what's it like there, anyway?

Last week my mom, dad, and little sister Becky came to visit, and I got to share with them some of my life here and some of the things I've learned and noticed. In light of that, I figured it would also be an opportune moment to share these things with you while they're fresh in my mind. 

So here's a little intro to life (specifically my life) in Amsterdam...

Where do I live? I actually live just outside of Amsterdam in a suburb of sorts called Amstelveen, but I only have to cross a single canal right outside my building to actually be in Amsterdam. The building that I live in is student housing from my university and is mainly international students. I live on the eleventh floor, and the elevator not only is exceedingly slow but has also malfunctioned leaving a friend stuck between two floors before. But I would not give up living on this floor; the view makes any inconveniences worth it. 

I have my own room with my own bathroom. It's small, but I've never felt short on space. It's basic, but it has become my home. We sometimes joke that they are like prison cells. In fact, my mom came in and told me that while they were here, we would have to find some posters to hang on my walls. But I had pictures that I could hang up instead. She'll be glad to know that I finally got around to hanging them up, and my room has a little more color and joy to it now. 

And then there's the kitchen. I share with the other twelve people on my floor. With that many students, it gets very gross very fast. There's no garbage disposal, and often an overflowing garbage can. Only half of the stove elements work correctly, and the oven is non-existent along with the microwave. The washer and dryer are also found in the kitchen, but don't use the dryer and the toaster-oven-like-thing (which I can't figure out) at the same time - you'll blow the fuse. Also, I can never expect to just "do a load of laundry quick". From start to finish, it usually takes about 4-5 hours per load, and that has no guarantee of dry (or even dry-ish) clothes at the end. Regardless, I have managed to have clean clothes when I need them and have made some pretty delicious meals, despite not having extremely functional kitchen tools. And it's been fun to get to see and talk and cook with other floor mates, so all in all, it's a good thing.

What are some of my weekly activities? Well, let's start with the "main" reason I'm here: studying. I attend the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, which is about 3 km from my building and facilitates about 18,000 students. The school system here is different in that the school year is broken into 8 week periods rather than semesters. So right now I'm taking two classes (British Literature and American Film), but very shortly the period will end, and I will be taking Electricity and Magnetism at the VU (pronounced "foo"). In addition, I also have a Calvin professor taught class on Sustainability. So I read A LOT, especially in comparison to a typical semester for me. Every Wednesday, our Calvin group (15 students plus our professor, his wife, and their 3 kids) has dinner together at our professor's apartment. Then, once the kids go to bed, he and his wife facilitate a Bible study on Romans. Every once in a while, some of us will go to Bagels and Beans after class for a bagel or some hot chocolate (which is made with chocolate chips rather than powder or syrup); otherwise, the middle of the week entails a lot of just reading and hanging out. 

Weekends are a mixed bag. Sometimes our class has whole group excursions (like to the Hague or Zaanse Schans), other times we'll just do things in Amsterdam (like go to a museum, visit a microbrewery, go out to eat, or do some shopping at markets), and yet other times we'll plan our own trips around Europe (like to Milan and Berlin or my upcoming trip to Brussels and Barcelona!). When I'm here, I've split my time between two churches: a more traditional Anglican church in the heart of the city and a more contemporary church in Amstelveen (but this is not at all something you'd find in a "typical" Amsterdammer's weekly routine).

Enough about me. What about the Dutch culture itself?

How is communication? Although most everyone can speak English, Dutch is exceedingly more prevalent. Every sign and anything written is in Dutch. Dutch is spoken over the loudspeakers, is the language your first spoken to in, and the one people use for just about everything. If you ask people to speak in English, they will, but I often feel like I'm causing them an inconvenience. I just wish that I could speak a little more conversational Dutch or understand just a few more signs. On the plus side, I'm getting better at not knowing the language. Let me explain: I'm not learning much more Dutch other than foods at the grocery store or on menus (at which I've become quite competent). I'm getting more comfortable with not being able to understand. But I'm also recognizing more of the simple phrases and gaining the humility to ask people to speak English to me.

What are some useful phrases? [First and foremost] Do you speak English?: Spreekt u engels? Hello: hallo. Goodbye: dag (pronounced "dah-g [hard 'guh' g sound]"). Thank you: bedankt. Sorry: sorry. Please: alsjeblieft (pronounced "ash-uh-bleef-t"). Hot chocolate: warme chocolade. Bike: fiets. Can I pet your dog?: Kan ik je hond aaien?

Is everyone blond haired, blue eyed? No, Amsterdam is extremely multicultural. In fact, by standard of looks, I fit in far better at Calvin.

What are some common or traditional Dutch foods? Cheese. Lots and lots of delicious gouda cheese (pronounced "how-duh"). It's actually hard to find anything but gouda. They think they like coffee and theoretically somewhere they drink four small cups per day, but I have yet to find that practiced, buying coffee/espresso drinks are very expensive for a basic (very) small cup, and all of the Dutch coffee I've had has been incredibly mediocre at best. Potatoes are a staple food here. One traditional Dutch dish based on potatoes is called Stamppot and is essentially mashed potatoes with veggies and meat mashed in with it. From what I understand there are specific types of Stamppot, but I tend to just throw in random veggies and meat as I have them. There's also a large Indonesian influence here, so rijsttafel is also common. Beer. Oh! And their known for pickled herring, which I just tried for the first time (with my dad).

My conclusion was neutral - it's not something I would get again, but it wasn't actually bad at all! And they eat fries (called "frites") with mayo instead of ketchup usually. Last but certainly not least: vla (pronounced "flah"). It's Dutch custard that's essentially pudding; it comes in a carton, and I've become thoroughly addicted to the chocolate one.

What else? There are bikes everywhere, and many a bike lot or parking garage. People bike almost everywhere it seems, and bikes almost always have the right of way. The public transportation system is great and can get you just about anywhere; just "vergeet u niet te uitchecken" ("please remember to check out!" - they use scanning cards for trip fares, and if you forget to beep your card when you get off, it charges you around double what you would have otherwise paid). Good luck finding a drinking fountain (or a bubbler, for my fellow Wisconsinites!) - you won't. I have been here almost two months and have still not seen a single one. People in Europe just don't seem as interested in drinking water; if you go to a restaurant, you have to ask for tap water very specifically or you'll be charged about the same price as for a soda. Along with most of Western Europe, the Netherlands uses the euro (€1 EUR = $1.30 USD, give or take a few cents) and does not expect tipping at restaurants. The price you see is the price you pay (even tax is included). Orange is a national color riddled with pride, and from what I've heard the Queen's Day celebration is incredible. And the queen is a relatively normal person, who even attends a church with maybe 2 or 3 body guards, and policemen really are your friends. Canals are everywhere. Downtown, the smell of marijuana seems to often be lurking. "Coffeeshops" are places where you can buy and smoke marijuana; if you want actual coffee, you need to look for a "Cafe" or a place that serves koffie. Flowers are abundant, beautiful, and very inexpensive. Everyone (men, women, everyone) wears scarves here to stave off the biting, wet cold that seems to rip right through you.

Because land is scarce, buildings go up and stairs are extremely steep. There are lots of windmills that scatter the countryside, but personal recycling seems to be less of a focus based on the difficulty of finding places to recycle glass and plastic. To use the restroom in public places or pretty much anywhere but restaurants it costs money, sometimes up to a euro per use. To go in, you push the door, and to come out, you pull. Things are often closed on Sundays, despite the secularism of the culture. With each cup of hot drink (coffee, tea, hot chocolate), you are entitled to one koekje ("cookie") - often a stroopwafel, speculaas, or a biscuit, all of which are marvelous.

So there you have it. I'm sure I've missed things, but I can't remember anything else interesting at this point. If you have more questions, though, post them in a comment or send me an email, and I'd love to answer!

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. EPHESIANS 2:19-22