In this photograph (entitled "New York, 1940"), the children are connecting with one another by simply playing in the street, similarly to the way that the people at Dappermarkt form community through daily interactions. How can we, like Levitt, articulate what is special about Amsterdam and finally translate those observations into something tangible?
Post-Foam, we got a bit closer to figuring this out. Stephanie the Wondergirl took us out to coffee (koffie)/tea to help us formulate a concrete project for the coming month. Here's what she suggested: a series of interviews with, and perhaps photographs of, people who occupy distinct roles in the Dappermarkt community. We would follow the interviews with individual written responses about the stories we heard. After hearing these different stories, our goal is to be able to compile these histories into a larger cohesive analysis of how a community.
As Peter says, the greatest compliment is when a visitor to the market tells him that he comes because he loves it, not because he wants buy the best cheese or bread.
Today, we met with Peter the Great, Peter the Dreamer. He is the definition of a successful community organizer because he, himself, is a dynamic part of the community and not a stilted decision-maker. Walking through Dappermarkt with Peter was inspiring; we've never met a man so powerfully grounded in his neighborhood. Though we spent much of the afternoon exchanging ideas, we did also, in fact, concretize a few of our concepts into projects; we'll be focusing much of our time helping Peter and others organize a public poetry event to take place on January 29th at both Dappermarkt and Waterlooplein, another market. He introduced us throughout the day to fascinating candidates for our interview project, and we learned invaluable lessons about coalescing disparate groups into an energetic community: little things and small improvements not only matter, but eventually add up to hugely significant changes and change must sprout from within the community itself.
We rode our brand new yellow Dappermarkt bicycles (droooool) to Amsterdam's City Hall, where we got a VIP tour by the lovely Annemiek - our mama; she works in the market affairs department.
Then we came home and got sexy makeovers from Rosa, the four year old. Damn, we look good.
Honey wafer cookies for all,
Jesse and Hannah
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Load the Dishwasher ...Michiel Style.
1. Compile all dishes on counterspace above dishwasher.
2. Start throwing dishes, silverware, etc. into dishwasher (Note: Ignore racks. Just throw).
3. Complain about having to peel plastic off dishwashing soap tablet; Finally place tablet into either of two possible soap compartments in dishwasher. Does not matter which. Go with gut intuition (It's usually correct).
4. Make sure that dishwasher closes. (Note: this is the most important step. As long as it closes, the "steam" will clean the dishes. "It's all steam anyway.")
5. Press on.
Done! Good job!
For clarification, Michiel is our nutty Dutch poppa who has an extra special knack for loading the dishwasher. Wow. We can all learn from Michiel.
Besides having one of the most thrilling days of our lives, we had incredible falafel last night. I mean, this stuff was great. Plus, we ate it in a synagogue-turned-flashy-Middle-Eastern-restaurant. The "humuz and pide" wasn't half-bad either.
But seriously, folks, we learned to make salmon today!!
But seriously, folks, so many profound lessons have been learned. Our brains are expanding past skull capacity, our hearts are open wide to new experiences, and have you ever had an Espresochoco?!?? You think it's like a mocha but it's not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But seriously, folks, every new day seems to one-up the last. Yesterday was a cross-town adventure with Stephanie, beginning with a visit to a stunning photography museum on the Keizersgracht called Foam. The main exhibit by Helen Levitt, who shot the majority of her work in 1940s New York City, seems to tie flawlessly into our studies in Amsterdam - specifically, the ways in which
people interact in public spaces. In this photograph (entitled "New York, 1940"), the children are connecting with one another by simply playing in the street, similarly to the way that the people at Dappermarkt form community through daily interactions. How can we, like Levitt, articulate what is special about Amsterdam and finally translate those observations into something tangible?
Post-Foam, we got a bit closer to figuring this out. Stephanie the Wondergirl took us out to coffee (koffie)/tea to help us formulate a concrete project for the coming month. Here's what she suggested: a series of interviews with, and perhaps photographs of, people who occupy distinct roles in the Dappermarkt community. We would follow the interviews with individual written responses about the stories we heard. After hearing these different stories, our goal is to be able to compile these histories into a larger cohesive analysis of how a community.
As Peter says, the greatest compliment is when a visitor to the market tells him that he comes because he loves it, not because he wants buy the best cheese or bread.
Today, we met with Peter the Great, Peter the Dreamer. He is the definition of a successful community organizer because he, himself, is a dynamic part of the community and not a stilted decision-maker. Walking through Dappermarkt with Peter was inspiring; we've never met a man so powerfully grounded in his neighborhood. Though we spent much of the afternoon exchanging ideas, we did also, in fact, concretize a few of our concepts into projects; we'll be focusing much of our time helping Peter and others organize a public poetry event to take place on January 29th at both Dappermarkt and Waterlooplein, another market. He introduced us throughout the day to fascinating candidates for our interview project, and we learned invaluable lessons about coalescing disparate groups into an energetic community: little things and small improvements not only matter, but eventually add up to hugely significant changes and change must sprout from within the community itself.
We rode our brand new yellow Dappermarkt bicycles (droooool) to Amsterdam's City Hall, where we got a VIP tour by the lovely Annemiek - our mama; she works in the market affairs department.
Then we came home and got sexy makeovers from Rosa, the four year old. Damn, we look good.
Honey wafer cookies for all,
Jesse and Hannah
In this photograph (entitled "New York, 1940"), the children are connecting with one another by simply playing in the street, similarly to the way that the people at Dappermarkt form community through daily interactions. How can we, like Levitt, articulate what is special about Amsterdam and finally translate those observations into something tangible?
Post-Foam, we got a bit closer to figuring this out. Stephanie the Wondergirl took us out to coffee (koffie)/tea to help us formulate a concrete project for the coming month. Here's what she suggested: a series of interviews with, and perhaps photographs of, people who occupy distinct roles in the Dappermarkt community. We would follow the interviews with individual written responses about the stories we heard. After hearing these different stories, our goal is to be able to compile these histories into a larger cohesive analysis of how a community.
As Peter says, the greatest compliment is when a visitor to the market tells him that he comes because he loves it, not because he wants buy the best cheese or bread.
Today, we met with Peter the Great, Peter the Dreamer. He is the definition of a successful community organizer because he, himself, is a dynamic part of the community and not a stilted decision-maker. Walking through Dappermarkt with Peter was inspiring; we've never met a man so powerfully grounded in his neighborhood. Though we spent much of the afternoon exchanging ideas, we did also, in fact, concretize a few of our concepts into projects; we'll be focusing much of our time helping Peter and others organize a public poetry event to take place on January 29th at both Dappermarkt and Waterlooplein, another market. He introduced us throughout the day to fascinating candidates for our interview project, and we learned invaluable lessons about coalescing disparate groups into an energetic community: little things and small improvements not only matter, but eventually add up to hugely significant changes and change must sprout from within the community itself.
We rode our brand new yellow Dappermarkt bicycles (droooool) to Amsterdam's City Hall, where we got a VIP tour by the lovely Annemiek - our mama; she works in the market affairs department.
Then we came home and got sexy makeovers from Rosa, the four year old. Damn, we look good.
Honey wafer cookies for all,
Jesse and Hannah
Sunday, January 4, 2009
"I'm Gunna Eat some Bubbles"
Yep, we did. Well, Hannah did. Eat bubbles, that is. Tasty? Well, no. But a TEDDY BEAR WAS BLOWING BUBBLES (!!!!), so she did.
You're probably tearing your hair out asking yourself the question, "What are they even learning?!??" Okay, calm down. Here's what we've learned thus far:
1) Always wear warm socks. Toes get cold, yo!
2) Little maps are insufficient (today we bought a REALLY big one. Can't wait to put that sucker to work).
3) Always leave ample time. The "30-minute bus" ranges from 20 minutes to one hour.
4) Dutch food is starchy. Dem Dutchies love 'tatoes.
5) Always wear walking shoes. (But make sure they fit over the thick socks).
6) Little kids make you dizzy. Lesson learned.
7) Pretend you're Dutch. Americans are silly (love y'all!!)
8) Mint tea's da bomb (which actually translates directly in to Dutch!)
9) The Dutch love Apple Pie even more than Americans do. Whoa.
10) Men use the women's bathroom. It's chill, just please flush next time.
Laughs aside, or maybe included, we've already learned and begun to learn profound lessons. The education system in the Netherlands is vastly different from ours at home; pro: the application process to universities is non competitive because the schools offer equal resources and opportunities; con: at 12 years old, students compete to enter vocational schools that will determine future professions. American and Dutch social services (including healthcare) also vary greatly. We met with a friend of Jesse's family, Yolant, who organizes around empowering homeless youth. In this conversation we learned that the US does not provide support, let alone empowerment, to the homeless, yet Dutch policies, in general, exist to serve the people if Holland. America's priorities - or, more accurately, the priorities of the government - are fundamentally different. Yolant and her partner, Monique, talked about how progress and profit are not one and the same. Societal advancement is measured qualitatively, not quantitatively. We've noticed that quirky, small businesses thrive - or, at the very least, have the right to stay open - and corporations do not rule the city.
We've absorbed this simply by walking and talking and, as Peter says, by "just saying 'hello'."
The "real" work starts tomorrow: Monday. We're meeting with the wonderful Stephanie to channel our overflowing ideas into a concrete project.
Amsterdam is still dreamy, picturesque, effervescent, and all the other words we thought of while sitting in a quaint cafe in a Diagon Alley-type straat (street, dummies); it wishes you were here, as do we.
(Oh yeah, did we mention that Jesse keeps falling down? Girl is always tripping all over the house. But it's fair, because Hannah's ankles are always failing her... in public. Kind of embarrassing. I think she needs crutches).
Love 'n' Winkel,
Jesse and Hannah
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Sad Dutch Travelers
.. only according to our monthly public transport pass photos. We look depressed in those, to say the least.
BUT luckily, that's no reflection of how we're actually feeling! This city is stunning, the people are friendly and beautiful, and the family we're staying with is perfect.
We've walked through little winding streets passed lit up canals and ventured into the Red Light District.. what more could we ask for? Just kiddin'. Kinda. No really, kidding. (Look out for an upcoming post on the topic in the future).
Today we met the Man in Charge, Peter Groenendaal. He runs the Dappermarkt and we'll be working with him in the coming weeks. We also met Stephanie, our go-to gal. She's great, Peter's great, Annemiek and Michiel and Rosa and Linde - our de facto Dutch family - are great (those kiddos are incredibly cute)...
We walked through the Dappermarkt, aware of the many different stands, cheap clothes, cheese, nuts, small golden spandex dresses, anything we failed to pack in our (bulging) suitcases. Though the market is racially and socioeconomically diverse, people are gathered for a common purpose: to talk, to "say hello" (Peter's favorite activity, as he explained in detail), and to benefit from Dappermarkt's array of affordable goods.
It's chilly but bearable; no wind. We're fighting the cold by bundling up in scarves 'n' coats, doing as much walking as possible.
Thanks for reading and we'll keep you posted!
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