Is that a bell I hear?

The first lights

The lights are up on Oxford Street and the bells are starting to ring - Christmas is fast approaching! I wondered down the street at 5pm, the sky was darker than a midnight sky in KL, the air was fresh and the lights were twinkling. Giant candy canes, presents and santa claus's were everywhere as you craned your head to look into the bright yellow lighting against the suitably dark background - and then the massive 'Marmite' light appears - just in-case anyone was wondering who the sponsor was! Talk about being subtle..

Oxford street

I've begun tuning into this method that everyone seems to be using, and now I understand why. Spend hours walking around shops, being distracted by items you don't need, stressing out about prices you can't afford and then leaving after a few hours with nothing because indecisiveness took its toll. Or, click a few buttons and have whatever you want delivered to your doorstep a few days later. I don't really like the reliance on technology, but if you embrace it, your life can be made so much easier. I'm talking about on line shopping just in case you haven't clocked. There have been times when my lack of technology skills have landed me with 5 different phone covers from eBay when I'd only ordered one, or a broken digital camera (I'd missed out the 'refurbished' label on the item description page). But you can only learn from your mistakes, if everything in life went smoothly all the time, we'd be bored senseless.

Fambam

Thanksgiving's just passed aswell - something the Brits don't really go mad about but having been brought up in International (but Americanized) schools my whole life I've always had those amazing American friends (that over emphasize any festivity in such a contagious manner) that have invited us all over for  huge.turkey.dinner. Now in Psychology, it's been proven that our memory's are inaccurate hence when we think back on an event it will never be exactly what it was due to subjectivity and ra ra ra. But I like to think that some memories are accurate, even if you fantasize them into more than they are - who really cares, it makes for a better story. One such memory was when I was about 12 years old and we were invited over to T & D's for Thanksgiving dinner - We drove up to the house and out the front windscreen I could see a red hat with a white bobble peeking out above a huge sleigh. The other kids that were invited were jumping onto Santa's lap for a photo in his sleigh as the parents stood around and cooed lovingly. I walked into the house, and it was like we'd been teleported to a winter wonderland special. There were decorations everywhere, the AC's were on full blast, lights were twinkling, and gingerbread, chocolates and cookies were scattered around the house in idyllic red and green bowls. The evening rocked along to the carols that were playing as a perfectly suitable background soundtrack for the night; the first course of rich mushroom soup appeared accompanied bread, rolls and the like. The main act followed, a huge turkey, cooked to perfection with a side of roast potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce etc etc etc. The after-main palette cleanser of champagne sorbet followed and then came the stream of countless desserts, pumpkin pie, Christmas cake, cookies, coffee, chocolates - talk about a food baby. We were all preggers by the end of it, and slept like babies that night - waking up with out bellies still full. If there's ever a festive season to over-indulge, I'd give Christmas the prize. It's been my excuse for putting on the extra pounds lately, it's winter, it's cold, we're in need of insulation - animals hibernate for however many months, we need something to keep us going!

I do have friends that aren't as in to the Christmas buzz as I am - and use the argument of authenticity to bring down the mood. I slightly agree but I enjoy playing into it, cynicism isn't for everyone. Yes, Christmas has lost a lot of what it stands for -- I mainly follow the ideals of Buddhism so Christmas isn't about the religious aspect for me, it's about the coming together of family, friends and food, the extra's are just part of the fun. Yes, as a society the commercial side of festivities takes over a lot, we buy into what they want us to believe - we have to buy this, eat that and go there to have a 'merry Christmas'  but even if the exterior of the season is painted for us, the interior is the reason we love it so. That feeling on Christmas morning can't be bought with money or sold through an advertisement - but sometimes the ride's funner than the destination.

My distorted memory in a snapshot

Gingerbread late's and minced pies  in Starbucks

Besides the lead up to Christmas  we're also leading up to the big day that's been written about, made into films, and debated for years and years. The Auspicious day of December 21st. 'The end of the world', the end of the Mayan calendar  the day world war 3 starts, the day the economy changes for good, the day we lose all our natural resources, or the next ice age starts because global warming goes a wal!  What to believe, what to expect? The advise I've been given for that day, is 'be with someone you feel spiritually connected to and spend the day with them'. Whether it's sitting down meditating, having a really good heart to heart, or just laughing about nonsense. I think December 21st marks a change in human conciousness. Over the past few months/ the last year, it's been a huge time of change, as it always is, but more-so. The shift has been immense, the amount of political mishaps, natural disasters, emotional breaking points, deaths etc. have been increasing at a seemingly exponential rate as though testing us - as though to create a divide between those that can handle it and those that can't. Those that can will sore post-Dec 21st, and continue to grow in a positive fashion (speaking in linear terms here), whereas those that haven't been able to handle it, getting too caught up in the web of confusion that it's created, will not flourish as so. There's a 'spirit science' clip that explains what I've adopted as my belief -- not to say it's right, but there are too many options to sit on the fence on this one. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adyqBP5selM) One thing I will say, is I don't think it should be a time of fear - anxiety's one of those feelings that isn't very progressive and because the ever-so-daunting future can hold anything, we may aswell venture into it with our chins up.

A wintry night out

I'm still in my PJ's and am pondering the idea of getting dressed but can't really face the brief few seconds of feeling the harsh cold against my skin as the transition into day-wear begins.. deep breath, here goes.

Drink of the day: Eggnog

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggnog/

M&J In wonderland

The caterpillar

I sat on the tube today on my way back from work and just listened. I could here the tinny electronic beats of a clubby techno tune that the guy next to me was listening to. The girl opposite was stressing out about which station to get off at, constantly shifting in her seat and itching to get up as the doors opened at each stop. We were at 'Gospel Oak Station' according to the Ladies recorded voice that repeated its way down the carriages. I was on the last tube of the night - it made me think how unbelievable the concept of tube/ train conductors are, we still have them? Technology's developed to the point where we have bar codes splashed over everything to enable people and their smartphones to access a specific website/ product etc. My friend whom I stayed with in Holland had a robot that automatically switched on at a regular time bracket every day, to clean the house, and webcam's will soon become a thing of the past as holographic projectors begin to take over. These are just a few minor examples of how technology's improving, yet our system of public transport that is used by thousands every single day, is still such an old world idea. I wonder how many years it will take for electric pods to zoom us through the tunnels of the underground in no time at all.

Nature

This weekend I managed to escape the tubes, trains, shops and city life for a country getaway at my Aunts beautiful estate in Wiltshire. It was 6pm when we arrived to a dark night sky and fresh country air. We strolled through the fields for half an hour to wind down and take a few deep breaths of the countryside. I'd brought one of my best friends along for the experience, she'd never been there before so it was exciting sharing a familiar home. It's funny seeing things by night, if there are no lights on and you stare ahead of you, anything could exist. It reminded me of the movie Coraline, there's a scene where the little girl and her cat walk 'off the grid', and  nothing ahead of them exists. Castles, seas, city's and towns could have been in front of us and we'd never know until the morning. But sure enough, the sun rose the next day, and it all came to life - the rolling hills of green spotted with clumps of trees, sheep and horses. The foliage is all dying away and it's nearing the end of the mushroom season but we still managed to find a million different kinds in the long grass and on the stumps of tree trunks.  Mushrooms are fascinating, in a previous post I mentioned a TedTalks video based on mushrooms and their magical qualities (I'm not just talking about hallucinogenics - they are incredible [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV58tY] ). They look so alien as well - from afar the elephant ear mushrooms look like white plates thrown onto the grass, others look like warped pieces of tissue paper and some are just your stereotypical helmets on stalks, with colours ranging from white to yellow to orange to black.

Alice moments

I had a few family commitments but managed to fit them all in breezily; lunch with Gran followed by a quick spot of mince pies and tea - it made me appreciate my English heritage. I took M. for a stroll in Gran's garden, passed fragrant lavender that's not nearly as wild as in the summer. Frost had started to form over the little flower buds and a light layer was on the ground below. Bonding time with the cousins was also in order, zooming over the hills on quad bikes at the highest gear they'd go as our hands and cheeks lost all sensation (and colour) due to the nippy weather, fishing for Pike on the edge of the wooden dock that leaned over the running water and dossing out to 'friends' on the sofa, with the heating on full. I saw hale for the first time since I was 8 and ran to the window like an excited child - earning me strange looks from everyone in the room. I stuck my hand out and felt the icy stones pelting down and melting as they landed. I can't wait for snow to fall - it would make the cold bearable having a beautiful white blanket surrounding you.

Self explanatory?

That evening we tasted our freshly picked shrooms and spent the next couple of hours giggling and dancing under the stars, watching them twinkle and float into all sorts of shapes and sizes. We sat down to 'Dumbo', an old time favourite, our eyes glued to the screen as 'Pink Elephants on Parade' began. Watching the cartoon years later takes on a whole different perspective. All I could focus on were the pencilled lines of the characters, it's such a difference watching old-style cartoons when each movement was drawn out instead of being completely computer animated. The old Disney films have such a magic touch that no new one can capture - nostalgia filled the air and I finished the movie with a new life-goal, to adopt the sweet little elephant with the oversized ears.

giggles x

Hongos

Our country weekend rounded up with a food coma. We sat around the table with a Sunday Roast and lots of wine; Roast beef, Yorkshire pud, roast potatoes  roasted veggies and all the condiments. Food really brings people together - and is something I've noticed that family members always leave with you, as long as you've left the kids fed, the rest can sort itself out. We sat on the train back to London feeling nourished and revamped, with our countless bags that were stuffed as tightly as they could be onto the seat next to us. An hour and 45 minutes whizzed by, and we decided to end our holiday with a bit of Wasabi. (Low-budget Japanese food, HIGHLY recommended). We're lucky to be living together as we didn't have to face the depressing scene of unpacking alone and filling everyone in on how amazing your weekend was, and how upset you are to be back. We unpacked laughing about our time together and the moments that only we'd understand, and snuggled down to an episode of breaking bad before popping back down the rabbit hole and entering into a Sunday night dream.

Recipe of the day: Roast Beef

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/perfect-roast-beef

The last of the Amsterdamage

T. and I

Leiden

Woke up in yet another strange room, it was still dark so I dashed to the loo to try to get back to bed before my mind officially announced itself awake. I bumped into my mate in the hallway and sighed at the thought that the day had started and bedtime would have to wait a few more hours. The miserable rainy weather made it feel early but we were going on midday by the time all the breakfast was on the table. We made a huge fry up, recycling the one available frying pan to make eggs, baked beans, bacon, mushrooms and the rest of the essentials. We wrapped up tight with our rucksack for the day and set off. Dressing for winter is an effort and a half. First you deal with the pain of getting out of whatever warmth you have on you, pushing through the cold to get into the shower and then layering up, tights, jeans, vests, t-shirts, jumpers then coats, gloves, socks, thicker socks, boots - and then you stuff yourself through the door feeling slightly like a Michelin man yet losing all insecurities about what you look like when you can still feel the cold through a million layers. It's the very end of October and the temperature has already gone below 0 - I'm terrified to think about how much worse it will get. 

Crystals at a local market

Our day was action packed, on our way down to the beach we made friends with a  'fun guy that made the rest of the journey slightly more colourful and silly - luckily the clouds had drifted away leaving a pristine blue sky. We took full advantage of enjoying the moment, rolling down sand dunes and hiding from the wind in cave-like indentations in the sand. We bought crisps, grapes and pears from the supermarket to munch on later and then began our stroll towards the little town of Leiden - I experienced 'kibbling' on our way down the windy beach front -- fresh cod fried in batter eaten with mayo. It was the perfect warm snack, followed by apple pie and hot chocolate in the closest café we could find, we sat there enjoying the luxury of the warmth in total defeat from the cold. We considered the 1.5 hour walk home, but decided to clink a few more coins and get the bus instead. A quick bite of a pizza, a little dance to 'Clint Eastwood' by the Gorillaz and we were off to the bus stop. We made sure we'd have at least 10 minutes so as not to miss the bus, as it was the only one coming in our direction for 40 minutes. This bus was essential to catch as one of my mates A. had another bus to catch back to London from Amsterdam and we were already running short on time. We teared up a little waiting for the bus to come, I lay on our pile of bags looking at the two boys in front of me who I'd watched grow into men over the past 3.5 years - wondering when the next time I'd see them again would be. We all looked defeated, but soon saw the bus lights approaching on the dark empty road. Our hearts dropped when it drove straight passed us, tactically ignoring the three teenagers that stood waving their arms in the middle of the road. We panicked and fretted for about 5 minutes, sharing our annoyance towards the dick bus driver before getting practical and working out what to do. We ran to the closest bus station that was 10 minutes away, and managed to catch the bus that was late for its post - thank god we made it. 

By the canal

We all hugged goodbye, A. went off towards Amsterdam and I journeyed onwards to the Hague to see an old friend that was waiting for me as soon as I arrived.  The evening sweetened up as we bought some banana's from the supermarket, in preparation for one of my new favourite snacks, purely due to it's convenient preparation time - banana milkshakes! 2 banana's, a cup of milk, water or ice cream if you want, blended - done. We snuggled up in bed with our shakes, a buzz from a light spliff and breaking bad on full screen  I don't know whether it was the series itself or our mental states but there were some points of the series that were beyond ridiculous, leaving us in stitches. A bathtub full of a decomposing body falling through 2 stories because the acid used to dissolve the body dissolved through the tub and the floor - It's an entertaining series so far, I'll give it that. We fell into a 14 hour peaceful slumber - the next morning the clocks turned back, winter has officially set in, yelp!

Popeyes

The sun rose slowly and we had a lazy morning in bed watching more breaking bad, munching on scrambled eggs, and pondering what we'd do for the next few hours together. Our pro-active minds kicked in soon enough and we went off exploring the Hague on the back of my friends scooter -- free transportation still comes with a price though, as the speedometer rose, the harshness of the wind could be felt on our faces as our eyes streamed. We made our way to a beach about 10 minutes away, the wind picked up as we approached the sea but at least it was fresh air? We walked through the main shopping centre for shelter, popping into T's mums shop for a little hello and having a light coffee and a cigarette for a pause. We walked passed the buildings that were responsible for imprisoning war criminals and laying down the laws on dangerous chemicals etc. -- this country's got such a high moral standard that it made so much sense that it would be the place where crimes etc. were put in question. We returned home and T. left his bike unlocked and leaning against the wall outside his house - apparently it's safe enough to do so! Something I'm not used to at all. It makes me think how sad it is that one has to assume the worst  from people in order to take precautions. After a quick milkshake at home, I jumped on the train back to Centraal station in Amsterdam. That evening we walked to another coffee shop 'Abraxas', picking up a bag of hot chips and mayo on the way, and returning home later that night with a stick of candy floss  crisps and an apple pie - using 'I'm on holiday' to justify my unhealthy eating habits.

Street art

The days are trickling down and we're down to only 2. The next morning began with a spot of yoga, followed by another coffee shop 'Popeye'. We began with a huge breakfast, that was closely followed by a Shawarma, 2 bars of chocolate and lots of tea. I'm fascinated as to how my stomach is coping with all of this, but it'll get it's break soon. Popeye's was a laugh, one mate A. from London sat for the majority of the time squirming over the cute Scottish waitress who stood at the bar seductively licking cream off her fingers and flashing him cheeky smiles - we were entertained. I decided one thing I needed to do while in Dam was buy a winter essential, so I chose boots given that every shop we passed had about 50 pairs on offer and all for fairly reasonable prices compared to London. So I left the others and set off to choose a pair. I spent the next hour stumbling all over the shop floor, stressing out over varying prices - leather or no leather, fur or no fur, heel or no heel ah! The trip was not successful  so we went home, with the mental promise of completing the boots mission the following day. 

Street art:
"We eat the poor to feed the west"
- scary message

That evening we made a full on meal using whatever ingredients we had in our fridge, and a few others. Make-shift ratatouille was the result, with bread and salad. Followed by an chocolate and vanilla pudding! We ate our happy muffins about an hour before we started cooking, and by the time we'd finished, the giggles had kicked in. We'd set up our night, loaded Ice Age 3 on the laptop, made a delicious meal, and got into our PJ's - it was all timed perfectly for once. The idea of watching a movie is always better conceptually, as our non-stop laughing and short attention span that didn't outlive 5 minutes at a time, didn't help us understand what we were watching at all - and failed to distract us from the white/ milk chocolate ginger biscuits, apparently they're a Dutch speciality, and I see why. After we'd ploughed through a huge meal that should have left us with leftovers for at least lunch and dinner, and the vanilla and chocolate pudding AND the bag of white/ milk chocolate ginger biscuits - we were literally left immobile, struggling not to laugh as our stomachs dealt with the immense amount of food that needed to be digested, yet somehow the drive for more more more beat the pain and we finished the entire bag. Eugh.

Street performer

Self explanatory?

I waved goodbye to Amsterdam as we made our way to Eindhoven the next day, I managed to buy boots in the morning which felt like an accomplishment in itself- munching on rye bread and brie (my staples for the week) we packed everything up and left the apartment. Returning to L's home with a warm home-cooked meal awaiting us, made us smile and appreciate the little things. The next morning was a struggle, getting out of bed and beginning the stressful journey to the airport. I stood in line as everyone was checking in, watching countless people in front of me being turned away as they were too late for their flight. I find that no matter how much time you give yourself, travelling is always a stressful process. On my way to the departures gate I found myself in an 'all day breakfast' restaurant that proved as quite a distraction. But I finally made it on to the plane with no extra costs and I zoned out to my tunes with a cup of English Breakfast tea - So what have I taken with me from Amsterdam? It's beautiful canals, flat grounds and beaches. The proof of a successfully functioning city that has legalized and controlled weed consumption, and a beautiful variety of Art, from the graffiti on the walls, to the street performers, to the huge museums and galleries that are scattered all over the city. Dutch food is one thing I don't particularly warm to however, processed meats and cheeses, lots of bread with a weird variety of spreads, and fairly bland accompaniments..  But that's was a minor flaw. Right now I lie in bed on an overcast Saturday morning, snuggled up with a comfy duvet, wearing my old school hoodie with a cuppa, back 'home' in London town.

Centraal station, infront of a big old crowd ♩ ♫

Recipe of the day: Ratatouille

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2903/ratatouille

In a tourists shoes

T. and his cheese

I've had a few days in Amsterdam But it's all been a bit of a blur. I roamed canals, sketching the floating houseboats that drifted passed me. Checked out little market stalls selling scarves, coats and hats. Being pulled in to by the most useless things - almost coming out of the market with old tin boxes and books that I'd never read - until sense kicked in. We made our way up to the Rijksmuseum - enjoying the 30 minute walk past the bustling coffee shops, the temporary funfair in Dam square and café's. We got to the Museum centre, van Gough on my left, the contemporary art museum on my right and the closed Rijksmuseum straight ahead. We walked into the museum shop to browse through the books on artists and their work; I ended up spending half an hour reading about contemporary, political and abstract art, so I still gained a little something from the (free) visit.

Post-dying phase

Stretching the sugar

Stretching the sugar

I don't like the fact that all the museums cost money here, there's the 'hemp and marijuana museum that's €9, the sex museum that's $4 and the art museums that are all around €15. I did have a little sneak-peak into Van Gough's 3D exhibition. At the entrance before you pay for your ticket they had 3D glasses, that created the illusion of the paintings coming to life - looking at the screens was an interactive van Gough experience as you were virtually taken through 'The Yellow House', out of the window to gaze at 'Irises' and then carried up into 'The Starry Night. We couldn't decide between paying for a peep-show in the red light district or a stroll in the sex museum, but to be honest - the red light district was a full on exhibition already. You passed windows with girls of all shapes and sizes wearing kinky clothes and doing their thing inside their glass boxes. Most of them avoided eye contact with other girls but some had the confidence of queens and held their head up high no matter who walked passed. We soon decoded the lights in the windows, red meant girl and blue meant tranny - at least you got more than one option?.. I saw a 'for rent' sign in some of the rooms and after ranting about how ridiculous it was for a woman to put herself up for rent (getting into my inner feminist) a friend explained to me that the signs referred to the rooms and not the women - woops! I still did feel a pang of sympathy for them though, it was so degrading. It was though we were all in a shop, with all our options parading themselves in front of us in little glass boxes.. The only thing that reminded me that this wasn't just a tourist attractions and it was a real life set-up, were the few creepy old single men leering under the shadows, and the police who stood ready at the street corners. It has a completely different vibe here to the red light district in Thailand, that feels quite dodgy - In Holland, everything feels safe. We never made it to any of the shows that they had on offer, or the sex museum but we had our fair share of provocative entertainment. 

Goats cheese and mustard, hm

We also managed to catch a bit of Amsterdam night life - being economical teenagers we had pre-drinks at a friends apartment, huddled in the living room with glasses of wine and malibu-cokes. It was funny being the odd one out, not being able to chime into the conversation once the Dutch started kicking in. I'd have my friend L. turn to me every now and then to explain what was going on -- but it rarely matched the dialogue that they'd been speaking in my head. Watching people's body language and facial expressions as they talk I've learnt, isn't actually a great representation of what they're actually saying. For example when we were crossing the road the other day, a Dutch woman stopped her bike and said something to my friend with a smile. My response was "Oh she looked nice!" When in actual fact she'd said rather patronizingly "This is a road, yeah?" With a slightly malicious smiles, Implying that we had to move out of her way pronto, and hope she stayed smiling :s. 

Our night out in Amsterdam was fun - the walking in-between venues wasn't as our hands and feet lost all sensation, and body heat just seemed to stop generating. But the clubbing scene was great - We went to 'Paradiso', a well known club that's quite central, full of hundreds of raving teens and cheap drinks (surprisingly)! We danced till 5 in the morning before making our way back through the crisp night.

Muffins and tea!

Mexican breakfast!

Cheese fondue

Stoopwaffles

Rather hungover from the night before the alarm clock did not go down particularly well but prior commitments to see an old friend whom I hadn't caught up with in 4.5 years won, over another morning in bed. The cold does wonders in waking you up that's for sure! I was reunited with my old buddy and it didn't take long for the conversation to flow as we reminisced over our days together in Sri Lanka. One of the weirdest things though that I've found, is when you haven't seen each other in so long, the list of things to catch up on is so immense that it can be hard knowing where to begin. Sometimes new topics of conversation or just discussion of little things going on around you are easier than sifting through the ups and downs of the past. I do love the sudden flashbacks of people, places or things that haven't come to mind for years - and remembering the person you were to them and how that's changed.

We spent the day being tourists in Amsterdam. Prancing around cheese shops with hundreds of free samples, munching on stroopwaffles, watching candy being hand-made, stopping in at various coffee shops (both kinds) and restaurants for a casj Mexican breakfast and spot of fondue. It was a day of splurging, the hot chocolate that T. ordered came in the form of a wad of pure chocolate on a stick that had to be stirred into the accompanying mug of hot milk that was served with cocoa dusted chocolate almonds - I hope your mouth's watering as much as mine was. 

We later met up with other old friends from Malaysia in 'Belushi', the one coffee shop we'd found with huge black sofa's that we all lay down on as our minds rose in unison. I couldn't tell you what happened within those few hours, but it was all shits and giggles. As the clock ticked on, we unwillingly left the warmth of the coffee shop and pushed through the cold (that had dipped to -5 degrees) to the station as we struggled to keep our eyes open. We soon needed a rest so we stopped off for hot chocolate and a glass of warm wine - $3.50 per glass but so worth it, before continuing on, and eventually arriving in Leiden where I was staying for a night. After a hot shower and clean PJ's we munched on our recently purchased chocolate muffin - it made us all very happy indeed ;). The rest of the night was spent in a wake-dream state wondering where I was, realizing, and then wondering again - but it's funny that no matter where I am now, If I'm comfortable, it feels like home.

Recipe of the day: Baked breakfast burrito's
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Baked-Breakfast-Burritos

Oh dam

Pretty Canals

Haha, hey Amsterdam

Sitting on the carpet in my friends apartment in the centre of Amsterdam I can hear the church bell tolling and feel the temperature dropping. The bell rings every 15 minutes so it just becomes light and cheery background noise after the initial irritation passes. We're conveniently situated in the centre of dam, right next to the red light district, lovely coffee shops and gorgeous art galleries so we have sex, weed and art at our doorstep, perfect getaway. I'm here staying with a girlfriend for a little break from the madness that is London. I've been surprised by a few things since I've been here 1) not many people actually speak English. The one downfall of not being bi-lingual :s, so navigating my way through platforms and stations that all had kooky names wasn't too easy - thankfully I'd been given directions, all of which were perfect except the spelling mistake of the house number '85' instead of '58'. This lead to some rather exasperating conversations with neighbours that didn't understand a thing I was saying, and those that did were telling me what I refused to accept 'there's no house number 85 around here'. But despite the slight confusion I eventually made it safe and sound. The second thing that surprises me is the not so lackadaisical attitude towards weed. I expected to walk around with fumes of spliff drifting through the air and joints casually being rolled next to the pretty canals, but as I was told by my friend yesterday, that's really not what goes on. Police roam the streets fining public smokers or people with (a rather unlikely amount) >9g in possession, and the frowned upon image of teenage stoners,  is still frowned upon. But it's a fair system that I think should be adopted by more countries, the novelty isn't present if it's so readily available, the coffee shops swarm with tourists, not locals - and the government makes money off us all! The laws are changing, but I doubt they'll last.

Bicycle traffic

Before I came to Holland all I imagined were flat grounds and copious bicycles, and the stereotype rings true! It's so lovely though, I feel a lot more inclined to move out of the way when I hear a bell ring for a bicycle to get passed me as opposed to a loud horn and a bulky convertible. It also adds to the freshness of the air - here you feel like you're actually taking in more oxygen compared to London where the air can be stifling.
Speaking of breathing I learnt an interesting fact the other day -- to 'inspire' or to breathe in, is the root of the concept of inspiration. And if you think about it, when you're inspired you take a deep breath in amazement or admiration for the person, place or thing and you therefore gain something of value. I love looking at the etymology of words, it adds a whole new layer to something that was once flat ground - a bit like Holland, ha.

The second bell just tolled and I'm rocking side to side slightly, trying to keep my eyes open in my fairly delusional state. Over the passed three weeks I don't feel like I've had 1 proper nights sleep and last night didn't help. Flights in the early hours of the morning used to excite me more than anything. Getting up when it's pitch black to go on an adventure somewhere in the world gave me butterflies. But now nothing could be worse than waking up in the cold darkness, and attempting to function well enough to catch your flight on time. I decided against having 3 hours of sleep because that groggy feeling is almost worse than not sleeping at all. And I've come to realize the danger of this - I'd be staring at a painting to realize that the painting wasn't actually spinning in circles around me but when my eyelids had closed for the last blink in-between my nonsensical thoughts, had lasted longer than a few minutes and I was now dreaming. I managed this by setting an alarm every half an hour, much to the annoyance of whoever was sitting next to me but sacrifices had to be made. So now the endless days of not giving my body its 8 hours of sleep is catching up with me, and by 6pm, or after a puff on a joint, my eyes are droopier than the image to the right..

An old friend!

I had to slightly gather myself together and make an effort to socialize with a friend that I hadn't seen in a few months - he introduced me to my first coffee shop, that was by far the best - "Relax" (Binnen Oranjestraat 91013 HZ). I walked in and was sucked into the trip - crystals growing out of the tables, trippy colours and paintings all over the walls and images of eyes made out of beautiful stained glass. I enjoyed the experience while it was still a novelty, it was the strangest thing ordering weed from a menu over the counter and it being OK! You literally choose your strains off a menu, and a communal vibe of rolling and smoking. Looking around me as my head was floating into space I held onto the crystal to ground me and ensure my whole body didn't float off. It was so strange looking around me and wondering whether everyone else was feeling the same when their external appearance looked 100% normal.. besides the red, droopy eyes and the giggles. 

Pies..

It didn't take too long before our stomachs were rumbling and we made our way to the only English food joint that I knew in the area 'Pieminister' - I've figured out the reason why McDonalds, Starbucks etc etc are all so succesful are because no matter where you are, you always know what to expect of the ambiance, the menu, the music etc. it's always guaranteed so it makes people feel comfortable and 'at home'. That's how I felt in the pieminister, surrounded by Dutchies but yumming down a spinach, sundried tomatoes and feta pie with mushy peas and gravy made me feel right at home :) -- Mm so far Amsterdam, you've served me well. 



Recipe of the day: Feta, tomato and spinach pie 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4540/crispy-greekstyle-pie-