Currently viewing the tag: "Amsterdam"
Life was on the up and up in Amsterdam for me, and I could see things falling into place without the aid of a master plan, but rather just plain blind luck, and a girlfriend that worked for a social housing corporation. I’d started applying around for jobs the week before by getting my CV out into the local job market, and without much effort on my side an IT contracting agency called me and asked If I was interested in long term freelance job at a rate of £50 (GBP) per hour.
“Would that rate be suitable to you”? The nice man on the other end of the phone asked. Continue reading »
It was July 7th in the intoxicated year of our Lord 1998. I had by this time moved into the flat of my new dutch girlfriend M* in a trendy new residental block in the east of the city. So far it had been 2 weeks of cohabitating bliss, but little did I know it right then, this was soon to change. World Cup fever had gripped The Netherlands as their national squad was to go up against the Brazilians, a team of superstars so awesome, the mere mention of the players names caused womens underwear to fall off, and sports commentators to speak in tongues. M’s friends had organised to meet in a brown cafe near the Vondelpark called Het Plezier, to watch the game being broadcast from a wall screen projector; the next best thing to being there. Expectations were running high, the fashionably orange wearing team had had a terrific run leading up to this game, and with the form they were displaying, they would probably win this one and go all the way. Or so the grizzled old World Cup veterans were telling me as I stood, Grolsch in hand, blending in with the locals.
It was back around early 1998 when I came to this city as a permanent move. I was escaping from London, being at the end of a love hate relationship with that city which had left me drained and wanting a change. The fact that my working holiday visa was only 2 months from expiring helped a lot in motivating me to get my arse out of there. So without too much procrastinating, I bought myself a one way SleazyJet ticket and hoped to God that I wasn’t making a huge fucking mistake.
