[mmmjgm]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Words have failed me completely this time, I am unable to describe the beauty we saw. I just hope you can feel some of my emotions through the photos. I have some more that I shall post later.

Finally I have a partner in emotions, for describing the beauty of Holland, i had been there in 1984, again in 1997, then again in 2004 each time, i left a piece of my heart there in yearning to live there.

The first time we stayed in Lieden it was like living in an Enid Blyton's description of a village, a modern Holiday Inn and streams and canals alongside, black and white cows grazing in a field, tulip fields in the background, the sun on the horizon at 8pm, with an idylic windmill lazing in the languid summer wind.


" Man ki sulham daima ba in pidar,
In jahan chun jannatastam dar nazar ;
Har zaman nau surate wa nau jamal,
Ta za nau didan faru mirad malal ;
Man hame binam jahan ra az naim
Abhaza chashma jushan muqim." JALALUDDIN RUMI.

Full text of "A dictionary of Oriental quotations (Arabic and Persian)"

FYI for all Holland lovers there's a movie- non copyrighted about the country - its by a famous documentary maker. titled.Holland "the movie" watch it, its BEAUTIFUL. (caution its an iso image)

[ASHISHPALLOD]

@Sam,
nice pics of tulip fields.
remember the movie "Silsila".

@Jenny,
thanks for pics of cafe.
i have collection of pics of cafe and your post made addition to that collection.

[MileCruncher]

Awesome pics Sam and Jenny. Makes my heart nostalgic about all that beauty that is there everywhere in most places in Europe.

@ Thad: English countryside has a beauty of its own, small hamlets nestled between the hills and sloping greens. Me and my wife have always dreamt of living in the English Countryside. May be someday!

[sk456]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

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Rudra, if you are here - this photo is for you. I hope you like it.
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So did you guys do the SILSILA song. I guess you needed to show your better half the movie before for that

[navin]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

The presentations are on and while some are interesting.

I see a few bored faces.

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I haven't slept much. I got home pretty late from the bar and have to get up early in time for the workshops.

I see a familiar product. When is it coming out? Are stripped down versions been planned. In it's current state and price it will attract a very small niche audience but a 5 ch version would apply to most every user who wants to retain his/her OEM HU.

Originally Posted by TheOne®

And of course, I won’t deny you the many small little cafés that you find everywhere.

[i]JAAAAAA! We will have our own flowers - European flowers, flowers from home.

1. did you ever visit those cafes some have ahem interesting things on their menu

2. If you need help I know of an Autrian woman (she is 75) who has been in India for the past 40+ years and has a green thumb and lots of knowledge. When you get back I can hook you up.

Originally Posted by mmmjgm

i left a piece of my heart there in yearning to live there.

I can sympathise. My cousin (we are very close) like Holland so much he married a Dutch lady.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by navin

I see a familiar product. When is it coming out? Are stripped down versions been planned. In it's current state and price it will attract a very small niche audience but a 5 ch version would apply to most every user who wants to retain his/her OEM HU.

Holy macro! You have some eye Navin! But I do second the sentiment. I am looking for something like this as I don't want to get rid of my factory HU and installing an amp with it is not too appealing.

There should be more options than the standard clean sweep.

[navin]

Originally Posted by mohit

I am looking for something like this as I don't want to get rid of my factory HU and installing an amp with it is not too appealing.

I have been studying products like these for some time now.

There are 3 current options:
Alpine, RF (2 models), Audison.

Of these 3 I have tried the Alpine. I did not like it much. It gives very little flexibility to the user. We had to trick it to do what we wanted it to do.

Buss we are now digresseing. This is a Travelouge not the ICE section.

[Sam Kapasi]

We're walking hand-in-hand and taking in the beauty of this incredible place. The air is cool and sweet and I'm taking in deep breaths and I can almost feel it clean out my system.







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We also see lots and lots of beautiful little yellow flowers growing wild everywhere.

These are Pusteblumen.
What? I'm laughing because it sounds so sweet. Puste what?
Pusteblumen. I don't know the English word. She breaks one out frowning as she thinks.
It changes into this uhh.. little white ball and then you make a puste like this and it flies everywhere. She blows at the flower.
I laugh. It's a dandelion.
What?
Dandelion.
Yeah, Dandelion I guess. We call it Pusteblume because Puste is this. She puffs.
I laugh.

It truly is a logical language.

Unfortunately it is now time to return to reality. It is past 5 and we need to drive back to the hotel where we can change quickly. Tonight will be a big party.

The drive home is lovely.

[Sam Kapasi]

Tonight's party will be at this club which is actually a huge house called uhh.. The Mansion.

3 floors of colleagues, it is fun and banging as soon as dinner is over.





The view from the entrance of The Mansion (smokers need to step out)


The club itself


A random shot of the inside.


Colleagues from Russia, Bulgaria, France, Poland, Dubai - you name it, every one is here. A small band of guys decide to leave the party for a little while to go to the party side of town for uhh.. coffee. It is walking distance.

I want to go with them. Jenny frowns at me a little.

Do you have to leave the party?
Well, we'll only be gone for a little while.
She frowns. I know where you're going Mr. Kapasi.
I grin a devilish little grin. But we're in Amsterdam my love!! Amsterdam!!
Fine then. Do what you like.

I know that one. I'm not stupid. It's a woman's "Fine. Do what you like", which actually means "Don't you DARE!"

Oh come on honey. I grin another impish grin. This smile's just got to work.
She bursts out laughing. Hurry up and get back. Have fun and be careful!


It worked. We're off. There's almost 15 of us. Incredible.

We're going to walk through Amsterdam by night!

Something tells me this party will be a lot more interesting when we return.

[HappyWheels]

The photos are so colorful! Just feel that I can touch them on screen!

My little girl has gone ga-ga over them and now forced to put it as my desktop screen - a bit too colorful for my liking, but what to do!

Thanks for the wonderful photos, Sam!

[Sam Kapasi]

We walk through the city. Up and down the bridges and walkways and across the zillion canals.

Look, somebody shouts hahahaha, it's a Tata Nano. Everyone's laughing at these 2 cars parked in the same lot. I take the joke good-naturedly.





Jesus Christ, what ugly little cars. (Can someone tell me what they are? I have no idea.)

We walk on.

















Here we are. This is a nice coffeeshop. says our dutch colleague.
This?
Yup.
Uhh.. OK. I shrug. You're the local here. I'm just a tourist.





There's an interesting looking entrance if I ever saw one. The inside is far, far more interesting.


To be continued...

[ajmat]

Ah, the window shopping begins!

I thought Jenny won't mind you taking in the FKK mood!

[phamilyman]

Awersomes as always. Lovely narration.

However, sam you've lost weight!!

Though none from the face!

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Ah, the window shopping begins!

I thought Jenny won't mind you taking in the FKK mood!

Oh dear, I realise my post may be misunderstood.

We didn't go window shopping. We just went to have some coffee. Because Amsterdam is also famous for their umm.. coffee?

And Jenny won't mind? Hello? Clearly you don't know Madame well enough.
She would have killed me if I told her I was going to check out the red light district with a bunch of guys, lol.

But that was not on our minds to tell you the truth.

Well it wasn't on my mind for sure. I just wanted coffee.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

coffeeshop!!!!!!!!!

Entrance of that shop looks like entrance of Double Decker bus.

Waiting for inside pics of that shop [of coffee only].