I'm going to see you soon in Amsterdam

Nelle and I arrived from Berlin on a Eurolines bus at 4.40am. We killed a few hours until we could store our luggage, and then we walked off down unknown cobblestone paths, narrow streets winding in unpredictable directions, crisscrossing quiet black canals, the sky still dark and streetlamps swinging in the chilly morning breeze, everything feeling like a shanty town of long ago, half expecting drunken sailors to fall out of alleyways, yet nobody around but bakers and early morning bike riders, red lights still glowing over doors and in basements, an occasional glimpse of posed and exposed women who shift quickly to natural stance as the faces of two travel-weary girls peer curiously into windows, and then slowly the colour changes in the sky above the tall, narrow apartment buildings with black, red, yellow window frames and tasteful brickwork, and the signs of life come in the form of bicycles shooting over the bridges, one, two, threefour, five, six, and the people are old, young, male, female, hipsters, mothers with children in wooden prows that make the bikes resemble the small boats now moving about on the canals, and Nelle and I are exhausted, hungry, cranky, starting to clutch at fraying edges, when finally we find a buffet breakfast and gorge on beans, toast, eggs, muesli, yogurt, fruit, coffee, tea, juice, chocolate milk, and we even sneak some apples, oranges, gingerbread and a boiled egg, still shelled, into our bags for the long day ahead. and it was a long day. we walked for 15 hours, mostly mapless, saving our euros for food and warmth, completely without a plan except to meet our couchsurfing host from Utrecht at 9pm. everything was hilarious. reaction time was slow. no drugs were needed, except caffeine. we watched some ducks for quite a long time. we discussed what was insane, including ourselves. we bought hats at a flea market. and finally, we ate expensive thai food - delicious, expensive thai food - as a celebration of our friendship and what we've seen and done. living in central europe, travelling east, travelling west, and between us north and south as well, and now we are just a few days away from saying goodbye for now, not forever.

Bedtime

My hair smells like bug spray. My eyes sting. My stomach is full of fried cheese and stale bun. My bloodstream contains a few types of alcohol. Another successful night of erasmus partying. Last night at Mandarin. Tick. 3rd last night in Brno. Tick. It's all winding down. I'm going to miss my bed. I confessed this to a few other erasmus and they looked at me like I was crazy. But I like the novelty and practicality of the convertible bed/couch and the firmness of the mattress. And I have to admit, it's kind of nice to share a room with someone. Who knows what my living conditions will be like when I return. All I know is that this familiarity is about to come to an end and be filed away in memory. I'm not sad. Everything is impermanent. We're forever in the waiting room until we discover that's all there is. Then we live.

first snow

It's snowing in Brno. Looks like powdered sugar on the dirty streets and cars. I woke up this morning and hung out my window with my camera. Snowflakes swirled down between the two identical dorms. Everything was beautiful.

Round two of the fruit fly massacre.

1015 hrs

Status: critical, but improved greatly after last night's attack.
Fruit fly traps were moderately effective. The bodies have been disposed of and fresh traps laid. A third trap was established in Zone 1 of fruit fly territory. The trap in Zone 2 has been relocated to higher ground to draw their forces away from computer desk base camp. Little to no assistance from comrade. Status: dormant.

I don't know how much longer I can keep up the fighting spirit. I lost control last night and went on a killing spree at 0230 hrs, armed only with a plastic-covered guide to Iceland. I changed weaponry half way through - deflated milk carton also effective. If the enemy is not eradicated by Wednesday I will evacuate. Location: Vienna. My comrade will have to fight this battle alone. I wish her well. The enemy is entrenched in our territory and multiplying by the day. We're going to need everything we've got to win the war.

Over and out.

Happy Package Day

Last night I got back from London. Today I picked up two packages: one from Natalie, one from family. Both excellent. I now have zines, clothes, tube vegemite, drawings and letters. What could be better?

An architect in Helsinki

I am in Helsinki, Finland, couch surfing with an anarchist architect called Antti.

There is a big black hole in my blog between Reykjavik and Helsinki. That hole can be called either 'Brno, Czech Republic' or 'no internet connection.' Settling down for a while has been a challenge. When I left the Czech Republic a few days ago I felt heavy, worried, depressed. The moment I landed in Helsinki I was lifted, and have been feeling light ever since. Travelling is the best antidote for a heavy heart.

I am falling in love with the Czech Republic, if a little slowly and strangely. I'm addicted to the writing of Milan Kundera and I feel that his books will be an important part of the love affair. But enough of Ceska, now to Suomi.

This is my itinerary for today:
- Watch my host perform in a political street play about homelessness in Helsinki
- Trundle off to the park near his house in Kallio for a Food Not Bombs lunch
- Go and see the ex-mayor of Bogota talking about issues of urban change
- See an Estonian film for free (my host's girlfriend works in a cinema) as part of the Love and Anarchy film festival
- Drinking and dancing to Risto, a nerdy underground Finnish musician

The last time I was this busy was in New York. I like this city. Time to get ready!

I got rolled in Reykjavik

Last night I played a show to a handful of devoted fans. It was in a little cafe called Cafe Babalú which I have been hanging out at quite a lot. It's cosy, the German woman who runs the place is tiny and gorgeous and absolutely mad, and for one reason or another it attracts a lot of expats and travellers. I have made some great friends whiling away the hours in this place.

Of all the drunken nights I've spent in Iceland, last night was by far the best. Gerwyn came back from Akureyri. Me, Gerwyn and Derek (the half-French Californian) make quite a team. Derek is going off to be a ski instructor in Austria and Gerwyn is going to live in London, though not with his boyfriend as originally planned. I'm hoping we reunite in Austria for a weekend of alpine drinking.

After we were kicked out of the last bar at closing time (2am - Sunday night really is a return to the working week for Icelanders) we went back to my hostel to retrieve the last of my spirits and Derek went to his place for leftover pizza. This geezer from London called Terence came with us. He was inadequately dressed and I felt bad for him, so I lent him my beautiful lamb's wool mittens which I bought at the Blue Lagoon for 1500 Krona (around $21). He stood inside our hostel for a while - I went to pee, Gerwyn to make a sandwich, and when we came back, he was gone. With my mittens.

As we walked to the church to meet Derek I ranted about what kind of foul bastard steals someone's gloves, and Gerwyn said I had been rolled. Damn that guy! As we sat drinking in an alcove at the statue of Leifur Eriksson a man rode past on his bike and asked if we'd seen his friend. Derek seemed to know him and so he stopped to talk. I told this Icelandic man about Terence and said 'If you meet a guy from London called Terence and he has white mittens, please get him for me.' The man paused, got back on his bicycle and said, 'If I see him, I kick him' and rode off into the night.

Today I'm going to ride an Icelandic horse. I saw some from the bus yesterday when I went to the Gullfoss waterfall and the Geysir. Sadly, my camera ran out of juice shortly after I reached the waterfall. Damn not having an Iceland adapter! I will upload photos soon.