Since the introduction days, things have calmed down a bit. Because school doesn't start for another week, I am trying to stay busy. The days following orientation were nice because Annelies was off work so we got to spend some time together. We went biking through the dunes by her house and to the fish market, played tennis, and ate dinner with her daughter and others. Her daughter, Damayanti, just came home for a short visit before heading back to school in London. She is very nice and it's been good having someone else around my age at the house.
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| DJ in a bus on Museum Night |
Last Saturday night a few of us went to Museum Night in The Hague, which was good because finally people came to where I am staying rather than me going all the way to Leiden. It takes about 40 minutes on a bus and then train to get there, and they all stop around 12 so it's not very convenient. Museum Night had lots of potential, but unfortunately we picked the one museum that had just been renovated and thus had a two hour wait. They had entertainment out on the street, with a DJ in a bus right by the museum we were waiting to go into. When we finally got to the front of the line, the tour was in Dutch. Of course... So the Dutch students we were with gave loose translations, but got yelled at by the tour guide for talking. Oops! It honestly didn't sound that exciting anyway, so I guess we picked the wrong museum. After waiting for so long we were kind of out of time, and my new friend Kate and I had to catch the public transportation home.
Over the weekend we had dinner at the house with Annelies, her daughter, "second son" Danian and his girlfriend. Danian had a lot of funny questions, like if it's true that Americans always drink out of red cups, and he was yet another person to ask if high school is like American pie.. I try to answer, "yes it's true" whenever possible. All of the stereotypes about the Dutch are also true... except for clogs. I have yet to see clogs on anyone, but they ride bikes like nobody's business and even a policeman told us that we will not be prosecuted for drug use.
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| Bike storage with Leiden Centraal in the background |
Speaking of bicycles, last week there was a used bike sale for all of the international students. They were cheap, and it was the perfect opportunity to do as the Dutch do, so I naturally purchased a bike. We have been told that the average Dutch person goes through six bikes a year, as they are constantly being stolen. Apparently the thieves resell the bikes in the train station at night. Of course, I purchased a lock as well and stored it under the train station in the appropriate place for the weekend while I was away. When I went back to get it yesterday, it was nowhere to be found. Laying on the ground where my bike had been was my lock, sawed in half. I rode my bike for approximately one day before it was stolen, so I think I'll wait a while before investing (or stealing one back, which is a popular option in Leiden) another one.
Other than hanging out with friends around Leiden, I have mostly been trying to get things sorted out for starting classes next week. It's weird that registration is still happening, yet school starts next week. The weather just got much cloudier today, so for now I am happy staying around the house and out of the rain!
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New friends Dani, Chiao, Stacey, and Kate
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| Some church in Leiden |
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