Canvas and Bike Lanes

(SECOND AMSTERDAM BLOG - Don't miss the first below!)

Wow, I got on a computer two days in a row, sweet. My host here is really cool, although I don't think I've inhaled as much second hand smoke since I tried to make a phone call once outside a state building.

Today I pretty much spent alone. My host allowed me to take his bicycle in this very bicycle-friendly town (bikes have their own lanes) and go see sites. He also gave me a card to get into all the sites for free. My first stop was the Van Gogh Museum. Up until now, I guess I had been a casual fan of artists like Van Gogh, Manet, Picasso, etc. But now I am a really big fan of Van Gogh. And I guess I have the audio commentary to thank for that. Just listening to the tortured story of his life as an artist, from his youth, to developing his talent, to developing dementia to the point that after an arguement with a fellow artist friend he cut part of his own ear off, to admitting himself to an asylum for over a year. Wow, all the art that cam out of that time is truly amazing. Some of his most colourful and vibrant paintings came from a hand that was also holding his head in anguish.

Here's my favourite painting: "Wheatfeilds with Crows". Notice the three roads that lead off to nowhere, and the crows departing for some reason, as if they sense that that looming dark sky brings nothing good. Yet the grain is healthy and full, despite it's circumstances.



Here's me riding my bike around town! Yes, (sigh) taken with my tripod.




I spend a lot of time just sitting in squares, looking at maps, and people-watching. It's different, and yet the same, in all of the countries. I hate pulling out maps and looking like a tourist, but hey, I gotta figure out where I am.



I saw this sign today. Don't know why, but it fascinated me.




This is the Anne Frank house. Her and her family hid out in a section in the back of the house for two years. They were doing ok there - food was getting scarce tho - until an anonymous tipster alerted the Germans to their prescence. Everyone but the father died in concentration camps. No one ever found out who gave the anonymous tip.




So yeah, a whole bunch of happy stuff, all in one day! Hahaha, actually I really enjoyed it. I came to Europe with the intent of seeing a lot of WWII stuff. Naturally it's a downer, but I think it's important to remember that stuff and learn from it. Next week I'll be at Normandy. In Anne's hidout, her dad kept track of the progress of the Allied forces' movements at Normandy with push pins on a postcard-sized map. It's still there.

Well, I'm off soon to check out the Boom Chicago improv show here pretty soon. Josh and Seth Myers (Seth is currently head writer for SNL) will be improvising tonight - 0ne night only - to celebrate Boom's 15th anniversary. Should be fun!

This video is for my friend Phillip. If LA turns into a pumpkin, there's always Europe!