...to anyone I have ever cursed for their lack of driving skills. I apologize for my frequent displays of sarcasm (sometimes bordering on rage) invoked by frustration over spending upwards of three hours per day driving a route that should take two. Sometimes to myself, and more often aloud I wonder, "What is your problem? Can you not read the signs?" or "Is this your first time driving or something?" Today it occurred to me: that may in fact be the case. And if it is, I am sorry for my impatience and unforgivingness. I hereby resolve that when I either a)return to the US or b)become a seasoned driver in Europe; I will show you the patience that people showed me today.
As you may have guessed, today I picked up my lease car provided by KPMG. It is a 2006 VW Golf. It's very cute, I'll add a photo once it is clean. Today was one of the most terrifying days I can remember, I'm thankful I'm not in Britain or another country where the steering wheel is on the other side and they use the left side of the road - I don't know if I'd have made it!
When I took the driving test to get my license, I spent about 20 minutes with an instructor in a town with no stoplights. I had to demonstrate that I could safely turn left and right, use my signals, and come to a complete stop. I didn't even have to parallel park! All this, and there were in total about 10 other vehicles within a 3 mile radius (none of which were honking or yelling at me, by the way).
When I first arrived in San Francisco, as I attempted to maneuver the unfamiliar territory I asked "What in the hell were they (the DMV) thinking when they issued me this Driver's License?" Why, instead of taking my $4, isn't the toll booth attendant checking to see if I am in fact qualified to drive in the city? (I think they should have a similar operation at the base of a mountain pass during snowy months, to be fair). But I managed, and with a little practice I think I've adjusted for the most part.
Of course I do realize it is unrealistic to expect that someone check qualifications of drivers when traveling from one traffic and road condition environment to the next. But from one CONTINENT to the next? You'd think they'd have controls in place for that! The gentleman asked me, "can you drive a stick?" and when I replied affirmative he tossed me the keys!
He sent me on my way with a navigation system that speaks to me in Dutch (I subsequently got help changing it to English) and a Petrol card. My first stop was to fill up the tank. Parking in front of the pump I suffered a flashback to my first solo trip out of Oregon (where all stations are attended and it is illegal to pump your own gas). I stood there, confused, staring at the various Dutch signs and notices and looking around for some guidance. A kind young man offered his assistance and did everything he could to stifle a smile. As it turns out, it's very complicated. You insert the nozzle, and then squeeze the handle. I felt my face turn red as he explained, "in Holland, we still trust people to pay us." I chose to interpret his explanation as a sign that other Americans had made the same mistake before. It cost over EUR 85,00 for 53L - I'm still struggling with the Metric system but I know expensive when I see it!
My next challenge was to find my way to the De Meern office. With my navigation system programmed and a full tank of gas, I pulled onto the motor-way and drove with white knuckles to the office I will call home for the next 18 months. Of course, I can't understand what the signs say as they are in Dutch. I recognize a few familiar names of towns, but without a strong sense of direction or orientation, I don't know which ones to choose. As if that weren't enough, even the symbols and road markings are completely different. All of the lines are white (whether on a one way, two way, or divided road) - some dashed, some little triangles, and there is the occasional solid/dash combination (which does not mean "no passing"). A huge red circle with an "X" through the middle does not mean, "Do not enter" and when a sign indicates you are no longer in a 100 Km/h zone, it doesn't indicate what the speed limit is now. I actually have no idea what any of them meant, I had to improvise by observing other drivers - I'm going to study tonight.
I did arrive at KPMG De Meern in one piece - somehow. I met with the Secretary to the Partner I'll be working with, and she introduced me to my new colleagues around the office. It was not until they took my photo badge picture that I realized I'd apparently been sweating profusely and looked like I'd gone days without a shower. Nice first impression - the sweaty American girl.
On my way home I decided to wait out the heavy traffic by stopping for a snack. I asked the navigation system to take me to a restaurant near my current location. Finally, after 30 minutes of driving around lost uttering (or was it yelling?) a few choice names and phrases at the voice narrating directions, I gave up and headed back to Amsterdam. My clever plan to "wait out" traffic was a silly idea - there is no such thing here. It's one of the most densely populated cities in the world and nearly everyone drives.
Tomorrow I'm going to scope out a "Park and Ride" facility to avoid so much congestion. And I'm not listening to that stupid nav system for restaurant suggestions - she had no idea where to go! I felt like one more turn and I'd have ended up like Dwight and Michael when their rental car GPS told them to drive into Lake Scranton. If you haven't seen that episode of "The Office (US version)" then pretend I said something really smart and funny.
I am exhausted, and look forward to sleep. Today was tough, but of course it could have been much worse. I did learn a valuable lesson: I need to be nicer to people who are driving like idiots - there's a chance they really did learn to drive yesterday. Again, my sincere apologies to all of the bad drivers in San Francisco and beyond (except taxi drivers - there is no excuse for them).
I've arrived in Amsterdam, after a pleasant flight (Business class was great - it made all the difference). A porter at Schipol airport helped me manage all six suitcases and get through customs, then took me to the meeting point where my driver was waiting. Interestingly, he smelled of liquor at 07:30. Nonetheless, he got me to my hotel safely and I was happy to find that my room was available at the Gresham Memphis hotel. It is very nice, unfortunately the bed is a little hard but the great location easily makes up for that.
After a brief rest and a shower I decided to head out exploring. I'm only a few blocks from Museumplein ("Museum Square") which is beautiful. I haven't been in any of the museums yet, but I look forward to going soon.
Past Museumplein toward Centrum was nothing but one beautiful street after another. I felt like I was walking around in Disneyland or some kind of movie set. The canals are full of commercial tours and private groups out enjoying the beautiful weather. In front of historic mansions there are weeping willow trees whose branches skim the water. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and I can't wait to keep exploring.
Next I wandered into Vondelpark which reminded of a college campus, or Dolores Park in San Francisco on a sunny day. Small groups of people parked their bicycles in piles and gathered on blankets to drink wine and eat snacks. The park was so crowded I thought there must be an event happening, but it turned out the main attraction was the sunny afternoon. Given Amsterdam's reputation for tolerance I would have expected more neo-hippies, but there were actually very few. I didn't see anyone strumming guitars, playing bongo drums, or hula-hooping. I'm not sad about that. Also, people are remarkably clean. They take care to avoid leaving trash, and pick up after their dogs.
In one of the ponds within Vondelpark I saw a pair of Mallard ducks. I was surprised how comforting a couple of ducks could be to a person who actively hates birds. I mean I REALLY hate birds. About a month ago I was in Washington, DC and Fabian and I noticed a pair in the reflecting pool. Of course, they are also common in Eastern Oregon as well as Montana. The buildings, the streets, the cars, the stores, the food, even the plants are new and different; and so it is nice that some things are the same. Unfortunately, there are also Pigeons - but they're less aggressive than in San Francisco. There are new birds too, something that looks a bit like a crow, but with blue eyes instead of red. I'm not sure what they are but they seem to mind their own business and so I don't actively hate them...yet.
In the afternoon I met with Guido, a housing agent who specializes in expat rentals. He drove me around the Centrum area and showed me five different places. I fell in love with two different apartments, each on a different canal. The first was on Keizersgracht. The living room overlooks a beautiful garden, and the bedroom overlooks the canal. The second was on the ground floor and had a huge, recently remodeled bathroom and it's own private garden. The first was sunny and bright, full of energetic yet peaceful noises. The second was perfectly serene - on the ground floor and facing away from the street, painted with muted colors and almost silent. I chose the first and hopefully they accept our offer, I could me moving in within the next week.
Later I ventured out again in search of some food. My internal clock is still off so I wasn't particularly hungry, but I figured it would be good to eat anyway. I found an Italian restaurant with outdoor seating on a busy corner - perfect for people watching. After dinner I meant to make my way back to the hotel but ended up getting lost and walking for a couple of miles in various (wrong) directions. The feeling was familiar, as many of my first days in San Francisco consisted of a similar schedule. However, I found Amsterdam seems safer. There are no homeless people panhandling, and no groups of young men loitering. Eventually I made it back to the hotel for some rest and to call my family to let them know I've arrived safely.
Please check out my photos on my Picasa site. Usually I add photos here in my blog but there are just too many beautiful things to see!
I am excited to let you know that in about 12 hours I will be boarding a flight to Amsterdam, The Netherlands where I will live for the next 18 months! I've accepted a position with KPMG's International Headquarters in Amstelveen. I will be part of a team that assists companies in transferring data across International borders. The laws are very complex and differ from one country to the next, and I look forward to what is sure to be a rewarding and challenging experience.
My first assignment will take place in nine different countries across Europe. I plan to spend as much time as possible traveling around and seeing as much of the world as I can. Between business and personal travel, I hope to cross a handful of items off my ever-growing list of places I want to see.
I am excited to get there - only a little bit nervous so far. KPMG will help me with everything related to the relocation. They will pick me up from the airport on Wednesday morning and take me to my hotel. Then in the afternoon I'll meet with the housing agent to drive around looking for apartments. They'll set me up with a car, a bank account, a phone, and Dutch lessons. Most people in The Netherlands speak English, and the client projects I will be working on will be in English. But learning the language will make it easier to adjust and I wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity to learn a new language. I will be allowed two trips home during my stay, I haven't yet thought about when those might be.
You may have noticed I've updated the design of this blog - seems appropriate with all the changes in my life! I'll still be using the same e-mail address to keep in touch - and I will be keeping my US phone number. I can receive voice mail but no text messages unfortunately.
Please keep in touch and check back soon for photos and updates!
I never would have guessed that I'd fall in love with Salt Lake City, Utah, but I have! I just returned from a road trip with Cooper from San Francisco to Denver - we had a fantastic time and the trip went great. Our expectations were low as I have driven through Nevada before - it's flat, boring, and seemingly endless. But that is the Northern part of the state - our route was beautiful.
Our first day was rather short, only three hours of driving and then we spent the night in Lake Tahoe with friends Daphne and Mike. We set out early for Salt Lake City but took our time during the day. We stopped in Elko, NV for some Basque food - who would have guessed there is a Basque restaurant in Elko, NV? Unfortunately we missed the 4 hour window in which they are open and had to settle for what might have been the worst Mexican food I've ever tasted.
When we arrived in Salt Lake City we checked into our Bed & Breakfast, Haxton Manor. It was a lovely place with a great inn-keeper, Buffy. She proudly showed us the place that hosted the English Olympics team in 2002. Our room was beautifully decorated and had a nice Jacuzzi tub, perfect after a day of driving. We enjoyed dinner at a Thai restaurant and then called it an early night.
Rather than leaving early in the morning, we decided to check out more of the city - which is when I fell in love! It reminds me very much of Missoula, but the central location makes it perfect! The views of the mountains are delightful and the people are very friendly. We toured the Joseph Smith memorial building for a view of the Mormon temple. This was perhaps the most interesting part of our trip. A docent invited us in and took our picture with a statue of Joseph Smith that must have been about 8 feet tall. We took the elevator to the top floor to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
We approached a kind looking man with a stack of bibles and literature to ask the purpose of the metal roofed building (it is the tabernacle). In addition to an answer to our question, he gave us a condensed (yet surprisingly detailed) history of the religion. He was the sweetest gentleman, but we unfortunately had to cut it short after about 20 minutes.
Our third and final day was filled with even more great views of the Utah desert and the Colorado Rockies, ending in Denver at Cooper's parents' house. I said goodbye and flew back to San Francisco, happy I had the chance to spend a few days with my dear friend before she moves to Malawi, Africa!
I arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday night and met with Brad's family for dinner at the Bellagio. Then we ventured out to Ghost Bar (which is at the Palms). The club is at the top of the building with a great view of the city. There is even a cut-out in a part of the floor which extends beyond the building so you can look straight down. Here we made friends with a guy named Michael from Chicago. He told us he was there alone so we invited him to join us. Next we headed to Moon, which is also part of the Palms, for some dancing. Before I knew it we found ourselves at Scores, which is highly over-rated and over-priced (like so many things, I found). At that point it was time to call it a night so we made our way back to our hotel, New York, New York.
On Friday we went to a bar under LAX called Noir - it is accessed via a hidden entrance and you have to be invited to get in. Once you enter there is a long, dimly lit hallway that eventually opens to a round room. In the center is a large, low hanging chandelier and along the walls are black leather benches. In the next room there are about 10 tables surrounded by plush black leather chairs and couches. Floating mirrors hang from high ceilings and the DJ is spinning house music. The place defines cool, and needless to say I was out of place! I'd have taken photos but our hostess Ebony informed us there are no cameras allowed - to protect the privacy of celebrities and other guests. I guess that's how they keep what happens in Vegas in Vegas!
One of many great things about Noir is the elevator to LAX. You get to bypass the entire line and get right in to the club. The vibe is totally different - it's loud and packed. Luckily Bradley happened to be dressed in all black so he pretended to be a security guard and pushed our way through with ease! We hung out in the main club for a while, but my aversion to crowds soon took over and I needed some space. Rather than leave, we simply went to the VIP lounge. Since we had been downstairs at Noir, they automatically let us in. Here is a photo of our new friends Brian and Rosemarie from the VIP lounge.
All in all, Vegas was crazy. I had a blast but it may be a while before I'm ready to go back!
I headed straight to Washington, DC for a conference afterward. Check out Fabian's Photos on Flickr, note the one where I kissed Barack Obama - I love that guy!
