The First Week
Thought enough time has passed between my arrival in Amsterdam and getting out the first post. Arrived here last Monday and have settled in pretty quickly which always amazes me. Transferring lifestyles from New York (formerly known as New Amsterdam as I was reminded today) to Amsterdam is relatively easy given the fact that they’re really not that much alike. I’m living in the section of Amsterdam known as the Jordaan and learning to negotiate daily life in this very quiet and very historic part of Amsterdam. The Jordaan has a particularly rich history and its architecture really tells this history. As I walk through the neighborhood, I take a look at the courtyards that many of the buildings have. They’re a nice touch and warm up the neighborhood landscape. The Jordaan used to be a poorer, relatively low economic status part of Amsterdam but no more--now it’s lined with art galleries, shops, and sleek business offices with clean, modern interiors. Inevitably, I try to compare it to a New York City neighborhood and come up with its nearest equivalent—in this case it’s the West Village. Lots of small streets (check out the Gallery for photos) filled with the simple yet elegant architecture. Oh, and did I mention I hear the bells chime from the Westerkerk (where Rembrandt's funeral was held and where he was buried in an unmarked grave) during the day.
There’s an elementary school (in the American sense of grade levels) practically across from my home and of course, as a teacher, I was curious about what goes on here. At first glance, it looks like it’s pretty similar to many schools in the US—parents lining up waiting for their children—(although just about all of them, kids and parents, are on bikes and not in SUVs), kids running out of the doors, and just the general level of spontaneous activity you would expect from an elementary school. There are architectual similarities as well. I noticed that it follows the philosophy of the Dutch scholar, writer, and educator Theo Thijssen. A plaque with his name is located on the building’s façade. (Check the Gallery on the website). When I first passed it, I was curious to see whether it had the security mechanisms that public schools in New York have—I saw lots of people going in and out of the front entrance it seemed with relative ease. Add to that, its close proximity to the curb and a narrow, small street and you have pretty speedy access. But there is a door where people have to be buzzed in which seemed pretty well-secured. I’m going to see if I can make some contacts here to visit the school and find out about its curriculum. We’ll see what happens.
And next…the weather. Prior to now, I’ve only been in Amsterdam during the summer months and have usually basked in temperate, sunny weather. February is proving to be something else. I tell people here that I’m glad to be in Amsterdam right now to warm-up. Given the winter we’ve been having in New York (and hearing from friends and family, still having), the temperature in Amsterdam (low to mid 40s) is relatively bearable. However, yesterday was a particularly nasty day with sheets of rain and wind which brings me to the story of Amsterdam and its adherence to the philosophy "there is no such thing as bad weather...only bad clothing." I don’t know whether they are coping mechanisms or demonstrations of meteorological denial, but most people in Amsterdam trudge through the rain on foot and on wheels as if, well, it’s not raining at all. Few dress in classic ‘raingear’ and fewer carry/use/display umbrellas. They're nuisances to be avoided at all costs. Bicycles proceed along the street at speeds that defy the slick streets as well as their death-defying proximity to canals (more on the love affair between Amsterdam and the bike at a later date). After about ten minutes on the Prinsengracht yesterday afternoon, I found out why—the wind renders umbrellas pretty useless and you wind up in hand-to-hand combat with your umbrella as you go one way and it goes another and then, another. In the classic ‘if you can’t beat them…join them,’ I discarded my umbrella and walked like everyone else--as if it wasn’t raining at all (which it definitely was.)
Which brings me to the now. I’m starting to prepare for a trip next week to Brussels and Luxembourg. It will be the first official Fulbright meeting and I’m looking forward to meeting colleagues who will be working on a variety of interesting, stimulating projects. We have meetings scheduled at NATO, the US Mission to the EU, the European Court of Justice, and at the residence of the US Ambassador to Belgium. An impressive agenda indeed.
