When people ask me what I miss about America, I have two things that top the list. Going to Disneyland in California and American food. I grew up in a household that wanted me to fit in with my peers. We ate Indian food on special occasions and Sunday. I dressed casually and never learned the tongues of my parent’s homeland. So of course American goods were what I got to eat. This includes everything from the fast food to…
I don’t often make wish lists because I don’t need a lot of things. I’m currently content with all my plants, my cozy spot on the couch with my drawing pad, and having a warm Shiba Inu on my feet. But that doesn’t mean I never buy anything. Before we head out to Amsterdam, I like to compile a list of things I might need. We go every so often and the last time was in December. And now we’ll…
We’ve been to a few conventions in the past and we’ve always had a good time. This year we wanted to revisit Tomofair. It’s been a few years since we last went, simply because we kept forgetting to buy tickets. Tomofair is always in early January so it slips under our radar all the time. It’s a small even so there’s not too much to do at Tomofair. There’s the huge gaming hall where people can play Dance Dance Revolution…
The Dutch celebrate Christmas on a grand scale in The Netherlands. It’s interesting to see that families aren’t the only ones decorating. Global Garden is a local garden center that dives head first into the holiday season. Each year they go wild with decorations that attract visitors in droves. So what exactly do they do that captivates the neighborhood? Let’s take a look! Gathering their assets Global Garden uses their products and to build elaborate displays and holiday scenes. And…
I love the big city because there’s so much to see and do. When I lived in California it was too difficult to visit Los Angeles all the time. Fortunately for us, Amsterdam is right around the corner. The thing is, Amsterdam is huge and always busy. It’s a huge tourist magnet any time of the year. It’s annoying for the locals and Native Dutch people. So Sander and I only visit Amsterdam once every few months. When we do…
Ah yes. The Dutch celebrate Christmas in a huge way. And nothing screams Christmas more than a Christmas Market. We’ve been to Christmas Markets before but this was our first time in Beeckestijn. This year’s location was something unique. Beeckestijn was an outdoor square in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later it expanded into a garden area as well. It’s currently listed as a Dutch monument. It’s also the place where Sander’s parents were wed! How wonderful is that? The…
It’s been a few months since I decided I wanted to invest in crystals. I can’t say that I’ve felt any healing power from them but I sure do like the way they look. I spend a lot of late nights looking at crystals on my phone. It’s just so that I can fawn over the beautiful rocks. But it makes no sense to me to order them online. So when I found out that the International Minerals Fair was…
The American Book Center (ABC) is a special spot in downtown Amsterdam. It’s home to a huge selection of English books and a tiny cafe. This three story heaven is one of the few places that houses only English books. There are tons of bookstores in Amsterdam but this one is where I feel the most at home. It’s all about English books and always brings a crowd. I’m serious. There’s never been a time that we visit where the…
There are a handful of nerd havens in Amsterdam. Most of them remain unexplored by us but there is one that we frequent. It’s called A Space Oddity. I’ve written about A Space Oddity a few times but today I want to examine what this store has to offer. There’s no lack of nerd culture! From Nintendo mementos to Gundam girls and beyond, A Space Oddity has it all. The first floor caters to plush animals and character key chains. The lower…