February 7, 2004

• Winter in Amsterdam really sucks. It has been raining everyday here for the past 6 weeks. Sometimes heavily, sometimes coupled with strong howling winds. I have never been to a place where it rains so much. Except maybe Asia during the rainy season. When foreigners complain about the weather in the UK they obviously haven’t been to the Netherlands. However, I hear that when the spring and summer season arrives it is very nice here. I was in Amsterdam in the summer of ’99 and it was sunny and very warm everyday. Here’s hoping.

  
  

  With the appalling weather being as it is, I have not left the apartment since I connected the computer except for the mundane chore of going to work and for food. A vision of my evolving into a computer geek/addict hooked on pizza and sodas springs to mind but the time has been constructive. I am in contact with some of my close friends via instant messaging and banting like I had never left. And chatting and get to know some other xangans. Plus conducting research for a short film I am setting in motion and learning to use some graphic design software.  

  
  

  A friend emailed me this stating “What a dynamite!”. I thought it was cute. Check it out here.

  
  

   

  
  

  Japan Trip: Sat 24th Jan 2004

  
  

  Click to enlarge. Ignore the date on the pics.

  
  

  

  
  

  The view from Anna’s apartment balcony.

  
  

  With Anna at work, I met up with Masa and Etusko. I was early so I browsed around the underground mall.

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  Yummy.

  
  

  Masa introduced me to the 100 Yen Store where all the products are on sale for, you guessed it, 100 yen. Some interesting products but I did not have my camera with me to take a few snaps.  

  
  

  We just chilled out at Masa’s and Etsuko’s apartment for much of the day. They later took me to an electronics store where I was looking for a new digital camera for myself and for Anna. Masa helped to negotiate a good price for the cameras: the Sony DSC-T1 for me and the Canon A30 for Anna.

  
  

  

  
  

  Masa.

  
  

  

  
  

  Green tea anyone? The tea was so good that Etsuko gave me a large packet to bring back to Amsterdam. It’s here still unopened. Look at the white object left to the empty tea cup. Green tea leaves are placed at the top of the dish and a candle lit underneath. A faint fragrance can be detected from the heated leaves.

  
  

  We were later joined by Etsuko’s brother, Yuri, and his girlfriend, Yumi. They brought along a bag full of Japanese snacks which I took photos of but had to delete as my memory stick was running low on memory.

  
  

  

  
  

  Yumi, Yuri, Etsuko and Masa.

  
  

  Anna joined us later in the evening after she had finished work for dinner. In Japanese restaurants, a moist cloth is provided after your order has been made. It is for cleaning your hands before you eat. Of course, the first time I was in a restaurant in Japan which was yesterday, I left the cloth untouched until after I had finished my meal. After that I was abiding to the Japanese custom. Tea and miso soup are always served with your meal unless you are eating at a fast food outlet which I will write more about in a future post.  

  
  

  After dinner, Yuri took Yumi home leaving Masa to take the rest of us to one of those photo booths that print photo stickers. Here, the booth not only has one fixed camera in the centre but one at the bottom and one up in the corner. Before printing, editing tools are available to add extra embellishments. I am still working on copying the resulting pictures onto my computer to show you guys.

  
  

   

  • 3:49 pm
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