Concertgebouw Wow!.doc

The beat goes on....

I just completed week two in what I'm imagining as a twelve week schedule since May is pretty open and we have a reading week in March. It seems like I just had orientation but already I've been able to cross two weeks off my calendar. Add to this a full schedule of visitors in the coming months and I think this final semester of "in class instruction" is bound to fly by! We received an email today about getting started on thesis planning to begin research and writing in July but it's awfully hard to even comprehend that project with a full docket of readings.

I had my Dutch immigration appointment on Tuesday morning and it couldn't have gone any better. The only drag was that it was scheduled for 8:30 in the morning and I needed to take the Metro to central station and then a ten minute train ride. Needless to say, I was up two hours before the sun to begin making the long trek. Like I mentioned in the last post, for some odd reason Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders can be granted a Working Holiday Scheme for a measly 30 Euros while Americans and a bunch of other non-EU visitors must apply for a residence permit which costs over 400 Euros. So Tuesday morning was a big Canada-Australia party at the Dutch immigration offices...well, not a party because it was 9am, but there sure were a lot of Canucks and Aussies that the university had scheduled for processing. A kind lady asked me all the usual details and put a temporary visa into my passport - I now have three visas inside. It has been really neat to see what was once an empty document become a record of my travels.

I gave a presentation that afternoon in my World Art course. I was happy with how it went, since the only guideline I was given was "summarize the readings", but since I have no idea of how we're being evaluated it makes it hard to know for sure if I put in enough work. That's right, we're two weeks into the seven week course and the professor still hasn't given us a breakdown of how we're evaluated. I, of course, was the squeaky wheel who asked about a syllabus and percentage breakdown in the first week but she still hasn't delivered. Essay...who knows? Participation...who knows? In the beginning part of me was ready and willing to embrace that educational structures and approaches are different around the world, but not having these types of crucial guidelines is unacceptable. I think I just have a low tolerance for incompetent teaching.

Yesterday, I experienced quite a treat. Courtney, Adam, and I went to a free lunchtime performance at the Concertgebouw, highly touted as one of the finest concert halls in the world due to its incredible acoustics. From September until June the Hall opens its doors for an hour each Wednesday afternoon for a free public concert. In addition to some of the most respected classical, jazz, and world music performers, the venue has also hosted the likes of Pink Floyd and The Who. The concert hall was filled almost to capacity. It made for an electric environment and an opportunity to visit a venue normally too expensive to set foot in. We heard some beautiful Tchaikovsky arias from some young opera singers - I know one opera buff that would be front row centre every week! I plan to return as often as my schedule will allow. Free performances in a venue like that are just too good to pass up.

Last night, I went over to Bec's house for some dinner and a bottle of wine. She made a wonderful mushroom and avocado Alfredo Fetticine. We debriefed about the first two weeks and discussed post-Amsterdam plans. My placement will determine how long I'll be staying in the city, but after that a few of us are talking about getting a house in Leamington Spa for thesis writing that would carry us into November/December. It's all very tentative right now but we'll have to be situated somewhere close to the library and our thesis supervisors. The UK would also provide a good base for future traveling as a break from writing and researching. Lots of options still to discuss on that front.

This weekend one of our fellow Warwick home students, who now studies in Finlandia, is visiting Amsterdam! We're having a fajita night tomorrow and then heading out on the town. I'm sure there will be other weekend events. After that, in three short days, Miss Hincks hits the town to get up to much revelry and merrymaking. I've scheduled a full out party, with accompanying facebook event, for Tuesday night to celebrate her birthday at midnight. We're having a good ol' Canadian flip cup party to show these MAIPRS how things get done back at Queen's. It could get messy. Well, it will get messy - that's the hallmark of a successful FC jamboree.

Sending love back home! Keep fit and have fun.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: The Dutch word for "emergency" is "nood." While visiting, if you find yourself in such a state, say in the shower or a sauna, feel free to alert someone for assistance.