This is just a quick look back on 2006. A year in review, if you will. Sesame Street style- to the tune of the alphabet!
A- Amsterdam, my home of about a year and a half now. You have both pleased me and pissed me off. More of the former, but enough of the latter to make me think twice about this whole Amsterdam thing. But I think I’ll try and keep you for awhile longer. We’ll see how things go.
B- Barwork. If I never again work in another bar it will be too soon. Take your Italian and French tourists and SHOVE IT.
C- Cleopatra. This year for Halloween I went as Cleopatra, and had such a great time, and won some vodka too- always a plus!
D- Dog shit. I can honestly say that this year, I have picked up every single one of Lola’s poos. Yup. All of them. Because I’m just that considerate.
E- Edinburgh. We took a trip to Edinburgh in August and enjoyed all of the free shows that the Fringe Festival had to offer, and just got the hell out of Dodge (Dodge being Amsterdam) for a week.
F- Fast Food. Why, people, WHY? Just don’t. Don’t do it. Stay away. Read ‘Fast Food Nation’. Watch ‘Supersize Me’. And if you still eat it, then piss off I don’t care if you want to kill yourself. I’ve given up fast food for about 3 years now, but bought the book ‘Fast Food Nation’ for Dave after telling him how interesting it was and how harmful the fastfood industry is. I was tired of explaining to him why I don’t eat it, so just had him read it instead. He subsequently gave up fast food himself, which was a pleasant surprise and a better outcome than I had hoped for and its been months since he’s been now.
G- Gym. I joined the gym this year, and now do cool and crazy things like “workout”. I know! So wild! My aim last year was 4 times a week, so this year, being the wiser and more mature (one year older) person that I am, now have set my aims a bit lower at 3 times a week.
H- Hair. I went curly. Ta-da! Smells like news to me!
I- Ice cream. The one junk food that I didn’t give up on my 26th birthday. And cinamon ice cream, you have saved the day on several occasions! Here’s to you!
J- Josh Ritter. Saw him twice this year, and he was by far and easily the best concert(s) of 2006.
K- KPN. Fuck you.
L- Lola. When you ran out into the street on one of the busiest intersections in the neighborhood while I was at the ATM machine this past summer, I very nearly lost you. I know that you were only confused and thought I had crossed the road without you, so you ran after me. I know this because you stopped RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD when you realised I wasn’t over there, and sat down looking so very sad and mixed up. When I came after you in a fit, you realised your oh-so-big mistake, and knew you were in for trouble. I took you home and screamed at you louder than I’ve ever screamed at any person or creature before because I love you so so so much and the thought that I had come THISFUCKINGCLOSE to losing you shook me to the core and I felt so responsible because you weren’t on the leash at the time.
M- MySpace. I occassionally get the opinion expressed to me that people would rather “make friends for real”, but thats bullshit. I know everyone on my MySpace- have actually met them all in person, with the exception of one friend of a friend (who seems cool!), and 2 bands. Its just a way of staying in touch with them, and having a laugh together online when we can’t be together in person. So piss off and don’t paint it in that picture. That being said, I spent way too much time on it altogether in 2006.
N- NUON. Fuck you too.
O- O’Reilly’s Pub/Obesity Surgery. Basically both of my jobs this year. You paid the bills and drove me mad many a time. What more can I say?
P- Paranoia. I will really, really, really try not to get so uptight with certain people who may or may not be trying to “move in on my man”. I said I’ll try, not that I’ll succeed, you dirty little trollop! JK! But in all honesty, its something that I gotta work on.
Q- Quiz Night. They used to be fun in Brussels, but the ones here in Amsterdam…..well, they just leave me feeling stupid. Really stupid. Because I can’t name the men’s tennis singles Olympic bronze medalist from 1984. And other such nonsense that really now- would anyone care about? Besides said men’s tennis singles Olympic bronze medalist from 1984, who I’m sure is still very proud. Our team- ‘Up There For Thinking, Down There for Dancing’ got dead second to last, followed by dead last. Then we remerged as ‘Bel Nu 0-900-SEXSEXSEX’ and got dead last again (but at least got a chuckle everytime he read our name out).
R- Rascal. Of course. Such a big part of my year this year. The origin of several friendships, and several times nearly the demise of my relationship, but hey! I partied! I danced! Viva les Rascalites!
S- Saddam Hussein. Am I a bad American because I didn’t want to see the guy hung? Why so cruel, people? Why do you love the taste of blood on your lips, and splashed over the cover of your newspapers. Let him rot in jail, but I seriously oppose the death penalty, no matter who is facing it. NO MATTER WHO.
T- Tig Barra. Oh how I once loathed you, my local Irish pub, and oh how now I love you! Maybe its the free drinks? Maybe its the hot barman? (wink, wink) In either case, I’m real glad we’re neighbors. Thank you for being a friend, and being the place “where everybody knows your name, and you’re always glad you came”.
U- The Undercover Glutton, a restaurant and food critic for the Amsterdam Weekly. My hate for you knows no bounds, you crap-for-brains, no-good writer. I carry this hate into the new year. Let’s still be arch-enemies in 2007 again, ok?
V- Veganism. Keep attempting, keep failing. I’m sure this will continue into 2007.
W- ‘Wok to Go’. You have sustained me so many times this past year with your lovely to-go noodles with Sweet-n-Sour sauce and stittake mushrooms and pineapples, that I almost feel like you should have been on my Christmas Card list. If I sent any this year. And if you celebrated Christmas.
X- Xenophobia. Hi the Netherlands. I know I’m American, and you don’t like most of us, but we’re not bad people, and I would just like to live here in peace, please, if that’s possible.
Y- You. Hi friend. If you are reading this, we are friends and have been in touch over the past year (most likely). I hope this will continue into 2007. If you are not on my friend’s list, but do know me, please get in touch, because we have some catching up to do!
Z- Zushi. Dave tried sushi at Zushi with me for the first time this year and fell in love with it, so it is a love that we both share now. Which is a good thing, because if he didn’t like it, the relationship might well have ended right then and there.
All the best!!!
MySpace Comments:
HAPPY FREAKIN NEW YEAR!!!!!
Amanda, dear, why oh why are you in the fashion world? Not that you are not in every possible way a fashion goddess, however, you should venture into the land of dun dun duhnnnnnnn JOURNALISM! Or heres a New Year’s resolution for you – start writing an autobiography. I swear I enjoy nothing more – well that’s not the whole truth – there are few things I enjoy more – like Cameron—– than sitting down in front of Myspace and reading your blogs! Even when I know I only have like barely 3 minutes to spend on here I hit up your blogspace first!!
P.S – I LOVE MCDONALDS FRENCH FRIES soooooooo nanna nanna boo boo!!
P.S.S Have you ever had Green Tea Ice Cream?? Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmm like Campbell’s but better!!
Laetitia
Bonne Année!!! I totally agree with Grand Larsony! You should write columns or something…
Glinda the Good Witch of the North
I loved this blog! What a great way of synopsizing the year…. I may have to steal it just to see how my year shakes out. I can guarantee you “veganism” won’t be on mine though….
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