'T' for Tradition

You may have read that our video camera was stolen in Amsterdam. Here is a clip that survived because it had already been uploaded to one of our laptops.

Being a hard core tea drinker myself, you can imagine how at home I am drinking tea in the cradle of tea-drinking culture, Great Britain:

Lost and Found

And now...the rest of the story.

Yes, we lost our passports, credit cards, driver’s licenses, cameras, journals, a sweater, etc. I had gone directly to the police station to file a report, while Becky had headed straight back to the house where we were staying to cancel all our credit cards. While at the station, I called the American consulate there in Amsterdam. It was about 5:30 pm on a Friday, and they had just closed for the weekend thirty minutes earlier. I was able to dial an emergency number, where I reached a kind gentleman who told me we would need to come apply for temporary passports in person. Not on Saturday, of course not on Sunday, not even on Monday, as they would be closed for the July 4^th weekend; this meant we had three full days before we could even stand in line for new passports. What complicated the situation is that our son, Timothy, was scheduled to fly back to the States with the other tour participants the next morning. We weren’t exactly hopeful about those prospects, but we were going to the airport anyway to see the others off.

That night at the hotel near the airport, I got a phone call from the Amsterdam police. My passport and credit cards had been found and turned in by an anonymous person. Although this was extremely encouraging, it really didn’t change the present circumstances much at all. We would still have to go the consulate on Tuesday, and it was still anybody’s guess as to whether Timothy would be able to get on the plane the next morning. With mixed emotions we fell asleep that night, aided by simple exhaustion.

At Schiphol airport the next morning, we were surprised to find an INS agent who OK’d Timothy to travel with just a photocopy of his passport and a copy of the police report. After a bit of an emotional goodbye, we waved the kids through passport control and sat down to consider the next steps. My cell phone rang, and it was our good friend Celeste in Amsterdam. “Dave!” she said, “I am holding Becky’s and Timothy’s passports and several other things of yours.” I had sent her an emergency e-mail from the hotel the night before, but she hadn’t read it yet. But she HAD received a text message from a total stranger, saying, “I have the stuff you lost.” To try to summarize the story, he had found the items while looking through a TRASH CAN in a different part of town from where we had been robbed, looking for stolen belongings of a woman he had met. Among the items was my journal, in which he found Celeste’s phone number. She told him, however, that she had no idea what he was talking about. A couple of hours later, she read my e-mail and everything made sense. She immediately called the man back (an Amsterdam photographer), hopped on her bike and picked up the things. Not only that, she arranged a place for us to stay with a wonderful Dutch couple while we got our affairs sorted out – even though we no longer needed to apply for emergency passports, we still had to work out how to access funds and other details, since we had cancelled all our credit cards.

The cameras, you ask? Of course they were not returned. The biggest loss we feel is the irreplaceable footage on the video camera. But there were more than one angel at work in these circumstances, and even the police were amazed that any of our belongings at all had been returned. Amsterdam is known for the kind of ordeal we went through – none of that was a surprise. We’re choosing to focus on that handful of people who did the right thing, counter to the city’s reputation, and yes, we will be back.

At a Loss

I told you to expect lots of blog posts and even videos from the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour. Two things have retarded that process: first, leading the tour proved much more time- and labor-intensive, preventing me from taking the time to write meaningful posts. Here I readily admit to being enough of a perfectionist that I won’t settle for whipping out a mundane blog post like, “We visited the Eiffel Tower today. The weather was perfect.” (Although, if you’re my Facebook friend, you would have seen occasional posts almost that mundane.) I like not only to report on things, but to make observations and commentary – I suppose I’m saying I want you to be glad you read my blog.

The reason you haven’t seen any videos yet is twofold: it was virtually impossible to find the time to upload the ones we shot; and, more sobering, our video camera AND still camera were stolen in Amsterdam.

For those who like the gory details, here’s how it all went down: we were near the end of a wonderful week in Amsterdam, having savored its old world charm and culture, and taken a couple of great day trips. You are hopefully aware that the World Cup was going on while we were there, and that the Netherlands had made it all the way to the quarter finals. (We had enjoyed watching various matches throughout the tournament, starting with US v. England on the first day of our arrival in the UK.) We had determined to watch the quarter finals pitting the Dutch against the formidable Brazilians, and chose a convivial corner café right in the heart of the city and no more than a five-minute walk from where we were staying. We picked out a round bistro table just inside, elevated about three feet above the entrance level where there were outdoor tables, and separated by a wrought iron rail.

It was a great atmosphere, complete with a handful of Brazilian fans and a very international crowd. I had gotten up to use the restroom, and just as I was walking back to the table, the Dutch team scored the first goal of the match. Needless to say, the place erupted – everyone was on their feet celebrating. When we sat back down, my wife, Becky, looked at her feet where we had both placed our shoulder bags. Both bags were gone. All that remained was a black umbrella that had not been there earlier. My first thought was that someone else in our group was holding our bags for us. Reality soon made itself known, though, as the blank faces of everyone around us told the story: while we were all on our feet in the midst of the pandemonium, someone had deftly reached through the railing behind our table with the umbrella and used its handle to hook both bags in one fell swoop. The redundant proof was Becky’s water bottle and toothbrush leaving a trail from our table to the street.

If you’ve ever been robbed, you’re familiar with the feelings of anger mixed with remorse, in this case. The fact is, I should have known better. I’m a seasoned traveler. I should have noticed the gaps in the railing behind our table, opening to the wide open doors to the busy street. In Becky’s bag were our brand new video camera and still camera, her passport, credit cards, driver’s license, journal, and a brand new sweater she had bought for the trip. Oh, and a Ziploc bag with watercolors and brushes, which we had used on occasion to relax and respond to some of the beauty around us in various places. In my bag, just the essentials – passport, credit cards, driver’s license, journal, and a few sundries.

We decided Becky would go back to our Amsterdam house immediately, get on the phone and cancel all our credit cards, while I filed a police report at the station less than five minutes’ walk down the same street. While I waited for them to process my report, I heard numerous other similar stories. Every person who came and went while I was there had been robbed.

Now you know why you’re just now hearing from me – but you’ll have to read the next post to find out that this is not the end of the story.

The World Is a Book

In the blank journals we put in each of our participants' hotel rooms, the first page contained a quote from Augustine:


"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."


In that light, the World to the Wise Cultural Tour participants are doing some great reading! The tour is off to a stupendous start. Our days have been so full that it has been difficult to find the time to write a blog post -- but I must take a minute to observe that I don't think we could have chosen a better place to begin our tour than England. All of us participating are Anglo-Saxons, so being here can only feel a little like coming home.


Today was the perfect day for us to take a day trip to Oxford (pictured), where we traced the steps of centuries of scholars from the thirteenth century on, including the likes of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. There was one breathtaking view after another as we visited the many colleges that make up Oxford University. We even took a midday break to punt the river Cherwell just next to Magdalene College, where C.S. Lewis was a fellow. We ended this picture perfect day with dinner at The Eagle and Child, the pub affectionately nicknamed "The Bird and Baby" by Lewis' and Tolkien's group of kindred spirits, the Inklings, who gathered frequently there to discuss their readings and writings over a pint.


London has not disappointed either. We've been awed in Westminster Abbey, thrilled on the London Eye, inspired at St. Paul's cathedral and the National Gallery, sobered at the Tower of London, and extravagantly entertained at "Wicked." Perhaps I'll be able to grab some time during our train trip to Paris on Saturday to reflect a bit more on some of our profound experiences. 


Let the reading continue!

South Africa's Time to Shine

For all its problems and the challenges it faces in the 21st century, for the next three weeks, South Africa is a united country. It is the first African nation in history to host the World Cup, the most watched sporting event in the world. Whether black or white, South Africans everywhere are donning the multi-colored flag, understandably proud of this historic moment. 
This is a nation brimming with potential, yet plagued by staggering challenges: high crime, an HIV/AIDS epidemic...yet if you know any South Africans personally, you know their irresistible charm and sunny outlook -- and this is an opportunity for the world to sit up and take notice. South Africa, we salute you.
Interestingly, I'll be watching England v. USA from my hotel in London on the first night of the World to the Wise Cultural Tour. The hotel is probably the safest place for an American to watch! Speaking of the cultural tour, you'll need to visit this blog often over the next few weeks to follow our adventures. It all begins this Friday!

Hope: the Most Powerful Force

 

This past weekend I took part in a basic training session with Hope Force International, a seven-year-old NGO committed to rapid, compassionate response to crises and natural disasters. Although this may seem like it came out of left field, I've had an interest for many years in relief and development, and when this opportunity came along, it just felt like it was the right time.
I was impressed with Founders Jack and Cherie Minton's and Training Coordinator Sue Duby's commitment to making sure their reservists are on the same page before they even begin the technical portion of the training. Crisis relief is, after all, a spiritual activity which will test you to the core and reveal any and all areas of insecurity and misplaced identity.
If you feel it's time for you to be ruined for the ordinary and become an HFI reservist, check out their website here.

Kids' Crème Brulée

A recent article in TIME Magazine left me smiling. In France, while certain government programs and benefits are being slashed in order to reduce the national deficit, the school lunch programs remain intact. This is no accident.


In times past, it was common for schoolchildren, as well as their parents, to go home for a long, relaxed lunch break -- and the noon meal was generally the main meal of the day. Not even France, however, has remained unaffected by the acceleration of daily life and a more hectic lifestyle, which means a majority of schools now serve lunch.


And we're not talking hamburgers and tater tots.


Variety is important, so no single meal is repeated during an entire 32-day period. In the case of young children, the kids are seated at tables and required to put on their best table manners while workers serve them a five-course meal: an hors d'oeuvre, salad, the main course, a cheese plate, and dessert. Not only this, but the school sends home recommendations to the parents for the evening menu to ensure not only variety but well balanced meals.


The point here is not to make fun of the French; heaven knows we could learn a lesson here. But every culture has elements it considers non-negotiables -- what are the non-negotiables in your culture?