Happy Halloween from Amsterdam!

It's pretty safe to say my melancholy mood has lifted over the past few days. A few days without any rain, some quality time with good friends, and my daily bicycle-riding fix was pretty much all I needed to start feeling like all was right in the world. Since daylight savings time hit and it's now always dark when I leave work, my bike ride home or to the climbing gym looks completely different, but one thing remains the same - Amsterdam is a beautiful city, night or day. I love this place.

It's also safe to say that I am 100% in the Halloween spirit. My company is hosting a big pumpkin-carving party today (the 31st), which really makes me appreciate my job - walking in and seeing pumpkins and Halloween decorations was the best way to start this day! Since I waited until the last minute, I figured I would throw together a costume that didn't take too much effort, and just assumed I wouldn't have that many options about what to buy. Turns out I was completely wrong, and the costume store on the Raadhuisstraat is stocked with anything you could want for Halloween. Everything is significantly more expensive than what I'm used to paying, but they have all the right stuff. As I walked around in a happy little Halloween daze, I listened to the people talk around me in Dutch, Australian-accented English, Italian, French, and Spanish. All there to shop for Halloween. It was quite a world-coming-together moment for me.

Today my plans include pumpkin carving and party hopping (and rock climbing - which isn't particularly Halloween-themed but luckily my climbing partner is very patient with my enthusiasm for this holiday). I'm going to start at Batavia, a bar close to Centraal Station that is hosting a free-to-get-in, costume-mandatory party. The backup plan to that is Getto, a bar on the Warmoestraat. I also really like the sound of the event taking place at de Nieuwe Anita - a Texas Chainsaw Massacre "Scream a Long" screening and after party. I love having options!

Other than getting ready for Halloween, there's other things I'm ticking off my list. I finally bought myself a pair of water-resistant rain pants, which means my day-to-day life has just gotten one thousand times more comfortable. I'm also working on getting my roommate officially registered at my apartment. My landlord agreed to write a letter stating that he could stay in the apartment as my guest - according to the guy I talked to at the DPG, this would be sufficient enough to get my roommate in the system (of course, he'll also need all his paperwork and a copy of my housing contract). Once he's registered he can apply for his BSN/SOFI number, and once he has that he's able to get a bank account. I'll update more about that next week once everything is done, because it might be helpful information for someone looking to do the same type of thing.

And now, back to work/obsessing about Halloween. Thanks to everyone who has commented and emailed lately - it always makes my day to hear from a random stranger who found something I said helpful, or to just know that my friends are reading. One of these days I'm going to move this blog over to wordpress and update the design a bit. I never meant to leave this blog looking so generic - anyway, that's another thing on my list of things to do.

It's offically autumn in Amsterdam

Last night's Cinemanita screening at the OT301 was fantastic. The documentary was Lets Get Lost by Bruce Webber, and told the story of Chet Baker, the infamous jazz musician who ended up dying in Amsterdam after falling out of a hotel window. I don't think there's a website for the Cinemanita screenings, but you can email cinemanita@gmail.com and get yourself on the mailing list. I'm really looking forward to seeing Amphibian Man (1962, Russian with English subtitles) this Monday night at the Niewe Anita. I know part of what I love about Cinemanita is that it reminds me so much of my old job in Philadelphia. Part of what I did when I worked for a non-profit cinema was introduce obscure films to small audiences of dedicated film geeks, and re-discovering that part of my life here in Amsterdam has been such a treat. And I have to emphasize that what really makes me adore Amsterdam is that everything is so affordable. The screening this Monday night is €2.50 Beers are €2. I know from experience that as a tourist or visitor, Amsterdam can be really expensive (in terms of hotel costs, restaurants, etc). But to live here and have a good time - you don't have to be rich to enjoy thing.

Another Amsterdam event I'm looking forward to is the Jordaan festival, 19-21 of September. That website is only in Dutch, but there's a short description here of the festival. It basically just sounds like a 3-day party in one of my favorite neighborhoods, and it's going on during the same weekend as my first official housewarming party! I have hosted some gatherings at my new place a few times, but it's been such a process to get furniture and kitchen supplies and put some pictures up on the walls (ok, I still haven't gotten around to that), that I set a housewarming date to force myself to make my apartment come together. I'm also welcoming a new roommate on 12 September, who will be living with me for the next 4 months - so the party is also to welcome him to Amsterdam (from Berlin).

This month's goal is to start a real climbing habit. I'm going to de klim muur tonight to see if I can remember my way around a climbing gym. There's obviously no mountains in the Netherlands, so this is sort of the next best thing! I'm going to have to plan some kind of hiking trip soon - I can't let the entire summer and fall pass me by without hiking up some mountain somewhere. Anyone have any tips as to where to go (bonus if it can be a day trip)? I'm willing to get up early in the morning on a weekend if it means good hiking.

Amsterdam events, American politics, and so on

The best way to do this post is a two-parter.

Part One: A proper summer weekend

This weekend was insanely beautiful in Amsterdam, and everyone rushed out to enjoy. It feels like the city has come back to life, and all the students have returned (which explains why it's now almost impossible to find a good bike parking spot near my apartment, since I live right next to the University of Amsterdam). The Uitmarkt festival, which ran this past weekend, opened up the start of the Dutch cultural season. Cinemanita starts again this Monday at De Nieuwe Anita with a screening of Faust (!! Jan Svankmajer). After a quiet August, I'm really excited to have too much to do again, too many things to choose from, and acknowledge that my biggest problem is figuring out how I can fit all this fun stuff in my schedule.

In my case, the best part of Amsterdam this weekend was hanging out with my good friend C. I fully intended to give her my guest bike while she's in town, but unfortunately, the back tire needs to be completely replaced and the bike is parked somewhere completely far from where I live or work. Luckily, our friend Mark was quick to offer his guest bike, and said it would be fine for C. to go pick it up around midnight on Friday. "I'll give you a ride!" I offered, and as we were getting ready to go I felt obliged to admit to her that I had never actually rode anyone on the back of my bike before. I have been a passenger many times, but never a driver, so to speak. C. allowed me to use her as my guinea pig, and I happily rode her from my place (which is in the Center-East of Amsterdam) to Mark's house in the Oud Zuid - a fairly significant ride! The first few minutes were a little wobbly, but we made it through crowded intersections at Leidseplein and Vondelpark without incident and both of us arrived at Mark's house safe and sound.

It was a good thing we picked up the bike on Friday night, because on Saturday the two of us spent a huge chunk of the day cycling. We used C's very helpful Voordeelurenabonnement to purchase train tickets to Santpoort Zuid at a 40% discount (tip: you can always take your bike on a train in the Netherlands, but you have to pay for a bike ticket at well). From there, we rode a few kilometers to Brederode Castle -originally built in 1282 - and admired the ruins. After a drink in the lovely little terrace, we rode through the woods for a while, going up and down what I would be tempted to call actual hills. Okay, for the Netherlands, they WERE hills. In a flat country, you take what you can get. We ended up at a lovely beach, spread out our towels, and enjoyed the sun. There were tons of dogs running around chasing balls, topless women, little naked kids building sand castles, plenty of folks enjoying a beer or sharing a bottle of wine - and I thought to myself that all these little things belong at a beach. But the beaches that I've been to in Long Island, Los Angeles, or New Jersey don't allow dogs, would charge you to just walk on the sand, many discourage alcohol, forbid dogs, and certainly don't allow topless sunbathing.

I love living in Europe.

Part Two: American issues

I'm mailing out my absentee voter registration tomorrow. It's crazy to think that in 65 days, the US will have a new President, and I have no idea what's going to happen. Everything about American politics is a mystery to me - McCain picking Sarah Palin as his running mate? Where on earth did that come from? I'm trying not to get my hopes up on two fronts. #1, I don't want to assume Obama can win. I mean, we're talking about a country full of people who elected Bush into office in 2004 (the popular vote did NOT give Bush the presidency in 2000, so I try avoid saying that the actual American people voted him into office twice). I also don't want to assume that if Obama wins, everything will magically get better and Americans will suddenly be able to have access to education and health care. So I remind myself of these two things often.

But you know what? When I voted for Kerry in 2004, I was doing it because he wasn't Bush. That was it. When I vote for Obama this November, it's because I actually think there is a possibility he could do a really good job as president. For any Americans living abroad that need to get their absentee ballots, you can go to fvap.gov to figure out what you need to do. Some states let you do everything through email, but annoyingly, California is not one of those states (and even more annoyingly, even though I spent most of my US life in New York and only 10 weeks living in Los Angeles, I'm registered to vote in California).

However, the much more pressing issue right now in the US is Hurricane Gustav. People have already died in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica from this hurricane. The devastation in Cuba has been terrible. Gustav is due to hit New Orleans tomorrow (Monday) morning, and as I watched a clip of Nagin's (Mayor of New Orleans) press conference, all I could think is "this can't possibly happen again." But it can happen again, can't it? The thought is petrifying. I'm following the Gustav Reporter twitter page this evening, and as I combed through different reports in the media, I found an article titled "In New Orleans, Blogs become crucial decision-making tool" from the Chicago Tribune. I trust blogs and twitter feeds for a more real-life account of what is happening right this minute, and it helps me feel more connected to what's going on at home.

Technology has changed the expat experience. Perhaps a topic worth going into more, but this post has gone on long enough as it is. I'm going to try to post a little more frequently this month, maybe three times a week, so I don't have to just unload everything all at once.

On Holiday

I left work sometime around 8.30pm tonight - right around the time when it was still bright and sunny, but you could tell that the sun would start to set soon. I walked out of my office carrying a glass of wine and finished writing some texts and emails while sitting on the Herengracht, watching the boats go by. Not a bad way to end the work day.

There's a pattern with the weather in Amsterdam. The days might be totally unpredictable - sunny, rain, warm, cold, windy, beautiful (all within the same hour!) - but it seems like once it hits about 7pm, it calms down and clears up and gives all of us who live here a beautiful sunset. The sunsets here are insane! I don't know if it's the flatness of the land or what, but the sky just seems bigger here. There are more puffy clouds, more stunning views over the canals, and the sunset just seems to last longer than I'm used to. When I rode home tonight, I thought again about how lucky I was to have my "commute" home be a fifteen minute bike ride. During my entire ride home, I think maybe one or two cars rode past me. I felt totally comfortable riding around slowly, taking turns here and there down tiny little streets, answering my phone, or turning around to get a better view of the sky. In Amsterdam, I commute home at my own speed, at my own pace.

I spent the past week hosting a couple guests, including fellow blogger Nomadic Matt and a friend of a friend from Brooklyn. When I wasn't hanging out with my guests, I was dancing at the Nieuwe Anita, drinking Russian vodka with friends in front of their houseboat, and checking out the Open Air Film Festival. Only in Amsterdam could they build up an entire outdoor film venue for 500+ people that includes a bike parking area (for 500+ bikes), a few bars, places to buy food, a beautiful view of the Ij (the huge body of water that divides north and central Amsterdam), and make the entire thing totally free.

And now, following in the lead of almost everyone else I know in Europe, it's time for a holiday. I'm heading off to Rome for five days to visit my good friend C., my former roommate in Amsterdam. I've been studying Italian and daydreaming about the food, wine, and sun for the past few days. The last time I was in Rome was 2005, and I saw a lot of the sights then, so this trip can be mainly focused on challenging myself on how much pizza and gelato I can possibly consume in one day. Luckily, C. lived in Amsterdam for over eight years and therefore depends on a bicycle to get around everywhere, so she promised me lots of late-night bike rides through Rome. Wow, this reminds me, I should start packing!

I'll be back in the summertime, with a handful of flowers and a bottle of cheap wine...

I've been happily settling into my new apartment for the past few weeks - "nesting" as one of my friends calls it. It's far and away the nicest place I've ever lived on my own, and big enough to host dinner parties, lunches, and late-night post-bar gatherings. Looking around my living room and seeing a group of friends eating and drinking is one of the best feelings in the world - even if we all still have to sit on the floor because I only have 4 chairs. The weekend that just passed felt like it lasted forever, which is the best thing a weekend can do. I was at the Soundgarden on Friday night, ate some of the most delicious pannekoeken on Saturday, drank a few beers at the Kriterion, took a long bike ride with a good friend, and generally didn't do anything hard or stressful or complicated.

Of course, all that being said, it's not like I was really excited for Monday morning to arrive, especially because Monday morning arrived for me around 7am (about 1.5 hours before I normally wake up) due to some construction project going on pretty damn close to my bedroom window. Why anyone feels the need to do the loudest part of the construction job at 7am is beyond me, and since I'm not much of a morning person, losing out on over an hour of sleep did not feel like the best way to start my day. When I finally dragged myself out of bed and went about getting ready for work, I was feeling pretty out of it - but my mood started to lift when I looked out the front windows on my apartment and saw the sun streaming inside and bright blue skies. After a cup of coffee and strawberries on the balcony, I put on my headphones and headed out the door. Riding to work while listening to music on my ipod is just simply the most ideal way to start my day and always puts me in a good mood. It also helps that I love my job. By the time I got to the office today I felt (relatively) awake and happy.

You know the metro newspaper, the same one that exists in a million different cities around the world? You usually find them in metro or bus stations in the morning. Here in Amsterdam, there's a woman that stands near the bike lane, handing them out to passing cyclists. I love that.

I'm headed over to De Nieuwe Anita tonight for a screening of Wrong Eyed Jesus (Andrew Douglas, 82 minutes, shown in English). Every monday is Cinemanita - for just €2,50 it's a great place to catch a film on Monday (though this will be the last Monday screening of the summer). I've got some good friends from Paris coming to visit this week, and then I'm headed to Berlin on Friday - I can't wait. It will be my second visit to Berlin and another opportunity to use my extensive German vocabulary (ein bier, bitte!) and hang out with a bunch of people I haven't seen in a long time. I never want this summer to end.