Paku (belatedly) commemorates birthday of Edgar Allen Poe with visit to Baltimore

Sometimes when Paku is feeling excessively cheerful, he reaches for a the collected works of Edgar Allen Poe, selects a page at random, begins reading, and is instantaneously cured.

Paku has helpful information for visitors to Lower Manhattan

When Paku moved to Wall Street he was not prepared for the volume of tourists who visit his new neighborhood every day. Paku has discovered that many, if not all of these visitors share the common misconception that the famous Charging Bull statue is actually located on Wall Street. Paku has come across many a tourist wandering aimlessly along Wall Street looking for the bull statute. Many wisely ask Paku where they can find it. Paku wishes for everyone to know that the bull is located at Bowling Green on Broadway, south of Wall Street. Paku is prepared to endorse any candidate for Mayor of New York whose platform includes better signage indicating the location of the bull and / or moving the bull to Wall Street.

Paku a delighted recipient of miniature Dutch house

In the 6th hour of Paku's flight to Amsterdam earlier this week, Paku was unexpectedly presented with a tiny Delft replica dutch house filled with gin! Paku has since learned that this is a longstanding KLM tradition of which Paku strongly approves. With his first two houses, Paku is happily constructing a tiny Dutch village on his desk at work. Paku is hopeful that he will have the opportunity to make several more trips to The Netherlands in the near future so he can add to his collection.

Paku is of the opinion that January is not the optimal time to visit Amsterdam

Paku celebrated the new year with a quick and unexpected trip to Amsterdam. Paku found Amsterdam to be bitterly cold, dark pretty much all day and surprisingly crowded with tourists given the aforementioned coldness and darkness.

With very little time and insufficient cold weather wear, Paku had to make the most of the brief amount of time he was able to spend out of doors in Amsterdam. Paku learned that the most of the collection at the Van Gogh Museum can never leave Holland so this was perhaps Paku's only opportunity to see the Van Gogh paintings. Paku stood outside in line for what seemed like ever waiting to get in. The wait was made all the more unpleasant by the fact that everyone around him in line was smoking. Paku really doesn't care for smoking.

Paku enjoyed the museum very much and recommends it highly to anyone visiting in the area. He also recommends getting their early in the day to avoid the large crowds which make viewing the paintings difficult.