February 2, 2011: 20:43
The night is cold. I take deep breaths from the cigarette between my lips. There is a whisper of marijuana in the tobacco, fresh from the coffeeshop. “When in Holland,” I think to myself.
Winter in The Netherlands is colder than anything I’ve felt back in California. Below freezing temperatures are a constant, so much so that some years the canals freeze and the Dutch go skating on them. As of now, there is only a small layer of frost floating atop the still-liquid water, but it could still happen. I’ve only been ice skating once in my life, and it was on a date with a Mormon girl who was insulted at me “moving too fast” when I reached to hold her hand. I would like a new memory.
I am currently staying with my friend, Janna, in her room on the University College Utrecht Campus. This is not so much a friendly visit, but one that stems from necessity. I made the mistake of coming to Holland without a place to live. I am staying with Janna until I find a room of my own. Moments ago, Janna explained the extent to which this is going to be a pain in the ass. Housing is rare and competitive in Utrecht. It would not be as simple as finding a place for rent, calling the owner, and signing some papers, as it is in the States. I may be homeless for longer than expected, and I am sensing that I am wearing out my welcome here…hence the cigarette.
The Exodus to Lunetten:
Her name is Camilla, and she is a godsend. We met at a bar during an orientation event put on by the university. With short, searing white hair, and a jaded British accent (despite being Danish), I was drawn to her immediately. We got on with the general introductory small talk, and quickly moved to the far more profound penis jokes, and the mutual mocking of others. A beautiful friendship was budding. We spent the whole night together, talking about film, physics, literature, exes, Darwin, and everything in between. At some point, the subject of my homelessness came up, and she mentioned she had a room she didn’t mind splitting in Lunetten. Without having to think twice about it, I took the offer, and told her I would check it out the very next day.
When I woke up the next morning…well, let’s be honest, the next afternoon, the fact that I had never heard of Lunetten became a pressing issue. So, I took out my ol’ reliable map (yes people, they do still exist, and they do still work, despite not being powered by Google), and I followed it west. The trip was shorter than I expected, which I was pleased about. On the way, a confusing blend of impressions struck me. To get to Lunetten from where I was staying before, one must follow the freeway until the street ends, ride behind a sports stadium into farm country, cross over a graveyard and the train tracks, and then through a park, which is less a park than a giant field. My first impression of Lunetten was something like a slum placed in an enchanted forest. To be fair, a Holland slum is not exactly South Central, the longer I’m here, the more I realize it is more of a nice, quiet Utrecht suburb.
Anyway, the place checked out, and the roommates decided that I was a tolerable enough flatmate, so I moved in that weekend. I am sharing a room that could be mistaken for a closet with practically a complete stranger, but the place at large is gezellig (favorite Dutch word so far). The best part is the price, and while I think it is rude to discuss exact figures, let’s just say with the money I’ll be saving, I can pretty much do whatever I want in the coming months. There is also an old school NES, a new school Xbox, television (and Dutch television is wonderfully tragic), utilities are included, the place is furnished, literally all I had to do was buy some food, and unpack my clothes, and suddenly I was a resident. My charmed existence continues it seems. Anyway, cheers for now, from your no longer homeless friend,
XPAT
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