About Rose: I grew up in Singapore, lived in Melbourne but currently call London home. I love gastronomic adventures, especially while travelling. I stated writing at 17 to remember how it all began.
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01 March 2009
sunday; 10.56pm
I've finally had a day fully to myself without either the long hours at work or rushing around for weekend trips that have involved running madly from one side of Antwerp to the other to catch the train back to The Hague in time or huddling for warmth in a cafe that Bill Clinton himself had been to in Delft for poffertjes, chips & mayo and hot chocolate.
Delft Markt plein in Delft
Ana visits from London
Famed cafe in Delft that Bill Clinton went to
Canal by the new church
I'm settling in well here and enjoy the work I'm doing and appreciating that while in substance work still revolves around legal research (as it would at a firm) the results have more far-reaching consequences. Perhaps it's the realisation of knowing that every point of law I am researching on is going towards efforts at drafting a body of international principles that will hopefully be ratified and implemented by Member States. At the same time I'm realising (on hindsight) how valuable it would be to go back to Australia and continue working with Landers if only to hone those skills as a litigator and be better poised to be an international lawyer- whether in international commercial arbitration or private international law.
Anyway, for the most part it's still bloody freezing and I still cringe when I do the conversion from the euro to the australian dollar when I am trying to keep track of how much I'm spending. I'm guessing it'll do me more grief when I do that next week in London. Well at least the pound isn't as strong as it used to be and that is, I suppose, some relief. Speaking of London, I can't wait to visit all the museums, the Westend and all that jazz. It should be fun but I am excited more still about Ireland during the Easter weekend.
But staying local is just as great with the trips to Delft (as above) and my personal favourite, Amsterdam. The city is so vibrant and it's taken me two separate weekends to explore the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum alone. I had seen Van Gogh's second 'Starry Night' at the Musee D'orsay before but finally seeing the (first) 'Starry Night by the Rhone' was very special. But the painting that had me lingering before it for a while was 'Almond in Blossom' not only because it was such a sight but also because what it meant to both Van Gogh and his brother Theo.
Amsterdam Train ride to Amsterdam
All rugged up in Amsterdam
Happy campers
Archway at the Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum Ice-skating outside the Rijksmuseum
Street music
Wonky building
me, Sonia & Nora
Flower market in Amsterdam with heaps of tulips
Van Gogh museum
Speaking of travel, I haven't had the time to write a travel logue as I usually do so I suppose this will do for now... snippets of where I've been as I scurry away happily on the weekends..
Antwerp
Antwerpen Centraal
Belgian fries- in a cone and with mayo
Sonia, Taina and me in Antwerp
Grote Markt by night
me, Taina, Tiffany, Sonia
Rain washes out the Sunday market at the Theaterplein
Chocs and lollies to your heart's delight
freezing our arses off
Visiting (baroque painter) Ruben's house
Grote markt by day
Cathedral of our Lady
Best waffle ever
Taina with mussels
Museum of Fine Arts
I have been travelling with Sonia, my housemate. She's intern-ing at the ICTY and Iam so incredibly glad to have met her. Funny how all the way from California and me from Singapore we've met in The Hague expressing both our interests, aspirations and values and have found common ground. It makes life in The Hague that much easier to ease into.
Den Haag Grocery shopping at the Haagse market
A rare sunny day in The Hague
Finding love on the streets of the Hague
Stroopwafels in the city centre with Ana & Sonia
"you'll never reach the end of the road when you're travelling with me.." - don't dream its over, crowded house
