Skip to content

John Loves Amsterdam

2009-03-22 · letter vlog · John · 3:07 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life (also: Nerdfighteria, Books & writing) · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, community lore, self promotion

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

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Cold open at the Amsterdam sign; Dutch crowd and puppet say good morning to Hank

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
  • ★★ 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
  • ★ 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 · Amsterdam
  • ★★ 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

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

  • ★★ 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

In the description and comments

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

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Amsterdam · Netherlands · Paper Towns

Also: People: Jordan Sonnenblick · Steve Kluger

Works: Accio Deathly Hallows · David After Dentist · Heaven Is a Place on Earth

Organizations: Lemniscaat

Terms: made of awesome

Products: Peeps

animal: Willy

Only in the description or credits: Best Wishes from NL · Nerdfighter Ning · Ningmaster Tom

Also centred on Netherlands: Brotherhood 2.0: May 18: How to Write a Book Proposal · Brotherhood 2.0: May 24: How to Happy Dance

← Previous: Dr. Manhattan's Dangle and Brain Crack · Next → Peeps! Prom! Puppy!