I haven't written for a while, because I was busy with my Russian. Isn't that cool? An exchange student hosting another exchange student? It was really fun, but really tiring. I had a Russian boy who was apparently very well liked by Russian girls, hahaha. It was such a busy week, oh my gosh, seriously, busy the whole time. Hm... let me think, what did we do exactly?...
Wednesday they came, and the first thing my Russian did was give me a big hug and say, "Emily! You are very beautiful! I am liking it!" Best.... introduction... EVER! So then mijn Rus and I just chilled at home and ate Dutch food with Carla (fries, croquette...)
Thursday I had to go to school, but he went to Leerdam to see a glassworks shop and other stuff, then he came back and I took him on a bike ride to my favorite place (a nice park). At night there was a school party, which was alright, you know, dancing with friends is always fun.
Friday we all went to Amsterdam to see the Rijksmuseum, (where the famous and impressive Rembrandt Night Watch is hanging). Then we just walked around and then ate at a Turkish restaurant where we were only allowed to order pizza or pasta (??) haha because it was cheaper (but I got a Turkish pizza, so, yeah). Then we went to a Dutch SOCCER GAME! My first soccer game ever, and it was pretty fun. I mean, the game itself was kind of boring, but it was funny to listen to the crowd get worked up over nothing... like: "ah.........aaahh.....AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH........awww." hahahahhaha. And I sat next to this awesome girl so we just chatted the whole time and tried to catch the little puffy things that were floating around.
Saturday was Mauritshuis, where the famous but not very impressive painting The Girl with the Pearl Earring is hanging. I missed it last time I went, so I made sure to see it this time. It's so small, jeez, no wonder I didn't see it before. Then we went to the Gemeentemuseum (uhh... the city council museum??) which was weird but cool at the same time. After that we went to the Omniversm to watch a film about tornado chasers on a surround imax screen. I was really looking forward to it, because the screen was awesome and I like to learn about natural disasters, but I fell asleep!! Jammerrrrrrrrr...
Anyways, then we packed the 7 of us into the car to go to Belgium. We celebrated Easter there with Carla's parents and sister's family.
Sunday: Matthias, my Russian and I visited Antwerp, which is always fun. A Russian, an American, and a Dutch guy wandering the streets of Belgium. Interesting sight. But I had a cold!!! So I couldn't eat much of the yum BBQ that we had for dinner. I could just lay on the couch. In the evening we drove back, and Matthias laughed because I knew the chorus to "Ik Ga Hard", which was playing on the radio. I went with my guest to a beach party, but left early because I had a cold. He stayed later, and I saw him again on....
Monday: I still felt sick, so I couldn't eat much breakfast, and I forgot to pack a lunch. So you won't be surprised when I say I literally almost blacked out getting onto the tram. But I asked one of my friends for some food, and I was better after the apple. We went to the beach to go surfing, which I didn't want to do because I was sick, but I would have gone swimming if I hadn't fallen asleep..... hahaha but at least it was nice and warm. Then I was supposed to go to my friend's house for dinner, but there was this weird miscommunication so I just went home and ate with the fam. Then headed over to the carnival, rode this intense ride where it feels like you're flying and just being super awesome, then took my Russian back home.
On Tuesday we went to Delft to see the Royal Delft uhhh thing. Yeah, they make famous Dutch pottery there, which is ridiculously expensive. Which is why I bought some "fake" Delft blue things at a souvenir shop :] and I bought a Miffy keychain!! Cute!!!! And I bought blue bubblegum ice cream, which would make anyone happy... Well, maybe not lactose intolerant people.... or people who don't like bubblegum..... or a lot of people, actually. Anyway, then we climbed the church tower which was PAINFUL but the view from the top was pretty incredible. Then we went into the actual church, which I've done before, but it's still nice. There's this awesome grave in there with scary, mean looking babies holding giant candles on it. I don't know why I remember that especially. They're probably to scare away grave robbers or something. They would sure scare me away, I tell you. Then I went "shopping" with a few friends (basically just waited outside the store talking with the kids who didn't want to buy anything), then went to school for the farewell "party". If by party you mean sitting at tables eating potato salad and wondering what to do. Nahhh I kid, it was nice, everyone was there in a confined space, so I could see everyone for the last time. Then a lot of us headed over to a bar/club thing, which was basically empty when we came in, so it was cool to have it to ourselves. Had a really good conversation with some girls. It's nice to know they trust me enough now to say personal things to me. Took my Russian back home, enjoyed the last of our many shared late night pizzas together, then went to bed.
Wednesday was when the exchange week ended, so I took my Russian back to Schipol Aiport. When we said goodbye, he said, "I will you to miss." Aww.... he was such a sweetie. Really. His English wasn't perfect, but I understand because I've been there... learning Dutch was hard. But when he did know how to say something, he was actually really funny. Example:
*Walking to tram halt, I duck under a spider web that's in a tree*
Russian: Why did you do that?
Me: There was a spider web.
Russian: Are you afraid of spiders?
Me: No. I just don't want them in my hair.
Russian: So....you're not afraid of spiders, but you're afraid of spiders.
Hahahaha see what I mean?
Anyway. He's gone now. I think he had a good time, well, he said it was a "perfect week" so I guess he did. Speaking of the Russians, I thought they would be really big, fur coat and Davy Crockett raccoon hat wearing, dark haired and bearded intense people, but they were pretty normal, in a good way.
Oh yeah, back to the timeline.
After we all said goodbye, my friends and I went to Starbucks. Starbucks? In the Netherlands? At the airport, yes. One girl was like, "Of course you knew what to order, Emily, you've been here so often," and I was like, "Uh, I just looked at the poster over there and ordered that," hahaha. It was pretty good, though. Ohh I like the song that's playing on my itunes right now :]
Then I was going to go home and sleep, but when I got to the tram halt, my tram had literally just left, and my friend's tram had literally just arrived, so I impulsively got on with her. She said it was going to be a long ride, but I didn't mind, because, remember, I used to have to ride the tram for 24 halts when I went to my old school. She lives in a different city, on the beach, called Monster. (Ahh!) But no, really, it's a really nice place. We drank juice. Damn that was good juice, I want some morrrrre. Then we went back to school to go to a poetry reading/debate at this apparently very exclusive place. A lot of kids didn't show up though, which sucked because the school kinda paid for all of us to get in. And I didn't really enjoy it because I was SUPER FREAKING TIRED and still sick and it was in this really difficult Dutch and it went on four hours and hours and hoursandhoursnadhoursandhours so I was just glad when it was over. I got really snappy and mad at people, which hasn't ever really happened to me before, but I had a really turbulent/stressful week, so my emotions were like, all over the place (not because I'm a female, just because a lot of stuff was going through my head), but then I kinda calmed down on the bus ride and had a good conversation with my Japanese friend. She told me a lot of stuff about her life in Japan, which was really interesting and made me realize how complicated we all are. Then I finally got home and went to sleep. I would have gone to school today, because the Dutch, unlike Americans, don't really care if you have a cold, you go to school anyways. Luckily I have a non-Dutch host mother, so when I was almost out the door she sent me right back up to my room. Good thing, too. I'm feeling a bit better, but that's after a nap, a bowl of choco-pops, and 2 rolls of toilet paper (used as tissues). When I'm done writing this I'll take a bath with sinus clearing things.
You know, I feel really bad for people who are sick and can't do anything about it. I mean, if they still have to work, or don't have medicine or a bed or a blanket or something. I mean, that would really suck. I'm really going to become a volunteer in a lot of poor countries, because I think that's important. I need to help people, because it's like, I think I have all these problems in my life when really there are people with problems I don't even want to think about.
Hmm.... speaking of things I never want to think about.... ever since I was little, I've been creeped out by things that I knew shouldn't be creeping me out, especially things like certain kinds of corals or pictures of the internal structures of plant stems. I thought I was the only one who experienced this weird phenomenon, but as it turns out, there are others with this condition. It's called "trypophobia", and it is a strange fear of holes, especially holes with things lodged into them. This picture, for example, is very disturbing to people like me:
Also other things, like small parasites very close to one another on other animals, bumps or holes for veins in meat, porous rocks.... I know, it might sound crazy, but it turns out a lot of people are affected by this. Now that I've "diagnosed" myself with it, I guess I'm glad to know finally, but at the same time, now that I'm aware, I'm afraid I'll just intensify it. But now I've finally rationalized with myself, and identified why it makes my skin crawl and my head feel stuffy. I think it's because I subconsciously affiliate this kind of thing with holes in flesh, and anything that reminds humans of physical vulnerability usually makes us pretty queasy, because we don't like to think about wounds or death.
Uh.
I'm probably forgetting to say a ton of stuff, but um I don't remember if I'm forgetting.
OH YEAH duh, I chose a college!
This fall I will be attending......
drumroll please.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t925JwYXhVA
The oh so very beautiful, KENYON COLLEGE located in Gambier, Ohio!!
I'm sooooooooooosososososososo super excited! I can take control of my own life, how awesome!
Ughhhhhhh it's already 10:30 and I need to take a bath before I go to sleep. I might have to go to school tomorrow, but we'll see. Oh yeah, if I'm feeling well enough I'll go back to the carnival on Friday to hear some nice music with my host dad, and Saturday it's KONINGINNEDAG!! (Queen's Day) So I'll be going to Amsterdam with two of my American gal pals where it will be a crazy crowded sea of orange wearing Dutchy awesomeness.
My style has changed a lot here, but I haven't bought enough clothes to really show it, but when I come back to America I'll wear different clothes than I used to, I think. I like plaid. A lot.
Oh, and one last really random thing, there's this really, I mean REALLY popular song right now called Mr. Saxobeat, and I told my dad it was about him hahahah Mr. Saxe-o-beat. I think he thought that was funny. This one time he bought some Axe, then drew a really cool "S" on the bottle with white-out and said, "Hey look Emily! I have my own scent!"
-_____________________________________________________-
My dad is the coolest, hahaha.
My mom is also the coolest.
I just have the coolest family, basically.
Even if my dog doesn't understand the concept of the game "fetch".
Tot ziens,
Emily
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