Cool Angles...

Nearby was the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam South. We were surprised when we were brought into the center of the 11-story hotel and saw this cool compact atrium filled with photos of jazz musicians.

Eventually we were brought into a hotel room with this view.

The rooms were fine, but it was the angles of the atrium that I was drawn to...

...as seen from above...

...and below.

Below the atrium is a glass floor...

...that looks down on the ground floor and stairs.

ABN Amro Art...

In front of the bank HQ was this bench supported by bike frames. 

Across the courtyard was Circl, the bank’s circular pavilion built to be fully sustainable. It was cool to learn that the ceiling insulation was made from 16,000 pairs of used jeans. This piece of art was made from melted plastics...

...and this was made from a variety of wires. 

Afraid I can’t remember what this fellow was made of.

Open Tower Day with a Tall Friend...

I was thrilled that I managed to pull off a big birthday surprise for Jimmy: Phil, his college buddy and Best Man at our wedding, arrived for a 24-hour visit at the end of a business trip. Perhaps it was fitting that it was Open Tower Day as Phil towers over most of us. Our first stop was the headquarters of Dutch bank ABN Amro in Amsterdam.

I really loved this mirror ball sculpture...

...with the unexpected shoes at the bottom.

Whether near...

...or far, the views from the 24th floor were pretty cool.

This is as close to an official portrait as I managed to capture of Jimmy and Phil.

First Beach Shoot...

Just one week after arriving, Ashlynn was on the beach for her first Australian shoot which also happened to be her first beach shoot. It was a very early morning start, but she had a great time and met fellow model Riahn, who became a close friend.  

Ironically, although a shoot for UGG, an Australian shoewear company, these photos were shot for a social media campaign in China.

Such a contrast between this casual, carefree look...

...this glamorous look...

...and this lady in red wearing sneakers.

After the shoot, the girls enjoyed a swim.

Heading Down Under...

It was perfect timing that Ashlynn arrived in Sydney in time to meet up with bestie Sophie, who was backpacking in Australia and Asia for four months with Hannah, who the girls went to school with from Year 2 through Year 6.

They only had a few days together, but they enjoyed exploring Sydney...

...and partying at Sophie and Hannah’s hostel. It was a great start for Ashlynn’s three months Down Under.

Stopover in Bali...

While Ashlynn was waiting for her Australian visa to get approved, she hung out with two friends of one of the guy models that were passing through Seoul. When they told her that there was spare space in a villa that they had rented in Bali, it was an offer too good to pass up. She was especially excited that Shawna, one of the new girls in her apartment could join her for part of the week. 

 She had an amazing week that included sightseeing...

 ...spotting wildlife...

 ...exploring...

 ...and swimming. She also spent a day scuba diving, which was incredible.

On her last day, she took a motorcycle taxi alone to this secret beach. What she hadn’t planned on was that there would be no taxis at the remote location when she was ready to leave. Luckily a nice couple saved the day and helped her call a taxi so that she didn’t miss her flight to Sydney. 

St. Patty’s Hash in The Hague...

The following week we ran through the Haagse Bos and then circled up downtown to celebrate St. Patty’s Day with The Hague H3. Strobe got a down-down for skipping trail and just showing up for the party. 

We had a fun time partying with some visiting hashers.