So apparently I've been saying the wrong word for "decision" for the last two months, and nobody thought to tell me until today. My host mom said, "Are you trying to say 'decision'? Because that's not the right word..." Oh well, I know the correct word now. "I have a decision to make" = "Ik heb een beslissing te nemen", not "Ik heb een decisie te maken". A lot of words in English that end in "ion" are the same in Dutch but end in "ie". For example...
demonstration = demonstratie
excursion = excursie
miscommunication = miscommunicatie
But they aren't all like that, as you can see. So I have to be careful.
pollution = verontreiniging.
You see what I mean.
Anyways, I'm officially staying with this family now! It was made official over Indonesian food. Carla asked all the members of the family if I could live with them and they all said yes. Then she said, "Welcome to the family!" and I was happy. I'm surprised that they want someone who gets lost while looking at a map, gets her fingers stuck in water bottles while sitting in restaurants, and who drops her bike key into the gears of her bike and thus can't unlock it, but I'm not going to complain. However, now I have one small problem: my school is an hour away by tram! Here are my options: continue going to my school with my friends and accept the fact that I'd be commuting 10 hours a week, or go to a school closer by by bike. What do you think I should do? Send me an e-mail with your opinion!
In other news, there are three different ways to say "just" in Dutch.
It was JUST a joke = het was GEWOON een grapje
I was JUST in the shower = ik was NET onder de douche
Let me JUST have a look = EVEN kijken
I'm really confused about something. Remember the cartoon chipmunks named "Chip and Dale"? Well, their Dutch names are "Knabbel en Babbel", and somehow Google Translate knows that, but only if you put them next to each other. "Knabbel" = "Munch" and "Babbel" = "Chat". And technically, "Chip" = "Chip" and "Dale" = "Dal" so it's really not that big of a difference, I don't know why they changed it, or why I'm boring you with my strange pet peeves.
Okay, I'm going now. For real this time. Do I have anything else to say...? Well, as I'm typing this, the hamster is running around the house. Frisky little guy, he is. His name is Chu.
Oh yes, I did have one other thing to mention. Dutch kids have a lot less respect for their teachers than they did in America, at least at my school. All teachers are either Meneer or Mevrouw (Mr. or Mrs.), no last names attached. Kids talk during class and sometimes we don't even learn anything because the teachers are more like friends than people to respect. And I know I said I was in a geology class, but I don't think that's the right name for it. We we're learning about the solar system, but now we're studying the importance of prototypes in manufacturing, so I don't really know, I think it's more of a general science class or something. Also I'm going to buy a new bike soon, because the one I have now is a complete.... disaster. It's a little too big for me, the bell has fallen off, it's one of those back-pedal break ones (harder to break), the seat is ridiculous (trust me - it sort of flips up while you're riding it and it's pretty uncomfortable), but it still works. Better to have a different one, though.
I'm still watching the hamster. Jeez, Chu is fast! He just scuttled into the fireplace to chew on some wood. Chu chews. Ahahahaha, okay, I'm really going now to let you get on with your life.
Tot ziens,
Emily
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