Did I ever say an engagement was an elephant, madam?

Amsterdam yesterday: Scots, everywhere. Kilts, bagpipes, ginger wigs, the lot. And Scotland weren't even playing last night, they are tonight. Didn't stop the fans from decorating the Dam war memorial with massive Scottish flags. It was really quite funny, we were passing on the tram and we could hear them chanting from halfway across the Damrak. There were some riot police vans but the atmosphere was generally quite friendly. Couldn't help being reminded of Manchester full of Ranger fans last summer though. Best, friendliest atosphere ever, but that's when they'd just started drinking, and they ended up wrecking half the city centre later that day. Anyway, the match that had completely slipped my mind explained the random Scottish The Sun double decker I saw from the Leiden-Amsterdam train. I do hope Scotland wins tonight.

As for other Scots news, me and Nouk are seeing the View in Utrecht a day before the Maximo Park gig. Good birthday pressie or what?

Woo managed to finish knitting my new bag in time for Friday, result!

Also, Netherlands chapter, check. On to the intro, where we actually get on to recent terrorist naughtiness.

HEMA sent me the jaaropgaaf 2006 only. Specifically asked for 2005 as well, silly Amsterdamse Eenheidsmaatschappij.

Furthermore, tapas recipies and grocerie list for Friday, check! I insisted on gambas.

Received my first bday card! I think it's off Jo bless her.

Me and Nouk have discovered Twitter and Gavin & Stacey. We're so last year it hurts.

why_anouk

I didn't make her. Whatever she may tell you. Lovely though. Do befriend her!

Spent three days in Utrecht, staying with Marieke and Hsins respectively, went to two Wombats gigs (Utrecht and The Hague) for free, and had an amazing night out on Thursday with Nouk, Marieke and Stijn. First the gig, and then the afterparty in Ekko where the Wombats did some DJing. Nouk and me ended up staying till half three, and we had an amazing time. I forgot how lovely Utrecht is on a Thursday night! I'm still not a Wombats fan but I thought they were jolly nice again, and that it was mighty sweet of them to put us on the guest list (twice!) They're not coming back until they've released a second album now though, so nouk will have to try and find herself another obsession.

Oh, and..



We pushed her into it! Not literally, someone else did that.. from the stage as well. I was quite impressed.

Last night film night with Hsins was lovely as well by the way! We watched Black Books, some Poirot, some Sherlock Holmes and Keeping Mum (surprisingly good fun!)

Crisps, chocolate bananas, ice-cream, red wine. I feel so bad, but yummm. We watched Alfie as well, and Doctor Who, such a girly night ^_^

Oh, and Nouk is a dear. As usual.

9.38.. we've found a new word for Anouk's English: 'nederscouse'

Haha bless.

I've visited the counties in yellow. Which counties have you visited? made by marnanel map reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey. © Crown copyright 2001.

This is my county map (stolen from CaroVince), but not until this Sunday, after mine and Nouk's North East Voyage, and our random but brilliant Shropshire plan for Sunday (more about that later). Quite impressive though isn't it? The anglophile in me is well chuffed. I haven't even counted counties I've seen through a train window, just where my oversize Dutchie feet have one touched blessed British county earth. bit gutted Northern Ireland isn't on the map though. I know it's not part of Great Britain, but still!

Anyway, back to this week's events. Me and Nouk ave just continued having a great time after coming back from Glasto. I've been trying to squeeze in as much dissertation work as possible (even though most of it might have been novel reading) and today and tomorrow my lovely sis has allowed me to stay in and have two full days of dissertation work while she goes living it up with the Womgroupies in Liverpool. Tomorrow night I'm joining them for, yes, a Wombats gig in a small bar in Liverpool. We better get that last train back though, because on Tursday morning we're leaving for Newcastle, quite early and all. Then it's three long days in Newcastle, Durham and of course Hartlepool with our local tour guide, woo!

We get back on Saturday night and we were first going to use Sunday to recover, but as I was borwsing The Holloways website (they were the soundtrack to our Glasto and have been to the rest of Anouk's stay) and I saw they did a gig in Shrewsbury. I checked their website, and it turned out to be a one day festival, in a park in the centre of town, with The Mystery Jets playing as well! And it was only £20.. Before we could change our minds, we'd booked ourselves tickets and a train journey back and forth. The weather is probably going to be rubbish, but woooo another day of festival joy! We bought the Holloways and Mystery Jets albums so we'll be all ready and it's going to be amazing.

http://www.indiecosundaysocial.co.uk/

Sooo much more to come this week! Mind you, last week was great as well, and thoug we stayed in Manchester quite a lot we did have a lovely time going to the Trafford Centre, the Elizabeth Gaskell house (finally!!), the Victoria Baths, the Cornerhouse (The Edge of Love, a tad disappointing I must say!), the Frog and Bucket (comedy) and our day trips to Blackpool and York (the latter consisted of meeting up with Hsins and her medieaval buddies, eating free cake in church, hiding from the rain, walking in the sunshine, browsing all the brilliant tiny shops and buying Marieke a Gollywog but playing with it all the time ourselves). Also, Anouk's discovered Doctor Who and is now absolutely in love with David Tennant, bless her. Aren't we all though haha..

Not as good as the old jumping out of a box, but I'm still well pleased I'm here!

Rozemarijn sent me an excited text yesterday night and my cousin Daphne and her boyfriend Joost stayed here last night; which unites the two? I know, the Backstreet Boys playing Rotterdam Ahoy. I love Rooz. The Nick Carter biography I gave her 10 years ago might just be the greaest legend of our friendship. As for my cousin, bless. Being the 'randstad' relatives they can come and stay at isn't too bad. There's such a difference between groing up in Almelo and doing so in Gouda though. I know it sounds bad, but whenever I talk to her or anyone else in the family I can't help praising my parents for moving all those years ago.

"
that sister of mine is working hard on her music career haha!

For all you language-n00bs out there, she's singing the first verse along in Norwegian, leaving the rest of the Scousers flabberghasted, and then does the second verse in Dutch on her own. Gutted I missed it, but nevertheless well proud!

( quick overview of the brilliant week Anouk spent staying at my humble abode.. )

..there's a price to pay though, and I think it will come in the shape of both piled up work and a particularly nasty cold. Ah well.

Update on the week coming up, but first.. Me and Anouk have had our little Nevermind the Buzzcocks mania going on since christmas and now I've just two tickets to go see him (edit: and by him I mean Simon Amstell, and Richard is coming along, woo!) in June woo

Rest of the night will be spent putting a ridiculous amount of pictures on facebook and tagging my arse off, only to curl up with Bleak House and have the first non-alcoholic night in more than a week.

My shift key is acting oddly..

woooooo

matt and I picked her up from Liverpool airport in the end and all!

Really brilliant week. Spent loads of time with Nouk and mum especially, we all really needed that! They're dropping me off at the airport in a bit, and I'm really pleased to be going back to my little house and see everyone again, but I'm also really chuffed Nouk's coming over in two weeks already, otherwise I'd a be a lot more sad to be leaving. Less than two weeks isn't a lot. But, my parents are probably flying out to Manchester on my birthday, so that's very soon as well! I'll have to do the parteh-ing the night before though, and risk having to pick them up with a slight hangover. No problem..

Also, WHY did Jet2 have to go bankrupt?! I'll be spending all my dosh going back and forth to Liverpool airport to pick everyone up now! I tried KLM but, sorry, I just don't have the riches. However, I have discovered an arirlines that flies to Manchester from Rotterdam via London City airport.. mental :\

Yesterday was odd yet splendid. I forgot how lovely a city Utrecht is. Ran into both Elizabeth and Stephanie as well, crazy!

I'm NEVER going to be able to write these two 6000-word essays before the 14th..

- shopping in Amsterdam all day tomorrow
- In Belgium all Monday: visiting Rozemarijn in her Antwerp pad and staying at Lijn's in Gent Monday night
- Off to Almelo with Nouk all of Wednesday to go pay a quick visit to all the grandparents
- teaching my mum's 6 year olds some English on Thursday afternoon
- Flying back to Mancs on Friday
- Saturday and Sunday to lock myself away and finish said essays..

Went to see Run Fatboy Run tonight with Nouk. Bernard ghihi. Not hilarious, but very amusing indeed!

My knee has really started to fall apart now. It's making funny noises and keeps popping out of and back into place.

Dieting resolutions will have to commence on a day when I'm not surrounded by delicous snacks..

Roos's birthday in Doorn yesterday was lovely by the way, and I've been enjoying a lot of sister and daughter time, as well as FINALLY see Stijn and Marieke's very own flat on Sunday. So homey aww!! Want to pay her another visit but seeing as my essays.

Should stop rambling.

13 days really isn't enough. I do not mind going back, but I just want to take my family with me, especially Noukie. Soooooooo happy she's coming over two weeks after I leave. She woke me up this morning in the cutest way ever. Aww I know we'd argue a lot more if we saw each other all the time but as it is now it seems silly to not see her for three months!

Edit: Happy New Year everyone!