Friday, April 07, 2006
Stop the Rot, stop stop the Rot
I've had a few cultural-ish trips to Rotterdam recently, a city I rather enjoy. Prepare to face bullet points.
- Rotterdam is famous for a few things. Obviously, its port, at one stage the busiest in the world, but still the busiest in Europe. Also, lots of good modern/contemporary architecture (every now and then you come across buildings in the International Style - it's like being in Tel Aviv). It had the first pedestrianised shopping precinct in the world, and was nearly destroyed by the Nazis in WWII. I think only Warsaw took greater damage. Rotterdam has the greatest number of Antilleans in the world outside the Netherlands Antilles (not surprising) and the greatest number of Cape Verdeans outside Cape Verde (quite surprising).
- On my first recent visit, I went to visit Mo, who actually is Dutch and went to university in Rotterdam. He took me to a great place to eat - Cafe New York, which required a lovely little ride on a water taxi. The Cafe is in the Hotel New York, the former home of the Holland-America shipping line -- supposedly the chief line taking European immigrants to America back in the day -- and you get a real feel of old-world grandeur and hustle and bustle - it's in a cavernous room that was I guess once a massive waiting room before you'd get on to the steamship taking you across the ocean. Makes me sorta nostalgic for something I never had.
- Leaving Mo, I then headed to the Wereldmuseum, their ethnographic museum. Some people like this kind of thing, some hate it. I'm in the former school, and this place was special. An incredible collection of artifacts, including kick-ass Polynesian canoes, scary African power figures and other such. These pictures barely do it justice:
- A word about the above museum, and types thereof. It's true, to a large extent these places are legalised looting. The British Museum is the prime example. Walking around there, two thoughts alternate: Amazing, and The Brits were the greatest thieves ever known to man. On the other hand, the world gets to see these treasures, and I don't see myself going to, eg, Tonga anytime soon to see their masks. The Wereldmuseum kind of alludes to this in their somewhat po-faced but still acceptable mission statement: "It is the desire of the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam to contribute to an intercultural society based on mutual respect. To this end, the museum attempts to familiarize as many people as possible with the worldwide cultural spectrum." Interestingly, while I was there, it had an exhibition on Western portrayals of non-Europeans, which was fascinating - all the stuff you'd imagine, combinations of contempt, fear, admiration, mystique - certainly not a simple relationship.
- Then I went with Micah, my supervisor. First, we saw the Kubus Woningstellen - houses in the shape of upside-down twisted cubes. Very very cool. They're on three storeys and most unusual small, twisty rooms, very odd spaces with most unusual views of the street and the outside world. I think it would be awesome to live in one for a while. The site has some great pictures - have a look.
- We went to the Nederlands Fotomuseum, which was frankly disappointing, though a small exhibit on cremations was mildly diverting. Funniest thing about it was the text accompanying it, which from the third to the sixth sentence talked about how the Dutch are moving more towards cremation because it's cheaper. I'm not saying the Dutch are tightfisted but...
- Then past the Architectural Institute, which is a very cool building - architecture buffs should check out the site.
- Then to another one of those omnibus museums so common in Europe - the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. Huge collection - lots of Old Masters (inc the Tower of Babel), modern stuff, great exhibit of photos of football pitches by the awesome Hans van der Meer, nice surrealism collection, which included a car made out of leather (don't ask me why, but I loved it). Exhausting going round the whole place, but well worth a trip to the Rot - especially for football fans:
- Then we walked around and checked out some architecture, including Museum Park, designed by Rem Koolhaas (though it isn't really that special).
- Then we came home, exhausted but happy.
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Matt!
Glad you enjoyed Rotterdam and its cultural sampling menu. It's a city with a rich international heritage and I was reminded of that when I read an artical of a disappearing dutch tradition. The over-50 generation can confirm that they can sing along to a host of, sometimes centuries', old songs that are captured in the book "Kunt U Zingen, Zing dan Mee". This book has been in print for over a century. When I read it I was reminded of a song that shows our linked heritage. I'm sure you'll appreciate this:
Sarie Marais
My Sarie Marais is so ver van my hart,
maar ‘k hoop om haar weer te sien.
Sy het in die wyk van die mooirivier gewoon,
lang voor die oorlog het begin.
Refrein:
O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder by die mielies,
by die groen doringboom.
Daar woon my Sarie Marais,
daar onder by die mielies.
By die groen doringboom,
daar woon my Sarie Marais.
Ek was so bang dat die kakies my sou vang
En ver oor die see wegstuur
Toe vlug ek na die kant van die Upingtonse sand
Daar onder langs die grootrivier.
Enjoy Queensday!
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Glad you enjoyed Rotterdam and its cultural sampling menu. It's a city with a rich international heritage and I was reminded of that when I read an artical of a disappearing dutch tradition. The over-50 generation can confirm that they can sing along to a host of, sometimes centuries', old songs that are captured in the book "Kunt U Zingen, Zing dan Mee". This book has been in print for over a century. When I read it I was reminded of a song that shows our linked heritage. I'm sure you'll appreciate this:
Sarie Marais
My Sarie Marais is so ver van my hart,
maar ‘k hoop om haar weer te sien.
Sy het in die wyk van die mooirivier gewoon,
lang voor die oorlog het begin.
Refrein:
O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder by die mielies,
by die groen doringboom.
Daar woon my Sarie Marais,
daar onder by die mielies.
By die groen doringboom,
daar woon my Sarie Marais.
Ek was so bang dat die kakies my sou vang
En ver oor die see wegstuur
Toe vlug ek na die kant van die Upingtonse sand
Daar onder langs die grootrivier.
Enjoy Queensday!
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: April 27, 2006
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