(no subject)
Well its been awhile so he it goes.
I now have a bike. It took me awhile to get it fixed, but I've been riding it lately. I'm still nervous as hell considering the Dutch are insane, not to mention tram tracks that can flip me onto my unhelmeted noggin. I do feel much more like a local and it is very good for my health, but I'm still the walking type. Yesterday a couple of lady cops yelled at me for riding in a no ride zone, but I never saw the sign. Still its fun, but I wonder if my headlight works. I know I can't get it to touch the wheel, how it works, but if I want to ride at night and don't want a 20euro fine I have to check it out.
Work is going well. Tomorrow I do my first tour with people and am scheduled for 3, maybe 4, tours. I'm really excited about all of this. Its mostly for financial reasons. I'd like to think I'd eat better and actually spend some of the money, but I know there's no way of that happening. I'm cheap, simple as that. Besides, I want Lasik so I might as well start saing now and with the Euro stronger than the Dollar I could have alot more than it look by the time I get home.
Everyday starting at 7ish construction workers drive piles for a new building. I'm pretty sure it will be a constant thing for the whole time I'm here.
This Saturday IES has organized a trip to the northern city of Groningen. Its should be alot of fun. I'm told its a stright college town, like State College, with everything for the students. Its going to be a fun trip.
Speaking of fun trips last night I booked my flight to Ireland! Yay! I'm going to Cork for the weekend of the 19th to the 22nd of October. I've always wanted to go to Ireland, but I hear people asking, why Cork? Well two reasons. 1. I have a free place to stay, Unlike Dublin and 2. I can get a direct flight, unlike Galway. I'll be staying with two guys from St. Joes that I met in Prague.
Facebook has a new group called "Poke the Opposing Quarterback" or something, but the premise is brillant. Just "Poke" (a meaningless feature that I don't understand, apparently it has I like you connotations) the quarterback of the next team we play to piss him off. the group has 284 members already. Can you imagine clogging that bastard's mailbox with those stupid things. Brillant, absolutlely brillant.
Have I mention I go to the largest school of anyone in the IES program? One girl goes to UMASS, but everyone else goes to smaller schools. I'm King I suppose.
Sending in my absentee ballot request today, I hope it gets to Doylestown in time. I can't wait to vote out Santorum.
Last Sunday my RA cooked traditional Dutch food for a group of us. No fish, but the other side. Mashed Potatos with some veggie mixed in, bacon, gravey, sausage, and topped with applesauce. The applesauce sounds weird, but it works. Very tasty, especially washed down with Grolsh beer.
My electric razor has a screen that covers the actual razor so I don't cut my face. Unforunatly that screen now has a jagged hole in it. It has to be replaced and even found an online store that I can buy one from, but its all in Dutch. I got through the whole thing, but it didn't like my credit card and when I tried to start again it wouldn't let me. To make matters more confusing I get an email, in Dutch, saying I should try again, but it LOOKS like a reciept. I had to get the RA to translate. The Dutch have a funny way of designing systems that seem great to them, but are actually horrible. The best example is Publib transport. To ride public transit you need a "Strippenkart". From the name you'd think "one strip, one ride". Nope. I strip for the ride, plus another for how many zones you travel in, and only for one hour from the time its stamped. The Dutch woman from IES tried to tell me it was like a cab, pay your base fee then whatever it is to get there, but cabs suck. Why emulate a cab? One strip, one ride. Simple effective. Another example is the print cards. To print from Univeristy printers you have to buy a print card, load it with money, then use it. To use it you send the job to the printer, then walk over, put your little card into the machine, type you user name (which is an arbritary number I might add) and password, and only then does it print, 5 cents a page, but one side only. Its seems like a better system to give 100 sheets included in the bill, print both sides, and anything over 5 cents a sheet goes on your semester bill? I like the Dutch, I like Amsterdam, but its like they intentionally confuse people for sport. Anyway, enough of this rant.
Tea Leaf Green is playing New Years in Philly. I guess I know where I'll be unless something else pops up.
Philly has the best block of concerts at the moment. Panic, Yonder, Trey, and one or two others within a two week span. Crazy.
Speaking of crazy. The Drive-By Truckers played in State College tuesday night at Lulu's. This is odd for two reasons. First off, the Truckers are a big name. They are a great southern rock band and big on the scene and without the Crowbar or the State Theater where would they play? Enter Lulu's. I've never heard of Lulu's so it must be new. Its in the Tony's Big Easy complex which is complex of four bars or so on Pugh owned by one guy (That guy was stabbed at Club Love, ironically enough). Jon said its more of a club vibe, but if they're picking up the live music in town I'm pleased. The Truckers set a good precendent, but it will be hard to top the Crowbar. It was so small and intimate and they had all types of music. Great place, may it rest in peace.
The Crowbar, incedently, is now the Cellblock, which strikes me as the name of a bondage bar. Good name for room I suppose, but I hope it stays cool. I've seen a mess of shows there and if you look at their website, if its still up, thier list of bands who've played is like a who's who of the east coast jam scene. If the Cellblock sucks I'll know what it was like when people found out that the Fillmore East became a Gay Leather bar (True) or whatever the Wetlands Preserve was turned into.
I should start a paper I have due next wednesday. I'm amazed, but I'm getting a little stressed over assignments already, even though I have less then 10 total, including exams (only 2 of those). I guess I am nuts.
I love and miss you all,
Matt
I now have a bike. It took me awhile to get it fixed, but I've been riding it lately. I'm still nervous as hell considering the Dutch are insane, not to mention tram tracks that can flip me onto my unhelmeted noggin. I do feel much more like a local and it is very good for my health, but I'm still the walking type. Yesterday a couple of lady cops yelled at me for riding in a no ride zone, but I never saw the sign. Still its fun, but I wonder if my headlight works. I know I can't get it to touch the wheel, how it works, but if I want to ride at night and don't want a 20euro fine I have to check it out.
Work is going well. Tomorrow I do my first tour with people and am scheduled for 3, maybe 4, tours. I'm really excited about all of this. Its mostly for financial reasons. I'd like to think I'd eat better and actually spend some of the money, but I know there's no way of that happening. I'm cheap, simple as that. Besides, I want Lasik so I might as well start saing now and with the Euro stronger than the Dollar I could have alot more than it look by the time I get home.
Everyday starting at 7ish construction workers drive piles for a new building. I'm pretty sure it will be a constant thing for the whole time I'm here.
This Saturday IES has organized a trip to the northern city of Groningen. Its should be alot of fun. I'm told its a stright college town, like State College, with everything for the students. Its going to be a fun trip.
Speaking of fun trips last night I booked my flight to Ireland! Yay! I'm going to Cork for the weekend of the 19th to the 22nd of October. I've always wanted to go to Ireland, but I hear people asking, why Cork? Well two reasons. 1. I have a free place to stay, Unlike Dublin and 2. I can get a direct flight, unlike Galway. I'll be staying with two guys from St. Joes that I met in Prague.
Facebook has a new group called "Poke the Opposing Quarterback" or something, but the premise is brillant. Just "Poke" (a meaningless feature that I don't understand, apparently it has I like you connotations) the quarterback of the next team we play to piss him off. the group has 284 members already. Can you imagine clogging that bastard's mailbox with those stupid things. Brillant, absolutlely brillant.
Have I mention I go to the largest school of anyone in the IES program? One girl goes to UMASS, but everyone else goes to smaller schools. I'm King I suppose.
Sending in my absentee ballot request today, I hope it gets to Doylestown in time. I can't wait to vote out Santorum.
Last Sunday my RA cooked traditional Dutch food for a group of us. No fish, but the other side. Mashed Potatos with some veggie mixed in, bacon, gravey, sausage, and topped with applesauce. The applesauce sounds weird, but it works. Very tasty, especially washed down with Grolsh beer.
My electric razor has a screen that covers the actual razor so I don't cut my face. Unforunatly that screen now has a jagged hole in it. It has to be replaced and even found an online store that I can buy one from, but its all in Dutch. I got through the whole thing, but it didn't like my credit card and when I tried to start again it wouldn't let me. To make matters more confusing I get an email, in Dutch, saying I should try again, but it LOOKS like a reciept. I had to get the RA to translate. The Dutch have a funny way of designing systems that seem great to them, but are actually horrible. The best example is Publib transport. To ride public transit you need a "Strippenkart". From the name you'd think "one strip, one ride". Nope. I strip for the ride, plus another for how many zones you travel in, and only for one hour from the time its stamped. The Dutch woman from IES tried to tell me it was like a cab, pay your base fee then whatever it is to get there, but cabs suck. Why emulate a cab? One strip, one ride. Simple effective. Another example is the print cards. To print from Univeristy printers you have to buy a print card, load it with money, then use it. To use it you send the job to the printer, then walk over, put your little card into the machine, type you user name (which is an arbritary number I might add) and password, and only then does it print, 5 cents a page, but one side only. Its seems like a better system to give 100 sheets included in the bill, print both sides, and anything over 5 cents a sheet goes on your semester bill? I like the Dutch, I like Amsterdam, but its like they intentionally confuse people for sport. Anyway, enough of this rant.
Tea Leaf Green is playing New Years in Philly. I guess I know where I'll be unless something else pops up.
Philly has the best block of concerts at the moment. Panic, Yonder, Trey, and one or two others within a two week span. Crazy.
Speaking of crazy. The Drive-By Truckers played in State College tuesday night at Lulu's. This is odd for two reasons. First off, the Truckers are a big name. They are a great southern rock band and big on the scene and without the Crowbar or the State Theater where would they play? Enter Lulu's. I've never heard of Lulu's so it must be new. Its in the Tony's Big Easy complex which is complex of four bars or so on Pugh owned by one guy (That guy was stabbed at Club Love, ironically enough). Jon said its more of a club vibe, but if they're picking up the live music in town I'm pleased. The Truckers set a good precendent, but it will be hard to top the Crowbar. It was so small and intimate and they had all types of music. Great place, may it rest in peace.
The Crowbar, incedently, is now the Cellblock, which strikes me as the name of a bondage bar. Good name for room I suppose, but I hope it stays cool. I've seen a mess of shows there and if you look at their website, if its still up, thier list of bands who've played is like a who's who of the east coast jam scene. If the Cellblock sucks I'll know what it was like when people found out that the Fillmore East became a Gay Leather bar (True) or whatever the Wetlands Preserve was turned into.
I should start a paper I have due next wednesday. I'm amazed, but I'm getting a little stressed over assignments already, even though I have less then 10 total, including exams (only 2 of those). I guess I am nuts.
I love and miss you all,
Matt