Four months in, and this place is growing on me. Markets on Wednesday and Saturdays = cheese by the wheel, flowers by the bunches, fruits and veggies brimming from boxes, knock-off bags and wallets, kitsch watches- blinding with their 'diamonds'. Coffee Company, my new favourite hang out. Lattes in proper latte cups, big comfy chairs, and music to inspire even the coldest of hearts. It's the living room I never had. Museums galore, I am a frequent flyer at the Van Gogh Museum, I am really getting used to the European way of life.
Life has been buzzing along and the next thing I know it's already Christmas. It's insane! School is going well, I am taking Conflict Resolution (I am learning how to deal with large scale conflict negotiations between parties such as Russia and Georgia, or rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the UN- I hope this translates into more practical use in everyday life). And, my Art and Ideology class is phenomenal, I wish I got into art history much earlier in my academic career. This class is really linking so much, it's essentially examining the art produced during periods of conflict or revolution - ie) The Mexican Revolution, the Cold War, the Russian Revolution, etc- and how these periods of strife effect the art being produced such as, limitations and inspiration, so to speak. I love it, by far one of my favourite classes so far content wise. It also helps make those historical links when you are actually looking at the paintings. For example, I will be in Berlin and during Hitler's reign he considered all Modern Art degenerate art, and showed it off to the people as that trying to persuade them to dismiss it, and revert to Classicism, more traditional art forms and painting styles. So, having studied that I can look at some of the pieces that were banned during the Third Reich (the ones that survived, or others by a particular artist considered degenerate) and have that backgrounder. Love it.
About 2 weeks ago we had our floor Christmas dinner, that was a lot of fun. I decorated the kitchen, and I got a planted 'Charlie Brown' tree, and decorated him to the 9s. Then everyone made a dish or two and that was our dinner, so we had pizza from the Italians, American Mushroom Risotto, I made yams with honey and brown sugar, a tofu Parmesan loaf (sounds gross but it was actually really good!) oh and I made stuffing, with apples and walnuts as an alternative to celery, because apparently the grocers thought cilantro was celery, so when I got 2 people, 2, to go and get some celery for me, that is what they came back with. But, it was a blessing in disguise because the apples and walnuts were a flavour explosion. There was Italian desserts, Polish perogies (btw if you think you are eating perogies in Canada, nothing compares to the Polish ones)! It was a hit, we managed to drag a table from downstairs upstairs and add it to our table. Wine and beer galore, a bit of champagne I really like these huge dinner parties, I am going to host them when I get into my new place.
Other than that, I have mastered my bike manoeuvring skills, so far I have only almost been hit 3 times by a car, that is a good score card, 1 per month with the actually total being more like 2 in one month. Oh I climbed the Dom Tower in Utrecht, you can see the WHOLE city... it is unreal! 490 stairs up, I took it like a champion, nothing like the 520 in Kolon (Cologne). There is a Viktor and Rolf fashion exhibit at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, so when I get back (from xmas break) I will check that out, and go to Den Hague to see the 'Girl with the Pearl Earring' and the miniature everything in Holland, in a museum also in the Den Hague,and maybe check out the ICC (International Criminal Court).
My days are numbered here, so I have to check off my list of things to see before I go. But, this has been an amazing experience, and wouldn't trade it for anything. I am also excited to come home, I must say Christmas was really different this year. It really didn't feel like it, unless I was directly participating in a Christmas type event. I still enjoyed myself.
I will write about the individual trips and such, in another blog.
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