A Student Jam in Rotterdam.doc

Back in the UK, I was able to visit a whole bunch of wonderful cities in England. Because I was living in a glorified wheat field at Warwick, these trips proved to be a welcome change from campus life. Here in Amsterdam, there hasn't been such a need for fulfillment outside the bustling city. But I was excited for the day's journey we had planned (Stu, Adam, Courtney, and I) to the second largest city in the country, Rotterdam.

Unlike its flashy and promiscuous counterpart, Rotterdam is more of a modest port city, but continues to evolve after extensive bombing during the war. In Amsterdam, you'll see only a grouping of skyscrapers in the south end of the city, but in Rotterdam they've sprung up all over the landscape. It feels more modern, more business, and definitely more like cities back home. On the train there we passed kilometres of sprawling tulip fields - definitely worth a return with May visitors.

The trip was organized by a PhD student in the department named Hein. He was our extremely informative tour guide for the day. The first stop was the Boijmans Museum. There we saw a fantastic exhibit by video artist Pipilotti Rist entitled Elixir. It was almost as good as the legendary Kingston hangout...almost. The largest space in the museum was split into eight installations that are a collection of the artist's most famous pieces (which have been featured at the Pompidou in Paris and the Church of San Stae in Venice). My three favourite pieces were projected on ceiling mounted movie screens - in each of these spaces, spectators were encouraged to lie on the ground, lie in a bed, or sit on a cushion and watch the dream like video sequences. The videos were mesmerizing; they reminded me of those old-school Fruitopia commercials with the fruit manipulation and Moby-like tunes. It was also nice to wander into a museum and sprawl out on the floor. I don't think they approve of that in the Louvre.

Also at the museum was an impressive collection of art billed as "the history of art from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century." I have to admit that the Dutch Romanticism paintings of men in funny hats and kitchen scenes weren't that appealing. What was memorable were the paintings from Warhol, Kandinsky, Monet, Magritte, and Dali. The Warhol pieces were of Mick Jagger and I was particularly excited to see some of Magritte's work as he's one of my favourites. All in a day's work.

After the museum we grabbed some dinner at one of Rotterdam's most well known music venues. We had to hover for ten minutes to procure a spot on the patio, but since the sun was shining we didn't want to be stuck inside. The five of us enjoyed the first patio meal of the young season. I had fish and chips with a really big salad. It was one of three things that I could identify on the Dutch menu. We also had some beers - it's best to keep hydrated in the sun of course. Hein told us a bit about the history of the city and about Belgium which is where he's from. Before the show we were going to see that evening (oh yes, a full day of European culture) Hein took us on a further tour of the city. There are boats everywhere and even apartments built in diagonally positioned cubes that stick out of a larger residential building. He assured us the occupants didn't live on slanted floors.

The performance we went to see that evening was called The Deer House by Jan Lauwer's internationally renowned Needcompany. They are an intercultural group based out of Belgium that has toured the world. The show is about a group of performers coming together to explore the story of a journalist murdered by a family in Kosvo that had been devastated by the atrocities of war. Its post-dramatic exploration of cultural memory and the intersection of art and trauma was at times incredibly moving, and at others light and meditative. But enough of the academic jargon...it typifies the type of theatre that I'm privileged to see - that of an extremely high calibre.

After the performance we had a post-show debrief (as MA students tend to do) on the same patio we had lunch. Admittedly, after the sun went down it wasn't as warm, but patio opportunities must be embraced. The Rotterdam visit was a full day of Euro Culture - museum, dinner, and a show - that proved to be the perfect way to spend an April Saturday.

Today was spent getting ahead on the work week and catching up with friends and family back home. I was extremely happy to have received a postcard from NYC this past week (much thanks from the friend I haven't seen in such a long time) and was able to solidify flights to Helsinki and Lisbon. The Blue Jays also hit double digit wins far and beyond any other team in the AL East. It figures that the year they get off to a hot start I'm out of the country.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Because I'm not able to, buy some Jays tickets and head out to the park! The team needs all the support it can to continue this pace.