Globalization

I just got back from a week trip to Ireland, where I was visiting my Hong Kong born, Canadian roommate from Toronto, and we spent our time doing Dublin and even went to Northern Ireland for the weekend. After a week I had to go back home to Amsterdam, traveling on a Polish passport, wearing my Roots backpack with the little Canadian flag on it, and the Guinness luggage tag I bought. At home I was greeted by my roommates, one from each continent (except Antarctica; no penguins in my flat).

Skiing in France, March 9-18

I just spent a wonderful week in Risoul, skiing in the French Alps! I was in the Swiss Alps a few years ago and never thought I'd be back in the 'hood to hit the slopes. The weather was beautiful; blue skies, warm, and bright snow everywhere (I'm so tanned, I look like I came back from a tropical holiday).
















I took this one myself on my first day, still paranoid about breaking a limb. Over 10 people were hurt this year, so to satisfy my need for speed I didn't hit anything harder than a red slope (some of which were harder than Canadian blacks).
















You had to take two lifts to get to the top of the mountain, then you could ski along the mountain tops to the other side and towns.
















View from the top of the mountain; the little black spots are people skiing.














































Scattered about the mountain were cafes and restaurants where you could stop and tan.
















Every night we went to the Yeti Bar (which was just outside our house) to party. Since I was usually the first one to get up in the morning, I walked into town to get fresh baguettes for breakfast for myself and my roommates. They paid me back each evening by buying me alcohol. I was very happy with this arrangement; everyone had fresh bread in the morning, and I was drunk in the evening.
















Risoul town centre by night.
















There was six of us staying in a small apartment with a tiny kitchen, which was nice since we could cook a few dinners together. I met some really cool people too, although such a small apartment for six creates many funny situations in the night.
Me and Jac on our balcony.
















On the last evening they organized a dinner at an Italian restaurant. Just a few of the cool people I met on the trip.
















The last night at the Yeti Bar was a toga party. It took Jacqui an hour to do up mine cuz I kept complaining that it was too baggy and looked like I was wearing a sheet (which I was). The Yeti Bar was the smelliest, dirtiest hole ever (it didn't bother us when we were drunk, but we popped by sober once and it sucked). I really feared for my white toga.




















Skiing on our last day with my Finnish friend Annina, completely hungover after the toga party.
















I'm back in Amsterdam for long enough to get ready for my trip to Dublin this Wednesday!

Amsterdam's new plants

Where's Amsterdam?

Weekend in Belgium with Sofie, March 2-5

Last weekend I went to Leuven, Belgium, to visit my former roommate from Toronto, Sofie. It was really cool to see her in her natural habitat, and after living in Amsterdam I understand some of the things I thought were strange about her in Toronto (why on earth did Sofie carry an umbrella on a perfectly sunny day? now I know.)

We stayed at her parents house, a big and beautiful home in the old centre of Leuven... Sofie actually lives with giants.













The backyard











The Begijnhof; back in the day it was inappropriate for single women to live alone. If they weren't living with a husband or parents, they lived here. I'd prefer the well.























Luckily, it was Carnaval in Leuven! This one wasn't as random as Maastricht, and I really enjoyed the community vibes around the homemade floats.











Leuven's city hall, a beautifully ornate building.


























While in Leuven we also hung about town, doing what the locals do. We went to the movies where Sofie worked, as well as a gig to see a Belgian band Treize Mille. The next day we took a train to Antwerp.




















In front of a castle and the statue of the giant the Belgians use to scare their kids with. He's a friendly giant that plucks you from your bed, and is named appropriately something like the Big Whopper.










I had a great time, even though the bus driver forgot to stop in Leuven when I was going back to Amsterdam! It wasn't that bad though, the company apologized, put me on a train to Brussels, and I caught a bus from there. Only in the Lowlands...