I'm in the Netherlands now!
I've been here for about a week. In this time I've gotten to know my way around the city and gotten to know my Engineering flatmates; Joost, Ivo and Ibles. More on them later. Here are the main things I've learned about Delft:
1) Bike riding is everywhere. I was expecting there to be a lot of bikes, but this is something else. They're hardly any cars, and under every railway station there's a huge underground storage facility holding thousands of bikes (think iRobot, except replace advanced AI robots with worn down and weathered bikes). My flatmates tell me that once University starts I'll get to experience "bike rush hour" in the morning. I honestly can't wait to see a large line of stationary bikes with all riders angrily ringing their high pitched bike bells. I purchased my own crappy bike for 65 euro and I'm proud to say that the novelty of calmly riding around town is already wearing off. I'm now as impatient and fast as the locals. I can't wait to drag race an elderly woman in an electric wheel chair.
2) The city is beautiful. The architecture of the buildings and the cobbled walking paths make the whole city center seem like a castle. The beautiful network of canals & bridges running through the city also add to this feeling, and kinda look like a really inefficient moat.
3) Delft is a student town, and that means there's a big nightlife here. I went to a small festival yesterday in the city center and I noticed two main things: 1) all locals look like they belong in the cast of "Greece" the musical - a lot of them have leather jackets and have slicked back hair, and 2) Beer throwing is a thing. At festivals most people will drink 90% of their beer and then throw the plastic cup and the other 10% of beer all the way to the mosh pit. It literally rains beer.
4) The university is amazing! I've toured the whole area and the facilities are top notch - much better than UNSW. I've also had a look at my flatmates thesis projects so I could get a gauge of the quality of work that will be expected of me. I think I'm going to be really challenged here. Dis gon be tuf.
5) Winkel is Dutch for Store :)
That really surprises me a bit! I always thought that Dutch and Deutsch is quite similar in many ways but those little examples proof the opposite.
ReplyDeleteIn German or 'Deutsch' the word "Winkel" is a mathematical term for "angle".
But good to know though should I ever be in the Netherlands. ^^
And now I’m getting the point why the street in the first Harry Potter movie, where he bought his wand and all his stuff, is called "Winkelgasse". xDD (nerdy I know, don’t judge ^^)