Riding High! (No coffee shops involved)

I had my first friend pop over from abroad this weekend and it was great! Everyone I've met so far has been so wonderful, helpful, and welcoming but sometimes you just need to see a friendly face from the past to give you a sense of hominess in your new land.

Cescarina came on the 8:30 night train from Schipol airport to meet me at a cafe near Rotterdam Central Station. I sampled the Caprese salad and a glass of red as I waited for her arrival. We were eating and chatting by a quarter past eight, munching on bread and sipping on soup. Our meeting spot was a cafe close to the train station, called Cafe Engels. From its name one might surmise that this café caters to internationals and this is true, this cafe is even attached to the VVV (tourist information) and at any time of the day one can hear spoken English at many of the tables. One might think that since it was Cescarina's first trip to Rotterdam that I'd have wanted to take her to somewhere more 'authentically Dutch'. I found the idea that I had to show her the best places or the typical places of Rotterdam (so that she'll know my experiences and have a true understanding of Rotterdammers) really interesting from a research prospective. To show her Rotterdam in one evening ‘as the Rotterdammers do’ is an impossible feat of course (because it would be hard to know who would like to be labelled Rotterdammers and to compile an understanding of their knowledge and experiences as such, there it is - anthropology at work for you!), but something that I felt compelled to take a stab at anyway.

From the cafe I took her out to the most famous bar (see review in earlier blog) in Rotterdam, the Witte Ape, where I've been before with Malt and Pdot. We had a great time getting bumped and jostled, chatting about the number of English people in the bar on a Friday night, and ended up dropping by a quieter place a little closer to home for one last drink. The grey goose and vodka earned her a headache in the morning but it went well with the salty peanuts and jazzy music.

The next morning we got up early and took a train to Amsterdam where we met Cananon. The three of us walked through the Jewish district through markets, over bridges and around buildings through the cold but sunny day. We stopped and had a late snack at a rustically beautiful restaurant (complete with resident Cat that was very cute and cuddly as it walked over peoples tables toward their cream desserts - you've got to love how the Dutch flaunt their flippancy toward what most North American restaurant's would perceive to be a health/cleanliness violation). After walking back into A’dam centrum we bought groceries for our huge vegetable pasta and a bottle of red wine from Argentina. Cananon and I (well maybe it’s just my doing) are choosing our wines as of late according to the label on the outside (I know, we’re regular connoisseurs). This one was a Malbec and had a beautiful tree on the outside.

After dinner, the night was still young and so we trekked out again (very close to the Dutch verb vertrekt meaning to leave) to enjoy the festivities of ‘Kermis’ which is a travelling carnival here in the Netherlands. The spectacle of the carnival was amazing as the flashing booths and glittering rides lit up against the night backdrop of Dam square. At their full height, the rides of Kermis rivalled the spires of the old Palace and roof tops of Madame Tussads Wax museum (buildings flanking the square). The three of us had all agreed that we wanted to ride the Ferris wheel however both Cescarina and Cananon wanted to ride 'Around the World'.

Now, we have travelling carnivals or fairs at home, yet this concoction of rides, games, and food would put any of those back home to shame! I tried to find out how tall the Ferris wheel was on line but it doesn’t give specifics (probably so as not to scare away any potential clients), but let me just say that it’s huge! I’d wager that at the top of the Ferris Wheel, you are 60 – 70 metres above the ground. Don't believe me? Check out this link to YouTube from another rider: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJA-vOKZKuI
Back at Canada’s Wonderland (theme part in Southern Ontario, Canada), they have a similar ride to 'Around the World'. The ride consists of a centre column which lifts you up in the air (maybe 3 metres) and then rotates a plate on the top of the column around in a circle. Attached to this rotating plate are swings where people sit and are lifted up (3 metres) and then rotated around with the machine. It’s like swinging at a park but without having to do any work with your legs to stay in the air. At Canada’s Wonderland this ride is for younger children and nostalgic adults. This is not the case however with the Around the World here in the Netherlands.

This ride is built like the one back home but instead of going up 3 meters, you rise up 60 -70 meters! I’m not kidding. Picture yourself swinging (or being rotated at a fast speed, which joyously makes your seat rise even more) 60 meters above the ground in nothing more than a swing. As the ride started I grabbed Cananon’s hand (yes, Cescarina the brave, brave, brave soul went by herself). I was scared at the 20 meter mark, the 30, etc. but it just kept going higher! As we went up and up I kept saying (in between my high-pitched squeals, there was no dignity left at this point) ‘Weren’t not going higher are we?’ ‘How long is this ride going to go on?’ ‘Oh my god, when does this thing end!?!’ I actually managed to take one shot at the top before fear solidified all the muscles in my body. There we were overlooking Dam square - picture this - at the same height as the surrounding roof tops of the buildings, in nothing more than a bench with a single bar holding you in, with my feet dangling out into the black abyss, in the cold, windy night, for what seems like an hour (the ride went on for quite a while for those interested in having mild heart attacks)! I was FRIGHTENED TO DEATH the entire time, I mean literally, the entire time and it’s been quite a while since I’ve been this scared!

After, when Cescarina and Cananon and I were on the Ferris wheel (yes, we all survived), we took pictures from inside the safety of our cabin of the swings and found that the swings went higher than Ferris Wheel. And while they both felt very high, they have unequal feelings of safety as you’re warm and relatively safe on the one, and on the other you’re letting it ALL HANG OUT!

Needless to say this was the most frightening/death-defying experience that I’ve had since my arrival. However, back home in Rotterdam in the safety of my own bed, I think ‘Around the World’ should become a metaphor for how I conduct myself during fieldwork: living life at unexpected heights, on full-throttle, which at times may create feelings of being unsupported (being out there!), but knowing that after its all done, I will be happy at having succeeded (and having a great story to tell!).