Bicycle! (Or My Impressions of Holland)
The first few weeks I had the best of intentions in posting to a blog but had no internet access, so the project gathered dust. By the time the internet was up and running, I was off and running around Italy and Spain, and it has been a tale of procrastination ever since ;) Because the caretaker is comming back soon to kick me out of my room here, and becuase its impossible trying to make up for 5 months of updates, I won't try to put everything down here (you will have to buy me a drink in Sydney if you want the full tale). However, here are a few impressions of my time here in The Netherlands.
At times its been a little like living in the "Spanish apartment" not only are there many Spanish (40 of the 200 exchagne students here are Spanish speaking), but I have shared a flat here with 17 other people from around the world. There is never any trouble in everyone sharing one kitchen though, we have quickly learnt that the English and Australians eat around 7, the Morocaan, and Chech around 8ish and the Spanish and Portuguse never before 10pm, with myself grabbing bite to eat when I remember ;) We have all lived a little in each other's pockets here, your flatmates are your friends and class mates also. There is always something going on, and a different party on each floor of the student accomidation here on a Thursday night. I will miss hearing two of my flatmates scream conversations through the walls at each other, or hunting for our flat's crockery in the flat downstairs.
At other times I've felt a little as like I'm in a gang, for nights out in the town or elsewhere a troup of sometimes 30 of us will head off on bikes. I have since discovered that it is easier to cycle rather than walk after a big night and one can drink a beer and cylce at the same time. My first bike experience here went along the lines of asking a flatmate for a lift to a party on the back of his bike. Ivan replied he would happily give me a lift, despite having had a bit to drink, a lot to smoke, and was on a broken bike. Its when you realise that you are more sober than the person giving you a lift that you realise its time to get a bike of your own.
At times its been a little like living in the "Spanish apartment" not only are there many Spanish (40 of the 200 exchagne students here are Spanish speaking), but I have shared a flat here with 17 other people from around the world. There is never any trouble in everyone sharing one kitchen though, we have quickly learnt that the English and Australians eat around 7, the Morocaan, and Chech around 8ish and the Spanish and Portuguse never before 10pm, with myself grabbing bite to eat when I remember ;) We have all lived a little in each other's pockets here, your flatmates are your friends and class mates also. There is always something going on, and a different party on each floor of the student accomidation here on a Thursday night. I will miss hearing two of my flatmates scream conversations through the walls at each other, or hunting for our flat's crockery in the flat downstairs.
At other times I've felt a little as like I'm in a gang, for nights out in the town or elsewhere a troup of sometimes 30 of us will head off on bikes. I have since discovered that it is easier to cycle rather than walk after a big night and one can drink a beer and cylce at the same time. My first bike experience here went along the lines of asking a flatmate for a lift to a party on the back of his bike. Ivan replied he would happily give me a lift, despite having had a bit to drink, a lot to smoke, and was on a broken bike. Its when you realise that you are more sober than the person giving you a lift that you realise its time to get a bike of your own.