L city day ONE! a helluva lot of walking..

Okay, so day one marked the arrival at London airport for me at about 7:35 am or something, which meant I flew out of Amsterdam 7 am (ams time), flight was one hour and London is one hour behind.

What I managed to forget was the fact that bus service in Amsterdam is not regular at 5 am (oops haha) (I was suppose to leave for the airport at 430), thus after almost shattin' my pants finding out the bus didn't come for another 45 minutes, I decided to run through the streets of Amsterdam at five am with two suitcases (thank goodness for burton quality luggage! those skate wheels came in handy on those cobble stone streets). then somehow when I got to Centraal station, I made the train to the airport by 2 minutes (or else would've been a 30 min delay) and was nice and on time for checking in.



Once in Heathrow, the arrivals hall was FULL of luggage, well its a no brainer why BA lost my first day to Amsterdam.



Met up with cuzn' Rita and Rita's crazy lawyer friend Tina from TO two hours later and then ran through the terminals! Also ran into Maggie Chick, old fobby school friend! What are the chances?!!?



When I saw it, I had to have it, SB, soy chai latte (darn you Lindsay!) and it costed 4 pounds!!! - that's a 10CAD chai. Never again.

Got myself an oyster card which is like the Octopus card in Hong Kong or simply a contact less travel card. A'dam in the process of implementing the exact same thing, the infrastructure is there but for some reason nothing is happening. oh well!

One of the first things I forgot, but definitely new is the switch in driving sides of the road, I found it comical but necessary of have the "Look Left" messages at each crosswalk.



We found our way to the dorms we were staying at (London School of Economics (LSE)) and then met up with Rita and Tina's friend Fang (pronounced Fong)).




Our little personal tour guide took us to see every mentionable tourist cliche of London which was pretty cool to see but very exhausting (London's Chinatown is HUGE (well compared to A'dam that is) we then settled in a local pub, had some local English dishes (Yorkshire pudding) and then went home to crash after that.




that's day one!

London Posts in the meantime

Well I am going to switch to lulu font now - oooh... Anyways, I am going to use these next few week nights to accelerate the catching up of my blogging starting with my trip to London in late December. Good timing too before I cram another few hundred pics in my cam when I head to Geneva (four days and counting!).


London in a nutshell: the city and its surroundings has lots to look and gawk at, however your wallet will scream bloody murder. And apparently the torrential wind and rain followed me from the A'Dam. The British, in general and in my opinion I find quite rude, however exceptionally friendly when they have to be (say in the service industry). The TUBE rocks, however I can understand why people die when it's 40 degrees in the city, cause in there, it must be many times hotter than that - good thing it was winter. The word unkempt kept creeping into my head. Fish and chips and warm lager is not all that it is cracked up to be.

The next few posts will highlight my five days in L city!

G Damnit!!!

about a minute ago I dropped a brand new roll of toilet paper into the toilet (and yes, I peed in the bowl first). I panicked, screamed a little, laughed and then almost cried...

About that wind the other day

pic from Camilo from the crazy storm about 1.5 weeks ago...

Where's my mONeY??!?!?

Banking here is crazy, and considering I work for the bank - then I would know. Well I'm basing this on going how the bank system works but the card is like a credit card and a cash wallet (chipknip) - the online banking is cool too because you have this dynamic pin reader (like SecureID) that gives you a code after entering another code from the banks login after you put in your card number... craaazy. The odd thing is when you take out cash, the bank machine never tells you your balance... no assets for them I guess!

also I guess booking all of those plane tickets and going out all the time took a tool on my first month... negative balance... geez... thank god for over draft - I'm in debt!! 7 euros that is....

looks like I'm back on traveler's cheques until I get this sorted out!...

Royal Palace Amsterdam

Here are pics of the famous Royal Palace in central Dam square, you can't miss it if you come here, just a five minute walk from central station. One of the pics show lots of pigeons FYI (haha).

These pics were taken on December 22, 2006 - so explains the X Mas trees.
The last two pics (the professional ones were taken off of getty images of course). There you can see the National Monument or what I later learned is also called the "Dam Dildo". Excellent. You can also tell the pic is old cause the tram is yellow, but now most have been replaced by newer blue and white ones... ooh

And one day Ana asks "What is this "dildo" you speak of?" Well Ana, let me explain...

ps . below was the first I heard this term being used. Now that I read back on the email, the laughter in my head is even louder than when I first read it (taken out of context of course)...Oh that Erica, too much!...

"Let's aim for 11:45 AM at the Dam Square Dildo. It's a place that fills up fast so we gotta be there by 12. Bring an empty stomach! And if I remember correctly, they don't take debit (just cash - it's so Chinese ;)."

Drinks on 24

Every friday there are drinks at various ABN buildings. Most of the AIESEC interns get together at the main headquarters by the WTC (world trade centre) but here at the oval tower, sometimes us Ovalies stay here cause the view's much nicer. Beers are cheap (1.50 EUR for Hoes) and snacks are very cheap too - basically just an all around good time! pics by Camilo who came to 24th before the Aussie party and took some great pics of the amazing view at the bar.

Weekend 7 to an end...

this weekend was interesting... since Friday was Australia DAY so we went to Coco's (the local australian bar) and boy was it packed! but it definately remind me of the den at home in terms of the music they played (less trance and house!) and more of that old schoo/new schoo rock and alternative!

I thought it appropriate to add Steve's invitation:

Dear All Un-Australian Heretic Wretches,

Tomorrow is a very important day. It is of coarse, as everyone who is anyone knows, AUSTRALIA DAY.
Why? Don't ask me. An important tradition of Australia day is to not ask why it is Australia Day, but to keep drinking till you forget it is Australia day (as well as your name, address and the ability to form coherent sentences).

If any of you feel like turning your nose up at the sophistication of Jimmy Woo's this Friday, and want to associate with people from a country where the men are so though that they shave with a rock and the women are so tough that they pee standing up; then you are more than welcome to join me at Coco's Outback in Rembrantsplien tomorrow night.

I will be providing free Act-Like-An-Aussie lessons before the request so that you guys can fit in.These involve activities such as how to open a beer bottle using your eye; how to make love to rabid kangaroo without getting infected and also how to get skin cancer before you are 30.

Give me a shout if you are keen.

Steven Bloom

This party lasted until about 3, and took us about an hour to get home after a little after bar FEBO (and a bit of wandering around cause we were lost). FEBO btw is Amsterdam's late night, fast food, the most delicious, yet the most nastiest food you can buy here for less than 2 euros. You buy it out of a wall. When Les told me about buying food out of a wall, I thought he was joking... aparently not But when you're hungry at 230 am, it is very convenient and VERY BUSY.

Sunday, found a great "Bagels and Beans" location which is a great shop for a sunday morning to chill, read and watch the people walk by - this might be a regular thing.

Then later met up with Camilo and Ching Ying for BODIES! Despite this being outrageously expensive (22EUR), it was really cool to see, although if I were a med student, it probably would not be all that interesting (so sharon maybe not the best way to blow 30 CAD). the coolest was the casting for the circulation system where they casted all the veins and arteries of an arm/leg/human and you just see the 3d outline formed by them! highly recommend - you were right RITA!

There's something on the ground this morning...

oh wait.. could it be? SNOW!!!! albeit very little, but I saws it I did.

On another note: Geneva in 7 days! Where there should be more snow! wahoo... Headin there with a good friend from AIESEC in Calgary who is working here too! Just a bunch of us er Canadanians out here (and oddingly overwlhemingly, most of us are asians too - TEAM CANADASIA!

The weekend is upon us and there are three parties planned - why do they make it so hard to choose?! or I could lame it out and stay home... haha darn it - not this time.

baby

yesterday a friend on msn said she had to hide my display picture because it was too distracting. she said my nephew was too cute - I agree. Just got an email from mom the other day:

"Ok. Little Kyan is coming tonight - I am so excited. This past Sunday he had his first "starfish" swim lesson - I believe he was the "youngest" (and of course cutest) of them all.

At the end of the lesson, the parents (mostly daddies) held their kids and gathered in a ring and did something with the instructor; at that time we heard some baby yelled and Caren thought that sounded like Kyan (we were at the observation counter). Sure enough, per Steve that was him!! Probably getting tired, hungry and impatient; and he was "barking" (not crying, just making a lot of noises ) at people. What a brat (but so so cute).

He also started his solid food the same day (last Sunday); some light cereal."

- mom

that's what I am missing most! the important things at home!

slowly but surely

a chilly crip lies in the air today, much like what you would expect on a sunny cristmas morning - which to me is the perfect day (weather-wise). walking from central station to home, I start to already realize I'm loving this city more and more!

SOFI today!! (Hopefully....)

Trip number three to the SOFI office (like SIN in Canada). Luckily AIESEC here has been organizing advances on my behalf - or else I would definitely be the starving intern! Last time I went it took about an hour to get to the place, then I had to wait another 30 mins and then they turned me away in 2 seconds cause the INS (immigration) office forgot to circle something on my passport. Amazingly this does not surprise my coworkers since dutch democratic process seem to be so efficient.. I mean it only took two months to get me an email address...

click for basic Employment facts about the Netherlands:

Employment in Amsterdam
Free ads

The Netherlands may be one of the smallest countries in Europe but it is certainly among the richest on the continent. In so far as the domestic market is concerned, the country is very dependent on trade. The main industries in Holland are food processing, chemicals, gas and oil and its most important sectors are retail, property, transport, communications and the financial services. Today, excellent tax conditions have attracted some 5000 foreign investors to the Netherlands and many multinationals and household names such as Nike and Canon have made the lowlands the home for their headquarters. Furthermore, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, which is low in comparison to other neighbouring countries.

The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch but at least 90% of Dutch people have a good command of English and over 50% can speak two languages. Applicants that do not speak Dutch are welcomed in the marketplace but a basic working knowledge of Dutch is likely to enhance a job seeker's chances of success.

full article and source here

Look to the right....

haha I just noticed in the archives that I only did ONE post in 2006.

aiya

FYI - embarassingly today, I forgot to wear a belt. Which means I will not get up from my desk too often.

AJAX!

Well the first weekend in A'Dam, was able to see my first football game! Went with
Camilo, an AIESEC intern from Colombia who also lives on the boat as well as Jose, Latin American that works for ABN as well. When we went, Camilo thought there were going to be tickets because it wasn't a very important game, however, it was sold out as it was two Dutch teams that are playing each other. Luckily, a good'ol scalper saw our sorrowed faces and offered us tickets for 30 Euros! (face value) cause by the time he sold them to us, the game had already started.

Let's just say looking at the stadium every day does not prepare you on how big this place is! The energy at this game was intense as it seems like everyone around us was yelling something during the game. Game ended up being tied 2-2 and I thought was a pretty good game.

Later went for some Chinese (Surinamese food) by the red light district to kill time. cheap and was not bad (but was happy to get some cha siew in my tummy). We then explored Chinatown as well as the Red Light District that is right beside it - Note: if you're looking for variety in the girls, it's advisable not to go at this time heehee.

Ghettofication - who knew this was an actual word?!

The area I work in is Bijlmer, home to Amsterdam's football stadium (team AJAX (remember 'j' is slientish, so is pronounced 'Aiyux', home to the Heineken Music Hall where Snow Patrol will be playing next week (sold out darn it!), Media Markt (bix box electronics retailer) and large buildings of some of the world's most prominent corporations (we are right beside PWC!), and a fifteen minute walk from a huge ass IKEA.

yet on the other side of the train tracks is what is considered Amsterdam's "Ghetto". The ghetto is not quite what I expected cause I visualize American type of projects and according to Dennis, the other interns think it is the worst place ever cause they burn their garbage here (but I ahve yet to see this). I find it as ghetto as Brentwood? So it's not even that bad, yes you notice more ethnicities, but it don't feel like my ass is in trouble.

WP: Bijlmer, A'dam's "ghetto"

Room 130

Alright, while spendin the first month in this room, I literally wanted to kill myself. The internet still was not fixed (there was actually something wrong with the wiring), the neighbour still likes to do it up at 2am (good if I was a student, but not good when you have to wake up and work the next day), drains backed up AT LEAST 2x day (no wonder why the shower doesn't work), electric razor plug in washroom didn't work = electric toothbrush not working (boohoo - hahaha), window leaked everytime it rained, and no TV; and the blanket and pillow they gave me costs 3EUR at Ikea, no wonder why I couldn't sleep. It was prison

inquiries to fix the internet = 5x
time it took to get my mailbox key = 3 weeks
days it took for me to b*tch to security about my neighbour = 12days

Plan = December 22, boohoo-it to the max at DUWO to change my room before Christmas to get my room changed, and if a chikie, flirt it to the max = room changed in 15 minutes!

I now have internet, TV, duvet from ikea (only 11 EUR!), piilow from Ikea (3EUR!), and my neighbour is fellow AIESEC intern taht will be on SIMILAR work schedule (but I soon found those Microsoft people - so slack!).

My bortha from anoder Motha

Dennis Min Wang trained me for two weeks and this guy is good at what he does. Some people may think I'm good at excel, but this guys really good. The first Chinese Brazilian I have ever met and I soon find this guy's got a sick sense of humor. Something I definitely miss around these days. I'm sure the department's thinking the same thing - Canadians are LAME. Well if you put me in a store with ladies in a bunch of lulu spandex - I can be that other person.

How much I learned - lots, what I remember, mmmm not that much, what I soon found I am doing right now from what he taught me, very little. I seem to be doing things completely different. But also since the head of the area has changed, the position requirements seem to have changed and I also think it's also because since I arrived at a time when people were leaving and coming back from holidays, people seem ultra busy, but at the same time, a little archaic from the restructuring of the organization.

Interesting things that I remember in the first two weeks of training:

- First three weeks no internet at home = internet at work = leaving work at about 7 - 730pm.

- Needed a security pass to get into the building, if don't have one, must get someone to escort you all the time. Got my pass three weeks later. Interestingly in week two when Dennis had to go to london, and the whole deparment was in a meeting, I had to sit downstairs for 45 minutes until some other lady, that I don't know, from some other department escorted me up.

- you can only buy food in the building with a ABN AMRO smart card (Chipknip) so people had to buy food for me all the time if I wanted something to eat from within the building. Contact Smartkard (electronic cash) WP: Smart Card

- My window faces the football stadium and I can see the people walking by and inside the stadium.

- As what Dennis said: for some reason when you drink the water in this building, you get thirstier.

- Brie & Bacon Baguette; sounds REALLY good, tastes not bad, but you feel like you just ate two big macs from Mc-Ronalds.

- People don't generally wash their hands after their potty-sessions here.

- took them two months to get me an email (they submitted the request one month before I arrive) = gives indication of dutch democratic processes.

- based on the acoustics of the floor, the faster and louder you walk, the greater the perception of your busy-ness, the less people will ask you to do things - that I can thank from Steven Bloom, and Australian graduate that works and now lives in the A'Dam.

- at 4pm here, the gmail chat lights up with people from back home (8am there). you people should really get to work! haha.

- Two christmas parties that were very nice, one day I eat fancy food, the next I'm eatin' PBJ in my tighty whities!

- Dennis's favourite place for Chinese food nearby is a place that serves it like Oriental Wok. but at least it is still "chinese"

- 1 EURO hoegaardens Friday nights at the Bar on the 24th floor = Oh yeah.

Well - it ain't Lulu anymore that's for sure

Working with people who are ALL older than me compared to when the MAJORITY of people were younger than me is quite the change. Going from bum clothes and inappropriate workplace behaviour to stiffs and suits I must say is quite the change. Going from folding womens' pants and seeing girls try on sports bras backwards to sitting in a chair for eight hours a day is quite the change.

yup, this Ain't lulu anymore - Welcome to ABN AMRO Asset Management.

My Department Global Product Management:

Global Product Management has an enhanced strategic business role to drive the development and implementation of ABN AMRO Asset Management’s product strategy, ensuring that all product development related-activities are aligned with the Group’s business strategy... .... ....... ........................... ................................... ............... ........................ .?

Getting Around

Getting around in this city I soon found is VERY easy by public transport, and I woudl assume even easier by bike. You quickly learn how to use the Strippenkaart (Strip card) but soon finding this option to be expensive and that work covers 80% of my transportation costs, - I had to get my monthly pass asap!



WP the Strippenkaart (seems like a rip off the way it is set up, but it's also a system that you can easily get away with by not being honest):

A'dam transit stuff

and map of the handy metro station; I go from Centraal station to Bijlmer (the yellow line):

A'dam transit map

Getting to work

Well, the night before my first day, Rita, the AIESEC ABN coordinator phoned me about teh directions to get to work. Haha she told me to get off metro station Bijlmer and was telling me to pronounce it with a French sort of an accent (Beeeeejeeelraeare). The next morning whe I was at the bus station, the guy helping me had NO IDEA what I was talking about. I asked the bus driver and he too was at first giving me looks, then taking pity on the tourist he says "you mean 'Bale-mer?' I looked up and go "probably."

note to self, in the dutch language (ntherlandish): 'j's are usually silent. haha

Rita said I won't miss it because it is right beside the football stadium. Boy was she right, and the twoer was easily visible.

Oh yes football - that's something I gotta see before I leave...

phone number:

If anyone ever wants to call my cell (which I doubt) the number is +31(0)629172066

but people here are quickly finding I never answer my phone (silent is usually on cause I don't want it to go off at work, then I forget to turn it back on). I'm on skype most of the time and I still say best way to get a hold of me is email. (during the weekdays) and then prolly phone on weekends. If you email on the week days I will most probably respond max 3 hours, but since I'm usually at work and then home (since most places close at 6 on weekdays)I respond within the hour.

Remember I am 8 hours ahead of Calgary time. So I go to work when you go to bed, and when you wake up to go to work, I will be leaving work and going home, and when you go home, I start thinking about going to bed! but email me and we can arrange something if you wanted to talk!

if you're not on skype and you're away, well get on it!: free internet calls and cheap cheap cheap international calls:

Free international calls - Skype now!

PBJ

Dinner, at first, consisted mostly bread and butter. Teh initial stages of the settlement I found most of my meals consisted of two pieces of bread, peanut butter and blueberry Jelly. Hey I wasn't comlpainin' - cause it was goooooood.

and of course what do I do: looked it up and YES: PBJ is on the wiki

PBJ

Useflul tip from wiki: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are known for having a longer shelf life than meat and cheese-based sandwiches. The esthetic shelf life of the sandwich can be increased by spreading the peanut butter thinly on both slices of bread and then spreading the jelly over the peanut butter on one slice. This makes the sandwich less prone to becoming soggy.

awesome!

Out a Aboot Day 1: Kalverstraat

Met Ellen at Central station, but during the day it's much busier so I was a little dizzy from all the traffic not to mention I was lost AGAIN. Ran to the nearest Green phone and was about to call Ellen with my credit card, when she tapped me on the shoulder right before I put in my credit card (THANK GOD - that would've been another $26CAD call for those few seconds).

from there we walked south along the touristy 'Damrak' Street which led to Kalverstraat to pick up some of the items on my list!



Kalverstraat is the busiest shopping street in the A'dam. It's named after the kalvermarkt (calves market) that took place over there until the 17th century. The street begins at Dam Square and ends at Munttoren and is mainly lined with clothing stores but you would find book stores, phone shops, record shops and other accessory related shops too.

Got my self a phone, a sony ericsson K380i, prepaid on the vodafone network, which I soon realized was a mistake, some towels, a network cable (which eventually led to me finding out that internet doesn't work in that room) and soon discovered some of my favourite sandwich places in town: La Place.

Haha of course when buying this stuff, you start converting everything, but I think most things are fairly priced, yet a little more expensive then things at home.

What I need...

The first night, I drew up the basic necessities that I need: looking back in my Haskayne Agenda - here's what I wrote:
basic cleaning supplies (this ended up being babywipes - good ol' baby wipes!), towels,
water filter (didn't end up getting),
adaptor (I think that's what it's called,
the thing that turns one plug into many plugs),
extension cord (which I didn't end of getting cause the adaptor wire was long enough,
ethernet cable (no wireless),
hangers,
toilet paper (which I stole from the public washrooms on the boat! haha SOOoooo Chinese),
an iron (don't need that),
slippers (I still should get those),
bicycle (this week hopefully!),
garbage bags(using grocery bags instead!),
mouth wash (neh) and liquid soap!)

Sinterklaas

The night I arrived was also AIESEC in Amsterdam's Sinterklaas celebration. I brought gifts, for it but was way too bummed out to attend! Sorry Ellen! but I heard it was great. According to teh locals, Sinterklaas is more so for the kids and it's like a second Christmas! Craazy... imagine the bills...

WK (this will be short for the Wikipedia links from now on):

Sinterklaas (christmas #1)

The "true" Dutch experience!

The boat... the boat the boat the boat - what can I say about the boat, well, every time I tell somebody that I live on a boat, they always go "a boat?! Wow how are you liking it?" and I would typically respond; "well it's definitely an experience, and it gives me everything I need so I don't mind it, and rent's cheap... supposedly - and no, it doesn't go up and down"



Located in the Northwest end (Yea... still in the North! Take that Teppler!... and you watch it Trudy, here you'll get drugged, raped, stabbed and THEN shot, THRICE times, but it's still better than the ghetto south)of the A'dam and about a twenty minute walk from Centraal Station (the hub of buses, trams, metros, trains and almost everything else in A'dam), the cruise ship lies at Stravangerweg 42, 1013 AT - knock on door 121 on deck E, that's where you'll find me (currently; I was in room 130 before) (haha sorta sounds like a prison). Rochdale One is the name of this er's ship (and I can't believe there was an actual Wiki entry, albeit one sentence, but can see it here:

Rochdale One

and on DUWO's site (the short stay rental organization):

DUWO

to get an image of the size of the room, think about your bathroom (in typical Calgary Edgemont home) and go 2.5x that; housing the bed, mini fridge, closet, table with lamp, TV, chair, and little washroom with toilet, sink and shower.

Mainly swarming with European students studying at the local universities, however there are 4 of us AIESEC interns livin' it up 'Breaker High' Stylz. This wikipedia thing is turning out to be handy.

When I was shown room 130, the drains were clogged with hair, TV was missing and later found out internet does not work and my neighbour likes to party on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and sometimes Saturday in his little room with his two other dutch friends until 4am (there is constantly a smell of happy from the room, along with the ever enjoyment of Malcolm in the middle with the playing of that ol'schoo "I wanna get high" song (I think that's what it's called - and crap it's stuck in my head now).

this was going to be great...

satellite where i live; but image is not up to date cause you can't see the boat, but I'm on the water that is directly north of the green arrow:

satellite

if if you move the map left (so you look more right, you can see amsterdam central and the layout basically looks like a half circle with the canals running almost every second street - very cool!)

Food!

Well after a brief intro to my room and a tour of the boat (picts to be posted, can't find them at the moment) - the first place Ellen took me to was the grocery store! when I arrived it was about 7pm, so the grocery store was open another hour. about ten minute walk was Albert Heijn - one of the largest grocery store chains in the Netherlands - but hell it ain't a super store! it's sort of a run in and run out sort of a thing:

i don't know about the hamster thing but I guess it's their mascot.

wiki the good ol' 'Ah': Albert Heijn

what did I buy? the basics: apple juice, bread, peanut butter, jelly, 18 eggs, vla (i thought it was yogurt, but it's like pudding), milk (half vole of course), cereal, instant noodles that didn't look very good (well they weren't), and bran cereal.

only saw one brand that I recognized: Campbells, and it was the freakin' instant noodles, who knew Campbells made instant noodles?!?!?

I thought to myself "oh sh*t... what am I going to eat..."

Arrived....

Well after about 10 hours of flying and ALMOST not making my transfer in Heathrow I made it! When my mom said leave lots of time for transferring, she was right! I thought I would have no trouble since my transfer was in the same terminal, but boy was I wrong! I had to go through security AGAIN and since European flights only allow one carry on (despite them allowing two from Canada) I had to check in by Burton Lil' buddy. but at least I got to skip the line at security since my flight to the A'dam was leaving in like ten minutes. The ol' Chinese British Lady was not happy...

and when I arrive of course what happens - they lose my luggage. WICKED. so coming out of the baggage hall an hour later, of course my AIESEC buddy wasn't there cause she was probably wondering where the hell I was. and since their phones don't take coins and only 'smart chip cards' i used my visa to call her (BIG MISTAKE) that 10 second call costed me about 26CAD. holy Gawd... learn from my mistake boys and girls.

I met up with Ellen Schmit who was my buddy and she helped me get to my place. I think I would have been lost without her cause there's an initial shock coming out of the airport, taking the train to Central Amsterdam (Centraal Station), and then taking the bus... then she told me where and what I was living...

get your know on A'dam up to date!

Wiki the Adam and get your know how up to date [incredibly it's more than doobs and boobs!]: A'dam in a nutshell

Amsterdam!

Hi all - alright I have some catching up to do. I finally got a media card reader for my camera, so now I can get the pics off my camera - only took a month and a half! The only thing that macs are missing - media card readers, then again for those that have seen my welfare camera, almost all the buttons have fallen off and I can't preview pics anymore - but at least no one's gonna want to take it!!! My camera is my new phone, I'm gonna use it till the bitter end...haha

Well this would be odd but I'm going to try to keep my posts short and to the point. Now lengthy posts.

post #1: my flight out Dec 4th 2006. British airways so I was going in style cause I've never flown BA before - then I quickly learned that it's was the inaugural flight. So customer got some prize for being the first to check-in - I was like "damn! I should've checked-in when I thought about it last night..."

when I got on, they had those fancy fully reclinable seats which was weird cause some seats were facing backwards and stuff, but it was funny cause the first class and 'club world' sections (the fancy sections) were basically empty, and then the hospitality class, which they call ' World Traveler' (oooh fancy) was jam packed.

Flight was ok, slept most of the way, movie: Narnia, how appropriately British...

Livin' in the A'dam

Hi Kids, well it's been about a month for me in the A'dam and now that I have settled and have internet at home - it's time to revive the ol' blog as my last post was 10 months ago (Holy shamolies)! Got some pics and experiences to share so stay tuned! peace out
c