Monday, April 15
It’s day three, and we all feel the burden of jet lag upon us, but we equally have some ground under our feet after our choir sang in Church. But today was something special. It meant a journey back to Amsterdam for artful education and a little canal action.
We started off a little groggy from a late night. It was 7:30 a.m., and we had overslept a bit. Fortunately, an enjoyable bite downstairs and an hour to spare gave us ample time to prepare our spirits. We ate scrambled eggs, waffles, sausages, and doughy pastries. At 8:50 we finished the meal successfully and were ready to embark on our journey. We brought backpacks, rain jackets, and hoodies, cognizant of the impending weather that lay ahead. Then, after being rounded up by Dr. Rozenberg and taking a head count a few times, we went on the bus to begin the day’s adventure.
On the bus, we all dealt with the exhaustion differently. Some slept, some twiddled their thumbs, while some energetic choir kids provided music at the back of the bus. In fact, the music was a “Careless Whisper” that followed us the whole ride.
After the hour bus ride, we arrived at the Rijksmuseum, a place that, according to Bill (our half American, half British tour guide), housed one million works of art but displayed only 8,000 of them. We took selfies with Rembrandt van Rijn’s famous “Night Watch” painting. The three floors gave us a lot to talk about afterward. So, we met at noon and Bill wanted us to go on an hour-long walk to Anne Frank’s house. There, he gave a short summary on who Anne Frank was, followed by Dr. Rozenberg’s rousing remarks. Then the rain began to pour, supported by strong gusts of wind. Every inch had to be fought for. We were split into groups to get lunch then meet up again for a canal tour. Those three hours of lunch and free time were spent exploring the train station where I bought a nice hat, ate at BrewDog, and took in the sights.
When we met afterward, Bill led us to the Lovers Canal Tour where we learned about how Amsterdam how it was founded in the 13th century and about its architecture. The canal had many twists and turns, leading us around the whole of Amsterdam in a mere hour. Following that, we ate dinner a few blocks away. The meat was savory, and the pudding melted in our mouths. After dinner, God’s hail started to rain down upon us again, but this time a rainbow appeared.
Teo Reyes ’24
BC High Concert Choir 