Some of you might wonder, what that heck I wrote up there instead of Welcome to Pete's Homepage.  Well, my friends... it's in Dutch.   and let my vacation tale begins..........
 

Part II - The Epic

By Malaysian airlines to Amsterdam, I got to see the new Kular Lumpur airport.  It's quite nice and modern but lack of culture and nationality, but then most new airports like Hong Kong, Singapore... are like that.  If you have been to Denpasar (Bali) airport, then you know what I mean.   I think national airport should have at least some traces of local architecture to it.     Another 13 hours, I arrived to Schiphol (pronounced "S Krrrrrrrrrrip   Hole") airport of Amsterdam.   The week before I arrived, the weather was miserable, but from the day my feet touched the dutch ground - the european life has never been happier... ok, that's exaggerating, but the weather was very nice most part of my trip... sunny, and crisp, although it's colder than expected this time of the year.

Amsterdam is great as usual.   Lively, beautiful, and walkable city.  Most interesting areas can be reached by foot, although the tram system is very efficient.   The cost of living is not that expensive like London, or Zurich.   I had dinner at a small Italian restaurant for about the same price as it were in Bangkok.   People speak English, and very friendly.   If you want to see what Amsterdam looks like click the link below for the live picture from Amsterdam (it's 6 hours behind, so if you want to see it in daylight, try this after 3 p.m. Bangkok time).

See Amsterdam Live!

I can't finish Amsterdam off before mentioning two more things... SEX and DRUGS.   Yes, it may sound provocative, but it's part of the city.   Red light district in Amsterdam is very explicit, but concentrated in one area (so it's can be managed and regulated by the city).   But the interesting thing is it doesn't connote the sense of forbidden but instead it's lively and entertaining.   If you want to know more drop me an email with self-confirmation statement that you're above 18 and I will answer your question explicitly, ha ha ha....    As for drugs, there was a debate in the Netherlands to illegalise drugs, but obviously drugs business in Amsterdams is too big to get rid off that easily.   By the way, only soft drugs is legal in Amsterdam, i.e. weeds, marijuana, cannabis, pots, hash, (they might all be the same, I'm no expert on this), and magic mushrooms.    For those who don't smoke, no problem, there are "Space Muffin", "Space Cake", "Space Tea" for you (basically mix with marijuana).   I will have to try some if I ever go back to Amsterdam (I'm serious).

I went up north of Amsterdam to visit the touristy site of windmills.   Touristy but still nice.  I saw how they make wooden shoes, cheese, in a setting surrounded by windmills.   Windmills are amazing, actually I'm intrigue by natural power/renewable energy machinery anyway.    They are more complicated than just using the wind to grind grains or move water.   The dutch is very engineering oriented, actually the country is a feat of engineering since most of the country is below see level.   Quoting from Let's Go guidebook, "The dutch say that God created the rest of the world but that they created the Netherlands."   Maybe we should say "dutch engineering" instead of "german enginnering", what do you think?

I also visited Den Haag (Maduradam), and a beach town called Scheveningen (a town so difficult to pronounce correctly, it was used as a code word by the Dutch in WWII).  Maduradam is a collection of outdoor miniature Dutch towns.    I'm surprised that there is a miniature version of Unilever head office in Rotterdam there as well - what an ugly building!    Scheveningen is very similar to Santa Monica pier, but the ocean and the beach are not anywhere near Phuket.    But, it's nice to walk on the beach and see the sunset still.
 

                            The central Station (train) at Amsterdam.   No....                            Miniature version of Unilever head office       I didn't take the train all the way from Bangkok,                               in  Rotterdam also on display at
But, I thought it's a nice building.  What a different                          Maduradam.  What an ugly building!!!
to Unilever building on the right, ha ha ha....
 

  Can't leave the Netherlands without the picture of windmills

After about 5 days in the Netherlands, I took a train to Oldenburg, Germany and visited my friends over the weekends.     Oldenburg might not be on most tourist map (it's not a tourist town), but it's near Bremen (home of Beck's beer).    It's a nice little city to live actually.   We went out to the bars and got drunk.  I've never been that drunk before, although I remember all the details (alcohol can only do so much on my strong body).     The shopping streets at Oldenburg is quite nice and bigger than I expected (afterall it's not a tourist town).    I got a nice block of candle (6 lits) and a hat :-)    On Saturday, Frank, Cordula, her boyfriend, and I drove up to Bremen for the circus (fair).    We went to the fun house, rode the roller coaster, bumping cars, and other neaseating rides.     The food stalls also added color to the fair, I enjoyed checking out the foods and snack as well as the rides.   Lastly, Cordula the little sister, led us on our bicylces to the see the red light district of Oldenburg.   Yes, there is one, but very small and somewhat forbidden and discrete.   Since it's a cold night, we didn't see so many on the streets but I saw one sitting in her car with flashlight shown on her breasts :-)     Then there was a complex, U shape building and inside it's divided up into many small rooms with window displays.  I guess I don't have to say more, you should be able to guess what's on display.

Can you see me in the reflection?  Next to me is Frank, my apprentice.
 

After a nice homely weekends (yes, with mom's cooking, nice evening family chat, and Arko the dog), it's time for me to adventure off to the nearest city - Hamburg.  Actually, Berlin is quite interesting too, but it's a bit far (perhaps an overnight train) and I didn't have so much time to do it.  So, I decided to keep Berlin together with Prague on my next trip.

Hamburg didn't impress me much more than a once off visit.   Most of the buildings are new (the old ones got destroyed by the war), but it surely has its uniqueness.    I have never seen so many sex shops, and sex show establishments on one street like that before, and I've been to Amsterdam.   It certainly is an industry.     The shopping streets are huge, but modern and up market - the kind that good for window shopping.    However, I recommend the Rathaus, very nicely ornamated 19th century building.    The youth hostel that I stayed is located on the hill above the subway station, with a great view of the harbor.

                                                    
Rathaus, Hamburg.  Beautiful building.                                      I left before this interesting festival start,
                                                                                                           should check the calendar event beforehands!
 
 

The flight back from Amsterdam was uneventful.   The movies were the same as the coming trip.  My joystick control didn't work well so I could only play certain games.   Other than that, the 767 is a good plane.  I appreciate the adjustable head rest,  so I have something to lean on trying to get some sleep during the flight.    I still miss flying business class.  Unilever has spoiled me, unmaterialistic as I am I still enjoy the lounge and the larger seat for long haul flight.   By the way, the transfer counter at Kular Lumpur airport sucks, better to get all your boarding pass done somewhere else but at KL airport.

Part III - The Aftermatch

Nothing lasts forever is one of the truism.     As a good buddhist, I learn that by heart.   Yet, getting back to work still depressed me, ha ha ha.  Some people say that if you don't work, you will get bored.  boy... do I really want to prove that.  Maybe I should get some corporate sponsors and do a research on that :-)     If I only learn one thing from this trip, it's about balance, and I think I work too hard, and I have decided to do something about it.

Thursday, November 4, I had a grand opportunity to see the Royal Barge Procession.   It's the first time for me to see it and it's worth the wait.

We watched the procession form the Bangkok Noi Railway Station.   The barges are beautifully ornamated, the customs of the rowers were great, and even the paddles were gold.

Here are some pictures from the events....

        The king's barge in upon arriving at the Temple of Dawn.
 
 

    The king walking up to the barge. 

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have a Grrrrrrreat month, everyone

Pete
Moo
 
 

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