What do you think of when you hear the word "Dutch"???
Well there is a reason that clogs, windmills, and cheese are all associated with this country- they are all a part of Dutch culture. It is interesting to find that as modern as the Dutch are, they cling to their traditions in a way that Americans do not. This may simply be because they have a longer history, but for instance many still used the old fashioned wooden ice skates that you tie to your own shoes even though they could purchase the type that we use today. Many still wear clogs believe it or not! I didn't. It is mostly those living in rural areas, specifically farmers who wear them, but they actually do wear these wooden shoes! There are windmills all over the country and many still produce wind energy to power various types of work. Also, cheese is a staple of any Dutch person's diet. There are many different kinds and all are sold in big wheels or cut off of one by an employee of the kaas winkel (cheese shop). There are many shops dedicated solely to cheese in Amsterdam.
Last wednesday, I got the opportunity to see these 3 stereotypical Dutch things in one place. We went on an excusrion to Zaanse Schans which is a town which has around 15 windmills! They were very neat. We got to go inside several of them to see how wind energy was turned into a production line. Inside one of them was an old dye factory and the spokes of the windmill moved cogs inside which somehow mixed and created dyes. Inside another we got to see how cheese is made and to sample many kinds ourselves. For the Dutch cheese is a delicacy. There were many wonderful types which I have never tasted or even imagined existed before! Our IES guide also treated us to some ice cream which was exciting since they do not eat it nearly as often here as we do in SC. After this, we also got to see how clogs are made inside another windmill. All of the employees were walking around in the clogs like it was no big deal at all! I did discover that they are slightly less uncomfortable than I had imagine though. The dutch wear thick woolen socks inside of them to make walking more comfortable.
Another exciting activity I was able to experience in Amsterdam was Queens Day which celebrates Queen Beatrix's birthday. 30 April is actually the birthday of Queen Beatrix's mother, the former Queen Juliana. It became a national holiday so the current queen, Queen Juliana's daughter Beatrix, celebrates her birthday on this day even though her is actually on 31 January. This is a HUGE celebration which begins the night before and carries on to the next day. I have been excited about this since hearing about it upon our arrival. Unfortunately though, it was somewhat of a let down and I am not sure if it was entirely because of the occurances in Appeldorn. Wednesday night was reminiscent of Spring weekend or antoher big frat party. People were all over and there were stages with people singing and in many parts it was so crowded the only way to move was to push through people. Many people stayed out all night because early the next morning is a free for all yard sale. Tons of Dutch people set up stands to sell all types of things from worn clothes, old toys and movies, to actual vendors with any number of items. The whole city was full of people in orange (the national color because of the Orange Revolution named after William of Orange) many of whom were selling and many more perusing. There were some bands playing around the city and tons of food vendors. At Dam Square (where the naitonal monument is) there was a carnival set up with rides and games. It was hectic and exciting with people everywhere! We ate in Dam Square after wandering through markets and then headed to Oosterpark for a rest. We had been outlate the night before and got up early to check out some sales so we thought a nap in the warm sun would be fitting. Lying on blankets in the park, talking, napping, and laughing was the best part of the day for me. The only thing was we had been preparing for a crazy night ahead, but because of the chaos in Appeldorn the T-Esto concert in Museumplein was canceled. A car sped through a crowd, attempting to hit the car carrying the Queen. He failed, but killed several in the crowd. Last time I checked the death toll was 5, with 12 injured (including himself I believe). Because of this tragedy on such a special day in the Netherlands much of the night festivities were canceled in respect for those who were affected. When we went out we were disappointed to find trash-covered streets with loud drunk people, raffic jams, but nothing going on. We retreated then to Funenpark and invited some other international students over fto hang out on the roof. Overall, it was a good time, but as Jackie said- "It was as crazy as I expected but less fun!" It's a shame that my first and probably only Queen's Day in Amsterdam was overshadowed by the events that occured.
On a lighter note, I am really enjoying my time here learning about the Dutch way of life. It just doesn't feel like its nearing the end! I can already tell that it will be bitterweet. I have grown to love it here. The city is beautiful when the sun is out. I will miss running in Oosterpark, shopping at the market, falafel, taking walks with Kate and Arjay, class with Jackie, Sean and Tony, taking trips around Europe and biking around, yet I am sorely missing some things from home.
The rest of my semester will be about enjoying the last of my time here but getting my school work done BEFORE may 26 when Landon whould be coming to visit! I hope to get my papers done early so I can spend time with him. I plan to take one more trip to Rome, visit the tulip gardens which are now in full bloom, bike to Harlaam (a city nearby), and to interview soem others for my field experience project. I also need to take some more pictures of myself in Amsterdam. I realized that I have pictures of me in every city I've been to except the one I live in!
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