Amsterdam: Report

Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 23:44:09 +0100
From: Menno Willemse <"flx70"@hot,mail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: [F] Report of Amsterdam Bookstore Meet 16/12/2000
Message-ID: <3a467999$0$10654@reader4>

Amsterdam Bookstore Meet 16/12/2000
===================================
        Flexor reporting.

It is a bleak Saturday afternoon in December. The train rolls into the
station at exactly the specified time. One eyebrow raised in slight
surprise, I enter the wagon. I remember the typical smell. Dust with a
hint of cigarette smoke. Forty-five minutes later, the train stops at
Amsterdam Central Station. I make for the designated meeting point to
find Turtle and Loaf already there. A few minutes later, we are joined
by Labrat, then Martin, Uwe, Rolf, Daniel, Eelco, #AFP meet newbie
Vashti and Cybercat. Several people have not had lunch yet, so they are
off for a nearby hamburger joint. With all appetites satisfied for now,
the group. We follow Martin in single file, to fool the hated enemy. We
stop at the traditional[1] ATM to find it out of order. Martin stops the

ensuing panic and leads those in need of money to a non-traditional ATM.

I take advantage of the situation by buying a dead fish inna bun. It
starts to rain. We take shelter under some shop's sunscreen until the
money gang returns. Then, it's off to the bookstore.

The bookstore is called "The Book Exchange". It is run by a nice man and

the prices are reasonable. The taller people in the group have to walk
like an Igor in some places or leave their scalps on the ceiling. We all

go to the cellar where the fantasy and Science Fiction books are stored.

Soon, everyone is walking along the shelves, head cocked to read titles,

looking for favorite authors. There are surprisingly few Terry Pratchett

books. Soon, there are none. I find a few Dan Simmons books and some
other odds and ends. I move upstairs to pay and wait for the rest of the

group. Some time later, a big stack of books can be seen moving
precariously up the stairs. Hidden beneath is Eelco. He dumps the books
on the counter and returns for more. The shopkeeper starts writing down
the titles on a piece of paper. Most people get ready to leave and wait
outside for the rest. Some twenty minutes later, everyone is outside and

we go to a Thai restaurant.

All storm into the restaurant, which fortunately has been warned of our
coming and has arranged seating. (Now you know why arranging these
things in advance is necessary!) Orders are taken and the feast
commences. Sometime at dessert time, Arwen arrives. Since everyone is
finished already we decide to leave for the pub so we can all watch
Arwen eat. We go to "The Tara", which is a nice English/Irish style pub.

Guinness and cider flow copiously.  We settle down to the normal meet
activities. The traditional[1] edible Lego blocks and jellybellies are
produced without fail and also a can of Spam(tm) for some reason.
Otherwise, it's just a bunch of people chatting happily, making
*extremely* bad puns and signing their names and comments in "The
Book[2]".  Martin and Labrat compete in bad puns and the prize goes to
Labrat.  He is awarded the book.  Meanwhile, at the other end of the
table, an alchemical experiment is taking place.  The influence of
Guinness on sweets is observed in an empty bottle.  It does not start
fizzing in earnest until some edible lego bricks are added to the
mixture.  Just what is *in* those things I will never know. A little bit

later, it is time for me, Arwen and Cybercat to leave and we make off
for Amsterdam Central Station. Another AFPmeet is at an end.

Quotes:
=======

Flexor: Are we taking the bus?
Uwe: Don't mention the bus-word!

Shopkeeper: Omigod! It's a basketball team!

Martin: "Have a bean!"
Labrat: "No thanks! Bean there!"

Labrat: If there is ever a movie about #AFP, it will be called 'The
puns of Navarone'.

Martin: So you got a free Tux at the HCC? That's a value added Tux then!

Martin: Arwen, you're *so* beautiful when you're murderous!

Vashti: I won't apologise anymore! Sorry!

Martin: Stop pooling around!
Labrat: Pool the other one!

Labrat: If that thing is square, is it a spam block?

=======================================================================
[1] Happened more than once on AFPmeet.
[2] It is a book about Mammoths, and it now has a sequel. The Dutch
section were given it by the British section. We will get you for
this...

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