Europe, thus far

So in case you hadn't been informed, I am on vacation in Europe for three weeks. It was a whirlwind of a decision because I had just started my new restaurant manager position, packed up and moved things to a different house, and all the little other things I needed to tie up before trampsing off to another country. Three weeks. That's a long time, but by the end of my last day of work, I was craving to be on an airplane thousands of miles away.

First stop, Paris. Let me tell you, the French know their wine and cheese. I didn't go a daz without drinking a bottle of wine. I ate some escargot as well but it just tasted like butter because of the pesto sauce they drowned the shelled delicasies in. And the baguettes were a treat as well. I got a chance to do things other than eat and drink, mind you. There was a Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph. (But the Arc visit was more so to find a restroom...) Anyhow, my impression of the town was that it was suave and sophisticated. The people were friendly too unlike what some people had told me.

After that great city, off to Amsterdam. If sin and sustenance were to have a child it would be sucking on the teet of this city and it's playground would be in the Red Light District. Attractive big bosomed blondes tapped on glass booths giving come hither eyes to passerbys. It was a strange feeling of curiosity and fright especiallz with all the strange loin-itching old men around. I dont think I stayed longer than 45 minutes before I was ready to call it a night and return to reality. I dont know what it is but something about Amsterdam or at least the parts that I saw of it, seemed like I was on an artifical movie set. The colorful and authentic architecture of the buildings, the rippling canals and loads of cyclers with scarves wafting in the wind as they rode down cobblestone pathways was like something out of a painting. We met a cool bartender at a place called Get Down to It with a menu of Mary Jane delights. His name was Pedro and introduced me to Wiekse Witte a white beer which I think now is probably not a popular choice among the locals after I got manz strange looks as I tried to order it at some other places. I tried mushrooms but was luckz enough onlz to feel its effects while i was sleeping. A parade of colorful butterflies and rhinos passed throuhg mz brain as if on a horizontal escalator like at airports. My arms tingled and I had trouble sleeping but that was ok. For the most part it was an interesting experience, but I donät know if I would do it again. I also got a chance to see mz two Dutch friends I met in Singapore. I met them up in Utrecht where on eof them was studzing and thez made me pasta for dinner and took me out for dinks. It was interesting seeing them. Asking them tot ake time out of their lives to show me some semblance of what thez called their dailz lives. It was nice and different at the same time. Where once these people wer ein mz life, my tight circle of friends, so quicklz vanished by distance and time to be reunited in this temporarz space. How one day you see them every day, but now you cant remember how the sound of their laughter is like.

Thus far in the trip, I have been having this aching for something back home. A lack of a piece of me that I left behind and canät wait to get back to. Isnät that funny, alwazs wanting vacation when zou donät have it but once zouäre on it and the load and frustration of being awaz eats at you, you canät wait to get back home. Its a life paradox, a cunundrum. But I do miss it, so much I can hardly stand it.