5th Day Update

So! This is going to be a compilation of events from Day 2 - Day 5, of which I am now nearing the end. Classes start next Monday; I'm currently enrolled in 5 classes (one of which I must drop):

Beginning Dutch, M 4-6pm, Th 6-8pm
Europe in the Global Political Economy, Tu 2-4.45pm
European Union Law, an Intro, W 3.15-15pm, Th 3-5pm
Russia & European Integration, M 6-8.45pm
Nationalism & its Revival in Europe, W 9am-noon

Excited!

The second day: a few other kids get in, we have an orientation, and then take a cruise through the canals! They provided pizza dinner, including an entire vegan one for me :) It's a little weird being substance free here--I guess it's no surprise, but I don't think any other kids are. Some don't do pot, at least, but it's still strange. Today I saw the Red Light district and I just can't help thinking about the new ways I'm understanding bodies--I've been thinking about it a lot this summer, and how we hype the body and pretend everything's about bodies, when it's not. How we fixate on bodies, and why? Bodies are immaterial. Bodies are not substantive; they are a casing and a means to physical existence in certain worlds. They are nothing on their own. They are transient and temporal; they mean nothing about the soul and do not travel with the soul from experience to experience--and how incredible it is that no one else seems to get that. They haven't been taught yet. It's never too late to learn. Anyway, then to the evening club that the Housing Corporation, De Key (d'kaye--as in, aye aye, captain) sponsors. A little weird. I knew I wouldn't like clubbing, but at least I can say now I've been once. I force some of my shier friends to dance with me, and they look like they have a good time for that brief period. I propose we leave, and they agree, so we wander for an hour. At 9pm local, we're back at the club to meet up with our CIEE group, which takes us to the Dutch film organised by the International Student Network (ISN) here. It's supposed to be a light-hearted romantic comedy, but it's a black-humour film that ends up being about euthanasia, the drug culture, and the gays in Amsterdam.  And Dutch colonialism in Indonesia.  Intense! Midnight it's to sleep for me.

Also, an Israeli hallmate moves into my hall. I think we're going to be friends.

Third day! 9:30am we all (all CIEE kids) have to meet up to go to the Practical Orientation, where we learn about bikes and phones and safety and all sorts of things. We meet our RAs and caretakers (maintenance directors?), all of whom are genuine, funny, and nice (or seem so), and then they bring me a special vegan lunch and the other kids have theirs too. I like how I always have my special meals served right to me...happened on the airplane, too! It's like being royalty, haha!

Then, like 1pm / 1:30pm (can't believe this was all in one day), we begin a walking tour of the city, going to many University buildings and other practical spots, concluding in a trip to the CIEE office for European phones (which we have to buy pay-as-you-go minutes for), and then an ENDLESS search for bikes. The companies they reserved bikes with didn't have enough for short people (which left 9 people bikeless), so we went walking for 2 hr. to find more used bikes...Good way to see the city, but also sort of convinced me that if I could do that, I didn't really NEED a bike. (I've changed my mind since). Which I sort of already thought anyway. Oh well. I alternate between very scared (always send love!) and pretty excited. Two minutes ago I was REALLY excited. Now I'm remembering how to be scared again. It's true that we emotionally poison ourselves.

Tonight I skipped an International Student Network event to go to a "borrel"--basically an event in Europe where people go to a bar and socially hang out. Of course it's awkward being substance-free here. I didn't skip because of that, but because I want to go to sleep early tonight. I feel weird though because I promised a group of friends and we don't have cell phone numbers to call and say why we're not going :( Oh well!

Fourth day was yesterday, the 28th. I missed sending Mrs. Hill her birthday greeting until a day later because I'm so screwed up with time and dates and days of the week here. It'll get better when the semester starts. 10.15 we all meet to start an Academic walking tour & orientation. I iron out some details about where and when classes meet (this university is REALLY disorganised....like other gigantic universities). I don't remember what happened because I just kept thinking: please let me sleep, please let me sleep... My body's been doing this really weird thing that's actually normal for my body, which is having an AWESOME alarm clock. My body shuts me down at 10, wakes me up at 8/9, and also wakes me up when I need to get up to get someplace. Also, our rooms are equipped with nasty intercom systems so people can "buzz" you. Sounds like a fire alarm going off and it scares the crap out of me, every time.

Another awesome like indie activisty homeless/foodless-helper (knows Food Not Bombs, for instance) kid pointed out the University has bottles of Kombucha in its dining facilities. Exactly what I need! I was so excited, and obviously got some.

We buy some textbooks and are done by 3pm. A new close friend of mine and I wander for an hour to find pillows, get a little lost, find ourselves, I try out some Dutch and am responded to in English (duh), and then we find a small coffee house (NOT coffee shop--they actually serve coffee here) and sit for 2 hours, watching a T-intersection of the canals. So lovely. We talk about gender, sexuality, queers, driving cars, about talking, &c. I think she and I are going to be really close, because I feel really comfortable with her. For the record, most of the kids on this program I feel comfortable with; they're really wonderful, wonderful, wonderful kids. Plus, full of FGSS students. Ridiculous.

For the record, wandering until you're lost is the best way to figure out where you are in the city. It forces you to take initiative, take control, and really make a map in your head. They all say it's true--but it turns out, it really is true!

For dinner, we all cook together (well, about 6 or so of us cook in my building) and then nearly all 33 CIEEers feast! It's a wonderful meal, and it's cooked like meals should be--with good friends, good conversation, and with appetisers so everyone (including the chefs) don't starve. That was un-fabulous syntax. The amazing Romanian grad student joins us. Then, excellent conversation lasting hours afterward. Then I decide to skip Karaoke, because it's going to be late and I NEED some sleep finally! Just as I decide, claps of thunder are heard and--almost instantly!--a torrential downpour and thunderstorm commence. They are some of the most beautiful sounds. So, I loved last night, but some of my poor friends had to walk home through it. I will say in my defence: I offered an umbrella, which was turned down.


TODAY! (finally): 10.15am we meet, get on a bus & use our "strippenkaart" (bus tickets) and travel out of town to nearby fishing villages. The first one is traditional and has housing codes requiring the historical houses be kept in their original condition (YES!) and our tour guides wear traditional outfits. It pours, and it's beautiful. God I love the rain. It's called Marken, and I want to live there one day. Even though no non-Dutch person has lived there thus far (supposedly). Then to Volendam, I think. It was touristy. Eh. I prefer Marken. Back by 4pm, wander some more, back home, and then I hang out for hours with my hallmates! I LOVE them, and the Israeli girl and I are finally hanging out after I ditched her twice. We're all going (from my hall) to the International Student "final" party. I don't like parties, but I figure I'll stay a half hour to an hour or so. See if I like it. Hang out with the kids.

I finally called some of the CIEEers "kids" today and they laughed at me. Another friend said she felt like I was her mom, in a friendly sense (I was ecstatic--you know me). To several more, I admitted (finally) that I frequently feel like an Old Crone, and then I had to explain the Maiden / Mother / Crone theory (Triple Goddess?). I do feel like an Old Crone frequently, and it's confusing to people because I'm supposed to be in the Maiden stage. HA.

Actually had a great gender discussion with a friend walking home--how lovely that these things happen when you least expect them!

Anyway, that's my update so far :) Hope you've enjoyed!

Much Love,
Miranda