As many of you may have noticed, I have been a little busy over the past four days! Actually, busy is an understatement. I honestly don't know how I have managed to survive, stay out so late, and get by on such a small amount of sleep. I'll give you all a short run-down of the events of the last few days. I'll try to keep it on the Reader's Digest side of things. However, I am writing this blog for my own benefit as well, so some posts might get lengthy. Hopefully, I can get into a routine where I can blog at least every other day, although once school starts there will probably be much less excitement!
So after arriving on Wednesday, I planned to get settled, clean my room, and sleep. I left Chicago at 6:15 pm and arrived at 9:15 am, sleeping only a few hours on the plane. I was expecting a big dose of jet lag. I soon learned that jet lag or not, I was not going to be sitting in my room on the first night here! With a couple girls on my floor and Mark (the French Canadian), I went out to explore, eat, and go downtown. I have learned that Mark is going to be a very valuable asset and am thankful to have met him first. He is a quiet type, but when we're out, his personality comes to life. He is always the one to straighten out the cab drivers, figure out where we're going, and find cool activities such as riding an IKEA cart home (that's another story). So after so little sleep, I turned in about 1:30 am Tuesday.
Thursday was the first day of orientation. We went to our school, set up Dutch bank accounts, got our schedule for the weekend, and then went downtown. During orientation, you are paired up with a Dutch guide. I have no idea who my guide was supposed to be, but we met Manon and Alana, two guides, and they are amazing!! They have helped us find our way around and basically told us everything cool to do! We have figured out the Metro system (sort of) and bought re-loadable passes that can be used on all types of public transportation. We are very quickly learning our way around the public transportation system. We are thinking of investing in monthly unlimited passes, for 80 Euro, but are waiting to see how much we use the transport after school starts. Our school is located in the ghetto! It is a town filled with tall blondes, yet somehow I didn't even see a blonde person until the second day. I live in the part of town where an American sticks out like a sore thumb! Downtown, it is impossible to tell where anyone is from because there are so many tourists. Carly and Marli-you are going to love it here! Everyone is so tall-you will really fit in! I am a dwarf compared to the Dutch! Manon actually looks like Marli a bit! I also met Rikki on the Metro, a Dutch girl obsessed with the States! She wants to hang out with us next weekend and I invited her to go stay in my room while I'm here-hope you don't mind mom!
Thursday night was a party at a bar followed by a club and staying out until 4 am. Friday, we had to be downtown at noon and we barely made it-but we got there. We stayed downtown all day, shopping and buying supplies for the party that night-a black light party. Somehow, we ran out of time to nap and managed to go out again until 3 am without sleeping and after walking all day. I don't know if it's the jet lag or schedule, but I get very tired in the afternoon but find myself with tons of energy around 3 am. Many people have agreed with me!
Because the glow party reminded me, I'll mention some of my friends. Julia, Kathy, Cassia and Stef are from Canada, but seem so American that I often forget. Being from Canada is basically like being from another state, it's so similar. I am trying to develop a Canadian accent so that I sound smarter. All the Canadians say I have the worst accent of all the Americans-shocker! Parker is from Minnesota, but goes to school down south and dresses the part. Julie, David, Kevin, and Chad are all from California and they look like Californians-they are always under-clothed. I am constantly over-clothed thanks to all the new sweaters my mom bought me-but it's so cold here. I am already heading out to shop for a new hat and more comfortable, warm boots. My feet hurt so badly!! I'm pretty sure I have already lost weight-last night my belt kept falling off because it was too loose. Finally, Matilda is from France and is so sweet! She shops at H&M and complimented my Bare Minerals make-up. Suddenly the world seems so small.
Moving on, Saturday was another full day. I accomplished a lot yesterday with Julia and Cassia. We went to see the gym affiliated with our school. We can buy really cheap memberships there and they have a lot of classes. However, to get there, you have to walk to the metro (10-15 minutes), ride the metro (10-20 minutes), walk to the bus (5 minutes),wait for a bus (5-10 minutes), ride the bus (15 minutes), get off the bus and walk to the gym (15 minutes), all in the 30 degree weather. Needless to say, I will probably just count all the walking as my work outs. Later in the day, we went to IKEA and the grocery store. Then we continued working out by carrying this all back to our rooms. Julia and Cassia each had full-length mirrors, among other things. I had TONS of groceries, including potatoes and a liter of wine (3 euro), plus a pillow and things from IKEA. I got a great arm workout during that part of the day! Grocery shopping is a challenge because everything is written in Dutch. I am already learning some Dutch words and I might sign up for a language class, just to learn a few phrases. I have to shop with Julia because all the directions are written in Dutch and French and she can speak French. She tells me how to prepare everything! Food and alcohol here is extremely cheap!! Really good, fresh cheese is 1 or 2 Euro, milk is less than 1, beer and wine are sold individually for 30-40 cents. Everything is much better quality and there's hardly any processed food. I will devote a whole post to food soon. I think often of Sam and Jess because there is so much cheese here-people eat cheese sandwiches!! You two would just love it here and I have a concrete floor with your name on it!
So now you all know what I have been doing and why you haven't heard from me. I will skype soon!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Start of Something Great
So today is day 3 here in Amsterdam and I am more in love with the city and experience than I ever cold have imagined. Even in my biggest best-case scenario fantasies, I did not dream it wold be this great. I have met many interesting people and am making a lot of friends. Currently, I have been spending a lot of time with some Canadian girls, a French girl, and some boys from the States. I have met and spent time with people from Brazil, New Zealand, Mexico, France, Canada, the States, Lebanon, and many other places. It is very interesting to learn about all the different countries. I am the only person from Illinois and I have only met one other person from the midwest (Cleveland). Randomly, I met a boy from San Diego who was born in Cape Girardeau, MO and has family there. It was such a weird coincidence that he finally showed me his passport because I didn't believe him.
The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how nice, friendly, and laid-back the people in Amsterdam are. Everyone in my program is very friendly and open to meeting new people; most people came alone. Dutch it people are probably some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are beyond helpful; anyone in the street will give you directions and they never get frustrated when you ask a lot of questions. Oftentimes, if people notice you are struggling or overhear your conversation, they will volunteer to help you. I am already starting to learn my way around and catch on to the public transportation system. We walk everywhere and my legs and feet hurt terribly. I will have to adjust. There are cars here, but not many. Most people use public transportation, bikes, and walk. Cars move very slowly because they must yield to people and bikers. It is not unusual to see people waking down the middle of the street, moving over only when a car drives by.
After being told how expensive everything here is, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that is not the case. The food here is much better and fresher and you can buy a really great sandwich for about 3 Euro or $3.60. It is definitely cheaper than the States and the food is better quality. Also, I bought a bottle of wine for 3 Euro and my friends bought 24 Heinekken for 12 Euro. Some things are more expensive but mostly the cost is about the same. I carry my water bottle at all times and re-fill it so that I don't have to buy drinks and that helps save money as well.
One thing that is more expensive here is using the restroom. In most public places, you have to pay to use the restroom; usually about .5 Euro. Coffee shops and bars generally have free restrooms, but you have to purchase something to use them. Basically, every time we eat or get a drink we try to use the restroom but that's it. Needless to say, my mother would go broke quickly.
The last few days have been a complete blur. It is international student orientation and there are activities planned every minute. In the very few free hours we have, we generally are out and about walking because the activities are downtown and our school is about 30 minutes by two different trains. That doesn't include walking to stops and waiting so it can take up to an hour to get home. Therefore, if there is free time in the day, we have to stay downtown because there is not time to come back. This is the reason I have been away from my phone and computer and unable to contact anyone.
It is absolutely FREEZING here!! The temperature is around 1 degree C (32 F), but the city is surrounded by water and it is a very wet cold. The only time I have ever been this cold is in Chicago and even the kid from Brazil said the same thing. It is a bone-chilling cold that cuts through your clothes and it is very windy. My hair is constantly a tangled mess from the combination of not having a hair dryer, wearing a hat a scarf, and the wind. I am thinking about cutting it! Packing was very unimportant because the only thing you really need is a coat. Everyone is so bundled up all the time that it is impossible to tell what anyone is wearing or worry about if they wore it the day before. I have completely given up on looking good!! It is interesting to see how people from different places deal with the cold. One Canadian girl only brought a light jacket because she doesn't even wear a heavy coat in 30 degree weather, she is used to much colder. However, she bought a coat first thing and has been wearing it since; she is not used to the wet cold. The people from California didn't even own coats before this trip and they are constantly setting them down and forgetting about them. The kid from Mexico was so cold that we had to go inside to warm up because he couldn't handle the cold. Very interesting!
That's all for now. Me and some friends are cooking dinner together. I will write about food at some point because that's very interesting. Love you all!!
The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how nice, friendly, and laid-back the people in Amsterdam are. Everyone in my program is very friendly and open to meeting new people; most people came alone. Dutch it people are probably some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are beyond helpful; anyone in the street will give you directions and they never get frustrated when you ask a lot of questions. Oftentimes, if people notice you are struggling or overhear your conversation, they will volunteer to help you. I am already starting to learn my way around and catch on to the public transportation system. We walk everywhere and my legs and feet hurt terribly. I will have to adjust. There are cars here, but not many. Most people use public transportation, bikes, and walk. Cars move very slowly because they must yield to people and bikers. It is not unusual to see people waking down the middle of the street, moving over only when a car drives by.
After being told how expensive everything here is, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that is not the case. The food here is much better and fresher and you can buy a really great sandwich for about 3 Euro or $3.60. It is definitely cheaper than the States and the food is better quality. Also, I bought a bottle of wine for 3 Euro and my friends bought 24 Heinekken for 12 Euro. Some things are more expensive but mostly the cost is about the same. I carry my water bottle at all times and re-fill it so that I don't have to buy drinks and that helps save money as well.
One thing that is more expensive here is using the restroom. In most public places, you have to pay to use the restroom; usually about .5 Euro. Coffee shops and bars generally have free restrooms, but you have to purchase something to use them. Basically, every time we eat or get a drink we try to use the restroom but that's it. Needless to say, my mother would go broke quickly.
The last few days have been a complete blur. It is international student orientation and there are activities planned every minute. In the very few free hours we have, we generally are out and about walking because the activities are downtown and our school is about 30 minutes by two different trains. That doesn't include walking to stops and waiting so it can take up to an hour to get home. Therefore, if there is free time in the day, we have to stay downtown because there is not time to come back. This is the reason I have been away from my phone and computer and unable to contact anyone.
It is absolutely FREEZING here!! The temperature is around 1 degree C (32 F), but the city is surrounded by water and it is a very wet cold. The only time I have ever been this cold is in Chicago and even the kid from Brazil said the same thing. It is a bone-chilling cold that cuts through your clothes and it is very windy. My hair is constantly a tangled mess from the combination of not having a hair dryer, wearing a hat a scarf, and the wind. I am thinking about cutting it! Packing was very unimportant because the only thing you really need is a coat. Everyone is so bundled up all the time that it is impossible to tell what anyone is wearing or worry about if they wore it the day before. I have completely given up on looking good!! It is interesting to see how people from different places deal with the cold. One Canadian girl only brought a light jacket because she doesn't even wear a heavy coat in 30 degree weather, she is used to much colder. However, she bought a coat first thing and has been wearing it since; she is not used to the wet cold. The people from California didn't even own coats before this trip and they are constantly setting them down and forgetting about them. The kid from Mexico was so cold that we had to go inside to warm up because he couldn't handle the cold. Very interesting!
That's all for now. Me and some friends are cooking dinner together. I will write about food at some point because that's very interesting. Love you all!!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Arrival in Amsterdam
Well obviously one cannot arrive in Amsterdam without first departing the United States. After saying good-bye to all friends and family (thanks Chad, Taylor, and Alex for being my last US phone calls/pep talks), I was ready to depart. I have set up an account on Skype, but currently the video is not working. Still need to figure that out-any tips are welcome. I managed to pack very lightly, bringing one small checked bag, a duffel bag, backpack, and miniature Coach purse. It was a challenge but ultimately I think packing lightly proved to be the wise choice.
Departed St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon, bound for Chicago. On that flight I met Brittany, who is also going to study abroad (in Italy) and is originally from Troy, MO, home of the Tara Peasel. She and I were both very nervous and were able to find our gates and wait together for our planes. While waiting, I met several other people also bound for Amsterdam and studying at my same school. I HIGHLY recommend investing in a flight directly to your final destination when studying abroad for this reason. These people proved to be valuable assets on arrival day. Fortunately, everyone I have met so far has been travelling alone and has therefore been very friendly. On the plane, I sat next to a French girl and Canadian boy. The French girl was also studying at my school (HES) and had been since August. She was very nice and helpful and was able to offer a lot of tips. Very lucky for me. The Canadian boy was studying abroad at a different location, but was also very friendly. We talked a lot about the differences in our countries. He gave me some Canadian coins (a loony, or one dollar coin) because they do not have dollar bills. He also informed me that many Canadians travel to Cuba frequently and Cubans love Canadians and vice versa. It seems I have been mis-informed in my American education, as I thought Cuba was a communist wasteland country that no one would enter for any reason.
On the plane, two free meals were served, dinner and breakfast. I was very surprised. Dinner consisted of a lean cuisine looking lasagna, salad, roll, and brownie. Breakfast was yogurt and an apple croissant. I was also able to watch The Social Network (not that good but not that bad) and sleep a little. Good flight and I highly recommend United Airlines.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, we first had to travel to the housing authority. Because I packed lightly and made friends, I traveled on the train with 2 boys, spending 2.70 Euro instead of approximately 40 for cab fare. After the train, we shared a cab to the housing authority for 10 Euro total. At the housing authority, my French-Canadian plane friend and I re-connected and shared a cab to our dorm. He had failed to print directions or the address so he was very willing to make a friend! (BTW Carly and Eric, the cat folder has been an interesting conversation starter!) Our cabbie got lost.
Sidenote: In Amsteram,cabs are not super common. Many of them are Mercedes, VW, or Volvo; much nicer than the US. At the airport and the train station, there were not lines of cabs like in Chicago.
Anyway, thank god my friend was in the car, because he was able to tell our cab driver we were not in the right location. I had no clue! After being lost for awhile, the cabbie stopped the meter and promised to get us to our final destination, but said he would not charge us for the aimless driving. Very nice and un-American of him!!
That brings me to my final observation. So far, I have found Dutch people in general very nice and friendly. They are all very helpful, even when we don't know the correct addresses or where we're going. No one got angry on the train when we were loading or unloading our bags. The airport and train were notably quiet; no one seems to be in a big rush. So far, I am really enjoying the atmosphere.
I have been unable to upload videos, but soon I will take pictures of my room and upload here and facebook! I am very jet-lagged right now and severely need to eat and sleep. Talk to you soon!
Departed St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon, bound for Chicago. On that flight I met Brittany, who is also going to study abroad (in Italy) and is originally from Troy, MO, home of the Tara Peasel. She and I were both very nervous and were able to find our gates and wait together for our planes. While waiting, I met several other people also bound for Amsterdam and studying at my same school. I HIGHLY recommend investing in a flight directly to your final destination when studying abroad for this reason. These people proved to be valuable assets on arrival day. Fortunately, everyone I have met so far has been travelling alone and has therefore been very friendly. On the plane, I sat next to a French girl and Canadian boy. The French girl was also studying at my school (HES) and had been since August. She was very nice and helpful and was able to offer a lot of tips. Very lucky for me. The Canadian boy was studying abroad at a different location, but was also very friendly. We talked a lot about the differences in our countries. He gave me some Canadian coins (a loony, or one dollar coin) because they do not have dollar bills. He also informed me that many Canadians travel to Cuba frequently and Cubans love Canadians and vice versa. It seems I have been mis-informed in my American education, as I thought Cuba was a communist wasteland country that no one would enter for any reason.
On the plane, two free meals were served, dinner and breakfast. I was very surprised. Dinner consisted of a lean cuisine looking lasagna, salad, roll, and brownie. Breakfast was yogurt and an apple croissant. I was also able to watch The Social Network (not that good but not that bad) and sleep a little. Good flight and I highly recommend United Airlines.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, we first had to travel to the housing authority. Because I packed lightly and made friends, I traveled on the train with 2 boys, spending 2.70 Euro instead of approximately 40 for cab fare. After the train, we shared a cab to the housing authority for 10 Euro total. At the housing authority, my French-Canadian plane friend and I re-connected and shared a cab to our dorm. He had failed to print directions or the address so he was very willing to make a friend! (BTW Carly and Eric, the cat folder has been an interesting conversation starter!) Our cabbie got lost.
Sidenote: In Amsteram,cabs are not super common. Many of them are Mercedes, VW, or Volvo; much nicer than the US. At the airport and the train station, there were not lines of cabs like in Chicago.
Anyway, thank god my friend was in the car, because he was able to tell our cab driver we were not in the right location. I had no clue! After being lost for awhile, the cabbie stopped the meter and promised to get us to our final destination, but said he would not charge us for the aimless driving. Very nice and un-American of him!!
That brings me to my final observation. So far, I have found Dutch people in general very nice and friendly. They are all very helpful, even when we don't know the correct addresses or where we're going. No one got angry on the train when we were loading or unloading our bags. The airport and train were notably quiet; no one seems to be in a big rush. So far, I am really enjoying the atmosphere.
I have been unable to upload videos, but soon I will take pictures of my room and upload here and facebook! I am very jet-lagged right now and severely need to eat and sleep. Talk to you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)