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I’ve been asked: how do I benefit as a learner? How do I suffer? What are some specific cases in which I have been especially successful or unsuccessful?

I don’t think it comes as a surprise to say that my experience in Amsterdam this summer was one of the greatest learning experiences for me, thus far in life.

I find that, for some reason, in  on-the-spot-discussions I am often unable to articulate and express myself. I appreciate discussion settings but because of this also appreciate being given complementary opportunities to relay my thoughts. Assignments that incorporate multiple avenues of work are ones in which I have the most success. I love projects that combine paper writing with video making with presentation giving with poster constructing, or any collection of some or all of these. I like balancing my brain and expressing my ideas with assorted media.

Everyone has their own qualms with group and partner projects and I had one of my most stressful experiences when I was in CEP 200. My facilitation day was over an abhorrent yet fascinating book on Darfur. I poured myself into attempting to make sense of this small paperback, especially the portion over which my facilitation was to occur. Without whining about or blaming my partner, I will say I unfortunately didn’t find much help in him upon his acknowledgement of not having read the book and I allowed this to cause me much stress. The facilitation went fine despite this and caused me to reflect on ways I could lovingly encourage a cohort to pull his or her own weight in the future. On the flip side, while in Amsterdam I worked in an very fruitful partnership, in which my classmate and I complemented each other greatly. I do work well with others when able to be honest and open with my peers and instructors about . I appreciate the opportunity to get to know my classmates and learn with whom I share interests and work ethic.

I am also asked: what skills, knowledge, and interests do I bring to CEP from my past experiences?

Day 1: The Day of the Hard Start

1. Hastily printed off some directions to Maastricht about 10 minutes before setting off on our journey. After 2 hours of biking, we had failed to get out of Amsterdam. Lost and confused and behind schedule. We decide to take a train to Utrecht, cutting out 45 kilometers of our 90 kilometer journey for the day. After about 30 minutes biking through Utrecht, we pick up the trail and are off. The sweet taste of belated success.

2. Realize that the rest of the Netherlands is completely different from Amsterdam. The wisdom of the bike-journey is reaffirmed, as it allows us a richer view of the country we had just spent the last month in. We see lots of farms and ride on two ferries. There are cute houses with baby-goats in the yard. They are adorable.

3. I don’t like riding on roads next to cars. They are too fast and loud. Nevertheless, this is the best bicycle infrastructure I have ever experienced. There are almost always large, dedicated bike lanes. Navigation is made extremely easy with lots of signposts. It will nevertheless take us another day or two to fully understand how to read these signs. This was our fault and the result of a lack of preparation.

4. Life on the road is good. We make it to the city of Tiel about 2 hours behind schedule. The former art teacher whose bed and breakfast we stay at says that he grew up on a tiny farm way out in the country. To him, Tiel was the “big city.” This is a fairly generous characterization, though the town centrum was quite active and there was a large HEMA located there. A big small city.

DAY 2: The Strange Day

1. We are out in the farm lands now. At points things get a bit creepy. We half-joke about Children of the Corn. We bike and bike and there is no one else there. Occasionally, we pass by a cluster of 3 or so farm-houses. They have massive gym equipment in the enormous front yards for children that are not seen. There is a person with a pitchfork standing on the side of the road. The clouds are too low in the sky for comfort. We get lost. Bike in circles. How do we escape this land of corn and dairy products?

2. In the groove of biking, begin meditating on agricultural in the Netherlands. Who owns and controls the farms? What percentage of GDP is accounted for by agricultural? Make note to consult wikipedia and learn more about the Dutch farming industry. I have since abandoned these plans.

3. We eventually leave the farmlands. Previously, we had the road to ourselves. We are now surrounded by what we believe to be elderly biking German couples on holiday. They are everywhere. Understandably so. We pass through beautiful woods, breaking out into meadows where we real-live sheep dogs at work. The sunlight bursts through the forest canopy – the world is new and clean. We are happy to have escaped the confusing and creepy farmlands.

4. But the weirdness of the farmlands was soon outdone. The first sign of a disturbance in normalcy was the sight of a family of Gingers dressed in green neon biking across a field. Are these people real, we ask ourselves? Upon closer inspection, their hair was painted red. Probably off to a local football game, we think. But as we travel onwards, there are more of these characters. Some are biking while others are loitering around in the woods. They don’t seem to be doing anything… Nor do they seem particularly happy. And unlike their comrades, they aren’t going anywhere. I think they are wearing capes. Most likely wizards.

Only 15 minutes after passing the last group of these flamboyant, somber magicians (saw perhaps 30 – 40 in total, but can’t really be sure…) we encountered The Suits. As I approached them, I first noticed their bright purple suits and top-hats. They look like a fun group, I think to myself. But as I get ready to crack a smile in their direction, I get second thoughts, worried that perhaps they were part of a funeral procession, or something similar. As they come into detail, the reality seems even more horrific. There are at least ten of them. Their dress is best described as similar to that of Johnny Depp in the role of Willy Wonka. They have canes as well. As we pass, one of them shoots us a maniacal grin. I look straight ahead, eager to distance myself and what I can only assume is some kind of diabolical croquet league or fox-hunting organization.

At the next town, I asked the bartenders of some kind of punk pub who these people might be. They had no clue but their best guess was a mumbled reply about camping Scots. The Netherlands can be a quirky place.

But… a series of 4 posts detailing the bike trip from Amsterdam to Maastricht and the following adventures will soon be here. It has been quite a journey through the Netherlands, Italy, and Croatia. Hope everyone is doing swell.

Cheers,

Greg

Everyone gathered in the courtyard punctually at 9 a.m. However, as any day with important presentations scheduled, we had a run-in with Murphy’s Law. Waiting for the bus to take us to the VKS with a combination of nervousness and excitement, we neglected to flag down the bus driver. It sped right past us. Standing in the cloud of exhaust, everyone was a little dazed and confused, but as the expert travelers and navigators we have come to be during our stay here, we regrouped and started on foot to our destination. On the bright side, walking is a much more gezellig form of transportation than public buses.

After a combination of walking and hopping on an alternative bus, everyone arrived at the VKS with a spring in their step, alert, awake, and ready to present his or her research. Some final remarks of wisdom from our professors led right into the student research presentations. The next several hours were a grand academic and intellectual adventure through the city of Amsterdam.  The journey began with a deep analysis of the Indische Buurt neighborhood, continued with a plunge into the inner workings of the Aya Sofya mosque, and then took a whirl through the streets of Amsterdam on a bicycle. We discovered that ferries can be gezellig. Although in the case of buses and trams – not so much. Next was a jaunt through the illicit, licit, and tolerated activities in Vondelpark, and finally, we were left with visions of urban screens playing in our heads.

A fantastic success everyone! Congrats! Celebrations began with a lively reception in the VKS lobby.  A portion of the group carried them on at the brewery underneath the windmill just a short walk from the VKS. It was my first visit, and I would highly recommend it – a fine establishment. Although being in the company of good friends and having the burden of presentations, research, and deadlines alleviated contributed much more to the convivial atmosphere.

This evening, we held the final group dinner at a wonderful Iranian restaurant. Traveling to the restaurant, Clifford led one last procession through the streets of Amsterdam by bike. Once there we relaxed in a small inner courtyard as the food was being prepared. Dinner was fantastic, and soon it came time for some final words from Rob and Clifford. After which each of us had the honor of receiving a certificate of completion.

Rob put in words perfectly what I feel created the best experiences of this program: entrepreneurial learning opportunities.  Getting out of your comfort zone, taking chances, and putting yourself in new situations helps us grow, keeps our minds sharp, and enriches life. Thanks to everyone for making this program a fantastic experience!

(P.S. More photos and videos are on their way when I’m at a decent internet connection back in civilization)

Everyone gathered in the courtyard punctually at 9 a.m. However, as any day with important presentations scheduled, we had a run-in with Murphy’s Law. Waiting for the bus to take us to the VKS with a combination of nervousness and excitement, we neglected to flag down the bus driver. It sped right past us. Standing in the cloud of exhaust, everyone was a little dazed and confused, but as the expert travelers and navigators we have come to be during our stay here, we regrouped and started on foot to our destination. On the bright side, walking is a much more gezellig form of transportation than public buses.

After a combination of walking and hopping on an alternative bus, everyone arrived at the VKS with a spring in their step, alert, awake, and ready to present his or her research. Some final remarks of wisdom from our professors led right into the student research presentations. The next several hours were a grand academic and intellectual adventure through the city of Amsterdam.  The journey began with a deep analysis of the Indische Buurt neighborhood, continued with a plunge into the inner workings of the Aya Sofya mosque, and then took a whirl through the streets of Amsterdam on a bicycle. We discovered that ferries can be gezellig. Although in the case of buses and trams – not so much. Next was a jaunt through the illicit, licit, and tolerated activities in Vondelpark, and finally, we were left with visions of urban screens playing in our heads.

A fantastic success everyone! Congrats! Celebrations began with a lively reception in the VKS lobby.  A portion of the group carried them on at the brewery underneath the windmill just a short walk from the VKS. It was my first visit, and I would highly recommend it – a fine establishment. Although being in the company of good friends and having the burden of presentations, research, and deadlines alleviated contributed much more to the convivial atmosphere.

This evening, we held the final group dinner at a wonderful Iranian restaurant. Traveling to the restaurant, Clifford led one last procession through the streets of Amsterdam by bike. Once there we relaxed in a small inner courtyard as the food was being prepared. Dinner was fantastic, and soon it came time for some final words from Rob and Clifford. After which each of us had the honor of receiving a certificate of completion.

Rob put in words perfectly what I feel created the best experiences of this program: entrepreneurial learning opportunities.  Getting out of your comfort zone, taking chances, and putting yourself in new situations helps us grow, keeps our minds sharp, and enriches life. Thanks to everyone for making this program a fantastic experience!

(P.S. More photos and videos are on their way when I’m at a decent internet connection back in civilization)

The ending of the program came in a bittersweet fashion. Although I was  becoming quite ready to finish up and say goodbye to my project, I had such a fantastic month, I’m sad to see it go. Highlights from the last week were: a day trip to Utrecht, home from which I (and two others) wore a stranger’s pants after an intimate encounter with the canal during a canoe/kayak trip, several trips to a restaurant/bar around the corner from the dorms near Artis where I have become friends with the bartender, a successful final presentation of my project, and the purchase of the craziest pants I’ve ever seen at a street market near the windmill brewery by VKS.

When my sister Amanda arrived on Tuesday morning it was raining, dreary, and everyone was packing and leaving. Failure to obtain a mattress from John almost spelled disaster in the form of Amanda and I having to squeeze onto my very small bed. However, Derek had left early and Ben was still around to let me into his room where I slept away my last night at the compound before literally being kicked out of my own room at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

The hotel I found here has proven to be a gem. It’s not far from the Albert by Waterlooplein and is spacious enough that there was room for Jenny and Greg to crash (and dump the entire contents of both their suitcases) on the floor and couch last night. The all-hours breakfast/coffee/cookie/bread/cheese/sausage/fruit bar downstairs might be the best part though. I led my sister on a bike tour yesterday and today that ended up being a heavy dose of nostalgia of having been lost on certain streets over the last month. “Oh I remember this is where John led us astray on the way to Leidseplein,” or “oh yes, Jenny and I were confused around here once or twice,” and “I dropped my map here on the way to Vondelpark on the first day with my bike and wanted to cry.” I managed to maneuver the city like an expert though, which has only caused a sickening feeling to form in the pit of my stomach that I have to leave soon. I find this an interesting realization to have because I think it encompasses part of what Jenny’s and my project was attempting to convey. I’m not sure if I became attached to Amsterdam in and of itself or if it was mostly because I associate it with the good time I had with this program. Either way, meandering the streets and eating dinner with my legs dangling over the canal tonight felt like home. Being able to recognize streets, shops, and cafes I’ve dined at is something special. There’s such comfort to be found in the familiar. It saddens me to think that bicycling over flat terrain, light as a feather thanks to my wonderful saddle bags, careening over dikes and canals with the click of my bell will not be something I can take home with me. I will miss that rickety omafiets. Now that Jenny and Greg have departed, I believe I am the last one left. But knowing Clifford is roaming around somewhere with Jasper in his bike basket is reassuring.

I sign off by offering the wiki link to my final project. Or might I suggest you Google my name and “gezellig” and see what you find a few links down. Thank you to everyone for a great month in a great city doing great things.

Amsterdam, I will be back.

The ending of the program came in a bittersweet fashion. Although I was  becoming quite ready to finish up and say goodbye to my project, I had such a fantastic month, I’m sad to see it go. Highlights from the last week were: a day trip to Utrecht, home from which I (and two others) wore a stranger’s pants after an intimate encounter with the canal during a canoe/kayak trip, several trips to a restaurant/bar around the corner from the dorms near Artis where I have become friends with the bartender, a successful final presentation of my project, and the purchase of the craziest pants I’ve ever seen at a street market near the windmill brewery by VKS.

When my sister Amanda arrived on Tuesday morning it was raining, dreary, and everyone was packing and leaving. Failure to obtain a mattress from John almost spelled disaster in the form of Amanda and I having to squeeze onto my very small bed. However, Derek had left early and Ben was still around to let me into his room where I slept away my last night at the compound before literally being kicked out of my own room at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

The hotel I found here has proven to be a gem. It’s not far from the Albert by Waterlooplein and is spacious enough that there was room for Jenny and Greg to crash (and dump the entire contents of both their suitcases) on the floor and couch last night. The all-hours breakfast/coffee/cookie/bread/cheese/sausage/fruit bar downstairs might be the best part though. I led my sister on a bike tour yesterday and today that ended up being a heavy dose of nostalgia of having been lost on certain streets over the last month. “Oh I remember this is where John led us astray on the way to Leidseplein,” or “oh yes, Jenny and I were confused around here once or twice,” and “I dropped my map here on the way to Vondelpark on the first day with my bike and wanted to cry.” I managed to maneuver the city like an expert though, which has only caused a sickening feeling to form in the pit of my stomach that I have to leave soon. I find this an interesting realization to have because I think it encompasses part of what Jenny’s and my project was attempting to convey. I’m not sure if I became attached to Amsterdam in and of itself or if it was mostly because I associate it with the good time I had with this program. Either way, meandering the streets and eating dinner with my legs dangling over the canal tonight felt like home. Being able to recognize streets, shops, and cafes I’ve dined at is something special. There’s such comfort to be found in the familiar. It saddens me to think that bicycling over flat terrain, light as a feather thanks to my wonderful saddle bags, careening over dikes and canals with the click of my bell will not be something I can take home with me. I will miss that rickety omafiets. Now that Jenny and Greg have departed, I believe I am the last one left. But knowing Clifford is roaming around somewhere with Jasper in his bike basket is reassuring.

I sign off by offering the wiki link to my final project. Or might I suggest you Google my name and “gezellig” and see what you find a few links down. Thank you to everyone for a great month in a great city doing great things.

Amsterdam, I will be back.

Take the call of the bird. To explain the bird call as an attempt to lure in a mate is to seriously devalue what that bird is doing. The bird call is not an attempt to find a mate. It is a call out to the world. It doesn’t know what will come back. It could be a nice female bird. It could be a hungry cat. It could be a lonesome echo.

Research is your call out to the world. And you never know what will come back.

This is something that has stuck with me. I hope you find it of interest as well.

Here is a photo of me out in the field trying to blend in with the suits and travelers (World Trade Center 6 in background).

Here is a photo of me fighting a tree.