First of all, I have to express how amazingly happy I am to hear that the health bill has passed!! Now, there are 32 million people whose lives will be bettered. Health=Human right
Well, the weather here is getting a whole lot better!!!
The other day I went outside with my host siblings and we went for a ride in the little row boat round our pond. I still have trouble believing that we have a pond! And as I left for school this morning, there was a man who had begun to open and clean the pool! It will be good for swimming next week as the pool is heated. Summer is on the rise.
Also, this past Wednesday was Paasvee, a tradition in Schagen (where I go to school) where they decide which cows are best for eating. As for my views on this, I find it very sad but also a little funny because all of the cows are standing in the middle of the market, looped around the church, eating. They just stand there as others decide their future. It is quite cruel, but at least I don't think they realize it.
I did feel absolutely horrible for the other animals- rabbits, chickens, rats, hamsters, etc.- that were in cages in the mall being surrounded by strange people. Some of them looked really terrified.
Otherwise, I walked around with friends (since we had off from school for this tradition- YAY) and had fun taking silly pictures with very fat cows and trying out the bucking bronco ride.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Vacation with Neauy!! (February22-24)
Neauy, who I have all my classes with and who is also an exchange student, asked me to come with her and her host parents to see Holland. We went to Den Haag, Zeeland, and Rotterdam.
We first went to Den Haag and on the way there, both Neauy and I caught a little shut eye- also known as time travel. We solved our Rubiks cubes- and hers was oneof mine that's even harder because it has patterns on it and there's only one solution because they all have to face the right way. Well, we got there and her host father was the perfect guide, He had grown up just outside of Den Haag and he could tell us about all the different buildings, tell us what went on in each of them.
I had a bagel for lunch! I was so excited, but their cream cheese wasn't te same- they had this weird garlic cream cheese- I think that's one of the first things I'm going to have in July. A cinnamon sugar bagel from Pennington Bagel. Well, their hot chocolate made up for my disappointment. You got a mug of hot milk and a dish of whipped cream and a block of dark chocolate on a stick. You had to mix it around, and it was probably some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had.
Afterward, we went to the Tweede Kamer (literally translated: Second Chamber)- it's the equivalent of our Legislative branch. We got to see where the queen sits for special ceremonies and we got to sit in the Tweede Kamer. We had to go through security like at the airport to get in, and one of the men working there said hello and asked how we were. I asked how he was, and he said, "Slecht, ik ben aan het werken" (Bad- I'm at work). But he said it in a kind of joking manner.
We got to the hotel we were staying at. Neauy and I shared a room, and we got excited because there was candy on the pillows. I think we should always be immature at hotels and get excited about candy on the pillows. We ate a delicious dinner in the hotel and there was an amazing chocolate mousse- the best I have ever had.
Neauy and I watched House on the hotel TV.
The next day we went to Zeeland, which is one of the twelve provinces of Holland (kind of like counties). While there we visited the dike that was built in 1953 after the infamous storm. We also went to a little town afterwards and Neauy and I went shopping!!!!
That night, we also went to a restaurant from the chain Van der Valk, which was founded years ago by a husband and wife. Since then, it has built up a reputation for delicious food. There, I tasted the best french onion soup I have ever had.
Once back at the hotel, Neauy and I went for a late night swim and then went to bed. We got very little sleep those two nights because we stayed up each night talking. Girls will be girls.
The last day was wonderful, as well, of course. We went to Rotterdam- the glass city- which probably has the highest density of greenhouses. Here is where they grow the flowers and veggies all year long. Sure, t's gorgeous to fly over at night, but there's some serious light pollution there.
We stopped at the delta on the way there, where they're building a new haven out at sea. It's being built by the same Dutch company that built the island at sea in India. They're asked to do things all over the place. It was really coool because the little museum showed exactly how everything worked, and was very interactive. There was even this dark little room with a table in the middle that was basically a giant iPad. From there you could point to things and then the wall in front of you would light up and you would be flying over the delta. You could even choose to look under the water!!! The same fish kept swimming by you, but it was still really amazing that they make things like that. Neauy honestly wanted to stay there the whole day.
Then, we made it to the Euro Mast. It is a fairly tall tower where you go up and you can see the whole city from there. And then, you could go up to the very tip of it in a round elevator that turned slowly as you went up.The floor also had little round windows so you could see the cars hundreds of feet below.
After making out way through the giftshop at the Euro Mast, we went to the Spido. The Spido is a double decker cruise boat that gives a tour around the haven in Rotterdam. It was really nice and relaxing to just sit back and watch it all go by. What was funny were the descriptions of everything. First, they would do the little anecdote in Dutch, then English, then German, and last but not least, French. It was a bit off sometimes, because by the time they got to French, they had usually already passed the monument. Well, at least they try.
We shopped a little more but didn't buy anything. And on the ride back home, I learned how to solve a Rubiks cube!!! All in all, it was an amazing trip.
We first went to Den Haag and on the way there, both Neauy and I caught a little shut eye- also known as time travel. We solved our Rubiks cubes- and hers was oneof mine that's even harder because it has patterns on it and there's only one solution because they all have to face the right way. Well, we got there and her host father was the perfect guide, He had grown up just outside of Den Haag and he could tell us about all the different buildings, tell us what went on in each of them.
I had a bagel for lunch! I was so excited, but their cream cheese wasn't te same- they had this weird garlic cream cheese- I think that's one of the first things I'm going to have in July. A cinnamon sugar bagel from Pennington Bagel. Well, their hot chocolate made up for my disappointment. You got a mug of hot milk and a dish of whipped cream and a block of dark chocolate on a stick. You had to mix it around, and it was probably some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had.
Afterward, we went to the Tweede Kamer (literally translated: Second Chamber)- it's the equivalent of our Legislative branch. We got to see where the queen sits for special ceremonies and we got to sit in the Tweede Kamer. We had to go through security like at the airport to get in, and one of the men working there said hello and asked how we were. I asked how he was, and he said, "Slecht, ik ben aan het werken" (Bad- I'm at work). But he said it in a kind of joking manner.
We got to the hotel we were staying at. Neauy and I shared a room, and we got excited because there was candy on the pillows. I think we should always be immature at hotels and get excited about candy on the pillows. We ate a delicious dinner in the hotel and there was an amazing chocolate mousse- the best I have ever had.
Neauy and I watched House on the hotel TV.
The next day we went to Zeeland, which is one of the twelve provinces of Holland (kind of like counties). While there we visited the dike that was built in 1953 after the infamous storm. We also went to a little town afterwards and Neauy and I went shopping!!!!
That night, we also went to a restaurant from the chain Van der Valk, which was founded years ago by a husband and wife. Since then, it has built up a reputation for delicious food. There, I tasted the best french onion soup I have ever had.
Once back at the hotel, Neauy and I went for a late night swim and then went to bed. We got very little sleep those two nights because we stayed up each night talking. Girls will be girls.
The last day was wonderful, as well, of course. We went to Rotterdam- the glass city- which probably has the highest density of greenhouses. Here is where they grow the flowers and veggies all year long. Sure, t's gorgeous to fly over at night, but there's some serious light pollution there.
We stopped at the delta on the way there, where they're building a new haven out at sea. It's being built by the same Dutch company that built the island at sea in India. They're asked to do things all over the place. It was really coool because the little museum showed exactly how everything worked, and was very interactive. There was even this dark little room with a table in the middle that was basically a giant iPad. From there you could point to things and then the wall in front of you would light up and you would be flying over the delta. You could even choose to look under the water!!! The same fish kept swimming by you, but it was still really amazing that they make things like that. Neauy honestly wanted to stay there the whole day.
Then, we made it to the Euro Mast. It is a fairly tall tower where you go up and you can see the whole city from there. And then, you could go up to the very tip of it in a round elevator that turned slowly as you went up.The floor also had little round windows so you could see the cars hundreds of feet below.
After making out way through the giftshop at the Euro Mast, we went to the Spido. The Spido is a double decker cruise boat that gives a tour around the haven in Rotterdam. It was really nice and relaxing to just sit back and watch it all go by. What was funny were the descriptions of everything. First, they would do the little anecdote in Dutch, then English, then German, and last but not least, French. It was a bit off sometimes, because by the time they got to French, they had usually already passed the monument. Well, at least they try.
We shopped a little more but didn't buy anything. And on the ride back home, I learned how to solve a Rubiks cube!!! All in all, it was an amazing trip.
Vacation in Maastricht (February 20-21)
I had vacaton for the last week of February, so I'm not jealous of all of you with tons of snow days, because you might have less days of vacation in the end. The whole vacation system here is better. About every two months, we have at least one week of vacation. It gives a nice tempo and you're never in school too long.
But I do have to say that I appreciate growing up in the US because the school system is better there. In Holland, you basically have to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life when you're about 13. Who ever knows by then? And then your life is determined pretty much from then on out. I really don't like that. And once you choose which profile you want, it comes with a set of classes that can't really be changed. It's hard to explain it, but I have't liked it since the beginning.
Anyways, I went all over Holland during my break. On Sunday and Monday I went to Maastricht and Valkenburg with three really good friends of mine from school. We took the train for 4 hours down to Maastricht. It was fun to be very much independent and the hostel we stayed in was lots of fun! It was right on the river, the Maas. I mean that when we ate breakfast the next morning, we looked out of the windows onto the river. Well, we had fun walking around and finding the movie theater, because the first one was more of a Film house that showed very serious, very artsy films, which I love, but my friends, not so much. So we found the cinema and saw Valentine's Day. The only thing is that we went to eat first at this amazing Thai restaurant, where Neauy, my friend who is also an exchange student from Thailand, got to speak to the people who worked there. She really loved eating Thai food. The only thing is that she told the waitress that she wanted her food really spicy- like the real stuff- but she said it wasn't really very spicy. It was really good. It was a sort of soup with mushrooms and shrimp and the broth was delicious.
Anyways, we got to the movie theater about half an hour after all the shows had started, so we got to wait two hours at the theater. Since it was already dark, we didn't want to walk around in Maastricht. But they had free xbox demos that we played and we had Ben & Jerry's ice cream!! The movie was really sweet, just a little predictable, but what romantic comedy isn't?
While we walked back, it was almost midnight, and the streets were empty. I got some cool pictures and I started singing on the bridge over the Maas. It was a great night.
The next morning we got up very early to get a train to Valkenburg to go to a spa!! We did have to climb up the tallest mountain in Holland to get to it. It is 1059 ft. We walked on the sidewalk, bent over because it was so steep, and I said, "Well, at least we'll have deserved it once we get to the spa." When we finally got to the building, Neauy started sighing in relief. It was quite hysterical. We changed, showered, and stepped into the pool that was heated. Bliss. There are two pools inside, and one of them is connected to this thing outside, where you can swim around and there are fountains and it was so nice!! You really feel spoiled.
The best thing was when we went to a the closed-off pool inside for the floating activity. You lay in the water with floaters under your knees and neck, curtains making it black and fake stars on the ceiling. Then there's music under water. You lay still like that for half and hour, and you almost fall asleep. It is amazing.
We didn't stay much longer once we got back to Maastricht, and we just made the last straight train to Schagen. We had Subway for dinner on the train ride :)
But I do have to say that I appreciate growing up in the US because the school system is better there. In Holland, you basically have to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life when you're about 13. Who ever knows by then? And then your life is determined pretty much from then on out. I really don't like that. And once you choose which profile you want, it comes with a set of classes that can't really be changed. It's hard to explain it, but I have't liked it since the beginning.
Anyways, I went all over Holland during my break. On Sunday and Monday I went to Maastricht and Valkenburg with three really good friends of mine from school. We took the train for 4 hours down to Maastricht. It was fun to be very much independent and the hostel we stayed in was lots of fun! It was right on the river, the Maas. I mean that when we ate breakfast the next morning, we looked out of the windows onto the river. Well, we had fun walking around and finding the movie theater, because the first one was more of a Film house that showed very serious, very artsy films, which I love, but my friends, not so much. So we found the cinema and saw Valentine's Day. The only thing is that we went to eat first at this amazing Thai restaurant, where Neauy, my friend who is also an exchange student from Thailand, got to speak to the people who worked there. She really loved eating Thai food. The only thing is that she told the waitress that she wanted her food really spicy- like the real stuff- but she said it wasn't really very spicy. It was really good. It was a sort of soup with mushrooms and shrimp and the broth was delicious.
Anyways, we got to the movie theater about half an hour after all the shows had started, so we got to wait two hours at the theater. Since it was already dark, we didn't want to walk around in Maastricht. But they had free xbox demos that we played and we had Ben & Jerry's ice cream!! The movie was really sweet, just a little predictable, but what romantic comedy isn't?
While we walked back, it was almost midnight, and the streets were empty. I got some cool pictures and I started singing on the bridge over the Maas. It was a great night.
The next morning we got up very early to get a train to Valkenburg to go to a spa!! We did have to climb up the tallest mountain in Holland to get to it. It is 1059 ft. We walked on the sidewalk, bent over because it was so steep, and I said, "Well, at least we'll have deserved it once we get to the spa." When we finally got to the building, Neauy started sighing in relief. It was quite hysterical. We changed, showered, and stepped into the pool that was heated. Bliss. There are two pools inside, and one of them is connected to this thing outside, where you can swim around and there are fountains and it was so nice!! You really feel spoiled.
The best thing was when we went to a the closed-off pool inside for the floating activity. You lay in the water with floaters under your knees and neck, curtains making it black and fake stars on the ceiling. Then there's music under water. You lay still like that for half and hour, and you almost fall asleep. It is amazing.
We didn't stay much longer once we got back to Maastricht, and we just made the last straight train to Schagen. We had Subway for dinner on the train ride :)
The New Year (three months in)
Apparently I've lost the ability (although I doubt I ever had it) to regularly write a blog. It was supposed to be my New Year's Resolution to write here more, but I never started until now- March 7th, 2010. Better late than never I guess.
Well, my winter break was great. I got to go out with friends and we also did Gourmet which is where you basically make your own dinner in a hot plate. It's a lot of fun to do with friends. I also met my parents at the airport when they came!
I took the train fairly early to Schiphol- it takes me about an hour. And I looked for the gate they were at, and I ran into my father's arms. Yes, it was exactly like those running moments in the movies. My father had been standing there waiting for my brother (who was on a different flight) and wondering which one of his kids he would see first. My mom was waiting at the "kissing gate" for me. One of the arrival gates at Schiphol has these figures on it that, when the gates close, kiss. Traveling to Lunteren on the train to my aunt's house was just like old times. It felt like I might have just been on vacation with my family in Holland like usual. That's what it felt like for a day and a half. But then I discovered I have my own life actually- because I was meeting a bunch of other exchange students in Utrecht for a few days.
Simon and I spent a day together in Amsterdam. We didn't quite know what to do at first, so we walked in the direction of our uncle's apartment, and he was actually there installing his new computer. It was serendipity. We wanted to see the Palace but it turned out that it was closed from December 21st, 2009 to January 21st, 2010. We were there December 30th. Well, we went to the History Museum, which was really fascinating. Simon came back with me to meet my host family. We went in the jacuzzi. It's really fun to go in when there's snow on the ground, and Simon decided to go roll around in it and return to the jacuzzi. This is fun, but then there's this intense tingling of all your pores opening up again. Really weird. When we went to bed, Simon said, "Elsa, you've got a great host family." I said, "I know."
I brought the New Year in with my host family and friends of theirs who are a lot of fun. We had a lot of fireworks that lasted from midnight to at least 1:30. We also had champagne to celebrate- and Stef and Suzie had "kinder champagne"- kinder=child.
There was a van der Wal day on Sunday, and we went bowling together! It was lots of fun and my mom surprised everyone by being really good. The next day my parents came to pick me up from school and I showed them around a little. We then went out for lunch. It was fun to finally introduce my parents to my other parents. My parents stayed over one night, and I had to begin at 9:45 on Tuesday.
We were all at the table eating, and I asked my host mother, "Could you call me in sick today?" We all laughed and I faked a cough jokingly. I ended up going to Den Haag (the Hague) with my parents to see the Mauritshuis. We saw the Girl with the Pearl Earring. The vanitas paintings were so beautiful, and sometimes my mom and I looked so closely at them that the guard would come and tell us to be careful. They're really intense because they have to be.
My parents left on Saturday and life returned to normal. I wasn't homesick, which was a relief. I think one of the things that helped is that I had no idea when my parent's flight left. I think if I had, I would have been thinking about it all day.
Later in January, I went along to the airport to say goodbye to Tiarne, the exchange student from Australia. It was sad to see her go, but it was also strange to think that I was going to be in the same place in a matter of months.
Well, my winter break was great. I got to go out with friends and we also did Gourmet which is where you basically make your own dinner in a hot plate. It's a lot of fun to do with friends. I also met my parents at the airport when they came!
I took the train fairly early to Schiphol- it takes me about an hour. And I looked for the gate they were at, and I ran into my father's arms. Yes, it was exactly like those running moments in the movies. My father had been standing there waiting for my brother (who was on a different flight) and wondering which one of his kids he would see first. My mom was waiting at the "kissing gate" for me. One of the arrival gates at Schiphol has these figures on it that, when the gates close, kiss. Traveling to Lunteren on the train to my aunt's house was just like old times. It felt like I might have just been on vacation with my family in Holland like usual. That's what it felt like for a day and a half. But then I discovered I have my own life actually- because I was meeting a bunch of other exchange students in Utrecht for a few days.
Simon and I spent a day together in Amsterdam. We didn't quite know what to do at first, so we walked in the direction of our uncle's apartment, and he was actually there installing his new computer. It was serendipity. We wanted to see the Palace but it turned out that it was closed from December 21st, 2009 to January 21st, 2010. We were there December 30th. Well, we went to the History Museum, which was really fascinating. Simon came back with me to meet my host family. We went in the jacuzzi. It's really fun to go in when there's snow on the ground, and Simon decided to go roll around in it and return to the jacuzzi. This is fun, but then there's this intense tingling of all your pores opening up again. Really weird. When we went to bed, Simon said, "Elsa, you've got a great host family." I said, "I know."
I brought the New Year in with my host family and friends of theirs who are a lot of fun. We had a lot of fireworks that lasted from midnight to at least 1:30. We also had champagne to celebrate- and Stef and Suzie had "kinder champagne"- kinder=child.
There was a van der Wal day on Sunday, and we went bowling together! It was lots of fun and my mom surprised everyone by being really good. The next day my parents came to pick me up from school and I showed them around a little. We then went out for lunch. It was fun to finally introduce my parents to my other parents. My parents stayed over one night, and I had to begin at 9:45 on Tuesday.
We were all at the table eating, and I asked my host mother, "Could you call me in sick today?" We all laughed and I faked a cough jokingly. I ended up going to Den Haag (the Hague) with my parents to see the Mauritshuis. We saw the Girl with the Pearl Earring. The vanitas paintings were so beautiful, and sometimes my mom and I looked so closely at them that the guard would come and tell us to be careful. They're really intense because they have to be.
My parents left on Saturday and life returned to normal. I wasn't homesick, which was a relief. I think one of the things that helped is that I had no idea when my parent's flight left. I think if I had, I would have been thinking about it all day.
Later in January, I went along to the airport to say goodbye to Tiarne, the exchange student from Australia. It was sad to see her go, but it was also strange to think that I was going to be in the same place in a matter of months.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Change of Address
Yes, I have switched host families. And it's not because They were awful or because I suddenly became a wild child, but because it simply didn't work. It didn't click.
Well, I went to my contact person Angeline and told her I wanted to move and she told me I could stay with her and her family temporarily while AFS searched for a new family.
Well, I appeared in the paper a few times and we got a couple great responses. I ended up visiting two families who were both amazing, welcoming, nice and wonderful. The only thing was that something didn't feel right. I couldn't resist getting attatched to Angeline's family. Well- one of the things that immediately connected me to the father was that he likes Stephen King, too! For those of you who have sat at the lunch table with me while I insisted finishing my Stephen King know what that means to me. They also have four children- the oldest of them was in China with a program for three months, is in Australia now for three months, and then later he's going to South America for three months. The next son is in the same year of school as me and has Informatica with me. Luckily, we share our feelings about the teacher- well everyone does. He basically just needs a lifetime supply of tic tacs and to learn how to articulate so exchange students can understand him. The youngest son is really sweet and funny and always kicks my ass at video games. The youngest, a girl, is just adorable, hyper, loving and funny. She's like the little sister I never had. And I'm her second "older sister" because they had an au pair last year from Australia who also became like an older sister to her.
I am so happy here and I felt at home here after the first week.
Well, I went to my contact person Angeline and told her I wanted to move and she told me I could stay with her and her family temporarily while AFS searched for a new family.
Well, I appeared in the paper a few times and we got a couple great responses. I ended up visiting two families who were both amazing, welcoming, nice and wonderful. The only thing was that something didn't feel right. I couldn't resist getting attatched to Angeline's family. Well- one of the things that immediately connected me to the father was that he likes Stephen King, too! For those of you who have sat at the lunch table with me while I insisted finishing my Stephen King know what that means to me. They also have four children- the oldest of them was in China with a program for three months, is in Australia now for three months, and then later he's going to South America for three months. The next son is in the same year of school as me and has Informatica with me. Luckily, we share our feelings about the teacher- well everyone does. He basically just needs a lifetime supply of tic tacs and to learn how to articulate so exchange students can understand him. The youngest son is really sweet and funny and always kicks my ass at video games. The youngest, a girl, is just adorable, hyper, loving and funny. She's like the little sister I never had. And I'm her second "older sister" because they had an au pair last year from Australia who also became like an older sister to her.
I am so happy here and I felt at home here after the first week.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Berlin!
Well, I know that this is about a month and a half late and I apologize. Everything got sort of hectic after Berlin.
Berlin is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited and probably will ever visit. It was hard not to appreciate the culture and the abundant history that you saw throughout the city- such as how you could always tell if you were in "East Berlin" because the traffic lights for walking were little illuminated men with funny hats. 
The "Ampelmann" literally translated- traffic lamp man.
The "Ampelmann" literally translated- traffic lamp man. The ride to and from Berlin was fun, too- well the ride there was crazy. No one slept- and if they did it was on the bottom floor. I was on the second floor where everyone was partying. Luckily, I didn't worry about getting hungry because two students named David (I'll let you know when I'm sure) and Joaquin (Chile) sat in front of my really good friend Antea (Switzerland) and I and had a box of candy, chips, and soda. Needless to say, I got maybe an hour or two of sleep.
We arrived in Berlin very near the TV Tower to eat breakfast- and a few of us went and found a bakery which was probably the best idea ever. The only thing was everyone needed to use the bathroom- so it turned out that everyone went to McDonalds to use the bathroom there- it was full of AFS students- I swear I didn't see a strange face there for about half an hour. Everyone fizing make up, washing their face, brushing their teeth, etc.
After breakfast we started our day-long walk around Berlin- because we arrived at about 6 or 7 and got to our hostel at 9 or 10. That was fun after no sleep on the bus.
Anyways, it was kind of unbelievable to see all these monuments I was supposed to have memorized for German last year- but luckily I could remember little bits from History and common knowledge. One thing that really made an impression is that we kept on being asked by people from places like Bosnia for money and food. They came around with little cards- one side explaining in English and one in German. The strange thing was they all had very similar tragedies. I din't know whether to feel pity or suspicion. We never gave them money, though, only food if we had it. That's a good lesson I learned while volunteering in Philly- never give money- just help.
We saw the Rathaus- the city hall that's red- and we also waited in line for two hours to get into the Reichstag. That is the extremely well known parliament building that has security like airports to get in- so we waited outside in the freezing cold. I swear no one could feel their toes afterwards. The great thing was there was thing kind of mime group that had this puppet- but it was controlled by about six people- which was really cool to see. It was unbelievable how easily they worked together. It was really funny when the police were kind of going around on their segways and then the mime group made the puppet follow the police looking like he was riding a segway. When we got in, we all went up to take the audio tour of the glass dome. Unfortunately it was a really cloudy day, but we could still see most of the landmarks. Afterwards, when everyone was going to the bathroom- we waited in the nice, warm hallway. I was tired so I sat down. Within about five minutes there were about 20 or more AFS students sitting on both sides of the hallway- we had to tell everyone who came to just walk on because this wasn't the line. Then we ate a few snacks until everyone was done with the tour and using the bathrooms- we were then forced to return to the cold by AFS volunteers.
We walked to the Holocaust Monument and were given time to have lunch and look around. I went with four or five others to a Turkish restaurant. It was really cool because Bengisu, a girl from Turkey, was with us. She talked to the people there in Turkish, told us what we should get, had us try the delicious yoghurt drink and also Turkish coffee. If you have never heard of Turkish pizza, I really recommend it. It is a pizza rolled up, eaten like a wrap with lots of delicious veggies, meat and sauce inside. It was heavenly- and it really fills you up.
The Holocaust Monument was remarkable and undescribable. When you see it- it's right next to the street and everyday life- and it just looks like a bunch of gray stones. Then you walk in. You stop hearing the traffic and the other people- the ground is uneven cobble stones and none of the stones are exactly alike. And everything is gray- when you see someone it's like the color is popping out of nowhere. I felt like it said that everything is a gray area- nothing is ever black and white like we want it to be. I saw something that was moving for me at least. I was on the outer edge of the monument- back in real life- when I saw a very young boy in the middle of the monument- where the stones are highest- jumping from stone to stone. And these are not short, either- they get to be at least 8 or 9 feet tall. He never fell- he just kept on jumping- sometimes landing on the edge and climbing onto the stone- but it touched me. I knew he wouldn't fall. He was too young and brave and indestructible in will to fall.
That night, we went to the museum at Checkpoint Charlie. It showed the different ways of how people tried to escape, people who died or were wounded- including the x-ray of a man who was shot not once, but I think it was five or more times to prevent him from escaping. He lived. It made me think of To Kill A Mockingbird. For those who've read it, you know what I mean, and for those who haven't, you should read it. I, being a wonderful typical toursist, bought a small piece of the Berlin Wall. I chose it becuase of something out of a book called The Book Thief. There is something about color there that made me choose a container with pieces that were light blue and also a deep, blood red. That's also an amazing book- a good one to read before visiting Berlin, too. I actually saw it in the gift shop of the concentration camp we went to.
We returned to the hostel and that night, I didn't go downstairs and party with the rest but instead got some sleep, which was a very good idea. Not much exciting happened the first night, anyways.
The next morning we got up early to drive out to Sachsenhausen- the concentration camp. Our tour guide was amazing. He was very interested in the subject and it showed. There isn't much left of Sachsenhausen, but we went into one of the bunkers that was left. There was a washing room that was about 20 ft x 15 ft and there were supposedly up to 400 people in the bunker that were supposed to use it within 30 minutes every morning. The bunker was originally designed for 100 people. Then, they would put two people in every little bunk- which were stacked three high. Then it was 200. Then, they decided there was no use for the recreation room since the peopl weren't allowed to have free time, so that was also turned into a room full of beds. Four hundred people. I think one of the most moving things was to walk through the gates and see the words Arbeit Macht Frei very small in the wrought iron. It wasn't nearly as powerful as I'm sure the sign above Auschwitz is, but I still wasn't thinkning about it when I saw it. I knoew it was going to be there, but it just kind of caught me off guard and my heart stopped for a moment.
There were these stones everywhere marking where all the bunkers used to stand. It was hard to believe that something like ten thousand people once stood between these walls. Around thirty thousand had died there within ten years. That's an average of 8 people per day.
After the camp, when we got back to Berlin, the volunteers didn't want to take us to museums or anything- they thought that the camp was enough for one day. So we went shopping!
We were taken to several areas and let loose for the afternoon. I went with a group of girls and I think we managed to visit all three H&Ms in the area. Then we got currywurst- that is the best sausage I have ever had. We also got crepes with banana and Nutella inside. That was also delicious- nice and warm on a chilly day.
We went to Potsdamer Platz and had dinner there- I got sushi! It was delicious and the perfect dinner. It's not something you come by a lot in Holland, or in most of Europe- only in the big cities where it's international. Or you at least don't find good sushi besides in the big cities. I split a plate with Andria, a really good friend of mine from AFS from Indonesia, and it was the perfect amount. We also got a discount because it was some sort of Happy Hour.
That night at the hostel was insanely amazing. Everyone was hanging out together at the bar and some of the volunteers were there, too. We went to bed around maybe- well, I don't even know how late it was but I can assure you that everyone was greatful for the extra hour of sleep due to daylight savings.
Sunday, our last day, was the only day we had with sun. We began a little later because most students were a bit groggy from the night before. We took a long boat ride through Berlin- and AFS was mad at the people there because they had specifically asked for an English spoken tour because everyone was international, but it was still in German. But we had fun resting our legs and taking pictures of beautiful buildings.
We also saw the summer house (castle) Charlottenburg- which was a bit disappointing. Well, it was really beautiful when you saw the parts that were real but a lot of it had been recently rebuilt and/or reconstructed because of the terrible fire. But there was this one ceiling that was just stunning. We also didn't get to see the second floor, so I'm sure that would have been good to see to have a real first impression. But the outside it breathtakingly beautiful. Sarah, my friend who's from Belgium and in Holland for a year, was sharing my camera with me becuase hers wasn't functioning. We took turns walking around the outside and taking pictures because you weren't allowed to inside.
That afternoon, we had a very late lunch- and I went with a group of other girls from America and Bengisu to this wonderful little German restaurant. We all wanted to eat something that was a German specialty. I think the most amazing thing was the fried cheese pear. It was a pear filled with blue cheese (which was nice and not too strong for us) and then fried in a batter and served on cranberry sauce. Seriously, the best thing I have ever tasted- well, maybe. I'll have pictures up on facebook as soon as I can- that'll probably be by tomorrow night- which is tomorrow afternoon for those in America.
The bus ride back was long and very sleepy. I got back at seven the next morning and was told to go to school since I only have to go for three hours on Mondays. Well, I got through and slept until dinner.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Birthday Dinner
Hey everyone!
I apologize for not writing recently. This past weekend I went to Alkmaar for a night with seven other students: Sarah from Belgium, Antea from Switzerland, Francisco from Italy, Tiffany from Honk Kong, Andria from Indonesia, Sofia from Wisconsin, and Sofia's host sister. Sarah, Antea and I took the train there, and then Francisco and Tiffany met us at the station and Francisco took us to the cafe we were meeting at. We waited for about a half an hour before we got a call from Andria saying we had gone to the wrong cafe!
After many apologies to the waitress, because we hadn't ordered anything yet, we left and walked halfway down the street to where Andria was now waiting for us. We sat outside and srank hot chocolate with whipped cream accompanied by ginger cookies. Once Sofia and her host sister arrived we went inside for a table to eat dinner at.
It is really great to see everyone and get to know how they're doing and talk about our respected home countries. The reason we gathered was because it was Andria's and Sarah's birthdays in the past week, so we gave them presents. Sarah and I have the same tast in books, music, and movies, so I bought her the 1948 show with John Cleese and Marty Feldman-it was the inspiration for Monty Python. We plan to have a marathon soon.
I had Samshimi for dinner, too! It was so good. It was Tuna sashimi with seaweed salad and shiitake mushrooms on top and a wasabi creme on the side. It was so refreshing and delicious. We also had fries for the entire table- which was a strange combination with sushi. Antea and I shared this apple bread pudding with ice cream and vanilla sauce.
Afterwards, we went to Francisco's house and he had made a chocolate cake with a cream filling and nutella as the frosting! It was sooooo good! His host family has him cook once a week. And their house was so nice! It was filled with books, and if you know my house, you know that I felt at home right away. The tablecloth in the kitchen was probably the coolest thing, though. The host mother's work deals with a bunch of other countries and they were all on this tablecloth. She has all the exchange students from this year that come to her house sign their name on their country and then she embroiders it in. We went up to Francisco's room and watched video's on youtube, sanf along, talked about all sorts of stuff, and then Antea, Andria, Sarah and I left for Andria's house to sleep.
It was so much fun to be all four girls just chatting and talking. It felt as if we had known each other for years. We are already so close because we're all in the same place, experiencing the same differences, and learning the same language! The next day Antea and Sarah got on the train at 9:20, and then Andria, her host parents and I went to an old windmill that was turned into a museum. It was used to pump water away from the polder, which is where the Dutch put land where there used to be water. It was really cool to see and I bought 21 postcards for 7.20 euros! That's really cheap, if you can't tell.
I also recently got some grades back. I got a 6,1 for my test in chemistry, which is above passing and a really good grade for me; a 7,6 on my other test for chemistry which gives me 3 bonus points for my big unit test; a 9,5 on my test for physics; a 6,0 for my other test in physics-the one I was extrememly worried about; a 6,8 in math; and I can't remember anything else.
I have "herfst vakantie" next week- fall vacation, and I'm going to Berlin with AFS for about four days at the end of next week! I really can't wait. I am also going to go to a climbing wall on Sunday with two Dutch friends from school and also Neay, the girl in my class from Schagen. That should be really fun. Hopefully I'll also go to Den Helder for a day or two to see Sarah and watch the 1948 show.
I'll definitely have lots to tell after Berlin- the post will probably come a week from this coming Monday around 6 in the morning for those in NJ.
I apologize for not writing recently. This past weekend I went to Alkmaar for a night with seven other students: Sarah from Belgium, Antea from Switzerland, Francisco from Italy, Tiffany from Honk Kong, Andria from Indonesia, Sofia from Wisconsin, and Sofia's host sister. Sarah, Antea and I took the train there, and then Francisco and Tiffany met us at the station and Francisco took us to the cafe we were meeting at. We waited for about a half an hour before we got a call from Andria saying we had gone to the wrong cafe!
After many apologies to the waitress, because we hadn't ordered anything yet, we left and walked halfway down the street to where Andria was now waiting for us. We sat outside and srank hot chocolate with whipped cream accompanied by ginger cookies. Once Sofia and her host sister arrived we went inside for a table to eat dinner at.
It is really great to see everyone and get to know how they're doing and talk about our respected home countries. The reason we gathered was because it was Andria's and Sarah's birthdays in the past week, so we gave them presents. Sarah and I have the same tast in books, music, and movies, so I bought her the 1948 show with John Cleese and Marty Feldman-it was the inspiration for Monty Python. We plan to have a marathon soon.
I had Samshimi for dinner, too! It was so good. It was Tuna sashimi with seaweed salad and shiitake mushrooms on top and a wasabi creme on the side. It was so refreshing and delicious. We also had fries for the entire table- which was a strange combination with sushi. Antea and I shared this apple bread pudding with ice cream and vanilla sauce.
Afterwards, we went to Francisco's house and he had made a chocolate cake with a cream filling and nutella as the frosting! It was sooooo good! His host family has him cook once a week. And their house was so nice! It was filled with books, and if you know my house, you know that I felt at home right away. The tablecloth in the kitchen was probably the coolest thing, though. The host mother's work deals with a bunch of other countries and they were all on this tablecloth. She has all the exchange students from this year that come to her house sign their name on their country and then she embroiders it in. We went up to Francisco's room and watched video's on youtube, sanf along, talked about all sorts of stuff, and then Antea, Andria, Sarah and I left for Andria's house to sleep.
It was so much fun to be all four girls just chatting and talking. It felt as if we had known each other for years. We are already so close because we're all in the same place, experiencing the same differences, and learning the same language! The next day Antea and Sarah got on the train at 9:20, and then Andria, her host parents and I went to an old windmill that was turned into a museum. It was used to pump water away from the polder, which is where the Dutch put land where there used to be water. It was really cool to see and I bought 21 postcards for 7.20 euros! That's really cheap, if you can't tell.
I also recently got some grades back. I got a 6,1 for my test in chemistry, which is above passing and a really good grade for me; a 7,6 on my other test for chemistry which gives me 3 bonus points for my big unit test; a 9,5 on my test for physics; a 6,0 for my other test in physics-the one I was extrememly worried about; a 6,8 in math; and I can't remember anything else.
I have "herfst vakantie" next week- fall vacation, and I'm going to Berlin with AFS for about four days at the end of next week! I really can't wait. I am also going to go to a climbing wall on Sunday with two Dutch friends from school and also Neay, the girl in my class from Schagen. That should be really fun. Hopefully I'll also go to Den Helder for a day or two to see Sarah and watch the 1948 show.
I'll definitely have lots to tell after Berlin- the post will probably come a week from this coming Monday around 6 in the morning for those in NJ.
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