Hidin' in Leiden

2005-12-14T18:01:00.000+01:00

What's the song played at the end of every episode of the Lawrence Welk show?

Anyway- I had my final test today for Dutch. It was sweet. And so I leave tomorrow. We have our final meeting tonight. I did my last load of laundry- and I've signed up to check out of my room tomorrow morning at 8:30.

This is all sort of surreal. I can't decide if it feels like I just got here, or if I've been here for years. Sometimes it feels like both.

I'm all too excited to be in Pella. I miss it. I always do. I'm a freak. I want to walk down the snow covered streets of Pella- look in stores, say hello to strangers on the street and end with a warm coffee at Smokey Row. Note I said warm. Sometimes the coffee isn't very hot.

It's always hot in the Netherlands. And strong. I just want a piss-poor cup of Smokey Row House Blend.

Nasty Stuff, really.

I've packed up the fifth Harry Potter book to read on the way home. I have a three hour lay over in Washington D.C. I have a couple hours in Chicago. Chicago is so big, I think it'll take me the two hours to find the place my plane leaves.

But Chicago O'Hare sucks. I've never had a plane leave that place on time domestically. Sure, they get international flights out fine- but United is always delaying flights. I think I may have some luck being on the last flight to Des Moines, but that's just more reason to get my ass there on time.

Wish me luck. This has been fun. I've met some wonderful people, and I've had some wonderful times. I'll put up more photos once I get home to my room and my lovely computer.

Ijs Skaten doen

2005-12-13T14:31:00.000+01:00

Ha. We went ice skating last night. I was drunk. I had a nice time. I did rather well. Kyle fell trying to be a big strong man. It's funny when he does that because he's not. Ha.I'm completely amazed that I am leaving this place so soon. It's been quite the ride, but it certainly isn't over yet. Holger is taking me out tonight (the way the Dutch say goodbye, he told me). I'm excited for the good times.

I had an oral final today. I passed the final, I passed the class. It was lovely. I have a real test tomorrow. A big one. With questions, answers, and communication. It's all in Dutch, that's the thing. I hope I win. Ah well. Ik spreek een beetje Nederlands, en ik wil goed doe.

Day After Tomorrow.

Last Days in Leiden.

2005-12-12T13:40:00.000+01:00

I leave on Thursday. How odd. I wrote my last paper today. It's nice to get that out of the way. I should do some study for my Dutch final.

Ik spreek niet goed Nederlands. Nee, niet goed.

Anyway. Here's a random picture. It's of Santa. He lives in Rotterdam. He holds an anal plug.

Only in the Netherlands.

Fog my vision

2005-12-10T14:27:00.000+01:00

Yesterday began a lovely day. It turned very foggy as the afternoon went on. Today, though, there is not a single sign that last night was beautiful and moist. I was looking at the weather in Iowa today and it seems like there is some chance (30 per cent) of snow on Wednesday- but on Thursday it's just supposed to be cold and a partly cloudy. I got worried yesterday when I saw that an airplane slid off of a runway. I would not enjoy that on my way home. I did laundry last night to get a move on- and to begin packing my suitcase. I've got some stuff in there now, mostly boxes, and it's over half full! Yikes. I'm going to have some serious cramming issues to take care of (not the kind of cramming I would expect to do the end of the semester).

Had beer last night- after I broke into the liquor that I was going to give as a gift. Ah well. I can buy liquor in Iowa- and it takes that much room out of my suitcase. It was a gift set with cologne and face wash with the alcohol. The only reason I really bought it was that the bottle of alcohol was 20 euro- but the gift set (with the same bottle) was 14. Now I have drink the rest of my time here. Anyway- I'm starting to get bitchy. I realized it pretty early on in the drinking last night... I think I was subconsciously pushing these people away since I know the likelihood of me having great contact with any of them is rather slim. A wedding maybe- that's probably it. I stopped as soon as I figured out what I was doing- I wasn't being kind. Tonight I'll try to be better. Anyway- it's weird to think that I have pairs of underwear that I won't wear ever again in Leiden (unless I change clothes three times a day). It's little things like this that are getting to me. Oh, and interesting. Some of the people are starting to explore new bars because they felt they haven't been as 'bar-hoppy' as they could be. We went to a bar Thursday night, and Friday they said they were wanting to go back to the new Thursday bar. I found that funny.

So- let's hope for nice weather Thursday. Four days. Wow.

Week

2005-12-08T15:28:00.000+01:00

It's a week until I leave. I had a lovely day. We had an early class (a little issue after going to the bar last night), and one of the students didn't make it to the last class! Oops. He had fun. I walked around the town. It's a lovely day. 45 degrees, sunny. Lovely. There's a festival getting set up in the center of town- and they have an ice skating rink. Looks like fun.

So soon.

2005-12-06T19:31:00.000+01:00

I'm leaving for Pella in less than two weeks. It'll happen before I know it. Want to know what won't happen before I know it:

Second Semester. I had an email today in my inbox that contained my very first assignment for a one credit class. The professor said that it was only sent out to give us enough time to read the paper. It was 20 pages, how much time does anybody need? I could pull that out so fast. Do professors realize that if you give us a week or a year we will still do the work a day before it's due?

In other news. Wow. It's cold in Iowa. Not so cold here. We've done pretty well keeping our temperature above freezing. Today was even into the 40's! We went to Den Hague. We saw the Peace palace. I am excited for my last Hell Wednesday. I've dreaded Wednesday here. It's always sucked.

Sinterklaasdag

2005-12-05T13:23:00.000+01:00

Happy Sinterklaasdag America! Tonight is the night that Sinterklaas brings gifts of chocolate letters, speculaas, and other sweets to the good children of the Netherlands. He rides his big white horse to the cities to present these gifts in the shoes of the kids. If the kids are naughty, however, Sinterklaas has his big black helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), stuff them into sacks. Now, America would never allow Zwarte Piet. Zwarte Piet has a big nose and huge red lips. Mostly Zwarte Piet is a white person wearing black makeup. I believe that's illegal in the U.S. At least on stage. However, it's wrong to say that a cultural tradition offends. I personally like it when Zwarte Piet hugs tiny children in the street- his white hands stretching around the backs of young children. It's so odd.

I think I may leave a shoe by my door- just to see if anything happens. But, when I think about my last year, I'll probably end up in a sack. Happy Sinterklaasdag, America!

t-15=gone

2005-11-30T20:22:00.000+01:00

In two weeks I will be leaving this place I have come to love and hate. I will embark for a journey unlike any journey I've ever forced myself into- I embrace myself for the return to an old culture. However, some positives:

I've done this before. A summer nearly five years ago spent away from home- however I stayed in Iowa.
I'll be able to use the bar as a comfort space. Since it has become an element of what I find enjoyable about the Netherlands, I can use it as a resource in Pella- more than just booze.

I've seen the low countries and I've thrown myself into the Dutch culture- all while keeping my head above water. I didn't become addicted to marijuana (a worry I had, blown out of proportion by my parents), I have kept up with school work, and I've met local people. All in all, I'd say I've accomplished all the things I was looking to do.

Not saying I won't miss the place while I'm gone- but those are feelings that I can't anticipate.

Finally, here's a photo of my short(er) hair. I'm wearing contacts in the photo- so don't be alarmed.

24/7 Booze

2005-11-28T13:47:00.000+01:00

England this weekend implemented new liquor licenses. These licenses allow pubs to stay open past 11 pm, often until 3 am. There were even about 1,000 24 hour licenses released. So with that news, BBC has a great article today about England's Hangover- and why we keep drinking.

Read The morning after the weekend before

I cut my hair this weekend. Not a whole lot- just a trim. I'll post a picture someday, but the computer I am on right now doesn't like USB devices.

We also saw our first snow while here. It didn't accumulate- and it didn't snow for very long, but it was snow. I'm amazed by how quickly this entire last week has gone. I'll be leaving before I know what's gone on- I should get my work done and make the best of my free time.

Just useless...

2005-11-25T15:01:00.000+01:00

What a miserable day in Holland! We've got a major low pressure system over our heads, causing constant 30 mph winds- gusts to 40 mph. It's raining- turning to sleet. Just nasty stuff.

I saw the most recent Harry Potter film last night. I didn't like it. I thought the story line was weak- the climax was hardly the highest point of the film- things were done wrong. I felt like the film should not have sacrificed content and story for a shorter movie. We lost crucial characters- and in the hurry to end the story- could have lost Rita Skeeter all together too. The characters were stagnant- we didn't learn a thing about any of them, and the only thing that justifies my seven euro price tag was the short scene in the tub. I was expecting grand things when we first see the Quiddich World Cup- but as soon as the veela are cut out- we know the movie will suck.

The best part about the film was that the theater I went to stopped the film so people could go into the lobby to smoke and buy more beer- thanks theater- because I am so glad I was drinking since three to see that film at nine.

My favorite review quote comes from Phil Villerreal from the Arizona Daily Star, he wrote, "...the busy story tends to lose track of characters, hyperactively vaulting from one plotline to the next without satisfying resolutions or transitions."

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

2005-11-24T20:31:00.000+01:00

Happy Secular Feesting Day! Be sure to bobble all the food you can! I'm seeing Harry Potter 5 tonight, I'm very excited!

my thoughts are so thoughtful

2005-11-22T16:35:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry for the lack of posting lately. I've been completely bogged. There's so much work I need to be doing, and quite frankly, I'm not doing it. Well, alright- I am, but it feels like I'm just never done with all the things I should be doing. I need to get down to some serious business, with a little break to bake bread for our Thanksgiving supper on Thursday night.

So give me a few days to recollect my thoughts, and I promise we will all be rewarded in the long run.

The comfort of food-

2005-11-17T18:30:00.000+01:00

I've had another week of classes pass me by. It's Thursday, the earliest of my mornings, and for some odd reason after class I was madly craving biscuits and gravy. So, I racked my brain to remember how my dad makes gravy. I looked through my English to Nederland dictionary to figure out how to buy sausage and flour in Nederland. I ended up having to buy bratwursts (it was fun squeezing them out of their skins into the skillet [sorry vegetarians]). I got it just fine. My meal was fabulous. It was the perfect comfort food to engorge myself with during this cold rainy day. Of course, it's not as cold as Iowa this morning. Recent information suggests it hasn't reached the freezing in Leiden yet, whereas it hasn't been above freezing yet in Pella. There was a massive amount of cold, stinging sleet hitting my face as I walked for supper last night in between classes. Anyway- like ass comfort meals that hit the spot, I took a nap.

I had a dream last night.

The bar manager was so happy to see me finally be able to drink in the bar. He told me he would buy all of my drunks, but that I would have to buy all my food, if I wanted any. After a series of drink, I had decided that the nachos would hit the spot. I walk to the other side of the bar (no idea why- I was certainly at Woody's, which doesn't have a double sided bar), to pick up my plate of nachos which were now ready. They looked horrid. I got the bill for the nachos, which totaled $2,000, and happily paid the price for the nachos. I ate the horrible plate of nachos thinking I was going to get my money worth, but they tasted just as bad as they looked.

I don't know what the nacho bit was about, but I'm really excited to come home and go to a bar. I can even go to a bar with my parents, if I like. They can no longer look negatively upon me drinking- because (hurrah) it's legal!

Some bad news- the dollar was at a two year high yesterday against the euro. I, stupidly, didn't withdraw money. I left that for today- to buy my worst and bakmeel. I should have thought ahead- the euro is back to $1.17, where it's been happily sitting for the last month. Let's hope for some more riots!

Time keeps on tickin', tickin', tickin'...

2005-11-14T18:15:00.000+01:00

Terribly sorry for the song reference. I'm like that these days. It finally feels cold. All hope we once had of a lovely mild winter due to global warming has passed. I walked outside today and I could smell the ice. Speaking of weather, the cold means that my time is nearly up... soon I will be taking my final train ride from Leiden to Schipol with my bags packed, my room clean, and my memories freshly stored to bring out to friends and family when they ask me, "How was it?"

I'm beginning to get e-mails from friends who have studied here, reminding me that I need to keep constant awareness to my surroundings because they will soon be gone. I have people telling me to see this bar- go to this club- take this drug...

My world seems chaotic. I have quite the work load piling up before the last day of classes- final projects thrown on top of weekly work. I'm absolutely not used to working like this. Why can't we just have a test! My room is a huge mess, which contributes to my loss of sensibility.

And one last thought- western nations, let's begin to choose our leaders more thoughtfully. We seem to be really angry at a lot of the people we've decided should lead us. Let's not get angry at people like Bush, Blair or the Governator, but let's instead think about what might happen if we elect these people. Is California better off since you people all kicked out David Grey and spent millions to elect a man who wanted to cut public unions? Many people voted last week in the U.S. and not much came out of it- in another years' time a serious election will take place that may show how the country will vote in 2008. Let's not fuck it up... really. Start thinking.

My apologies

2005-11-11T13:30:00.000+01:00

I am terribly sorry for my fascist ways in blocking all comments. I am sorry. I have found the little button and de-selected it, so you can all leave whatever you like on my blog. I knew I had friends- I just didn't know that it was my own fault you all weren't talking to me.

I now know how Rupert Murdoch must feel. Never censor your friends.

No comment

2005-11-10T19:16:00.000+01:00

Really- usually I wait until I have comments until I make another posting, but this is pathetic. Something as exciting as London and nobody can even say 'Horrah!'

I'm not that upset.

I am taking an online test for the National Collegete Health Assestment survey. It's fun. I had to think about how many drinks I had on my birthday, which has fallen within the last two weeks- so I may be an outlier. This is rather fun.

Anyway, I have a little over a month left until I leave, and I am starting to think if I've been pleased with my time here. I no longer feel guilty about being here, but I'm not back into a romantic stage of Leiden, either. I think that when it is time to go home- I will be ready. I didn't have class today because we had it Monday night. All of the European program advisors are in Leiden, along with Dr. Paul Naur and Bryan Zylstra. Funny thing happened before class Monday. We were in the Jantje van Leiden- the little townie bar we love so much and Hans was there- a regular. While we were walking there we mentioned that we'll probably see him. We wondered what he did for work, we had seen him last eating out in Brussels. I mentioned that if he really did like us- he would buy us a drink. Well, Hans was at the Jantje, he bought us drinks and he offered the four of us jobs. He's the Chief Executive of the Europian Institue of Management. He has seen us, and likes the way that we react around each other and carry ourselves in and out of the bar. He likes people who can seperate work and play like we can. Well, that last bit it a little wrong (by American standards), and it was really interesting that he's finally let introduce ourselves.

There's a bunch of girls who have just swarmed around the computer next to me. There's a computer lab with 60 open computers. Aaah!

Sod it... I'm out of fags!

2005-11-07T14:40:00.000+01:00

I had a fabulous time in London! I spent my weekend relaxing and absorbing all the vibes that London has to offer. I arrived into the tiny London City airport on Thursday afternoon. I was picked up by Bronwen, a friend who had studied at Central. We went to her place, and one of her roommates had made a shepherds pie for supper. How British!We went sigh-seeing in Central London on Saturday- it was a beautiful day. I had to do all those things that American's are supposed to do in Britain. I saw the buildings of parliament, Buckingham palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, and so on. I drank beer in a British Pub, and heard the "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform" announcement while on the tube.

I was pissed when I found out that the World Premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film was on Sunday night. I wish I had known, because I would have stayed in London to catch a glimpse of the stars of the film. I was so surprised that they were setting up for the event on Saturday. That seems like a little late to me. I would not have wanted to be the person getting paid to get the event to happen. I mean, the World Premiere of Harry Potter is a pretty big thing, and to be unfinished the day before the event would freak me out.
This was fun. There were a lot of humps in the neighbourhood that Bronwen lives in. I had to take a photo because I'm amazingly immature.
I stopped by the Central College house in London to see if anybody I knew was in. They weren't, I was sad. However, I did get a photo to prove that I had arrived to Vandon House. It's amazing that the students who study in London have such an amazing location to all that Central London has to offer. I mean, compared to where they live, I'm pretty much in the country. Outside of Westminster Abbey, I ran into some students from the Wales program. How odd. This is Scott, a fellow environmental studies major, who just happened to be in London also. It was fabulously random. He apparently also ran into students from Central College who are studying in Spain. I swear, we Central students are taking over the world!It was Bonfire Night while I was in London. A night where people all over the UK celebrate the capture of 13 Catholic traitors 400 years ago who were planning to blow up parliament because they were displeased with the protestant King James I. Since they were caught, King James began a vendetta against Catholics, prompting him to get the bible rewritten (King James' Version) to promote Protestantism further. It was absolutely crazy. Fireworks are not illegal like they are in the states, and so anybody can buy fireworks. They were going off all around us all weekend long. Commercials on television showed people without hands and arms or with scarred faces telling people to be careful with fireworks. They also burn bonfires, with effigy of Guy Fawkes, the most known of the Catholic traitors. We went to see a city firework display. We went to the location for Lewisham, which turned out to be the largest display in all of the UK. It was estimated to have over 40,000 viewers. The display lasted a little under half an hour, and while we kicked British ass in the Revolutionary War- they've got us beat when it comes to blowing off fireworks.

London

2005-11-02T17:50:00.000+01:00

I will be taking a blogging break for until Sunday (unless I get a chance before that) because I will be in London.

Yay London!

I am an Irish pirate.

2005-11-01T19:35:00.000+01:00

Happy Yesterday Was My Birthday!

This is the cake I told you about in a previous post. It had landed on the floor. I felt horrible for Haley. She tried really hard to steal my lighter to light all 21 candles.

At supper yesterday we were eating and somehow we got on a topic of leprechauns. Then I tried to speak with an Irish accent. Instead I spoke like a pirate... so we came up with this limerick.

I am an Irish Pirate
I have a wooden arm
I am an Irish Pirate
Where are my lucky charms?

As a Halloween baby, I have rights and privileges that others do not. I can get free drinks on Halloween, I don't have to dress in costume, and I can still be a ghoul.

She looks like a turtle. After I took this picture we all made turtle faces. It's fun to make turtle faces.

I have no idea how this came about.

Roken is dodelijk. I love the warning signs on cigarettes in the Netherlands. I apologize for the face. All in all, a fabulous night. I had a great time, and I even was sober enough to call my parents when I got home to tell them that I had ridden my bike home safely from the bar.

In other news... I'm going to London this weekend. I bought my ticket today, and I'm leaving on Thursday. I will be there until Sunday. I'm staying with a friend of mine who studied at Central my freshmen year. I'm very excited to leave Leiden again and see London. WhooRah! It'll be Guy Fawkes Day while I'm there, so it'll be really cool to be in the celebrations with a Londoner.

Some more funnies... this was from the Central Crier this morning:

ATTENTION STUDENTS! Please be aware of a new rule regarding Central College sponsored dances. If anyone vomits inside of the dance space due to over-consumption of alcohol the event will be shut down immediately. It is not CAB's nor anyone else's responsibility to clean-up after you and they should not have to do so. Please take responsibility for your, and your friends', alcohol consumption. Charity Ball is coming up in a few weeks. If you or your friends have had too much to drink, please do not attend the event.

Rules are written because they need to be. I can't believe that people are vomiting at Central events and not taking care of it themselves. I mean, if you're going to puke-get the hell off of the dance floor. Don't just stand there like a deer in headlights waiting for the inevitable, you idiots!

Really quickly..

2005-10-31T20:20:00.000+01:00

I have to share. Today is, of course, my 21st birthday. I think the other people in Leiden with me realize how much of American tradition I've given up by being in the netherlands. After class ended at 5:30- I told everybody that they were welcome to join me for supper. I was told that we couldn't talk about it yet, and that I had to stay where I was... of course I knew what was happening- cake. At the last moment- before I hear "turn off the lights" I look into the computer lab and see Haley with a cake and candles lit. At the exact moment the lights get turned off the cake slides off of its base and the chocolate mousse cake (along with 21 lit candles) goes onto the floor. After we make sure the place isn't on fire I gave Haley a big hug. I knew she felt horrible that she had let the cake drop onto the floor. We picked it up- at around the side that had hit ... and oh- it was so good. It was so lovely for them to buy a cake and cupcakes. We then went out to supper, I paid, and tonight they can all get me back with the bar.

In the Netherlands, when a person has a birthday, the birthday person buys the drinks. Not tonight- I will do supper and you can do the drinks. So that will begin at 10:00. I will call my parents before then. Well, have a wonderful Halloween- I'll have a safe 21st!

Texel

2005-10-31T14:05:00.000+01:00

I went to Texel this past weekend. Texel is an island in the Netherlands. It was lovely. The weather was great- and it was nice to relax in a cabin away from people. There were a lot of sheep. We went onto a shrimp boat and saw shrimp fishermen (Garnall Vissers), we then ate the fresh shrimp. We saw a nature reserve while there, as well as the sand dunes on the west coast of the island.It was another lovely weekend in the Netherlands. It was so warm and sunny. We watched seals get fed at the reserve, which was nice. We got to see wild seals on the shrimp boat, too. There were a lot of beautiful things to see about nature in Texel. This is one of the coasts we rode to. Our first night in Texel we all bought wine. After a few bottles we decided to ride our bikes at night to one of the beaches. It was dark and horrible to see, but we found the beach. We opened a bottle of wine, sat on the beach, played in the water, and saw bioluminecent bacteria in the tidal pools. At this coast, we obviously went there during the day. We all took off our shoes and waded into the water. There were dogs, children, shells, all those things you find at a beach.

I got an email today from a friend in London who wants me to visit her this weekend. I think I'll go. I don't have a whole lot to do this weekend. Oh, and hi everybody. I'm 21 now. I'm happy. I haven't celebrated yet, but soon enough.

Ik hou mijn fiets!

2005-10-27T20:00:00.000+02:00

A few things to pass:

In your face, Iowa! It was 71 degrees Fahrenheit today in Leiden. What a magnificent day. I had class until 12:30 when I ran around in the sunshine. No idea what it will be in Pella today, it is only about 11 am. But we rock.

Happy Birthday Ron.

Anyway- to the post... Ik hou mijn fiets. I was thinking today about the round-a-bout outside of my dorm. When I first got my bike, I was freaked out by going fast, I rode in third gear, and turns scared me. Tonight I rode around the bout like a demon. I take corners better than a maserati, and I ride my bike in fifth gear up hills. (Ik hou mijn fiets is Dutch [obviously] for I love my bike.

I saw some great books at the book store today- I wanted to pick them up, but I didn't. I was thinking about getting some rain gear because we're going to the island of Texel in Noord-Holland. I hear it rains there all the time- so I don't want to get wet!

So basically- the next time any of you hear from me it will be on MY 21ST BIRTHDAY!

Spooky

2005-10-25T15:12:00.000+02:00

Another spooky, rainy fall day today in Leiden. It's been pouring rain all day. It's a perfect day for apple cider or hot chocolate. I turn 21 in less than a week. I'm very excited. I'm a Halloween baby, so it's always so nice to get Halloween birthday cards. When I was little, I loved having my birthday on Halloween because I could always get candy from strangers. I'm planning my day carefully. I want to have as much fun as I can on my birthday- especially with all the people I know here in Leiden. I'm sad that I can't get wasted at Woody's with all my Pella friends, but I can deal with Leiden- and I'll probably throw myself a party in Pella when I get back. I'm making out formal invitations for everybody in the Central program. I want to begin the night with supper at 6:30. That will give me an hour to get ready, class gets out at 5:30 on Monday's. After supper, I feel a trip to the North End pub for a pint of one of my favorite beers, Magner's Irish Cider, should be in order. Some time for rest will probably be needed before Happy Hour at 10:30. Basically, I want a fun filled night of an old-fashioned pub crawl.

What do people usually do for their 21st birthday? What did each of you do for your 21st? A girl I worked with this summer went out with the girls from work. They made her a puke-pail and took her out to supper before hitting the bars in Pella. She had a fun time. I am modeling my night after theirs because she was in a similar situation as me... celebrating a birthday that is so important in life's scheme of things-- when nobody you love is around to pull your hair back.

One week

2005-10-24T14:25:00.000+02:00

In one week from today I will turn 21. I'm very happy. Excitement is starting to kick in. I had three birthday cards waiting for me in my mailbox. If you would like, my mailing address is:

My Name
Central College in Leiden
Rapenburg 8 - 10 Unit 4
2311 EV Leiden, the Netherlands

I even got two checks and some cash. Rock it!

Our classes begin back up today after a week and a half hiatus. I'm excited to get back into the swing of things. I'm rather excited that I didn't go anywhere. Everybody else seems so tired, they were walking all week seeing new things. I had a good and relaxing break.

I've got money secured, which is a giant relief. I will have to pay Central College 205 euro, but after that... I can eat again. Horrah! Leave me happy thoughts- for every happy thought from a different person means an exciting picture of my birthday party.

I've lost something

2005-10-22T13:35:00.000+02:00

I've lost the week. It's been our fall break- and it's already Saturday. I was worried that I would bore myself to bits, but that hasn't been the case. Before I know it, everybody will be returning from their vacations and I will be pissed that we haven't explored color in our graphic design class yet- over halfway through the course.

Some interesting things of late-

I bought deodorant the other day because I have run out of the stuff I brought from home. I've been using the same brand of deodorant for years now, and my body has not gotten used to this new stuff. It's a liquid roll-on because that's all I could find. I'm used to white powder- I must be honest, I love my white lines.

Yesterday was a rainy day. There's a giant low pressure system settled over Great Britain, and so we're getting all of Europe's moisture right now due to the cyclonic action. It's the market day. I'm going to go back to my dorm room and get all of my things, and then wander around the market. I enjoy people watching in that situation. It's full and nasty, smells like fish, but that's alright. Sorry I haven't got anything interesting to comment about.

Billie Holiday was right on!

2005-10-19T19:05:00.000+02:00

Oh, what a little moonlight can do!

The moon was beautiful (again) last night here in Leiden, there were a full three days of the moon in a 95 per cent full stage or more. I took my digital camera out with me after Desperate Housewives and got this photo. If I were at school I would have played with it on photoshop so we could see the drawbridge a little better, but this will do. I learned last night, as I sat in the cold grass, that my time in Leiden is not about how a change as a person. I've been freaking out that I haven't noticed significant changes in the person that I am. I think I decided that the most important part about being in Leiden is saying I've done it. In 20 years it won't matter how I changed over a five month period in a foreign country because I'll have been changing my whole life. I won't remember the day I became more aware of the world... I'll remember a sunset overlooking a house- or other equally random things.

I've had some questions asked to me by a friend who has become fed up with the "101 Ways Michael can get Drunk" trend of my blog. I can't please everybody, but I can at least please her. So, here are her questions, followed by my answer.

1) How many colors of bricks are there? Hell, I don't know. If I had to give an answer, however, I would have to say that there is only one color of brick. That color is brick. Some would say that there are more than one color of brick, but that would be wrong. If it's a lighter than brick color, say beige, it's probably stone. So yes, there is only one color of brick.

2) Do they sport dorky windmills in their yards? I've yet to see one, so no.

3) Are there even front yards? In most cases, yes.

4) What's the music scene like? Most venues are significantly smaller than stadium shows that we're used to in the states. I tried getting tickets for the White Stripes, but the show in Amsterdam only had about a thousand tickets. There's a bar (way #73 for Michael to get drunk) that has live music every single night. The first Friday in Leiden, I was recorded dancing with a beer in my hand (way #8) to salsa music that was playing by a live band on a barge on a canal. I saw an advertisement for a drummer on the bulletin board in my building last night, and it would have been fun to do, but I can't play the drums.

In other news, I recently made the 100 Hottest Men of Central list on Facebook.com. It took a little bit of begging and a whole lot of whoring, but this is an achievement I can be proud of the rest of my life. See my profile!

WTF America?

2005-10-18T18:39:00.000+02:00

Congratulations America!

You're officially crazy. 11 months ago 62,040,610 of you choose that George W. Bush should continue his role as the President of the United States of America. That's 50.7 per cent.

Suddenly, 11 per cent of you have changed your mind. What's going on?

New Gallup polls suggest that 39 per cent of Americans approve of the job that President Bush has been doing. A whopping 58 per cent disagree with the belief that G.W. is doing a quality job. CBS posted this data two weeks ago, with little interest from American and world media. Today, Gallup posted some of the lowest approval ratings in four years and I'm just saddened by my fellow country-mates.

(For graphic minded individuals, the CBS link has nice bar graphs.)

Even Fox News, known for it's conservative twist, admits that only 40 per cent of American's think that Bush is doing a quality job.

If Californian's can fire their governor, LET'S FIRE THE PRESIDENT!

Monday slips away

2005-10-17T21:16:00.000+02:00

As Monday turns into Tuesday, I want all of you in Iowa to know that the moon is even more beautiful tonight than it was last night. Here in Leiden the sky is black and clear- with a giant full moon illuminating the ground on which I stand. It's about 9 degrees centegrade outside- I've got a sweater over a hoodie to keep myself warm. It's the perfect night to sit under the sky and listen to Karate (a band).

Back from Belgium

2005-10-15T13:53:00.000+02:00

I got back from my trip to Belgium last night after hours of riding the train hungover and exhausted. Belgium... where do I begin? We arrived to Belgium and walked around. We ate supper and then went to a bar called delirium Tremens. They sell 2,004 different types of beer. I drank five kinds and tried a variety of others. My favorite beer I drank at the bar was an African free-trade organic beer brand called Mongozo. I had the Palm and the Coconut. The coconut was amazing. It even came in a coconut shell, and more amazingly tasted like coconut. Not fake taste like their banana beer. Basically we were left at this bar with no idea how to return to our hostel. We tried with all our might to remember how we got there, but for some reason it was really hard. I think it was because we were all trashed. I mean, the coconut beer was only 3.5 per cent, but say, the Villams Bruin was 11 per cent. So it's tough to gauge how drunk I was... oh, I may have only had six or seven beers to myself- but that means nothing when the percentage average is 8 per cent. Oh well. Here's what my walk home looked like. How did we ever find the hostel? Haley speaks French and isn't afraid to ask people stupid questions. Since Brussels is a bilingual town, most people speak either French or Flanders, the latter being similar to Dutch. We were in the French part of the city-the language I don't speak. So we're asking everybody we see if they know where this place is. We ask a boy and then show him the address. Instead of pointing, he takes us out of his way at 1 in the morning and walks us to the hostel. Thank God. Speaking of God- I saw his blood yesterday in Brugge. What? Yes!

I SAW THE BLOOD OF CHRIST!

Brugge has a church which claims to have blood on a piece of linen. That blood is Jesus's-so they say, but whatever. I've never told a Christian to their face that their religion is a lie-so I won't start now.

I ate a piece of chocolate in Belgium because Haley gave me a piece of chocolate. Here's a picture. So now I can say that I've eaten Belgium chocolate. I didn't have a waffle, though. I was offered a bite-but I was still feeling a little sick from the 2,004 beers. I mean, I only had 5 beers! I still have 1,999 to go!I got an email from one of the financial advisors at Central, and she told me that my loan was currently being looked over. We will probably know near the end of the month if my second attempt to secure a loan for this semester will be approved. The 31st of the month is my 21st birthday. It would be so nice to know that I may have money to celebrate my birthday with food other than bread and peanut butter! However, there's still processing time through Central that I would have to wait- at most 15 days. So, maybe I'll have $4,000 (originally to last me from Aug. 24 to January 18) by Nov. 16. I still don't have plane tickets to return home in December-and I haven't had money to call my mother since Sept. 2. If anybody knows her number, or sees her in a shop... tell her I'm alive and that, somehow, I'll be home for Christmas. Or whatever little pithy sayings there are for atheists. I'll be home by winter solstice!

low country TRAVEL

2005-10-11T19:01:00.000+02:00

I'm going tomorrow to Belgium with Central College. This will probably be my only international travel while in Europe, so I better make the best of it and not be salty. We return Friday night, and then it's fall break for the next week. Basically I'm now off from class until Monday the 24th. What I will do during that time, I really have no idea. I just hope I can manage myself without going insane.

I had my first good cry today. I was absolutely emo about a lot of things: money mostly. It could have just been vertigo, but I think the crying was deserved. I was beginning to grasp that my time in Europe is absolutely useless if I don't have the financial capabilities to travel and see the continent. People say that's when they grow the most. I don't have that pleasure-in fact, I have few pleasures. I've been eating bread with olive oil lately because that's all I have. I also was emo because we all had a rough night. After going through 6 pitchers of beer between four people- and a night which started with a bottle of wine and three beers per person, everybody got quite the little drama modes on.

I'm also not quite sure on how to look at the arrival of bird flu to Europe. I think I'm going to stop eating chicken, a good idea, I think. This will officially put me on the vegetarian list since I don't eat red meat. It'll be weird to consciously eat vegetarian again. Then again, it doesn't really matter if all I can afford is bread and, hopefully, peanut butter.

Oh, my little brother, David, asked me what cigarettes here were like. That seemed like an interesting thing to describe. So here I go: Cigarettes in the Netherlands all taste the same. I am unable to describe the taste, but it is unlike the taste of cigarettes in the U.S. Food easily picks up this taste-especially since the Dutch are known for rather bland cooking of potatoes and cheese. So anyway, bring a carton with you if you're going to travel through the Netherlands.

And finally, for fun, read this article from Drug Rehabs dot org. It's a rather funny outlook they make of Pella. Rave popularity in eastern Pella... totally worth your time.

Photo Journal

2005-10-10T20:52:00.000+02:00

This post is a photo journal of my past weekend. Well, one day, actually. The day is Friday, October 7, 2005. My night begins with a text message from Haley, "Come over... bring a corkscrew." So I went to Haley's. I brought my iPod. She had speakers. This first picture (below) is (obviously) the table that sat in front of us. Everything we needed was there. We had a bottle of wine, music, cigarettes, a corkscrew and half an ashtray (it's broken).

I mean, I even took a shower and put on clean clothes. I knew this would need to be a night that I should remember.

The sun has obviously gone down on Leiden. At this point my thought was, "SHIT! We had two bottles of wine, where did they get to?! I surely didn't didn't drink a whole bottle of wine to myself!? ... did I?"

At this stage of the night, I was just surprised that we had a bottle of wine each. I was so happy. I think at this point we were playing Ani DiFranco on the iPod. It was lovely. We had gotten to watch the sunset, smoke our cigarettes, and generally enjoy our drunkenness.

"Woah! Mark's here!"

My thought, "He doesn't want wine, does he? Because we don't have any wine. If he wants to consume anything, he better have brought it his damn self."

Towards the end of the night, Haley and I were each in great moods. All-in-all, it was a good night. I had just enough wine and went to bed in bliss for the first time in quite a while. Before I went to bed, I wrote about reminiscing. It has seemed to be a popular topic lately among people I know. I realized that we should all appreciate what we have at this moment so we can remember it, and all the good times, later in life.

Lemming Day!

2005-10-07T15:22:00.000+02:00

Well, today, in Pella, is the 29th Annual Great Lemming Race Across Central (AGLRAC). Ha. I have a giant request to my readers: Take pictures for me! I would love to see the race, and if you're not running, or you know somebody who isn't running-give them a digi-cam. Please email these photos to me from the EMAIL ME link on the right side of this page. Thanks in advance for whoever takes some lovely time to send me a photo of the Lemming Race.

Also: Jordan Mayland is playing in the Scholte Parking Lot tonight. To listen to some of his new demos visit his MySpace page.

I've got a three day weekend now. Today, Saturday, and Sunday. Monday and Tuesday I have classes, then Wednesday I leave for Belguim. When I return on Sunday, Fall Break begins. Basically, I'll have a week and a half to do nothing. Sounds fun, eh? So send me pictures of the Lemming Race.

Kermis Fotos

2005-10-06T12:36:00.000+02:00

Note: None of these photos were taken by me. They are on my camera, however. Below is from Monday, after the parade. It is obviously a fair shot. It was so busy in Leiden, thousands of people everywhere. As this photo below shows, people crowded the streets of Leiden. It was really impossible to move anywhere faster than a snail-pace. This is one of the shots from the parade. There was a woman on a stripper pole. I find this photo interesting just because here's a happy family parade with a stripper pole. Apparently how the Dutch fly... And finally, a ubiquitous windmill shot. The sun is setting, it's the last night that the flags will be attached to the blades of the mill for a while, and the town is just starting to get ready to party. Fireworks, beer, and food all needed to be used. I have no idea how many kegs were all around the city of Leiden, but one bar on the corner had over 70 kegs. Could you imagine? It's hard for me, certainly.
Well, with Leidse Onzet over, and classes resumed, things in this little Dutch town are returning to normality. This morning, I rode my bike in the fog. Last night after class it started to sprinkle... if it didn't rain here, something would be wrong. I'm excited for this weekend. I have nothing to do. I can wake up at 11:30, eat my peanut butter toast, drink my coffee and watch Roseanne by noon. It's really an amazing television show. I identify with it too much, I find. Ah well. I have around 10 euro left to buy bread tonight, and cigarettes will have to be bummed for a while again.

I look tired

2005-10-05T13:37:00.000+02:00

I must look like absolute shit, because I've had so many people today ask me if I'm alright, and tell me I look tired. I think these notices have merit. I'm absolutely stressing myself out for no apparent reason. I've been hiding in my room a lot, and I've been sad and depressed. I need time, more than anything, to make be feel better.

I saw yesterday that Tony Blair is pushing for an economic pact in the EU with Russia. I was thinking last night that the EU and its economic pacts are a handy little way to globalize Europe... just like America's NAFTA and CAFTA. I haven't thought about this theory much, so I don't have many points to settle out on yet, but I'll get there.

I dread Wednesday. I have class from 10am until 9 pm with two one-hour breaks. It always turns out to be a horribly long day.

After the weekend...

2005-10-04T21:15:00.000+02:00

So what day is it today? Tuesday, right. Well, this morning I made the 9:01 train to Amsterdam to travel up to Groningen to see a photography exhibit and contemporary museum. Basically, I'm beat. It's now 9 pm and I've had a busy day.

About the pictures. Quit bitching-you'll get them. I lent out my digi-cam to one of my fellow Leideners, it was his first time with a camera, and he went nuts. I got freaked out by the large amount of drunk people by 4 pm, went home, and haven't seen my camera in over 24 hours. After Wednesday is over, I have classes from 10 am to 9 pm, I'll get some photos posted, so we'll push for Thursday. I'm sorry for any inconveniences this may cause.

I'm so tired, and beat down right now. I need to take photos tonight for class tomorrow, and I really don't want to do anything. So, in the meantime, take a look at the links to the exhibits, they're fabulous.

..before the party...

2005-09-30T19:24:00.000+02:00

A few pictures before the party of this weekend begins. The picture below is a view of Leiden. The giant party of Leidse Onzet was getting its final touches Thursday. In between rain and sun, workers completed setting up and testing of all the arcade games and rides. I caught this shot after rounding a corner while taking pictures for my photography class.
I caught the picture below as I was riding my bike back to my dorm. This is a windmill that I see everyday. I was riding back through downpour and suddenly the rain stopped, and I caught this glimpse of sun. I had to stop and take the picture. It's so dark and ominous (oooohhh).
Standing in the exact same spot from the picture above, I took the picture below. I turned around. Can you see the rainbow? My camera barely picked it up, but it was right in view. This was the first time in my life that I saw the entire rainbow. You know how sometimes you can never see all of it... you could standing from this spot yesterday. I love the way that the sun shines down onto the trees here.
After I got home I made myself supper. During supper the sky turned green and we started to get hail. I freaked out from excitement. Does Holland get tornadoes? I have no idea, but if they do... yesterday was certainly the day for them. Have a lovely weekend everybody.

Weekend Ready

2005-09-29T12:57:00.000+02:00

This weekend celebrates the liberation of Leiden from Spanish rule in the 16th Century. It's apparently a giant beer-fest. People also eat herring like there's no tomorrow. There's a giant fair, and I need to take some shots for photography, so while there will be no posts this coming weekend, please expect something big for Monday... and if Monday's post sucks, please don't blame me.

Article

2005-09-28T15:55:00.000+02:00

This is a very interesting article from BBC. It explains how environmental estrogens have caused a rise in the number of men seeking breast reduction surgery, and how their tissue contains mamogramic membranes.

Interesting Fun

2005-09-26T13:11:00.000+02:00

I have quite the photos from this past weekend. At the Kroller-Muller Museum, I saw some great pieces of art. The first picture is of a work that contains a hanging rock. This is a beautiful rock. It's a white metamorphic rock with a beautiful blue veining. I have no idea what kind of rock this is, but I love it.This next piece of art is called "Kijk Uit Attention" and is a 2005 piece by Atelier Van Lieshout. You climb the stairs. That's the art. It's great.Here is our view down from the top. It wasn't an amazing view over the ledge of the stairs, it looked more like an African desert than a Dutch field.
This globe confused me. All of the design of this globe at the Palace Het Loo was accurate to what the world looks like today, until I saw North America. Aparently, noboby told me that California has broken off from the continent. I thought it wouldn't do that because it's a transform fault! Oh, and Alaska is huge on this globe.

The Cannon

2005-09-24T21:25:00.000+02:00

Well, I splurged tonight on a 1.80 euro bottle of sweet red wine tonight, in remembrance of those sorority girls living in a house across the way from that elephant of a library in Pella. It was 12 per cent, and I realized that every drop contained 12 per cent (or in Dutch, procent) alcohol. Currently, I've been offered a beer, made by Grolsch, called "Het Kanon", or, in Dutch, The Cannon. It is 11.6 procent alcohol. Het is un goed bier. (that's dutch for 'it is a good beer') Yeah, I've been learning Dutch. Rock me!

Anyway, take a look at their website.What else... Oh, I have some really amazing and different pictures to show all of you, check back on either Monday or Tuesday. We went to the Kroller-Muller Museum and I saw some amazing contemporary art. We also went to the Palace Het Loo, the home of Willam III van Orange. He became the King of England after he married his cousin, Mary Stuart (Queen Mary I).

Wait for these pictures. You all will love them!

Limelight

2005-09-22T12:42:00.000+02:00

Congratulations Central College! You have finally received positive feedback from the Des Moines Register! Today you have an uplifting article written by Dan McCool, praising you and your president in an uplifting story about the big guy who takes time to teach people how to kick.

This is, of course, remarkably different from another story that was published by the Register in May of this year. "Racial incident in Pella leads to student withdraws" was a rather difficult story for Central to swallow. The advancement office omitted to display the article in their "Central in the News" bulletin board, and many steps were taken to keep Central looking as positive as possible. The college even gave outdated information claiming that we have a 4 per cent minority rate!

Needless to say, three months after the article was published, Central is without its Director of student life and its Director of Intercultural life. These two important individuals had a remarkable impact on the future of the college, and without positive, full-time leadership, I feel we can not continue to fix the problems of the past.

Tension Photos

2005-09-21T13:39:00.000+02:00

I wish that I could get my graphic design lessons online today, but I can't. Today, in class, we talked about tension and balance. We did different exercises to reflect different ways to show tension and balance. It was fun.

I also saw a link to MSNBC called Photos: Fake Sweat Included.
It talks about senior portraits. It centers around Spencer, Iowa. I also did a lot of work and spent a lot of money for my senior photos, but I'm very glad I did. When I took my senior shots I was at a physical peak of my life. I look great in those pictures-and I'm so glad that I took them when I did-during the summer, in the morning, etc. Are senior portraits just something big about the Midwest?

Also: I found out this morning that my blog and another's' was featured in Central's alumni bulletin. ... Well shit... I'm going to have to stop using profanity. No... I want everybody to know that more readership will not change the content of my blog. I feel that, so far, I have behaved surprisingly well. Not only in regards to my blogging, but other aspects as well. I mean, here I am in a country with legalized gay marriage, marijuana possession under five grams, and a legal drinking age of 16 for beer and 18 for spirits. 16 is the age of consent, and smoking cigarettes as well. However, the Dutch government doesn't allow you to drive a car, or legally smoke marijuana until you're 18-so they're down on some things. Anyway-I think people (myself included) expected a different type of behavior. I've spent my whole life in Pella, Iowa, and now I'm out and really not taking advantage of the cultural liberalism that surrounds me. I don't feel a need to, really. I would expect that before I leave there could be a surge-only because I know it will be gone-but right now I'm not taking advantages of the liberal opportunities that are abounding.

Classes

2005-09-20T14:29:00.000+02:00

Classes have finally begun-
I was so happy to get homework yesterday and I'm doing some of the research right now. It's basically read thirty pages, learn about a political party and pick a current event. I'm looking at the Groen Links party-an environmental leftist party that has 10/150 seats in Den Hague.

I read all of the reading last night, like from the front to the back. I'm a nerd. I'll go back and review what we'll talk about next week on Sunday. So Leiden University has over 2 million collections in its centre library and other, smaller libraries centered around Leiden, but they don't have a single copy of any Harry Potter book. I'm pissed.

Pass!

2005-09-19T15:53:00.000+02:00

I passed Dutch 1. That's a horrah for me. It also means that I'm halfway through my language requirement to graduate. So rock on Dutch, rock on!

Gezelligheidsvereninging

2005-09-16T15:52:00.000+02:00

I found out yesterday, for all you Pella people, that there are Dutch Letters in the Netherlands. I had a friend email me suggesting that they're probably just called letters and she was absolutely correct! I've also been eating a lot of speculaas, which are the thin ginger/cinnamon cookies we have in Pella. I have fond memories of eating those when I was younger, and for some odd reason Super Value also comes to mind.
It's a lovely day for a final Nederland exam. It's about 55 degrees F and very windy. The sun keeps coming in and out of light rain. I bought apples today at an organic food store that somebody had shown me in an alleyway. I quite like it.

I've also been planning my future coffee shop. I picked out the name: Gezelligheidsvereninging, which, in Dutch, means a social club. I would hope, then, that people couldn't pronounce the name and begin to call it "The G Spot." People like to nickname their coffee shops in the U.S. Someday... that's what my life calling is... to open a coffee shop in a town like Iowa City. I've jotted down designs of interior setups I've seen around here, as well as jotting down types of food, beer, and deserts I'd like to offer. My friend Angela is all about the idea and has suggested these amazing sounding deserts that she could whip up. I want my coffee shop to be organic, and I think that would be a big selling point for a lot of people, especially in ten years time, when a venture like this could go through for me.

It's a flat

2005-09-14T10:40:00.000+02:00

I had my first flat tire this morning. There is construction on the Braestraat, which is the road I take to my dorm. We can't get over to the bike path due to construction, and we're stuck driving on the unpaved road. I think it's due to this road, and the bumps, that I got a flat. Last night I tried pumping my back tire with air, and it kept leaking. After a solid fill, this morning I went out to my bike to realize it was flat as a skunk on the road.

Typically Dutch.

The quote from our Dutch instructor today will be this, "Shit does not start with a 'b'."
We were thinking of dutch words that begin with different letters and somebody muttered shit under their breath. I will never forget that shit does not start with b.

Terra incognita

2005-09-13T13:05:00.000+02:00

We went to a bar last night and some of the people helped me out. Monday during happy hour, from 10:30-11:30 beer is twee halen een betalen (get two, pay for one!). I'm pretty pumped for my final on Friday for Dutch, sometimes I am amazed at how much I can already speak, yet I get so frustrated when Dutch people actually speak to me, because I have no idea what they're saying.

I'm finding it really hard to find ways to keep myself occupied in ways that cost no money. I go biking a lot. There's an amazing array of bike paths around the city and the Netherlands in general. I want to explore some of the countryside, but I'll get lost so quickly. I tend to stick to the city of Leiden.

I'm also re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's going by so quickly. I think I'd like to read some of the Harry Potter books in Dutch, that might be fun.

I need to find a way to socialize with more Dutch people. I don't know of any student groups that openly look for individuals to join their groups that aren't specifically designed for University of Leiden graduate students. They get all the fun. I should sit around more and have people talk to me... I'm that cool, right?

Great Star

2005-09-12T12:41:00.000+02:00

Last night I met a boy named Geld who is beautiful. He lives in Leiden, squatting an old building. He gave me cigarettes last night...me, a random stranger. We got to talking and he's super cool. Of course his politics are ubiquitously Dutch and so we agreed on everything each other brought up.

I was in a coffee shop last week and I decided that I won't get desperate enough as to pull a roach out of an ashtray in a coffeeshop like a homeless man did one day. I felt really bad and so I lit it for him because he obviously didn't have a lighter. I think he was disappointed that I wasn't smoking any weed, because he asked if he could join me... but he left when he found out that I was only drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes... that brings me to the question of what on EARTH was I doing simply drinking coffee, writing in my journal, and smoking cigarettes in a coffee shop? The boys who were working seemed to look at me funny, also, until one of their coworkers came down from the apartment upstairs and joined me. Then they were fun!

So I totally just copied that paragraph from an email I sent to some people at the school in Pella. I wrote it and decided that it should be in my blog.

We have five more days of Dutch left. Well, four... and on Friday we have our final. I need to get a D- at the worst because I want this Dutch class to count for my language credit. I don't think I'll get a D-.

My computer is in Amsterdam. I feel really bad now that my parents sent my computer and now they need to pay for all my food and such while I'm here. It makes sense to have my computer if I'll be here for nine months, but now I have three months left? I still don't know, I guess... I haven't talked to anybody about securing a different type of loan. A private loan? Who knows!

I'm going to go and look over some Dutch before class begins. We're learning about de markt today.

The news settles

2005-09-09T16:16:00.000+02:00

I found out a few days ago that my loan to receive extra spending cash was denied. A big fat red line for that extra money that I would have used to buy food, beer, pot and clothes. I do, though, have just enough money to be enrolled at Central College for this year. They gave me at least that. So I don't have to worry about dropping out just yet. This probably mean that I can't stay here all year. In Pella I get food for free, and I can have a job to buy things like beer and books.

I haven't told my parents yet. My mother is on a cruise in the warm weather tropics, and she is the one who works most with my money issues. I have always tried to ignore money... pretend that it doesn't matter. I hate thinking about money, worrying about money; but now it's come to bite my ass. Basically, I don't know what to do.

There is a 'donate now' button under my picture, and you can give me money through Paypal. I have enough food to last me another week or so, but as for cigarettes. I haven't had one all day. I smoked my last one yesterday after sitting in the grass and getting stoned-for free.

Yesterday was a perfect day. We had class from 9-1 and after that we ate tosties (a grilled cheese sandwich with ham), got a blanket, rolled a spliff, and sat in the sun for a few hours.This is Haley. She mentioned that you know it's got to be a perfect day when there's not a cloud in the sky. She was so right. The day was lovely. We've not had a single rainy day while I've been here, nearly three weeks now. The weather has sat around 75 F every single day.
I love my Birkenstocks. They look so happy sitting in the grass next to that little white flower.

I was looking at concerts that are happening while I'm here in the Netherlands and I have three AMAZING options at my disposal. The first is Sufjan Stevens. He is trying to make an album about every U.S. state. He'll be in Amsterdam on October 27. The price is 13 euro. Next, on October 31... MY 21st BIRTHDAY!... The White Stripes will be in Amsterdam. This is a Monday night so it makes more sense to celebrate my 21st 21 miles away and not 210. The show costs 30 euro.
Finally, on November 26 Rufus Wainwright will be playing in Amsterdam for 22.50 euro. I saw him last October in Iowa City. The tickets were $20 a piece. I loved the show, it was absolutely amazing, and I have to go see him live again.

Another beer - on you!

2005-09-05T12:20:00.000+02:00

Last night at the Jantje van Leiden we were bombarded by the waitress. As we each got a little tipsy, she kept putting the drinks in front of us-on her. We were going to leave at like seven. You know how that goes. It turns eight. People start talking to us. We learn exciting words in Dutch. It turns nine-one pack of cigarettes is now gone. I got here at three. I had a tosti at five. Something not good is probably going to happen. It hits 9:30 and the drinks keep coming. Ten and we finally think about leaving. The problem was that we were the only people in the bar and she knew if we left she would be bored and have to clean something. I wouldn't want me to leave either. It was nuts. So we leave. We ride our bikes home. I successfully rode my bike home pretty tipsy two nights running. Netherlands is apparently a drunk-biking friendly city. Saturday I was riding home and there were people who had resorted to just pushing their bikes along the sidewalk. I was glad that I hadn't had been to that point in alcohol here, yet. When I got home I decided I needed to learn how to use the washing machine, so I got out my pad of paper and my translation dictionary. I understood Bonte Was - a color wash, Kreukherstellend-fijn - A fine item or drip dry and Centrifugen - Spin Dry. However, I got quite confused at Behoed Zaam. My dictionary told me that Behoed meant to keep from - keep from what? I flipped to the back of the dictionary. I look up zaam...

SEMEN!

Was there really a mode on the washer that meant to keep my clothes from semen? I was stunned and drunk and I had no idea what was going on. Another look and I realize that the word I am looking for, zaam, is not in my dictionary. I had looked at the word zaad. So, forever I will know that zaad means semen/sperm... And what a reason why.

Maria komt uit Spanje

2005-09-02T16:12:00.000+02:00

"It's Wickse Wite... just point to that one!" -How do you place feelings into words and how do you capture words into a photograph? You enter into someone's territory; their sacred ground. You want it to be your place, too. You know it will take time to break these people.

Below is a picture of the Jantje ban Leiden, a cafe that I have fallen in love with. The name of the bar literally means "Talk your way out of." Take whatever you want from that... I will, I'm sure. It's wonderfully small and everybody is always so kind to us. There is a man sitting at the larger table who seems so excited to see us when we walk in. He's a regular. My first Dutch friend is seen below. His name is Jon. I think he's only interested in me because I'm an American and he seems to be the kind of person who goes crazy for international students. We have those at Central College, so I'm alright with being a novelty to him. He's really cool. We met when I was just walking to my door. I couldn't unlock my door and he came down the elevator. I asked where my room was... he laughed and told me it was in the room 85. Then he helped me unlock my door. Last week then, we found each other at the supermarket and asked if I wanted to smoke in the grass after we each ate. There we were.
This is my bike! It rides very smoothly compared to what everybody else got. My light works, I have five gears, and hand brakes. Some of the other bikes have the brakes where you need to turn your feet backward like when we were kids... I wouldn't be able to figure that out. I bought a purple bike so I would recognize it from the ubiquitous black bike. I also have saddlebags for it, they have come to be very handy with my bag, groceries, and whatever else I may need to carry.
I don't know why I have a fascination with pictures of me smoking, but I certainly have one. Makes it seem like I chain smoke constantly. This photo below is from my trip to Amsterdam. It was such a long day of visiting museums, houses, churches, and other elements of 17th century Amsterdam. We finished at the museum and needed a sit break like no other. Here we are at the Esprit bar... yes, like the clothes. They had their shop in the building with the pillars behind me, and so after buying clothes you could have a drink. Interesting.
We have begun our Nederlands lessons and it's a very interesting method that they are teaching. The concept is a listen and repeat method. The idea is to teach us the way young children learn their mother tongue. Unlike children, though, we're going at mach speeds. I think we're already supposed to know nearly 200 words with the capability to use them in sentences and to use them to fully answer questions about ourselves and others. It's not working for me yet. Our first test is today and I have no idea how to study for it since I have no idea what the format will entail. Dag. Mijn naam is Eva Sterk. Dag, Eva. Uit welk land kom jij? Ik ben Amerikaanse.

Amstel - like the beer

2005-08-31T13:13:00.000+02:00

We went to Amsterdam yesterday on the Amstel river. We left on the 9 am train; quite an early change from our orientation classes, which began at 10:30. Our day in Amsterdam included museums, churches, houses, hidden churches in houses, buildings, art, food, a tromp through the red light district to get to a house... all kinds of things.

Oh. The Red Light District was funny. We went at like 11 am and there were more elderly people than prostitutes, more jumpers than junkies... that's the best I can do at the moment. It was very interesting to see the progression of the city in a size idea and how the people of Amsterdam have created a habitable city that is below sea level. I have a picture to put up... I'll probably not do it now. I'm hungry now and I still need to buy a bike.

As you all lie asleep

2005-08-29T10:07:00.000+02:00

Monday morning and quite frankly I'm pissed. American banks are so horrible about doing things quickly. Add that to my GMT -1 and my Pella banks don't open until 2:00 Leiden. Aside.
I met my friend's friend, Holger yesterday while I was walking around trying to find cigarettes. I was told for months about this guy and within the first five days of me wandering a city of 115,000 people...there he is. We hung out, he bought a round of beer, and then showed me his apartment.
Today's picture was taken as I was walking to my house Saturday night. We had gone out for supper and on our way back the sun was beginning to set behind the clouds. This was the first time Saturday that we saw the sun. It was very lovely. We were so lucky to have the windmill just right there to add to the power and intensity of this shot.

Explore!

2005-08-26T16:12:00.000+02:00

So here are some images from my time so far. I've been having a great time and I even now have a mobile. This picture is of me having an Amstell here in the Netherlands where it is made. It was so good fresh from the tap. The other picture is of me in the Double AA, a cafe down the road in Centraal Leiden where you can smoke inside. I like the atmosphere of the shop.

This picture below is of a 17th century lion that sat atop the town hall here in Leiden. I recognize it from the Tulip Toren downtown. This version survived a fire in the early 18th century and was recently found at an antique store. It is missing the original keys of Leiden, which I believe the Tulip Toren has... so now I know what the lion on the tulip tower is!

This picture is of Mark, another person from the program. He resides in New York. He found some Doritos at the supermarket and instead of Cooler Ranch they're called Cool American. So Mark is certainly a cool American, he had to buy the chips.

Here some of are eating pizza outside. We were total losers and desperate to eat. Somebody told us how to get to the pizza place and didn't tell us it was only for pickup/delivery. So we sat on the sidewalk.

I'm Hidin'

2005-08-25T15:11:00.000+02:00

I made it. I'm in Leiden. I have some lovely photos to put up from my very first night in town. I also should get a picture of my flatmate, Niels.

Niels is hot.

We took a walking tour of the city this morning and it is so beautiful. I can't wait to begin exploring different cafes. Nothing seems odd or out of place yet, I'm very much in the romantic stage of this supposed culture shock. I think that's all for now... pictures later. Keep those comments coming.

All my blanks are blanked and I'm blanked

2005-08-22T22:40:00.000+02:00

My last night has gone like this: I got everything together. Then I decided to have a Mountain Dew in a can since I don't know if I'll get one in the Netherlands. I probably wouldn't even drink soda all year if I were staying in the states, but the simple fact that I'll be gone made me want to indulge in something so uniquely Iowan. I also went out to coffee with Lauren, Justice and Angela. This is a lovely photo of me smoking and my cup of coffee.
I really like this picture that I took of Justice. I turned off the flash to get a more representation view of the beautiful sky, and I was very lucky that he didn't move... rather he had this childish interest in what I was doing with my camera balanced atop my coffee mug.

And finally I got everything into my suitcase. Yes, I am only bringing one. The brown bag will be my carry-on. I don't want to deal with anything too bulky to carry around during my layover in Chicago. Included in the brown bag is a map of O'Hare airport, toothpaste and brush, cigarettes and matches, a book, money, and an umbrella. For some odd reason I couldn't put myself to packing the umbrella in the suitcase. I'm an odd one.
Well, that's all. In about 36 hours CDT I'll be landing in Amsterdam. There's still so much I need to do before I jet. I've gotten my iPod settled to play the music I want/need in Chicago.

Wow. I'm leaving. Odd.

Home-for now.

2005-08-19T20:30:00.000+02:00

I just got back from my trip to Wisconsin. Aside for the bombardment of tornados, everything went fine. I leave in four days. I still need a few menial things... mostly to replace what I left. You know, toothbrush... toothpaste... deoderant... I also need some batteries. I can't believe I left such essential items. Whatever. Students move back onto campus tomorrow and I'm excited to see everybody again before I leave.

I said good-bye to my best friend tonight. That was weird.

Wisconsin

2005-08-17T15:23:00.000+02:00

I'm in Wisconsin before I leave for Leiden with some great friends. Their house is beautiful and their daughter is amazing. It's really nice having this freedom away from my parents right before I leave. I think that they would be freaking out if I were at home... "Are you packed yet? What time does your plane leave? Have you visited Grandma yet?" ... things like that. Nothing beats chilling on the front porch with a cigarette and the newspaper. I really love Wisconsin. They're all happy-go-lucky people. Oh, and they all drink a lot of beer, smoke cigarettes, and eat cheese. The boys here are amazing. Unlike Iowa where boys have a linebacker quality-full build, muscle, and a tiny element of chub; boys in Wisconsin are leaner than Iowa boys... which I attribute to so much diary. I mean, these boys aren't fat, neither do they have such a largeness that we Iowans have. They're glorious. It makes me just want to drink the dairy that they offer more than the dairy available in Iowa.

Packing Slip

2005-08-15T01:30:00.000+02:00

Here it is- my list of items to pack with me. Tell me if anything is missing.
Shirts-
Brown Gap
Purple Gap
Pink Hollister
Green Hollister
Pink Abercrombie
Blue J.Crew

Pants-
Brown Gap
Blue Gap
Express Jeans
Expensive J.Crew

Shoes-
Steve Madden
Birks
Black Casual

Books-
Get Lost Guide to Amsterdam
Pilates Yoga
Journals
Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals
Mini Moleskins
Moleskin Address Book
Moleskin Organizers
GRE Study Guide

Underwear-
Any without holes

Coat-
Peacoat

Belt-
Brown
Black

Sweaters-
Brown Ubiquitous
H-Stripe Gap
Argyle Fossil

Socks-
Brown

Technology-
Ship over.
AA Batteries for Mac.
iPod/Charge/Travel Converters
Transformer
Digi-Cam w/ wires

Misc.-
Year supply of Black Bic Grips.
Passport
Social Security Card
Birth Certificate
Bank Cards
Credit Card
Camera
Wine/Bottle Opener

An-ti-ci-pa-tion

2005-08-12T21:10:00.000+02:00

Really. I couldn't be more excited to leave. One of the people I'm leaving with finally opened up to me and mentioned alcohol. There was a woman at work today who was looking at the room her daughter would live in. She used to be a travel agent and told us about her travels in Europe. She told us that we should go to the biggest Catholic church in Amsterdam and behind the church is the Red Light District.
"Have you heard of the Red Light District?" she asked.
Joe and I laughed. Apparently, in the Red Light District, there are people calling from windows and you walk to a store front, go inside, and they close a curtain in the window. How odd.

But that's not why I'm excited to leave.

This morning was my last time at the Admission Office. I'm finally realizing that my summer is nearly over and that it's time to say good-bye.

The book, Sex, Drugs, & Cocoa Puffs always is hidden around this book store. Sorry about that rant, but I'm at work, and for some reason I'm always finding it missing! People, for some reason, hide that book more than any other. I'm also missing Fight Club and I have no idea where it is or what has been done to it. I hope the boss didn't pull it because it hasn't sold in a while. She's been doing that lately with a whole ton of good books in the store. Example... she pulled Junky. How can you pull junky? What will I sell to the isolated 15 year old when they come in and need their world opened for them? I can't sell them Junky because we got rid of it. I'm sad.

Good Riddance!

2005-08-10T07:33:00.000+02:00

I woke up this morning to thunderstorms, and as I'm checking through my daily dab of web sites I came across this PSA from Focus on the Family. I should fax one to my mother. Give it a look, or if you don't want to support a christian website, get the gist here.

After a while... yuck. I can't believe people think that. On some good tones... scientists have found TWO NEW species of LEMUR! I have a friend who created hats a few years ago that all said, "SAVE THE LEMURS" and we would wear them around the state. It spawned some very interesting conversations, but made me realize that the lemurs really do need saving. Those poor little things.

I didn't go to work yesterday, rather I stayed here and cleaned the place. I think I'll go to work today. Oh well.

Anxiety

2005-08-05T16:45:00.000+02:00

I'm counting down the days at this point until I leave for Leiden. 18 is the magic number of nights I have to sleep off until I wake in the Netherlands.
I'm beginning to get anxious about leaving. I'm worried that I'll miss a flight from Chicago, that I'll never get to Amsterdam, and that I will be totally incoherent by the time I reach Leiden. These things won't happen. I shouldn't be worried.

Suitcase Calling

2005-07-28T02:11:00.000+02:00

Soon you will see that there's more there to me. Days went softly; suitcase calling me too the needs of our fond memories of our lives. I'm ready to pack my bags and get the hell out of here. I finalized my schedule for my last part month in this country. I want to take a trip the last week I'm here, but my parents my have issues with that.

It's been so beautiful these past two days. Not worth staying inside.

Image(inary)

2005-06-26T07:14:00.000+02:00

Airplane

2005-06-24T06:37:00.000+02:00

I need to buy airline tickets still. How the hell am I going to afford these things. I'm thinking that if there's a way that I can get a boat ride to the Netherlands, and work on the boat to pay my fare that that would pretty cool. I'm also thinking about selling some shit on ebay, but I don't know if I have any shit that's of quality to sell. I have a lot of useless shit.

I finally got my photos from China today and out of the three rolls of film there are two that are just stunning. I've always done pretty good with my camera, and there's never a horrible shot. Oh, these are amazing. There's one that I took on a boat of this boy in a conversation with two other peple, I took it pretty close, so he's the only thing in focus, and she's out of focus and they boy in the back is out of focus, but the really amazing part is his hand, which is in motion, is blurry. The other shot is of the boy I totally crushed for on the trip; my roomate. He is shirtless in the shot and I closed my aperture so I could have a more eerie shot, and it totally worked. He's got a yellow/orange glow to him and it's amazing because you can only see his left eye because his nose shadows his other eye; and it's this totally intense, hot. He's doing something with his hands, but I didn't get that in the shot... who knows... it looks like he could be rolling a joint, opening a condom, or unzipping the pants we can't see. It totally rocks.

That's all. I will someday scan these in and post them. Lata.

Planet Google

2005-04-22T20:09:00.000+02:00

I found out by watching this AMAZING eight minute video that Google owns my blog. Check out this movie from the Museum of Media History. It's a chilling reality of what may come with news and media. I have posted the link below. Also check out Google Maps, try to find Area 51. Find your home... etc.
http://www.broom.org/epic/
I don't know what to do about this day of blog news. Is it good? Is this our countries reaction to conservative controlled media? I'm not sure, but in todays climate it's so nice to have independently published news recources.