Didn’t realise that I pass Het Rembranthuis each morning, lol what a blind mofo I am.
Found some other good shortcuts that are useful, I like that (after 6 months) I understand where most things are in relation to others… bout time really.

A mate of mine had a very bad experience with taxi’s this weekend, while moving some bags via taxi (something she told the dispatch office about upon ordering it) the taxi driver that arrived was not a happy bunny. She packed the taxi, being careful not to damage the taxi, and on the way he was rude and abusive. She panicked and just wanted out so kept quiet until the end where on her rush to get the stuff out she said to him that she just wanted to “put as much distance between them” this seemed to be the wrong thing to say (amazingly). He than began kicking the boxes and hurling abuse, the last piece of which was, I hope you die tonight. Charming!!!

I’m a softie, two things each year guaranteed to bring a tear to my eye are the Leaving Cert and its results day (its such a rite of passage) and the First Day of School. Listening to RTE Radio 1 the other day I heard a recording of Gaybo reading a poem by John D Sheridan about a child’s first day at school. Have a listen if you know of a little one that headed off, or pass it to your mammy, you know she’ll like it.

Loving the neighbourhood of Straat & Dijk – Haarlemerstraat and Haarlemerdijk, its where a mate of mine is moving and its really cool. Actually as its a 3 min bike ride from me its just as much my neighbourhood. Another thing I love about Amsterdam Centrum, its just so cool everywhere. I mean so is Dublin but things just seem more accessible here. Perhaps its just that after so many years in one city do you stop looking around, get stuck in a rut?

Still liking the cycling, its helping that I can listen to the radio (RTE/2FM) in one ear on the way.
Been trying to pick up the courage to come home through the old town, its lovely, I did the route once with Christine but its scary and there are more people wandering out in front of you and more risk of coming off the bike. Still eventually I will get the courage up

On the topic of accidents, went to see Catherine on Friday, she had to have the amputation.
She was in “good” form, but she’s such a private person that it would be hard to know really how she’s doing. I think she’s pretty amazing.

Ok I have more than this drivel to put out on the interweb, but I wanted to make a post and my brain is fried, I’ll try some photo posts this week too.

TTFN!

So last night I was introduced to an amazing group, German band called Notwist, performing with the Andromeda ME Orchestra in Paradiso WOW….
I have a thing for rock bands (although in this case it was Rock and Electronica) with Orchestra’s. Part of my love for Sigur Ros… is that rock with amazing delicate notes. Last night I was delighted to see a Harp on stage (no there was no pint of bass, smart asses). I love the Harp and Harpischord … weird I know…. which reminds me of Dustin OHalloran.

Nightlife here still exhausts me, I mean its remarkably peaceful for a city in which the pubs serve until 4/5am during the weekends and nightclubs seem to go on until breakfast, take that Dermot Ahern. Here is proof that turfing everyone out of the pub at the one time, rather than allowing people to chose when to go home and filter out accordingly is the far better option.

Really looking forward to my holiday… 8 weeks and I will be in New York with Catriona, can’t wait. Really looking forward ot having time to explore the city unlike the last rushed visit where I saw nothing only a New Jersey outlet mall.

Thinking about Catherine today, she will have to have the leg amputated….. and today the Metro began working again, although I think that for as long as the weather remains half decent I will stick to biking. I’d like to try the “shorter” Dam Square cycle on the way home but not sure I am brave enough just yet. Morning is one thing, but I dont fancy doing that route back in the evening.

Must be homesick, considering leaving RTE online on after the news to see a bit of the Rose of Tralee…. perhaps I need an emergency slap! Its been in my head since mum mentioned it at the weekend, the usual Irish Mammy, “you know its the end of the Summer when the Rose of Tralee is on” I actually like Ray Darcy on the Rose, he’s a big Queen (well for an Irish mucker) and very Bitchy

On the topic of RTE news, I enjoyed the piece on Drivetime this evening about the blogger room, sponsored by Google at the Democratic Convention in Denver today, sofas, sweets, soft drinks… google seems big into tooth decay!!
Not too sure about all the “hype” surrounding the US elections, I mean yes its a big country and yes its a rich country…. but really… I heard a soundbite from some US celebrity stating that this was the most important election in history… REALLY? That’s taking it a tad too far for my liking.

Had the best cup of tea this evening …really good….. just needed to say that!

Anyway…. ad break over… back to good ole RTE News, six months of BBC brainwashing has formed a deep appreciation of RTE One (Radio and TV). Well at least thats my current excuse, other people might say Im showing my age, Morning Ireland, Liveline and Drivetime…. its a little bit middle aged of me … but I dont care… pass me my knitting!

Final disturbing note…. An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD singing ‘Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore’ at the Fleadh Cheoil in Tullamore

Wednesday at 2pm Poo went home to Ireland, think he’s glad to be going home. I think he liked the time to relax in Amsterdam, I’m not sure it was what he expected but I hope he was happy.
I really liked him being around, I know I’ll miss him but I have lots of visitors over the next few weeks and the trip to New York to look forward to so its all ok.

Got a HUGE mosquito bite on my neck tuesday night…… I look deformed, no really I do.
Actually the one on my arm is more worrying… looks like a second elbow and there’s a nasty red line running from it to almost my armpit…. I’m not a doctor but it doesn’t look great

Went home last weekend, didn’t think Poo was leaving so quickly after or I’d have stayed but I had it booked ages ago and I hadn’t been home for 7 weeks so it was due! Saw all the work mums had done in the house, stuff she’s wanted to do for ages and I’m glad for her that she’s getting her house a little more the way she wants it, she deserves it.

I’ve been waking up every morning wrecked, it began when I moved here first and abated slightly after 3 months to return with a vengeance in the past month. I have to say I chickened out of cycling to work for the last three days on the basis that I wasn’t awake enough to competently make it to work in one piece. Really I was just too lazy and preferred the idea of veging on the tram/train/metro/stroll listening to morning Ireland/rick o shea/2xm streaming on my mobile (yes i found a way around the olympic ban – more on that in a bit) I could be forgiven for one morning as it was excessively wet, however Thursday and friday have been lovely so I am just a useless lazy sod to be honest!

The restrictions on RTE broadcasts for the Olympics bug me, even if working in the industry I understand them. RTE paid money for the rights to broadcast exclusive coverage of the Olympics and as such have to keep that coverage within their territories. This allows the IOC to sell similar rights packages to other territories on an exclusive and therefor more expensive basis. But really, could RTE not just delay transmission by 15 seconds and edit out/ block any news bulletins or coverage of Olympics? Anyway …. as I must circumvent every rule relating to my aquisition of entertainment I spent an hour trying to find another way to satiate my aural needs of morning ireland/ rick o shea / decent music. I happened across a site called moodio (m.moodio.com) and within mins was streaming my daily fix through the wonder that is my mobile!! I hope the usage is within the limits of my 9.99 “endless” data package, but I am restricting myself to just those two shows and then switching to the internet to listen to 2xm which is unaffected by the blanket ban.

I spent a couple of hours watching the Olympic Opening ceremony last Friday, wow it was amazing. Sorry I had more to say on this …. but it took the last train out of my head!

Lots of visitors this weather, which is good, and bad. Mostly good…. all the visitors that have stayed in my house so far have been pretty excellent. Beginning to wonder about certain requests for lodging tho. Ever wonder when to draw the line under a friendship, when its run its course and now its just a vestige of something that was….. I do!

Been doing some great night time blog searching these days, and found some treasures… hope they dont mind me listing them here; most are in my sidebar anyway….
Travelvice – the blog of a guy who has been traveling the world since Dec 2005, first solo, then with his girlfriend and since Jan of this year, with their son!
Conortje - the blog of an Irish guy in Netherlands for ten years, I love his writing, very witty and intelligent.
Textsecrets /Post Secret – two sites really but similar idea, people write anonymous confessions to absolve, incite, inspire, entertain the public….

Ok enough from me…. suspiciously photo free post!