My first week in Amsterdam wasn't actually particularly exciting. I know that some of the people I've met have been going out every single night since they'd arrived over here. I haven't really been doing that since its not particularly my thing. I've spent a bit of time in my room. However, I don't have computer, nor do I have my guitar here which is probably what I'd be doing if I were back in Sydney. So i've literally been left with nothing much to do in my apartment. Awww poor me.
The funny thing is that the lack of things to do wasn't exactly boring, nor did I actually feel really lonely or sad. With the way things are usually so busy back at home, the boredom was actually a welcome change. Boredom isin't even the right word since it didn't even feel that way.
But in any case, I've started to get more into the routine of things.
On Tuesday night, I went to play ultimate frisbee with NUTS, the student ultimate team in Amsterdam. We were playing outdoors... At first, it was really cold. I had a thermal with a T-shirt on top and wearing trackies. The most important thing was taking extra care when you catch the disc when your hands are cold. Cos it can really hurt if you catch it badly. There was a lot of new people so the standard of play wasn't that high. However, the Dutch guys on the team play with another mens team, the Cambo cakes. Cambo cakes train on Monday and Thursday nights so I'm probably going to join them for practices. hopefully I'll be able to make the team to go for some tourneys.
I've got classes on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings til 1pm. Probably one of the worst schedules to have while your on exchange and want to go travelling. However, I'm not really planning on doing that much travelling so its all good. The first week of classes was incredibly boring. We never went into the course content since it was the first course. And its even worse over here cos my classes go for 3 or 4 hours at a time. There are breaks but nearing the end, its pretty hard to pay attention. The second week has just finished and classes were way more interesting.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Zolder...
I've decided to join a church in Amsterdam called Zolder. Zolder means "attic" in Dutch and (I think) it refers to where the church used to meet when it first started out: in an attic. Well probably not literally in a dark, dusty, low-ceiling attic, but at least in the upper levels of a house. At present, the church meets in the basement of a house. But they've decided to keep the name of Zolder. For sentimental reasons (I dont really know....).
Anyways, Zolder has quite a different concept to how church is structured and run. First of all, the church itself is set up like a cafe. There was a stage area running by the length of the room, and then couches right in front of the stage, followed by coffee tables. Behind the coffee tables was a walk way, and then there were those small round tables that you find in bars. I have to take a picture of it sometime. But yea, no pews, no chairs set about in rows, no pulpit. When I entered, I thought the place was run commercially as a cafe during the week.
The whole layout of the church really gave it a relaxed, informal atmosphere to the place. And I think it also reflected the dynamism of the church itself. Another cool thing they've done is to make a church plant. Not in a different area, but at the same location! At the same time! Instead of meeting every Sunday, the church meets every two weeks. And so each congregation meets up fortnightly. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Sunday church services and I think it was a great idea. Someone told me that changing it from weekly to fortnightly, stressed the importance of homegroups as opposed to Sunday services. I thought it was brilliant.
After service, I was invited to have dinner at one of the church member's house. To get there, I was given a ride the back of Gerard's bicycle. I had to hold up the bike light since it had broken off (I broke it the first time I got on). i didn't have any gloves, my hands were freezing cold. They had never been that cold before. In fact, they went numb after a while and I was seriously (and paranoically) afraid that I had gotten frost bite. I didn't. However, I did have a good time at dinner getting to know some of the other people from church.
The following Wednesday I joined a home(bible study) group and it was really good. I already knew two people from that group, and the rest of the people were really easy going too. We had an interesting discussion on pre-destination (don't get me started) that night. However on the whole, I know its a group that I can get involved with and be actively serving in. I'm really thankful that its only taken me 2 weeks to find myself a church that I can be involved with.
Anyways, Zolder has quite a different concept to how church is structured and run. First of all, the church itself is set up like a cafe. There was a stage area running by the length of the room, and then couches right in front of the stage, followed by coffee tables. Behind the coffee tables was a walk way, and then there were those small round tables that you find in bars. I have to take a picture of it sometime. But yea, no pews, no chairs set about in rows, no pulpit. When I entered, I thought the place was run commercially as a cafe during the week.
The whole layout of the church really gave it a relaxed, informal atmosphere to the place. And I think it also reflected the dynamism of the church itself. Another cool thing they've done is to make a church plant. Not in a different area, but at the same location! At the same time! Instead of meeting every Sunday, the church meets every two weeks. And so each congregation meets up fortnightly. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Sunday church services and I think it was a great idea. Someone told me that changing it from weekly to fortnightly, stressed the importance of homegroups as opposed to Sunday services. I thought it was brilliant.
After service, I was invited to have dinner at one of the church member's house. To get there, I was given a ride the back of Gerard's bicycle. I had to hold up the bike light since it had broken off (I broke it the first time I got on). i didn't have any gloves, my hands were freezing cold. They had never been that cold before. In fact, they went numb after a while and I was seriously (and paranoically) afraid that I had gotten frost bite. I didn't. However, I did have a good time at dinner getting to know some of the other people from church.
The following Wednesday I joined a home(bible study) group and it was really good. I already knew two people from that group, and the rest of the people were really easy going too. We had an interesting discussion on pre-destination (don't get me started) that night. However on the whole, I know its a group that I can get involved with and be actively serving in. I'm really thankful that its only taken me 2 weeks to find myself a church that I can be involved with.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
It snowed!
On Sunday, I was walking around the city centre while waiting in between two different church services. As I was walking along the street I noticed these fluffy things floating about in the air. They kinda looked like those really small tufts of bubble foam was flying about in the air.
Believe it or not, it took me a few seconds to realise that it was snow! I'd been to the mountains for snow back in Victoria. But you don't really get real snow in Australia. And so this was the first time I've seen it snowing in a city before. I thought it was pretty cool, but I presume most other people weren't very impressed.
However, this winter has been the coldest winter in Amsterdam in 12 years! I heard that a few weeks before I came the canals froze over and people were ice-skating on the frozen ice. I'm really really hoping that the canals will freeze over again so that I get the chance to do that. I guess that I could have always gone so ice-skating in a rink. Whats really so special about ice skating over a frozen canal? Nothing much I guess, except for the novelty of it and also the fact that I can brag that I've ice-skated over a frozen lake/canal. I've heard reports that the canals might freeze over again. My fingers are crossed...
That said, it really isin't that cold over here. I've been wearing about 3 layers. Usually a jacket to keep the cold, wind and rain out, and another two layers underneath. I noticed that in the first few days, I would always find it extremely cold coming out of a building into the open air. But I've gotten over that now. My apartment is actually really well heated and its actually even too hot to wear the warm track pants that I'd brought to wear while sleeping. Funnily enough, the apartment is even warmer than my house in Sydney.
Believe it or not, it took me a few seconds to realise that it was snow! I'd been to the mountains for snow back in Victoria. But you don't really get real snow in Australia. And so this was the first time I've seen it snowing in a city before. I thought it was pretty cool, but I presume most other people weren't very impressed.
However, this winter has been the coldest winter in Amsterdam in 12 years! I heard that a few weeks before I came the canals froze over and people were ice-skating on the frozen ice. I'm really really hoping that the canals will freeze over again so that I get the chance to do that. I guess that I could have always gone so ice-skating in a rink. Whats really so special about ice skating over a frozen canal? Nothing much I guess, except for the novelty of it and also the fact that I can brag that I've ice-skated over a frozen lake/canal. I've heard reports that the canals might freeze over again. My fingers are crossed...
That said, it really isin't that cold over here. I've been wearing about 3 layers. Usually a jacket to keep the cold, wind and rain out, and another two layers underneath. I noticed that in the first few days, I would always find it extremely cold coming out of a building into the open air. But I've gotten over that now. My apartment is actually really well heated and its actually even too hot to wear the warm track pants that I'd brought to wear while sleeping. Funnily enough, the apartment is even warmer than my house in Sydney.
Life in Amsterdam so far
I just got my bike yesterday! Bikes are essential for living in Amsterdam as most people get around by bike. There are only 800,000+ people living in Amsterdam so its actually a pretty small city and the distances you have to travel are actually pretty small. Not only that, there are always bike lanes on the side of the road so it makes it even easier to get around on bike.
Currently, I'm living in a shipping container. if you don't believe me, refer to the picture:
These are shopping containers that have gotten converted into housing apartment.
It looks exactly like that...except I'm in winter at the moment. There isin't the clear blue sky and the grass is not green at all. Everything is pretty much... grey. The buildings are the same though
Before coming, I was really hoping that I wouldn't be put with an American college student who would be full drinker and party-er. Alas, things were not meant to be that way. Well, my housemate (justin) is a bit of a party-er. But it hasn't been bad at all. In fact, we get along decently well. If anything, there is a commonality in that we both play guitar. And it was pleasantly(pleasant is quite a big understatement) surprised when I heard a guitar being played from his room. And it was just any guitar, it was a Taylor 600 series too. Sweet. :)
It's kinda wierd being in a totally different country. It's kinda like I have to reconstruct my life from anew: thinking about how I should spend the (massive amount of) free time I have. Travel? Church? Frisbee? Meeting new people? Not only that, but its made even pronounced since its the first time I'm out of the home. So I did spend a few moment thinking about how I'm going to arrange my room, furnish the apartment as its rather bare at the moment, and also how/when to cook dinners.
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