Ahaha

Incredibly, i've only just figured out how to make new posts on this damn thing from a device other than my itouch...

SO. last night in Amsterdam, thought i'd use the time to catch up on some of my berlin stuff, what i remember anyway...

think am looking forward to doing berlin again at some point (i will of course, since i'm flying back to singapore eventually, from there, but suspect by then will just be itching to get home...). it's got.. class. and tonnes of history, obviously, and there isn't this ... frenzy (ok not quite but i'll get to that later), that you find in amsterdam. it just feels like there's so much to discover, and i guess beneath the museums etc, there're all these amazing design spaces, and it's all side by side. the mix is maybe a little like tokyo, but... grittier?

last day, i went to the jewish museum, which was interesting in bits. realised my experience with jews, and the jewish experience as such, has been limited to what i know about the war, obviously, curb your enthusiasm (was watching six seasons jsut prior to the trip), and what i've gotten from hollywood. so while the history of jews was kinda educational, i think the bits that just got to me were the various site specific parts of the museum. esp the holocaust tower, which was just sobering.

so re the previous entry, the history as such doesn't move me - the artefacts, documents etc, while intriguing enough kinda (whisper it) bore me. somewhat similarly, the anne frank house in amsterdam, which i visited today (PLEASE get your tickets in advance) - anne frank's words, more than the space itself, moved me immensely. must've read the diary before, but am determined to read it again, once i'm done with present book (bill bryson's latest, on home, which is darn fascinating stuff and great for travels).

which, clumsily, leads us to amsterdam. which is one heckuva freaking expensive city. chinese/thai food costs like fifteen euros! so i've been living off sandwiches and some street food. more food options here than in berlin i feel, but it's also more expensive. had my first chinese takeout yesterday, the 'poor' man's option of sweet sour chicken with rice at 7 euros. but it was damn good eating rice again lah. there's really only so much western food one can take.

it's a lovely city - it's like, what, a world heritage site, right, the entire city? - and easy to navigate. the canals are nice, and nobody bothers you, apart from the odd dude looking for spare change. which is great. despite the buzzier feeling, compared to berlin, it all jsut seems more touristy, somehow, like the... less sophisticated sister of berlin. equally beautiful though, but more crass?

favourite bit so far? hehe. i've been spending the past two evenings at one of the squares watching people play chess. i know right. but it's just really relaxing - ok, actually no, cos i keep getting frustrated at the play going on there (yeah, a *bit* arrogant, i know). otherwise it's just been tonnes of walking around aimlessly. would like to think i'm uh keeping my strength for edinburgh, heh. kinda daunted a little now, by the schedule i've set out for myself. need to familiarise myself reaaal soon there, so can get that bicycle and head out. OR just run around. no chance to get any exercise so far, apart from walking, and the indiscriminate eating is playing havoc wiith my energy levels and gut. i leave for edinburgh in 24 hours!