easter weekend in the netherlands

Apparently I have three readers who want more! lol.
Friday morning was pretty low-key. I stored my bags and checked out (no cheese sandwich at breakfast,,, kind of disappointed!), and then went to the train station to buy a ticket for later. I found Rembrandthuis, which was actually quite difficult, and grabbed a free audio tour through the house (which is where he lived and had a painting studio, but in the end couldn't afford it and it was taken and everything auctioned off). There was also a pretty large etching exhibit, which was quite cool to see how it is actually done, I had no idea all the work involved.

I grabbed some lunch and ate in Dam Square again (it kind of became my home base for the few days I was in Amsterdam) and then went to Oude Kerk (Old Church) where it turns out there was a photo exhibition. I won't talk much about it since I'll do a separate blog post, but I will say it was the coolest setting I've seen for something like that!  After that I grabbed my bags and headed to the train station... goodbye, Amsterdam!

45 minutes later I was in Den Haag (the Hague - it's odd that this is one city which they anglicize the name for).  My friend Jacky picked me up, as well as another girl who was staying the exact same days I was, Lana. We stopped at the supermarket to grab a few supplies, namely Dutch treats for me to try out! We came out to a freak rainstorm (the only rain I saw while in the Netherlands.. unusual, I think!) and dropped everything off at her apartment before heading to the promenade at a nearby beach for dinner.

Saturday was low key... cheese sandwich for breakfast (hah! now i'm addicted, I think), the city centre in the afternoon (where I opted to visit the Mauritshuis museum and see Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring" - which I fell in love with - while the girls shopped) and to Jacky's friends house for the evening where we made dinner, played card games, and generally had a great time.

Sunday was the big touristy day. I had mentioned to Jacky how I wished I could go to Kinderdijk, which is a UNESCO heritage site with 19 old windmills. It turns out it wasn't as far as I thought, so we spent the morning walking around there and doing a canal boat ride to the futhest windmill, having a picnic lunch, and then driving up to Keukenhof gardens to be blown away by the beauty of the ridiculous amount of tulips and other flowers. It was a great day.

Now here I am... I think we may try to spend an hour or two at the beach (depending on how long it takes us to get ready!) before coming home to get all packed up to head home. I can't believe a week has passed by, but for once I am actually looking forward to coming home... that's a first!

♥ Callah

Gouda in Edam

Ok, where did I leave off? Night two. I met up with Anna, the korean roommate, back at the hostel because she wanted to see the red light district but was shy and immature and did not want to go by herself! It was kind of embarrassing, lol- she was pointing and giggling and asking me so many questions I didnt have the answers to! I can't really tell you how a prostitute feels standing in a window, you know, seeing as I've never been one.


Anyways she was happy I had been her escort (haha, pun intended) so she could see the "real" Amsterdam before she left. Too bad, I think that is missing out on such a huge part of it!

Yesterday I pilfered another cheese sandwich (I will never want one again by the time I get home... Brekkie and lunch 3 days in a row, I'm in a different hostel tonight but I assume it will be similar here as well) and set out for the waterland region... A bunch of cute little fishing villages north of Amsterdam. It was such a cuteness overload I almost couldn't handle it, lol! I visited Marken, took a ferry to Volendam, and finished in Edam. I sampled a few cheeses and then didn't figure out til too late I didnt even try Edam cheese there... I had Gouda lol! Edam had this super cool little museum which is actually a preserved old townhouse complete with the steepest, narrowest staircases ever and a floating cellar... Safe to say bumped my head a few times. I napped and read and listened to my iPod in a cute little park and perhaps burned my shoulders a tiny bit (jealous?!).

I had considered another museum open late but I couldn't bear that thought, museum burnout after Tuesday! I ate some takeaway in Dam Sq and listened to a busker, and later on had a beer people watching at a sidewalk table... I am now officially ok eating and drinking by myself without even a book as a distraction. It's like that sex and the city episode.
Today I had to switch hostels, so now I am in the heart of the medieval district with all the shops... And on late shopping night too :) I did a quick whirl through the historisch museum, wandered way across the city to see the De Grooier windmill and have my picnic (you guessed it, stolen cheese sandwich and apple) on a canal bank and then found my way to the hermitage, which was an excellent albeit smallish museum in the exhibit sense. I hit up the shops and it's safe to say my spring/summer wardrobe is considerably improved. Another early night for me I think as I have not been sleeping too well. I have all morning and afternoon here tomorrow and then it will be off to The Hague to spend Easter with my friend Jacky that was my very first roommate in Wellington, NZ (and incidentally thought I was a bitch the first time we met because I was brushing my hair... When it was looong and painful to brush! Good thing we got past that, hah!).
 
♥ Callah

P.S. if anyone is actually reading this comment and let me know if i should continue blogging while I'm away!

amsterdam

Yesterday I landed in Amsterdam and had pretty much the easiest airport experience ever- the customs line was short, there is nothing to fill out, and they don't ask questions. Then I went to the luggage claim to see my bag had literally just come out - I was on the train probably within about half hour after landing. Not bad!!

I arrived to my hostel about 1pm, and dropped my bags off and started wandering the city. The weather has been gorgeous so far! The architecture is seriously amazing and the canals are beautiful. I found the Begjinhof, which is a cool enclosed former convent hidden away in the middle of the city. I grabbed dinner at a sidewalk table and did some people watching, and headed to the Anne Frankhuis, which I have wanted to see since I read the diary back in the fall- way before I had any clue I'd actually be here. It was so surreal to be there, and see all the narrow steep staircases and some of their belongings, as well as the actual diaries themselves. The rooms are empty since the furniture was confiscated when they were arrested, and Otto Frank wanted them to remain that way.

In the evening I started chatting with a few girls in my room, and ended up taking a stroll through the red light diistrict which is literally across the canal from my hostel. It was so weird to see. It's strongly advised you don't take pictures there, but you walk down the alleys and there are windows with red lights overtop, and girls inside in lingerie. I may or may not have had a "space cake", haha. I'll let you use your imagination with that one.

Today after free brekkie (which I actually took advantage of and grabbed a free lunch as well) another roomate and I headed out, destination Rijksmuseum. There we saw "The Night Watch"and Rembrandts and Vermeers among others. I bought a "museumkaart" which has already nearly paid for itself, as after a picnic lunch I hit up the modern museum and then finished up at the Van Gogh museum (which was also having a Picasso exhibit).

I finally found a wall charger for my iPhone (note to self, apparently GB adapters aren't universal throughout Europe!) and now I'm off to dinner. Tomorrow I think I will head out to some touristy fishing villages to take a break from all the art that I've oversaturated myself with. Rest assured I've taken a crapload of photos which I'll share when I'm home!

♥ Callah

breathe me

Here's another overseas artist I'm newly in love with - Sia. (although this song is actually quite old - and I think my aunt and uncle have long been fans if i'm not mistaken?).



Straight from Aus... no wonder I love her.

♥ Callah

p.s. have you heard of grooveshark? You can search for music and create playlists- great way to decide if you want to buy a cd on itunes or not. (careful though, it eats bandwidth!)

water for elephants

I checked the book water for elephants out from the library last week because I had had it recommended a few times. I didn't even find out til a few days ago it was a movie as well, coming out easter weekend. Reese Witherspoon and R Patts... weird combo, no?



The trailer doesn't make it look as good as the book was... still can't wait to see it though! I've already finished the book, which tells you how much I liked it since it detracted from my already lacking sleep time, I couldn't put it down.

♥ Callah

P.S. This time in one week I will be en route to Holland! (and Paish will be a married woman!)

p.s.

I was on ticketmaster waiting for the Adele tix to go on sale. They instantly weren't available. They must be keeping the section really small and barely released more.... sigh. Oh well, I'll content myself with now having the first cd to listen to as well.


(p.p.s. spring is here, no one can question my birkenstock wearning any longer.)

♥ Callah

what she wore - batwing

It's back to the bathroom mirror GPOYs- the kitchen is under reno and the whole house is pretty much a dusty disaster zone.

(do you see the random kettle hiding in the corner? That's what happens when there is no kitchen sink.)

batwing top - Costa Blanca

tank - h&m

leggings - lululemon

necklace - tiffany 

Not pictured- my cognac faux-leather jacket and black peep-toe Steve Madden pumps which I'm breaking in to walk down Paish's aisle!

♥ Callah

faker

Sometime more than a year ago I bought fake lashes. I never wore them, and finally tried them on last weekend. they looked terrible! I have near non-existant eyelids when my eyes are open, and the lash line was way too dark. My sister had the answer: quo brand lashes. They have a pretty good selection, from the shortest & most natural looking(this pair) to blingy for a night clubbing (well, I assume that's where you'd wear them!)

Before:

After:

I wore them at a stag & doe last weekend, and all of my friends I mentioned my fake lashes to (said they) couldn't even tell. They aren't too odd to wear (although you can feel them when you blink!) but the key, according to my sister, is to have a backup eyeliner (or the glue) in your purse in case they come off at the end of a long night out. My mark. waterproof liner/ mascara hook-up combo is perfect.

I find applying a liquid liner (or fine pencil line if that's all you have) before applying the lashes helps the look. Which means learning how to apply liquid liner for me, lol! Removing the glue after each use can extend the life, but the package indicates about 3 weeks of use max - so you'll get at least a few wears out of them, and they don't break the bank at about $6.99 per pair (although I got mine on sale!).
I recommend these for sure, I'm a convert!

(Find out how to apply them here)

♥ Callah

april fools

Today I went to work as usual. I started working on the first patient when I realized the other hygienist had come in, but there was only one column scheduled. No one said anything. Half an hour later I realized I wasn't even supposed to BE there (it wasn't my name on the schedule) and still no one had said anything! Luckily my dentist had hygiene patients scheduled the other hygienist took over. A few hours later I vaguely remembered agreeing not to come in today. I literally stole her patients. April Fools' to myself, I guess!

♥ Callah
(yes, this is a true story!)