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.