Alex: Simply Livin' the Holland Lifestyle (w. a quick trip to Oslo)

Hallo friends & family,

Right now, I am just checking in because I know it's been a while. Also, I could tell you a little bit about Oslo, Norway where I went this past weekend and got to see Sondre, a good friend (who's from Norway) from high school. 

 I went with three girls from my program, Sarah & Lindsey & Charlotte, and they were perfect traveling buddies! I am really grateful that they agreed to go to Oslo with me on one of our 2 travel abroad weekends. I am also grateful that Sondre let us crash at his place, because we had a good time & saved some serious money.

Here are some important facts about Norway that you may or may not know:
1. It's really cold.
2. It's beautiful.
3. The public transportation system works on an honor policy and we bought 80 kronnen tram passes that we didn't actually need.
4. It may be the most expensive city in the world. 
5. Lindsey really likes the idea of a sculpture garden. Charlotte does not.
6. People in Oslo are like Canadian nice. 
7. I don't think a lot of people think 'Let's take a holiday to Norway!' But I definitely suggest it. Especially visiting a city like Oslo and working up North where the reindeers live. I hope one day I can get back and visit the wilderness of Norway.

Overall, it was a really wonderful trip to Norway. We visited sculpture gardens, drank to stay warm and visited the Nobel Peace Prize Center. What an interesting place to say that you spent a weekend in, that's for sure. 

In the second part of this blog post, I would like to introduce my Independent Study Project, which is a big component of all SIT programs. Next week is our LAST WEEK OF CLASSES. No more Dutch class, no more 10-3 in the SIT office and all research all the time. We get the following four weeks to conduct our own personal research to put together our Independent Study Projects (ISP).  I spent 8 hours in a Starbucks on Sunday finalizing my ISP proposal. My topic of study focuses on Netherlands laws revolving around immigration, adoption and marriage policies and how they have changed over time. I am going to use these laws and oral histories of families who were affected by these laws to get an idea of how the legal system can shape the idea of family in the Netherlands. I am hopefully interviewing youth & young adults who come from alternative families that were most likely shaped by Dutch law. 

To find my interviews, I will be starting to volunteer with the NGO, Profor Foundation, and starting tomorrow, I will be teaching children English! I'm excited to have some responsibilities because this semester has really just been about making friends and spending some serious $$$ (which we're all struggling with now).

Anyways, life is good as always here in Holland. Last night, after an evening SIT event, Myell, Lyla, ShaVante, Sarah and I were late night bike riding to go get some ice cream and I had an 'infinite' moment. I couldn't stop smiling because of my love for these people, this city and this moment in time. The thought of December terrifies me. Anyhoo, we have 2 parties for Halloween this weekend (hopefully there will be tons of pictures to document it!) and 2 papers due. Let's hope I can do it all. 

Lemme know if I left something out,

Alex

Mandy: Brussels Delirium

This past weekend Andy and I packed our bags and went to Brussels! (For those who don’t know, Andy has been good friend and fellow theater kid at GW since freshman year and is also studying in London this semester).

The trip there was rough, to say the least. We took Megabus there on Thursday night, expecting to sleep for most of the 8 hour bus ride. But Megabus was not so kind to let that happen. We stopped about 2 hours into the drive to go through customs out of the UK, then stopped again to get on a ferry for an hour and a half, then back on the bus for 4 hours until we got to Brussels at 6am. After wandering around a still dark Brussels we found our hostel and realized we couldn’t check in until 4pm.

We took refuge in a café, where I felt more sick and exhausted than I have in a long time. Andy was a true blessing and ever so patient as I attempted to pull myself together. Then we got our second wind and went on a 3 hour walking tour through the historic part of the city. (Side note, for anyone traveling in a big city I HIGHLY recommend Sandeman’s tours. They are free tours in most major cities and are amazing). The tour gave a fantastic overview of the city – architecture, history, politics, commerce, food, and the guide’s personal love of Brussels.

After that, we checked into the hostel and met 2 other travelers – Megan and Tom. Megan is Canadian and was in her 6^th week of backpacking through Europe. Tom is Australian and interning in Haas, and travels when he can. After a much needed nap, Andy and I met up with them for dinner.  We had so much fun with them! We were all exchanging stories of traveling, and although we had just met, it kind of felt like I had known them forever. After dinner in Brussels’ famous tourist area of seafood, we went to the most famous bar in Belgium – Delirium. The bar has it’s own “village” with several different bars: the main one has over 2,400 kinds of beer, above that is a bar specializing in microbreweries and international beer (with 300 kinds of beer), a café with 400 kinds of vodka, and a bar with 300 types of tequila. It was the place to be! The 4 of us sat at a random table with 3 guys from Moldova and had the best time. Then to end the night we got the famous Belgium frites (fries).

 (yes the name of my drink in the picture is Pink Killer)

 

The next day, Andy and I started the morning with heavenly hot chocolate and cappuccinos and wandered through the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, which was absolutely gorgeous. Then we took the metro up to the famous Atomium (which I still can’t pronounce correctly) and wandered around there. It was very cool to see the outskirts of the city and we stumbled upon a park that was picture perfect Autumn. After some chocolate shopping, we grabbed some dinner and visited the Delirium Vodka bar and…sampled…some of the products there and ended the night with more frites.

Sunday, Andy got his last waffle and then we went to the Comic Book Museum, which is actually one of the coolest museums I’ve ever been to. Belgium is famous for it’s comics (like the Smurfs and Tin Tin) and the museum showed all of the work and art that goes into creating a comic.

The bus ride back was easier than the first, but still long. We took the chunnel back, not the ferry. The bus literally drove into a train car and we rode along.

It was an incredible weekend, an amazing city, and I couldn’t have asked for a better travel partner ;) 

 

(song credit to Andy)

Mandy: Something Educational So We Can Do Something Fun

Cheers loves!

This weekend was wonderful! My Aunt Margie and Uncle Rob came from Boston to London to visit me! We had a full weekend of museums, music, great food, getting lost, and a few pubs in between it all. 

The educational included:

- Learning how to deal with Tube line closures

- The Ashmoleon Museum in Oxford

- Kensington Palace (now one of my favorite places in London)

- The National Portrait Gallery

- We visited John Snow’s Pub, which is built on the site of the water pump which the source of the cholera epidemic in the 1800s (that visit was fun as well ;)

And as Margie said, now that we have done something educational, we can do something fun!

-      We went and saw Once: A New Musical. Wow, what an amazing show!! I’m now addicted to that music. The set was also a working bar, so the audience could go up before the show and during intermission, which was just so cool! It was a great story with fantastic Irish music. I'm now very excited to go back to Ireland!

-       A day trip to Oxford

-       Seeing Princess Diana’s, Princess Margaret’s, and the Queen’s most iconic dresses at Kensington Palace (the picture is us doing the Princess Wave)

-       Wandering through Harrod’s. I was speechless at how massive, beautiful, and overwhelming one store could be. The Christmas section was such a fairytale.

I am so blessed to have Rob and Margie in my life. It was extremely difficult to say goodbye. The timing of them visiting could not have been better – seeing family was exactly the encouragement (and hugs) that I needed. I love having so much fun with them, hearing of their adventures, learning from them, and hearing my family history. It was very cool to be reminded that my ancestors started in this country and here I am studying in the same place. 

This weekend I am off to Brussels, so next week expect stories of chocolate galore! 

 So you can get a taste of Once:

Marissa: Hey girl, do you work for the government?

Hey girl, do you work for the government? Because you… SHUT. IT. DOWN.

We can’t stop? Oh, but, WE DID STOP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik1bdoufPt0

I have been working at the senator’s office despite the shutdown. Most of the staffers have been furloughed, however, many still come into the office. Everyone in this office is very committed to what they do and spirits have remained high, with people bringing food and goodies in for each other. The other day, the senator invited us to a wine and cheese break to thank us for all of our hard work.  To give you an idea of what a big deal this was, since I have started working here I have not seen or interacted with the senator. He’s usually in and out for votes, and his office is on the first floor, whereas the intern den is upstairs.

It’s been a unique experience to work during this historical time. Now I can always say I was on the hill during the notorious shutdown of 2013. Also, there was a woman who ran her car into the gates of the white house and then into the gates of MY senate office building.  There were shots fired, and sadly she was killed by the police. Everyone on the capital had to go into lockdown mode. I was not in the office that day, and I stayed home the next day until they actually figured out what happened. So, like I said, this is a very unique experience working at this time.

All around the city there is free food or discounts for government employees! And in some cases, a price increase for members of Congress! 

Last week I got to summarize a house bill for animal welfare and I recommended that the senator introduce a senate version of the bill. My supervisor really liked my report and said he was going to give it to the senator! This made me feel indispensable, because not many people on the hill are overly interested in animal welfare legislation. This gives me more opportunities to do projects, because I’m not competing with the other interns over doing those types of projects.

The other day Hunter and I celebrated our TWO YEAR anniversary! We went out to a fancy restaurant, Rasika, last night and ordered everything. He gave me a card he made that made me cry. And I gave him a deck of cards, and written on each card was a different thing I love about him. <3

I am going home this weekend and will be carving pumpkins and going apple-picking! Hunter is also coming to join in on the fall-family- fun. :D

MIDTERMS HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE.  That’s mostly why I haven’t posted in a while. Anyway…

Hunter’s parents recently went on a week-long cruise that left out of Baltimore, so they were in DC for two weekends, before and after their cruise. We had so much fun – the first weekend we went to Eastern Market and bought straw fedoras, and then went to this place called ArtJamz in Dupont, where you have access to an art studio and can paint whatever you want, and they serve alcohol. FABULOUS.  

Then on the second weekend, Hunter and I road-tripped to Bmore, and we all went to the National Aquarium there. It was quite expensive, but absolutely amazing. I could have spent all day there, just watching the octopus, or the sharks, or the DOLPHINS. THAT’S RIGHT, THERE WAS A WHOLE BUILDING FOR THE DOLPHINS. We watched them have “recess” where they proceeded to throw all of their toys out of their tank. They looked like they were happy, but I admit, I felt a little guilty… Are dolphins supposed to be in tanks? I have been meaning to see the documentary “Blackfish” about how orcas are not supposed to be confined in places like Sea World (and thus, they go insane and kill their trainers). I need to see that documentary and look into dolphin development/intelligence. I know that they are one of the most intelligent types of animals, behind chimpanzees.

Jacqueline and Brian are like my second parents, so it’s always such a pleasure to spend time with them. They even take my side if Hunter and I have a disagreement! Haha! 

Alex: وداعا، المغرب and Hallo, Amsterdam!

These last weeks have gone by in one very long, very exciting, very exhausting dream that I never wanted to end and will never forget. I don’t really know where to start. I typed the last blog post on a bus going towards Fes, Morocco. I was so overwhelmed by the experiences and the feeling that it still wasn’t over. Right now, I am tucked safely away in the SIT office, just noticing the rain that began to pour outside and looking at my peers that I now see as my best friends.  

Fes

Week 2 of Morocco was more of a mini vacation than an educational visit. We managed to hit Fes, Marrakech, Beni Mellal and Agadir in five days. We stayed at plush hotels, shared 9 hour bus rides and even got to stick in trips to a couple of beaches. The week went by way too fast, but there are some things that stuck out.

Volubilis- and Old Roman City

Marrakech

In Agadir, we were completely spoiled by Yvette’s (our SIT academic director) in-laws. They made us tea and cookies, lunch and scrubbed us down in their local Hammam. If you don’t know, Hammams are very popular in Morocco. They are like giant bathhouses where women strip down to just their underwear and spend hours relaxing in the Sauna. (In these communities, most homes do not have showers)The men and women of our group separated as we went to our separate Hammams. It took the group about three minutes to get over the awkwardness of us all standing around in nothing but our underwear. As we went inside the Hammam, there were other women there scrubbing down their kids and they didn’t even blink when 19 Americans came into their personal sanctuary.  It was a safe space for no judgment and some serious relaxation. We shampooed each other’s hair, gave each other massages and chatted away as the time quickly flew by. It was a truly moving experience. During our visit, I took a few minutes to lie down by myself and think. I took a look at my scars from my lumpectomies and biopsies. I thought about how many times I had to take off my shirt at the doctor’s office as tens of doctors worked around my breasts. I thought about how maybe ever since then, I saw my body as a science experiment that could only be understood by a doctor. At that moment, I looked around and saw that no one in the room cared about my scars, my lumps, my medical history, we were all enjoying our bodies for what they are. We were excited to see the how different and beautiful every body was. It was a natural, moving experience. I knew right then that these women would really be in my heart forever. I would not share this kind of experience with anyone else in my life. Whether they liked it or not, they saw me naked and now they are stuck with me forever. It made me think about how we as Americans would view our bodies if we grew up in a society where there was no shame in one’s naked self amongst other women.  How if we saw from a young age, the beauty of everyone’s own body, we would feel less self-conscience about our own. I don’t know if that is actually the case, but I knew in that moment and beyond I was definitely less self-conscience about my unique body and it’s unique history.

Upon our return to Amsterdam, I’ve realized these three important things:

One, I really missed my homestay. I missed my host mom’s endless tea, my host sibling’s & I bonding time and my Nutella bread breakfast. I was relieved I was returning from a place I loved to a place I missed. They welcomed me back with open arms and pancakes, because they know it’s one of my favorite treats in the Netherlands. I sat back into my chair in front of the TV and finally felt truly comfortable in my temporary home.  On Monday, I had an urge to buy every item necessary to make cupcakes and baked them at home (with my lovely assistant Lyla) and it really hit me in that moment. Making cupcakes for me is how I know I’ve really settled into a home. I made the kitchen my own personal bakery and spent three hours flattening fondant (apparently they don’t believe in good ol’ frosting in Holland). I wish I could tell September 9^th Alex that ‘these people will become your family in 6 short weeks and Gaasperplas will become your home.  Don’t you worry.’

Two, I asked Mandy if I should mention this in the blog, because I wasn’t sure if it’s what we really blog about. But she reminded me that it’s part of this abroad experience I’m having and adding to my happiness 100%. I am seeing someone (dating someone? in an exclusive bind?) on my program. It’s weird to be in a place in life when I have to inform my closest friends that this is happening and they just don’t see us walking around campus and make their own assumptions. It’s different that I can’t get all my friend’s approval before starting something serious. It feels so… mature? Anyway, now you all are informed on the gossip.  Who knows what life has in store for us come December, but know that right now I’m overwhelmingly happy and definitely have her to thank for that.

 Last, but not least, we just had this incredible, life changing experience in Morocco and didn’t even go ‘home home’. We came back to Amsterdam for two more months of incredible experiences. We still have Norway, Barcelona, Budapest and the United Kingdom. We still have our independent study projects and interviews to conduct. We still have more bars and museums to visit. My life is not done changing and I just think that’s pretty awesome.

Mandy: When the Going Gets Tough

Greetings from across the pond!

This week has been a true whirlwind. GW has a “GW England” program for GW kids studying abroad at certain British universities. Some of the events (on GW’s tab, I might add) were:

-       A welcome dinner last weekend

-       Breakfast at “Café in the Crypt” in Trafalgar Square

-       Private walking tour

-       Tickets to the London Eye (we went at night – stunning is the only word to describe)

-       Tickets to Macbeth at The Globe

So thanks GW! ;) It was a bit bizarre to be hanging out with all GW kids though…there were lots of the “oh do you know so and so?” and DC talk…kinda weird to be talking about GW classes in the middle of London.

This past week seems to have been a week of museums as well. I visited the British Museum for my Museums of London class, the Natural History Museum (which was really amazing), and the Museum of London (which chronicles the history of the city from Roman times to the 2012 Olympics). I also went to the Sunday night service at Westminster Abbey. Although the church is beautiful, it was a little strange to be worshipping among so many graves and memorials…

To be honest though, this week has been tough in a lot of ways too. I’m not homesick, but have been extremely people-sick. This week has been confusing for me – I’m in a dream come true, an adventure I’ve looked forward to my entire life, and I love this city, but I still feel a little lost. Other kids who have studied abroad told me that you gain a new kind of independence abroad, a kind of independence that alternates from feeling like to loneliness to feeling like freedom.

So I went to Kensington Gardens to walk around and sort myself out. I sat at the Italian Garden and literally saw the last gorgeous, crisp, fall day disappear. It has been freezing and raining ever since. I walked by the Princess Diana memorial and the Peter Pan statue. At the gardens, I gained clarity of mind. This time in my life is a time of adventure, yes, but it’s also a time to pray. A time to figure out what this whole “grown up” thing sort of means. A time to feel a little lost, but as Alex reminded me: Peter Pan’s biggest adventure started because he lost his shadow. Sometimes you need to feel a little lost to lead you to the next adventure.

I almost didn’t share all of this on the blog, but then realized that I would rather be honest that some days are tough, then pretend that everything is perfect all the time. It’s all a learning experience, and I am so thankful that I have loving people at home to miss and also support me as I’m so far away. 

Song of the Week: A Little Faith to Fall Back On