A First-Hand Dutch Experience

What does studying abroad look like? For many people, studying abroad looks like the typical University setting where students sit in a classroom in a foreign country and listen to a professor lecture on the history and importance of the country. However, it is way more than just that. An important part of studying abroad is getting the opportunity to experience the country’s local culture and way of life. And this is what students in the Inside World Governance Program have been doing over the past couple of days.

On both Wednesday and Thursday of their first week in Amsterdam, students experienced Dutch culture on a first-hand basis in two ways. The first involved attending a cooking session at the home of a local caterer, Caro, and her dog, Tess. In the presence of Caro’s kitchen, students learned how to cook stamppot. Stamppot is a traditional Dutch dish made from a combination of potatoes mashed with one or several vegetables. For their cooking lesson, the students made three different types of stamppot: 1) Potatoes and Endive, 2) Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions, and 3) Potatoes, Apples, and Sauerkraut. To top off their stamppot, students rolled and cooked homemade meatballs. What a delicious and filling dinner! As a special treat for their hard work in their cooking class, the students indulged themselves in delicious popsicles for dessert.

The second way that the students experienced Dutch culture was by setting sail on a boat tour of the canals of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is world famous for its stunning 17th century canals. The long waterways with thousands of historical buildings and green rows of trees are a unique sight that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Did you know that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice and more bridges in Paris? (If you’re curious……Amsterdam has a total of 165 canals.) The views of the City from the canals were breathtaking, charming, and gorgeous!