26 Apr 08

I went to see Flower parade and garden at Keukenhof, Leiden with Imron and his relatives on this day.

On the day before, I went to have a drink with friends …. I had 4 – 5 bottles of beer, I think??? … so I needed a lot of sleep. Imron called me at 8 am asking whether I would go to Keukenhof with him [he would meet at 11 am at Rotterdam Centraal]. I was so sleepy and still on bed. I told him that I would consider. Then, I continued sleeping. Ha ha ha.

At 8.30 am … just half an hour later, of cause I was still on bed. Tod called me and asked if I would join her group biking to Keukenhof, Leiden. I asked her the time of an appointment. She told me that well … a couple of her friends were already at Rotterdam Centraal and asked me to come NOW … and I was still on bed, half slept half awake. When I told her that, she asked me to be hurry!!! Could you believe that!?!?!? So, I told her that in that case I would go. Then, I continued sleeping.

At 9 am., Imron called me again to confirm me. After considering, I said Yes, got up and took a shower. Then, join him at the station at 11 am. it was a very long morning for me. Ha ha ha ha.

We arrived Leiden Centraal around 12 am. It was very crowded. Hundreds of people were queuing for a bus!!! Fortunately, Imron met his friend, so we could cut through the queue of both ticket and bus line. Ha ha ha. Even that, we still had to wait for almost one and a half hour.

We arrived keukenhof around 2 pm. At Keukenhof was also very crowded, I estimated around 1000 people around the entrance area. We waited around the entrance area for resting and waiting to go watching parade.

We found the place for watching parade very near to the starting point around 3.30 pm. the parade, really started [there were some ‘fake’ parade before that] at almost 4.30 pm. They decorated and shaped flower into figures, like sail, elephant, dragon, lion, house, and so on; which were set into theme, like Asian, Indian, Sailing, Holland, Safari, etc. To be honest, I think the parade was nice, but not very spectacular; it was good to see, but not very impressive as I think the parades in Thailand are much more attractively decorated. Anyway, it was good to see once. We also noticed that there were lot of tourist from EU, like Denmark, German, etc. coming too. There was hundreds of coach buses. The parade finished at around 5.30 pm.

Then, we went to see the garden in Keukenhof; it was still very crowded. I think it was because this day, they had the parade so lots of people coming. Almost all the flowers in the garden were Tulip. Well, it is the concept. I think walking for just one or one and a half hour was enough for me. The garden they set was, well, only a few looks and concepts. For instance, there were lot of points they will set small blue or purple tulip in the middle, surrounded by taller colourful tulips and expressing the ‘river’ look. I noticed more than 50 points they set the groups of flowers in this shape. To be honest,  I think ‘Mae-Fha-Loung’ garden, Douy-Toong, Thailand is more attractive for me.

Anyway, we met again at 6.45 pm. and we had to queue for about 45 minutes for getting on the bus. Again, there were hundreds of people in the queue before.

We arrived Rotterdam at 9 pm. and I had to go meeting with friends that night. It was a very long day for me …. Really long day!!!! [from 10 am till midnight that I went back room].

2 May 08

I went to Amsterdam and Den Haag; this was another long day for me.

I got up at 7 am and had a feeling that Imron’s relatives would go to Amsterdam on this day. And I was right,; Imron called me at around 8 am to meet them at 10 am at Rotterdam Centraal Station. They asked me if I would go to see wooden-shoe making with them in the late afternoon. I just couldn’t go since I already have an appointment with Ram and Dinesh to play bowling.

We arrived Amsterdam around 11 am and I was so hungry. I just had Mc Donald, then. Then I visited Sex Museum. Well, in my opinion, it is nothing; just lots of nude pictures and figures of erotic actions, an exhibition of “equipments” and old artefacts about sex symbols, something like that, and contemporary arts, I think. It wouldn’t make people sexual arousal; I actually felt sick of it instead. It makes me think that “The Elder” in Thailand was thinking-over themselves, too conservative and too closed-minded about this issue. In my opinion, it would in fact reduce the sexual problem in Thailand by making it less excited from concealing the issues and, instead, making it opened in a proper way.

Then, I went to red light district. It was still to daytime, I thought, as there was no woman in the windows at all. Anyway, there were lots of sex shops and coffee shop, selling marijuana, ‘magical mushroom’ [it was called drunken mushroom or poisoned mushroom in Thailand], and other kinds of ‘light drugs’ [I think???]. I had seen sex shop in other countries I went to and including in Rotterdam, but I haven’t as many as here; there are at least 10 sex shops on the same street. Moreover, just passing by the street, I felt a bit drunk and drugged as of marijuana.

There were tons of people on the main road. The weather was so nice and people are very crowded. I felt a bit hot actually as the sun was so shinny. The city was full of beautiful old building. There is a shopping center and they use the old building to be the mall. It is really nice as the building and architecture and luxury design. However, for the shopping purpose, I think Thailand’s or Hong Kong’s shopping area is better.

Then, I was hurried to get the train to Delft at 4 pm., I was a bit late and arrived there around 4.30 pm. Anyway, we [I, Dinesh, Ram, and Gaston] drove to Den Haag [Dinesh drove his car for us]. The bowling game cost €23 per hour; it is a lot!!! Dinesh said he would like to play bowling in Thailand if he goes; I am welcome and he would see that the equipment in Thailand is much better with much cheaper cost.

Anyway, this first game is pity for me. Since I hadn’t played bowl for 5-6 years, I had to use 5 rounds to recover/remind my form. I bet if we could have played another 2 games, I would 100% recovered and could have won the game … ha ha ha ha.

Then, we went to the beach. The shy was so clear and the weather was really nice. We walked along the beach and had dinner in the restaurant beside the beach. My plate is some kind of fish, I didn’t know what it is but wanted to try, and it is quite nice, although the price is a bit too high. We really enjoyed the atmosphere there for at least an hour.

Then, we arrived Rotterdam around 10 pm. it is another 12-hour-outside day of me. It was also pity that because of the sunny sky, I could not take a lot of photo [it would come out as very dark picture].