Antipodean
This morning I had to get up early, clean the AirBnB, go out to breakfast, go back to the AirBnB and clean it some more (since I have a perfect record on AirBnB for leaving apartments spotlessly clean), then drag the bags to the train station and ride out to the airport for the long, long trip home.
With the inevitable hanging around in the airport, I had a chance to reflect on how best to sum up Amsterdam? Despite my early misgivings, which, to be honest, never fully dissipated, I came to appreciate it more and tried to look at it objectively. Such as their approach to car security.
One big thing I did notice it that the Amsterdamians seem to value urbanity in a way that Australians don’t. Australians enjoy themselves with aggressive ramping up; loud music, roaring cars, angry drunks and meth. The Amsterdam youth enjoy themselves by chilling out; sophisticated music, bicycles, happy drinkers and weed.
But Amsterdam had one last indignity to throw at me as I departed. I was feeling a little unwell on my last evening in the city, which ramped up into a head cold as I flew out. Whether it was exacerbated by altitude and over-processed airconditioning, or just a heinous bitch of a virus, I don’t know, but the act of flying drove that sick feeling into an agonising pain in my skull so bad I was nearly throwing up.
Fortunately in Doha I could access a pharmacy with hardcore anti-inflammatories and painkillers that aren’t available over the counter in Australia, so, even though the new plane sat on the tarmac for over an hour waiting for its takeoff slot, I zoned it all out as a world of pain softened into a blank fog of analgesia. By the time we landed back in Australia, I was almost okay.
Benny, being made of plastic, is immune to viruses. So he was fine.
With the inevitable hanging around in the airport, I had a chance to reflect on how best to sum up Amsterdam? Despite my early misgivings, which, to be honest, never fully dissipated, I came to appreciate it more and tried to look at it objectively. Such as their approach to car security.
One big thing I did notice it that the Amsterdamians seem to value urbanity in a way that Australians don’t. Australians enjoy themselves with aggressive ramping up; loud music, roaring cars, angry drunks and meth. The Amsterdam youth enjoy themselves by chilling out; sophisticated music, bicycles, happy drinkers and weed.
But Amsterdam had one last indignity to throw at me as I departed. I was feeling a little unwell on my last evening in the city, which ramped up into a head cold as I flew out. Whether it was exacerbated by altitude and over-processed airconditioning, or just a heinous bitch of a virus, I don’t know, but the act of flying drove that sick feeling into an agonising pain in my skull so bad I was nearly throwing up.
Fortunately in Doha I could access a pharmacy with hardcore anti-inflammatories and painkillers that aren’t available over the counter in Australia, so, even though the new plane sat on the tarmac for over an hour waiting for its takeoff slot, I zoned it all out as a world of pain softened into a blank fog of analgesia. By the time we landed back in Australia, I was almost okay.
Benny, being made of plastic, is immune to viruses. So he was fine.
posted by Blandwagon at 11:29 PM
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