Thursday, November 18, 2010

Do people even read this thing, anyway?

I actually feel like bloggin' today, so here it goessss.

Today I started volunteering at my praktikum, or internship with IDFA (international documentary film festival Amsterdam). Winterwonderland and IDFA have overtaken Rembrandtplein- it doesn't look like a square anymore, now it's covered in santas and sinterklaas and an iceskating rink and IDFA box office and touristy food stands. Crazy.

For IDFA, I'm part of the poster team... basically we just hang up posters of the next day's films where they'll be showing... but it's like a giant puzzle between all the theaters partaking in IDFA, and posters need to be switched every day. But I get a free shirt, crew pass, lunches, and viewings of documentaries. So that's pretty cool. Saw "Waiting for Superman" today, and it's about how shitty American school education is. Definitely worth seeing!

On Monday morning I didn't have class, since classes have ended and the next 4 weeks we'll be doing research and writing 40 page ISPs on our own. But I took the free morning and biked over to the Noorderkerk in NW Amsterdam. Not far from me, you just take Hugo de Groot to Bloemgracht to Prinsengracht and it's right there. Monday and Saturday mornings there's the Noordermarkt, where you can get all kinds of food type things Saturday and more so used clothing on Monday. But there's also music, antiques, cheeses, and other wonderful things. It's my favorite market of the ones I've been to here. I love me some Eastern Market in DC, but this is just as lovely :D

I spent a long time in the market, wandering around, sifting through giant piles of "bargain" €5 clothing. Bargain my ass... I can't afford clothing here at all, when I'm so used to buying all my clothes at the Village Thrift in Pennsauken NJ for under a dollar :) I just love free clothes the best. I did find an awesome sweater that I really wanted in someone's trash, but it was all wet. I may be the world's biggest trash-picker, but wet sweaters are super gross. Anyway, I loved just taking my time to enjoy the whole market and the morning to myself. My host sister came with me, but left much earlier. She got bored, I think. I had to explain to her that I practically grew up in flea-markets and antique stores, and I like to take my time and hunt for bargains and look at old things that I wish I could fill a place of my own with. It's really an under-appreciated art, bargain hunting. I found a beautiful red dress and crazy green, bright sweater for pretty cheap, as well as a free scarf.

I'll really miss that, I think. Being able to bike around to markets and find what I need or what I'm looking for. My very own medina. After living in DC, visiting Philly well enough over the past 20 years to "know it" pretty well, and living in Amsterdam, I have to admit that I'm a city girl. I just love the cafés and bikes and people and bustle and art and music and history... I don't think I could live anywhere but a city later. I mean, I can go to a jazz bar on Sundays with my host mom and have some wine and cappuccinos. And if I need green,  I can bike to various parks and see green and birds and flowers. And I have water around me, since canals are ubiquitous. Or I can go to any museum or old church or concert hall- it's there for the taking!

I always felt overwhelmed and scared in NYC. But not here. Here I feel a sense of history, belonging, and culture differences all at the same time. It's a safe place here. As far as differences between the states and Nederland, I do miss knowing where to buy things, and how cheap clothing everything is in the States. And the toilets. I really don't like toilets here very much. Whoever invented the shit shelf is a total douchewad. I much perfered the turkish toilets in Morocco, even.

Well I can't end this on toilets, so let's just say I'm beginning to paint for the first time in my life, and I find it really soothing and inspiring. Even if it's crappy finger painting paper and HEMA watercolors (all I can afford) I look forward to buying real painting supplies in the states, and trying my hand at being artistic. Cause why the hell not?

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