Wrapping things up...

We've been back in the US for close to 72 hours now and it's been one big game of "catch-up" for me. I had hoped to post something sooner, but, alas, I've been crazy busy. So, just a few odd notes...

Last Sunday Kari and I, along with six students, went back to the 1890 to watch the Dutch play Serbia-Montenegro in their first game of the World Cup. We had a blast and the Dutch won, 1-0! Here is evidence of our "engagement" in World Cup mania.

Hup Holland Hup!

This was really cool...

Yesterday, while traveling home, I was reading the paper. There, on page eight, was the following article. It is, imho, very cool to have just been at the Court and then see this piece in the paper.

A global web of justice is up and running
Luis Moreno-Ocampo
International Herald Tribune
MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2006

The Hague
Six children walked down a road in the region of Ituri, in Congo. They were on their way to school when a jeep packed with militiamen sped in front of them. Fighters bearing AK-47s ordered the terrified children into the jeep. They were transported to military training camps and forced to learn to fire machine guns. Three weeks later, the children were in the field, killing and being killed.

Thomas Lubanga, leader of one of Congo's most dangerous militias, allegedly orchestrated crimes like the one described above. In March, the judges of the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant charging Lubanga with conscripting children under 15 as soldiers. A few days later, Lubanga was transferred from Congo to a prison in The Hague.

Lubanga's transfer hints at the promise of a permanent international criminal court rooted in global cooperation. The Nuremberg war crimes trial and the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, paved the way, testing the viability of a criminal justice system without a state apparatus. But the ICC's predecessors were each limited in scope to a particular territory. The ICC's distinct challenge is to function within a worldwide criminal justice system without a world state.

The Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court created a remarkable innovation: an international justice network. The treaty has galvanized 100 countries, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations and other partners committed to ending impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Countries have the primary responsibility to prevent and punish atrocities in their own territories and to cooperate with the ICC when it decides to take a case. Intervention by the ICC must be exceptional - it will only step in when states fail to genuinely act.

Supported by an evolving network of cooperation, the ICC is investigating three of the world's gravest situations. The Congo case is an early indication of the potential of the Rome system, while our other two pending cases, Uganda and Darfur, reveal emerging challenges.

Congo referred its own case to the ICC, demonstrating its commitment to cooperating with the court's activities. Lubanga's transfer was the direct result of coordination between the court, the Congolese government, international organizations and ICC member states.

Like Congo, the government of Uganda requested ICC intervention. With the cooperation of the people and government, our team investigated thousands of crimes in just nine months. We expect our evidence to show that Joseph Kony and four senior commanders of a militia, the Lord's Resistance Army, perpetrated horrific attacks against people of northern Uganda. For 20 years, the LRA has abducted children from their homes and schools, forcing boys to kill and compelling girls to kill and to serve as sex slaves.

The arrest warrants against the LRA leadership, which the ICC judges issued in July 2005, have already had an impact. Sudan, which had harbored the LRA in the past, has voluntarily agreed to execute the warrants. Because of escalating international and regional pressure, the LRA commanders have been forced to flee their safe havens. LRA attacks in northern Uganda have declined dramatically as a result.

But the LRA is now in northern Congo, endangering people in the region. Kony recently attempted to negotiate a political deal. In the past, he has used negotiations to buy time and regroup. To do justice and re-establish security in the region, the justice network has to arrest the LRA commanders.

Our third investigation, Darfur, was initiated as the direct result of the active support of international experts, NGOs and states. After the independent Commission of Inquiry submitted its report to the United Nations, the Security Council passed a resolution referring the Darfur situation to the ICC.

It is currently impossible to protect witnesses, so our investigators are compiling statements in almost a dozen countries other than Sudan. A network of cooperation enables this investigation to advance under the worst of operating conditions. But, ultimately, delivering justice in Darfur necessitates full cooperation by Sudan.

The global impact of the Rome Statute is becoming apparent. Already national armies are adjusting their procedures. Colombian paramilitaries have referred to the ICC as one reason to demobilize. Prosecutors in the Netherlands have indicted a Dutch businessman for fueling the conflict in Liberia, citing the ICC as the impetus. Lubanga's counterparts fear a fate similar to his.

Three years ago, 18 judges and I converged from the five continents and entered a nascent court in The Hague. Today the Rome system is in motion.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo is chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

A Note from Drake

Today, Sunday, was, sadly, the last full day of our trip. The weather treated us to a sweltering 31C. After waking up in a pool of my own sweat caused by having no windows that stay open while I sleep, I went with about half the class to a bar on the other end of Amsterdam. One of the guys who works at the front desk of our hotel recommended it because he works there, too. So we went to this bar to watch the Netherlands play against Serbia-Montenegro in day 3 of the World Cup. We were so fortunate to be here in Europe during the World Cup. I don't think there is anything that these people take more seriously than soccer (aka football). The entire bar was filled with orange, and everyone would scream every time the Netherlands took a shot at the goal. It was quite an experience. I have never witnessed a crowd like this so into a sport in America. I mean I guess sometimes people cheer at a football team but I've never seen a crowd that identified so much with their team. The whole bar, full of strangers, was singing cheering and screaming together as one. It was a lot of fun.

After the game we went back to the hotel, I finished packing, and then the class went to our farewell dinner at a really fancy restaurant. Now with my belly full of beef, I write my last blog for the trip. I've had a blast and learned many things about this culture that is completely the opposite of mine.

I'll finish by typing the funniest thing that I've heard on this trip. It was said by Tim at a Chinese place we went to get food at the other night. "Everyone else's food looks so good... I'm eating balls."

A Note from Alyssa

This trip to Amsterdam has been an amazing experience. I have learned so many things about the Dutch culture that I would have never learned had I only spent one or two days in this country.

Over the last few days I have made a couple of odd observations about the Dutch. The first is that they really do not believe in air conditioning; the public transportation (buses, trams, and intercity trains) do not have air conditioning and many times you cannot even open a window to let in a breeze. However, there are a few places with this luxury, such as the shopping areas that are mostly frequented by tourists. I would conclude that the air conditioning is to attract the tourists and not for the locals.

The second observation is that when one goes to a restaurant the service they receive is dependent on the mood of the server. For example, I visited the same restaurant two days in a row. The first day we were allowed to order tap water and did not get ripped off at all; in fact we liked it so much we went back the following day. The next day we were told they do not serve tap water and had to pay 2.50 euro for a bottle of water. We then asked for the bill and were told our total was 16 euro, which just was not right. According to our calculations out total would have been closer to 12 euro, all in all it was rather disappointing because it is the only Italian restaurant we found that serves buttered noodles.

The third observation was more of an odd experience. So far in Amsterdam the trams have been very consistent and reliable and nothing to be worried about, until yesterday. We took the tram from Centraal Station to Leidseplein, a very common route that I have become very familiar with. On this day we did not take the same route, and when the tram was coming to a stop it felt like it was falling off the track. This experience was just very odd, and it made me wonder if the public transportation here gets more and more unreliable as the tourist season approaches. After the experience I had I would say that as the tourist season approaches it would only make sense if transportation system becomes more unpredictable.

The last observation is that the Dutch are very affectionate people, even in public. At the beach in Zandvoort there were numerous couples showing their love and appreciation for each and let's just say that,that kind of affection would be deemed inappropriate in the United Sates; the couples would probably be arrested and charged with indecent exposure. Let me say though that we were at a topless beach, which was quite an experience in itself. I was not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, I mean the Europeans start at a young age of accepting their bodies. Little girls were running around topless and it was a natural thing for them.

All in all this trip has been an amazing experience and I am so very glad I got this opportunity to experience a new and wonderful culture.

A Note from Azure

It's difficult to fathom that our trip is coming to a close. Although some people seem anxious to go, I really think I could spend years here just trying to see everything. It is such a completely different culture, and I feel like because some things were so easily accessible we didn't fully appreciate what we have seen and done. Our trip today, for instance, was to Brussels, Belgium. It was unbelievably easy to jump on a train and enter a completely different country. Belgium is beautiful in every way. The people were friendly, the sidewalks clean, and the architecture was amazing. Oh, did I forget to mention how beautiful the beer was...?

Mary, Hallie, Morgan, Tim and I enjoyed our, albeit quick, adventure in Belgium more than I would have imagined. We were able to see a HUGE Turkish music festival in the middle of a gorgeous square, something I could never see anywhere in the Twin Cities I am sure. One of the main differences I noticed between Amsterdam and Brussels was the begging; in Amsterdam we really have only seen a few people asking for money and most were performing. In Belgium we saw women with children draped across their laps weeping, an image that is all too familiar in many other countries. I'll have to investigate why this might be; the apparent lack of child poverty in Amsterdam that is, but it is certainly a different world in those regards than Belgium. On a lighter not, we also came upon the appropriately and hilariously titled Manneken Pis, which is a famous but tiny fountain in Brussels. I was expected something a little larger. If you click on the highlighted words "Manneken Pis," I think you will see what I mean. All and all it was a great day, the sun was shinning and the train was only sweltering hot on the way to Brussels; the ride back was pleasantly temperate, lucky for us and our chocolate. Yes Mom it's for you!

A Note from Sarah

On Saturday we had the day off from class. The weather in Amsterdam was beautiful. Some of the class decided to take advantage of the weather and head to Brussels; what they did not know was that the train ride would take 3 hours. Even though they did not have a ton of time to look around, their spirits were not defeated; they returned with plenty of energy for the evening. Although Brussels sounded seraphic, I felt the need to stay in Amsterdam and have a normal day.

I first went to do some laundry at the Wash Cycle. I began talking to the owner who was from Pakistan. Since I had done my issue paper on the recent Muslim immigration in the Netherlands, I thought I would ask him how welcome he felt as a Muslim in Amsterdam. He reported that he felt very welcome in the city. He said that he knew a lot of Dutch people are wary of Muslim people, but that it doesn't show in their actions. Overall, washing my clothes was quite enlightening.

After that I spent the evening watching soccer at a native Dutch residence; they were a bunch of college students at the University of Amsterdam. It was wonderful because I felt like I was at home. Turns out that we are all quite similar. Saturday was bittersweet; it was the last real day here in Amsterdam. But I am looking forward to changes I will implement into my life from this trip when I get home. Asalam Alaikum!!!

A Note from Brendan

Today, Friday, we met as a group and went to Vondelpark for our presentations, It was nice out and overall I think everyone did a good job. While we were first starting to present a group of construction workers interrupted us simply by driving their huge crane truck. It seemed as though it was an attempt to lash out at us since we were obviously tourists. Also, towards the end of everything a guy from the Holland Casino was biking around and he gave us all FREE water, which I thought was both generous and strange at the same time.

After the presentations I wandered by myself around Amsterdam some more and eventually I found myself in the Flower Market. I found that there are a lot of different kinds and variations of vegetation... not just flowers. Unfortunately I am and will always be forbidden from bringing any of the live vegetation from the Netherlands back in to America, which I think is a blend of cultures that would greatly benefit Americas consumerism culture, our endless need to have.

After the market, my wandering habits resulted in myself getting soooo lost that it took the purchase of a map and two hours to get where I needed to be... which leads me into my last point on the issues that are Amsterdam... the roads... Travelers beware, Amsterdam is built on a canal system, which long story short means that no road actually goes straight except roads leading away from the exact middle. Strange difference in city layouts, it can account for one strange night of endless wandering.

A Note from Melissa

As Mary has written, this morning we went to Vondelpark so that everyone could present her/his outside activity reports. This is an assignment that simply requires each student to do something, learn about something, etc., that couldn’t be done at home or simply via web research. It is meant to be active learning at its most interesting.

First we went to a nice grassy spot near a great statue. There was construction nearby and I quite literally felt the earth move. Seconds later a fellow came over to tell us that we would have to move as they were going to be digging where we were sitting. We moved across the path and sat down only to be immediately approached by another fellow telling us that we were sitting in the middle of a golf tournament. Mind you, this isn’t a golf course! But, they had established tees and holes throughout the park for this special tournament. We moved again and were able to complete the presentations with interruptions only from the many, many dogs that wanted to check us out!

The reports included – anonymously and in no particular order – a visit to a live sex show, an interview with a Dutch “twenty-something” on sex education in the Dutch schools, an interview with an elderly panhandler from Morocco about her experience with the Dutch health care system, an interview with a local street performer who has been doing so for 15 years, interviews with street artists/vendors in the heart of the tourist district, a visit to a sauna, an interview with a British tattoo artist who lives part-time in India and part-time in the Netherlands (and the accompanying tattoo), an interview with a young man who is a doorman at a live sex show, an interview with young woman from Lithuania who works as a prostitute in a window in the Red Light District, an account of replacing a lost passport, an exploration of Dutch drug treatment options and a local treatment facility, and actually doing street performance in Vondelpark. You can imagine how interesting it was to hear both the “results” of the activities as well as some of the details of how they were accomplished!

After a break for lunch, etc., the class met up again at 4:30 to take the bus to the pub that two of the desk clerks at the hotel had recommended for watching football (aka soccer). All fourteen of us had dinner while watching Germany beat Costa Rica in their opening World Cup game. Of course the Dutch cheer for Costa Rica because they cheer for anyone playing Germany. I’m sure that any Vikings or Packers fans know what I mean. We went primarily so that Kari could see Germany play so we were very discrete, silently cheering for Germany. The guys from the hotel were there and one of them came over to say hello and bought a round of drinks for the entire class. Very sweet. I think everyone had fun and it was great to be out of the center of Amsterdam just hanging out.

Our last weekend is upon us! See you soon!

A Note from Mary

Today was our last official day of class. We gathered in Vondelpark to present our outside activity reports. It was really fun to see what everyone else had been doing. The activities ranged from interviewing a prostitute to street performing. This assignment was another way for us to immerse ourselves further in the Dutch culture and acquire a deeper understanding of what life in Holland is like compared to our lives in the United States.

After the morning presentations Azure and I decided to visit the Rijksmuseum, which neither of us had been to yet. We both decided that our favorite of the exhibits was "Nightwatch" painted by Rembrandt. The exhibit included a video explaining the story behind the painting... a murderous story. Then we got to see a light show projected onto the painting highlighting the relevant figures, as well as adding sound effects and music to make the story come alive off the paint. The rest of the museum contained items owned and commissioned by Dutch royalty and also told more about the history of Dutch aristocracy. I enjoyed seeing paintings of historical figures (e.g., William of Orange) I had learned about in my history classes at Hamline, as well as seeing objects they once owned.

This evening the whole group went to a popular local pub to eat dinner and to watch the opening game of the World Cup. It was a good time to reflect on all the activities we've done so far and share our favorite stories as the flight home nears ever closer. Oh, and to watch some fabulous soccer.

Addendum from Melissa

In fact, the primary reason we went to Utrecht was to meet with Cees Flinterman and Hans Wermolder at Utrecht University’s School of Human Rights Research. They gave us a nice overview of the work of the program and we had a very enjoyable conversation about human rights as well as about some of the issues we’ve been considering during our visit to the Netherlands. For example, as the demographic composition of the country changes, might the traditional “gedogen” also undergo change? It was a wonderful opportunity! See "Traveling Without Unraveling" for more details. Cheerio!

A Note from Morgan

Thursday we traveled to Utrecht to hear presentations on research in the area of human rights. The speakers were very interesting, but what I found most intriguing about them was that they were so humble. They seemed completely shocked and surprised that we were there to talk to them. Their presentation was short and mainly covered what exactly the organization does. The most interesting part to me though were the questions people asked afterwards, particularly the one Kari asked regarding President Bush and his withdrawal from the ICC (International Criminal Court) process. I was so excited to hear that one of the men who spoke to us - he specialized in law and women's rights - strongly believed that part of the reason Bush refused to remain a part of the ICC was because of the current situation in Iraq and the issue with Guantanamo Bay and the Geneva Convention, etc.. I completely agree with that and to hear that someone in such a high position feels the same way was...well I'm not sure how to describe it. Surreal perhaps.

The time I've spent here has been amazing. Amsterdam is wonderful and the amount of freedom granted to people in the Netherlands is something that restores my faith that the rest of the world can someday reach the same place. I think there is a notion in the United States that people couldn't handle the kind of freedom given in the Netherlands and that just isn't true. Yes there are some people who would abuse the rights given to them, but those are the people that are, more than likely, participating either way. Anyway, the U.S. has a long way to go before we can even compare our freedoms with those of the Netherlands.

A Note from Kasey

On Thursday we traveled to Utrecht. It is amazing to see the distinctive differences between the cities here in the Netherlands. Utrecht is known for its college atmosphere. It was quite apparent that there were many more students our age around. We walked through the city and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Utrecht has a large shopping mall and many more shops out on the streets. We enjoyed spending all of our money there! We were also quite surprised at the differences in the cost of food. Our meals there were much cheaper, assumingly because of the younger population, who are probably just as broke as us. It is interesting to see the architectural similarities between Utrecht and Amsterdam. Both have many canals, however Utrecht has little restaurants underneath the canal bridges. They are amazing to look at and even nicer to go to. It also seemed like Utrecht had more greenery, more parks around. It is nice to see the integration of the parks into the city; it gives a very serene feeling. Overall the trip to Utrecht was definitely worth the short train ride because of the different atmosphere.

A Note from Kristen

This morning we took the train to Zandvoort and Haarlem. First we stopped at Zandvoort for a couple of hours and spent some time relaxing by walking on the beach. On our way back to the train station, we walked through the part of town that has various shops and places to stop for food. It was quite a small place and obviously different than what we are used to being located in the center of the city of Amsterdam. There weren't very many people and it seemed a lot less busy than the city of Amsterdam.

After another train ride we ended up in Haarlem, which is located quite close to Zandvoort. We spent a little more time in Haarlem than the last stop and as we were all quite hungry, we had a chance to sit down for a nice lunch. We also walked around the town of Haarlem, which was much bigger than the town part of Zandvoort. Our ventures today seemed to be in much less of a tourist-centered atmosphere compared to what we are used to, although people seemed to be happy to accommodate tourists. The waitress at the place where we ate lunch even gave us menus in English (normally everything is in Dutch). After walking around the town and having lunch, we enjoyed a relaxing time in a park nearby until we had to leave for the train station to get back to Amsterdam.

A Note from Nick

Well, we have four more days and today, Wednesday, we went to Zandvoort and Haarlem. Zandvoort-Aan-Zee is a seaside town just several miles away from Haarlem and was our first destination. We walked along the beachside and the boardwalk before wandering through some of the shops and bakeries. The place has more of a village feel and the prices of bakery items were surprisingly lower than what we have been used to in Amsterdam.

In Haarlem we were starving and ate at a pancake house. The streets were also particularly quiet and there was also an absence of the English language though when it came to ordering food there wasn't any problem. In fact, this was the first place that we had the choice of paying separately or together, an option that is usually decided for us in Amsterdam. Walking through the cobbled streets we also noticed that some of the coffee shops here are called cannabis shops, also a striking difference from Amsterdam. Tired of walking, we went into a park to relax, but I am guessing because of a high sugar content I decided to bounce around with someone's iPod while other patrons of the park looked on. It seemed that they'd seen something like it before. In comparison to Amsterdam, both of these locations seemed much less touristy and also more relaxed.

A Note from Hallie

Tuesday we visited The Hague, which is where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is located. While there, we listened to a couple of lectures regarding the functions of the ICC and their political and social implications. During the lecture, the speaker thoroughly explained the interworkings of the beaureaucratic establishment that is the ICC.

After our visit at the ICC, we hopped on the train and ventured to the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI). At the NIDI, we met with a demographer; he also described himself as a sociologist. He gave us a lecture on the population trends and fertility rates in the Netherlands. He also talked about how current immigration is affecting the Netherlands; paying particular attention to the Muslim population. This topic furthered the discussion into topics of integration versus assimilation. It made me think about the Netherlands policy in comparison with the United States;what is working and what isn't.
I feel the speaker effectively communicated his research and thoughts on the Netherlands policies and I left the NIDI thinking about the implications of underpopulation and overpopulation.

A Note from Tim

Tuesday we woke up early to travel by train to The Hague. First we visited the International Criminal Court. We had two speakers as well as a tour of their building, which used to be a parking garage for a phone company. The ICC is relatively new and is unable to try crimes committed before 2002. They address genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. I found it interesting that the U.S. has not been a supporter of the ICC since the Bush Administration came to office. Some speculate that we are nervous that we could be tried for what the U.S. has done in Iraq.

Next we went to the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, where we enjoyed a traditional Dutch lunch (bread, cheese, meat, and soup) and a presentation on Holland's demographic issues. I've only heard about people worrying about over population, but the Netherlands and much of Europe have been struggling with a decreasing population. This is due to an aging population as well as societal norms (e.g., waiting longer to have children). A decreasing population is a problem because of the need for labor. It sound to me like Holland should be more accepting of immigrants into their country and labor force.

When we came back to Amsterdam a few of us promptly went to do a last load of laundry of before we come home. Later we hoped to see the movie opening of The Omen, but it was sold out. So, Brendan and I saw X-Men 3, which many people in the group have already seen twice here. After a long day we went to the hotel and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

A Note from Melissa

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am exhausted! We were out the door this morning promptly at 7:30. The tram came just a couple of minutes after we got to the stop; perfect! We took the tram to Centraal Station and caught the train for Voorburg, just outside Den Haag. We had to change trains in Den Haag. Ideally we would have made it from platform 12 to platform 4 in the five allotted minutes, but, with the crowd and 14 people trying to stick together, just as we got to the platform the train was pulling away. Fortunately the next train was leaving in just a few minutes so we made it to Voorburg at 9:35. We were supposed to be at the visitors’ security door of the International Criminal Court at 9:50 and we made it.

Assisted by a nice security officer from Britain, we went through security, showed our passports, and waited in a lounge area. I made a quick trip to the restroom and, upon returning, learned that one of the students was missing his/her passport. Fortunately Kari had been able to vouch for him/her and all was fine for the moment. Note: The passport has not turned up and they will be making a trip to the consulate in the morning.

We were then met by a nice young Frenchman, the visit coordinator, who took us to the press briefing room for the beginning of our presentation. There was our group, a group of international students studying in the Netherlands, and a young woman who is a law student at the University of British Columbia, but studying for a term in Maastricht. We received very nice info packets and heard about the overall make-up of the Court, history, process, etc. After a short break we heard from Hans-Peter Kaul, one of the 19 judges of the ICC and President of the Pre-Trial Division of the Court. That was very cool, I think.

After his presentation and taking of questions, we were taken to the visitor’s gallery or “public area” of the largest of the three courtrooms. Our host explained who sat where and told us that the two “working languages” of the Court are French and English, but that Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and, I believe, Spanish, are the other “official” languages of the Court. He explained how someone could be a witness and not be identified, how the Court aims to be paperless, etc. It was great, but we were running quite late for our next appointment and I was pretty much, as my friends might imagine, having major anxiety at that point!

We left the building and made it back to the train station, just across a small park. Of course, while you can usually set your watch by Dutch trains, the train was 12 minutes late! We arrived in the Den Haag for our 12:30 appointment around 1:15. Fortunately our destination, the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI), was just a few blocks away.

Our host, Deputy Director Nico van Nimwegen, was very gracious when I apologized profusely for our tardiness. They had generously provided a spread of rolls, cheeses, ham, salad, soup, milk, and coffee for lunch. It is probably fair to say that that was the most exciting moment of the day for most of the students. Enough said.

Drs. Van Nimwegen gave a presentation on some of the demographic information most relevant to policy studies; i.e., fertility and mortality rates. It was terrific in that even students who had not had an introduction to demographics should have been able to follow. After a short break for “seconds” he segued into a discussion of various policy issues (e.g., employment, immigration) for which demographic knowledge is key and talked about the interplay between demographics and policy. I thought it was great! It would have been nice to have this presentation closer to the beginning of our visit, but, unfortunately, between the holidays this time of year and other commitments we have to take what we can get!

When we finished at NIDI we walked over to the central courtyard of the Binnenhof, the home of the Dutch parliament. I had been thinking, mistakenly, that this was where the queen resides, but that, in fact, is the Paleis Noordeinde, which we did not visit. At this point, having left the hotel at 7:30, raced for trains and to meetings, and listened to two different presentations, we split up for an hour’s wandering through Den Haag. I suggested some people watching as Den Haag is a very different city from Amsterdam! At 5:00, having had a variety of refreshments – I opted for a tiramisu eis – we met at Centraal Station and headed back “home.”

Tomorrow we are taking the students to Zandvoort, a seaside vacation spot, and then to Haarlem, so that they are sure to see a couple of other areas besides the “big city.” Wish us good weather!

A Note from Morgan

Since I did pretty much the same thing as I did yesterday save the tattoo convention, I shall write about yesterday. It was a beautiful day for the first time since we got here, so I went out to take pictures of scenery. I bought some muffins from a bakery that is open until, I swear, 2am; they were expensive but delicious. Not that anyone cares, but muffins here vary greatly in price. The first muffins I bought at an open air market were 80 cents a piece and were as equally delicious as the ones I bought yesterday that were 2 euro a muffin. Then today I passed another bakery that was selling 6 muffins for 3.50 euro. So I am very upset about my muffin rip off.

Later I decided to take a trip to the Amsterdam International Tattoo Convention, since it was the last day. The convention was laid out over two floors, and consisted of various booths representing various tattoo parlors and artists from all over the Netherlands and abroad. It was actually amazing; there were tattoo artists from all over the world: Japan, France, Germany, Hawaii, Thailand. They demonstrated different styles and techniques. There were also a lot of booths selling piercing supplies and jewelry, many hand made. Right away when you walked in, there was an area that you could leave your kids, although many people had their children with them (I even noticed some of the children had gauged piercings in their ears). As I said in my previous blog I have never been to a convention in the U.S., but I can imagine that one difference between a U.S. convention and an Amsterdam convention would be that while getting (or giving) a tattoo in the Netherlands, you can simultaneously smoke marijuana and drink a Corona.

Since the RAI Convention Center wasn't all that far from the hotel I decided to walk back. Things seemed to be going well until I realized I had been walking in the completely wrong direction for an hour and then got on the wrong tram. But it all ended well and I found my way back.

A Note from Drake

Today was a national Dutch holiday called Whit Monday so we didn't have class. As far as I can tell the Dutch have upwards of 10,000 holidays a year. In fact last weekend was also a holiday weekend. I guess Europeans are really good at planning holidays. Last week the holiday was on a Thursday, so everyone in the EU got a four day weekend. Clever huh? For this basically meant that all the stores were closed except for really touristy places like souvenir shops. I thought I would take my day off and do the really ridiculous tourist things, so I went to the Amsterdam Sex Museum, as well as the Torture Museum. The sex museum was a ridiculous four story novelty that showcases how liberal the Netherlands is about sex. It featured different art, pictures, mannequins dressed as pimps and Marilyn Monroe. It was definitely worth the 3 euro I paid to get in. The torture museum was a major disappointment. I was alone, too, so it was really creepy. After doing the touristy museums, I decided I would try eating at the Burger King here. It was amazing. I finally found a place where the cheeseburgers don't taste like the "beef" (but actually sausage) patties you get in middle school. I was satisfied immensely.

This weekend was finally nice out as far as weather went, so for the rest of the day I just sat and read in a park just outside the Rijksmuseum. There is a small pool-like thing for children... and dogs to play in. I know I'm going home and back to work full time so I won't have many opportunities to just sit and read. It was a nice end to a long weekend.

P.S. My undies are still clean.

A Note from Brendan

Today a group of us from class - Sarah, Tim, Hallie, and myself - decided to go on an excursion to the small island of Texel of the coast of the mainland of Holland. We took the train to Den Helder and then a bus to a ferry, and then the ferry to the island of Texel itself. We found the ferry to be the most amazing part of the journey there... seeing as it was much larger than anyone in the group thought it would be.

On the island we all rented bicycles and rode from the port all the way to the largest city on the island named Den Burg. We all enjoy a fabulous meal at a local and cost effective Italian restaurant.

After the meal we rode around on the paths in the countryside for a while and eventually we headed back using the same means of transportation, the train, that we used to arrive. Overall I would highly recommend going to Texel, Even though we went on Sunday and everything was closed we still managed to entertain ourselves, and that says a lot. Texel is a fun place to spend some time and relax from the hustle of the city of Amsterdam.

A Note from Mary

"Guten Tag!" as they say here in Deutschland. This morning - or early afternoon - we awoke to the view of a beautiful sunny German hillside out the window. After a delicious homemade breakfast of scrambled eggs with garlic and sausage, we hopped a boat down the Neckar River, which is a major tributary of the River Rhine. Although it was sunny for the most part, it was quite windy and very chilly. The boat ride began by bringing us under the Old Bridge, which was built in 1788. As we continued we went through two different locks and dams up the River and past the Black Forest...which, by the way, is enormous. There were many campsites just off the river, and we were surprised to see how close they were to public facilities and rural housing. We also saw quite a few people fishing in the river and one man playing guitar on the bank. As we passed the Black Forest we discussed the tales of unicorns in habiting the forest... we looked, but didn't see any. We went past the Heidelberg Castle..."the Schloss." This castle was built as the residence for the Prince Electors of the Palatinate, and later suffered destruction during the French Invasions.

As many people are aware the World Cup is being held in Germany this year, and it's hard not to notice. Everywhere you go there are billboards, signs, flags, and I even saw a few people walking around with souvenir soccer balls. And for those interested, the national World Cup slogan is "Wir sind am Ball!" which means, "We're on the ball!" Very clever.

A Note from Azure

I am now officially blogging from Germany. Alyssa, Mary and I decided to take our long weekend trip to visit my family who lives near Heidelberg. Our adventure began last night (Friday) when we departed from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, with all intentions of switching trains in Frankfurt and heading for Mannheim. Like most European travel, as I am coming to find, things did not go the way we had planned. After trying to decode several overhead announcements in Dutch and German, we finally were told in English that the train we were going to switch to in Frankfurt was having "difficulties" so we were going to pick up the passengers they were unable to get, causing us to miss our connecting train. When we finally reached Frankfurt, we had to run for the next train to Mannheim, narrowly escaping a 30 minute waiting period. Upon our arrival in Mannheim, which was almost an hour later than planned, we found frustrations using the payphones, making it impossible to contact my aunt or cousin. I eventually found them both, cool as cucumbers, having a drink at the train station cafe. "Calming your nerves?" I asked jokingly. My aunt jumped up and threw her arms around me and asked, "Do you have any idea what happened to the train before you?" I looked at her quizzically. She then went on to explain that the board with the departures and arrivals did not include our train, so when she inquired about its status at a nearby info booth she got quite a different answer than expected. The booth operator insisted that she get the English translation right, and my aunt, who is a wonderful woman but lacks patience but certainly not self-expression, pressed into her about the problem. The operator said, "Ok, it was a personal.... injur... injury (the version is so much better in person). My aunt then asked, "On the train?" "No" said the operator,"Over, over the tracks. The train ran over." Yikes! Our train had hit someone. My aunt's comment? "Of course Azure got on the train that ran someone over." Ahh, there's my cucumber.

We haven't experienced much of the differences between The Netherlands and Germany yet. Basically the train was like riding a big tram, and it’s a lot less crowded than it is Amsterdam. It's really great how they do announcements in three or four languages, something I think the US should consider, even if it’s broadening it to English and Spanish. It's just easier for everyone to have clear instructions that are as clear as possible rather than getting on incorrect trains and all that. There doesn't seem to be much diversity here, at least from what I gauged at the train stations. Most of the travelers were white males and females in their mid-30's, and the rest were younger, probably between 16 and 25.

While I'm here I'm going to try to pester my aunt about her thoughts on politics and the conservative wave that has hit Germany, so maybe that will help to explain some of the racial homogeneity. Well, I could go on and on but it’s lunchtime; perhaps some schnitzel with noodles. Oh come on, I know the Sound of Music is Austrian but I'm sure they have schnitzel here. Goodbye from Germany!

A Note from Alyssa

Today [Saturday]we woke up in Germany to a beautiful sunshine. Unfortunately this weather did not stick with us and turned into the weather we were experiencing in Amsterdam. The view from Azure's aunt's house is quite amazing; I really never realized that Germany had such amazing landscape. I guess because there are no beaches no one in Minnesota really talks about the amazing hills and forests. Due to the massive amounts of rain this area has received this spring everything is very lush and green.

This afternoon we took about a 20 minute bus ride to Heidelberg and went to lunch at a restaurant. We had no choice but to sit outside under a little archway to be protected from the rain because the inside was full. We waited at least 20 minutes until our server showed up to take our order. I found this to be a bit frustrating because I thought we had bad service in Amsterdam but this was much worse. Apparently normally the service is not that bad; I think it may have had to do with the fact it was four 20-something women and not older adults waiting for service. After our 2 hour lunch we walked about in the main shopping area of Heidelberg and found that everything was starting to close because it was already 6:00. This city is much more mellow than Amsterdam; one thing that slows everything down is that there are not very many bikes. I think that is because it is so hilly here it would almost be impossible to navigate.

In the shopping area there were mostly Caucasians; not very many different races like in Amsterdam. There were a significantly fewer tourists than in Amsterdam, which was nice because you can get a better feel for the culture here and not the tourist culture. Germany is a very beautiful country and I recommend visiting to anyone that wants some relaxation time.

A Note from Melissa

Greetings from Amsterdam! This evening Kari and I went over to the absolutely lovely town of Haarlem to walk around, have dinner, and… I did my laundry at a great little six washer place called “My Beautiful Laundrette.” Yeah, do we know how to have fun or what! I’m really posting to tell anyone who has been a (terrorized) passenger with Kari in the states and heard her say, “But I’m a really good driver in Europe,” that, in fact, she is! In our little Opel Corsa she made her way through the narrowest of streets, on (and off) the sidewalk, through construction zones, over the tram tracks… Yup, she is definitely in her element driving here in the Netherlands.

This is the students’ long weekend on which they should be going someplace besides Amsterdam. Sunday and Monday are holidays here in the Netherlands; Whit Sunday and Whit Monday, or Pinksterdag (1e and 2e). Three students are off to Heidelberg, Germany; another to Thun, Switzerland. The others would not – even with our pestering – commit to a plan. Some are talking about taking the train down to Rotterdam, or perhaps going up to Texel. Another was thinking about going to Belgium or biking to Haarlem. It will be interesting to see what they all ended up doing. Some should be reporting in with their own blog posts so stay tuned!

A Note from Tim

This morning we woke up to a presentation on immigration by newly arrived professor Kari Fangel. We discussed issues that the Netherlands has had to deal with as well as the common perception of immigration in the country. It surprised me that many locals have expressed that they don't believe the people of the Netherlands are as tolerant as some think they are. Many countries in Europe have become more conservative in their thinking. One government official was assassinated, allegedly because his opposition to immigration (i.e. Pim Fortuyn).

Our second, though related, topic of the day was globalization. To learn about it we walked through two different street markets and observed what was being sold, who sold them, who was shopping, and where people and products were from. I couldn't believe the range of things that were offered. They had food, clothes, music/videos, flowers, and even chocolate private parts. It was like a Wal-Mart, but outside. As far as people and products, I lost count of how many different cultures I observed existing side by side on one long, narrow street.

A Note from Kasey

It was a beautiful sunny day here in Amsterdam today. We took advantage of the weather and had class in the park outside of the Rijksmuseum. We had an interesting discussion about immigration laws here in the Netherlands and compared them to those of the U.S. It was really intriguing to hear about the history of immigrants in the Netherlands and how the numbers of people immigrating here has gone up significantly with the implementation of new laws in the EU and new member countries.

After our talk we went to two very different open air markets. The first one seemed to be catered to the surrounding community. The market, Dappermarkt, was not very busy but was filled with many women and their children. The second market, the Albert Cuyp Markt, seemed catered more to tourists and was much busier. There was also a larger variety of clothing, food, and even pharmaceuticals. Both markets were very unique, something we don't get to see in Minnesota. We are lucky to experience these things - especially since the weather has finally turned around for us!

A Note from Hallie

Today will absolutely constitute one of the most memorable of my days in Amsterdam. I started of the day with a jog through Vondelpark, which is conveniently located within a few blocks from our hotel. After a morning of sleeping in for most, everyone was wide awake for the event our professor had scheduled.

We visited the Prostitution Information Center, which is appropriately located in the infamous Red Light District. It was here that we had a conversation with a woman who worked at the center and is a former sex worker. Until now, I have never had an open conversation with anyone who is/was a sex worker, and it was an eye opening experience. The overwhelming majority of things I have heard or experienced regarding prostitution were biased against it. I think the woman we met with did a great job conveying that prostitution does not have to be a negative thing. She helped me see another way of looking at the issue of prostitution, and it is clear to me that this is made possible largely as a result of the tolerant laws the Netherlands has in place. Overall, it was a great experience to have an intimate conversation with a woman who knows the business because she has been a part of it on many different levels.

A Note from Nick

Not quite a week and a half yet, but today we visited the Prostitution Information Center (PIC) in Amsterdam's Red Light District. A former prostitute named Mariska Majoor founded the Center in 1994. The center provides information about prostitution to anyone who has questions, including prostitutes and clients. The woman that spoke with us today was, surprisingly, from Canada. She was a sex worker there for nine years and now works here, but not as a sex worker. Apparently you must be from the European Union in order to work as a prostitute here and if caught prostituting without residency you can be deported. She basically answered any questions we had and explained how regulated prostitution works under Dutch law. Compared to the U.S. this is much different, of course, and in the end, is much more pragmatic.

Having previously volunteered at Breaking Free in St. Paul – an organization aimed at helping people leave prostitution - the attitude towards regulation is quite different here. In St. Paul, and much of the U.S., there seems to be this impossible dream that the supply will dry up if the demand for prostitution is decreased. Also noteworthy is how St. Paul puts pictures of convicted prostitutes on-line, which only makes it harder for women to get off the streets. By regulating, Amsterdam has been able to get rid of streetwalking, as it is illegal here, and with the exception of window prostitutes, most of it happens behind doors.

It was interesting to compare our speaker today, a former sex worker, to the former sex workers I have met with in the States. Here, she seemed eager to return to this line of work when she establishes residency. In St. Paul everyone refers to themselves as survivors. The difference could be the stigma, which still exists here, but the recognized validity of this type of work makes that less so. But also, the regulation makes prostitutes seem less like victims and more like professionals who have control over their careers and their bodies.

The rest of the day has yet to come and in the words of Oscar Wilde,
"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future," so Good Night and Good Luck.