Looooong Weekending.doc

Fellow Canadians, we are sharing a long weekend! You lot back home will be engaging in the long practiced customs and traditions of Family Day on Monday while I enjoy a long weekend here in the Netherlands. OK, so technically all my weekends are long. Having Friday and Monday free from class makes for a great week. It will be short lived, however, since I have workshops being added to the schedule for most of the Fridays in March and a class on Fridays in April. But until then, I've been maximizing the time off.

This past week I was lucky enough to catch two films! Dedicated readers will be use to my complaint that I haven't been seeing many movies, and I just so happened to see two of year's best (if you subscribe to the Oscar categories). A group of us went to see Slumdog Millionaire at a really old cinema in the city centre. I really enjoyed the film. While I think it might have been a bit over hyped, I thought the narrative frame was innovative and the acting superb. The other film I saw was Milk which solidified my appreciation of the work of both Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch. I thought the story was an honest and unapologetic look at the legendary figure. It's just too bad that it wasn't released before the Prop 8 vote in California.

Friday night we had a get together to welcome Jamal from Finland at Dev and Stu's place. To give some background, Dev and Stu have a two bedroom flat in one of the residences. They didn't request to live together, but it has proved to be a pretty hilarious coincidence for us in the program. Dev is from India and Stu is from England - cue the quirky sitcom music. It actually couldn't be more fitting for a cliche sitcom (something named "East meets West" for instance) since Dev is a natural clown, and Stu is more of a straight man. Seeing them cook together was a show in itself. We dined on fajitas, played some games as a bit of a throw back to Warwick, and then hit the town to show Jamal some of the Amsterdam spirit. I've said it before, but I realized again Friday night that we have a really fun group here. There hasn't been a bad night since landing in Amsterdam.

Saturday I treated myself to a sleep in before hitting up the library. The library on Valentine's Day, you say?? Well, the extra weekend work (I did a lot of it) was in preparation for Emily's arrival tonight. I wanted to clear all of my readings so that I wasn't burdened by academia while she's in town. I managed to get a draft of an assignment done that is due at the end of the month and make my way through two readings for Tuesday. I had grand plans of staying until 8 or 9 but the library closed at 6pm?! After checking the schedule, I realized the weekend hours are really short - something I miss from the Stauffer and Robarts days. Upon arrival back at home I was able to connect with a great many people back home - Mom, Dad, and Brother, Aunt and Uncle, Meg, Jess, and Erin - all of whom sent love from Canada. VDay really is about spreading the love.

Today I'm madly rushing to get everything done on my end before Emily gets here - I still have some school work to complete, grocery items to pick up, and a quick clean of the apartment to do. Also on my list is to capitalize on a lead I have on getting a bike in the city! They're actually quite expensive here (100 Euros+ for a used one), so I'm hoping that I can get my hands on this one. More on that in the next post. I'm especially excited about the party on Tuesday to celebrate Emily's birthday. The MAIPR group has heard a few stories of our escapades and I'm really excited for Em to meet the students I've been talking about these past few months. I will be meeting her at the bus station in six short hours!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Spend some quality time with your wonderful families on Monday. I'm lucky that I'll be spending it with a member of my family of friends.

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.

Growing up in the Dutch Haarlem.doc

Oh Maaria Maaria

She reminds me of a canal side story

Growing up in the Dutch Haarlem

She's living the life just like a windmill star

Oh Maaria Maaria

She fell in love in East Amdam

To the sounds of the guitar, yeah, yeah

Played by Carlos Van Tana...

In honour of a wonderful day trip to Haarlem, I'm riffing off Santana circa 1999. Haarlem is a small town to the west of Amsterdam. It's about a 15 minute train ride from Centraal Station. It's a quick little journey.

A group of us went there yesterday to see a special traveling exhibit at the Teyler Museum. As part of our course in World Art the professor wants us to discuss the historical tradition of exoticizing human representations from Africa and India by the West. The exhibit was really interesting and a little disturbing. It chronicled a variety of "entertainments" where human beings from a variety of preliterate societies were placed on display for the enjoyment of visiting spectators. The events were constructed as displays of "the barbaric", but the practice of placing human beings on display proves to be the only barbaric element. The exhibit reminded me of the research on Blackfaced Minstrelsy I did for Professor Johnson at UofT. There is something inherently "icky" in studying the documentation of these events - the racist undertones are at times extremely overwhelming. We took time for the other sections of the museum which housed a pretty standard inventory of items - bones and rock formations, Dutch paintings, significant inventions...and coins. Honestly, is anyone really mesmerized by a museum full of coins? Obviously, to each his own, but if I had to go to a strictly coin based exhibit I'd cry.

To get into the event we all bought a Museumkaart which is one of Amsterdam's best deals. For students under 25, YEAR-LONG entry to the majority of the museums in Amsterdam is only 22.50. It's an absolute steal. Yesterday's museum would have cost me 8 Euros and the Riks and Van Gogh charge upwards of 10 Euros so it will pay for itself in no time. As well, it means I can just pop in and visit 95% of the museums in the Netherlands whenever I want for the next year: "Hey Rembrandt, what's shaken? The Nighwatch is going A-OK." My plan is to see if I can give it to friends that visit so they can use it for free entry - there is no photo on the card, only my name. This must be investigated further.

Haarlem is something of a miniature Amsterdam. It too has a system of beautiful canals, coffeeshops, and an array of pubs and trendy spots. It was, however, a lot cleaner and didn't seem as overwhelming as the "red haze" can sometimes feel. We were told that once the spring hits, Haarlem, and some of the other surrounding towns, are awash in field after field of gorgeous tulips all in bloom. I've seen photos on the postcards here and it's a site I've never seen - kms upon kms of beautiful flowers. It will be really special to see in the spring. Henrietta (the Lee-Lou-Lindzey of the Theatre Studies department) is planning to invite us out to her home sometime this term for a day in a "more-rural" part of the Netherlands. I am looking forward to it greatly.

After the museum we set up shop at a quaint little Dutch pub where the beers were tiny and very "heady." I've come to realize the Dutch like foam at the top of their beer. If you're paying for a 2 Euro half-pint you can't complain since it's so cheap, but half the glass may be filled with foam. It's definitely not how I prefer it but I'm getting use to it. The barkeep delivered some delicious freshly-roasted peanuts to our table and we soaked in the homey atmosphere of the pub. It seemed like a place with regulars. There we played a really fun social activity. On sheets of paper you create a film that is added to as the paper rotates around the group (actor, actor, genre, title, synopsis, and tag line). As you fill each category you fold the paper over, so the next person cannot see what you've written, and you continue passing until the movie has been complete. It's pretty darn fun. It's a bit of a different take on a game I learned at the Hincks' home which used drawings and phrases. We quaffed two rounds of beers on a glorious Sunday afternoon - what better way to spend a day?

That evening I joined Stuart and Becs, the two Brits I met two weeks ago, for another round at De Trut. This is the bar which offers super low cover (1.50) and 1 Euro half-pints. One would assume that as European Law Students they'd have a lot of work, but they always manage to find time for going out...even if it's on a Sunday. I met two of their friends from Australia. The music wasn't as good as the two weeks before, but the crowd was at capacity 15 minutes after we arrived and apparently the line was pretty large. I also bumped into two Dutch girls from one of my classes there. Sunday night was hopping.

Today I got some passport photos done for a meeting I have tomorrow with Dutch Immigration. To legally reside in the country I have to apply for a Working Holiday Scheme which allows me to stay for up to twelve months. Instead of getting a residence permit, which would cost over 400 Euros, Canadian and Australian students (but sadly not our American friends) can apply for the WHS for 30 Euros. What a deal! Bec and I are definitely taking advantage of the offer. Unfortunately it means I have to be at their office for 8:30am and it's on the opposite side of town. An earrrrrly start tomorrow and a presentation in the afternoon. But, coming down the pipeline is a P-A-R-T-Y I am planning when Emily is in town starting February 15. I haven't talked to her in a few days to make solid plans, but the stroopwafel assured me she was coming! I cannot wait to hit the town with her again.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: I think Carlo Santana says it best,"Stop the looting, stop the shooting/ Pick pocking on the corner/ See as the rich is getting richer/ The poor is getting poorer/ Ahora vengo mama chola." Fer realz.

It's Not Rocket Science...It's Theatre Science.doc

As you can tell from my lack of posts, it has been a busy week. After two months of nomadic wandering and free time, the structure and routine of a normal school week has been a welcome change. From Monday to Thursday I left the house at 8:30am (to walk to my 9am classes) and didn't return until 6pm - a normal work day for most of you, but not the usual for an MA student. 

We started the week with a day long introduction and orientation to Theatrewetenschap. The degree actually translates to Theatre Science which I think is cool. The department building is located RIGHT in the centre of town; we really couldn't be in a better spot. The lone university building is surrounded by many expensive hotels. To get to class I usually pass a host of doormen and hotel attendants in really formal clothing. The orientation day was pretty standard. All of the students had met one another already so we were given an overview of the course, a tour of the theatre facilities, and a free lunch. I think the course load is fair and appropriate - it'll be a hell of a lot less intense than Warwick.

I have two credits to complete this term. One is a semester long course called Key Concepts in Performance Research. The structure reminds me of my PhD theory class at UofT but less intimidating. The other is a combination of two half credits in World Art and Japanese Theatre. If I ever end up going into academia, these unique courses are going to be really valuable. Add to the mix a placement of 150 hours and it should be a well rounded term. The placement is still in development. An intercultural theatre company in the city was impressed with my CV, but the work they wanted me to do was mission statement writing. They called it defining the "artist flavour" of the company which I think was a euphumism for grant and subsidy writing. I said thanks, but no thanks.

Yesterday, there was a special Erasmus Mundus event at the department. A high-up from the organization was meeting representations from all three sites in Amsterdam and had requested to meet some of the *ahem* "international student scholars" of the program. The organization has been granted something like 500 million from the EU to develop these MA programs over the next five year. It's mind blowing, but no one knows about it in Canada! The program coordinators, whom the students are pretty tight with now, are in Amsterdam to pick the new cohort of students. Anyways, they put out the red carpet. We wined and mingled. It was so nice to see the director Janelle again - she's something of a program Mom away from home. I have grand plans to pitch to the Erasmus Mundus committee the creation of a job in North America where I can represent the program and tour the continent to promote (speaking at unis all over). I didn't think it was the appropriate event at which to launch my project. I'll bide my time...

Luckily, there were two bottles of wine left over from the event which the professors were happy to donate to our party last night. Hetta invited us over for sushi, wine, and socializing. We had plans of heading to a bar but they never materialized. We stayed at Hetta's place all night. We had a few drinks after class on both Wednesday and Thursday (there is a great little pub close to the theatre building). Social activity is 300% more vibrant here than in Warwick - there is already another party planned for next Friday. Until then...I have volunteered to give the first seminar presentation in World Art and will continue to search for a meaningful placement. Being a theatre scientist is hard work!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: I'm giving you 50 pages of reading to do! I have 150 for classes in the upcoming week. Consider 50 a gift. 

Fashioning a Start to Amsterdam Mobility.doc

Last we left our gallant hero he was prepping for a social gathering of epic proportions...

Well, that's not exactly true - I was getting read to host the first jam of ALL the mobility students in Amsterdam. That .89 cent brie came in handy. I ended up serving it to the guests with crackers and there was none left by the end. I had people convinced it was $20 brie brought over by a friend in France (Emily, who I talk about often!). I later gave up the ruse and told them of the great Euroshopper dealios. The first gathering of the eleven member group was a great success. We shared stories of our holidays (everyone was envious of my traveling), discussed the upcoming course, and got a general feel for the new dynamic. 

Like what so often happens in the theatre, it's always an interesting social experiment when a new group is forced to work and socialize together. I was pleased that everyone gelled well. I don't pay much attention to astrology, but I've realized I'm a quintessential Libra - our symbol is the scales. With social interactions, and generally life planning, I continually strive for balance, harmony, and the avoidance of conflict (I even balanced this sentence for parallelism). Having matured into this type of personality at Queen's, it's hard to recognize these traits in the mixture of my current group of friends back home (since the relationships are long established). In this program, and with it the opportunity for new connections and challenges, I've come to realize some of my stronger tendencies when it comes to interacting with new people and being a member of a group: I bounce around in the middle between each of the participants, am highly akin to the current mood of the group, liable to strike up a conversation to include the one standing by themselves, and generally, while it may be a bit presumptuous to assume, the unsung bonding agent that keeps things on the straight and narrow. Maybe not glamorous, and most likely different from home, but I'm happy to fill this type of diplomatic role in the MAIPR group.

Right, that was a bit of a diversion - just something I've realized about myself while over here. That's what being in Europe is all about, isn't it?! 

I think the hallmark of a successful prejam is that the party doesn't necessarily want to move from the initial spot and I was happy that the group was having such a good time. The predrink lasted an hour longer than we planned but we eventually made it to the fashion week party (my suggestion after all). I was really happy to see that it wasn't a super posh fashion event - it had a very comfortable artist, hipster, youthful vibe. While everyone in our group had dressed up for the event, even those I didn't necessarily expect to do so, it was nice to feel like we belonged.

There were free drinks as advertised; however, they weren't just handing them out willy nilly. You had to engage with the magazine and its launch to get them. We were happy to do this at first for a free beer, but by the time that was done we had a good spot on the couch we didn't want to give up. Libra to the rescue! I cleverly used the "jacket over the crossed forearms" trick, while I was looking at the magazines on the table, to reach down and nab not two, but four beers for the group. What can I say? I received a formidable education at Queen's. I didn't really consider it theft since they had twenty five free cases of beer to go through. 

The event was just what we were looking for - a great crowd, a few free drinks, and a magazine launch that made us feel "in the know". A few of us decided to head to a club after consuming our share of free beverages. We weren't there for long since the music was a little uninteresting. As much as I try, I can't warm up to techno-heavy Euro beats. It ended up being a late night, but a good jam before the start of classes. Sunday was bah-ring. I did some school prep, dove back into heavy theory readings and was thankfully distracted with some great skype conversations. 

Today was the first day of school. My LAST first day of school ever...or at least for some years to come. I'm academically worn out - this is my sixth straight year of classes and these last two years have featured an incredible increase in the demands asked of me. I always enjoy the challenge, but have grown somewhat tired of intense theoretical readings (if I have to read Spivak again I'll scream) and pretentious classroom conversation (where everyone feels it necessary to name drop who they've read - "This totally reminds me of Benjamin's 'auratic perception' "). This may be a sign that I'm not cut out for PhD. studies, but at this point I'm just chalking it up to six straight years of the classroom without a real break.

That being said, I really like my class schedule:

i) Mondays and Fridays off for most of the term - score.

ii) The main class operates six hours every second week - double score.

iii) Only two classes in the month of May to finish up the semester - triple letter score!

The term runs from February 2 to May 22 and like I said, May is ultra-light since we'll have a placement to fill the rest of the time. So basically three more months of class time. This leaves a lot of time for a good handle on the placement, hopefully some travel time during my week off in March or April, and time for guest visits (which I'm happy to report seem to be increasing!). Aside from feeling like I have to motivate myself back into the academic mind frame after two months of holidays, it is really nice to have a routine again. I had no trouble getting up before the sun this morning.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Imagine joining a group of complete strangers for six months. What role do YOU play in new social situations? It's been a really interesting way to consider how I operate...that or I've played too many survivor-balcony games.