I stared into the mirror on the ceiling of the elevator. The last time I had been in this elevator had been when I said goodbye to my sister, about to leave for Amsterdam. Had it really been three months since I had left? I thought back to that first trip to London: the apprehension about my arrival in Leiden, my extreme jet-lag, being keenly aware that I was a foreigner. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. I knocked on the door of Jess's flat and waited a few moments, when suddenly three girls barraged me with hugs and screams from their hiding place around the corner. I laughed and hugged Jess, overwhelmed with surprise and elation.
My trip to London was for the purpose of seeing Jess and the two girls in her group perform for a showcase. Their showcase was on Thursday, and I arrived in London Tuesday afternoon. The day of the showcase I helped backstage with their dresses, hair, took photos and video, and acted as Family Representative. Thanks to the ash cloud, my parents were unable to make their flight. I had originally been planning on spending my time there with my parents, but had to change plans when their flight was canceled. Rather than spend three nights in a hotel room by myself, I made connections with a friend from Leiden who lives in Staines, and had the chance to be shown around London by a local. The night my parents were supposed to fly in was spent in her home, and I was comforted by tea and a hug from her mother. I realized it had been three months since I had been in a proper home, with a family kitchen and family around. The next three nights I spent with Jess and the girls in their small flat near Hyde Park. The experience reminded me of sleepovers with my giggling high school girlfriends. There was much singing and dancing around the room, laughter at all hours, and an abundance of pantyhose and hairspray.
The day before the showcase I spent by myself, while Jess and the girls were in rehearsal. I headed to the Royal Courts of Justice, and got to sneak a peek at a proceeding. There was an interesting exhibit on the traditional apparel of the judges, and I was surprised to see they still wear wigs when in court. I walked around St. Paul's cathedral and the Globe Theater, then spent a while in the National Gallery looking at paintings by Vermeer, Monet, van Gogh, and Seurat. I called my mom from the Tower of London to wish her a Happy Birthday, and headed back to see the ladies for the evening.
The following day was the showcase. I was able to connect my parents to the show via skype. The nervous, giddy excitement of the girls rubbed off on me, and by the end of the day we were all still running on adrenaline. The following morning the girls took me shopping along Oxford Street, where my outfit changed from drab to fab. I found great deals on sunglasses, a headband, sandals, a tanktop, and other summery items. Jess and I went to the Wallace Collection after lunch, and I explained some of the history behind Dutch art in the golden age. In the evening we found a proper English pub and stumbled upon a comedy night in the upstairs part.
Jess came back to Leiden with me, where she got to experience Dutch life: bicycling to the beach, picnics in parks with tulips in bloom, eating stroopwafel and other Dutch baked goods, and climbing to the top of a windmill. I introduced her to my friends, and we stayed up late most nights talking and laughing.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Lists
The places I've been since the last update:
London, Brussels, Prague, Rotterdam.
Visits from: my sister, followed by my brother.
The hours I've spent preparing for exams:
I'd rather not calculate.
The amount of time left before I leave Europe:
Not enough.
London, Brussels, Prague, Rotterdam.
Visits from: my sister, followed by my brother.
The hours I've spent preparing for exams:
I'd rather not calculate.
The amount of time left before I leave Europe:
Not enough.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Holland in Bloom
It is spring here, and possibly one of the most beautiful places to be in springtime. Tulips are in bloom, but on a grander scale than anything I've seen before: stretches of land the size of what us Iowans recognize as soybean or corn fields that are in bloom with rows of multicolored tulips. When the sun is out, the inhabitants of Leiden emerge and sit on canal boats or outside of cafes drinking beer and coffee. I was truly shocked at the number of people there were in Leiden on the first day of sun here- where have they all been hiding? I have found a few parks that have sunny spot to read in, and have been visiting Hortus Botanicus, which is Holland's oldest maintained garden, on a regular basis.
Where has the month of April gone? I realize it has been quite a long stretch without an update, but fortunately I have been keeping a journal of what I have been up to. This will have to be the express version (I find I keep saying that, and never expand on the details... maybe I will include the fun details)
When I left off on April 10th, I promised to mention my trip to Utrecht, and an Easter celebration among other things. On Tuesday, April 6th, two of my friends and I went to Utrecht for the day. I had to write a city report for my Dutch culture class, and part of the paper included visiting the city and talking to locals. Utrecht is the only place in the Netherlands with "wharf" canals, or canals on two levels. At water level is a surface that can fit several tables, and in order to be at street level one must climb up stairs. Difficult to describe- I will include a photo. We visited the Speelklok Museum, a museum devoted to automatic instruments, and enjoyed listening to polka music and sang street organ songs in Dutch (or attempted to at least).
For Easter weekend, I had a potluck with some of my friends. I made deviled eggs, but they suffered some collateral damage from my bike ride over the canals. I didn't realize deviled eggs were so American; very few of my friends had heard of them. I went to an evensong service at the Hooglandse Kerk in central Leiden. There has been a place of worship there since the 14th century, and the church is spacious and lofty. The music was beautiful, but I have to admit I didn't pay close attention to the message, as it was in Dutch.
I have started my Dutch language classes! Monday and Wednesday nights from 7:15-10:00. The class is offered separately from university classes, and there are more adults than students in it. I am by far the youngest, and have been living in Holland the shortest amount of time. I enjoy the atmosphere, as everybody is focused on learning and not afraid to ask questions or make mistakes. By the second class we were having conversations in Dutch! I know that Dutch isn't the most useful language to know, but I figure that it is never bad to learn a new language. If anything, I will finally be able to read the directions on my food packages and understand the traffic signs.
On April 17th, (Saturday), I took a bike ride to the beach! It was 20k round-trip (around 12 miles). I went with some of my friends who knew the way. We spent the afternoon laying on the beach, dipping our toes in the freezing water, and eating ice cream and fries (or chips, or frites- take your pick).
The cycle back took us through some of the countryside, where we saw Shetland ponies, sheep, tulips, greenhouses... I am excited for more bike excursions in the summer.
Where has the month of April gone? I realize it has been quite a long stretch without an update, but fortunately I have been keeping a journal of what I have been up to. This will have to be the express version (I find I keep saying that, and never expand on the details... maybe I will include the fun details)
When I left off on April 10th, I promised to mention my trip to Utrecht, and an Easter celebration among other things. On Tuesday, April 6th, two of my friends and I went to Utrecht for the day. I had to write a city report for my Dutch culture class, and part of the paper included visiting the city and talking to locals. Utrecht is the only place in the Netherlands with "wharf" canals, or canals on two levels. At water level is a surface that can fit several tables, and in order to be at street level one must climb up stairs. Difficult to describe- I will include a photo. We visited the Speelklok Museum, a museum devoted to automatic instruments, and enjoyed listening to polka music and sang street organ songs in Dutch (or attempted to at least).
For Easter weekend, I had a potluck with some of my friends. I made deviled eggs, but they suffered some collateral damage from my bike ride over the canals. I didn't realize deviled eggs were so American; very few of my friends had heard of them. I went to an evensong service at the Hooglandse Kerk in central Leiden. There has been a place of worship there since the 14th century, and the church is spacious and lofty. The music was beautiful, but I have to admit I didn't pay close attention to the message, as it was in Dutch.
I have started my Dutch language classes! Monday and Wednesday nights from 7:15-10:00. The class is offered separately from university classes, and there are more adults than students in it. I am by far the youngest, and have been living in Holland the shortest amount of time. I enjoy the atmosphere, as everybody is focused on learning and not afraid to ask questions or make mistakes. By the second class we were having conversations in Dutch! I know that Dutch isn't the most useful language to know, but I figure that it is never bad to learn a new language. If anything, I will finally be able to read the directions on my food packages and understand the traffic signs.
On April 17th, (Saturday), I took a bike ride to the beach! It was 20k round-trip (around 12 miles). I went with some of my friends who knew the way. We spent the afternoon laying on the beach, dipping our toes in the freezing water, and eating ice cream and fries (or chips, or frites- take your pick).
The cycle back took us through some of the countryside, where we saw Shetland ponies, sheep, tulips, greenhouses... I am excited for more bike excursions in the summer.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)