Amsterdam 1.0: Report

From: timt@iaehv.nl (Tim T.)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: *F* Een gezellige regenachtige zondagmiddag in Amsterdam [1]
Date: 12 Aug 1996 16:35:28 GMT
Message-ID: <4unmgg$8ot@dibbler.iaehv.nl>


   Ok.. I got elected to do the report, and I'm not very good at this
   sort of thing, so please bear with me.. I'll try to do it proper,
   with footnotes and everything..

   It all started, for me anyway, with the very pleasant experience of
   making a phonecall, at some impossible hour [3], to get Don Alfonso
   (keeper of the sacred cigarette lighter) to meet me at Utrecht
   station, to go to Amsterdam. Ok, so it was early... sorry
   Fonz... Perhaps I should not have let the pleasure show so much... 

   Amsterdam, 12:30 nice and sunny. We hijacked a couple of very nice
   seats outside Cafe Americain, and ordered coffee.

   Amsterdam, 12:35 pissing down. Rob (Collier, the duty Bjorn) and Leo
   (the keeper of the APF) appeared. More coffee..

   Alex (the eternally harassed) appeared from somewhere.. yet more
   coffee. 

   And finally Alan (Conell, non-smoker [4], token Irishman, and essential
   part of  every dutch AFP meet so far) showed up, minus
   sister... Yet more coffee, and still more rain.

   Alex explained why he was in Amsterdam (company jolly) and reported
   on the events of Saturday night.. Sounded like quite a party. Leo
   suggested mooning AFP, using a camera connected to the internet he
   and Rob had spotted in a shop window somewhere. (Good thing we
   forgot about that, I think..)

   The rain let up, and since it was a valid lunchtime, and we got
   bored of waiting for Bjorn, we decided to get some lunch.
   Navigating on automatic, we crossed the Leidseplein and moved
   towards the Burger King.  I suggested we go for traditional dutch
   chinese indonesian food, so we turned left... Unfortunately, the
   nearest chinese restaurant was closed. Leo suggested pancakes
   instead.  However, the recommended restaurant was quite a long way
   away, and my shortcut didn't really work.

   Dutch pancakes.. how can I describe them. Think wagon wheels, think
   bacon, pinapple, banananana and, simply because I like them that
   way, a fried egg on top. Sprinkle liberally with syrup (beet,
   butterscotch and for some reason, 'rinse appelstroop[5]'. Coffee
   and chocolate to follow. 

   And no, we did not forget to harras Alex... He never answered Leo's
   question, that I can remember... And of course, it rained..

   Time for a drink... definitely time for a drink... I vaguely
   remembered a pub (de Oorlam, or is it 'de Doelen' ? Not even the
   pub itself seems to know) where they serve a decent pint of
   Guinness, so we set of across town. I did manage to find the pub on
   the second try, which is something of ae record for me.

   Photographs from DW con and earlier meets were produced.. For those
   of you who don't remember Fonz, he's the fellow looking
   benevolently on while Emmet goes to work on the afp blind date
   contestants.  We all examined the collection of Bjorn
   photographs. Leo explained why he was sliding under the
   table.. nice story, Leo, and everybody once again agreed that Joan
   looked simply amazing.. 

   The usual subjects (roundabouts, beer, books, portable phones, afp,
   barometers, history (particularly that of Suriname) etc. ) were
   broached, and somebody was proposed to (by proxy.. Have you told
   your sister yet, Alan ?). No psions present... Perhaps the only
   flaw in an otherwise perfect meet.

   Apfcon 97 was discussed: it was decided that holding it in
   Amsterdam [6] would be like herding cats, so we decided on
   Lutjebroek [7] instead.  We did consider holding the meet in
   international waters [8], on a minicruise on one of the ferries. 

   And it rained... Good thing we were inside most of the time.

   The meeting ended around half past seven[9], in the rain, eating
   hotdogs outside the Central station. 

   All in all, a wonderful time was had by all, and we're looking
   forward to the next meet (Who's coming over next, people ?) 

    TimT (Keeper of the rubber chicken [10])

[1] A 'gezellige [2]' rainy sunday afternoon in Amsterdam
[2] We couldn't find a translation for this term... Think Christmas at
    home with the family...
[3] 9 a.m. I didn't know there was anything like a 9 a.m. on sunday
    morning.
[4] Sure...
[5] appelstroop: a syrup made from apples.. rinse, yeah, well, dutch
    is sometimes a foreign language to me: somebody claimed it meant
    sweet, I think it means something like acid..
[6] *If* the meet actually takes place in Holland, that is..
[7] And why not, indeed: about time something historical took place
    there... about the only way we can be sure of getting a plaque.
[8] Anybody got a friend in the navy, who might be able to loan us an
    aircraft carrier for four days ?
[9] Some of us have jobs to get to, you know.
[10] Which had to be excused, since I forgot to bring it.. Sorry. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 timt@dibbler.iaehv.nl        Voodoo Programmer/Keeper of the Rubber Chicken
If a scone laughs real hard, does dough come out its nose?
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