It's been three weeks since my last post and three weeks since I started work at 180. All in all, it's been going very well - or as well as such an intense transition can warrant. Work has initially been pretty quiet, but with a big presentation out of the way, it should now step up into some seriously interesting stuff - very much looking forward to it! The people are pretty cool; a little older and with different 'goals' than someone their first year out of university, but with a desire for alcohol that rivals even the most seasoned advertising agencies. The people have been really helpful and are giving me tips at every turn - certainly making the career change (as much as creative to suit is a career change) a lot easier.I've managed to secure some lodging as well - a reasonable-sized studio in (what I only discovered later was) one of the nicest areas in the city. Overlooking the Prinsengracht, the outer canal encircling the Centre, it has a pub and, just opening tomorrow, a convenience store right below - pretty convenient no? A 10-15 bike ride to work, it's surrounded by trendy restaurants, galleries and shops. However, while the area closer to the city is nicely formatted into rings and bridges, west of my house is an urban jungle - a mixture of tiny lanes, unmarked cross streets and tiny canals that I can't place. I think some thorough exploring with maps and compasses (perhaps a GPS knowing me) is required to take the most out of the area. But there's plenty of time for that!
Week One had a four day weekend at the end of it, so finding my place in the office and meeting the various divisions took up the majority of my time. By the weekend, I was so stuffed I just needed to crash and further continue my explorations. I managed to go for some quiet work drinks and meet up with Puck, JBo's friend from Amsterdam, who took me out for a catch-up and a brief low-down on living in the city.
Weekend Two had had lunch starting at 12:30pm (standard advertising fare) and resulted in most of the Accounts team feeling rather boozed by 8. I certainly struggled home on the bike ride home but needed to be up early; I had a trip to Paris to meet a friend on exchange. Taking the TGV sounded like a great idea - see the countryside, enjoy moving at near 400km/h overland and end up right in the heart of Paris, the Gare du Nord. However, I didn't think that it would cost more than the equivalent flight that would have only taken an hour, compared to the 5 hours it took on the train. That said, it allowed some much-enjoyed reading (I'm on my fourth Bret Easton Ellis - last one!) and was generally more relaxing. Well, until the Seppos on leave from Iraq started talking about taking fire outside Kabul and dealing IEDs. Interesting conversation but not conducive to relaxing reading.
I met up with Anno in Paris at about 2pm, but caught her at a very bad time - she was still dealing with the effects of the night before. But I must have put her in good spirits because she sank her coffee and perked up right away. We headed out to a local park to meet J-Ho and some of Anno's exchange friends. Being the small world that it is, the first greeting I get is 'Aren't you Will Burroughs - I've seen your photos on Facebook!' - a friend of Alec et al. meant for a lot of interesting conversation and made me feel right at home... very comforting being the first familiar faces since I left! After the park, we headed out to dinner with Anno, her flatmate Kate, James and I (just realised that Will, Kate and James all had dinner together!) at some Lebanese tappas-style place. Initially skeptical, I ate my words (uhhh) and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. We even convinced the still-struggling alcoholics from the previous night that hair of the dog is the key to a successful recovery.
We started bar-hopping and met some of J-Ho's friends who have made the move to live in Paris. A number of bars later, we decided to meet up with the Park People, though we couldn't come to agreement on which was the best watering hole. This led to a compromise - we headed to the Pont des Arts with a case of beer and a couple of cheap bottles of wine. What a fantastic drinking location! 200 people, chilling on the bridge with bongos and firesticks (STANDARD!) but a great atmosphere. Anno and I ended up stumbling home at 6am and I had a classic drunken D&M - one of those nights that you just know are going to live in your memory forever. A tired lunch/breaky the next morning, a wander around the local area, some gelato and a rest in the local park at 28 degrees. A fantastic trip by all accounts.
This week has been a little more busy at work prepping for the preso, but it went well so Friday night drinks were great fun. The weekend has been quiet, apart from an explore to the Vondelpark - the Centennial park equivalent of Amsterdam. A quick ride around did wonders for the constitution (don't you know) and it was great to get some fresh air while seeing parts of the city backpackers don't usually get to. And now it's 8:19, so time to start thinking about dinner - the bane of my life. Perhaps I'll just sink beers and sleep through it. But it's Queen's Day next weekend (the biggest party of the year) and my little Dublin vacation to see the boys the weekend after - can't wait for that!
