I’m on the train going back to Breda. I feel very cheerful, so I suppose that isn’t such a good sign. Looking back it has been exciting. Trying to get a the sort of life I like to lead in Amsterdam. But a metropolis is very different from a provincial town like Breda. The pace of it make me nervous and sucks you in. I did find some nice rounds to walk (and the do have some trees), I just had to reconcile myself with the fact that it wasn’t as peaceful as it is at home.
It think what I liked most was a sense of remoteness to the city centre and the amazing speed at which you can get there by ferry. Travelling on the ferry was one of the nicest things anyway. But the best times I had were in the heart of Amsterdam. Shopping and art with Cecile, talk and work (and use the Internet) at Anja’s nice studio.
What I disliked was the cramped feeling I had. The houses were tiny and especially the Noordgevoel house was full off stuff. Even the bathroom was packed with stuff so brushing your teeth became a challenge. Of course the constant measuring and solving problems with the gear was also trying. I very much missed a decent place to work and Internet of course. I sort of felt I had to work despite everything. That’s not a nice feeling.
And there was a LOT of work. I had to write two programs to sort the data. One for the Suunto watch and one for the GPS data. It will take some time before everything is sorted out.
Aart, the manager had a nice suggestion for a presentation just before I left. They could project the work on the wall of the reception so people can watch it when they’re having their breakfast. I will have to record the work on video, so you will lose the interactivity but it still gives a nice impression of the piece. I’ll have to discuss it.