A Lesson for Detroit

A colleague of Roxi's has been visiting from Italy for the past few days to present some of his research and make contacts here at the University of Twente. Yesterday, Sergio and I went to the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the Twentse Welle museum. The Rijksmuseum was enjoyable, especially the collection of paintings by some of the Dutch Masters but I found the Twentse Welle particularly fascinating.

I love history especially when I can learn about it in the places where events occurred. The Twentse Welle traces the history of the Twente region of the Netherlands from the last Ice Age through the present day. I was amazed by the size of the great beasts that once roamed the steppe before the end of the Ice Age as well as the way the earliest human settlers first began to live and work with the available resources in the area.

As the population of the region grew and the Industrial Revolution reached Enschede, the small localized textile businesses experienced rapid expansion culminating in an immense cluster of factories and textile mills during the 1850s. The mills ran for much of the day for almost 100 years producing enormous amounts of fabrics shipped to all corners of the world. And then in the 1950s, just as suddenly as the industry grew, the textile economy of Enschede began to collapse as a result of cheaper production of comparable fabrics in Asia. Almost immediately, factories in the city began to close, unemployment rose dramatically and a twenty-year economic depression hit the region. There were thousands of blue collar workers who only knew how to work machines in the textile mills and those jobs were suddenly all gone.

The school that would become the University of Twente opened in the 1960s and began to train young people of the region in all technological fields. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, with help from the government, technology companies began locating in the area to take advantage of the resources the university and it's graduates. Over subsequent decades, Enschede has experienced a renaissance and become the largest shopping center in the eastern Netherlands. On a weekly basis, visitors from the Twente region as well as Germany come to enjoy all the goods and services the city has to offer.

Even before I left the museum, I recognized many similarities to the auto industry in the United States. It is striking to think that automobile manufacturing has been around for about 100 years in the Detroit area, but the Big Three are now collectively suffering from very large losses brought on by many factors including foreign auto makers producing higher quality cars for lower prices. I sympathize with the blue collar workers who are being forced out of their jobs by downsizing and factory closures, but it seems that the US government is only slowing the inevitable by propping up this failing industry and worse yet, it seems the motivation is more about nostalgia and votes than anything else.

If the federal government is hellbent on spending money in Detroit, it seems that said money would be much better utilized by focusing on emerging industries and innovation as opposed to a business sector that has been uncompetitive in the world market and failing for a very long time. The University of Twente was the catalyst that helped to improve the economic situation in Enschede because of the entrepreneurial mission of the school. Michigan already has two very large state schools, not to mention several smaller ones, that could help in serving such a function. For all the recent talk of change in the US, it is time to put our money where our rhetoric is and actually make some adjustments to an evolving economy. It's time to look to the future, not the past.

And one more lesson that we could all learn from the past. Here is a painting of the Enschede skyline at the height of the textile boom:



A mere one hundred fifty years ago, the skies of Enschede were black with soot spewed from the smokestacks of coal fired textile plants. Today the skies are clear and blue and the only smokestacks are remnants of the abandoned manufacturing plants. The scene was the same across Europe and the United States. The air is visibly cleaner than it was only a century ago. Obviously our air is still polluted and needs further improvement of quality, but we need to keep things in perspective. We should have clean burning fuels and energy sources, but it won't happen overnight without adverse changes to our way of life. Things have changed so much for the better in only a few generations and they will continue to improve as we continue our cycle of development and evolution.

Klompen At Work

Today is the first time that I saw someone in the Netherlands wearing wooden shoes while doing manual labor and not just as part of a costume.

Biking to Germany

Since we arrived in Enschede, it has been my plan to take a bike ride to Germany just because it is so close. Since the weather has gotten warmer and the rains have stopped, I've been threatening to go on several occasions now. Today was finally the day and it was a great afternoon of bike riding and exploring.

I started my trip at 1:30 in the afternoon by heading to the city center of Enschede. From there, it was uncharted territory. Thankfully, it's easy to get to Germany from the city center as you just follow Gronausestraat all the way.


Heading east towards Germany.


I appreciate the street name that tells you where you are headed.

The bike ride was very pleasant on the clear afternoon and although it was very sunny, it was not overly hot. After making my way through the small town of Glanerbrug, I crossed the German border and entered the outskirts of Gronau.


Leaving Enschede...


...and entering Glanerbrug, the last Dutch town before crossing the German border.


Leaving Glanerbrug crossing the Glanerbeek stream into Germany.


German speed limits in the cities, outside of the cities and on the motorways (in kph course).


Road sign for the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany.


Entering Gronau in the Borken district of Westmunsterland.


"Welcome to the Borken district."

After a short ride through the outskirts of the town, I arrived in the city center about forty-five minutes after leaving our apartment in Enschede covering a little over 10 miles in that time. I spent the next forty-five minutes exploring the city center and surrounding area before heading back home to Enschede.


Once in Germany, Gronausestraat became Enscheder Strasse.


Tower in the city center.


A picture really is worth a thousand words because without this graphic illustration, I might have been inclined to run over several people in Gronau.


St. Anthony Church


St. Anthony: patron saint of pigs.


Gronau Church


Dinkel River


Old building...


...new climbing wall.


Dragon-Cow or Cow-Dragon?


0.6 km to the Netherlands

Vliegenvanger

Although it has cooled off over the last week in Enschede, not long ago it was unseasonably hot here. Having no air conditioner we resorted to leaving our windows and balcony doors open to allow for a breeze to help cool the stuffy apartment. The only problem with this solution was that it allowed lots of very annoying flies to get in and buzz around our heads incessantly twenty-four hours a day. Not knowing where to find flypaper or any other way to deal with them, we just accepted it as a fact of life. Thanks to a friend, we were informed not only about where we might get some flypaper, but also about an ingenious tool called a vliegenvanger (flytrap).

This morning I made a trip into town only to find that on Mondays, most stores don't open until 1:00 in the afternoon. You'd think I'd know this by know after being here for more than six months, but I just don't find the need to go all the way into town very often as we have several nearby grocery stores that open earlier and usually carry everything that we need. Thankfully however, two of the few stores open before noon were the ones that I needed to acquire these important fly exterminating implements.

The flypaper was a welcome find at the first store, but the vliegenvanger was the really exciting purchase. Although called a flytrap, it would be better described as a hand held bug zapper! It's about the size of a racquetball racquet, but instead of strings, it has a fine metal mesh connected to two AA batteries. The metal mesh is electrified by the touch of a button. By now, I'm sure you know where this is going!


A fly's worst nightmare...


"Electronic fly- / wasptrap"


A hand-held bug zapper!

Vliegenvanger In Action:


I defy anyone in PETA to spend a night in our apartment and not want to use this device several times to do away with these annoying pests!

"From Louisiana to the Lowlands"

Roxi made the paper!!! There is a nice profile in the English section of the campus newspaper, the UT Nieuws, about Roxi and her experience here in the Netherlands. Please follow this link to read the story!

Abraham Ledeboerpark

Roxi and I took advantage of the great weather yesterday afternoon with a bike ride through Abraham Ledeboerpark next to campus. The park consists of a mixture of wooded trails surrounding a central open field with a pond. While riding our bikes around the trails, we stumbled on to some large enclosed areas with deer, goats and sheep in them. We watched some people feed some very tame deer for a while before moving on and feeding some leaves to a couple of goats. It was a very pleasant afternoon and great to find a park so close to us!

Batavierenrace

A tent city started to form on the University of Twente campus yesterday and it has grown into a tent metropolis as thousands of students from around the Netherlands and beyond arrived in Enschede in advance of the 37th Batavierenrace this weekend. The race began in Nijmegen last night at midnight and concluded here in Enscede this afternoon. Tonight the participants and others will take part in the largest student party in Europe. It is quite a site to see, so much so that my parents decided to stay in Enschede one more night before continuing their vacation in Maastricht in the south of the Netherlands.







UPDATE: 1:00 AM: We just got back from the big party (although it is still going on and will be for until at least 8 AM) and we had a great time! We drank a fair amount of beer, saw a band play some Dutch music and did some people watching. A great time was had by all! Who would have thought that when my parents came to visit us, they would get to see the largest gardens in the world and the largest student party in Europe?!

Ain't Technlogy Great?!?

Yesterday afternoon, we took a train with my parents to Enschede to show them our home away from home. After getting them checked into their hotel, we went into town to show them around and get some dinner. Before moving to Enschede in January, I searched the Internet for a web cam of the city so I could get an idea of the weather we could look forward to upon our arrival. I managed to find this camera trained on a sculpture in the city center. While walking through the city with my parents yesterday, my dad called my brother Garrett in Irvine, California and asked him to check the web cam and look for us. He took a screen shot of it, emailed it to us right away and we got this unique group photo (we're the four people waving at the camera).



Isn't the Internet amazing?!?

Turkish Cultural Night

With so many international students on campus, there are very frequent cultural events put on by the various student associations here at the University of Twente. This evening we went attended Turkish Cultural Night hosted by the Turkish Student Association. Before the dinner and entertainment, Roxi and I made our way around the room looking at all the pictures of the multitude of environments in the country. I suppose I should have assumed that there would be skiing in Turkey because there are mountains, but it never really occurred to me before. There are also of course beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Besides the natural wonders, there is so much history in the country dating back to Greek and Roman times in addition to the Seljuq, Ottoman and modern Turkish cultures. It really appears to be a very culturally rich nation.

Dinner was fantastic and it was followed up by some traditional Turkish dancing. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the entire event, but we certainly enjoyed what we saw. We decided that we must visit Turkey as soon as possible because it looks to be a simply beautiful country.


Another of my obligatory pictures of food.

Fietsen!

After three months in the Netherlands we have finally acquired the most popular mode of transportation in the nation: fietsen (bicycles). I've been the holdout because of how expensive bikes are here. Since there are more of them than cars in the Netherlands, I guess it stands to reason that they are more expensive than in the States but I've found some of the prices outrageous!

When we had trouble finding a bike for under 300 Euros (almost $400!) a few months ago, I was worried that we might never find bikes within our budget. Granted it's been more than ten years since I entered a cycling shop in College Station, TX and purchased a brand new Trek mountain bike for about $250, but have prices really gone up that much? We started asking around about used bikes and were told that they were scarce this time of year but my frugality (read: cheapness) would not let me buy a bike for more than 100 Euros (our neighbors put that idea in my head). Lo and behold, this afternoon we found two used bikes in decent condition and got them both for 250 Euros, still 50 Euros more than I wanted to spend, but I can live with it because Roxi loves her bike so much.

The ride back from town was wonderful in this delightful springtime weather. And the bike lanes are so well planned out in this city, it's no wonder so many people choose cycles as the primary means of getting around town. After getting home and installing our bike locks and my new bell (!), we took a ride around areas on and off campus that we haven't seen yet. It was a great afternoon and we look forward to more exploring on this long holiday weekend and beyond!








One of many Shetland ponies we saw at a farm just off campus.


A free range chicken farm across the road from the Shetland ponies.

St. Patrick's Day in Enschede

We had our first St. Patrick's Day abroad and it was pretty fun! We went to a local Irish Pub with a couple of couples of our neighbors and had a really fun time. We drank some Guinness and met a random Dutch gentleman buy the name of Rob. All in all it was a great warm up for Roxi and my trip to Dublin on Saturday!

Enschede & Amsterdam with Leah & O'Neil

Roxi's best friend Leah and her husband (and former co-worker of mine) O'Neil came for a short visit to the Netherlands this week. They flew into Amsterdam last Saturday around noon and made the two and a half hour train ride to meet us in Enschede. After getting them checked into their hotel, we rode the bus to the city center to show them the weekly market. It was the warmest and most beautiful day we've had since arriving in the Netherlands so we founded a rather crowded cafe scene by the church. After refreshing ourselves with a round of beers at our favorite bar, we went to the market for a little sightseeing and shopping.

Leah and O'Neil bought a few souvenirs and we purchased a few grocery items. Knowing we were heading to Amsterdam in the morning, we didn't buy much food, but we did have to get a couple of cheeses, a salami and a loaf of fresh bread to sample with Leah and O'Neil. The food ended up coming in very handy the next day on the train. After the market, we made our way to Roxi's favorite restaurant in town, Mangu, and enjoyed a delicious three course meal. Finally we rounded out the evening with a trip back to campus to show Leah and O'Neal our humble little apartment. Very tired from long travels and a full day in Enschede, Leah and O'Neil retired to their hotel leaving Roxi and I to pack for the trip to Amsterdam.

On Sunday morning we finished our packing and met Leah and O'Neil at their hotel. The weather on Sunday was a cold and rainy but we pressed on with a short walk to show our guests the campus before taking the train to Amsterdam. We checked Leah and O'Neil out of their hotel around noon and made the trek to the nearby train station. Once we were on the train, we got comfortable and broke out the cheese, salami and bread that we had purchased at the market on Saturday. We ended up having quite a nice little picnic as we rode the rails through the Dutch countryside.

Upon our arrival in Amsterdam, we found our way to the apartment that Roxi arranged for our accommodations. Roxi had tried to get another houseboat but wasn't able to find anything that suited our needs. Instead she found a fantastic apartment only a few blocks from the central train station with a great view of the Oosterdok harbor and the NEMO museum. The apartment we stayed in was the top two floors of a four-story apartment that has been converted into three apartments. We later learned that the apartment was once inhabited by Michiel de Ruyter.

After getting settled in at the apartment, we headed into the city. Almost immediately, we started a bar hopping adventure that would stretch into the night. I lost track of all the bars we visited, but we made sure to have at least one beer at each. Our pace was perfect though drinking just enough to enhance our evening without overdoing it. And we covered some territory in the city! We crisscrossed through the streets and across the canals twice as we made our way from bar to bar. We finished off the evening with a trip to the best Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam, The Golden Chopsticks, and we were not disappointed. After a full evening, we retired to the apartment and got some much needed rest.


Round 1


Time for another!


Another round!

On Monday morning, O'Neil and I made a trip to find a grocery store while the wives got ready. We bought breakfast items and snacks then made our way back to the apartment to cook up some eggs and bacon. After breakfast, we headed into the city center to take a sightseeing cruise of canals. It was a nice cruise and different from the trip that Roxi and I took when Garrett and Nicole visited. After the hour long cruise, we decided to head to the Heineken brewery for the tour. As usual, it took us a while to figure out the tram system, but once we got our tickets and directions, we were on our way to the Heineken Experience.

The tour was fun and informative. It was especially nice to smell the familiar odors of cooking barley and hops that I have come to love from my home brewing experiments. The tour normally includes two free samples, but for some reason it was a "special day" and we each got a third sample. We all had the obligatory regular Heineken for our first round, but switched to the "Extra Cold" Heineken for our second and third. The Extra Cold Heineken is the same as regular except that it is served at zero degrees Celsius. Like I said before, it may be a gimmick, but the beer really is refreshing!




Ready for sampling!

We spent a lot more time at the Heineken Experience than we had intended so when we finished, we quickly made the walk to the Van Gogh Museum only to find that it had just closed. In a way it was okay though...it is one of the most expensive museums that I've ever heard of (18 Euros!) and it is small. I visited it a few years ago and it is interesting to see so many paintings by one artist, but it is very hard to justify the expense for the small gallery. Since it was closed, we made our way back towards the city center stopping for a snack and a drink on the way.




Roxi and Leah put the "dam(n)!" in Amsterdam!

We decided to spend some time walking through the Red Light District to see the sights before dinner. Besides the obvious things you would expect to see, we also saw the narrowest street in Amsterdam and lots of outdoor urinals.





After the walk through the district, I found a listing in a travel book for an ice bar which we all thought was a must see. It was a bit of a walk from where we were, but we thought it was worth it. We were told that for our admission fee, we would get one free drink each and thirty minutes in the bar. They also told us that pictures were forbidden. Strange as that was, we went in with a small group of people and the bartender. Before entering the frozen room, we were given fancy Heineken coats and gloves to keep us warm in the negative seven degree Celsius environment. The bar was essentially a giant walk-in freezer in which just about everything was made of ice. We were given our round of free drinks in glasses made of ice as well and offered to have a picture taken of us by the bartender. We took one knowing that the cost to purchase it would be outrageous. After everyone was served, the bartender left for a minute in which I took the opportunity to take a couple of contraband pictures of ourselves.







After our thirty minutes in the bar, we took a walk to a nearby Argentinian restaurant that my friend Edward had recommended when we saw him and his girlfriend on our previous trip to Amsterdam. It did not disappoint. Each couple ordered the mixed grilled plate for two and we dug into the veritable feast!





After another long day, we decided to call it a night, this time using our remaining pre-paid passage on the tram to get us as far as the train station to save us a few steps on our long walk back to the apartment.

Tuesday we got going again after another great breakfast that O'Neil and I made. We headed across the Oosterdok harbor to the NEMO. After a little souvenir shopping at the museum gift shop, we took the short self guided tour of the replica of the Dutch East India Company trading ship, the Amsterdam, anchored in the harbor.


Leah and Roxi take a break in the Hold of the Amsterdam.


Insignia of the Amsterdam Dutch East India Company (Amsterdam Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie).


Replica of the 18th century trading ship the Amsterdam.


Our apartment was the top two floors of the left corner of building above the blue boat.

From the NEMO, we took a leisurely walk to the Anne Frank House to get pictures of the building. On the way there, we stopped to enjoy a taste of traditional Dutch herring from a street vendor. Originally, Roxi said she'd try it if O'Neil tried it. When it came down to it, I didn't want to get left out and we all talked Leah into trying it too. It was much better than I expected. Then again, it was served with pickles and onions so I'm not sure how much I'd like plain herring. Surprisingly, it didn't have too much of a fishy flavor and it was really a lot like eating sashimi.


About a block away from the Anne Frank House, we saw a heron sitting on a car.


Anne Frank House



Later in the afternoon, we made the walk to the Amsterdam Dungeon. We were expecting something educational but ended up getting more of a haunted house type of experience with a bit of educational information peppered throughout. It was okay, but it could have been better. After a stop in at one of the many casinos in the city, we went back to the apartment to relax and have a few drinks. We played some cards, had a couple of beverages and just rested for a while. Finally, we headed back out for our last evening in Amsterdam with Leah & O'Neil. We were still pretty tired so after a few more bars we bought some dinner at a take-out Greek restaurant. Back at the apartment we ate and went to bed.

On Wednesday morning, we packed our things and cleaned up a bit before heading out for breakfast and last-minute souvenir shopping before Leah & O'Neil had to head to the airport. We looked for a place to get some traditional Dutch pancakes, but we found a lot of closed restaurants. In the end, we settled for a pretty good English continental breakfast. On the walk back to the apartment we stopped at a souvenir shop so that Leah and O'Neil could get the last of their gifts for people back home.

Finally, we headed back to the apartment for the last time, gathered up our luggage and started the walk to the train station. Roxi and I accompanied Leah & O'Neil to their train to see them off to the airport before we found our train and made the relatively short trip back to Enschede. We had another wonderful visit with friends from home and wish it could have lasted longer. However, I got sick towards the end of the trip and ended up spending the rest of this week recuperating. European travel is fun but it is hard on the body!