Like plants, necks crane to position faces at optimal range to absorb rays, people re-discover terraces, extending life after the work day to people watch and drink wine. The city becomes littered with runners and walkers, parks near their space capacity, and the Dutch, who are traditionally a little cold and reserved, defrost little by little to reveal warm souls underneath.
Last year, winter seemed to drag for months, I remember it being June and chilly, in fact, I don’t think I ever put my winter coats into storage. I don’t want to jinx it, but March in The Netherlands was splendid.1 I hope that the sun caries us through what’s left of spring, and onto a memorable, sunny, and exiting summer.
Cheap film cameras excel in sunny conditions, which is why I was so excited. I had a film roll to use up, so I loaded it onto a friend’s camera2 and kept it in my bag, taking advantage of the light to take photos that would otherwise be quite boring.
I particularly like how students react to the sun, how procrastination becomes the norm as golden rays pluck us out of library seats and classrooms, because who could ever focus with the sun’s temptations just outside the door.
Back to Black is one of my favorite cafés in Amsterdam. When it’s sunny, they open their windows, letting the breeze come in. They have a cat, I think it belongs to the owner, who spends its days walking around the wooden floors, and leaping into empty chairs, before nestling in some client’s lap. On this day, it took my spot as soon as I got up, and how could I not take a photo of that.
My new internship’s location can be more accurately described as “just outside of Amsterdam” rather than within Amsterdam itself. To get to the office from my house, my 40-minute bike ride traverses green fields that stretch to the horizon, and circumvents a couple of villages that make me imagine what The Netherlands looked like a couple of hundred years ago. A few weeks ago, as I wandered around because I was too early for the final interview, I stumbled across this little table and boat, I love the photo because it looks as far from the Amsterdam I know as possible, and is thus a good reminder that maybe Amsterdam is not as small as I think, a reminder that I really don’t have the entire city figured out just yet.
I’m not going to lie and say that I like Dutch weather. I hate it. I miss the constant sun of my high-school years in Spain, and the biting sting of sunny days in Ecuador or Australia, but I do like that living in Amsterdam has made me conscious about the weather, and the power of a sunny day. It has made sure that I never, ever, take one for granted.
The rest of the photos were not too good, but that's the trade-off with film!!3
S
A lot to say about climate change though
Since mine got stolen almost two years ago, I’ve been hesitant to buy one.
And also it’s sooo expensive — hence why no film camera of my own
This is probably the most honest review of the Dutch weather I've ever read😂 it definitely does make you grateful for each sunny day!
I'm not an expert when it comes to shooting film, but I'm using Olympus Trip 35 and it's a fun little camera! They go second-hand for as little as 50 euros.