space

The surrounding area of Rotterdam's cluster of museums has changed significantly since my last visit roughly two years ago. They added this massive open space with colourful lines decorating the floor where skaters gather to hang out and do what skaters do best: skating.

I stayed from 17:00 till 18:00 in this public space. I initially sat down on the benches to the side. There was loud music playing next to me from a stereo somebody brought along. Music with a heavy bass. The language I spotted was very informal and I have yet to see a single older adult. The average age of the people hanging around here is between 20-30 I estimate.

I eventually moved further into the park behind to camp on a stone bench facing the square to get away from the loud music. Common greetings involve "Yooo!" and "Heeey!”.
Every now and then you can also hear someone shouting in the distance. With informal language comes swearing as well. I heard the word "fuck" being used in several different contexts. I even heard the n-word. These conversations are mostly about their daily lives or about their friends. They keep each other up-to-date about their most recent social activities. One of the chats brought up the current conflict between the government and the skaters. The square is not permanent. The government wishes to renovate the space once the museum opens but the people are not ready to give up this space they have created. I imagine they are proud of the vibe they have created here and do not wish to lose this part of their lives.

Immediately after moving to the park I noticed that the missing elderly are residing here instead while the young skaters and dancers stay inside the square. Not everyone skates. It appears to be a place to meet up with your friends during your spare time. Though the park behind this square is absolutely huge as well in fact. There are obvious picnic spaces with large open fields of maintained grass and hedges along with benches. Yet none of the skaters decided to relax inside the park. Not even to wind down from their physical endeavours. The folks I observed here thus create a strong contrast. They are not loud and appear to be more formally dressed instead of the sloppy shirts paired with backwards caps I saw before.

The air is quite nice. Likely because this square is right next to a large park after all. It is not that crowded. Contrary to my expectations, the place does not smell like people at all. It is near empty during the mornings I heard. The square becomes busier as soon as people come back from work or school. I counted less than 50 people here at the time. Unfortunately, the smell of marijuana started surfacing later on. This smell came from the benches to the side.

I wonder if these people come here often. I am not sure which other skating sites are available within Rotterdam. It does not necessarily need to be a place specifically made for skaters now that I think about it. I expected more slopes or other environmental obstacles but the whole square is one flat floor. That suggests these people simply made this place their own indeed. The highest density of people seems to be around the benches. The same benches where they placed down that stereo I fled from. I felt out of place there so I left. Why have they chosen this space in particular? Why not? Nobody bothers them here. Nobody will tell them to leave. Anyone is allowed to come here and stay as long as they want. At least for the time being.

I have not been approached at all during my time here. I also do not look like I should be here to be honest. I am not dressed like these people nor am I carrying a skateboard around. People just do their own thing but this will no longer be a possibility anymore soon. This observation is quite temporary in that regard. We witness a space and vibe that will be gone in the future.

1. This photograph was taken in the middle of Rotterdam. While windmills are inherently not only Dutch, they are a stereotype after all and I don't recall ever having seen one in another country. It instantly signals me with the message that hey, you're in the Netherlands, and this is the country where you've been born and raised!

2. These little snacks are called たこ焼き (Takoyaki). They are street food snacks filled with little bits of octopus. Even though I was born and raised in the Netherlands, it is not where my heritage comes from. Japanese food used to be not very popular when I was still a child. I've seen it rise in popularity as I grew older and older. Back then, it was impossible to find popular snacks like these unless you were on the streets of Japan itself. To see Takoyaki come to a local store near me meant a lot to me.

3. The last photo is a purely aesthetic choice. I surprisingly found this in a market nearby. I'm originally an illustrator and concept artist specifically drawn towards darker themes. One theme of design, which I often display in profile pictures and icons, are animal skulls. It has become this item that friends and peers sort of associate with me and I can see why. By now, when I look at these kind of skulls, I feel a sense of "me". Like it is a part of me.