Monday, January 31, 2005
Amsterdams Newest Tree Hugging Hippie
Heres some write up i was unable to upload before i left for my December holidays last year.....
A quick description of my time in Amsterdam from End of July to Early November.
It has been A LONG time since i said anything on my weblog; well, i have a good excuse - i was just lazy :-) Where were we last time; i had just gone about some memorable experiences in Belgium and i could go on for ages (memories stored safe in my head in case i decide to write a book). Notably visiting the Hans Sur Lesse, Le Sphinx, The Kings Gardens, Stuck at Liege Guillemans, Hanging around Av. Louise and Place Sablon, Beautiful Brugges and YES i miss the Belgian Fries......I hated the Muzzles (Moules) thoughAnyway; here's introducting Amsterdams Newest Tree Hugging Hippie;
It was the hardest thing to make this decision especially since i had an offer to remain in Belgium but sometimes one has to look ahead and put things in perspective; sometimes as humans we are so caught up in looking around us rather than what is ahead of us; I will be honest (Please forgive me my Dutch friends) I never liked or wished to be in A'dam at all......for the rest of you A'dam is gorgeous; one of the most pretty and organised cities i have seen - believe it or not the system works in A'dam; apart from Switzerland, i havent seen any other place where the system works..... what i was going to do here is somewhat highly linked to what i want to do in my life; i call it "for the love of the job" suddenly here i am again caught up in the whole business of "changing the world" rhetorically put. Yes if you have been doubting it; i am a tree hugging hippie; working with Greenpeace until now was at first confusing but after getting to know lots of different people; lt has so far been a very rewarding expereince, not only in terms of the work, but in terms of the people i have met who believe in the seemingly "Bloody Impossible Mission" of changing the world - I like this quote from one of the Greenpeace founders; "YOU ARE HERE TO GET YOUR CHILDREN INTO THE NEXT CENTURY........TO HELL WITH THE RULES....."
Its now been 3 months since i touched base with Amsterdam and i cant even beging to explain it; at first it was hellish because finding accomodation in an all favourite city like this one is IMPOSSIBLE; I got to stay for 2 months at the greenpeace flat though and this is where my adventures begun; There was Susannah, a photo catalogist, she taught me the cycling traffic rules; then there was Captain Bob; when he left the netherlands his plan was to walk from Europe to New Zealand .... i dont know how far he is right now....sounds strange? well; its no big deal for him, this is a guy who has probably sailed to every country you can think of......witnessed the Kenyan independence in Mombasa, did a road trip from the UK to South Africa......i was humbled. Then there was Meike; very sweet person, she was published last month on a German womens magazine as a "Risk Taker"; Meike has worked with MSF in Congo during the war, lived in possibly every continent; very sporty climber, boat driver, motor biker etc....last but not least Richard; his witchcraft stories about living in west africa used to make my nights nightmarish........there was Ash the pure german shephard too......being an African it was quite strange how i got to bond with the dog. In the office; i am part of a team thats incredible; coming from an AIESEC background i have always had a "corporate" minded way of looking at things but working at GP taught me a few new things; these people are not driven by making money, these people dont waste time in endless meetings, these people believe in what they do....they are willing to risk their lives for the planet, and these people are very intelligent (a stream of engineers, pilots, scientists, innovators etc) all with multi lingual skills......one of my team mates speaks 7 european languages fluently which i have never understood.........but yet; these are also probably the most down to earth people i have ever known.
If you do believe in what you do........if you concieve what you want to do in your mind and work towards it; you can achieve it....money or no money, but the passion and belief.......a lesson that a few corporates may need to learn.
A quick description of my time in Amsterdam from End of July to Early November.
It has been A LONG time since i said anything on my weblog; well, i have a good excuse - i was just lazy :-) Where were we last time; i had just gone about some memorable experiences in Belgium and i could go on for ages (memories stored safe in my head in case i decide to write a book). Notably visiting the Hans Sur Lesse, Le Sphinx, The Kings Gardens, Stuck at Liege Guillemans, Hanging around Av. Louise and Place Sablon, Beautiful Brugges and YES i miss the Belgian Fries......I hated the Muzzles (Moules) thoughAnyway; here's introducting Amsterdams Newest Tree Hugging Hippie;
It was the hardest thing to make this decision especially since i had an offer to remain in Belgium but sometimes one has to look ahead and put things in perspective; sometimes as humans we are so caught up in looking around us rather than what is ahead of us; I will be honest (Please forgive me my Dutch friends) I never liked or wished to be in A'dam at all......for the rest of you A'dam is gorgeous; one of the most pretty and organised cities i have seen - believe it or not the system works in A'dam; apart from Switzerland, i havent seen any other place where the system works..... what i was going to do here is somewhat highly linked to what i want to do in my life; i call it "for the love of the job" suddenly here i am again caught up in the whole business of "changing the world" rhetorically put. Yes if you have been doubting it; i am a tree hugging hippie; working with Greenpeace until now was at first confusing but after getting to know lots of different people; lt has so far been a very rewarding expereince, not only in terms of the work, but in terms of the people i have met who believe in the seemingly "Bloody Impossible Mission" of changing the world - I like this quote from one of the Greenpeace founders; "YOU ARE HERE TO GET YOUR CHILDREN INTO THE NEXT CENTURY........TO HELL WITH THE RULES....."
Its now been 3 months since i touched base with Amsterdam and i cant even beging to explain it; at first it was hellish because finding accomodation in an all favourite city like this one is IMPOSSIBLE; I got to stay for 2 months at the greenpeace flat though and this is where my adventures begun; There was Susannah, a photo catalogist, she taught me the cycling traffic rules; then there was Captain Bob; when he left the netherlands his plan was to walk from Europe to New Zealand .... i dont know how far he is right now....sounds strange? well; its no big deal for him, this is a guy who has probably sailed to every country you can think of......witnessed the Kenyan independence in Mombasa, did a road trip from the UK to South Africa......i was humbled. Then there was Meike; very sweet person, she was published last month on a German womens magazine as a "Risk Taker"; Meike has worked with MSF in Congo during the war, lived in possibly every continent; very sporty climber, boat driver, motor biker etc....last but not least Richard; his witchcraft stories about living in west africa used to make my nights nightmarish........there was Ash the pure german shephard too......being an African it was quite strange how i got to bond with the dog. In the office; i am part of a team thats incredible; coming from an AIESEC background i have always had a "corporate" minded way of looking at things but working at GP taught me a few new things; these people are not driven by making money, these people dont waste time in endless meetings, these people believe in what they do....they are willing to risk their lives for the planet, and these people are very intelligent (a stream of engineers, pilots, scientists, innovators etc) all with multi lingual skills......one of my team mates speaks 7 european languages fluently which i have never understood.........but yet; these are also probably the most down to earth people i have ever known.
If you do believe in what you do........if you concieve what you want to do in your mind and work towards it; you can achieve it....money or no money, but the passion and belief.......a lesson that a few corporates may need to learn.
