a long time

Yeah jeez. A lack of updates on this blog has been a major problem for me. Don't know why really. There has been plenty happening (more recently not so much) but things have really been happening, I promise. And now the perfect moment to start writing...I am sitting here chugging water, listening to planes flying by overhead, and peering out my window at dull reflections cast across dampened paths. The band Alfie is playing and I've just woken up from a long (somewhat uneccessary 4 hour nap). Looks like it will be pasta again for dinner, whenever it is that I am hungry again. I ate quite a large lunch so we'll see. As for tonight I won't be going out. Maybe tomorrow or sunday. I've just received the lifesaving help package I was waiting so long for. The $850 tax refund. It finally went through. And it has boosted the money in my account to an amount I can feel safe with (at least for next month) which is the timeframe I've given myself before I head home and call this round in favor of Holland. I am however, extremely close to finally, legally, being able to look for work. I've called the registration offices today and yesterday to see about any possible cancellations to get in sooner (but to no avail). Oh well. Monday is d-day for me. I go into the offices and attempt to get my SOFI number or BSN number or whatever they are calling it these days and then from there we'll see how things go. I'll really need to put myself out. Really go and sell myself in order to find a job soon. And so I shall. I shall because I have to. Did I tell you how much I hate it when people leave lights on unneccesarily? Or when people leave the toilet seat up? I think all 3 of my roommates do both of these things. Effers. Oh well. In any case, it was raining earlier here as was predicted. I cruised from my place down to the center of town with no problems (got a little damp) but it wasn't until my ride home that it was raining a bit harder. Got back and peeled off the layers of moist clothing and put some warm things on. Oh yeah, and then fell asleep on my bed and had weird dreams. My next goal will be to track down some potential locations for looking for work. I'll try and compile a list here on sunday and go from there monday afternoon. That's the update as things stand. Ok I'm done talking. Enjoy your Friday night. byebye.


Zach

new update, slower progress....

currently bored as hell. remind me to download more games to my computer next time i have internet access. been playing effing chess, solitaire, and elasto mania. i'm currently writing this without internet access (will post later). woke up late today. at 1130. planned to wake up at 930. Effed myself over pretty good, but in the end it didn't matter. Didn't get out of here until 145ish...went downstairs to place a call. no dice. apparently you can't call 900 numbers from call centers. went to a different call center. no dice. so now i can't call the immigration office because i can't place the call on my cellular phone either. eff. so i'm looking online for other numbers and finally after a few tries i find one that works. and they give the address to me. i head there on my bike and arrive just before 4 pm. get in line. ask my question. take a number. take a seat. get called to the window and i'm able to make an appointment. first available: march 21st. 2 pm. fml. quite unfortunate. the requirement is for me to register with the municipality, like a place of residence, and then i will be given a tax number or a BSN as they call it, kind of like a social security number. and then i am quite sure i can go and look for work, but i'll have to go to another office tomorrow and see if i can get some more information. in the meantime, i'm still looking for a place of residence, however. i really hope i can find something within the next 5 to 7 days. i feel bad for staying so long with annie. will probably contact petra in a few days if nothing substantial shows up and my last resort will be a cheap ass hostel somewhere. we will see. i'm supposed to call the immigration office and see if there are cancellations on thursday and friday. that will be my next move and today is only monday so eff. will just focus on finding a place of residence the next few days. might have found some peeps to meet up with. we'll see. ok now i'm done. will waste more time watching tv and maybe use the internet. ok byebye.

zach
2106
02.28.11

oh yeah, happy march 1st ;]

New Post, Fresh Update

And so here I am. In Amsterdam for a week now. Progression progression....yes yes, progression...things I have accomplished since being here...I bought my first dutch cruiser bike...it's an old blue beater, single speed with coaster brakes. The price was right, and so far he hasn't let me down....although funny story; after buying the thing and riding it out of the store, I round the first corner only to slip the chain. The problem here is that since it's a single speed there is no extra slack on the chain (like if it had multiple gears) so I ended up having to walk it back to the shop for a quick fix. The bike hasn't let me down since though :] Rode him down into town today and picked up some beer at one of the many specialty beer stores here. Speaking of which, I feel like a kid in a candy store whenever I enter one. I really have to control myself, but there are some amazing beers here produced locally and regionally. There is a great pub that features over 200 bottled beers and 16 draft brews :] My beer blog will soon reflect this (I've got two new entries already queued up and I've got three more beers that need tasting).

On the other side of things (ie the real reason I am here) the work aspect side of things...I went out looking for jobs a few days ago only to run into a bit of a roadblock. It was my belief that I was to go find an employer willing to hire me and then they would apply for the work visa on my behalf. Apparently this is not completely true. I'll need a tax number (attainable from city hall) and then I'll need to find an employer willing to hire me and then they apply for the visa on my behalf. Now I'm quite certain this is how it will work, however I should know officially by tomorrow, or at the very least early next week, and then I can go from there. I spoke with a woman down at the Aussie Bar today and she told me something a bit different. So I'll call the offices tomorrow and figure out the requirements once and for all and then next week I should be back on track with a plan in hand.

Housing housing housing.... well I've been staying with my friend Annamarie here in the west part of Amsterdam, about 20 minutes by bike to Centraal Station for the entire week. I've also been looking for my own housing. I found a lovely little place out about 20 clicks north of the center of Amsterdam going for about 250 euro/month. It's a bit further than what I was originally planning on (ideally would like to find a place in the center of town) but at this point going for the cheaper option with a bit longer of a bike isn't such a bad thing :] The pluses are that it comes fully furnished with a bed and dresser, as well as laundry facilities, a garden, internet and tv. Sounds quite nice to me. So we'll see. If I can get the work visa process underway then I can look a bit more seriously for housing...

So that's where I am currently at. Hope I didn't write too much. Ok toodles, and stay tuned to my beer blog if you're interested...I've got some interesting beer reviews coming up for ya'll ;] talk soon!


Zach

5 days ago

My my my how time tends to fly. 5 days ago, where was I? No idea. My sense of time has been thrown out of whack ever since I arrived to Europe. I have abandoned all hope of ever recovering it, unless I can find a job ;] Tomorrow I will do just that. I will begin my quest to find work here in Amsterdam. Today I said goodbye to Chris as he went on his way to begin the 2nd leg of his trip (first to Norway, secondly to Beijing). In any case, It was weird to say goodbye for the last time, knowing there would be no definitive rendezvous at a later date. I kind of smiled to myself knowing that I am finally here in Amsterdam with the opportunity to do what I have set out to do, and that is to find a job. It was also a little bit scary. I suppose something like taking off the training wheels. Even though I am here with friends, there is no longer any direct connection with home. The feeling is mixed; exciting and scary. Regardless, tomorrow I will start canvassing the city centre. I have a list of places, maybe 10 or so I will try initially, and I'll see how that goes. I think I'll have a good idea of how difficul the task will be depending on the first few reactions to my being an American and my wanting a job. We'll see. I'll look into purchasing a bike for myself (something I am rather excited about) as well. And Wednesday night I've dinner plans with my friend Petra (which I am also quite excited for). Tomorrow the weather should be sunny and 0C (32F). Tomorrow the real journey starts :] Until later. Ciao.



Zach


Also trying to post a new review on my beer blog, so keep an eye out for that. I'm hoping that since I am here in Amsterdam with a bit more stability I'll have more time for blogging (that's the hope anyway) ;] in any case, enjoy your evening.....

leaving the uk

wow. i can't believe i'm here. nearly a month after i first arrived into the uk. time passes so quickly and the two weeks i spent in spain seem like forever ago. i am now sitting on an overnight ferry (stena line) set to head across the english channel, whereupon i disembark at 730 am and board a train for amsterdam. i'm so excited to finally be returning to holland :] in any case, the whirlwind of a tour we had of the uk is now over. driving from london to edinburgh was amazing. it culminated with a round of golf at st. andrews old course, which in itself was an incredible experience. the photo of me teeing off on 18 is really something i am proud of. my host in london was amazing, masa you are the best :] now i'll be heading to amsterdam, the real goal of my journey. it will be very interesting to see how things will proceed from here. will i be able to find a job? will i be able to live and work in amsterdam as i have been planning for so long? i guess the next few weeks will reveal so much. again i apologize for the lack of updates, i've been posting tons of photos however, and you know what they say...a picture is worth a thousand words :P so for every entry i failed to write, i hope my pictures tell the story i could not tell you with words. no idea, but i hope they suffice :] until next time, i hope you all are well....

Zach

London Calling

So here we are...I think it's a week after my last post. Lame. I know. In any case, we are here in London, and have been here since late Thursday night. My trip in Barcelona wrapped up nicely, spent the last few days with the lovely Aneta from Poland (there are photos from the shoot I was telling you about last time on my facebook). Had a really nice time hanging out with her. Thursday came and went rather quickly, and I made it to the airport just fine without any hitches. I was hoping my entry into the UK would be the same, but it wasn't to be. Once again trying to come across into the UK would be extremely problematic, I just had no idea how problematic it would be. I thought it would be as simple as showing them my 6 month visa I had acquired two weeks prior, but no, it wasn't. The questions started flying again. This time I had Masa's address and a phone number, but still no proof I would be leaving the country or proof that I had sufficient funds in my bank account. The agent asked me how long they kept me waiting last time I tried to pass through customs and he laughed when I told him it took nearly an hour. He told me to take a seat, he was just going to keep me for 5 minutes. Yeah right. 5 minutes later, the same agent had clocked off (apparently it was the end of his shift) and I saw him heading home. So I waited. And waited. And half an hour later a woman came out and told me to come with her. She took me in back and told me to sit down. She took a series of photographs of my face and then proceeded to fingerprint me. When I asked her why all of this was being done she said it was because someone didn't like the answers I gave them. I was pretty pissed at this point. Next I am moved to another room where I am to be held for an indeterminate amount of time. Another guy starts filling out information, asking me some questions and telling me about how I am now in custody and that I may or may not be granted entry into the country. I could be held in the next room for up to 24 hours. I'm pretty pissed at this point, but what can I really do? I sit in the room for about 10 minutes before they call my name. This time it's a different guy. He is to interview me. We walk downstairs to get my other bag and while we are doing so, I am telling him about what happened when I tried to cross in and he is wondering why they stopped me. He pretty much said the agent who stopped me was an idiot, and that I was just unlucky. I tell him my plans post UK and he tells me he'll see if he can get me out of there ASAP, and he did. So basically I lucked out and didn't have to sleep there overnight, or leave the UK, but now I'm probably flagged in Interpol or something and will forever be plagued with issues getting into the UK. We'll see. I'm just glad I made it through. Anyhow, after that ordeal I was pretty frustrated, my plan to meet Chris around 1130 at Masa's flat was spoiled and by the time I exited the terminal it was just after midnight. Luckily I found a taxi, had to pay £55, which equates to nearly $90 US, for the long ride from the airport to South London. Rip off. But I was finally back to Masa's.

Today we are heading out from London by car, first to Stonehenge and then to Oxford. Tomorrow will see us heading north to York and finally to Newcastle to visit a friend. The following day we will head into Scotland where we'll stay in Edinburgh for a few days and make attempts to play golf at St. Andrews. After this we'll return to London by train and take a ferry across the english channel and arrive to Amsterdam by train the following morning. So there it is. The boring, flat, uninteresting update you all were waiting for :P Until next time...ciao...


Zach

9 days and counting...

Lol wow...last time I posted was 9 days ago...yikes! My apologies for a lack of updates. My original plan included many more frequent updates, I assure you. And normally I write a lot while I am traveling, and just in general. In June when I was last in Europe I wrote at least once a day...this time around things are a little bit different, and I'm not sure why. I haven't written anything, thus far on the entire trip. And now here I sit, 2 days left here in Spain and I am just getting to the writing. In any case, I feel like I have let myself down, and everyone who was expecting updates. If you do not have me on facebook, I have been posting photos there. For those of you that already know this, my last batch of photos (from Sagrada Familia) had to be thrown out due my usage of an incorrect setting the entire time I was there. Explanation: due to the bright sun I wasn't able to notice until I had uploaded them onto the computer, as you can imagine, I was quite disappointed, and frustrated I had not noticed until after the fact. I also failed to bring my camera charger from London to Barcelona (I blame a lack of sleep and a major case of jet lag and my delirious state of mind at the time), regardless I have been without a way to charge my camera battery and due to some recent events I have been given the opportunity to photograph a model here in Barcelona. Weighing the two; Sagrada Familia & Parc Guell, or photographing a model, I think I'll take the latter. I still feel there is more for me to see here in Catalonia, and If I succeed and am able to make a living here in Europe, travel is cheap, and I can return at any time. I think I will have to. Anyway, please allow me to post a short update, with the hope that at some point over the next few days, perhaps on the flight from Barcelona to London, that I will be able to find the time to write a more lengthy and much more detailed account of the past week or so.

As of right now, It is just after 830 pm on February 1st, (happy February everyone!) and I am sitting in the hostel. I will be meeting my friend here in Barcelona, Gabi, whom I met in Peru and have not seen since I was in Cusco in May of 2009, and we'll go out for food. Chris has just left me for Paris for 2 days, we'll rendezvous on Thursday night in London. So I am here in Barcelona for the next two days traveling solo. I quite like the idea, I think it will be a good little break. Tomorrow I am meeting up with a recent acquaintence I have made here in Barcelona. A polish girl named Aneta (also the potential model) and we'll discuss options for a photo shoot. I am quite excited for this. We went out for drinks a couple of nights ago, and we had a great time. And as for my post-Barcelona plans...Chris and I have got a kick-ass plan lined up; which will include renting a car in London, driving to Stonehenge, then onto Bath, then north to Chester, York, Newcastle, then to Scotland, and Edinburgh (where we'll ditch the car) and then onto St. Andrews (where we will attempt to play the Old Course). And yes, if you know about golf, that is the same historic course where so many amazing things have happened and all of the worlds best golfers (Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, etc etc) have walked and played and this course, is without a doubt, one of the most well-known and recognizable in the history of golf (perhaps Augusta is in the same realm). After St. Andrews I am heading back to London to catch the overnight ferry and train ride to Amsterdam and that will be that. We attend Trance Energy on the 19th of February and Chris heads off to Norway soon thereafter. So here we go. Onward. Will be in touch soon :]

Zach