:: p-dog ::

"I made a new friend." "Real, or imaginary?" "Imaginary." -- Donnie Darko
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Clare
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Clare's pics
:: currently cooking ::
Grilled Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup
Why is everything better when you grill it? This soup is definitely worth polluting the air for, plus it gives you a great excuse to buy three pounds of tomatoes at the farmers market.
:: currently reading ::
The Plot Against America
by Philip Roth
Alternative history in which FDR is defeated in the 1940 presidential election and, instead of fighting against Germany & co in WW2, the US tacitly allies with them. Bad news for Jews everywhere. Good reading.
:: archive ::
:: Saturday, May 31, 2003 ::
so, my last post--and my mood--were pretty dark. but i managed to climb out of that pit and have a really good time yesterday.

as soon as i wrote the last post, casey and sarah showed up to go to lunch. after a crab salad sandwich, we decided to stop by the heiniken brewery (actually only the old brewery that has been turned into a museum of the store's history and the process of beer-making). it was very well put together--you walk through the old giant tanks, and the exhibits are all new and snazzy. i couldn't give a crap about the history of heiniken, of course, but you also get three (in our case, four) free beers with your admission ticket, and there are strategically placed bars throughout the museum. So I was sporting a nice beer buzz from 2-5 in the afternoon. We also got into a rousing political discussion about globalization, genetically-modified foods and farm subsidies, and that's just always a party. Especially in a bar in the Heiniken museum.

So at 4 we emerged into the sunlight and returned to our derailed grocery trip. We bought a bunch of fish in the street market, three bottles of wine, and headed for home. (All of this was within very comfortable walking distance from Casey's house. They walk everywhere here.)

We baked a giant snapper for dinner which did require sawing off his head and tail to make him fit in the oven.

You know, I didn't think I could identify "freshness" in seafood. It's not a quality I even know how to describe. But this fish--as are most in Amsterdam--was swimming around happily as early as hours before we ate him, and I could tell from the first bite that it was just the freshest damn fish i'd ever eaten.

We loitered on their patio till 10 or so, when the sun began to set (it's still lightish at 11 here--a factor of how close to the pole we are. evidently it gets dark at 4 in january). then we set off for this comedy show that's all the dutch rage. it's all expatriate americans; the show is all in english, which everyone of the dutch of couse speaks better than i do. just a 2-hour improv show, and really funny. no doubt the most talented group of comedians i've seen perform.

so then it was 1:30, and i was turning into a pumpkin, but we weren't done, of course. no. it was just time for the traditional amsterdam "coffeehouse," where you "drink" "coffee." If by drink you mean smoke and by coffee you mean weed. nothing too exotic--the place was just like a bar, but you could order a joint with your beer.

well, that was a nice experience and all, but it was at this point waaay past my bedtime, and i still had to ride a bike home. but they (oh yes--we were out with casey, her boyfriend josh, and patrick, the german guy we'd met the night before) wanted to make one more stop, so i staggered on obligingly, despite the fact my contact had turned to glue in my left eye and i was about to lay down on the floor of the bar).

so the other thing you're supposed to do in amsterdam (other than weed, seafood, and the anne frank house) is listen to jazz. we stumbled into a jazz club that was beginning to thin out at 3 am, and suddenly i was awake again (still no vision in my left eye, but we make sacrifices). maybe it was just the lingering gently effects of the joint, but i just enjoyed the hell out of that jazz.

we didn't stay for long though, and began the long journey home at 3:30. we had ridden bikes.

bikes in amsterdam aren't like bikes in the US. they're huge, heavy pieces of metal, like overgrown little girls' bikes, and usually decades old. Pedal brakes, squishy seats, and a design that keeps you sitting up very straight. again, whether it was the marijuana or the sleep deprivation, i had a blast on the trip home. i was like a little boy with a toy car, zooming all over the streets to my own sound effects. fortunately, the streets were pretty empty, and we all made it home intact.

not sure what the plans are for today. maybe riding some better bikes out into the country. hope everyone is doing well!

:: Leslie H - 4:24 AM - ::

:: Friday, May 30, 2003 ::
we finally arrived in amsterdam yesterday, after what seemed much longer than three days. sarah and i were both looking forward to it as a place we would be settled for a few days, in someone's house instead of a hostel, and with a local who could advise us on what to see instead of making all the decisions ourselves. we got in midafternoon yesterday.

the city is very different from any one i've seen before in europe. it reminds me very strongly of a particular part of new york. red-brick row houses stretch on forever, big parks break up the city, and the bottom floor of most apartment buildings are filled with stores. the streets are not so clean as paris, and it's crowded. driving a car is completely impractical, and the lanes are crowded with people on old-fashioned bikes with peddle-brakes and little bells. it's really pretty charming, and the weather has been absolutely perfect (the whole trip so far, actually). yesterday was a holiday (ascension day--those crazy catholics), and half of amsterdam was in the streets and parks.

casey--sarah's friend we're staying with--is very nice, very hospitable, much fun. but inevitably, i feel like a bit of a third wheel. her boyfriend josh who she lives with is a little bit of an ass, but i've resolved today to withhold judgment until i'm in a better frame of mind myself. last night we went to dinner with two of casey's friends from the international college, one dutch guy and one german. that was mostly a lot of fun; they were interesting and friendly, only a few ignorant american jokes in good spirit, and it was awfully nice to actually have conversations with europeans while i'm in europe. :) not that we talked about anything of real significance.

but given how tired i was, we stayed out way too late, and my mood deteriorated. it only really manifested in my getting quiet, but by the time we got back to casey's apartment, i was mentally counting down the days left on this trip. i was also really homesick, unfortunately for a home that no longer really exists. to crawl out of that pit, i was reminding myself of individual things i enjoyed. like how nice it was to be laying in bed (well, on a couch). and this morning, what a beautiful day it was outside. how nice a shower was going to feel. at least i could enjoy those things. and i was reminding myself that no matter how slowly time seems to be passing, it is passing, and so will this feeling.

after a good night's sleep, i feel much better and have mostly recaptured the spirit of adventure. i think i need to get out on my own a bit.

i've run out of time again, but i will have regular internet access at least as long as i'm in amsterdam. so expect more.

:: Leslie H - 3:25 AM - ::

:: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 ::
This post is going to be in a ridiculous format because this keyborard is in an entirely fucked up layout, and i'm copying some of it from an email because i have no time! So bear with the errors, please...

We arrived in Paris...good lord, could it just have been yesterday? At 8 am, after sleeping not at all in the narrow tubes that pass for seats on AA. We were making for a hostel where we didnt have reservations but hoped would have room and foolishly decied to walk rather than take the metro. it didnt look that far on the map. remind me, by the way, never to gain 60 pounds, because after the hike with the pack, my feet and ankles were killing me. also my shoulders were bruised, but that wasn't weight related.

finally, we found the hostel, which did have room provided sarah would sleep on a mattress on someone elses floor. desunfortunadamente, they locked us out till three. no rest for the wicked. so we staggered through paris, bypassing the big attractions that wed already seen in favor of trolling the streets looking for the real "flavor." also a sandwich. we saw many lovely things that i would have photographed had my camera not broken. again. (so now it's just massively unreliable, but i carry it around just in case. miserable.)

so we staggered footsore through the streets until 3--nap and public shower time--and then forced ourselves out of bed at 6 in an effort to regain a somewhat normal schedule. at 6 we took the metro to the eiffel tower, stopping at the grocery store for some exquisite picnic fodder, including a baguette, brie, little jars of chocolate mousse, and the best strawberries i have eaten in my life. they taste like ones cameron used to grow in the backyard. with the euro-passion for non-gm food, i bet they're just strawberries as nature grew them, not gargantuan, super-preservative polyploids.

so we were at the tower, tourist mecca, for sunset, and then we split a bottle of bordeaux that cost too much at a sidewalk cafe across the street from our hostel, and went to bed at 11.

anyway, today we decided we needed a change of scenery, so we added a city to our itinerary and made for brussels. my camera has worked today, so i do have some pictures :) actually, far too many pictures.

we also decided to splurge and stay in an actual hotel ($25 each!), where it's just the two of us in the room. and though the shower is still 2 floors down, le toilette is in our room. we're calling it our day at the spa.

there are lots of dogs here, and sarah, not knowing the word for dog, keeps calling out "bonjour, le chat!" which we think is the word for cat. the french/belgians would probably think we were crazy if they could understand her through her terrible accent. so we mostly just walked around, it's been lovely and baroque, etc.

a series of unrelated observations:

staying in hostels will prove to be an interesting international experience. in my room last night (bunkbeds!) were a girl from canada, from some other part of france, and from (i think...) vietnam. all basking in the 14 euro/night luxury.

after spending so long in spain, where i could at least make myself understood, it is bizzare to be in a place where i can hardly say a word. but sort of cool. probably an experiece people should have.

more later when i have time!

:: Leslie H - 12:50 PM - ::

:: Sunday, May 25, 2003 ::

By popular (or at least vociferous) demand, puddledog is now up and running. It is May 25th. Yesterday I left Austin and friends for the foreseeable future, and I am somewhat surprised that life is still proceeding. Such an apocalyptic change I half expected to stop my world turning.



But I am in Dallas, and the sun is rising and setting despite the move. In 24 hours, I'll be on a plane to Paris, which I still don't quite believe. Today I have taken Bryan to the airport (I kidnapped him when I left Austin), set up my iMac, replaced a buckle on my backpack, watched 20 minutes of the second Harry Potter movie, cursed at my digital camera (may Minolta rot in a pit), and stared despondently into space. Later I will presumably pack for my whirlwind European tour.



Goodbyes in the past few days were painful and beautiful. Though tragic to leave such amazing friends, saying goodbye forces an examination and appreciation of relationships. Sad that only as things end can I be properly grateful for them.

Although I would have loved another week in Austin, no length of time could make leaving any easier. The madness of packing and celebrations distracted me nicely from the reality of my ending life, and I was happy--selfishly--not to have to watch anyone leave before I did.





This is a picture that my broken-ass camera managed to take of my packing up the Enfield house. I've also included the cookbook I made as a farewell gift to my dinner party comrades: Here.


:: Leslie H - 6:23 PM - ::

Words of Wisdom

A quote from Leslie, found today while sorting through freshman year papers...

"Oh! I could be a high school history teacher! . . . I could also gnaw off my own leg."

Hopefully not a sign of things to come ; )

:: Clare - 12:12 PM - ::

:: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 ::
The world demands satisfaction! Bring it on!

:: Clare - 7:37 AM - ::

:: Sunday, May 18, 2003 ::
Testing...testing...testing...

:: Leslie H - 1:02 PM - ::

:: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 ::
Happy Graduation, Leslie!

Here's an interactive graduation present to encourage frequent updates and documentation of your upcoming adventures... I won't wish you luck, since a cattle prod and six pack will probably serve you better, but I know that you will have a fantastic time over the next few years -- and I want to be sure to hear about it!

:: Clare - 9:27 AM - ::

:: Friday, May 09, 2003 ::
test for puddle dog

:: Clare - 6:37 PM - ::


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