nederland – Esoteric

Warning: All activities performed on this day were executed by professionals. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. No, I’m just kidding, all activities were performed by just average students and average staff members of the HAN, so feel free to join in during the next ABS athletics event!!

After reading the title you may be thinking to yourself that this may be a bit exaggerated, but do NOT kid yourself, it is NOT. I believe the title is well fitting for the occasion and the accomplishment by not only us the students, but also by members of the faculty of the ABS.

On Sunday April 22^nd 2018, 4 students (Tolke Plieth, Melanie Schafer, Man-kit Lee & Riegmar Valies) and 2 faculty members of the ABS (Niek van Hees & Thijs van den Broek), participated in a mini triathlon right here in Arnhem. This triathlon consisted of 3 activities which were; swimming, cycling and running (in that exact order). For us, the students, this was our first time participating in a triathlon but we were ready!!! Luckily for us though, Niek & Thijs had prior experience and were able to give us some really good tips and tricks.

Sunday morning we all rounded up at the triathlon location, me at 8:26 a.m, some 8:37 a.m and others maybe a few minutes before 9. Hahaha, who’s keeping record? The point is, we all agreed to meet up at the location before 9 o’clock so that we could register the teams and get our respective participation numbers. After registering, we went up to put our bikes in the stalls and sit at the pool-side observing the earlier competitors category as we waited for our start-time. So yes, we were basically there 2 hours in advance. All I could think on was, “man, I could’ve slept a bit longer!”. Lol. But we were there, the weather was beautiful and the vibes were just right. We were all nervous but excited at the same time as we watched the clock countdown and we saw team after team dive into the pool and began their turn.

First team to begin was Niek & Thijs, which was quite good because we got the extra boost seeing them push through their laps in the pool. Despite us wanting to beat their time and show them that the students are here to win, we still supported each other and shouted words of encouragement as they made their laps. At one point Thijs was even able to take a pose mid-swimming, which was quite cool. Hahahaha. When they finished and went on to the next activity, it was about time for team 2 (Tolke & Melanie) to head out, followed by team 3 (Mankit & I). IT WAS ON!!!!

Before the real race challenge started no one mentioned the pre-challenge, which was getting into that pool filled with cold water!! They measured it at 21.5 degrees celcius but WOW, it was COLD!! COLDD!! At least up until the point when we began to actually swim, then it becomes quite soothing. The real challenge began which was indeed a challenge. If you’re not a frequent swimmer, the resistance lap after lap takes a toll on your arms, shoulders and legs. Talk about having spaghetti arms. Right after completing such a challenge and you feel the relief, it lasts only a few minutes. Those few minutes is the time you have to get to your bicycle, change and head out on the cycling challenge. Just as the body was put to work during swimming, it was put to work overtime to cycle and then double overtime for the final stretch which was running. I won’t even lie to you, it was definitely exhausting. The best part of it all was after all that swimming, cycling and running, nothing was more pleasurable at that moment than crossing the finish line. The triathlon was over…..we made it……..WE ACCOMPLISHED!

To be honest, this was definitely a worthwhile experience. I recommend all students to take the opportunity if they have a chance. I will be joining ABS athletics for another event.

I would like to thank the Arnhem Business School for the opportunity to participate in this triathlon. I would like to specifically thank Niek van Hees & Thijs van den Broek for their support through the process before and during the triathlon. I would definitely like to send a huge thanks to Niek Wessels who assisted with getting the team ready and organizing the team for the triathlon. Also a thank you to our amazing supporters and photographers: Jair Frank & Dasha Surovtseva.

Before you begin the process of taking in the words your eyes will read, I want you to focus your mind letting the words take you on a journey…..for some, maybe even a memory of a regular experience.

I do get that in “the city life” time is very crucial and most of your life revolves around that, BUT that’s really no excuse why you can’t slow down every so often.

There’s a combination of words that my ears have sadly gotten used to NOT hearing…….

EXCUSE ME!

Yes, that’s not something I hear quite often, and just in case you want to play smart or cute, you can add the words “PARDON and SORRY” to that list.

Those words are words that I don’t hear quite often, as a matter of fact, those are words that I almost NEVER hear. All I hear is….actually, I don’t hear anything. But despite the absence of words, I do feel that someone wants to pass. I feel it with bumps & pushes, and feel it when someone squeezes or forces themselves to pass by me or between me and someone else.

Now, I know there may be some of you thinking, “oh you must be standing in the way”. So let me just clarify the reality for you and tell you this, “as long as you’re standing, you’re always in the way, even when you’re not”.

BIG CITY LIFE is what they call it.

I find myself living in it for quite some time now, but for some reason I can’t adapt, I maybe even REFUSE to adapt to that extent where I lose the manners my mother spent years of TIME instilling it in me.

You know what, let’s use an example: Just think of a train pulling up to the platform and doors open up, you’d think logical and most efficient, not forgetting mannered way to go about the transfer is for those in the train to be allowed to step out first right? In the real world that is the case (or maybe in the fantasy world), but in this city life, clearly everyone seems to act like chickens without heads. There seems to be a lack of logic in this city life I’m sensing, maybe the lack of time to process logic is too short……? When the train pulls up and doors open, all a person is trying to do it get out of the train, so why not just wait on the side so someone can exit? YES, just as they want to get off you want to get on, but where will you go if there is no space on the train? But noooooooo, it seems as though that’s asking for too much. As the train pulls up it’s as though everyone goes into some form of predator-mode. The predators are hungry and the train is finally bringing food and water after weeks of starvation. NO! That’s not the case, so why can’t people take a few seconds of their time and act civilized? Trains, metros, trams, busses, all the same. You know what’s even more scary, the uncivilized rush and lack of manners isn’t only limited to public transport? Sorry if I made it seem as though that is the only time people express their lack of manners. I mean, where do I even CONTINUE to burn this “city life”?

Take a walk with me off of the public transport. Let’s take a tour in the city with your imagination. Walking streets is another mess, it’s another uncivilized environment. People seem to have absolutely no consideration whatsoever, it’s a free-for-all. Sometimes it feels as though I’m in a car tumbling down a cliff, I’m being maneuvered beyond my will, left, right, forward, all because people don’t want to say the words “EXCUSE ME”.

But you know, apart from that all, the thing that bothers me most of the BIG CITY LIFE is people’s ability to mind their own business when they shouldn’t! Hahaha, I’m sure you’re thinking if minding your own business isn’t supposed to be a good thing. Well, no, not in cases when your help is needed. Yes assholes, quite often your help can be quite helpful. How about times when you’re comfortably in a seat and an elderly person comes in and the public transport is full, just maybe it may be helpful to offer the seat! What about when a mother is struggling with her baby and stroller to get it in or out of public transport, maybe it would be helpful to help! What about when someone falls, whether because the floor is iced over, falling off of a bicycle or just loses their stability. In many cases, just maybe it would be helpful to help!

Just maybe if people weren’t always in such a rush to go nowhere they would have a spare minute just to be helpful, just to be mannered!

Tag: nederland

The HAN-Stoppables

Big City Rush

My Words