For the first time in my life, I visited a city named Arnhem. What I had was 2 weeks of time, nice looking workplace and a house perfect for living. I met many people here and organized a thought or two about my memory of this place. And the time I was granted was peaceful, comforting and relaxing for healthy thinking.

Arnhem is a perfect location and a great work environment. The area is not necessarily located in the center of Europe, but it is convenient to travel to some major cities around the continent. Paris, London, Berlin, Basel and more are only four hours away on train ride. Plus here, there are about 600 or more spaces ready for artists, If one is eager and passionate, he or she will be able to meet with many other artists. In addition, it doesn't require a lot of money to live here.

There are some people who left me an impression. They were often kind, sometimes hard to deal with, and few grew on me: The endless line of cyclists; Turkish bakery that used to lure me in with its sweet smelling pastries; the cold cashier waiting to go home; the old couple from the small jewelry store with history; the lady with the seductive eyes who recommended me the fruity Spanish wine; the artist who was leaving his spacious house and work place behind in two months; two old ladies drinking milk on the train; the old woman riding the bicycle with so much energy and the confident young girl cycling with a short shirt on. The DJ living with a cute cat, his lover with a beautiful voice, the delayed train, unfriendly conductor…

I met them and I got to know them. Netherlands is a land made by people, and here I found beautiful nature, could meet those who became one with the land and they glowed, as they lived their daily lives. If I had another chance, I would gladly come back and live here.


By Jang Woosuk