An American in Europe

New Life, New Plans

2011-11-25T16:43:00.001+01:00

It seems that just when one settles in, life changes. The first thing that happened, at the end of a beautiful summer in Holland, was that my partner learned that a seemingly innocuous bump on the side of his head was in fact a tumor. Surgery was scheduled, and five weeks of daily radiation treatments to follow. He was fine, and then suddenly not.

I did my best to be helpful, to try and take care of him. He's strong of mind, and very matter-of-fact about everything. That seems to be typically Dutch, and a frame of mind I am unable to achieve. I'm watching his physical condition deteriorate now as the effects of the radiation become stronger and stronger.

I finished a year of schooling in the meantime, and took the last three tests in the inburgeringsexamen (integration exam). I haven't heard yet if I passed, but with everything else going on I hardly have time to worry about the results. If I didn't pass, I'll simply return to school and try again.

The reason I decided to write this entry today, though, was because of another change. A lot of my friends and my family know that I have been going to a series of doctors/specialists for my vision problems. I had my final appointment yesterday, and the results of all sorts of tests. I couldn't bear writing each person who asked about that outcome, so I decided to share it here.

About a year ago, the same time I began school, I noticed a change for the worse in my vision. I also started experiencing constant headaches, most often on the right side of my head where my skull was damaged in a motorcycle accident.  I was pushing myself really hard in school, as I not only wanted to do well, but I must work twice as hard as a "regular" person to get around my brain injury. I can still learn, but it takes all sorts of tricks to try and keep the new information in, at least long enough to take the exam.

I knew my eyeglass prescription was wrong, and suspected that might be causing the headaches, but the damage to my vision is so complicated I couldn't simply get new glasses. Yesterday I learned that my vision has deteriorated further, even between my first eye appointment and the last specialist. I was also told that the problem is not in my eyes. Eye surgery, glasses, even special lenses and treatments will not work. They believe it is likely that the problem is in my brain.

I was waiting for so long, hoping that something could be done. Now I'm back at square one.  My vision is slipping away, and I don't know why. My world has been reduced to a measurement - forty centimeters - beyond which only lights and darks, hazy shapes and blurry figures exist. I have dealt with that in the past, when I had more vision, by taking photographs of the world around me. The camera could see the details live and in focus, and I could review the photos later to learn about where I had been.

I saved money with the goal of buying a professional digital camera. Now, I don't know what to do, or how long I have left to be able to see. I wanted to try portrait photography, to be able to finally see the details of the faces around me. A better choice at the moment would be macro photography, especially since my forty centimeters of visual clarity is continuing to degrade.

I feel guilty. Maybe this is my fault; I pushed myself too hard in school. Could I have caused my own brain to start failing? I've never accepted that there were boundaries on what was possible, what I could do after I became disabled. But maybe there are. Maybe I have found a limitation that cannot be crossed, cannot be overcome.

I had so many plans for what I wanted to do in the future, once school was done. There are so many places I haven't seen, so many new hobbies I wanted to learn. I'm in the middle of writing a screenplay, and I will need to finish that before I start on other things. I'm just hoping that there will be time enough.  At the current rate, my body will outlast what's left of my sight, and I find that to be terrifying.

I got a second chance at life when I was twenty.  I was dead for a short while during my motorcycle accident, and I got to come back. It's not always easy - that's the same for everyone.  I try to remember how grateful I am, how privileged I am to be alive. Today, though, and perhaps for a while longer I am going to be sad. I have to be strong for other people, and when I'm alone I comfort myself. It's lonely, but better than repeating myself endlessly in a zillion emails to concerned friends and family.

The constant pain in my head and a long-ongoing problem in my lower back have their own limitations to add to the mix. I'm so tired. Tired of always trying to keep a positive outlook, always trying to invent new ways to overcome and do more with my life. I've always wanted to live up to my potential.  For those of you who know me well, you know I'm a fighter, a survivor. I'll pick myself up, and get on with living, doing the best that I can do with whatever is left of me. Just not today, not right now. Please have patience as I redesign my life; my dreams and goals.

Summer in the Netherlands

2011-08-10T16:57:00.000+02:00

It's been a terrific summer, with the usual ups and downs. Always challenges to deal with, and then a nice bit where you can just relax and enjoy. The stories I've been hearing from back in the U.S. with jobs and homes lost, people really worried about just putting food on the table, bad weather, and general hopelessness - it's been heartbreaking.

My school here went bankrupt, so I get to begin anew in September. I'm waiting to hear from the placement agency as to when and where that will happen. We're not unaffected here by the U.S. and global crisis. But the cows still graze serenely, and the unusually wet season has kept my garden looking beautiful, even without my help.

This is what I started with this season.

Everything started budding, and later bloomed without me doing anything! I was sick once with something like the flu, and have been dealing with a broken finger, back pain and constant headaches most of the summer. With health insurance I've been able to go to a physical therapist and the doctor, for which I am so grateful!

My sunflowers started blooming in the rain. Not a whole lot of sun lately, but they seem not to mind.

It's really pretty!

Not much motorcycling with all the health problems, but here we are going over the Afsluitdijk

Tjalk - Wikipedia does not have an English entry for this type of boat.

Coming home we met up with a storm front. Difficult on a motorcycle, and I can say I get less wet in the shower than we were that day on the road.

Sunshine came out briefly when we visited the beach. It was warm and windy, perfect for all the activities that take advantage of the wind.

Blokarten

Blokart

We also went to the Alkmaar Kaasmarkt

It didn't rain at the cheese market, but it did look like it was going to.

The weather didn't stop the tourists and shoppers in Alkmaar!

Traditional organ music player at the cheese market.

People were taking pictures of our tandem, so I did as well. I like to pretend I'm a tourist too.

I got a mushroom growing kit as a present - and grew three crops of delicious mushrooms.

Another gift this summer - poppy seeds - grew gorgeous flowers and colors.

The Alpine strawberries are doing great, and are very sweet. The wire keeps them safe from the birds - a family of Jackdaws.

Nearly all of my lilies have bloomed now, in pink, white, orange, and multi-colors. Another gift of six packages of bulbs from a friend. If you ever want to know what to get for me as a present - plant and flower seeds/bulbs are fantastic!

These grow wild over the fence.

Last but not least, cows - my favorite! This was taken next to a petrol station.

Dutch cows, unperturbed by anything.

I'm wishing all the folks back in America can have the time and opportunity to find the beauty and peace where they are. It will get better, it always does.

Meanwhile, if you can offer support to my mother in New Jersey, I'd appreciate it. She's nearly eighty years old, and still works for NY Life. She and a friend are raising six hens to produce organic eggs. Not to sell - she's been eating organic food and has been a vegitarian since before it became fashionable. Where she lives organic eggs can cost $4/dozen, and in today's world looking to live more "green" and becoming as self-sustanable as possible is a better choice for those who can.

But, she and her friend own one more chicken than the local law allows, and a neighbor complained. There are no roosters (so no loud crowing noise), and she is clean and responsible, keeping the chickens inside a coop, on her own property. But until the law is changed, my mother is a criminal! She needs people to support her with their signature to change the law there.

For more info, visit these links or email me:

Lower Township woman wants to keep six chickens on property so they can lay organic eggs

Lower Township tells woman, 79, to get rid of six chickens she is raising for eggs

I'm very proud of my mother for many reasons. She's always led the way towards the future. She did things before most other people, because she thought it was right. She adopted me as a single parent - and I got to raise my own pet chicken from an egg to a hen when I was a child. My mom built me a coop in our yard. She taught me that whatever you dream about doing, you can do it.

Go Mom!

Germany Motorbike Trip

2011-04-22T22:49:00.000+02:00

It's that time of year, the warm weather is here, and the biking season has begun. Boele's Place has moved from Belgium to Heimborn, Germany - so that's where we headed last weekend. Most of the photos I took from the back of the bike, so they are perhaps a bit blurry. Riding on the autobahn is kinda scary, but I must say that the German people drive very well. I actually felt safer there on the highway than I do here, surprisingly.

We're still in the Netherlands here, getting ready for the long ride ahead. A bit chilly, and not a lot of sun - but no rain. In all that protective clothing, I'm glad when it's a bit colder rather than warmer.

I like this photo. It's our bike, not fancy, not a ratbike. A few dents and dings. Older. Kinda like me!

Who doesn't know by now that I gained a bit of weight this past winter? I was enjoying all sorts of delicious Dutch food, as often as possible. Unfortunately, I am now on a diet, as leather pants are very expensive and the pair I have doesn't stretch at all. I'm not sure I look that cute with a little buddah belly anyhow.

The photo above and the rest below are all taken in Germany. I took a couple photos that have place signs in them, but other than that I'm not sure where exactly each is, and they are not in order.

This is a road through a small town. Most of the places we saw are huge fields or forest land dotted with villages. A few of these towns had traffic lights, most did not. Lots of hills, twists and turns - great for motorcycling!

My camera cannot capture the view as nicely as I was able to see it. What looks like grey trees in the landscape should actually be white flower-covered trees. It's so much prettier in person.

You can click on any of these photos to view a larger image. The best part of traveling by bike is that you can smell all the flowers blooming, the new grass, freshly tilled earth and clean, crisp air.

There are solar panels covering the house and barn in the background, and there are windmills everywhere. Not like the older ones in the Netherlands, but the huge ones that look like airplane propellers.

Here we are somewhere in Germany...

Just passing by.

I'm not sure why there are so many caves around here - some are open, some are boarded up or bricked up. We passed a mining car memorial, but I didn't have a chance to stop and see it.

The pine forests smell wonderful too.

Not quite as flat as the Netherlands.

My helmet, rear view.

I thought this was a cool looking house.

An old barn

Older electric tower thingie.

I couldn't decide whether this was a spooky or pretty house.

We stopped in a few larger places too - you know McDonald's.

I took this picture as I can read (understand) their slogan - Alles unter einem Dach. It's so close to Dutch that I can read a lot of German now without a problem. Pronunciation in either language though still escapes me.

Like many homes in the Netherlands, there are quite a few buildings here with really great details.

Sometimes you have to look closely, and then you get to see some interesting things.

Cool building.

And the best for last...

"Ich bin ein Berliner."

Oh wait, no I'm not. "Ich bin ein Amerikaner."

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed!

Gardening in Holland

2010-09-05T19:33:00.000+02:00

I've been really busy this summer, and have been adding new interests to my repertoire. Everyone was surprised when I decided to try my hand at gardening - and I've never been able to grow anything successfully other than mold before. More than half the land in the Netherlands is agricultural, and the Dutch know how to grow all kinds of things.

Dutch tulips are different than the original tulips brought over from the Ottoman Empire - they have cultivated and refined them to create endless varieties and colors - and there's a rumor that it was the Dutch who made carrots orange - for King William of the House of Orange, naturally. So I decided I'd try to do more than just admire other people's gardens - and I started my own.

Here's what I started out with:

The clippers and fence (bottom left) are mine - the rest is how the garden looked "naturally."

The first step was clearing out all the weeds and junk. Well, not junk - as I ended up using much of what I uncovered. I like to recycle, and I really like saving money! Unfortunately some of the wildlife had to move out so that my garden dream could be realized.

Naked snails

I got a variety of seeds from the local garden shop and began planting indoors. Old egg cartons became miniature greenhouses, and finally the first seedlings burst from the earth, much to my shock and amazement.

Baby... something.

I was thrilled! I wasn't sure that they would actually keep growing, so I made sure that their life was as pleasant and peaceful as possible. I gently watered, said nice words of encouragement to them, and played new-age music for them. No, really. I kept them in the warm indoors, away from drafts until they got a little bigger. Then they'd go outside for the day, and I'd take them back in at night - it can get cold here!

Young basil plants

So many seeds grew into plants, I had to start giving some away to good homes. The garden was also taking shape, and in August all the plants were moved outdoors.

A lawn!

Garden "path" and planting bed

From wild, tangled jungle to order - the garden grew and took shape. Jeroen planted grass in the middle, and helped me fence off the beds containing kale and carrots. On weekends we could enjoy a morning coffee in the garden, and weekend barbecues were frequent and delicious. I still find it odd that daylight lasts so much longer here - at nearly midnight there was still light in the sky. I suppose I've never lived this far north before - even in the summer time I feel it should be getting dark by around nine or ten in the evening.

Container gardening

I found a plastic tub and a roll of fencing, and decided it would be okay to let the tomatoes and paprika grow together. Since I've never grown anything before, I probably should have asked someone's advice - but, I didn't. I was enjoying the process so much, and it didn't really sink in that these plants might just keep growing... and growing... and growing!

Teenage Basil

Wall of Basils

Wall of tomato plants

I gave away more Basils, and the tomato and paprika plants flowered. Tomatoes started forming everywhere, although the sunshine hasn't been cooperating as much as I'd like to keep the plants warm and start ripening!

Tomato flowers and fruit

Hopefully this will turn red.

Sunflower plant, or so I am told.

A sunflower plant started growing after a bird dropped a seed in my bed of kale. I put it in a pot, and it seems to be doing okay. In August there was a terrible wind and rainstorm - it felled the Anne Frank tree, and I lost parts off of many of the plants. I had a headless Basil, an armless sunflower, and there was debris everywhere. Three carrots survived, and my remaining kale was attacked by snails; eaten in one night!

Amsterdam carrot growing in Alkmaar

Marigolds, Orange Boy variety, of course.

My flowers have all grown up now too. I'll move a lot of the plants indoors for the winter (which isn't far off now!) and see what happens. I did notice that there have been a lot more bees and butterflies in the garden than before - and I'm finding more earthworms and fewer naked snails. I haven't used any chemicals or fertilizers, and since I can't read the Dutch instructions on the seed packets, I followed my own growing method. I still don't know anything about soil PH, or the proper care and feeding of the various plants that now grow in the garden - but I don't think they know that.

Marigold

I'm going to do more next season, and hopefully finish off this growing season with a few home-grown meals! Fresh basil, (hopefully) ripe tomatoes, a few carrots and maybe paprika...

Eet smakelijk!

Istanbul Holiday

2010-05-24T05:09:00.000+02:00

Before we went to Istanbul, I could only guess what that city might be like. Luckily I waited until after we returned to watch "Midnight Express" or I might not have gone. The city was nothing like what I expected, and absolutely a place that I want to come back to.

I have tons of photos, and there is a lot to see in Istanbul. Everyone tells you that you must go to the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the Bosphorus, and so on. All pretty, interesting and historical places. That's not what makes Istanbul such an amazing place - it's the people who live there. As a whole, they are the most generous, loving and kindest people I have ever met. I thought I knew the definition of the word "hospitality" - Istanbulites take that to a higher level.

I have never been so sad to leave a place as I was leaving Istanbul. And luckily for me, everything else was great during the trip as well. The food, sightseeing, the weather, transportation, our hotel, even that volcano Eyjaflaflaflafla (you know, the one in Iceland) cooperated.

So on to the photos!

Departure: At Schiphol airport we were met by my friend Rob who whisked us through all the lines, drove us through the terminal in his cart and treated us like movie stars. He made the whole process not only easy, but fun! Nice butt, eh?

The weather was cottony and the head purser on KLM/Air France was so nice to me! I HATE flying. It scares me and makes me sweaty. I managed (no screaming or weeping) with everyone's help and we landed smoothly after dark at Ataturk Airport.

Our hotel was a quick taxi ride away. They drive in Istanbul just like in Manhattan - but much, much faster. It's like an amusement park ride. You just hold on. I think it's fun, and I was so relieved to be on the ground again. The taxi driver didn't even charge us the full amount of what was on the meter. Jeroen had negotiated the price before we got in, and for some reason tipping isn't really done much in Europe like it is in the US.

The lobby looks a little different than Dutch style. All the staff at the Hotel Arden were great. In the package we got with the flight, it was very inexpensive. If you book the hotel and airfare separately, you will pay a lot more.

I really like the telephones they have everywhere. Hardly anyone has a land line anymore, and these are just cool to look at. Our room was on the first floor, and noise was not a problem. I've read a couple blogs from other people describing the hotel or city noise - and Manhattan is waaaaaay worse. I slept very comfortably. Breakfast is included, and it's the full Turkish breakfast. Yummy! My only complaint; WiFi was not always available - Internet service was intermittent.

There it is, the Blue Mosque. Crowded, touristy.

Next to the Blue Mosque (and really all around Sultanahmet) are ruins of structures that I find far more interesting. The locals walk by without seeing any of these, and there are few or no information signs to tell you what they were.

Side of the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

A minaret. Each mosque sounds the call to prayer five times a day, but unless you're standing right next to the mosque it's not intrusive. It just sounds like music or singing in the breeze. Friday is the big prayer day, and the only time we saw people praying or shops closed.

There are a lot of "stray" cats around Sultanahmet. Most are very friendly, and EVERYONE feeds them. The restaurant owners bring them meat, give them chairs to sit in, and make sure the tourists don't bother them. Regular shop staff go out to buy meat and bring it back to feed the local "stray."

I just like the guy's hat in the front of the photo. They are facing the Hagia Sophia.

Nearly everyone speaks some English BUT a lot gets lost in written translation. If you make the photo larger, look for things like Fruid (fruit) and Finely Layered Pasty (pastry). My favorite on this menu (and nearly all the menus I saw had funny English translations) is Rold Sea Bus with Cream.

Not sure if you can see this one, but greyfurt suyu is Turkish for Grapefruit Juice. They translate it into Greyfruit Juice, and that makes about as much sense as grapefruit (which doesn't look or taste like grapes) so I didn't bother trying to explain. Greyfruit it is!

Klompen! Actually, there's a whole community of Dutch in Istanbul, and there are a few signs written in Dutch, Dutch language tours and quite a few local Turks who speak conversational Dutch.

So, what does it look like on the other side of the tracks? Dutchies watch your head...

There are no abandoned buildings or "bad" sections of town where we live in Holland, so I found this part of town fascinating. We were out all day and all hours of the night, and never once did I feel unsafe. Still, I'm glad I did the research and found one of the best hotels. Might be a bit of a shock if you showed up late at night to check in to this hotel...

Living down by the tracks.

There is an extensive system of trains, trams, buses and ferries that can take you everywhere you want to go very inexpensively.

Only a couple blocks from the tourists.

Old and new, side by side.

Everyone dresses really nicely, and I didn't see any man (other than a couple tourists) who were unshaven or who had unkempt or long hair. Nearly everyone is happy, helpful and smiling, and they look great! The only time this differed was after it rained and the sun was behind the clouds for a while.

Through the tunnel and back to the tourist section.

Enlarge the photo to read the plaque, or the Wikipedia explanation is here: Milion Marker

We were lucky enough to go out to dinner with a Turkish family to the most fabulous restaurant: Develi Restaurant (Samatya) They ordered a HUGE variety of food, many drinks and dessert, explained what everything was, how to eat it, and local customs. The restaurant has a car that picks you up, and you can read about all the branches as well as look at the menu on the way. Again we were treated like kings and queens.

Just the appetizers.

They make the bread into heart shapes - how cute!

Speaking of cute... The whole reason we came to Istanbul - the marriage of my brother David to Samira.

I got to walk off that huge meal in Gülhane Park. There are flowers, trees and greenery all over - but no tulips!

We're taking lots of photos.

It was lovely and cool to walk in the shade.

The happy couple in the park.

Our Turkish friend Turan. He works at Bazaar 66

If you go to Istanbul looking for diamonds, carpets or leather goods don't bother with any of the street hustlers. Go straight to Bazaar 66 across the street from the Arden Hotel. Turan is my very good friend, and all of the people working here are really nice. Stop by for a cup of Turkish coffee or apple tea and give Turan a hug from me. These people let us borrow the phone, gave us directions everywhere we needed to go, and Turan knows where the best Turkish Baths, restaurants and shops in the area are (and which are the cheapest!) He speaks Turkish, a little English, Japanese, Italian and Spanish - and probably a few other languages I don't know about. It was an honor to be able to spend time with him during this trip, and I hope to see him again soon.

Our other good friend, Fikret, who works at the Hotel Le Piano & spa. I went to the spa with Samira (oooh, wonderful!) and Fikret offered to take us all out to a nightclub. He has a car, and even though he works 7am to 7pm, he met us at our hotel and took the four of us out.

We went to Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue. No one knew why there are Santas overhead.

There are interesting architechtural details everywhere - this is a restaurant roof.

This is actually a nightclub - and yes, it was dark. The roof is retractable and they opened it shortly after we arrived. You can dance under the stars!

I danced and drank and danced some more.

David and Samira did too.

I was very, very happy. Like, sweaty whoo-hoo whoopie party happy.

And it wasn't just me, David and Samira were extra sweaty happy too.

The only way to recover from a night like that, is with a crepe the next day. This is my favorite; walnuts, honey and bananas inside with apple and orange slices. If you need the address for this place, let me know.

It's the Oral ET. Jeroen thought it was a dentistry place, and I thought it had something to do with aliens. But it's a really tasty restaurant that serves the crepes mentioned above.

They also have their own stray cat.

She only eats meat - not crepes - so I'm safe.

Shopping! This is the Spice Bazaar

Prices are negotiable, and the best stuff isn't always out where you can see it. I learned a lot about Saffron so I could bring some back for my best friend Diane - turns out Iranian saffron can be the "most intense," and that was kept behind the counter in a little jar in this shop.

We didn't go on a busy day, and people rarely brush or bump into you, so it was a pleasant and fragrant experience.

Everywhere you look there is something to see (or buy!)

If you go to the Spice Bazaar, right nearby is the Grand Bazaar.

I prefer the outdoor shops - this place is huge!

There are shopping streets and alleys everywhere.

Some with very modern things, handcrafted items or antiques - a real variety.

I don't know what these are...

I recommend walking rather than trying to take a taxi or renting a car.

This is one truck trying to go up a hill, and another going down. A dillema.

A local cat fed by a restaurant. Everyone has lunch in Istanbul, it seems.

Jeroen stopped to check his messages, and was accosted by the Love Cat. Happy people, and happy cats live in Istanbul.

You can't help but smile with all that loving!

A local man stopped to watch for a while, then took over petting duty. All these cats may be strays, but the people here really care for them.

A bit more shopping, and then more food!

döner kebap

Late in the day it's nice to get Turkish coffee. One of the least expensive places is in a graveyard. Not so strange for me, but for Jeroen it was. I think the Dutch keep their graveyards separate from the living.

It's approximately one Euro for a Turkish coffee, and it comes with a nice view.

I'm sure these graves must be from very important people.

Some look to be very old, and they are all over town.

A fairly new resident about town.

Listed in the NY Times Best Seller list "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" the very old Cağaloğlu Hamam is a Turkish bath that was constructed in 1741, and is still going strong today.

Istanbul has water everywhere. The temperature is milder than I would have imagined, and there is always a fresh breeze blowing.

Yet another great place for dinner. I'm afraid I ate my way through the Ottoman Empire. Here their specialty is to put your choice of meat into a clay pot with vegetables and herbs, seal it and slow-cook it for twenty minutes. They bring out the pot on a fire, and break it open next to your table releasing a delectable aroma. The meat is so tender and served with rice, patat and bread - enjoy one or all.

We went twice in a row here, it was so good!

Great served with the local beer.

This is basically a meatball in a yogurt sauce - very similar to Tzatziki sauce.

The sign on the street for the Turkish beer Efes.

A sweets shop window - there are many!

Do not miss the baklava at Baklavaci Said

Then finally on our last day, it's time to get ready for a wedding!

David and Samira just before leaving for the ceremony.

And it's time to return home, bringing this holiday to a close.

Itstanbul overhead view.

There's so much of Istanbul we haven't seen - but we fell in love with the parts of the city and the people that we did get to know.

Now we're over the Netherlands - looks a little different than Istanbul!

Getting close to Schiphol Airport

We have returned, safe and sound. Another good flight and kind crew on KLM/Air France - and my friend Rob to get us through the airport smoothly once again!

I love this parking sign! That's what a lot of Holland looks like, cow and all. I hope that when my Turkish friends come to visit here, I will be able to show them the same hospitality they have given me. There were several other people who I would have loved to have had the time and space here to acknowledge - but I've put online all I can for right now. If you're going to Istanbul and have any questions - feel free to email me.

Welterusten or iyi geceler (good night!)

Noord-Holland In Het Voorjaar

2010-05-15T11:14:00.000+02:00

It's been so nice to be able to experience seasons again, and to see nature reborn each spring. I was hoping to be able to get a good camera, but for now, my old cheap one will have to do. I love photographing the details of life. I may not see that well (yay autofocus!) but I can take the time to look back later and study the images. I hate the whole "getting from point A to B" rush that I left behind, and much prefer to take the scenic route, stopping to chat with people, lingering for the obligatory kopje koffie - and of course taking photos of everything!

At the corner, there's a pair of swans nesting. Man and nature seem to get on quite well here. I have seen on the highways that cut through forest where the animal bridges are. I don't know what they are called, but they allow the forest dwelers to cross the highway safely and undisturbed.

The tulips are blooming! Apparently one can leave them completely unattended and they come up year after year on their own. We're going to visit the land where the tulip came from, what used to be the heart of the Ottoman Empire, and the place where tulips were first commercially cultivated. We're going to attend my brother's wedding in the former Constantinople, now Istanbul.

There are a lot of connections between Turkey and the Netherlands, and I of course want to see the flowers.

Wurst at the market. There's wild pig, buffalo, and... horse. Yes, they eat horse. I'm from the part of America where we don't see horses as a human food source. It's the thought of it that seems strange - although it tastes fine.

Flowers on the side of the bike road. No cars allowed!

I'm not sure how many ducklings one mother can have. I couldn't fit all her babies in the photo!

Also in my neighborhood.

In a twist, it's supposed to be sunny and warm here, and rainy/cloudy for the time we'll be in Istanbul. I'll be posting to my blog if I can from Turkey, and of course Twittering. My roommate is watching my baby Basil plant, and I'm going to try growing tomatoes when I return. Try is the operative word here. I'm still a city girl at heart, and the only thing I've ever been good at growing has been mold - by accident, without any effort on my part. On to try something new!

Last but not least, I want give a special hello and thank you in this entry to my best friend Diane who makes me smile and feeds me the most delicious coffee (and is very huggable), my friend Jim-the-Writer who is always fun to talk with; smart and witty, my mom Claire who probably will never realize just how special and wonderful she is (to everyone, not just me), and a dank u to Ko and Janny who are always kind, generous, welcoming and supportive to me.

May in Alkmaar

2010-05-03T02:00:00.000+02:00

The weather has been sunny and warmer for the most part, with a few days of cold and clouds in between. Queen's Day (Koninginnedag) on April 30 was nice. The people of the Netherlands really like their queen, and their country.

My friend Diane and the wife of the owner of the Roti Shop De Mare

The best roti shop in town

Totally lekker

Time to make the roti!

Unfortunately, all this good food all winter long meant I could barely fit into my motorcycle pants. I can't afford to get another pair, so I have to... not eat so much? Exercise more? Naw, that doesn't sound like fun! Without breathing, I still managed to get a few good pictures from our first motorcycle ride since last season.

We rode through a village, and as usual I found it so interesting I took photos of a cafe (above), the city hall building and looking down into the village from the dyke road. (below).

Somewhere in the Netherlands...

Nearly all the streets around here are brick, like this one.

The road less traveled.

Main street in the village.

Across the street.

Train station Wognum-Nibbixwoud.

Wind farm - something the Netherlands can do well.

I always laugh when I see how small the cars are compared to the US. This is not a toy, this is a real car. The Dutch have always been energy efficient and "green." Some of the biggest differences are the lack of clothes dryers and dry cleaners, and the toilets. And (compared again to the US) it's so much safer, cleaner, and a more easy-going lifestyle.

Oh, and everything involves coffee (the Dutch don't have blood, they run on coffee) which suits me just fine. I have a few more photos to get online with all the spring baby animals - next entry...

Movie Watching 2010

2010-04-29T18:43:00.001+02:00

As the year progresses, so does my mission to watch one movie for every weekday in 2010. I realized I have a lot of catching up to do. When I was homeless or poor, going to the movie theater was not a priority. Later in life, when I did have a television, I watched movies on basic cable. Then after moving over to Europe it hit me that most of the films that I have seen on television were modified to fit exactly into a viewing slot (shortened), and censored as well.

Luckily, the Dutch don't censor, modify or dub over films in the theater or those shown on television. They also produce very few of their own films, so American movies are always on basic cable TV. Convenient for me, and at worst they are subtitled in Dutch - but so far I haven't seen one that is dubbed over (like the Germans are known for.) That's funny to me. When I was last in Germany and watched an American film on TV, they do try and match the voices to known actors, but like many languages they are backwards in sentence structure compared to English, and I don't think they get the inflections right.

Anyhow. I'll try to catch up with the list of what I've seen so far.

January: (More reviews in prior blog entries, 21 films in total watched)
Funny Face (1957) with Fred Astaire & Audrey Hepburn - classic, classy, fun to watch.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) with Macaulay Culkin (I had recently viewed Home Alone.)
Meet the Parents (2000) with Robert De Niro & Ben Stiller - Not great for me, but good.
The Family Stone (2005) with a stunning Diane Keaton, and a lot of other celebs.
The Full Monty (1997) with actors I'm not familiar with - but a great film.
The Santa Clause 2 (2002) with Tim Allen. (I also recently saw The Santa Clause.)
Willow (1988) with a brilliant Warwick Davis as the title character. Beautiful film.

February: (20 films in total)
Mean Girls (2004) with Lindsay Lohan - cute, not bad to watch when you want something fluffy.
The Addams Family (1991) with Anjelica Huston & RIP Raul Julia - One of my favorite films.
Orphan (2009) with Isabelle Fuhrman - Woo! Spooky and well-done with only a few glitches.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) - I found it to be rather forgettable. Entertaining but bland.
If You're Afraid to Say It... Just See It (1991) - Interesting low-budget film shot in my old neighborhood.
Volcano (1997) with Tommy Lee Jones - So bad, it's good. I had a fun time watching.
Watchmen (2009) - A little dark for me, but the action doesn't fail.
Star Trek (2009) - Phenomenal. I'm a Trekkie, and this film left me wishing for a sequel right away.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) - I like each of the Harry Potter films.
Charlie's Angels (2000) - Gorgeous fun, and I love strong women leads!
2012 (2009) - Wow. For on-screen visuals, this can't be beat.
Jackie Chan's First Strike (1996) - What's not to love in a Chan martial arts film?
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - Classic. I hadn't seen it in the theater, so this seemed new.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - Really enjoyable.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) - Different than 1959, and also good.
Cube (1997) - Low budget but engrossing to watch. Very well done.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - Johnny Depp, always brilliant and this film doesn't disappoint.
The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) - Great, heartwarming film. Reminded me of the old days...
The Graduate (1967) - I know it's one of the top films of all time. I just don't quite get why.
Clue (1985) - So bad it's unbearable. Great actors, the script and directing killed it for me.

March: (23 films in total)
Angel (1984) - Interesting, sad, but too much on the surface. I think the heart was missed.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - Great! I loved Meryl Streep in this.
Predator (1987) - An oldie, a little dated, but still entertains. Arnold is a great actor in this genre.
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) - If you don't cry watching this, you're not human.
Bring It on Again (2004) - I saw Bring It On. Not necessary to continue with this sequel, I think.
Holes (2003) - I loved this film, and don't think of it as a kid's movie at all.
Porky's (1982) - A classic for others, not for me.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007) - Another bring-a-hanky film, and oh so good.
The Net (1995) - Dated yes, entertaining though. My only complaint; Sandra Bullock's wardrobe stylist.
City Slickers (1991) - Fun and entertaining even the second or third time you see it.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) - As much as I love Mel Brooks, this film disappointed me.
Hellboy (2004) - Nice action film. I would recommend this film to those who like this genre.
Meet the Fockers (2004) - Sequel to Meet the Parents, and not bad.
Sherlock Holmes (2009) - I found this to be a very enjoyable film to watch, and loved it!
Animal House (1978) - Another classic film that doesn't really appeal to me.
Yes Man (2008) - Jim Carrey is great in this film that I found to be inspirational and funny.
Gamer (2009) - Visually I enjoyed it. Plot-wise... less so.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) - Entertaining. Not great, but good.
Babel (2006) - This was gripping, visual and had a strong plot with some great performances.
Analyze This (1999) - Huge actors, middle of the road for me. Good, not great.
Alien (1979) - A classic, and I enjoyed it. Sigourney Weaver is great in this series.
The Devil's Advocate (1997) - Al Pacino & Keanu Reeves were both great in this film.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) - Angelina Jolie looks great on-screen, in this fun, fast-action film.

April's not done yet, so I'll do that list later. Funny, with everything else there is to do in life (and this year is no different than last) I'm still managing to keep up with my movie watching goals. It feels good, and I've learned a lot so far. Maybe someday one of my films will be up there on a review list too... :)

April Flowers

2010-04-17T21:59:00.000+02:00

Things have been quite interesting lately. While everything seems as normal and relaxed as usual around Noord-Holland, there's a volcano erupting that is making travel quite a challenge for many. Our plans are to go in May to my brother's wedding in Istanbul, Turkey - but we'll see how quickly this all clears up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's getting warmer, and the tulips have started blooming. Most animals have babies, and I'm looking forward to summer. It's been a long winter, and as much as I love the snow, I'm thrilled to see all the new flora and fauna.

It's an antique, but a tandem bicycle is the perfect solution for me. Since I'm visually impaired, I ride behind. My camera has auto-focus, and captures all the details for me to see later.

Yes, I see the wild cow behind me. This park is right near us, and there is a herd of free-roaming cattle that wander around. I've never seen them stop eating, and I'm not about to go pet one, so it's safe. I think.

All that fresh new grass must be delicious after a long, snowy winter! And no, they didn't notice I was wearing a red jacket. These are Dutch cows, not Spanish ones. They are all totally laid back and aren't disturbed by anything.

The unfrozen lake near our house. There's a beautiful bike trail around it.

Other modes of transportation besides bicycles use the trails.

The horses have so much energy, they like this weather too!

I'm sure everyone else knows all the names of the flowers. I don't - I'm guessing Crocuses.

In Schoorl, on our way to visit JJ's parents.

It's not a yard to walk through, it's more for looking at.

It's so beautiful, I had to add another photo.

There is an explosion of colors in Holland now. With the tulips joining the rest of the flowers, there are places where the perfume is so strong one would think the world had aromatherapy.

I'll add another entry soon with the photos from our first motorcycle ride of the season. It was a tremendous feeling to be out like that again... :)

March Showers in Monnickendam

2010-03-24T22:44:00.002+01:00

This past weekend I went to visit Monnickendam, a town in Noord-Holland that got its city rights in 1355. It was raining off and on, but not too cold so it was nice. My friend Rob is from there, so he showed us around.

If you look on Wikipedia, I have a similar photo of the main spot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monnikendam

This is a restaurant and museum now, and the clock tower is on the left.

The clock tower is from the year 1591

That's an angel above little horses that move when the clock strikes.

This is the main... sluice or floodgate or lock. I'm not sure of the correct terminology.

A shop from the year 1611

This building was first rennovated in 1638, approximately a hundred years after it was built - that's when the date was added. It's incredible to see and touch history. America wasn't a country yet when this building had been around already for two hundred years.

The weigh house.

More modern - Anno 1681

A very modern flower/plant shop. Everybody knows I have a thing for flowers, right?

A couple of the main streets throughout town.

Many of the buildings, particularly older structures, lean forward at the top and have hooks like these. For both businesses and residences, many places have stairs that are too steep and small to get large things (like furniture or appliances) up and down. There are no screens in windows, and the windows open completely so that you can hoist large things up and down.

The main canal - this looks like most of the villages and towns I've been in around Noord-Holland.

A typical block - no sidewalks. Houses often sit directly on the street, and the Dutch are known for not using much in the way of window coverings. You can walk by many homes and look straight through into the back garden.

Just down this street is a house where Jews were hidden during The War.

This is the house.

A closeup of the plaque. Rough translation:

Courage Leo Hordijk (the home owner) Loyalty

1943 - 1945 (the time he hid the Jews)

"From Nazi power and human hunt, five found here their hiding place"

---------------

The details on some of these buildings are amazing.

I've mentioned before that the Dutch name a lot of their buildings/homes.

An alley. No cars allowed.

A REAL gutter.

A REAL rain barrel.

Tiny klompen by someone's front door. For a Kabouter, I think.

St. Jacob's Bridge - manually opens and closes.

Almost time to go...

...To a pannenkoekenhuis "The White Swan" in Broek in Waterland.

Absolutely delicious, and the building itself has a great history and ambiance, dating from 1596.

http://www.dewitteswaen.nl/

If you have the opportunity, go and enjoy!

Monnickendam is part of the municipality of Waterland, so you can visit both places easily.

This fine day and delicious meal was a gift from my friend Rob. He's the nicest guy, and a People Whisperer. Don't know what that is? His website is: http://www.robwaterlander.com/

In a few years we're going to the Academy Awards together... I just have to figure out how I'm going to get there without flying!

And thank you, my friend, for sharing your village with me.

February Movie Reviews Part 2

2010-02-13T22:57:00.000+01:00

I'm feeling better now (Part 1 has all the details). I'm still continuing towards my goal of watching one movie for every weekday in 2010. So without further ado, here's the rest of what I've seen so far:

12 Monkeys

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Rated #172 in the Top 250 films on IMDB.com, and nominated for 2 Oscars.

1995, Mystery/Sci-Fi/Thriller. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Rated R.

This was less of a "my kind" of film. It was harsh and bleak to watch. There were plot twists and turns, time travel back and forth, and it wasn't always easy for me to follow. Perhaps not the best choice for a delicate flower with a brain injury like myself - but a good film for someone else. Bruce Willis is very much in a role that seems made for him. Brad Pitt wasn't bad - perhaps it was that I just didn't care for the character. He was at times too over-the-top in a way that was distracting me from the story - and plot is something you need to pay attention to.

3:10 To Yuma

A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

2007, Western. Dir. James Mangold. Rated R.

I love this film. The first time I saw it on a SAG preview screener back in '07, I was so impressed with Ben Foster's performance as Charlie Prince, I could hardly contain myself. He was that movie for me. This time, it was Russell Crowe as Ben Wade who had my attention. I did not see the 3:10 to Yuma from 1957 - but I can't imagine it being as good as this version. If you want to see actors bringing multiple levels to their roles, and you haven't seen a good Western in ages - this is a must-see film.

A Good Year

A British investment broker inherits his uncle's chateau and vineyard in Provence, where he spent much of his childhood. He discovers a new laid-back lifestyle as he tries to renovate the estate to be sold.

2006, Comedy/Drama/Romance. Dir. Ridley Scott. Rated PG-13.

After being so impressed with Russell Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma, I decided to watch this film. I found this to be an enjoyable film - vaguely reminding me of Under the Tuscan Sun. I can connect with the theme/plot - it's not dissimilar to my own path through life. And once again, after hearing stories of what Russell Crowe is like when he plays himself, I thought he brought something special to his role in this film. Maybe I wouldn't want to be his pal off-set, but from what I've seen, I'd be happy to watch him in other films.

Alien Nation

Aliens, known as Newcomers, begin to be integrated into human society after years of quarantine but are victims of a new type of discrimination.

Won a Saturn Award.

1988, Crime/Drama/Sci-Fi. Dir. Graham Baker. Rated R.

I have to be honest, I only saw this film because I know Kevyn Major Howard (Rudyard Kipling) - and it was really cool seeing him as an Alien. Some films from long ago "age" well, and some seem a little dated when one sees them many years after their release. There were times where I was reminded of just how long ago 1988 was - and yet the issue of racism is always something I like to see explored in film, then or now. Characters can grow, learn and change - can't we (mankind) also? If you loved the 80's, watch this movie and be taken back to that era.

Angels & Demons

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.

Nominated for 2 Teen Choice Awards.

2009, Mystery/Thriller. Dir. Ron Howard. Rated PG-13.

And exciting film to watch, picturesque and full of action. It's a great date movie - leaves you with a lot to talk about. I was surprised by the plot twists, no surprise there. There's a lot I don't see coming. I liked the The Da Vinci Code too. I'm not sure which of the two films I thought was better, but Tom Hanks is always brilliant to watch.

Annie Hall

Neurotic New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall.

Rated #132 in the Top 250 movies on IMDB.com. Won 4 Oscars.

1977, Comedy/Drama/Romance. Dir. Woody Allen. Rated PG.

Four Oscars, and you know what? It didn't tickle my fancy as it did everyone else. There was something about Woody's character that I just couldn't quite get why Annie liked him to begin with. I'll put some more thought into it some day as to what it was exactly that rubbed me the wrong way, but for me - I'd have rather seen something else.

Death at a Funeral
Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.

2007, Comedy. Dir. Frank Oz. Rated R.

This is a dark comedy with odd characters in shocking situations. Complete chaos ensues, and the Brits do this type of film best, I think. And the end..! But I don't want to give it away. :)

That's all I'm going to do for this entry. Many more to come! If you have a suggestion for a film I shouldn't miss seeing this year, let me know on Twitter @cybercat19.

February Movie Review Part One

2010-02-06T17:35:00.001+01:00

I've been sick - got a Dutch stomach flu, but still managed to keep up with my movie watching goal for 2010 so far. When I was a kid, we didn't have a television. Going out to see a movie in a theater was a rare event. Then I was homeless through much of my teen years and into my twenties, so again, seeing a film was a rare occurrence.

Once I got into the entertainment industry as an actor, then directing, writing and producing, I noticed that I started watching films in a completely different way that before. It was no longer simply an escape from my life into someone else's, but I began noticing the way shots were set up, how lines were delivered, body language that worked (or didn't) for the actors, lighting, and so on.

Lucky for me, my brother is also a screenwriter and actor. He never minded seeing a movie with me, talking in the theater together, making note of performances that inspired us, or sometimes suffering through bad editing or poor direction with me. We live on opposite sides of the world now, so this year I'm watching movies alone, and blogging my thoughts with you instead.

Loglines are from IMDB.com.

A remake of the classic Shakespeare play "The Taming of the Shrew" set in a modern day high school. Starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger.

I had not seen Heath Ledger perform before watching this film. He seems to have such magnetism on-screen. The rest of the story and actors were fine, but he really shone above and beyond the rest of the cast. If you're not a teen or young adult, though, the story can seem a bit... young.

1999, Comedy/Romance, Dir. Gil Junger. Rated PG-13.

Domestic and professional tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband. Starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn.

They just don't make movies like they used to. Katharine Hepburn is so wonderful to watch, and the story line seemed to me to be as relevant today as it was then. There were different standards for men and women then, and now. In some ways that's good, and some ways that's bad. What's better now is that we can talk about it more openly. This was an Oscar-nominated film - and it was great fun to watch.

1949, Comedy/Romance, Dir. George Cukor.

A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories.

I have a special connection to this documentary - I absolutely know what these people in the US and outside go through. I don't personally care for Michael Moore's style and methods, but I think this documentary should be mandatory viewing for anyone without an opinion on health care. I have my own personal negative experiences when I was living in the US without health care, or later on Medicare. If someone other than a "health professional" had been involved in some of my experiences, I could have brought criminal charges against them. Now, although I live in a country whose idea of medicine is sometimes behind the US by 25 or 50 years, I have medical coverage with no questions asked, I receive medical care when I need it, and there aren't charges, billing, co-pays or any of the other bullcrap that was typical from America. Yeah, I have an opinion on this one. Nominated for an Oscar.

2007, Documentary, Dir. Michael Moore. Rated PG-13.

An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there. Starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

I'm not sure if this touched me so much because I know the immigration system, or because I am a foreigner living in a land where I don't know much about the language, culture or customs. I cried throughout the film (in a good way). Tom Hanks was excellent and Steven Spielberg is magical as the director. I can see how one might miss the brilliance if one hasn't traveled further than 50 miles from home, but for those of us who have lived in countries (short or long-term) other than our homeland, you'll get it.

2004, Drama/Romance/Comedy, Dir. Steven Spielberg. Rated PG-13.

Two films in one DVD - 1. Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World: To improve its relations with Muslim countries, the US government sends comedian Albert Brooks to south Asia to write a report on what makes followers of Islam laugh. And - 2. Defending Your Life: In an afterlife resembling the present-day US, people must prove their worth by showing in court how they have demonstrated courage. Starring Albert Brooks.

I was in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (although it looks as if my scene was cut - too bad, I was in a Burka!) so I had been wanting to see this film for a long time. Don't waste your time, it's terrible. Much better is Defending Your Life which not only has a better story idea, but is a better performance by Albert Brooks. Having been dead myself, I can tell you it's nothing like this - but it's an hour or two of entertainment at least.

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World: 2005, Comedy, Dir Albert Brooks. Rated PG-13.

Defending Your Life: 1991, Comedy/Fantasy, Dir. Albert Brooks. Rated PG.

What does it take to become a Stepford wife, a woman perfect beyond belief? Ask the Stepford husbands, who've created this terrifying little town. Starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close, Christopher Walken.

I have a brain injury, and even I was saying to myself "no way, that doesn't work at all." It wasn't the fault of the actors - story logic was thrown out the window and there are plot holes you could drive a car into. It was however very pretty to look at. If you like flash with nothing else, watch this remake. If you have more of a brain, read the book or watch the original film.

2004, Comedy/Fantasy/Thriller, Dir. Frank Oz. Rated PG-13.

More reviews to come when I'm feeling better. For now, I've been Twittering short thoughts on each film as I see it. Catch me over there @cybercat19

New Year 2010

2010-01-06T14:05:00.000+01:00

It's the first week of the new year, and snowing! I have spent much of my life in Florida and Los Angeles where snow is quite a rare thing. The past two winters here were quite warm and snow was also an unusual occurance here in Alkmaar. But now, glorious, beautiful snow!

It makes travel rather difficult - I might have mentioned previously that they don't plow/shovel much more than the highways - and certainly not my neighborhood. Some of the main roads have been closed lately because of ice, and public transportation has been having problems last month and this one.

Bicycles have been replaced with sleds - and it's so cute watching parents take their young children everywhere by sled. Because it's flat land, it's easy to pull them along behind you. Because people are used to travelling by bicycle to work, to school, to the market - weather doesn't bother them. Rain, snow, wind, hot days or freezing ones, you dress comfortably, appropriately, and go.

I've been keeping up with my New Year's resolution - watching movies - and have been enjoying the nightly break from writing and studying. I'll share a few photos from this past week, and hope everyone out there is safe, well and staying warm!

The new year started off with a bang! Oud Jaar's Avond is the one time of year when all your neighbors can buy and set off fireworks. The big cities all have organized celebrations, but it's more fun for me to try and pronounce "gelukkig nieuwjaar" after midnight and a couple shots of Jack Daniels.

This was the start of latest snowfall. You can't see the road ahead, at least not very far. From the tire tracks you can get an idea of how wide the road is. There are canals on both sides, and this is a two way road.

Then it warmed up a little more, and everything began melting.

That night it froze, and ice formed under everything.

And it is snowing again right now! It doesn't look so bad, but under that pretty white stuff is pure ice.

Somebody remind me to get snow boots...

Here's one of my favorite Dutch quotes: God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland.

Tot ziens!

Holidays in Holland 2009

2009-12-31T20:24:00.000+01:00

Here it is, the end of another year already! 2009 was great - and I'm so looking forward to 2010. My New Year's resolution is to watch one movie every (week)day next year. I'm still in school, and I'm also finishing up a screenplay, so I thought approx. 260 films rather than 365 would be a good goal for a year.

With the help of friends and family I have put together a list of over 400 films released beginning with the 1930s until 2009. It covers all genres, with slightly more comedy and action films due to my personal taste. Some of the films I saw in the theater - although the nice thing about having a brain injury is that if enough time goes by, it's like you're seeing the movie all over again for the first time.

I'm really excited to finally see some of the classics that I've missed, or review films that I haven't seen since I got into the industry. I notice different things now - I can get distracted by awkward lines, unusual camera shots or equally be amazed by acting so good you swear the person is the character in real life.

I wonder what I will learn about films and filmmaking by the end of next year. I don't know how I'm going to choose what movie to watch on any given night. (Alphabetical? By year?) I'll be Twittering from time to time giving a short opinion on what I've seen. But now, it's the last day of this year, and I know that I am so very grateful to everyone here. This is such a beautiful country with really terrific people.

Now, a few recent photos to share...

I got a new coat (thanks Mom!) just in time for the first snow.

The canal where I live with snow! Hopefully, it will freeze up soon and I can try ice skating...

This is stamppot.

Dutch food may not be the prettiest, but it sure does taste good! This is also a good winter dish to keep you healthy and warm.

Another dish that maybe isn't so pretty - but is really delicious and healthy.

Snert or Erwtensoep is Dutch pea soup. Another perfect winter food.

The Dutch Christmas - Pakjesavond - with Sinterklaas is on the 5th of December. Then a more American-style Christmas with Santa on the 25th and 26th of December. Why two Christmas days? Nobody knows...

Christmas candles

A little Christmas train. Look at the large version of this photo - like many things in the Netherlands, it's in English. Although in real life, the Dutch use a French word for Police. Why? Nobody knows...

Another big thing here is fondue. I don't anyone who had a turkey dinner planned for Xmas. I love food, which is a reason why I love the holidays!

Food to nourish your body and soul.

And now that it's New Year's there's a special Dutch treat - Oliebollen! I watched them being made, as my real help began by eating as many as I could. I had four plain, and three with raisins. Then my tummy hurt, but in a good way. Here's the general process to make oliebollen...

Start with making the dough. The Dutch have a trick for adding yeast - they just use beer. If you want to buy "active yeast" you have to get it from a special store. It's not like what the US has available in every supermarket.

The floors are heated, and the radiator also helps keep the dough warm so it rises.

Heat a big pot of oil.

Add balls of dough and cook...

...until golden brown.

Add powdered sugar (cinnamon sugar is good too!) and it tastes like you're eating a little bit of heaven.

Gelukkig NieuwJaar!

Motorcycle Tour Benelux (part II)

2009-09-17T19:47:00.000+02:00

I'm going to try to keep this as simple as possible, since my Blogger is no longer working. I meant to put the rest of the photos and my comments in part I, but it's still so messed up, I can't even edit the post. Believe it or not, Twitter now seems much less complicated to figure out. Funny thing is, as soon as I figure out how a system works, they change it, give me an "upgrade" with the latest and greatest. Oh well.

Our bike. Getting ready to leave Belgium for Germany and Luxembourg.

Our group leader, Allan. Really nice guy.

Peter - one cute grandpa. If of course you like the skull face.

Roos (or in English, Rose)

Us. Tired, sweaty, dirty - like always.

There are windmills all over - not just in Holland.

This is what it's all about. The Ardennes. Forest occasionally interrupted by fields or villages. Hairpin turns. 15% grades. Most of the time I was just hanging on, enjoying the adventure.

It feels good!

Motorcycle Tour Benelux

2009-09-17T19:20:00.002+02:00

I'm back in school and winter is fast approaching so this may have been the last (long) trip on the motorcycle this season. We started out in the early morning last Friday and met our group leader, Allan, in Utrecht.

From there we rode down into Belgium to Boeles Place. I've blogged about them before - it's my favorite biker place to go to. Over the weekend we went to Luxembourg and Germany as well, before returning to Belgium and then finally the Netherlands. I did my best to take photos - although it rained (and thus the camera was safe in my pocket) and some of the photos I was trying to take from a moving bike - which isn't as easy as it looks.

I wish I could add more details to the images - the scents of the Ardennes forest, the freshness of a field after a light rain, or the sounds in the little villages of Flemish, Dutch, French, German and English being spoken by natives and tourists alike. I'm pretty sure everyone with a motorcycle was out riding - we saw scores of bikers in groups from all over. A perfect long weekend, until the very end with the rain.

Jan & his wife Anne-Marie run Boeles Place - and the food is always awesome. I discovered hand-made sausages with cheese inside them are my new favorite barbecue meat. Your mouth just dances when you eat them.

This is Jan. Behind him, like every good bar in this part of the world is a witch. It's good luck, I think. If I find a link to the story of exactly how this tradition started, I'll post it.

Bikers in Belgium.

Games hard-core bikers play. This is a new one for me with dice - and I totally lost - but enjoyed it. I'm not sure what it's called.

Yeah, we're totally bad-ass with Uno. But I did learn how to say the colors in Dutch.

On our tour we stopped by a German motorcycle shop. I thought this was cool for a couple of reasons - it's so neat and tidy, and the bike they are working on is for a disabled (paraplegic) rider.

This is his other bike. Just thought that was neat.


We rode through tiny little villages and towns.


You have to watch that Saturday afternoon traffic in some places. :)


We stopped for lunch in Germany - and as usual there was no sauerkraut (or wurst) to be found. So I had French food instead. Hey, it's all good to me.

As usual, I'm completely unable to manage my Blogger HTML. It's refusing to publish yet another post, or at least this time publish it correctly in tables and properly aligned/spaced. You have no idea how many blog drafts I have stuck in limbo. I suppose this is all for now. I'll try to post the rest of the photos later. :)

I just checked back and boy is my post screwed - the photos are overlapping or otherwise off the page somehow. You know what? Maybe I'll just continue blogging somewhere else. Anyone have a suggestions for a better place to blog than this one?

Part two has a couple of the photos I wanted to post here, and it looks a bit better than this one. I checked around and it seems there are several others having the same problem with their blogs at the moment. However, this is only an annoyance. The rest of life is working out well!

Fishing for Linden $ in Second Life

2009-06-21T14:16:00.008+02:00

While playing the game Second Life, sometimes one may want to have a bit of pocket money to spend in-world. There are many ways one can earn Linden dollars, but my favorite way to earn cash is by playing one of the fishing games.

There are four main fishing games inside Second Life. Two of them involve investing money in a rod or bait, entry fees, or waiting for scheduled tournament times. The two I recommend instead are Gone Fishing and Match Fishing, both made by Splash Aquatics. Nether require you to purchase anything, and everything you need to play is already there in the game.

Most of the Gone Fishing and Match Fishing games are set to cash prizes (some give gift boxes or other non-cash prizes). The game is simple to play, and does not require skill. Most simply - you find a Gone Fishing or Match fishing game, sit on a poseball or chair, and when the game tells you that you have a bite, you type the word strike in your chat window and push enter.

Gone Fishing Game
(click on the photos to see them larger)

The Gone Fishing game (pictured above) has two parts; The blue poseballs with fishing rods, and the trophy stand which is usually placed nearby. You can do a search in world for Gone Fishing under places or events, and here is a SLURL to a place to get you started:

Bethany Gardens Gone Fishin match and tournament fishing lakes

If you left click on one of the blue fishing poseballs, you will automatically sit. Or you can right click on one of the blue fishing poseballs and select FISH! A notecard will pop up with directions called 'Gone Fishing v1.0 - Tournament Info'. You can keep or discard as you choose. Your chat window will display the game instructions and notices as well.

When you first sit down, a message similar to this will be displayed:

"Gone Fishing v1.0 GAME whispers: When you get a bite type 'strike' to hook your fish and reel him in. If you take too long he'll get away so be ready!

Gone Fishing v1.0 GAME whispers: You are now automatically entered into the fishing tournament! Happy Fishin' and GOOD LUCK!!!"

Wait until the game gives you a message similar to this:

Gone Fishing v1.0 GAME whispers: Ooh! Kitania Writer has a bite!

Although it would of course say your avatar name where mine is.

Type only the word strike in your chat window when you get a bite and push enter. The game may not work if you try typing anything else such as STRIKE!, quotation marks, or shout instead of say the word in chat.

Your chat window will tell you if you caught a fish or not. If you catch one, the blue information window pops up and offers you an object called a 'Roach'. According to Wikipedia: "Fish called roach are members of the carp and minnow family (Cyprinidae)." I recommend not keeping them, as you hopefully will be catching many more, and if you're anything like me, your inventory is really cluttered as it is.

The trophy stand will tell you who the current leaders are. Most Gone Fishing tournaments end/begin once a day, and are ongoing. The largest fish you can catch is 50 lbs, and it ranks in the order in which the largest fish were caught if there is a tie. So if you catch a 50 lb fish, and then catch a second 50 lb fish five minutes later, you don't get two first prizes, you would get first and second. You can hold all three places on the trophy stand, and you can come and go any time throughout the tournament.

Match Fishing

(click on the photos to see them larger)

The Match Fishing game pictured above is similar to Gone Fishing. However, the differences are as follows:

Your score on the trophy stand is the accumulated total weight of twenty fish caught. So the trophy stand usually displays how many hours are left in the current tournament, and unlike the Gone Fishing game the $ prize amounts are usually displayed as well.

This may take you some time to accumulate 20 fish, so if you don't have a while to sit and fish, try Gone Fishing instead. For either game, if you set your avatar to busy or away, you may not get the notices that a fish is biting. But, if you do have an hour or so, then Match Fishing cash prizes are usually higher than Gone Fishing.

The chairs are a bit different for the Match fishing game, and do not have the blue poseballs. Usually there are lounge chairs with a bait box attached. Some places have tree stumps either instead of or in addition to the lounge fishing chairs. Again, you don't need to do anything but sit down to enter the tournament. Bait and rod are included and free.

The other main difference between Gone Fishing and Match Fishing is that in Match Fishing you can change the tackle and bait on your rod.

Sit down on the fishing chair or stump by right clicking. You can left click the bait box (attached to the chair) or the base of the tree stump to bring up a blue information window which allows you to choose your tackle and bait. Tackle can be light or heavy, and bait can be maggot, corn or bread. My suggestion is to use heavy tackle with either corn or bread. It may take longer, but you can catch larger fish that way.

Then sit, relax and look for the message that you have a strike. This game may say (avatar name) has a bite, or it may just say "you have a bite." Both Gone Fishing and Match Fishing also play the sound of a whirring fishing reel when you have a strike, so you have an audio and visual cue. I believe the largest fish you can catch in Match Fishing is 29.9 pounds, as I have not yet seen a 30 lb.

For either game, when the current tournament is over, the game will automatically send out the cash prizes to the top three avatars on the stand. You do not need to be online to get your cash. You can check your transactions history for your Second Life account, and if/when you are in world you will receive a notice in chat, and a blue information window.

Currently one of the quirks of both games is that the message you do get in world when you win may not indicate clearly which fishing game is paying you. It may tell you that (avatar name) is paying you $50 Lindens for the Bronze Trophy in the Match Fishing game, but if you fish in many locations, you may not know or recall which avatar owns which fishing game.

Also, if you are in first place (gold position) and someone else beats your score, you will get a message in world that simply says something along the lines of "you have lost your gold position in the Match Fishing game." It doesn't say from where, so if you fish in multiple locations, you may have to guess which location it might be.

If you're in world when you win, you may see a message in chat similar to this one:

Match Fishing Trophy Stand: You have won the SILVER TROPHY in the FISHING MATCH! You win L$50 in prize money. Well done!!

In later SL viewers you can click on where it says Match Fishing Trophy Stand in your chat window (as you might on another avatar's name to get their profile) and it will give you the location (SLURL) and the owner of the fishing game (who paid you.)

If you win, it also may be helpful to look at the profile of the avatar who is paying you as many of them have their fishing game location in their picks with a lot more info. Another thing you can do if you're organized, is to keep a list of fishing locations along with the name of the avatar who owns the trophy stand. If you hold your cursor over the trophy stand, it will tell you who the owner is. Or an easier way I've found is to right click on the trophy stand, select edit, and then you will see the name of the creator of the trophy stand (Kaikou Splash) and the Owner's name of the game/trophy stand.

In the later browser versions of SL, next to the owner's name is a button link to their profile. You can copy and paste the name of the owner of the trophy stand into your fishing landmark title, a notecard, or something outside of SL such as Notepad, Word or Excel. Figuring out how to be organized is always my challenge, hopefully you'll figure out a system that works for you.

Bethany Gardens (SLURL above) also has a Match Fishing game, but here's another SLURL to the creator's Match Fishing game:

Splash Aquatics

There are also free strike gestures available in world (don't pay for these!) so you don't have to manually type strike all the time.

Have fun, catch the big ones, and earn some Lindens!

:)

Spring has Sprung

2009-06-13T20:00:00.014+02:00

A beautiful spring has turned into summer here. I've seen flowers blossom and every type of bird and animal had babies. I started attending the Dutch language and culture school - it's close to the end of the school year - but there's still a few more weeks to go before summer holiday.

I've also been busy with work; doing script coverage, writing animation and feature film scripts as well as developing a screenwriting website. So free time has been somewhat limited. But, I did manage to get a few pictures along the way to share.

First are the flowers. These are all local, just around the neighborhood. I don't know exactly what each type is, and a photo can't bring you the perfume that fills the air.

I suppose because I don't see that well, I am more sensitive to the scents of spring, the soft touch of the breeze that always has a bit of ocean to it. We're so close to the sea here, and ride along the big dikes whenever we can.

The photos above are from our garden. Jeroen's hand was broken and in a cast for a long time. Don't look to me to mow the grass or anything like manual labor. So a bit of a jungle grew up in the back. And you know what? I don't care. Where other people might see weeds, I see beauty. Our tulips from last year came up again too.

These two photos are from right next to the house. There are canals everywhere 'round here. I get to walk or ride on the motorcycle, so I really notice what's here. We don't have a car, so we're sorta accidentally living green. We walk to the grocery (or rode the tandem until it too broke) every day or two. I think I mentioned in an earlier blog about the food here. It doesn't have all the preservatives that US food has. They are all a bit shocked that Americans can go only once a week to the grocery. You can buy vegetables back in the US that last for weeks! I suppose that sounds kinda sci-fi to a Dutchie. Freaky long-lasting fruits and veggies.

These are the real flowers, grown by professionals. I couldn't decide which images I liked best, so I'm putting up a bunch.

There's me and Jeroen too. There's an old saying, something along the lines of "take the time to stop and smell the flowers" or roses. I don't think it's meant to be taken literally, but in this case it works. Many of us are so focused on the goals in life, that we miss the journey along the path. A lot of people like myself tend to see what we haven't done, or focus on the things not accomplished. How many of us keep a to-do list that never seems to be completed? It seems kinda silly that one has to "make the time" to go outside and just look around.

There are so many more baby animals I saw when I didn't have a camera. They have tons of miniature horses here. They call them ponies, but they are teenie tiny horses. Of course I saw a miniature horse baby - literally the size of a large dog. Boy was that cute! Sorry I missed getting that in a photo. Every life form had babies this spring. Lots of pregnant women around too. Not me, of course, just mentioning that.

Our friend Krul lives in Hoorn, which is pretty close by and a good-sized city. He's been in hospital recently, having spinal surgery on a triple hernia. He's doing okay now, but no bike riding for a while. It was really bad for a bit, but he was always in good spirits. While we visited him, I took photos around his place. The details on the buildings amaze me. What's really neat to me, is that most of the places here pre-date the USA by quite a few years. When nearly everything around you was built in the 1600s or before, maybe it doesn't seem that special. To me it's amazing. These aren't preserved historical monuments, they are just regular buildings around town.

This is the street my friend lives on. No wonder I'm having trouble pronouncing Dutch names! And yes, they would win in Scrabble every time.

Downtown Hoorn, evening rush hour time.

Also downtown Hoorn.

The sun was starting to go down, so it's a bit misty but we're still in downtown.

A typical Dutch city street, around dinner time.

Finally, another memorial. I've written before about the ability of the Dutch to remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives for the people here.

Below are photos of the memorial to a few members of the 49th Squadron Royal Air Force who died in WWII. The whole story is here: Berkhout, Holland

In 2007 the local municipality ordered the excavation of the site where they were shot down, and a funeral with honors was was held for two of the men in 2008. It's 2009, and there are flowers being left and still people stopping to honor those who fought and died before I was born. The four men were between the ages of 20 and 28. Maybe in heaven they know that they are not forgotten. Life goes on here, much as it ever was, and only because so many people from other places came to the aid of the Dutch. Every name, every place, we will remember.

To leave off with something else, here are a few photos from a recent bike bash. I took some time off to go and just... relax. No work, no Internet.

Just good fun, and good people.

If you click on the photo to make it larger, I think you can see what it says on his jacket. There are quite a few Christian bikers. Also - my favorite - a guy whose jacket said "Free Biker." I thought that was like, a gratis biker. I asked if we could take him home, but apparently he wasn't really free to just anyone.

A nice bike riding through a village, and a typical town street. That's a two-way road, and mid-day traffic.

My good friend, Senor Fuego - he's the best person to talk to. He knows everything! Oh, and my view from the ride along a highway. Cool, eh?

How the day ends at a bike bash. Rest easy tonight ya'll. And remember to enjoy your summer! :)

Brand New 2009

2009-01-03T16:32:00.006+01:00

I think 2008 was a difficult year for a lot of people, particularly back in America. Over here, we are somewhat affected by what happened back in the US - but for the most part, the economy is doing well. The Euro is strong, and no one I know is out of work, nor do most of the Dutch have anywhere near the problems with credit overextension (or credit cards), mortgages, gas prices, or the other issues I'm so used to from "back home."

I had my own health issues, which I mentioned in previous blogs, and it's something I am learning just to live with, as there seems to be no resolution unless my health clears up on its own. That was basically the last message I got from one of my doctors - this is just how it will be, and they don't have any way to fix it.

Speaking of resolutions, I have many. I, like a lot of other people, have a list of Things I Plan to Do This Year, and then maybe I keep at that list for a month or so, and something else in life distracts me. You know the sort of things; work out more, lose weight, be more positive, eat better...

So maybe this year will be different. This year, I think my resolutions should be to relax about the working out/losing weight thing. I'm forty, not twenty, and at the moment I don't even know what size I am (and I don't have a scale, or a non-metric tape measure). Nor do I have the money to go out and buy all new clothes. I'm a master at layering clothing now that it's been below freezing most of the time, and for that you really need clothes that fit loosely.

But hey - a 25 K (tandem) bicycle ride through sub-zero winter wonderland is really fun! If I can figure out how to do it safely, I think I'll have the opportunity to try ice skating this year. The parks flood out squares for everyone to skate on, and when the canals are mostly solid there are families skating everywhere. Really cool!

Now that the holidays are over for a while, I won't be eating so much. That was part of the problem, there are so many delicious treats to eat this time of year, and people here, (particularly those who lived through The War) get very concerned when one doesn't eat in a good, hearty, Dutch-sized portion.

For some reason, they don't notice that I'm smaller (shorter) than nearly everyone else in this country. That's cool, though. Even with all of my layers of clothing, I'm both portable and huggable - I get the really good hugs, the kind where you get lifted off the ground and held in the air. I think I've read in other places that Americans or other cultures found the Dutch to be reserved, or standoffish.

In my own experience, I have not found that to be true. Yeah, they all still laugh whenever I try to say the simplest thing in Dutch, but I have been welcomed into many Dutch homes and hearts with my American quirks, my funny accent, and my strange eating habits. (Why doesn't she eat raw fish? Smoked eel? Strange girl.)

Of course there are a lot of differences here, and products I still miss from the US. They have a ton of holidays (do you really need three entire Christmas days?) and I'm not quite as fond of the fireworks on Old Year's Eve as a real Dutchie. But I'm doing my best to enjoy and embrace the people and culture that have been so wonderful to me.

Enjoy the photos, and enjoy the New Year! The Netherlands may be a small country, but it's filled with great spirit and large hearts.

~Kitty

I don't think that's Sinterklaas - but that's definitely a kabouter behind the train.

Our tree, without candy canes this year, but I do love that pine scent!

Okay, so that's more of a texture, and less of a complete photo, but it's hard to wear my glasses all the time.

One of the two ornaments I got from Essen, Germany. Cute little Santa.

Yeah, they shoot off fireworks from every neighborhood, and all ages participate. And it's rare to hear of an injury, much less a fire. Still, for me it's a little scary.

Ooh, I just took this picture inside the house. Reminds me of how green it will all be outside again soon!

Toppings for pannekoeken!

Pannekoeken! Heel lekker!

Essen Germany Christmas Market

2008-12-07T12:59:00.005+01:00

Essen – there is an interesting history of the city from Wikipedia:

"The oldest archaeological finds date back to 280,000 B.C. Other finds date to between 120,000 and 10,000 years old.

Essen was part of the settlement areas of several Germanic peoples (Chatti, Bructeri, Marsi), although a clear distinction among these groupings is difficult.

The Alteburg castle in the south of Essen dates back to the first or second century B.C., the Herrenburg to the 8th century A.D."

It still amazes me, where my country has such a relatively short history (as America) that such history exists just about a three hour drive or so from my home in the Netherlands.

I must admit, I did have an idea in my head of what I imagined a Christmas market to be, and perhaps in the past it was more like the traditional German event that I pictured.

Yes, there were the German gingerbread hearts, the Nativity scene, and Glühwein. But outnumbering the traditional stalls of hand-made (German) Christmas ornaments, decorations and foods, were many foods and items that I was less interested in seeing.

Belgium chocolates, polish sausage, turkish foods and purses, French crepes, Dutch tulips, various oriental inscense, kung fu memoribilia, and Chi Gong, and an American stall selling Route 66 signs, old licence plates from various states, and Jack Daniels signs.

The logos of Marlboro and Coca Cola (both red and white Christmas colors) were prominent, and two Starbucks were within two minutes walk of each other. McDonalds and Burger King seemed to be doing brisk business too.

Later back in our hotel, I got to watch German television. Unlike the Dutch who only subtitle American films, Germans dub – so “For Your Eyes Only” became an even more amusing film to watch as Roger Moore’s mouth would move, but instead of his voice, German would come out without a lot of the inflections that James Bond is known for in English.

On the way back (via the autobahn), it snowed a lot. Sometimes it seemed as if we were just driving through a pure white fluffy world. Beautiful, but brr – cold!

Look, I found a Christmas bunny!

Really good food, and as usual, I ate a lot.

Festive, party-like atmosphere everywhere!

Music, and free things to enjoy all over the market

Lights everywhere

Essen is so pretty!

Hey - Merry Christmas everyone!

An American in Europe - May 08

2008-05-30T19:54:00.018+02:00

There are so many things I've been meaning to blog about, but it's not going to happen today. I'm too tired. I always end up okay, sooner or later - but my recent illness has gotten my spirits down as of late.

Tomorrow is the last day of May, and after a few brief days of not bleeding, (both pre and post operation in February) I'm back at it. Some unusual chest pains on top of that, and all the usual disability stuff I always deal with has made me cranky.

Cleaning the house, doing the usual chores, taking a shower I've now cut down to Only What's Absolutely Necessary. I can go for about ten minutes or so, and then I need a break. Doesn't do much for my spirits, but I just can't push myself much harder.

I did a photoshoot - not for long, maybe an hour or so altogether along with lots of rest in between for snacks, water and chit chat. The next day I was running a fever, completely wiped out, and just stayed in bed most of the day. So I know I can do one big thing in a day, but will need to plan to recover the day following.

And I want to do things! I feel very much like some sort of invalid. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. But there I go, writing all this stuff, and I only really wanted to share the photos...

I given up on trying to translate the pronounciation of his name to my English-speaking friends. From now on, just call him JJ.

After nine months here, I finally got a real motorcycle jacket instead of the decorative one I came here with. I can hardly move in it - but, safety first! Well, at least safer from here on out.

I love going to Belgium! We stay at the same place every time. Bikes and bikers of all types are welcome here.

Much busier now that it's warmer weather.

We come for the food...

And it's good!

Probably not good for my waistline...

It's good to spend time with buddies

Good buddies

And friends come in all shapes and sizes here too

A moon out tonight?

We toured through Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany

We come for the scenery

Even with it almost raining, it's so beautiful

Most of these photos were taken while we were riding, but you get an idea of what it looks like as we pass by

I already have blurry vision, so it's more like a Kitty's-eye view

I thought I'd share some of the buildings we pass...

And the downtown areas...

Can you call it downtown if it's just a village?

A nice downtown

I'm not real clear on the difference between a town and a village, but this is the heart of it.

A zillion villages look like this one

And if you're rich, you have a house like this in the middle of it

Or really rich, a house like this above it

Churches everywhere

I just put this one here because he looks so happy!

Being in pictures makes me happy

So much fun!

I'm not the thinnest I've ever been, but dammit, these are a size zero!

I hope to be in photos again soon!

:)

It's Spring!

2008-05-10T02:34:00.025+02:00

It's beautiful weather now in Holland. There are lambs, calves, (goat) kids, baby birds of all types, and even tiny snails and miniature grasshoppers. The sky has filled with sunshine and turned from winter grey to a rich blue with cotton-puff clouds. Trees have leaves in all shades of green, and the tulips are in full rainbow bloom.

Field after field of flowers perfume the roads and villages - and riding the motorcycle around the country is pure pleasure. The biking season has begun, and every weekend there is an event planned.

I've made some observations about the Netherlands, although my experience of the culture and people has been somewhat limited to the area where I live. Amsterdam reminds me a lot of New York City - not just in the architecture, but in the friendliness there. Strangers talk to you, and in Amsterdam at least, English is common.

But there's so much more here outside of the city too - tolerance, generosity, openess, and charity that is more than what I've experienced back in Los Angeles.

I now have health coverage - good health coverage. I'm not even eligable to apply for health insurance in the US unless there's an open enrollment for those with pre-exisiting conditions - and the few times there were, I could not have afforded it anyhow, or at least wouldn't have paid the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars each month for crap care back there.

Pot is legal here. Not a big deal, just that it is. I haven't observed anyone abusing it, dependant upon it, nor is it a big thing with the kids. The drinking age is 16 for beer, 18 for hard liquor, and yet compared to the US, drunk driving is rare.

I've been here eight months, and not heard about one fatality involving alcohol. I'm sure it must happen, but it's not a daily occurance like it was in LA. Nor have I heard of anyone being an alcoholic, binge drinking, or even seen public drunkeness outside of an adult party - never on the street or driving.

Guns are illegal, so a gun being used in connection with anything is also rare, again not a daily event as it was back in LA. Yes, crime does happen, but far less than what I'm used to experiencing.

The air is clean, and one can breathe deeply here.

They have a good educational system, and children graduate. While they are still in school many kids have jobs as well. Most families eat dinner together, and kids more often than not grow up with two parents. There's far less in the way of junk food and processed food, so people are generally healthier, and certainly thinner than most Americans. Just thinking about soda - yeah they have that, but when you go to someone's home you are offered coffee. I still haven't been to a fast food restaurant as yet, and I don't miss it.

I haven't seen any homeless people, or panhandlers, as that is also not common here. There seems to be programs for everything so that one is never left without support of some kind, education, training, work, benefits, therapy, what ever they can think of to make things better, they try and do it.

You can tell the minute you leave the Netherlands and cross into Belgium, as suddenly the quality of the roads and houses deteriorates. I've been looking for the "ghetto" or poor people section of the various places we drive through here, and so far, I haven't found one. I have been warned not to walk alone at night in certain areas, (not that I would, of course) but usually it comes with a lecture about pickpocketers - which when you explain that as a danger to someone who has lived in LA, Miami, Philadelphia and NYC, it seems like this is a much safer place.

But on to the photos! I've been ill, as always, so I have a bit of catching up to do, but I'll try to put a description with each image.

On our way to the last bike bash before spring started. 40% chance of rain, and it did.

The rain didn't stop us, and we managed to get set up before it was really bad.

Our friend Manuela, who is a good person, a good wife, and a good cook.

Our friend Bob. Also a great guy, whose expression usually doesn't let on how sweet he really is.

Who knew I liked winter camping in the rain?

Queen's Day is a holiday everyone celebrates. It's the birthday of the mother of the current queen.

Amsterdam was probably much more crowded during the day - we didn't get there until the late afternoon.

At least one of us was wearing orange, the color of the Netherlands.

So neat to feel right at home here in the city.

It was raining slightly towards the end, but we took a bike tour around the neighborhood to see the tulips.

Trust me, the colors are brighter and more breathtaking in person.

And the scent! Delicious, sweet and heaven to the nose.

There's a tulip route you can follow, that guides you through acres of colors.

A picture really doesn't capture the experience.

A picture of me taking a picture of flowers.

These are my favorite, the multi-colored tulips.

Lots of bikers enjoying the sights and smells along with us.

It's not a postcard, but it sure looks typically Dutch!

Three days of bike bash and good friends.

New friends too. Hi Dirk!

The first time it's been warm out with the bike.

Another new friend's cool bike.

The next day we went to Germany, since it was close by the bike bash.

And it took a long time AGAIN to try and find a single place that served sauerkraut!
And I always thought that was German food...

I love German food.

But then again, what food don't I love?

And back across the border!

Senior Fuego

Jeroen

The gang of good people

Our tents

Senior Fuego on the ride home

I'm not sure why this is here, but the Dutch were pirates...

Now that's a typical Dutch roof

Most places here look like this little village. This is downtown.

In the back garden - I helped plant these!

Gorgeous!

There's a Dutch kabouter watching over everything

When they get this big, you have to respect them

Other things I found in the garden

Pretty

Cool

Creepy

Just the coolest! Hopefully, I'll have more to add soon.
Tot ziens!

Easter Miracle

2008-03-23T13:04:00.003+01:00

Holland: beautiful and peaceful

This is so cool! Looks like a little blanket on the car.

I'm up and about again! Such a blessing to be out of bed.

After a long illness and operation, I have returned! It's Easter today, and I went out for a walk. It's snowing! Only the second time this winter, and absolutely amazing to see. I've spent a good portion of my life in places where snow just doesn't happen - so I feel the excitement in the air as if I was a child again when I get to experience this.

And yes, Mom, I am wearing, like, forty layers of warm clothing. I'm drinking lots of juice, and not overexerting myself.

The operation I had was to remove pre-cancerous cells from my cervix. I had the operation here in Holland, on Valentine's Day (which the Dutch do not celebrate) and it was... interesting. I learned there are many differences between American and Holland medicine and practices.

I'll write more about that later, after I've had a rest. For now, after over a month, the bleeding has almost completely stopped - and I'm feeling much more myself again. Just tired. It's been a difficult time, but who doesn't have that once in a while? A beautiful Easter to all.

New Years in Holland

2008-01-04T18:24:00.000+01:00

They don't have exactly the New Year's Eve we know from America, but celebrate Old Year's Eve. There's no mistletoe, no party hats, no noisemakers, confetti and few countdowns. Instead, there are fireworks. And not that you go somewhere and watch them, every Dutch person gets fireworks and sets them off. Little children have sparklers, teens have what sounds like bombs (to me) and adults get the spectacular variety of lights and sounds that man can ignite with a match. The entire country is filled with thick smoke, and everyone is outside. After midnight, at some point, they walk around and say the Dutch equivalent of Happy New year.

Fire in the sky.

The smoke makes it difficult to get a good photo.

Another Dutch tradition - for New Year's they make appelflappen, which I am helping with in the shed, since it's quite messy to cook, and the smell of cooking oil gets in everything. My favorite for New Year's is oliebollen (the grandfather of our American doughnuts).

Okay - here it is. Finally the pictures of the furniture I PUT TOGETHER ALL BY MYSELF. Not really New Year's, but this was my first time EVER, that I did something like this without anyone else's assistance. A big thing for me, what with the brain injury and vision problems.

Sweet! I put together this one too. Luckily, I can follow picture directions pretty well, and it came out rather nice, I think.

Holland Holiday Season

2008-01-04T17:51:00.001+01:00

Den Ilp is a village here in the Netherlands where everyone decorates their home with Christmas-themed lights and decorations (other than the religious). There's one main street where everyone drives through very slowly to view. Santa on a bicycle is more common than a sleigh, although occasionally he also turns up on a train or a motorbike.

I learned that Dutch is one of the most difficult languages in the world to master, so I'm lucky there's English everywhere.

Christmas dinner was fondue, not a goose or ham, or even turkey. Suits me just fine. Normally they use every excuse possible to have a party here, but as you might have noticed from the gap in my blog posts, I was ill for a while. So this was just a quiet Christmas dinner with Jeroen's parents.

I followed Santa's path on NORAD as he made his journey around the world. He didn't stop in either the Netherlands or Belgium, so we had to improvise gift giving with some help from Kabouters. In the US, we know them as Gnomes, but incorrectly so. They are completely different mythological creatures, and dang blast that Travelocity.com travelling gnome for confusing the two.

Santa on a fiets.

A present for me! How nice!

My very own pair of klompen. I'm doing a clog dance.

Comfy shoes made of wood. A Dutch tradition.

I made Jeroen get a live Christmas tree, and added American candy canes to confuse everyone else. We planted it in the garden next to the tulip bulbs after Christmas.

A real German Christmas tree, from Dusseldorf.

Winter Travel

2008-01-04T17:27:00.000+01:00

Most of the motorbike events are over for the cold season, but since I just got here, I'm happy to travel by car or train even though with the wind chill it's often below freezing. I'm really enjoying finally seeing the change of seasons, which I haven't been through in the desert climate of Los Angeles or the tropical Florida for the past, well, it's been many years.

I'm standing in Belgium, almost to Luxembourg

Now I'm leaving Luxembourg, returning to Belgium

Even the churches (this one in Belgium) decorate for the holidays. There are stars everywhere, but no Jesus-in-the manger, wise men, or the like.

A Dutch cat that lives and works (catching moles and mice) in Belgium.

A German bakery in Dusseldorf

Even in Germany one can find American food. Look carefully and you'll see the Starbucks too. No, I didn't go to either.

Funny thing is, in Dusseldorf it's nearly impossible to find worst with sauerkraut. Most of the shops/food and merchandise is Dutch. Three and a half hours drive from Alkmaar to Dusseldorf (a while of which was on the autobahn), and it took nearly an hour in sub-freezing temperatures to find ONE place that had sauerkraut. And yes - I am wearing my stupid glasses.

Delicious! I am part German, and I love this food!

I heard this Christmas Market (for which Germany is famous, they have tons) was slow this year. Too bad, I was looking forward to pandemonium, and there wasn't any.

Holland Weather

2008-01-04T16:56:00.000+01:00

It's the new year, and I'm finally updating my blog with photos from last year. The season changed suddenly, and it got cold. There was no Indian Summer here - I don't believe they even have that term.

Sinterklaas arrived from Spain to visit all the kids in the Netherlands, and a holiday vaguely similar to our Christmas ended on the 5th of December. After that, the Christmas season more like what we know in America began. Yes, there are differences - they don't know what candy canes are (they call them party sticks) and they celebrate two days of Christmas, not one.

But, like everything else in Dutch culture, there's always tons of food. They eat constantly, and drink coffee like we might do with water. In spite of this, I just got a pair of jeans from the US, size 2, and they're baggy. Go figure. Perhaps I mentioned in another post that I'm following a Dutch diet plan - it's really cool, and apparently works better than anything I have ever tried.

But enough about that - on to the photos!

This was the view from my window in the morning.

Looking down from the dunes - that's the local village church.

The dunes near Alkmaar are covered in forest.

This is a two-way road, where you can just barely make out a well-know architect's design/house. I believe they also use it in commercials here.

You can laugh - but I was the only warm person in Holland. And my mom made me this scarf, I think it's cute. I don't even know how many layers I'm wearing, but a lot, trust me.

Hiking in the dunes.

That was just green a day ago!

Klapkut Rally - Den Oever, Netherlands

2007-10-21T16:40:00.000+02:00

Before I put up the photos from the Klapkut Rally, I wanted to say a couple of things that I've been meaning to post, but hadn't.

Ice cream. Good old American ice cream sundaes. They have no idea what these are here. There is some substance called Gelato from Italy (which I will try at some point) but IT ISN'T ICE CREAM. They call it schepijs. They also have soft ice cream from a machine. If you know me, you know that I am a gourmet (American) ice cream connoisseur. In the defense of this fine country, they do also have a couple of flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream available for purchase in supermarkets and a couple other places. But trying to find an ice cream shop, I eventually gave up. A fruitless search.

I've also learned a few things about the Dutch language. One, I need to actually learn it. And, it's going to be very difficult. They tend to combine words into one long sentence, so even if you know one or two individual words, you won't recognize them stuck onto the back or front of another word. It sounds like they are saying one really long word for a paragraph, and when they have another thought, instead of using a comma or period the pause is usually an "uhhhhh" sound (or breath cause they are pretty much out of air, I think) and then a verbal mishmash of sounds comes tumbling out at a fast rate of speed again.

SoifIwaswritinginDutchyouwouldhavetosayitalltogetherlikethis...uhhhh...andthenjumprightintoanotherinterestingideaorthought.

But, I digress.

So, on to the Klapkut Rally. I'm not translating that, it's something bad, I think. My friend Krul decided without my knowledge to nominate me to be considered as Miss Klapkut 2007. That bastard. Of course, if you win you have to go up on stage and so on. Guess who won? They announced it in Dutch, but luckily my good friends were there to drag me up on stage. Otherwise I would have hid under a rock. Krul - I will have my revenge. Some time, some day when you least expect it... Just wait...

So here we are all arriving at the Rally. We rode in with a group, and it's cold here now!

Krul and me.

Krul, Herrie, Cora and Ghans

They had a lovely warm fire going, and a banjo player. He was really good!

Jeroen, one of the founders of the Motorbike Touring Club Dippy. Yeah, dippy means the same thing here as it does back in the USA.

Jeroen and Krul

Hey, I don't drink beer - so I'm having something better. Back in Belgium, Jan had hooked me up with a really good whisky - Jack Daniels Single Barrel. It's better, stronger, and I'll bet I'll feel better than everyone else when they wake up in the morning! If you look closely at the picture you can actually see my breath. Brr.

The band they had were quite good. Nearly all the music they play here is American, and tonight was no exception. Mostly classic rock cover tunes. But, look at his shoes!

This is a Harley Davidson WWII Liberator. Mint.

A face like that is why we love you.

Belgium

2007-10-15T23:23:00.001+02:00

Belgium, a small country south of the Netherlands and home to Belgium fries, Belgium waffles, and Belgium chocolate. As usual, food is on my mind. The highway down went through a place in Belgium where I finally saw what looks like a "bad" section of town, so to speak. I've been looking for where one might live if one was poor, but until this past weekend have not come across anything that seemed to be a European ghetto. There was grafitti along a small stretch of the highway, (much of it in English) and a factory spewing forth thick red fumes of something undoubtedly noxious. Luik, the Dutch name for the city, even had abandoned buildings. Of course, that's nothing compared to what we have in the US, so I'll have to keep looking. Once over the border, the roads were noticeably worse, but the drivers better. Go figure. I asked about gas prices, and it seems that if we translated correctly it might be somewhere between $6-$8 a gallon.

We stayed at Boele's place (a biker Inn) in the village of Lierneux.
http://www.boelesplace.be/

This is the view from the front. Belgium has hills and mountains. It is the prettiest place in Europe I have been so far.

The owner, Jan. He has a small collection of hats, and kindly tried on a few for me. I love hats!

My friend Krull looking cool. He gives me chocolate candy. Yay!

Belgian sunrise

Look closely, that was all green grass - it's now covered in frost.

I wonder where this road goes? Yeah, it's actually a road.

Jeroen with his new Motorbike Touring Club tee-shirt. It's a Dutch joke.

Lots of pine and forests in Belgium. I also saw quite a bit of logging.

Yeah, it's a French place to get frites! Which I did, of course. Why are they not called french fries here? Hmm... Now that I've had German food and Belgium food, I can tell you that it has been my experience that Dutch food is the best - particularly their patat with mayonaise. I have since learned that the Dutch mayonaise is sweeter, and made differently than what we Americans know as mayonaise.

It's warmed up enough, so we can sit outside and enjoy the sun.

Twin Hondas

An American war memorial. This is in the Belgian countryside along the Baraque de Fraiture crossroads. This hotly contested battlefield was the scene of a collision between Americans and German Waffen SS and Volksgrenadier units during the Battle of the Bulge. It was later to be known as “Parker’s Crossroads”, named after Major Arthur C. Parker III, the Commander of the 589th Field Artillery unit assigned to this sector. I also read somewhere that the nearby village where the Americans and Germans fought was completely destroyed save for one building. I'd link you to the photos, but they are too much for me to look at. Very sad.

A detailed history of the battle is in this soldier's account: Parker's Crossroads Revisited

There are a lot of war memorials here and in the Netherlands I've seen dedicated to Americans who fought in WWII. People talk about The War as if it was just a short bit ago. While when I was in America, the Gulf war seemed so far away, and not something that touched my life in any significant way. Quite a difference from over here... I think Americans would be better served by learning as much history as they can from the people who lived it. It really puts a different perspective on things.

Holland Motorbike Ride

2007-10-08T12:40:00.001+02:00

It's late in the year, but we had a perfect day - sunshine and warm for the season - and probably the last one. I finally got to meet my friend Co who came over for a bike ride around Noord Holland. We started out with his friend Henk and Henk's grandson, and were also joined by Jeroen's friend Krul, and I rode with Jeroen. We went on an organized tour with a map (yeah, we had Tom Tom and still got lost) but it was really awesome anyhow. Henk and his grandson soon rode ahead, so there's no pictures of them. There were scores and scores of other bikers on our tour, as well as just out riding around enjoying what I call Indian summer. They don't really know that term here, though.

Krul and Co at the start of our tour in Heerhugowaard. There's a McDonald's in the background. I still haven't been to one in Europe.

Jeroen. His bike is the blue Honda Shadow 1100 (US model)

It's me!

Yeah, I'm sitting on a Harley. It's Co's bike. Cool, huh? No mean jokes here, the rest of us all ride Hondas.

This is the best way to see Holland, I think. Passing by Schermerhorn.

A little village. Well, they are all little to me. For all I know this is a big village. I think this is Hoorn.

Krul riding on the road that goes around Alkmaar - the Alkmaar Ring

Typical Dutch neighborhood. This one's in De Rijp or Graft.

Canals and boats everywhere in Hoorn. I've never been, but it does remind me of what I think Venice would look like.

Most of their bridges seem to be mobile, and they have all different types and ways of moving.

Another Dutch village, this one is definitely either De Rijp or Graft. We rode for the entire day. It's been a long time for me, but I'm finally back to doing something I used to love - riding and traveling.

Lunch time! We stopped in Schardam for frites. Well, that's what I had. No idea why that's in French. That's just how the menu was.

The sun feels so good. I don't know what winter is like any more - I haven't been in one since I was young, and of course never one in Europe. That will be such a cool experience!

Okay, who doesn't know by now that I love sheep? This one was on top of the dyke overlooking where we had lunch. Everywhere there are sheep, cows, horses, ponies, goats, ducks, herons, swans, coots, etc. I saw an emu along the way too...

We stopped for coffee late in the day in Enkhuizen. This town's golden age was back in the 1600s - before my country was even born.

Jeroen

Co in Graft, de Rijp

Co again, this time in Hoorn.

Is that an military Jeep about to overtake Co?

These vehicles are from the Keep them Rolling foundation. They preserve American vehicles from the war (WW II) as a tribute to the liberators.

It's hard to see, but it says USA on the back, and is carrying the American flag...

To me, it looks like a fairytale village from one of the books I used to read as a child. It's Hoorn.

Dutch town square, this is the center of Hoorn.

This used to be the gate of the "city" and that blue sign - it means the street is a dead end. Funny looking to me...

Bye bye! Great ride! Co is the coolest guy - visit his website in Dutch and in English:
http://www.1b1.nl/

I still think I haven't thanked him enough for his kindness to me...

Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

2007-10-01T20:02:00.000+02:00

The Prinzipalmarkt.

Germany, at least the parts I've been to so far, are completely different than the Netherlands. Almost right across the border there are hills, slopes, valleys. So different than the flat land I've gotten used to for the past two weeks around Amsterdam.

I don't know if I mentioned, but Europeans use a different Visa/Mastercard system than Americans - so my credit cards are all but worthless here. That's made it difficult to pay for things, but I'm managing, and will figure something else out soon.

Münster is a great, cosmopolitan town. They even have a Starbucks! And what they eat, how they eat, is completely different than the Netherlands. Almost no vegetables, lots of meat and potatoes. Delicious for me, but also another thing I noticed was that there are a lot of overweight people in Germany. I've got a healthy American size myself, so I felt fine - but I'm not sure I could eat this way all the time. They also drink endless amounts of beer, something I just don't care for, so I'm happy to visit, but wouldn't want to live here.

St Lambert's church.

Yay! Starbucks! And I didn't have any American coffee. Instead I ate at a much cheaper cafe. Hey, I'm on a tight budget - the exchange rate US dollar to Euro is abysmal. I was shocked to discover that I do actually speak some German (thank you Mom), or at least could understand enough to order food and use the correct toilet. Seriously, what more do you need in life?
:)

Germany

2007-09-30T11:49:00.000+02:00

My journey to Germany began in Winterswijk, NL where I had the privilege of staying with my friends Bob and Manuela in their lovely home - built in the 1800s and in a neighborhood of huge and stately homes. We went out for patat - which I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to now - and I had some of their delicious coffee hand ground from beans. Man, that's good. Dutch people have coffee a lot, which suits me just fine!

We visited Aalten, NL to see the house of Angus Young (from the band AC/DC) is building there, and then headed over to Germany. There's just a small sign welcoming you to Germany, no border, no customs, nothing.

This is a real door bell.

I have no idea what this will become when it grows up and becomes a whole car.

The house Angus Young is building.

Lunchtime in Germany. I wanted Bratwurst with sauerkraut and potatoes.

Oh yeah - the good stuff!

I have no idea what this translates as.

Beautiful rolling hills and countryside. It was raining, green and beautiful.

Map of Nottuln, Germany.

A typical German house in Nottuln.

From Wikipedia - Nottuln is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Original settlement of the Nottuln area dates back to about 4000 BC. Wow.

A local church. I have no idea how old this building is, but it's really cool.

You can buy a candle to burn. I got one for my cat Juju.

Amsterdam

2007-09-24T14:02:00.000+02:00

I'm learning a lot more about the Netherlands, and went to the capital (and largest city) -Amsterdam. It reminds me so much of New York City, although it's much much older. There are so many people there of different nationalities, speaking different languages, I felt quite comfortable. Lots of Americans there too. I didn't really care too much about visiting the red light district or marajuana shops, but may go back to do that in the future. The architecture and the way people live is much more interesting to me. They put a cap on the number of houseboats that are allowed to 'dock' in the city - since the 1980's only 2500 houseboats are allowed. Everything is expensive - food, clothing, housing, cars, etc. Actually, to compare it to New York, it is more expensive in many ways than my hometown. For some reason, I assumed Europe would be less expensive than the US, but I have found the opposite to be true.

The fashions, particularly women's fashion is also very different than Los Angeles and what I'm used to. I'm planning on going soon over to Germany, and I'll see if that's different still than the Netherlands.
Lots of warehouses with their distinctive large many-storied doors have now been converted into living spaces. I can imagine this would make for a fabulous apartment...

A replica of a old sailing ship - just looks cool.
Just a small part of a huge garage for bicycles. How they ever find their bike again is a Dutch mystery to me.

Both their house and their porch floats on the water. How cool is that? I'm told that the water does not freeze in the winter. From what I've seen, the climate is quite mild. There are locks, and even their harbor is fresh water - and they aren't affected by tides, which makes for smooth sailing and easy living (provided you can afford it.)

Schoorl aan Zee (Hargen)

2007-09-23T22:14:00.000+02:00

Alkmaar is near the North Sea, approximately 10-15 kilometers from the shore as the crow flies. It was really cold, about maybe 15 degrees celsius, and very windy - but beautiful.

My new favorite word: verboden

The forest behind the dunes.

A farmhouse behind the forest behind the dunes in the polder - and a typical Dutch cow behind the farmhouse, behind the forest, behind the, well - you get the point...

Netherlands, Alkmaar

2007-09-19T19:21:00.000+02:00

Everything around Alkmaar is farmland - cows, horses, goats, birds of all kinds and my personal favorite - sheep!

I've been exploring the north of Noord Holland, around where I live now from Westfriese Zeedijk (the old sea dyke, now inland), to an old town called Schagen. Don't ask me how to pronounce this, but I did get a lovely free map from one of those snack shops (Snack bars) that have what I call french fries, but they are actually called something else here (Patat). Served with Dutch sweet mayonaise, delicious! I also went to the Beemster, a world heritage area north of Amsterdam. That area is gained land, created by taking the water out with windmills. I know this, because I have pictures, and there was a sign that indicated something to that effect. I think. I only know, like, three words in Dutch. Luckily, everyone speaks some English, or at least pretends to.

My favorite - patat, which I am more than willing to share with a friend...

Birmingham, England

2007-09-18T16:35:00.000+02:00

I've left my home and my country to come to Europe and travel. Being a native New Yorker and growing up around the USA has made me somewhat adaptable to new people, cultures and situations.

I flew in from Los Angeles to London's Heathrow airport - 10.5 hours on Air New Zealand. The flight was fantastic; smooth, quiet, good food, and I got to watch three full-length movies.

I had been told that England generally was chilly, grey and often rained, but unfortunately did not get to experience any of that sort of weather. Having lived in Los Angeles for the past five years, I was rather looking forward to something different. The three days I spent in Birmingham were warm and sunny. My friend and hostess, Viki, has a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees, including an awesome palm tree. I felt quite at home.

With the exchange rate between US dollars and the English pound, I found things to be rather expensive, or at least seem that way to me. I also soon discovered that local security did not appreciate my taking photographs at the British equivallent of the local mall. Hey, it was a Starbucks! Just like home. So, I took only a few photos before I got on another plane bound for Amsterdam.