Observations: Snow is sneaky and tricky... it wants you to fall and when you do, the illusion it has created that its soft and white and fluffy is shattered by its compacted, icy reality!!!
Mistakes: falling off my bike in the snow ... straight onto my butt! (didn't see that one coming did ya?!) not catching the bus in the monring (but it wasn't snowing then!!), not reading the weather forecast which said "snow falls on Thursday" until I got home... after falling :(
Mini victories: not breaking anything (me, the bike or the laptop in my backpack!!), not too many people seeing, not swearing too much, getting back on the 'horse' and making it home in one piece ... eventually!
Dutch I've learned: lot's apparently! had our final test for Dutch class tonight, an aural. actually went really well. I paired up with another girl from australia and we just tried to fit as many funny words and lame jokes in dutch as we could into our 10 minute dialoge. success! we zijn uitstekend!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Days 145 to 147 - Madriiiizzzz
In an act of pure insanity, I decided after seeing a piece on the news about an interesting photography exhibition being held in Madrid, that I wanted to visit the Spanish capital... asap. So after convincing Scottish Kathleen she should celebrate her 20th birthday in Madrid met mij we booked our tickets and were off to sort-of-Sunny Spain (where thankfully no rain fell on the plains during our visit).
However, our good luck stopped there. We were due to fly out of Eindhoven (an hour from Maastricht by train) at 9.15am and arrive in Madrid at midday. Everything ran like clockwork getting to the airport (despite having to get up at 4.30am!!!) and then the fog descended ... literally. We couldn't see two feet past the airport windows ... we weren't going anywher :( eventually the airport PA system told us in Dutch (which I actually kind of understood) and then English that we would he put on buses and sent to another airport ... in Germany! So we were herded like cattle outside to wait for about an hour in the freezing temperatures for coaches to take us about an hour and a half in the wrong direction to Dusseldorf airport. By the time we arrived there it was about the time we should have been landing in Madrid. NOT HAPPY JAN!
The influx of unexpected passengers at sleepy little Dusseldorf airport was not dealt with well. The result - a jam packed boarding lounge, mass confusion, more delays and eventual panic. It actually got a bit scary at one point as people started shoving and shouting and airport staff started closing security doors to keep the tired, hungry, grumpy masses in check. And the Ryan Air staff were USELESS. I'm sorry, I know it would have been a tough day for them but they lived up to their reputation as an unreliable airline by not even being able to find out what gate we were supposed to go to! Regardless, we eventually took off for Madrid at about 3.30pm and arrived around 6pm.
Stepping off the plane it was immediately warmer!! A turn around of probably 20C, we walked into 16C temperatures and it never dropped below 9C while we were there. What a pleasure not to have to wear gloves, a hat or thick scarves ... and only one pair of tights!! Bliss (although of course it was the complete opposite coming home which was so depressing). Although we'd missed 6 hours of tourist time we resolved to make the most of what we had left and headed straight for the nearest tapas bar, where we promptly ordered (in a mix of Kathleen's high-school Spanish and my pointing gestures) mojitos and a plate of the tastiest chorizo I've ever chewed. Next was 6 euro paella (platefuls that could feed an army each) and our first Sangria at a joint recommended by our hostel. It didn't disappoint, and the whole meal was watched over by a giant stuffed bull's head.
With full stomachs, we set off to wander the streets. The Christmas lights there put Aachen and Maastricht to shame. Every street was choccas with fairy lights in all patterns and colours, dangling, chaped into globes and, our favourite, the designer red and green enormous christmas tree in the puerta de la sol square. Also, there were people everywhere - another novelty compared to Maastricht. And shops were open. And it was "warm" enough to just be able to 'wandel' as the Dutch say (loosely translated means wandering with no real purpose except maybe to get food at some stage!) And indeed we did. Early on we stopped at THE COOLEST place I've ever been to have a drink. It was like a butcher/small goods store, bar and restaurant in one. Apparently they're everywhere in Madrid but we were genuinely amazed. Full of locals, including old and young, these places serve really cheap but really good sangria, beer and tapas at a bar smack in the middle of what would otherwise look like a shop. Hanging all around are legs of ham while the glass cabinets showcase cheeses, sausages and cured meats and even desserts! Bizarre... Later we capped off our night with churros and hot chocolate as pseudo birthday cake for Kathleen at midnight, and an extremely strong Spanish gin and fanta (that's a new one... but surprisingly tasty)
The next morning it was up and at 'em (after a delicious croissant for breakfast at the hostel - better than any i had in france) to visit the 100 Years of Vanity Fair photography exhibition - our raison d'etre in Madrid (to begin with anyway). The images were beautiful, quirky, shocking, old, new, colour and black and white. It was a wonderful hour spent just wandering from frame to frame peering at the famous people who have been captured by the influential magazine. It was also interesting to consider the images outside of the context of the stories they would have originally accompanied.
By the time we were done it was about midday so we headed to Plaza Mayor where Madrid's excuse for Christmas Markets were being held. While the city excels at Chrissie lights, their markets were a bit laughable in comparison to Aachen. Although all the kids and sickeningly in-love couples were strutting around in these cute reindeer hats or crazy coloured wigs! After a spot of obligatory tourist shopping it was time for tapas lunch. We scored a bargain - 17 euro lunch for drinks, calamari, ham/potato croquette things and fried potatos with chilly sauce. They were all the things we saw they locals eating and seemed to be really popular. Oddly, the calamari came in a short baguette type roll ... everyone was eating it like that, must be a local treat. But I couldn't bring myself to so I ate the calamari first, then some of the bread.
What happened next is truly the most "local" thing I've ever done in a foreign city... we went back to the hostel for a siesta!!! Really. It was about 2.30pm so we popped back to the room for a quick nap before our planned walking tour. Just before we nodded of a Spanish girl came into our hostel room and hopped into bed too!! When in Spain... We awoke refreshed and ready to traipse parts of the city we didn't know existed, learning that the bear and the berry tree and the neptune fountain are symbols of madrid, there were lots of important kings who built stuff in madrids history and the writer's quarter is where all the cool cats lived (and some other more informative facts I've momentarily forgotten!). After walking for an hour and a half we were in need of refreshment so we headed back to our favourite new local, the butcher/bar for a cheeky sangria on the run. This tided us over til we stumbled across a classy indoor food market selling everything from raw produce to artuflly created sweets. Wanting to keep the local theme running we chose creme catalan for a pre-dinner dessert! This gave us the necessary energy to trek to the end of a very long main road to see the Royal Palace all lit up at night.
UFO-like Christmas lights at Plaza Mayor Christmas Markets
Unfortunately, after a wonderful and jam-packed 24 hours our travel luck turned sour again :(
We had found a place that was supposed to have a flamenco show on that night and chowed down some less than desirable spanish fast food equivalent in order to make the show in time, only to find out it wasn't on that night afterall!!! Although we tried to make the most of it by following up with an ice cream for dessert (not really possible or desirable in freezing maastricht) and felt at least satisfied that we'd adhered to Spanish time by eating after 9pm.
However, our good luck stopped there. We were due to fly out of Eindhoven (an hour from Maastricht by train) at 9.15am and arrive in Madrid at midday. Everything ran like clockwork getting to the airport (despite having to get up at 4.30am!!!) and then the fog descended ... literally. We couldn't see two feet past the airport windows ... we weren't going anywher :( eventually the airport PA system told us in Dutch (which I actually kind of understood) and then English that we would he put on buses and sent to another airport ... in Germany! So we were herded like cattle outside to wait for about an hour in the freezing temperatures for coaches to take us about an hour and a half in the wrong direction to Dusseldorf airport. By the time we arrived there it was about the time we should have been landing in Madrid. NOT HAPPY JAN!
waiting for the buses at eindhoven airport
The decorative atrium in our hostel
Stepping off the plane it was immediately warmer!! A turn around of probably 20C, we walked into 16C temperatures and it never dropped below 9C while we were there. What a pleasure not to have to wear gloves, a hat or thick scarves ... and only one pair of tights!! Bliss (although of course it was the complete opposite coming home which was so depressing). Although we'd missed 6 hours of tourist time we resolved to make the most of what we had left and headed straight for the nearest tapas bar, where we promptly ordered (in a mix of Kathleen's high-school Spanish and my pointing gestures) mojitos and a plate of the tastiest chorizo I've ever chewed. Next was 6 euro paella (platefuls that could feed an army each) and our first Sangria at a joint recommended by our hostel. It didn't disappoint, and the whole meal was watched over by a giant stuffed bull's head.
With full stomachs, we set off to wander the streets. The Christmas lights there put Aachen and Maastricht to shame. Every street was choccas with fairy lights in all patterns and colours, dangling, chaped into globes and, our favourite, the designer red and green enormous christmas tree in the puerta de la sol square. Also, there were people everywhere - another novelty compared to Maastricht. And shops were open. And it was "warm" enough to just be able to 'wandel' as the Dutch say (loosely translated means wandering with no real purpose except maybe to get food at some stage!) And indeed we did. Early on we stopped at THE COOLEST place I've ever been to have a drink. It was like a butcher/small goods store, bar and restaurant in one. Apparently they're everywhere in Madrid but we were genuinely amazed. Full of locals, including old and young, these places serve really cheap but really good sangria, beer and tapas at a bar smack in the middle of what would otherwise look like a shop. Hanging all around are legs of ham while the glass cabinets showcase cheeses, sausages and cured meats and even desserts! Bizarre... Later we capped off our night with churros and hot chocolate as pseudo birthday cake for Kathleen at midnight, and an extremely strong Spanish gin and fanta (that's a new one... but surprisingly tasty)
the butcher bar
giant christams tree decoration - you could even go inside it and look up, trippy view
The next morning it was up and at 'em (after a delicious croissant for breakfast at the hostel - better than any i had in france) to visit the 100 Years of Vanity Fair photography exhibition - our raison d'etre in Madrid (to begin with anyway). The images were beautiful, quirky, shocking, old, new, colour and black and white. It was a wonderful hour spent just wandering from frame to frame peering at the famous people who have been captured by the influential magazine. It was also interesting to consider the images outside of the context of the stories they would have originally accompanied.
By the time we were done it was about midday so we headed to Plaza Mayor where Madrid's excuse for Christmas Markets were being held. While the city excels at Chrissie lights, their markets were a bit laughable in comparison to Aachen. Although all the kids and sickeningly in-love couples were strutting around in these cute reindeer hats or crazy coloured wigs! After a spot of obligatory tourist shopping it was time for tapas lunch. We scored a bargain - 17 euro lunch for drinks, calamari, ham/potato croquette things and fried potatos with chilly sauce. They were all the things we saw they locals eating and seemed to be really popular. Oddly, the calamari came in a short baguette type roll ... everyone was eating it like that, must be a local treat. But I couldn't bring myself to so I ate the calamari first, then some of the bread.
lunch!
What happened next is truly the most "local" thing I've ever done in a foreign city... we went back to the hostel for a siesta!!! Really. It was about 2.30pm so we popped back to the room for a quick nap before our planned walking tour. Just before we nodded of a Spanish girl came into our hostel room and hopped into bed too!! When in Spain... We awoke refreshed and ready to traipse parts of the city we didn't know existed, learning that the bear and the berry tree and the neptune fountain are symbols of madrid, there were lots of important kings who built stuff in madrids history and the writer's quarter is where all the cool cats lived (and some other more informative facts I've momentarily forgotten!). After walking for an hour and a half we were in need of refreshment so we headed back to our favourite new local, the butcher/bar for a cheeky sangria on the run. This tided us over til we stumbled across a classy indoor food market selling everything from raw produce to artuflly created sweets. Wanting to keep the local theme running we chose creme catalan for a pre-dinner dessert! This gave us the necessary energy to trek to the end of a very long main road to see the Royal Palace all lit up at night.
Unfortunately, after a wonderful and jam-packed 24 hours our travel luck turned sour again :(
We had found a place that was supposed to have a flamenco show on that night and chowed down some less than desirable spanish fast food equivalent in order to make the show in time, only to find out it wasn't on that night afterall!!! Although we tried to make the most of it by following up with an ice cream for dessert (not really possible or desirable in freezing maastricht) and felt at least satisfied that we'd adhered to Spanish time by eating after 9pm.
Up at 4.30am the next day to return home (grudgingly) and of course all travel plans ran like clockwork on the way back to Maastricht! I was even treated to the Ryan Air trumpet - a voice over noise they play when a flight arrives on time. Oh the irony... grrr.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Days 138 to 140 - Aachen (that's a town, not a sneezing noise)
This weekend (friday avo to saturday avo) we hit the road and bussed over the border the German town of Aachen. Although small, its ridiculously popular with students - pretty much every exchanger goes there at some point (some more times than necessary - you know who you are!). Its popular because its cheap to get ther (11 euro return bus trip), its cheap to eat and drink there (including 4 euro cocktails in one infamous precinct) and its doable in a day without having to book accommodation.
Liking to do things properly though, our gang booked a hostel to stay the night. Arriving in the afternoon, the first thing we saw was a crazy man, fully dressed in a suit and leather shoes, jump into a fountain! (remember the temperature is below freezing!!!) He literally flopped down back first into the water, and when he got up steam was coming off him!!! We were dumfounded and disturbed that he probably caught hypothermia afterwards!!!
After recovering from the shock of it, we visited the stunning Aachener Dom, the Cathedral which dominates the centre of town and was built in something like 805 AD, making it one of the oldest churches in Germany. It houses treasures from the early medieval period and the mosaic ceiling is a work of art which we spent time admiring with our mouths open and head tilted back. The tiny, brightly coloured and gold mosaics were positioned in so many imaginative patterns, a different one for each arch or panel. The leadlight was also amazing, whole walls of windows, almost from floor to ceiling in vibrant purples, aquas, reds and greens which seemed to depict people and tell a story. Even in muted light of a snowy day they were beautiful.
Luckily, we hadn't eaten too much because the main joy for us was sampling the local christmas cuisine. I returned at least a dress size larger, I'm sure, but I harbour no regret; I knew what I was getting myself into. The menu at these places reads like Christmas lunch or dinner – on offer every day and night for about a month before the big day. We tucked into bratwurst (at more than a foot long, they hang invitingly over the sides of their crusty baguette beds), a warming pork stew with (not that) hot sauce and onions and chunky white backfisch (literally ‘fried fish’) with a potato fritter (with a side of apple sauce). We were eyeing off the waffles/crepes/olliebollen (like donuts but with no hole and more circular)/steamed puddings etc for dessert but there was no room! Instead, our tummies were filled with mulled wine and eggnog, warming in more ways than one! Hence a mug in hand is the only thing that keeps the hordes going as they stand outside, in snow and below freezing temperatures, trying to remain cheerful although they can’t feel their toes. We bought our beverages from a stand with little boot-shaped mugs which made great souvenirs. We did however buy some of Aachen’s very own Printen biscuit - a chewy, glazed type of gingerbread with all the spicy, fruity flavours of the season, for later.
Liking to do things properly though, our gang booked a hostel to stay the night. Arriving in the afternoon, the first thing we saw was a crazy man, fully dressed in a suit and leather shoes, jump into a fountain! (remember the temperature is below freezing!!!) He literally flopped down back first into the water, and when he got up steam was coming off him!!! We were dumfounded and disturbed that he probably caught hypothermia afterwards!!!
if you squint you can see the guy laying down in the fountain
After recovering from the shock of it, we visited the stunning Aachener Dom, the Cathedral which dominates the centre of town and was built in something like 805 AD, making it one of the oldest churches in Germany. It houses treasures from the early medieval period and the mosaic ceiling is a work of art which we spent time admiring with our mouths open and head tilted back. The tiny, brightly coloured and gold mosaics were positioned in so many imaginative patterns, a different one for each arch or panel. The leadlight was also amazing, whole walls of windows, almost from floor to ceiling in vibrant purples, aquas, reds and greens which seemed to depict people and tell a story. Even in muted light of a snowy day they were beautiful.
Cathedral overlooking the markets
But the real drawcard of Aachen was the Christmas Markets. The tradition dates back to the seventies when it was called the Printen Market and was much smaller. These days its exactly what you'd expect from a Christmas Market ... jingles playing, little log-cabin-like stalls selling decorations, sweets, food and drinks, knitted clothes, liquers etc And they were actually capped with real snow as it was still snowing. The Christmas mood was fostered by a sweet organ grinder man playing festive songs and all the fairy lights and lit-up shop windows showcasing wrapped treats. And the best bit, the whole rabbit warren of log-cabin stalls is watched over by a giant inflatable gingerbread man who reminded me of Mongo from the Shrek movie and whom I’m sure features in every visitor’s photo reel.
Looks just like in Shrek!!
Luckily, we hadn't eaten too much because the main joy for us was sampling the local christmas cuisine. I returned at least a dress size larger, I'm sure, but I harbour no regret; I knew what I was getting myself into. The menu at these places reads like Christmas lunch or dinner – on offer every day and night for about a month before the big day. We tucked into bratwurst (at more than a foot long, they hang invitingly over the sides of their crusty baguette beds), a warming pork stew with (not that) hot sauce and onions and chunky white backfisch (literally ‘fried fish’) with a potato fritter (with a side of apple sauce). We were eyeing off the waffles/crepes/olliebollen (like donuts but with no hole and more circular)/steamed puddings etc for dessert but there was no room! Instead, our tummies were filled with mulled wine and eggnog, warming in more ways than one! Hence a mug in hand is the only thing that keeps the hordes going as they stand outside, in snow and below freezing temperatures, trying to remain cheerful although they can’t feel their toes. We bought our beverages from a stand with little boot-shaped mugs which made great souvenirs. We did however buy some of Aachen’s very own Printen biscuit - a chewy, glazed type of gingerbread with all the spicy, fruity flavours of the season, for later.
mmmm toasty beverages
shop window piled high with Printen and other tasty presents
As for the stalls, I won’t lie, they’re a bit repetitive. But the Christmas decorations were more hand-made than factory-line and the knitted hats and gloveswould have come in handy if we weren't dressed for the truly frosty winter air.
As we spent the night we were able to continue our culinary tour of Aachen in the morning with an all-you-can-eat German buffet breakfast at a cafe which was recommended on a few travel websites. It did not disappoint. The joint was filled with Germans so we knew it must have been good. On offer were sausages, bacon, meatballs, eggs, all types of bread rolls, cheeses, fresh fruit, breakfast meats like ham and shaved turkey, croissants, yoghurt, juice.... even chocolates! Such choice is a luxury for us students who usually make porridge or try to cook toast on the stove top in Maastricht!
All that was enough to fuel us as we did another quick trip round the markets and the shopping strip of Aachen before hopping on a bus home. Arriving home we set about preparing our Guesthouse Christmas Dinner extravaganza. Two Scots, two Aussies and a Canadian (and a partridge in a pear tree), we ended up with a mixed main meal and desserts compiled of foods we love to eat at home for Christmas (or in the case of the Brussel sprouts - foods the Dutch love to eat at Christmas!) We even decorated the appartment and wore stupid christmas hats!
making mulled wine
The next day, Sunday December 5, is Sinter Klaas day in the Netherlands. It's the birthday of Sinter Klaas, who is different from Santa Claus (this guy comes from Spain apparently and has little dark-skinned spanish helpers, except the whole thing is very un-PC bc people dress up as the helpers - called zwarte piet, or black pete - are white but put on black make-up. and now that the Dutch are realising this might not be the impression to make - suggesting they're sinter klaas' slaves - they say instead that maybe black pete is just black from the soot in the chimneys when delivering presents...?) Anyway, the whole thing's a bit weird but highly entertaining as people all dressed up wander around town. And the kids still love it so that has to count for something... In the centre of Maastricht they'd set up a Christmas market with a fake ice skating rink and a ferris wheel. The five of us girls hopped aboard the giant wheel and (squeeling all the way) got our first aerial glimpse of 'our' town (it still looked pretty flat! but the snow-capped house rooves were cute). Before the night ended, we made a quick trip to Kerst aan de Maas (Christmas on the river Maas) where we ducked into a temporary 'hot choclate' tent and indulged in beverages with whipped cream on top... mmmmmm
the very un-PC Zwarte Piet!
Maastricht's Christmas Market in town and the church in the background
view of Maastricht from atop the ferris wheel
observations: woollen socks (at least 2 or 3 pairs) are necessary to ward off the chance of losing a toe. snow eventually turns to ice and ice is not my friend. however, i seem to have more luck with it than the many aussie students I've heard about who fall flat on their ass
mini victories: i'm YET to fall but not counting chickens...
mistakes: not buying wollen socks before the first snow fall... was seriously worried about by left big toe for a bit there! ("I can't feel my toes... I don't have any toes!!!" has never rung truer!)
Dutch I've learned: "Fietsen in de sneeuw is heel moijelijk!" = "cycling in the snow is really hard!"
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Day 136 - apparently there's a downside to snow...
So after all my gushing a few days ago, it has come to my attention that there is in fact a downside to snow! I know, it looks so innocent right... all pure as the driven you-know-what... its got quite the reputation in movies etc, bringing happens and beauty to all. Until it gets a but mushy... or dirty... or hard and icy... then we're in trouble.
I always knew it was going to be a bit more difficult getting around on two wheels once the white stuff fell, but I severly underestimated the trickiness. Its even difficult getting around on two feet!
This stuff is crunchy and slippery and has a mind of its own! One minute you're rolling along at a steady pace with your eyes on the road ahead - the next minute the wheel hits a clump of snow/ice and your wheel shoots off in a different direction altogether. No warning, no way to control it, just hold on!
I have already learned that the No. 1 rule is Don't Panic. Other tips include:
No. 2: Two hands kiddies - always two hands on the handle bars.
No. 3: Hit the lights - just like cars in gloomy weather, its smart to put the bike lights on.
No.4: Know when to admit defeat (there's always the bus)
But this brings me to another observation - is there some shame in taking the bus? In Australia, most people drive, so taking the bus is the moral high ground. Here, everyone is expected to cycle, so the bus isn't exactly better for the environment than peddle power. And if you can ride, why pay for a ride right? So I feel as though taking the bus is copping out... But, thankfully, I was assured by one of my Dutch friends this evening that, no, it is ok to take the bus and, yes, people here do do that when the weather is out to get them. Even so, its not cheap here, and I've been warned it can take longer because vehicle traffic increases during the snow and traffic jams abound in a city filled with roundabouts and bike lanes.
Still, there are definitely those determined souls who remain out and about on their treddlies, all rugged up, you can barely see their face as they brace against the arctic chill. Honestly, it is beyond cold here now (If you won't take my word for it, believe the forecast of -11C one day this week!!!) Normal layering ain't cutting it anymore so I look like the Michelin Man every time I step out the door now. I don't understand how there's women out there who still manage to look fashionable in this weather!! (Although a Canadian friend consoled me with the epiphany that all the fashionable women are just cold! Beauty is pain, right?!). As for me, I got busted by a friend in the most hilarious ensemble the other day, featuring black gloves, red scarfe, beige jacket, grey trackies tucked into blue-grey boots and white/pink pom-pom beanie! Nothing matched, and NOTHING was fashionable. Regardless, I looked her (dressed in cute boots, skirt, jacket and tweed hat) dead in the eye and professed "what?! I don't care as long as I'm warm and dry!"
I always knew it was going to be a bit more difficult getting around on two wheels once the white stuff fell, but I severly underestimated the trickiness. Its even difficult getting around on two feet!
This stuff is crunchy and slippery and has a mind of its own! One minute you're rolling along at a steady pace with your eyes on the road ahead - the next minute the wheel hits a clump of snow/ice and your wheel shoots off in a different direction altogether. No warning, no way to control it, just hold on!
I have already learned that the No. 1 rule is Don't Panic. Other tips include:
No. 2: Two hands kiddies - always two hands on the handle bars.
No. 3: Hit the lights - just like cars in gloomy weather, its smart to put the bike lights on.
No.4: Know when to admit defeat (there's always the bus)
But this brings me to another observation - is there some shame in taking the bus? In Australia, most people drive, so taking the bus is the moral high ground. Here, everyone is expected to cycle, so the bus isn't exactly better for the environment than peddle power. And if you can ride, why pay for a ride right? So I feel as though taking the bus is copping out... But, thankfully, I was assured by one of my Dutch friends this evening that, no, it is ok to take the bus and, yes, people here do do that when the weather is out to get them. Even so, its not cheap here, and I've been warned it can take longer because vehicle traffic increases during the snow and traffic jams abound in a city filled with roundabouts and bike lanes.
Still, there are definitely those determined souls who remain out and about on their treddlies, all rugged up, you can barely see their face as they brace against the arctic chill. Honestly, it is beyond cold here now (If you won't take my word for it, believe the forecast of -11C one day this week!!!) Normal layering ain't cutting it anymore so I look like the Michelin Man every time I step out the door now. I don't understand how there's women out there who still manage to look fashionable in this weather!! (Although a Canadian friend consoled me with the epiphany that all the fashionable women are just cold! Beauty is pain, right?!). As for me, I got busted by a friend in the most hilarious ensemble the other day, featuring black gloves, red scarfe, beige jacket, grey trackies tucked into blue-grey boots and white/pink pom-pom beanie! Nothing matched, and NOTHING was fashionable. Regardless, I looked her (dressed in cute boots, skirt, jacket and tweed hat) dead in the eye and professed "what?! I don't care as long as I'm warm and dry!"
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