So, Brussels was nice. I saw the beautiful Grand Place, Manneken Pis and the Atomium.
Unfortunately, the weather was really sucky on my second day there.
It was good to be somewhere else for a while, but I discovered that travelling alone is not my thing.
Life has been good the last few days!
I had a great talk and good "coffee" yesterday! Makes me happy.
I'm going to Brussels for two days! I'm sooo looking forward to it.
It will be the first time I travel all alone and it will be my first time staying at a hostel.
I think it will make me understand better how our guests at the Shelter feel!
But that's not why I'm going.
I just felt like travelling and seeing some other places and other faces.
And I didn't leave the country yet this year. I always wanna visit at least one new place a year.
I hope it will be fun.
But how could it not be when there's Belgian chocolate? (and beer...)
As you may know, I'm looking for a room in Amsterdam. I was looking on kamernet.nl and saw this available room. Check the spelling, very funny!
In a nice invoriment( centre) there is a room for hire.We are a male couple. De room is availble temperurly but we can discuse about the period of time.the price is inclusive water, electricity etc.
Hmm, I don't think I wanna live with a male couple....
I love my friends and possible future housemates Magda and Marco!
They're taking me shopping for my birthday!
What more could I want? I'm excited! (read in 'Ryan-way'!)
Woohoo, I got a haircut!
It's pretty short, and I like it a lot!
Thanks to the lovely Melana, who cut my hair.
So, I think I should probably take a picture of me and my new hair and post it here.
So you can all see it and tell me how cute I look! :) Just kidding!
And: counting down 5 more days 'till my 25th birthday!
I wish all tourists that visit Amsterdam would read this:
Avoid walking along the bicycle lanes.
The lanes are usually clearly marked with a bike symbol on the way. These are express-roads through the city in which the bike rules. Avoid walking on, and standing in bike lanes looking at maps, chat around, etc. This drives locals mad. When you hear a bike bell, get quickly out of the way.
It does drive locals mad! I'm not sure if I'm a local, though. Still a Frisian girl!
I found this travel tip on www.amsterdam.info
We were playing the 'would you rather-game' at the Canadian Thanksgiving party we had a week ago. And then I saw Matt writing about it on his blog.
So, would you rather:
-lose all your teeth, or lose all the hair on your body (my vanity makes it hard for me to choose)
-die by drowning, or being burned alive
-kill or be killed
-be ugly but loved by everyone, or gorgeous and hated by everyone
-swim with sharks, or eat raw jellyfish (sounds like a Fear Factor challenge)
-read my blog, or read other peoples blogs (this shouldn't even be a question)
And we had some other fun questions. Like what movie character would you most like to be.
I want to be Rose from Titanic. 'Cause I think she's cool and she's sooo beautiful.
Or what movie would you pick if you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life. I would watch Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King over and over. I think it's the best LOTR movie. Unless you count all three of them as one. Then I would watch them all!
I like questions like this. I think they can tell you something about someone's personality.
Anyway, I saw Jamie Oliver today! He was signing his books at the Bijenkorf. I only saw him sitting behind the window, but still! And a while ago I thought I saw the actor who used to play Bud Bundy in Married with Children, but I'm not sure. And I didn't wanna ask him 'cause I don't even know his real name. It's funny to see celebrities.
Amsterdam is really beautiful in the fall. The trees look so nice! Tomorrow I hava a day of and I'm either going to have a walk in the Amsterdamse Bos, or walk around the city and take some pictures, ooh..or go to Vondelpark! I have to force myself to get up at a reasonable hour then, otherwise I will just sleep in and waste my free time in my bed!
So, I hope that everyone who asked me to update my blog is satisfied.
Here's another tip to be thankful for: Read Dave's Blog!!!
It's soooooo funny! I had to laugh out loud!
Does anyone know that song? I'm not sure if that's the title, but I remember listening to it in the car with my parents , every summer when we went camping somewhere in Europe.
It's a year of 2's and 5's en 25's this year. It's 2005. In one month from today I'll turn 25.
My parents have been married for 25 years, and my grandparents for 50, and our Queen started her reigning 25 years ago.
So, I'll be 25. It sounds so mature. I've been feeling more like an adult lately. I started drinking coffee and I ate some mouldy cheese! (I bet I didn't seem that mature when I confessed that I love Barbie)
Next thing to do is to move out of my parents house for good! Scary...
Anyway, I saw some great movies lately: "Amadeus" and "Les Miserables". Very, very good! Go rent them and watch them! That was my tip for the day! You can thank me later :)
Why is it that sometimes I feel the need to express some personal things on my blog? Maybe I hope that someone will reassure me and say "Nynke, you're not weird. I have the same thing!"
Anyhow, here are some confessions:
-I love Barbie! Seriously.
-I'm jealous of my friend who's pregnant
-I have a problem with addiction. I'm addicted to shopping, listening to music and to sugar!
-I seriously lack self discipline, in a big big way!
-I worry about the future...a lot!
-I want people to think of me as elegant and feminine
That's enough info for today. Hope you still like me!
PRAISE THE LORD FOR QUICKLY ANSWERED PRAYERS
AND A SIGN I DIDN'T DARE TO ASK FOR!
Do you believe in signs from God? Do you believe it's okay to ask God for a sign?
I find it a very tricky thing. Because when you ask for a sign about something, it's so easy to see a sign when it isn't there.
So, I was praying about a certain thing with a friend of mine and we asked God for some clarity. But I think I was afraid to ask God for a sign. Maybe God doesn't want to tell us everything and we just have to learn to trust Him. But the very next day something happened that looked like a sign to me........twice! So, I feel like He gave me sign I didn't ask for! How awesome is God!
What are your thoughts on signs?
I don't even know what to write.
It's not like my life is boring or uneventful or anything.
But nothing stands out at the moment.
My head's full of thoughts, but I guess they're a bit to personal to mention.
So, I guess this is all for now.
How lame!!!
Oh wait, I thought of something! We might get an aquarium at reception!
How cool is that!
Yesterday I prepared dinner for 20 people in less than 2 hours, including a vegetarian meal with tofu! Quite impressive I think.
I'm not bragging, I'm just a little proud of myself!
Lesson learned today:
Do not attend any meeting, gathering or whatever for any other reason than actually wanting to be there. It's most unsatisfying!!!
Example: do not go to a birthday party for the food if you don't like the person whose birthday it is. In other words: no ulterior motives!
Bryan McFadyen in Pride and Prejudice
Martin Henderson in Bride and Prejudice
Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice
Who do you think is the cutest (or hottest, or whatever) Mr Darcy of them all?
(My goodness, I'm so superficial!)
At the moment I listen to Kelly Clarkson a lot. She has some cool songs. Here are the lyrics of one of my favourites:
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
You gotta be out there
You gotta be somewhere
Wherever you are
I'm waiting
'Cause there are these nights when
I sing myself to sleep
And I'm hopin' my dreams
Bring you close to me
Are you listening?
Hear me
I'm cryin' out
I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me
I'm lost inside the crowd
It's getting loud
I need you to see
I'm screaming for you to please
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Can you hear me?
Hear me
I used to be scared of
Letting someone in
But it gets so lonely
Being on my own
No one to talk to
And no one to hold me
I'm not always strong
Oh, I need you here
Are you listening?
Hear me
I'm cryin' out
I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me
I'm lost inside the crowd
It's getting loud
I need you to see
I'm screaming for you to please
Hear me
I'm restless and wild
I fall, but I try
I need someone to understand
Can you hear me?
I'm lost in my thoughts
And baby I'm far
For all that I've got
Can you hear me?
Hear me
I'm cryin' out
I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me
I'm lost inside the crowd
It's getting loud
I need you to see
I'm screaming for you to please
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Can you hear me?
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Can you hear me?
Oh, oh, oh, oh...
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
I had some trouble sleeping lately, and when I can't sleep I think. Here are some of my thoughts:
Have you ever had a desire or longing so strong that it hurt? (I know I have!)
I should really go to the zoo! I love animals . I love looking at the fish in the big aqaurium, it's so relaxing! I would like to go to the one in Arnhem. Anyone wanna come?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28-30. I had to think of this after a couple of nights of not enough sleep)
I wish I could go on vacation to Turkey for a week. That would be so lovely!
Talk about randomness! "Random" is my favourite english word. And "flabbergasted". It's just so funny!
I think I'm going through a bit of a dipje (dutch for uh... yeah, I don't know). Which makes me wonder what it is that could help me out of this. But it's not that easy, cause I run into all kinds of dilemma's. For example:
I have a phone phobia. I really do not like speaking on the phone. Weirdly enough I had two jobs where I had to answer phone calls all day long. I never pick up my mobile phone. I always let it ring and then I look who called me and decide whether I'll call back or not.
But I think I'm not the only one. At Willemsstraat (where we live) we all hate picking up the phone. So if you would call us the change is big that we just don't pick up. I think we should have an answering machine. That would be cool.
Thinking about this reminded me of a really funny Seinfeld episode. In this episode George pretends not to be at home and he used a song to be the message callers hear on the answering machine. It goes like this:
"Believe it or not,
George isn't at home,
Please leave a messaaaage at the beep.
I must be out,
Or I'd pick up the phone,
Where could I beeeee?
Believe it or not,
I'm not hoooome!"
Makes me laugh!
