Andy in Amsterdam

I was just downstairs in front of the building when a skeleton, two vampires and a princess walked by. I said, “Happy Halloween.” An adult who was walking with them said, “Thank you” in a very American accent. Poor them. People don’t really do Halloween here. I think if you were planning . . . → Read More: All Hallow’s…heh?

Saturday was the day we switched the clocks back an hour. So we got an extra hour of sleep, which Fred and I used for sleep. There’s a part of my brain that upon hearing that we get an extra hour wants to get up at the normal time and use it . . . → Read More: Daylight S*vings

Fred and I went to the ballet last night. I prefer classical ballet to modern ballet - although we did go to that one really good one “with the bowler hats.” (It was a black stage with a giant box and lots of people dressed in white doing strange things. It was . . . → Read More: An Evening of Distraction

This is one side of an old glass Fred has in the closet where we keep the glasses.

This is the other side. It reminds me of the kids I teach. I love how the one girl on the far left is smoking. Lots of kids at my school . . . → Read More: Dutch Youth Today

I’m at home this week. School is out, all of my individual students have opted to cancel class this week, and I have no choir rehearsal. I had one appointment this week and it was my SamenSpraak appointment at 11:00 today. So I’m essentially free and trying to be productive. On top of it . . . → Read More: Home Improvement

Fred and I are hosting “the dinner group” tonight. It’s a group that he’s been involved in for about twenty years. It’s (currently) three couples and a single woman. One couple hosts it every six weeks or so. It’s a nice idea. It’s gezelig. And while a wide variety of different kinds of food . . . → Read More: Dinner at Eight

My friend, Frank, moved to London three years ago to marry a guy and make a life there. He was 57 when he moved. He just pulled up stakes and followed his heart. I visited with him when he was in Amsterdam with his husband, Martin. We had coffee and walked around. Another time, . . . → Read More: Oh Elizabeth

I’ve had a sort of yelly week. Maybe yelly is a bit harsh (and a bit made-up, as words go), but I’ve been using the darker tones of my voice a lot this week - and it’s only Wednesday.

On Monday at school, I kept several (read: most) of my second year students after class . . . → Read More: Who is That Man and Why is He Yelling at Me?

Today is National Coming Out Day. It was founded in 1988 and I came out in 1985. (Yes, I am very gay and I have been for a long time.) So Coming Out Day didn’t influence my coming out process. But I like the idea of it. And . . . → Read More: Come on Out

A couple of months ago, Fred bought tickets to see Hairspray the musical. He bought four tickets: two for us and two for his friends, Leo and Michiel. Unfortunately for Fred, he was called to Italy at the last minute (don’t you hate when that happens?) and he had to go. It . . . → Read More: Ik Hou Van Balimore