MM244

I didn't go for my own theme for today, which is 'focus', referring to either 'emphasis' or 'concentration'.  The reason could be because I prefer to be distracted, especially if I have a lunch break of about an hour.  During this rather generous margin of time, I took advantage of the sun and walked briskly towards the back of the Luxor Theatre and then left towards the old building of the Holland America Line offices.  Ships used to leave this area for one particular destination -- New York.  Trying to imagine the whole area swarming with tourists, immigrants and immigrant families, and perhaps even stowaways (one infamous one is Tom Parker, Elvis P.'s manager, who actually comes from Breda and whose real name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Tom_Parker).

On the way there, though, I finally got a very good view of the tall strange building here, called 'The Rotterdam', built by architect Rem Koolhaas on the Wilhelmina Pier.  Many locals call it downright ugly, others call it peculiar, while some say that it has its own beauty.  My opinion spans the entire ugly-to-beautiful spectrum, depending on the weather and my mood.  Whatever, it will never be my favourite building but it does provoke one into shooting it.  Maybe by taking a picture of it, it will turn beautiful?  It is typical of the local attitude -- 'This is Rotterdam, not some fancy ballet performance.  Love us or leave.'

Everything went like clockwork again and the weather cooperated nicely despite some early morning showers.  My afternoon class ended early and I went back home and caught up with my sleep, as AW had again turned off the toilet light and I had only slept lightly to make sure I was on time.  There's an extra -- the coloured version of this one.