Published by Jess
on 18 February 2009 at 6:51 PM. 
Getting off a three hour train ride and onto a bicycle seemed like a good idea. My friend and I showed up for the free walking tour, and because of a blue sky and persuasive tour guides, soon found ourselves on a bike tour. My first glimpses of the city of Amsterdam were from the seat of a bike--pedaling and practicing arm signals while attempting to take in the many different sights and sounds. A bike seems to be the way in which the city is intended to be navigated and viewed. Turning in our bikes after the tour we found the hazards of the pavement real and somewhat terrifying. There is a constant dinging of bells and it's hard to know if you should jump to the left or the right. Sometimes there is no where to jump because you just seem to be in the middle of a clump of bikes and any wrong move could cause an accident. At first I was a little bit stressed out and confused by the city, so much going on and so much to take in. It can be difficult to get your bearings amongst all the stores selling wooden shoes, the bikes and trams, and all the stoned tourists. Once you get passed all this though it really is a great city and has so much to do. I met a bunch of Australians and ate a lot of good food.
Being that I was only in Amsterdam for two days I didn't get to do a whole lot. I did go to the Anne Frank house which I highly recommend. Anne's words are written in large letters throughout every room more than filling the sometimes empty rooms. The quote that moved me the most was the following one written, not by Anne but by Primo Levi (a survivor of the Holocaust):
"One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did, but whose faces have remained in the shadows. Perhaps it is better that way: If we were capable of taking in the suffering of all those people, we would not be able to live."
Published by Jess
on 03 February 2009 at 9:21 PM.
Trying to write, but my thoughts aren't collecting into sentences. Watching French television pretending to understand. It's a beautifully filmed movie where you know disaster will strike, the good will fall, and redemption will find its way in the end. Don't need to understand the language to sense that.
Spain. I went to Spain for the first time two weekends ago. Care-free I skipped to the airport glad to be free of the kids for a record breaking four days. I didn't care what was in Spain I was just glad for a vacation! I arrived to the smiling face of my friend Erin, we had a class together back when I went to Pitt-Greensburg. We boarded the spic-and-span metro and caught each other up to date on our lives for the last few years. She and her husband live an hour outside of Madrid next to some beautiful mountains. The setting was wonderful. I immediately felt relaxed and welcomed. I didn't want the weekend to end. The food was so good, there was dancing, and I made new friends. I also decided I would much rather be studying Spanish than French. Spanish people are fun. I also came to the conclusion that in my travels I would much rather eat good food and meet the locals than take pictures of buildings and walk my feet off. Though I suppose each part has it's good side.
This past weekend I bid farewell to my two American friends. Back to the States they go making me think about how quickly time is passing here and how soon I myself will be boarding a plane back home. The life I know here will come to an end. I've gotten so used to my dishes, my small shower, the French television. I've gotten used to spending the majority of my time with a two year old. I still have five months left though and I can accomplish a lot in that time. Plenty of weekends left to spend with friends and do some traveling. Plenty of evenings remaining to cook myself a small fresh dinner, read a good book, and watch French television.
