Down the hatch!

Our third night was a trip...

Katie (a friend visiting from the US), Elana, and I decided to eat at an Italian Trattoria called Toscano which was recommended by our hotel clerk.  We sat outside on the terrace, alongside the fast-paced Danube River, and were relishing in the gorgeous, simply gorgeous weather to dine in!  :)  The meals were awesome and the conversation even better!  

We were pretty much done with our meal, including but not limited to an appetizer consisting of salmon carpaccio mixed within ruccola salad, an entree of smoked duck breast layered on top of a eclectic mixed salad, and a dessert consisting of chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream topped with a mint leaf.  All the while I sipped on a glass of the house white wine.  We were finished with our meals and had already received the check.  The waiter then asked if we wanted to try the Limoncello?  We turned it down thinking that we would have to pay for it, but the man sitting across from us said, “It's a free shot, and it’s simply delicious! Why the heck wouldn't you accept it?”  With this comment, we flagged down the waiter and told him that we changed our minds, and we'd give it a try.  

Again, here we have three girls who are not your typical shot takers....  The man was sitting with his girlfriend and they were so amused by our reactions to the Limoncello that he started inquiring where we were from and what we were doing here.  After speaking with him a bit he started telling us about Unicom, a special Hungarian shot that would elicit a far worse reaction than the Limoncello... with its 40% alcohol concentration!  Little did we know, he secretly (in Hungarian) ordered us a round of Unicom! Oy vey!

Surprisingly it had a unique blend of unexpected flavors... first it was spicy going down and then a blast of crazy flavors erupted over my tongue, leaving a final hint of anise which concluded the rush of colorful parfums that took over my mouth.  I'm not going to lie, this stuff made the Limoncello seem light and easy going down!  

We spoke amongst ourselves and with him and his girlfriend on and off for about another 20 minutes, and we were soon ready to leave when a second round of Unicom came to the table!  Can you believe this guy?!  We couldn't.  Well...Bottoms up, team!  

Now believe me, this whole “shot-taking” thing is not my usual night out.  I am the person who goes out to a nightclub to dance and never drinks, but I used the excuse that how many times am I going to be in Hungary, and able to participate in such a cultural tradition such as this?!  Needless to say, following dinner, we were a bit more giggly than normal (If you can believe that?)

Anyway, we got this man's business card, which was the coolest card ever... Stephen _______  “Traveller of the World and Elsewhere.”  (I figure I shouldn’t put the poor guy’s last name on my blog.  If you’re curious let me know!)

On Our Way to the Pretty lil' Park

In one of the remaining five days in Budapest, we visited Audi Hungary.  This was an awesome contrast to Audi Brussels whom we toured just the week prior.  Audi Hungary is the largest engine production factory in the world, and it was obvious that the company mirrored its output, clearly operating like a well-oiled machine!  

Fortunately, we visited several Hungarian companies, and one of the most interesting aspects of our visits was that they all had a similar and high-perched opinion of the Hungarian labor force.  Each company including Lear, Morgan Stanley, Audi, and even the Ministry of Foreign Direct Investment emphasized the flexibility that Hungarians exhibit in their work.  This flexibility has been one reason for the increasing manufacturing-focused foreign direct investment in Hungary.  

Here’s a great example of their adaptability, during the economic downturn in 2008-’09, Audi's sales were decreasing (like most luxury goods), and instead of having a mass layoff in Audi Hungary, leadership asked employees to be flexible with their jobs.  This means that Assembly workers and Engineers were helping to clean and paint, basically maintenance tasks that would've normally been down by contractors.  To avoid being laid off, employees were flexible and took on these responsibilities without having a 'chip on their shoulder.'  Since Audi Hungary was able to keep its employees, they were also able to bounce back much quicker because they were one of the few factories to have access to skilled employees who could handle the rebound of 2010 through 2012.  This theme of adaptability was consistent throughout each visit.  

I think this is an important lesson to learn... Audi management was very transparent with their employees and explained the situation and consequences.  I'm sure this communication helped to encourage employees to be amiable about the situation as well.

Alright, alright, NOW ON TO THE FUN STUFF!

During the remainder of the trip, I was much smarter in regards to where I ventured off to.  One of the best adventures was down Andrassy Street... with a few detours.  Elana and I aimed to go to a park just behind Heroes Square, but on our way we ran into some interesting places.  

First, we found a little fair with stands in the middle of a square, here we found a traditional Hungarian shot (Yep, an alcoholic shot.. now hold your gasp of shock until I tell you I actually drank it.) This shot was called Paalinka.  Now neither of us ever really drink shots, but with all of the neat flavors, I must admit, we were like curious youngsters peeking into a candy jar!)  After some discussion with bartender, Elana decided on Plum with Honey and I decided on Raspberry on a Fruit Bed... can you believe these were the actual flavors of shots?  See why we were curious!  After a quick “1...2...3!” countdown... down the hatch they went (GASP) … and boy were they NASTY!  We asked the bartender to take pictures of us (See Photo)  the cringe of disgust on our faces says it all.  

As we continued on our venture, I (of course) had to stop to use a restroom.... so we found a hospital (that looked like an office building with stores inside and one random stretcher in the lobby.)  A kind man, current Visual Arts Designer and former Master Chef, pointed us in the direction of the restroom.  Elana waited out in the lobby while I went in.  

Now would you believe there was not even a toilet paper dispenser inside the stall?!  So I called to Elana (who was in the lobby)... how embarrassing, right? … to bring me some toilet paper and she had to seek the help of the former Master Chef.  After a successful toilet paper retrieval, we discovered the TP dispenser was OUTSIDE of the stalls, so apparently you have to get the toilet paper before entering the stall.  So odd...

As we continued we climbed the statues of the Hero Square and took pictures with random Flemish visitors with cherry t-shirts and Burger King crowns, then we finally landed in the pretty lil' park.  While walking along the path we saw a woman with a giant, scrumptious looking pizza-esque treat.  Elana went wild over it, and we consulted the woman for her yummy treasure’s origin.  The name, I daresay, is called Langos (pronounced longosh) (say that in a proud British captain accent for more entertainment)!  It was as delicious as it looked!  It was actually a soft, yet crispy type of fried dough (kind of like an elephant ear for all of you South Western Pennsylvanians out there.) but it had sour cream and a ton of Hungarian cheese on top.  Cheese... yum....  We sat by the river and enjoyed this while checking out the adorable couples cuddling on the benches.

You know, we've seen a lot of PDA (Public Display of Affection) on this trip.  Amsterdam, eh, not so much, but Brussels had a couple of high school kids devouring each other's faces in front of a famous monument; Paris … well Paris was Paris, with the kissing and openly affectionate tendencies, now Budapest seemed like the city of cuddling.  We saw several elderly couples caressing each other's faces and chatting together while keeping their undivided attention on the other person.  Just trust me... they were adorable.  I actually wanted to just sit and watch them, but decided I may ruin their moment. (Darn it.)  This whole cuddly image of Budapest was later tainted by some guy treating his girlfriend like they were getting frisky in their bedroom while sitting on a bench... and became by far the worst display of PDA I'd seen yet... oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Barreling through Budai

Sometimes in life you have a moment of reaffirmation that puts a positive spin on personal characteristics to which you thought were flaws.  I won't go into detail, but I'm sure you can relate.

A conversation during my first night in Budapest, opened my eyes and helped me to appreciate myself in a different way.  Here's a word of advice.  Just embrace your characteristics that make you unique.  Life would be a bore if we were all the same.  So stop worrying about what others may think.  It's really just a waste of your time.

...

My first time in Central Europe was an enlightening experience.  I am simply amazed that more people don't speak about vacationing to Budapest (pronounced < Boodapesht >).  The architecture in this city is reminiscent of the wealthy Austrian-Hungarian empire.  The statues and Turkish baths add a unique history and flair to an already stunning city.  And the nightlife is anything but dull.  

I started Budapest with an expedition of Budai... the hilly side of Budapest.  Elana and I were in awe at the brilliant landscape of the Danube River and Pest.  We spoke with some Hungarian passersby, chased after an adorable basset hound, chatted with owners of a French bulldog and a very proud Hungarian breed.  Then we had dinner at a lovely restaurant called Pierrot where I had the famous goulash for an appetizer and ended dinner with trout in goat cheese soup.  Yeah, just say it... YUM.  On top of it all, the waiters gave us a free aperitif and a live pianist set the mood with his delicate tunes.  This was quite pleasant.. then we realized it was getting late and decided our venture down the hill to the Marriott where we were staying.  

The streets were well lit, and in the little town of Budai, there was, thankfully, at least a few people still out.  I was a little on edge since we were walking around a strange city at night, and while passing by the Office of the President was spooked by the dramatic swishing cloak of the security guard standing in the shadows.  Creepy!                    

Before heading down the hill, we stopped for a glimpse at the beauty of Budapest at night.  Each historical site is lit with a golden glow that is best seen from outside the Budai Palace at the top of the hill.  It was after this stop that I started feeling really creeped out.  Despite the few visitors lingering outside the palace, there was absolutely no one walking down the stone path that we would need to take down the hill to the Danube.  The path was lit, but there were bushes alongside the path where someone could easily hide.  You may ask, why didn't we just take a taxi.... I was asking myself the same question.    I guess I just didn't want to be the scaredy cat...  but Meow!  That was me!                                                                                                                                        I was keeping an eye out for my surroundings and keen ear... because obviously two girls walking down a stone path at night is never a smart idea.,..  I got really freaked out when we had to pass through a small round-like fortress area.  To give you a little hint of what it looked like (or you can check it out on my facebook album), there was a wall with a balcony lining the path.  My friend Masato and I had ventured up there in the daylight, but it seemed much more menacing at night.                          At this point I was being so anal about looking around that the previously calm Elana, was starting to feel uncomfortable too.  (Good going, Pammi.) This definitely wasn't my intention. Infact it felt good to know that she wasn't creeped out about where we were, but after passing through this area and through two sets of giant doors, our pace quickened with the adrenaline rush we received of possibly being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

The entire walk down the hill to a busier part of town was about 10 minutes.  It was most definitely the scariest, and longest 10 minute walk of my life.  Obviously we're fine, and my heart could finally settle once we got down to the bottom and next to the infamous Chain Bridge.  I'm surprised I didn't faint with the constant feeling of regret I had while scurrying down that daggone path.  (Fainting is a surprising tendency of mine. :) )

That was Day 1 in Budapest.    Stay tuned for the rest! 

Can you tell I've been enjoying Paris?

Can you tell you that I've been enjoying Paris?  I haven't written for the last 4 days!

We arrived on Thursday from Belgium, and since then I've had several long lunches and dinners lasting two to three hours.  I've stood against a beautifully-designed ornate light pole on the bridge to Ile-de-Louis for 45 minutes watching an intergenerational live band put their heart and soul into their rhythm and moves.  Then learned that the lead singer was from California and is now headed to Berlin to fulfill his musical aspirations. I've cruised along on the Seine River, while dining on good food, and sharing champagne with friends, all the while passing spectacular views of Tour d'Eiffel, Louvre, Academie d'Universitie, and her majesty, Notre Dame.  Of course, all the while, we've visited some amazing companies which offer a unique insight into what it would be like to work in Paris.... specifically the amazing 5 week vacation employees receive after their first year on the job!  Can you even imagine???

I've been to Paris at least three times before, and this time was different.  I didn't bother much with visiting the sites.  Instead I tried to experience the neighborhoods of Paris.  In doing so I realized that Paris is much bigger and has so much more to offer than I originally thought. 

My favorite moments of Paris were a combination of neighborhood trekking and meeting with old friends.  For instance, when I was exploring the Ile-de-Louis I ended up at a wine cellar owned by a man with a distinct passion for wine.  He told me that once, while flying from Slovakia (just after 9-11) he had a few bottles of wine in his carry-on.  When security tried to take them away, he dropped his pants and would not move until they agreed to at least check his bag into the plane.  Now we all know I wear my feelings on face, so in response to the open jawed expression on my face, he insisted that the wines were of unique origin and could not be replaced.  

After this pit stop, he suggested that I head past the Pantheon to Rue de Moufftarde,apparently one of the oldest streets in Paris.  Boy, was I excited to find this place!  It was filled with boutiques; restaurants of Greek, Lebanese, and French origin; and fruits and veggies stands all along the sidewalk.  Unfortunately I just had a crepe (banana and nutella) just before entering this food dynasty, but it had a fantastic, young vibe that I look forward to visiting again when I've got a bigger rumble in my tummy.

Later that night was the dinner cruise along the Seine, which I highly recommend taking advantage of if you're with a group or even with your honey.  The best part was going to the deck and seeing Paris by night while sipping on a glass of champagne.  I felt like I was launched into a world of fairy tales and castles!  I was just waiting to catch a glimpse of the Hunchback scaling down the towers of Notre Dame!

Afterwards a few of us went dancing... what started out being a large group turned out to be just me and my friend, Monica.  We went to an Irish Pub in the Latin Quarter (Figures, huh?), and they had a fantastic dance party in the basement with a melange of techno, Latin, and American music and lights that made even the worst dancers look like Michael Jackson... almost. 

Little did we know, the adventure started after leaving the dance party.  It was around 3:30am, it was pouring down rain and lightening a bit.  My friends and I were in dresses and we each brought a sweater of some sort (Thank goodness!)  We were on a main road  trying to hail a taxi.... and we weren't the only ones!  In fact most of the cabs passing by were full and other people were leaving the taxi station where you're suppose to hail the cab and running down the street to catch the few that were empty.  So, we did the same, we ran the whole way down the street almost half a mile trying to get in front of the mass of people already hailing taxis. 

After 30 minutes of standing in the rain, one of us finally caught the attention of an empty taxi, but to our disdain, an irritatingly dry Parisian (whom I wanted to slap) stole the taxi right from under us! Even worse than this... a cheap, apathetic, miserable hotel clerk working at the nearby Best Western denied us the opportunity to call the local taxi service despite us insisting on paying an over the top premium for the phone call.  We were soaked to the bone from standing in the rain for an hour trying to hail a daggone taxi, when finally we got a taxi to stop in front of us so we could jump in... but only after we bullied away the guy who was trying to take it for his group.  (Don't mess with women who have just been denied the right to make a local telephone call at 4 o'clock in the morning.)
By 4:30 in the morning I was able and eager to crawl into my warm, dry, unbelievably comfortable bed.  I woke up a few hours later with the goal of seeing the Catacombs, but despite making it to the queue, I bailed and went back to sleep for 45 minutes, waking up in time to see my dear friend from the Marseille.

After this exciting night, I had a full day of reuniting with old friends and boy was I happy to see them!  It started with seeing Marie, a friend whom I met at University of Pittsburgh, and grew fond of sharing the quirky characteristics of the French and American cultures.  She took me to LaDuree on Rue De Royale.  I strongly recommend this restaurant, especially for their macarons.  They were creamy with a pungent flavor that melted in my mouth.... oh yum.  The Cassis and Praline were my favorite.  We had a long lovely brunch that had a long stream of food that never seemed to end.  Then she showed me the Opera House and a bit of the Galerie Lafayette.  (I'm going to make it a point to see a ballet at the Opera House next time I'm in Paris!... Bucket list #8,728,900 :)  It was so nice seeing her again, and I was comforted by how easily we picked up again, as if no time had passed (Those are wonderful friends to have!).  While reminiscing on all of the crazy things we saw, I kept wishing that I would've shown her even more of my favorite sites when she was in the U.S.  

After our spectacular visit, I went home for a brief nap (no judgments, people, I had a long night).  But not as long as my friend, whom I and my classmate, Elana, went to see in Mont Martre later that night.  *sigh Caroline...  Eric and I met her in India, where she was the editor for the local newspaper and volunteered at the same nonprofit as we did.  She has a passion for human rights, and a zest for saving the world.  (Yeah, she's downright courageous.)  After hearing about her night filled with catacombs and (let's just say...) surprising encounters, I became less impressed by my night of meager frustration. 

She took us to Sacre Coeur and we sat at one of her favorite cafes just around the corner from her apartment.  She's wonderful to chat with, and has an amazingly thick French accent, which makes her all the more bloody interesting to listen to.  :) 

She walked us through the Pigalle district which she insisted we had to see, and we landed at a creperie stand that served the best crepe I'd ever had (banana, nutella, and ground up nuts)!  It was delightful! (Both the conversation and the crepe.)  Yet, another late night in Paris, and an early morning the following day, but was all worth it.  We ended our time in Paris with a Kosher meal to satisfy the taste buds and appetite of Elana who wanted to chomp on a nice slice of meat.  Hehe  It was a good time, and neat aspect to the Jewish culture that I had never fully appreciated.

Paris, I am in love with your majestic history that is still so vibrant and alive in the Parisian lifestyle and architecture.  You are a maze of culture and quirks, sophistication and class, presenting yourself as a pop-up history book for kids at heart to wander and explore our favorite fairy tales.

And now... I'm on the plane to Budapest, eager to see Eastern Europe, and a whole new work culture and lifestyle than I've ever seen before. 

Brussels with No Mussels

Ok, Monsieur Belgian Waffle, you kicked my butt tonight. After a deliciously healthy meal of sauteed vegetables, pureed vegetable soup, a bit of rabbit stew served in a beer and plum broth, and a bit of a parmesan croquette (and a glass of red wine to wash it down), we decided to end our evening in Brussels with none other than a Belgian waffle. See, now that wouldn't have been so bad, but of course I can't just get a simple waffle.. no.. I got a waffle with dark AND white chocolate AND strawberries and banana. Needless to say I feel like a stuffed turkey on Thanksgiving. Luckily my roommate and I are going for a run tomorrow morning to venture throughout the city on our last morning in Brussels.

Now I have more to talk about than just food (lucky for me, otherwise you may start drooling and leave my blog for the fridge).

Today we met with four leaders of the European Commission, and a lobbyist firm in Brussels. While the discussion was engaging, and definitely increased my understanding of the state of the EU, public policy, and the role of lobbyists; what was most striking about these discussions was that these Directeur Generales took a couple hours from their busy days to share their insight with a group of a American MBA students whom may or may not ever work in the EU.

On the bus ride home, I reflected on some words of wisdom that His Holiness the Dalai Lama said at one of the teachings I attended while in India. He said that education is the solution to ignorance, and ignorance should be prevented with education. Keeping these two ideals in mind will bring about peace. By devoting some of their time to increasing our understanding of the EU and the current state of Europe, they indirectly are preparing the future leaders to be able to work more understandably with Europe, and perhaps deflect any future issues. I know this sounds like a simple thought, but I was intrigued with the fact that the leaders were so willing and open to sharing their insight into the Euro Crisis regardless of how touchy of an issue it is. It really enhanced my perception of just how our intertwined our economies and decisions have become.

Moving on to other less important but more entertaining issues...

Europe is known for those awkward moments of PDA, nudity, and indecent exposure that you may not find in the U.S. Yesterday, I ran into just that. After strolling through Brussels and running into a kind Flemish woman who told my friend and I of how proud she is of her children, about her Aztecan sculptures that she molds, and her worry for the future of the younger generations, we then ventured off to lunch at Pon Royale (Royal Parrot). Here I had a gorgeous display of tuna, white and green spargel, and some yummy orange sauce. It was fantastic! I'm glad it was, because I passed up on ordering the horse fillet strictly based on the ungodly price they were charging. Anyway, back to the awkward experience...

I went to the bathroom and saw a room for dames, monsieurs, and then another that had a half door like a horse stall with a urinal and an old style scale. I thought, “Hmmm... that's an interesting display.” But thought nothing of it. On my way back out of the bathroom, I passed by the urinal display again and there was a man peeing in it! It's only a half door stall so of course he was visible to passersby! I didn't say anything and just turned and quickly scampered off in the other direction... and that's my awkward (eh, semi-awkward) story for the day. It's funny how something so indecent in one country is perfectly normal in another. And this is a very mild example even. (I guess the indecency of this topless door" correlates with that of the topless beach.  bah dum ba!)

Oh, and on another note, I've realized that I'm in love with speaking the French language. No matter how much I mess up, and even if I know the person speaks English.. I feel so empowered when I speak French, and want to practice it as much as I can while I'm here. It's a language that automatically makes you feel light as feather. The sound of it is so romantic and smooth... well perhaps my version isn't so smooth, but I get by, and I feel like the Belgian people are nicer just because I speak French. Trust me, when a Belgian waiter (who normally ignores you like a piece of burnt toast) takes a moment to answer your questions, smile, and wish you a good night then you know you've done something right.

Today, was fun of all kinds. After getting back from meetings a few of us found a park to run/walk around in. We even played on a see saw. *sigh See, it's the little things in life that make it simply wonderful.

On the outskirts of Amsterdam

One tomato garden and a shoulder later...

For our last two days in Amsterdam we stayed at the fine apartment of our friends, Olav and Xiangou. Do their names ring a bell? If you've read the Adventure to India blog then you're sure to hear a 'ding-a-ling.'

In the previous posting I said that our visit to Amsterdam is unlike most, this visit with Olav and Xiangou was icing on the cake! First things first, anyone who has ever doubted the kindness of the French should pay close attention. A young lass we met named Noa, is the sweetest, kindest French Bulldog I've ever met! Not that I've met many French Bulldogs in my life thus far, but they can't get too much better than her; imagine a dog with a permanent smile on her face, doesn't really bark, and looks up at you with sad little puppy dog eyes, specifically when you're eating an apple. She's a pup after my own heart! You just want to pet her, rub her tummy, and coo at her? Ah! So unbeareably cute!

Although Noa was a main attraction, there's more to tell believe it or not. Olav took us out for a bike ride around the outskirts of Amsterdam, to a beatutiful park, and to bustling markets with kind Suriname storekeepers who Navi charmed with her Hindi. We even saw a Netball game, which, as I just learned,  the Dutch are known for being the best in the world at playing.

Now, wait a minute, does something sound odd to you? After our lil excursion with the tandem bike at th beach, and the terror that trembled through my body during that event... can you believe I got on a bike and agreed to bike along cars, people, and other bikes?! (Just act amazed; it makes the story better.) It's amazing how a simple thing I did as a kid every summer, turns into an almost-but-not-quite catastrophe just 8 years later. I started out wobbly, and really couldn't stop my self very well, but luckily Olav switched my gigando bike for his more reasonably sized one .

After that, the day was splendid biking through the markets and streets, and taking a walk through the park. I managed to only bike into one tomato garden, which helped to successfully slowed me down before biking into traffic. :) (With this hopeful record, I've decided to take on professional cycling, meaning I'm the cyclist that is hired by the greedy, relentless cyclists who want me to take out the rest of the cyclists just by cycling in the race.) Um... try and say that 10 times fast.

That night the three of us ordered pizza and played Texas Hold'em, with Noa as the designated spectator. We had a sizable pool of 3 Euros, which believe it or not, I won. (Alright, you can get up off the floor now. It's not that much of a shock.) I think the Euros dropped behind the sofa anyway, lol, so that'll be a nice find for Olav and Xiangou.

The following day Olav, Xiangou, Navi, and I took a pleasant bike ride through a park to go kayaking in a man made lake... but oh no, this wasn't you're average man made lake, this baby required a map to show the various canals you could take, and the name of certain small ponds you could kayak through. There were places in this water where the surrounding trees were so dense, and the water so speckled with algae that I thought I was kayaking through the Amazon. Don't tell anyone, but one time I saw a branch slightly sticking out of the water, and I was so convinced that it looked like the eyes and nose of a crocodile that I promptly started paddling in the other direction. That's what pretending you're in the Amazon combined with images of horror movies and a healthy imagination can cause you to do while kayaking through a man made lake.

On our way home, despite my good track record for biking I almost ran into a couple who was peacefully walking on the path, but luckily instead of collapsing into them, I quite aggressively grasped on to the man's shoulder trying to keep my self upright on the bike. While losing control of my bike, I essentially “hit on” this man while he was walking with his honey. (Get it? Get it?)

I passed by the same couple again just a minute later, and tried to say thank you, and sorry for abruptly grasping onto his shoulder for dear life without asking... but.. they were too weirded out and avoided eye contact of any sort... oh well, his shoulder served me well as I managed not to fall.

After lounging in another park and chatting, we began our mission of putting Navi to work in the kitchen. Now, now (*hands up like a convicted criminal) she volunteered for this! Navi cooked a superb Indian dinner with channa masala, subji (vegetables), rice, and roti. It was a lekker (yummy in Dutch) way to end our visit.

A big thank you to Olav and Xiangou for showing us Amsterdam in a whole new light!

Amsterdam with the lovely Navi

Now it's time to begin a new adventure.  This time I'm taking on Europe!  Currently I am in Amsterdam enjoying the sites and culture with my lovely cousin, Navi.

Yes, it's Amsterdam.  No, it's not what you think.  Read on!

I had no more than 1 hour of sleep after a red eye flight, partially due to my inability to sleep sitting upright and partially due to me and the English passenger chatting it up the whole time.  Believe it or not chatting it up for hours on a plane is quite rare for me.

Anyway, I met up with Navi, we dropped off our luggage at  our cute apartment in Jordaan owned by a kind woman who is renting out a room in order to help her daughter go to law school.  Admirable, eh? 

We walked at least 10 miles yesterday, enjoyed a traditional ham and ripe cheese toasti at a cafe owned by a Punjabi man (Figures, huh?).  Then after getting lost and wandering this crazy horseshoe-shaped city, for dinner we landed at an Indonesian restaurant called Kantjil.  This place was AMAZING.  We shared a platter of the most delicious vegetarian dishes, consisting of a salad with the most yummilcious peanut dressing I've ever had, and some zesty, spice-intense rice and veggie mixes..  and you know.... spices make me happy.  :) I would definitely recommend Kantjil if you're venturing off to Amsterdam anytime soon.
We went home "early" ya know around 11:30pm after a 2 or 3 hour dinner, and decided to head to the beach, Zaandvort the next morning. 

This was a day 'firsts.'  If you're family then you may not like to hear this so skip this paragraph if you wish..., and if you're a female friend or stranger, listen up.  So, we're in Europe at the beach... you know what a typical expectation is of European beaches, don't you?  Topless beaches.  When I studied in France in 2006, I was too embarrassed, shy (psshhh...  who woulda thunk it?), whatever you may call it.. I did not want to try the whole going topless thing.  But this time, I thought.. ya know, it's common in Europe, and "when in Rome, do as they do!"  So, yup, I got a tan the European way, and let me just say, girls, (and I mean you girls, not my girls... lame joke, I know) that you feel free and surprisingly comfortable with yourself after trying this.  Remember, they're just boobs.

Ok, family who didn't want to read that, you can start reading here again.

Next we walked around the Old Dutch Town half wandering, half searching for the bike rental shop.  Eventually we found it and here lies my second "first" of the trip.  With hesitation and an adorable smile of encouragement from Navi, we decided to rent a tandem bike.  I let Navi take the reigns, and I hopped on the backseat... and almost my peed my pants in terror.  The butterflies were rummaging around in my stomach as we started pedaling down the brick straats.  I couldn't believe how scared I was... I think it had a lot to do with having to leave someone else to steer the bike and with the difficulty of balancing the bike while staying 'in tandem' with the other rider.  Eventually we got the hang of it, but boy was I happy when a few hours later we were parked outside of the rental shop sharing our tandem struggles with our kind Dutch shopsman.

Now, what I didn't mention yet was our venture into the land down under!  That's right, folks.  Lunch was just a block off the boardwalk at a place called Boomerangs.  We not only had the sweetest waitress ever who literally ran out of the restaurant to tell us to be careful while tandem biking amidst the rush hour traffic, and then before leaving us with her endearing smile insisted on taking a picture of us before we rode off into the wind.  So, yes... not only did we have this wonderful soul to  care for us, but also we had KANGAROO steak for lunch, or as known in Australia as an Oz steak, according to google. 

Would you believe, it was juicy and succulent very much like a filet mignon? I would never have guessed that it was kangaroo, but I would sincerely recommend any steak lover out there to give this delicacy a try!