dutch lessons

i can get through these books fairly easy (elementary level), i can process the newspaper articles much easier, but really i just love the illustrations of annie schmidt. i have vastly improved to date, i can have a 4-5 minute talk about buildings and architecture in dutch.

argentina

milli and che came to amsterdam today... we went around the city, had some drinks, then went to the la boca on paleisstraat -- after scouring all the argentinian restaurants since february looking for boca games to be broadcasted, this was the only place which would show the games (as they should since they are named after the team).. anyway, there was good food to be had and a great game to be watched. i think we were the only ones who skimped on our orders due to lack of funds, but we kept the beers going so we could stay till the end of the game.

schijnheilig

haarlem

spent the night in haarlem with diego and martha. haarlem is a small town, but has enough going on to make it quite nice. the house they have rented is really cool, typical dutch style.
really open and good use of space.. the city is going through renovations and new buildings -- it gives off this feeling that you are in a movie set, a bit surreal. we watched pieces of the brazilian movie, tropa de elite -- which is now one of the most popular movies in brazilian history, due to its controversial topic as well as it's release.

this was a short lived move to amsterdam for them.. it seems like they are heading out next month and travel around a bit before heading back to brazil. it's a shame, i really enjoyed hanging out with them.

i wouldn't mind to live here...

farmstead on one of the men -- west volcanic islands off the south coast of iceland.

nationaal museumweekend

foam -- yvonne + irene


Daniel & Geo Fuchs: STASI – Secret Rooms
14 March - 4 June 2008
photo set of the hidden rooms once used by the STASI, the infamous East German secret service. much of the former DDR infrastructure has been destroyed, or given an entirely new function, the clandestine spaces that daniel and geo fuchs photographed are still in their original condition (offices, cell complexes, bunkers, living quarters and interrogation rooms: everything is exactly the way it was before 'die wende') the architecture and emotions that evocate from these rooms are chilling... very modern, yet stark and cold.



Taryn Simon - An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar
18 January – 6 April 2008
my favorite photograph -- a shot of the us customs contraband room at jfk... all the things people try to bring in to the us: pig's head, rats, fruit, drugs, ...


motel mozaique in rotterdam coming up..

monthly cocktail night

last night was cocktails at irene's place. it's a monthly gig going on... and nice to meet new people, though usually everyone ends up being in the design field, and you know them through friends of friends. i did meet interesting people as usual.. heard all about dutch holidays to new york as "it's so cheap... cheaper to buy a flight, buy a computer and shop all i want, than it would be for me to stay in the netherlands.." i heard quite a bit of this last night. all i could say was thanks for supporting our economy. also, met some amazing, young journalists -- if this whole architecture scene should fail me, i'm going to become a journalist.. they have the greatest lives! this one girl went to 3 different countries this past week, and she said that was nowhere out of the norm for her job. mmm... tempting.

side note: i need to get on this anti-kraak housing list! irene's rent is something 185 euros/month -- off overtoom, access to roof terrace, bigger than my shoebox -- works for me.