Autumn Leaves

October 28, 2013

Autumn Leaves

Lightning and thunder fill the skies tonight as a day of mayhem in Amsterdam draws to its close. Mother nature is taking Europe by storm. In every literal sense. Being slightly oblivious to the extent of the weather damage, I set out for a run this afternoon only to discover at least four of Westerparks' larger trees having been entirely pulled out of their roots. The elements of nature create and destroy life equally - never to be underestimated.

This time last week, the mere thought of a day outside the container seemed like a faraway and unreachable concept, yet today I am truly astonished that the academic turmoil is over so suddenly and that the month of October is nearing its end. It is the moments of being unable to fulfill certain itching desires for adventure and movement that truly makes one appreciate to a greater extent the times that the itch is able to materialzie into a concrete event. Friday afternoon at 12pm, my eyes reopened to the city. The Psychology terminology that infested my consciousness for the preceding two weeks was banished and suddenly the buildings seemed taller, the canals seemed wider, the lights shone brighter and faces seemed happier. I noticed the transition into winter is ever-more apparent and nature is decorating the earth as the bicycle lanes turn into a beautiful array of yellow, orange and green as the Autumn leaves make their descent down from the trees. Despite knowing very well that nothing truly changed in the City of Amsterdam, the way I perceived it certainly did as I suddenly became very aware of the fact that I'm able to immerse myself in it again - Which started very successfully with a post-exam celebration with Shan on Friday night in the bustling Leidsesquare.

Life has a strange way of presenting like-minded people to you, and having one a couple of doors away from me has only amplified this experience, knowing that a conversation is a only a knock away. Therefore I would like to dedicate a little word to my neighbour Mr Jannis Hamida (aka, J-dog). I have been blessed to be placed in a container opposite an extremely intelligent and interesting music fanatic who has introduced me not only to the best music but also to his Dutch friends, the Shaya brothers, Ruben & Jaron who contributed largely to the success of this incredible weekend. My Saturday was spent taking a drive to Zaandam and visiting the Zaanse Schans. Truly discovering the significance of water in the The Netherlands. The countryside air was filled with a rich aroma of chocolate which came from the strong wind blowing the fumes of The Zaandam Chocoladefabriek from across the river all the way to the little windmill town of Zaanse Schans - a beautiful display of windmills and dark turquoise coloured dutch style houses. It is a tourist location for both the Dutch and the tourists - The Dutch who come to watch the tourists as a means of entertainment and enlightenment and the Tourists who came to gain an understanding of the traditional Dutch Farmlife way of living. The Zaanse Schans (which I after many failed attempts still cannot pronounce) was followed by a drive to Vollendam where we witnessed the most incredible sunset. The Dutch countryside and small towns makes for a happy camera as the lens is filled with unbelievable sights as I hope you will agree with in the photos to follow:

I'd like to leave you with some very profound and interesting words that was on the walls of The Zan Dam Restuarant in Amsterdam-Zuid that I was lucky enough to go to courtesy of Mich's lovely Father, Steve and his friend, Ian:

"This if your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop. They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel Often; Getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them. So go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion."