A Giant Frat Party

Yesterday after my bike ride, I came home and enjoyed the nice cool breeze that began whipping up. After a very hot day, it was nice to feel air, especially cool air. Soon it began to rain.

I had been trying to figure out the washing machine and eventually I realized the problem was that I was not closing the door completely. Finally I got it to work and did a load of laundry.

The weather got really crazy. A strong wind was blowing things all over the place and even blew a little painting off of the wall! I had to close one of the windows because there was so much wind. The rain came down in downpours and then would slow and start up again. At one point there was hail. There was also thunder and lightening.

I snacked on some of the food I have here - some cheese I got at the farm today, some wilty carrots that I cut up and made into a salad, some of these little waffle cookies with caramel inside, some wine....

When my laundry was done, I started to get bored. The rain had stopped. I could hear this chorus of men chanting something that sounded like a soccer song. I guessed that there was some kind of soccer game and a bunch of men were sitting in a bar nearby. It was quite an odd sound. I couldn't imagine a bunch of American Football fans sitting in a bar and singing in unison. They do things more like just yelling "YEAH!", or "What the f....?" I liked this song, but it was also interrupting my quiet afternoon/evening, so I decided to go out for a walk.

It was a beautiful cool evening. There were people walking (many wearing rain gear that wasn't necessary), sitting outside of cafes and coffee shops, etc. I walked to Dam Square and then down a big street (Damrak?) - just checking out the stores and the hoardes of tourists. It was clear from the people and the shops that I was in a very touristy area.

Eventually, I turned around and headed back towards my apartment. I stopped on the way to get an order of fries. I've seen people walking around eating them and they were very tempting. I got a small order with garlic sauce. I wished I had gotten them plain, as the garlic sauce was not that good.

While I was standing waiting for my fries, I was in the heart of the action. The street was packed with people walking. Some of them were just walking, but others seemed pretty wild. A group of guys waiting with me for fries had this glassy-eyed, zoned-out look about them. I could smell marijuana and hash coming from the coffee shop next door. I imagined that they had just come from there or a place like that. Fries are the perfect junk food after a good smoke.

I got my fries and made my way to the little canal that runs to my apartment. As soon as I turned the corner it got quiet. I was thankful that I am not staying in a super touristy area, at least where I am, I feel like I can get away from what seems to me like a giant frat party. There is lots of beer drinking, smoking, etc., going on, making people a little less inhibited, and a little wild. I stopped by the canal and enjoyed the quiet of my neighborhood while I finished my fries. It was beautiful the way the lights reflected off of the dark, cool canal water.

Once back in my apartment, I could hear the singing continue. I guess the soccer game was still on.