a job here by that point in time. My online research left me feeling rather discouraged. I am thinking about going back to school but am at such a loss as to what for: international studies, graphic design, who knows. I feel I’m at a crossroads in my life as far as career junk goes and I need to just get a plan going and now. Currently my brain is wide open to lots of stuff so long as it could lead me back here. I just want to get started on it already. Blah! Good lord, sometimes I wish I just had a fairy godmother or something already! Alas, I will figure it out… somehow.

Floundering and feeling faded I eventually shut my laptop down and crashed early feeling a cold is definitely on its way. Anywho, that’s the word as I know it till now.

Wednesday, January 11th, 2006

Dylan here. Writing from my flat. Well, it’s official. I am a little under the weather. I’ve been popping Wellness Formula like crazy as I did at the start of my trip and managed to ward off the cold I was trying to catch from Dexter but this time I think it’s coming on whether I like it or not. I should have taken vitamins the second I got back to my house after hanging out with Dave who seemed to have his wicked cold come on overnight. Alas, I forced myself to sleep over fourteen hours last night; oy vey, I hope I can sleep tonight, and am staying in all day drinking tea, eating soup and staying warm.

I just returned from Albert Heijn for some soup and the local Turkish shop for some bread. I also got some rhubarb compote. It’s like applesauce but made with rhubarb, one of my favorite treats from the market. Today was the first day it rained since I’ve been here. And it’s cleared up by now. I thought it would be raining cats and dogs while I was here but Dave was telling me that the fall and spring are in fact the wet months. How fantastic is it my first friend is not just local but a specialized tour guide to boot. Six days here and I’ve already met a most interesting, kind and not to mention attractive guy. Gee wiz. It is unfortunate however he had that darn cold I think I’ve caught. Alas, I will hole up in my apartment today to study, write, read, clean house, catch up on my e-mails/blogs/stories, etc. We don’t have classes on Wednesdays. Ik ben Dylan. Mijn achternaam is Garner. Ik woon in

Amsterdam

. Ik kom

St. Louis

,

Missouri

. Ik ben zevenentwintig jaar.  Dutch is freaking hard but I can feel the pronunciation getting slightly easier. Slightly.

Beyond school I am loving the treats and scenery so much. Tomorrow Dave is cooking me dinner. He might take me to the countryside in a couple weekends. That is nice and exciting. I feel very calm, grounded and peaceful these days. It’s quite a change of pace from the frantically busy schedule I keep back in the Cruz. I’m just hoping my nose and throat clear up soon as I am staying in to avoid the cold weather and get better when in fact all I really want to be doing is riding around the streets, taking in all of the sights. Already feeling like my trip is slipping away.

I suppose I should roll. I have much studying and writing to still do before bedtime. Sending my love to everybody. Hopefully more stories and pictures to come as my health returns to normal. Tot ziens!

Dearest fabulous friends and family,

I have regrettably been out of touch with many of you in recent days, weeks, months, etc. Such is the nature of our often awesomely busy lives. Alas, I am finally on sabbatical and thankfully have more than a second to recap what I have been struggling with and achieving these days past. Perhaps my flood of endeavors will inspire you. I would definitely fancy hearing about your many adventures and moments of debauchery. So do tell, indeed!

I am writing these ramblings to yall from my transient apartment in the Netherlands. Somehow or another I finagled my way back to Amsterdam. Throwing caution and credit to the wind I have landed back in het Nederlands; a world of cobblestone streets, brown cafes, tulips, Van Gogh, shoarma, herring, red lights, legalized euthanasia, bicycles and multiculturalism.

For the past year I have been working as an architectural assistant for a very smart and thoughtful man. He encourages me to make diverse plans concerning all my interests in life and is whole-heartedly flexible when it comes to enabling me to realize them. Moreover, when I decided to come out to him, he barely blinked an eyelash. How lucky am I? At any rate, when I told him of my possible plans to return to Amsterdam for the month of January to partake in an intensive Dutch language course, he simply got out his calendar to mark the dates I would be away. So here I am in my hip, little and inexpensive apartment I found on Craigslist awaiting school to begin on Maandag. I decided to trek all the way across the big, cold Atlantic because ever since studying at Universiteit Leiden in 2001-2002 I have not been able to shake the thought of returning to live and work here in a more permanent fashion. That sentiment was amplified for me even further last May when five friends and I ventured to Amsterdam and spent seven long and glorious days exploring the city together only to call a charming little houseboat near Rembrantsplein home.

So here I am, alone, in this beautiful city for an entire month to learn the language and decipher just precisely where it is that I am headed. After working in architecture for a year I have determined it is not the field for me although I definitely have no intention of leaving my job anytime soon. My position is certainly the most optimal one I am going to find in Santa Cruz given my current education, skills and aspirations. I am very aware of the fact however that I am in definite need of change. I have been in Santa Cruz seven years and although my employment is presently rather ideal, I am certain it has a short shelf live for me. I’ve given myself a solid year to plan, strategize and throw caution to the wind. Only time will tell where exactly my feet will hit the ground running. Industrial, interior and graphic design interest me as thankfully yet painstakingly does an array of countless other disciplines. Someday soon I hope to figure out just what it is I want to be when I grow up. In the meantime, I elected to seize some solitude and see where these vivid visions of my life in Dutch can transport me.

There you have it; where I am and everywhere I am headed. As for wherever I’ve been the stories are both various and varied. Generally however I have been chaotic and cheerful in sunny Santa Cruz. My winter formal birthday bash, the holidays and New Years flew by far too quickly and suddenly it is 2006. Who knew? When I wasn’t party planning, traveling to San Francisco, cooking or entertaining I was relaxing- in my own frenzied fashion- and enjoying the company of all the brilliant individuals who surround me in my everyday life. Trips to the beach with the dogs, runs along West Cliff, excursions to Monterey to see classics on the Golden State Theater silver screen, presto logs pared with extraordinary company, stellar sushi dates and numerous other diversions all induced these past winter days to seem that much warmer even given the hectic tension that so often fills the air near the holidays.

Everyday, I feel overwhelmingly lucky to call the existence I inhabit my own. One of my few regrets in life, because really regret itself can be such a waste of time, is that more often that not I spread myself far too thin and don’t get to habitually communicate with all the marvelous people I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with in my now twenty-seven years. So with that said, I hope you enjoy my tales and pictures of living, Nederlands style. I trust everyone is enjoying a safe, amusing, healthy and intense New Year! Feel free to send me your stories. I love and miss you all.

Heartfeelings,

Dylan

Sunday, January 1st, 2006

Nathan and Veronica dropped me off at SFO at ten at night. They left their new electric heated mattress pad, new tv/dvd/vcr combo, new Netflicks subscription and two sweet and warm little doggies at home just to drive me through the pouring rain all the way to San Francisco. What sweethearts. After a heartfeelings goodbye we parted ways and I began my adventure across the Atlantic all by my lonesome self.

I was a little pooped upon arriving at SFO as the night before was New Years Eve. I had spent the holiday in Santa Cruz instead of in the city as I felt I was fighting a cold and no way was I going to be sick my first week in Amsterdam. Nonetheless, it’s New Years Eve and one still has social responsibilities. However, despite my late night escapades, the extra rest I scored coupled with the massive amounts of vitamin popping I endured in the days leading up to my trip, I somehow managed to keep my immune system relatively in check for the imminent trip. So trudging my way through check-in and security I began the first of two handsome red eyes.

Monday, January 2nd, 2006

After a four and a half hour flight I landed in Atlanta. It was 4:00am California time, 7:00am Atlanta time when we touched down. Despite my efforts I doubtfully slept more than an hour on the plane. Fortunately however some smarty pants in planning helped select airport seats sans armrests in one lonely precious gate. Bless that human being! Securing my belongings, I proceeded to sleep five hours straight of my ten and a half hour layover. Bless Benedrayl! After coming to drooling on myself and being watched by passengers who had now filled the previous empty gate I ventured towards the bright lights, overpriced and generally dreadful cuisine of the illustrious airport food court. I opted for chicken, veggies, salad and horrifyingly sweet lemonade. People and clock watching, I ate and waited. Eventually, I finished my chow and obtained my boarding pass; I had tried to acquire it earlier but they informed me as I was so early it was not yet available. I made my way to the gate, read, flapped on the phone with Veronica and Jenny and ultimately boarded the plane for my second remarkable red eye.

We took off at 2:30pm California time, 5:30pm Atlanta time, 11:00pm Amsterdam time. I ended up near the end of the plane next to a middle aged American man who was living with his wife and kids and working in Den Haag. I told him of my aspirations and he gave me some advice as to how to find work in The Netherlands. Bottom line: it’s difficult, maybe find a nice Dutch girl to marry or work for Shell (He worked for an oil company although it wasn’t Shell). Encouraged and inspired- well not really- I took his additional advice and scored two empty seats a few rows ahead. Having two seats to myself made the nearly nine hour flight bearable. However, the cheapest ticket I found in my last minute search was Delta and I now know why it was so economical compared to the rest. The plane was so old skule I thought VH1’s We Love the 70s was going to come aboard to archive it. For example, the movie experience was quite a drastic change from my last trip to Amsterdam on KLM. On that flight each person had ones own screen from which one could choose from easily forty diverse movies. This might seem a trivial detail but on a long flight details make a world of difference. At any rate, the big screen up front showing Sky High, a fine film about youth at a superhero high school, a couple interesting dozes of airplane food, several blankets and pillows plus the muscle relaxer Lisa Kirk gave me and the beauty of inhabiting two seats all by myself made those nine hours practically fly by. I slept perhaps three hours of the flight and decided maybe jet lag is simply a mind over matter kind of deal. Although, if one is going to embark upon a long flight I suggest getting ‘NO-JET-LAG’ a homeopathic remedy for travel fatigue. It is available at fine health food stores and even has a website http://nojetlag.com. Marsea gave us all some on our trip to Amsterdam last May and that was without a doubt the easiest transition I had ever experienced in crossing the Atlantic.

So finally at 11:00pm California time…

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006

8:00am Amsterdam time our plane landed at Schipol Airport. After a delay in taxiing the plane at the gate, we were finally allowed to return to the world of non-pressurized, dehydrating air. I proceeded through Passport Control where no one seemed to notice my passport still identifies me as female. Whew. And onward I went to collect my baggage. After seizing my belongings and gearing into packhorse mode I made my way through the airport, grabbed some euros at the ATM, bought a one-way ticket to Amsterdam and eventually schlepped my bags aboard the train. From Schipol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal is about fifteen minutes by train. At this point I was thinking, “Am I really freakin’ back?”

After my brief but pleasurable ride into the city I loaded up again and headed straight towards the train station lockers. Putting my bags through an x-ray machine, which is a new addition to the locker process, I became a little worried about being stopped for the needles for my testosterone shots. I think the man watching the screen had a puzzled look on his face but nevertheless let me through. So I stashed my bags and headed out into the chilly, bright morning. Walking down the Dam I made my way towards Rembrantsplein where I stopped into Le Monde to say hi to my old friend Aswaldo. After catching up and having een café I left Aswaldo in search of my new home.

I knew where my flat was from mapquesting it earlier back in the States but wasn’t going to be able to get inside until 15:00. I figured I might as well explore the neighborhood however and scout the place out. Walking south of Rembrandtsplein I become conscious of how fantastic it feels to be in the open air and walking, especially after spending over twenty-four hours either in an airport or on an airplane. Making my way to my new street, I realized I had left the actual address in my bags. So I walked the block and slyly peered into various open windows along the street. As little orphan Annie said best, “I think I’m gonna like it here”.

For the rest of the afternoon I walked the city. I stopped for some frites met mayonnaise. Warm fries in a paper cone with mayonnaise on a cold day are a true treat. Seriously. I walked the shopping streets imagining all the goodies I’d love to bring back to every soul I know back in the states. Eventually, I passed by one of my and Dexter’s favorite bars ‘The Web’. It being two in the afternoon there were but a few people inside. I had a Heineken, which is nothing like a Heineken one gets in the States. The beer here is much better. It must have something to do with the pasteurization process. I finished my beer, headed towards Centraal Station, grabbed my bags and climbed aboard tram 25. After missing my stop, having to get on another tram, getting off at the wrong stop again, walking for about ten minutes with all my baggage, I finally made it to my apartment. Ringing the bell several times I eventually realized Eymert wasn’t home just yet. Fortunately, a man has just moved in downstairs and is working on remodeling the space. I was able to borrow his cell phone. Contacting Eymert he told me he would be there in fifteen. Sitting on my stoop in the cold waiting for Eymert, again, I thought “Am I really here?” Eventually Eymert passed by and parked and we made our way up the winding staircase into my temporary abode. He showed me around, gave me the tour, collected my deposit and had me sign a month long lease. We chatted and I gave him my scoop. He told me he had wanted to learn Swedish years ago. He somehow or another ended up with a Swedish boyfriend, they only spoke Swedish at home and now he’s fluent. I’d say that’s one fine way of learning a language.

After awhile Eymert left and I tooled around my new home. The flat belongs to a dancer. She is on tour in region Brazil. Eymert and she are close friends. Ingrid- the dancer- is messier than I but seems an interesting soul.

Tired and hungry I wandered down the street towards a shoarma grill and ended up eating kip filet (chicken) for dinner. Satiated and sleepy I headed home at nearly 19:00 Amsterdam time to crash in my new, quiet and peaceful little home.

Wednesday, January 4th, 2006

It’s three o’clock in the afternoon or 15:00 as they say here and I’m ready for a nap. I think the cold North Sea air is supplementing my jet lag. A few days and I’ll no doubt be back on schedule. I got up at six-thirty this morning. On my own! I waited a good forty-five minutes before visions of warm coffee and tasty treats overwhelmed my senses and persuaded me out from under the cozy haven of my down comforter.  Not sure of when the markets open, I putzed around the apartment for a spell. The thought of bundling up, venturing out and being denied was not an experience I wanted to live that early in the morning. Thus, unpacking my bags I found a place for everything so that everything is in its place in my funky, multi-colored, temporary abode.

I forgot how quiet ones existence is in a foreign realm. At least at first.  I’ve most likely uttered fewer than a dozen sentences today whereas at home I’d have spoken that well before breakfast. I had forgotten this quiet solitaire space. Often lonely but always worth it.

Transforming ones surroundings to feel more like home is thus fundamental in such said situations. A little tidying, a little beautification, and a few of my other favorite things equals an apartment that feels somewhat more like where I should be.

After an hour of sheveling, I ventured out to the market. I carefully studied an unknown route before leaving but opted to not depart with the map. Without question the optimum means to become familiar with a place is by getting lost. I know much of Amsterdam like the back of my hand. This fact is unquestionably a result from getting lost time and time again three years ago. However, my new neighborhood is farther south of the city center. New ground.

They are doing construction downstairs. It is loud.  But at least it might deter me from taking that nap. Oy vey!

So with my mental map folded and ready I set off to explore the neighborhood and acquire groceries. I walked for about forty minutes. Right on Van Woustraat. Left on Tweede Jan Steenstraat. Right on Ferdinand Bolstraat which turns into Weteringlaan which turns into Vijzelgracht. The morning air was chilly and brisk but bearable. I passed numerous markets; a few of the well known ‘Albert Heijn’ chains as well as countless independent Turkish and Surnames stores. None of the shops drew me in. I was too excited to simply be out, walking, enjoying the bright morning sans rain without any formal agenda. Eventually the cold air and walking took hold and I realized how hungry I was. I headed back towards my place via Albert Cuypstraat. The entire length of this street is an open air market that transpires year round. One can purchase fresh fish, stockings, jackets, frites met mayonnaise, fo-fur, shoes and of course tulips amongst countless other goods. However, overwhelmed by Albert Cuypstraat I ended up buying groceries a couple blocks from my apartment at an independent Turkish store.

I only purchased a couple basics and the ingredients to ‘menemen’ my favorite Turkish breakfast Sylvia taught me how to make when I was here in 2000. Trekking home I proceeded to make menemen.

Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs)    

Ingredients: 1 Onion, 4 Tomatoes, 4 Green hot peppers, 5 tbsp. Butter, 8 Eggs, Salt, Pepper, 1tsp. Mild paprika powder

Chop the onion finely. Cut a cross in the top of the tomatoes and put them in hot water. Remove the skins. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Wash the peppers and cut them into very small rings. Heat the butter in a big skillet. Sautee the onion until soft, then add peppers and tomatoes and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper and paprika powder. Pour mixture over vegetables. Keep stirring with a fork until set. (Serve on nice fresh homemade or -of course- Turkish bread). Be careful with the peppers. Peppers used here are the Turkish kind, a cross between paprika’s and hot peppers. Remove the seeds to make them less hot.

(http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/africa/middle-east/turkish/00/rec0010.html)

After enjoying my menemen and taking a reading break I ventured out again into the bright and crisp day. One of my first aims for the afternoon was to locate an adaptor for my laptop. I failed to realize the one I bought back in California only works for two pronged plugs, not three like the one on my computer. I ended up at a store down the street from my flat where the salesman directed me across town. After hopping on a tram and making my way to the store I obtained the right adaptor. Success. Bundled up and ready, I perused the streets and shops without direction. Ultimately, I ended up near Centraal Station where I fought the hustle and bustle crowds and dashed into the WC. It was here that Joe, my travel companion, informed me it was photo shoot time. I’ve neglected to mention Joe thus far as although we are staying here together we more often than not are enthralled in our own independent worlds. Joe, formally known as ‘Government Issue’ stowed away in my luggage unbeknownst to me. He simply needed to get away… “taste the air of foreign land, see the sights of unfamiliar terrain and touch the exotic and magical world that lies waiting before me”… his own words. Thus, although we are both on our own sabbaticals, we like to occasionally hang out together, especially if it involves a photo shoot.

So after a Vogue like fashion shoot with Joe we hopped on a tram and headed back to our hood. After a couple of days of inquiries around town regarding bike rentals I was repeatedly directed towards a chain called MacBike. However, all the bikes from this shop are red and have giant MacBike logos on the handlebars screaming tourist from many meters away. To therefore attempt to blend in better I asked folks at the bike shops in my neighborhood for suggestions as to where else I might locate an inexpensive bicycle.

I ended up at a local shop and got a great deal on a bike; the best way to get around in the city. So after test riding my new wheels for awhile, I headed to Albert Heijn for some last minute groceries and then worked my way back home. For the rest of the evening I fiddled around on the computer and fought the urge to go to sleep before 22:00.

Thursday, January 5th, 2006

It’s five in the morning and I just woke up. Going back to sleep is useless. It’s not gonna happen. Instead, I’m up and figuring out the day. Nothing like a ‘thing to do’ list makes an early morning brighter.

Twelve hours later and this laptop has become my new best friend. I feel like a mad scientist but am determined to get to a decent place of being caught up with my ridiculously dusty yahoo inbox. My mom sent me her memoirs from her trip on the Queen Mary 2 June 24th, 2004. I finally had the privilege of enjoying them. Better late than never has apparently become one of my recent mantras. At any rate, I promised myself I would take a break today and go for a bike ride however the obsessive compulsive in me just kept going and going and going.

Eventually, mind numbing delirium set in and I took a short break to go to the market. I think that’s one of my favorite aspects of living here and the same could be said of many places around the globe; that is, going to the store and only buying goods you need in the short term instead of stocking up and overloading. Hooray for the small scale and freshness. I love marketing although it is so strange to feel so out of it when I’m out and about in Local Land; my neighborhood is not in Tourist Centraal. Everywhere I go people assume I am Dutch and therefore obviously start speaking Nederlands to me. Next comes the moment where I out myself as a foreigner, speak in broken Nederlands and smile shyly.

Hopefully, beginning on Maandag at least I’ll perhaps be slightly more grounded with the language. My tapes and the cd Vnes made for me help but I’m positively tickled pink to be going to school for Nederlands!

So after a brief jaunt into the outside world I returned to my crazed stance behind the computer screen with but a momentary breather to down some herring met raw onions. Mmmmm. Dutch specialty. Sooner or later I whittled my inbox down to nearly nothing and updated my address books in preparation of commencing with such overdue correspondence. Once again I fought the urge to crash before 22:00 and succeeded!

Friday, January 6th, 2006

Today I slept in. I got up at 6:30am ready for a new day. After getting gussied up I left my apartment and trammed it to Centraal Station for a phone card and a strippenkaart, which is, in essence, many prepaid tram tickets. After acquiring my goods I walked down the Dam in search of a post office to mail off the letter I composed to my mom’s friend who lives in RotterdamShe’s American but has lived in The Netherlands for the past twenty years. I am hoping to meet up with her and see if she has any useful advice for me and my ambitions.

Along the way I stopped and attempted to call back home. I got through to some folks, not to others and of course the credit ran out far too quickly. I also stopped by a small shop for a mini cappuccino and kaas broodje. Cheese sandwiches are a national favorite. By this point it was nearly 8:30am and the sky was just beginning to turn from dark black to a beautiful deep blue. Officially, the sun rises here at 8:50am and sets at 16:45 (4:45pm) at this time of year. Joe and I just had to stop for a photo op.

Continuing on my merry way I eventually found the post office although I had to wait outside for a good ten minutes before they opened. Perfect timing for another photo shoot. For these shots Joe and I posed together. You would think Dutch people had never seen this kind of big guy-little guy friendship before. At any rate, I eventually got all my necessary business taken care of at the post office and resumed my hike back in the direction of my neighborhood. Most everything was still closed at this point. It’s surprising how short the workday seems here. Perhaps it fluctuates with the seasons and daylight hours. Or maybe like most cultures in contrast to life in the States a 30 hour work week versus 60 or even 80 hours yields the best all around results. Who knows?

I took the long way back and did a lot of walking, window shopping and watching. Eventually I made it back to my pad for some lunch, reading and writing. And like that you all have been brought up to speed. Therefore, I believe it is indeed time to send off my rambling travel blog or dare I say log and carry on to attain even more adventures to write of at later date. Success and stay tuned!