{"id":180246,"date":"2025-06-25T17:05:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=180246"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:52","slug":"hendrik-ido-ambacht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/06\/25\/hendrik-ido-ambacht\/","title":{"rendered":"Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Happy Italy in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht is a kind of brick barn in a remote field. On the way there, I sit in the back seat of a Toyota Starlet next to some blocks of firewood with folded legs. Relieved, I leave the car after a very painful ride. The driver laughes at me as we walk towards the entrance. I know him and another guy who has yet to show up from the student association we never go to. A failed attempt to make our university life a little more exciting.<\/p>

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>, \t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLevien Willemse<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Once at the table, I think out loud about why on earth we agreed to eat here. The driver notes that there are only families here and orders a radler with two per cent alcohol, despite having to drive. I call him a daring twenty-something. The evening\u2019s organizer arrives with a big smile. He asks what the Starlet costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat car belonged to my brother. I spent something like 200 euros on parts to fix it, which of course is nothing for a whole car.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh right. I believe you. Fair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Against my better judgment, I order the pizza cheeseburger. The organizer orders a pizza prosciutto. A children\u2019s party races past us toward the ball pit. At the table next to us, a mother and son sit staring at their phones eating pasta without saying a word to each other.<\/p>\n

My pizza is disgusting. Next to me, I see the organiser scraping the ham, arugula, and Parmesan cheese off his pizza. As he eats a bare piece, I ask him why.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought this was a different kind of pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you could have seen it on the menu.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, touch\u00e9. Fair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Afterwards, we drive toward the pool center. The pizza-surgeon speeds off in front of us and drives over a speed bump at way too high a speed. After he barely slows down at a roundabout we lose sight of him. When we take the same exit we see him waiting for us by standing still on the road with hazard lights on.<\/p>\n

While playing pool the reckless driver and I play against each other. Every time it is my turn, he says, \u201cOnno, your turn.\u201d I tell them that I have finished my thesis and am therefore as good as finished with my studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe you. Fair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we drive back to Rotterdam, the driver starts swerving to imitate the driving style of our fellow association member. Out of nowhere, a police car appears behind us and gives the stop signal. The driver has to do a breath alcohol test. Fortunately, the measured amount of alcohol is not too high. The officers give us a warning for now. Before walking back to the car, one of them looks at us intensely: \u201cWhat are you doing in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t