Protest!

This Saturday the boys had their birthday bash at the beach which was the party of the year. Two hundred of their closest friends joined for the intimate encounter.



I would however like to make an official announcement that if perhaps my friends back home think that certain unanswered emails go unanswered due to my very glamorous lifestyle, it is NOT the case. It is simply my "bad" behaviour. OK!? Can we get that clear people! Bad behaviour that's all. :P


But not to worry, you all are invited to stay in the west wing of my new villa!!!!! (Whenever we buy it that is.)

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We partied till the boat sank... then we partied some more..!

There was some serious party doing on board of Odessa in Amsterdam last weekend.

There is just something about partying 'off shore' that just kicks it up a notch.

There were babies!
And babes...

And of course plenty of champagne!!!

Ciao! Till the next one!

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Where you from and who is your daddy?

Yesterday started out as a bright sunny day! Did I leave my umbrella at home??? NO! It is always in my purse. Sure enough around noon it started pouring.

Today: Sunny... I think I will bring my umbrella.

People ask me how I'm dealing with the big differences between Amsterdam and New York. Well for the umthousandsthsssths time, it's actually VERY similar! In the things that I like.

For example I went to a party on Saturday, lets go through a list of who was there (that I got to meet).

Austrian, Danish, Japanese

Chinese girl born in Norway

3 Italian guys (Italian guys never go anywhere alone)

Swiss, German, and a French guy that spoke Russian

even a Canadian

and of course a few Dutchies just for diversity :)

Basically the one thing that I loved the most about NYC, the international flare, it's here!

*above is a sneaky pic I took with my camera of the rooftop patio before it got full.

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Last weekend's pictorial

Wow, it's already THURSDAY and I haven't even talked about last weekend yet. I'm so behind, so here is a little pictorial run through. Top- my starter at a place we went out to for Vito's b-day on Friday...

This is taken from the balcony area of the cricket club. (Saturday)

Sunday we had a massive barbecue at Vito's parents'. It was super lovely with all kinds of stuff to grill. Even jumbo shrimps.

Oh and here is Vito looking smug in front of the place we went to on Friday. I just love that picture.

This weekend, well tomorrow, I'm heading out to Belgium! It's Aurelia's B-day and we're gonna party like it's her birffffday!! (Cus'it is... duh!)

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Party central

The entire day last Friday it was incredibly muggy and humid-hot. Very similar to NYC actually. The whole day it felt like it was about to pour and only by around 7.30pm the entire sky let loose. What a show! Lightning coming from different direction, pouring rain surges, clouds of varying greyness... it was wild. And yes the first thunder storm, so I guess summer is here.

In about an hour it started to quiet down and the guests started to slowly trickle in most wearing their rain suits for biking.

It was a super cozy party with the boys drinking the Heinekens and the girls the sangria. I actually really wanted to feed people but the little salads and turkish breads did not get too much attention. Well it was an after dinner party, and as Vito predicted people were not hungry. See this is another cultural difference, Dutch only eat when they're hungry... who ever heard of that!?!?? In my culture, we eat whenever we SEE food.

As for the presents! Vito LOOooOVvEs smoothies so he got a fabulous blender. (With super duper turbo powers! Try saying that fast a few times) and a basket full of all kinds of fabulousness to make smoothies with, exotic fruit mixes, banana liquor and other yumminess. His friends are so sweet, I got a present also to congratulate me on my official Dutch status!! :) A Dutch food cook book which is both in English AND in Dutch so I can practice the language while cooking, very practical. Vito however is convinced that the present is really for him, so I can cook him Dutch food. Whatever, what's wrong with MEXICAN fajitas!??? ;)

Anyway, so this whole weekend we were indulging in the wondrous blender. Saturday morning we made sweet and creamy ICED coffee. The blender literally pulverized ice cubes like nothing! Then on Sunday a super smoothie with strawberries, banana and a dollop of peanut butter. (Just like at the Equinox gym in good ol' NYC.)

Partying continued on Saturday night as well. Alexis had a nice get together at her place (really nice loft with a balcony in the residential area of Amsterdam). There was a nice mix of internationals. I got numbers! Don't worry, I only got this girls e-mail because her company is hiring. Vito had his own party to go to, some kind of testosterone fest where guys got together to throw sharp objects (darts) and drink stuff. See, men are not difficult, they're happy just having something to throw and something to drink. :)

Just to let you know, Sunday was no parties, just a nice long bike ride through some of the neighbouring farms. Behind the big castle there are fields and really pretty farms where you can ride around for a good hour without really seeing any signs of a majior town. Made me kinda want to live on a farm... and have horses that would chew grass in front of the windows all day! And pigs that poo... wait, what? No... no pigs that poo, though horses poo too and a lot... hmm... maybe a farm with lots of servants and stable boys and other staff... Yes! That deffinitely sounds like a better plan!

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Do NOT BYOB!

There are gonna be a few Dutchies stopping by tonight... you know real casual, laid back little get together... just a few of Vito's closest buds coming by with some birthday wishes...


You think that's enough...? If so, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!!! Here are a few more...

American college frat boys need to go back to SCHOOL compaired to the Dutchies...

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Queen's day Amsterdam 2007!

That's right people, I'm here to report on the biggest street party in the Netherlands. If you want actual history and other educational value type information please read more here.

In essence Queen's day is a HUGE country wide STREET party! Some people dress up in the royal color orange, some wear orange hats or other accessories. Live performances by bands are set up in many squares and there are beers sold everywhere along the street.

Canals are packed with boats some sailing by with loud music. Oh yes, and many people set up blankets where they sell everything they don't need. (Exactly like a garage sale, a country wide one.)

Now in spite of what should be inevitable craziness that usually seems to result when you put hoards of people, beer, boats and water together, I must say all the festivities seemed very nicely contained. That is, everyone seemed to be having nice clean fun. There was no pushing, not too much yelling, a bit of very subdued dancing in specifically designated areas. Really, I was surprised, I did have an idea that there might be some ruckus. Once again proves that Dutch people are normal... that's just SO weird! I've never been around so many normal people.

One thing I do have to comment are the bathroom breaks. Yes, if you're throwing down a few sooner or later you just gots to go, ya know what I'm sayin'? Anyway, for boys the resolution is a simple one. Portable street toilets... (I did not take this picture, just got this one of the internet.)

For girls it's a bit more tricky. All the pubs and cafes have HUGE lines to use the bathroom and obviously us ladies are not about to pie in the street like the boys! The ladies use a Royal Toilet! Well in the spirit of making a buck or two, some people not only sell their junk but also put out a table with home made goodies, cookies, cake, lemonade, tea or whatever... some people were very creative and opened their house for toilet use! A big orange sign outside labeled the house "Royal Toilet" and for a 1€ fee (50c more then to use the bathroom at a pub) you can use their bathroom! There was hardly a line and a nice clean bathroom. I just thought it was hilarious. While there, the owners offered (for free) some home made candies!

It was on this street... see the hordes of people!

And now just some pictures of all the excitement...

....and street food galore!!! Indonesian chicken with peanut sauce...

That's all folks, move it along, nothing more to see... :)

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My Amazing Bike Race... (This episode: The Beach)

So HERE he is!!!! Isn't he so nice!!!! (Yes my bike is so beyond being called "it")

I have not biked since I was 8 when I had a little red bike with streamers. I got on a bike once when I was 14 went down the road for 5 seconds then squeezed the wrong hand break and did a somersault in the air (Scratching the entire side of my arm and leg). When I was 23, I got on a bike in Los Angeles and we calmly rode along the beach on a well marked designated path so that experience was ok.

Then last October I was on a bike in Maastricht which was scary but ok because most of the way there was not a person in sight! Later I got on an extra bike Vito had, but it was too big for me and I was scared just SITTING on it due to sheer HEIGHT! Whatever, I'm just not used to bikes plus that time flipping (literally) because I squeezed the wrong break is just not a nice memory.

Saturday we went out to a wonderful dinner in the beach town. The yumminess will be reported on later. After dinner we cycled to the place where the beach party was going to be held. This involved a long dark road... our friend Tomas was good enough to take pictures (while biking) yes don't expect any of those from me anytime soon. Thank Tomas!
As you can see, it's long, it's dark and it was even a bit hilly at some point. Everything went ok, but nevertheless I was relieved to get there! (See below me being relieved.)

On the way back we add into the mix the wind, the late hour, and a few other toxic ingredients and we have a STRUGGLE. Let's just say, I'm glad I'm from NY and so dealing with life threatening situations on a daily basis is a norm for me. Anyway, non of the happy people on the picture think riding a bike is life threatening, but for now I THINK IT IS! OK!!!??!!!

The ride back resembled something out of Amazing Race episode when you see the cutely annoying couple helping each other through a "tough" part of the race. Usually involves a half hysterical blond chick screaming something like: "I can't do iiiiiiittt....waahhh waahhhhh" and her usually model/actor boyfriend telling her, "Come on babe, you can do it! you can do it!" Yeah, well I'm glad I had my very own model/actor looking boyfriend helping me through the "crisis".

Ps: last nights bike outfit included a tube top, white pants and heels. :) Hey, just cus you're undergoing EXTREME stress doesn't mean you should look sloppy... ;)

PSPS: momi, daddi, don't worry, I make it more dramatic then it really was, I love the new bike it's GREAT! And my butt is getting a work out! Oh! AND it's not too big for me so I can actually get on it without having to jump up!! kisses!

pspspsps...: Queens day today! It's goregous, sunny and we are heading out to Amsterdam in a bit. Tomorrow full report on the festivities!

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Ahhh the family...!!

For my birthday, which very inconveniently fell on a Monday, we had a small, quiet family soire'. That in itself is an accomplishment because there is nothing quiet about my family, except for my dad who is just always calm and relaxed (we think he is an alien...). Well yesterday evening it was just my parents, my brother and my grandparents and somehow we still managed to make more noise then my dad liked to suffer... So at one point in the evening when the volume really rose and everyone was talking at the same time he just said:

You! stop whistling like an on-coming train! (pointing at my mom)

You! stop jangling like 50 bells! (at least I'm a bell and not a train!)

You! stop being a trumpet! (pointing at my brother)

My grandma is also naturally a soft spoken person, but since the only way to participate in a conversation is to scream at the top of your lungs so she learned too.

Grandpa is however the only person "officially" allowed to talk loudly, and that's because he's been through the war and all those granades blowing up all the time at close proximity could really damage those eardrums. What's the rest of ours' excuse I don't know...

Vito dear, get your "loud voice" ready for when you're in New York ;)

(Grandma and Grandpa helping Daniele with his homework)

And on another happy note, my lovely mamochka cooked up an absolute storm! My expressed desire to also cook something was dismissed with "Yeah, whatever" I even got a cake with CANDLES!!! :) Seriously, I think me turning the big 29 left a bigger impression on my mom then me...

You know you're special when mom makes a 4 layer secret recipe cake from a super secret old cookbook that is HAND written... we had to literally rip Daniele's face out of the cake, he loved it so much...

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