Rijksmuseum van oudheden

The last museum I've visited is the Rijksmuseum van oudheden (Rapenburg 28, Leiden). It contains statues, glasses and other object from the antiquity. The main cultures present are Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. There is also object from Iraq and Syria as well as India. 

The museum is divided in two floors. The first floor is dedicated to Romans, specially in the area of The Netherkands; to Greeks, including statues and pottery; Middle Orient, mainly Syria and Iraq, including transparent and colored glass, statues and cuneiform scripts. There were also a big area containing different sorts of swords, from Romans to XIX century and weapons from Indonesia and other countries from the south east of Asia. Some of them were really impressive and massive, difficult to imagine an actual use for them.

The second floor has a big room for the history of The Netherlands in the Middle Ages. There is a great collection of pottery, statues, daily life tools (some of them are jewels) and even clothes or boats. There is also fossils from animals and humans. In this floor, there is another room dedicated to Greeks, with a focus on the pottery, hundreds of painted pots representing the life of Greeks, gods, etc. And statues from burials and gods.

If you like History and ancient objects, this is a must-seen in Leiden. The visit can take about 2 hours or more if you read everything about each object and the culture it is from. They count with mummies, sarcophagus and a big temple in the hall, so you'll be impressed from the beginning.

Boat trip in Leiden

Leiden has hundreds of canals. Besides, these canals are connected to other cities and even to lakes. For this reason, one of the last meetings with my friends here was a boat trip to a lake at the north of Leiden.

The boat was rented at the bridge in front of Harlemmerstraat. It was a little electric boat which cannot go over 5 km/h. A licence isn't necessary to drive it and it's very easy. It took an hour, more or less, to reach the lake. As you can see the lake is pretty big, but it's far enough to have a relaxing atmosphere, surrounded by fields, windmills and even cows.

The trip in boat is a great idea, specially on sunny days like the one we had, and the lake it a really enjoyable place to relax, had some food and drinks and hang out with friends. Seeing other boats isn't improbable because these sort of places, as well as the canals, are taken by loads of boats when the weather is nice.

Near the lake, there's a neighbourhood with big houses and backyards. They even have garages for the boats, some of them astonishingly big and beautiful. This isn't the only extraordinary thing you can see there. There is also some bussiness dedicated to build ships, and the place where the ships are stored are huge. Something impressive for someone who isn't used to see this kind of things, like me.

After spent an hour there, we had to go back to Leiden. In our way to return, and once inside Leiden, we bumped into a boat parade. We had to go out of that canal quickly because all the people was watching and yelling us, it seemed that we couldn't be there and we could get fined. So we turned back as fast as we could. We were told, afterwards, that day was the first summer vacation day and they throw a party all around the city with music, the boat parade, etc. 

We had a lot of fun that day, the views and the experience was incredible and for this reason I strongly recommend to do it if you have the chance.

Ámsterdam

Ámsterdam is probably the most famous city of The Netherlands, specially by the tourists. However, Dutch people don't find it so good, one of the reasons are tourists, who make the city busy and crowded. What attract those loads of people? Cannabis and prostitutes (at least in most of the cases). If you only know that, then you should know there is much more than drugs and sex.

As most of you know, The Netherlands has a tolerance stance to the use of soft drugs. It means that cannabis (and also hash) is sold in coffee shops. Only they can sell them and no more than 5 grs per person. To be able to enter inside  a coffee shop and buy you must be above 18. You may think that smoke cannabis is legal, but it's not nor its use on the street. Ironically, cannabis plantations aren't allowed, so the source where the coffee shops get their product is unknown, for this reason, no quality controls are done.

About the red light district, it is in the centre of the city and there are no big banners or whatever anouncing you're in. Actually, you can stay in a ice cream shop and get into the district just crossing the street. Once you're in, you'll see a lot of coffee shops, cannabis museums and big windows with prostitutes waiting for clients. It's a crowded place mainly by tourists (both guys and girls) and some local people. Also, it can be found "theatres" offering live sex performances. The district is composed of three islands, so it's not very big. While prostitution is legal (the girls have their insurance, taxes...) it can only be done inside the rooms, prostitution on streets is illegal. Besides, not all girls are doing that voluntarily, so the system isn't perfect.

Once the most famous issues have been described let's talk about the cultural activities. There are 75 musuems in Amsterdam (via http://www.amsterdam.info/es/museos/). Some of the most famous are Anne Frank Huis (the house of Anne Frank), Rijkmuseum, Van Gogh's museum and Museum Het Rembrandthuis. There are also other not so well-known museums, such as the one about torture, cannabis... If you want to visiti one of the great museums be ready to wait queue of more than two hours, I'd recommend you to book the tickets if possible, and if you're planning to visit several of them, think about the museumkaart. It is a card which costs 50 euro, it can be bought in any museum and let you enter for free in almost all the museums (not only in Amsterdam but among The Netherlands). It is valuable because of two main reasons, Dutch museum are usually around 20 euro, so if you're going to visit some of them you'll save money. Besides, having the card let you go into the museum in a very much shorter queue (maybe 45 mins instead of the 3-4 hours one) so you'll save time.

Also, if you like cinema, you must have a look at Pathé Tuschinski Bioscoop. It's a cinema which looks like a theatre, so the experience of watching a movie there it's impressive. In The Netherkands all the movies are in original version with Dutch subtitles, so as lon as you can understan English you'll enjoy the film. The inside of the cinema is amazing and worth at least a visit to the hall.

To finish, here are some photos from Amsterdam.

 

Fieldwork

Last wednesday (woensdag) I join to my supervisor, the other student of him and another guy from the naturalis to do fieldwork. We went to the dunes, a sand region near Katwijk, by bike. It took about 20-30 mins but it wasn't as easy as I expected. In contrast with the rest of the country I've seen and the trip to Keukenhof, it was plenty of slopes. Besides, it was a quite windy day, making more difficult to pedal.

Once we got there, we stop at one of the ponds of the park to collect material, in this case beetles, larvae and bugs. The method is quite simple. First, soil and the things present in it and the water are collected using kicknets. Then, it is pour into a tray to sort the mud and the plants from the bugs, and take them. They were collected in alcohol if they were larvae or in tubes if bigger. We didn't have to take everything, so the supervisor and the other guy told us what they wanted to collect and how much individuals, more or less.

After spending some hours there layed in the ground looking at all kind of live beings of the water ( i must say that the amount of them present in the water, not very much water, is astonoshing and countless) we moved to another site in the park. Because there were no trees nor nothing, basically, the effect of the wind while riding was more effective on us. In this point I was already tired and slower than the rest.

This place was sloped, so it wasn't very confortable for laying/sitting down in the ground. We had to do exactly the same as the other place. However, in this case a surprise took place. A wild fox appeared and started to move closer to us.

After spend another couple of hours in this pond, we went back to Leiden. As you can imagine, if I was tired before, in the return I was exahusted and the slowest of the group. It was harder than I expected, but it was nice to see how the fieldwork is and have a better idea of how the whole process of the research is.

My legs were hurting for the next two days! So if planning to move to Then Netherland train your bike skills as much as possible ( or at least get used to do sport).

Fijne Dag!

Internship in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center

One month ago I started my internship in the Naturalis Biodiveraity Center (http://www.naturalis.nl/nl/). Before starting there I had to choose between this center or doing my internship in other two labs: one working only with bioinformatics or another where the project was focused on antibiotic resistance. Naturalis was the only one which offers the opportunity of learning bioinformatics, a field very demanded, but not only computers (so there was also bench work). The choice was very clear for me, so I contacted quickly to the director of the minor and the responsible of the position in the Naturalis. Then we had a meeting where they accepted me. The project was going to be using metabarcoding and NGS for monitoring the quality of the water. I was very excited about working in NGS, something I had studied several times but never seen with my eyes.

The Naturalis Biodiversity Center is a museum of Natural History containing different kind of fossils and animals but it also a center dedicated to research about evolution, biodiversity, etc. It is situated in the Biosciences Park of Leiden. The labs of the institution are located in the Sylvius building, which is shared with the University of Leiden, providing an environment quite juvenile due to the great amount of students found there.

Going back to my project and lab, I have to say that all the people is absolutely nice. Everyone there is always kind and helpful. The atmosphere is relaxed although all of us are working on our own stuffs. Despite I am the only foreign in the lab, people speak in English so I can follow the conversation and participate, which is something I appreciate (otherwise I would be isolated from my workmates). However, sometimes I try to practice my Dutch, which is very basic, adn they help me to improve it.

In that lab we are about ten students in total. There are people from the Hogeschool, like me, and from the University. Besides, not everyone is doing their bachelor, some of them are master students, so we can have a different perspective.

For all this reason I am very grateful to UFV, Hogeschool Leiden and Naturalis for give me this opportunity of doing something I wanted do. I am amaze about can use IonTorrent and make a research by myself.

Japanese Market in Leiden

Today, a very special event has took part in Leiden. Regarding the great influence from Japan, a Japanese Market has been setted up by Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis. The event has been inaugurated by the Mayor of Leiden as well as the Ambassador of Japan. As you can see in the picture below. Interestingly, because of the Ambassador holds his position only from two months ago, he still doesn't speak Dutch, so his speech has been given in English. For me it has been great, because I have only understood him, the other speeches were in Dutch and I applauded when I saw the rest of the public doing it. I didn't understood the jokes neither.

The market took the whole rapenburg street. It started at breestraat and finished in kaiserstraat. There were a lot of street shops and hundreds of people (basically, it was completely crowded). The shops were selling not only traditional Japaness items but also products that can only be found in Japan, such as pumpkin or mint kit kat, Japanese drinks and sweets.

There were really impressive kimonos in all textures. Some of them were more rough and other were soft, with a silk-like texture. The inside of most of them represented vegetal items in golden and other brightful colours.

Also, food was really easy to find, specially sushi. Just at the beginning of the street there was a shop selling yakishoba, rice, sushi, etc (it doesn't matter which one of both sides of the street you consider the beginning). I've tried a sort of small pasty filled with prawns and vegetables, i don't know the name of the thing itself, but it was absolutely delicious. (Ik vind dat lekker). Because after eat them I was still hungry I bought yakishoba. It was nice, the only problem was that they give me sticks, there was no fork. I had never eaten using sticks, but after some trials I finally achieve eat the yakishoba with the sticks, what, regarding that they are noodles is quite hard.

Another interesting shop was about bonsais. Actually there were two. One selling bonsais, from 15 euro to over 100 euro. They were all kind of trees and sizes. They were really beautiful. 

The other shop wasn't selling bonsais but the tools for taking care of them. They were also showing three terrific trees. They were bigger than the previous ones. One of them had the leafs red and it was absolutely awesome. I would take it with me to my home for sure. Besides, part of the roots were visible and a light layer of moss covered the soil.

However, it wasn't everything about buying. Inside the Rijksmuseum van oudheden some martial arts performances were carried out. The place was incredible because it has been just in front of an ancient Egyptian temple. There, two different styles has shown their movements, including defence agains stick pretending swords and knives.

Finally (but not less important), I would also mention about other shops. It's fairy common in these kind of events to find people doing cosplay and shops focus on manga and anime issues. This market count also with the presence of cosplayers and a lot of anime/manga/videogame items being sold. The only issue was that almos all of them was in Japanese, what is nice if you're so into the culture that you can read it, but for the rest of the mortal isn't that good. Some of the shops were really specialized, for exaple one of them only sold figures of the characters who appears in the series. So for those who are into the kawai/otaku culture, this will be felt as home.

5 mei in Haarlem

May 5th is the day when the Dutch liberation from the Nazis is celebrated. For this reason, hundreds of people go to the street and enjoy the vrijmarkt (it seems is the Dutch way of celebrating events) and some of the most famous festivals take place. One of these festivale is the Bevrijdings Pop, in Haarlem. Yesterday, I attended to it with some friends. 

In this festival, some of the most well-known artists play, such as Ronnie Flex with its "drank en drugs". There were three stages and a lot of stands selling drinks and food. From pizza to kebap and vietnamese food. 

Before go into the festival we visited the city. Haarlem is a very beautiful city, it looks like a mix between Leiden and The Hague.

If being around The Netherlands, Haarlem is a place that you should visit, for sure. It is very well located and it takes no more than 20 min from Amsterdam or Leiden, by train.

Going back to the festival, it is such a great event that people from all parts of The Netherlands go to it, and the TV as well. If you want to see the superstars, you have to take in count that they are  the first who play so you have to be there at the starting hour (17:00). It was surprising for me because I am used to see the main bands playing the last.

The entrance to this event is free but you're not allowed to bring your own drinks or food. Food and drinks inside must be paid using coins, not real money, and besides you have to pay for using the toilettes. This is something strange because outside the area of the festival there are free toilettes, and regarding you can go out and return freely it doesn't make sense for me paying for using the toilettes.

The festival is set in a huge area just in the middle of the city, but other stands and parties are present all around the city.

My personal opinion is that Haarlem worth a visit and if you're in this country the 5th of may you should also go to this enormous festival.

Koningsdag

Every 27th of April, since William Alexandre is the Dutch King, it take place koningsdag (King's Day). It is the national festivity of The Netherlands and the it is celebrated on the birthday of the king. It started with the Queen Wilhelmina in 1885. It has been always celebrated on the birth day of the monarch, except during the reign of Queen Beatrix, who keep the birth day of her mother. When the monarch was a Queen the festivity was called Koninginnedag (Queen's day).

In this day almost everyone wear something orange, which is the colour of the royal family (House Oranje). The exception for this are the people supporting a Republic inseat of a Monarchy. They wear white clothes. 

It is fairy common the vrijmarkt (stand market), where peple sell second-hand objects. This is not only common among adults. A lot of kids sell hand-made necklace etc, as well as old objects.

As a foreign living in Leiden, i decided to go to Amsterdam, where the biggest celebrations was supposed to be. Although here in Leiden Armin van Buuren, who was born in Leiden, was giving a concert.

In Amsterdam there were a lot more people in the streets than in Leiden. In several streets DJ's and stages were setted up, so there was music almost everywhere. Besides, food stands stood every step.

I was expecting some kind of steet shows, parades or something but it was only music, food, drink and weed. That was why it reminds me to the typical villages festivities, although even in these there is cultural activities.

For all those who enjoy big parties, then, this is your day. Music start in the morning and stops at 20:00. You can drink, eat and dance all you can. Remember to take care and do not overpass the limits, there are hundreds of policemen looking after attendants. Actually, during the time I was in Amsterdam, they take two people to their van. So please, be careful.

Kaasmarkt in Alkmaar

Do you love cheese? Would you like to see how cheese was sold some centuries ago? 

Then you should definitely go to Alkmaar, famous by its cheese market (kaasmarkt in Dutch). Every friday morning from spring to autumn a great market is setted up there. In the road to get there you can enjoy also one of the most famous icons of The Netherland, flowers. Not only tulips but also hyacinth and narcissus. As you can see below not all the flowers had blossom but some of them gave very beautiful colours to the landscape.

After an hour or so of car trip we finally arrive at Alkmaar. It is a lovely village with some canals and parks (inside one of them there is a huge windmill). In the central square of the village they perform how the cheeses were carried, weighted and sold some centuries ago.

Of course you can buy cheese. They have all sort of cheese from the most typical ones to pesto and rum cheese. The whole city is replete with shops selling this wonderful product. However, in the market other product are offer. You can also find Dutch clogs, art pieces, pancakes... And the most curious thing: you and your friends can be weighted in an old weight used for cheeses, in our case the result was 305Kg. I keep the signed document. They also lend you the hat they wear for the photo.

After having enjoyed the kaasmarkt it is recommendable to visit the rest of the city. It has medieval walls and a 500 year church. Church in The netherland worth a visit, at least in my case, because they're completely different from the Spanish churches and cathedrals. They lack of christs and other traditional issues, ceiling are made of wood, distribuition of the space isn't the same and their window are remodelled in order to get rid of Spanish past.

The city center has very nice restaurants and shops (for ice cream for instance) and some buildings are very appealing. If you enjoy seeing how different old houses looks here you will find this village interesting.

 Either if you love cheese or not Alkmaar is a must see in this country, you will have a really nice day with good food, spectacular views and nice environment.