other perspectives on life here

i thought i'd share excerpts from the blogs of two guys that are part of the community - because i appreciated reading them and feel that they bring perspective to my own experience here. Tom has just moved here from Florida in order to volunteer here this year. And Marco has been living in the community for a year and works regularly at a Christian youth hostel in the neighbourhood.

The following is Tom's commentary on the place that the Dutch language has in his life. He captures some of the reasons why my struggles with dutch take up so much of my energy and time.

"Going Dutch

I have come to Amsterdam to learn Dutch.

I didn't realize at first that this was why I am in Amsterdam. I thought I was coming to Amsterdam to broaden my horizens, live in a beautiful city, experience a new culture, spend some time volunteering, etc. I figured that maybe I'd pick up some Dutch on the side, as I went.

English, you know. They all speak it! And how useful is Dutch going to be to someone, really?

Within the first day after arrival it became clear to me that it would be, at minimum, extremely helpful to at least be able to read Dutch. By the second day, getting a basic knowledge of the spoken language seemed imperative. By the third day, sitting down to breakfast, lunch and dinner at a table full of people joyously chattering away in Dutch, it was clear that mastering the language was my ONLY priority if I wanted to retain my sanity."

The rest of the entry can be found at his blog Chinese Apples.


Marco reflects on what it's been like now living in the Red Light District for a year. The following is his summary:

"But to be honest, I don't even mind the neighborhood that much. Yes, I consider it ugly, and yes, drunken tourists are one of the most annoying things in the world for me. But as far as the whole "aren't you living in a den of temptation" thing goes, it's really not that bad. I'm not tempted to try cocaine or to hook up with a prostitute, and if I were, I think I might be in greater danger of falling if I lived in some suburb, where I could come downtown "incognito" and no one would ever know. Being a resident of the neighborhood means that if I walk into a nightclub tonight, all my neighbors will know by tomorrow."

The full reflections can be found at his blog, Songs of a Soupman.