Sardines in Sesimbra: Port 1.doc

Oh, to blog, to blog….

I’ve expressed before how hard it is to summarize a visit to a new place but the last week spent in Portugal is really difficult to put into words. So to give you an idea, please picture any film you’ve seen where characters visit a tropical or exotic locale for a wedding or some landmark event where havoc will ensue (I’m thinking here of Mamma Mia, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Beach). In these films, characters dine on delicious feasts, drink copious amounts of wine, get up to silly hijncks, party with the locals/family, and are changed by the awesomeness of their experience. In addition, the gorgeous locale provides a cinematographer’s dream as all of these events take place behind beautiful beaches, villas, and quaint costal towns. This is as close as I can come, dear reader, in trying to describe my week with Jessica, Terry (her father), Maria (her stepmother), Emily, and the host of wonderful characters that joined the story.

To say that Terry and Maria were hospitable and generous hosts would be beyond an understatement – they rolled out the red carpet for us. Upon arriving at the airport we met our hosts and their wonderful friend Louisa (her and Maria have been besties since childhood). On the ride from the Lisbon airport to the fishing village of Sesimbra (the place where we set our scene) Terry was having Emily and I navigate signs and answers mobile phone calls. I quickly learned that Terry is someone you’re instant friends with – he insisted we eat and drink right the whole weekend, taught us Greek swear words, pointed out local history, and didn’t stop calling me Doctore once he heard about my nickname. Similarly, Maria is a wonderful woman who radiates warmth, is a fantastic cook, and did not hesitate to provide us with anything she deemed we needed for the week. I could go on and on with no amount of hyperbole being sufficient, but it was these two fine people (and now new friends) who made the week so memorable.

Most of the week was spent on the beach so you can picture how that went – sun, sans, the beautiful Portuguese tanning away, and scheduled coffees and beers throughout the day. The water was unexpectedly ice-cold but it didn’t dissuade us from jumping in to cool off from the hot sun. I’m as tanned as I’ve ever been; like I’ve actually turned a shade darker. One special beach day was at a place called Meco (one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been to) where a flurry of waves provided forty minutes of pure enjoyment for me. In addition to the beach, Jess, Emily, and I walked around Sesimbra on foot, spent the mornings having breakfast on the terrace, and hit the downtown for some evening entertainment. With beers at the steep price of 1E per half pint and a bottle of wine a presumptuous 6E, we obviously saved our pennies and went to bed early. Evening entertainment included a night of karaoke, a bevy of scenario photo shoots, and a beach bar that was giving away free drinks.

One of the highlights of this trip for me was the food. Yes, it’s a bold statement but I think I can say with confidence that I have never eaten so well or so plentifully in my life. Lunches and dinners spent out, or cooked by Terry and Maria, were family style affairs with always more food than necessary. The meals cooked my our hosts were always wonderful. Me being the 24-year-old growing boy, I was usually (read: always) the one who would be asked to eat a large portion so nothing would go to waste. I think by the end of the week the group was curious to see just how much I really could eat. I was in my glory. We had sardines, cuttlefish, ribs, pork chops, black scabbard fish, octopus salad, and wonderful desserts and pastries.

On one of the afternoons Terry and Maria held a party to celebrate Jessica’s return to Sesimbra. There were fourteen guests seated around two tables going back and forth between Portuguese and English. Like the movie scenario, all the elements came together to make for a memorable party: a baby, a dog, great music, sixty sardines, a dozen bottles of wine, and some obligatory dancing. It was great to meet so many of Terry and Maria’s friends. Rui and Louisa especially kept me laughing all week. I can only hope that when we’ve matured our friends will be hosting parties as fun as this one. As Terry predicted, lunch made its way into dinner and everyone stayed to continue the merriment. It was one of the highlights of 2009!

In addition to all the eating, partying, and beaching, Terry and Maria took us to some wonderful spots in the area. We walked through Sesimbra Castle that provided a wonderful view of the estates down below; we drove up through rolling hills on our way to two other beaches nearby; we peered over cliffs where an old monestary sits on the second most Western part in Europe; we waltzed through Cascais a very ritzy spot just outside of Lisbon where celebrities flocked in the 1950s; and we stopped into five star hotels along the coast to check out their facilities and admire the view. I learned that Portugal is extremely clean, relatively cheap, easy to navigate, and filled with warm and friendly people.

The week with the gang was pure paradise. I didn't touch the internet for eight full days and instead was happy to spend the time on the terrace, beach, or stuffing my face with seafood. All this wonderful treatment left me with an incredible appreciation for Portugal, and an itch to travel up and down its coast. I have a funny feeling I'll be back there sometime soon. I also made two new friends in Terry and Maria who I'll see again in Canada or Europe. I hope to be able to invite them to my summer home one day. I try to stray away from picking travel favourites since every country has something to offer, but Portugal just has everything I could ever ask for - it has been the most memorable stop in ten months of traveling.

Port 2 will be photos from Sesimbra!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: When I mention that I gorged on sardines, please do not waste your time imagining the poor excuse for fish that you can buy in a can at the grocery store. Picture eight inch plump little fish that have been tossed in coarse salt and roasted on the BBQ. I put away seven in one sitting at lunch.

Canadays at Home.doc

I would be remiss in not mentioning my ten-day whirlwind of a trip back home to Canada before launching into new and exciting pursuits in Portugal.

For all intensive purposes my stop in Canada felt more like the beginning of more travels than it did a return home. In ten days you can only do so much. It also signaled the end of my fantastic Amsterdam pad, and the lack of a permanent address in Europe until, oh, the first week of August (fingers crossed).

At the same time, I was surprised how quickly I was able to ease back into life with family and friends. Yes, it was a bit of a shock to be able to ask complicated questions in a convenience store without feeling self conscious (but which type of chewing gum do you recommend, sir?), and coffees, parking lots, and cars all seemed beyond the size I was use to seeing, but these trivial joys just became part of the reason why we have that one place to call home.

In Toronto, the visits with friends the first and second weekends were beyond fun. While there were a lot of overdue reunions, we all fell into old patterns quickly. Highlights from my time there include dancing up a storm at Buddies like we always use to do, the opportunity to attend the She Said What photo shoot since I don’t get to see the shows, chance Toronto bump-ins, the Dora awards, a leisurely stroll through Kensington, and one of the most epic BBQs in Toronto history. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever have such a great gathering of Queen’s alumni in the near future – maybe at the first wedding.

Back in Thorold, I had an extremely relaxing week with the family. We had wonderful BBQ dinners, nights spent around the TV, paid visits to Aunt Theresa and Uncle Ed as well as Aunt Mary and Uncle Ken, and shared many a memory. It was chicken soup for the soul to see my parents and Todd. Also a highlight was meeting my two nephews Andy and Connor for the first time. It was great to catch up with my half-brother Aaron and his wife Kelly.

It all made for a hectic, but important, ten days. It was also the first destination of my Jetset July: Toronto, London, Lisbon (Sesimbra), Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Rome.

Doc’s Prescription of the Day: Thanks for making my Canadian visit a memorable one. We live in one of the best countries in the world.

I Feel Amsterdamaged.doc

Admittedly, I've been saving that wonderful play on words for the final Amsterdam mobility post. Yes, the Netherlands has legalized marijuana use and prostitution, but those aren't the reasons that make the city great. There is so much more to experience here. I now present the top ten things I'll miss about living in the city:

10. Stroopwafels - No other tasty treat has ever scored so well with its "across the board" appeal. No one in our mobility group could pass them up, all the friends I introduced them to were in favour, and they've even made splash in Canada. The stroopwafel spoke to us during the first visit with Emily and Steve, and it continued to be a welcome friend in my apartment. If only I could fill my suitcase with them.

9. Amsterdam-only experiences - So yes, there are some things that can be legally done no where else in the world but Amsterdam. While the "coffeeshops" and the red-light district were never a routine social activity, it proved to be an interesting aspect of the city that contributes to its reputation. Most notably was the really neat tour of the Red-Light District where I learned all kinds of interesting facts and figures.

8. Queen's Day - The Dutch know how to party. The Q Night and Q Day combo may have been one of the most hectic twosomes in Europe thus far: I went to a party under a bridge, slept for two hours, hosted a breakfast, and spent the day lounging in the city. I thought the screaming orange clothing would be much too overwhelming, but the display of national spirit was contagious.

7. Markets - If I move home to Europe after the course here, I'll miss the accessibility of the markets. Amsterdam especially seems to have an abundance of them - there are over ten in the city that I know of. They are the type of places you go if you're looking for an obscure item, cheap produce, or just to people watch. Give me markets, or give me death.

6. Cultural Centre - The number of arts events in the city are staggering. They are a number of world class arts venues offering an overwhelming amount of interesting content. I saw some wonderful pieces (Needcompany's The Deer House ranks at the top) and some not so wonderful (see two posts ago) and was able to take advantage of three months of free lunch time concerts at the Concertgebouw. The highlight of the cultural schooling was seeing Lang Lang play piano unexpectedly with Graham and Leslie.

5. Living in a Foreign Country - The UK felt pretty comfortable back in Warwick. I mean, it's not the same as Canada but one can adjust to the differences. Living in the Netherlands was a challenge like none I've ever had. I would continually have to try and decipher train schedules, grocery products, emails, and snail mail all written in Dutch. Luckily, Google Translate was an invaluable tool, but so was my Dutch-English dictionary. I think we grow the most when we're placed out of our comfort zone, and even though the majority of people in Amsterdam speak English, it was still a challenge to live in a country where the official language isn't my own.

4. Hip Vibe - I might not exactly know myself what this means but Amsterdam just has a hip vibe that I can't seem to describe adequately. I guess to come close I would take one of my favourite bars The Neighbour for instance. It's not the type of bar you'd find in Toronto - it's tiny, dark, plays hip music, and pretty much everything is allowed inside. This is Amsterdam hip - it doesn't care who else plays in the sandbox alongside...it's content just being itself. There is a quiet dignity in the city and its people that I really like.

3. Liberal Social Welfare State - After the collapse of the world's economy, more and more I'm thinking the Dutch and the Scandinavians have something right with the Social Welfare State. They may pay more taxes than most other nations, but the benefits from the state, and the UMBRELLA of protection this creates for the rest of the population pays dividends. These are a happy people, and they have a genuine zest for life you don't necessarily feel taking the TTC or the London tube to work or school. I'm thankful Canada places these values in its own constitution. The Netherlands is also one of the most inclusive and liberal nations in the world - again, I've seen the ways in which this creates a really positive nation.

2. A City of Canals - How come nobody told me about the canals before coming? Sure I haven't seen the ones in Venice yet, but I don't know if it will match the sense of awe I have biking home and seeing the canals lit with pretty white bulbs. There were about a dozen moments of epiphany (inspired by these wondrous canals) where I was reminded what a beautiful and historic city I was living in. Add to this the fact that they are the best way of navigating the city, and the boats continually traveling through, and I think it's the most underrated aspect of the city.

1. Biking - In Amsterdam, biking isn't just a mode of transport, it's a way of life. Anyone who follows the blog knows how much I mention the biking I've done. It honestly changed my relationship with the city. The moment I became a biker I went from tourist to citizen. As with the "hip vibe" I just can't explain how much biking is a part of the city: families do it together, young and old crowd the bike lanes, there is a shared sense of community, less pollution, and a beautiful chorus of bike bells dinging throughout the city. It's the thing I'll miss most about Amsterdam.

I'm sitting in the hostel in London about to try and catch 12 - 14 hours of sleep so I can ward off jet lag for the busy festivities planned in Canada. I am eager to see all of you tomorrow! Until then, catch ya on the other side of the pond.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: London, Paris, Berlin, Rome. These may be the Europe "must-sees" but believe me, Amsterdam is a seductive mistress. Make sure you visit this wonderful place.

A Brush With the Law: The Memorable Last Week.doc

It has been a week of "lasts" here in the majestic city: one last bike ride, one last tiny Dutch beer, one last dinner, one last MAIPR gathering, one last canal visit, and one last ticket and fine from the City of Amsterdam. Hold up - which of these things is not like the others. More on that to come. I'm having trouble remembering everything that transpired this past week since the lead up to departure has been jam-packed with meals, dates with friends, photo sessions, last-chance sightseeing, and reflections on Amsterdam mobility with the MAIPR crew.

Sunday night I had my friend Krystian over for dinner - he's a non-MAIPR who we met in our Key Theories course. One of the things I've enjoyed in Amsterdam has been taking classes with students outside of our program. In addition to meeting a lot of other Dutch students, we had some other international students taking the course: Inga from Germany (whose room I'll be occupying here for a week in July while she's in Greece), and Krystian from Poland (who works for the Goethe Institute here in the city). Good connections all around! I'm envious of Krystian because he has a working knowledge of seven languages - isn't that unbelievable? That evening we made some pasta and then hit the city for some drinks.

On Monday, Bec and I went for one last photo session around the city. We're a good photo pair - we both revel in taking shots of unique, weird, and interesting things. We spent a good hour at the three level bike garage near Centraal Station taking photos, and then grabbed some lunch at the major department store in Dam Square. I had never been inside so I suggested we take a look - it's like a Dutch Holts. Very chic. I'm really happy to be taking the bus to London with Bec this evening. It means I have a fellow traveler to bitch to about how heavy my bags are, but more importantly, Bec and I arrived to the country on the ferry together so it's a nice little bookend to the past six months.

Tuesday I complete a bundle of errands around the city - returning this and that, purchasing stuff for the coming month, and biking around to some of my favorite spots. The evening was spent having a dinner meeting with the my internship partner at IGLYO who I am developing the exhibit with for the conference in July. It turns out that I'll be working on the road for the next month trying to compile a bunch of information in preparation for the launch of the website we've been developing. Luckily, this just means that I'll pull out my laptop during downtime and layovers to get some of the work done. I also found out on Tuesday night that I'll be giving a five minute speech on the opening night of the conference at a reception for 200 delegates and invited guests. The speech will describe the project we've been working on and officially launch the website. On one hand I'm nervous because (contrary to what you may believe) I never find public speaking easy, but on the other I'm honoured to have the opportunity to complete such an important task.

Yesterday was my last full day in Amsterdam (tear). Thankfully, I made the absolute most of it. I got up early and starting the cleaning tasks, but put down the duster and the mop to seize the day. I went to the Riksmuseum with my Museumkaart and leisurely walked through the collection of Dutch art and artifacts. Having lived in the city for six months and not yet made it to the famous museum, I felt it was time. Rembrandt's The Nightwatch was a pretty stunning piece, but I still prefer the Van Goghs. After that I joined Courtney and Inga for one last free afternoon of music at the Concertgebouw. There was a lovely string quartet who played four pieces from Ravel. After the concert we chilled in Museumplein with some delicious ice cream treats. That evening, Courtney and I shared a wonderful pub dinner after hopping from place to place to avoid paying 20 Euros a plate (Um, I'll have some bread and butter please?). It was nice to spent one more meal discussing the Amsterdam adventures with Courtney. We've become really good friends here in the city and our trip to Berlin was without a doubt one of the highlights. After dinner, we joined the assembled group at our regular haunt (Orlaam) for a few more rounds of drinks. We then ventured to a festival after party and then to Studio 80 for one final club night. Because the day was a collection of some of my favourite things to do in the city, it proved to be the perfect send off.

So, the moment of note this past week had to be the ticket and fine I received from the city of Amsterdam. It was not for biking without visible lights (which I've done in the evenings) or running a red light (which I've done only when things are free and clear), but rather for sitting on a patch of grass in a park. I kid you not. A friend and I were sharing a bottle of wine at the side of a canal when two bike cops - whose median age had to be 22 - informed us that unfortunately the grass we were sitting on wasn't meant for relaxing and that we'd have to pay a fine. After politely trying to REASON with them about the charge (with no signs, no high fence, and no need for such Draconian enforcements) the youthful face of the law informed us that unfortunately he needed to follow the rules. My favourite part of the whole incident is that as part of the paperwork he had to ask us "why" we committed the crime. I paused to try and repress the smart-ass comment that popped into my head, and pleaded ignorance to the law. Thankfully, he informed me that since I'm leaving in two days I won't receive the official notice of a fine by mail so I probably won't have to pay it. The absurdity of it makes it one of my favourite Amdam moments.

I sit here with my bags all packed ready to board the bus to London in four short hours en route back home to Canada! I look around the room and am reminded of incredible times spent here with Emily, Steve, Raffi, Bronwyn, Cynthia, and Michael. I'm glad that friends were able to see my life here. I'm going to try and complete my essay in London so I have no stress back home, but I'll also try to sneak in one more blog post about the top ten things I'll miss in Amsterdam. The city has stolen my heart - it has been an incredible six months.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: If you're enjoying a patch of park grass all your own, make sure you have the right to be trampling it. If not, you'll pay for it.

Crrrrunch Time.doc

So the return from Finland has been an odd one. I went from six full days of excitement, mayhem, and late nights to the realization that I have so little time left in Amsterdam. It's funny how on paper it looked like I had ten full days to leisurely pack up and enjoy the city, but the reality has proven untrue. I've been trying to concentrate on the drafts of the two papers I've written but it seems like every time I sit down for revision, all I can do is browse flights for summer traveling or start organizing and cleaning the apartment for Thursday's departure. I think my brain has effectively turned off for summer, so I'll have to trick it into at least three more days of productive work before enjoying the arrival of my favourite season.

On Tuesday evening I hosted the MAIPR group over at my place for the last time. Jocelyn was heading back to Singapore in the morning so I figured it was as good a time as any to have a potluck to send her off. It was a really relaxed get together (the opposite of our adventures in Finland). We dined on dishes cobbled together from AH trips: smoked salmon and cream cheese on baguette bread, mozzarella and tomatoes, miso soup, a greek salad, and many other snacks. By 10pm the rest of the remaining members of the group made it over (Zhenya and Stu aren't in the city anymore) and we said some goodbyes to Joce. Thankfully, I'll be seeing her in September upon return to the UK. Unfortunately, there will be some more goodbyes in the coming days!

This past week I saw more theatre that I have in the last month! The Holland Festival is running and it attracts international artists to Amsterdam. On Thursday evening I was given a free ticket to I went to the house but did not enter by Heiner Goebbels. The play is a collection of four scenes using texts from T.S. Eliot, Maurice Blanchot, Samuel Beckett and Franz Kafka. The world-renowned Hilliard Ensemble sing the texts in a remarkable four part harmony in scenes devoid of plot and character but with traces of loss, grief, and depression. It was an extremely unique performance with no narrative to follow, but with a lot of intrigue nonetheless. I quite enjoyed it, but it's hard to describe.

The second performance of the festival I saw was The White Body by EA Sola. That afternoon a few of us had an informal discussion with Sola about the inspiration for the piece and her choreography process (she has been working with her dancers for over a year and a half). After a really intellectual discussion about the creation of her dance piece, I have to say that I was deeply disappointed in the performance. Not only did the wonderfully articulate themes she discussed in the afternoon not transfer successfully to the stage, but her exploration of cultural imperialism was obvious and patronizing (how many times can Coca-Cola and Marlboro cigarettes be used to stand in for a Western influence?) The dance piece contains two moments of interesting staging, but for the most part the piece has been overworked and under thought. After the show, our Professor Kati and two of her friends shared a few drinks with Dev and I. At least there is always a bar to be able to discuss the show afterwards!

The rest of this week will be spent tying up loose ends and shoving all of my accumulated items into my suitcase for the Thursday evening departure. In between I have one more city photo session scheduled with Bec, a dinner with Courtney that I hope we can fit in, an internship dinner meeting, and one final MAIPR night of drinks on Wednesday. After that, I can look forward to one night in London before hitting Canadian soil for a wonderful break with family and friends back home.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Enjoy the Summer Solstice activities. At the very least soak up the longest day of the calendar year and welcome those summer temps.