Supppp. Today we met up at 9ish to head to VU to take a look at their engineering campus. We then got a quick little tour around the building and a summary of the school. We got a tour of their newest building and it was absolutely gorgeous. Their engineering school doesn’t seem to be that big. They do have a mechanical engineering major but they isn’t a specific engineering major for every other discipline. For example they have like systems processing for industrial engineering and software development for computer engineering.
Their campus is right next to a hospital so we heard some medical helicopters overhead. That, along with the small construction, made me feel like I was right back home in Pittsburgh.
Then, we got a couple hours to walk around and explore for a bit. We stopped at their coffee shop and I was amazed by how much cheaper their coffees were. I got a chai latte for only 2 euros. I later went back and got a dirty chai as well. We also went to their dining hall and got a large poke bowl for only 6.50 euros. Then we just hung out for a bit.
After VU, we went the Schipol airport to learn more about KLM airlines. After a small introduction of the airline’s engineering and maintenance department, we started touring around. I have never been able to stand that close to an airplane before and I got really excited. Walking through the plane while it was deconstructed was such an eerie vibe. I also loved being able to stand right below the plane engine and look at all the inner workings. It was cool to hear about how the airline makes its own repairs of its engines and tries their best to recycle old engine parts.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t see their engine room which could have been really cool but we did get to see the building where they test their engines. I loved getting to see everything really up close. It was cool to see the system they use to test and obtain all of their data as well. The operators discussed how people from all over the world come to both check out their process and get their engines tested as well.
After a short closing, we got a fun reusable coffee mug and made the trek back to Amsterdam and where we were getting dinner.
The dinner was absolutely amazing again. The salad gave me the fresh vegetables I’ve been needing. The couscous was also so so good especially with the veggie stew that I put on top. I don’t really remember what that stew was called though. I believe it is Moroccan in origin. It was vegan and delicious and I very much enjoyed myself.
Next, we got to sit in on a sort of podcast discussion about economics and building better cities. They got 4 economists together to talk about things. I think in theory the discussion could have been really interesting and productive. However, I believe it was very poorly executed so I am rather disappointed. On the other hand, the artist they had perform was amazing and I followed him on instagram. I’m excited to find more of his music on spotify. Well, until next time <3