the sounds of Amsterdam

I heard cathedral bells dripping down the alleyways...

• the ringing of bicycle bells
• the foreign sound of spoken Dutch
• humming, whistling, and singing; usually by a solo walker, but the refrain of a late-night tavern chorus occasionally echoes through the narrow streets as well
• the clattering of dishes being collected and washed; and also the crash of glass bottles being thrown into recycling receptacles, as well as the cascading weekly crashes when the big trucks come through to collect from those receptacles
• accordion-laced gypsy-polska music
• cathedral bells: tolling the time but also, at special times, chiming metallic, droning melodies
• boat horns (which is a sound reminiscent of New Orleans)
• horseshoes on cobblestone streets (also reminiscent of New Orleans)
• the frenetic electronic beat of EU pop music
• birdsong: owls and others I know not how to identify
• laughter: of children and adults alike
• the growling of motorbike engines
• dogs barking
• the squeaky machinery of bicycles being put to good use, carrying children and cargo and people all day every day

One of the neat things about traveling to a foreign land is how you notice such things as the sounds of a city. Ordinary sounds you generally take for granted in everyday life at home, but which suddenly take on new meaning in a situation where so much is unfamiliar. Because many of the sounds are familiar, listening to them closely reminds me that even though most of the talking in this place is done in a language I don't understand, the things that people are doing are not so foreign.

That is to say that Dutch culture, being inherently Western European, is not so dissimilar from my own that I feel out of place here. And listening to the sounds of the city reinforces for me the similarity of my culture to that of this place.

Even still, I do find myself eager to get back to the American South, where everything is spoken and written in a language I know, and the only cultural nuances I'll have to navigate are those with which I'm well accustomed...

ETA: A demonstration (apologies for the orientation; I lack video editing software/skills) ~

Summer 2011 Itinerary

This journey will take us to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We'll depart the US on July 3 and arrive in Amsterdam on July 4. Then on August 8 we'll travel back home.

I'll be studying International Human Rights Law in Amsterdam, earning five credits over 5 weeks towards my law degree. Adam will be my chaperone and soak up Amsterdam's culture while I study.

We've booked a flat off-campus, because we're mightily attached to our grown-up lives and have no desire to reside in a dorm situation. We're arriving early and leaving late so that my schooling doesn't totally dominate our time there. (It helps that I only have classes Mon. - Thurs., with two Saturdays of exams.)

Although I'll be taking exams on the day of our 7th wedding anniversary, we'll be able to go out together in the evening to celebrate. It will be a night to remember for the rest of our lives.

We had hoped to travel via train to other European destinations (i.e., London & Paris), but can't make it happen financially. Even though our travels will be confined to the Netherlands, I imagine we'll still have a wonderful adventure.