Howdy! Another great day in Amsterdam. Of course, I got home at 6am, but I needed to dance and burn off energy! I am now at my hotel, trying to get some rest before heading out to the Supper Club tonight for some dinner and then some dancing.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet Rene, and that would have been cool, but these things happen.

So, even though I said that I wouldn’t make any concrete plans this weekend, I had made concrete plans just in case we were not able to meet. So that involved a trip to the Van Gogh museum and shopping! 🙂

First, about the museum. I just love the Van Gogh museum. Everytime I walk in it is a new place. And it was great to take a walk in the part, listening to my favourite songs on my CD-MP3 player, and just having my only worry be did I want a coca-cola or a coca-cola light?

So after my bit of culture for the weekend and my stroll through the park, it was time to go shopping. So after a brief stop back at the hotel, I hit the shops. That was a 3-hour experience, but I bought a new outfit (don’t know when I’ll wear it since I won’t have many weekends in Sweden from now until October), a new bag, and a new top. I think it looks really good. I’ll jump into the outfit and post the pic online on Sunday or early next week.

Overall, this day as been really really good. I don’t wanna spend too much time in the hotel, so I think I will go do some laundry (the hotel has a free washer and dryer…I love the Marriott…now my clothes don’t have to smell like smoke for the trip home tomorrow), then take in a coffee, read a little of my book (I am re-reading Tuesdays With Morrie…I am going to cry again), and then come and shower and get ready for the Supper Club. Then I will come back from the Supper Club, change into something more club-appropriate, and then head out dancing. I leave tomorrow, so I will be sure to make a night of it!

Anyway, might come back on later to share the Supper Club experience, otherwise, I will post more later. Have a lovely day everyone! 🙂

Typing this on the plane ride over to Amsterdam. It is sure nice to get away from work today, as it has been generally crazy at work for the last 4-5 weeks that people have been away or on holiday of one sort of another. I am going to, above else, relax this weekend. Most on my schedule and terms!

And then I was thinking: how many times have I been to Amsterdam? And I think I’ve been there about 10 times, but each experience has been different, and each time I go, it really is as if I am there for the first time. The very first time I was there, I was just there overnight, on my way back to university after having taken an unplanned 2 week detour in Egypt to explore the ancient Egyptian and Grecco-influenced ruins during my cruise along the Nile. I had barely made it into the city, and was so afraid, that I walked around and wouldn’t even look at or speak to anyone. The second time I was there, it was for a Model United Nations conference outside of Amsterdam, and then after spending a few days in Amsterdam with friends, I had decided that loved the city. The youth hostel in the vondel park was where we stayed. Clean and comfortable, and the experienced was enhanced by the company I was with. I remember in each of those experiences being so poor, as many college students are. I mean, rich enough to afford to go traveling, but too poor to have the lifestyle and experience I had seen of the jet set travelers in the movies. During my subsequent visits, I was working in Europe (and globally) and would weekend in Amsterdam, as I am doing this weekend. And the experiences have been incredible. From the Supper Club to the shops to the bars to the art and cultural centres, to just taking coffees at some small cafe, each experience has been a worthwhile one. So I am excited to be going back again.

During my trip here this time, I will be meet up one day with Thallow, and that should be interesting, as it will be the first person I’ve met up with through LJ without knowing them before. Then I need to make my appearance at the Supper Club, with the proper gear of course.

Like with my most trips post-university, I am going to stay at the Amsterdam Marriott. It’s nice and central (on the Western Belt), and it’s close to the Van Gogh museum, which should have some new exhibits to take in, and the stroll through the park after seing such great art is always a time of reflection.

Finally, a few thoughts on my travel experience. I took a look through my passport while waiting in the SAS Business Lounge for my flight. I look at the extra pages that had to be added to my passport in Hong Kong. And I look at the travel visas (still have a few more years for Visa free travel to Korea and Australia and Brasil), and the one day travel permits, the transit visa, and the stamps from a dozen places, and I realise that I have been blessed to have the life and experiences that I have had. And that most of it has been on company travel. And then I remembered what got my traveling in the first place: a trip to Paris and cycling through Brittagne in 1993. The adverture and the spirit of travel. Meeting new people and experiencing new things. Then I thought I can’t get that in the business lounge, so I went to the gate, and struck up a conversation with someone who travels freuqently to Amsterdam and Sweden and we thought it would be good to keep in touch upon her return to Sweden. And that was what the travel experience has always been about. The joy of meeting new and interesting people! 🙂

Here’s to continuing to wear out the passport in varied and interesting places! And to friends yet unintroduced around the world 🙂

Peace, Rodney

So, today SwedishChef79 send a link to the Bentley’s Alumni Website, and low and behold, my purdy face is on there.

I suppose it feels good to be there, but at the same time, I stopped giving to the First Decade Society as a protest against them effectively killing the Model United Nations program, and will only resume giving once the President Morone leaves his job.

But the again….maybe if one of them reads this, the pic goes down down down! Oh well, I was almost famous anyway 🙂

The above quote was from Jules Renard. And for some reason, I have gotten myself into a state of depression. I hope I can shake it soon. I just feel like since I am going to Amsterdam in a few days to relax and get away (anyone wanna join me for dinner at the Supper Club on Saturday? :), I need to make sure that I am in the right mood to have a good time!

Oh yeah, and visit this cool guy his website www.saska.info. It’s a very nice and elegant design. In the next edition of my website (tentatively titled “Heaven & Hell” – as soon as I can find both white and black wings), I will probably keep his concept in mind.

So it’s 22.00 and I am just waiting for Markus before we go out and do some partying. I am excited that Markus is back in town, because as much fun as Tomas has been to hang around it, it’s different hanging out with single people versus people who are in relationships. But hanging out with Tomas has been great. I went to the gym 5 times this week, and somehow managed to gain a kilo, while eating less than normal. However, muscle definition and development are coming around great. So I have been happy with myself this week overall.

I did have a moment of weakness and had some chocolate today for lunch. But that was the only thing I had for lunch. And I can tell now that my body needs a regular intake of healthy food, because the chocolate made me sick and I had to take a nap because my tummy hurt so much.

Well anyway, nothing a few ciders and vodka/red bulls won’t cure in short order.

I had an after party last night. It went pretty well until people wanted to have sex in my bed, then I threw everyone out. Except one guy, because he was really really cool and we just chatted about everything in general. He was a cool finnish guy, will have to keep in touch with him.

Everyone have a fabulous night out. Haven’t decided whether or not to make tonight an all-nighter, or whether I just need to give it a rest because I plan on going to Patricia tomorrow. At any rate, hugs and kisses to everyone!

The next time you are in Massachusetts, here is what to do in the event of a Bear Attack:

So yesterday I went to a Reebox Step Up class at the gym. A level 2 class. In Swedish. Those who know me can only imagine how this story is going to end, eh?

Well, I am confident enough in myself at the beginning of the class. I don’t understand a word she is saying, but the instructions seems simply enough. And then it gets very complicated…

They step up on the platform……I step down off of it (why was I up there in the first place?).

They march in place….I step up on to the platform.

They are kicking rhythmically….I am punching the air.

They are doing complicated rhythms involving the step….I am kicking it over and stumbling around like Boris Yeltsin after breakfast.

They are combining several of the exercises…..I am doing the cabbage patch and the running man to the music (a remix of “I Am What I Am”)

They begin the cool down exercises…I am still doing the cabbage patch and the running man to Enya.

They do calf extension exercises….I accidentally kick the person next to me.

I wanna sign up for the next class…the instructor writes “Rodneys Not Welcome” on the sign up sheet.

But hell, I played a mean game of mini-golf afterwards 😉

My muscles are really sore from all of body pump classes and exercise, so while I have a body pump class today as well, I might just use less weights and take it a little easier.

Sigh….