A Week With a Friend.doc

Oh wow, readers, it is tough to find time to blog when you're hosting a friend or friends in the city. There are just so many great places to visit, conversations to have, and time spent on the computer is seldom. Today, on Murph's last full day in the city, I'm stealing five hours to work on the internship archive I've been neglecting for the last week and a half hosting friends. I would choose the latter any day.

Murph and I have had a wonderful time here in Amsterdam. The nicest thing about the journey is that he is staying a full 7 days so there is no time crunch to fit everything in. We've done a lot of great things in the city, but I haven't felt like a complete tour guide, more like a city ombudsman. I think the most economic way to detail all of our adventures is a day to day highlight reel.

Monday: We arrived at the Amstel bus stop after the long trek from Belgium. It's not exactly the most beautiful place to first land in the city, but it makes the rest of AMS look stunning. We arrived back at my place and made a fantastic pasta dinner. Instead of hitting the city (after two full days in Brussels) we chilled in that night and caught up on all kinds of stories and developments since I've been away from Canada. I asked about each and every one of you in Toronto and what you've been up to. It was a great way to get back in the loop.

Tuesday: I had class for three hours in the morning and after I returned home I took Michael on an initial tour of the city. We walked through the Waterloo Market, my UVA buildings, Dam Square, Rembrandt Plein, and stopped by a canal or two. That evening we made yet another fine meal, and I rehearsed my presentation for the next day's class. Again, we had some of the convos I've missed since leaving: politics, theatre, the future, and a bit of reminiscing about Queen's Drama. My apartment, with its big floor to ceiling window, is a great place to spend away an evening.

Wednesday: The day started early with a tour through Amsterdam's largest market (an obligatory stop for any visitor). From there we visited the Concert Hall (for the second week in a row) and caught the free lunch time concert. This week, it was a saxophone ensemble. I had never seen such a thing. A dozen saxophones (from soprano to bass) combined in beautiful harmony. It was a nice afternoon treat. Afterwards, I went to my LAST OFFICIAL MAIPR CLASS. This is a big deal for me. Aside from summer school, this is the last of the formal in-class instruction. There I presented my 15 minute Verbatim Theatre exploration as part of the portfolio. I got such great feedback from the students and professor, that it was one of those moments where I questioned my disinterest in continuing with the PhD. These days come every once in a while. After the class, we all went out for drinks at the restaurant near the Theatre Studies department. There, Murphy met all my MAPIR class mates and some of the students who had joined us from other departments. I'm really going to miss this group of students from the Theory class - they're extremely intelligent and socially have been great to get to know. Murphy made quick friends chatting with Adam and Stu about directing and Bec about Mac computers. Worlds colliding in a great way! After the restaurant we moved to our "One more beer bar" to round out the night.

Thursday: I took Michael to the Amsterdam Public Library which must be one of the nicest PubLibs in the world. I knew he would appreciate the six floors of architectural wonder and mac computers. We sipped coffees on the patio overlooking the city and enjoyed a relaxed afternoon. We walked by the Anne Frank museum on our way to the MacStore where I purchased a new hard drive for my computer. Thankfully, the hard drive cost me only 85 Euros and is about five times the size of my old one. It'll be nice to have the computer up and running in under a week. That evening, I made my favourite Amsterdam Peanut Stir Fry. After, we figured we'd catch a film so we went to the late show of Angels and Demons. I can't say Dan Brown is my favourite author, but the film was entertaining.

Friday: Any tourist loves to shop! We went up and down the shopping district, the flower market, and the indoor mall in the city centre. I was doing a bit of window shopping (after tying my money up in future travel tickets) while Michael spied some items to take home. It was yet again, another restful afternoon spent in Amsterdam. That night, we went to Dev and Stu's place for (what was bound to be) another late-night MAIPR get-together. The whole group had come together to celebrate Stu's birthday and the party did not disappoint. Michael was introduced to our intercultural games and was able to chat with the rest of the contingent. The highlight of the night was a game Hetta introduced which is a toast circle that progresses with the passing of a champagne bottle. I'd entitle the game "MAIPR gets Sappy." It was really touching to hear everyone speak fondly of each other after three months of classes.

Saturday: Museum and Culture Day. One of the highlights of the visit with Michael was our trip to the World Press Photo Exhibit 2009. Having become interested in photography in the past year, I was moved by some incredibly stunning photos from journalists all over the world: conflict, everyday, sports, arts, and war. It was a reminder how powerful the captured image can be. From there we traveled to the Van Gogh museum. It was my third trip, but I never tire of floating through the collection. There is something indescribably inspiring about Van Gogh's work (and his story) that I appreciate. I'm sure I'll make one more trip before heading out. That evening we made a makeshift meal and stayed in after such a late night with the MAIPRs on Friday. (Note for Emily: I introduced Michael to the Survivor/Truman Show games!)

Sunday: I'm working on my internship stuff which needs attention ASAP. I've stolen 40 minutes out of that to catch up with the blogo. Tonight, we're heading to my favourite Sunday night spot for Michael's last night in the city. It has been a great visit!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Most of you won't have a chance to visit me in Amsterdam, but read through as if you've spent a week - this is the type of visit I'd love to spend with each of you.