A regular Americano

observations among the Dutch and Belgians in July

Muscat

myself:  I’d like a ma-che-ato.

a curious hermaphrodite:  You mean ma-ke-ato, what size?

myself:  in tiny remote villages three hours north of Palermo the locals say ma-CHE-ato. a regular.

the curious hermaphrodite:  one regular MAA-ke-ato, one point three Rials, please.

Indigestion comes.  The odors of someone’s Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is causing it.  I should move but where?

Two years in Buraimi felt long.  What did I learn about myself, what did I learn in general, that made me a better person?

KU Leuven.  Even if nothing happens with my visit it was good to learn about it.  Thank you doctor canon of law.

The one and half years as a coordinator was more satisfactory than teaching, put your hands down.

Amsterdam

The senior lady behind the counter got real loud and upset with me when I failed to understand why the seven Greeks at the counter didn’t have numbers and I was being asked to obtain a number that was never going to be called.  I got a little upset too.

And the security guard came over because the Greeks were frightened and I laughed “you gotta be kidding me” when he came closer and I don’t remember anything after that.

I walked back to the hotel without a train ticket to Brussels.

Bill, I’d wager that 98.6% of Amsterdam’s population is on some form of medication. 

And Buddha is an advocate for the sacred weed?  Really?  I haven’t read this but it’s ok.   

Take what is considered bad and turn it into something good.  

Inside a café where the service is painfully slow but soon bursts into action:

A teacher can show his students a few transferable skills when there is more than one person asking for a slice of pizza.  I understand, if there is no business there’s no skills learning.

Defeat ISL with jobs.

Behind me four local boys sit and I understand Obama and American.  It doesn’t matter where you are from, ya gotta make money once in a while.

7.11.15

 Amsterdam sleeps at seven in the morning.  I forgot real quiet.  Adjusting after one day is unnerving.

Our behavior affects everyone around us  and I sit in the pub with a 2 Euro coin, spinning it, smoothing it, weighing it and considering if I should leave it as a tip.  Everyone’s watching.  I think leaving the coin might start a precedent.   

Do you leave tips in coffee shops?

It is an absurd question.  Is the train station the only place to buy an international ticket?  I have to go back.

I finally found the hotel last night but I couldn’t find my room.  I started to climb the steps to the next floor but stopped because I knew this wasn’t right and I begged the Asian-Dutch dude to help me find my room.  Oh, it’s outside, ah, ok.

Phil, the trekking season in Herat fifty years ago, 36 years ago?

Let’s bring back the business. 

Joe, we need some guides.  How’s your Pashto?

If you give them honorable jobs, a guide is an honorable job, you end wars.

Ok, each tribe must be paid off to allow us to pass through their land.  And they will allow us to take photos, eat dal bhat, and anything else in their villages.  If you come they will build.

“He’s a deity.”

I can’t find silk long johns because the Dutch don’t wear them.  Not even the wealthy wear them.

It’s nice to buy a book I’ve thought about for two years. 

I have been nowhere near the red-light district and yet I have walked so much.  I must have walked on either side of it.  I guess I am not interested and still we keep a distance.  Not even Penelope Cruz can tempt you now?

Ninety minutes in the Rijk and I think I saw what was there to be seen.  There is an observation I’d like to consider for a moment: The women in all the paintings are not attractive at all.  And I guess that was done intentionally?

Observations in Dutch:

kid:  Where are you from?

myself:  Are you from Greece?

kid:  (a three second pause…) ha, no I’m German.

myself:  Right.  You’re not in despair.

7.13.15

Ten grams of sclerotia went into effect just as it started to rain in Rembrandt Plein and I was in a balloon that wasn’t water proof.  Which way is the hotel, I got six roads to choose.

And it only took ten minutes because the wind blew me a little harder.

I walked into a very full and old book shop and gave the elderly gentleman and his wife my email address and she told me they would order the architectural book by the Alexander dude, ‘A Pattern Language’.

Lueven

Beside Fr. Damien’s crypt.   I walked fast and now I sweat.  I’m just wearing too much and I keep thinking it should be colder.  It isn’t, it’s summer. 

Father Damien, have ye anything to say?  Four elderly sit in the cellar of this church and I’d like to take one photo. 

Today:  visit the two big buildings, find KU’s int’l office, shop for inhaler, silk long johns, grapefruit seed.

More people are coming in, oops, here’s a priest, it’s time for mass in Flemish. 

The Capital says it has the largest selection of beers in the world.  The menu is 200 pages thick and there are twelve beers advertised on each page.  Beer number one:  Luvanium, a locally made blond, 7%.  The next one is a Mystic, 5.1%.

A pita at Ali Baba’s was necessary because I walked into the bar.  A good three hour walk to the Botantical Gardens.

Milton’s friend doesn’t communicate with FB so why is he on it?

july 15

He woulda been 95 today.  Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

I walked into the school of Theology and its minimalist entry way didn’t leave me many options.  The directory on the wall wasn’t much help.  Who should I talk to?  Try asking someone but if no one’s here?  Let’s go.

The Leuven Library was destroyed by Germany in 1914 and again in 1940.  What the hell, Aryans?

The spirit of God long ago vacated the big cathedral.  The dull two toned stained glass is depressing as hell. 

Lunch; a bowl of minestrone, two sourdough rolls and a fresh lemon soda.  Lay down afterwards and come back for apple pie and coffee.

Drinking two Duvel Tripels around midnight with Haseeb and his wife and their friend, it was pointed out, was gay, is not my norm and I gotta lay down again.

 

18.7.15  2:42am  Doha

In two more hours I’ll eat something.  Eight hours ahead in the new airport and I have to wait ten minutes for a brewed coffee?  Ok,  I’ll take a regular Americano.