The Build Up

The Build Up

Thursday this, Thursday that…all the build up of wanting/needing to shop and then the let down…

I went straight back to my hotel after work (yes, the mile-long walk in the freezing rain) because I had a few more things I wanted to wrap up work-wise.  My plan was to work for about an hour and then head out to shop for the last hour that the stores would be open.  Well I got very cold in my non-heated hotel room and I moved myself and my laptop over to the bed so I could cover up.  Well, next thing I know…it’s 7:15pm and I fly up from being fast asleep.  I ran through the room (2 steps…I feel fast) changing and getting my purse together and then set off for town.  It was about 7:45 when I got to town center and I only had time to go into one little shop (and I didn’t find the grocery store my coworker had told me about).  So…point is, I was quite unsuccessful in my shopping venture.  Better luck Saturday morning, eh?

The stores closed at 8 and that is when I headed back over to the mosquito to join some co-workers for dinner.  Dinner here is really cool.  You sit there for hours (we were there from 8-midnight last night) and there is no feeling of being in a hurry.  De Mug holds the title of best café in all of the Netherlands.  Their beer that they brew is very good and the food is outstanding.

Everyone is surprisingly in shape…considering the multi-course dinners, level of milk consumption, and cheeses at every meal.  I guess it’s because of all of the walking.  There’s nothing like a brisk mile-long walk in the morning to get you awake and ready to work.  Most people here ride bikes.  I’ll try to get a pic of the bike racks, the number of bikes is crazy.  My office is near the elementary school, I know this because herds of children on bikes make my morning walk quite an adventure.  They definitely own the roads around here.  I’m finally picking my bike up this weekend (now that I know where I’m supposed to put the thing).