Guy on the train

When I got to berlin, I had no idea where I was staying, and to top it off, I got off at the WRONG stop... (could there be a RIGHT stop when you dont know where you're going?) ... anyways...

there was this guy that, out of the god-fearing blue, recognized the symptoms of "lostedness" and helped a germanic brother out. He looked shockingly alot like my brother Brent of TVO sexual education fame. He looks nothing like him in this pic however...



Dont really remember his name, but we got to talking and turns out he's a movie critic, and was on his way back from a pretty prominant film festiveal in south western germany. Made sense though... he was like my brothers doppleganger. My brother makes movies, this guy critques them. In some poetic twist I am sure in the future my brother will make a film that this guy will critique. He'll give it a terrible review and they will of course fight to the death.

He showed me to a local hostel and that was that. He offered to hang out with me and chat over beers, but his girlfriend called and was none too happy that he decided to further his career and gain financially by going to the festival rather than celebrate their 6 year anniversary.

Oh and she was waiting at his apartment already.

Oh snap again.

Green Power, Bathroom shower, Rainbow Flower(?)

It came time to leave, I have much more adventuring to do, I had spent 2 great days with the family i had never met, like all good things it must come to an end. Not before 3 things happened...

1. Took a very scenic drive out to the coast with my Cousin-in-law, Henk. I was shown the ever sprawling line up of Wind Powered Blowing-Wheel Receptors. I am not sure anyone has really named them. So there, I did it. WPBWR for short. Its a perfect acronym, sound it out...







ha! I bet you tried to pronounce WPBWR, sucker!!!

2. We met Afien at a bathroom layout and fixture store. The designs were simply fascinating! Such simple yet elaborate designs. Like nothing we have back home. An artistry was brought to a subject at best appropriated to white porcelain and blue tile.

I was very inspired, MY bathroom when I own a home will be not unlike the designs i saw.

I didn't however take any pictures. i didnt really think of it. Perhaps I thought it couldnt be captured.

3. Said goodbye to my cousin Afien!



Thanks Kloosterhof's!!! I loved my time in Appingedam! I'd love to return! Yang-soo will actually be in Canada in early July. He and I are gonna meet and tear it up, like only 2nd cousins can.

I make my way to the train station. At this point I was to head my way back west PAST Amsterdam and onto Delft. My mothers hometown and birthplace. I am waiting there at the train station and the next train to Berlin is sitting there. Which was in my original plan, but was axed in favour of going to Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich. I flip a coin and Berlin won. Guilt kicks in, feeling as though I had betrayed my mother in someway... but then just as I hit a big low, a sign occured saying "Benjamin, you made the right choice! You can see Delft next time"




A rainbow!!!! It was HUGE, and every colour was articulated PERFECTLY! The pictures do the rainbow no justice whatsoever. Just like when you take a picture of a huge moon, but it ends up so small in the photo. Just. Like. That.

A small stop over in Hannover...



....and then... BERLIN!

Signs: Appingedam

please excuse the blurry image...

This is a dutch proverb (I guess) that says: 2 daughters for the mother equals 3 plagues for the father.

Oh snap.

Randoms: Appingedam (May 6-8)

The following morning Yang soo walked me around the greater downtown area of Appingedam. Its a gorgeous little hamlet and like most of Europes hidden village gems, the streets are interlocking brick and the city boasts a unique property characteristic: Hanging Kitchens.

I was told there used be hanging kitchens lined all the way down the canal, but currently only 3-5 remain.

What I'm Eating: Appingedam

I took Yang-soo out for lunch. We both had the same meal! A metaphor for our blooming friendship no doubt.

Ham en Kaas Omelets. It came with a delicious potato salad and 2 slices of very soft bread. American Coffee to wash it all down.

Appingedam: The Kloosterhof House

I got picked up by my cousin Afien Kloosterhof and her son, Yang-soo at the Appingedam train-station. This was the first time I have ever met this 2nd cousin of mine! Actually I had just met my 1st cousin but a week or so before this.

We went to their home not 5 minutes from the station.

Awaiting at the Kloosterhof house were my cousin-in-law (ha!) Henk (Afien's husband), and my OTHER 2nd cousin Ming Yung. Who i found out plays a gigantic xylophone... but wooden. I am sure it has a proper name, but really its a giant wooden xylophone.



We had some coffee, some snacks and a lot of great conversation.





If you're wondering... "hey those dont sound like very dutch names!" ...well you're a genius! They aren't. Both of my 2nd cousins were adopted korean born children. But they have been raised in the netherlands, and you couldnt tell me they're not dutch. Actually Yang soo is an aspiring council member in his hometown! And very proud to be dutch. I greeted them in Korean, and Yang-soo had no idea what I was saying. To be fair, if someone said hi to me in dutch a few months ago, I wouldnt have had clue either. lol.

Its a warm, quaint house, with EXTREMELY comforatble shag carpetting. Afien kept reassuring me that they were renovating at the moment and to mind the mess. To be honest, their version of messy is cleaner than my house has ever been. lol. The shower was however inoperable at the moment, so I was told I must shower at Yang Soo's apartment... in downtown Appingedam.

After some great living room time, with the family I've never met, Ming Yung had to get back to her university life in the city of Groningan, Afien had to wind down after getting back from Canada. Henk's with Afien...

So of course, Yang-soo and I headed to the local bar and bonded over great dutch beers!

Bye Burdaard!

After spending a soul warming time in Burdaard, it was time to move on and see more. I contacted my cousin Afien, whom I had reconnected with at my Unlce Sieds funeral. She lives in the neighbouring province of Groningan. I decide to catch the next train and head to her place.

What I'm Eating: Burdaard

Awake to the sunshiningsmells of a breakfast meant just for me.

(Yes I wrote sunshiningsmells and meant it)

I get dressed and get myself downstairs. I see the Kingma's (owners of the bed and breakfast I stayed at) floating around, and they point me in the direction of breakfast. Its such a great sight.





Everything this dutch boy wanted. Fresh breads, Hagleshlech (chocolate sprinkles, a very traditional topping of breads, something that sent me whirling through childhood memories at my Oma's in orillia, and a later time on a farm in New Brunswick, with a dutch family of course), a boiled egg, jams... and something I have only ever had made for me by my Aunt Sally. SUGARBREAD!!!!! You read that right Tiesma Family members! SUGARBREAD!!!!

The Friesians make a wonderful bread where they involve sugar cubes in the dough. As the bread bakes, the sugar half melts and creates a delicious traditional treat, that I have never ever seen or eaten this wonder aside from my Aunts baking of it.

Spread a fine layer of butter and enjoy. Boy did I enjoy.

It was so great. All of it. It was enough, and yet, over-satisfying...emotionally.

OH YEAH, and immediate family members... where have you seen this before?

Signs: The Swim Sign

I really dont know what this means... it was posted off to the side of a rising/lowering bridge.

Randoms: Burdaard (May 5-6)

Snapped these walking around this very small town.

The Wiersma House!

My Uncle Art told me of a famous house in Burdaard at my Uncle Sieds wake.

So I went!




Ruurd Wiersma, not unlike most artists, was a tortured soul. He spent most of his life slaving away in a marsh trimming and collecting reed growth. A job that literally had no end. Days after he would clear up a patch it would already start to grow back. Self punishment seems to be a common thread amongst artists. Makes the artistic escape that much more rewarding.

Late in his life, after being blindly in love with a woman, and then being completely denied by her, Ruurd started painting. He was incredibly prolific. The more this woman would deny him, the more prolific he'd be. Ruurd would soon start painting everything in his home. Including the his walls, vases, clocks, shoes, clothes and even the inside wall of his fireplace.









Its named "Wiersmahaus" pronounced "veers-mah-house" and when he died he donated his unspoken for works, his home and any remaining money he had to a hospital in his hometown (not burdaard). They in turn left his house primarily as is, and made it a shrine to his works and also a place where people can come see his works free of charge. you can leave a donation.

There isn't a tour guide there during its open hours, instead they have a doorbell that phones whoever is on call to do the tour in town and they'll run over in a minute or two and give you the tour.

Although the works were generally very simple and much like folk art, looking at his collection I saw a tremendous amount of honesty. He may not have had a lot of skill, but his persistence, purpose and output was so admirable.








I was told by the guide that Ruurd had done sixty of these paintings of the fall of Eden. SIXTY. Each one slightly different. Only 3 were there and on display. Differences include, mountains/no mountains, grass/some snow, number of trees, kinds of fruit, placement of the tree of knowledge, etc.





A couple of other interesting tid-bits: He would paint his most important subjects larger than the rest. His paintings were generally gifts to friends. He did 100's of paintings about biblical stories. He also owned a big bottle of Rum with Raisins in it... like a TON of raisins, and if you visited him to see his works when he was alive, if he liked you, you'd get a cup of it. It actually looks really good to me. But I LOVE raisins.




As the guide described Ruurd Wiersma, I realized he was ALOT like another tortured dutch artist that got more prolific as he was hurt by people he had great expectations for... doubt anyone else has heard of him though.

Meh. Sounds like almost any artist.

Heck even I wrote "Goin South," (my first No1 Hit) after an ex-girlfriend of mine wouldnt take me back. lol.

Burdaard Posts

I have a very lengthy and amazing recounting of my amazing experience in Burdaard, but I will not post it till I've told my father the story face to face (}its HIS birthplace afterall). So probably june 9th or so I'll post the blog entry. Its something I'd love for you all to read.

I will however share a few blog entries from the town that have little to do with the main stay in Burdaard.

Signs: Amsterdam: YES PLEASE!!!

SO I forgot a post from amsterdam! oops.

...came across this sign... and some of you know, and I bet there's a lot that didn't, but I haven't eaten red meat or Chocolate in like 2.5 months or so. Now n my 2.5 month ago body, this would have been heaven. I just kinda wanna see what a XXL burger looks like!　I imagine the size of a baby.



If my last sentence tickled your imagination and you want to know more about Benjamin's dimension: This is how I would proportionate the following burgers:

L = Imagine MY hand open, with a small clutch happening at the ends of the fingers.

XL = Imagine a small plate (not tea cup saucer, sandwich plate), now add an inch to the diameter and go about 2/3 inches high.

XXL = Imagine the size of a baby.

I'm glad I don't eat beef right now, or I would have gone in there, seen the thing... it'd be the size of slightly bigger burger and I would have been very disappointed. Actually... unless its size scared me, I'd be disappointed.

Train Friends: Mariska!

Made a train friend on my way to Leeuwarden. she was cool beans. As far as I can remember, she worked for Subway Snadwiches at the European headquarters in Amsterdam. Which is odd, cause of all of europe thats where the fewest amount of Subways are in any of the european cities hosting Subway Sandwich restaurants.

Might save some hassle actually.

She was alot of fun, and wished me luck in finding my fathers home town. Our train physically split in half a a station called Zwolle. Hers continued onto Groningan, and mine Leeuwarden.

Here are some train station randoms...

Leaving Amsterdam

I woke up on the house boat, made my way back into the city, and rather than meet up with a couchsurfing friend, I had this overwhelming sensation to skip town and head for simpler life. By this time I have partied like 3 days in a row in Amsterdam, and this boy was a little wiped.

So I hopped on a train and headed to northeastern Netherlands to the Province of Friesland (the province where my father was born). It was such an odd sensation. All of a sudden I HAD to go. I was compelled by an unknown magical pressure.

Geographical tip: The Netherlands is made up of several provinces, most notably the 3 i will visit will be Holland, Friesland and Groningan. Not many people know that Holland is a just province in the Netherlands, they assume its the country itself. It would be like calling Canada... Ontario. Holland simply boasts the most attractions and "touristy" locales.

Next stop, Friesland's main city, Leeuwarden. Its only 15 Kms from there to my fathers birthplace, a very small village named Burdaard (its not even mentioned on most maps its so small). Now how to get there...

What I'm Eating: Amsterdam: Pancake of Dreams

Dudes and Dudettes...

A large pancake with raisins and bacon in it.

It was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!



It comes flat, but you roll it up and cut it into large slices from there. Or atleast, the three of us did.

The menu was a motley crue of pancake toppings or ingredients. You could order everything from potato and cheese to ham and nuts and of course the ever delicious, Bacon and raisins. They couldnt have had less than 30 different combinations. They even had 3 types of syrup to top your cake of pan. American, Butterscotch and Dutch.

Yummers.

The Julia and Heather Affair.

So Im a moron. My high school pal Julia by chance found out that that both of us would be in Amsterdam the same time. I didnt end up meeting up with her the first time, cause I thought she said 3pm in Dam square... but it was 2pm. I e-mailed her and was like... whats up?! I said tomorrow at 6pm we'll meet same time.

And the rest is as they say... history. Or... this story!

So 6pm meet up at dam square (place with the moving still-lifes). Julia and her friend who just happens to be a former amsterdamian (?). It was so great to see someone I REALLY know. I made tons of friends already and had many a night having fun, but theres something so particular about seeing someone you know in a foreign place.

We got some food. All under the guidance of the wonderful and beautiful Heather. See my forthcoming "what Im eating" for the 411)






We dilly dallied the remaining afternoon and early evening away. We met again in another popular sector called Leipt splien. We purchased tickets to a Comedy Show that started at like 11:30pm. It was maybe... 9pm. So we headed to their house boat they were renting and chilled for a bit. Got dressed up, and julia turns to me and goes "did you do your haaaaaaiiiiiirrr" and I said "jeeeeeeeeeaaaaaallous?!"

so yeah, comedy show was alot of fun, it was in english, It was improv, had lots of audience participation and not only that, it was sponsored by heineken... so everytime you contributed a good idear for them to use, you'd get rewarded with a "freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee beer!" (imagine the audience all saying it)




I'm a little rosy there and yes, I typed idear.

infact I came up with a new phrase, "pizza and beer, what a good idear!"

it'll be a thing.

The comedy show wrapped up, had alot of fun, and alot of beer. The three of us won 2-3 beers. Im kinda foggy about the evening after about... halfway through the show.



Julia is holding the nights bill. Upside down.

crashed on their houseboat. they left for a plane at like 5am... the darling angels they were let me sleep in!

Mad thanks out to Heather. She was a wealth of help and generosity. It was really good to see Julia too. She's good people.

Mikes Bike Tours!

(a bit long-winded, but worth it i think)

So I went on this fantastic little bike tour! "Mikes Bike Tour" to be specific. Mad ups to my dawg of a cuz, Fred-starr. he told me about this tour aswell. The guy has mad tours skills yo.

I met up with the girls I had gone to the Heineken Experience with. We met our tour guide Pete, we went to the shop and the group of about 10-12 of us got our bikes... they all had names on them, mine was affectionately named "bitch."

seriously.

How awesome is that?!

The tour takes you through the city, stop at some famous sites, and Pete goes on at lengths about the history of places. REALLY informative! We bike our way out of town. Here's Pete being informative...



We follow a large canal and end up at some summer mansions, continue on and see the windmill Rembrandt would paint often.

I took a pic with my "Troupe." lol. There were all pretty gracious indulging me.



Then we bike rode through some just beautiful countryside, saw birds I didn't even knew existed and others I did know seemed some how more majestic. When end up at a cheese making/clog making farm. We go in and a girl explains the cheese making process to us, and we get to try some. Here I am perusing wall of said cheese... hmmmm... where to start...




Then this next part... well it was particularly special. A little bit of back story: My Uncle Sieds (or uncle Sid to most) past away not a week before my trip would commence. The funeral was saturday, the day before my flight. It was truly a great experience to see so much DUTCH family before I left. I got to tell them all about my trip. And they all had great advice for me.

Most importantly two bits of info from the funeral affected my trip greatly. The first was this woman, my cousin Afien. A warm soul who happens to still live in the Netherlands... more on her later in my blogging. The second, was the Eulogy that my cousin George, Uncle Sieds son, gave. In it he described how Sieds would always wear his wooden shoes in everyday life. How it absolutely annoyed him and the rest of his family. Imagine at the mall or the supermarket, a man walking through KLIK KLACKing all the way down the hall. Nonchalantly wearing these wooden shoes EVERYWHERE. Now imagine being his children. lol. George went on to say that his father never wore his clogs to church. It was the one place he never wore them. Well in a twist of beautiful poetry, my uncle Sieds was buried wearing those very same clogs. It was also the first and last time he wore them to church.

Amazing. No?

So back the tour, we entered the clog making portion of the farm, and given how fresh that story was to me, I was a mess. lol. I know Im not the manliest of men, but I was teary eyed and all goose-bumped. Seeing clogs being made, and the sea of completed ones, well, it really affected me.









Sure... i ate mayo and fries, but this was so sentimental.

The clog maker showed a special pair of clogs, really detailed ones with ornamental design. He said in his VERY "gold-member" accent: "Theeshhh Shhhpecial Shhoes you wear onshce in your life. Theeshhh are the oneshhh you wear at your wedding."



So I found my wedding shoes! I just need someone to wed... hmmmm.

I got time.

right?

I mean who wouldnt want to marry this guy?



Make our way back into the city and we stop at a monument to three dutch WWII victims. In the denoument of that war... with the nazi's essentially defeated... some coward german soldiers surrounded by multitudes of dutch people, took three dutch men they had captured out into this square and in sheer smug bravado murdered these men infront of everyone.



Tears welled again.

I'm such a baby. lol.

We finished the tour and a handful of us grabbed a beer. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. Holland is soooooo flat (flatter than a grade 6 dance partner!), so really the only hills you may encounter are just bridges. Infact, Pete, the tour guide made the joke "ever heard of the dutch mountains?" to which we were all like... "no" and he says "thats what bridges are around here. Dutch Mountains."

Randoms: Amsterdam

The Heineken Experience, Experienced!!!

I LOVE Heineken Beer. LOVE IT. It just so happens that Amsterdam is the birthplace of that delicious, green bottled Pilsner. If a cow were made of gold and dreams came out its nipples, I am sure those dreams would taste like Heineken Beer.

So not only is Amsterdam the home of Heineken, its also has this cool tour of its old brewing facilities that has been turned into an interactive museum of sorts. They call it the "Heineken Experience" and it most certainly was.

Much love goes to my cousin Freddie for giving me the 411 'bout it. Wut up Fred-starr. We chill on my get back, nah' mean slim jeans. Word.

I made friends with these 2 american girls studying in spain and on vacation in amsterdam at the hostel I was staying at. they metioned they were going to the Heineken museum thingy... and I was like... ME TOO! Like oh mah god! Lets do our hair and have a sleep over! So we went.

11 Euros (like 15/16 bucks)gets you a tour of how beer is made, a couple of really cheesy thrill rides (you become a bottle of beer), a chance to see all the TV ads since the 40s/50s (awesome), fill out some touch screen surveys, an opportunity to send via e-mail a video clip to friends and family (sent mine to my father, wut up Fred-Starr Sr.) a souvenir and Three. Whole. Beers.

Three. Whole. BEERS.

Did you read that right?

Three. Whole. BEERS

You have one at the half way point, and two at the end.

Here are some highlights of the event. And one or two fotos that are ad-worthy. In my opinion.



This pic goes out to a former employee and all around cool girl Vivien Li. I saw the counter girls name tag, and dropped my jaw. I asked if I could take pic and she was cool about it. There you go Vivien!

The 3 Moving Still-lifes of Dam Square.

Not far from the Central Station of Amsterdam is a large court called Dam Square. Its floor is centuries old interlocking brickwork and Its walls are Madame Teussaus Wax Museum (didnt go) Dam Cathedral, some other cathedral, an Abn-Amro (the bank amongst banks in Holland)... and a war monument.

So in Dam Square on every day I passed through they had these 3 moving still-life statues. People in suits standing really still for as long as they can.

There's a Roman Warrior



A gothic spirit



And... the mask?!



I blame jordan for this one.

Signs: Amsterdam: Jamin

If you look closely god spelt "ben" in the sky right beside this sign.

Or so I wished as hard as one could with a cold, dead heart like mine. single tear.