I created a different blog for my India trip, so only for this purpose my blogging is temporarily moved to
http://floor.whereareyou.net

Enjoy!

The wonderful world of embassies and visa

My Indian friends always tell me how visa basically rule their world. Coming from the Schengen region, it is always hard to imagine what that is like. Luckily there is some kind of justice, when visiting India it is payback time!!!!

First of all, I needed to pay a ridicilous amount of money to the Indian embassy, along with travelling there (and ofcourse it is not centrally located (for Dutch standards)). Second, the embassy itself was in a state of total chaos and I was pertrified they would loose my passport (in the time I was standing at the counter, they had already managed to lose 3). Third, you have to apply for a visa between 930 and 1100 in the morning and then pick it up again between 1530 and 1600. In other words, your day is ruined or you need two trips to The Hague to the non-centrally located embassy.

In the end I got a very nice looking visum for India though. Tomorrow morning I will leave.

Sometimes one picture says it all

A friend from the old days came and visited me for the weekend. Since I moved to Amsterdam all of a sudden everyone is eager to come and visit, I wunder what that is about haha??

After a delicious Tapas diner in Amsterdam's cosy neighboorhoud "de Pijp" we biked home and watched television in bed. When I switched on the tv the first scene of a movie was just playing. A gorgeous girlspy talking about another British spy who had killed someone. We looked at eachother and immedeately cried out: "this is soooo James Bond".

Here you can see the "classic"theatrical trailer of this Bond movie. Notice the old cars, exotic settings and the old-school special effects. Roger Moore is not just playing Bond, he is 007.

Things change don't they?

Things change, plans change.
After close deliberation with my parents, I decided my original plan was the best one. I am going back to India, visit the Atma Mumbai projects, see Pruthvi and spend a week on the beach.

Travel itinerary: Bombay-Baroda-Goa
Am so happy and excited.... back to India!!!!

Living in a trainee house has its advantages, there is a movie night!!! I must admit, when asked to watch the movie "300" I was not very enthusiastic. Wasn't that the one where they cut off limbs for 1,5 hours??? Apparently watching violence is a good way to bond with your new roommates and the movie wasn't half bad, it was actually quite interesting.

Amsterdam is really starting to feel like home now. I know my way to the restaurants for nice evening dining, I know which shops I prefer, I know how to get to my gym and I am not afraid to get hit by a car (or any other moving object) anymore. Today, while riding my bike, I even glanced at another bike cheekily and negotiated with a man on the market.

I am feeling inspired to work on my writing again, which indicates I am bored (or as other people say "zen"enough) to think of things to do again. Tomorrow I plan to buy a writing styleguide recommened by a Harvard journalism course. Maybe I will even read it and then write for a while. Maybe I need more "zen"state for that though.

Let's see what happens next.

First steps in a new city

I love city trips: London, Madrid, Paris, Barcelona, Roma....you can wake me up anytime to take me to one of these giants. What exactly do I love about cities? Being aninomous, strolling around and always something to see, the unexpected things, the interesting people, vibrant life.

Today I felt like a tourist in a new city, only it was in my own country and in the city that I now live in. On my bike, trying to avoid getting hit by a car/tram/other bike/pedestrians/pigeons/any other moving objects. I cannot imagine how all the tourists survive here.

I am loving it though. Three more weeks to enjoy before I am going for a trip, most likely Cuba. Have not booked yet, am too busy exploring Amsterdam.