Cologne, Germany

We drove to Koln on the weekend of April 5th with Brad and Natalia, a couple from Chicago. Natalia also works with GE where Radhika is located, but in a different department. Brad works for ABN-AMRO. There apartment is but a 5 minute walk from ours. They have been to Koln several times already. There is a theory that schnitzel, not blood, is in Brad's veins, as he has been found halfway to Koln on several occasions in the middle of the night, sleepwalking. That GPS planted in his skull was a great idea, Natalia. Anyway, we drove the almost 3 hour distance Saturday morning. It was a little tricky finding our hotel, as it was located on a street closed to traffic. After 15 minutes and exchanging pleasantries with an elderly local, we found our underground parking and checked in. Not as nice as the Hilton in Luxembourg, but still a good deal and close to the sights. We walked to the cathedral, where Radhika and I did some sightseeing and B&N went shopping for lamps (everything is less expensive outside of Amsterdam). It started to rain, so we took refuge in an underground metro station and then the tourist office where we received suggestions of what to see. The rain eventually stopped, and we walked around just soaking up the city. We stopped in a small bakery, where we had some refreshments and contacted B&N to see where and when we were meeting for dinner. They had their sights set on a schnitzel place, and we met them on the street nearby. No luck on the lamp search, as prices even in Koln were on the high side. Furniture and the like is very stylish in Europe, much more so then in the US, but you also pay for it (especially with the dollar so deflated). We squeezed into the restaurant, with it's eclectic decor, and placed our order. I had a "Bombay" schnitzel, that came with curry and pineapple sauce. It was very good!! And large. I couldn't finish, so I brought 40% of it back to the hotel with about 10% of Radhika's and placed them in the room fridge. The next morning, we checked out, eating brunch at a place that came recommended by B&N, and after some small excitement we found a place to park the car as we did a little more walking and exploring. It was a beautiful, clear day, so Radhika and I went up into the spires for a view. The spiral staircase reminded me of visiting the Statue Of Liberty with my family when I was a kid. People were huffin' and puffin' as they went up (keep smoking those cigarettes!) the stairs. The church is an amazing structure for it's sheer size and intricate workmanship inside and out. It is the "monument" in Cologne if not all of Germany. To see it up close and from a distance is to be in awe. We reconnected with B&N, crossing the bridge over the Rhine and hanging out in the sunshine for a spell watching several people practice rock climbing on the stone walls around the stairs from the riverbank to the bridge level. We walked back to our car after some time and headed back to Amsterdam after having another fun weekend exploring our immediate surroundings. More travels are planned as we take advantage of our weekends and location.

Luxembourg

Our first serious road trip! Brugge, Belgium I guess, was our first foray into traveling away from Amsterdam a month or so ago. It was 2 1/2 hours, staying overnight. Luxembourg is 4 hours, and it was just Radhika and I this time on the trip. I mapped out the first trip, and there was concern on the return to Amsterdam that we wouldn't get Dimple to the airport on time. We did, with time to spare, but the tricky and time consuming exit from Brugge caused a little anxiety in the car with certain passengers (who will go unnamed). ;) Anyway, with the car parked close to the apartment, we left Amsterdam Saturday morning at 10am, setting the TomTom destination of the Luxembourg Hilton. It was a pretty straightforward drive. We stopped for a quick break and snack a little more than an hour north of Luxembourg. The terrain is varied as was the weather. Flat, green pastures and fields, rolling hills, to small more rougher terrain at the higher elevations. We traveled through sun, overcast darkness, ice, snow, rain, back to sun... it was constantly changing. We arrived around 3pm, got a nice upgrade, dumped our baggage, and drove to the city only 7 kilometers away. Parking underground, we walked the stairs where we were deposited in a square. We walked the streets in the vicinity getting our bearings. They were very nice and clean. We heard music coming from a large, outdoor tent-like structure. How lucky were we when it was discovered they had 60 musicians from New Orleans there for a 4 day festival for Easter! We listened for a while, watched people, walked around, and got information from the tourist office for the next 2 days. When we got hungry, we bypassed the one McDonald's that managed to infest the city right next to the tent, and ate in a French restaurant fro dinner. The country does have it's own language, but French and German are spoken there due to their close proximity. Our dinner was tasty and the service was good. But as we finished, our server, who was working diligently all evening had a little problems with balance right near our table, and several plates came crashing off of his tray. Some liquid splashed up off of the floor and onto Radhika's lap and sleeve! Oh boy what a hubub!! The female manager, who reminded me a little of Leona Helmsly and our server engaged in several vocal exchanges over the next 5 to 10 minutes. We don't know what was said as they were speaking in French, but the couple next to us sure seemed to be amused by it all. We were concerned for a while, because our server went AWOL for a while, and I thought Leona may have tossed him out on his "croissant". But he showed up after a few minutes and apologized again. I told him not to worry, that it was Radhika's fault. He smiled a little, but insisted it was his, and he gave Radhika 10 euros towards the cleaning. He and Leona went at it a couple more times. It was almost out of a sitcom.... all the fast-flying French dialogue and hand gestures. I just know someone was calling the other an idiot! Finally, one of the other servers asked if we had our desert yet, as it had been forgotten in all of the action! We had our ice cream and called it a day! Such an exciting first day. BTW... whatever it was it came out of her clothes when she washed them at the hotel.

The next morning I got up and went down to the indoor heated pool. That was sweet! Got a little exercise in and even managed 10 minutes in the sauna. We ate breakfast, as the Hilton had a really nice buffet, but we were also still full to a degree from last night's dinner. We drove into the city around 9:45am, and it was pretty empty! It's cool to have a city almost all to yourself. It was a little chilly to, but as the day continued, the sun came out and it was glorious sunshine all day!! We walked all over, went into the "Casemates", which are underground caves that have been carved out over the centuries. Down through history, Luxembourg has been the most fortified city in Europe. We listened to some dixieland, blues, and jazz, and had a really nice day. Something funny... as we sat listening to music, Radhika got a coffee from the golden arches, and I went to the tent to check out the Louisiana food they had there. Ended up getting 2 sausage sandwiches for us. They were pretty good, but as Radhika bit into hers, it squirted water/grease in a direct line right to me... there was no escape!!! Damn it was like it was planned!!! I didn't even laugh the night before when she got victimized by "Clumsy Claude"!! Luckily there was no major damage, but it sure seemed like it was payback for something. We did some more sightseeing, taking advantage of the great weather! Ended up driving back to the hotel around 9:30pm.

The next morning I went straight to the gym and lifted a few weights before hitting the pool and sauna (yes, my punk-ass is a little sore as I type). Put me in a mood to do a little 'ol school damage on the breakfast buffet! After I felt I had signed my masterpiece, we took the hotel shuttle to the city instead of driving. Unfortunately this time of year they drive in at 10:45am, and pick up at 8:30pm, so we checked out before we left. It snowed heavily overnight and continued on and off throughout the day, which made for different pictures. I did some shooting while Radhika listened to some Gospel. Luckily, the tent did not catch fire! I came back after some shooting, we listened for a while, and then went walking through the markets the city had set up along some streets and squares. I bought Radhika a pair of shiny, black earrings and then we headed back, picking up the car after taking a city bus back to the hotel around 2:30pm. We drove around and outside the city for about an hour before heading back to Amsterdam and arriving at 8pm. It was a great trip, with good sights, some nice photography, a comfortable hotel, good food, great music, and little stress! Our next trip is 2 weeks away! Snowing again... let me see if I can take a good picture to throw up on the blog. Until next time......

The Good The Bad and The Ugly - Chapter 1

Man! Where do I begin and how? Moving to a different country certainly involves aspects of life you didn't imagine or think of before you made the move. And even if you did consider everything, it's nothing like the experience of it actually happening! So after almost 4 full months after arrival, let me try to convey everything up until now, using the overused movie title as an outline. Some things will be familiar from previous posts, others will be new. I think I am going to do this "shotgun" style, and just drop down what comes to mind instead of categorizing it (too formal!). Let's start with the weather here... I have to throw the "Ugly" tag on that, so far. After 4 months, during winter.... yeah, ugly's good! Yesterday I got pelted by tiny ice crystals as I rode the bike! What the hell?!?!?! It was either that or someone in front of me had a bad case of dandruff, because all of these little white specks were bouncing off my jacket and face as I rode down the street! But they were hard not "flaky", the way the TV commercials describe that scalp affliction. Five minutes later the sun was out. It drizzles a lot here, sprinkles, if you like. I haven't seen what I consider rain or downpour yet. Just cold, miserable, drizzle. There have been a few days of nice weather, and even some stretches of it. But overall, I have to say the weather sucks, it's "Ugly". Probably near the top on the list of adjustments we have to make going from Orlando to Amsterdam.


Language. While it's true that most Dutch speak English quite well, and that makes for an easier transition, what's overlooked are the areas that a language barrier still exists. Like food shopping. Reading pictures on containers trying to determine "Is it detergent? Is it fabric softener? Is it soup?" is like reading hieroglyphics in pyramids or ancient cave paintings!!! Now try to read the preparation instructions. Yeah, good luck with that! Cleaners that the owner of the apartment left for us.... what does the picture depict?!? Is that a floor being cleaned or a counter top? And there're 7 different bottles with similar pictures!!! Open it and smell it.... no clue there. This one is orange, but this one is yellow.... no clue there. This one squeezes out, this one pours.... no clue there!!!! Hey! On the stove... what does this little icon mean? Why does it look like the Monopoly dude with his top hat? What's this swirly icon for on the clothes dryer? Is that a profile of a pigeon and Pacman on the microwave? What the F&%$ do they do?!?!?!? Shit! How about going to the internet, phone, TV store and signing up for service. I'm getting what? I can call here but not there? How fast is my upstream and downstream? Excuse me? I have to pay 10 cents a minute when I call tech support or report an outage or problem with service? How do I set up my inbox? Oh, instructions are in the box and online. Get home, you guessed it... all in Dutch! We STILL don't have cable working after almost a month!!! Oh, I get 30 minutes phone tech support free? Great... until it cuts off in the middle of trying to get stuff to work!! Try navigating a website that's another language - - oh now there's some fun! I use an online translation site, and while it is very helpful, the translations are literal. For example, "You can expect within 3 days a message of us" is the translated message I received after sending a request to a store online. And this one is beautiful to me, because it's easy to know what is meant. But others leave me dumbfounded. Mild-mannered John is turning into raging lunatic John as frustration has smacked me down! I have learned that when I feel the urge to go down to the local UPC office where I signed up for service and start throwing people through the windows, it's time to take a break (perhaps this is why smoking pot is legal, folks need a way to mellow out). Obviously "Bad" and "Ugly" are fighting over which of them represent this aspect of our move here. I say let them share, coz it's bad AND ugly!!


Going to Luxembourg for 2 nights over the long weekend coming up. A 4 hour drive south, the TomTom telling us where to go, in a company car with gas paid for... any question this is "Good"?!!! Already been to a beautiful city in Belgium a few weeks back (2 1/2 hour drive), and making plans for Barcelona and the south of Spain, and Greece and Italy, with Prague fitting in over a long weekend too. We'll be driving to place so diverse but the distance is that between Orlando and Atlanta. Farther places will be flown. Our apartment kicks ass! It was a chore to go through all of the viewings and a little nervy navigating the negotiation, not wanting to make a mistake. But the owners of the apartment seem pretty cool, and are equally happy to have us in their old home as we are to be there. And they are right downstairs when needed as their business (a boat tour) is on the ground floor.


Municipal facilities has to get a "Bad", as there are few. You would think in a socialist country there would be more facilities such as these for the public, but you would be wrong! I have found zero, nada, zippo, in terms of tennis courts available to the public for just "walk up" usage. The basketball courts that I have seen, nary a one has nets on the rim! It looks as though, from my search up to this date, that one plays tennis only through a "club" where yearly dues are paid. Like I said, not too "social" for a socialist country!! In a book I am reading entitle "Dealing With The Dutch" (written by a Dutch professor), he states that even visits to a prostitute can be covered under state sponsored health care!! But no state sponsored tennis courts! That kind of "love" they don't support (get it?). Anyway, so I have found a place close by. It only has clay surface courts, but I don't care at this point... Johnnie needs court time!!! So, I have to look into how much that will cost. One item they offer online, couldn't read the Dutch but whatever it was cost 350 euros per year(about $500). I'll be playing tennis on a canal before I pay $500 to play at a "club" where rain will wash out games frequently, I suspect. If I manage to play once a week (highly unlikely) that will be $10 per session! No way, Jose (Hose-A, for the phonetically inquisitive).

Bad or ugly? You decide on this one. Let's say your internet or phone service is out. You normally place a call to the provider to inform them, right? Or, there's something on your bill that you don't understand, so you call to speak to billing about it. Well, sit down and soak this up. You are charged 10 euro cents a minute for these calls by the companies!!! Water, internet, cable.... I haven't encountered a company yet that doesn't levy this charge. I have asked them about the logic of charging me to call them to let them know their service is failing. Eh, not much of a reaction. I actually received an email from UPC requesting that I call as soon as possible when service is out so they can affect repair!!!! If I want to avoid charges, I can email them a message that they will get to....oh....I don't know.... some day. Son of a BEEEyotch!!! Insert any expletives you wish here...the more socially unacceptable, the better!

Look for more chapters to this movie coming later!

Cool Weekend, Back To Reality

What a packed weekend! On Saturday, we went for a bike ride just outside the city to an area pronounced "Outerkirk" to where there's all natural settings with a windmill along the way to remind you, if you happened to forget, that you were in the Netherlands! In the early afternoon we went to the movies, seeing "The Other Boleyn Girl". Enjoyed it, and as usual for us when we see "Hollywood's" depiction of history we did a little research on Henry the 8th over the weekend in order to filter out any embellishments, adjusted facts or complete falsehoods. Saturday night there was a party at a bar in the center of Amsterdam for a co-worker who is returning to Sweden after working at GE Amsterdam for 7 years. We had fun and fortunately we didn't smell like walking cigarettes afterwards, which is usually the case here. In July, a law will go into place that prohibits smoking in many places, so I expect a lot of grumpy Dutch people stomping around until they go through their withdrawals or find another way to cope. Sunday, we had our usual cheese omelet breakfast before going off to see the Magnum exhibit at a local museum. That was pretty interesting, along with 1 or 2 other exhibits in the museum. But then there are the ones that we just didn't get! What I do, as art, is pretty self explanatory most of the time. But then there are those spread out over the "art spectrum", whether it's representational art, abstract, performance, whatever, that it's just not clear where they are going with what they produce!! Some pieces had explanations by the artist, and we're both saying "I don't see it!" We were there about 4 hours and could've stayed longer, but they closed at 6pm. So, we walked home, which was a considerable distance, stopping to have dinner at a Tibetan / Nepalese restaurant that was very good!! We will visit there again for sure.

Ah, but back to reality part of this post. While it is true that most people, easily 90% or more, of the people I have come in contact with speak enough English for easy communication. However, try buying a mobile phone, getting electric service, cable TV, GPS unit, etc. Get ready for some real fun, because the large majority of websites are in Dutch, and all the paper work you receive with the equipment is written in Dutch! I (at least like to think) am pretty patient, but WOW have I broken new territory for myself! If my previous level of patience was Georgia and I'm living in Orlando, hell, I have now visited the "Land of Enchantment" (Arizona, right?)!!!! Thankfully, I have found a rudimentary online translator, but we're talking a lot of pain-staking typing when it comes to manuals, and copying and pasting when directions or information are on a website!! All in all, it makes for some seriously long engagements to change an address, open an online account, update your GPS, change the language settings on your mobile phone, basically everything! I admit to getting frustrated and sending a few not-so-nice emails to different companies chastising them for not supporting the large contingent of English speaking residents. It did bear some fruit, as I was contacted by customer and tech support for one company I was dealing with, and another said they are behind schedule ramping up their English version of their website. This has to be near the top of my list of difficult things encountered by this move to Amsterdam.

Okay, we're here, it's another Monday. It's been sprinkling here since about 10am. I say "sprinkling" while the Dutch say rain. I think "rain" is those July downpours we get in central Florida where in 2 seconds you get more wet than you would jumping in a swimming pool! What makes it bad here is this place is windy! I mean windy, folks!!! Not that warm breeze where a leaf flutters and you get all giggly inside. Today, there are gusts of wind that take me back to the dark night several years ago when I tried to sleep, and #2 or #3 hurricane of the week was passing through and I thought Florida Eastcoast RR had put a track next to the bedroom while I was asleep!!! Last week, I had the owner bring by some weatherstrip as 3 of the windows in the place had sizable gaps. Those windows are just fine now. However, I will be sitting or walking in here, and all of a sudden part of my body will feel a stiff, cold, gust of wind. Not my whole body now, let's just say, for example, the outside lower left are of my left wrist! I have to start crawling around trying to find where that's coming from!!! I sealed the window in the bathroom last week, but damn if that wasn't one of the places this morning I felt one of those little bursts of cold air!!! After some inspection, I found the source to be the wall switch!! I took of the plate and damn if it didn't feel like I opened the freezer upstairs! Our place is very modern. Just remodeled last July and it looks like it. However, when the building is centuries old, it must be tough to seal all of the cracks! There are cold, small little breezes everywhere in this place on a day like today. Wind blows hard, and the crack in the door whistles The Andy Griffith Show! I already know I'm going to want more weatherstrip and a can of foam for those pipe and conduit risers in the closets and utility area. Like I say at home....It's always something!!!

Settin' Up House

Well, our sea shipment was delivered to the new apartment last Saturday morning. I had actually started earlier with the move, packing our stuff at the old place in the Jordaan. Most of it was packed and/or ready to be moved. There were some items already in the car that were given to us by Nancy and Jelle, who moved from here to Ct. where Nancy was working in GE's corporate headquarters. We dropped that stuff off Friday night at the new apartment, drove over to our Jordann place and filled it up with stuff, driving it back to GE at night and then stopping at The Taco Shop for 2 smothered burritos (tasty!). Next morning, we picked up the car at the GE lot, driving it to our new apartment, noticing the movers were there ahead of schedule before 8am. They said we could use the outdoor elevator to bring up the stuff in the car to the 3rd and 4th floor. Words can't say how nice that was not having to hump that stuff up all of those stairs!!! Once emptied, I drove the car back to our old place, backing it up near the door of our building. Luckily we have a bike shop next to the old location that didn't allow parking in front of it. But on a Saturday, and this being Netherlands where most laws are suggestions, we took advantage. I loaded up the car with as much stuff as I could (up and down those stairs!! what a workout), grabbed my camera, and drove back to the new place using the elevator again. The movers were done in about 3 hours, doing a pretty good job. We still had a little bit remaining at the old place, so we drove over to the old place and got the rest of the stuff and brought it over using the old fashioned method...up and down the stairs. On Sunday, we did a little unpacking and then decided to take a break and go see a movie. "No Country For Old Men"...excellent flick...have seen it twice so far. Broke open the boxes of kitchen stuff and found my Sam's Club jumbo box of Skittles and chewed up half a bag. They were so good I almost had an afterglow. It was weird to see our belongings in a place other than our livingroom back in Gotha...but getting used to the sight already. Furnishings fit pretty well in this new place in both size and color, with the exception of the blue master bath... and some light pink walls and purple wallpaper in one of the bedrooms. Radhika seems to be holding up well to all the bright, cheerful color exposure. Those who know our home in Florida with it's all white walls and ceilings and her proclivity to wearing black and gray clothing know what an adjustment it will be for her. But she's coping.
I have work to do, so I will follow up on this topic more later and add a few pictures from moving day. There's stuff all around this place and and I'm finding places for it all to go, not to mention the cleaning that's needed, and occasionally setting out to buy some things (bike lights, mirror for restroom, etc). Until later....

Random Ramblings 2

I'm overdue for some ranting and raving. I'm sure you've missed it, so here it goes. This one is all about the arrogant, rude American stereotype. I'm sure most of you are aware of it, how American's are perceived in the rest of the world. At least that's what we hear at home. I gotta tell you, I'm a real doubter of its validity. Now I know there are certain places that dislike American's more than others... the Middle East comes to mind. But more and more, as I visit different places and ask questions of the locals, my perception is changing a little on that 'ol ditty. Just as we came to disbelieve the French are snobs after our visit there, I'm hearing (and seeing) American's have not cornered the market on rudeness and arrogance. One of the things I bitch about at home is how self-centered people act. The notion that they are the only beings in existance, and when out in public, walking around, and definitely on the roads, their needs are the only ones of concern. Well, the US does not have the monopoly on that type of behavior! I can attest to that. It's almost a "slam dance" sometimes when I walk down the streets in certain parts of Amsterdam. There's an abundance of people who walk Tokyo while looking Chicago!! I used to cut and move like Walter Payton or Barry Sanders dodging these self-involved chumps. People stopped right in front of me, looking through a window of a store, and right when I come up on them they'll back up right into me or in front of me. Hardly anyone looks around as they walk or stop, to see the impact of their forthcoming action. I got tired of it and now just collide right into them. Hey, it works!!! They get shocked and knocked a little silly (okay...I'm slight but I am solid!) and I brace for it. They apologize and collect themselves. I say "No problem." in my American accent, and continue on. It's like this with the bike riders and car drivers too. Kinda reminds me of people at home, in the far left lane realizing at the last second they have to turn right and cutting across 3 lanes of traffic at that instant, instead of being polite and protecting the safety of themselves, passengers, and other drivers by going to the next intersection and making a u-turn. Lord knows those couple of seconds or even minutes will kill them or ruin their entire day.

In earlier posts I mention my perception to be that the Dutch people seem very nice. For the most part, this still remains my opinion. However, as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. In this application, contempt is too strong a word of course! Let's just say I continue to gain a fuller understanding of Dutch culture with each passing day. And like American culture, the Dutch culture is in a constant state of change. Amsterdam has a considerable immigrant population. Where the US has seen it's most dramatic changes come from Latin America, Eastern Europe and Northern Africa seem to be the major additions to Dutch culture. Amsterdam is a beautiful city. Upon closer inspection you discover the considerable amount of debris and trash floating in the canals. Even with the abundance of street cleaners in this socialistic country, there's almost always something blowing around your feet carried by the wind. And with all of the signage prohibiting pet owners from allowing their dogs to "deposit goodies" on the sidewalks, there seems to be a fair amount of doggy souvenirs out there! I have seen many people walking their dogs, but have yet to witness one allowing Rover to "unleash" his cargo on the sidewalk. Staying on subject of "laws", it seems they are more like "suggestions". Perhaps the Dutch have an underlying knowledge of the law, but approach it as "Yeah, but it can't be for me!" kinda thing. Also, it seems they may not be too used to polite behavior. I was waiting for Radhika's tram to arrive one evening near the apartment, and a number of other people were in the area waiting, I assume, for friends or transportation because we were next to a gym. A woman was crossing the street pulling a rolling basket containing various articles. As she crossed the tram tracks, her load spilled. I could see it happening before the fact as things began to slide out, and had started out into the street. I helped her pick up everything and crossed the street with her. She was very thankful (in Dutch) and as I returned to my waiting space, the men and women smiled at me. I took it as a "...that was a nice thing..." look, but wondered why no one else made a move. I have opened doors, helped a woman in the grocery store, and in every instance I can remember, I got a sense that they are not used to others making an effort to make their day a little better or easier.

Well, the observations will continue. I can't help it, it's part of what I do!! And you get to be on the receiving end of it all. Oh boy! Today is Wednesday, and I'm making general preparations for our move. We'll be using the GE car to move our stuff from this apartment to our new one, possibly as early as Friday night. Saturday will be for the professionals to deliver our stuff, and Sunday morning we'll move any remaining items from this current place. So when after all of this rig-a-maroll is over, I'll write again.

Found A Home

Well, we are moving into our permanent apartment this weekend, and we couldn't be more relieved! Apartment hunting is not a joyous undertaking anywhere, but even less so over here. Finding what you want in a limited amount of time is a tall order, especially when you're looking for an apartment on a canal and near the central part of the city. But, we're generally happy with our choice and hope it will turn out to be a great decision in the long run. We take the keys on Friday around 1pm, and the movers will bring our stuff that came by ship on Saturday. It will be interesting as they lift everything up on what is called an elevator from the outside, and bring everything through the 3rd or 4th floor windows! The stairs are too long, narrow, and twisty for them to bring anything but the smallest and lightest items up. So they shut down a portion of the road as the trucks are parked out front. This is done on a routine basis, as we see it as we walk around the city. Radhika is concerned that certain things won't fit, as a co-worker had to saw their box frame in half to get it through their apartment windows. Well, there will be no cutting the 63" TV or our couch, and those are the 2 largest things we own. It will be a full weekend of furniture moving, setting up our new place, finding a safe place to lock up our bikes, and all of that fun stuff!

Apartment Hunting.102

Well, we're not done yet! Tomorrow morning, we will revisit 2 properties we have already seen as a final run through before we make the offer. Of course when we make the offer and it's accepted, there's no turning back. So we want to be sure. This has not been....fun, just another one of those "gotta do it" things in life. Our current lease on the temporary apaertment runs out on the 24th, so a decision has to be made soon as it takes 2 weeks for the paper work to go through. Once we are settled, I'll be able to stop my whining...at least about apartment searches. I'll find something else to moan about, I'm sure. Seriously, it will be nice to be in the long term place. Just hope it's the one we have our eye on!

Finally got a new stereo in this place! Still waiting on the part to fix the jacuuzi tub in the master bath. We have been in here since mid December and I told them about these things within the first couple of days. From what I'm told though, the Dutch don't move too fast, so I guess we're doing good to have music and hot bubbles in the bath before we leave here.

Went food shopping...another observation. They have not embraced plastic as much as the US has. Packaging has a considerable glass and metal presense here. It's good for the recycling that they do, but it sure makes your grocery bag weigh a ton! When was the last time you saw fruit juice in a can? One monthly trip to Sam's weighs as much as a day trip to the store here! And I wonder if the transportation of the added weight adds to the air pollution. Don't see where they do too much plastic recycling here.

Radhika's friend from boarding school is coming in from London on Friday night. Saturday, we're taking the Ford on our first long distance trip to Brugge, Belgium. Look it up on the net. It's a beautiful city. We did take the car out once already to Volendam which is about 30 minutes north of Amsterdam. It's in an earlier post. We'll be staying the night in Brugge, and leaving the next morning to drop Dimple off at the Amsterdam airport for her trip back to London. She has a Canon 30D, so we'll do some shooting, I'm sure. So, come back soon to see what's new, and I should have pictures up from Brugge. Don't get too pissed off Rose! And I have new images, and made changes to my website, so check that out as well instead of playing solitaire or whatever it is you're doing instead of work (like reading this post?). Later!