They Try To Make Me Go To Rehab, I Won't Go

I had a dream last night that I don't remember. I woke up feeling like I should be filled with sorrow, missing everyone I've ever loved.  Instead, I woke up with Rehab by Amy Winehouse in my head.  Haha.  Great song, let me tell ya.  I'm going to take this as a good sign.

I spent my morning cleaning up my apartment.  I spent the afternoon in Bagels and Beans, a coffee shop/bagel place down town.  It was perfect.  I can't study in my quiet, empty apartment.  And I certainly can't study in the oppressive silence of libraries.  I need noise.  Not music, noise, bustle, people.  So coffee shops are ideal for me.  There just aren't many places like Starbucks here where you can just go, sit in a big comfy chair, drink a cup of tea or coffee and just chill.  Most places here are really more cafés where you sit and drink and then either leave or buy something else.  They're more like restaurants, not coffee shops (and you can't actually call them "coffee shops" anyway, because a "coffee shop" is where they sell weed, and has nothing to do with coffee at all.)  

Today was a perfect day to sit in a coffee shop and work.  It was cold, and though it was really cloudy, the whole sky was bright, so you knew the sun was back there somewhere.  It looked like it was going to snow.  It wasn't cold enough to, but the air had that... snow quality to it.  Inside it was warm and alive, and Billie Holiday singing softly in the background.  It felt like winter in a big city.  Cold, bright, alive.  Alive.  It's funny, I crave female jazz singers during winter.  Something about the chill in the air, makes me long for warm bright rooms filled with people and the sounds of women singing quietly.

I met with Jennifer for a while and talked about life.  She's an absolutely amazing person, and I wish I could spend more time with her.  She's so full of life and energy and humor.  Art historian, writing her dissertation on some Dutch painter or the other and his use of religious symbolism.  Reading that you're probably thinking "meh" but just ask Jennifer to explain why she loves it and you'll go "Oh man AWESOME!"  

I met with Vanessa afterwards to look at an apartment.  We're trying to find a new one together.  Unfortunately, even though the internet said it was a two bedroom apartment, it was only a two room apartment.  Oh well, the search continues.  Vanessa does have a contact with a guy who's buying a boathouse and wants to rent out a few of the rooms.  No guarantees, but hm, it would totally ROCK my soggy Dutch socks to live on a boathouse!  :-D

Wushu was amazing, as usual.  Talked in my half-Dutch, half-English with a bunch of new people (now that I'm in a new line.)  My newest friends are from the Antilles!  Cool!  There was also a new teacher there tonight who says his name is Chewie (like the Wookie) and who was hilarious.  Most of the teachers are very quiet and calm, but he was noisy.

Keep this in mind: "Life sings in our silences, and dreams in our slumber.  Even when we are beaten and low, Life is enthroned and high.  And when we weep, Life smiles upon the day, and is free even when we drag our chains."  --Kahlil Gibran