LOTR I was just idling away some time reading some reviews on the Lord of the Rings movie. I have to stop now. I don't think I can take any more comparisions (by people who haven't read the book) of J.R.R. Tolkien to the Harry Potter books. Here's a quote from one. "I have to give the author credit. His ideas are different from Harry Potter, yet similar as well." Ugh. Don't get me started.
Another guy that reviewed it wanted to know "where's the sex?" as in sexual tension, carnality, and romantic stuff. Do people not realize that this movie is based on a book? Or do they think that the director should just have total free reign to insert anything they please in there? The whole bit with Arwen and Aragorn wasn't even in the first book. Isn't that enough free reign for you? The same guy then proceded to say that obviously this movie must be a children's film (you guessed, like Harry Potter) since there's no sex in it.
Thursday, April 18
Hot Damn <dance>I'm getting a new computer.</dance> With some unexpected cash, Daryl and I decided to order a new computer for me since this one won't play games for shit. When we went to Best Buy, there was just one computer I couldn't stop drooling over, so I've ordered an Alienware system that should stay top of the line at least until I take it out of the box. The one I'm ordering isn't one of their pre-built systems, which also kick ass, but one made to order since there were some things I didn't want or need, and other things (i.e., videocard, RAM) that I wanted more of. It will have a Pentium 4, a GeForce 4 video card, 512 RAM (couldn't afford more), 60 gig drive, DVD-ROM, and it comes with a keyboard and optical mouse. Go me! Now if only it didn't take two weeks to build and deliver...
Netherlands Sorry I haven't made a bigger post. I just really haven't felt like it, and I haven't really needed to since my husband put up pretty extensive notes on his website. I'll be scanning pictures and putting them up under the (you guessed it) pictures area on my site.
Netherlands Sorry I haven't made a bigger post. I just really haven't felt like it, and I haven't really needed to since my husband put up pretty extensive notes on his website. I'll be scanning pictures and putting them up under the (you guessed it) pictures area on my site.
Wednesday, April 17
Saturday, April 13
Friday, April 5
Antwerp, Belgium We had a pretty good time in Utrecht. There wasn't a lot we could do since Sunday and Monday were National Holidays. After I last wrote we went to that huge mall to go to see a movie. I thought it was kind of odd that this big huge mall only had a theatre with 4 screens, 2 big and 2 smaller ones. Daryl said it's because the mall was built in the 70s. We took a bus about two blocks from the B&B Utrecht to the mall, which is where the Central Station is, and since we were early we got something to eat and some ice cream. The ice cream was home made. Daryl said it almost tasted like frozen custard. It was almond-hazelnut and I could've eaten twice as much as we did, it was so good. We went to see The Time Machine, which was *excellent*. It was a lot like seeing a movie in America because after we sat down there was a couple that came in and sat down right in front of us and whispered and made out for the entire movie, and the person at the end of the row had a cell phone that kept ringing. There wasn't really any sense in moving though, since it was a small theatre. After that we just walked around Utrecht for a while. There wasn't really anything to see, since everything was closed. We were going to go to McDonald's (whoopie) for something to eat, but right next to McDonald's there was an Italian restaurant that was open. We had to go down a narrow flight of stairs to get to it, and it was incredibly hot, since it seems that no where has air conditioning since it's never that hot out and just open the windows. It was a very authentic place, apparently family owned and operated, and very yummy. There was a guy walking around selling roses and polaroids if you wanted them. We ordered a carafe of Lambrusca, and I had a minestrone soup which was really good because it had cheese in it, and we split a greek pizza. One of our waiters didn't speak English, and had no idea what Daryl was saying when he asked for a bill, but our other waitress spoke English. We had the phrase book with us to read the menu and didn't need help with that.
We've been in Antwerp for three nights. We had only been planning on staying for two nights, but the room was the nicest we've had so far, and since we were going back to Amsterdam on Friday, we didn't want to worry about where we wanted to stay for the one night. The room was more like a hotel than any we've stayed at so far. The breakfast has been the same in every place; pretty much. Bread, cheese, butter, hard- or soft-boiled eggs, and muslix, corn-flakes, and chocolate frosted corn flakes. The only different thing they had at this place was the addition of sliced ham to go with your bread and cheese. The place was in the heart of an orthodox jewish area, and just a short walk away was something like a town square, where all the restaurants were. It was a very friendly area where all the family's met to talk and eat and watch the children play basketball.
On Wednesday, we went to the Antwerp zoo. I took pictures of as many things as I could, that I thought would show up. Thursday, we went to the historic district, which was a lot of fun. There were lots of beautiful buildings, and I took lots of pictures there too. Antwerp is right on a river, and there was a nice view from the riverside.
Today we're taking the bus back to Amsterdam. We had to check out of our hotel before 11, and our bus doesn't leave til 2:30, so that's why we're here. We're planning on going to a bar in Amsterdam tonight or tomorrow called Mulligan's. It's an Irish pub with live music all week. I think the guys from Utrecht are going to come up to Amsterdam and go to the pub with us, since they thought we were cool and wanted to hang out again before we go.
If my writing seems a little stilted, well, it is. The keyboard here is driving me nuts. The letters are in different places than I'm used to, and all the punctuation and numbers are in different spots. I'm having to watch my fingers as I type, and I feel like a hunt-and-pecker. I'm going to stop now before I throw the keyboard into the street in frustration.
We've been in Antwerp for three nights. We had only been planning on staying for two nights, but the room was the nicest we've had so far, and since we were going back to Amsterdam on Friday, we didn't want to worry about where we wanted to stay for the one night. The room was more like a hotel than any we've stayed at so far. The breakfast has been the same in every place; pretty much. Bread, cheese, butter, hard- or soft-boiled eggs, and muslix, corn-flakes, and chocolate frosted corn flakes. The only different thing they had at this place was the addition of sliced ham to go with your bread and cheese. The place was in the heart of an orthodox jewish area, and just a short walk away was something like a town square, where all the restaurants were. It was a very friendly area where all the family's met to talk and eat and watch the children play basketball.
On Wednesday, we went to the Antwerp zoo. I took pictures of as many things as I could, that I thought would show up. Thursday, we went to the historic district, which was a lot of fun. There were lots of beautiful buildings, and I took lots of pictures there too. Antwerp is right on a river, and there was a nice view from the riverside.
Today we're taking the bus back to Amsterdam. We had to check out of our hotel before 11, and our bus doesn't leave til 2:30, so that's why we're here. We're planning on going to a bar in Amsterdam tonight or tomorrow called Mulligan's. It's an Irish pub with live music all week. I think the guys from Utrecht are going to come up to Amsterdam and go to the pub with us, since they thought we were cool and wanted to hang out again before we go.
If my writing seems a little stilted, well, it is. The keyboard here is driving me nuts. The letters are in different places than I'm used to, and all the punctuation and numbers are in different spots. I'm having to watch my fingers as I type, and I feel like a hunt-and-pecker. I'm going to stop now before I throw the keyboard into the street in frustration.
Monday, April 1
From Utrecht, Netherlands Well, we've been here four days and haven't really been able to do a lot. On Friday, after we walked to the room and got situated we got something to eat and then tried to play Monopoly in the common room. Daryl was falling asleep over his money so we just went to bed around 8 o'clock. The room wasn't too bad. I don't think you guys would have liked it, but it worked for us. There was a bunk bed and a single bed. I slept on the bottom bunk and Daryl on the bed. The beds were pretty comfortable and we slept well, and they had feather down comforters. The comforters have removable covers that they take off and wash after you leave. The room had a chair and a sink and a nightstand, and when the curtains were drawn it was nice and dark. We were on the top floor and had to go up two flights of stairs, one of which was so narrow you, about half my foot would fit on it, so you had to be careful. We thought the rooms had private baths but they didn't, just a sink. There were 7 rooms upstairs, 3 common bathrooms, and 3 showers and were all really clean. The only thing I didn't like about the shower was that instead of having a faucet, there was just a button that you pushed. There was no way to adjust the temperature of the water, it was just steaming hot. It would stay on about 15 or 20 seconds and then you'd have to push it again. Of course, it was a good way to make sure no one took long showers. All the people that worked there were friendly and helpful, but most of the people there didn't really talk a lot beyond saying hello.
The second day we walked around Utrecht and went to the Dom tower and cathedral. That night we met a couple of guys that Daryl knew. They were the guys that came and looked at the second place we were staying to see if it was decent. We met them at an English style pub, and they bought all the drinks and snacks. They must've spent 100 dollars while we were there. We had lots of fun. It was a 70s and 80s dance night, so there was lots of singing and dancing, and I took pictures. They guys were really cool, but it was kind of funny how they would explain things to us like we didn't have it in America... like ziploc bags for example. So we'd just smile and nod instead of saying "well duh, we have that too." Daryl took him a 2.5 pound bag of chocolates and they were ecstatic. They brought Daryl a roll of the best selling brand of licorice and a (ziploc) baggie of mixed gummies and licorice. I drank way too much and spent Sunday sick. Of course, Daryl was fine. I don't think that all of my being sick had to do with drinking though, because I had said earlier to Daryl that I thought I was coming down with something and on Sunday I had a really bad sore throat and a bit of a fever. I was so thirsty and no matter how much I drank, it didn't help. I felt absolutely horrible. We couldn't have done anything on Sunday anyway, since it was Easter and everything was closed. We just took a cab from Strowis where we were staying, to the B&B Utrecht, which is where we are now, and I slept for most of the day. Then we went and had some Chinese, since it was pretty much the only thing open. Every time we've gone to eat, we haven't taken the phrasebook with us. So we've been ordering things that have been obvious... like anything that says "vegitarian", "kip" which is chicken, "croquets" and "omelets". The first restaurant we ate at was a little sidewalk cafe, and we ordered vegitarian croquets, and it was delicious! Last night I ordered a vegitarian omelet from the Chinese place and it was great too. It was a huge omelet covered in a tomato sauce. And Daryl ordered half a chicken in sauce.
The room in the B&B Utrecht isn't as homey as the one in Strowis, but I think I like it better. Again, it has the dorm style bunk bed and another bed. There's also a computer with high speed internet, a TV with cable, a table and two chairs, and a shower and toilet in a little side room separated by a shower curtain. The walls are paper thin, but I've been so tired I just slept through it all. They had a really impressive breakfast, and everything's available all day. There was several different cereals and milk, a machine that had coffee, tea, and hot water available all day, lots of bread, butter, jams, and jellies, hard boiled eggs, and there must have been 20 different varieties of cheese. The atmosphere among the people staying here was a lot more friendly than at Strowis, mainly because it's a small area, and instead of there being a dining area with tables and chairs, there's just one table with all the food on it that everyone sat around. We met people there attending a Pentacostal conference. One woman I talked to said it's an annual world-wide conference with people from America, Australia, Sweden, and all over Europe. A big to-do. We talked to people from Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, and people from Spain, and Latvia. The two couples from Belgium gave us their numbers in case we needed any help or anything while we're in Belgium.
We can't really do anything today either. Apparently Monday is a big day off for most people and all the museums and attractions and everything are open from Tuesday to Saturday instead of Monday to Friday. We're probably going to go to the mall and to see a movie or something. The mall, which is where the train and bus stations are, is huge. It's one of the largest shopping centers in Europe. We had to walk all the way through it to get to the bar, because it was the easier way that David (the guy we met) knew how to explain to us. It was also the longest way possible. Turns out it was a lot easier just to walk around it, as we found out when they walked us back to the hotel. Anyway, before we went to the pub we stopped at a fast food type place and had some food and when Daryl went to get a soda from a machine he was propositioned by a drugged up prostitute. She was funny to watch. She'd like lift up a leg and put it back down and lift up the other while she was just standing and when she walked she'd list from side to side. David said that the mall is a big gathering place for the homeless and that after 2 o'clock they line the hallways in their sleeping bags. The security is tight and they're supposedly harmless, and during the hours that stores are open we didn't see any except the prostitute. Accordion music seems to be a big thing here too. There were accordion players busking in every hallway in the mall it seemed.
I've taken lots of pictures, and already used up a 12 exposure and half a 24 exposure of film, and we haven't really done anything yet. We've generally had a good time except for while I was sick and miserable and feeling all around sorry for myself. It was a lot of fun hanging out with the guys and we'll probably see them again before we leave. I guess that's it. Like I said, we haven't done a lot of tourist stuff besides walking around the streets, since most everything has been closed.
The second day we walked around Utrecht and went to the Dom tower and cathedral. That night we met a couple of guys that Daryl knew. They were the guys that came and looked at the second place we were staying to see if it was decent. We met them at an English style pub, and they bought all the drinks and snacks. They must've spent 100 dollars while we were there. We had lots of fun. It was a 70s and 80s dance night, so there was lots of singing and dancing, and I took pictures. They guys were really cool, but it was kind of funny how they would explain things to us like we didn't have it in America... like ziploc bags for example. So we'd just smile and nod instead of saying "well duh, we have that too." Daryl took him a 2.5 pound bag of chocolates and they were ecstatic. They brought Daryl a roll of the best selling brand of licorice and a (ziploc) baggie of mixed gummies and licorice. I drank way too much and spent Sunday sick. Of course, Daryl was fine. I don't think that all of my being sick had to do with drinking though, because I had said earlier to Daryl that I thought I was coming down with something and on Sunday I had a really bad sore throat and a bit of a fever. I was so thirsty and no matter how much I drank, it didn't help. I felt absolutely horrible. We couldn't have done anything on Sunday anyway, since it was Easter and everything was closed. We just took a cab from Strowis where we were staying, to the B&B Utrecht, which is where we are now, and I slept for most of the day. Then we went and had some Chinese, since it was pretty much the only thing open. Every time we've gone to eat, we haven't taken the phrasebook with us. So we've been ordering things that have been obvious... like anything that says "vegitarian", "kip" which is chicken, "croquets" and "omelets". The first restaurant we ate at was a little sidewalk cafe, and we ordered vegitarian croquets, and it was delicious! Last night I ordered a vegitarian omelet from the Chinese place and it was great too. It was a huge omelet covered in a tomato sauce. And Daryl ordered half a chicken in sauce.
The room in the B&B Utrecht isn't as homey as the one in Strowis, but I think I like it better. Again, it has the dorm style bunk bed and another bed. There's also a computer with high speed internet, a TV with cable, a table and two chairs, and a shower and toilet in a little side room separated by a shower curtain. The walls are paper thin, but I've been so tired I just slept through it all. They had a really impressive breakfast, and everything's available all day. There was several different cereals and milk, a machine that had coffee, tea, and hot water available all day, lots of bread, butter, jams, and jellies, hard boiled eggs, and there must have been 20 different varieties of cheese. The atmosphere among the people staying here was a lot more friendly than at Strowis, mainly because it's a small area, and instead of there being a dining area with tables and chairs, there's just one table with all the food on it that everyone sat around. We met people there attending a Pentacostal conference. One woman I talked to said it's an annual world-wide conference with people from America, Australia, Sweden, and all over Europe. A big to-do. We talked to people from Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, and people from Spain, and Latvia. The two couples from Belgium gave us their numbers in case we needed any help or anything while we're in Belgium.
We can't really do anything today either. Apparently Monday is a big day off for most people and all the museums and attractions and everything are open from Tuesday to Saturday instead of Monday to Friday. We're probably going to go to the mall and to see a movie or something. The mall, which is where the train and bus stations are, is huge. It's one of the largest shopping centers in Europe. We had to walk all the way through it to get to the bar, because it was the easier way that David (the guy we met) knew how to explain to us. It was also the longest way possible. Turns out it was a lot easier just to walk around it, as we found out when they walked us back to the hotel. Anyway, before we went to the pub we stopped at a fast food type place and had some food and when Daryl went to get a soda from a machine he was propositioned by a drugged up prostitute. She was funny to watch. She'd like lift up a leg and put it back down and lift up the other while she was just standing and when she walked she'd list from side to side. David said that the mall is a big gathering place for the homeless and that after 2 o'clock they line the hallways in their sleeping bags. The security is tight and they're supposedly harmless, and during the hours that stores are open we didn't see any except the prostitute. Accordion music seems to be a big thing here too. There were accordion players busking in every hallway in the mall it seemed.
I've taken lots of pictures, and already used up a 12 exposure and half a 24 exposure of film, and we haven't really done anything yet. We've generally had a good time except for while I was sick and miserable and feeling all around sorry for myself. It was a lot of fun hanging out with the guys and we'll probably see them again before we leave. I guess that's it. Like I said, we haven't done a lot of tourist stuff besides walking around the streets, since most everything has been closed.
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