Nitya debates on the beach in the Hague
Guest Blog Post from Jonathan Lo and Nitya Baskhar
What a day, or two days to be exact! After our last meal at Duke we made final
preparations for our trip and shuddered at the airplane meals to come.
We arrived at the airport after a poignant moment at Duke, and smoothly got
to our flight. Most of us rarely got any sleep due to the wide variety of
airplane movies and shows, ranging from classics to horrible new releases...
(cough) Mall Cop (cough). Before this however, we spent some valuable time
during the layover enjoying the variety of attractions the Newark airport
had to offer. A few students were even subjects for an inconspicuous artist
at a neighboring table. After obtaining a picture of the artwork, students
settled in for the 8 hour flight to Amsterdam. Comfortably settled with On
Demand service, students relaxed for the remainder of the journey. However
there was a moment when the airplane crew had to reset the entertainment
systems in order to save the sanity of a few unlucky travelers. A curious,
yet random, penguin appeared on our screens during the reset amongst what
was interpreted to be serious computer text. However when we arrived in the
Netherlands, many had a blurred sense of time, due to a night that seemed to
have not existed, a situation similar to The Hangover (current movie, popular among teenagers!)
yet not as severe.
After the plane flight, we made quite a first impression in the Netherlands
by traveling with around 25 sets of luggage through public transportation
before reaching our destination. Still bleary after the flight, students
rested in a bike rental shop turned communal nap area/treasure cove.
We checked into the roomy and luxurious hostel and cast admiring looks at the
showers before exploring the beach and heading to the Parkpop music festival
in Zuiderpark, where we witnessed Dutch culture in action along with several
different bands and music artists. Then we returned to the hostel to enjoy a
traditional Dutch meal...TACOS! We ended the full day with some much needed
rest after the jetlag kicked in and still continues to do so.
Note from Professor Frakt:
We had a largely uneventful trip. Everything went smoothly and we arrived
in the Hague tired but exuberant. We more or less forced everyone to stay
awake all day to adjust to the time change and it seems to have worked.
Going to a pop concert with 100,000 people and three stages of loud music
helped keep the kids up as did a long brisk stroll down the wide strand
at the nearby Schevinengen beach. Monday was a fabulous day with a great
class on the psychological impacts of war on children by Andrew Ekblad.
In the afternoon we caught 90 minutes of an actual war crimes trial at the ICTY.
One of the defendants, a high-ranking general from the Croatian Army who was
charged with ethnically cleansing Bosnian Muslims was on the stand being
examined by a defense lawyer for one of his co-defendants. We were also treated
to a lecture/discussion about the court by a veteran ICTY prosecutor, who
provided valuable insights into and humor about the workings of the ICTY
and the UN. The students then started researching for their second week
policy analysis papers in preparation for debates later this week. We have
a great computer lab set up at the local library. The Dutch people are very
accommodating. In the evening, we had a group discussion on the beach, then
enjoyed a walk and some icecream on the beach and watched the sunset - at 10:00 p.m.!
Today is another full day with visits to the Peace Palace, the International
Court of Justice and Global Human Rights Defence, a local NGO.
The Popfest at the Zuiderpark
Group Photo outside the ICTY - these kids sure dress up nice!
Does it get any better than this?
Guest Bloggers: Katie Kemner and Cayley Larimer (pictured above)
Monday was the beginning of the superexcited yet severely jetlagged students’ European extravaganza.
After an exhilarating lecture by the reigning King Andrew (which was received with a combo of standing ovations
and encore requests because he’s awesome) the students shuffled off (with chaperones, of course) to visit the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. All were promptly stripped of electronics and a
couple girls were scolded for “inappropriate length skirts” and overly revealing shoes (i.e. sandals0
(Prof Frakt notes for next year – nothing above the knee) but all were admitted and we entered a real war-crimes trial.
Luckily, English translations were broadcast into the room, for the very few of us that don’t speak Serbo-Croat.
Students watched intently as Slobodan Praljak was cross-examined by the defense of Jadranko Prlic who has
been indicted for a list of war crimes roughly 7 miles long. 90 minutes later, the groups me with Mattias,
a German (!) war crimes prosecutor – seriously! Mattias challenged the students about their knowledge of the
ICTY, and when asked what he might do when the tribunal closes, he replied that the idea of returning to
Germany and working in a private firm was simply “not sexy.” We’re pretty sure that was a highlight of the day.
Not only did he assure of of the unsexiness of private German lawfirms, he also talked to us about the United
Nations from German perspective. Following several hours of ICTY fun, the students were herded into trams
and away from bike paths to our next destination, a public library. Students were permitted to use a computer
lab, and ensuing activities ranged from research on upcoming debate topics to Facebook (Prof Frakt notes
– mostly Facebook) Finally we all headed “home” for a scrumptious dinner of every burger known to mankind
– beef, veggie, fish, you name it. But the day was not yet finished; next, it was to the beach for the evening class.
We shared complaints, questions, and compliments whilst sitting in a giant circle on the sand – yep, we’re quite
inconspicuous. After discussing the trial and figuring out the following day’s schedule, we split up and explored
the beach. Most parties went treat-hunting, and ended up with pancakes or gelato. Considering that, and the
fact that we have access to an endless supply of stroopwaffles, and it’s fairly safe to assume that your children
will come home at least 15 pounds heavier. Try not to point and laugh when he or she gets off the plane.
In conclusion, WE LOVE THE NETHERLANDS!
Dutch for the day: I’d like to withdraw money = Ik wil graag geld afhalen.
What time does it open? = Hoe laat gaat het open?
I love you. = Ik hoy van je.
Afsheid!