The Update Only 5 Months Late!- "Part One"- A Cold Desolate Rock...
Well its comming to the end of my exchange here, so I suppose that it is high time for an update of sorts. So much for my idea of keeping a reguarly updated blog! Two very good friends of mine recently left a combined comment here, so I am inspired to overcome the horror of a blank computer screen and type a shockingly badly written entry at long last ;)
Well, lets not start from the very beginning as I think that that is a much better place to start. So I will leave tales and photos from my farewell party in Sydney to another time. I left as you know in early August, and headed up to Scotland before starting my exchange in Holland. A few things that stood out for me, one included finding my way from Heathrow airport onto the right tube to Kings Cross station, full of excitement at having just landed in a country on the other side of the world, and looking down on the steat next to me to find a copy of the "Australian Times" (published in London) looking back at me.
I met my friend Adam at Kings Cross station and headed up to Edinburgh for the Fringe festival. We found a hostel, dumped our things then went out. Adam was a wee bit disgruntled when I demanded sleep and an early night (home by 3am) as by that stage I had travelled for 36 hours then gone out and was a wee bit tired ;) To my surpirise Edinburgh was very warm (one might almost say a tad hot!), leading to many incredulas comments at how warm it was on this "cold desolate rock" at the top of the world, and that people really wore T shirts in Scotaland, then the realisation that perhaps one shouldn't make these comments in a loud voice at the main train station. Adam and I venue hopped at the festival, and came to the realisation that accomidation in youth hostels was more expensive than Moet and other good French champaine, so as we had a tent, there was clearly only one thing to be done.
After scoring Adam a few gigs at the festival, dancing to gypsy music, wandering the streets of Edinburgh, etc.etc. Adam headed home to work and I toured Scotland heading to the highlands, Orkney Islands, Isle of Sky etc :) I then rushed from Edinburgh to London to catch an early morning flight to Holland the next day. I decided that as the flight was so early, I should sleep at the airport, so I finally found the right terminal at last and asked the guards there if they minded if I slept in the baggage lines. They said it was fine, but warned that I should "tie everything to me." Aware of theft and not sure if it was a joke or not I thought it was a good idea, so I tied my bootlaces to my luggage and my belt and slept on my luggage I awoke in a tangle of bootlaces, but with everything still with me, then discovered that I couldn't untie one of the bootlaces. So myself, large suitcase, smaller bag and backpack tied to my belt headed over to the British Airways counter to ask for a pair of scissors. Due to the security there were no scissors, but a very obliging emlpoyee spent some time armed with a biro pen attempting to untie me.
My adventures at Heathrow took a further surreal turn when I found myself chatting to a woman who works in banking in the Hague about my interest in international law while eating breakfast with her in the first class lounge. I have never felt less like a sophisticated law student than at that point seated in a nice airport lounge sipping coffee and discussing international law while wearing all the spare clothes from my case, jeans with a huge rip in them, with the only sleep I had gained in a few days being at Heathrow a few hours beforehand and with unkempt hair desprately need of a brush!
I arrived in Amsterdam and was met by a someone I had met while travelling around in Scotland. Chris and his sister Anna (both Dutch) were great in their advice, and its thanks to Chris that I had no trouble in moving into Tilburg. Chris helped me get to Tilburg, told me where to buy cheap meals, assured me that my lease was standard for Holland, and dragged my case up several flights of stairs to my room here.
Well, lets not start from the very beginning as I think that that is a much better place to start. So I will leave tales and photos from my farewell party in Sydney to another time. I left as you know in early August, and headed up to Scotland before starting my exchange in Holland. A few things that stood out for me, one included finding my way from Heathrow airport onto the right tube to Kings Cross station, full of excitement at having just landed in a country on the other side of the world, and looking down on the steat next to me to find a copy of the "Australian Times" (published in London) looking back at me.
I met my friend Adam at Kings Cross station and headed up to Edinburgh for the Fringe festival. We found a hostel, dumped our things then went out. Adam was a wee bit disgruntled when I demanded sleep and an early night (home by 3am) as by that stage I had travelled for 36 hours then gone out and was a wee bit tired ;) To my surpirise Edinburgh was very warm (one might almost say a tad hot!), leading to many incredulas comments at how warm it was on this "cold desolate rock" at the top of the world, and that people really wore T shirts in Scotaland, then the realisation that perhaps one shouldn't make these comments in a loud voice at the main train station. Adam and I venue hopped at the festival, and came to the realisation that accomidation in youth hostels was more expensive than Moet and other good French champaine, so as we had a tent, there was clearly only one thing to be done.
After scoring Adam a few gigs at the festival, dancing to gypsy music, wandering the streets of Edinburgh, etc.etc. Adam headed home to work and I toured Scotland heading to the highlands, Orkney Islands, Isle of Sky etc :) I then rushed from Edinburgh to London to catch an early morning flight to Holland the next day. I decided that as the flight was so early, I should sleep at the airport, so I finally found the right terminal at last and asked the guards there if they minded if I slept in the baggage lines. They said it was fine, but warned that I should "tie everything to me." Aware of theft and not sure if it was a joke or not I thought it was a good idea, so I tied my bootlaces to my luggage and my belt and slept on my luggage I awoke in a tangle of bootlaces, but with everything still with me, then discovered that I couldn't untie one of the bootlaces. So myself, large suitcase, smaller bag and backpack tied to my belt headed over to the British Airways counter to ask for a pair of scissors. Due to the security there were no scissors, but a very obliging emlpoyee spent some time armed with a biro pen attempting to untie me.
My adventures at Heathrow took a further surreal turn when I found myself chatting to a woman who works in banking in the Hague about my interest in international law while eating breakfast with her in the first class lounge. I have never felt less like a sophisticated law student than at that point seated in a nice airport lounge sipping coffee and discussing international law while wearing all the spare clothes from my case, jeans with a huge rip in them, with the only sleep I had gained in a few days being at Heathrow a few hours beforehand and with unkempt hair desprately need of a brush!
I arrived in Amsterdam and was met by a someone I had met while travelling around in Scotland. Chris and his sister Anna (both Dutch) were great in their advice, and its thanks to Chris that I had no trouble in moving into Tilburg. Chris helped me get to Tilburg, told me where to buy cheap meals, assured me that my lease was standard for Holland, and dragged my case up several flights of stairs to my room here.