Owner: American in Amsterdam URL:http://jamesonthecanal.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 04:05:33 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: This is a blog about my transitioning into the most fun, cool city in the world-Amsterdam! Site statistics:Click here
The-Drowned-Rat Look 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Our little three-month old Yorkshire Terrier received his first bath yesterday. He was suprisingly well-behaved. We made sure the water was warm, we fed him some treats in the bathtub, we turned the water on slowly, we were sure to use a non-slip pad, we spoke to him lovingly, etc. We did just about everything you can think of to ensure it was as comfortable as it could be for him. Click on the read more link just below to see four funny photos!The-Drowned-Rat-Look:
Happy Thanksgiving! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Happy Thanksgiving
to all in the US. I wish I were there to celebrate with friends and family, but I am now living in beautiful Amsterdam. I miss San Francisco and today I will reflect about what I am thankful for:1. My loving partner.2. My health and my partner's health.3. My new Yorkie, Jack.4. My family and friends in the US and Germany.Even though this is a long holiday weekend in the US, it is not in the Netherlands, of course. Today, I already had an interview and I have to go to my Dutch language class tonight as well. So my partner and I are going to celebrate tomorrow with vegetarian schnitzel, gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, brownies and wine.Again, all my friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving and I love and miss you all!!!!To all my fellow bloggers, too, Happy Thanksgiving!
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Party for the Animals 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Netherlands had an election three days ago and the Dutch voters made history. They elected two representatives in the Partij voor De Dieren or Party
for the Animals
. They were hoping for at least one seat and they actually won two. This is the first time anywhere in the world did a party win elections based on animals.Here are some of their interests:They aim to have animal rights written into the consitutionEstablishing an animal police forceHalting the bio-industry, animal testing and fur productionPromoting the consumption of organic foodAdditionally, they want to lower energy consumptionPromoting renewable resources: wind, sun and water energyThe PvdD has some good ideas and I am glad our animal friends in this world have finally won some representation in a government body. This is a step in the right direction.For more information about the Party for the Animals, CLICK HERE for the party's website that they graciously translated into English.
The Top 100 Hospitals in the Netherlands 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today I added the emergency veterinarian phone number to our contacts list and was thinking to myself, "I don't even have a doctor for myself."Then I was searching for hospitals in Amsterdam because in case of an emergency you need to know where they are located. I finally stumbled upon a Top 100 Hospitals
in the Netherlands
list. If you're in the Netherlands and are interested in the rankings, then simply click HERE for the chart.
In Nuremberg:Christmas Market 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today we are in Nuremberg to visit the ChristmasMarket
which has its opening ceremony this evening. The Christmas Market, or Christkindlesmarkt in German, here in Nuremberg is famous the world over for being the best. We will be back in Amsterdam on Sunday.Every year, Germany's most famous Christmas Market opens its stalls for visitors from all over the world, right in the middle of the city, on Nuremberg Main Market Square. At 5.30 p.m. on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday, the Christmas Angel opens her market, reciting the solemn prologue from the gallery of the church of Our Lady. And as every year, by Christmas Eve, more than two million visitors from all over the world will have sampled the delights of the Christmas Market.About 180 wooden stalls, festooned with red-and-white cloth, have given the Christmas Market its name of "Little Town from Wood and Cloth". 200 stall holders present their traditional wares: Nuremberg spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, bakery goods and s
Merry Christmas! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Merry Christmas
everyone. We are having a nice time with the family. This year we are hosting the family at our place here in Amsterdam. So far it has gone well. We enjoyed a raclette dinner last night which was so much fun.Yesterday we went to a holiday concert at the Concertgebouw at Museumplein. Then we went into the Rijks Museum. Today is Christmas Day in the Netherlands and I am not sure what we will do, but we do need to get out there and walk Jack.Type rest of the post here
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, Merry Christmas
Another Reason to Love Spain 1970-01-01 00:59:59 From 365gay.com:Spain
Prepares To Compensate Gay Victims Of Franco Eraby 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff Posted: December 28, 2006 2:00 pm ET (Madrid) The government of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is preparing legislation to compensate thousands of gays and lesbians who were imprisoned and in many cases tortured during the regime of General Francisco Franco. Under Franco's Fascist dictatorship homosexuality was a criminal offence. Tens of thousands of gays and lesbians were rounded up and imprisoned. The most famous gay man persecuted by the regime was the poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca who was executed by a Nationalist firing squad in Granada in 1936. Towards the end of the regime the government opted to send gays to mental hospitals rather than prisons. But in most cases the treatment worsened with many victims being given experimental drugs and electric-shock therapy to "cure; them. Even after Franco died, per Read more:Reason
Happy New Year! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Well, we survived New Year's Eve. This was my first New Year's in Amsterdam and let me tell you that I was very surprised. There were so many fireworks in all directions it just blew me away. It seems every person in Amsterdam set off fireworks for at least an hour. I even remarked that it seemed like a war with all the noise. It was great fun.I also have a nice photo I want to share with you all. I went on a short trip to Haarlem recently with my partner, his father and his sister while they were here for the Christmas holiday. As we strolled around Haarlem we came across this amazing dress in a shop window. Isn't it great!?HAPPY NEW YEAR!Type rest of the post here
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, Happy New Year
Spring in Winter: Global Warming 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today I took a bike ride around town and I discovered some flowers in winter. Amsterdam is farther north than London, however, there are flowers in bloom NOW, in winter. Check out my impression from the day.Type rest of the post here
Read more:Spring
, Global
, Global Warming
Windy Days in Amsterdam 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It has been very windy here in Amsterdam
the last few days. I took my dog out for a walk yesterday afternoon and it was so windy he was being blown back and forth. It was funny to see his reaction because he had never been blown around by the wind so much.In other news, have you heard about the latest cool gadget? Apple announced yesterday their new iPhone. I love gadgets, especially those that are more than one tool combined into one. Additionally, the video screen is a larger, wide-screen version. Now I just need to get me one...Type rest of the post here
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Amsterdam Built on Mud 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This was written earlier today:As I lay here in bed looking out the window as the wind howls through the tress, I wonder if their roots will hold them in the muddy earth. As you may or may not know, Amsterdam
is built upon very soggy ground. Buildings manage to stay erect thanks to pilingss driven through the mud. For example, the Royal Palace (Het Koninklijk Huis) at Dam Square is built on 13,600 pilings!Did you know that the water in the canals is actually at the water table level? Did you know that Schiphol Airport here in Amsterdam was built in a lake bed? It sits around thirty-four feet below sea level!When the weather is windy and rainy like it is today and most days in the winter, the jets landing at Schiphol are rerouted so that they fly almost directly over my apartment. You can look up and see a Boeing 747, 737 or other aircraft with their landing gear down already. It seems as if they are just skimming the top of the building. I have never seen a jet so low over a city befor Read more:Built
Now the USA is Surrounded by Gay Marriage 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Add another government entity to the list surrounding the US that has approved gay marriage. Canada and now even the Mexican state of Coahuila that borders Texas has approved gay marriage.How long will it take to gain equality in America? As long as that Christian fundamentalist GW Bush is in office we will never gain equality. I am pinning my hopes on the next presidential election when a Democrat is swept into office....Type rest of the post here
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The Best Kept Secret in Amsterdam: Bloemgracht! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 If you're looking for quality food and excellent service in a charming, quiet atmosphere then look no further than Bloemgracht. It is situated on a quiet street, Bloemgracht 47, just west of Rozengracht. The interior is clean, simple and non-distracting from the food. The service was excellent. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wines on offer. I will definitely be visiting again very soon.As an appetizer, I had the marinated wild salmon with dutch shrimps, hollandaise sauce and a garlic crouton. For the main course, I had the ravioli of ricotta and green herbs with mushrooms, green vegetables and a morille sauce. My choice of dessert was the Tarte-fine with rum-raisins ice cream and caramel sauce. Every bite of each course was so tasty and prepared to perfection.If an when you are in Amsterdam
, this is a MUST-VISIT restaurant!For more information, click here.Type rest of the post here
My First Speeding Ticket in Europe 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today I received a letter in the mail from the Centraal Justitieel/Incasso Bureau. In other words, I received my first speeding ticket in the 13 months I have been living in Europe
. It was an automated machine on the freeway that even snapped my photo. I was driving the car at 108 km/h in a zone that had a maximum speed of 100 km/h. Luckily, I was only going 8 km/h over and not any more. The said incident occurred on December 3, 2006 on the A12 in Arnhem. (see map below--the blue push pin is where it happened)I guess there's a first for everything. My fine was only 14 Euros which I already transferred online.Type rest of the post here
Read more:First
, Speeding
, Ticket
Another Storm Blowing Through 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today we had such a windy storm blow through Amsterdam. I braved the elements to go out to the store for groceries and there were downed trees everywhere. My grocery store had a tree that fell down in front and the tips of the tree were just about at the entrance to the store. Luckily, I was still able to go in and buy dinner. Here they are cleaning it up. I wanted to take more photos, but the police were starting to walk my direction so I stopped snapping photos.Speaking of dinner, the other night I was cutting some bell peppers for a salad and discovered a bell pepper growing inside of another. Have you ever seen such a thing? I thought it was weird. The little greenish-colored one was growing in the red one:Pasted from another website:Two killed in storm, transport disrupted (Update)Thursday 18 January 2007Two people have been killed after a tree fell on their car on the N224 between Arnhem and Ede, news agency ANP reported. Elsewhere, the severe storm sweeping the Netherlands is Read more:Storm
A Bar on a Bike! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today we went out for a long walk around Amsterdam. Our objective was to get out of the house, but most imp0rtantly, get Jack tired--our Yorkshire Terrier. On our walk today we saw a bar on a bike. Have you ever seen such a thing? It is crazy and fun. I wouldn't mind driving around town on a bike in the shape of a bar and having a few beers. This would never happen in prudish America. Drinking and driving--never in America--not even on a bike. I think it is a great idea and a good way to see the city. It even has a roof so in case it rains you stay dry.Here is the bike as it is coming towards us:Here you can see everyone is pedaling:Here are some guys that were street-dancing at Dam Square today:This guy was the best dancer:Type rest of the post here
Fox News Against the Netherlands 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Fox News' take on the Netherlands
. In my opinion, the video describes the many reasons why I LOVE the NETHERLANDS! I wish the US was more like the Netherlands.Type rest of the post here
Jack in Westerpark Today 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today
we took our Yorkshire Terrier to Westerpark for some exercise. He ran off his leash and had a good time. We decided to take off walking and assumed he would follow us. After talking about how he should learn to follow us, we both looked at each other and asked where is he? We were looking and he had run off into the distance. He was chasing a soccer ball that these three boys were kicking around with their father. I could not catch him, nor could the three boys. Finally he was so tired he just sat down. Then we were able to grab him and put the leash back on him. It was a fun day, but it also was windy. If there had been no wind it would have been warm. Here are a few more pics from the park today...
Call for traffic warnings in English 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This is a GOOD idea! I have driven on the freeways here in the Netherlands and the signs that are lit up with current traffic
information are in Dutch only. I would appreciate a translation into English
. Apparently the insurance industry agrees. Here is the article from the Expatica website:AMSTERDAM - Warnings aimed at drivers should be broadcast in languages other than Dutch as well, it was argued on Wednesday. Insurance company TVM, which insures some 40 percent of the transport in the Netherlands, is urging multilingual warnings
after the many accidents involving freight lorries during the severe storm last week. TVM reports that one third of the accident claims it received involving lorries last week involved a foreign driver. Professional drivers could be warned of problems like the storm last week in their own language on the information boards above and along the motorways and via the radio. "The increasing internationalisation of road transport means that a warning in Dutc
European Commission Call for Smoking Ban 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I am all for freedom and the power to decide for yourself if and when you want to smoke. Just not WHERE. However, I must say as an ex-smoker, I have very little sympathy for those that still choose to smoke knowing how bad it is for your health. It can cause irreparable damage. You WILL die. I am so anti-smoking because I have been to my grandmother's funeral. She died of lung cancer from too many years of smoking. Do yourself a favor and quit now or this...I am going to paste the full story in this post (if you click to read more) so that in case the story is taken off DW's website. Good luck. I hope that Europe will ban public smoking. I hate sitting down for a nice meal and at the table next to me someone lights up. It really ruins my experience. Not to even mention when you get home your clothes and hair STINK like smoke.I went from living in California where you cannot even smoke in a bar to living in Germany where they smoke EVERYWHERE. I even belonged to a gym where the employ Read more:Smoking
, European
, Commission
, European Commission
, Smoking Ban
Gays to Teach Others About Universal Love 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Gays and Lesbians are on Earth to teach humanity about unconditional love. There is too much hate on the planet now and the LGBT community is here to help others challenge their thoughts on love. Thinking about how a man can love a man subconciously challenges humanity's inner being. It is time for a paradigm shift. Open your heart and feel the love.It is time the planet and its inhabitants realize we are all ONE, including the animals. So try to live it now. It is inevitable. The 100th Monkey Theory will take care of it eventually any way. The 100th Monkey Explained:The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the Island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but found the dirt unpleasant. An 18 month old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in the salty ocean water, improving the Read more:Universal
, Others
Where is the OUTRAGE? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This story is from my favorite gay news website, www.365gay.com.How can ONE company make a profit of almost $40 BILLION dollars? By ripping off its customers while the corrupt politicians turn a blind eye or worse yet, accept bribes--which is more likely.WARNING: This story will make you sick.Denies Rights To Gay Workers, Exxon Posts Biggest Corporate Profit In US Historyby 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff Posted: February 1, 2007 - 9:00 pm ET (New York City) ExxonMobil the only major U.S. company to rescind a non-discrimination policy covering sexual orientation on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company - $39.5 billion. The 2006 profit topped Exxon Mobil's own previous record of $36.13 billion set in 2005. But for the past seven years the company has thwarted efforts to reinstate sexuality in its written nonbias policies. Last May shareholders at ExxonMobil's annual meeting have voted down a proposal to include LGBT workers in the company'
Don't bother me, I'm sleeping... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 My Yorkshire Terrier does not like to be disturbed when he is resting. Be sure to turn up the volume on your speakers and see what I mean.
Our First Snowfall in Amsteram this Winter 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Well, today was the first day this winter when we had snowfall in Amsterdam. It has been snowing most of the day and the weather forecast calls for continued snow through the evening. As luck would have it, I am flying tomorrow to San Francisco with a connection via London's Heathrow airport. I chose that connection because it arrives the earliest into San Francisco. I have read online that the UK is having heavy snowfall with London's Stansted and Luton airports closed. Heathrow is still open, but with cancellations. Let's just hope my flight from Amsterdam is operating on time because I do not want to miss my connection to San Francisco!California or bust!I will leave you with some pics of the snowfall from my street here in Amsterdam:Type rest of the post here
Read more:First
Expat Blues 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Well, I made it to San Francisco with no problems. The weather cleared up sufficiently by Friday and I was relieved to make it to California without any problems.Lately, I have been experiencing expat blues. I am sure those of you out there that are expats can understand. I was starting to miss America and I still want to move back. However, I realize now, home is where your heart is. Before we moved in January 2006 to Duesseldorf, Germany I was so excited and couldn't wait. I was bad-mouthing the US and especially the politics of the US. After I arrived in Germany, with the cold and snowy conditions, I was starting to miss San Francisco again almost immediately. 2006 was a rough year for myself and especially for my partner and his family. That only exacerbated the problem.Now that I am back in San Francisco visiting friends and enjoying myself, I am really missing my partner and my newly adopted puppy, Jack--a Yorkshire Terrier. I guess the old saying, the grass is always greener on Read more:Expat
, Blues
Beautiful San Francisco 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I love San Francisco
. We will be moving back here sooner than later. I am visiting my friend here and it has been so warm! I love it. Here are some impressions:Type rest of the post here
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Back in Amsterdam 2007-03-04 00:35:00 I have been back in Amsterdam
now for a week. Not much to report. I am just happy to be back with my partner and my dog.Is it Spring yet?By the way, there is a full lunar eclipse tonight, but as I was walking my dog about 20 minutes ago for his last walk of the evening---no moon in sight. However, this is what it is suppose to look like:Type rest of the post here
The Netherlands: A Great Place to Live 2007-03-17 22:09:00 (thanks to geology.com for this satellite image of the Netherlands
)1. Did you know that Dutch labor laws require four months of maternity leave?2. Did you know the Dutch have six weeks of vacation and two weeks of holidays annually?3. Did you know you can save money from your salary in the Netherlands so that later in life you can obtain the following benefits: 1) early retirement; 2) study leave; 3) long-term care leave; 4) parental leave; 5) sabbatical leave?These are just a FEW of the examples of why the Netherlands is a better place to live than the US. Each country has positive and negative aspects, but the more I think about it the more I think I should live and retire in the Netherlands. I would have better retirement benefits, better healthcare, a more secure future, lower cost of living, more equality as it relates to gay rights in the Netherlands vs. the US, etc. Think about it, taking SIX weeks of vacation will allow me more time to visit the US than if I lived in the US. D Read more:Great
, Place
Thalys 2-Day Sale! 2007-03-20 22:20:00 FYI: Thalys is having a 2-day sale starting tomorrow (21 March-22 March) and you can buy FIRST CLASS tickets from Amsterdam to Paris for only 98 Euros! I wanted to share the good news with as many people as possible because I love Paris! It is one of, if not the most beautiful cities in the world. Unfortunately, I am not as well received in France because I do not speak French and do not even pretend to speak French, but that's another subject...Bon Voyage!The view from Sacre Coeur from up inside of the tower! We took the round steps up and up and up until I thought I was going to lose it from the overpowering claustrophobia....You can click here for more photos of my trip to Paris, but you will have to scroll down through my sets to see the Paris photo albums.Type rest of the post here
EU Okays Open Skies Agreement! 2007-03-22 22:07:00 The EU approves the Open SkiesAgreement
!Thanks to Business Travel News Online for the story:EU Okays Open Skies Pact MARCH 22, 2007 -- European Union transportation officials today unanimously approved the Open Skies agreement forged earlier this month between the United States and EU, setting the course to liberalize transatlantic air travel. The agreement, set to go into effect in March 2008, gives carriers greater access to foreign money and markets, and promises to increase competition. The endorsement of the agreement immediately set several airlines on the path toward offering new services. Continental, for example, wasted little time in announcing plans to inaugurate flights between Houston and Heathrow before summer 2008, subject to approval. Under the new agreement, Heathrow no longer provides protections for carriers that currently operate from that airport to the United States. Aer Lingus, meanwhile, said it plans this year to launch new long-haul service to San Franci
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