Iamsterdam

got back from amsterdam late last night. it was a fantastic trip that ended too soon. myself and about 100 other students embarked thursday night by coach to the white cliffs of dover to board the ferry to calais. arriving early friday morning in france we got on the coach again to continue to amsterdam.

friday in amsterdam was a fantastic blur of wandering around the city and getting lost and finding cafes. in true amsterdam style, my friends and i were high most of the day. that night we went to the van gough museum, housing the largest collection of van gough in the world. it was spectacular. i saw 'starry night' as well as so many other famous paintings. i love van gough. you know his whole life he only ever sold one painting and that was to his brother. poor guy. but adversity is the mother of creativity.

saturday was even better. a few of us went on a bike tour of the city and countryside. it was a fantastically sunny day and the counrty was so picturesque! all the daffodils were blooming and the birds were chirping and i thought mary poppins was going to pop out from behind a tree and start singing. we stopped at a windmill that rembrant used to sketch, and then on to a cheese and clog factory where i kid you not they make cheese and clogs. and as if that was not enough, we got to feed barn animals. after our glorious commune with nature we visited the anne frank house which was as depressing as i thouhgt it would be, but still interesting and touching. her original diary is there on display.

i want to live in amsterdam. the life of an amsterdamian seems like some sort of beautiful utopia where everyone rides bikes and the police are only there to help children if they fall down or to aid the elderly with crossing the street. there's no pollution and weed is cheap and legal, prostitutes have pensions, and you start every morning with a freshly baked danish. i'd live the life of a prince and have cinnamon ice cream every night.


but i'm back in england today where weed is neither cheap nor legal and it's rainy and i start every morning without breakfast. i'm only hitting this sour note because i woke up this morning with the worst sore throat in the world. i can barely talk and it hurts to swallow. i hope i don't have streap. i'm currently sipping tea with honey willing it to go away soon. i have 2 huge papers due next week, but after that- CAIRO! and after that- INDIA! and after that- IRELAND! what a lucky girl i am. i guess a sore throat isn't that bad.