Well, last night I did try biking, and I did take a tumble. It was pretty fun, and it makes for a very funny video. This morning, we went to tour UvA. Let’s just say there were a plethora of bikes there, which is very different from the U.S. It was very interesting to see how everything is catered to the bikes here. In the U.S, there are a few bike racks here and there. Here, there are bike racks everywhere. In addition, they have a massive parking garage filled with bikes. The garage has a sensor to tell you how many spots are open for your bike. One thing we noticed is that no one has a phone holder on their bikes. This is kind of surprising since they rely on their bikes for everything. I think it would be an interesting concept to introduce here. Of course, there is a large difference between tuition prices. Here, it only costs 2000 a year, whereas our tuition is extremely more expensive. This tuition price is definitely one way to attract customers, especially international students. Since the cost is so cheap, it is appealing for the students to want to attend the school.
Also on this tour, we learned the danger of swimming in the canals. Our tour guide, Thomas, told us that there are many bikes at the bottom of the canals. As a result, when people jump in, they get stuck in the bikes and drown. I think it is safe to say that I will avoid the canals. In addition, it is important to take care of your bike. However, if your bike happens to get stolen, there is a market where you can buy used bikes. If you get lucky enough to find your own bike, you will have to pay 50 euros to get it back. So, the supply chain for used bikes goes: steal or donate bike, sell bike to market, sell bike to customer. What a cycle that is!
Overall, I think the tour of UvA was extremely interesting. Hearing and seeing all the differences between university in Amsterdam/The Netherlands and university in Pittsburgh/United States was very intriguing.
We also got to have lunch in the dining hall. I had a cheese, cucumber, and tomato sandwich with Pringles and a cherry Coke. The lunch was good, and it was interesting to compare the dining halls to the one at Pitt. This one was much smaller, and the students don’t have meal plans. They just have to pay for their food.
Our final activity was a canal cruise! We cruised along the canal, while learning about the history of Amsterdam and its buildings. It was really cool to see the city from a different perspective. I liked admiring all of the different buildings while relaxing in the boat.