Turkish Affinity: Hall of Fame

It was the absolute last days of Tilburg and The Netherlands, the last weekend of my Dutch student life, and it was the best weekend spent there since we’ve been there. I must say it was somewhat of a weird yet enjoyable and culturally-explosive experience which I had on these two nights [Saturday and Sunday].

The evening began with meeting and dining with some mutual friends of Wasiq and I who happened to be Turkish. We ate, quite ironically [since Marcos was not there] and haphazardly [since the other restaurant we were going to was full], at a Mexican Restaurant in Tilburg Centre.

One of the girls we both knew, Buket, then took us afterward to an underground party! I cannot believe in our entire stay in Netherlands, this place existed and we never visited it! It was held in a messed up spray-painted graffiti-ridden place [which looked like an abandoned community centre].The name of the place was "Hall of Fame", and the party was "Terug Spoelen" [which means "rewind" in Dutch]

But wait! That’s not the weirdest part! Guess who we went with and got us in free? A 66 year old Dutch woman – Buket's "Landlady" – "Hanneke" - who drinks, smokes, stones-out-on-weed, and parties like she’s 20 years old! She was dancing with us and buying us drinks, she even invited us to her "secret basement" to do some "Shisha", however we didn't go that far. Everyone there were like moms and grannies, like really old people stoning-out and dancing and chilling. Buket, Wasiq and I were the only three people in there who were young [below 30].

Wait! There’s more! That’s not even touching the weirdest part of the night! When i went to the restroom, I met a girl from Berlin who is doing her Bachelor Degree in Circus Acts! Hahahaaha! Yes you read correctly: a Bachelors Degree in Circus Acts. WTH! how weird can you get...how much weirder can you get man? Please tell me something weirder than that! And I believed her too, since i actually knew the circus school she was talking about. But she was really cool, so I asked her: "Circus acts like standing on your hands and stuff? So can you show me some tricks?", she was willing to of course, but her response was "I would, but I’m just so insanely drunk and stoned right now, I just can't". Understandable, don’t you think? I think my next Degree will be in this.

On Sunday, after this crazy night, we relaxed with the Turkish girls at their place, in Stappegoorweg - with food & fondue, Shisha, Turkish tea, Turkish Coffee, and Turkish song [with a violin too]! It simply shocked me how much culture these girls had in them, how much they stuck to their culture and brought it out in song and enjoyment with each other. And I resent my own culture and hide it. I felt somewhat awakened, at the deepness to which their tradition lay, and how it brought them together. It was at that moment that I gained my fascination for Turkey and Turkish culture [I just didn't really care about it that much before]. It was at that moment that I realised why Wasiq was so drawn to this genre of people in all our adventures. It was at that moment that I gained my Turkish Affinity.

For more pictures, see:

• Turkish Nights: Hall of Fame

Tilburg: First Perspectives

After about two weeks in Amsterdam, I arrived to my final destination and study city of Tilburg. Located in the south of The Netherlands, the city nestles in a particularly green and varied setting, and one can travel from the bustling city centre into the peace and quiet of the countryside in practically no time at all [there are sheep here! sorry, I don't believe I ever saw a real sheep before].

It's a small student-oriented town, with not much clubs, but more bars/pubs, and not much to see; but it is nice none-the-less. My stay here began with the university's [Universiteit van Tilburg: Tilburg University] welcome week, which was well organized; they even picked us up at the train station, and provided transport for our luggage. Welcome week is essentially a set of lectures/workshops, on how the school operates [administrative stuff], and on how to integrate well in the international environment [social stuff]. One of these workshops included a run down on the soft drug policy in The Netherlands; just so that these young eager international students won't get into trouble too soon. The other workshop I attended was "documenting your study abroad"; as if I don't do enough blogging already. There were also some funky, embarrassing games to get you into the mood of things. Of course, it's all coupled with a brain-wrecking series of [almost] daily/nightly parties; with free [university-sponsored] drinks at almost all of the events.

On the rare days that I was sober, I spent time visiting some of the cities sights, churches, and parks [beautiful greenery]. Leijpark was an eventful venue, with a kids play park, lots of trees, lakes, and a huge balloon blow-up that we just happened to witness. I've also started to cook a bit more, and well I think it's improving; so far I've done a "chicken mushroom pasta", "stew chicken", and "chicken in red/tomato sauce", lol.

MY birthday was spent here this Saturday with, naturally, a huge IMMIT party. Not everyone was here but it turned out to be great; with Trinidadian samples like sorrel, and sugar cakes, and 75% puncheon rum :) and other international stuff that people brought from home. Afterward we went to the Onnela club of Tilburg: Phillips and returned home at 4:30am.

Altogether it was an eventful introduction into Dutch society and culture, now the hardest part comes: to get into study mode and prepare for my thesis and internship. :S

For more pictures see:

• Tilburg: The City
• Tilburg: Welcome Week
• The International Party
• Leijpark: Relaxing
• The Holland Party
• Tilburg: The Pubs
• Birthday in Tilburg