The Closing of Year Two

We might have found the best ice-cream
place in The Hague

Well, if one ignores politics, the last week has been quite lovely. The intensive period came to a close and, I can safely say this now that it's over, I actually enjoyed it this time. Got to say that is completely down to my partners in crime (a.k.a. my class mates) who were both great moral support and great fun. Got to admit that our post-exam lunch was the highlight for me - you know, no work - but they were awesome throughout. And somehow I managed to take no photos... I have let myself down! Anyway, I managed to get an A grade for German which I am so happy with. I actually got an A for the speaking which is amazing considering last year I basically failed that part. Immensely grateful to my class and teacher for their enabling in that regard.

I then had a few days to attempt to catch up with friends and socialise a bit before leaving. I failed to see half the people but I did go to The Hague with Leonoor on Saturday to look at a potential apartment and visit a wonderful paper and bookbinding shop. I'd bought from them online before but oh my goodness, the shop is a treasure chest. We also found an amazing bookshop. I was kinda lucky that the pound had plummeted as it was a good motivation to not buy everything! We were joined by Ryan for a drink in the evening and it was thoroughly delightful.

We did also eat, in my defense!

Sunday was equally lovely as Dania, Leonoor and I headed into the centre of Amsterdam for brunch at one of our favourite places. As it was a celebratory brunch we might have decided that cocktails were in order. We had planned to go shopping afterwards as I had quite a lot to get for the summer trip but, let's put it this way, I didn't manage to get much shopping done afterwards!

And then it was back to England. I'm here for just over a week and I have so much to do before my month (!) on the road. Seriously, I have so much to pack into the next week. Today, for example, I had my trial with contact lenses and the weird lesson of how to put them in and take them out. Really excited that I won't have to choose between seeing the stage and taking photos/protecting my glasses when at events but my eyes are feeling it now! 

So yep, enjoying my not so relaxed time with my parents before the complete insanity of the summer really gets underway. Who am I kidding?I'm so excited... and maybe a bit nervous too ;-)

Sinterklaas in Amsterdam

Today was the arrival of Sinterklaas in Amsterdam and, before I start, I'll preface this with pretty much the same disclaimer as last year:

I'm still not Dutch so I'm talking about my understanding of things as an English person who's heard about all the traditions as such second and third hand. To any Dutch readers who might be here - if you notice any mistakes then please point them out and don't hate me ;-)

This year was, in many ways, similar to last year in that Leonoor, Dania and I went into town and had breakfast before the parade. The difference was that we weren't in quite so early because I didn't misread the times this time (I royally messed up last year!) However, just like last year we got completely drenched in the rain so I guess some things never do change! That said, it did dry up as the parade came by so I managed to get some slightly better photos this year.

So, as last year, I'll start with something of an explanation for those who would be completely flummoxed without one. 

Sinterklaas, as you can probably guess from the name, is the Dutch version of the embodiment of Saint Nicholas and stays a little closer to the figure of the Saint than our own Father Christmas or, indeed, Santa Claus. We'll not get into the fact that Father Christmas and Santa Claus are technically different figures who got merged in the Victorian, I think, era right now... that's just going to complicate matters!

So, in mid-November each year, Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands by boat from Spain which is where he spends most of the year (well, where did you think he got mandarins from if he lived in the North Pole!!). Once he arrives in the Netherlands he has separate 'arrivals' in different cities around the country.

He's also assisted by Zwarte Piet, or multiple of them, a character who traditionally wears blackface which, quite understandably, has caused a lot of controversy over recent years. To be honest, other than the fact it's Sinterklaas and I'm basically a large child, part of the reason I enjoy going is to see how what is a very alive political and social issue develops from year to year. I believe they're currently trying to gradually change it to reflect soot, with the story already being that he's black because of going down chimneys, and it was possibly to see a bit of a difference this year. It's probably not fair to change him instantly or without some story-line continuity when it's a children's character who they believe in so I understand why there's desire for a more gradual development as opposed to instant change.

We decide not to ask for pepernoten - the little biscuit things that are associated with this time of year and are given out by the Pieten along the route - and leave them for the real children. Weirdly enough, however, one gentleman came over quite enamoured with my handbag and basically forced me to take quite a lot so I think Dania was happy in the end - thank you Sisi handbag!

So, after a while of standing out in the cold - and minus Dania as she was volunteering that afternoon - Leonoor and I decided to go and grab a warm drink and head back quite content. I mean, for all it's something for children it's a really interesting thing culturally and politically to experience as a non-Dutch person. And, lets be honest, I'm never going to grow up!!

Not for facebook

Booking a trip and terrifying yourself because you realise this means you're somewhat Grown Up.

If I've been quite silent recently - which I have, I know - then, once again, it's not for lack of stuff going on but rather that there is so much stuff going on that I simply do not have time to sit down and write about it. It's poor because, not only am I neglecting talking to friends directly, but I am also cutting off my little 'here's what I'm up to' space! Oops!

See, even now I should be revising for my logic exam. I mean, I feel quietly confident but I am also aware that I need a high A on this test in order to get comfortably get an A over all and I need that because I want to go straight to PhD but yeah... lets not get ahead of ourselves. The point being, I'm ignoring that right now because I feel the need to write about the events of last night. I mean, I actually wrote a facebook status about last night so we know this is serious!

Last night, in a bit of a tumble of "Oh no! Prices are going up!", and after about a month of juggling on my part, we finally booked our ascension holiday trip. And we're going to Budapest. Yep. I'm going back. So, so, so over the moon. 

I mean, the flights are painful. They're from Eindhoven and we need to be there at six a.m. For those of you who don't know the geography of the Netherlands and are interested, Eindhoven is down there in the Not-Amsterdam. For those of you who are really interested, find a map and look near the Belgian border. It's going to be an early as sin start. Flight back departs at six a.m. so I'm just ignoring that one.

I'm also currently in the process of booking our apartment for the stay. The ones in the building I normally stay in are all booked but we've been offered an alternative owned by the same people, right next to the Operettszínház which amuses me slightly. I gave Leonoor's name and phone number (because we all know how often I answer my phone) so am having to write to them under her name now which amuses me even more (*). I have become a Nora! We will also be joined by Dania, Laura, Thomas and, last but not least, Stefan, so I'm guessing you'll see them mentioned a fair bit over the next few weeks as we continue to work stuff out.

So yeah, things are slowly falling into place... well, violently tumbling into place with no warning more like! Just got to wait until everything is booked and then I can start getting really excited. Actually, with my next few weeks booked up as they are, I am going to start getting exceptionally excited for the rest of the semester the minute this darn exam is over and done with!

(*) She does know, and gave me permission, and I am running all emails past her before I send them with her name, just to clarify that I've not stolen one of my best friend's identity!

This post is not for facebook as I've already written a status about it and there is such a thing as overkill in this world. Also it's rambling and not elegant and yeah, many, many reasons.

That time we almost watched the eclipse...

Who cares if cloud was forecast? With the promise of a pretty full eclipse I was determined to be outside, attempting to see it. Well, I managed on the first part, the last part wasn't quite so successful.

After a quick ask round last night, Dania and Leonoor decided that they were both free, and stupid lovely enough, to join me. So, this morning, ignoring the ominous overcast nature of the sky, I filled several plastic bottles with tea (I don't have a multi-person flask), we bought croissants and orange juice, and we set off to the park.

Other than the constant cries of "I'm cold" coming from a certain person - no prizes for guessing who -  I think we had a pretty good fun time. I mean, sure, it wasn't exactly picnic weather but there's something rather enjoyable about sitting outside eating breakfast. It's certainly more worthwhile than being stuck in the flat working or, just as likely, in bed sleeping!

Just in case you do struggle to guess who was the moaning one!

However, sadly, the cloud cover didn't break for us and we didn't really catch a glimpse of the eclipse itself. I mean it did get a bit darker but, with the amount of cloud, that change felt more like the herald of a storm rather than an unusual event!

So, I'm just going to pretend that we weren't trying to see the eclipse at all. Instead we were having a casual picnic to celebrate the vernal equinox and that bit, at least, was pretty darn successful!

And it was fun too ;-)

I've found my calling as a tourguide!

Last Friday I was busy bouncing around with excitement. Some of my gig friends from the UK were coming out to visit and also to go to a couple of the Within Temptation theatre shows and somehow the mass facebook chats had made me feel as if I was going on holiday. Of course, Friday is also the day of my stupidly late class but somehow I managed to get out of class a bit early and somehow, with a fair bit of running involved, I managed to get on an early train. Because of this, I arrived at Schiphol just as their plane was landing which was a good thing considering they were up a strange end of the airport and it took me a fair while to find where they'd be arriving. That said, I'm a bit of a Schiphol pro now !! Waiting for them to come through the doors I did consider making a name sign simply because I've never had one before but y'know... didn't happen.

And then the group of five arrived. Kim and her mother Sarah, met on various occasions at a few shows, Marc and his mother Sandra, met once at a Within Temptation acoustic show in London, and Gemma who I had never met.

We then had the utter joy of the admin tasks. Buying five anonymous OV cards, charging them and counting out the Euros wrong was embarrassing enough, I tell you. Seriously Euros still feel like Monopoly money and large numbers... yuck! Oh and then the good old trains were all moved around, delayed and cancelled. It's a bit frightening when you feel responsible for a group, especially when you struggle to get them all to fit on one train!

Late at night - perhaps the only time you can get a photo without
hundreds of other tourists being in shot!

That said, we managed to get into town safely and, once checked into the hotel, we went for a little stroll into town. Our search for food led us to Rembrantplein (it seemed the most promising direction to head in) and it was worthwhile. For all that area may be a complete overpriced tourist trap, it is beautiful at night, and during the day, and I love it. A drink back at the hotel and everything seemed to be getting off to a great start.

Saturday

The annoying amount of work meant that I decided to stay home during the day while the group explored. I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped because I was still reading on the train that evening but I needed that time, and more!

Anyway, that evening was the first of the two Within Temptation dates and so all of us, sans Gemma, made our way to Almere. Walking through the closed shopping centre, totally deserted but yet a complete mass of neon lighting, Kim happened to remark on how it would make a perfect setting for a zombie film. With not another soul around, just rubbish blowing in the wind, it was hard to contradict her. Seriously, if my old urban studies teacher ever needed more proof that modern media uses zombies to represent consumerist culture...

We made it through zombie-land and found the theatre itself. After a preshow drink, we went into the hall only to discover that we were in the fourth row - why no-one had realised this from the tickets I do not know! I'm usually loathe to sit so close to the stage because you usually end up looking up and getting neck ache but, at this venue, we were at perfect eye height and it was wonderful. It made for an intimate show which was totally different to the show in Amsterdam a few days later.

When I eventually arrived back home I was bouncing off the ceiling. The show itself was something quite unlike anything I'd ever seen and I really needed some time to come down. Admittedly, phoning my mother and keeping her up until the early hours probably wasn't the fairest way to do this but I think she enjoyed my ranting to start with, at least ;-)

Sunday

Second home in Amsterdam

It was no real surprise that, come Sunday morning, everyone was pretty much dead. My delightful body decided to wake me up at six a.m. and refuse to believe that I really could sleep until nine and even then would not have enough sleep! It meant that, by the time I got the message from the others that they were pretty much all feeling crappy and could we meet later I was way too awake to go back to sleep. Worryingly, I can't remember what I did with that morning which should have been so productive. I ate toast, at least.

When we did meet, everyone feeling a little more alive than earlier, at least. we made our way to the Hard Rock Cafe. This was somewhere that Kim had been on her previous trip and somewhere that I had never been, basically. Having been unable to eat properly for the past week now (yay for health crap!) I stayed away from the rather exciting looking cocktails and the large very meat based dishes and had a strawberry lemonade and a caesar salad. I'm not complaining, to be honest, although my order did seem overly sensible, it was delicious.

After that, we made our way to the Anne Frank House. This was something that the group really had wanted to do and something that had never really attracted me so much. Her story is wonderful in its human poignancy, as are those untold or unshared stories of those whose humanity has been reduced to just names in registers. The people who helped hide her and others - amazing people who risked consequences upon themselves for doing the right thing which is something, sadly, I don't think many people would feel able to do. The only reason I'd not been so interested in the museum itself is that I had heard it was rather a let down. I found quite the opposite. It had been set up in a way that wasn't tacky, didn't glorify anyone, and allowed people to elegantly follow the story of those people involved. It allowed you to 'touch' the human beings involved in one event, to feel some connection to them, and then to expand it out, if not to every person then to some. Personally, I'm so pleased that I did visit and would now recommend it wholeheartedly.

After what was rather an emotional stop for all of us (I know I cried a bit going round), it was time to replenish with some cakes. I took the group to one of my favourite grab-a-cake shops and we grabbed cake ;-)

Well, you have to be a stereotypical tourist too, right?

After that we went for a quick stroll around the red light district because they had been told by so many people to behave and 'not' go there that it simply had to be done. I guess I don't need to describe this bit - women and the odd man in windows etc etc etc. It's also the best place for overheard conversations as slightly inebriated tourists speaking loudly about sex related things makes for an entertaining time. I'll leave that bit completely to your imagination!

Monday

Somehow, although I didn't realise it at the time, we managed to explore until super late again which meant getting up on Monday was even more painful, made worse by the fact I had three classes, all of which I was rather ill prepared for. That meant that, not only did I somehow have to get ready for the evening over the morning and the lunch period but I needed to juggle my final class prep work too. Somehow I managed and, at around six in the evening I was running for my tram in a veritable gale ending up with complete earache... but also getting there in time ;-)

The Amsterdam show was held in the Carré, a theatre that I had heard about but never visited. Seriously, it was so stunning. We were on the balcony this time, except for Gemma who was down in the stalls. We had a great time waving at her and having other people wave back... like those guys who returned my flirty wave interpreting it as aimed at them... oops. The show was exquisite and the setting really did do it a lot of favours... it was a bit wow!

After the show itself, the group, quite naturally, decided to gravitate towards the stage door in order to attempt to meet the band. I waited for Leonoor and Dania who had very kindly agreed to meet me after the show so I didn't have to make my way back late at night alone. However, a few minutes after their arrival we checked train times only to find that all the late trains had been cancelled and we were basically stranded by the delightful Amsterdam public transport system. We decided that there was no rush if we couldn't get home anyway. Dania and Leonoor being the complete heroes that they are waited with us until after 1 a.m. and put up with the usual pain of numb toes just to allow me to hang and meet some of the band. For all I detest the way in which fans gravitate on lead members of bands, Sharon in particular was so very lovely, and spent a lot of time making everyone feel special despite her PA rushing her, that I can't help but feel her status is well earned.

Waiting for the band in the cold. Worth it? Oh yes!

We eventually made our way back to the hotel although, as the bar was closed, I still owe my personal bodyguards a drink for their services. We also managed to get a taxi from the hotel which got us home in record time and for a lot less than I had thought so I can't complain at all there. It was such an amazing night and it ended so easily.

Tuesday

I had managed to switch to an earlier science class on the Tuesday so that I could spend a little more time with the group and see them safely to the airport. It seemed like a really good idea at the time but it was one of the most painful things I've ever done. Getting up at 6a.m. and staying awake through two hours lecture on the origins of the universe... well, it wasn't easy! That said, it was 100% worth it!

Magnums are not the most elegant things to eat ;-)

In town we first gravitated towards de Bijenkorf as Gemma wanted a frozen yoghurt and I just so happened to know a that they sold some good stuff. The rest of us gravitated towards the make your own magnum area. Not only are custom magnums tasty but they are also surprisingly fun and creative to design, bringing out the inner child in everyone.

After that it was back to the Hard Rock cafe for a farewell drink... or two... or three... or, in Gemma's case, four. Oh, wow, what a laugh! We were such a rowdy group but it was such fun. Something that I haven't managed to get across in this post is the amity. For a group that knew each other on a surface level to start with, we had spent a great deal of time with each other and had really gelled. Messing around on this final day seemed to sum up the trip in many ways, with all of us being totally relaxed and open. Okay, I'll admit it, I was a bit concerned about them missing their flight but other than that... ;-)

This image seems to sum up the craziness that was this final trip to Hard Rock <3

And then it was goodbye. It had only been a few days but they had been so special, so much fun, that parting was really difficult. I know it's only a temporary thing... there's no doubt that true friendships have been forged, but all the same...

Life is slowly returning to normal but I can't help but flick through the photos and remember the happenings of the last week as I look forward to, and start to plan, the Next Time.




Photos will be uploaded to my facebook as soon as I can fight my way through them all. Oh and I'm planning to do a separate write up of the shows (hence their absence in this post) so keep your eyes peeled if you're interested in that :-D

Castlefest Winter Party

Saturday evening saw Thijs and me making our way to Hilversum for the first Castlefest Winter party thing. It was strange for something to be 'Castlefest' yet be in a theatre type indoor venue and in the middle of winter. Nevertheless, it was a lovely evening with some wonderful music, as always. This time I didn't take my camera as we weren't sure if it would be allowed so I have no photographs to share, sadly... and none for my scrapbook either which is even worse!! On the bright side, that also meant that I could bring a tiny bag and just have fun dancing (well bobbing) a bit without getting awful back ache. Seriously, Thijs' phone was too big to fit in my bag... it was bliss ;-)

Anyway, I digress!

We arrived part way through Jyoti Verhoeff's set (possibly because it took us so long to work out that Thijs' monster of a phone really wasn't going to fit in my bag). 

Next up was Shireen who I'd encountered at the Midwinter Fair some time ago back but didn't really know before that. I'd really enjoyed their set those few months back and, if anything, they seemed to surpass themselves. Theirs is a strong sound in every sense of the word and I will certainly be buying their EP when I have the opportunity (and spare cash), of course.

After Shireen came Cesair and I feel that I've written about them enough so that they don't really need much explanation! The set was really enjoyable with quite a few newer pieces as well as wonderful older numbers. Atiny Naya remains my firm favourite, however, and luckily it got a play too ;-)

Finally was Scrum with their fun rockyness. It's probably the last time I'm going to see the band with their lead singer Skottie which is a real shame but, I'll be honest, it was such a good show that it was a fitting 'end of an era'. Looking forward to seeing Scrum move forwards :-)

So yes... there is my incredibly short and unimaginative round up. What can I say? I'm tired.




This post is not for facebook because it was written in a sleep deprived trance... I don't even know if it makes sense. 

Lovely times with lovely people

Yesterday I planned to go into town because I had errands to run. Sonja planned to go across town because she had to buy a bike. We decided to smush our plans together and drag Dania and Leonoor along to make a day of it.

And then the best thing happened... we woke up to snow! I have so been hoping for snow recently as I seem to keep being in the wrong country when it does snow and therefore keep missing it. Yes, I know, I'm very much a child when it comes to things like this. Annoyingly, the weather did mean that Leonoor decided to stay behind as she wasn't feeling top form and didn't want to be out in the cold and wet. We missed her but she was definitely wise as today I've been feeling absolutely awful but there we go. It was worth it ;-)

A bit worn down as this photo was taken late in the morning.
The view from my window was truly stunning at dawn.

I can't say that I managed to do what I wanted to do in town but had a great day, nevertheless. We messed around in the shops a little and spent a bit too much money for a student budget, or I did anyway. Because we've not got classes together at the moment we're having to put in a bit more effort to socialise so those times when we do manage to meet up are extra special.

Custom made magnum icecreams might not have been
100% appropriate for the weather but they were worth it!

And, as if it wasn't enough to spend the day with that wonderful duo, I finally managed to pin down The Best Friend and skype with her. I've been here for all but six months now and this is the first time I've managed to catch her on skype. Impressive.

It was a combination of madness and of chilledness. Both in our dressing gowns, we managed to call for three hours. Admittedly, that call involved me watching her make dinner but, for the most part, it was just chatting, catching up and messing around. 

The fact we're not in the same physical space will not stop my
photo taking obsession. You're never safe mwahaha.

And then I missed the Aimee. 

Oops.

A brief update

Firstly, I feel that I should apologise for being so silent for the past two weeks. Yes, it's been exactly a fortnight since I wrote a blog post although it's not been for the want of trying. Life has been busy and I've also been ill a fair bit which hasn't been so much fun but has narrowed down the amount of time available! That said there have been multiple occasions where I have sat down, meaning to type, and found myself unable. 

It's not been for want of something to write about as life has been a whirl of social and academic madness. There's been such a speed to things because of the intensive period at university and this means that life has taken on an immediacy that is daunting - indeed I have my final exam in today, a mere two and a half weeks after starting the course - but also beautiful. The moments that have been stolen away from study have been startling in the freedom they have offered. Silly things like cooking for Robbert with Dania to pay him back for teaching us to ride months ago and listening to them both sing as they attempted to give me the confidence to join in have made me, once again appreciate how lucky I am in my friends here. Slightly reckless things like going for a walk in the park late at night with Leonoor, Sonja and Dania have been wonderful moments of freedom from the never ending barreling forwardness of life and, it seems, from the rush of this city. Walking to class each morning, a little earlier than most people, having the path to myself gives me a slowness and a while for reflection where I can take in the colours of the morning sky, the crispness of the dawn, the magnificence of frost as adorns grass areas. It's little moments such as these that have given the past few weeks meaning.

However, I have also really drawn something from the course itself. In my last post, I confessed that I didn't really know what to expect from the pompously titled Global Identity Experience. Now, going into my final exam, I must admit that I'm not really sure what this course hoped to achieve. Nevertheless, it has facilitated some human connection on a profound level. As part of this course we have to undertake a group research project on a minority grouping in the Amsterdam area. My group (full of people I did not know for the most part but who have turned out to be great) decided to focus on Schiphol airport and, after some initial observations, the homeless people living at the airport. it was a great surprise to us to learn that there were any, let alone so many, homeless people living at the airport as it's not someone we naturally expect. Airports are a place you pass through, scrambling to get somewhere and you do not expect or notice those people who are outside of the rush. 

We've spoken to some people living in the airport and, in particular, one interview last Friday touched me on such a deep level. I phoned my mother when I got in and spent a few hours just talking about it and crying. To have so swiftly gained access to a person's inner life, to see the things they have survived through yet be helpless to assist - not that they would want your assistance... or pity - it was hard for me. But also what an honour. I obviously cannot write a lot about this project because I have to respect anonymity and perhaps that is something that has held me back from writing at all as it has had a noticeable impact on my life both in scheduling and emotional terms. It is something that I feel I am gaining from, however, if not as a student then as a human being.

So, this has been a very good way for me to avoid revising and, no doubt, when I get into my exam in exactly one hour I will regret it! I am so looking forward to this exam being over though so I can be ill in peace, tidy my flat, have friends round tomorrow evening, paint all weekend, finish the research project, and greet a February that is full of wonderful social and musical events. Just one exam to go!

This post is not for facebook as it's a bit of a feeling smush and is also really boring, not having pictures and all that jazz.I should probably write a proper facebook posting update soon too. Heh. Does anyone even read this bit?? 

Getting back in the swing of things!

It's been like starting again. The scary leaving home feeling, the nerves about being in the right place, not knowing in advance who's in my class etc etc. It's weird.

Luckily for me, my dad decided mother should book flights over with me; if she hadn't, my luggage wouldn't have fitted within allowance... and I probably wouldn't have been emotionally strong enough to get on the plane. It's not that I didn't want to come back here but rather that I didn't want to leave there. It's hard for me not being around my family.

Anyway, for the next four weeks I'm taking just one course 'The Global Identity Experience' which is basically all day, every day. If the course title sounds vague then I apologise (although it's not my fault) and welcome you to the world of AUC! It's a course that's a mixture of research and anthropological/sociological theory and looks at social identity and minority groupings, particularly in this age of accelerated globalisation. The course itself looks rather interesting, if the work load is a little heavy, and the teacher won me over when he suggested we may like to take our shoes off in class. For someone who regularly wears flip-flops and enjoys going barefoot... well, he's got my vote!

All joking aside, it has been great to be back and to hang out with, and catch up with, friends. Mind you, there was one scary moment last night when, mid conversation, we heard someone scratching on the door... which we also realised was unlocked. Eventually we plucked up the courage went out to see what was going on and found this message on the door:

Can you tell that I've hastily and badly edited out my room number? hehe

Sadly, it wasn't just us who were scared half to death but my next door neighbour as see was looking out the door  and Laura realised (after the event) that she was still holding a rather large knife from cutting up apple pie when she went out to explore.... oops! Mind you, as I got no sleep last night due to extremely loud music coming from that side, I don't feel too bad about it.

So yeah, thank you Robbert for the sweet message <3

Yep, I feel good to be back now :-D

Midwinter Fair

So, I have decided that festivals and I simply do not mix. Seriously, right before this festival, having had nothing for months, I had a major flair up that meant I slept not a wink the night before and felt like utter crap for the Saturday (and not so great on the Sunday but there we go). That aside, I had a wonderful time but my photos were a bit lacking and the descriptions, no doubt, will be similarly so.

The Saturday was the long day of the Midwinter Fair so, in order to ensure we could get home again afterwards, Thijs, Zoë and I cycled to the central station. That's normally a really easy ride but with me in my stupid no sleep and no food state it took us a heckishly long time and I am so grateful to my companions for not getting really annoyed with me! Anyway, that adventure over we caught a couple of trains and arrived in Alphen aan den Rijn which is where the thing was held.

I can't say that I got to look around Alphen aan den Rijn much at all but the bits I saw were very sweet and rather pretty. When it starts to get a bit warmer, and with my newly purchased travel card, I may visit again to chill a bit in the sun. Definite bonus as the streets (etc) were named after continents, countries, and cities. The only place where, if you get lost, you literally go round the whole world in order to find your way ;-)

At the event

The Midwinter Fair itself was lovely. It's quite small which is actually really nice because, to be quite honest, there's only so many places you can be at once and only so many things you can do in a short period of time. On the Saturday and the Sunday we took things rather slowly and just enjoyed looking around and taking things in a bit.

The fact that it's held in a living museum (I think that's an accurate description) means that it's rather atmospheric. With old fashioned buildings from multiple time periods, tree lined winding paths and little streams with simple plank bridges it really does allow you to take a step back from the rush of modernity for just a little while. There were also some lovely food stands and a little market selling a mix of stuff from statues to clothes to drinking horns. Talking of which, I managed to buy some mead to take to England for Christmas so that's a definite bonus!

AmmA

As for the music, the first full set we caught was that of AmmA. I keep managing to catch a few songs by them but never a full performance so it was a bit unusual to sit at the side of the stage and watch from beginning to end. Really do love their sound though!

After a fair bit of exploring and lurking, which involved sitting round outside fires pretending that we were keeping warm and not simply getting a face full of smoke, we went to catch the evening shows of LEAF, Shireen, Harmony Glenn, and The Dolmen.

Poor LEAF had some technical issues setting up and so on which must have been so annoying for them. Kept the audience in suspense mind ;-)

Shireen are a group that I've had a very limited awareness of, hearing their EP when it was featured on Wyldwood radio, I think. I was really impressed by their sound, however, which is quite an open, somewhat jazzy and rocky one... I've not really described that well but yeah, they have their own sound, do it well, and stand out for it. 

Thijs and I have discussed our wish to see Harmony Glenn live at some point and this was our day. Oh my goodness, what performers. I think I can speak for both of us, and probably Zoë too, when I say that they were worth seeing. And I guess I'll be hoping to catch them again too! In fact, I can't help but think that my mother would love them so lets see if I can book tickets for one of their shows when she comes to visit.

My stunning friends enjoying the evening entertainment ;-)

Finally, The Dolmen closed up the evening with their loud rocky music. Actually, a gentleman asked Thijs is they were the "noise band" so I think that pretty much sums up The Dolmen!! This would be my fourth time, I think, seeing them in the Netherlands yet they are from just down the road of my old home in the UK so I'm still not sure how this has worked out. That aside, it felt wonderful just to let down my hair and dance/bob to the music with no care in the world. It always feels good to just let go but when you're listening to good music, with friends, and in the midst of a flurry of finals it is pure bliss, I tell you!

On the downside, I did have "Dead Cats Don't Meow" stuck in my head all night... I also fell asleep on Zoë on the way home but shhh, that's our secret!

Day two was just Zoë and me as Thijs was being sensible and working on the paper we both had to hand in on the Monday. His absence did mean I was suddenly the Zoë-translator of the onstage banter and explanations which was a rather scary position to be in with my beginners Dutch! We did quickly develop a series of shorthand between us for the most common concepts such as which could see speeches of a minute reduced to the concise version: "Buy our stuff" ;-)

During Sowulo's set

Anyway, the first act we saw on Saturday was Sowulo, another group whose music I knew but whom I had not yet managed to catch live. Their show is quite clearly a real experience and it was great to be in the audience. I mean, their music is something special in its own right but the energy that you get when you're in a room hearing it live... that gives it a whole new dimension. Thijs did insist that we saw them for a very good reason!

Zoë and I followed up by watching the full set of Kaunan as we'd only managed to see part of the set on Saturday. There was something lovely about the lack of pretense to their set. Everyone sat down on the floor (or a couple danced) and just listened to three men playing tunes with the odd bit of explanation and banter in between. It wasn't a performance per se, as much as I enjoy performances, and it was refreshing to see something so stripped back. The fact that we went to see them twice, and both wanted to, probably says something about the quality of the music here.

During Rapalje's set

Finally, it was Rapalje time! More dancing and singing along and generally enjoying myself. It seems they went down well with Zoë too so I'm classing that as an all round success. Wasn't quite so strange to see them without my family this time, possibly because I had a friend from home and possibly because I'm getting used to it... who knows!

It was certainly a good way to spend the weekend and I'm pleased that Zoë was there to share it with me, and Thijs too. 

This post is not for facebook because it is long, rambling, and late. Oops.

Sinterklaas

Today's the 5th of December which is celebrated as the feast day of Saint Nicolas or Sinterklaas. A few weeks back I blogged about the 'Saint's arrival' and finally the big day is here.

Although, from my understanding, a children's festival generally, my Dutch friends seemed pretty keen to celebrate together. As the festival seems to be celebrated through he eating of a lot of sweets, I was not going to resist.

Chocolate letters are another common gift with this
'B' for Bethany coming from Leonoor

Historically, the poor children would leave their shoes out where the rich could leave small gifts in honour of Saint Nicolas. Now, children still leave their shoes out, in the home, in the hope that they will be filled with sweets. AUC also allowed students to leave their shoes out during classes in order to receive gifts and, although it was pretty strange to randomly leave a shoe lying around, Leonoor and my mother managed to talk me into taking part. Luckily, we didn't take part in the aspect of the tradition whereby you sing to aforementioned shoe. I don't think I could have done that ;-)

After classes we all gathered at Leonoor's where she put on a veritable sweet feast for Dania, Sonja, Thijs, Laura and myself. We all hung around and ate and chatted and celebrated in the not so traditional way with wine and beer but there we go!

This photo kinda explains itself really ;-)

Of course, the evening only got better with the arrival of one of my old friends from college, Zoë, who, after missing her original flight, finally made it to Amsterdam. She joined in the fun and spent the evening talking in French with Leonoor who decided that it was obviously the best time to practice!!

Although Zoë and I left the 'party' a little early, planning to get a decent night's sleep we managed to stay up until the very early hours of the morning chatting away. It was unbelievably good to see her again, to chat, to reminisce, to be around someone with a shared history. I love my friends here, I really do, but you cannot force the bonds that form with time and, for this reason, seeing Zoë was wonderful... but more of that later!

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!

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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!

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.

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The good type of busyness!

The last few days have been, in many ways, really beautiful. A whirl of tasks to complete but without the burdening pressure of the previous weeks. I like being busy and I've relished having that balance which keeps me on my toes without causing a struggle, mentally or physically.

Perhaps the greatest success story of the past few days has been Dania and me taking ourselves out early on a Sunday in order to practice riding when the streets were pretty empty and, not only managing not to fall off, but having a good time too. We're not quite ready for traffic but we are getting there slowly but surely and it's fun. Yeah, I didn't think I'd ever say that either!

Dania's selfie skills coming in handy!

We've been slowly building up to this moment over the past few weeks with short rides of a maximum of twenty minutes which usually last for about ten meters. There was something liberating about riding through the morning air, covering ground with minimal effort. Once others started to wake up and join us on the paths it did become harder but that's something to work on.

Talking of liberating, I've been having issues with the tax office deciding to mess me around, basically, and had a terrifying early morning meeting on Tuesday. Laura kindly joined me for that and was my moral support and my Dutch translator (both were exceptionally useful roles and I'd have been lost without her!). Anyway, it appears that has been sorted, or at least has eased for now, so that's been a real weight off my mind. It also meant that both of us got a dark morning walk and saw a little of the other side of the city.

Tourist shot, taken in Leiden, for my mother ;-)

However, my greatest escape of the past few days was yesterday's jaunt to Leiden for my art history class. The museum we visited, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, is the Dutch antiquity museum and is really worth a visit. It's got some interesting artifacts and an intuitive layout that makes it a very comfortable place to look around. Apparently you can get married there too which would certainly be a conversation piece!

As for Leiden itself, I only got to see a few streets but I was lucky enough to have glorious sunshine. It feels like a pleasant place to spend time with interesting things to explore and some generally attractive architecture and town planning. I didn't spend so much time there, sadly, but do plan to return when I have time... one day I'll have time!

Eating lunch in the sun with this view. Perfect.

Right, enough blog related procrastination! For all the pressure might be off I kinda have to write several papers and do a fair few assignments. Determined to get some painting in this week too. Oh and then I need to go buy food. Yep, better do the adulting first!

Visits from home

It's nine fifty-two in the evening and I know that I have an all nighter ahead of me. Why? Well, because my mother, who's been visiting for the week has a deadline tomorrow and is sat in my room attempting to piece together what remains of her brain. Naturally, I can't sleep with her working and nor can I work due to mother and I both being unstoppable mutterers when we're thinking. We'd drive each other mad!

I wonder why she's struggling to meet this deadline?

So, here we get another installment of Havanah's blog ;-)

As you'll have deduced, no doubt, from the above, my mother's been staying with me this week. I can't really say how great it's been to see her and to chat and watch films and do general stuff that you take for granted when you're geographically close to someone. It has meant that I've neglected my friends a little (sorry guys!) and my work (oops!) but oh well. It's been worth it!

So, this week has mainly been focused around socialising with my mother and her buying me food. I'm not complaining about either aspect and, while it's not at all interesting for you to read about, it has been a really good time for me!

Finding cheddar cheese, sausages, back bacon, and crumpets
at Marks and Spencers was the highlight of my week ;-)

Sadly, she's going home tomorrow and, although it'll be nice to have some of my own space for a while, I'm dreading the 'goodbye' again. Reserving all rights to be a quivering wreck if anyone tries to contact me at any point during the day and apologies to Thijs who's got to put up with me as I'm going to his for dinner... oops!

___________

While I'm writing, I'll just mention that I'm changing the way I'm doing the blog a bit:

• I'm attempting to review a CD/film with more regularity than before so hope to schedule things so one posts each Wednesday but these will not be cross posting to facebook. 
• Book reviews will post from goodreads to facebook and will be here too, as always... when I have time to read! 
• Some of my personal posts may not go onto facebook, depending on the topic (some of you may have noticed this happening already).
• I'm probably going to cut back on 'weekly' posts as these have only been happening as there have been major life changes. Now things are settling down I'll probably go back to event based postings which can be more or less frequent. I write when I feel like it basically ;-)

If you're interested in any of the things that aren't going to cross post anymore then you can subscribe to the blog in various ways over on the right hand side of the page (I know there are some regular readers, strange as it seems!) or just check back manually, every now and again, on the general www.oiahavanah.blogspot.com link. 

Escaping the bubble

Before setting out. Photo stolen from Leonoor.

As one of my classes has called a reading week this week, I had no class today (which was bliss) and a group of us used the chance to get out of the bubble and explore town a bit.

We caught the tram in and grabbed some really tasty pasta for lunch. The portions were huge, the food really tasty, the company even better... except I didn't eat my companions. Anyway, moving swiftly on...

Rubbish photo but it was so tasty!!

We also had a moment looking at the library. I'm not sure if I'm going to join, myself, as you have to pay a fee to take books out and I just don't think I will get enough use out of it but it's a really sweet little place. Best of all, on the seventh floor there's a café with a balcony which has a glorious view of the city. There's a real feeling of freedom being up that high.

Moving on from the library, we went in search of vintage and second hand stores and my goodness, there are some beautiful clothing shops in the town. On the bright side, I don't think I'll ever find any of them again... if I do I could spend so much money so easily. Very proud that I didn't spend my month's allowance in one day! Once you get off of the tourist route this is such a lovely little city but you just have to work hard to get away from the artificial façade.

Human statue :-D

The evening was equally enjoyable with pizza take out and general chilling. All in all, a really fun day! Now I just have to work through the pile of reading that I've got to fight my way through for tomorrow... not so fun ;-) 

I swear, there is no logic to riding something with two wheels!

So, finally, after many weeks of deliberating (*), Dania and I agreed to attempt to learn to cycle on the evening of the twenty-third of September two-thousand and fourteen.

Luckily on leaving my room and attempting to unlock my bike I encountered Robbert, one of my neighbours. Seeing my feeble attempts to free my bicycle from various locks, he obviously decided that I was not fit to be set free on his country and agreed to assume the role of 'cycle teacher'. Seriously, I am so, so grateful to him, no doubt as is Dania, because we would have been in a right mess without his assistance and support! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Of course, as the Dutch person, Robbert was the cycling expert and was keen to impart all of his years of knowledge. First lesson: how to untangle your shoe lace when it gets trapped in the bike chain!

It was Dania who freed it in the end with her awesome logic.
She also took this photo :-)

I must say that, all joking aside, I was impressed with how well Robbert managed to break down how to ride a bike as trying to explain how to do something when you have been doing it for as long as you remember... well, that's not easy! I'm also really impressed with Dania who managed to improve so, so much.

As for me, I managed to ride in a wobbly corner-less line. I apparently can't say it was a straight line because of the wobbly nature but all the same! It was also a great improvement from my first attempt at riding this bike (which my mother has named Fiona, by the way). This time, I didn't peddle once... straight into a wall.

So the bike riding adventure has well and truly begun for Dania and I. We're certainly not ready to be let lose on Amsterdam yet but give us a few more practices, and a babysitter, and it just might happen!

(*) Okay, it was about two weeks but that doesn't sound half as dramatic!

One month on!

As it seems that I have taken to writing weekly summaries on a Sunday (it's not planned) it just happens, I expected this to be another boring post full of nothingness with which to numb the minds of the poor souls who actually read this. Well, it probably is going to be that still, don't get your hopes up too much!

However, just as I sat down to write I noticed the date. It's the 21st. That means that it's exactly one month since I moved here. I've been living in the Netherlands for one whole month. It does not feel like that long at all. It's really, really weird!

However, saying that, last week was a really good week for me as it all started to feel a lot more settled. My sleep pattern has started to return to normal (I'd been waking at least four times each night and unable to sleep beyond about 6:30) and things have started to feel more in control and generally chilled. It's only as things settle down that you realise how much of a strain life has been but then I think that's to be expected when you're living on your own for the first time, moving to a foreign country, every piece of admin is going wrong, and you're starting at a new university. Certainly, for the first time, last week things started to feel more normal and more like home. So maybe it's not so strange that a month has passed!

So, a brief summary of last week:
Wednesday evening was a pup quiz at the university café. It was a nice evening. Went up with Wendy and then joined with a couple of older students and Julika to form a team for the night. I am so out of practice with pub quizing though, worrying as I used to go to the pub and compete each week, and was totally useless! Would certainly go up again all the same as it's a nice evening out... and I need to get back in practice!

Friday saw me hand in my first paper. Thursday saw my computer delete my first paper (and the back up file) in a complete blip. You can guess that it was finished in a bit of a flap but it wasn't too big a deal. Not the best thing I've ever written but, for a first attempt at a university paper, I'm not too disappointed.

Friday was also the day of the AUC Lustrum celebration marking five years of the university. I went for a little while with some friends and hung around, chatted, and ate really nice pistachio ice cream. I didn't stay all that long though because I was tired and didn't really find my way round what was going on.

I did manage to get my father a bottle for his collection ;-)

And then yesterday was another lovely afternoon and evening with Maria. After she rescued me when I got totally lost trying to find the market where she works we spent some time having a drink with her father and some colleagues which was lovely and then went back to hers for dinner. She even taught me how to use the buses and showed me that, in fact, my supermarket troubles stem from me going to a weird supermarket. Seriously, the one near her flat is so, so easy!

Did I mention Maria's pet chicks?

All in all, a wonderful week. Really looking forward to seeing what next week has in store! Now I should probably return to my two other papers that are, annoyingly, not writing themselves in my absence!