Results tagged “amsterdam”

The fine folks at Interapy including me have moved to a new office building in the heart of Amsterdam.

The location is ideal and the new premises is a big improvement over the previous situation. Also Keizersgracht is special not only because it is right next to one of the nicest canals in Amsterdam but it also has the name for special people and companies.

My department room is twice as big and this is the most important step to professionalizing the development program.

I'm not as lucky with the traveling time as I have to travel two more train stops (add seven minutes) in addition to the four extra tram stops and the five minute walk.

It's kind of funny how since I started living over here, that Amsterdam keeps tugging at me to come back and either live and/or work there, like a magnet.

Here's a short list of examples of times I've worked and/or played in Amsterdam:

• Slotervaart Ziekenhuis when I first met Thea
• American Discount Bookstore - Kalverstraat
• Singel Canal - our 1st appartment
• Achter de Kolenkit - our 2nd appartment
• Uniface - Amsterdam Zuid-Oost
• Demon ISP - Herengracht
• TomTom - Oosterdoksstraat
• Telfort - Amsterdam Zuid-Oost
• Interapy - De Roeterstraat and Keizersgracht

This just can't be a simple coincidence. Maybe in my previous life I was some worldly merchantman during the Dutch Golden Age conducting my affairs in worldwide trade, residing in some fancy city dwelling in Amsterdam, married to a beautiful Dutch women with ten or more kids running around next to the canals.

As an experienced train commuter chalking up a couple more thousand kilometers every month between my hometown of Gouda and my work in Amsterdam, I've pretty much perfected the art of nodding off while sitting erect.

Sometimes it happens without me even realizing it, for example while reading a book or just staring out the window. Sometimes I even feel it coming and resist or just let it happen.

The amazing thing is that although I nod off in a kind of semi-hypnotic imaginary dream world, I remain erect and do not fall over. The bumps and jerking motions shift my body slightly to the left and to the right, but I never end up in the lap of the passenger across from me nor on the shoulder of the person next to me.

On occasion I dream of eating and wake up with my mouth open and my jaws biting up and down. Or if it is hot and I'm drinking a refreshing ice-cold substance.

I've trained my mind to sleep but to be alert at the same time. I do not know exactly how this mechanism works, it is like clockwork. Although the train stops along the way, I do not wake up or at least I believe that I am not awake until just the right moment: when the conductor announces Station Gouda! And when this announcement is not made or the public announcement system has short-circuited? I still wake up.

The timing could not have been worse. Two days before the big race, I trip over the front door and slice a good-sized gash in my right big toe.

Ouch that hurts, blood all over the place, and it won't stop bleeding, what a bummer.

They tell me again that it's not a good idea to run in the marathon, and it now really looks like God does not want me to take part in that grueling sixteen kilometer run from Amsterdam to Zaandam.

I am not going to give up that easily (and I hope God forgives me for going against his will). In just ten minutes I'm going to take a trial thirty minute run in order to see how well I hold out. Wrap a tight tourniquet around my big toe to reduce the bleeding and hopefully keep it from falling off. 

For practice this time, I will carry with me one of those jogging belt pouches filled with extra tape, band-aids and so forth, in readiness for any emergency that might arise. Just to get used to that thing hanging from my waist.

My fingers remain crossed.