I amsterdam

So I've come back to reality. The real world full of responsibilities, schedules, committments and the constant refrains of "there's nothing to eat in the house."

But for 6 lovely, glorious, wonderfully-spent days, I got to wander around Amsterdam with my dearest friend Jennifer.

What did we do? We wandered. We drank coffee. We shopped. We ate. And we wandered and wandered some more. Every day we would committ to one agenda item. And just one. One day the Rijksmuseum, which is under renovation but had a very cool exhibit hall open anyway. One day the Anne Frank House which was so emotionally moving we needed the day to recover. One day we rode the train to Rotterdam to visit with Jennifer's cousin, a way-cool 21 year-old college student spending her semester in Holland. We went on a canal cruise (where most of these pictures were taken) and strolled through the Red Light District, giggling the whole time.

We found a lovely cheese shop and bakery just around the corner from the hotel and that became breakfast on the run most days. YUMMMM. We sipped coffee at cafes for hours where we tried to identify people's nationalities based on their clothing (oh wait, I'm wasn't supposed to admit that we did that).

All in all it was a trip to remember. I can't wait to do it again next fall. Here's to you, Jennifer - thanks for a lovely trip.

Go Ahead, Make My Day

Sure, Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser, please make that left turn from the right-hand lane - I'll make sure not to hit you.

Sure, Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser (not the same one), please feel free to stick your nose in between me and the bus in front of me because you didn't want to wait in the left -hand turn queue.

Sure, Mr. White Van, drive down the shoulder of the road instead of merging with traffic, just so you don't have to stop and wait for an opening.

Sure, Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser (noticing a pattern here?) drive down the wrong side of the street and then honk at the cars coming at you, just to get to the front of the line waiting to merge onto Al Bustan Road. None of the other of us are in a hurry. Just you.

Sure, Mr. Silver Sedan (oh, not white!) - that dotted stripe which is intended to separate lanes of traffic? Go ahead and use it as a new lane of traffic. Everyone else does.

Sure, yet another Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser (they're all over Doha) make sure you change lanes suddenly in the roundabout just because you are from here and can apparently do anything you please.


I drove to school today. Can you tell?