Show Me the Way to Go Home

I'm very busy. Why? I’m taking my first trip back to Canada at the end of the week. Never mind that I'm flying BA and there is a potential for serious delays (although my flight is booked in between the strike dates), my mind is filled with questions of what I should bring home in my suitcase (all the pamphlets that I've collected and winter clothing for sure!), what presents I need to buy before I leave (tulips, Dutch tea, chocolate, tulips, liquorice, tulips...), and asking myself why I made myself so busy the last week before I left.

I booked myself solid this week because I think I was trying to pre-empt the worries that might come with being so far away from my field site. I think I felt that if I was super busy right up until the end then I would feel less restless (like I needed to be doing more) when I was too far away to be doing any hands-on researching.

Now that the week has finally arrived, I'm thinking to myself...geez, I wish they had 24 hour shops open here so I could do some of my shopping at night! Anyone know where I can get black tulips? Or something to hang on a wall that is 'typically Dutch'? Or where I can find soft and salty black liquorice?...they seem to be all out at the local grocery store! Ah well, despite the hectic pace my excitement is winning over. I'm going home (notice the use of this word...hmmm...ever the anthropologist)!!!!!

Walking the Invisible Line

According to some of the people that I've been speaking with, there is a difference here in the Rotterdam between streets (straat) and lanes (laan). Those that live on the lanes are usually more affulent than those living on a street. I happen to live on a street which comes off of a lane. When comparing the outward appearence of each of these areas, I notice right away that the lane has much more greenery, a diversity of large and diverse housing with more decorative items, as well as higher priced cars and motorised vehicles. Although my street includes a playground there is no grass or trees. Don't get me wrong, there are a few trees on my street but they are small and look quite stark when compared to the aged trunks of the trees that shade the lane in the summertime. This separation apparently also translates into the kinds of shops that are present in streets versus lanes. If you shop in a store on a lane you can expect to have better quality items for a higher price than if you shop at a store located on a street. I asked if this division was something that could still be seen today and indeed, I was told that this tale rings true even now. While I can see the contrast between the outward appearence of the streets versus lanes I'm not sure that my experiences of shops measure up quite the same. However, it is interesting to have understandings of certain places explained to me from someone who has lived here longer than I.

It was also mentioned that there is an invisible barrier separating my neighbourhood from the more affulent area above me. Although geographically very close, the area just across the highway from me has much more expensive housing. What this means is that I'll also find a different group of people living there. That is, there is a possibility that I might not find as many first or second generation immigrants there and that I may potentially find more double income couples. While our neighbourhoods are very close geographically, our neighbours are very far apart/removed from us. The invisible lines of division and I'm sure at times combination are an interesting area to pursue in my research. I'm also left wondering where 'ways' and 'avenues' are supposed to fit in the mix...

Mr. Rogers would be proud!

Oh man is it beautiful outside! I mean beautiful! The sun is shinning! The birds are singing! (yes, even here in the city although I think it's a chorus of pigeons) Even the cars don't sound as loud and polluting as the trundle by the flung open windows of my apartment. It's just a great day to go out and see the neighbourhood.

From the tenor or maybe the pitch of my little local space, I am not the only inhabitant to welcome this weather. As I came back from my grocery shopping last night I was amazed at what I saw! There were at least two hundred children playing on the playground beside my building. There were hundreds of them!!! With just about as much noise as you can guess...These kids were going nuts, running around, laughing, some crying and all enjoying their freedom outside. I've never seen the playground this full, never!

What was interesting in all of this was that I pinpointed one of my new friends from my conversation circle on monday mornings and I walked over to say hello. She was there with her children who had been enjoying the playground, that was until they encountered some difficulties with one of the other children there. They had decided to cut their time short and were on their way home.

Although this is not something that I took from this particular experience, I have run into other parents who had made comments about 'how to' and 'how not to' play on the playground. These weren't your 'No running!' or 'No screaming' requests but more thoughts about how one should play on the playground - these included proper behaviour on the playground (understandably no hitting, pushing or stealing things fits into this section), the idea of supervising one's children (I have been told that certain groups of individuals do not get enough supervision), when children should be playing on the playground (never after dark!), and other such things.

I think there is much one can learn about the social norms about raising children and acceptable behaviours in public space just by looking at the local speeltuin (playground)! There is so much other stuff to think about with this topic but I think I'll leave it there. It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, won't you be my neighbour?

Shaken not Stirred

On the 12th of March, last Friday, the NRC handelsblad (newspaper) website reported that the PvdA was/is still the largest party here in Rotterdam following the municipal elections on March 3rd. If you'll remember, due to some inconsistencies at the polling stations and the extremely slim margin that the PvdA took office over Leefbare Rotterdam, our mayor Aboutaleb ordered a recount of the votes in order to quash growing discontent as led by members of the Leefbare Rotterdam Party. The result is that the PvdA is now 0.3 percent in the lead over Leefbare Rotterdam as oppose to the 0.2 percent in the original count. This of course does not change the fact that each party will have 14 seats in the newly formed Rotterdam government. It also has spawned many stories concerning the inability of these parties to work together. I guess that Rotterdammers will get used to stalemate politics over the next couple of years...how dreary!

On the same day, it was made known that the Dutch labour party leader (PvdA) Wouter Bos would be stepping down as the head of the upcoming election for familial reasons (why is it that whenever I hear that family is the reason for a politician to be quiting their political roles that I tend to be suspicious? hmmmm, nevermind). In his stead he would like Job Cohen, the present Mayor of Amsterdam, to take up the party's reigns for the June 9th national elections. Cohen heartily accepted and immediately resigned his post as Mayor. Cohen was then replaced yesterday by Frank de Wolf.

These stories were sandwiched in between the death of a founding member of the D'66 (a middle of the road party that did well in the municipal elections) on March 11th and the stepping down of a female minister from the second kabinet, Ms. L. Griffith from the VVD party (right-wing rather nationalism party...but not Wilders' PVV) today. Speaking of Wilders' it was reported yesterday that he fell ill in Germany and sought medical attention. He later sent an sms to let everyone know that he was 'prima!' and so he will continue as a political force.

It appears that politics is rather rocky these days in the Netherlands as people are falling like dominos from their various positions and only sometimes finding new roles. Although it hasn't been hit by a physical earthquake as other countries have recently experienced around the world, the Netherlands is dealing with a political earthquake, where the major event was the falling of the government (the epicenter was in Den Haag) and with the aftershocks being felt in Amsterdam, Den Haag and Rotterdam, and on and on.

Whatever it is, the politics these days are definitely shaken rather than just stirred.

Happy Anniversary!

One more thing...I've been here 6 months as of today. Instead of getting too worried and caught up in what I still have to accomplish, I'm going to celebrate this day by attending a lecture tonight by Frank Lechner - whose work I became very grateful for and very reliant on during my comprehensive exams - and then I'm going out! It's time to CELEBRATE! ... but not too late, I've got cycling lessons in the morning...

I think we just like counting, is all...

With all the hoopla that went on around here last week during the municipal elections, I think the people of Rotterdam were feeling a bit let-down at the thought of not having something exciting coming up in their immediate political future (the national elections are now scheduled for June 9th). So what is a Rotterdammer to do? Why have all this fun all over again it seems!

Rotterdam's Mayor has ordered a recount of the 220,000 votes cast during the municipal election last Wednesday, March 3rd. This recount (hertelling) is happening because there are allegations of irregularities in some of the polling stations. These irregularities include the possibility that individuals were allow to vote without showing their passports and where more than one person entered into a polling booth at the same time, both of which is also against the rules. It was also found that some votes for Leefbare Rotterdam were not originally counted (at least 100), that there is a possibility that some of the ballots could have been stolen, and there are rumours that voters were solicited at certain polling stations. Although the murmurings of discontent were relatively quiet in the day following the election the central government has bowed to popular and other party discontent (headed by Leefbare Rotterdam of course) and ordered the recount.

In last week's election the Labour party, the PvdA, won over the local populist and right-wing party Leefbaar Rotterdam. The margin however was extremely thin with PvdA succeeding to majority status by only 651 votes. I have to wonder how much this recount will change things considering both the Labour and the Leefbare Rotterdam party have 14 seats apiece on the 45-seat council. While I do not have a political science background, I can guess that if the parties remain at 14 seats each, that there will be some close debates throughout the next four years as these parties try and comprise their way through governing Rotterdam.

This recount is also seeing quite a lot of national attention because whoever turns out to be the winner gets to take the initiative in forging a new governing coalition. As the NRC website reports: "(a) tight race is then expected between some of the same players (at the national level), and the fractured electorate will make it extraordinarily difficult to forge a governing coalition at the national level". Thus, there is much at stake at this local election in both local and national fields.

The results of the recount will be made available in two days however there remains some doubt as to what this recount will in fact prove. The recent events have some calling for a return to the polls by Rotterdammers but I think this will depend on the outcome of the inquiry. For more information concerning the recount please see this link, the information from this particular post was taken from it.

Keep tuned to find out what happens with the recount! I wonder what we'll get up to next! Talk about keeping it exciting!

Eureka! I see the LIGHTS!

I went to an Escher exhibition last Saturday with the girls and I have to tell you that I had a fabulous time! The exhibition began in 2007 at Het Paleis which is located in the historical part of Den Haag. Although Escher and his work did not disappoint, there was another exhibition there - 15 chandeliers created by Dutch sculptor Hans van Bentem. According to the website these chandeliers were created to compliment Escher exhibition at Het Paleis. Van Bentem chose topics that related to Escher’s work, such as the chandeliers in the shape of a fish and a bird. Other works however have nothing to do with Escher’s work, such as the skull and crossbones pictured below. What I personally like the best is the contrast between these light instellations and the rooms in which they're housed. The Palace is decorated in a classical style - it did used to be a royal palace after all, while van Bentem's work is anything but! It gave the art a very 'Banksy' feel because it did look out of place. It was if the artist came in during the night and replaced all the regular 100 watt bulbs with skulls, and umbrellas and iron maidens...oh my!

Vrijwilligerswerk - So much to do, so little time to do it!

Over the last week I've turned my attention to the questions of who volunteers and why. This past week I was told that some individuals who received financial assistance from the government must in turn volunteer a certain number of hours per week as a stipulation of this assistance. This is not a requirement in all cases and nor are all volunteers receiving financial assistance from the government; however, I thought this stipulation - of giving back to society through volunteering - to be an interesting one.

I assume that this stipulation has created a larger volunteer pool from which agencies in need can access willing volunteers. I think this has also created somewhat of a volunteering industry here in Rotterdam as there are even companies that distribute volunteers to other companies or causes in need. For example, if you have a one-day event planned and you need volunteers then there are services that will 'lend' out their volunteers to your cause. There are also funds provided by the government to facilitate the distribution of volunteers - such as Participatie Fonds here in Rotterdam. Thus, there is a bit of competition and some money to be made in the volunteering business (although I'm not sure of how much money there actually is to be made, or whether or not it's evenly distributed, or what regulations go along with the provision of this funding, etc.).

Which volunteers do what is a matter of interest, availability and knowledge that such events are indeed happening. I think that the themes of this blog hark back to the previous entry where I mused over who uses the neighbourhood centre and why. A lot of it boils down to whether or not people have the want and the need to volunteer their time or take part in a neighbourhood activity. The volunteering however has a bit of an added incentive which is something that I must also keep in mind when looking at who is participating in the community in everyday life, here in Rotterdam. It would also be interesting to learn how government funds are distributed and what regulations there are, that influence the dealings within the volunteer industry. So much to do and so little time!

Museum Nacht

I'll be walking late into the night with my Aunt and Uncle who are visiting me from Gouda. Tonight is museum nacht here in Rotterdam which means the museums are open until 2am in the morning. I'm reminded of the Open Doors event that we have in Toronto, Ontario, Canada once a year where (parts of) buildings that are normally off limits in everyday life are open to the public on this special night.

This of course makes me think about the openness of Dutch space. The majority of my work has been centred around the semi-public place of the buurt centrum, the meeting places of the neighbourhood groups that I've joined, as well as the time I've spent with workers from government institutions who while accessible to the public albeit by booking an appointment during work hours. In my original research design I had focussed on accessing "public spaces" and these spaces have turned out to be those places where residents of the neighbourhood or individuals interested in a particular neighbourhood may go. The buurt centrum where I spend my time is an open (after the doors are unlocked by a scheduled host) and accessible place (to those who know where the building is, who are interested in it's chosen activities for the day and who are available to come out during the day). The point I'm trying to make is that although I'm using the semi-public places within a neighbourhood to understand how people from seemingly different backgrounds are coming together in everyday life, the activities that I am learning about and from are still only available to a certain number of people. Whether it is one's job schedule or the fact that their interests lie outside of the neighbourhood, trying to identify who participates in neighbourhood projects, interests and who doesn't, is not something that is easy to determine.