I actually rambled about rotterdam, wasting time on classes, so here's some unedited ramble... i'll remember how to do ljcuts in here soon

Rotterdam was a strange experience, hard to grasp and hard to communicate. I think travelling with someone does help - lets you express thoughts instead of having them ruminate around in your skull taking up space that could be used for more useful observations. It was definately fun though, and I definately prefer travelling by myself to with any but the best of company. Arrived at Rotterdam rather sleepy at 10:30ish, left the train station to take in the huge pit of a construction site ringed with very tall skyscrapers (at last!, and if rather undistinguished) and disappear underground to the metro. Simple metro lines, just two, a n/s and an e/w the one transfer and 4 stops were accomplished quickly. Chicago needs to get on the ball with the displays of times as well - unbelievably helpful for delaying anxiety and allowing that wait to be added to useful minutes of your day. Found hostel seemlessly - i do hate waiting in lines, especailly for petty people but... ha.
Out the door and 3 blocks to the Nederlands Architecture Institute touted by tony. Well deserved, a fun basic museum in form, beautiful exhibits. The top floor exhibit on urban space-making was fun - had some very copy-able graphics and interesting ideas, the monograph (er what's that called as an exhibit) on a 30s utopian was beautiful, and the most scholarly exhibit on amsterdam and rotterdam housing projects over the decades was rather informative. Fun old drawing and watercolor renderings - i think we need to get back to that level of artistry in architecture projects, 3d models just aren't as wonderful at conveying nuances of the aura we mean to portray.
Had a nice write in the basement cafe of the NAI, an interesting thing to do - so self-absorbed, but i'm always happy when i sit down and do it. Even sketched a bit, interior sketches are something i need to work on. The bookstore there was equally inspiring - I wish there was someplace in Chicago other the Prarie Avenue like it. Not that there's much wrong with Prarie Avenue, but this was intelligently sorted and thorough and had design books as well. Design makes me drool - to the extent that I think about doing that instead of architecture - but only briefly. I was very charmed by all the screenprinting or stick-ons on the walls of the museum, and a DIY (design it yourself) book in the bookstore proved that it'd be pretty easy to do myself - and i think i shall. rather against modern cleanliness - but if the trend is towards more ornementation? and if it's easy to take them off, who loses? now i just need to have a space of my own i care enough about to do this for....