Life, and Other Absurdities.

It had been a week since my plane touched down in Charles de Gaulle, and I had yet to let my parents know how or where I was. I figured that the karaoke video from the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam would give them a pretty good idea. It consisted of Bonne swaying while I hopped, for some reason, in circles, as we bleated loud, discordant strains of Dutch in between fits of giggles. Behind us a screen simulated a houseboat ride down the shores of the Amstel river. At one point, I think a drunk middle aged woman wandered into the frame.

I sent it to my mother's work address, since it was about noon our time, and so when she opened her computer in an hour she'd have something to enjoy along with her morning coffee. I wondered if she would be awake enough to consider the fact that we were only halfway along the tour and a third of the way through our tokens; by the time she read it I'd probably be passed out in the simulated carriage ride. But we sent the video along with one to Bonne's parents, and then we were off to the DJ room, followed by the advertising exhibit, and finally, said carriage ride, which was not nearly as exciting as being a virtual bottle of Heineken on its journey through the plant.

In the bar we encountered a group of boisterous male alumni from the business school at USC. They were not nearly as lame as that description implies, and soon we were all swapping jokes and travel stories.

"Next thing you know," one of the guys said, "I'm in the back of a truck with two Italian prostitutes, headed to some warehouse!"

We also discussed Segways, which soon reminded Bonne and I of our trusty bikes parked outside. We had gotten free tokens somewhere along the way, and so we had been rendered even more completely unfit to ride than usual. But it was starting to be that sandwich time of day, and no level of enticing conversation could distract us from that promise of perfectly melted cheese and salami. So with a heartfelt goodbye to our new friends, and an insincere promise to meet up with them later, we were off, giggling and swerving at top speed toward sandwich heaven.