Stormy Weather

Sunday.  Today I overcame my fear of going out in the rain!  After a couple of days of mostly holing up in my warm apartment, looking out at the wind and rain blowing in from the North Sea, I started to feel sluggish, fat, and lazy.  Time to brace myself and get out for a run!  This is the Netherlands, where people go out and do things in all kinds of weather!  Again, I am reminded of a statement a Scottish friend made years ago: "There is no such thing as bad weather-- just bad clothes!"  I did make some accommodations in my dress-- goretex jacket, and took off my glasses wore my wool cap.  Running in Vondelpark today turned out to be a great experience!  I was quite comfortable, not cold, despite the blustery weather.  I was rewarded by the following scenes, flashing by. (Sometimes I wish I had a little camera built into my hat!)  A young father striding purposefully along the park road in his Northface parka with the hood up, pushing a well-buttoned-up baby pram.  A father and his young son, both in bright yellow rain jackets, the father jogging and the 8 year old son riding alongside on his bike.  And perhaps most surprising, several pairs of bright green parrots or macaws, flying from tree to tree in the park.  What are they doing here in this northern place!!? Why haven't I seen them before on my morning runs?  Do they like the rain?  They looked quite at home. When I got home I read on a Fodor's web page that "flocks of parrots—apparently the progeny of two escaped pets—...live here year-round."  (See this Fodor's review for more interesting observations about the wonderous place that is Vondelpark.)

Signs of Spring

First blooms in Beatrixpark

This is the end of my third week in Amsterdam. In the past couple of days is has been raining off and on, and even snowed and sleeted a bit on Wednesday evening.  But today it is cloudy and the temperature is mild, about 45 F. This week I have been working on a writing project, so that has kept me in during much of the nasty weather, sitting at my laptop, next to the nifty gas heater in the living room looking out over the canal and West Amsterdam from my 3rd floor (USA = 4th floor) apartment.   To take breaks from work I have ventured out to eat, shop for groceries or run important errands. I am increasingly relying on my bicycle to get around.  In the past few days I've gone to appointments north, south, and east of my apartment, each time wheeling out into unknown territory, armed with my city map and the assurance that it's actually pretty hard to get lost in Amsterdam! It's not a large city for a main metropolis, and it's neatly arranged around the central rings of canals, kind of like half of a big bike wheel, with the hub at the Central train station. I am learning the local cycling etiquette (such as it is-- Amsterdamers don't cotton much to rules!) and beginning to feel comfortable moving in this efficient and healthy way around the city.  This morning I rode about 2 miles to the "World Trade Center" in the south of Amsterdam to complete my registration process as a foreigner, which is necessary because I will be here more than 3 months and I will be employed part time to do things for the University of Amsterdam. It's a rather complicated process, involving several forms and an "authenticated" copy of one's birth certificate.  (I'm thinking it would be difficult to hide out in the NL!) Everything went fine, the officials were pleasant, and I am now officially an approved resident of Amsterdam!  On the way home I cruised through Beatrixpark (named after the beloved Queen).  It was green, quiet, and pleasant, and I noticed in a number of places crocuses and daffodils were emerging and beginning to bloom.  Damn!  Spring comes earlier here than in Indiana, and I do like that!

Vondelpark

I am started taking morning jogs in Vondelpark, a kind of Amsterdam Central Park a few blocks from my apartment. (I will try to get a photo later today and post.)  It is a great place for walking, running, and people watching. Things I have noticed during my few runs there-- Joggers and runners of all ages, usually in nifty running outfits. Most people I see around the park are lean and fit.  A stork nesting on a platform right in the middle of the park. Lots of dogs!  Yes, Amsterdamers seem to like their dogs and like taking them to the park.  The dog scene is a little like Amsterdam people society.  Most are unleashed.  A bit unruly at times, but mostly friendly. I have seen very few dogfights.  Not always the greatest care about where they are leaving their trash, if you know what I mean. The park seems to be a favorite bike route for many people, too, on their way to work in neat suits or just out for a ride with their kids on on the way to some after school activitiy.  For an American, it's fascinating to watch the Dutch as they ride their bikes.  I think virtually everyone has ridden a bike every day since they were 3 years old.  Riding is so natural and easy for them.  Efficient, smooth.  Like breathing.  It's common to see people riding along having a focused conversation with each other, side by side, nearly touching or even with on hand on the other's arm or shoulder.  (And you'd best not be wobbling around or stopping in the middle of the bike path! The bike bells are used liberally for transgressors.) There are a few cafes and restaurants in Vondelpark, currently with many outdoor tables and chairs stacked on the decks for winter.  But I can imagine the spring leaves out soon, with people having their coffee and broodjes (sandwiches, usually made with a baguette) on the decks and patios.

Berlin

I had a quick trip by train to Berlin for a meeting to plan our 3-country child care course. Traveled 6 hours by train on Saturday afternoon to get there, and came back to Amsterdam late Monday night.  It's exciting to work with my German and Dutch colleagues on this cross-national class. I learn something every time I talk with them.  For example-- Did you know German students studying for their masters degree do not pay tuition? It's government supported.  Or that there is no constituional separation of church and state in the Netherlands, so that church-sponsored child care centers cannot avoid inspection and quality regulation, as they can in the U.S.?  In fact, there are very few church-sponsored centers in the NL.
Impressions of Berlin from my short visit at the Free University and while touring around the city center on Sunday afternoon with my friend Wolfgang: The city looks very modern, having been mostly reconstructed after the intense bombings by the Allies in WWII. There are still some structures and buildings that survived the war and were reconstructed, but not too many.  (See photo of me at the Bandenburg Gate.)  Memories of the divided city and the Wall still seem fresh in the minds of Berliners, more than 20 years after the wall went down.  We visited the Checkpoint Charlie wall museum and were amazed by the stories and photos of many people's desparate and often ingenious escapes from the East.  The city seemed incredibly civilized  to me, and signs of affluence were notable.  (Nice houses, nice German cars, nice restaurants, nicely dressed people, well-maintained parks, etc.)  I walked by one kindergarten (preschool) in an affluent neighborhood and was impressed by the amount of space and equipment devoted to outdoor play. Glimpses of the rooms within showed brightly lit and decorated spaces for children to play.  My colleagues told me most German parents do NOT want their children learning academic things before primary school.  Kindergarten is a time for freedom and play.  My Dutch friend Ruben and I were impressed by the spaciouness of the houses and apartments we saw.  (Also the high prices of those for sale!!)   Of course there must be neighborhoods in Berlin where poor or working people live more modestly-- but we did not see them.  I had some nice meals, featuring traditional German foods, very grainy breads, and varieties of meats and wursts-- but though they were tasty, I will not adopt that diet on a daily basis!  I hope to return to Berlin in the spring, when it's more comfortable to tour around. (It was cold there!) When I arrived in Amsterdam on the train at about 11 PM, I had the sense of "coming home."  Surprising, since I have only been here one week so far.

Walking through Amsterdam

This morning I had a 30 minute walk through the city to get to some meetings at the University.  I was captivated by the cityscape and by the sights of the local people going about their morning business.  MANY people on their way to school or work on their bicycles.  It's not unusual to see a father or mother chugging away on a cargo bike with two small children in the front box seat and one older child riding on the back.  The parent pumping away while gabbing with the kids, on their way to child care or school. (I need to post a photo of this!) Of course this is a city of very old buildings, canals, and bridges, which makes it even more enchanting.  I found myself catching my breath at every turn, gawking at something I have never seen before.  An example:  As I walked around the city hall and Muziektheater (opera/ballet hall), I saw a huge ship/barge chugging up to one of the old drawbridges on the Amstel River.  I watched in amazement as the pilot maneuvered the ship through the narrow passage of the raised bridge and onward toward the city hall, where there was a fixed bridge across the river.  Where would this huge boat go now?  As he approached the fixed bridge, the pilot deftly slowed and hung a right turn into a smaller canal next to the music hall.  Whew!  Now you don't see anything like that when walking through Indianapolis!

Hello Amsterdam!

Patty and I arrived in Amsterdam Monday.  She will go on to Madrid Thursday.  Getting de-jet lagged and settled into the very nice apartment in the old west part of the city made available to me by a friend.  Third floor of an old Dutch house located on a canal.  This is a busy and somewhat upscale neighborhood in Amsterdam, just a few blocks west of the Museumplein (Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum, etc.)  Lots of nice shops and cafes within a short walk.  I noticed a child care center about one block away, so I may visit there one of these days.  First impressions:  This is definitely Europe.  The styles, the food, the feel of the city are distinctly different from an American city.  Remembering how many of the Dutch wheel around skillfully on bikes.  As a pedestrian you need to be alert for bikes as much as cars when crossing!