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Wednesday, April 30, 2003

Finally... Done with academic stuff until exams next month. And after work tonight, I have no obligations until Monday... Here's to making the most of it...

Monday, April 28, 2003

I was going to log on to talk about "Hairspray." We watched it for Gender & Representation this morning, and I really enjoyed it.

However, Rome e-mailed me earlier to let me know that Bob Rich passed away over the weekend. Reading the message, I was a in shock. I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me. Bob was a great guy who always made me smile whenever I talked with him. The last time I talked with him, he congratulated me on my then impending trip abroad. I really don't know what else to say other than he'll be greatly missed. Anyone who was at EHS while he was around knows what I'm talking about....

Bob Rich
1956-2003

Sunday, April 27, 2003

My eye is really bothering me so I'm going to keep this short.

Friday - Went to the Union to see Leeroy Thronhill (formerly of The Prodigy) do a DJ set. Absolutely amazing.

Saturday - Went to Glasgow. Bought some weightlifting gloves. Finally saw "Welcome To Collinwood." Enjoyed it.

Today - Have an essay to work on. Time to go.

Monday, April 21, 2003

Have been keeping active. Friday, went to the Sword Hotel to help Matthew and Caragh's group in filming a scene for their film. I was an extra, put played my part with conviction.

Saturday, Norman and I checked out some museums in Edinburgh. Since this was only my second time in the city for more than just a change of trains, he showed me around a bit as well. A wonderful time.

Sunday - Didn't really do much. Tried to get to sleep early, but stayed up late like normal.

Today I woke up late again. Went to the gym where I started a new routine. Look forward to seeing the results. Hungry now, so it's time to leave for dinner...

Sunday, April 13, 2003

Just watched the original "Thomas Crown Affair" at the MacRobert Centre. I have to say that I enjoyed it better this time, but still prefer the Pierce Brosnan remake by far.

Not much going on today. Just taking it easy. Going to make some pancakes later on. Should be a pleasant evening.

Friday was an absolutely wonderful evening. Good Mexican food, finally getting to see "The Rules of Attraction" and of course, the wonderful company.

Last night wasn't so bad either. I finally got to try a Pina Colada and had the opportunity to catch up with some friends that I haven't spoken to in a little while...

Wednesday, April 09, 2003

I have been awake nearly twenty-four hours. Needless to say, I am not happy. This day has been absolutely horrible. Hopefully I will be getting home soon.

Monday, April 07, 2003

Yesterday, Marius and I went to the Amsterdam's Historisch Museum. It was a very nice place, but was also much bigger than I expected. We were there for two hours and probably only made three-quarters of the way through.

We spent most of the evening watching TV. For dinner, I had the best pizza in the world. I'd had last time I was around, so I had to be sure and get it again. The highlight of the TV viewing had to be seeing "Wife Swap" for the third time, only this time, it was in Dutch. Roughly translated, the Dutch title is "My Wife, Your Wife."

Later in the evening, Dirk and I headed out for a few drinks with a few of his friends. All in all, a nice night was had by all.

Today, I woke up late. Left around three to see if I could find a good Amsterdam T-shirt, and I must say I did. I didn't want anything with pot leaves or sex on it. Finding a good one that didn't have any of that was a little tough. I wanted something simple with the coat of arms (The St. Andrew's Crosses). Took a bit of time, but it was worth the searching. Now, it's time to enjoy my last night in Amsterdam...

Sunday, April 06, 2003

Yesterday was quite the adventure. Marius and I set out mid-morning, with the intent of making it down to Antwerp. I was excited by the thought of going to Belgium as I haven't been to that many countries, so it's always nice to go to a new one.

We went down through Zeeland, stopping several times along the way for pictures. Got many good ones at Neeltje Jans, one of the several islands in Zeeland. In Domburg, we stopped and had a quick lunch outside. It was a beautiful day, and eating outside was the perfect opportunity to make use of the wonderful weather.

Managed to get some good shots of Vlissingen as we headed to the new underwater tunnel. Had a minor scare on the other side as we were very low on petrol but couldn't find a station that was open.

We finally made it to Brussels around 16:00. After finding a place to park, we made our way to the Grand Market Place. I was absolutely floored by the beauty of the area. Have many pictures which I will post sometime in the near future (hopefully!). Marius decided that it was also a must for me to see the Manneken-Pis. I found it... interesting... :)

We had a wonderful dinner of mussels (yes, in Brussels), I had Stella Artois (like Grolsch, I had to try it in the country it originated in, and I didn't know when the next time I'd be in Belgium would come about...) and headed back for Amsterdam. All in a all, a great Saturday excursion!

Friday, April 04, 2003

Woke up late yesterday. I think I was so run down that I just needed to crash. I didn't wake up until three, but I was going to wake up at one. Oh well. Once I got up, I headed to Amsterdam Central to get the Amsterdam Pass. After that I went to the Magna Plaza and found a shop called "America Today." The best thing about that place is that they had imported American candy. I haven't had a Butterfinger in seven months, so I had to buy one. In the evening, we went out for a quick drink before coming home. Short, but sweet day.

Today I woke up early to use my pass. I first went to the Rijksmuseum. I must say, that I was very impressed. The section I appreciated most had the be the one for Asiatic art. The sculptures of Ganesha and Vishnu was excellent. The rest of the stuff was all right. I saw "Night Watch," but I can't say I was that impressed, besides the fact that it was huge. Rembrandt is cool and all, but "Massacre of the Innocents" was ace.

After I left the Rijkmuseum, I headed to a placed called Cobra. Marius told me that if I had time, I should use the restroom there. I didn't understand why until I got there. When I got in, the only thing I noticed was that the stall doors were completely clear. Not exactly the most reassuring feeling, eh? But then I noticed something in Dutch on the door handle, so I got inside and locked the door. Sure enough, it went from transparent to opaque... Very cool... heh

Following that side-adventure, I went to the Van Gogh Museum. I was tired, so I kind of shuffled through it. I did see a really cool Monet painting that I liked, but couldn't buy a postcard of. The best sculpture was De Boer and the best Van Gogh was "Glass of Absinthe and a Carafe".

After the Van Gogh Museum, I went to the Amsterdam Diamond Group. Not really worth it. I think they were expecting me to buy something. Sh'yeah right...

Although, after the ADG, I went to a place to sit down and had a pint of Grolsch. I was looking forward to it. I wanted to try one of my favorite lagers in the country it's originally from. It didn't disappoint. Smooth and strong, just like myself... ;)

After the Grolsch experience, I went for my free canal cruise. It was pretty cool, but the most interesting thing to me was when the guide pointed out that there are hoists on the rooftops of every house. That is because the stairs are built small to save space, so hoists are used to move heavy things up to the top story.

After that, I headed back to the Magna Plaze to get my free postcards and then across the street to get my free alcohol. All in all, a productive day in the city...

Wednesday, April 02, 2003

I've had nine hours of sleep in three days, but I'm in Holland so things are already looking better through my half-shut eyes.

Instead of packing, I went to see "Far From Heaven" last night. It's another film that I'd been wanting to see for a while. What else can I say but it's nice to see that the melodrama is still alive and kicking. Definitely need to watch it again.