Thursday, October 7, 2010

National Glamour Day

On saturday it was National Glamour Day in Amsterdam which is an event organised by Glamour (magazine) where participating stores offer discounts if you are a Glamour Member. Lisa had prepared me for the crowd to end all crowds, we had shopping plans put in place, followed by back up plans for those plans, as well as emergency back up plans incase the original back up plans fell through. She really is my kind of girl.
I caught the train from Hoorn with Lisa and Nicole, excited about my first trip to Amsterdam.
Mum was right, when you first walk out of Central Station you almost wouldn't know which country you are in. But i soon adjusted and eagerly trailed behind Lisa and Nicole as we hit the shops. Before we got serious we had a quick look around one on the many souvenir shops that line the footpath as you make your way into the shopping centre. I could have bought everything in that shop alone but i excercised extreme restraint and thought it better to wait until i came back with mum. Ok, shopping. But you can't shop on an empty stomach.
I find going to McDonalds here an experience in itself. I find it fascinating how the menu changes from country to country.
Overall we had a successful day once we got started. There we some disappointments, like the coat Lisa had her heart set on, but there were also some bargains found, and lots of good buys in between.


Apparently it was nowhere near as busy as Lisa expected, but of course a normal day in Amsterdam is still busier than even christmas time or The Fringe in Adelaide so i struggled. Everyone kept getting in my way, when ever i would try to look at something someone would zoom in out of nowhere, whenever i would try and get past someone on the street another person would step infront of me. 
The one thing i didn't like in Amsterdam as much is the high number of tourists, rich i know coming from me but in De Dam, which is a huge square in the city outside of the Palace, you could not turn with out coming face to face with a camera or a busker trying to get you to take a photo of them for a fee. I couldn't help but feel that this took away from the appeal of the city itself. Then again maybe i just don't like the idea of being a tourist along with almost everyone else in Amsterdam. I tried to make myself feel better by not taking many photos. If i'm not taking photos then i don't look like a tourist, right?
We shopped for almost 6 hours which i think is a fair effort. Me and mum are going to go back to Amsterdam towards teh end of our holiday to stock up on souvenirs and perhaps we will take in a few of the more famous sights of Amsterdam. In the most untourist way possible.

That night i went with Lisa to Andre's birthday party at his brothers house. It was a little more difficult then i had expected because i thought alcohol made it easier to socialise no matter country you are in. Obviously if you are me nothing makes it easy to socialise. Still it was nice to be around people my own age.

To the girl who sat with me most of the night when no one else would talk to me, thank you. One day i will find out what happened between you and Lorenzo

5 comments:

  1. Hey cupcake (or am I cupcake and your poptart? never could remember lol:) , is that a cheesburger your eating if so yum!
    Darn all those tourists for getting in your way (no you dont count as a tourist, just like I didnt while I was snapping a million photos and paying out the 'tourists' while on holidays)Sounds like you were pretty game going shopping on that day, hope you found some great bargains.
    Hope the party was ok and im glad that girl befriended you, I know how hard it is being at a party and not knowing many people. Hope your enjoying your trip xoxo

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  2. Lovely those photo,s from amsterdam made me feel homesick It is a busy city but so are very many cities in the world did you hear new Dehli 18 million I think .there one can meet some people.we went to kadina yesterday there is a town with a difference.
    enjoy love oma

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  3. i'm with you on the tourist thing. and officially you are not a tourist because you have family there - therefore you are part of the family.
    can't wait to see all your purchases - could take a few days i think. could you maybe start taking some photos of them?
    amsterdam sounds scary - i don't like lots of people - that's why i don't hang out at the market!
    l
    x

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  4. Sounds like a great day! I remember at the fringe this year, me and about 7 of my friends formed a snake by linking arms so that we wouldn't get separated. We looked ridiculous as we weaved through the crowds! I don't think I would have survived in Amsterdam!

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  5. (hello lilly i miss you love sarah rogedog, sidney has conjunctivitis but he misses you too in a non-festy way xx)

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