Back to School!

I’m a student again! So it’s late nights, smoking around by the bike sheds and spending all the pocket money on takeaways and beer. Oh. Not much change there, really.

Anyhow, I’ve joined school to learn Dutch. It starts next week and will be every Tuesday and Thursday for what will probably seem like the rest of my life.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m really looking forward to learning the lingo – it’s just that I’m not really the best of students… boredom sometimes creeps in after the first few minutes - sorry - lessons. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Interesting registration process, too. I had to go to Het Huis van Nederlands – the House of Dutch - and go through a 3-hour interview process. Not a problem, really – they were incredibly thorough – I guess the purpose of it is to assign each person to the course that is right for them. Which meant an IQ test. Oh dear. A few people I know would be happy to see proof that I’m an idiot. Anyhow, I digress.

Following the IQ test, there was another written test and then a verbal one. And following a small bribe (I’m joking) I was put into the 3 rd year class. Oh dear. I’m in with the big guys.

During the process, I really felt grateful (is that the right word?) though. I was sat next to an elderly lady who spoke not a word of English. Or French. Or German. Let alone Dutch. I think she was from the Middle East. And she really battled to understand what needed to be done. How difficult that must be? Total immersion in a country where you cannot understand anyone. Or anything.

Talk about immersion, though. I had a giggle. The House of Dutch has a brochure for those who want to learn Dutch for the first time. The brochure is packed full of really useful and essential information - what you’ll learn, how much the course costs, where to go, etc. Guess what language it’s published in? Yup, Dutch. Really useful for someone wanting to learn Dutch and not being able to speak any of it.

It reminds me of an experience I had in London once – Seth Godin had it too – I walked into a hairdresser running an errand for a friend. The receptionist asked if I had an appointment for a haircut. Ah. A comedian. You see, I’m follicly challenged. But she wasn’t trying to be funny. Just dumb.

But, to conclude – the House of Dutch has a fantastic team of people - really friendly, patient and interesting, too.

Also this past weekend was a graffiti showcase – The Meeting of Styles. Some amazing art and artists. Check out my pics.

Antwerp is still amazing me. The past weekend was the start of the Culture Season, and to kick it off, they had a ‘culture market’ of sorts. Seemingly every theatre company, art house, music academy – every organisation involved in the arts it seemed – had a stall in and around the centre of Antwerp, promoting their new line-up of performances. How cool is that? In other cities, the ‘cultural stuff’ – the stuff that has the potential to move, inspire and change people – is really hidden. Here you seem to have access to it all. Brilliant.

Oh – at the cultural market, there was this lady singing Piaff – lovely. Wish you could hear it.