I presented my paper last Thursday morning to some very complimentary feedback and excellent advice. I didn’t really enjoy the conference as much as a similar one I attended in Auckland last year, and I was quite disappointed as I had consciously intended from the outset to diligently attend every session, get out of my shell and meet and greet as many people as I could, and contribute with questions and feedback for presenters whenever I was able. Although I did fulfil my promise to attend every session, some of the presenters may as well have been speaking in Latin because they were so far beyond my areas of knowledge and interest. The mood of the conference was also soured from the first morning’s plenary speaker, who was attacked by a snarky, passive aggressive academic whom I can only assume felt it was appropriate to talk to others so disrespectfully due to his own prestige. His behaviour throughout the times I had the misfortune of seeing him treat fellow academics with less experience than himself not something I would wish to emulate.
Despite my incompatibility with the conference itself, I managed to meet some really exceptional people while there. A couple of my colleagues were either from or had worked in Amsterdam and knew the city well, so we were very spoilt when they offered to show us around some of the sights, including the central city as well as the infamous Red Light District.
I have to admit my time in Amsterdam was little short of magical. The picturesque scenery around my hotel, the NH Musica, was breathtaking. My week was of ducks bathing in the canals and looking for food among the lily pads, waking up to the sound of birds singing outside my window, and the glorious golden sunsets at 10:30pm. The funding debacle at my university, which threatened to leave this business trip $1000 out of pocket for me did turn into a blessing in disguise. I was much more adventurous, and thus found it far more exciting to take a train from Schiphol airport for €2.50 rather than hail a taxi for €40. Some of colleagues who were lecturers at the university and thus eligible for staff funding for their entire trips plus expenses even went so far as to take a taxi into the conference venue every morning (a point laughed at heartily by the locals) rather than take a fraction of the time and cost to catch a tram.
I will gladly eat Dutch food for the rest of my life. At first, I was perplexed by the jugs of milk provided with every meal and the ‘salads’ which looked to me more like giant plates of dip, but everything I tried was delicious. Fresh multigrain rolls filled with soft cheese and raw mince meat was unexpected but fantastic, herring, and homemade chips (fries) topped with mayonnaise. I’m salivating just thinking about it again!
On Friday evening when the conference came to an end, I met up with two friends who took a train in from Germany. We were able to try some restaurants of our own choosing as well as visited The Rembrandt House, the artist’s actual place of residence, which has been restored and converted into a museum.
As I mentioned in my last post, I have recorded some short videologs during my journey. I was quite good about updating it on my first couple of days, but interest died out when I found myself out and about for the entire day (and night) once I met up with my friends, and the only time I had to myself was devoted to sleep. The few files that I recorded have only just recently been transferred from my iPhone to my computer, and I’m in the process of learning how to convert and edit them before they will be uploaded.
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