Pictures

I have included a few more pictures from the zoo(oh right I should point out, that I am including a really cute picture of racoons, for some reasons these guys had one of the biggest enclosures, I am not sure why... I mean we have them in Canada. No one was available for comment at the time of printing). Walking around Amsterdam (I feel I should comment: the picture of what looks like a porta potty, is for men they just walk up pee and walk away. If only we had that in Vancouver... there would be at least a 10-15% reduction in arrests, just a thought); Utrecht by bike; and the ridiculous boat party I went on.

Meg x

1 month later

I have officially been living in the Netherlands for 1 month. It actually feels much longer, like 3 months or so. It is pretty neat how you adjust and accustom yourself to a new environment. For me, I think I have things under wraps. Life has a pace, and even some routines. It's weird, I suppose I am used to being 'nomadic' if you will. Uprooting has been my life for the past 4 years. I am getting used to it, but it'll be nice to have my own place for a bit. Communal living is fun, but I think this might be my last bout of it. I love knowing that there is someone around if I ever want company, and most of my friends live mere metres from me. So, getting together is a pinch. But, bunk beds, and shared rooms is moving into something of the past. I will say I am enjoying myself though. There is a good group of people on my floor, pretty diverse, so there are a lot of stories, and interesting facts swaping (which I love). For example, biscotti is actually just 'any' cookie in Italian, but in Canada (and apparently in Spain), it is that hard biscuit you dip in coffee. I love this stuff. I am also expanding my world vocabulary, I am solidifying my knowledge in Spanish, and re-learning Italian, and learning a bit of Polish (I will need to, I am spending Christmas at my roommates place), and even the interesting array of Aussie slang words that I can use in my aresanal.

Life has been pretty jammed packed the last week or so, I believe similar to the last report. SO much school work it is sick!!! I am writing 3 papers- 1) on headscarves in France, UK and the Netherlands, and whether it is a breach of neutrality or a right to religious freedom (my group, and myself included are pretty liberal and balanced about it, but it doesn't make writing the paper any easier. Not to mention several people in my class cannot understand me, apparently I have an accent and speak to quickly, so I am working on slowing my speech down and rolling my r's more- although this would be a altercation of who I am, and thus an impediement on my personal identity, especially because in Canada we don't roll r's, and I think most of the time it is silent. See what they are teaching me here!). 2) I am writing about the use of the internet as a new form of mobilization for social movements, specifically looking at the World Trade Organization protest in Seattle in 1999. It really was epic, they had to call a state of emergency and call in the national guard. 50,000 people came to Seatlle organized through the internet to protest the WTO. 3) I am writing about the Palestinian diaspora, this one is tough, it's the hardest one for me, because I feel like there is un-due pressure on me to perform well on this task, especially because this is the class that the prof chose me to run the class. Plus, I have to learn the whole conflict from the ground up, and we have to have a task force that presents. It will be an interesting challenge and the topic is interesting, I just know I am getting in over my head, and I have to pull out a big one for this semester. Did I mention I am also on the International Committee at school?

So, you can understand why I have been slaving away reading and researching. The bonus, is I get to make power point presentations, and once I get a handle on the Palestine/Israel conflict I will feel better. The social movement paper I am really interested in, so reading is interesting for me. However, one will go mad if spent doing too much 'work'. Take for example Jack Nicolson in 'The Shinning'. I don't want to hack peoples' doors down saying "Here's Meagan!!!" although, that would be a good prank......
In light of all this work, we are organzing some gatherings here, and I think that will be a good break. Go out on the town, possibly integrate with the Dutch. They tend to keep to themselves, so it is really hard to be friends with Dutch people. I have loads of friends from other nationalities, but limited in the Dutch dept. 3 to be exact. Plus, nightlife here, is nothing like back home, beer, beer, beer, and more beer. In addition, all the dj's at the have been terrible. There is consensus on this, it isn't just me.

Good news on the travelling front!!!!!!!!
I am booked to go to Paris October 17-19. We are taking an overnight bus on the 16th to Paris from our city at 1045pm and we will arrive at 6am. (ok not so 'overnight', but close enough). Then the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, that will be a jammed packed day! I am so looking forward to Paris I can't contain myself. It's like when I was a kid, and I would run through the shrubs after chores to play with my friends and feel so liberated that I was bursting at the seams ready to scream. I reckon I might cry, but only for like a moment.

I am also going to London on November 20-23rd to visit friends from South America I met last year. London should be fun, I am actually really looking forward to that trip too, a lot to see there. It will be expensive, but with all the drama in the financial markets I am hoping that the pound and euro will slump a little, with high hopes that the Canadian dollar won't nose dive. Otherwise, I am in for it.

In between now and Christmas, I am hoping to travel in Holland a bit more, get to see some of the highlights. At Christmas I am going to Poland (I mentioned that earlier). I will go on the 20th -26th, and then off to Berlin to hang with my friend who I met in Canada. We stayed in touch, and her parents live in Berlin so she will be there. My plan is for NYE there, so it would be fun to travel around a bit, see some German hot spots. And that will bring me to the new year. Whoa.

This is interesting, I have big plans for the new year. In February (Provided I manage my funds correctly) I will visit some friends in Italy, do a little tour there (ohhh that will be excellent, I've wanted to go there since I was 15). Then, volunteer at a seal rescue centre in the north of Holland for 2 weeks. Afterwards, head over to Madrid, where I have been accepted into this program that is 1 week, and I will teach English to business executives (well they give you 1 business exec as your buddy). The organization pays for everything, except travel arrangements to Madrid. The accomodation looks really nice, I believe 4 star... heheheh I am really excited about this too, because I wasn't sure if I could swing Spain, and now I can. I just have to wait for the dates to come out for 2009, currently they didn't have any, so hopefully that works out. So, despite all this hardwork the fun will happen.

But, I am really enjoying myself, even though I am tooth and nailing it now, the commute is beautiful and the weekends are always well spent in the city centre wondering around. I actually would like to take out a paddle boat on the canal.

So, I hope everyone is doing well. Miss you guys... a little :)
Will post more pictures.
Wish me luck on these papers/presentations.

Life as a Dutchie

OK, so it has been awhile since I last updated.

The past week and a bit have been kind of blur, in the sense that I always have something to do. Class, readings, walking or biking around the centre, and just hanging out. Right now I am up to my eyeballs in work. I am taking three courses, and in Holland this is unheard of (well maybe only keeners like myself do it). So, it is a lot of work in the Dutch sense. For me it's ok, it's just that the books for the classes weren't available in the first week, which meant that I got behind in my readings, and they are all catching up to me now. And, because the system here is shorter (my classes end in the beginning of November, and a whole new set start right after) everything is compressed. Luckily, I don't have to work so technically I have a lot of time.... Anyways, suffice to say that I have my work cut out for me, but part of me likes the challenge. Actually, last week my prof was sick and she wrote up our lecture on a hand-out, and then indicated that I would dictate the second part of class (one of her masters students set us up in class and then...). WHOA! yeah exactly what I thought. My stomach dropped a bit. I know I am vocal in class, and I think that what I am saying sounds good, and has grounds because people listen and the prof seems impressed. I suppose this is why she chose me. (Part of me thinks that because I speak English fluently it helped). It's werid though, when I talk in class I have a commanding demeanor, and everyone turns and listens, and I become another person. It's like the part in Old School, where Will Farrell is in the debate with the political huncho from CNN, and all of the sudden he just miraculously comes up with an amazing debate, and crushes his opponent. If you haven't seen the movie, sorry you are out of luck. I only hope that you can take my word for it. Otherwise, I am just Meagan, goofy and full of movie-liners and loads of facts. hahaha.
See link: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=OEflzeCGta4

My cultural integration has gone well. I am getting much better at riding my bike, although last week coming from the market I almost got hit by a car. That would have been bad because I reckon I would have flown a few metres in the air, and had potential damage. But, as luck would have it, I am safe. I think because of the saddle bag I attached to the back of my bike with all my groceries, it made me slower and also I think I went on the cars turn, instead of mine. I think I have it under wraps, riding to school is getting easier, and there is a really beautiful park on the way, that is a nice detour.

Partying is selective around here. Tuesday is free entrance and cheap beer at this club associated with this International Organization, but the music sucks, so it becomes a tough trade-off. Maybe every other week. Thursday is student night, so everyone goes out then. My floor has decided to start having themed parties, which could bode well for me, being 1) an organizer 2) a fan of themed parties. Some themes include: Miami Vice, 80's, Pimp and Hoe (not pimp my hoe), Superheros, cocktail/black tie, and a recent addition that I saw some friends participating in on facebook - 'everything but clothes'. One guy wore a diaper, and a lot of people wore garbage bags. We'll see, that one might not go over so well.
Halloween is coming, so prepartion for that is underway. I have NO IDEA what I am going to be, but this is an even bigger decision than back home, because Halloween is just catching on here, so I really have to blow them away.

This past Friday I went to this party in Amsterdam on a boat. We had this wicked plan, to pull an all-nighter & save money by not getting a hostel for Friday, but then checking into a hostel in the morning and doing toursity stuff all weekend. So, we put our stuff in a locker at the train station, and got all ghetto by drinking outside the train station. A few friends rented an apartment last minute in the Dam so we were going to go there and have some drinks, but we got lost. 'Lost' hahah. Anyways, we ended up walking through the Red Light District. Upon entering the first street, I was propositioned by possibly a pimp. Then came the 'Live Porn Shows', wow, I so did not know they were 'live porn' shows. Damn. I am sorry, porn is one thing but watching it live... ewww. We kept walking, and loads of sex shops and neon lights were blinking and promoting EVERYTHING you could thinkg of. We eventually, neared the windows of women. They were ok, I mean they looked like prostitutes. FYI: 50 euro for 20 min. My reaction was : digusted, I suppose this kind of thing just seems tainted... paying for sex, and selling your body. But, there is no need to get into a moral debate, I am just saying that the Red Light District was not a district I would like to 'hang' out in, or find attractive.

We eventually had to go back to the train station to meet up with the people who had tickets for the party, and try and get some for ourselves. This was the start of an adventure. Everyone was high or drunk or both. We had to take a ferry across to the place where the boat was docked. We arrive on the 'other' side of Amsterdam, apparently it is not good enough to be considered part of Amsterdam. We had to hang out for a bit, and then eventually we walked through this industerial park, or graveyard depending on how you look at it. Graveyard in the sense that everything was rusted and decrepit. Then it appeared... the 'ex-Soviet whaling ship'. (Well, at least that's what I thought, it could have been a militray ship from the Cold War). It was called Stubnitz and the party was Switch. A techno party, that may have been promoted as more techno friendlier then it would eventual be.

The party was 19 euro, holy crap we are off to a good start. The tickets were sold in a small twinky looking trailer where the women scanned your money to make sure you weren't scamming them. If you were cold, there was a ghetto fire in an old oil drum, and then the ship. We all boarded, thankfully it didn't move, I would have been afraid it would have sunk. We were early. Apparently 1130 is early, however, we were in for the long haul. We had to stay until 5am, because the ferries stopped running and we had no hostel. Essentially, it was fun for like 2 hours, and then the music was too repepitive, we had our photo ops and we were ready to leave, except we couldn't. You needed to be high on something to keep up with this crap, oh and you needed ear plugs. My ears still hurt. My mistake... vodka/red bull I ended up getting sick, and turned into a party pooper around 2am. We finally made it off the boat warmed our frozen asses and had to walk to the 'other ferries'.... we ended up taking a cab back to the central station and loitering there for 45 minutes to get our bags from the lockers. Blocking the stairs catching some zzz's we killed 45 mintues and then got our stuff, and then made the executive decision to go back home. 730 am = back on the train to Utrecht. Oh, I forgot to mention on the way to Amsterdam, we got on an international train to Frankfurt, it was stopping in Amsterdam, but for like 10 minutes we thought we were throughly screwed. Or, were we? We will never know.

So, the party sucked, but we made the best of it, the most we could. We had a better time on Sunday. We went back to Amsterdam, this time 3 of us. We went to the ZOOOOOO. OMG it was so much fun, well at least for me. They had so mnay animals I was freaking out. Now, there comes a moral issue, being an animal activist, I am against holding animals against their will especially in unnnatural habitats. However, it did make me want to save all the animals in the wild from extinction because of various human activities, so in a sense seeing these animals makes you consider what it would be like to see them in their natural habitat, or at least have a deeper appriciation for them. Thus stimulating a several things (and as I beging to write this, several arguments have surfaced, mainly things my uncle would say in rebuttal - being a lawyer they tend to do that- so I am just going to stop). Depsite, my reservations, I think zoos can have positive effects if done properly, and this zoo was done to an extent, there were definitely things I would change.

Then we walked around the city, what a beautiful city, the houses and the canals. Every corner is teeming with history. We went to this photography museum- FOAM and checked out the exhibition, and walked around some more. Did some shopping, and enjoyed the city. There are a lot of things to do in Amsterdam that is why we have to go back. Next time we will bring our bikes. I could see myself making it a weekend occurance, just spending the day there. There are also musuem cards that are 22.50 and they give you free access to all the musuems in Holland. I'll be getting that. We ended the evening with a canal cruise and then headed home. It was a splendid day. Now, I am catching up on all the readings I missed (so worth it), nursing a potential cold, that I seemed to have nipped with this Emergency C my aunt gave me.

In 2 weeks I go to Paris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited. And, this week there is a film festival so I will check that out.

Hope everyone is well.
xxx

Rush hour ... with bikes

This morning was the first day I rode my bike in the AM rush-hour. There were bikes backed up for metres (they use metres in the Netherlands). Back to back bike jam. It is pretty intimidating at first, because bikes are within inches of you front and back, making it difficult for me to start up on my bike because I have to push off on my tip-toe, balance the bike, and start peddaling. I almost caused an accident this morning when I left my building. I am still learning to maneover my bike, and I needed to cross one bike path and a road to get to my bike path. In doing so, I almost collided with another bike. The guy looked pissed, and then I think swore in Dutch about foreigners. I suppose it is similar when on the sea-wall in Vancouver, and Asian tourists don't know how to ride bikes, and ride into cliffs and cause huge back-ups because someone has crashed with someone else, or they are going the wrong way on the wall. So, I am getting much better at all the things involved in riding a bike in Holland (and there are alot) moreso, for dignity's sake.

Anyways, I thought you would all get a kick out of a bike traffic jam, coming from a country that grew up on cars. Just imagine next time you are in a traffic jam, how many bikes you could fit in the space that one car occupies on the road. This is my world. If anyone is familiar with Critical Mass, an organized bike ride around Vancouver the last Friday of the month, right around rush hour at about 5pm. This is a good indicator of a Dutch bike jam.... Bikes rule.

Bikes

Finally... after weeks, well two weeks, I have found a bike. I bought it last Wednesday. Essentially, it came down to word of mouth. My friend Lukas got this number from a girl he knows, she said call this guy 'Jos' the bike guy, he'll hook you up with a bike for 25 euro, and the lock is 12.50 euro. This sounded too good to be true. But, sure enough Lukas shows up with his new bike, a nice looking bike I might add too. He said it was legit. So, I am on the phone with this guy for 3 days trying to get a bike. Finally.... I call him in the morning Wed, and he says call me at 5pm tonight. I called him at 5pm and he had one bike... this was good for me, however, my roommate needed one too. I should mention, I just awoke from a mid-day nap, resulting in the residual rosy cheeks and slight disorientation. However, I managed to get up and find the place from the hand drawn map within the hour.

Jos is quite the character, he is an older Dutch man with an earring and a tattoo that makes me think he was once in the Dutch Mafia. Or, something along those lines, it was a branding of a sort, or his wife's name. Personally, my over-active imagination sides more with the former. Despite, this he is actually quite a nice fellow. He shows me my bike, and tells me he can fix it up no problem, and if there are any problems come back. The bike is 25 euro which is a steal(not literally), because all the other students have been paying 50 and up for their bikes. Also, the lock which is quality and sold in the stores for 25 euro is only 12.50. Bargain, cha-ching. Turns out that he has some bikes stowed away, and a little touch up means that Ania is able to get a bike too. Both of our bikes are too big for us. Fully extended, I am on my tip toes when the bike is stationary. The bike is fully loaded-it has a bell, a light and 1 1/2 working brakes-I am not about to be picky after searching for so long. After about 45 minutes there, Ania and I pay Jos and we are on our way with our new bikes. It's a good thing I practiced so much on the seawall riding my bike and such.

Holland is built around the bike. The bike takes precedence on the road, they have their own lanes and lights, and generally bikers will run pedestrains down, or make you feel incredibly guilty for being on 'their' path. Rightfully so, I suppose. Everyone rides bikes here, actually the second day at my place, I saw an elderly man get hit by a car on his bike (he seemed ok, anambulance came for him), that made me want to google the accident rate of bikes and cars in Holland. Parents ride with a kids on the front and back, or in little carriage contraptions at the front of the bike. Today, I saw a mother with a newborn strapped to her front riding, ONE HANDED. No one wears helmets, unless they are into 'cycling'.

Biking in Holland is a must though, it makes you feel more integrated in the culture. I think I am doing well. I use my bell frequently now, and I am fiercely protective of my bike. In Holland, people pay more for their lock than the bike. The rate of bike theft is very high. Loads of 'junkies' sell bikes really cheap, but recently police have gone under cover dressed as 'junkies' and arrested unsuspecting patrons (usually exhcange students) for purchasing illegal bikes. I do think that Jos is legit, I think junkies sell him the bikes, or even the police.

So far, biking has been great, getting around by bike takes single minutes versus walking which can take you into the double digits. I am going to buy a little baggage attachment for my bike so I put my groceries, and what-not in it while I am riding around. Also, that little rack at the back of the bike duals as a second seat for a passanger. I haven't riden on it yet.... but I have every intention of hitching a ride soon enough.

For now, that is my intro to biking culture and my experience with bikes in Holland. Gotta love it.

Utrecht and all its glory...

So, I have officially been in Holland for a week. It's been quite the EPIC WEEK.

Moving in, university orientation that went all week, partying, wine socials in the kitchens, meeting new people,shopping in the centre, walking the centre, and figuring out how to not get hit by bikes, and where to buy a bike for cheap without getting arrested for buying one from an undercover cop. It's everything I could have asked for and more. We started a tradition, where we all conglomerate into the kitchen between 8-12pm. Bottles of wine appear on the table, chairs are assembled,the lap top is blaring,and the social chatter begins. The first night,it looked like something out of a movie. Word of mouth and the next thing you know, we are having a party in the kitchen. We produced a sheet of music requests to make sure everyone gets their music played. Being the social planner that I am, I took on the task of finding the music and herding everyone to the kitchen. But, I don't mind.

Partying in Utrecht is quite an interesting experience....

The first club I went to was the underground one I mentioned in the previous blog. What a gong show. They don't believe in limits on people so there were literally hundreds of people in the underground tunnels of what used to be the city prision. Nice to know, after the fact. We danced all night, my roommate and I. We were up on this stage like thing, we had a bit of an audience because apparently the Dutch don't a) dance and b) dance on stage. A little ways through the night, the worst audition for Dutch idol appeared, to show us why he was rightfully rejected from the show. It was one of the most painful experiences ever! Amazing how some people will exploit themselves in what they think is a good money/popularity scheme, but really everyone is making fun of them.

The second place we went to was Woolomooloo. Don't ask. It is atached to a frat house, the only frat house in Utrecht, where the memebers dress in suits all the time, and make their recruits do distrubing things to gain membership- all I will say is chicken. But, I suppose that is typical for fraternaties. The club was pretty packed, the coat check people were arses, and they neglected to mention that the machine on the wall that says change actually dispenses tokens for beer. I found this out the hard way, when the coat check lady wouldn't take my 20 euro note and made me go get change. So, I turn and notice this machine that says 'change' and has pictures of various bills on it. I put my 20 in and got like 15 tokens... was I pissed. I didn't even bother checking my sweater. Luckily, I sold most of the tokens off, and had a pocket full of change. A little way through the party, I noticed 3 girls on the back of the bar 'dancing', so I decided to show them up. Well, more like just dance a good dance because they looked like they were just (sorry for the grotesque langauge) 'humping' each other in the air. So, I asked the bartender if I could go up, and then I spent the rest of the night on the back bar dancing my heart. I don't know why, but I love being elevated like that when I am dancing. I don't like being in the crowds,and I like being away from all the man scoundrals who circle the dance floor looking for prey to stock. So, I had a bit of a crew cheering for me, and the made a few girls jealous, but I was up there for the music not for the potential phone numbers I might get.
Eventually, I needed a break, and hung out with my peeps for a bit. Apparently, I should have been paid for my skillz, according to some of my friends. hahaha,I just laughed. Everytime I think of dancing on stage like that, I think back to Electric Circuit this dance show on Much Music in the 90's. I used to watch it religiously, I think that show spawned the dancer in me. In the show people would crowd around Much Music in Toronto and vie to be picked from the crowd to dance on the show. It was a huge deal, to get picked. So, after 3 hours of dancing like Jennifer Beal in Flash Dance I decided to head home for some much needed sleep.

The centre of Utrecht, is like all European cities, cobblestone streets, the typical tall thin Dutch homes, and canals everywhere. Utrecht has quite a bit of shopping which is pretty nice. There are at least 2 of the same major shops throughout the city, which is kind of bizzare. And, then a major shopping mall. There are markets on Wednesday and Saturdays. Awesome! I love them so much. There is a guy who sells the nicest scarves for 5 euro and it makes me warm and fuzzy inside to have such a wicked hook-up for such nice scarves. Essentially, I can still be a fashionista as long as I have these scarves. Otherwise, shooping is pretty ridiculously expensive, I try not think about it. And, hope that the Euro will drop steadily. The markets are good for fresh produce straight from the sellers farms, cheese, eggs, fresh fish which I saw today, it was crazy... I saw squid and every kind of fish you could want.

We have been spending a fair amount of time in cafes, not to be confused with coffee shops. A standard price for a cappucino is 2.25 euro. So,anything more is a rip-off anything less is a bargain. The resturants are fabulous here, but expensive. The terraces in the middle of the centre are really nice for people watching. And, on the weekends the streets come alive with music and are clogged with people. It's insane but, also kind of nice.

My hunt for a bike might end nicely this week. A friend of ours bought a bike for 25 euro from this guy, and it was legit. Everyone else has been paying 50 euro or more. So, my fingers are crossed.

The grocery stores are good too, my house is right next to one, not to mention everything else in the city I really lucked out. The grocery stores, and dept stores sell wine, and they sell it cheap. It is a nice change to buy Chilean or Argentinan wine for like 3.50 euro... ahhh wine. At least it's not as bad as beer. But, that is pretty cheap here. About 2 euro for a beer, but with 2 inches of foam and smaller than a sleeve. So, really I don't think you are getting a deal.

I joined the gym today, so I am psyched about that. The guy thought I was crazy when I asked if they had a punching bag... I might take a kick boxing class on campus... we'll see. RIding my bike everywhere should keep me in shape (when I get a bike).
School starts tomorrow. I am pretty excited about that, I have really interesting courses such as: Violent conflict and diaspora; Culture Diversity and Identity; and Culture, violence, trauma and reconciliation (might make me a better negotiator/reconcillator). The books are what is going to kill me. Almost 200 euro in books. I can't believe some of the prices in Europe. It pretty much means I won't be leisurely reading magazines or books because they are so expensive. Thankfully, I have the internet.

Anyways, this blog seems like the equivalent of an entrance essay.

Until next time.... stay classy Vancouver.

- For those of you that know my love of movie quoting, that was a quote (slightly modified) from one of my favourite movies. Whom ever guesses correctly gets a postcard! hahha kidding :)

Seeing Holland, and settling into Utrecht

This past Sunday I went to Den Hague, in the south of Holland. It is where the Internation Justice Courts are, and the main city for parliament and political affairs in Holland. They also have kilometres of beach... no joke. Also, they have beach bars that are fit snug at the frontier of the beach and they run the extent of the beach. Trendy little bars and cafes that line the strip with fabulous wicker patio furniture, great music and what looked like divine food. Timo and I took the train from Veenendaal to Den Hague which is about 1 hour 30 min. It was 25 euro round trip (the train in Holland is very expensive). Luckily, when I arrived in Veenendaal I brought sunshine (this is what I was told because before Friday it was cloudy and rainy, and then Friday the sun comes...) and so we went to the beach in Den Hague. It was a nice train ride, we passed through the city of Gouda, not pronounced anything like how we say the cheese. We butcher the Dutch words. Anyways, it's a quaint looking town, a little industrial. We passed many farms and many farm animals, but I also saw a few windmills which was really cool.

We arrived in Den Hague and then had to take a tram to the beach, it was crammed with people all viaing for a spot on the beach. Literally though, crammed. We didn't pay because it was so crammed. But, the whole ride we rode in fear that we would get busted and have to pay a huge fine. Apparently, it is quite the offence. Finally, we arrive at the edge of the town that is the closest to the beach. Very dramatic buildings, it actually looks like a lot like Nice, France. Very beautiful.

The sun was shining and it was very hot. I was hungry so we grabbed fries and mayonnaise, a Dutch speciality, and headed for the sand. People everywhere. Everywhere. A mix of topless and clothed. A lot of naked kids which was weird. Especially, because once Timo and I found our spot, a guy sat next to us and was fully clothed but had his pants undone at the top, and was laying down facing a bunch of girls. He looked Italian, and very greasy. I was worried about all the Coppertone kids running around. Anyways, he could have been harmless but I thought otherwise.

So, we settled into our spot and hung at the beach and swam we stayed for about 3 hours or so. The Dutch are very smart with such large areas, because they have markers every few hunred metres or so, that they use for families so that if a child gets lost they just have to remember they were by the sheep, for example. Very handy, even for adults because the beach is so huge. The beaches are very European, with tanning chairs available for rent, and little tented areas too. We opted for towels on the sand. Good enough. When we left we walked along hte board walk and took in the bars and cafes, it was really a great atmosphere. Overall, a nice Sunday, very greatful it was sunny. Den Hague is a very nice looking city, very architectural, with rich homes- very beautiful with huge gardens and brick facades, with canal views.

Monday I packed my stuff and headed to Utrecht, it felt much longer than 3 days that I was in Veenendaal I got kind if used to it. So, I took the train with all my stuff - actually I had to leave some behind because it was too much for me. The train between Veenendaal and Utrecht is about 40 min so not bad at all.
I arrived and had to take the bus to the university, what a gong show. The housing place I had to go was packed, everyone and their mom was there. It took about 1 1/2 hours or so to get my contract, sign it, get my bedding, and then my keys. Phew. Luckily, there was a shuttle from the SSH to the residences and I managed by luck to get on one. It took me right to my place. Finally, I had arrived all I had to do was take the elevator and go through the door. No, of course not. The elevator to my floor was broken so I had to hoof it up two flights of stairs with all my gear, which by that time I was running off adrenaline and frustration that I couldn't feel the pain. So, finally..... I arrive at my entrance hallway. I walk through the door and see a girl go ito my room. We are roommates.... I have arrived.

We introduce ourselves and I know instantly that we will get along and have a great time. Her name is Anna but in Polish so think Ann-ya. Very nice girl, we have very similar interests and music tastes are on par which is very good, because in a shared accomodation it can be problematic. So it is good so far.

My room is small but cozy, very good use of space. We have the IKEA beds with the bunk bed on top, and the desk underneath, very handy. We have ample space in shelving and the wardrobe for our things. We have a sink for washing, and a shower right beside our room, so easy access. We also have this crazy loft thing above the door where we can store things, but I suggested and I think we are going to do, is turn it into a lounge space with pillows and a carpet up there and make it a hang out for parties and gatherings and such. Plus, if someone needs to sleep over, by all means we can make it happen.

So yeah, it has been good. I had to buy a new phone because the one I bought in Canada which was suppose to work on the same frequency in Europe wasn't working. Not bad. I traded my old phone in for 10 euro off, and I paid 15 euro for the phone (Nokia) and 10 euro for the phone card. But, not after much struggle with my phone. I bought the simcard, but it didn't work, so I got it unlocked at this shady place owned by this Turkish guy. It was right out of a mob movie, where people show up to sell stolen electronics to the shop owner, and the owner has a lap top surrounded by phones, pieces of phones and this crazy USB cable thing that apparently unlocks the phone, through a de-coding process. Essentially, today I had to go back and ask for a refund and it was a bit of an argument, but I got 6.50 back from the 12.50 euro I paid. What a mess, but I was un-happy with his services as they did not produce the results he told me would happen. So, we reached a compromise.

But, that is all done now. I am settled in here. I bought a plant and did laundry, and all is well. I have to go to the market tomorrow to get produce, and food and such. We went out for food tonight to this cafe called Cafe Lust. Cafes here are equilvalent to bars in Canada or lounges, this is more of a lounge. I really liked it. But, not cheap. I had a noodle bowl with udon noodles, tofu and vegetables with shi-take sauce. Very tasty.

Oh yes, the previous night my roommate and I, bought wine (4.50 euro, some is cheaper) and a wine glass each. And, she was invited to this gathering across the way, so we went over and met some new people. The building is weird it is a giant hall with doorways that you have to key to get in, and then it opens into a smaller hallway that is a corridor of doors, and there are I think 6 rooms and 2 bathrooms (m/w) and 2 showers. So, we made friends with a guy from Slovakia, a guy from Hungary, a girl from Spain and a guy from Australia. We had our wine, the guys from Hungary and Slovakia are roommates and they drank Martini stuff.... and the Australian nicked- as he uses the term- a glass from the bar downstairs. So, we all sat around chatting and listening to music. So, we have become a bit of a possi.
I went for dinner with the Slovakian, Hungarian, my roommate and the Slovakian's brother. I suppose I could use names, but nationalities are fun in the sense that it highlights the mix of different people.

So, here I am now. Getting ready for school tomorrow. I had orientation around campus today, got my schedule and student card. Tomorrow we learn the computer system, and go over course stuff. Also, we get a pancake lunch a pannekoek in Dutch. And, after a canal cruise which will be very nice. So, I am very excited, settling in well. Today, we have had rain and wind, and I reckon it will only get worse. It is like Vancouver in November.

The pictures, the first ones are of my room and such, then the the first one after the room, is a view looking up into the ceiling of the library, it is a very architectural building, the other black picture is the lower level of the library, the checkered building is the Ruppert Building one of my buildings on campus, and lastly a wind turbine. My camera died before the windmills, and the beach :(

Until next time....