I miss my car. 

The Tale of the Bright Orange Laundry Bag (and my misery)

Let me just tell you how happy I am (and I mean genuinely happy) that I am flying KLM this weekend when I go to Copenhagen. Of the 3 places that I have been thus far that I have travelled by plane, I have flown EasyJet 2 out of 3 times: first to Prague and then, this past weekend, to Berlin. Yes, I felt safe. Yes, the flight attendants were nice. Yes, I am alive. Okay, now that we got past the important stuff, I will tell you about a little thing called my bright orange laundry bag and how I was forced to use it as my carry on. No, it was not a pretty sight. 


My carry-on bag, which I knew clearly fit EasyJet regulations as I had used it before, felt a little heavy on my way back from Berlin and I decided I would double check with the lady who was printing my boarding pass if she thought the bag would be alright. While EasyJet has no weight regulations, I can only lift so much over my head, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Besides, you are only allowed ONE bag to carry-on with you, which meant I still had to fit my little cross-body bag inside as well. She told me that I was totally fine and to go stand on the security line. After standing on an annoyingly long line in a smelly, outdated terminal, I got to the front only for another woman who barely spoke any English to tell me I needed to get off the line and repack my bag. My so called "totally fine" carry-on was clearly not fine. And, neither was I. I had one of those, I feel like I am going to hysterically cry moments coupled with a heat flash that was only heightened when my hanky-pankys fell out of my bag and onto the foot of the man in front of me. It was obvious to me that this bag was not going to get repacked to this woman's standards considering her and I were not exactly on the same page as far as the whole language thing goes. Hence, where the orange laundry bag comes in. I obviously knew the hysterical fit that I felt coming on was not a suitable option so instead I decided to empty out my bright orange laundry bag that had all my dirty clothes in it-- cue more hanky-pankys-- and put my laptop and my purse inside. No, this was not resourceful of me. This was desperate. I then got off the line, waited in a couple more lines, paid the 35 euro fee for checking a bag at the last minute, got back on the front of the security line and walked through with my bright orange laundry bag in tow. Lets put it this way, when I got on the plane, I was hot, sweaty, tired, and had an orange laundry bag slung over my shoulder... I can only imagine what the woman sitting next to me thought. All I kept thinking was that it was a good thing that I'm not famous because the paparazzi would really have had a field day. 


I can see it now...Famous Blogger, Arielle Rothstein, uses a Laundry Bag as her Carry-On. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? pg 3 for more details. 

I wasn't kidding when I said it was a bright orange laundry bag. And for those in the airport who were unsure what I was carrying, not only are the words "LAUNDRY BAG" written at the top, but there is a lovely illustration of a what I believe to be is a washing machine. Really, it was a sight to see. 

To all of you who have been desperately waiting for me to update my blog... here I am!


First off, before I even begin to tell you about Berlin, I must tell you some very important news...


I CAN BIKE AND BBM AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! I never thought the day would come that I could do anything at the same time while I'm riding my bike besides, well, ride it. And this is only two months in. Who knows what amazing things I will be able to do on my bike by the time I leave here.

Reunited at the Brandenburg Gate

Okay, now for the "more important" stuff (I guess..), I absolutely loved Berlin. I went with two of my best camp friends; one is studying in Florence and the other in Tel Aviv and we all were conveniently able to meet up in Berlin for the weekend. It really gives a whole new meaning to a weekend with the camp friends. Who ever said meet ups always happen in NYC or Scarsdale was clearly mistaken... Any who, it really was such a great city because there was a fantastic mix of the old and historical and the new and trendy. Its also a young city and extremely clean. That being said, obviously so many terrible things happened there so it was definitely a strange feeling to be standing on Track 17 where the Jews were deported and then 5 minutes later be walking along the "5th Avenue" of Berlin. In fact, our hotel that we stayed in was in the square where the book burnings took place, which is now commemorated by an in-ground memorial: an all white room that is full of empty bookshelves. And of course, the graffiti did not fail to impress. I now know what everyone is talking about when they say the Lennon wall in Prague is no longer as exciting once you go to Berlin...

Just your average graffiti design on the side of a school... looks nicer than the beige color that it was meant to be if you ask me 

Track 17 at Grunewald Station... The scariest part about this train station is that it is in the midst of a beautiful neighborhood that was full of people who knew what was going on yet turned their heads the other way...

ANOTHER LIST! Wahoo!

Shameless plug. Follow me on twitter at ArSRoth and you can hear about in-the-moment happenings of my life. Usually they involve food, biking, or comments about the weather. But, then again, so does my blog which brings me to my next list entitled, "Top 5 things I blog about and Why":


1. Food. Well, the obvious reason is that I am in Europe studying abroad and I guarantee most who have done so before me would agree that what you eat and where you eat it is a big part of this whole abroad experience. That being said, if you had already been following me on twitter, you would know that last night I desperately started eating the freeze-dried (ew) strawberries out of my special-K box because I really was in the mood for something sweet. No, it did not hit the spot in case you were wondering.


2. Weather. Okay, so there is this ongoing joke at WashU that all us WashU kids talk about is the weather since we are so lame and blah blah blah we don't have anything better to talk about blah blah blah. I wholeheartedly disagree. Besides, in just one week I feel like everything has dramatically improved here and yes that is mostly due to the fact that I am now confident the sun does exist in Utrecht. Thus, I shall blog about it.


3. Bikes. I mean, DUH. I am in the Netherlands. Considering I have a plethora of unfortunate/fortunate things happening to me whilst on my handy-dandy 80 euro kids-sized bike, I would feel guilty if I didn't share them. Besides, I know you all sit there laughing thinking about me riding my bike to get everywhere/do everything. It's not exactly the LR2  I was used too.. (OH HOW I MISS YOU!!!)


4. Domestic Things. aka cleaning, washing, cooking, ugh I am already getting tired thinking about it. Regardless, abroad has really brought out the domestic side of me and thus it is only fair if I update you every once in a while. However, don't expect any gourmet meals when I get home this summer. I have mastered cooking anything with EVOO in a pan but thats about it. That being said, if you want eggs, I'm your girl.


5. NethaNethalands, of course! While I am almost entirely confident that come July 1 I will have spent 5 months here learning almost no Dutch-- its not my fault, when I speak English to a Dutch person, they always respond in English-- I most definitely know a thing or two about this country. Even if my blogging may suggest otherwise, there is more to this country than stroopwaffles and pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (here I go again with the food). More to come on that.


Now, what gave me the genius idea to write such a list? For one, the fact that I could not be more bored writing my paper that is due tomorrow and this seems like a nice way to procrastinate and two, because I have a lot of fun travelling planned in the next few weeks and am excited to add "travelling" to my list of  top things I blog about. While I know I have a few fans who love hearing about my mani, pedi woes and my cleaning sprees, I hope you are looking forward to hearing about my travels as much as I am looking forward to actually doing my travels. 


The line up is... drum-roll please... Berlin, Copenhagen, Antwerp/Bruges, Barcelona, and of course, Amsterdam. 

I'm having some serious bike issues at the moment. They are as follows (yes, there are that many that I can make a list):


1. My basket is still M.I.A. While I don't actually think it is going to be returned to me, I am debating if it is a worthy 20 euro investment if it may or may not get stolen again. I know, I know... could I be more economical?!
2. Front light is not working. This is an issue for two reasons: (I will now resort to using letters)
    a) If a cop were to catch me riding at night without my front light on I could get fined. 
    b) Safety Hazard (I guess...)
3. My tires are most definitely on their way to being flat. I just keep telling myself that it means I am burning extra calories. Yet, if (and unfortunately, when) the tires become completely flat-- screw the extra calories, it will not be pretty.


That being said, if you are wondering when I am going to get all of this fixed, so am I! Until then, lets hope no Dutch police catch me without my front light on. Although, I guess that would make for a good blog post...

#Fail

I just realized I forgot to push start on the washing machine. Better late than never!

While I can't actually do a spring cleaning in the proper sense, being that I have nowhere to put the clothes that I will no longer wear (code for: regardless of the weather, I never want to wear them again...) nor do I actually have my spring clothes to put out, I decided to do an old-fashioned cleaning this morning. Yes, that means I put some soap on a paper towel and started scrubbing, refolded all of my clothes, and even washed my sheets! The most exciting part of all of this cleaning business is that it is actually nice enough outside that I think my sheets will be dry by the time I go to sleep tonight. Now you understand why I waited until now to wash them. Duh. 

I was on the phone with my mom today discussing how I  DESPERATELY need a manicure and pedicure; yes, I have my own nail polish/nail polish remover/nail clippers etc but it really is just not the same. The issue is that the "cheaper" places are a little on the dirtier side to say the least and the "nicer" places are rather expensive hence why I have been so hesitant to get one up until now. Yet, knowing that I am going to Berlin at the end of this week to a nice hotel with nice food and shopping and so on I have decided the least I could do is have my nails look nice as well. As I was telling my mom my reasoning on the phone--that if I get a manicure and pedicure at one of the nicer places, even if it costs X amount of dollars, it will still be cheaper than had I gotten one weekly like I normally do at home--I came to terms with the fact that this week would be the week. Besides, the OPI nail polish collection in the salon that I bike past every day has been calling my name.


That being said, I went into town today to have lunch with some friends and I decided to see if any of them had any recommendations as to where I should get my nails done. "Any of you guys know a good place to get a manicure and pedicure?" I asked. "I've never gotten one of those before," my friend responded. "Hmmm," I said. Honestly, what else do I say? Here I am thinking that I really am being economical getting an expensive manicure and pedicure for the first time in two months and now I am being told that one of my Australian friends has never had one before. AS IN EVER!! Somehow my logic doesn't seem so logical anymore... 

Still sick. I took a Z-pac this afternoon though so hopefully the antibiotics will kick in and I will start feeling better... 


However, instead of feeling sorry for myself that I couldn't be outside on this beautiful sunny day today, I opened my window as far as it would go and took a nap with my head facing the sun. While I cant exactly say I got tan by any means, I at least felt like I got some sunlight. As Tim Gunn would say on Project Runway, "Make It Work". 

retail therapy

Potential change in plans thanks to a not so fun sore throat...


For now, still in Utrecht. May go into Amsterdam tomorrow (I am crossing my fingers I wake up post-Nyquil tonight feeling better)! However, while I was moseying around this afternoon after class in attempts to "get some fresh air", I managed to find some REALLY great shopping. I know what your thinking, how could have I not found it already.


What is nice about a lot of the stores here is that most of the stuff that is sold is truly unique to the Netherlands. It's not like I have to worry that what I am buying here is already being sold back in NYC since most of these brands are pretty local... for now. Although, no matter how cute the clothes/jewelry/shoes etc are in any of these stores, if they do not accept credit card it is just not going to work out. Hence, my new way of saying hello when I find a store I like: "Do you accept credit cards?"

Happy St. Patricks Day! One of my best friends from camp is coming to Utrecht tonight to visit me as a pit-stop before she meets some school friends in Amsterdam for the weekend. My first guest! Very excited. And Rachel and I also have two friends from WashU who are visiting us this week as well. You know what that means... Amsterdam for the weekend! (If you haven't figured it out yet, I will never say "No" to going to Amsterdam). Hopefully we will get to some museums I haven't seen yet just to keep things new and exciting. However, regardless of the sightseeing we do or do not do this weekend, I know one stop that I refuse to miss: The Pancake Bakery. I figure its not so bad if I go once a month. And, I say this only because my family is coming in April which means... The Pancake Bakery! After that maybe I'll give it a rest but then again when in Amsterdam...

Before I forget...


Has anyone ever seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris? If so, you will understand what I am saying when I tell you that it is somewhat of a let down. I mean, one of my favorite books-- The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (for anyone who didn't get that reference)-- that also happened to be turned into a major motion picture was entirely based around this painting leading me to think of it as larger than life. When I went to Paris with my mom in the summer of 2008, I waited on an obnoxiously long line to get into the Louvre in the first place, only to follow the many arrows that pointed me in the direction of the Mona Lisa to once again be surrounded by hoards of people who had the same intentions as me: to get a close look at the "woman" and her famous smile. What did I see? Well, yes, I saw the smile... but could have it been any smaller?! I think not. What a let down! 


Flash forward now to this past Monday in Brussels. My friend and I have our map in hand ready to tackle the major sights in Brussels in the 3 hours that we had allotted ourselves before we had to get back on the bus to go to Utrecht. While the Mannekin Pis (which literally translates out to little man pee) isn't exactly as noteworthy as the Mona Lisa, it is deemed a "must-see" in Brussels. So, I followed the many signs that led me through the main square, up a street, past many chocolate shops and waffle stands, only to get to an intersection that confirmed I had entirely missed Brussels main attraction. How so, you may ask. Well, it is because the Mannekin Pis, this so-called Brussels landmark, is quite literally a bronze statue that stands 2 feet tall and is displayed on a corner between a souvenoir shop and, surprise surprise, a waffle stand. I literally couldn't help myself from hysterically laughing. IT IS SO SMALL. The Mona Lisa has nothing on the Mannekin Pis, I will tell you that much.

I am pointing because I was worried you may not be able to find it otherwise. I mean, I couldn't... 

This past weekend I was in Brussels (remember, really cheap bus ride!) from Saturday through Monday afternoon. I went for a concert that took began at 10 pm on Saturday and ended at 6 am on Sunday and thus I can honestly say I didn't come with the worlds best tourist intentions. However, despite the fact that I didn't exactly do my research on Brussels I was pleasently surprised. That being said, I would not rush back to Brussels per say although I think I would definitely give another part of Belgium a try. I mean, you can only stay away from those waffles for so long after you've had your first. See below to understand. I had the strawberry, banana, and chocolate one (middle row, 2nd in on the left) and it was deeeelicious. Yum, I am actually getting hungry thinking about it now. Luckily I brought some Belgian chocolate back with me to remind me of such deliciousness. Do you want to know the best part? I got a box of 25 homemade chocolates! And in fact, I was told that they last anywhere between 2-3 months. While something tells me that my self-control isn't that good, I decided that these chocolates can be a little test. Lets see if I can have only one a day. I mean a chocolate a day keeps the doctor away... right? Besides, I have some type of chocolate everyday anyways (I just CAN'T not) so it might as well be Belgian! 

No, these are not all mine... they were in the window display, thank you very much. 

Bad News...


My basket was stolen! At least it wasn't my bike, but still! This is QUITE upsetting! Hence all the exclamation points!! 

I went for a run on Tuesday when it was sunny and now that I see some sun in the sky again I think I am actually contemplating a round 2 of this run. Hopefully this time it will be a little more running and a little less walking. But, then again, I'll just be proud of myself if I go at all.


Speaking of being proud, I have made one of my goals while I am abroad to read all the books my mom downloaded for me from her Kindle to my Ipad (Yes, to all of those Kindle/Ipad users out there, such an app exists) and I am starting to make some serious progress. I will keep you updated on how that progresses. Since we are on the topic of goals, I might as well just say I would love to run outside twice a week while I am here (maybe increase it to 3 times if the weather ever stays nice). While that may not seem like such a challenging goal, the sun does have to be out for me to do so. Easier said than done. 

I am getting way too good at sleeping through my alarm. Or, in my defense, casually "dismissing" my alarm as the blackberry likes to call it. And, believe it or not, much to my own surprise, I actually have work I need to get done between now and 9:45 am on Saturday when I take the bus to Brussels for the weekend. I am amazed by the fact that I am going to casually get on a bus on Saturday morning in the Netherlands and less than 3 hours later end up in Belgium. So cool! And cheap!


Side note: from the sound of it, the winds of Utrecht have returned. I may or may not make the executive decision to take the bus today. I have never been a fan of the wind. 

Londontown

London was great! It was so nice to be in a large city where everyone spoke English!! Who knew I'd miss English this much after only a month or so (and most people speak it here...). And of course it was even nicer to see my mom and my sister.


We did a lot in the short time we were there thanks to my mom's handy dandy "what to do in London in 2 days" print out. We started out at the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace which was rather irrelevant to me as I was too short to see anything anyways. Then we went to the cabinet War Rooms which I really enjoyed and appreciated much more now that I am 20 (I did a lot of these sites when I was in 5th grade... as you can imagine, I had a much easier time understanding what I was looking at this time around). We then saw the Big Ben and the London Eye and proceeded to wait in a long-ish line to go inside Westminster Abbey. Definitely worth the wait if you ask me. Westminster Abbey is so beautiful and it didn't hurt to know that in just a few weeks Prince William and Kate Middelton would be getting married in the same place that I was standing. Yes, I made sure to find out which part of the church the ceremony would be in. We then continued our Saturday by having lunch at Wagamama and exploring Harrods. To top it all off: dinner at Nobu.


Sunday was just as busy as Saturday although WAY too much time was spent at the Tower of London if you ask me. Put it this way, the crown jewels were just as shiny as they were the first time I saw them. And the armor that was on display could not have excited me less. I just feel sorry for my kids because I refuse to go back to the Tower of London ever again. 3 times is 2 times to many for me. Looks like there Dad will be taking care of that one! Harvey Nicks here I come. Anyways, we then went to the Tate Modern which was by far my favorite stop of the trip; my mom's "what to do in London in 2 days" guide definitely redeemed itself. First off, the Tate is a free museum! After going to a few exhibits in london you will most definitely appreciate anything that is free. Second of all, the two floors that you have unlimited access too without paying a cent have absolutely amazing artwork on them: Pollack's, Monet's, Picasso's, and many many more artists occupied these two floors. The gift shop wasn't too bad either. After that we walked over the Millennium Bridge and looked at St. Paul's Cathedral (in my defense, I have already climbed to the top) and finally called it a day. After a lovely high tea in our hotel we all rested in preparation for dinner and Eliza's midnight birthday celebration. After our late dinner that night we went into the hotel bar and had dessert and champagne for my sister's 18th. And yes, it was all legal! 


Happy birthday again Lize! xxxx 


p.s. My camera is not connecting to the computer. Hence why I didn't post any pictures... grr 

I am off to London tomorrow afternoon with Rachel to go meet my mom and my sister! I cannot wait! Could not be more excited!! Although I'm not sure if I am more excited to see them or if I am more excited to sleep in a nice hotel and eat good food all weekend...


Jokes. My mom and sister win that one. But Nobu on Saturday night comes in a close second. 


Speaking of which, I just called the concierge to try to get us into a restaurant that was recommended to me for dinner on Sunday night and the conversation got a little uhh.. awkward. While I realize the Amex guy is half way across the world, on the phone none the less, I could only imagine the situation had the two of us been having this conversation in person. Lets just say my uncomfortable feelings peaked when I went to say thank you and good night only to chuckle and realize I should be saying good afternoon as he is in the US and not Europe. Then he had a little chuckle and then we overlapped in our chuckling which prompted me to immediately say thank you and hang up the phone. If only I knew his name so I could attempt to find out who was on the other line... then I would really have an in with getting reservations considering we hit it off so well. How romantic I know. 

While it may seem as if I am a chef at heart, I am in a serious fight with the microwave and/or whomever keeps on deciding to defrost things in the microwave. Why the anger, you may ask. Simply put, oatmeal does not heat up when the setting is on defrost. After two failed attempts, and then finally realizing the problem, I poured myself yet again another bowl of oatmeal and finally successfully made breakfast. Talk about a rough morning.

I just cooked Rachel and I dinner. The proof is below. While this may not seem like a big deal to most, I am not exactly the chef of my family. And, for the past two and a half years at school, I have not had a kitchen so I haven't exactly been practicing. Yet, here is proof that there is somewhat of a chef inside of me. Yes, I know its pasta and salad but everyone starts somewhere!

And my post dinner activity? What is it you may ask...

Laundry! Who knew abroad could be such a domesticating experience.

Oh how I have missed you...

While I would never call myself a Starbucks fan when I am in the vicinity of Kaldi's coffee in St. Louis, I often go back to my Starbucks roots when I am home in Long Island. And while Prague may not be home, it housed way too many Starbucks for me to make any kind of effort to find a local Czech coffee shop for me to frequent on my weekend visit. Best of all, Starbucks in Prague, like Starbucks in Long Island (and everywhere in the US for that matter) had Sweet'NLow which means my pockets became awfully full every time I got a coffee. 

Thanks Starbucks in Prague 1! You have made the next couple weeks of coffee for me that much better.  

Praha

After a some-what tiring afternoon of traveling, I got home to my apartment last night with my pre-made salad in hand, only to put balsamic vinegar on it, thinking it would perfectly complement the tomatoes and mozzarella, and wonder why it was tasting so salty... and so japanese like. Well, the answer is, I poured soy sauce all over my salad rather than balsamic vinegar. Like I've said before, you win some and you lose some. I'd say this was on the losing side of things. And yes, sadly, I still ate it. I know, I know... but I was hungry!

Regardless of the soy-sauce mishap, I had a really great weekend in Prague. I stayed with two friends from WashU on Friday and Saturday night and one of my best friends from camp on Sunday night. I did a lot of touring, yet didn't have to wake up super early which I am realizing is an added bonus of not having Monday classes... in fact, I did some solo-touring on Monday when my camp friend was in class. While it may not be that exciting to tour around alone, I was just happy that I figured out how to get to and from our meeting point without totally getting lost. I also happened to go to Prague on a weekend where the sun was out, which I appreciated tremendously considering Utrecht and the sun do not seem to get along very well. The Charles Bridge on a sunny day is great since you can see so far out. I also got to go to the top of the Dancing Building and look over all of the city right as the sun was setting. And earlier that day, I went to Prague Castle and got a view of the city from that angle as well. Lets just say, I have a seriously good collection of what one would call "picturesque" moments in Prague. 

Sunset in Prague from the top of the Dancing Building

View from the Charles Bridge... All hail the sun!!

My favorite part of my trip was when I visited the Jewish Quarter, specifically the Pinkas Synagogue which housed the permanent exhibition "Children's Drawings from Terezin 1942-2944". The museum has over 4,000 original drawings by the children who were imprisoned in the Terezin ghetto, many of which were on display. 

By Ruth Gutmannova

While Terezin was not a death-camp by definition, many who were imprisoned there never made it home, mostly because they were later sent to a death-camp if they did not first come to their death on their own. Among the Terezin prisoners, there were 10,000 children under the age of 15, with over 8,000 of them being deported to death-camps by the end of the war. These drawings are one of the ways in which these children's stories can be told to later generations; I guess whoever coined the phrase "A picture's worth a thousand words" wasn't so crazy after all. The drawings were truly amazing to see, especially when I took a step back and realized that the fact that the children had the ability to create artwork in such a terrible place was amazing it itself. I read that the adults created somewhat of an underground school for the children, and art was one of the "classes" that was given as the adults felt that  art was just as valuable as any other form of learning and of course was also a way for the children to express themselves. If you are as fascinated as I am, here is the official website for you to learn more about this collection of drawings: http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/acollectpict.htm

By Margit Koretzova