Day 3: Amsterdam Part 1

During the afternoon we met with our Dutch partners to talk about future collaborations. The conversation was very interesting and informative. I am amazed at how two educational systems can face similar challenges under very different governments and cultures. While funding is not an issue, retention, graduation and respect for short cycle education are issues. Also, the need for leadership training is an issue. For the Netherlands it is an issue because of the new concept of short cycle training while for US community colleges it is a matter of a agitate of trained and available people with advanced degrees. I was also surprised that the idea of studying "higher education" does not exist in Europe. While there are always one or two exceptions, there really is no field of study like higher educational administration and policy. This field of study in the US has it's tension as well. There are some who question it's relevance as a field of study as well.

After our meeting we returned to our hotel only to meet up later for dinner. I find Amsterdam to be very diverse. So to are the food options. We opted for a French restaurant. Our dinning experience began when the waiter took us to the pub area in the lower level of the building where we consumed pre-dinner drinks. There he shared with us a tray of herring and sausage. I tried both. I knew I would like the sausage from previous visits. The herring I had previously tried back in 1990 when I first traveled to the Netherlands with Sports Outreach International. I didn't care for it then. Tonight I tried it and it seemed wonderful. After drinks we were led to the dinning room. We ordered. I has Damon and it was outstanding. For our "salad" we were served a variety of items, one of which was a hard boiled quail egg. I tried one. I couldn't peal it but the shell was thin enough to eat it along with the egg. It was good, nothing real different than hard boiled chicken eggs other than the shell.

Dinning here is a much more casual, relaxed event. Time between courses of a meal are lengthier than in the U S. No one is trying to turn tables quickly to serve as many as possible. The relaxed approach is part of the experience. Dinning is highly social. People seem much more focused on one another than the TV or ambience of the decore.

Day 2: Amsterdam Part 1

I have found that jet lag is not a problem for me when going to Europe. That is nice because I can integrate into the day and events so much quicker. Today I began my day at the normal time of 6:00 am. I decided to start my day with a run. The place I am staying has a fitness center so I headed there. When I arrived it was closed. I was surprised, but it turned out to be a blessing. I headed out the door and ran on the trail next to the bike path outside the hotel. The morning was cool and very pleasant. I was surprised at all the activity. I am still at awe and a bit jealous of all the bicycles. There were more bikes than cars moving this morning; and I am not including the mopeds. I saw many kids heading to school. They were on bicycles and skate boards and rollerblades. They looked fit and I couldn't help thinking how we Americans could benefit from cycling to work and our kids cycling to school.

I also noticed all of the orange flags and banners representing the Netherland soccer team. Football is big here. That is an understatement. My colleague who arrived earlier than me said that he was here the day Netherland played Findland and that the country stopped. There was no one on the streets. All the pubs with tvs were packed and those without tvs were empty. It was amazing. I can't imagine soccer ever reaching that level in the United States.

I love the active Dutch culture and the canals; the cooler weather and the varied diverse people. I could live here.

Day 1: Amsterdam

I arrived in Amsterdam at 10am Netherlands time. This was the first time I have traveled overseas alone. I was surprised at just how typical the airport in Amsterdam was as compared to the countless airports I have been in the US. My luggage beat me to the belt, so I was glad to see it waiting there for me. After retrieving the bag I was off to find a cab. The person I found understood English enough to understand where I needed to go. I was a bit nervous though when he had to pull out his map to find the hotel. None the less he got me there and I checked in early which was a welcomed event. After dome down time in the hotel I ventured out to what was a two mile walk to the centrum (downtown). There I found a sporting goods store decked out in Netherlands gear for the 2010 world cup. I purchased a Netherlands replica soccer jersey to celebrate my trip. Next, I set off to find lunch. Among the numerous restaurants was the Hard Rock Cafe. Had to try it. Amazingly, it was just like the one in Washington DC that we ate at during Memorial weekend. I then made the walk back to the hotel. Finally, the limited sleep from the flight was catching up with me. After a brief nap, our college president call and we finally connected and met up for dinner. Tomorrow begins the conference and a new adventure.