and the snake said, take picturesssssss

Dag. Sorry I didn't post yesterday. Did finally make it into Amsterdam, mostly walked around and ended up having just a fantastic dinner (except when they forgot my chocolate mouusse... the whole dinner i was close enough to Dutch that the maitre'd and waitresses didn't speak to me in English, but damn i was not expecting to be asked "would you like your dessert or would you prefer that we remove it from your bill" that's not in the guidebooks). I had parelhoen, a bird like a quail that has little white spots on its belly, like pearls (parels). Marcel couldn't remember the English for the bird. It was very tasty, turns out that is the dutch word for Guinea fowl.

Turns out the world is still spinning and i've spend a bit of time today getting a just-announced scholarship application together so that it will be in before i am (ooh, scary) potentially out of email contact in Belgium through wednesday. I don't have reservations to sleep tomorrow night... exciting! I'm wild and free. woo.

Rembrandt would be 400 years old this year and Leiden, city of his birth, is doing exhibitions at the Lakenhal. Attached is the photographic evidence that I was there. I think it (De vlucht naar Egypte) was the 2nd piece I looked at (after Landschap met a harmhartige Samaarittan), and in both I swear I saw figures or other shapes that definitely didn't seem right in the picture. In the trees, one can see the remnants of a figure on horseback, whcih doesn't make any sense of course. I'm guessing the artist re-used the canvas/other medium? Anyway i was going to ask corey about it. But even turning off the flash, its a horrible picture per the glare of the glass. More importantly, the security guard came over promptly to tell me "No Photos."

Now look, in retrospect, that makes perfect sense. it interferes with other patrons, it is probably bad for the art (y, i did have the flash turned off, but it still casts some weird red light, and most of the time i and everyone else forgets to turn off the flash even when they don't want it). its just kind of gauche.

which is why i am still feeling horrible about it. for me, that is the worst; doing something basically rude; not realizing it but seeing so afterward; getting caught. In reality there were no signs or notes on the literature, i tried to be very polite (although it doesn't help that i chickened on trying 'het spijte me" which i think is I'm sorry) and i certainly had no desire to continue to deliquently take pictures. but i certainly could have asked beforehand instead. hmm, just thought of that. it will have to be my forbidden-fruit-ade, now i will certainly not forget to ask.

well i didn't come to much of a point there but itis 1 am. I keep sleeping until 10 an that's no good, i have to get out of town tomorrow!

Doeg