Update From The Netherlands

   I've decided that the first thing I'm doing when I get home is buying a compact camera, because I hate either having to lug around my DSLR everywhere I go, or bring nothing. I've been opting for the latter because of the weather and being unable to fit a DSLR in my pocket, but you never know what you're going to miss, and I've been unable to get pictures of the surroundings so far because of that decision.

   *ahem*

   Greetings from The Netherlands! It's been great so far, though we've only been away for 3 days really, but they've been good. The plane landed in snow, which is a rare sight for someone who lives in the South West of England, so that was cool, and cold. We went to dinner with Seeg's cousin and his wife on the weekend, which was lovely because I really, really like them, they're game nerds like us but they don't look it, and they're really nice people. I'm a shy person when I meet people, like a lot of people are, but we're usually with them for most of the day when we meet with them, so I get more than enough chance to relax, be myself and actually speak to them.

   One of Seeg's oldest friends, Arthur, came to visit one evening, too, and we played Star Wars Monopoly until goodness knows how late, by which point I was struggling to keep my eyes open (in part because I'd lost the game earlier on and had to sell everything because I'd landed on a fully-occupied planet), but it was great fun. I kid you not, every single Dutch person I know loves board games. There are still board game shops on their high streets, it's mad, you just don't see that in the UK, and in truth it's really, really great to see out here. I've been here for 3 days and we've played 4 board games already with another lined up tonight with Arthur again, and another tomorrow with Seeg's best friend.

   We went to Burger's Zoo with Seeg's best friend, and his girlfriend who we met for the first time, and that was great fun, though more awkward for me because it kind of matters to me what they think, but I loosened up in the end (and had a few moments where I forgot myself and leapt off the bus instead of stepping off, but, fortunately, I don't thin they saw). Burger's Zoo is one of the best zoos I've ever been in, and even despite the cold, we saw lots of animals indoors, including about 4 baby gorillas, and there was a baby macaque who saw us through the glass and came over to investigate, but we panicked it by leaning closer to the glass. It was awesome.

   Thursday will be Seeg's mother's 59th birthday, so we're glad we're here for that, and we're off out to dinner again tomorrow night and Friday night. It's been quite hard to eat well while we've been away as his parents keep bringing home local pastries and things you just don't get in the UK, and I've been unable to resist trying and subsequently chowing down on it all, but I've been squeezing in exercise, and fortunately we've been out enough and around enough new people for me to be polite and only take a little of what's on offer. But, hey, I'm on holiday, and I'm already planning to work my butt off when we get back, and March is going to be pretty intense workout-wise, too, so I'm not too worried.

   We're seeing Arthur again tonight and playing a board game I'm...rather excited about...

   Excuse the crappy laptop webcam picture! Like I said, compact camera...and I'll be sure to pack the cable, which I forgot with my DSLR, so for the moment, I'm making do...