19 August 2008

19 August 2008 Amsterdam

Day two. Flying still. We have a layover in Amsterdam where 11:15 PM my time = 7:15 AM in Holland. My "international" cell phone has no signal here, which is an ominous sign that my communication with the outside world, my children, MY life, will be indefinitely cut off. At least in Amsterdam I can people watch, the various business men and tourists, etc. And nowhere better than the ladies WC. I listened to an Indian woman scold her  year old son in revised English as he rushed past the line and assaulted various locked stalls, banging furiously on them, " There is waiting!! Why are you always never listening to what I am saying!! There is much waiting!!" and drag him by his chubby brown arm to the back of the snickering line. It's refreshing to know that 5 year olds are bad in other cultures too. It was entertaining, at least, as was figuring out how to use the toilets with their dispensable seat disinfectant, and indistinguishable flushing mechanisms. Foreign toilets are always a bit intimidating for me.