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Showing posts from July, 2013

Jar of Dirt

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Or bag of dirt. Because when you live in a little apartment with a little balcony, you have to buy soil if you want to grow a garden. Ironic, considering that I grew up surrounded with more dirt than I knew what to do with.

Anthropomorphism and cheese.

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Anthropomorphism definition:  :  an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics  (Merriam-Webster) I'm not a huge cheese fan, despite living in a land famous for it. To be sure, I can pronounce Gouda with a proper Dutch accent, and have even been to the city Gouda, famous for its cheese markets. While in France (another country of connoisseurs) my friends there made me taste their favourite kinds, as they explained just how cheese can be made to mold in caves. In the USA there were huge bags of grated cheddar and mozzarella, which meant we didn't have to measure out tiny expensive portions when cooking. Thanks to all these international influences, I can appreciate the flavours and varieties of cheese. I thought I had reached a certain level of enlightenment in that area. Then I saw this cheese store in Amsterdam. Apparently anthropomorphism is alive and well.

Transport Fun

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Today at the second hand store (Het Goed- my favourite) I found a steal of a plant shelf for my balcony garden, at only 3.5 euros. D, ever practical, asked, "How are you going to get that back home?" Obviously, on my bike, despite its bulkiness. We paid, then managed to secure it to my bike, upside down, with two bungee cords and my bike locks. It wobbled a bit, and brushed against my back a few times, but otherwise was fine. Told D I felt like I had achieved a new level of Dutch biking coolness; he suggested that the proper classification was 'Asian biking' but I think I'd need a refrigerator or small family on the back of my bike to qualify for that. Pleased with our adventure, though, and the speeds we notched up to on the way home . We even (unofficially) raced some 'serious' bikers for the next few km and left them in the dust. Must be embarassing to be all dressed up in spandex biking clothes and then beat by two crazies - one in flipflops and the