by Jeremy Quinton
Home >> The Windmill that had no wind
The De Otter windmill cut wood to build the Dutch ships that sailed around the world, and to build the thousands of houses needed as the city’s population grew. At this time, the Netherlands was a superpower – together with Spain – with one of the strongest economies & armadas in the world.
De Otter kept working for many years, until a moment when the city had expanded so much around it that wind could no longer reach its sails. And so as the amount of wind that powered the mill continued to decrease, the sails turned slower and slower…generating less energy, and completing less work.
These days, the “window of space” through which the wind can pass is almost closed. The density and height of the buildings that surround it mean that even the direction of the wind has changed, and is unpredictable too, blowing in gusts.
In short, De Otter doesn’t work like it used to.
The future? Pressure is mounting to build more high-rise offices and flats in the area, so that would mean even less wind to power the sails.
But as one of the city’s most important examples of industrial heritage, there are plans to ensure that it continues to work as it did in the past. Or to move it to a new location where a good supply of wind is guaranteed!
I’d never heard of De Otter until last week. It was a story that I enjoyed in itself, particularly for its irony. But it also made me think, believe it or not, of a problem that many of us encounter as students from time to time when we learn a language…perhaps especially now, around this time of year.
Any idea what?
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2008-04-17 10:00:00 +0200
Copyright (C) ITT (http://www.itt.es) and Planet Lingua (http://www.lingua.es)
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Perhaps they could rebuild ‘De Otter’ on the top of one of the surrounding buildings. That way it could symbolize that nature’s forces are always with us and that if we rise to the challenge, we can always find them and use them.
Hello, everybody,
I think that this story is a few sad. Things became older and they aren’t more useful. Things that people have built with a lot of work and a lot of interest, finish these days not valuable and forgotten.
We have to do a effort in conservation of old buildings and old engineering works, like cars, boats, etc… I think that it is a good way of learning. If they are still useful, much better.
Conchi Calvo
Hi Conchi & Dónal,
I agree with what you say there Conchi – for me too there’s a something a bit sad in the story. The mill used to be so important and now…
Your solution Dónal is great – surely it would become the world’s first “high-rise windmill”...and that in itself would be a potentially major tourist attraction. And the mill would still work!
...
On reading the article, I was reminded of an old American folk song which lamented the closing down of the local mill, the disappearance of the way of life that went with it and its effect on the local village.
The mill has shut down, the only life I know
Tell me what will I do? Where will I go?
I’m too old to change and I’m too young to die.
Tell me what will become of my old wife and I?
There’s no children at all in the quiet empty street.
Since the mill has closed down, it’s so quiet I can’t sleep.
And the only sound I hear is the sound of the wind
As it blows through the town, weave and spin, weave and spin.
From Aragon Mill by Si Kahn
How about building a system inside the mill where people can make it at least look like it’s working? I am picturing the scene at the beginning of ‘Conan the Barbarian’ where Conan grows up pushing the mill, thus becoming a very strong man. People could use it as a fitness machine.
Hi Joe, Paola and all…
The song you quote Joe seems to highlight the problems (or “opportunity”?!!) of facing change at an unexpected time in one’s life. (Why’s the song entitled “Aragon Mill” I wonder?...)
Paula’s suggestion I like too – but how many people, in these times of “techno-gyms” would be willing to push a simple old windmill? The Dutch seem to be, on the whole, a creative and open-minded bunch, so who knows…coupled with Dónal’s suggestion higher up on this page…the world’s first “high-rise gym-in-a-windmill” would, no doubt, be rather original to say the least!
Hi all…
At the end of the text there was a question…to which a student has responded as follows…
“When we learn a new language we try to learn the correct and formal form, but after that, we learn the coloquial one and we forget the formal form because we always use the sencond alternative. It happens with the buildings, when we visit a new city we always want to see the old part with its old roads and buildings, but then for example we move to this city and we forget that the old cities need carfefull too.”
I’ve added it as I thought it was interesting!
Hello again!
Why did the story make me think of learning languages?
—-Because I’ve noticed from my own experience as student & teacher that we often surround ourselves with study methods, routines and practices that don’t actually help us learn easily or effectively.
Like the windmill…we still “operate” but there are times when not much wind reaches our sails!And then we slow down…lose motivation…lose interest and…sometimes (and logically!) stop!
Solution? Eliminate the ineffective things that don’t help much.Focus on the key things – the things which are priorities and/ or particularly rewarding & enjoyable. That’s just one of many possibilities, of course.
Any other solutions out there that anyone reading can think of? :o)