Annual trip back to the UK

I never thought it would be possible to ever empty our house with 25 years of stuff (and stuff is definitely the right word) in it. It was not easy, with furniture still being sold on eBay just a day before we had to be out, but eventually we managed it. I had gone through the emotional side of things when i packed my stuff up last year, not expecting to see the house again, and in truth was mostly sad at having to smash up some of the furniture (like my 23 yr old bed!) for the skip, since we didn't sell all of it. The bright side is that we did manage to sell most of for just a few pounds each -but at least someone will make use of it all in the future.

With that done my mum could relax somewhat and we took to the country with Beth for a good B&B, pub meals, long hike, pretty old villages, shopping and homemade chocolate fudge. Fantastic! A very British thing to do in a very British area (the Cotswolds -between Wales and Oxford).

A few brisk muddy morning runs with Dad later and then I was off up North. The best thing in all of Manchester is Jen's (and Becca's, but she ran away when she heard I was coming) endless cups of tea and cooking (I helped, although it was only a salad!). The next best thing is drinking in a pub, playing some pub games, losing and chatting with the Boys: Tom, Chris and Phil. Ria provides constant energy and entertainment and it was the perfect reunion moment.

Wonderful to know that some things don't change and though only a 1/yr occasion nowadays (unfortunately, but such is the reality when living in China) seeing friends is what life is about, not emails! Thankfully the unmarried of us were still the majority (not the case at the bigger reunion last weekend that I missed) but those of us who were single were not! Do young British people get married any more? In lesser numbers than our parents' generation, but they definitely do.

Awaking to find last night's clothes on the floor not smelling of smoke was a great start to a sunny day and trip home via Ian & Hannah's in Stourbridge. Smoke-free nightlife is fantastic -though now high streets are distinguished by small groups shivering outside the entrance smoking. I should have invested in the companies that sell big outdoor heaters that many bars have bought. Even the pubs in Stourbridge (where i seem to spend far too much time, and where Ian seems to live!) have them!

in the Netherlands

First stop off the airplane was the theatre in London and the next day a 30 min flight to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. A city of boring buildings spiced up with fancy architecture; few bikes, no taxis but plenty of cars; fantastically designed museums, great nightlife, loads of shops and an interesting history (due to the important role om Rotterdam's massive port). It is more pretty in the evenings but the Dutch serve their lagers way too small! I recommend the maritime museum and the historical museum, even though understanding dutch would be helpful sometimes. After a weekend catching up with Bee, who is still in AIESEC, and a night out in bars and casinos, it was time to go to Delft.

Delft is, in MHO (My Humble Opinion) the 2nd prettiest place in continental Europe after Brugges in Belgium with canals, bridges, churches, stately homes, plenty of cafes and many beautiful buildings untouched for centuries. There are lovely patisseries and shops, very few people and it is so unspoilt despite the occasional car. Fortunately (especially during the week) the town still feels lived in and used, and not a tourist trap -whoever travels to NL and visits anywhere apart from Amsterdam?

Next, an afternoon in the Hague: old town with plenty of high end shops and restaurants and the Parliament building with only 1 police car and a publicly used passageway going right through it -rather a contrast to London! Unfortunately the International Court of Justice tours were booked up, but it and many other parts of the city all look grand and impressive. In one of the attractions, Maturodam (a made-up 1/25 size Dutch town) I saw detailed reconstructions of all the famous buildings and landscapes in the Netherlands. Everything, like wedding processions, trains, funfairs and opera houses actually work too! It was possibly even more impressive than Beckinscott in the uk, although not as pretty.

Netherlands is strikingly similar to England in terms of suburbia with identical styles of road signs, housing, shops etc. Amsterdam's suburbs are just as mundane, which i got to experience due to the location of Plan's office there where I was working for 3 days. Of course central, historic Amsterdam is just stunning, a very beautiful, romantic place. Actually its bars, red light district etc all seemed more tame compared to my last visit 6+yrs ago.

It is quite bizarre experiencing walking around a western city seeing girls parading themselves in shop windows, literally. I believe legalising prostitution, taxing it, monitoring it is better for prostitutes but I don't agree with such public displays which really does demote Women and make them seem like objects available to rent/buy/use instead of as people offering a service. I wonder what the background of the prostitutes is, since it is legal and presumably well-paid do some women see it as a viable career option, or is it more of a last-chance job for those who have no other options, which is the image of such a profession in the UK, even if not the reality?