life on the streets

Ok, some poor quality photos due to the windows being extremely dirty and the glare...but here are some photos from the window next to me, looking down on the street below. I see some interesting things. I'm surprised I have not yet witnessed a person get hit by a tram yet. there is a almost naked rollerblader, but he is too fast, I can't catch him on my camera. He only wears a speedo or a thong while roller blading down the street. And of course, I only see his backside-- I don't even know what he looks like; maybe I don't even want to know!
The Heineken horse and buggy, drives by twice a day. I don't know where they are going, but the horses are so beautiful.
The urinal truck, bringing you your Friday afternoon porta-urinal.
And immediately being used after it was off the truck. Its like this guy was following the truck just to leave him mark!
Rastafarian street cleaner worker.

tram ongeluk

tram ongeluk
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

This is why I would never want to drive a car in Amsterdam. I was walking to the metro after work and as I was crossing this street parallel to the tram line..I saw this truck coming towards me, but I kept walking because I noticed it had its turn signal on for the other way. Two seconds later, I hear a big crunching sound...apparently the tow truck didn't see the tram, or the tram driver just felt she had the right of way despite the truck being in her path. That is quite popular here by dutchies---they make it so obvious that they're trying to prove a point or to point out that they are in the right and you are wrong, and they'll go out of their way to do it. Doesn't matter for some people, I guess, if that includes going so far as to cause damage to property! Or life even... This same day, when I got back to Utrecht and was walking towards my bike, I had to cross a bus lane with a walk signal. It turned green for us pedestrians, but a bus kept driving and coming at us. Everyone hesitated, but then just stayed put because they weren't sure if he would drive through or not. But one girl walked across the street in front of the oncoming bus, pointing at the green walk signal, just to prove her point. And the bus kept driving. So what if the bus hit her--it was green and she was gunna walk, gosh darnit! I may lose a leg, but i'm right! hmm..... yeah, I think a bus will beat you in a dual no matter what.

Anyways, that is the first accident I've ever witnessed involving a tram, and thank goodness. It could be a pretty unpleasant sight to see if it involved a person. I'm shocked that more people aren't killed by these things every day! This tram had its side window blown out, and several dents/scrapes. The truck lost its bumper and a few other parts. But, I just had to snap this pic and run off to the metro so I could make my train.

The next day at lunch I walked here too, and almost the same exact thing happened again as I was crossing the street---I must be a distraction to these drivers in my pink jacket or something! But the look on the drivers face and the jump he made in his seats when he realized that there was a tram right next to him--priceless!

the new place to pick up a date

heater at amstel station
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

I know my photographic skills on my camera phone are rather lacking, especially since i was trying to be not so obvious about taking a picture of a heater...but about a month ago, the railways introduced this heater (the red column in the center) on 2 platforms at the station I get out at in Amsterdam. They run on solar energy and supposedly only operate under 12degrees C. They are trying them out at this station to see if its worth introducing in the rest of the Netherlands. Its based on a project at Gare du Nord in Paris.

I think its a great idea- one is not enough for the hundreds of people there...but as long as the smokers are not illegally out of their designated smoking area and hogging all the warmth, its a great idea!

The DC Metro could definitely invest in these too!! But I suppose they would be defaced and broken within a week's time.

I can see this as the new place to pick up a date. Used to be the bar or a club...but why not standing around the heater at the train station waiting for a train? How romantic, huddling together around the sphere of heat. heheh..soo...where are you off to on the train?....can i have your number?

http://www.expatica.com/nl/articles/news/New-heating-facilities-at-Amsterdam-Amstel.html

The nice side of Amsterdam

This past Saturday I went to Amsterdam --yes on my day off even! But its much nicer to be able to walk around the city and enjoy it, and not go to work. I went there with my friend V to try some wedding dresses on. Then we walked around the shopping street some, and later M came and met up with us on the Leidseplein. We walked around, and as it got colder, we got hungrier, and needed to find a place to eat! We walked along some nice streets-- where the locals are and the tourists probably don't even venture out this way. We wanted to go to our Ethiopian restaurant near the Wibautstraat metro, but when we got there- it was closed! It looked like they were remodeling. So we settled for Italian instead, and of course, that was good. It was a crisp day with a biting wind. But it was a nice day, definitely. I enjoy walking through Amsterdam's streets and neighborhoods that are removed from the tourist track.

Sunset over Amsterdam

Sunset over Amsterdam
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

Its getting lighter later in the morning, and darker earlier in the evening. I ride my bike to the station before the sun is even up! I think within a week I will be in complete darkness at 730am!
This beautiful picture was taken by a collegue from our 6th floor window of our office (i'm on the 6th floor). Its a view westwards towards the sunset. Rembrandtplein, a popular tourist area with bars, clubs and restaurants circle the square.

vacation is over! i got a job!

Well, a lot has happened in my life this past week. I was too busy to write about it until now! Last week Tues I got my residence permit/work permit. This is in the form of an ID card. I have been spending the last 6 months looking at the jobs available for english speakers in the netherlands. here are some job agencies that specialize in 'multilinguals', those people who don't speak dutch as a native language. On Tuesday I sent my CV in to a work agency in amsterdam, for a job in at company called TomTom. TomTom makes navigational products for automobiles/bikes. they are a dutch company and their HQ are in amsterdam. they operate in english because they are so international. they are the leader in navigational products in europe. they have a new software program that allows its users (potentially the 10 million customers they already have) to update the maps and make changes, if the maps tomtom has are not current/correct. the job i applied to would be to then check this material that is sent in to tomtom if it is valid or not. I applied on Tues, was called on Wed, had an interview on Thursday morning, and was offered the job at the end of the interview! I was so surprised at how fast this all went. It may be only a production job at this point, but it could develop to more. But at least this is a job where I can earn some money, and work in an international company that is doing very well and is the leader in the market for this product...and i can work at a job that is in my field of geography. unbelievable how fast it all went--i was only on the job market for 2 days really! i was quite discouraged the week before, that it would take some time to get a job, but amazingly this one appeared. good timing and luck. i am sure there are opportunities to move around or move up in the company...we shall see how it goes!

So I was offered a 1 yr contract directly from the company itself, not the job agency. I will start on Sept 3rd. Its about an hour to commute, one way, which i will do by either bike/bus, train, and metro. About the same amt of time as it was to commute for me in DC the last 2 yrs.

So, just as I was really getting used to being a 'house wife' and doing the shopping and errands...now i will have to re-adjust my body clock and frame of mind, as adjusting to a full time job will be a bit tiring at first!

And as I look back on the previous 6 months, I can't believe how fast the time has gone. what have i done with the time? i wish i would have read more books and maybe gone for more bike rides...but that just didn't happen. Maybe now that I will sit in the train for 20 min/day, i will be able to read some. I guess the more time you have available, the less you get done b/c you can always say 'ohh i'll do that later'...now that time has come to an end. at least we will have some money now for our wedding and to pay for travel and to pay off our school loans.

so i gotta spend the next 2 wks enjoying myself and my final days of 'freedom'! summer vacation is over!

weekend of world music

roots festival, amsterdam
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

One of the fun things of a summer in holland...are all the music festivals. this past weekend we went to two of them, both centering on 'world music'. On saturday we went to Festival Mundial in Tilburg. Quite a popular festival, with 3 or 4 stages and many other booths set up either selling 'worldly items' (aka hippie things)...or tents to promote supporting a good cause- mostly related to world health and charities and the such. The only name I knew of the musicians was Gabriel Rios, and I only knew one song of his. We also listened to a Ukrainian Folk band, which ended up being a rock band with an accordian and a metal sword, but they were fun. We heard of course some raggae and more often spanish/salsa music. It was a fun day, however it rained over half the time and the ground was quite muddy. But we didn't let that stop us from having fun and enjoying drinks to numb the pain in our feet from standing the whole day.

On Sunday, M and I went to Amsterdam with the intent to see a traditional Korean drumming group at the Roots Festival in the Oosterpark. In the early afternoon we went to the Tropen Museum, which chronicles life and cultures of those societies that live in the tropics. Pretty interesting...didn't get to see quite everything. Then we went to the park and walked around. Not quite as organized as well as Festival Mundial, but still ok. We saw this group perform traditional Javanese music on this large wooden xylophone type instrument. It was really neat and really good. About 10 men were playing at one time. It was very beautifully decorated as well (the instrument). Then at 430 when we thought the Korean group would play...they didn't. We finally asked someone at the info point and they said they were playing at 7 instead. We were getting rather tired, and would have been home after 10 if we stayed, so we decided to go home. Too bad, but hopefully there will be another opportunity in the future.

It was interesting to note that the tropical cultures we saw in the museum- from indonesian to african to latin- were the cultures and music that were highlighted at the Roots Festival, just down the street from the museum. It was a good combination.