First and foremost, I would like to apologize for not having posted in so long. The thing is, I told you that I would write a blog post on Disneyland next. But then I really don't feel like writing a blog post on Disney. I just don't want to. So I thought I would put it off until I feel like writing that blog post, but I still don't feel like writing it and I want to post. So... Maybe one day I will post about Disney, but not right now.
So I just had this conversation recently with Tessa's (Australian) cousin Taylor. It was probably the most hilarious conversation I've had all day. It started off with Taylor saying that Frisian is the language of north Holland. At which point I had to correct him. Although Holland is the most visited region of the Netherlands (at least by tourists) it is not the entire country. The problem with him saying that Frisians are from North Holland when he means Holland as the whole country, is that North Holland is actually a province in the Netherlands. And it's not where they speak Frisian. They speak Frisian in the north of the Netherlands, yes, in a province called Friesland. So when I explained all of this to him, he got very confused. I explained that Holland is only the two provinces of North Holland and South Holland (I live in South Holland), he then asked "then what is the Netherlands?" The Netherlands is the Netherlands, bud. Why do you want another name for it? That's what it is. It was very hilarious. We went in circles around that for a while and in the end I still don't think he understood. In answer to his "what is the Netherlands" question, I told him that the Netherlands is 12 provinces. And a few islands in the Carribean. Jenn, being the little smartypants that she is, said "like Hawaii. And Cuba." Taylor then stated that Cuba has Mexicans, at which point I had to tell him to go back to geography class because Cuba has Cubans.
So today was my last day of classes before study break (or fall vacation but our teachers tell us we're not allowed to call it that because we have to study, though the school's year calendar calls it a fall vacation) so now I have a week off. A week off to sit around and relax, I guess. And study, of course. No really, I think I really am going to study. The week after study break is exam week. I have 4 exams, though there is a final grade of some sort for all of my courses and I currently have ten courses. Yes, ten courses. It's a lot. Luckily two of them are semester-long courses, so I only have 8 final grades total. Exams in French, Cultural Dimension, Intercultural Communication and Project Management. The other final grades are an essay for my elective course, a group research paper for Research Skills, a presentation for Oral Presentations, and an oral exam for Dutch which is done in pairs. There is also a group audio-visual assignment for Intercultural Communication, it's 50% of the final grade (the written exam is the other 50%). That being said, I clearly have a lot to do over study break. A lot to study for, an essay to write, hopefully my group members for my two group projects won't be too busy over break and we can work on our things... They all went back to their own countries though so I doubt much work will be done. The one good thing is that I have already done my presentation for Oral Pres. and I passed with an 8 (out of 10). Feels really good to know I have passed my very first exam (and my very first class) of my school career in the Netherlands.
My classmate, Salma, introduced me to the kantine at the school. They have soup. Two different kinds every day, and it's so good. And I have yet to see the same kind of soup on two different days. One day I had broccoli and cauliflower soup, and another day I had pumpkin tomato soup, and another day I had onion soup (that time I bought bread to dip in it) and today I had goulash soup. Also they had this yellow Indian paprika crayfish soup (I don't remember what it was called) that smelled amazing but I don't like shellfish, and another time they had a provençal soup, and another time they had a vermicelli soup, and another time they had a mushroom soup (brothy mushroom soup though, not creamy). This is a bit problematic. It's a crime that anyone would introduce me to this. Now all I ever want is soup. Even when I'm not hungry. I'll just go to the kantine and get a €1,20 or €0,70 cup of delicious soup. And drink it. Who uses spoons anyway? I wonder if the kantine is open during study break. Wait, I really don't need to go get soup during study break. Oh man....
Well, that sounds like a good price for soup :-) Dad & I are going to Lewiston tomorrow. We need another metal shelf unit for the garage and some wood to make a loft bed in my office. I imagine we will go out to lunch too. It's been raining on and off all week...love it! Sending hugs your way! Oh...just keep posting, doesn't matter what.
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