One lame trip!!

I went to Amsterdam last month where I'd visit some customers and then go to different cities like Rotterdam, Maastricht or Veghel. I stayed only one night in pot city and the weather was shitty. It was rainy, cold and simply no fun to be there. I had the pleasure(!) to stay at a hotel called Apollo, which was located a bit outside of the city center but it was a cheaper alternative as other hotels were fully booked. I paid like 120 EUR per night (including breakfast) but the room was shitty. The mini bar looked scandalous with only two small bottles of white wine, knocked  down and that was it. Carpet was dirty, breakfast was limited. Bathroom was tiny with confusing labels. The shower had a dispenser labelled handsoap, the sink had a dispenser labelled shampoo..so you get the picture..it was not a pleasant stay. I know what people think when I say Amsterdam..pot, alcohol and red light..well, none of those things appeal to me, especially on a business trip...well, pot does but I was not in the mood.

The next morning I went to Rotterdam, which has one of the biggest ports in Europe. You know, Nazis bombed the whole city flat in WWII and somehow the dutch managed to build one ugly building after another so the city has no charm whatsoever. To it is one of the ugliest towns in Holland. After visiting the customer in Rotterdam I went to Den Haag, which is not far away by car. They have a great Chinatown. After strolling around half an hour I went to a chinese restaurant called Fat Kee, which was fully packed and the food was nice with adequate prices.. And the service was fast..worth a visit, if you should ever get there.
The next morning I headed to Maastricht. It is a cute little town where you can stroll around in the old city. It has a nice cathedral, a nice park with water mills and a small lake. I was lucky because the weather was so nice. I must say I liked it a lot better than Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
The last day I went to Heerlen where I stayed at the Stadshotel de Paris, which is located in the city center. It serves mainly as a restaurant but it also has some rooms where you can stay cheaply.
I did not encounter anything interesting or even annoying during this trip so it was a bit boring. I can't even rant about anything here.
Next trip is going to be to Frankfurt..let's see if I can get pissed off there..!

Any suggestions for a destination? or maybe a career-change?

People, I am getting tired of this travelling business. Seriously..for the past 7 years I've been constantly travelling all over Europe and Asia. Mostly for business of course but still when does this drudgery end? For how many hours do I have to get this exposure of airplane radiation? Pack and unpack the freaking luggages..wait at the passport cue..pass through security check..uurggghhh..(and this is not Ronaldo's victory roar..!!)

Well, unless I start a different career, I am afraid I have to endure this until my retirement, which is still 15-20 years away..just to give you a hint what is ahead of me for the coming months..Utrecht, Rotterdam, Frankfurt, London (twice!!), Zagreb, Llubljana, Skopje, Belgrade, Sarajevo..that is 8 countries in 4 months..and then..we're still discussing about Barcelona, Johannesburg (really?? freakin' South Africa??). 

Seriously, I am not braggin or anything..I'm just tired.. tired of doing all the same chit-chat with different persons..talking about the same shit..it's the weather, the market, the economy, the crisis or whatever...staying at the same hotel rooms..you get the idea!

But I shouldn't complain..this is what I deserve..I opted for this..when I graduated from University I didn't want to end up as a translator..speaking so many languages and translating one stupid manual after another..no, no..I wanted to see the world. Interact with people..get to know different cultures..to have that savoir faire..yeah..there you have it.
Anyways, let's talk about something else..I will leave this travelling thing to another day..I bought a new camera recently..nothing too expensive..just one I could carry around easily..not too heavy..it's a Samsung NX300 and I must say I'm quite happy with it. It came with a 20-55 mm lens kit and Adobe Lightroom software..which was a pretty good deal I think. What I likemost  about it, is that it takes great pictures and supports wifi so you can e-mail or send them directly..one thing I could bitch about is that it doesn't have the viewfinder..but what the heck..the Rolling Stones knew that already..you can't always get what you want..

Have you watched 'Whiplash'?..well, if you're into music, you should definitely check it out..it was very entertaining and that dude can really play the drums..I mean, sure he's not a jazz drummer but still..an OK drummer..the music and acting wasn't always in sync but I didn't mind..I like underdog stories..you should check it out.

I like jazz..lot of good music out there..one of the best jazz documentaries is 'let's get lost'..it is about the faboulous Chet Baker and to me that documentary is the mother of all music documentaries. It's shot in black and white but you get to see how destructive drugs can be..Chet Baker was a real addict but also one of the best jazz musicians..check out his '56 record 'chet baker sings'...brilliant..

So, no travel stories this time..just some gibberish..next time I will write you from Rotterdam..stay safe everybody!

I just want to sit on my couch like a boss and sip on my tea!!