Sunday, October 11, 2009
Week 5-6
The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur. After returning from Sicily, I was thrown right into 2 and 3 October-- what essentially amounts to Leiden's independence day. A good description of this phenomenon is hard to give. Imagine over-population, a full scale carnival, a lot of live music tents, even more beer tents, total disregard for the laws of public decency and littering, and a slightly perceptible tension between the locals and the out of towners. The festivities last all day and all night. There were two parades: one on Friday for the local clubs, schools, and citizens, and one on Saturday with a revolving annual theme (this year was the American Dream, ironically for me). Apparently this weekend is one of 3 occasions where Dutch national pride is on display. The others are Queen's Day, engineered for that purpose, and Dutch international soccer matches. Apart from these 3 exceptions, the Netherlands is a decidedly un-nationalistic country. I am glad to have experienced it at its fullest.
School is clicking along. We turned in formal thesis proposals last week and were assigned advisors based on our topics. I met with mine, and he seems cool enough. I've definitely settled into a rhythm when it comes to schoolwork, although now it seems that rhythm will have to be adjusted to account for independent thesis research. Lame.
I had, perhaps, my most fun night out this past Thursday in Leiden. The bar is called Roebels, and though I'd been there before, it just seemed better this time. We played dice games on the bar, leading to some hilarious interactions with some of the Dutch patrons of the establishment. Ended up meeting the owner of the place and hanging out well past closing time with about 30 others. If I had to choose a regular spot in town, this would be it. Everyone is young, fun, and seemingly unstressed by academic or economic crises.
I went back to the beach Friday, because it was just too nice out to pass up. The place was empty, making it even better than before. Took the opportunity to do a nice workout in the sand and enjoy the view over the ocean.
Next weekend will mark the return of the nomad as I venture into Germany and the Czech Republic. Really looking forward to that trip, and the week off of school that will follow. Hope everyone is well.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Week 4
High Ho. High Ho.
Off to work I went. Had a lot to do before friday to earn the weekend's big payoff... SICILY!!! That's right, my first big intra-european voyage came in week 4. But I'll get to that later. I was returned my first historical methodology essay, and, to my delight, I got an 8 (roughly translating to an A-). Discussions went well, and I think my arguments were well received overall. My other classes went fine as well. Blah blah blah.
Chickaro is in town!! So nice to have an American friend to hang with. For all our "crass and uncultured" ways, state-siders certainly know how to take advantage of our opportunities. I took Chickaro to the Burcht and L.K.V. de Spartaan to do some working out on Wednesday and around the city to do sight seeing on Thursday. He headed to Bucharest, Hungary for the weekend to explore things further east and got back this morning with stories to tell.
On another front, my program organized its first real social event, a pub crawl through Leiden, on Thursday night. This was very fun because it was the first time I really got to see most of these people away from the classroom or the library. And, thank god, everyone likes to drink. We went to The North End (English pub), where they apparently serve the only good Guiness in Leiden. From there we went to Roubels, a Russian themed bar that was very cool and tucked away. Their specialty is some large shared concoction that is served in a cocktail shaker and split into shots. Then, we went on to de Brandery, a place right across from my apartment that I have frequented and enjoy. I feel like I spent time talking to every person in my program apart from the group for at least a drink or two, thus getting small insights into where they come from, where theyre going, what their interests are, etc. I now feel more like a part of a group than I member of a class.
However, I couldn't stay out too late with the crew because I had to catch a train and a flight to get myself to Palermo the next day. What an adventure this was...
I got off the plane, left the airport, and walked right into the arms of my grandmother, who was patiently trying to obtain information from the traffic director in very broken italian. We met my grandfather at the car just down the road and off we went.
The place we stayed was very cool, and very old world. Doubling as a farm, restaurant, and local cheese expert, this "resort" was amazingly well run. There were cottages for each family staying on the grounds, and a large patio and dining hall where we could all congregate. They also had a pool, tennis court, and made fresh bread every morning in a wood burning stove.
That first night, we went to Marsala to check out the salt flats where Sicilian men have been producing the same, pure, sea salt for hundreds of years without the help of any industrial machinery. This was waaay more interesting than it sounds. I have pictures to prove it. Afterwards we ate a nearby seaside restaurant. The food was phenomenal, and, as would be a consistent trend, endless in quantity and time for enjoyment. we didn't start eating til 8:30 and didn't leave until 10:20.
Saturday we went to Erice, a mountain town overlooking Trapani. This place is the real deal. We had to take a cable car to get there, because the mountain it's on top of is 3000 feet above the valley floor (I considered trying to run this, but thankfully thought better of it). We toured the city, which was full of ancient churches and temples, all made of stone, and ate lunch at a cool place in one of the piazzas. The castles that lined the cliffs were the best part of this day. They literally built them on the brink of disaster. The Palace of Venus looks like it's going to fall right off the edge. The views from the top were breathtaking, as you can expect. The landscape Sicily offers is so diverse and well blended, you really can only appreciate it from above.
Sunday we went to Segesta, site of the oldest intact Greek temple (so I was told). It was never fully completed, so it stands without a roof, but the pillars and the facade are in perfect condition. No rubble. No crumbling columns. Just beautifully sculpted stone and plaster painted by a few thousand years of sun and wind. Across the valley, atop a large outcropping is the Segestan amphitheater. Also in a classic Greek mold, this semicircular ancient auditorium was in great condition as well. In fact, they still hold performance there in the summer months. The view from the top is fantastic... definitely beats any AMC or Loews I've ever been to.
That afternoon, we drove to San Vito Lo Capo, which is a major Sicilian beach at the top Northwest corner of the island. My first steps into the Mediterranean Sea were sublime. The water was so warm and perfectly clear. I could've stayed in it all day long.
We made dinner at home the last night and prepared everything for my departure the next day. Leaving was a bummer, since I knew the weather in Leiden was about 20 degrees cooler and without sun. But hey, better to have loved and lost... right?
I managed to do some cool workouts while I was there. They're posted on the other blog: www.crossfitmobile.blogspot.com/
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Week 3
Week 3 was all about lemons and lemonade, both in the classroom and on tour.
First, I found out half way through the week that I had been OVER-reading substantially for my research seminar. (I had not noticed the numbered chapter subtexts on the syllabus) I was simultaneously crushed at my own stupidity and wasted time, and seriously impressed that I had been able to over achieve in such a manner. Needless to say, I was quite prepared for the discussion in class.
We also were returned the results of our entrance exam. Happy to report I scored well and am henceforth off on the right foot academically. Buoyed with confidence, I wrote what I think was a pretty decent criticism of early modern religious tolerance and the progress of historical debate on the subject for my Methodology class. I will find out if its actually any good on Tuesday when we review them in class.
More than anything, this week in the classroom was about consolidating what little rhythm I generated last week. I now feel completely comfortable with the amount of time I need to devote to studying, and, by extension, the amount of time I can spend not studying.
Which, in a nice bit of intentional transitioning, brings us to the second lemon life dealt me in week 3. My original intention had been to travel to Munich for the opening weekend of Oktoberfest, stay with my friend's uncle, and really let loose in the fatherland. However, being the inexperienced, under prepared gringo that I am, I did not realize that the discount Eurail pass I had intended on buying for this and future endeavors requires purchase 2 weeks prior to departure. This plain sucked. Another lesson learned the hard way, I guess.
However, not to be deterred, I did the next best thing.
AMSTERDAM!!! Let me say that this is a truly awesome city. I took the train in Friday night to meet up with a high school friend and a few other Americans (30 minutes) and was immediately struck with the beauty of the place. First off, it's ancient. Just like Leiden, but theres just so much more of everything. Unfortunately I got there around 8, so I wasn't able to take as many pictures as is deserved for such a place, but I will go back for a more thorough investigation.
The streets and neighborhoods around the city center reminded me of the french quarter in New Orleans: tight lanes and alleyways, constant bars and restaurants, sooo many people, tons of light, and a tactile energy encompassing everything. After watching the first act of a top flight street performance in front of city hall, we ate at a small restaurant near Dam Square that only offered 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 3 desserts. Naturally they were delicious (if you're only serving 3 things you better know how to make them right?) From there we walked along one of the many canals to a cafe/bar that apparently is more local than tourist. Fought for beers, but enjoyed the atmosphere-- everyone takes their beers out of the bar to the sidewalk and drinks outside.
We next made our way through an area that was definitely more tourist than local, and checked into Rookies, one of many true-to-form Netherlands coffeeshops in the neighborhood. (This place is where the tugboat picture came from) Without going into too much detail, this place was a blast. We met some great, funny people from all over, and spent at least 2 hours talking, laughing, and telling stories.
After Rookies, we grabbed some shoarma (mediteranean beef/pita creation) and headed toward the redlight district to see what all the hype was about. Hilarious, is the best word I can use to describe the cast of characters we mingled amongst on this leg of the journey. Price haggling, drunkeness, asian tourists... it was a priceless scene that you need to experience to appreciate.
The best part about Amsterdam is that trains run all night. I was able to hop on the 2am train back to Leiden, catch a nap on the way, and be in bed by 3. I'm looking forward to many more such nights in the future.
Tourism highlights:
See above.
Overall this week was great in spite of some bonehead plays on my part. But, honestly, I think that's just how this adventure may go...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
