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
Fall Impressions 2006-10-20 15:04:00 I wanted to share with everyone this beautiful, vibrant, red ivy that is hanging on a neighboring apartment building. The brilliant red brings back childhood memories of the autumn. I used to hate the return of autumn because it meant going back to school, colder days, no more swimming, the sun going down much earlier--you get the picture. However, now as an adult, I really like autumn. The leaves are changing colors and then swirl around on the ground in the wind. It is a great time of year!Here are a few impressions from my street today:These are large marijuana plants growing in a neighbors back yard (joke--it is just what they remind me of everytime I look at them):Spider with Meal (there are lots of spiders in Amsterdam it seems):Fall foliage on neighboring building:Hond in De Goot (Dog in the gutter--meaning don't let Fido crap on the sidewalk):
Read more:Impressions
The Netherlands Will Not Deport Iranian Asylum See... 2006-10-20 12:08:00 Imagine living in a country where you are killed for just being yourself. Well, unfortunately, that is what happens to gay Iranian
s. I am happy to report that the Netherlands
has decided NOT to deport gay Iranians seeking asylum. For the complete story click on the title of this posting or click here.
Read more:Deport
, Asylum
FYI--Firefox 2006-10-19 17:56:00 I am not sure why, but this blog can only be viewed as I intended using the Firefox
browser. By habit I have always used Internet Explorer, however, when viewing blogs at Blogger in Beta I have switched to Firefox.This is a recent event so hopefully Blogger will fix the bug so that Blogger blogs can be viewed as intended in IE as well....
Did You Know? 2006-10-19 11:43:00 Did you know that Amsterdam (or the Dutch)...1. Has lots of mosquitoes? I never thought about a large, European city as having mosquitoes, but it does. Fortunately, with the return of fall, cool temperatures they seem to be gone for the most part.2. Eat speculaas-a delicious cookie? It seems weird to blog about a cookie, but these are very delicious. They remind me of ginger snaps or gingerbread, but are even better. I have seen entire grocery aisles dedicated to cookies or crackers and considering how small these grocery stores are here in Amsterdam, they seem to have a large percentage dedicated to crunchy snacks.3. Are a philanthropic society? I have seen so many commercials asking the viewers to donate to the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Feed the Children of Africa charity, etc. You name it, it is on television here in the Netherlands. They even allow a quick donation via SMS from your mobile phone.4. Love to form lines? I was at de Slegte bookstore on Kalverstraat looking for
Is That a Lawn Mower Going By? 2006-10-16 14:33:00 Have you ever been sitting in your living room and heard what sounded like a lawn mower outside driving by slowly? Well, that's what exactly happened to me soon after moving into my new place here in Amsterdam. I curiously peeked out my window and I discovered the source of the noise: a boat. Yes, by living on a canal you will become accustomed to boats humming by. It took me by surprise at first, but it only makes sense, right? I file this story under, "What makes Amsterdam a unique place to live."
Read more:Mower
, Going
Row Boat Race 2006-10-14 14:55:00 There is a row boat race going on today in Amsterdam. These are some clips of them going by on the canal in front of our apartment:
Amsterdam Dance Event 2006-10-12 18:27:00 October 19-21, 2006 will be the dates of Europe's Electronic and Dance
Music Conference held right here in the beautiful city of Amsterdam
. If can make it to this event--go. I am looking forward to this action-packed weekend. It will consist of 3 nights, 30 clubs and 300 dj/artists, according to the website. I have never been to this annual event, but now that I live here I will be checking it out.
Links for 2006-10-10 [del.icio.us] 2006-10-11 07:00:00
BZA - Belangenvereniging Zelfdoeners in Adoptie
MinVWS Gays and lesbians
publications in English - SCP
Links for 2006-10-09 [del.icio.us] 2006-10-10 07:00:00
Survey of the Courses - Dutch Language Course - INTT Amsterdam - Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA)
Our Bike Trip Today 2006-10-08 16:38:00 Today we decided to ride our bikes from our home in the center of Amsterdam to Zandvoort. We were undecided if we should take the train home, but in the end we rode our bikes all the way home, too. This trip was 29 kilometers to the beach and another 29 kilometers back--so basically we drove 60 kilometers or 40 miles today on our bikes. I am glad I checked the distance AFTER we took our trip. That is the longest bike ride I have ever taken. My legs are so sore at this point.The ride took us five hours in total. We left this morning after breakfast and headed west. As you may or may not know, the Netherlands is very flat. It is a flat ride all the way there except near the very end, before you reach the ocean, there is a slight uphill section as you are traveling over the sand dunes. The Netherlands has a paved bike path almost covering the entire country.Along the way we encountered sheep, cows, horses, miniature ponies, dogs, cats, birds, and even jet aircraft. There are many farms an Read more:Today
Links for 2006-10-07 [del.icio.us] 2006-10-08 07:00:00
Restaurants in Amsterdam - restaurant gids diningcity.com voor uit eten gaan guide
Gays Contributing to the Netherlands 2006-10-06 23:06:00 I read this article on the US gay and lesbian newsmagazine website. I think some of you might be interested...When openly gay populist Pim Fortuyn first suggested in 2002 that the Netherlands
was ''full'' of immigrants and that Muslims must adopt Dutch ways, his brazen breach of traditional Dutch tolerance took the nation aback. Now as the Netherlands heads for its third general election in four years, Fortuyn's ideas are firmly embedded in the mainstream. With the new campaign just beginning, it's clear that the battles that defined Dutch politics in recent years are over—and that the Right has won.As a result, immigration, integration, and Islamic radicalism are marginal issues in this campaign. It isn't that they are no longer important; rather the nation has rallied around the idea that a tough approach has become necessary. To be sure, the challenge of balancing that approach with the Dutch social conscience and liberal democratic values seems to guarantee more upheaval.T
Scandal in the US Congress 2006-10-05 20:37:00 I am watching the fallout from the scandal of US Congress
man, Mark Foley--Republican from Florida, with such delight. Finally these Republican hypocrits are being exposed for who they are: hypocrits. It reminds me of all those self-righteous "Christians" in America claiming some moral high-ground and at the same time denying equal rights to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) citizens. The house of cards they built is falling down and it is fun to watch!For more info/truthful reporting see: http://americablog.blogspot.com/For the ULTIMATE gay-outing activist blog that is the authority on the web concerning outting hypocritical politicians, see: http://www.blogactive.com/If you are in Europe (or anywhere else for that matter) and know nothing about which I am blogging in this post, see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal
Read more:Scandal
Nuit Blanche (White Night) in Brussels 2006-10-05 16:22:00 This is the only video taken last weekend on our Brussels
trip. I was standing in the middle of the Grote Markt in Brussels. The woman was on a platform illuminated by intense white lights. The building I pan to is the Brussels City Hall and as you can see it is illuminated by blue lights. Saturday, September 30th was Nuit Blanche
or WhiteNight
in Brussels. There were many cultural events around the city that night.I just love this music. It is Arabic obviously and she has a beautiful voice. If anyone reading this blog knows Arabic and knows what she is singing about please leave a comment and enlighten us all.
FilmLoop Test 2006-10-05 16:11:00 This posting was a test to see if and how FilmLoop works. You can click on the Film Loop to see it larger in another web page.
US Court Says Spy on the US! 2006-10-04 23:46:00 I am convinced the United States has completely gone mad. A US Court
has ruled today that it is OK to spy on US citizens. Meanwhile, the Congress is in a meltdown due to a closeted gay man being protected by conservative Republicans. I think the land on the other side of the Atlantic is in a twilight zone....
Brussels, the capital of the EU 2006-10-02 13:47:00 (click map to enlarge and thanks to Yahoo travel for the map)Our Brussels
trip was fun and interesting. I have to say Brussels reminds me of Paris, but I am sure it does the same for everyone. The weather forecast called for rain and clouds most of the weekend, but we only had a light drizzle late on Sunday.We started our trip by taking a tram to Amsterdam's Centraal Station. There we retrieved our tickets and boarded our train bound for Brussels. Well, we were informed about thirty minutes into our journey that the Brussels-bound passengers would have to disembark in Roosendaal, Netherlands and a train would be waiting on a different platform to continue our journey onwards to our final destination. Well, yep--you guessed it, after arriving in Roosendaal and just before disembarking we were told the connecting train to Brussels would not be leaving for another hour---and without any explanation. That was my first experience on the Neth Read more:capital
Brussels or Bust! 2006-09-29 09:54:00 photo courtesy of Anja+Andreas and found in Flickr. Click link for the photo on flickrWe have a nice weekend trip planned and we are leaving this afternoon on a train bound for Brussels
. I have never been to Brussels so this should be an interesting trip. I will be taking photos, as usual, and will post them to Flickr when I return. If you are reading this before 12:30 PM and have any suggestions of a must-see in Brussels, feel free to comment.
Rembrandt Park in Amsterdam 2006-09-28 11:48:00 Yesterday we took a ride through Rembrandt
Park in Amsterdam
. It is a peaceful park further west of Centrum and it has great bike paths--nice and wide. We also rode around the city to learn the sidestreets and to discover any new shops or restaurants. The best way to get to know a city is to just randomly explore, dontcha' agree?Here are some shots from our day, Matt's birthday:Here's Matt waiting for me to catch up. I was trying to take a shot of the green statue:The green, Mayan-god-looking statue:The bike path is much wider than the usual pike path in A'dam:After all the biking through the city we stopped for lunch at Cafe de Prins at Prinzengracht 124 near the Anne Frank House (excellent food):We saw a boat with two guys driving through the canals cleaning out the trash:
Gay World Leader--in Germany? 2006-09-23 20:01:00 Is the next German chancellor going to be a gay man? How great would that be? After Germans voted in Angela Merkel, their first woman chancellor ever, are they ready for a gay leader? I think they are. Only time will tell...Germans and Europeans in general are much more progressive on gay issues. Which brings me to my next point. Somehow I feel more free, better about myself, if you will, living here in the Netherlands. Gay marriage was legalized here in the Netherlands on April 1, 2001--the first country on Earth to legalize equality. I know that this country values equality and affords me the same rights as heterosexuals. I do not feel "less equal." I truly feel like I am a part of the fabric of society here in the Netherlands. I feel free--like I belong. Yes, San Francisco was great. It was the best place to live as a gay man in the US, however, now I truly feel equal in the eyes of the law. It is a strange, liberating feeling that I cannot explain. It is a pyschological reaction t Read more:World
, Leader
, Germany
El Comandante 2006-09-23 19:33:00 Ok, ever since I moved away from San Francisco in December 2005 I have been on the hunt for some really good sangria--like the type they serve at Cha Cha Cha in the Haight/Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Tonight I found a place that makes sangria even BETTER! Yes, I was amazed and happily surprised at how good the freshly-made sangria tasted. (The food was fantastic, too!) It is located only a five minute walk from my apartment. The name of the place is 'El Comandante' at Nassaukade 122, 020 486-8137. The only place I could find information about the restaurant online is on a website titled, "commietravel." I have nothing wrong with that. Live and let live is my newest motto, at least it has been given a new emphasis here in wonderful, free Amsterdam.Here is the review from that website of this great restaurant:Everybody visiting Amsterdam has the opportunity to have a revolutionary meal. On a cosy spot on the Nassaukade (number 122) you'll find a Tapas Bar who understands f
The US vs. John Lennon 2006-09-23 14:25:00 I just read about a new documentary that is in theatres in America now. It is titled, "The US versus John Lennon
." I am looking forward to this opening in the Netherlands.
Read more:John Lennon
Very Important Video 2006-09-22 10:11:00 Click here for a very important video everyone must see, especially those people living in the US.
Venezuelan President Chavez Calls Bush the 'Devil'... 2006-09-21 19:24:00 The VenezuelanPresident
Hugo Chavez
calls George W. Bush--the US dictator that's in office due to voter fraud---the Devil
. Well, I agree with Chavez. Bush is a horrible person that should have never been put into the White House. What else is happening in the world today? The Hungarians are standing up against there government. Another conservative government in North America takes power due to voting irregularities...this time it is Mexico, not the US. The Pope is stoking the fire to keep religious fanatics hating each other. Why is that religion causes so much pain, suffering, hate and war? Have you ever wondered why? I surely do...
Museum Van Loon 2006-09-17 16:59:00 Today was a cloudy day so we decided to visit a museum---the Museum
Van Loon. It is a double-sized canal house located at Kaizergracht 672 in Amsterdam. The home is decorated the way it was back in the 1600's. It is a beautiful place to visit if you want to see how the rich merchant class lived during that time period. For more photos click my Flickr badge.Here is the garden behind the museum:This is the dining room at the front of the house:This is the servants' quarters at the back of the main house:
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