How to Use Bicycle in Amsterdam

The picture is taken from earthlink
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In Amsterdam, bicycle is used as the transporation tool, you don't need to put on your funky and uncomfortable biking trousers with padding and halmets before jumping on the bike, you just go in the same outfit as you would appear in the office. Men dressed in suits with brief case (which was put away in the basket in front), ladies with heels and short skirts, mothers/fathers with 2 kids in front trolley, you see them all.

Biking is rather relaxing in a way, you are not competing with anyone to get anywhere fast, you just go, as natural as walking. That's something about Dutch, they are never paranoid, to be honest, I haven't seen anyone wearing halmets in the city.

Dutch has also invented a lot of way of riding a bicycle, one day I saw a guy riding a bike, with his girl sitting behind, what's unsual is that she is holding a shopping trolley. Oh man, that's so convenient. You don't even need to worry about your basket is not big enough for your weekly shopping.

You can also see sometimes a guy riding a bicycle while holding another one. That's really a technique! Not thinking the guy is trying to show off or something, that's really practical. Imagining if you are going to a bike shop picking up your bike?

Great Dim Sum in Amsterdam

This is my favorite pic in Cathy's wedding. She didn't spend money doing the salon style wedding pictures (The type the bride put on heavy make-up. My guess is that all little girls have the dream to become a movie star once in their life, wedding day of course is the best occasion to do it. Somehow that is very popular among Chinese newly weds). In her wedding, the professional photographer quietly standing aside clicking away his camera while everything is happening.
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After being very diappointed in the NanTin near Waterlooplein, I challenged another Cantonese DimSum restaurant at the edge of redlight district. Again, I have found a couple of victims from our project group (it is impossible to taste so many dishes by myself, besides, DimSum is not made for single diner).

I cheerfully rode my bicycle to Amsterdam on bright sunny Saturday morning, planning I am going to pick up 2 colleagues separately. As I rode long the road, listening to my favorite music, an old guy playing harmonica riding next to me. He started speaking to me while both of us stopped before the red light. Very cheerful person, explaining he is a street performer, on his way to the weekly practice session with his band. He kept asking how old I am. I told him I am almost 40. But he didn't give up, he proposed "I think you look 17 years old but if you are 40, maybe you should be a girl friend of a 60 year old guy like me". Great start of the day, I think I am getting a bit self-esteem back.

I had a great laugh. While we split, "Have a great weekend", I said, and kept paddling toward the city. I picked up Tom, who in turn gave me ried on my bicycle, when to pick up MengChain from his hotel, 3 of us heading toward the oriental city just before noon.

The restaurant is empty because we arrived literally the moment they opened the door. We were sat in a desk right away. The main waiter is obviously very experienced (and he is the only one responsible of taking orders, that's unusual in a Chinese establishment of around 80 or 90 sittings). But I hope he doesn't sweat that much.... He gave us the pot of tea with geniun tea leaves (Nantin only gave us the luke warm tea with tea bags in it). The dipping sauces were all correct, one of the traditional ChowZhou spicy chily oil and two of the Red sweet chilly saurce with yellow Cantonese mastard.

I was so hungry and everything looked so delicious, I quickly ordered the food. When the saute raddish cake came to the table, I knew I was in the right place. It was freshly made, crispy outside and tender inside. The Cantonese style sausages were thinly sliced and hidden, you only taste the flavor but not too much the grease. I was a bit mischievious trying to challenging Tom's bottom line(Tom is a white guy, not particularly having the adventureous attitude toward Chinese foods), I order the steamed chicken feet with spare ribs. That was unexceptionally good, we even got Tom to take one of these. The CheungFun was also made to the very good standard. Silky and tendor transparent sheet made of rice, carefully wrapping around the thread duck meat and scallion. Cooked oil and soy sauce dressing made it shiny. We all loved this dish (I only wish I can order one more). We happily chatted and ate (I guess only me, I am so easily excited by good food). After the food, though there were people queuing up, the head waiter replaced the tea leaves and gave us a fresh pot of tea. What a service! (Maybe it doesn't mean much in Western restaurants, but to money making agressive Chinese restauranteurs, this is very exceptional).

The food is not as good as those I had in Toronto or Hong Kong, in terms of the ingredients or the processing (attention to details), however, this is one of the best Chinese meals I have for ages.

Sunny California (3)

I like, I like, I like single malt again...
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I again woke up in the middle of the night, tasting every edible item in the fridge, soaking myself in the sweet and warm memory of searching for foods in the fridges in my parents house in my childhood. The next day, we were scheduled to go to Napas, but god knows I am just happy to be around in the simple California household. Cathy insisted to drive me around the bay area, we crossed the mountain to high way 1, found a nice beach, ate the cherries we purchased on the way, and fell asleep on the beach listening to the waves.

We then went to the super market, I shamelessly asked Cathy to cook for me during my last night staying in Bay area. She cooked this fabulous stir fried clamps and steamed fish, both Mike and I were eating to our hearts' content. After dinner, we strolled along Palo Alto's downtown, sharing the yogurt ice cream, getting back to the car, my jetlag hit me so hard that I fell asleep the instance I buckled my seat belt.

Waking up on blue Monday, we went to the famous Olympic size swimming pool in Stanford, just 2 hours before my flight back to Amsterdam. Man, that was really awesome. I almost forgot how it feels to swim at a outdoor swimming pool. The sun was so strong (it was almost 90 degree that day), the cool and slightly salty water calmed down my burning skin, I moved forward effortlessly with my strokes, man, I think I will move back to California just for the pool.

I arrived in the airport just to enough time to check in and buy myself a bottle of Bowmore, flying home and pondering why I left California 8 years ago.

Midnight Bicycle

I threw a party in my apartment on Saturday evening, 3 colleagues came, complaining about why I live in such a remote area (2 of them live in central Amsterdam). But I really have no desire to live in the tourist filled, busy and noisy city center. I don't club, and do not really like to hang out in a pub, living in Amstelveen works just fine for me. The amstel river is only 10 minute away, rollerskating along the river listening to music has become the best thing to do after work. No need to worry about getting in the way of bicycle, poeple, trams, buses...

Anyhow, the party went well (at least they finished the food I prepared) and down with a dozen or so Heiniken, followed by wine, and my newly purchased Bowmore 12 years. In order to escort my guests to the Amstelveen city center to take the Tram No. 5, I took my bicycle, thinking I can walk them over and ride home afterward. Victor, who is also staying in the same apartment complex, suggested what we should all go to the pub in Amstelveen city center and have a drink before the last tram. He also took his bike out from the garage. Hey, why don't we all ride the bike? Tom rode my bike and I sat very uncomfortably at the back (the bike rack is not designed for sitting), while we were trying very hard to start up, Vic carrying Meng took over us in a very fast speed. Tom and I tried our best to keep our balance, wobbling along the quiet bike path, my butts were really hurting but it was really good fun, we shouted and laughed through the journey. We lost sight of Vic and Meng, but eventually saw them walking toward the station. Vic's bike was broken because his sports bike was not designed to carry any heavy weight in the back. The tire has deformed into a S shape.

Regardless, that didn't stop us to have another beer in the nice pub. Vic was a bit upset because his Sunday bike excursion plan is scatterd. After Tom and Meng went on the tram, I walked with Vic to pick up his bike. I looked at the tire and thought perhaps we can manage to put it back to a state that Vic at least can ride back home. Vic agreed that's a good idea, we held the bike flat on the ground, and he stepped on top of the tire, pushing pressure evenly on the tire. To our surprise, it actually came back to shape and is ok to ride. We laughed so loud like idiots, who would think this would work?

Sunny California (2)

I make Woody wearing the pink trousers... Side effect of going to gay pride parade in Amsterdam the week before.
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Everything in the wedding was arranged to the up most efficient way, it is very Cathy (and at the same time, she would say, ah, I am not sure if it is right this way, but interestingly, she is always right). The hotel is 20 minute drive away from Cathy and Mike's. They kept telling me it is very close, I guess, my perception of distance is quite different from Californians. The weather is again so nice, I felt the pain when the sun directly hit my skin. The lawn was green, sky blue, everything clean... Virtual reality.

Meeting up many old friends in the wedding, some of them have turned into parents, they actually look very adults. Sigh, I think our distance is not only geographical one, but maturity. I just cannot really think myself as a real adult. They sat down and started talking about everything related to kids, I can only think when I can jump into the pool and get tanned.

We went to the Hong Kong style restaurant at night, the other bride's maid, Wendy, flew in from Austin, where Chinese food is not really authentic. In my case, I have not had proper Cantonese seafood for ages. 2 other couples came along to the dinner, Cathy spoiled us by ordering 2 lobsters, and steamed fish, we were eating like pigs (um, only me). We have 2 vegeterians on the table, I was chewing out of the lobster meat and wondering why the hell they want to torture themselves that way. We ordered the egg fried rice for our vegetarian friends, and told the kitchen please do not put any meat. While everyone is enjoying the fried rice, Cathy and I found that there are some dried scallop threads and, oh my god, shark fin threads. Obviously, the kitchen wanted this to be a enhanced version of simple fried rice. Cathy and I quietly scoped out those into my bow, covered up the animal bits under the rice, I was so satisfied (oh yeah, I love greasy Chinese food, besides, this is my vacation, I can eat whatever I want to eat).

Sunny California (1)

Um, I thought I am not as tanned as Cathy...
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Flying 10 hours to San Francisco. I didn't remember that I do not need to fill up the I-94 form to get into US. Nevertheless, the immigration officer asked me why the country of my residence is Japan but I was flying in from Amsterdam. Um, I explained that I had a slightly longer commute to work. He gave me the sympathetic smile, I went through the immigration faster than most European passport holders. I have been away from US for really long time, perhaps 5+ year? It was a bit strange to see the easy-going immigration officers (perhaps it is the California thing?). With only one backpack, I literally dashed out of the custom right after.

Cathy mentioned she is going to sent Mike over to pick me up, I was a bit worried that I won't recognize him afterall, the last time we met was about 7 years ago. I had no Cathy's no mobile phone and no US dollars, ha ha ha, thinking I shall be able to figure something out if I miss out Mike. Luckily, he didn't change a bit.

Everything in the airport looked so familiar (used to run to the airport a lot to pick up, drop off, fly in/out). The traffic on 101 was still bad, the sun shined so much, 'til then I can focus a bit and realised I am back in town.

Reaching Cathy and Mike's home, wow, I think I have been living in a big city and cramping apartments for too long. It is so surprising to feel the space and pleasantness of a house with yards. Some of Cathy's friends were already around busy preparing the flowers, I was fed some fried rice noodles then joined the working force. Really not good at all in arranging the flowers nicely in a jar, I think the best service I provided is to entertain everyone by joking around. I hadn't had a good sleep for so many hours, I was losing focus again... Sleep deprivation is really a serious thing.

My memory was really blury, how we went to beauty salon to have our nails done and stuff. I think some friends came over to discuss the speech and affirmation stuff, I was so exhausted that I can only hold the big salad bow and chew the greens in front of TV mindedlessly (Cathy cooked enough vegetarian foods to feed the army, I was really curious to try her version of Cesear salad dressing, which contains various condiments, Western and Chinese, and a raw egg). Um, yummy, I managed to pull my tired body to the second floor at the proper time (they don't let me sleep in the name of correcting jetlag) and slept like a dead person.

Waking up around 3am, I ventured down to my favorite place in the house, the kitchen, and examined all edible items in the fridge. The fridge light lightened up the dark kitchen, seeing the solid filled fridge gave me a strange warm feeling. Ah, this is a proper home, not just a student or a single household residence. I ate the fruits and finally had the appetite for the ice cream (they were bragging about how fatty and delicious it was during dinner).

I ate and brushed my teeth again, fell into sleep once more, the air smelled the trees, lawns and some flowers.