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!