John Loves Amsterdam

2009-03-23 · John · watch on YouTube · Personal life · personal update

Back from a week touring Holland with authors Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger, John tells Hank how much he loves the Netherlands (bitterballen, chocolate-sprinkle bread), recaps the Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering, and jokingly urges Dutch readers to buy Paper Towns in Dutch.

What is said

00:00:34 — Week touring Holland with two American authors; why John loves the Netherlands; bitterballen; the chocolate-sprinkle bread he names 'Hakkenslaken'

• ★★★ John has just come home from a week touring Holland with two other American authors, Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger, and says it was fun. — 00:00:39 · Netherlands
• ★★ John says he loves the Netherlands: its public transportation, nice teachers' lounges in public schools, daring architecture and cafes serving bitterballen. (playful) — 00:00:45 · Netherlands
• ★ John describes a Dutch delicacy of white bread, butter and chocolate sprinkles, admitting he pretty much made up its name (heard as 'Hakkenslaken'). (playful) — 00:01:06

00:01:34 — Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering: 100+ Nerdfighters, John failing to read in Dutch, wooden shoes, bitter-balls chant, Hank's song sung in a bar, 'David After Dentist' quote

• ★★★ On Thursday night more than 100 Nerdfighters gathered in Amsterdam for an evening of fun, including John failing to read in Dutch. — 00:01:34 · Amsterdam, Nerdfighteria
• ★★ John tells Hank that people sang a song Hank wrote in a bar in Amsterdam. — 00:02:22 · Accio Deathly Hallows, Amsterdam

00:02:31 — Journalist finds Paper Towns funnier in Dutch; buy the Dutch edition so Lemniscaat brings John back; Peeps on Tuesday; sign-off

• ★★ A Dutch journalist told John she had read Paper Towns in English and Dutch and found the Dutch version much better, because it was funnier. — 00:02:30 · Paper Towns
• ★★ John urges Nerdfighters who read Dutch to buy Paper Towns in Dutch so his publisher Lemniscaat brings him back to Holland for more bitterballen. (playful) — 00:02:46 · Paper Towns, Nerdfighteria
• ★★ John says he will talk to Hank about the Peeps-eating situation on Tuesday. — 00:03:01 · Peeps

Humor (significant)

• John wishes Hank had taste-o-vision to know what bitterballen are like. — 00:00:58 > «mix meat and hope and then fry it.»
• John announces a new Dutch delicacy by name. — 00:01:06 > «By the way I pretty much made up the name»
• Praising the chocolate-sprinkle bread, John cites 'the poet' and quotes a pop song. — 00:01:29 > «Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth»
• A Dutch journalist says Paper Towns was much better in Dutch; John asks why. — 00:02:40 > «and she said "much funnier"»

Threads in this video

• kept · John: make an Amsterdam video by the end of the week (2009) — John makes his video about the Netherlands trip, telling Hank about it. (00:00:34)
• tell · John's week touring the Netherlands with Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger (2009) — John recounts his week touring Holland with Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger, the Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering and a Dutch journalist's view of Paper Towns. (00:00:39)
• origin · John's made-up name 'Hakkenslaken' for Dutch chocolate-sprinkle bread (2009) — John coins a made-up name (heard 'Hakkenslaken') for Dutch bread with butter and chocolate sprinkles. (00:01:09)
• open · John asks Dutch-reading Nerdfighters to buy Paper Towns in Dutch (2009) — John asks Nerdfighters who read Dutch to buy Paper Towns in Dutch so Lemniscaat brings him back to Holland. (00:02:46)

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