Amsterdam Day 14 - Observations Part Deux

· The Dutch work at there own speed. Get used to it. Even the fast-food isn’t fast.
· If you are not used to roundabouts practice at home.
· Don’t be freaked out when you look at a ship on a canal and realize that he’s higher in sea level than you are.
· There is a lot of graffiti.
· Toilets in restaurants may be smaller than your linen closet.
· Bring your own bags to grocery stores.
· You are going to walk a lot. Bring good shoes.
· You have to ask for your check at a restaurant. They won’t bring it to you unless you ask.
· Look both ways. Twice.
· If you don’t like the smell of smoke don’t bother showing up.
· For as neat and tidy the Dutch are there is a lot of trash and pollution in the canals and ditches.
· Appreciate the fact that there is no Bud Light or Miller Lite on tap. Anywhere.
· Stroopwaffles deserve to have their own food group.
· Go ahead and laugh at a Smart Car, then look at the price at the pump.
· Americans typically stick out like sore thumbs – they dress bad, whine a lot, and generally they are the most overweight. The British run a close second.
· Take note of cultural differences, and don’t assume that yours are the best. There are rhymes and reasons for things and a couple minutes of observation will speak volumes and quite possibly change your opinions.
· Did I mention that Heineken is good? I probably did.

Amsterdam Day 12 - The Color Orange

I don't like soccer. I don't get it. Hell, even as a kid I played it. I just don't get it is all.

That's completely different here in the Netherlands. People are crazy about it. Good for them. I wish that we the same passion for a national sport in the states.

The color orange is everywhere, apartment awnings, those annoying little window flags that people stick to their cars with suction cups. Hell, I even saw 4 leggy Russian women in downtown tonight with Orange go-go boots. (The fact that the Netherlands plays Russia tonightmakes that even more curious).

It's a matter of pride here and I think that it's cool.

I still don't get the sport though.

Amsterdam Day 9 - Observations

• Bike helmets are for wimps. I've seen Dutch women with kids hanging off the front and back of their bikes, talking on cell phones through downtown Amsterdam. Cars and pedestrians on either side, not caring a bit.
• The Dutch love soccer, hell, most of the world does. As an American hockey fan I believe that every soccer player who dives needs to be beaten and be forced to watch Robbie Earl highlights.
• You can actually burn rubber up a hill in an Opel Corsa when so inclined.
• There isn't pick-up-dog-poop law. Watch your step. Really.
• Tourists are annoying. (and not just the American ones)
• Walking on a path that follows a canal is probably some of the best therapy that one can enjoy.
• Don't expect a menu in English - just go for it.
• "Beer" is Heineken unless otherwise specified.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

Amsterdam day 6 - Fathers Day

I missed my kids today. I missed my wife as well.

I went to a castle about 20km away and walkd around there. It was ok. there were a lot of families there with a lot of kids and while it was semi-humerous watching Dutch moms loose their collective cool, it was something I wish that I could've shared with my kids. Oh well, that's life i guess.

I don't know if I'm cut out for a life on the road. We'd have to see.

Amsterdam Day 4 - How in the hell do you drive here?

Yikes!

I know, hike up the skirt and suck it up. Good for you.

I can't say that I enjoy driving here in Amstelveen. Obviously the cyclists and pedestrians have the right-of-way, but damnit - have some sort of sembelence of order when it comes to the sequence of stop lights. Especially to an ubernoob like myself who drives a manual transmission once every decade.

I just have to suck it up and get out there. I'll survive.

Anyhow, I'm out of the Dorint now, and at the Htel here in Amstelveen. It's kind of like an extended stay in the states (look it up on http://www.htel.nl/). It beats the hotel plus I get a kitchen. So I went to a little supermarket down the road and picked up some necessities (you know - Heineken) and other stuff, cooked myself a nice meal, and am just relaxing and unwinding.

Tonight would have been an interesting evening to be down in the city. The Netherlands plays tonight in the Euro 2008 soccer tournament and it seems like the whole contry is shut down. I was briefly entertaining the idea of going into the city to join the masses but I really don't want to be the stupid American walking around Dam Square in the event that they lose. I have this thing about international incidents and making the news. I'm funny that way.

Anyhow, you could tell at the market that people were in a rush to get home, hell, almost all of the Heineken was gone. The staff at the office was pretty thin as I think most everyone who has an interest in soccer/football found a reason to tap the keg early. (Of course this is from a guy who lives and breathes hockey at all levels and ages so I'll shut up).

Since everyone is either in a bar, downtown, or in front of their TV's I might take this opportunity to drive around and practice. God knows I need it.

Day 1: Chasing an Icelandic Sunrise

From 5F in Saga class of a Icelandair 757 the North Atlantic looks pretty nice. Onboard it’s relatively quiet; it should be now that it’s 12:24am local MSP time. I’ve had my 2 hours of white wine aided sleep and as I look around it appears that I’m not the only one who has enjoyed the Icelandair hospitality.

Today started as most workdays do; up around 6ish, at work around 7:30ish, reviewing the weekend work for the fleet. Restlessness hit me earlier than normal, my desk cleaner than normal. Anxious. Pensive. Focused miles ahead. A mission to embark upon. C’mon let’s get this show started already.

I’ve been looking towards this trip for weeks now. Some reasons more obvious than others (as time moves forward I may or may not reveal more about that) I’ve been looking forward to this trip and as the days have flown and minutes dragged I’ve wanted to step forward into this journey.

I left work a little early, finalized my packing and after the bus dropped Stanley off we loaded up the car and headed to the airport. With tears in his eyes Stanley gave me his Father’s Day card. Grant gave me his with no tears as he wanted to use Dylan’s Slip-and-Slide more than he wanted to ride to the airport. Stanley and I sat on the living room steps and cried a little bit. So did Brenda.

So I got to the HHH Terminal 3 hours before departure as prescribed by Icelandair, checking in with the Sun Country staff. Behind me was a large group of high school kids, bandmates ready to head to Europe. I knew that I had to get in front of them. So I check my bags and take my seat assignment: 22E.

My internal seatmap tells me I’m in the middle seat back in steerage. Ah shit. I kindly ask if there is anything left on an aisle or window and the guy behind the counter lets me down easily saying that it’s a full flight. Hey, no biggie, I can deal with anything for 5 hours right?

So up the escalator I go, rearranging my carry-on before I head through security. I hear my named being called from behind me and there is the counter agent telling me that he thought that I was part of the band party. Oops, his mistake, his manager tells him to get me another seat and sure enough in his hand is another boarding pass for seat 7C. Emergency exit row on the aisle. Oh yeah. Things are looking up.

After a couple of beers and some wings at Fletchers I head over to the gate. The genral boarding/cattle call comes so with the others I shuffle down the jetway to the aircraft. When I get close to the entry door I notice that my particular seat is right at the main entrance aisle, and that people would have to turn around my knees if I took my seat. I tell the lead flight attendant that I’d stand to the side to make sure that the boarding process would go off without a hitch as we were already going to be running late. I also She see’s that I’m a non-rev and asks me if I want to sit in Saga Class…..well sure….why not! Let’s see – middle seat surrounded by a bunch of high schoolers? Or 1st class? Duh!!!!

Needless to say I enjoyed my time sitting in front. Wide seats. real silver. Actual glass. Something you don’t’ get too much of anymore. The only downer was the fact that when we landed in Iceland I had a head-cold.

Serves me right.

BTW, if you have the chance to fly Icelandair please do so! I’m not saying this because I got to sit in first class. (In fact I sat in the last row on the way to Amsterdam from Iceland). Fly them because the service is first rate and friendly.

Next entry: Stan learns how to drive a manual transmission in Amsterdam

17 days in Amsterdam

Monday night I hop on an Icelandair 757 to Amsterdam for a work trip that will last for 17 days. My co-worker Mark has been there being the technical rep for 2 of our aircraft since the end of April so he needs to get back stateside to unwind and bleed some Dutch out of his system.

Needless to say I'm a little bit anxious about the deal. I haven't been away from my wife and kids for such a long period of time bit all things considered it's not too bad. It's not like I'm humping a rucksack up a hill in Afganistan or anything, but still, time away is time away.

I'm overpacked and waiting to take another step out of a comfort zone. On the flip side I'm going to drink my fill of opportunity and see where this path decides to take me. As I wrote in previous entry, this industry is suddenly in unchartered waters. When I last wrote a barrel of crude was going for $110/barrel.

When I left work yesterday it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $139/barrel.

In the middle of April we were just getting set to send the rest of the leased aircraft back home and send ours. That went fine. It was stressful but we got it done. Then from out of the blue they wanted us to bring on an ex-Aloha airlines -700 on line as soon as frickin' possible. We gangbanged that aircraft and had it on the certificate in a hair under 3 weeks.

On the first day of revenue service for that airplane I took a 10% pay cut.

Am I bitter? A little.
Am I defeated? Not even close.

So what does this all mean as I head to Amsterdam? I guess I'm not sure. I'll do the job and take the days and nights as they come. I may even stop and smell the tuplips.

If anyone has any hints of what to do in Amstelveen please let me know.