Heads up

I spent three moons at Amanda's current residency. Now I am with my host family, the Huls - a very nice couple about my parents age, with four kids - age 25, 22, 21, and 11. But only the two youngest still live at home. All speak english fairly well, except the youngest, but with him we (Karyn and I) don't need to speak much because we mostly just play darts or skip bo or chess. (He kicked my ass at chess!) They are pretty easy going and easy to talk to. I think I like them. They have hosted 5 or 6 other times - last year Audrey and Bekah were here. :)
Yesterday we NSPICEers got a tour of Zwolle. We climbed the Peperbus, which is a huge tower of a church. It goes up and up and up for about 65 meters! 236 steps! I had no idea when I started climbing and probably after the first 50 stairs I made some comment about how it seemed like it never ended... Little did I know there were still another 186 steps to go.
Today I went to church with them and had a hard time staying awake because I understood nothing. But after church we met up with 6 other NSPICEers and their host families for coffee, cheesecake, snacks, more coffee, juice, soup, buns, more snacks, more juice, wine, and desert (yogurt). I was stuffed! Then we got home and Lita (Mrs. Huls) asked if we wanted tea!
I'm tired now and it is only quarter to nine. I have to be up at 8am to get to school by 9am for orientation or something. Hopefully I don't get lost. Good thing I don't live alone.
Sometimes I keep thinking to myself that though everything is different here - the toilets flush different, the doors are different, the bikes are different, the food is different, and obviously the culture is different - in some ways it seems very much the same. There is still food, three main meals, there is still a toilet, there are still dogs and cats and doors and bikes and cars, and traffic rules... you know? Though it is different, I think adjusting to living here might not be that bad. I guess we'll see if I still think so after four months. I could see the language thing getting a bit annoying though.
There are three girls on NSPICE this year from Romania, but they are actually Hungarian. They speak Romanian, but not completely fluently, though they study in Romanian. I feel a bit bad for them because they don't speak Dutch and their English is a bit limited as well. They get tired of trying to speak English, but since they don't speak Dutch they can only talk to the people here in English. So when I start to get frustrated, I'll just remember I have it better than some...
Good night to some. Good day to others.

another travelling song

The whole time I was in Mexico I heard Iowa had 30 degree weather or so. The day I got back from Mexico, the temperature was about -4 degrees or so. Or +4? Either way, freaking cold! We got to Minneapolis at about 10, got out of the airport at about 11, found the car and actually left at 12 as in midnight... Got to Sioux Center at about 4am? Got up the next day (sat.) at 10:30am to get to the post office and bank before closing. Did laundry and packed. Went to the bar that night and went to bed around 2:30am. Got up the next 
day around 11.
Packed some more. Went to Steph's for supper. Then hung out with Smickers. Went to bed at 2:30am. Got up at 5:30am. Left Sioux Center for Omaha at 6am.
After 27 long hours of travel, I'm finally in Woerdense Verlaat.  Hooray! And for anyone ever coming out this way - take British Airways. It's pretty darn good. I didn't have too bad of jet-lag when I got here because I slept quite a bit on the airplanes and in the airports. I had three layovers, one for over 5 hrs. And every flight I was on was a bit delayed, but I still made it on time because there was a strong wind blowing east so my 8hr flight turned into 6hrs. 
It's weird seeing Amanda here because she has a whole different life here. She's like a little mom, picking up and dropping off kids, speaking in dutch really fast, cooking, making tea, going to bed early... :)  It's good to see her though. I missed her!
Now I miss other people.  
Tomorrow I go shopping. Friday I go to my host family's house. I can't wait to unpack. I've been living out of a suitcase 
for over three weeks. 
To all Dordters, happy studies!  I don't know when I start school. Probably monday? Anyway, have a great semester.

chiquitita

I just went to the mall by my old house and in one of the music stores I heard a song that, with different lyrics, sounded like it was a complete knock off of a song by jack johnson. (can't remember the title.)
Tonight Cal is going to play futbol with the guys. I might watch. Or I might stay "home" and watch Friends. To be honest, I'm getting bored here. All my friends have either moved away, or gotten married, or are working all the time. 23 days is a long time to visit. Especially with no car when the busses stop at 10 or 11pm but the parties are just getting started at 10 or 11pm. All complaints aside, though, I am enjoying my time here and the little bits of time I get to spend with old friends and in my old neighborhood and in my old city.