The Excitement of... Exams!

You know it has been a long day at the library when you leave at night and can't remember where you parked your bike. You know you are in Holland when there are enough bikes in front of the library that losing your bike doesn't allude to stupidity. I have been immensely boring this week, blog-wise, and am afraid to calculate up the hours I spent studying for my two final exams.

The good news is, they are done! Each exam was three hours, and count as either 90 or 100% of my grades for the classes. I am one of few people whose grades are transferring to my home institution; most people are just aiming to get a 55% in order to pass. I didn't want to take my chances and made sure I was as prepared as possible going into the exams. As of yesterday afternoon, I am officially done with Law and Governance in Developing Countries and Law of the European Union. I will start International Humanitarian Law on Monday.

I did manage to do some fun things besides study. Sunday the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so I went on a bike ride and discovered a park with an aviary and crocuses beginning to peak through the ground. My study-buddy and I went out to a cafe Friday night and got Dutch frites and Saturday night I met up at a local pub with some friends for a bit.

Last night I taught ballet and yoga again. The classes are going really well. I have around 13 consistent students in the ballet class. I have ended up teaching a fusion class, blending ballet and modern elements while playing popular or contemporary music. I asked the girls a few weeks ago what they liked about the class or what they wanted to change, and they mentioned that incorporating the modern elements was something they liked and wanted more of. Last week we started doing collaborative choreography. I randomly chose a few of the girls to make up their own move and we pieced them together to make a phrase. Last night we built on it, and have almost a minute of choreography that is all their own. It is great to see them invested in the movement, and overcome their fear of making up a "weird" move. I'm really enjoying teaching my yoga classes. I've developed a good structure for the class that keeps the energy moving and incorporates strengthening as well as balance and stretch.

Spring is upon us! Yesterday it got up to 64! I spent the afternoon after my exam in a park, reading and chatting with a friend. I'm hoping the weather will continue to be as beautiful this weekend, as there was talk of biking to the beach.

Studies Abroad

The name of the game this week has been study- I have two finals coming up on Monday and Thursday. Or, if you are from the UK this begins "revision" week for "exams". I have had the chance to get to know the main library quite well; I regularly stake out a spot and hold down the fort for several hours each day. I am enjoying my subjects, which makes the studying bearable. I also have a good friend in one of my classes, and we meet up in the library and take coffee breaks together. Leiden is a bit of a sleepy town- this is the weekend before exams, and literally every establishment in town with tables, lights, and the possibility of internet was closed by 6pm last night. No cafes, no student centers, no libraries, nothing was open. Granted it WAS Saturday night, and most students take the chance to go out. Nonetheless, at 6pm there were 6 Law School students standing outside of the recently closed student center, all with piles of books in hand, wondering where to go to study (cram?) for next week's exams.

A short list of some of the things I have been learning about: Constitutional reform in Afghanistan, harmonizing measures of the EU, land tenure policy in Tanzania, Sharia in national law, the jurisdiction of the EU, the internal market, corrupt judiciaries, socio-legal research methods, the rights of third-party-nationals in EU member states (hey, that's me!), the legalization of informal land holdings in developing countries, Indonesian religious courts... and the list goes on!

Quick thoughts: This week, I rode my bike without gloves (weather got into the 50's), was able to give the temp in Celsius and have it mean something (10!), ran out of my last American toiletry product (toothpaste), and replaced it with a Dutch one, and rode my bike with no hands and wasn't freaked out by it! Signs of assimilation?

A Weekend in Antwerp

The following photos are from my weekend trip to Antwerp, Belgium. I unfortunately have to hit the books, as I have exams coming up, but promise to give a full account soon.

In short, I had a chance to: eat eat eat. (Belgian waffles, frites, pralines, de Konnick bier) Hit up a few museums~ Het Rubenshuis which featured the work of Baroque painter Peter Rubens (Famous for his painting "The Ascension". Also known for having pupils and colleagues assist with his paintings.) Also visited a museum of contemporary art, which was quite a different experience from my morning of Baroque art. Visited a few gorgeous cathedrals, and walked around an old fortress. There was an outdoor market on Saturday, and my friends and I were lucky enough to find a bar with some live music Friday night.

Ironically, I spent more on using toilet facilities (40cents a go!) than on museum entrance (1euro for people under 26!)

Photos from Antwerp

(1)Pralines (2)St. Pauluskerk (3)Het Steen (4)at a bar with some live music (5) Rubenshuis Museum (6) Violinist in front of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Kathedral (7) Bell tower of OLV (8) Groen Plaats (9) Waffles (10) Central Station

Escher, Eating, y Estudios

This week was marked by a noticeable increase in my amount of studying and class-related assignments. I have finals for two of my law classes coming up the end of March, and the impending exams mean that I am cracking open the books more often. I have been working on a group assignment for my Law and Governance in Developing Countries class. The assignment is to interview a legal reform project manager and discuss the challenges that are present in their work. On Tuesday my friend Alisha and I went to the Hague to interview a woman who works for the Center for International Legal Cooperation. She focuses in Africa, and recently returned from Rwanda and Uganda. The interview was fascinating and quite informative. We have ample information for our presentation and paper.

Before the interview on Tuesday, two of my friends and I spent the afternoon in the Hague. We visited the M.C. Escher museum, which is the best museum I have visited. Escher was active from 1920 until the 60's, and is famous for his tessellations and lithographs. The exhibit showcased all his famous work, and was housed in a building that was formerly the Queen's winter palace. The building itself was a work of art; in each room there was a different chandelier and a description of what the room used to function as.
After the interview, my friends and I went out for dinner. It was a treat to eat out, as we often cook together. Wednesday night, for instance, we cooked a Mexican dinner. I tried my hand at making guacamole, and was surprisingly successful. Saturday night my friends Maria and Giusy hosted an Italian dinner. Both are from Naples, and took pride in their bruschetti and spaghetti carbonara. It was delicious. Friday night some friends and I went to a party hosted by friends who are from the island of Curacao. The island is near Aruba, and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. Citizens of Curacao also have Dutch citizenship, so students seeking an education almost always come to the Netherlands to study. There is a strong community in Leiden, and we had a great time meeting and hanging out with them.
This morning (Sunday) I ventured to the Hague once again to take a ballet class. I went to Balletschool Mabel Alter, which offers open professional classes on Sunday. It was my first time at this particular studio, and I plan to return. The studio is quite small, and the class was intimate. I spent a while after the class talking to the owner of the studio, who offered me inside tips about the dance scene in the Netherlands. The studio is near the Paleis Noordeine, which is the current working palace for Queen Beatrix. I spent some time walking around the park behind the palace, and stopped by a coffee shop to study before heading back.