Last day of November

Well, this has crept up on me somewhat. There's only three weeks of university left until the end of term and tomorrow will be the first day of Busy December... the month of at least one 'event' a day. Eep.

It's been a long time coming but, after about
six hours work they're up at last!

Today was supposed to by the start of 'Busy December' with a music DVD night with Thijs and Hester but I have come over feeling like, to put it eloquently, crap and have had to pull out. On the bright side, I have done some brilliant work over this weekend and am now officially ahead in my subjects. I also, finally managed to get my curtains made and up. So, in short, I feel like life is vaguely in control ahead of the wonderful but deadly month of December.

Talking of which, the next month is either going to be a dense or sparse one as far as blogging goes. There is a lot going on which, hypothetically should mean a lot to blog about. However, it also means that there is unlikely to be a lot of time to actually sit down and write the blogs. When I get home for Christmas, while I'll have the time, I am going to be staying in a rented cottage and may well not have internet access.

Ultimately, as always, I will write about each event but there may be some delay in posting of blogs so bear with me and please forgive absences/so many posts.

And now I am going to cuddle up in bed and attempt to force my dear body to recover before things really do get busy.

This post is not for facebook

Visting Utrecht...kinda...

I'm attempting to blog each time I visit a place outside of Amsterdam or go to a specific event in order to give those of you back in the UK (or elsewhere outside of the Netherlands) a bit of an insight into the country, as I find it. However, today's trip to Utrecht wasn't the most interesting thing in the whole wide world to write about. Don't get me wrong, I had a lovely time, and especially with good company, but it was simply so cold that I would have rather been at home!

As for Utrecht, it seemed like a really lovely place. Annelies has mentioned it to be various times, and how much she likes it, but I'd never looked round at all. I can't say that I got a detailed overview of the city but I'll certainly be going back soon. It was a lot easier than Amsterdam but seemed to still have a lot going on. In that sense it's my kind of city.

The place I actually went to visit was De Dom, or St. Martin's Cathedral, which is a Gothic style cathedral and bell tower, as my art history class was having a tour. It was okay but the conflict of interests between our tour guide and class lecturer, and the freezing cold environment meant that I didn't really enjoy it as much as I could have. To be fair, by the end, I think the whole class was shaking so it wasn't just me being a wimp.... for once.

The building itself is rather pretty, with some interesting internal features. I don't know if I would have gone out of my way to view its architecture as it's not one of the most wonderful religious buildings I've ever seen, as a holistic piece, but it was worth seeing all the same. Probably with better weather, and sunlight, it would have been a lot more interesting. I mean, you can see from my photos, it was one of those days where you can't even see a cloud for the mass of white that is the sky. I don't think that kind of weather does justice to buildings.

On the bright side, after the tour, Amber, Leike, Stephan, and I had a late lunch in the warm and that was so, so good. Good company and cozy temperatures... amazing!!

So yeah, Utrecht will certainly feature in this blog again and, no doubt, in a more positive light. Now, I'm going to attempt to get warm, get rid of my raging headache, and study a bit. Tomorrow is dress shopping day so there is joy ahead!

This post is not for facebook

Musical interlude

Having worked so very hard over the last few weeks it seemed only right that I took some time out today for a bit of music. I mean, it's not like I'm having to work so hard because I have booked a social/music event for every day in December, until Christmas... right? Sarcastic appraisal of own idiocy aside, last week I made the rather impromptu decision to go and see Rapalje performing with Fanfare De Eendracht Den Ilp, dragging Dania along for some much appreciated company.

The first half of the show was performed by the brass band. Now, I'm not a big brass instrument lover, I will be honest, but the quality of this performance was quite something. Seriously, seriously enjoyed their show! Not only was the playing great but it was a well rounded performance with lighting, projections of images, and some charismatic musicians. It also helped that I actually knew most of the pieces that were being played which was a bit of a surprise. I can remember looking across at Dania after the second piece and asking her if she was okay and her saying that it was "really cool" which was a relief, seeing as I had press-ganged her into coming in the first place.

Although the first act was a performance in its own right (I feel I should give brass-heavy music another chance now!) the second act was, of course, wonderful. I'm not going to write a lot about it as I've written so much about Rapalje in the past... and I need to sleep! All the same, this was my first time seeing the band playing in a proper theatre setting as opposed to at a festival or tiny venue like at Glastonbury. As always, they put on a great show musically and performance wise. Add to that the fact that there were a pair of great dancers who performed maybe every third number or so, and a fair bit of fire on stage and it was quite the spectacle.

The set was terrific as always. It opened with Dunmore Lasses which remains one of my favourite tunes even though I still cannot play it. Pretty sure that Dania enjoyed that one too! The rest was  a mixture of some faster pieces such as Home Is Where My Friends Are - during which the gentleman next to me to really got into clapping along, hitting me several times! - and Galway Girl - which, as always, is still stuck in my head. It was also the first time I've heard Teddy O'Neill played live and, as I love that song so much, it was super to hear it.

Briefly met the band (sans Dieb) after the show and got a couple of nice photos for the scrapbook. Actually, got an extra one of just me and David as I didn't realise he was in the first photo... oops! Oh well!

And the most important bit? What did Dania think? Well, I guess you'll have to ask her if you really want to know the truth but, from what she told me, I think Rapalje might have a new fan in the making here!! She seemed to enjoy herself, at least, and there has been some discussion of her maybe joining me for the Midwinter Fair to catch their set in a fortnight's time. Whether she does or not, I think that's a good sign that she didn't hate it ;-)

Talking about music. While I'm here: Today is the second anniversary of the wonderful Wyldwood Radio which broadcasts a mixture of different genres of music, based around pagan themes, every hour of every day. Not only do I want to wish them a very happy birthday but, if you're reading this and are into anything remotely folky, rocky, or trancey, then you should pop on over and give them, and some of their specialist shows, a listen!

Right, no matter how glorious today might have been, must get back to work... and sleep. So much to do and such little time!

Sinterklaas' arrival!

Before I start I should probably say that:

1. I am writing this after pulling a complete all nighter and therefore my brain, and my fingers, feel as though they are floating. If this post makes sense and isn't scattered with errors it will be a miracle.
2. I am writing this for my non-Dutch friends so if you're Dutch and notice any mistakes then please don't hate me ;-)

Here we go!

Yesterday was the arrival of Sinterklaas in Amsterdam and so, naturally, I decided to go along and watch with Leonoor and Dania. After all, I wasn't going to miss out on the chance to watch something that's specific to the Netherlands and miss out on watching loads of little children being really happy!

They don't look so happy but they were, I promise!

Sinterklaas is basically Saint Nicolas and, as such, there are similar aspects to our own Father Christmas figure, although I get shouted at for saying that! While the Sinterklaas festival is the 5th of December, on Saturday, he arrived in the Netherlands and, yesterday in Amsterdam. He arrives by boat and then transfers to a white horse which is ridden along the parade route. He's also accompanied by Zwarte Pieten who give pepernoten to the children along the route.

I'm not sure if he's usually joined by a load of old fashioned
fire fighters but he was this time!

As you can probably guess, the figure of Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter, causes a lot of controversy and, from what I can tell, there are attempts every year to change his design (either to multi-coloured Pieten or to ones with streaks of black 'soot' on their faces but otherwise not made up). As one might have expected, there was a protest before the event which was cleared away quite calmly by riot police before the children arrived. I guess they didn't want to risk similar scenes as the day before in Gouda where protests got a bit out of hand. Frankly, I am pleased that the protest ended before children arrived because, while I agree that there should be a change in design with regard to the character, adult politics and campaigning shouldn't spoil the magic for young children and therefore should be kept out of the event itself.

Naturally, bikes had to be involved somehow!

And that was what was absolutely lovely about the day. Little children who could barely walk having a wonderful day completely full of magic. One little person, upon seeing some Pieten up a clock tower started shouting joyfully to get their attention and get them to wave. A little girl was dressed up as Sinterklaas' horse with a little cape showing the saint on her back. There was a buzz of excitement and it was lovely to see. Indeed, for Leonoor who grew up with all this, I think it was nice to have the excuse of 'showing the foreigner' to let her go and relive her own childhood a little!

These guys just had a party messing around while abseiling - it was
really fun to watch!

The only not great bit about the day was the fact that it was completely chucking it down with that fine rain, non stop. While it was okay as, although we got pretty chilled through, we all warmed up, it has meant that most of my photos turned out rather grainy looking which is a real shame. Oh well, next time!

So yeah, that's it for today. I guess that I'll write more about the traditions closer to the 5th if (non-Dutch) people are interested. As for the next few weeks, I'm basically going to be working solidly so, if I don't post or am not around as much, don't worry! I've somehow, in my infinite wisdom, managed to book at least one social event every single day in December so I really must get ahead with work before the fun (and breakdowns!) really starts!

Wow, wow, and wow once again!

I don't normally write blog posts straight after shows - I'm incoherent even when I'm mentally at my best - but this one time I feel an exception must be made. I've just come back from seeing Apocalyptica with Maria and I simply have to write.

I don't normally feel both as exhausted and exhilarated as this after a gig. I guess the cycling home burned off the post gig adrenaline while my mind is still on fire from the experience. 

I didn't expect the band to be quite that amazing. I expected brilliance but they surpassed it. Wow.

Everything ready to go!

Apocalyptica are one of my childhood bands. I first discovered them back when I was first developing my own music taste. As I started to play the cello myself they became an inspiration. Seriously, one the first proper pieces I learned to play was one the parts of 'Cortege'. They could have been pretty disappointing and it still would have been an amazing night but, trust me, they were anything but disappointing.

Waiting for the show to begin, I tormented Maria with my excited bouncing. Poor girl, she kindly agreed to accompany me even though she wasn't a fan herself and then was subjected to an excited me! We decided to sit on the balcony which is not my usual style but was actually an excellent choice. The view was brilliant of both the stage and of the band. It was really interesting to watch the crowd dynamic from this angle - you don't see the patterns when you're a part of it even if you're aware they exist. It would have also been a great place to take photos but I gave up in the end because the lighting was not nice to my little compact and, with the number of pro photographers there, there will be plenty of images floating around in a few days :-)

Anyway, you'll notice I'm avoiding talking about the show itself. It's really hard to work out what to say, how to put it into words. The music was great. They're talented live musicians not just talented recording artists so that was not surprise. I guess the tech was a bit odd to start with as the drums were too prominent but that was quickly resolved and then everything was great.

What did surprise me was the dynamic on stage. Something that's to Apocalyptica's credit is the way in which each member has their own role within the band's sound. They're not just several cellists, and drummer, attempting to play coherent music but they're a band with defined roles melody, rhythm, bass... drums. While they make stray from this format from time to time it gives their music a real structure. But this wasn't what I was wanting to say... oh what was it? Yes, the fact that, on stage, there is also a clear structure. Eicca seems to be cool and in control, Paavo really interacted with the crowd and got them involved, Perttu was 100% full of beans and all over the place, and Mikko drew it all together with the drumming. In this sense, you have a really rounded stage atmosphere. There was a real feeling of fraternity amongst the band and that was lovely to see as an audience member. It felt like they were loving being on stage and that simply transferred. Yeah, it was great.

Not only was the potential of the important bits of music and performance fully realised but the design of the performance, both visually and set-list wise was also on form. I will admit that there were times when the strobe lighting was simply to flashy for me but then there were also moments of beautiful lighting design that really set up an atmosphere to compliment the piece in question. The louder, faster pieces saw the stage divided with beams of light and colour while the quiet, peaceful numbers received a more harmonious treatment. And the balance between those fast and slow pieces was just right. While the majority of the set was centred around, as one would expect, Apocalyptica's heavier pieces, it was interjected with two moments of calm. Not only were the tunes played in those moments stunning but this division of the set ensured that the heavier tunes did not fall into a monotony, allowing the audience to appreciate every moment.

So, a wonderful night? Undoubtedly. Did Maria enjoy it in the end? Well, from her grin at points during the show and from the brief discussion we had afterwards... I think she might be a convert ;-) Sadly, we didn't manage to meet the band afterwards (and I couldn't get my scrap-book signed!) but as I'll be seeing them next year I think I'll survive! Truly cannot wait to see them again - they've set themselves up at near top of my 'best live bands list' and exceeded the already high expectations I held. Wow.

Sorry for lack of decent images. I only took about 20 as I thought they were coming out even worse than they were. Of course, that means the semi-decent ones, and I use that term very loosely, are limited to no more than a few!

An evening in Amsterdam

I'll admit that, when I first moved here, Amsterdam didn't really catch my imagination. Everything seemed a bit artificial and I just couldn't see the appeal of the city itself. However, I've found myself rapidly falling in love with the place. The more time you spend here and the more you explore of the tourist track, the more the city unfolds. Granted, one could say the same of any major city but, with Amsterdam, I've really felt that transition.

On Wednesday night I went out with a group to have dinner, belatedly celebrating Sonja and my birthday. As always, the company was wonderful and the food was good too but it was what happened afterwards that made the night, I think, for us all.

We walked.

It was the middle of the evening, the air was crisp but dry, the streets almost empty, the city lit up ready for the festive season. It was beautiful.

When you escape from the plastic and neons of the tourist specific areas, step out into the night-time atmosphere, you enter a whole different world. This was a romantic world and not one that you see when you step off the train when you first arrive. It was a strange walk as we passed by houses with the 'perfect' family sitting scrapbooking in the window, a picture postcard scene; stunning churches which led to debates over the age and denomination based on art history and Dutch history, eventually solved by google; cosy bars with people obviously having a wonderful evening... if you could imagine a perfect evening walk, this is as close as reality gets.

And that is what I've realised about this city... Meandering alongside canals and over bridges, walking for the sake of taking the prettiest route you find so much. I'm not sure if we would ever find some of the places again but I am sure that, for me anyway, even if I was to revisit the area it would never hold quite the same magic as in that night.

this post is not for facebook

"Happy Amazing Birthday"

It's Monday and the weekend is drawing to a close. My parents have left, class has just finished, there are assignments staring at me with eyes full of judgement. I feel sad to see the end of this time but generally happy that it has been so beautiful.

My parents arrived on Thursday which, quite frankly, was the best birthday gift anyone could have given me. Thursday evening was spent unpacking goodies (clean clothes and cheddar cheese, thank you very much!), eating dinner and generally messing around. It was a normal evening. You cannot guess how good it felt to have a 'normal evening' once again.

Did I ever tell you that my mother hates loud noises?

Friday was my birthday and, after finishing a few essays for a rather tight deadline (I'm sure I fluffed them in my hurry but oh well!), it was time for my parents to return and to celebrate properly. Leonoor and Dania also turned up, bearing pie and candles, bless them! To have the pair of them turn up with edible stuff and twenty candles - they wouldn't settle for any less - was just really special. It's those thoughtful moments that mean the world.

Lighting twenty candles is quite some feat!

Over the afternoon/early evening we were joined by Robbert, who sang a birthday song which was a really special moment, and Thijs, who made me some really sweet 'vouchers' which are going straight into my scrapbook. It was just such a beautiful evening of memories. 

Somehow, all my friends appeared to manage to cope with my dad which is quite impressive considering he tends to terrify people I know... he was on his best behaviour though, I guess! 

Woollen gifts, instantly enjoyed.

Most of the weekend was spent lurking with my parents and, while it was so special for me it's not the most interesting reading for you lot (we went to the supermarket twice - it was really fun and that's not even sarcasm). However, there's one other moment that has to be mentioned and that's when Sonja, who had been ill between her own birthday earlier in the week and mine, bless her, came round. She wanted to come round to bring me a poster, which is up already, but the fact she didn't want to wait until class, wrote such a nice message on the poster, and came bearing hugs was just so lovely. Every day at AUC I am reminded how lucky I am that I have such wonderful people around me.

This is without mentioning the messages people sent. Hopefully I've replied to everyone individually now but as I only had mobile internet I may have missed you... if so sorry. Every single message was special to me from the simple "Happy Birthday" to videos of orchestras playing Happy Birthday in different styles to messages in multiple languages. Thank you every one of you. Thank you for making this weekend so awesome.

There's always one candle...

(P.S. Just for University-Aleksandra  who just gave me a card: Yes, I will continue to write and you are more than welcome to stalk me. Also, drawings of me on flying carpets made of books = awesome. Thank you!)