Amsterdam, Holidays and Bullshit Friends

Yeah, so I disappeared, again.  I have no control over my life at times, it's very annoying.  I keep trying to update my blog, and then get distracted, or don't finish a post properly, and before I know it, a month has gone by, and no new posts!

I went on a field trip to Amsterdam, and came back last Friday.  But by Monday my laptop had broken again, so that was another time waster getting it fixed.  Fun times.  Just been trying to get back to a state of normality, and finally found some time!

So anyway, Amsterdam.  We travelled by coach for 10 hours there and back, so a grand total of 20 hours on the coach left me with some form of jet lag believe it or not.  Coach journey was long, and kind of boring, most of us were passed out asleep for the duration of the journey.  However, when we arrived I came to the conclusion that Amsterdam is...Beautiful. 

The two above images are taken from the Central Library the Bibliotheek.  We went there twice, it offered amazing views, and they had comfy seats you could sit in with Mac computers you could access internet on. Tres Coolio.  The second image is from the top floor of the Bibliotheek Library, there's a restaurant up there.  Stunning views of the harbour.

However there are certain things I did not enjoy.  For instance the 'coffee shops' that only sell weed.  Flipping boring and kind of a bummer.  Unfortunately the majority of my classmates are into getting high, but as grumpy as I may appear to be, I can actually bear my life without chemical dependencies. 

The cyclists.  Oh em gee, they rode around like they owned the place, they have about 3 lanes for cyclists and 1 tiny scrap of pavement for pedestrians, it was ridiculous.  Also the roads, pedestrian paths, and cyclists lanes all had the same paving which just looks like pavement to someone from England, so my classmates and I were the receivers of some serious road rage :)

The expense.  Fairly expensive, I felt my lips purse when I had to put down money for the tram, for my dinner, even for my souvenirs (fridge magnets; what can I say, when I say I'm a broke student I really do mean it).

However, it's a lovely city.  It's not like London though.  You could compare it to two areas of London maybe, the Red Light District is like a very raunchy cousin to Soho, and the more scenic areas of Amsterdam could be compared to the nicer parts of North London.  

However, it genuinely seems like a beautiful place to raise children in comparison to England.  In England, it seems more like a fight: getting a nice patch for your family, fighting for your child to get into a good school, keeping them away from drugs, knife fights, general crime.  When did England become the 'hood?

In Amsterdam I saw parents cycling their children around in special bikes with attachments for people to sit in, it was so cool, it was just a different way of life.  There was this feeling as well.  Underlying everything, there was this feeling of genuine contentment.  And when one is content, there is no need to covet, right?

 

We were in Borneo sketching when this cat came from nowhere and demanded my attention.  She was lovely; I miss her already.  Whilst I was drawing, a Dutch girl came up to us and asked about the cat in Dutch.  I told her that we only spoke English and immediately she conversed with us in English.  It made me feel ashamed to be British!  Anyway, turns out the cat was from that neighbourhood :)

So after spending way too much money, I'm back in my halls, trying to prepare for my exams.  It's not going brilliantly though, as I keep thinking about bills, and reaching the next level of 'life success'.  Yes, elusive life success.  Feels so long ago that I was in London, on the right track.  Now I'm here... on a different track to success, but a long one, full of doubt and inevitable hard work.

But I'm not giving up.  Firstly because I'm a tenacious old girl.  And secondly, because the prospect of moving back to the humdrum countryside sends tremors of fear through my body.

And finally a note, on bullshit friends.  Yeah I said it.  I left the crappy countryside to get away from my collection of bullshit friends.  I swear I attract them, I'm a strong person who attracts weak people who not only draw on my strength, but then use this against me in front of others.  Then, after the damage is done these bullshit friends expect me to hang around like some proper fool...erm, no.

I will not tolerate bullshit friends! And yes I know every girl has them.  They are friends that they secretly hate but for some reason, they keep around.  They are friends who do nothing for you, but take way too much from you.  Keeping bullshit friends is like keeping a virus without treatment, and expecting it to go away on its own.  It's not going to happen; you need to attack the problem at its core. 

Till next time xxx