Things have been busier than usual lately with the usual life/work/friends kind of things, but there's a few random things I wanted to share with the internet.
Meeting real-life bloggers:
This past Sunday I was standing on line at Batavia with a bunch of other foreigners who had all signed up for Dutch classes being administered by the lovely folks at Couch Surfing. We were all introducing ourselves and starting the usual get-to-know-each-other conversations. When I introduced myself to one of the two non-Italian people standing around me, his response was "Tamara? Do you... have a blog?"
Turns out that Mr Glen and I were signing up for the same Dutch classes! He's another new-to-Amsterdam blogger and all around nice guy. It took me a few minutes to get over the small-worldness of the situation, but what a cool way to meet someone. I mean, "cool" if you um, think bloggers are cool. Anyway, I really like the way Glen writes about Amsterdam, so check out his blog and then maybe one day you'll meet both of us at some random cafe.
Getting a drivers license in Holland:
I know how to drive (and yes, I can drive a stick shift) and have a valid US drivers license, but I haven't needed to drive since arriving in Europe. A few days ago, I got a really cool offer to do a ride share to Italy in December, which I thought sounded way more fun than flying. Only deal is, I would have to share some of the driving responsibilities, which makes sense. Turns out there's this law that says Americans who move to Holland can obtain a Dutch drivers license without having to take any lessons, if they do it within the first 6 months of their arrival IF and only if they're employed and subject to the 30% ruling. So while I am employed and have a contract and a legal residence and all that, I am not eligible for the 30% ruling, and for some reason THAT is the reason I can't get the Dutch license the easy way. As the nice woman who works in the HR department put it "so basically you're screwed." Well, it's not really that big of a deal. If I desperately need to get a license here one day, I'll take the classes and do it the "hard" way. But for now, it doesn't really matter all that much, it just means I can't (legally) help drive a car to Italy.
Whisky:
Yes, a topic that deserves its own paragraph. Tomorrow night I'm going to Leiden for the International Whisky Festival and I am psyched. The admission fee of €40 includes unlimited tastings from 19.00 - 23.00, during which I plan to taste everything I can while still being able to stand upright. There's two major reasons I'm exited about this - #1, I'm going with someone who really, really enjoys whisky, possibly even more than I do, and who knows way more about it than me - so I'll get to learn a lot. #2, an event like this would cost ten zillion dollars if it was in New York City. Or at least $150. Or $500. I don't know, really, but there's no way on earth I could do something like this in New York for 40 bucks, so that's all the more reason to take advantage (and visit Leiden for the first time).
Travel:
For as much as I love Amsterdam, I have been feeling a little claustrophobic lately and anxious to get out and be somewhere different. I'm going to do my best to visit Antwerp next weekend and Paris sometime in early December if I can find a rideshare or an amazing deal on tickets, but I also keep reminding myself that I'm very close to having all my debts paid off (lingering moving costs) and that having a zero balance on my credit card - especially these days, as the interest rate is skyrocketing - is worth postponing a trip to Paris. I also have to remind myself that I have a 16 days off in late Dec/early Jan, and I'll be spending the entire time traveling around Italy, hopefully entirely debt-free. I've started looking for Italian lessons in Amsterdam to add to the list of things I do besides go to work - climbing, Dutch classes, movies once or twice a week, and just the basic fun stuff with friends and hosting guests.
Anyway, since I've decided to stay in Amsterdam this weekend, I'm going to try and take care of the most important ingredient needed for the next big event: ordering a turkey for Thanksgiving.
Showing posts with label learning Dutch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning Dutch. Show all posts
November 13, 2008
September 30, 2008
Dealing with reality is so... hard...
Around 8.40am this morning, I stood in front of my living room window with a cup of coffee in my hand, willing it to stop raining. I wouldn't normally be up and about that early, but I have Dutch classes on Tuesday mornings at 9am. At 8.45am, I was thinking "ok, really, I should be walking out the door now if I want to make it on time." The rain came down harder. I felt very, very appreciative that my mother had sent my rain boots to me in the mail a few weeks ago. 8.50am, and I was trying to convince myself that it had really lightened up and I didn't need to bring an extra pair of pants.
Around 8.55am I was really wishing I had bought an extra pair of pants, because my legs were soaked (my jacket and boots kept the rest of me dry). I still gave myself a pat on the back for making it to my Dutch class, especially since only 3 other students braved the elements to make it. With such a small class, we got more speaking time and much more practice. But I did kick myself for not buying the rain pants I checked out over the weekend (it was so bright and sunny this weekend that I couldn't picture a day when I would want rain gear, obviously choosing to live very much in the present with that mindset).
So instead of dwell on the rainy week ahead and the current state of the US and European economy, why not just relive a few beautiful autumn days instead? (click on any of the pictures to see their full size!)
The halfpipe located in the Museum quarter. I stopped to watch the skaters (and rollerbladers and fixed gear cyclists) for a while, trying to think if I had ever seen a skating ramp built right next to some of the most famous art museums in any other city before.
I'm sure there are approximately eight zillion pictures that look exactly like this one, which I took just outside my friends house in the Jordaan. Bicycles, canals, and boats. I will never get tired of this scenery.
The sun started to set and I found myself back in the museumsplein. This is looking away from the museums, sort of toward the Concertgebouw (it's way back there on the left).
Leaving the park area behind and approaching the city streets again, trying to soak up every minute of the long sunset as I could.
So this week might not be ideal for sitting outside at cafes, but at least I'm finally getting the time to read, study Dutch, and maybe even stay home with a movie some night this week. That doesn't actually sound so bad, does it?
Around 8.55am I was really wishing I had bought an extra pair of pants, because my legs were soaked (my jacket and boots kept the rest of me dry). I still gave myself a pat on the back for making it to my Dutch class, especially since only 3 other students braved the elements to make it. With such a small class, we got more speaking time and much more practice. But I did kick myself for not buying the rain pants I checked out over the weekend (it was so bright and sunny this weekend that I couldn't picture a day when I would want rain gear, obviously choosing to live very much in the present with that mindset).
So instead of dwell on the rainy week ahead and the current state of the US and European economy, why not just relive a few beautiful autumn days instead? (click on any of the pictures to see their full size!)
The halfpipe located in the Museum quarter. I stopped to watch the skaters (and rollerbladers and fixed gear cyclists) for a while, trying to think if I had ever seen a skating ramp built right next to some of the most famous art museums in any other city before.
I'm sure there are approximately eight zillion pictures that look exactly like this one, which I took just outside my friends house in the Jordaan. Bicycles, canals, and boats. I will never get tired of this scenery.
The sun started to set and I found myself back in the museumsplein. This is looking away from the museums, sort of toward the Concertgebouw (it's way back there on the left).
Leaving the park area behind and approaching the city streets again, trying to soak up every minute of the long sunset as I could.
So this week might not be ideal for sitting outside at cafes, but at least I'm finally getting the time to read, study Dutch, and maybe even stay home with a movie some night this week. That doesn't actually sound so bad, does it?
September 22, 2008
A weekend in September
I just came off one of those weekends that seemed like it lasted for a week (aka: the best kind of weekend). My new roommate and I threw a successful housewarming party on Friday, and it delighted me to see my apartment full of people from all over the world (well, mostly Europe, but we had a chunk of folks from the rest of the globe as well) dancing and drinking and having fun. I ended up closing my eyes around 5.30am on Friday night which meant I had stayed up for about 21 hours or so. Saturday was easy-going and I spent most of my time hanging out with a good friend, enjoying the sun and some quality girl-talk.
On Sunday afternoon I set off on my bike just to ride around and enjoy the city by myself, which I feel like I'll never get tired of doing. I wanted to see if I could feel a difference in car-free Sunday compared to other normal days, and I have to say - it was great, but it wasn't unbelievably different. The concerts and street fairs set up all over the place were different, of course. I encountered my first event as I rode over the Amstel and saw a dance party going on under the bridge. I made it a point to ride along the canals and all through the Jordaan, figuring that's where I would really feel the car-free difference.
The Westerstraat was nice - definitely quieter than usual. But once I got to the Lindengracht, Lindenstraat, and all the little streets around that area, I really saw a difference. The thing is, when you're cycling around on a normal day - even on the streets without a dedicated bike lane - cyclists have the right of way. If a car doesn't have enough room to pass a cyclist, they just slow down and drive behind the bike. It's completely bizarre at first, but it didn't take me that long to get used to it - it just meant that the lack of cars on the street didn't really give me, as a cyclist, any more freedom than usual. What I did love seeing were the little kids playing in the street and pedestrians wandering around wherever they pleased without having to dodge traffic, and everything did seem much more peaceful. I also made it a point to ride around the center of the city in the busiest areas. I felt a difference just about everywhere other than Dam Square. I hate Dam Square, with or without traffic. For more details about car-free sunday, check out Amsterdamize, or go to this flickr page for lots of photographic evidence.
I rode around for about 3 hours on Sunday before heading to the climbing gym, where I successfully made it up some new routes and turned both of my knees totally black and blue in the process. When me and my climbing buddies left around 7.30pm, I was treated to another long, beautiful sunset as I painfully rode home. The sunsets are absolutely one of my favorite things about Amsterdam - I'm sure I've mentioned that before. I think this weekend I'm going to try and make it a point to get to the sea and watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean. I forget sometimes that I can do that - coming from the east coast of the USA, I'm accustomed to seeing the sun rise over the water, but not set.
And finally, after being in the Netherlands for 4 1/2 months, I'm starting Dutch lessons tomorrow! I figure I'll take advantage of the free classes offered by my company for a few months, and then start a more intense class once I've made some progress. Let's just hope it's never pouring rain on a Tuesday morning, so I can make it to every class on time without an excuse.
On Sunday afternoon I set off on my bike just to ride around and enjoy the city by myself, which I feel like I'll never get tired of doing. I wanted to see if I could feel a difference in car-free Sunday compared to other normal days, and I have to say - it was great, but it wasn't unbelievably different. The concerts and street fairs set up all over the place were different, of course. I encountered my first event as I rode over the Amstel and saw a dance party going on under the bridge. I made it a point to ride along the canals and all through the Jordaan, figuring that's where I would really feel the car-free difference.
The Westerstraat was nice - definitely quieter than usual. But once I got to the Lindengracht, Lindenstraat, and all the little streets around that area, I really saw a difference. The thing is, when you're cycling around on a normal day - even on the streets without a dedicated bike lane - cyclists have the right of way. If a car doesn't have enough room to pass a cyclist, they just slow down and drive behind the bike. It's completely bizarre at first, but it didn't take me that long to get used to it - it just meant that the lack of cars on the street didn't really give me, as a cyclist, any more freedom than usual. What I did love seeing were the little kids playing in the street and pedestrians wandering around wherever they pleased without having to dodge traffic, and everything did seem much more peaceful. I also made it a point to ride around the center of the city in the busiest areas. I felt a difference just about everywhere other than Dam Square. I hate Dam Square, with or without traffic. For more details about car-free sunday, check out Amsterdamize, or go to this flickr page for lots of photographic evidence.
I rode around for about 3 hours on Sunday before heading to the climbing gym, where I successfully made it up some new routes and turned both of my knees totally black and blue in the process. When me and my climbing buddies left around 7.30pm, I was treated to another long, beautiful sunset as I painfully rode home. The sunsets are absolutely one of my favorite things about Amsterdam - I'm sure I've mentioned that before. I think this weekend I'm going to try and make it a point to get to the sea and watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean. I forget sometimes that I can do that - coming from the east coast of the USA, I'm accustomed to seeing the sun rise over the water, but not set.
And finally, after being in the Netherlands for 4 1/2 months, I'm starting Dutch lessons tomorrow! I figure I'll take advantage of the free classes offered by my company for a few months, and then start a more intense class once I've made some progress. Let's just hope it's never pouring rain on a Tuesday morning, so I can make it to every class on time without an excuse.
July 23, 2008
Address change, and all the fun that goes with it
Since all the "big" administrative type of paperwork is taken care of in terms of me living in Amsterdam, I thought it was time to tackle all that little stuff - for example, officially changing my address from my friend's apartment to my new place. Everyone said "it's so easy, you can fill out the form online!"
So I did a google search and I find this page which points me in the direction of this form, which is only in Dutch. Not wanting to lose my momentum for Getting Shit Done, I ran down to my company's HR office and asked them for help with the translation.
Over an hour later, I was finally done. It was just stupid stuff that held up the process - I needed the full names of the residents of my old place (think about it, can you really say you know the last name of all your friends, and if so, can you really spell those names correctly?), a scan of my passport (but they wouldn't accept PDFs), my phone number... except wait, I just lost my phone... that added a few extra steps. But in the end it was all done, and if you have all your shit together, it really shouldn't take that long. My (Dutch) colleague told me she didn't have to take as many steps as I was taking to change her address, so I'm guessing this is a different process for foreigners. Either that, or because I didn't have my phone on me (so they can verify things via SMS), it just meant I had to provide more information.
Once this was all done I started trying to find Dutch classes to sign up for in August, but I haven't gotten terribly far with that. The University of Amsterdam classes are expensive, and the Volksuniversiteit doesn't offer anything until September (though they are a lot more affordable than UvA). I think I might start looking for private lessons. If anyone reading has a recommendation, I'm all ears.
Next up: replace my mobile phone, figure out why Telfort can't hook up my internet service at home, change my address with my bank, properly furnish my apartment, and buy tickets to Rome for late August (to visit my old roommate). Speaking of apartment furnishings, I've actually had some pretty good luck with Amsterdam's Craigslist and Freecycle. These sites don't seem to get very heavy traffic (especially compared to the New York City version), but within a few minutes of posting an ad on freecycle and responding to an ad on craigslist, I scored a free DVD player and have a few promising leads on couches and shelves. I'm also keeping my eyes peeled on the sidewalks, which is where I got two of my dining room chairs. There's also Marktplaats, which is mostly in Dutch (Freecycle is entirely in English, and craigslist is mostly in English). I wish I could just snap my fingers and have all this stuff magically take care of itself - but I just keep reminding myself: all the hard stuff is done.
So I did a google search and I find this page which points me in the direction of this form, which is only in Dutch. Not wanting to lose my momentum for Getting Shit Done, I ran down to my company's HR office and asked them for help with the translation.
Over an hour later, I was finally done. It was just stupid stuff that held up the process - I needed the full names of the residents of my old place (think about it, can you really say you know the last name of all your friends, and if so, can you really spell those names correctly?), a scan of my passport (but they wouldn't accept PDFs), my phone number... except wait, I just lost my phone... that added a few extra steps. But in the end it was all done, and if you have all your shit together, it really shouldn't take that long. My (Dutch) colleague told me she didn't have to take as many steps as I was taking to change her address, so I'm guessing this is a different process for foreigners. Either that, or because I didn't have my phone on me (so they can verify things via SMS), it just meant I had to provide more information.
Once this was all done I started trying to find Dutch classes to sign up for in August, but I haven't gotten terribly far with that. The University of Amsterdam classes are expensive, and the Volksuniversiteit doesn't offer anything until September (though they are a lot more affordable than UvA). I think I might start looking for private lessons. If anyone reading has a recommendation, I'm all ears.
Next up: replace my mobile phone, figure out why Telfort can't hook up my internet service at home, change my address with my bank, properly furnish my apartment, and buy tickets to Rome for late August (to visit my old roommate). Speaking of apartment furnishings, I've actually had some pretty good luck with Amsterdam's Craigslist and Freecycle. These sites don't seem to get very heavy traffic (especially compared to the New York City version), but within a few minutes of posting an ad on freecycle and responding to an ad on craigslist, I scored a free DVD player and have a few promising leads on couches and shelves. I'm also keeping my eyes peeled on the sidewalks, which is where I got two of my dining room chairs. There's also Marktplaats, which is mostly in Dutch (Freecycle is entirely in English, and craigslist is mostly in English). I wish I could just snap my fingers and have all this stuff magically take care of itself - but I just keep reminding myself: all the hard stuff is done.
July 7, 2008
A weekend in Heidelberg, Germany
I spent the weekend in Heidelberg, a town in southern Germany about 45 minutes from Frankfurt by train. This town wasn't destroyed during World War 2, so it has all that charm of an old European city and was full of beautiful old buildings, statues, churches, etc. I spent the weekend catching up with my friend Annette, a German girl I met about 3 years ago in Paris through Hospitality Club. Me visiting her in Germany is something we've been talking about ever since we met, but in between her moving to Japan and me moving to New York City, it was a hard thing to schedule - until now! It is always such a treat to explore a new place with someone who lives there. On Saturday morning, Annette greeted me with fresh croissants and pain au chocolate from the french bakery. During the afternoon, we stumbled upon an African market, so I enjoyed Ethiopian coffee and food for lunch. Feeling like I might want to actually get into the German spirit, I made it a point to order a locally brewed beer after dinner, which of course came in a nice, big, mug. The beer served in Amsterdam is always in tiny little glasses, so being able to sit and enjoy my beer for more than 5 minutes felt like a treat.
I was delighted that it was very warm, bright, and sunny for the entire weekend. After spending the day walking around and exploring, I took a very unplanned nap while laying on the grass, next to the river. That felt incredible. To feel the sun on my skin, to know that I didn't have anywhere to be or anything to do - it was just total relaxation. And after the past week or so of moving and busy days at work and not much sleep, falling asleep in the sun was just about the best thing I could have asked for. Later on Saturday night, sometime around midnight, Annette and I walked all the way up to the top of the castle ruins and had the most breathtaking views of the city. It was totally ideal.
German and Dutch are pretty similar languages, and while I can't speak Dutch (yet), I have gotten used to hearing it, trying to read it, and being around it, so this motivated me to try my best to use German whenever I could (I have zero background in German, other than learning how to sing "Ach du lieber Augustine" when I was in 8th grade). This was mostly limited to "ein espresso macchiato, bitte, danke," and trying to read signs and street names as I walked around with Annette. I asked her to correct my pronunciation and translate things for me all weekend, and she never seemed to tire of doing that, which was great. On the train ride from Heidelberg to Amsterdam, I pulled out my "Dutch for Beginners" book and actually read it, instead of just skim through it. Here in Amsterdam, I should at (the very least) try and get started by ordering in Dutch when I'm at cafes and bars, even if people will most likely respond in English. I started this morning at the cafe near my office, and the woman (who sees me all the time and always speaks English to me) happily responded in Dutch. I can't wait for Dutch classes to get started in September.
Taking weekend trips to another country is one of my favorite things about living in Europe. When I booked this trip, I unfortunately had to do it by plane (due to time constraints of getting out of Amsterdam on Friday evening), even though I much prefer trains for a number of reasons. However, when I was at the Frankfurt airport on Sunday night, trying to find where I should check in for my return flight, an Air France woman told me it had been canceled. I either shocked or offended or insulted her (or all three) by saying "oh fuck" in response, as the expression on her face was nothing short of disgust. I was more just saying it to myself, because obviously no one ever wants to hear their flight is canceled, especially on a Sunday evening when I had already made plans in Amsterdam. I nervously waited in line at the KLM counter, and was offered the following solutions - a later flight with a different airline, or a direct train to Amsterdam that would get me home by 9.30pm. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to take the train, and made it back to Amsterdam with plenty of daylight still left. My bike was fortunately right where I had left it (just down the street from Centraal Station, near a church), and a friend was waiting to greet me with home cooked dinner.
Next trip: Berlin, in two weeks. It will be my second visit to that city, this time to stay with friends, and I can't wait. This summer is shaping up to be one of the best of my life.
I was delighted that it was very warm, bright, and sunny for the entire weekend. After spending the day walking around and exploring, I took a very unplanned nap while laying on the grass, next to the river. That felt incredible. To feel the sun on my skin, to know that I didn't have anywhere to be or anything to do - it was just total relaxation. And after the past week or so of moving and busy days at work and not much sleep, falling asleep in the sun was just about the best thing I could have asked for. Later on Saturday night, sometime around midnight, Annette and I walked all the way up to the top of the castle ruins and had the most breathtaking views of the city. It was totally ideal.
German and Dutch are pretty similar languages, and while I can't speak Dutch (yet), I have gotten used to hearing it, trying to read it, and being around it, so this motivated me to try my best to use German whenever I could (I have zero background in German, other than learning how to sing "Ach du lieber Augustine" when I was in 8th grade). This was mostly limited to "ein espresso macchiato, bitte, danke," and trying to read signs and street names as I walked around with Annette. I asked her to correct my pronunciation and translate things for me all weekend, and she never seemed to tire of doing that, which was great. On the train ride from Heidelberg to Amsterdam, I pulled out my "Dutch for Beginners" book and actually read it, instead of just skim through it. Here in Amsterdam, I should at (the very least) try and get started by ordering in Dutch when I'm at cafes and bars, even if people will most likely respond in English. I started this morning at the cafe near my office, and the woman (who sees me all the time and always speaks English to me) happily responded in Dutch. I can't wait for Dutch classes to get started in September.
Taking weekend trips to another country is one of my favorite things about living in Europe. When I booked this trip, I unfortunately had to do it by plane (due to time constraints of getting out of Amsterdam on Friday evening), even though I much prefer trains for a number of reasons. However, when I was at the Frankfurt airport on Sunday night, trying to find where I should check in for my return flight, an Air France woman told me it had been canceled. I either shocked or offended or insulted her (or all three) by saying "oh fuck" in response, as the expression on her face was nothing short of disgust. I was more just saying it to myself, because obviously no one ever wants to hear their flight is canceled, especially on a Sunday evening when I had already made plans in Amsterdam. I nervously waited in line at the KLM counter, and was offered the following solutions - a later flight with a different airline, or a direct train to Amsterdam that would get me home by 9.30pm. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to take the train, and made it back to Amsterdam with plenty of daylight still left. My bike was fortunately right where I had left it (just down the street from Centraal Station, near a church), and a friend was waiting to greet me with home cooked dinner.
Next trip: Berlin, in two weeks. It will be my second visit to that city, this time to stay with friends, and I can't wait. This summer is shaping up to be one of the best of my life.
June 17, 2008
Where I've been going, what I've been doing
Picnics - the easiest location for me is Vondelpark, since it's so close to home and everyone knows it. But this past weekend I went for a Sunday night picnic at Beatrixpark, and it really seemed like me and my friends were the only people there. This park is in the south east of the city, near the Rai station. I got a little (okay, a lot) lost on my way there, and once I got tired of consulting my map I just stopped and asked people for directions. When I rode home with a friend, I found a much, much more direct route. I love picnics in Amsterdam parks - there are no rules about where you can or can't sit on the grass, dogs run around all over the place, and no one kicks you out at a certain time.
Bars/Cafes - places I've gone to recently include Soundgarden, OT301, Studio K, DeBalie (of course, for free wifi) and the Kriterion. Look those places up in you're in Amsterdam; they all have a really great vibe. The Soundgarden has this ideal back patio right next to a canal, and while I was sitting back there I felt that wonderful I've-left-the-city feeling, even though it's off a major street in the Jordaan. And DeBalie was a lifesaver for me before I started working - they have tons of room, incredibly cheap prices for food and drink, and no one ever minded that I would often stay there for 5-6 hours at a time in order to use the wifi.
I went to the Hope Box offices recently for a Friday night screening, in the north of Amsterdam (I took that picture just outside the office). I'll go do anything if it means I get to take a ferry to get there, so I didn't even really mind that the film was in Serbian with Dutch subtitles - actually, I was happy to find myself in the situation where I was the only non-Dutch-speaker in the room - the more this happens, the more motivated I become to learn the language. This cultural center is a global project - I think the best way I can sum it up is bringing people together from all over the world through visual arts. Visit their website to learn more. If you're interested, come along to their event this Saturday, the 21st of June at the GO Gallery (Prinsengracht 64) - I'm planning to attend, so say hi if you're there!
Speaking of learning the language, no, I haven't learned Dutch at all. I mean, I certainly know more than I did 2 months ago, and I'm getting better at reading menus and hearing the names of streets and whatnot, but I really, really don't know Dutch, and I would like for that to change. I'm going to start taking classes in September (they're offered for free by my company), but I think before I start that I may sign up for a month or two of private lessons. It's really easy to get around using English, but the thing that frustrates me is not being able to pronounce the names of the roads and streets, or even worse, the fact that I can't hear it right when someone else says it.
Tonight is another big game for Holland, and I still haven't found my inner football fan, so I'm thinking that a picnic in the park sounds like a nice way to spend some time while the rest of the city is at bars and cafes, going completely insane. And if Holland wins, that means a city full of happy people, so hey, I'll go ahead and root for Holland too. From a distance.
Bars/Cafes - places I've gone to recently include Soundgarden, OT301, Studio K, DeBalie (of course, for free wifi) and the Kriterion. Look those places up in you're in Amsterdam; they all have a really great vibe. The Soundgarden has this ideal back patio right next to a canal, and while I was sitting back there I felt that wonderful I've-left-the-city feeling, even though it's off a major street in the Jordaan. And DeBalie was a lifesaver for me before I started working - they have tons of room, incredibly cheap prices for food and drink, and no one ever minded that I would often stay there for 5-6 hours at a time in order to use the wifi.
I went to the Hope Box offices recently for a Friday night screening, in the north of Amsterdam (I took that picture just outside the office). I'll go do anything if it means I get to take a ferry to get there, so I didn't even really mind that the film was in Serbian with Dutch subtitles - actually, I was happy to find myself in the situation where I was the only non-Dutch-speaker in the room - the more this happens, the more motivated I become to learn the language. This cultural center is a global project - I think the best way I can sum it up is bringing people together from all over the world through visual arts. Visit their website to learn more. If you're interested, come along to their event this Saturday, the 21st of June at the GO Gallery (Prinsengracht 64) - I'm planning to attend, so say hi if you're there!Speaking of learning the language, no, I haven't learned Dutch at all. I mean, I certainly know more than I did 2 months ago, and I'm getting better at reading menus and hearing the names of streets and whatnot, but I really, really don't know Dutch, and I would like for that to change. I'm going to start taking classes in September (they're offered for free by my company), but I think before I start that I may sign up for a month or two of private lessons. It's really easy to get around using English, but the thing that frustrates me is not being able to pronounce the names of the roads and streets, or even worse, the fact that I can't hear it right when someone else says it.
Tonight is another big game for Holland, and I still haven't found my inner football fan, so I'm thinking that a picnic in the park sounds like a nice way to spend some time while the rest of the city is at bars and cafes, going completely insane. And if Holland wins, that means a city full of happy people, so hey, I'll go ahead and root for Holland too. From a distance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
