Up, Down, Midtown.doc

I've been all around the city these past few days. It has been great to continue exploring but the weather hasn't been too cooperative. Now, I know complaining about rain is not going to be a popular comment back home (you're dealing with much worst weather than I am) but the rain has been pretty constant.

Uptown: On Friday night, the Amsterdam home students invited us to a dance performance featuring one of the MAIPR students. It was a good thirty minute walk from my apartment but I successfully navigated my way to the really funky looking theatre space. From the main street it was down an alley and into a warehouse type building. It felt like the kind of performance spaces clustered in the Queen West area in Toronto. In the makeshift lobby you could order a variety of drinks before the performance - it seems to me that Europeans like to pair alcohol and live performance together more than we do in North America. While you can purchase a drink at intermission back home, here they sell drinks before, during, and after the show. 

The show was really entertaining. It was a modern dance piece that responded to a video clip screened before the dancers took to the main playing space. The dancers themselves were extremely talented - they had a lot of training and it showed. The girl from our program has been a dancer for over ten years (she's from Russia originally). At times the show was a little too self-indulgent, and a bit long for my liking, but it was playful and experimental which I appreciated. I have a feeling a lot of the theatre I'll be seeing Amsterdam will have this type of alternative and organic feeling - much different from what I saw in the UK.

Midtown: I'm calling the area where I live Midtown. It's just a bit south of the centre area. I've realized that Amsterdam really isn't that large of a city (in comparison to Toronto and London where I've spent some time). Saturday night I hosted a jam at my place. I realized how much I missed hosting parties - Hincks and I did it often. I bought the bree cheese, stocked up on wine (three bottles for nine euros, no problem), and threw on some good tunes. The pad's first jam was a great success. 

The three of us from Warwick welcomed the two students who had already arrived in the city. The girls from Finland, who are soon to be accompanied by two more Fin Home students, are loads of fun. Zhenya (like Evgenia) is from Russia and did her undergrad in Comparative Linguistics and Hetta is from Finland and is theatre based. We were quick to exchange experiences about Warwick and Finland and chat about the potentials that Amsterdam offers. After we cracked the second bottle of wine, the girls from Finland had no trouble commandeering my itunes library - I was more than happy to allow them full range. After a few hours chilling, chatting, and getting to know one another we hit the town...

Downtown: I took the crew to my favorite bar in the city...OK, the only bar in the city I really know. It was the one Steve, Em, and I had a great time at two weeks previous. It's called De Buurvrouw which translates to The Neighbour. The travel guide I have lists it as "the favorite stop of inveterate nightowls after other clubs have closed." It definitely lives up to its description - it's small, it feels non-touristy and alternative, and goes late into the night. It was a winning recommendation with the MAIPR crew. By early into the morning the place had filled up and the girls had no apprehensions about dancing to the choice beats. It was a laaaate night but a great introduction to mobility in Amsterdam. 

Skypetown: I've been really lucky this past week to begin reconnecting with friends and family over skype after holiday absences. I had great chats with my parents and Aunt and Uncle about the state of the weather in Canada, which I hear is abysmal. I was able to connect with Shac who was doing some choreo work in her basement (she's teaching engineers to dance in a musical!), Jess who was hard at work planning the next show at the school where she teaches, Murphy on his cell phone who popped out of an event to catch up (I feel privileged), Meg who I happened to catch at the perfect time taking a boring drive, and Hincks and I procrastinated away for an hour and a half yesterday. So much chatting!

As much as I like not having school work, I'm SO not use to the free time. I think this means I should probably dive into the course readings which I have access to in anticipation for the start of lectures. Something tells me this is a lame move. Finances (due to a first/last month's rent payment) have kept me from any ambitious travel before the start of school, but a few day trips might still be in the cards.

Doc's Prescription for the Day: An historic inauguration to watch tomorrow afternoon. If it's the speech I think it'll be, then we're in for a moving, dynamic, and necessary call for a new turn in American politics. You should drop everything and watch.

A Squatter No More.doc

Well, it's official. As the title indicates, the room fiasco is over. I received an email last evening informing me I could stay in the room I've been occupying since I arrived. Although this place has felt like home (I've already had guests here!), it feels great to have it officially sorted. I signed the new lease this morning and the cleaners left just a half hour ago. I'm really happy with where I'm living. Having explored the city over the past ten days, the location is ideal - not right in the centre but central enough that a walk in any direction is not too tedious. Happy, happy, happy.

A feature, but also a challenge, of the program is that you spend your time studying in two different locations. While there are many benefits that come with this opportunity, it also means having to settle and then move every so often. I've realized that it takes a few basic necessities to start feeling like you can put down some roots: a mailbox, a bank account, access to laundry, and a mobile number. I've realized that until I have these services I don't feel quite whole. Luckily, I've taken care of all this business in the past few days and am feeling right at home.

Mailbox: Until I knew which apartment was mine, I didn't know which address to indicate on all the business forms so I put down this one and hoped I'd be staying. I had keys to the box for this one and the original apartment but now am free to send my address to the masses. Success.

Bank Account: Who says Swiss Bank accounts are the be all and end all? I have a brand new Dutch bank card. It makes all the conversions, from my Canadian and British accounts, all the easier. Funnily enough, most supermarkets and restaurants don't do debit or visa over here. I'll have to go back to carrying cash around - such a 2001 concept. Success.

Laundry: It's in the building and it's free. My days of collecting coins and putting money down the drain are over - at least for the next six months. I can now do laundry properly (whites, darks, and all that jazz) instead of lumping everything together to save money. Success.

Mobile: So I forgot to get Orange to unlock my British phone while I was back in England. This means that it was impossible to place a Dutch sim card in the back and start a new pay-as-you-go plan. Thankfully, the friendly lady at TMobile sent me to a shop down the street that unlocked the phone for me. I figured this was a pretty normal thing, but if you had seen the "store" I went to and the business transaction that took place (10E and no receipt) you'd think it was highly sketchy. After that I was able to pop in a new sim card. Success.

And without further ado, since it's now confirmed that this is my apartment, here are some pics of the new digs:

The Bathroom

View from the Kitchen

Skyline in the Background

Ikea much?

Look at that blogger, hard at work.

Houseguests!

We like to party. We like, we like...

Making delicious meals.

The infamous Stroopwafels sandwiching chocolate.

Here is my new address. Please stagger your care packages; I don't want the box overflowing:

Keith Bennie
Sarphatistraat 149-D
1018 GD Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Here is my new contact number:

(31) 061 461 7050

And, of course, place 011 in front of that to dial internationally : (011) (31) 061 461 7050

Tomorrow night I'm hosting a get-together for those of us who have arrived in Amsterdam for mobility along with three students that have yet to leave. We have Warwick-Finland-Amsterdam home students converging here people! I figured I'd be the one to get the ball rolling on the socializing front.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Mailbox, Bank Account, Laundry, and a Mobile - all things necessary to start feeling at home.

Some 'dam updates.doc

Firstly, I haven't heard any new information regarding my accommodation - the housing office is extremely lax. I marched in there yesterday to demand ANSWERS as to what was going on...and they pacified me with a smile and a cup of tea. How can you be mad when the Dutch people are so pleasant? They assured me that by Friday I'd receive an email telling me whether I'd be staying in this room or moving two floors down in and around January 26. My decision has been to completely unpack and then if I have to move, just do it strategically so that every item can just be transported to its exact location two floors down. Thus, I am completely settled into the room.

There are two Amsterdam home students suppose to be on their way to Warwick for mobility but have been held back due to visa issues. It completely sucks for them, but great for us since they've been amazing guides to the city. We met with them two days ago and they gave us a tour of the university buildings and an 'in' about how to maximize our Amsterdam experience: a three month museum card, discount theatre tickets, the best places to get a coffee, and even a thorough tour through the red-light district. One of the buildings we study in is technically in the red-light district. I'm sure I won't get to say that again.

They took us to a super trendy cafe called Geels & Co. It's close to school and has some amazing types of tea and coffee. The best part, however, was the homemade scones which come with fresh cream and jars of jam to spread liberally over the pastry. Apparently people come from far and wide to take home their jams - we dined on lemon curd and pineapple spice. Needless to say, they were delicious. From there we were taken to another area of the city which I hadn't visited before. It had a lot of the theatres and places to buy tickets. Since Amsterdam is one of the more popular cities in mainland Europe, it gets a lot of really great touring productions. It sounds like I'll be able to see some incredible theatre this term. I also learned that you could get a month pass to the cinema for 17 Euros (as many movies as you like). Since I've been movie deprived the past few months, it's a tempting offer - I've seen hardly any GG and soon to be Oscar films.

Yesterday, Bec and I checked out the city's largest outdoor market called Albert-Cuypmarkt. The fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, and clothing stalls span nearly two miles! While we were only there to browse, I plan to make it a weekly visit to cut down on food costs. The fruit and veg is fresh and much cheaper than that in the supermarket. I saw a stand advertising three avocados for 99 cents! We walked for a good three hours through various parts of the city. I'm continually amazed at the variety of stores and shops here - in our travels we must have walked by eight bakeries, six cheese shops, a couple of butchers, and at least fifty restaurants and cafes. It's similar in big centres like London and Paris where it seems that all these specialty shops and restaurants can survive even though there are so many of them. My guess is that the annual influx of tourists must be what sustains them.

I've come to understand a lot about The Netherlands in this past week and I'm sure it will accumulate as the term goes on. Some of the more interesting items I've learned:

i) Holland is actually a region inside The Netherlands and thus, an incorrect term when referring to the whole country. People don't like it when you call the country Holland.

ii) I've been told that the Dutch are a reserved people. Although they are very warm, they generally keep to themselves and are very quiet about their private lives.

iii) The 'g' and the 'ch' are pronounced like the 'ch' sound in 'loch' - I imagine this to be a flemmy type of 'kh' sound. I'll have to find out how it's really suppose to sound. I think I'll avoid trying to order a mug of Grolsch in the meantime.

iv) It's rude to leave a table during a meal, even if you have to go to the bathroom. I wonder if bladders will be tested sometime in the term.

v) There are corner stalls selling raw herring which you are suppose to eat by raising its tail over your head and devouring it upwards. There is also the less messy option of having it on a bun. I haven't indulged yet, but I'll get back to you.

Today I'm headed to TMobile to try and obtain a Netherlands phone number. Luckily, I don't think this will cost too much as pay-as-you-go plans are all the rage here in Europe. Tomorrow evening we're going to see one of our fellow classmates, a resident Dutch girl who will going to Warwick on mobility, perform in a dance piece.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: This website has been extremely helpful in learning about Dutch traditions and culture. If you plan to visit, or would find pleasure in picturing me bumble through these activities, I encourage you to take a look:
How to Survive Holland
(Not calling it Holland would be the first step!)

Also, for interest's sake, check out Obama's new ride.

Houseguests Hit the Amdam.doc

While it may seem like a bit of a hectic scenario to host friends two days after you've just arrived, the visit from Emily and Steve was a most fitting way to get oriented to my new surroundings. They touched down in Amsterdam on Wednesday and we walked back to my apartment from the train station in twenty-five minutes. After hearing of their wonderful adventures in Spain, and my time spent jumping around the UK, we all recharged our batteries that afternoon for the three days ahead. One of the perks of my location is the grocery store located directly in the building. That evening we bought a bunch of supplies and christened my kitchen with a delicious stir-fry. You may not know it, but Steve is quite a good chef - Emily and I played the role of sous-chefs. That evening we stayed up chatting with two bottles of wine before being overcoming with sleep.

The next morning we had some Tim Hortons 'cowboy coffee' (just boiled on the stove) with spinach omelets. That day we decided to walk around the beautiful city - it was still quite cold here but the sun was brightly shining. Our first stop was the Anne Frank Museum which Emily had visited on a previous trip to Amsterdam with her family. It is a very powerful exhibit, the strength of which comes from the subtlety of the presentation and the tasteful way in which the house has been preserved. None of the furniture from the original house is kept on display, at the request of Otto Frank, and this allows for visitors to picture the conditions in the annex rather than view the setup from beyond a velvet rope. As well, the information about Anne and the family is presented without too much outside intervention which I appreciated. Walking up the narrow staircases and through the trap bookcase really brought home the severity of the conditions in Europe during WWII. It was one of the most memorable exhibits I've seen in Europe.

From there we continued to plot our way through the city. We visited the Waterlooplein outdoor market which is one of the city's oldest flea markets. There were rows of stalls offering vintage clothing, shoes, food, and, of course, lots of bicycle paraphenelia. Emily's quest of the day was buying a pair of gloves for the chilly weather. We stopped at every shop and tourist outlet but all she could find were pairs for 5 Euros (much too expensive). With no luck at the outdoor market, H&M proved to be the cheapest option where Steve and Em found a two pack pair of gloves for 5 Euros. Success all around. The final stop before returning home for dinner was a massive record store called Concerto where Emily and I listened to tracks on headphones and Steve took a browse of the record offerings. He was able to find two records worth shelling out for.

That night we repeated the dinner option from the night before and made yet another stir fry (this time with teryaki sauce). The plan for that evening was to begin with a bottle of wine and then head out. Upon departure we decided that a map wasn't necessary since we had a pretty decent handle on where we were going - hubris on our part. After walking for twenty minutes we realized we were quite off-track from the place we wanted to be, and without a map, were left guessing which might be the right way. We turned a corner near the 'Dam' area of town and found ourselves right smack in the middle of the Red Light District. A happy accident. We had planned to make a proper visit to the area the next evening but figured since we had wandered upon it, we should explore a bit. It is quite a sight and definitely worth taking a look just to say you've seen the area. I found it hard to know how to behave walking down the street - do you look inside all the windows so you get the full experience or do you avoid making eye contact for fear of an interaction? I think our small "interested but not involved" walk of the area was the best way to experience - we felt removed enough from what was going on to observe.

We exited the RL district and found ourselves closer to the area we thought the bar might be on. We were wrong. We finally gave up and resolved to walk back in the direction of home when the street we were looking for seemed to appear out of nowhere. Who says you need a map to get around in a foreign city? The bar we went to was really funky and alternative - it felt like we were in a place you'd see in a movie. There was a really eclectic crowd, they played a lot of David Bowie, people were sitting on the pool tables because the space was packed, and the general feel was really laid-back. We left the bar around 3am and hiked it all the way back to the Sarphati apartment.

The next morning was yet more cowboy coffee and spinach omelets. It proved to be great energy food for our walks around the city. I took the crew through a route I had planned out from the city guide. In our early journeys we were stopped at a canal while the bridge went up for a boat - this was done extremely efficiently and without much fuss (very impressive). We walked by the massive Zoo which is the oldest in Europe; it's actually only five minutes from my place. From there we visited the Hollansche Schouwburg which use to be a large theatre in the city. During WWII it was used as an intake facility for the Nazis and now it is a memorial commemorating victims of the Holocaust. It too was a powerful exhibit. The list of family names of Jews killed during the Holocaust was particularly striking. After the museum, we did a roundabout and walked past the Heineken Brewery (who wanted a steep 15 Euros for admission), the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the House of Bols (a famous bartending museum), and found ourselves in Vondelpark. The walk was a good two hours but we were able to see a lot of the city's landmarks. The museums are definitely something I'll be visiting in the next few months.

That evening we decided to avoid heading to a bar and instead spent our money on dinner. We went to a really stellar Chinese restaurant in Chinatown where we split four dishes. We actually weren't sure which restaurant to go to (since there were so many) but we had two separate people on the street tell us about Dim Kay. It was the Final Supper of the Holiday adventure crew. After dinner we returned back to the apartment and chatted about our travels over a glass of wine. Throughout the night, the Stroopwafels (the Dutch cookies) were continually begging to be eaten. The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast before Emily and Steve made their way back to the train station.

It was a great visit. Exploring the city with friends proved to be the best way to start feeling comfortable in the foreign city: I have a much firmer grasp on the geography of the neighbourhoods, am aware of just how to avoid the bike paths, and have been introduced to some aspects of the nightlife here. That being said, it was incredibly hard to see them go. Not only have Emily and I spent the last month traveling together (sans nine days a part around New Years), but having both her and Steve in my apartment reminded me of the jams back home in Kingston and Toronto. The music, the conversation, the jokes, and the chilling all reminded me of countless nights spent at Westview, the 1.9.1., 2.9.5., 8 Vine, and Isabella. Without a doubt, Christmas was the time I missed my family the most. Seeing Emily and Steve leave Amsterdam was the time I've missed my friends the most since leaving in September. I hope I'm able to guide some of you wonderful people around Amsterdam if you come to visit (two friends have already told us of flight details ;). In the meantime, I have the city of canals and bikes to explore over the next few weeks - I'm lucky to be living in such a wonderful place.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: I don't know if you can pickup Stroopwafels from the local Dominion (in fact, I'm sure you can't) but they are devilishly delicious treat that the three of us had to resist after every meal.

A Netherlanding: Arrival in Amdam.doc

This marks the 50th blog post. How fitting for this new chapter of Amsterdam experiences. Thanks for following along thus far!

I realized I left readers on a cliffhanger last post - on the verge of a ferry trip to my new home in the Netherlands. Then nothing for six whole days. You must have reloaded daily looking for the first report from the new world. Since touching down in the Netherlands, I've been overloaded with things to do and, of course, was completely occupied with my first houseguests only two days after arriving. Sadly, the guests have left, but this means that I can catch up with all of you.

Bec and I took a coach bus from London to Harwich (another silence W) where we caught the ferry from the coast of England to the Hook of Holland. I couldn't imagine a better way to travel. Bec raised the ferry suggestion in order to avoid strict luggage restrictions on planes. When we arrived at Harwich, we got a glimpse of the ship - it was massive! The boat took off at quarter to midnight and arrived at 8:00am in the Netherlands. Onboard was duty free, a cinema, casino facilities, and two restaurants. The major perk of the journey was getting a cabin to sleep in while traveling. We celebrated the mobility move with a bottle of champagne and some scones I had picked up in Wales that morning. We went to bed around 1:00am and woke up docked in the country we are to call home for the next six months.

From the Hook of Holland, we eventually found our way to Amsterdam after connecting with two trains. It was definitely a bit of a challenge to make out the schedules in Dutch, and having to lug our bags around from platform to platform was cumbersome, but we had a relatively successful trip into the city. The scenery from the train was beautiful - the Netherlands is quite flat so you can see out over vast stretches of land. Once at the central station we had two hours to kill before we could go pick up our keys from the Housing Office. We ordered a couple of coffees in the station and read through our city guide books. Since we had plenty of time, we decided to walk to the office (a good 25 minute hike) rather than figure out the bus and tram schedules. Amsterdam is having one of the coldest winters in the last decade (a doable -5 is the lowest it has been) so it was a chilly walk. The saving grace was the gorgeous sun than shone down and framed our first look at the beautiful system of canals that stretch throughout the city. I was glad we walked - it was a challenge with all of our bags, but we were able to start exploring the city.

We arrived at the Housing Office, feeling like we had climbed a mountain, and waited in line to sign our leases and get further instructions. It just so happened that I met another Canadian at the office (the passport is always a dead giveaway) who is studying an MA in Devs. She is from Vancouver and staying in Bec's building so we made one new friend within the first three hours of arriving. After signing away first and last month's rent, we were given our keys and a welcome package. From there, Bec and I split ways (we're not in the same residence building) and made the final leg of the journey to our pads. Thankfully, mine was only a ten minute walk from the housing office and easy to find.

To say that arrival was a disaster would be an understatement. I finally made my way to the modern trendy building (it was built in 2002) and loaded my three heavy bags into the elevator. I got out on the second floor, turned my key into the lock, and burst into my new place. It was furnished...with someone else's stuff...everywhere. There was a laptop on the desk and fresh food on the counters. I must have wandered into the wrong room, I thought. I checked the three documents that listed my room details and they all indicated this was the right place (or it should have been). The anger and frustration started to set in. I was wearing two coats, I was luggage laden, and I just wanted to drop my things and settle in. After unsuccessfully trying six different ways to interpret Dutch phone numbers and get in touch with the Residence Assistants, I gave up and waited for another student to enter the building. The first one I encountered, twenty minutes later, was able to point me to the R.A. rooms.

Thank god for the R.A.s. Tom and Myra, the first two dutch people I met, proved to be most helpful. They offered me tea while they telephoned the head office to see what had happened. Apparently, the office thought the tenant in the room they had assigned me would be leaving on January 4, even though his contract goes until the 26. No one got around to checking if this was so before handing me the keys (extremely efficient). By that time, the office was closing in half an hour so it wasn't worth heading back. Tom and Myra set me up in the vacant room of a girl who had just left for good. The first two hours after they left I was steaming mad at the housing office, really unhappy, and generally very homesick. It only took a quick shower, a jaunt to the grocery store downstairs, and a look out at the skyline from the big picture window before I mellowed out and realized I had arrived to live in Amsterdam. I was able to shake off the initial frustrations and appreciate the potential of the city outside my window.

The housing corporation has been less than impressive with giving me a final decision. What I asked for is to stay in the room Tom and Myra gave me, since I'm nice and comfortable here, with a cleaning of the room sometime in the coming week. They agreed that this was possible, and started to put the wheels in motion towards making it final (a deal with the tenant who is suppose to occupy this room on Jan 26). Aside from how uncertain this sounds, I've been here for five nights now with no interruption so I'm pretty happy. The worst case scenario would be that I move into the room I was originally suppose to have in two weeks time (this would be a few short elevator rides downstairs and the rooms are the exact same). No big deal. Aside from the room issues, the building is fantastic. It is in the city centre, is a twenty-five minute walk to the train station, has a supermarket and wine shop downstairs on the main level, and feels like a trendy little loft of my own. I feel really comfortable here.

On the morning that Emily and Steve arrived, only a day and a half after I had gotten here, the three of us here early (Bec, Courtney, and I) went to the International Centre at Uva for an orientation meeting. Note: when you are reading this post out loud to friends in the room it is pronounced 'ouva' instead of 'U.V.A'. I received my forth school email address and got to work setting up a Dutch bank account (it's my second off-shore account). We also received a tour of the theatre facilities which are housed in a really cool building near the centre of the city. There was actually renovation being done?! Where does a theatre department get money for renovations?! On right, Europe. We also met the department secretary Henrietta (the Uva version of Lee, Lou, and Lindzey). The university has been more than thorough in guiding us through the bureaucratic hoops and I am now well on my way to getting totally settled. That afternoon...I jubilantly greeted Emily and Steve at the Amsterdam Central Station for the final leg of the holiday journeys - the subject of tomorrow's post.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: A Dutch phrase book. Not only has it been essential for interpreting signs, but they packed so much information into one small pocketbook. Most interesting words so far:

dank u: thank you (an interesting mix of German and English)
broodrooster: toaster (bread roaster?)
stroopwafels: syrup waffles (a glorious cookie treat we ate all week)
alstublieft: please (...can I have a stroopwafel?)
pot jan drie dubbeltjes (I've been told...a polite dutch swear word on par with darn or crap)