Project Week '15 - Amsterdam #day1

Ciao, readers!
Hereby after a little while hadn't updated my blog, I'm coming with bunches of story about my recent activities during the Project Week.

Let's start by giving you clear idea of the terms 'Project Week'!

Project Week is an annual event held by all United World Colleges that aims to give students opportunity in carrying out the community service, physical activity, and creative activity in the bigger scope of community outside the campus. By means, we were all spread into small groups consisting of 4-15 students to mainly European countries, namely Croatia, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Romania, Macedonia, Portugal, Spain, Norway, France, Greece, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Morocco. This event takes place during the beginning of spring and this year it lasted from Friday, 27 Feb 'till compulsorily Wednesday, 4 March 2015. Then, it is up to the organizers whether they would like to extend the project until the long-weekend that follows afterwards or to go back to Duino as soon as the project's done.

I got the project whose theme is "A look behind the scenes of illegal refugees in Amsterdam" and the group consists of 5 students including my Dutch friend as the organizer. Geez, no wonder how lucky I am to get my first choice of project and visit the marvelous city where i've been dreaming to be in since long time ago. Woohoo!

Day 1 - Saturday, 28 Feb

We started the journey by leaving Duino on Saturday, 28 Feb in the early morning to Venice Marco Polo Airport and took the first flight to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The flight was only about an hour and a half long but it was extraordinarily pleasant witnessing the sunrise thru the plane's window.

I know taking this kind of picture is way too mainstream, but why should I care?

We arrived at Schipol Airport at around 8.30 and directly took the train to Duivendrecht station, the nearest stop to our destination.

We're ready to rock!

After we continued walking for about 5 minutes, we eventually arrived at my friend's apartment where her family live together with the community consisting of more or less 20 people. The community itself is named Jeannette Noelhuis (www.noelhuis.nl) and it belongs to the Catholic Worker's movements. They came across the different countries all over the world, either as the immigrants who intend to make better living in Amsterdam or even as the refugees who seek for the better place to live in, but don't have enough proofs to be legally considered as the immigrants. This then results in difficulties to find the job and even to go back to their home country. However, it's my friend's dad who has been super kind by accommodating them, helping them in affording the daily necessities thru the fundraising, as well as actively initiating and participating in any act of solidarity towards the arrested and considered-illegal immigrants and refugees.

This project is apparently inspired by the blooming issues of how the Dutch government treats the illegal immigrants and refugees. Mr. Frits, my friend's dad, said that they usually get arrested right after they land on Schiphol Airport and thus detained in various periods of time, from two weeks even until six years in a huge jail near the Schiphol Airport. Besides, the worst thing is that they might then be sent to another country which has even worse living conditions.

It was very nice to be warmly welcome by the community inside the house. After having a nice talk with them accompanied by the cups of tea, we decided to unpack and take a rest for a while. The activity was followed by having lunch and then starting to make the banner for our main activity on the following day. Yes, making the banner to show our solidarity towards the arrested immigrants.

After working for 3 hours, here we proudly present the banner that we made by ourselves!

In the evening after having dinner together, we decided to go to the Nieuwmarkt (one of the city centers where you can find almost every single piece of amusement in Amsterdam) by taking the subway. We bought the subway tickets which can be used unlimitedly for the whole 4 days. It only costs € 21 per person; far cheaper compared to buying a ticket for each trip.

From left to right: Me, Jia Jia (Netherlands), Roshni (England), Melania (Spain), and Camelia (Morocco)

Oh my Goddess, the further I walked around this city, it somehow strengthens the feeling as if I was in the whole different world. Amsterdam is just superbly fabulous! Highly advanced technologies, eco-friendly society's lifestyle, classic buildings, glamorous night-life, beautiful canal side views, busy yet well-ordered highways.. Everything is just so damn extraordinary!

We walked around the city centre and thousands of bars, cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, department store line up along the road. We then split into two groups, Me and Jia Jia while the other three were together. We passed through Jia Jia's school, hung around the Museumplein (Museum Square), took some photos in I Am Amsterdam sign, and ended up having cups of hot chocolate in a cafe around Leidseplein. It was very cold (colder than Duino) and sadly the strong wind made it so damn colder, as well as messed up my hair. Nevertheless, the atmosphere's so lively as it was Saturday night.

Poffertjes (typical Dutch snack) can be found in the street vendors along the Niewmarkt 

Cups of Hete Chocolade as our companions

Waterfontein

Now, could you feel the romantic sense of canal side view?

At about 11 PM, we took the tram to get back to our meeting point with the other group's members and soon afterwards we went back to Jia Jia's apartment as we were kind of exhausted by today's intense agenda.

Project Week '15 in Amsterdam #day2

Day 2 - Sunday, 1 March 

On the second day, we had our main activity that is the solidarity act towards the illegalised immigrants and refugees. After we arrived at the prison yard, Jia Jia's father and some other participants from Catholic Workers gave some short speeches. Then, we began marching along the prison while showing our banners and blowing the whistles so that they could hear we're giving them spirit and support from the outside. The most exhilarating moment was when we could see them waving and beaming to us as we're prohibited to enter the prison.

Before marching against the very strong wind

The place where they are all detained

H O P E

Indonesia, Morocco, The Netherlands, England, Spain

In the afternoon, 5 of us decided to have typical Dutch cuisines in our lunch time. We went to a restaurant whose name is De Carousel hence ordered Poffertjes and Pannenkoeken.

Poffertjes are baby pancakes sprinkled with the icing sugar. Super gurih, lembut, creamy, bikin nagih!

Roshni's pancake with mushroom, mozzarella, and ham as its topping.
Dutch pancake is quite different in its shape and size. Thinner yet wider. 

Keramaian kota Amsterdam

The trip's continued by our visit to Anne Frank's house, Prinsengracht. It used to be Anne's and her family's hiding place during the World War II from the German Nazi military. Anne was young Jewish girl who's very well-known of her wartime diary during her hiding in the Secret Annexe. That place is now opened to public as a museum from 09.00 AM - 07.00 PM. The entrance ticket is quite reasonable, €4.5 for <18 years old visitor and €9.0 for over 18 y.o. However, in order to prevent any damage of the conserved items inside, visitors are not allowed to take any photograph inside the museum.

Such a glory of finally being able to visit this historical site

Project Week '15 in Amsterdam #day3

Day 3 - Monday, 2 March

We started the day by waking up a bit earlier, having breakfast together, and preparing for our next activity that is painting the wall of the corridor of the house where the community lives in. Before painting the wall, we needed to cleanse the wall from any smudge by using the diluted ammonia. Then, we taped some parts that should not be painted, such as the door frames and the switches.

 

Then, we had to rush to Rijksmuseum to see the Late Rembrandt exhibition there. The entrance fee is free at the moment, but we had the schedule of entering the museum from 09.00 'till 11.00. It was 10.04 when we completely finished cleansing the wall. We took the subway to Amstel Station and continued the journey by taking the trams to Museumplein. It was 10.55 when we got off the tram, hence we had to run to the Rijksmuseum. Wooh! Fortunately, we could still enter the museum and use our online tickets. 

Off to Rijksmuseum

Our typical touristic photograph at I Am Amsterdam Sign.   

I was overjoyed!

The next agenda's to meet our UWCAd alumna, Hester, who comes from and lives in Amsterdam. I really have to admit that Project Week was such a truly nice chance to get to know people we'd never met as well as people we'd never talked to before. Together with Hester, we spend the afternoon after the light drizzle to walk around the Albert Cuypstraat Market, which is only about 2 km from Hester's house. There we can find loads of stalls which sell almost everything we might look for, such as clothes, cheese, vegetables, fruits, bags, Dutch snacks, and many more. Jia Jia and Hester suggested us to taste the Stroopwafel (two thin layers of waffle filled with the caramel syrup) which can be bought at one of the street vendors there. I bought the big-sized one with chocolate topping as addition. Its price range varies from €1.5-2.0. This typical Dutch snack is really worth a try!

photo source: www.amsterdaily.nl

As we had known a bit of how to get to somewhere in Amsterdam, we decided to split again. Four of us decided to go to the commercial centre and stroll around the city while Jia Jia decided to visit her former school and meet some friends. Leidseplein and Niewmarkt are the two main districts which full of shopping centre and sort of being the centers of the crowd. 

After that, we met up again during the dinner time in Bazaar Amsterdam, Albert Cuypstraat. It's a middle-eastern restaurant which sells multitude of fancy and tasty foods. Woohoo, I just realized how much I've longed for eating tasty foods. So, you could guess that it was kinda feast for us!

Ready for the feast, everyone? 

El Couscous with Meat

Right after dinner, me and Jia Jia went back home directly while others chose to hang around for a bit more in the city centre. 

Project Week '15 - Amsterdam #day4 & #day5

Day 4 - Tuesday, 3 Feb 

I couldn't believe it'd been our last day staying in Amsterdam. I gotta admit that time really runs when we're so happy.

So, on the fourth day we painted the corridor's walls of the house where community lives in. Even though it was pretty tiring, especially when painting the ceiling, we're all so delighted to be able helping others and giving a bit of hands to them.

Paint da waaaalll!!!

While I, Camelia, and Melania started to paint the wall, Roshni and Jia Jia had to cycle and do shopping for our dinner that night. The procedure of living in the Noelhuis is that each member of community must cook for dinner once in every certain period. If I'm not mistaken more or less every 2 weeks. The ones in turn are supposed to cook for the whole community and that day was our turn.

Once we already got everything that we need, we began peeling, chopping, and cooking the foods.
Roshni initiated the idea of cooking the Indian cuisines. Yey! Another happy-tummy moment.

Jia Jia was making Naan breads 

And finally after three hours working in the kitchen, we ate the dinner together with the other 20 people. 

Such a nice way of closing our Project Week

We're all quite tired after doing all the activity for the last 4 days, but we really didn't want to waste any chance to explore the city of Amsterdam. Therefore, at night, I, Melania, Camelia, and Roshni decided to go out and enjoy the beauty of Amsterdam before leaving on the following day. We took the subway to Central Station, walked through the centre of crowds, and bought some souvenirs as the mementos. Next, we entered a small cafe to buy some drinks and I also ordered the Waffle with nutella topping. Hmm.. I wish I could stay longer in this fabulous city.

Day 5  

Duino, we're coming. Similar to our flight to Amsterdam, we also needed only an hour and a half to reach Venice Marco Polo Airport. However, this time only I and Jia Jia were going back to Duino as the others were going home and or visiting another country.

After taking the 3 PM flight, accidentally taking the wrong bus from VCE Airport to Venice St. Lucia train station, taking the train to Monfalcone and bus to Duino.. We two eventually arrived safely at our residences.

Fuh. Alhamdulillah. Yet hereby I need to say that I can't wait for next year Project Week!

XOXO