The Dutch are the Largest Exporters of Dairy Products

So... basically nobody got back to me about my last post, asking you to tell me how you're doing. Oh well. It would have meant a lot to me.

Anyways... I have a cold. I'm just staying home today. I watched the movie I Love You, Man. It was pretty good. But now I have to try to plough through my homework with the help of Google Translate, which will probably take me the rest of the day.

The reason I'm sick is the weather. The weather here hates everyone. Don't believe me? Here's some insight into the mind of the weather in the Netherlands:

"Oh. I see you brought an umbrella with you. How nice. I think I'll just whip out the sun and fry you like an egg. That's right... you put that umbrella back in your bag. Ha! Now I'm going to drench you in some rain! How do you like that? Well, now that you're soaked through the skin and have managed to find your umbrella again, I'll just stop trying to drown you. Instead, I'll cover the sun with about 18 layers of cloud so that you freeze to death! Mwahahaha! Stepping outside your house was a bad idea, my friend."

So, I haven't set a foot outside today. I drink tea now, after dinner. It's nice. Plus, if I drink tea I'm entitled to a cookie. And if I up the amount of tea to two cups, I'm allowed another cookie. But, between you and me, I usually sneak in a third cookie :]

Yesterday I wore a hat. It looked like this:

For some reason, everyone on the street was looking at me. A few people even did a double take. I would like to think they were jealous of my fabulous hat, but I have no idea. My host mom says it was probably because it isn't actually that cold right now, so it might have seemed strange.

In other fashion news, I always see clothing advertisements with Taylor Lautner look-alikes on them. I think it's weird and slightly hilarious, seeing as they are trying to sell MEN's clothing to MEN. The models always glaring or snarling or trying to seem werewolf like... no surprise there.

I got a 100% on a Spanish test! That was good. But then I got all confident, and when the teacher asked a question I responded in half Spanish, half Dutch with a Spanish accent. No, Emily, Nederspaans is not a language. Sorry. My other tests aren't going so well. I have to keep taking this one chemistry test until I pass and have succeeded in failing it twice already. I also received back a Dutch test that I took last week with no grade on it. I guess it wasn't worth one. But the teacher said it was good for the amount of time I've been here.

I love it when I see people feeding birds. I think it's awesome to see them all swarm around the person like he/she is Snow White or something. But this one time I saw all the ducks enthusiastically chowing down on some bread when I glanced over at my very dead friend. He won't be able to enjoy delicious bread anymore. Or fish. Which I enjoy very much. One night for dinner we literally only ate fish and bread. I love the fish here. Raw herring is the best - I could eat it every day.

Well, I guess that's about all I have to say. I know some people have asked me to add pictures to the blog, and I'll get on that ASAP. But I don't want to leave the house today. I really want to leave the house today. I don't know what I want anymore.

Tot ziens,

Emily

Let's Talk About You

I want to know what's going on with you.

I feel like I'm talking to myself when I'm writing this blog. I love talking to people.

I'm sick of talking about myself.

Just send me an email, or sign on facebook or skype.

I seriously miss you guys.

But if you insist on hearing something about my life, I hung out with some AFS kids today. And I accidentally cut my leg, like, real bad.

That's all I have to say.

Can't wait to hear from you!

Emily

Shortest Post Ever

You know the famous "green parrots of La Canada"?

The random green parrots that really aren't native to the area that hang out around the department of water and power?

Well, there are also the "green parrots of Ypenburg"!

They hang out around my house.

I looked out the window one day and saw them. I just thought, "What the.......?"

Yeah, apparently it's a similar story, some guy accidentally let them loose and they're here to stay!

I took a walk this evening. It was beautiful weather. Hope it stays for a while.

Tot ziens,

Emily

Sticky Note Post

All my internal "notes- to self" revealed!

- People like you better if you smile :D

- I love meusli.

- If you try to speak the language, people generally help you and are patient.

- Look both ways before crossing the street. Repeat.

- That dead duck is really starting to gross me out...

- Pretending the tram is a roller coaster while in a tunnel is fun for about 4 seconds.

- Trying to explain the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in Dutch to an entire class will probably make you look like a babbling fool. Example:

Teacher: "Did everyone understand what Emily said?"

Class: "NOOOO..."

....Anyways....

- Everyone here has really cool agendas. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their agenda - everyone is super organized. They have to be, because of the school schedule.

- Some people are fluent in English. Others aren't. So don't throw in random English phrases if you aren't sure.

- People stuff trash between the tram seat and the window. Including old bananas. They smell bad. Don't sit next to them.

- You will be laughed at if you pronounce 'America' like you always have. Here it's: Ah-may-ree-kah. Not: Uh-muur-cah. So, ALWAYS roll your R's!

- Bikes are generally silent. Expect them to sneak up behind you then zip by. Especially if you're talking to yourself.... that's awkward. (These people are pro bikers. They will glance behind them and look at you funny. They also eat, text, hold groceries/children, use no hands, maneuver the tightest spaces, and outrun/dodge trams while biking. Sometimes all at the same time. So don't mess with them!)

- I love the English language.

- I sometimes find myself trying to think in English, but all I get is Dutch. Which is a good sign, I guess.

- I've been here one month. 10 more to go!

Congratulations. You are now a mind-reader. Get it??? Because you just READ what I was THINKING?!? Hahahaha - oh... okay, I'll go stand in the pun corner of shame.

Tot ziens,

Emily

Healthy Teeth and Healthy Toothmeat

That's the promise my Dutch toothpaste makes. I'm pretty sure that toothmeat means gums.

I like french fries. Which is good. So does everyone else here.

Actually, everyone here is always eating ice cream. Even when it's cold.

Turn the corner - hey look, people with ice cream.

You know those signs that mean "no food" but are really just a picture of food with an X through them?

Here the picture always has ice cream in it.

So, just ice cream, ice cream and fries, or ice cream, fries, and a soda with an X.

I was studying for a chemistry test on the tram on my way to school last week and I realized how friggin cool that was. Learning Dutch element names on the Dutch public transportation system on the way to my Dutch school? Awesome! Well, until I failed the test. But you know. It's all good.

I was sitting alone in the study hall at school, and a random teacher came up to me and said, "What's up?"

Yeah, I thought he was speaking Dutch, so I was like, "....... huh?" and he said, "You're the American student, aren't you?" "Yes." Then he sort of smiled and patted my shoulder and said, "We are proud of you." So that made me feel pretty good.

Many kids at school ask me why I chose the Netherlands. They say it's boring here. But I think that no matter where you are, you sort of have to make it fun for yourself. But I understand. I mean, they've lived here all their lives. I lived in LC for all my life, and I needed a change. Maybe they all just need to spend a year abroad or something.

One girl said that it's boring here because there aren't any mountains. I beg to differ. There are sheer drop offs in every house, in the form of staircases. If I wake up at night and want to go to the bathroom, I have to climb down a cliff. No more rolling out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom, and rolling back in. No no. Here it's roll out of bed, turn on the light, stand at the top of the stairs and wake up/mentally prepare yourself, grasp the rail for dear life as you feel each step with your toes, stumble into the bathroom, heave yourself back upstairs with your hands, turn out the light, roll back into bed, then realize there's no way you're getting back to sleep because you've just accomplished the equivalent of a challenge in Survivor. No mountains? Hah. I laugh.

I'm pretty homesick, actually. This morning I was lying in bed and I sort of thought that when I opened my eyes I would see my own room. But I didn't. I miss my family, friends, boyfriend, dog, room, house, school, teachers, weather, neighborhood, grocery stores...language... oh well. Skype is helping a lot. And a change isn't such a bad thing. But this first month has been pretty rough - lots of new impressions and experiences make me tired and hungry for stroopwaffels!!!! Mwahahahaha I had a big, fresh, warm stroopwaffel today in the city. My host mom bought it for me, and the guy selling them was like, "Ik denk dat dit is voor jouw?" (I think that this is for you? - yeah, pretty similar to English). And I was happpyyyyy because it was lekker lekker lekker (delicious)!

Soo... by the way.... yeah, it's going to be a harsh winter. Apparently it's going to snow for four months straight. At first I thought, "Yayyy we don't have snow in LA!" But then people warned, "You'll get sick of it, trust me." Well, maybe I'll just spend all my free time making snowmen along the sidewalks. I guess I can't sled, though, seeing as there aren't any mountains. And sledding down the stairs probably isn't a very good idea... snowmen it is, then!

Tot ziens,

Emily

I'm Living Vicariously Through My Blog

You. Yes, you. I've met you before. Going to a new school, being in a new city, seeing all new people has made me realize that nobody is very original. I see the kids in my class and I think: These are the same people that were in my class in America. And yes, of course everybody is special and everyone has something to offer and all that, but I guess there are only so many different personalities one can have, so you're likely to meet the same person more than once in your life. You might not meet yourself, though. I haven't. Maybe I choose not to acknowledge that.

Well, I guess I'll just jump right in. I was supposed to go on a field trip today with one of my classes. But when I went to the classroom, nobody was there. So I went to the office to ask where the class was and I was told they had already left. The woman in the office said I could just go home. I was kind of looking forward to the trip - we were going to watch a movie and then write a paper about it. I haven't been to the theater yet, so I was a bit disappointed I couldn't go along. But, I saw this as an opportunity to go visit the shops in the mall I always walk through to get to school.

I went to an outside farmer's market. It was amazing! So many different luxuries to choose from! There were huge yellow cheese rounds, piles of fresh baked treats, and fruit in any color imaginable. Then I went to the V&D, which I have always been curious about because it's so big. It was pretty much like a Macy's plus the fun trinkets you usually find at Urban Outfitters. I didn't have any money, though. Remember the little Golden Books? I know you do, Dad. They were selling those here, except in Dutch, and I didn't recognize the titles. But they had very similar pictures as the ones I used to read.

Nobody in the stores really talked to me, which was good because I probably wouldn't have known what to say. Actually, one person did. I was the only one in a soap store and an employee said, "Good afternoon! Hello!" So I said, "Good afternoon! Hi!" Then she asked if I had a cold. I sort of nodded and said yes, because I didn't actually know what she had said until I thought about it. Oops. I wonder why she asked that. Maybe because I should have been at school. Or maybe because I talk weird. People tell me that my accent is kind of funny...

I'm sort of worried about school. I think one of my teachers was mad at me today because I hadn't done the homework. But... you know how Old English is sometimes difficult to understand? Okay, the homework was to read an Old Dutch passage and then answer questions about it. So it's even hard for the fluent Dutch speakers. I guess I'm just going to have to put in more effort. But there's so much homework to do, all the time. I don't think I'm really here to just sit and do homework all day. I think I'm here to learn the culture and learn how people really live. Oh wait.................. maybe that's how people really live here.

Anyways, I basically came home all wet (it was raining) and ate chocolate and sat for a couple of hours. I guess I should do something useful. Monique says we can watch a film at home tonight.

PS: my friends in America always told me I was een beetje gek (a little strange) for not listening to much music. I've been listening to more music here. Probably because it's sort of playing everywhere, all the time (in the mall [even in the morning, when nobody's there] in the car, during class) so when I come home I like to hear a few songs, too. It's nice.

Alright...... on to more useful things.

Tot ziens,

Emily

This Title Makes You Want to Read More

Sorry, I'm kind of tired, which is why that title isn't very creative. I had AFS camp this weekend, which means I got to meet every exchange student in the Netherlands. So there were kids from Italy, Canada, China... lots of different kinds of people who all are here for a year! I made new friends, and some kids are living near me, so that's nice - automatic friends!

Uhm... I would like to give you some advice. If you ever find yourself in a hostile with very rickety old bunk beds that creak and quake with the slightest movement, don't choose a bottom bunk. And if you do choose a bottom bunk, don't choose the one underneath a really horny guy. Let's just say I thought I was going to be crushed and die for about half an hour. That's all I have to say about that...

Anyways, I realized something at the camp. The Netherlands must be SUPER different for some people. Like the kids coming from South America and Thailand and such.... but honestly, for me, NL is exactly like the USA. Sometimes I find myself thinking, ".... I took a 13 hour plane ride to go to America.... only it's more boring here." Like, I find myself thinking, damn it, I should have gone to Peru, or Hungary, or... oh I don't know, somewhere that would actually make me an exchange student? They warned me about culture shock. The biggest shock I've had is that everything here is the same as America. Except with smaller cars, more bikes, and at least 5 slices of bread a day.

Oh, and I guess people speak Dutch, too.

But that feels like a joke. I mean, everyone here speaks English. I feel like anybody who speaks Dutch in the world is fluent in English. So... why am I learning Dutch? It would be different if I was learning ... Chinese or something. That's the most spoken language in the world. I mean, yes, I'm trying very hard to learn Dutch and I'm going to continue to do my best. But it's like a game. If I don't know something, I just say it in English and everyone understands me.

You know what's even more awkward? When I say something in Dutch and the other person asks me to say it in Dutch. Uhm.... I don't know how much more Dutch that could possibly be said.... Well, I can usually make myself understandable. I just say things like, "Yes, he gives it to me yesterday," which isn't perfect, but trust me, past tense is the most confusing thing ever.

By the way... You can't run. You can't hide. Lady Gaga is ever present. I legitimately hear her every day. I might even go to one of her concerts here. People talk a lot about America here, too. Sometimes I don't even know what they're saying, but I'll just be walking by people and I'll hear, "Dutchdutchdutch IN AMERICA IT'S dutchdutchdutch." Weird. Similarly, They have Cool American flavored Doritos. And California Special burgers at Burger King. I'm just like.... "We don't have these in America. Or California."

"Do you have Holland Special hamburgers?"

"....No...."

But actually, the Netherlands isn't TOTALLY like America. People here are chill and super super super nice. The teachers are nice. I've definitely had classes with teachers who are more like dictators or jail keepers in America. The teachers are friends with the students here. And the kids are friends with each other. I like that.

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA I have to tell you something!

Aside from the questions you would expect, like, "Why did you come here?" and "What are the major differences?" Guess what the number one question I get is?

"Do you really have cheerleaders in America, like the movies?"

That is so hilarious. I never knew it before, but... NOBODY has cheerleaders. Even the kids at the orientation camp from New Zealand and Germany and such were like, "Wow, I can't believe you have cheerleaders!" and I said, "Wow, I can't believe you DON'T have cheerleaders!" I just thought it was great.

Okay, I am suuuuper tired, as usual, so I should sleep. Eeek! There's even MORE stuff in my room now, since I just received my 30 textbooks. (That is not a typo). Tihs is a tpyo.

Tot ziens,

Emily

Dead Duck (and Other Adventures)

Everyday when I walk home from school I see a dead duck. I have to walk over a bridge to cross the street. Below the bridge is a lake with ducks in it, but one is dead. It's near the plants, if you really want to know. I've gotten used to it, to tell you the truth. It's sort of like, waiting for me when I get home...

In other news, when I went downstairs for breakfast this morning, my host parents were sitting at the table with a gift and a cupcake. They sang the Dutch birthday song to me. That was a very nice surprise, and I don't mind eating cupcakes for breakfast, either.

There is wayyy too much stuff in my room. I didn't even pack this much stuff, it's all papers and random documents spilling from every surface. It's sort of driving me crazy, but after I finish all the paper work and permits and blahdeeblah I'll clean it up. Then my mind can be at peace. Ahhh...

My days are usually filled with really high highs and really low lows. Like, the language is killing me. I pay attention in class, but I don't understand anything. "Oh wait, he said people! Okay, write that down: m-e-n-s-e-n. Got it! Oh, damn, I missed the entire rest of that statement." I did take a math test today, and I did pretty well. Good thing it wasn't word problems! I look at the homework and I'm like: "The tea is hot. It has a temperature of 25 *C. It... uhmm... (dutch dutch dutch). How hot will it be in 10 minutes?" Uhhhhhhhh I don't know??

Anyways, one of my friends asked when my birthday was. I said today. Then my day got better, because people were like, "gefeliciteerd!" and a couple of my friends bought me a waffle. I went out to eat tonight at Howdy's Pannenkoek (pancake) restaurant. It was really fun and hilarious, although I'm not sure the waiters appreciated me reading the Dutch menu in a southern accent... but come on. My host mother predicted that if we stayed long enough, "my achey breaky heart" would start playing. She was right!

Well, I'll be honest with you. Sometimes I hate it here. I guess that's normal... right? Sometimes it's like, why the heck did I sign up for this??? This morning I asked a few kids what they do after school. They pretty much all said, "homework, eat, read, maybe exercise, play piano, shop, maybe go to a friend's house." ...Oh. If I was in America, I could be doing all the exciting senior activities with all my friends, like scooter to school day or the Catalina trip.

But I guess I have no right to complain. This is exciting as well, but for now I've just been alone a lot. It's like, wake up, go to school, come home, do something useless, eat dinner, sleep. Routine can be sort of depressing, can't it? Well, okay, it's not soooo routine. I looked through a photo album and I took a walk once. I guess I'll be doing more of that kind of thing. Someone invited me to hang out, but I don't know if I can go. I'll hope I can.

But yeah, I shouldn't be complaining because listen to this: I'm going to Barcelona for a week with my school! They have this exchange program where Spanish kids come here and Dutch kids go there to go to school for a week. We're also taking a short trip to Paris. With the AFS kids I'm going to Berlin for a week and also Belgium. My host parents might take me to Italy in 2011, and also on a weekend trip to.... well, we're not sure yet, but they said they'd take me to another country for a weekend, maybe England. So all that's exciting!

HAHAHAHHAHAHA YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT! This comedian talks about the big monopolistic grocery store in the Netherlands, Albert Hein. It's absolutely hilarious, even if you've never been to one. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXkTGiF9bU4

Well, I really have to go now, because I have to pack for my orientation camp that starts tomorrow. Plus, I want to get some sleep. Maybe clean my room.....

One last thing: I was told I would probably gain weight during my year abroad. I don't have a scale, but I think I have. I think it's the different type of food and also because I haven't been getting much exercise. But I'm planning on exercising every day, maybe running around the nearby playground or something. I guess I've just been kinda stressed out lately and haven't been doing much of anything. I'm going to change that. Right now. By packing.

Tot ziens,

Emily

Beware! The Hair!

Nearly every boy here has spiked hair. You're a teen? Spikes. You've just grown hair? Spikes. You're starting to bald? Whatever hair you have left is spiked. I look at these people and think, "Wow! Their hair would make a really good floor mat!" Seriously, if you were to rub a muddy sneaker on their hair, it would be clean in no time. Uhm... I'm kidding of course. Which I feel I need to clarify. Dutch humor is not the same as American humor. I'm always really happy when I'm able to say something clever in Dutch, only to be disappointed when I get blank and/or confused stares in return. It's also awkward when someone says something and everyone around them laughs, and I'm thinking, "Duhhhh I don't get it." Oh well, not a big problem.

Tomorrow I ride the tram to school. My first class is at 8:55, but I have to get up at 7:00. Yeah, it takes two hours to get to school. Oh well, it's interesting and different. Plus I like riding the tram, and the walk to school is really pretty.

I helped cook dinner tonight. That was nice. I'm going to help every night now.

I was looking out my window today when I realized it was a door. Yes... a door on the second floor. Well, there's a short glass plate in front of it, so nobody falls out. I figured out that it's just a window that opens easily.

Well... school tomorrow. Want sleep. Need sleep. Must sleep. Sleep.

Tot ziens,

Emily

Gastgezin (Host Family)

My host family just got back from their vacation, so I have moved out of my welcome family's house and into the one I am to spend a year in. It's quite nice, I have the 2nd floor to myself, which is just fine with me! The nearby shopping center is great, there's a bookstore, a library, a grocery store, a flower shop... I need to check that out more later. So I'm going to be taking the tram to school. That'll be new. I'll have to walk a bit after that, because there isn't a stop next to the school, but there's one close by next to a shopping center. The school is too far away to bike to at the moment, because I'd probably get lost, but maybe later I can bike there.
By the way... by now you have probably figured out that I absolutely loooove stroopwaffels. Well guess what? There's this guy who sells stroopwaffels in the shopping center I have to walk through to get to school everyday. The smell of fresh, warm stroopwaffels every morning before a long, hard day at school??? Ohh, the agony!
In other news, I went to an amusement park today called Efteling. It was cool, it reminded me of Disneyland, but there weren't huge roller coasters. It's aimed more towards little kids, so there's a magical fairy forest and a scary haunted house really wasn't that scary... except that it was so dark that I couldn't see where I was going at all and ran into some guy who I also couldn't see.
I've been pretty tired lately, I don't know why. Probably because so much has been happening: moving, settling in, starting school, making friends, speaking Dutch, figuring out what needs to be done... what I'm getting at is I just want to sleep more. Eight hours just isn't enough anymore.
Well, I hope all is well with you, your family, and your year (whoever you may be). I wish you the best in life, love, and happiness, because it's not fair for me to have all three and you to have none. If you ever need anything, shoot me a message.
PS: I had my first English class on Friday. I was impressed! These kids are really smart! They're learning words like "conquer"and "understatement". Also, the teacher played an English CD in which these people talked about their relationships with their parents, and their accents were so thick, I sometimes couldn't even understand them! I told the teacher that, and this kid said, "Dat is niet goed," (That's not good). I thought that was pretty funny. They sometimes look at me when the teacher asks a question, but I'm not about to give the answer, for two reasons: 1. I already know English, so I may as well give someone else a chance, and 2. I don't know WHY English is the way it is, I just know how to speak it! Well, that's all for now.
Tot ziens,
Emily

Who's the New Kid?

Me. The American. You know, people told me that the kids in school would all try to practice their English with me, but really none of them did. They only used it when I didn't understand something... I'm still in this awkward phase when someone will ask, "How long are you staying in The Netherlands?" and I'll answer, "Yes, thank you!" So it helps that the kids speak English pretty well already.

Anyways, so the schedule at school is very confusing to me. We have different classes each day. For instance, I only have Spanish class two days a week. That's going to take some getting used to - I have to memorize each day's individual schedule. Also, sometimes there are classroom switches. There are screens by the staircases that look like airport arrivals and departures screens. You have to look at the screen to see if your class has changed rooms for the day. I don't quite understand it, but usually I'm in classes with the same group of people so it's easy enough to ask them where to go next.

Here is a list of all the classes I'm signed up for:

Homeroom, Gym, English, Dutch, Spanish, Geography, Geology, Chemistry, Biology, Sociology, Level A Math, Management and Organization, Dutch Culture, and Art Theory.

Well, they might pull me out of Art Theory, I'm not sure yet. And yes, I have to actually learn the English language. But they told me that it's also kind of like a literature class, so I guess I'll do fine in that one! Spanish was definitely my most confusing class of today. It was pretty easy, just because I've already had Spanish in America, but translating from Spanish to Dutch is a bit tricky! "Emily, what is fuego?" "Uhmm..." (Thinking: fuego is to fire as fire is to...) "Brand?" "Goed!" Oh, and the classes are very small! I was in one class with 12 kids in it today.

In other news, I made some friends today! A couple of girls invited me to eat lunch with them and their friends. It was very nice of them. We spoke Dutch, and they didn't seem to mind that I'm not particularly good yet. Some of the students think it's strange that I'm 18, while they are 16. It doesn't bother me that much, because the older kids are in more rigorous classes with lots of exams, so they might not have time to talk to me. Also, I don't think I need tough courses while I'm still learning the language. Oh yeah, and I can't do any homework, because I don't have any books yet. I hope the teachers don't get mad at me. I actually wish I could do the homework so that I could better understand what's going on in class. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to listen for now.

But mostly, the faculty is very encouraging to me. They make sure I know the instructions and know where to go and such, but I think I'll be able to figure all that out on my own soon...

Speaking of on my own - I went grocery shopping today by myself! But I didn't buy any Dutch candy... By the way, buying vegetables is different here. You pick out what you want, put it in a bag, put it on the scale (just like in America), but then you push the button on the scale that says the name of the vegetable. The scale weighs it, calculates the price per kilo, then prints out a sticker to put on the bag that tells how much it costs. Pretty cool. Except when you can't find the button for tomatoes. So you stand there staring bewildered at the scale. And the owner asks if you're okay. And then you finally find it but hit a blank button. And the owner pushes the right one for you. Well, the owner was really nice about it, but I guess I'll have to figure that out, too. Passing classes in Dutch and buying tomatoes. My new two goals. "So, Emily, what was your proudest moment during your year abroad?" "I bought broccoli all by myself!" Hahaha, let's hope that's not the case.

Oh, and I forgot to mention... I hear American music here all the time. My first week here, I heard "California Girls" playing, and I was thinking... I've heard this before... anyways, today during homeroom someone turned on some rap music, and I asked the girls behind me, "Do you understand all the words to this song?" They didn't even blink and said, "Yes." ...Okay... I don't know how they possibly could know so many slang/cuss/dirty words and still be allowed to play that in the classroom, but if this is culture shock it's not too bad.

Well, I suppose I should try to do as much homework as I can (meaning reading the copy of the first chapter of M&O I have and using Google translate to try and learn Spanish again... and reading the book about the school) so I'm going to go now. Big day tomorrow.

Tot ziens,

Emily