DELTA. 26 22-09-2011
international students
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Rocking 'n rolling in Delft Up for shaking a leg or two to some good old fashioned rock ‘n roll music? A new club at TU Delft offers everyone the chance to learn to dance like rocker. SWATHI KRISHNA Inspired by their passion for rock’n roll dance, two PhD candidates from 3ME faculty, Andrea Simonetto and Helene Clogenson, recently started the Rock’n Delft (RnD) association, which provides informal dance courses at the university, where you not only can learn some moves but also meet new people. “RnD is as much about dancing as meeting friends and having a good time together,” says Simonetto, who is from Italy. Simonetto and Clogenson offer classes in rock ‘n roll dance every Sunday at the TU’s Culture Centre, from 20:00 to 22:00. Clogenson, a Frenchwoman and the president of the association, explains: “We’ve been teaching in Delft for one year now. We aren’t professional dancers but rather experienced volunteers. I taught a class in a very similar way during my two year stay in Norway.” Simonetto, who is also the secre-
tary of RnD, adds that students who become experienced eventually help them during the classes. And there is no entrance fee to attend these sessions. RnD also adds more color to the social life in Delft by organizing a dancing event at De Ruif on every third Thursday of the month. The evening of socializing, drinks and dancing starts at 22:00. Over the past months RnD has had lots of positive feedback, with Clogenson noting that they are now more involved in the university’s cultural
'One does not need to already have a dancing partner’ scene and more than 100 people on their Facebook page interested in their activities. They also gave a demo and a workshop at the summer festival. Many students who heard about RnD said that even though they were interested in taking the classes, they did not have a partner to join with. Luca de Frate, an Italian PhD student at the TPM faculty and an RnD member, is quick to clarify that “one does not need to already have a dancing partner, because Andrea and Helene will make sure that everyone dances with everyone else, allowing them to share
impressions and receive feedback.” Students who have attended the RnD classes are full of praise for their teachers. Barbara Venica, a member who is also from Italy, says: “We like how Andrea and Helene explain the moves: they start from the very basic steps and build up gradually. Thus, one starts dancing from the very first lesson, which is fun.” But is rock’n roll dance really popular in the TU Delft’s multi-ethnic environment? Anil Km, an Indian PhD student, is one non-Weseren keen to learn this dance form. “That’s something I wanted to try but never really got to it,” he says. “So I’m glad to hear about this association.” Meanwhile, Tungky Subroto, an Indonesian PhD student, admits that he has “never danced before RnD, but at least I’m able to do so now. Thanks to the instructors who made the moves so easy to learn.” Roman Latsuzbaia, a Georgian PhD student, adds: “I like rock n roll dance, as it’s very alive and fast, and you can learn to do a lot of difficult moves in a very short time. The teachers are really great, so I’d suggest everybody who wants to have fun should join the classes.” So there go, a new club in town people! Now don your dancing shoes and put your best foot forward.
info@rockndelft.nl rockndelft.nl
Rocking n’ rolling during an RnD dance class. (Photo: courtesy of RnD)
Rock’n Delft’s next event is on 23 September at the Culture Centre, starting at 21:00: a prelude dance party to the new beginner’s class, featuring a live band, Vezpa. Those interested in joining the party and possibly also the classes are most welcome to attend.
what's cooking
(Text/Photo: Pat Hong)
Korean ‘Bibimbap’ For those who love rice dishes, you definitely shouldn’t miss ‘Bibimbap’ -a signature Korean dish. ‘Bibimbap’, which literary means ‘mixed meal’ in Korean, used to be a royal court dish of the Joseon Dynasty. It was also one of the tributes for the Chinese Emperor because of its rare ingredients. Served with steamed white rice and topped with a variety of seasoned vegetables (mushrooms, spinach, fern stems, and sprouts), red chili pepper sauce, raw egg, and sliced meat (chicken, seafood, or beef), the bundle of colors in ‘Bibimbap’ creates a nice visual touch to the eyes. To enjoy ‘Bibimbap’ properly, you have to mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. “The dish is special because it captures traditional Korean food culture in a single bowl. The simple naked arrangement and layers of its basic ingredients creates a sense of curiosity,” says Vitto from South Korea. A famous variation of this dish, called ‘dolsot bibimbap’, is served in a very hot stone bowl coated with sesame oil. When the rice touches the bowl with a sizzling sound, a crispy, golden brown layer is formed. And, it’s not just an ordinary layer of crispy rice but rather a symbol of love. It is a Korean tradition that when a couple eats ‘Bibimbap’ together, the man has to help his girlfriend stir the ingredients. If his girlfriend can’t finish the dish, the man has to eat the remaining food to represent the love of his girlfriend. In Korean households, ‘Bibimbab’ is frequently prepared from steamed rice, vegetables, and meat in very simple ways. “Basically, you can mix just about everything,” says Kay, also from South Korea. “The ‘mixing-together’ concept actually represents the concept of the Korean society.” Kay recalls her childhood years when her dad used to make ‘Bibimbab’ for her and her brother. “He would dig out all the dishes in the refrigerator and then mixed them together with rice in a single, large pot,’ she says. “The only thing we needed was three spoons! It was not just a ‘Bibimbab’, it is a memory of the wonderful with my family, which I can never forget.” For those who’d like to mix your own ‘Bibimbap’ and perhaps share it with your girl (or boy) friend, just go to www.delta.tudelft.nl for the online version of this article and follow the simple step-by-step instructions. And remember to mix thoroughly before you eat!
lei li
B-side story After a 3-month assignment in Geneva, my BCG consultant friend Baastian finally came back to Holland for a short stay. The first day he arrived, he called me for a catch up dinner. We decided to go to the restaurant where we used to hang out a lot during our student days. Of course it’s not like I was still expecting a baseball cap, sweater and Converse sneakers kind of guy, but Baastian’s makeover was somehow too radical that I almost missed him when I passed by his table. He was wearing a dark gray suit with a light blue shirt underneath. The strong colour contrast brought out all the sharp edges. As little as I knew about fashion, I could still tell this high quality fabric must be a designer piece. The metallic silver watch, which was vaguely visible underneath the shirt, must also cost a fortune. However, as soon as he stood up to give me his trademark big hug, I knew immediately he was still the Baastian I had known. To be honest, before I went off to meet Baastian, I was a bit concerned that our dinner would turn into a storytelling and photo
sharing session. As much as I love hearing stories from people going to faraway places, it can only go on for so long before it starts to lose its glamour. Therefore, instead of asking ‘how was your life abroad’, I purposefully started our conversation with ‘did you miss here’. ‘Yes, a lot,’ said Baastian, honestly. Noticing a slight surprise on my face, he explained to me that the first half year of his job was amazing in every single way you could think of. But it didn’t take that long before he realised London, Geneva or Chicago started to make no difference, as the life pattern stayed the same: arriving, working hard from morning til late at night, hanging out with other expats at ‘expat exclusive’ bars, going back to hotel, moving on to next destination. In the end, Baastian confessed to me that at this moment all he wanted was to stay grounded, to stay home. I still remember how one year ago everybody thought Baastian had landed the perfect job – a competitive salary package with a company car, free travel, substantial international experience
– which I believe is something that most young grads would still crave for. Not saying this kind of job isn’t appealing any more, but there is another side to the story that many of us hardly ever hear. Having a job that has you traveling around the world makes for popular Facebook status updates and pretty photo albums, but is it truly as glamorous as it seems? When traveling around turns into jetting around, hotels become your home and racking up airline miles becomes a hobby, shouldn’t we give it a second thought before plunging into such a life? Lei Li, from Shanghai, China, is recent MSc graduate in science communication. She can be contacted at: LeiLivanShanghai@ gmail.com