Bike, Movies
Trip Start
Apr 06, 2003
1
6
69
Trip End
Ongoing
Amsterdam,
Netherlands
Monday, April 28, 2003
As you can tell by the last TravelPod, the beginning of last week was tough. However, it ended up being a wonderful week. While I have been here for 3 weeks, last week seemed like my 1st week as I was finally able to get a little bit of my personal life in order.
On Wednesday evening, I went out for Spanish tapas with some Dutch people that I met last year when I was in A'dam for a work conference (Bertil, Yen, Adinda, Beryl, and Brigitte). In addition, I went out for drinks on Friday with a different group of people. This was also my first experience with eating Febo, a small room posing as a "fast-food restauant". Febo's are all over the place, usually in high-traffic areas that sell pre-cooked snacks called krokets that sit in a self-contained heating unit. You walk up to the wall, decide which deep-fried ball/link/square of processed meat you want to eat. Drop E1 in the coin dispenser. Remove your hot goodie and enjoy. I couldn't beleive I was actually eating one. In reality, it's probably no worse than US fast-food but the idea of buying it from a coin-operated machine makes it seem worse. Anyways, I went with the Kaas-something-or-other. Kaas means cheese so I figured it was the safest.
Anyways, on Firday I met a different group of young Dutch colleagues though a senior person from LaSalle (Terry) who had just returned to Chicago after 3 years in Amsterdam. Terry asked that one of his direct reports (Vincent) introduce himself to me. I had a great time and met a few more Dutch people as well as a group of Spanish-speakers from Spain and South America. I was happy that Terry took the time to make a call on my behalf. That made me feel as if someone was looking out for me and doing what he could to ensure that I was comfortable here and will have a positive experience. It made it a bit more significant that that person was someone from the bank, not someone I would expect to make that sort of effort. Anyways, they are really nice and I'm sure I will see them again soon.
Saturday night I had dinner with Melanie, an American friend who is also here as an expat with the bank. She arrived in A'dam the day before I did and her husband (Chris) is still in Chicago finishing up a few things before moving here as well. We have a good time together as we seem to spend a lot of time sharing our experiences and are going through the same issues at the same time. Not that I want her to be frustrated as well but it is a bit comforting to know that I am not having any more trouble or complications than she is. I do really like her and Chris and have even spoken very briefly about buying a cheap little motorized boat to cruise the canals with. I hope that happens because I think that could be a lot of fun.
Sunday I met Bertil again, this time for tea. Afterwards I went back to his apartment and hung out with his roommates. I really enjoy hanging out with Bertil although he seems to be pretty into shopping - which could be the absolute worst thing in the world to me. We'll have to figure out a better system to keep me from having to visit all these stores and keep him from having to cut his time in the stores short on my account.
All in all, I am beginning to establish a bit of a social life here and I think when Julie moves in June, it will make her adjustment a bit easier as I will have already had a chance to find a few friends - I hope she likes who I am finding =)
Next week is Queens Day, another bank holiday. It is in celebration of the Dutch Queen Beatrix's birthday. Actually, it's the Queen's mom's and former high royal Juliana's birthday. Queen's day is supposed to be on the Queen's b-day but Beatrix was born in December and decided not to change it as the weather is not as nice in December as it is on April 30 - I think the Dutch loved that decision! Queen's day is basically the national significance of July 4, the congested sea of people that is Mardi Gras (minus Tia on my shoulders earning her beads), the drunken stuppor of Madison's Mifflin Street Block Party, and a huge ass garage sale. On the last note, wandering the streets this weekend I noticed that people were beginning to mark up the streets with tape and chalk, claiming specific high-traffic spots so that they can set up their crap for sale. This reminds me of how in Chicago, when people dig their car out of the snow, often times they will put an old couch or something else big in the spot, forever claiming it as their property - or at least until Spring. Anyways, I will go into more detail on Queen's Day next week after I have had a chance to see it for myself. In the meantime, this is what I think for now...
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BIKE
On Saturday I took another step towards intigrating into Dutch society. The first step, a mobile. The second, a bike. Now I am officially Dutch. As I mentioned in an earlier TravelPod, everyone here rides a bike. The main objective you need in a bike is that it get you from here to there, followed very closely by the requirement that it is not too nice, thus limiting the chance that it will get stolen.
My bike is very Dutch - it is an ugly, rusty, green thing that looks strangly more like a tank than a bike. It is huge and looks like it weighs 5 tons. I bought a Dutch brand, Batavus, used for E125. The locks cost me over E70 - a bit strange to think that the locks cost more than 50% of the bike but it's apparent that you need to do that to keep it from being stolen and becoming a source of funding for someone's drugs.
I am happy to report that the model is "Ascot" so I feel very regal cruising around town on my big green Ascot. Black-market (stolen) bikes are available almost everywhere and cost about E10 but I have heard a few really bad stories about them and I didn't want to run the risk of getting caught and deported over something so stupid - I think the cops run bike stings all the time and I know I would get caught. Every bike looks the exact same, but mine is the only one with a Cubs sticker on the front - Go Cubbies!
MOVIES
I went to see "Bowling for Columbine" on Monday. Coincidentally, that was the anniversary of the school shooting. I don't want to get into the movie too much but I will say that I liked it. I'm not sure that I like Michael Moore too much though. I feel like he exploits people to state his case, not really caring at all about them. He seems to be very concerned with speaking up for "the little person" and fights "big business" but I would suspect that his own career has produced a pretty big business - they seem to be selling his books everywhere around here.
And I am not a big fan of Charlton Heston and was kinda glad to see him look so stupid, but at the same time, he was completely sabotaged (ala Pete Rose - Jim Grey). The same can be said for Dick Clark who can't possibly be held responsible for a school shooting because the mother of the shooter was not with her son at the time and was instead at work at one of Dick Clark's theme restaurant's 90 minutes away. That's not his fault.
I think Michael Moore also has a tendancy to distort some facts and statistics to make his story sound more impressive, but anyways, it was still an interesting movie and I thought it was interesting to see a movie about how horrible America is in Europe given the fact that many here feel that way.
But besides that, I found the whole movie-viewing process interesting. First of all, the theater is this old grand building. It was very impressive from the outside and the inside reminded me more of a Broadway Theatre than a movie house. When you buy your movie ticket, you are buying a specific seats, not just an entrance ticket. You have a choice of price level similar to a concert where you pay more the better your seats are.
When you enter the theater, you have a chance to buy a beer at the concession stand to go with your popcorn before arriving at the door to the theater. The seats are numbered so there is a person at the door who takes your ticket and shows you exactly where you seat is. The theater itself in beautifully decorated - this one having very plush red chairs that have so much leg room that someone can easily walk past you to their seat without you having to move or them having to manipulate their body to get by. It was nice to visit a movie theater that didn't have a sticky floor or some odd stain on the chair you were afraid to sit on.
The sound is great, the screen is big, and the picture is clear. You almost don't even notice the Dutch subtitles. It is a great experience and has helped me feel a bit more comfortable. It ends up being a wonderful escape for now as I am able to put aside the hardships of establishing a life here for a few hours.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SAY HMMMMM
This section is a tribute to the short television career of Arsenio Hall, in my opinion the true winner of the Leno-Letterman latenight battle and probably the best latenight show ever with the exeption of The Jon Stewart Show on FOX(?) and the short musical career of C&C Music Factory. I will be writting a few quick stories, observations, and thoughts. Basically, things that made me say hmmmmm.
*** How is it that I can withdraw Euros from an ATM in Amsterdam with my US bank card and not get a service charge from the ATM owner but if I use my US bank card to withdraw Dollars from a US ATM in Chicago that is not owned by my bank, the bank charges me a fee? I would think there would be more work for the bank when using an ATM abroad rather than across town. Banks are ripoffs, huh? Oh yeah, those service fees pay my salary. Nevermind.
*** If I have been bombarding you with Jewish propoganda and joke emails in the past, you will either be relieved to see that this is finally coming to an end or will need to get your petition/boycott info and daily laughs from another place as I will be trying to only sending this 1 email every week or so. That is the good news, the bad news is many of you will have to pay extra attention to Joey as he will undoubtedly be suffering from a serious case of Stephen-withdrawl. There really is no reason for the discontinued forwarding service other than for selfish reasons - I would rather have people read these emails than my forward emails so for the timebeing, the cause will have to wait. If you are one of those who sends me a lot of the forwarded stuff, feel free to continue but you won't be getting any from me. Sorry. Send them to sbkantor75@yahoo.com.
*** There are posters all over town advertising for some club party. This is not odd. The fact that it is a picture of Ron Jeremy naked, covering his pee-pee is. For those of you who do not know who Ron Jeremy is, he is a short, fat, hairy, very Jewish-looking porn star. I don't really know who he is but I think Julie is a big fan.
*** I haven't had a chance to see this TV show yet but there is a Dutch show that is your basic "Fashion Emergency" makeover-type of show. The commercial shows a few before-, during-, and after-segments with the theme song to The A-Team playing in the background. Then, the commercial ends with the show title...The Gay Team. Awesome! You get made over by 3 of the gayest men I have ever seen. I can't wait to watch this.
*** One night at dinner, Julie and I started humming the song that was playing in he restaurant. We both recognized it but couldn't place it. It was the techno version of The Price is Right theme. I wonder if there is a dance called The Showcase Showdown.
*** Julie is big on having a routine to start her day. Luckily, she found a morning show called BBC Breakfast. It is basically Britain's version of The Today Show...with a real ugly Anne Courie.
*** Julie has a nickname for me...Cheap Fucking Bastard. I think I might have met my match in the Dutch. Apparently they are so cheap that any Dutch receipe begins with "Step 1. Borrow 2 eggs from a neighbor". I heard that from a Dutchman and thought it was pretty funny.
*** I was happy to see that Amsterdam gets all the major musical acts. There are advertisements everywhere for Kool N the Gang...celebrate good times, cummon! I hope Phish makes it out here real soon. Although I about to buy tix to see Coldplay and Live at some small outdoor venue. I've seen both in concert and they're both great - should be fun.
*** Almost every Dutch woman looks like Kim. They are all tall, blonde, and fair complexion. It's like Hitler's dream.
*** I have never really taken care of the drycleaning but I am certain that it is not as expensive as it is here. First of all, in Chicago, there is a drycleaner on every block in Lincoln Park, in most cases more than one. As a result a shirt costs $1 at most. Here, there is not a drycleaner to be found. The Dutch wash and iron their own shirts. That is not going to happen from me so I guess I'll just continue to pay E2.50 per shirt and such it up until Julie gets here - if she doesn't get a job, maybe she'll open a drycleaning service.
*** I think there are more Argentinian Steakhouses here than in Buenos Aires. I never knew that the Argentinians were known for their steak but there is an Argentianian Steakhouse on every corner - I guess that's why there's no room for drycleaners.
*** When Julie was hear, she bought cold medicine. She swallowed a capsule and then realized that she was supposed to dissolve it in water and drink the glass. For some reason "dissolve" isn't in the Dutch-English dictionary.
*** The Dutch are given the option of Flextime, meaning that they can work an extra hour or two a day in exchange for an extra day off per week. I hope that makes it's way to LaSalle while I'm gone. Sign me up now!
*** Causal Fridays here means VERY casual Friday. I expect that as the Summer approaches and the weather warms up, I'll start to see people here in shorts. Already, people wear jeans and t-shirts (although these are typically the IT people).
*** I am excited to say that I no longer need to comb my hair in the morning or attempt to find an outfit that matches as I can just pretend to be European. I don't claim to be the most sophisticated dresser in the world but I am positive that certain outfits I have seen just don't match. How can they think they do? Does anyone in the entire country own a white dress shirt? I'm pretty sure not. And what's the deal with doing your hair in the morning so that it looks like you didn't do your hair in the morning. I don't get it.
*** I find myslef constantly defending GWBush and his foreign policy. It's extremely odd for me as I'm not sure I support most of his policy. Nevertheless, I feel like I always have to explain why it was a good idea to go into Iraq eventhough I'm not sure if it is true. Maybe if the Europeans weren't such chicken shits, we wouldn't have to police the world and could spend our time focusing on our own domestic problems - like the rest of the world.
*** The more I talk about the US and the French, the more I relaize that maybe we're very similar...we both tend to be viewed as self-serving and take care of our own interests (French: try to cover up that they helped build Iraq's weapons, US: in Iraq because of economic reasons linked to oil). I mean if people think the US is only interested in themselves, look at the French who elect politicans running on anti-immigration tickets. Wasn't there recently a comment about Strom Thurmond? And what happened to him? I am glad to say we saw quite a different public reation. Maybe we aren't so much like the French.
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Sorry that this TravelPod turned out to be another real long one. I want to finish by thanking all of you who wrote to me last week following Ruth's passing. In fact, as I sit here, Ruth is being laid to rest which is really hard to think about. Anyways, all the emails really meant a lot to me so thank you. I also want to thank whoever rated my TravelPods - 5 out of 5, not bad. I'm glad that people are enjoying reading them. They are pretty fun to write and I'm sure some day, they'll be fun to read. They are a bit hard to write as they are for me, and yet they are also for you. I am trying to stay with what I had initally intended them to be, my thoughts. But I guess it is a bit voyeauristic to write these personal thoughts and observations and then ask people to read them. Anyways, I'm glad that you seem to enjoy them and if I ever start to hold back, let me know. Also, feel free to continue emailing me as I'd like to have a dialogue every so often rather than just a one-sided discussion.
I also want to say that while some of these TravelPods tend to sound sad or negative at times, I am really very happy here. I think they would be pretty boring if all I did was say how similar things are here to Chicago. I also couldn't help but notice that this week seemed to be a lot easier for me and I will do something now that might make my 10th-grade English teacher happy, an analogy...
My first day in Amsterdam I went to the flower market and bought some tulip bulbs. I planted them, watered them, and cared for them. I put in a little bit of effort and finally, 2 days ago, my first bulb bloomed. I was pretty excited that I had actually created something. I was also happy as my tulips seem to mirror my experience thusfar in Amsterdam. With a little work, my life in Amsterdam is beginning to bloom. Pretty cheesy, huh. Nut as I said, this is my TravelPod so if you don't like it, fuck off!
And if you're still reading this, I want to leave you for the week with one final thought which I am adapting as my slogan for these TravelPods. I came from my friend Mike who is a veteranarian - and this is a direct quote...
Read my TravelPods - They are a "nice break from sticking (your) fingers up dogs butts and smelling vomitus to analyze the contents"!!!
Happy Queen's Day everyone!
-Stephen
As always, feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might enjoy reading my ramblings. Also, you can either subscribe or unsubscribe at any time at the top of the page.
