Kruidvat Train Travel

So I've been here now 25 months and still have not been to many of the Dutch cities that I must see before I depart for sunny lovely Jamaica. Dutch News Daily - where you can get news in English - had a report on the Most Hospitable City in the Netherlands 2010. http://www.dutchdailynews.com/den-bosch-2010/

These were Breda, Haarlem, Den Bosch, Maastricht and Nijmegen. I've only been to Nijmengen and have been wanting to visit beautiful Maastricht for quite some time now. But on a budget without funding, I always thought instead of spending 43 euros (or 26 euros with a discount card) I could visit a nearer city and spend the rest on a great cafe. But in this blog entry I want to tell you that you have TWO opportunities per year to visit anywhere in the Netherlands for a significantly smaller sum. ONLY 12.49.

One such time is always in late September or early October for ticket purchase at Kruidvat. That is now. So ticket sales end on Oct. 24 but you can travel up to Dec 5 then a break. Then a second period between Dec 11 and Feb 6. CLICK ON FLYER BELOW AND DON'T MISS IT.  Tickets also finish before the period for sales so go as early as you can.

The closest Kruidvat to the Weenapad can be found at.......

Buying a Laptop - Computer accessories

So its the very first month and you've hit the ground running with lectures and group work and find yourself terribly limited by the lack of a personal computer. IHS facilitates the purchase of a laptop by granting a loan which you will pay back over the course of the 12 months of drawing down on the scholarship funds.

Just about everyone will recommend that you purchase a laptop from MEDIAMARKT, but PAUSE a bit. I have discovered that this is the recommendation because its perhaps the most well stocked computer store, well-established, reasonable service and return policies, in the very centre of town at Beurs, relatively easy to find from Weenapad and opens til 9pm. That's pretty hard to beat BUT for most students what it all boils down to is value for money and cost plays a huge part. That said, I would love to know this post has saved you the 100-150 euros I know you can save if you opt to shop around a bit.

Three Suggestions:-

COMPUTERLAND
You pass it on the way to IHS if you take the Tram #7

Address
http://www.computerland.nl/
Jonker Fransstraat 134
3031 AZ Rotterdam, Netherlands
010 4045808

PCL COMPUTERS
Beside Computerland (as you can see from the picture below)

http://www.pclcomputers.nl/
Jonker Fransstraat 130-A
3031 AZ Rotterdam, Netherlands
010 4134797

PARADIGIT

http://www.paradigit.nl/

Mariniersweg 2,
3011 NN Rotterdam,
Netherlands

I promise you these are not difficult places to find. Its the second tram stop after leaving Central Station using TRAM #7. PCL and Computerland are next to each other and Paradigit is 3 minutes walk away. Well worth a visit I promise you. Well hope that's been helpful. Just remember to always check not just price but servicing, warrantee and return policies. Cheers til next time.

What to do and Where to Go....2

Scenario One - You've just arrived and things are warming up (and we are certainly not talking about the weather here) and you're still trying to get a hang of what's the Netherlands like, the life and the living of Holland. Well one of the things I have enjoyed most about my social life in the Netherlands is the coming together over food with friends to fellowship.

Much of that will happen in the common room and if the Indonesians in your year are anything like those were in mine, they are a wonderful, giving bunch who share themselves and their lives with all around. So meals were always being shared and words like Nasi Goreng, bakso, Bumbu kacang, Ayam Goreng etc are no longer mysterious. But every now and again when time and funds permit, its good to get out and grab a bite.

I was not on a scholarship and so dining out had to be done at affordable spots and I had two favourites that I'd like to share. The first one is BED - Bar,Eten,Drinken and is within walking distance and had great interior with lovely music to add to the ambiance. Food is tasty and consists of great sandwiches and in the warmer months its a great street to hang out on by the pavements seats. Click on map below to see directions.

The second one is chinese and is a bit further from the Weenapad (still walking distance away) but you have to pass it to get from the University and is quite affordable, its called Wok City. See photos and directions below.

Now there are a few more and I will share those in a few days to come. Enjoy and ET SMAKERLIKE which means Enjoy your meal in Dutch....you'll hear it alot. Cheers!!

Time Out!!

(Photo taken from Wikipedia)

SCENARIO ONE - At IHS the Three Rs are not Reading wRiting and aRithmetic its Reading Reading Reading. That's right and at some point you are gonna be in need of more Rrrs....Recreation and Relaxation. But problem is you are not gonna be short of Required & Recommended reading BUT you will be very short on time. But its the weekend, you say, surely I can spend a half day blowing off some steam and short trip to a neighbouring town might do the trick.

Hmmm lets see....I think I might just have something for you. How about a visit to Madurodam. Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. So in essence it scales down the Dutch experience and distills it all into one "City". Its a pretty cool tour and by train its only 20 minutes on average to the Den Haag HS station from Rotterdam (NOTE: not the Den Hague station) at a cost of $8.20 return and only $4.90 (40% discount with the NS discount card- put discount in the search bar for more on that). A trip via tram from the station to Scheveningen which takes only another 20 minutes and you are there. You'll see minature representations of all landmarks in Holland so as the year passes the neat thing to do is try to see how many of the actual sites you can visit. We've look at some in older posts and will add to future posts.

No I won't tell  you how to get to Scheveningen....come on guys...gots to leave some mystery for you to discover and explore - the address is George Maduroplein 1 2584RZ Den Haag. Entry fee € 14,50 and if you gather a bunch 20 or more students its € 10,25. Opens at 9am every day but closing time varies. Between Sept to March its usually 18:00; April to June at 20:00 and July - Aug at 23:00.

To the left is a map (click to enlarge) of the entire walking tour, of which there are two thematic routes you can choose to take. The Water Route and/or the Architecture Route.

To get a preview of what's in the offerings, you can visit youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0cZYR8SLKc&feature=related for a 5 minute viewing.


SCENARIO TWO - It's too far Jeanette...the paper is due tomorrow and we really can't afford more than a two hour break but I'd like to get a little further than a game of pool in the common room. No problem, I gots a solution and guess what just like Madurodam you can go and sense no guilt as you are still observing Cities in Action and contemplating urban management...LOL. Another mini city experience is Railz MiniWorld and its only 4 minutes walk from the Weenapad. That's right. Even easier on your conscience if you have studying Sustainable Transporation cuz its all about that oh so critical challenge of moving people from one part of a city effectively to enhance productivity and at reduced cost, congestion and impact on the environment. Now with that sales pitch here's what it offers.

Covering 500 m2, Railz Miniworld is the largest indoor model railway network in Holland. More than 100 model trains travel around over 2 kilometres of rails! Fully automatic model cars also drive among the many buildings; every 30 minutes the overhead lights are dimmed while a thousand tiny lights illuminate the mini world. This lively and interactive model world is the ideal chill out spot for a time out with a self serve restaurant and a small cinema. Cost is only € 9,25. Closes at 5pm so its more than likely a weekend visit and it opens at 10am. Its close, its affordable and its all about the City of Rotterdam scaled down but equally delightful.

The RailzMiniWorld Bld...look familiar?
Its the same building you live on :-)

A shot of  one model

SCENARIO THREE -  But its already 7pm and its too late to go out of Rotterdam but its Friday or Saturday nite and you need some air. Well how about an evening at Watts (formerly knows as Nightown) the hippest coolest club in town. Turns out its only 10 minutes walk from Weenapad and the reviews from students have been good. I for one, am not a clubber so I can't speak to that but I did attend once as its not just a club but a venue for concerts. I saw the most awesome reggae concert with Taurus Riley and Duane Stephenson and oh man, it felt like I was right back there in Kingston 5 hangin with ma yardies. But I digress, so one way to keep in touch with what's on and happening at Watt's is via their Facebook page. The address is West-Kruiskade 26-28 3014 AS Rotterdam which is the road parallel to the Weena (the road you take from Central Station to the Apt). So have fun and don't miss the reggae shows y'all they are the bomb!!

West Kruiskade showing Watts on the left

 Now I mention Watts because its close and many students have opted for that convenience BUT there are others you can google for additional info - Club Vie, Rotown and Club Elit. Well that's it for today folks....hope it helps, til next time.
~JC

What I Wished I Knew Before.....Part 2

So here there we were Dec 13, 2008 - only two months into the programme but by now very accustomed to the many many hours spent working with others, discussing issues in our own country and drawing straws to see who was gonna be the presenter next day.

Just from this photo I see such a wonderful cross-section of students we had a Phillipino, two Indonesians, a Ghanian, Serbian, Romanian and of course a Jamaican:0), with such representation you can just imagine how informative and interesting these debates were.

Now as the Blog Title suggests I am gonna share another "What I wished I knew before...." story. The question is how could I have been better prepared for the rigour of group work, discussion and presentation...all of which forms the bulk of what you'll be doing for at least 8-9 months of this adventure.

Nothing beats doing a bit of reading before getting here. Now to get an idea of what type of information will be in the offing and the material that will be thrust at you for digestion a really good place to go is (drumrolllllllllll)...if you guessed it then you are well ahead - the Institute's website, and address by this I am sure you are all familiar. BUT!! you might have bypassed a juicy page under the heading "Urban Professionals".  http://www.ihs.nl/urban_professionals/ihs_publications/

Here you will find great stuff to occupy some of those pre-arrival weekends.

• Working papers
• Project papers
• Past Thesis papers (summaries)
• Etc

These are papers written by IHS lecturers and associates as well as past students. So browse through and just click on a few that might speak to your own area of interest/expertise, perhaps subject matters that you are considering for your thesis research. One of my favourites was The Integrated Urban Infrastructure Development, Programme and Urban Management Innovations in Indonesia in the "Working Papers" section. It introduces you to a number of the primary issues but via the Indonesian experience which might share commonalities with your cities. Issues like urban financing, city land management, infrastructure, institutional development, public private partnerships etc etc.

PRESENTATION SKILLS
This one is a certifiably necessary skill. Not just because part of your grade depends on your ability to clearly present your ideas and thoughts and justify the positions you take but you need it in your professional life as you interact with stakeholders in developing and managing your cities. My recommendation is to start playing with Microsoft Powerpoint as a few students in my year really struggled (time wise) to meet deadlines because of an unfamiliarity with the software. If you need help you can google anything but my favourite place to go to get real help with learning software is http://www.lynda.com/. For a small investment of $25 bucks you can spend a month getting video tutorials for any software including Microsoft Powerpoint. In far less than the month you will have mastered all you need.

And last head over to this website www.iasted.org/conferences/formatting/presentations-tips.ppt   These tips are spot on with highlighting where lecturers had the greatest difficulties so don't fail to check it out. By the time you get to end of programme you will have mastered the art and be ready to rock the house with your thesis defence. Well that's a wrap for now, hope it was useful.

Yup that's me, in mid-flight of thesis defence!!

What I Wished I Knew Before.....

I suspect this is something I will be adding to as time passes but for now its August 2010 and the new UMDers are in their respective countries counting down the weeks to arrival next month and the beginning of a memorable and exciting year. That you will enjoy yourself is almost a given, that you will maximise the learning experience is another thing. That will take investment of time and effort both inside and outside the lecture room and is entirely in your hands.

I stand corrected but I don't think any graduating class has ever had more than 10% graduating with distinctions. Last year we had exactly 10%. Now with a few weeks to go I think you should have what I call a flying start. I would recommend getting the brain in gear for the kind of thinking and the subject area that will demand your constant attention for the 12 months after arrival.

How would I have done that?

Well a little reading is for sure. Let me warn you, this course like any masters requires a humungous amount of reading so it seems almost wrong to suggest you even begin before getting here but it will only help. Despite the clear emphasis on Development in the programme title I had absolutely no exposure to reading on development issues prior to the course. I was trained as an architect and many if not most of the others are trained as planners but development was another issue. All concepts, all presentations, all papers, all lectures encircle the goal of development and although this is targeted at urban spaces, a strong understanding of development is at the core.

I would suggest heading to google books at http://books.google.com/ and plugging in the word development or development theory and find a couple good ones to read. I would recommend one I read after I had graduated but that I found had helped to cement so much into a cohesive whole. Of course, I found it more meaningful to read after the programme but am sure there would have been much value had it been before. That was Development and the Developing World by Uma S. Kambhampati. which answered question like .....What is development? The Difference between growth and development. Does industrialization lead to growth and development or does fast growth cause industrialization? etc.

Above all, go with where your interest lies, follow your bliss as they say and enjoy it. I absolutely loved the learning process at IHS and found that it can even become addictive as the more you learn its the more you realise how much you know and how little you really know. :0)

Academic Integrity - Plagiarism

Sooooo its August 11 and as I sit here typing up this blog, UMD 6 is pretty much under house arrest doing their analysis and write up of all the field research just finished back in their respective countries. Folks are sleep deprived, frustrated, redoing the 8th draft of their chapter on literature review and watching the days roll by too quickly. Pressure and Panic sets in and the big temptation sometimes looms in..... the other big "P" - PLAGIARISM.

This scenario is by no means unusual for university students but the consequences are dire and so I thought we'd take a look at this problem that plagues many; especially those who are guilty of accidental plaigiarism, simply because you are not sure when you are committing the "crime".

What is plaigiarism?

"The wrongful appropriation, close imitation, or purloining and publication, of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions, and the representation of them as one's own original work". Lynch, Jack (2002) The Perfectly Acceptable Practice of Literary Theft: Plagiarism, Copyright and the 18th Century in Colonial Williamsburg: The Journal of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 24, No. 4 (Winter 2002-3), pp. 51-54.

As with all Universities, plagiarism is taken very seriously at IHS. Students upload papers on the university's website (http://www.eur.nl/english/) and each paper is rigourously checked by "Blackboard" to determine the extent to which a student has utilised the work of another. This is expressed by the percentage of work found elsewhere. This does not necessarily mean plagiarism. If the percentage is above a certain amount, the lecturer will then check to see if those areas identified by Blackboard have been properly referenced by the student. If it has then all is well. Bear in mind however, that there is a limit to the amount of work that can be quoted even if referenced but those details will be explained to you further on arrival.

You are probably wondering what is Blackboard?

It is an online software tool which allows a lecturer to interact with students via the Web. You can do some or all of the following, depending on how your instructor sets up the course:

• View important announcements and information
• Participate in online discussions and in small group activities
• Access course materials and resources on the Web
• Submit your assignments, take on-line tests and quizzes, and check your grades

And of course, there is SafeAssign which is the plagiarism prevention service that comes bundled with Blackboard Software that is the subject of this blog entry.

But what exactly does Safeassign do?

SafeAssign checks all submitted papers against the following databases:

• Internet - comprehensive index of documents available for public access on the Internet
• ProQuest ABI/Inform database with over 1,100 publication titles and about 2.6 million articles from '90s to present time, updated weekly (exclusive access)
• Institutional document archives containing all papers submitted to SafeAssign by users in their respective institutions
• Global Reference Database containing papers that were volunteered by students from Blackboard client institutions to help prevent cross-institutional plagarism.

Trust me, this software ain't perfect but it comes pretty close. I had a recent experience with student who tried to outsmart Safe Assign by downloading and installing a plagiarism checker online before submitting his paper (Viper in photo to left) . The software reported 0% but SafeAssign caught 57%. He was stunned because he had not only used other software to see if he could get away with it but he also had paraphrased the information to bypass Safeassign. Or so he thought. The consequences were severe. Undoubtedly this was not a case of accidental plagiarism but many cases are.
So how do you know for sure if you are in the clear? IHS will provide a handbook on thesis writing which tells you how to reference work from others that you use, the format that is specific for IHS and a small booklet on plagiarism. Of course all the lecturers are there to guide you. You will be expected to learn and use proper referencing in your papers from day one so that by the time your thesis is being completed you will be an expert. Now to get you on your way a bit faster here are some links you might want to peruse.
http://academicintegrity.dal.ca/Student%20Resources/Plagiarism_defined.php
http://library.duke.edu/research/plagiarism/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/plagiarism.shtml
Just a word of warning. Its also practice among students to pay persons back at home in other universities to write your papers for you. The lecturers have not only been lecturers for a while now but they have been students and its far easier than you think to detect such tricks of the trade. My advice is resist the urge, mostly because even if you "get away" with it you would have only cheated yourself.

Taking the Train

So you've gotten up the gumption to go beyond the boundaries of Rotterdam and try out the nearby towns. Utrecht is beautiful, as is Den Haag as well as relatively near by. But Maastricht is a popular favourite that is not to be missed. Admittedly its about 3 hours away but worth the trip with a couple of your friends. But the question is how to get there.

FIRST I suggest going to http://www.ns.nl/ to plan your trip. There you can determine the time the train departs Rotterdam Central or arrives at your destination. If its a non-direct trip, meaning you have to change trains mid-trip. And you can determine the cost. The page can be viewed in English by an option top right of the first page.

Confession is good for the soul so I can boldly tell you that I was a tad bit intimidated by the idea of using the ticket machine (seen in photo above) simply because I thought it was all in Dutch and I simply couldn't be bothered to try to understand it so I would always go to the ticket office upstairs Central Station to buy my tickets. That costs a bit more, can't recall how much but its about one euro..I thought it was worth it. But truth is I wasted quite a few euros and not to mention time (lines upstairs are almost always long with tourists buying tickets) before I realised the process was mighty simple. Here's how it goes and we will do this 'pictorally'.

TO SEE BETTER YOU CAN CLICK THE PHOTOS TO EXPAND.

STEP 1. You're not gonna think me very smart when you realise that there was always an option to get "ENGLISH". In the bottom left corner. Not gonna tell you how long it took before some student shared this.

STEP 2.
Choose Day Return or Single depending on plans and type in name of City or select if it comes up automatically.

STEP 3. Follow the prompts and choose the Class Ticket, Full Fare or Discount, Date of use and how many tickets you need. Now is a good time to remind you that you can pay about 75 euros and apply for a one year discount card that give you 40% discount on trips taken outside peak hours.

STEP 4. The next option should be payment but if you are asked to choose between FYRA AND NS bear this in mind. NS is the normal train and Fyra is a extra fast train that you pay extra for. Payment is usually by coins or using your ATM card from Rabobank. Most of us assume the option is debit card but no, its Maestro. (See photo). You are then prompted to stick your card in, then to take it out, to put in your PIN and choose a receipt or not. THAT'S THAT!!

International/Cultural Night

(Rwandan, Indonesian, Jamaican (Me), Indonesian, Ethiopian)

So there I was running all over Kingston the week before departure trying to get the right fabric to have a national dress made to take for what IHS called an International Night. Huh?? What's that about? I had no idea and I was sorely tempted to ignore the voice telling me get one, after all I've never worn one before. Well, glad I didn't listen.

Its by far and wide one of the most memorable events on the school calendar and promises to be good every year barring none. So I spent 6 hours on April 2009 cooking up a storm of Jamaican run-down with puree garlic pumpkin with boiled 'spinners' dumpling (a dish that normally takes no more than 2 hours, poor Jeanette). But worth it it was. What took place could only be called a culinary gastronomical delight. So bring the national dress, bring your best recipe and bring your favorite local music and just in case a bottle of Peptobismol would be good planning.

(A Thai, Mozambican, Vietnamese, Egyptians in National Dress)

Arrival in the Netherlands

Goedemorgen en Welkom in Nederland!!!. Ok that's about as much Dutch as I can muster...but I am just welcoming you to the Netherlands. Now you've probably received an email from the Course Bureau's efficient and helpful Cocky Adams or Ruud Frank (wonderful folks who you'll meet shortly). They've arranged for you to be picked up at Schipol airport but to be honest you've never been to Europe before and you're not quite sure what to expect on arrival.
Here are some tips.

1. Please keep the number of the person greeting you nearby. Any difficulties or delays in immigration/customs you might want to kindly ask for a call to let them know you did arrive but need some more time.


2. Please keep nearby the number of first, the course bureau contact or second, the student warden contact, as flights get delayed, rerouted etc and you really should let them know ASAP.


3. Please travel with the invitation/acceptance letter of the school nearby as some students do experience a bit of questions in immigration and its much easier if you can just whip out the proof of why you are here.

Now unlike many other Universities here, IHS send a friendly Dutch student or another international student to greet you. I've had the pleasure of being the first friendly face that students see and the thing to do is on exiting the gate - head towards the "Meeting Point" (Big red + white cube in photo below). Yeah that's me in the photo above....taking a snooze waiting for an early arrival. LOL!! Now all you need to do is stay put until you spot someone carrying an Erasmus IHS sign. That's your person!! If they are not there when you arrive stay put, don't go - they will be there shortly - perhaps just putting some other students on a train to Rotterdam to come back upstairs to get you.

Now if you have waited long and can't get the pick up person by phone and you must leave Schipol to find your way to Rotterdam - please resist the temptation to charter a taxi....last student did that paid 150 Euros and there is no need. Its really a terribly easy trip to do if you must. Here are the steps.

1. Head to the Train Tickets and Services area and join a line to buy a SINGLE Trip ticket to Rotterdam Central. Between 10-12 Euros depending on payment type...cash/credit etc.


2. If its not too early in the morning head to the Information Booth which is right between the Meeting Point cube and the Ticket Counter. (See photo above, right)


3. Ask the Representative what time is the next train to Rotterdam and which Platform is it departing from but most important ask for a DIRECT NON TRANSFER TRAIN.


4. The trip to Rotterdam is either an hour or 45 minutes depending on whether your train stops only between major cities. The arrivals at each stop are announced so as long as you don't fall asleep from jet lag you will arrive at Rotterdam Central without a hitch.

Now if the Information Desk is not open you can read the information board which is shown in the image (see below left). The towns and cities are in alphabetical order. Look for Rotterdam and it will tell you what time the next train will depart and from which platform (USUALLY 5 OR 6). The platform is identifiable in the photo below (to the right).

I would recommend strongly that if the Information booth is closed ask the person at the ticket counter, when the train departs, from which platform and ENSURE THAT YOU ASK FOR A TRAIN THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A TRANSFER.!!

A LAST TIP - Just to ensure you are boarding the right train...ensure that when you head downstairs to the platform that you can see ROTTERDAM on the list of stops on the lit board. (See pic above on the right.). This information will be posted on the board a few minutes before train pulls in AND if uncertain ASK. The Dutch are friendly and helpful. More than likely you won't need it but if possible print this post and take on your trip.
All the best on your adventure!!!
The only warning necessary is to ensure that you do not take a train to Rotterdam that requires a transfer and try not to fall asleep on the train and miss your stop. The next post deals with arrival at the station and the 5 minute walk to the Weenapad. Your home for the next 12 months.

IHS Alumni Day

Dear IHS people,
As you might have heard, in March 2010 we have founded IHS Alumni International - a network of all IHS alumni around the globe. IHS AI has established a board with 6 members, which is meeting for the first time at the end of May in Rotterdam.For more information see: http://www.ihs.nl/alumni/ihs_alumni_international/the_board_of_ihs_alumni_international/

On the occasion of the board meeting we would like to invite you to join us for an IHS alumni day at IHS. The purpose of this afternoon session is to introduce IHS alumni to the participants of the Masters course UMD 06 and share experiences. We would be delighted if you join us, since we know you are living in the Netherlands.
Friday May 28 “IHS ALUMNI DAY” 15-17hrs
Session objectives:
a) board members with current participants & other invited alumni & Alumni staff members
b) present IHS AI & exchange ideas for alumni work
c) Alumni report about their career and impact of IHS on their job to participants

Program:
1. Presentation of IHS AI mission/objectives and planned activities
2. Presentation of board members and other alumni (focus: What did you do after IHS, how did IHS impact your career…?)
3. Group discussion with alumni and participants on different topics, e.g. How to develop further in your job (especially also how to find a PhD or a job in the Netherlands etc.) How to refresh your knowledge? How to stay connected? What can IHS AI to support your needs as alumni?

Afterwards we will be happy to welcome you at 17hrs in a reception at the IHS bar: "Happy hour" drinks and snacks for all alumni, participants and staff.

We are looking forward to receiving your reply and confirmation. Please forward this message to anybody you know who is an IHS Alumnus and who could come to that meeting.

contact people: melisvarkal@gmail.com

liesegang@ihs.nl

Web Sites for Urban Managers...yes you!!

So you're gonna be hearing alot for the next few months all about CITIES. That they are engines of growth, what role they play in country development and what are the critical success factors. Names like Michael Porter, Joseph Stiglitz, Stren and Satterwaite become very familiar as you learn about theory and trends in urban development as well as the challenges facing them.

Now seriously take a look at this Tokyo! Man can you imagine being the Head Honcho managing this urban space? Or how about tackling the one on the right...Slums of Mumbai, India. Well that's what being here is all about to buckle up and just dive in...you'll be ready for far more than you thought....if you are prepared to work hard for it.

So i thought I'd share with you a bit, some of the websites that will be invaluable as you are asked to assess your cities and others. As well as when you return home to jump in the trenches, these might still prove quite relevant.

1. UNHabitat Website - http://www.unhabitat.org/


2. Millenium Development Goals - http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/


3. Urban Governance - http://www.gdrc.org/u-gov/ugov-define.html


4. Urban Goverance - http://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/


5. Land Management & Policy - http://www.lincolninst.edu/resources/


6. Development - http://www.unescap.org/about/index.asp


7. Urban Poverty & Development - http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-1-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html


8. Poverty Reduction - http://www.undp.org/


9. Urban Development - http://www.adb.org/urbandev/default.asp

One of my favourite sites looked at the city development via the World's Mayors and their impact. http://www.citymayors.com/sections/development.html

Now to one of the most important questions......what materials/information should I take with me for the programme.

Well JC was a very hungry student and wanted to know it all. I came with an extra suitcase full of books I thought would have been useful, turns out I only used two of the entire suitcase which had cost an extra $120 USD to tug along with me here. Here's a HUUUGE TIP!!

Bring information on your city!!. The first three months will be spent on what I though was an excellent introduction to urban management but most assignments will require you to have basic data on your city. How it was formed, size, challenges, growth rate, all the characteristics and data used to measure a city's progress - literacy, health, death rate, how are taxes collected, how is the Government structured, how big is the informal sector, what is local govt responsible for etc etc. That is key to a successful first semester. I sure wish I had known this before. BUT that's what this blog is here for. So start compiling and start reading. All the best now.

JC

A Winter Wonderland

This was perhaps my biggest contemplation prior to arriving in the Netherlands. I am a Caribbean woman, where temperatures rarely ever go below 25degrees celcius and had alway avoided vacations to any country if the temperature was gonna be less than 20 degrees. I was told on arrival that for the last ten years the Dutch, who have always been serious about ice skating, have not been able to do so for a decade as the temperatures have not allowed for that, the lakes have barely frozen over. Well that changed on my arrival.


Winter 2009 Rotterdam was certainly one of the coldest winters the Dutch have had in a long time. It was my second winter here and very different from Winter 2008. Unlike '08 the temperatures this year have fallen as far as -7 with wind chill factors of -15 degrees. I am happy to say i have adjusted alot and you will too but the idea is definitely come prepared.


Dec 2009 saw most of the public transportation in Europe grinding to a halt - this included Rotterdam (for a day) where along the journey from home to IHS and back, I had to get off trams and walk to the next stop as the rails were all iced over. I had an adventure and a half trying to get around, pretty sure I walked miles. See some photos of the University taken on that day.

Winter clothes and shoes can be purchased at reasonable prices at the local department stores or at the Open Market (Saturdays and Tuesdays every week). Do not assume, that all goods at the Open Market are more affordable than the department stores. I have been pleasantly surprised many times so shop around a bit in the Shopping District of Beurs before deciding.


Last but not least, I took a very brave and courageous stand and decided to try my hands at a snowman, fondly remembered as Snooky. Took me two hours but I found that what they say is true, its less cold while it is snowing than after so I survived those two hours and enjoyed it immensely. Snooky lived only for a day and a half but his face will grace this blog for posterity. LOL! So this is just my way of saying, IF you get a chance to have a White Winter Wonderland don't be tempted to stay indoors go have a snowball fight or build a snowman, after all the whole point of being here is to have NEW EXPERIENCES...right? RIGHT!!!!

What to do & Where to go...Hmmm

So you're between two modules (that's the only real break we get) and no readers to read, no group work, no assignments due..sigh it doesn't get any better than this....heaven. But you don't want to waste it, so what's happening in and round Rotterdam, what to do?

I used to be so impressed with the amount of cultural activity going on.. You could see it every day there'd be something new, on the many billboards as you ride pass heading to class in the morning or heading back in the evening. My favourite one to check was on the Goudesingel. For those of you who ride you'll recognise it easily as its right after or before the Hofplein fountain. See photo above.

But if you barely have the time to stop and read a billboard (hardly the case but I almost always felt that way) or its so cold you your body won't respond to the command, stop......well this is where you can go http://www.xpat.nl/events/cultural_events which has a small but good selection of activities, shows, expositions, etc. taking place in Rotterdam and the cities near you - Den Haag, Utrecht etc.

If the movies is all you need well that's easy - The Pathé Schouwburgplein cinema in city center and the closest to you, has the biggest screen of the Netherlands, it cannot be missed architecture-wise and its right smack in the midst of all the shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Just a word of caution - if you go outside of peak period, the ticket boothes are closed and you have to use the ticket dispensers (see photo above) and you'll need your ATM card as it does not take cash. I was rescued by a lovely Rotterdamer who took my cash and bought me a ticket. And if you have your Erasmus student card - DISCOUNT!! So make sure to bring it.

The Pathé De Kuip cinema is another option but a bit further away. Another close option is Cinerama Rotterdam at Westblaak 18, and being the oldest (built in 1957) has a wonderful ambience (see photo below). And I know what you're wondering - language barrier?? Well not for the movies as you get Dutch subtitles but yes for the others its a challenge, except I find that with the Arts, language is almost redundant. For information on what's showing.....http://www.pathe.nl/english. Enjoy now. J.C.

Health Store

So the first quarter is behind and you are stressed out, feeling "not yourself", lethargy has set in and you don't have the time to get sick, that is a luxury you can't afford. So your mom emails and says get a tonic, some extra vitamins and iron is what you need. The thing is you have no idea where and everyone you ask is clueless. Too little time to take care of yourself is what got you here so where will you find the time to go scour Rotterdam looking for a health food store.

Well you checked the right spot...the IHS Blog Spot. I am hoping to find one a little more affordable but for now you can get just about whatever you might need at JOS PETERS DROGIST. They are located at Beurs in the underground shopping mall. Now there are two sides you can enter from. This store is found at the very end of the the underground shops close to the entrance by HEMA. The address would be Beurstraverse 17.

Another nearby option is just a few shops down, is Tuinen De at No. 168.

Well here's to good health and don't forget, no matter how intense your workload is your brain and body will not give you their best and you cannot do your best without the right fuel - exercise, rest and good balance diet. Click on photo below.


One reminder - in these parts, the Northern Latitudes you really don't get as much sunshine as you've been used to or should have and will need extra vitamin D. Of course I'd prefer natural sources of tuna, salmon, egg, mushrooms etc but if not you now know where to get it.
Til next time

Beste Wensen (best wishes)