Orange, Orange, Orange

Queens Day, by all means EPIC.

April 30th commemorates the birthday of the former Queen of the Netherlands, Beatrix, and for some reason it also provides justification for a national holiday with: minimal governmental regulation (thereby allowing anybody to sell virtually anything anywhere--minus drugs and things of the like), endless boats streaming through the canals, unprompted dancing in the streets (no exaggeration), and every shade of orange you can imagine to be worn, held, and shown.

The day technically starts the night before under the heading of Queen's Night. That night actually happened to be a (Dutch) friend's birthday, so we headed over to his place (quite late, even for my standards) where the festivities began. Afterward we took to the streets which were bombarded with people drinking and generally gallivanting, all in the name of the Queen of course.
I ran into the Spanish who had conveniently positioned themselves along a major canal so that they were easy to spot (though they generally are, being that the girls are all 5 feet, tiny, and in the state of constant dance and the men always happen to be laughing for no particular reason). Meeting them was the highlight of the night (they're such fun people, I highly recommend a Spanish posse--though one that you only see occasionally, they'll run you down with their stamina for dance, alcohol, and general merriment).

The next day we headed to the boat, at 11 in the morning! It may not seem like much of a task but after the night before, it wasn't exactly easy. Also, drinking early isn't all that appealing. However, the boat was the best idea! Again, it was a boat usurped by the Spanish for which all the non-Spanish were grateful. We were easily one of the loudest boats to pass through the canals but b/c of the theme of the day, it only seemed fitting.

After the boat we ended up at Angela's (another friend, actually a coach) apartment where a dance party spontaneously occurred and news of the current Queen's assassination attempt hit. The information caused a few waves (and shivers) but not serious or long enough to prevent us from continuing. We left Angela's in the direction of Museumplein (where some of the biggest festivities were occurring) only to be distracted by another impromptu dance party, this time in the street. That was probably the highlight of that day--the unfiltered excitement in the streets was amazing! Once we headed towards Museumplein we got caught in the worst human traffic I've ever been a part of (sardines, literally sardines). Once we made it out of there we ended up in Vondelpark (again, still not at Museumplein), crashing onto the grass to regain some semblance of energy.

By the time we got to Museumplein, the day's activities had come to a close. Apparently the Queen's assassination attempt had put a hold on the rest of the planned events (Tiesto finished much earlier than expected). It was not a big deal though, the day had been long enough.

Schiermonnikoog

Like most places in the world, the Netherlands is home to several booming cities (in addition to neighboring towns and sleepy distant provinces) and a few vacation islands. Schiermonnikoog is one of them and to many natives it's considered the less interesting one, but to everyone else it's the overabundant mud haven which is impossible to pronounce. The trip was arranged through CIEE and intended to be a sort of a camp/country outing. To get to Schiermonnikoog you must first get to Groningen (the other Dutch city we went to about a month ago) and then take a ferry--it's a schelp is what I'm trying to say.

Once we got off the boat, we got our bikes and we literally rode off into the sunset along the greenest fields I have ever seen. Along one side were whitewashed stones and sea and on the other were hills of green. Our destination was a cabin situated on one of the quiet streets of the town. There was a kitchen and eating area and several rooms stocked with bunk beds--camp like every cliche. In true camp fashion we stayed up late playing some silly game until we trudged our bodies to bed, setting our alarms for 5:00 AM to wake up to do some mud-walking (pictures on facebook). I had bought cheap boots for the occasion for which I praised myself, only to find that the mud was stronger than my intution. There were moments I couldn't move without falling deeper into my semi-soft, but always threatening, dirt surroundings (at which point the early morning "breeze" was a hell of a bonus). When I finally un-submerged my feet from the treacherous, all-consuming mud, I took a look around where we were: miles of uncovered, low tide--with the sun just slightly hovering above. I never thought mud could be so picturesque.

After the mud walking we rode around Schiermonnikoog, through the trails in the forest, along the various green fields, and by the beach. It epitomized "scenic." That same night we had a bonfire on the beach where many of the boys showed off their boyscouting abilities in building a fire. Like I said, camp.

And by that I mean Wonderful!

Haarlem (of the Dutch Variety) and Spanish Weekend

So instead of going to Berlin, I spent a day in Haarlem, which is a town/city right outside of Amsterdam. It's a worthy destination! Quaint and charming, bustling with markets and bicycles (as anywhere in the Netherlands), Haarlem is a far cry from its NYC counterpart. I was walking through one of the outdoor markets when I sat down on an antique bench to soak up some sun. Just then I turned, realizing the stream of Dutch I heard was being directed at me. The man from whom the words came had bulbous nose, a hearing aid, and clutched his cane even when sitting. When he realized I didn't speak Dutch, he switched to English and regaled me on the state of various American social policies (i.e. "40 million Americans have no insurance!") and his family. Apparently his wife very much liked her visit to NY and his daughter lives in Melbourne. His last words to me were, "If you get married, you can stay here," as he thrust his body onto his cane to lifted himself off the bench. His wife passed by, she seemed somewhat younger and more spritely, but I'm sure he was a charmer back in the day.

The rest of the weekend I spent with the Spanish (you can check Facebook for identification, the names give it away). We went to Pata Negra, a "Spanish, Spanish restaurant" my friends informed me when they realized that everyone who worked there was actually a native of their homeland, much to their surprise. We had a pitcher of Sangria (somewhat different and more expensive than at Pio Pio's, but I still relished it) and a couple of typical Spanish dishes (the Spanish put their seal of approval on the meal-->worthwhile!). Later that night we went to Melkweg ("Milky Way") where we spent most of our time in the reggaeton section. There was a Dutch boy from the South who caught my eye (also on Facebook) and the only reason I mention him (if you couldn't tell, I've been avoiduing those topics in most of my posts) is b/c he reminded me of home, lol. He was putting on the whole arrogant, laidback attitude and I have to say I was into it, delivering my bitch routine to his jackass act.
At one point I said, "You're a real asshole, you know that?"

To which he responded, "Yeah, but I'm sweet after sex,"

"Hmmm," I said, "well I want someone sweet before and after."
It was pretty entertaining and a memorable soundbite. (Nothing happened, he asked to go home with me, I told him to go home to the South).

In short, great weekend!

End of Mama's Visit/Joyce's Arrival

By the weekend I had convinced my mother out of going to Belgium (I have no idea why she was so set on it to begin with) and so we continued to explore Amsterdam. I managed to avoid most of the places which I had the sneaking suspicion she wouldn't appreciate seeing, though we did stop by the Red Light District (she was more amused than I thought she would be!). She really enjoyed the city (of course, who wouldn't?!) and I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to see her and show her where I live. The stress of the situation mounted on Tuesday when: a) I had class all day; b) a hair appointment; and c) Joyce's arrival to Amsterdam. Everything more or less fell into place (albeit not without some tension). By the night I needed some relief so I took Joyce to the Borrel. Considering the frequency with which I attend Borrel, I didn't expect how excited I would be to go this last time--I was more stressed than I thought! I introduced Joyce to everyone, throwing her into conversations (and people) with the kind of grace I'm known for when introducing people (It's an aristocratic quality really). The next day I had work which forced me to send Joyce off on her own and leave my mom to her own devices on her last (half) day in Amsterdam. When I was finished work I changed into a dress my mother would deem last-day-in-Amsterdam-worthy and jetted over to see her before she left. Our goodbyes were sweet and capped off the experience well. Right afterwards I meet with Joyce and we spent the rest of the day going between various locations and running into people (which expressed another pleasant quality of Amsterdam's size and character). I don't think I was as a good a tour guide to Joyce as I could've been, but I did my best! It was the first time I spoke to someone in person about school and life (from home) in months!

The weekend of the 17th (which would've been the day Joyce left) I was supposed to go to Berlin, but I didn't (tickets sold out) and I think it was for the best. Could you imagine hopping on a bus and crusading around a city after two weeks of touring, walking, and sightseeing??

Guess Who's Coming (and paying) for Dinner

I'm writing this from a communal computer in the back of the lobby of the Pulitizer Hotel where my mother (and by invitation, moi) is staying. Fueled by guilt by my blogger neglience (and the fear of being charged), I write with speed.

Wednesday at 6:00 AM I awake to a phone call from my father who asks if I've met my mother yet, realizing the time, I come to the conclusion that I missed my alarm which would've sent me on my way to meeting her upon her arrival to Amsterdam. I set off on my bike instead to her hotel, the sun taking as slow a start as I have. I arrive almost at the same time as she does, haphazarding locking bike as she gets out of her cab to greet me as I hand her tulips. That day the weather proved to be temperamental and unpleasant, my mother's yellow umbrella appearing more handy than just cute. We went to the Anne Frank House (which I enjoyed more than I thought I would), took a boat tour and went to two musuems (the Van Gogh and the Rijks).

The next day was the former day's guilt-ridden counterpart, compensating for the troublesome weather with an almost overzealous stream of sunlight. My mother, though almost always a fan of outdoor seating, opted for a shaded half-indoor table. Events: walk around Spui, Rembrantplein, more boat tour (can't even remember)

Anyway (I'm totally speeding through this shit now) we also went to the Keukenhoff (garden with tulips and shit, an hour away from the city). It's exactly what you'd expect and a dash of international overload. We've gone out to cafes and restaurants for every meal and snack (WONDERFUL) and have only had a few spats (more or less).

Will provide more later!

Football!

Yesterday we had a planned CIEE excursion to see Holland play versus Macedonia (quite an undertaking for one of the best ranked teams, let me tell you). The weather has been AMAZING lately and so we took it upon ourselves to get decked out in orange while drinking outside. I was minimal in my orange enthusiasm, but I did don a Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes-type design on my cheek and kept to the team colors. There were mobs of orange when we were on the train and on our way to the stadium--and we're talking about a match against Macedonia! When we got to the arena, there was a bit of a sticky situation. Apparently the tickets our program purchased were counterfeit which was really strange b/c they were bought in person at the ticket merchant. As a result we missed a bit of the first half (and the first two goals that Holland scored). But we got in and everything was fine! Holland ended up winning 4-0 and I had my first live European football experience! It's so much more fast-paced than any other sport and you really have to pay attention to keep up. Also, the players get into fights and scuffles quite a bit (which is a lot fun, gets you all riled up). I had a lot of fun, but I was so tired (I had worked all day). I highly recommend coming to watch a game if you're going to be in Europe for a little while!

As far as today is concerned, the weather was amazing--under the sun it was actually hot! I have only one class on Thursdays (from 4-6) but our teacher was MIA so the few of us that stuck around a bit longer than the rest left to go to a cafe. As we were sitting down, our teacher walked by! Apparently he had forgotten to change the time on this particular watch (we moved ahead by an hour last week) and was late by an hour. In the end, he wound up sitting and drinking with us, so I would qualify it as a lesson.

Sorry, it's been a while hasn't it?

Alright, so I'll run through all of things that I haven't spoken about yet. This past Monday I went to a concert at the Carre, the Amsterdam version of Radio City Music Hall, to see Room Eleven, a Dutch band that sings in English. It was such a surreal experience. The audience was so contained! They would clap loudly when prompted by the band's arrival onto the stage or an encore and would time-to-time stand up, but otherwise they were seated. The band's dynamic was strange too. There was no opening act and the stage was decorated like a sincere stage--props and all. There was a couch, a water cooler, and a platform. They would talk in between songs (in Dutch) and indulge the audience with some (probably scripted) humor. They were pretty theatrical--it felt like a show, not just a band performing. As far as the band is concerned, they were great! I would really check them out, they're a very listenable jazzy-rock band, all of whom are great musicians! I almost didn't end up going (I was running late and the weather wasn't conducive to stirring up much excitement) and I'm so glad I did! Speaking of the weather, I can't understand it! Last week it was wonderful and lately it's been dreadful (notice the strong language)! Monday it hailed--HAILED! Granted only for a minute, but I had ice in my hair! And the last few days it's been raining rather hard with interminent gusts of wind just to add insult to injury. I'm hoping it's just winter's last rally before the start of better days!

Happenings of the last couple of days

Thursday night I went out with Tim and these two guys who came to visit one of my floormates. Travis is from California and had been working in Europe until recently. Daniel, German dude, worked with him and came to Amsterdam b/c, well, he may as well (Germany's close). They were a lot of fun. Travis was ridiculously funny and Daniel was very sweet. Sometimes I felt a little left out (not b/c I was the lone female but b/c the boys surrounding me were very into their philosophy) but it made for an interesting time. We went to Bitterzoet which was a club/bar that came highly recommended by the Dutch people I know. The place was nice, small, they played actual music! The next day was I little awkward b/c I was under the impression that I would be going out in the daytime with them but when I had gotten dressed they were nowhere to be found (maybe they were tucked away in my floormate's room and I hadn't realized it, maybe my floormate didn't want to share her friends, I don't know). Whatever the case, I spent the day alone, but it was great. The weather here is becoming unbelievable, it's a legitimate spring! There's sun, there's a breeze, and you can leave wearing a dress and a light jacket--it's everything I've wanted!

Things

So I've been considering the classes that I'm taking here and while they are generally fine, I find a lot of things about them frustrating. The professors don't really seem organized and while I believe they are knowledgeable, they don't always demonstrate that. I can't even express it well enough. It just seems that they put so little effort into what they're doing--the classes have so much potential, but it is never fulfilled. Presentations are big around here which basically means one third of the class time is blown on fellow students talking--I don't want to hear what my classmates have to say, you're the expert, you talk! And then they'll give assignments that a 10th grader would say is childish and I just don't want to do it. I'm unmotivated about going to my classes, but I have to b/c the attendance policy around here is strict, which makes sense only b/c no one would go to class if they didn't have to. And the most surprising thing is that I've been diligent about my work, doing almost all my readings and assignments, but I don't know why. It makes sense to me why so many students here are only concerned with passing. Hmmm....

Debit Card Update

Okay, so the bank can't fetch the card for me, but I contacted my bank and I should have a new card by the end of the week. In the meantime my program lent me some money so I should be fine for the week. Crisis averted!

No! No! No!

In true study abroad form, today I had my debit card eaten by the ATM machine I've used time and time again at the supermarket around the corner from me. I guess this is technically my first abroad mini crisis, and worry not for me, I know what to do. Tomorrow I'm heading over to my program office (just to let them know), calling the bank, and hoping that they can fetch out my card. If in the event that they can't, I'm going to ask my parents to put some money on another bank card that I brought with me. Hopefully it won't come to that (for those of you who have contact with the lovely Galina and Zufar, I'm specifically thinking of a few of this blog's followers, DON'T, everything will be fine and if need be I'll contact them myself). I just want everybody to know that I'm not panicking, I mean the chances that this would happen were pretty high so it's no surprise. I have a steady supply of free music to keep me calm (George Harrison really does the trick).

Quiet Weekend

This week I worked twice (at 10 and 11) after going out and just generally staying up late. By Thursday I was a zombie, which is why I took that day off. Friday I went to a friend's party. Her apartment is right in the red light district and it's pretty interesting to walk into a door after turning a few corners from windows. Also, that day I passed by a ton of Russians (one even muttered that I nearly hit him with my bike to his friend, but I didn't respond). The night was nice, though I think it was hindered by the candle-lit ambiance (could've used a bit more light and some louder music). The next morning I did it to myself again! Went to bed late and had to get up early to go to Palais Het Loo (the Dutch Royal family home). I was dead tired, but the garden and palace was beautiful! Unfortunately, it killed whatever desire I had to go out that night, so I spent my Saturday sleeping. All in all, it was a nice break, though I don't think I can afford to do it again! Too much left to do!

Bar Fight

Last Tuesday at the International student borrel, things seemed to be pretty typical until a series of bar fights erupted. It wasn't anything too serious, a few punches thrown and such, but it was in such a cramped space and there were so many people involved (mostly the people trying to stop it) that it got a bit scary. My friend got a bit hurt when she was accidentally thrown into the circle (it kinda turned into a mosh pit) luckily it wasn't serious or too noticeable. We left soon afterwards and headed somewhere else. The next day I went to work at 10 in the morning. I basically have one shift a week from 10-6 on Wednesdays and I'm enjoying it. I'm getting the hang of it and after the lunch rush is over, it's nice and slow. The people who come and go are generally pretty interesting and usually like to strike up conversations, which really makes me value my time there. That and my boss is ridiculously nice. Her name is Briton, she's an American and technically the co-owner (her husband is the primary shop owner, his name is Mahmud). She never rushes me and always makes me feel good about the situation even when she's working twice as fast as I am (literally). I don't think I can work in NY after this job. Nobody really complains if you're being slow or if something's not right and to have a boss who has less criticism to give me than I have to give myself is a fucking miracle.
That said, getting up early on Wednesdays, blehhhhhh....

Hanging with the Dutch

Sorry for the delayed post, I've decided to post every couple of days so as to have more content and less filler (a consequence of posting daily). This weekend I've spent with actual Amsterdammers and it's been pretty interesting. Friday I went to a birthday party of a Dutch friend I met through Emily. For a while Emily and I were the only ladies there, which didn't seem to faze anyone. We talked in circles with various people and most definitely had something to say, not really much awkwardness at all. The trick with meeting Dutch people, I guess, is initiating contact, otherwise they'll never get around to doing it themselves. It's actually abit strange because they're a generally inclusive crowd, just not necessarily that immediately welcoming. The next night I went to a dinner party (smaller, less celebratory but still fun) and people would speak Dutch without any qualms about my presence there (though everyone knew I only spoke English, which they all did as well). Again, once I forged my way into the conversation, they became instantly inviting and spoke English without reverting to Dutch at all. Both nights we went out to clubs afterwards, that's the standard, there's always at least 2 stops. The first club didn't have particularly good music, really generic trance with little dancability, but the next night (the Waterhole) had a completely different vibe. There was a live band playing a lot of rock standards which fit my taste (though for dancing I still prefer hip-hop or some latin beats--sounds funny coming from me, doesn't it?). This Tuesday I have a presentation to give (they're all about those presentations!). Wish me luck!

Nice Surprise

The other day I got a forwarded email from the Brandeis English dept from a former Brandeis student about internship at a publishing agency. I can't tell if the email was sincere or sarcastic as I know the alumnae who sent it and also know that she's quite sarcastic but I don't know her well enough to know if the email she wrote was sarcastic. Hmm, dilemma, dilemma. Anyway, I sent my resume and cover letter, answered a few questions as I was unable to interview....and got it! That's crazy, isn't it? A week ago I thought I wouldn't even try for an internship, just get a job somewhere (which I still plan on doing, maybe a cafe, is that realistic?), and now I have an internship that's actually relevant to what I want to do (though I'm more into the idea of getting published rather than helping others get published). I feel good!

Borrel Recovery

Last night I overdid things a bit. And by "things," I mean alcohol. The last time I felt like that I think it was one of the first big parties I went to as a freshman. It was nothing too serious, just a lot of dizziness and fears of vomiting, but after a few hours and glasses of water the symptoms dissipated. I should've known that bad things were to come on my way there. Riding there 3-4 spokes on the back tire of my bike popped. I was riding and all of a sudden there was this massive resistance and a persistent clicking noise. I managed to tuck them back in and finish the journey, but I have to get this replaced/repaired ASAP. I'm going to go tomorrow morning. I think I'll pull back a bit from here on out.

Potential Travel Plans

So Tim mentioned that he has a plan to get a 2 week eurorail pass and go around all of Europe when our semester ends. I'm totally down (can you imagine, Geneva, Berlin, Copenhagen, Prague, and 5 other places?!) but I just hope that these plans will come through. Aside from this 2 week euro-extravaganza, I do want to go somewhere during the semester for one of my 5 day weekends. I have my heart set on Barcelona, but I really have to found out when and specifically with whom I can go. It seems everyone already has travel plans or enough friends around the world that they don't need any companions. I'm also considering St. Petersburg, especially during the white nights. I've wanted to see them ever since I've read Dostoevsky's short story of the same title (I know, literary reference, lame). I just want to see the city lit up at 3 in the morning! I don't really think that's plausible though. Hmmm, looks like I have a couple of things to consider.

Smells like European

Groningen was nice little city (unfortunately my camera died the second I turned it on so refer to others' pictures for evidence). It has several bustling markets, cloaking the area in an aroma of fries, sweets, and fish (worthy of salivation, take my word for it). There were shops and museums, laid out the way most charming European towns are (at least where Communism didn't strike, can't vouch for the charm of those). It was actually almost 3 hours away, thus the opportunity for hillbilly-status. Before we went to Groningen, we stopped over in Drenthe which is known for its retirement community and its hunebeden park. Hunebeden are stone age people who roamed around the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden. Apparently, the remains from the things they made are older than Stone Hedge and the Pyramids. Yeah, it was as interesting as it sounds...but it was pretty curious how important it was/is to certain people. It was a short detour, so it didn't make much difference. After a couple of hours in Groningen, we ventured off to our hostel. There was only about ten of us (a group of 30ish came, but didn't feel like staying the night). It was a traditional hostel layout, bunk beds, lockers, everything about camp and high school I never experienced. It was only a bother when coming back from going out. We came in to a room of sleeping people, tip-toeing to our beds which creak with the slightest breath. Also, somebody smelled awful. Was it a German? Frenchie? The results were inconclusive, but the experience was unappreciated. The Groningen nightlife lived up to its reputation. A lot of bars and clubs everywhere, packing in and getting lively after midnight and staying that way well after 6. I only stayed out till 2 (we walked all day, as usual with day trips) but it was fun. The breakfast was exceptionally good (they had yogurt and granola) and the train ride was really pleasant (now I know what people mean when they talk about nice train rides).

Coming home was nice and getting on my bike felt...right--even though once on it I was so tired and dazed I had no idea what I was doing. I can't remember what came flying at me, tram, bird? Oh well.

Weekend Plans

Hey guys, I'll be in Groningen, which is a town slightly to the north of Amsterdam. I'll be there Saturday-Sunday. It's a student town and is supposed to have a cool nightlife (we'll see about that). when I told Mona (my ISN coach) that I would be going there, she said that the people there are hillbillies. Apparently when you get an hour out of the city, people suddenly become hicks (I somehow doubt that). Even funnier, when she mentioned it she said, "it's like your midwest." Hahaha. I'll let you know what the Netherlands' midwest is like. Coming up on Monday, I have a film presentation to give (on the Polanski movie we saw) on Hollywood parody. I guess I'll be starting that on Sunday. Also, I saw clips of the Oscars on youtube--it was really different this year. I've only seen bits and it felt a bit awkward. I loved seeing Hugh Jackman but the crowd seemed confused--I was confused. It's not the Tony's or the Grammy's. I don't know what to make of it. But I really liked Sean Penn's speech (surprising b/c I don't like Sean Penn). Also, when did Adrien Brody become so unappealing (I mean personality-wise)? Everything he says has a hint of asshole (I know, you'd think I'd like it, but n0, not when it's pomp asshole) I used to love that dude! Also, I can't find the clip of Tina Fey and Steve Martin presenting the award, grrrr.

Bar Hopping

Today several of us went out of our way to explore the other bars around the area. Along the way we purposely went down prostitute alleys (it's been a month since I've come here and even though I'm in the Red Light District at least twice a week I hadn't seen any red lit windows, crazy!). It was actually really interesting. Most of the women were in good shape and the kind that would be easily picked up at a bar (hell, I couldn't be a fucking prostitute). I don't know I guess I expected to see a lot of haggard, broken ladies (I'm sure plenty are) but they didn't look that way. Also, it's pretty funny b/c there's a whole alley dedicated to plump black women (we all have our type). I went with Jeremy (the dude I went to Paris with as you can see from the photos), Tim (whom I've mentioned before), and Shaina (cool chick, a Jew from Alabama, goes to GW). We ventured into 3 bars and 1 coffeeshop (another first, nothing happened). It was great just jumping around from place to place, picking up 1 drink and going off to get another somewhere else. You get a good sense of the landscape you're in.

My parents have confirmed that they're coming to Amsterdam in April and staying for a week (ahh!). I think we'll be making our way to Belgium as well and possibly Copenhagen. My mother already asked me to check the weather twice (two months in advance!). Fun Fun Fun!

Another addendum: Shaina went to the Portuguese synagogue and is supposedly getting the lowdown on young Amsterdam Jews. I don't know why I'm in any way interested, but I am. I don't know how my parents encouragement of Jewish boys has finally gotten me excited about meeting Jews in the Netherlands. I'm not who to blame for this.

Masculinity

Last night (Monday) I went to a bar, but it was for research, I swear! I'm in a masculine studies class and I went with a classmate to observe "straight masculine dating behavior." I'd never been to that bar, technically it's an illegal student bar, but all that means is they don't have a liquor license and the people who are there know it by word-of-mouth. My classmate's roommate, Anders (a Dane) happened to be there with a small group, so we sat with them. Next to Anders was Karl, from New Zealand. We told them about the project and it was so funny b/c though Karl was completely conscious of the assignment, he fell into most cliches. He was intellectually aggressive, the kind of guy who's more or less intelligent and well-informed but most of all enjoys the sound of his own voice. He would strike up "intellectual discourses" and invite others into the conversation but would pretty much dominate it. Also he would be occasionally vulgar, throwing in bits of sex and etc. And he would direct most things at me even though my friend (a dude, shocking coincedence) was supposed to be observing the same thing. It just got me thinking about dude's general interaction. I mean I participated in the banter, but I did feel uncomfortable--why do guys have to do that? I couldn't be funny or amusing the way I normally like to be and I left feeling annoyed that somebody was trying to get a reaction out of me. Haha, what a nice little unrelated rant. Anyway, I liked the bar and the experience gave me a good perspective. It'd be interesting to see Karl again, you know, say all the things I didn't think of at the time. Hmmmmm.....

The Versailles and Montmartre

Saturday we went to the Versailles. The place speaks for itself (as you can tell if I ever upload my pictures). It was massive and beautiful (I don't know how often you would be able to say that about anything). We got there about 2 and left at 6. We went back to the Latin Quarter that night. Actually by that time our party had gotten to ten people (it was ridiculous!). Various people from our group were filtering into Paris over the weekend and we managed to meet up. After dinner we bought bottles of wine and drank them by the Seine. I know it sounds lame, but we were on the side of a river chugging wine like Parisians as boats passed by and waved--fuck you, it was exhilarating! We went to a bar, led by another one of Jeremy's friends studying in Paris. It was a bit stuffy, but it had a French ambiance (and prices) and my mojito was top notch. The next day we split up and our massive group turned into three: Julia, Ashley, and moi. We went off to see Place Saint-Pierre (we didn't know what it was but we saw it from the Tower and wanted to see it up close). When we got off the stop, we couldn't find it and ended up exploring the neighborhood we were in, Montmartre (though a bit further off from Moulin Rouge). It was beautiful and had such a rustic feel! We eventually climbed the hills necessary to find Place Saint-Pierre, which was as beautiful as everything else in Paris. The region of Montmartre we were in was so great! The cafes, the markets, the carousels--there was even a jazz band! It was a great end to the trip. We got on the bus at 4 in the afternoon and arrived, as advertised, at 11:30 in Amsterdam. I think one of the best parts of the trip was the realization of what it means to live in Amsterdam. We all felt like we were going home--I was happy to see my bike and walk by the canal on Prins Hendrikkade! Anyway, that's enough gushing for a blog post.

The Tower, The Lourve, and Crepes, oh my! (Sorry)

We were delirious off the bus, but we weren't planning on slowing down--for fuck's sake, we were in Paris! We figured out which metro line to take to our hotel and were on our way. Paris' metro line is kickass. Granted it isn't exactly adorned with upscale European furnishings (the way I guess I had kind of assumed it would be) but what it lacks in aesthetic it makes up for in accessibility. I don't understand how you can get lost on the Paris metro, maybe get off on the wrong stop and such, but it's way too easy a system to end up somewhere you didn't intend to. Our hotel room was fine, three beds, a toilet, shower, everything we had thought coming in. In fact, I think it was even better, I mean they let us check in at 6:30 AM, that's pretty exceptional. Afterwards, we hopped on in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. We each had an English breakfast (ironic, I know, but the French breakfast was a bit too skimpy for people just coming off the bus) and ventured onward. There wasn't a line at the tower and we shot straight up to the top. It was beautiful! Everything it was supposed to be! Coming down, we looked at our maps and scouwered our next moves. We walked everywhere, and I can't even remember the names of half the places we went. The Palais de Chaillot, the Grand Palais, the Tuillieres, Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter--all on foot! The sun was shining and no breeze developed into a wind strong enough to be unpleasant. It was amazing! At 6 in the evening, we went to the Lourve (which is free on Fridays from 6-9, hence the timing) where I met up with my friend Ben from Brandeis (we arranged it, it wasn't a case of Parisian luck). I was a bit too shellshocked to fully appreciate it, but it was everything I imagined it to be. Also, that same evening I had my first Parisian nutella and banana crepe. Of course it was delicable, but it's a one-time kind of thing (I don't think I can ever look at a glob of nutella again). At night we went to a restaurant led by Jeremy's friend studying in Paris and had some wine and food. By the end of that day though the only thing we could think of was sleep.

European Bus Ride

Okay, I shall try and trace back this weekend as best I can, as such, I will retell everything I remember in increments. First, the night bus leaving Thursday 20:00 to Paris from Amsterdam:
From the second we got on the bus, I knew we weren't in Amsterdam (or at least not for very long) anymore. The driver was a Frenchman, and though you could tell that he spoke English, he didn't make much of an attempt. There weren't any issues with getting on or tickets--we sat in the front and best maneuvered ourselves into sleepable positions. We made two stops in the Netherlands, the Hague (Den Hague) and Rotterdam. The Rotterdam stop story has risen to legendary proportions. As you can infer from what I already mentioned about the bus driver, he was an asshole. There were a bunch of people getting on the bus at Rotterdam, including a family, though I'm not sure of their relation. Anyway, one of them (a guy 20s maybe) had a box, like a package, the kind you'd see at the post office, but the bus driver wouldn't accept it as his baggage. They got into this spat outside the bus--the driver wasn't having it, not on the bus, not in the baggage area. So this guy storms off as the rest of his family boards the bus really peeved. From what I could understand, the bus driver warned the family that he was leaving in 2 minutes, with or without the rest of their party. The kinds of cursing that must've been going on, damn I didn't know French could be so hardcore! Anyway, the bus starts taking off, without the other dude, and as we pull up to a traffic light, we see the dude wandering around, now with the package open, revealing a heart-shaped, white frosted cake! Of all the things that I could've possibly imagined in the box, a cake was not one of them. He was just walking around with this cake in his hand as the bus was driving away. He didn't know what to do (I have no idea why he didn't just throw it out). Finally he just went up to a man on a bicycle who had ridden up to cross the street and handed it to him (the man on the bicycle looked so confused). Then he ran up to the bus and got on! Everyone on the bus was laughing and cheering, this one obnoxious American girl even ran up to take a picture! That was 2 hours into the trip!

The rest of the bus ride was okay, Jeremy, Julia, and I didn't sleep much, but Ashley took an ambien and passed out. We were in Paris by 6 in the morning. And that's where the saga continues....

First Day of Work/ Off to Paris

I was at Sapori (the sandwich shop) at 10 in the morning after going to Straveneweg (which is on the outskirt of Amsterdam) for a party at Myron's and 1 Euro beer at the bar there. The sandwich shop environment was a bit intense, considering I'm not used to serving people and working with sharp objects. I think it went more or less well and I'll be back next Thursday same time. I have class at 4 and am trying to look up activities/events in Paris before I go--ahhh! God, I have nothing planned. A friend of mine (from Brandeis) is also going to be there so I hope we meet up and he takes me around a bit. Whatever the case, I'm getting on a bus in a couple of hours! Oh, this means you won't hear from for a while, don't distress, I shall be back and with pictures too! My camera battery is currently charging. Au revoir!

Monday/Tuesday

For Europe-Hollywood-Europe, we saw "The Fearless Vampire Killers" which is a Polanski film from the 70s and it happens to be really funny. The humor is Python-esque with a dash of Mel Brooks, I guess. I can't quite explain it but if you're into comedy and vampires (shout out to loudmouth) I highly recommend it. Also, Roman Polanski is cute in a nebishy-kind-of-way (side note). Today was the first day I went to the class I was supposed to have gone to a week ago but didn't. The professor is incredibly nice and the topic we're currently covering, modernism v. postmodernism, isn't what I expected to find when I signed up for the course, but it's fairly enlightening. Oh! I just booked my ticket/hostel to Paris. I'm leaving Thursday night and going by bus. I shall be back Sunday night. Hope all goes well!

Utretch

I spent a few hours in Utrecht today which is 25 minutes away from Amsterdam. It's a student city, a bit smaller and more low-key than Amsterdam. Sundays are slow days in the Netherlands so it was pretty empty, but we weren't planning on staying for long so it didn't matter much. It's quite pretty as evidenced by the photos I'm attempting to post. They have two level canals, meaning there's a street above/along the canal (like in Amsterdam) but there's also a street canal level where there are also shops. They built a second level after they realized they built the streets to high (I think, something like that). It was a nice day trip even though today's perpetual mist seemed intent to mar it. Which brings me to another point. Amsterdam isn't a city known for its weather, but compared to what I was expecting, I think it's been more than tolerable. It's never that cold and even though it rains often, it almost never does for long and almost never heavily. It basically drizzles once or twice a day. I don't understand what other people were expecting! I'm pleased with the weather of the past couple of weeks, the Californians have to buck up and take it! Sorry it isn't a breezy 65 degrees, but I prefer the generally calm mid-to-high 30 degree weather any day to the below freezing shit going down in NYC before I left!
I'm now off to do some work (and by "off," I mean I'm staying in the same spot). Sunday!!

Saturday--Jazz Bar, Indonesian Style

I was planning to the Kindermuseum, like I mentioned last time, and I managed to get there, but it was heavily disorganized. Apparently the dude in charge of the whole affair, Ramon Dekkers, went AWOL and everyone was scurrying around trying to come up with an excuse for him while entertaining the three lowly volunteers. I was just impressed with the place and even though it didn't work out this time, I'd go again just to hang out there--it's ridiculous! I remembered how nice it was to be seven again! After that I lounged around for a bit, didn't do any work, even though I had all of the right circumstances and motivation (tomorrow I'm going to Utrecht so I won't have much time to do work), but no, nothing. Tonight I went to Maleo Melo which was the jazz bar I tried to go to a week before but didn't manage to find. This time I went with Emily (one of the ISN coaches), Ashley, and Marcial. Emily's Indonesian friend was playing there with her band so we tagged along. I will do my best to draw you a picture:
On either side are walls covered with pictures of singers/patrons, most of them unfamiliar though cool looking (handle bar moustache, intent looks in the eye, plenty of lip biting, etc.) There's some blacklight going on so you see everybody's lint; you look through the crowd and its 80% Asian--first time you've been able to see OVER a group of people in the Netherlands. There's one man far left, Adidas track suit, white Kangol hat, and a metallic belt riding low on his waist. And in front, a pugdy Asian dude singing "No Woman Don't Cry"--oh the look in his eye! It was kinda of lame, but when you take a step back to assess the situation, how fucking awesome? Who can say they've seen an Indonesian cover band sing Reggae tracks in a jazz bar in Amsterdam?
You're right, not many would admit to that.

Friday--Escape

Another Valentine's Day themed party--it's getting old and it isn't even technically the day yet. Tonight it was featured at Escape, a cool club, but damn, would it hurt to throw in a little hip hop once in a while? The excessive bass and arm pumping is a bit much, and I'm not even into this stuff whether hip hop or not! Tomorrow I volunteered to work with children, help them learn English and glue sticks together and shit. I'm crossing my fingers that I can get to this place okay. Google maps has fucked me before (i.e. tonight). Ashley and I got lost once again and now I'm beginning to realize why it happens so often with the two of us. Ashley has a false sense of confidence about where she's going and goes far out of the way before she admits she's lost, leaving me to run around and ask for directions. She can be such a man about asking for directions! But we finally got to where we had to go so no big deal. Hopefully I'll be getting some travel plans soon. Sunday I'm going to Utrecht for a day trip and within a weekend I'm going to Groningen which is in the North. Next weekend I'm hoping to go to Paris via bus. I have no idea if this is going to work out!

Upswing

Unlike the brief frustration/irritation my academic blunder provided me yesterday, today's events have been offering everything but. My professor e-mailed me back and though she basically said I fucked up, she did thank me for getting in touch with her and she praised the work I did for the assignment (::phewww::)! Also, the sun was shining through my window, which convinced me to walk around the parts of my neighborhood I have yet to explore. It was beautiful, also much different. You see actual locals, and neighborhood shops. I took some photos (not of the people or shops, just of things around) I'll upload them shortly. Also last night I went to another Valentine's day theme party at Club Winston. It wasn't great but I hung out with some people I normally don't and the change was good. Also I ran into Frank (the tall, beautiful Dutch dude) and again, so boring/weird. He started talking to me about kids--"I'm 28 you know,"--ahh! If he was trying to turn me off, he did the trick. Oh! Today I got a job! Today I went into the sandwich shop I always go to (Sapori, the one with all the homemade stuff) and we got into a conversation about the weather at which point the owner started lamenting her perpetual post behind the sandwich counter, prompting me to jump in and offer my services. I'll be helping during the lunch rush on Wednesdays. I hope I don''t suck!

Yes, I'm an Idiot

Breaking news: sitting innocently at my desk, having just completed what I thought to be an assignment for my class tomorrow, I checked over my schedule and realized that I had been going by the time/location of a completely different class! In fact, my class is on Tuesdays, as in I missed the first session of one of my classes! And here's the kicker: the attendance policy is really rigid, you miss more than one, and your grade begins to dip. Fuck! And no, it's not that I've suddenly developed this new party animal persona and my priorities have gone out the window, it just so happens that I'm a dumbass! I wrote an apologetic e-mail to my professor, I hope she won't hold it against me. Urgh! On the bright side, I only have one class tomorrow. I guess that's somewhat reassuring...ish..

Borrel and Post Borrel

Tuesdays are Borrel days which also means they're drink-helpfully-before-you-go-to-the-borrel days. Mayooran, me, and a couple of the girls from my floor/building helped ourselves to a bottle and a half of wine, no drinking games, no provocation, just a kitchen table and alcohol. We ended up leaving later than planned and on our way to the festivities Mayooran's bikes ran into technical difficulties (the chain fell off). As he tried to repair it, I hailed over another biker who came by and gave us a few tips. Within a couple of minutes the crisis was averted and onward we went! The borrel at the Heffer was like another other night--crowded, loud, but pretty fun. There isn't much to report in regards to what took place there, just another Tuesday night, lol. Today is my errand day. I put two loads in the laundry and am thinking of going to the outdoor market to pick up veggies, fruit, and meat. Yesterday I went the regular supermarket to stock up on the essentials, but maybe today I'll have the opportunity to do it Brighton-style. I'm getting geared up to mow down an old lady, wish me luck!

Rainy Monday

I had two classes today, which seem like a blur at this point. I guess that's what happens when each of your classes is about 3 hours. Today was a good food day, though. I have absolutely no groceries left so I couldn't even have breakfast at home, leading me to try the coffee place around the corner. When I walked in the cashier was talking to some dude, so I waited a bit and after he left, he told me that the dude was some famous Dutch actor. Apparently there are a whole bunch of them that just walk around here, who knew? I don't remember his name, all I do know is I spent 20 minutes talking to the cashier/barrista while drinking my cappuccino and eating my croissant, which lead me to be late for class. He was nice, and in addition to his coffee skills he's also a flight attendant and enjoys listening to Katy Perry. Oh the Dutch. In between my two classes, I went to the sandwich shop which is two doors down the coffee place and had an amazing sandwich. Everything they have there is homemade (homemade hummus!) and I had a grilled veggie sandwich with artichokes and some special hummus (I highly recommend it). After class a couple of my friends and I had a potluck, which took place at their dorm at Prisengracht, and it was really great. We got into this heated discussion about music, specifically classic rock. My friend Jeremey claims Queen's sound is "too clean" but I think he'll come around with enough exposure. I went back home alone, which wasn't all that great. It was raining/hailing and I was sent off into the wrong direction which made it a good 20 minute ride, but the shower afterward was a great payoff. Christ, class at 10 and I haven't finished all the reading for it I've just discovered.

I can't do work!

Here's what I just realized and have been realizing for the past hour--I don't remember how to do work anymore. My concentration is totally shot and I'm looking for any way out!

Sunday Bloody Sunday

As far as Sundays go, this was a pretty good one. Woke up late (as usual) and it was raining/sleeting, but by the time I was out it had stopped and was decently dry--It was nice! Some of my group members get annoyed when I deem the weather "nice," but fuck that, it is! I'm wearing half as much stuff as I was in NY and when you opt to walk, I think you can easily say it's nice out! Mona (my ISN coach) came around and the three of us (Ashley included) went cafe-hopping. It was great! The cappuccinos here are so good and they always serve coffee with a cookie, they do it right! It's just been a pleasant Sunday (sorry for the misleading title) and I haven't done any work. I'll get on it now.

IKEA/around the town

Today a couple of us agreed to meet up and go to IKEA which is basically in a suburb around Amsterdam. We took the metro there, which honestly wasn't exactly all that nice (a bit reminiscent of the an old N train). We finally got to shopping and ended up staying there for so much longer than I had hoped (hours, hours!) Fret not, we had Swedish meatballs, and they were made the Swedish/Jersey way, so it was just like home. I got a rug, some pillows, desk organizers, and something to hang on my wall, which I guess was worth the time? Afterward I made plans with some people to go to a Blues club in Leisdsplein (a really intense touristy square) called Maloe Melo. The group consisted of Tim (whom I've mentioned before) and his two European floormates Cleo and Tibo who are sweethearts from Belgium, also Ben, a Cornell student from North Carolina who lives in my building and went to IKEA with me and others. I don't know how but we couldn't find the place and circled around until we settled at a bar that was about to close. OH! So this was the first time I ever saw a drunk thrown out of a bar--it was awesome! We still managed to get home pretty late and it was nice getting to know more Europeans, even though all of our plans didn't work out. Some random guy at the bar we were at explained where the Blues bar actually was so hopefully we'll get around to going.

Friday--sorry about skipping Thursday!

Here's what I've learned about Indonesian cuisine--it's not meant to be consumed after 11:oo PM, which is exactly what I realized standing over the toilet in the morning (sorry for the image). And no, I had no alcohol that whole day, so it was an isolated occurrence! I was in and out for Thursday, but by the evening I was okay. In fact, I still managed to have my ISN friends over for a couple of hours. I thought we were going to keep it to a limited engagement but apparently the Spanish girls wanted to dance, so off we went to dance! The night was better than I expected (I actually felt like dancing this time around). The place smelled like hookah which was so much more refreshing than it should've been! Francisco is an amazing dancer, though the height issue does make it a bit awkward to grind--not that it matters, he dances much better alone than with me. Today I went to get my books and ventured off alone to "Athenauem" books on "spui" (pronounced "spouw"). Needless to say I got a bit lost, but I found it which was the important thing! Actually it was a good thing b/c I ran into Myron (whose name is actually spelled Mayooran) and we had lunch together. I've showered and now I'm considering my options for tonight. Trouble is I have literally 1 minute left on my phone so hopefully I'll be beckoned, otherwise I'll have to "top-up" my phone (a.k.a buy more minutes) before it's too late. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wednesday Night

So as I could've predicted no books were bought, no errands run, but I did manage to see "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," at the Film Museum which was cool on three parts: 1) it was in the film museum so there was this heightened sense of importance, 2) I had to see it for a class anyway which provided extra motivation, 3) Clint Eastwood is sexy. http://www.arnadal.no/film/actors/images/eastwood_clint_training.jpg
You're welcome.

Apparently it was the extended version (3 hrs!) which I can't say I appreciated, but it was still a good experience. Also it's a really nice bike ride, so I can't complain. Tomorrow I don't have class until four so I won't be going to bed until late. I'm glad tonight was more low-key than the past couple, though tomorrow will set off another round. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wednesday

Yesterday's borrel-borrel-borrel was what it promised to be. My TA for "Moving Manhood" is this cute, medium-built dude whose interest is queer theory. He's so fitting for the course--he's so masculine, but gay (I think)! The first borrel was at the ISHSS which is our department, so basically we were having drinks with professors. Once it winded down, I met with my ISN group and we crossed the street to go to another borrel-type affair before going to the actual borrel. Note: I rode a bike in the midst of all this, though to be fair I rode better slightly inebriated than completely sober. We went to the Hefer which is the weekly borrel location. OH! So apparently everyone has a girlfriend, dudes that I've been hanging out with (strictly platonic, but still) have suddenly informed me that they have girlfriends home. I feel a bit betrayed, even though it doesn't change anything. After the Hefer, we went to Players, a sports bar and I met this French guy, Jean Phillipe (a friend of my ISN coach, Mona) who was just in Barcelona. I thought he was gay, apparently he's just French, but we've agreed to do some kind of exchange when he's in NY and I'm traveling around Europe. This borrels are so convenient! Today I don't have class, but I need to get out of the house to get books and shit. Let's see how this turns out.

First Day of Class

Today I had Europe-Hollywood-Europe and Dutch. The professor for the first class seems nice but she's a bit soft-spoken. Also she over-pronounces her "u"s which doesn't hinder her English, just makes it a joy to hear her say "update." We saw three French avant-garde films from the 20s in class--intense, I have no idea what their deal was. Something about sex....I think, and probably death. Grammatically speaking Dutch is fairly simple--it has like 3 tenses and it's the only language I've ever heard where something is "100%" true all of the time. BUT what it lacks in difficulty on the grammatical end it makes up for with pronunciation. Guttural "r"s and "g"s, letters that sound the same...Not exactly the warmest sounding of the European tongues. After class I went to dinner with a couple of friends. It came out to about 12 Euros with drinks included, which isn't even $15. I'm pretty impressed with the prices here, course I haven't actually shopped for clothes or more expensive things. But I love the service here. They take your orders quickly and then you're free to stay for as long as you want basically. The wait staff doesn't hassle you and everyone seems pleased to help you. We asked a man sitting at the bar to recommend a beer and gave a suggestion for each of us. By the way, the drinking here seems to never end! Though to be fair, never in excess--at least not on weekdays. A social glass of wine/beer is very standard. In fact, they have these event's called "borrels" which are weekly gatherings for whatever group or organizations where you drink beer or wine and mingle. Tomorrow is my department's (ISHSS) borrel and afterwards is my ISN group's borrel. Christ.

Saturday

So apparently Myron has a girlfriend which I just found out from Ashley this morning, good thing I didn't make an ass out of myself. Yesterday we went to a club after partying at someone else's apartment. The energy wasn't as good this time around, but it was still fun. We got into the club after 1 and I wasn't in the mood for the journey. There were so many people and I didn't feel like dancing or being there. I went up to Frank (the Dutch RA from another building) and wasted a good 20 minutes realizing there wasn't much behind the beauty, also blankest stare I've ever encountered. Alessandro was grinding with himself as usual and the others were around basking in the glory of strobe lights. I woke up pretty late today and haven't gone out of the house, but it's okay b/c I need a bit of a day off, also classes start tomorrow, so the break is good. I have "Beginning Dutch" and "Europe-Hollywood-Europe." Oh, funny bit! While I was talking to Frank he whispered in my ear, "Are you Jewish?" I was so taken aback, though I could tell he didn't mean it as an offense. Those guides are right, the Dutch are pretty fucking blunt! Also, it proves that even a Dutchman can recognize my Jewiness, thanks nose and hair.

The Weekend

Last night Ashley and I went over to one of our ISN coach's apartment in the Red Light District to party with the rest of the group. So by now I've developed a crush on Myron (the Sri Lankan British dude) but he's a bit preoccupied by one of the Spanish girls in the group (curses!). I'll be uploading pictures today so hopefully you'll know who I'm talking about. Tim is potentially making his room a fire hazard so that I can have his converter (I don't think anyone's done anything more heroic), which is why I'm able to write today, let's hope he'll be here tomorrow. My ISN group is pretty badass. Besides Sri Lanka and Argentina, there's a bunch of nice Spanish chicks, a Polish girl, and two other Americans. Most of them are working on their masters; one of the Americans (Marciel, from Austin, Texas) I think is into me but I'm not really attracted to him (maybe he'll grow on me, damn if it weren't for those sideburns!). They're all chill and they've imparted much wisdom already in the form of European drinking games (I only took part in the first one as the plenty included two glasses of wine with my first try). Alessandro taught me how to say something in Italian which I repeated and fucked up throughout the night. We were supposed to go to "Sports Day" today, but both Ashley and I were sore from riding our bikes all day. Speaking of which, my ass is so sore. We all hate having orange bikes (the bikes themselves aren't orange, that's the name of the company and its written on the side of the bike which immediately says "tourist") , it's the bicycle equivalent of having a fanny pack. Today I was got a bit annoyed. I was asking a electronic store employee for a converter and when he realized I was American, he coyly said, "oh is this for your TV?" Granted, it was generally nice and gave me explicit directions for how to get somewhere else, but I've never been stereotyped before so it was a bit off-putting.

Hallo

Currently I am at the student center where I was just registered at UvA. I have pictures but I haven't had time to upload them. Also, I haven't been taking the best variety as I am not used to having a camera on me. I like most of the people so far (in my group I mean) though there are some bonafide stoners. Anyway, I'll fill you in with other details later.

Night around town

I'm keeping this short b/c I have yet to get an adapter for my laptop so I'm mooching off another girl which makes me feel like shit. Tonight was crazy. We met with ISN which is an organization for international students and hung out with them which was great until we had to get home--oh which reminds me. Today we got our bikes, which is exciting but intense. I got a SHORT bike, the guy looked at me and said, "tell the guy to give you a small bike." So 5'4" is officially short which makes sense b/c everyone is huge. The ISN group was eclectic to say the least. There's Alessandro one of my "group" leaders, he's Italian and the first one to dance on tables. Myron, British background Sri Lankan, infectious accent. Mona, the "responsible" group leader with the tolerance of a 12 year old and Francisco, a small Argentinian boy who has a firm handshake. We went around town with CIEE people today but it didn't quite prepare us for our journey home. I went home with a girl (Ashley, cool, tall from Chicago) but had no idea where to begin and kept asking people we were sure would know but didn't. We got home within less than a half hour, which was fine, cold but fine. I was struck by a rush of guilt when I saw a Brandeis compatriot who had been having a hard time with her bike. She's hardly 5 feet and even the small bike is too big. We ran into her and another bunch of people (one of them being Tim) and they were walking their bikes and once we had figured out a way to get home, we kind of ran off. I only realized later when I was in my room reveling in its natural warmth how fucked up that was. I'll be apologizing for a good portion of tomorrow.

Still alive....sort of

It's 11:00 PM Amsterdam time. I took a few photos on the canal trip but truth is I haven't gotten used to carrying a camera around so I didn't take much and whatever I did take didn't really come out too great, point is, it was breathtaking! Seeing everything from the water was beautiful and I even passed by some of those boathouses (pretty cool, the idea of living on the Amstel isn't it?) There's such an atmosphere here, equal parts mellow and aggressive--you should see the bicyclists! I'm getting more settled in, I've unpacked most of my stuff and I am exhausted! Good night.

Alive

Alright, so I made it. The flight was pretty sweet and all airport details were not much of a problem at all. Customs consisted of a "hello" and a question about the University of Amsterdam to which I did not know the answer--didn't matter. The airplane was empty and had plenty of room (also the flight attendant kept asking me if I wanted alcohol, to which I repeatedly declined), trouble is, no sleep. I even took one of those sleep aids (albeit a pussy one, guess that's what did it). I walked around the airport a couple of times, it's pretty cool. My room is great, it's big and a have a huge window/terrace with a view of the canal! The first dude I met's name is Tim (he's also quite tall, though not of other persuasion). We mesh well and seem to have similar sensibilities but I don't know if it's a friendship that'll take off. The USC clan is INTENSE. We met them on the bus and they were already complaining! A couple are pretty nice and seem self-sufficient but even so are quite aggressively friendly, in the way that you find nothing more to say than "that's cool." Tonight we're going on a boat ride around the canal. Wish me luck! Also, I have a camera!

No More Itchy Sweater

Okay, I'm pretty much where I was a couple of hours ago--umbrellas! That's what I need, good thing I'm writing this down. So, I'm even closer to my departure date, I guess I'm experiencing a bit of nerves, then again I've been watching a lot of reality TV lately (including the last couple of hours) so who knows, maybe I'm just getting more invested in "The Bachelor" than I thought I would. The realization is coming in waves, I'll let you know when I get hit by a monsoon. Also, don't expect double posts like this, I'm just bored.


My hair's wet.

Day Before

Alright, so I'm doing for all of you who have accused me of not staying in touch. So this goes out to the contingency of bitches who have motivated me into writing a blog. If you're wondering how I'm feeling right now, I couldn't really tell you--meh, I guess sums it up. I'm still working on getting my shit packed (I'm about 85% -90% there) but I just don't know! I'm concerned with airport details and shit, and thanks to a slew of recent films (most notably "Taken") I'm somehow convinced that the hour I'll be alone in the airport I'll be kidnapped and sold for prostitution (one can hope, right?) Anyway, I keep thinking of things I'm forgetting--oh I currently do not have a camera as I was promised my parent's and it is MIA, how convenient. I'm sure it'll turn up, or I'll just have to get one in the morning. My flight's at 4:40 pm at Newark and I'll be flying into Amsterdam at 6 in the morning. Also, I'm wearing an itchy sweater.

Lalalala,
M