my camera will be attached to my hip everyday. somedays i'll take pictures with my canon powershot sd1000 or my canon rebel xti, other days with my kodak easyshare v705 panoramic and occasionally with my polaroid spectra. and everyday i'll post one picture up on my flickr until i have a mosaic of one picture for every day of the year.
i first caught wind of project 365 on photojojo a few weeks ago. with a tagline of how to take a photo a day and see your life in a whole new way, i was intrigued.
i chose today february 28 as my start date. my favourite combination of numbers.
to all shutterbug friends out there who are interested in joining me on this project, do let me know when you start. i'd love to see your world through your eyes.
1/365 745am - skytrain to school listening to: paul weller's that's entertainment (acoustic)
okay, i've taken the plunge. let's see what everybody and their dog walker are talking about. if you're also a twit, erm, i mean a fellow twitterer, drop by and say hello.
if there is one brand that i love and and have in abundance in my wardrobe, it's gotta be adidas. LOVE adidas. i'm completely brand loyal to adidas for casual wear clothing. (although for footwear, i branch out a wee bit with adidas, vans and puma)
ever since i was 12 and saw a girl at my elementary school sport the blue polyester zip up jacket with matching stirrup pants, i was hooked. and from that moment on, it was a life of stripes for me.
that's why i loved watching football (that's english football y'all) especially liverpool football club whom adidas outfits. footballers are the hottest looking athletes in the world. one of my favourites is lfc's #8 steven gerrard. woot! and sure, david beckham is yummy in armani underwear, but i think he's way sexier rockin' the adidas.
not only does adidas have killer clothes, but they have THE coolest ads and commercials. this one released to celebrate adidas' 60th anniversary features the likes of david beckham, russell simmons, dmc of run-dmc, missy elliot, katy perry and the ting tings at a house party for their originals line and accompanied by an awesome remix of frankie valli's song beggin'.
branded by 3 simple words, adidas' marketing and way of life is as follows:
impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. impossible is not a fact. it's an opinion. impossible is not a declaration. it's a dare. impossible is potential. impossible is temporary.
impossible is nothing.
i've already blogged about my love for adidas before and i'm sure this is won't be the last time either. but to MPJ mentioning the compliment on my adidas, you've trumped me on my blog! (this blog that had been sitting in my draft box waiting to post) someone who appreciates and has cool taste in music and clothes!
i would love to walk through the art institute of chicago right about now and take in nighthawks by edward hopper, au cirque fernando: l'ecuyere by henri de toulouse-lautrec, portrait of balzac by auguste rodin and american windows by mark chagall, among all the other works of art by kandinsky, picasso, modigliani and gauguin.
and who can forget sunday afternoon on la grande jatte by george seurat. this is the neo-impressionist painting that cameron on ferris bueller's day off heart-achingly stood in front of, engrossed and seeing himself as the child in white made up of painted dots and brush strokes.
the instrumental version of the smiths' song please please please let me get what i want, covered by the dream academy, is the better known remake compared to the dream academy's vocal version.
but truth be told, although i grew up loving the smiths and johnny marr, i honestly think this dream academy remake surpasses the original. (purists are probably cussing me out right now, but i don't give a hoot) there's just something in the way nick laird-crowes sings it.
wow vancouver sucks. first off, a flashmob is no longer a flashmob when the upcoming "spontaneous" event creates a media firestorm and is written up on all the local papers and on the net beforehand. that's what you get when you post it on facebook and then have over 5,400+ rsvp their attendance. so, as it was no longer a secret as to where/when/how the silent disco on the skytrain would happen, it's no wonder it became such a gongshow.
thousands were expected, but because of the disorganization by what turned out to be an 18 year old amateur creator of this skytrain dance party, only 250 showed because it was unclear whether the event was cancelled or not. (it had been deleted off facebook after the creator freaked out about how many people were going to possibly show) additionally, there was confusion on what time it started (there was an additional departure time of 1pm to the original 3pm) the departure station was changed from granville station to waterfront station. and apparently the organizer slept in and missed leading the first departure time. way to be awesome.
peggy, shizuka and i made our way down to the art gallery so that this event could kickstart peggy's birthday party. we were a wee bit late in getting there, but thought, even if 1000+ people showed up, it'd still take a while to mobilize and separate people in groups and board several skytrains. but there was no trace of anyone left. no organizers or participants.
here's peggy getting all artistic angle-y on me
we boarded at granville and rode to a halfway point on the circuit before getting off, crossing the platform to try to catch the party train on the way back downtown. but after waiting for a while and seeing no dance action on any of the downtown bound trains, we heave ho'd that idea and headed to the casino for some blackjack and one armed bandit fun.
after the casino, we headed across town to meet up with janet, sophia and kat at the eatery for dinner. we fueled ourselves with sushi and japanese cooked food for a long night ahead of us. this is peggy after all and i have yet to meet a soul that could keep up with this energizer "where's the afterparty?" bunny.
well, girls night out would not be complete without some shakin' of our groove thang at celebrities, the hottest club on a saturday night, spinning house music. course any good house music club worth its weight in gold is most likely a gay bar, which celebrities is. saturday nights come complete with drag queen hosts and costumed bartenders and dancers; you'd think it was halloween. i was especially enthralled with the joker and would've liked to see if the bartender was as good looking as i imagined he was under the white pan makeup. course i know that he's most likely gay.
but even if armed with that knowledge, that did very little to quell my girlfriends from lusting after the practically naked, gyrating dancers. ahem, i know we're all going through a dry spell but these guys are as gay as picnic baskets, girls. (unlike my friends, once i find out a man is gay, no matter how hawt he is, it just kills any sort of fantasy for me). what was funny was that while grace and niloo screamed at the top of their lungs and rushed to eagerly touch the chiseled abs and thighs of said dancers (okay, they were a little tipsy), that wasn't my flavour. i'd rather see what was behind say, the joker's white mask. i guess i like my mystery.
tonight was a doubley special occasion. not only did we fete peggy's birthday all day, but this will be the last day in a while that we'll be doing some serious partying. a fare thee well to the party girl of all party girls, if you will. my little peggy is going to focus on domestic plans from today out and for that i'm uber-excited for her. awww, we feel so grown up now.
bought 4 art prints i had been eye-balling all week.
canadian artist angelina wrona from merrickville ontario sure knows how to work those big limpid eyes of the frail little girls she paints.
clockwise from top left: clarisse, sakura, bunny couture, damaged
it was these same beckoning eyes that made me stop on the sidewalk when i saw wrona's collection of 12 displayed in the window of an art store during my jaunt to get some lunch.
i am taken by the vacant sadness and feelings of abandonment conveyed through the prints. course, there's something twisted about the girls as well. that is to say, don't mistake the girls as defenseless for i'm sure they would slip some laudanum into your drink when you're not looking. you know, to keep you with them. forever. even the bunny and the lamb depicted looks like they can be the end of you.
like a childhood fairy tale gone askew, these neo-goth/victorian-tinged works of art were too bewitching to pass up. as someone who is fascinated by gothic images (more lord byron, nin's the perfect drug and tim burton's sleepy hollow than hair and make up of the cure and siouxie sioux), i'm pretty sure i fell into a trance and into the clutches of these little girls. lead me by the hand and through the forest by moonlight and to your house on the hill.
note to self: next time i go to washington state, MUST make a pit stop at trader joe's.
in new york, i used to do my weekly shopping at the trader joe's at union square. the check out lines were always insanely long (especially around dinner time) but well worth it for the great house brand selections and "student-affordable" prices. and tj's has one of the widest selection of veggie items.
just the other night, i got hit by a big time craving for trader joe's papadums in yoghurt and dill. unfortunately, vancouver's groceries stores offer no such equivalent.
also on my missed list are the meatless meatballs, creamy corn and roasted red pepper soup, veggie chips potato snacks, buccaneer joes white cheddar corn puffs, vanilla almond granola cereal, morning star veggie bacon strips, morning star tomato & basil veggie pizza burger, tempera veggies, vegetable birds nest, vegetable samosas, bruschetta, tj's mac n' cheese and asparagus risotto.
whereas some girls would hit the outlet stores when cross-border shopping, i just want to buy food stuff. and now that there is no tj's around, i'm sure the next time i go, i'm going to pack and hoard.
as with jamba juice, why vancouver does not have a trader joe's is beyond me.
one of the songs that became part of the soundtrack to my uk trip in july 2007. i first heard hey there delilah when i was road tripping around the english countryside.
one of my best vacations ever.
birthday wishes to mat in worcestershire. this one's for you.
today was the grand opening of my friends jesse and warwick's frozen yoghurt cafe, qoola. patrik and i went down there after dinner in support and boy, qoola had hit the motherload. the place was packed when we got there just before 10pm.
the grand opening started at noon today but the buzz of qoola started weeks ago with their soft opening. prominent vancouver bloggers and dining websites raved about qoola, especially about their pro-active approach about the environment and community. with an eye on becoming fully sustainable and a rarity amongst almost all places serving food, qoola ensures that all cutlery, plates, bowls, cups, napkins, straws, lids and containers are biodegradeable, compostable or recyclable. there's even signs on how to sort out the pieces from your order into the appropriate trash bins.
a staunch believer in giving back to the community, qoola partnered with the vancouver foodbank for the grand opening. for every 2 cans of non-perishable items brought in, you could get a free small yoghurt with one topping. we brought 6 cans and i got to indulge in my favourite, original yoghurt with açaà and pomegranate slush topping. and if you were just a passerby who wasn't in the know? you can spin the qoola wheel of fortune for various promotions: free yoghurts, 15%-25% off order or free topping(s).
besides the excellent customer service given, these guys genuinely care about their customers and the quality of food served. what sets qoola apart from the other psuedo fro-yo places out there is that the yoghurt served is certified 100% all natural. there's no powdered yoghurt or frozen fruit here. and that's why you can taste the difference. as in "holy mary! mother of god!" difference, as exclaimed by someone who is now a repeat customer.
which leads to the toppings. qoola has over 40 toppings to choose from. i'm a fruit gal myself, but i'm sure they'll be loads of people wanting to indulge their inner child with fruity pebbles, cap n' crunch, cocao pebbles and gummy bears toppings. purr-fect for watching those bugs bunny and tom n' jerry cartoons.
also the decor is so darn inviting. downtempo electronica music wafting through the speakers, dark laminate flooring, energy efficient recessed lighting, soft muted walls decorated with pictures of mouth salivating fruit - so very zen. it makes you feel like you're just hanging out at somebody's downtown loft, having a good time.
how many restaurants out there can claim that they care about their part in helping to nourish our bodies? with qoola, they live and breathe their motto, "pure heart + pure body." that's why i know that warwick and jesse's business will be a success.
ice cream? *scoff*
i'm a qoola convert happily spreading the qoola gospel.
clockwise from top left: tokyo, love park philadelphia, new york, taipei
okay, i admit it. i'm may not be all 'down with love' and 'bollocks to valentines day'; especially when it comes to the iconic love sculpture by american artist robert indiana. how beautiful in its simplicity.
i'm sorry, but how awesome are these candy hearts? (readers advisory: must be appreciated and taken as tongue in cheek)
these bittersweet tins come in 3 collections: dejected, dysfunctional and dumped.
dejected sayings include:
i miss my ex / peaked at 17 / mail order / table for 1 / i cry on q / u c my blog? / loss leader / a fine whine / mommy issues / dignity free / dork magnet / pure nausea / we had plans / mail order / settle 4 less / i'm hot inside
dysfunctional sayings include:
annulment / i been creepin / he can listen / game on tv / call a 900# / p.s. i luv me / do my dishes / booth infl8n / parole is up! / awful inlaws / sub prime / i want half / return 2 pit / no fix 4 dumb / rather drunk / mutual disgust
dumped sayings include:
i got sober / he fit u fat / u left seat up / used u 4 fun / just a friend / back 2 kennel / dorka phobic / u have a blog / russian bride / celeb8 thx2u / dog is cuter / tradin you in / forget we met / kiss a frog / she is 22! / he has a job
the end of the week was much better than the start of it. two reasons why:
01. i got to shoot tonight. 02. peggy and i had ourselves some midnight sushi.
it was also friday the 13th today and nothing untowards happened.
in fact, it was a pretty good day. one of those power work day with lots of ideas swirling around for our upcoming exclusive to facebookers rigoletto fan night.
after dinner went to my archery club. what was different about tonight's shoot at the 18m line, besides trying out new arrows, was that i got 2 bullseye tonight! must be the arrows.
another noteable "never had that happened before" moment was shooting my arrow right into the thicket of another archer's grouping. i'll get a robin hood yet. (even if i have to take out someone's arrow to do it. it'd be a bit pricey to pay them for the broken arrow, but it would be so worth it)
because tomorrow is VD, rina plastered little square papers with hearts on it beside the regular targets. our mission should we choose to accept it? write the name of a person in the heart that we would like to stick it to. (and not of the warm and fuzzy sentiments either)
some of those named? from the (not surprising) ex-partners/spouses to annoying co-workers to bmw drivers on the road to the prime minister to martha stewart. issues, people, issues. well, not only that. chocolate cupcakes with pink frosted icing were on the line and therefore a tempting incentive to aim for those hearts.
and for the record, i did not name anyone. although i was more than happy to aim at other people's targets.
shooting for a couple of hours whetted my appetite. peggy and i went to the eatery in kitsilano. one of my favourite places not only for sushi but for the scene. marketed as "the funkiest place for japanese food" it sure is no word of a lie.
in fact, since my last visit or maybe because it was friday tonight, there was a dj spinning house music, accompanied by laser lights. flashback to our raver days. that is until the dj finished his set and then music by echo and the bunnymen, joy division, depeche mode came flooding through the speakers.
music and ambience are key for me but the funky eatery creations menu is what'll keep me coming back. they also sell the miso horny line of t-shirts and underthings.
not being able to spend quality time the past month with your best friend just licks. but work, travel and tradeshows for her and work, theatre and school for me does not make for a window of time to hang out. so while gnoshing on rainbow rolls, exotica rolls, veggie gyozas, agedashi tofu, goma ae and chicken skewers, we practically closed down the restaurant at 130 in the morning catching up on the latest goss.
peggy is the closest thing to a sister to me. fellow aquarian (so you can just imagine double the trouble here), we have been best friends for over 12 years. it's only your best friend who can talk you down from the ledge and who will tell you that you're being a dork for getting all neurotic about birthdays and getting older and other related mini-meltdowns. however, it's also only your best friend who will promise to advise my future husband exactly how to handle my future birthdays in just the right way too.
so i got to spend the first couple of hours of valentines day with my best friend who's been my rock and my cheerleader all these years. i'd say i definitely got lucky tonight.
when i was a little girl, i used to have a pen pal that lived in hong kong. it was one of those pen pal groups set up through elementary school where you write to someone halfway around the world and trade stories of what it was like growing up in your city. i didn't know what was more fun - writing letters, stamping the envelop and dropping it in the red mailbox or the giddy anticipation of the every day, wondering if a reply was waiting for me when i got home from school.
i never had a computer while i was growing up so i became used to the whole process of correspondence by mail. even now, i'd send out birthday, christmas or just thinking about you cards to my far flung friends in the four corners of the world.
with the proliferation of the internet and email, things evolved. when i first got online, i used to regard email as sub-par correspondence. quick and dirty. surprisingly i found that although this was true for my friends within driving distance, i found that this is not the case when you meet someone from afar.
it is through the net that i have met many special people that have become very dear to my heart. friends that i've come to know over a couple of years, first through writing, then telephone calls, then visits. and damn if some of them have become better friends than the ones i have hung out with for years.
i think it's because there is something about getting to know someone through just reading their thoughts and how they express themselves online. perhaps because the communication starts out as anonymous with that feeling of holding someone at arm's length, we are more open and honest about who we are and what we think, without the fear of being judged. i find that the personality shines through more in this way compared to sometimes getting to know a new friend in person. there's no window dressing. it's just pure mental bonding. a kindred spirit, regardless if you've met them in the flesh or not.
one such friend is miss d. in australia. i first came across her blog last year and found her to be absolutely delightful, hilarious and downright awesome and we would so hang out if we lived in the same city. at the risk of sounding like a giant nerd, i'm always surprised when someone likes me for who i am and what i might have to say.
so it made my day yesterday when miss d. gave me a shout out on her blog and "awarded" me some webby love that i have posted on at the bottom of the page.
it's great to know that despite geography and time zones, you can befriend someone halfway around the world who's feeling and living life not that much different from yours.
how different our lives would be without the web. this technology has been a great tool for bringing people together who otherwise may never have had the chance to ever interact. this global village is small, but it's not that small. and with the invention of the web, one of my personal missions of befriending as many people as i can on this earth makes it that much easier.
birthdays are starting to stress me out. it is the lead up to the annual day that actually sends me into a tizzy. like a garish neon sign flashing in front of me, my birthday serves as a reminder of how far i've come (feels like just the tip of the iceberg) and how much more i'd like to accomplish. and what unnerves me is that i'm totally cognizant that what i want to get out of my life may require 2 lifetimes. or three.
people tell me i'm young and i have so much time to do this, that or the other. but that being said, it doesn't stop me from the feeling like i'm always in a hurry.
since i moved back to vancouver, i've seen the real separation in my circle of friends. those who are tackling marriage or mommyhood don't have time for us singletons. there seems to be a swap of friends based on current common interests. married/coupled people have dinner parties with their doppelgangers while mommies exchange child-rearing tips with other mommy friends.
and every year that passes, the feeling of "third wheel" becomes more pronounced. and although some of my friends are really awesome to include me in their plans, it still sometimes feels like i'm tagging along.
"the grass is always greener" i'm told by my friends who envy the fact that i could just hit the road whenever i want; without having to answer to anyone. and whenever i take off on a whim, they live through my adventures. but what they may not realize is that sometimes i leave town not just for discovering a new destination but to not be reminded of things i don't have. i'm in fact running away from a void that i feel is getting bigger and bigger.
classic example: right before my 30th birthday years ago, everybody and their mailman kept asking me what i was going to do, how i was going to celebrate, was i looking forward to entering a new decade, ad nauseum ad infinitum. what did i end up doing? i got the heck outta dodge, hopped on a plane to go hang out with my friend in los angeles.
i don't doubt that i'll have a great career or that i'll travel to some amazing places in my life. but i fear that some other experiences may never be within my grasp. and as i grow older, the want of belonging to someone feels ever more elusive. the worst fear would be that of feeling completely invisible and lonely, compounded by urban disconnections. and my horror of all horrors, the frightening notion of is this the best that life gets?
i once saw this beautiful 40-ish asian woman riding on the new york subway and seriously could not take my eyes off her. she was sophisticated and dressed elegantly in a black suit, hair pulled back with a beauty unmarred by the raising of any children. there was no tell-tale sign of being married as well. she carried herself in such a poised manner as if her career was that of an art gallery director or an executive at barneys or saks fifth avenue. (this was new york after all where career is king and being single in your 30s doesn't even bat an eye)
and when i was in new york, i thought to myself that i want to be just like her. to be a success at work, be financially independent and look good all the while; marriage and family possibly not being the priority. with another year behind me, now i think that i MAY be on the fast track to being just like her. (the good, the bad and the not of my choice)
by contrast, there was another asian woman i saw on another train ride. she was in her mid-40s, loose flowing long hair streaked with a bit of silver, natural face, long skirt, sandals and silver and turquoise jewellery. a complete earth mother. her and her hippy husband both looked like they visiting from new mexico or arizona. a complete anti-thesis from the other woman.
and i pondered to this day, the images of these two vastly different but equally stunning women, who would i become in my 40s? what does my life have in store for me? and how will it all play out?
i know it's only because of the dreaded birthday that tends to get me to feeling this way, in such a pronounced manner. (just like on christmas eve, new years eve and valentines day) any other day i remain hopeful and pish posh on these insecurities. not too bad - 361 days vs. 4 days of the year.
this day has come and gone. i'm feeling better already.
poetic and romantic, i often have damien rice programmed to repeat on my ipod. his music makes want to board a plane to see the moors, long rolling hills, heather-covered mountains and seaside villages of ireland.
this is so cool. thanks to kimli for introducing this nifty little word cloud from wordle. this web application generates clouds from user-provided texts. the more the words frequently appear, the more prominent it is within the cloud. to engage your visual eye, there's fonts, layouts and colour scheme options to play around with.
word art.
or a visualization device as another way to see hot topics.
course, my wordle would pull from my main page so that it looks to be sexually charged in nature when brought together in a cloud. i see bondage and leather and costumes and sex and group and bang and behind and so many more. and of course the most unmissable word of all: cumming.
shoo, it's my very own version of the rorschach inkblot test. what do you see first?
after seeing so many hip young things at eugene onegin, i've decided to play satorialist at the theatre! proof that opera is not just for the blue-rinse set.
pictures of some of the people that made carmen such a success!
amongst the many books i have on my bookshelf are 3 well loved real-life street fashion books that i bought when i lived in new york:
the new york look book, misshapes book and nylon street.
inside the pages of the misshapes
inspired by these taken-on-the-spot look books and seeing more 20-40 year olds attending vancouver opera performances the past year, i pitched christopher an idea that had been percolating inside my head: i wanted to photograph the hip and stylish PYTs attending the opera for our facebook.
well, great minds think alike. i got the thumbs up to blaze around the theatre during the intermissions of carmen and be "the satorialist" of vancouver opera.
i was trawling the web when i came across the sydney opera house website and had a "damn, i wish i could be there!" moment.
not only will there be mardi gras jubilations being held at the opera house at the end of the month, but gay and lesbian mardi gras festivities featuring alan cumming: i bought a blue car today.
i can't even picture what gay mardi gras would be like but i'd almost bet my hands it would make the mardi gras i went to with 4 girlfriends years ago in new orleans pale in comparison. (everyone should experience mardi gras at least once in their life)
i don't know what it is about alan cumming that i find ever so intriguing. it's a deer in headlights moment for me even when he plays characters that sends shivers down my spine or make my skin crawl, like the weaselley sean in circle of friends and mr. elton in emma or the super disturbing saturninus in titus (geez, that whole movie was 'effed up. so violent. but weren't the costumes guh-reat?!)
then he'd pull a 180 and play the oddball in spice world, romy & michelle's high school reunion or josie and the pussycats. and even though i'll catch him here and there in mainstream fares such as anniversary party, x-men 2, the L word and sex and the city, his characters were never boring.
which is probably why i love watching this performer. he's unconventional and interesting. doesn't take himself too seriously. a complete maverick and totally unpredictable. and fearless. if you ask me, i personally think he's the most stylish gay actor in hollywood. (and portia de rossi the most stylish gay actress)
for these very reasons i went to see him perform in 2006's threepenny opera at the roundabout theatre at studio 54 (yes, the infamous studio 54) when i was in new york. the musical was peppered with whores, thugs, beggars, brothels, leather, s&m bondage and some gender bending. sporting a punkish mohawk, alan cumming was macheath, aka mac the knife: the villanous prince of thieves during the age of victoria. designer isaac mizrahi designed the costumes (awesome) and it also starred cyndi lauper! (double awesome)
so with everything threepenny had going for it, it was a flawed production. not nearly as provocative, debauched or decadent as it was marketed to be. the truly eye-brow raising moment was at the little kiosk in the lobby you could buy alan cumming's newly released fragrance, cumming; "a scent that is all about sex, scotch, cigars and scotland." gotta love the branding.
shortly after i saw threepenny, my dj friend would call me to ask if i can get him out of a jam by waitressing a shift at the orchid lounge, a hip opium den-style lounge in the east village. from the outside, you'd think it was a complete dive bar, but the interior was chinese-influenced: brick walls, red lighting and lanterns, leather couches, brocade pillows and tufted cushions. projected on the walls were old shaw brothers kung fu movies. there was even a gong behind the bar, where once an hour the bartender would bang the gong to signify one round of free shooters. yes, totally trendy new york bar scene.
anyways, i was working my tail off that night, it was so beyond fire regulations busy. and then in came a small group to my section. you can guess where i'm going with this.
seated in the middle of the group was alan cumming. i just about died inside. being that this is new york where you run into actors, musicians and performers on a fairly regular basis and that this was not the first time i would talk to a celebrity, (my personal assistant job to the ex-ceo of vh1 would find me around more than a few famous people), i kept my cool. that and the fact that it was crazy busy in there kept me from being stalkerazzi-like. just told him i enjoyed his performance and got the man his drink. (alan cumming is my second favourite encounter after interpol's carlos d.)
but boy, would've i have loved to see him perform as the emcee in cabaret, which played in new york in '98. anyways, i consider myself lucky to at least seen him live once. he's an electrifying performer. a charismatic showman. a total scene-stealer.
maybe it's because i'm coming down with a cold and feeling rather craptastic but images of bicycles and barges in holland has been playing in my mind's eye all afternoon today. this vision was so uplifting that i may actually do that for my next vacation. never mind that i haven't been on a bike since i was wee (and only a handful of times to boot)
it's been over 10 years since i last visited the netherlands so i'm way overdue for a trip. i think it would be awesome fun to bike on flat straight aways, stopping to take pictures of quaint villages and landscapes dotted with windmills. the feeling of escapism as you're leisurely cycling without any fear of getting mowed down, like in north america.
then catching your zzzzs on your hotel/restaurant barge as you sail down the canals to the next destination (maybe even going into brussels or copenhagen also? haven't been there yet) to do that all over again the next day.
it so doesn't help that i stumbled onto this, as it's fueled my imagination even more.
