Today has been one of the best. Each new day is something different and cool, provided that I make it so. In other words, new experiences don't just come my way; one has to go after them. Today I took mushrooms for the first time in my life. By eating chips and salsa with mushroom on top (thanks Josh!) they went down pretty smooth. I didn't feel anything at first and after chilling for about an hour, decided to go for a walk. It is an absolutely gorgeous day out and has been for three days now, a rarity here. I strolled along the canal and came to a point where I had to decide whether to take the normal way home, or the route that I kinda knew the way, but wasn't too sure. Naturally I went with the road less traveled, and soon enough a gravel walkway alongside the beautiful canal curved in front of me, following the bends of the water underneath massive and ancient trees that dug their roots into the banks. Still feeling nothing, I sat down on a bench way up at the top of the bank and put on The Shins, which is a great feel-good band. From my seat, I had a great view of the opposite side of the canal, and I could watch everyone skipping along with their merry lives. A slight body high started to creep up on me, but at more than a hour I was partially frustrated that nothing more had happened yet. But the amazing weather and The Shins wouldn't let me not enjoy the day so I walked a bit more and sit down an even more picturesque bench. The same body high was still with me, but I could find myself into the music more and more. A couple of times I had to stop myself from outwardly moving to it, but the music was within me, trying to get out. I walked a bit more, all the while finding new views of this great town while the sun sweetly shone through the leaves, making patterns across the path. About half way home I realized that I was feeling it good (it just crept up on me) but that it wasn't anything heavy or trippy. I just felt incredibly happy, almost giddy. All I could think about was that I was in love with life...simple. I thanked God and whatever was around me that I was in existence, that I was able to see this day, and furthermore that I was enjoying this specific time in this specific place. It didn't matter me that I was just one zillionith of whatever this planet is made up of: I'm just happy to be a part of it.

So fast-forward to me typing this all. My mood is almost totally dependent on the tone of the music. As soon as it stops, I stop...but if it gets up and goes, I get up and go for it. I'm convinced that if someone watched me through the window they would think I'm an absolute nut, bobbing my head in all directions and grinning like an idiot. My face hurts from smiling so much, and I know people in the street must think I'm either insane or just a retard (prolly both!) for passing them with such a crazy smile. I'm going for another walk, maybe to show you what I saw earlier.

Shit though, in just an hour the sky has gotten all cloudy. Welcome to Holland. Well just imagine blue skies.

Since the first day, the week has been a complete rollercoaster and a reminder that this experience is full of ups and downs. The second night, I went out and met the rest of the Americans. About fifteen in all, most of them are from CMSU and South Dakota. The Dakotans are shocked when I tell them that I’ve been to Vermillion—they can’t imagine anybody wanting to come up their way. We went to several pubs, and with us came two Dutch students. Owen and Noortje, who weren’t used to drinking, but found it entertaining being around increasingly drunk Americans. I had Noortje translate one of the newspapers there, and it was interesting to get her perspective on politics, religion, and the Dutch religion.

At one pub, we sat outside next to a group of about 15 guys. The guys started to whistle and catcall the girls we were with. I ended up sitting right next to them, the closest of anybody in our group. At first I was really annoyed, especially because they started razzing me about not being able to speak Dutch. But I was friendly to them at first and I discovered that they were all members of a lower division soccer team. Of course this fascinated me, and I began to talk to them even more. Their English wasn’t the best, and they wanted to ask out the unattractive girl next to me. So I wrote down on a coaster “What’s your cell number?” for them and they tossed it to the girl. They were delighted that I had helped them out and began to talk to me even more, teaching me dirty words in Dutch. “Pijpen” means a girl giving a guy a blowjob, and “beffen” is the same, except a guy to a girl. “Neurken en de kuerken” is the best: fucking in the kitchen. Oh, they had me cracking up.

The experience is very fun of course at times, but there have been moments at the opposite end of the spectrum. Sometimes I feel lonely and overwhelmed by the experience. A country that speaks a completely unintelligible language can be hard to get along in. Little things are difficult. Street names, menus, direction signs, signs on the shops are all in dutch and therefore bewildering. I have to guess a lot as to where I’m going or what shop is what. Or what the hell to order. On top of this, the Dutch government has been cracking down on immigration and are making us jump through a big series of hoops to stay here. I have to have a copy of my birth certificate, proof of insurance, passport size pictures which I’ll get here, and around 3000 euros in a Dutch bank account so I can prove that I’m not a bum. Seriously. Its ridiculous. Most students here are freaking out because they don’t have nearly that amount of money and never have in their lifetime. Then there’s the fact that my room still looks as bare as a nun’s and that I can’t stop sleeping for ten hours a night. Probably because I had to wake up at seven every damn day this summer J haha

Anyway last weekend I went to the nearby beach in Vlassingen, about a 20 minute train ride, if that. The day was cloudy and rainy, but it was cool to walk along the sea and tour the very cute and typically dutch town. There was even an old fashioned windmill right there on the beach. In the distance, you could see many, many modern windmills and for good reason—it is very windy there. I forgot my towel or I would have gone in the water. So its probably a good thing I forgot it…Tons of people were out walking, biking, rollerblading and seemingly every person was towing their dog along. The Dutch are absolutely obsessed with dogs. Big dogs, small dogs, it doesn’t matter. I’ve seen already two Great Danes and a couple of Newfoundlands. I can’t imagine how they fit these dogs in the tiny houses here. Many bikers actually had one of those compartments, generally used for toddlers, hauling behind them. But instead of kids inside, nine times out of ten it was a small dog loving the ride. To me, this kind of defeats the purpose of taking your dog outside, but whatever.
Then started Introduction week, where every student is given two parents, or older students who are supposed to help them through the first weeks and look over them. I have two mothers for example, who really are nice but very unhelpful. It’s a weird situation for me because I technically am older than my parents, but o well. All throughout the week there have been necessary events to get us situated in the school, but it really has been a bureaucratic nightmare. In the evenings however, there are social events, which has consisted of going to the student bar on Monday, a pubcrawl (so much fun) on Tuesday, and the anything-but-clothes party last night. Everyone was supposed to dress up in something not clothing. I went wrapped in a dress of gift paper, but everyone loved ripping my costume to find the present inside, haha. Don’t worry, I had shorts on, but I ended up shirtless for most of the night. It was my first rave, with bright lights, drinks everywhere, and techno blaring out of the club’s many speakers. It ended up being a great night (I actually got kicked out but then got back in, long story sorry), but a long one, and so I will be going to bed early tonight. Let me know how life is in Maryville, I’m sure its ridiculously exciting.

Second Weekend 8/22/08

Something just happened to reaffirm that I’m making headway in my new adventures here. It was small, actually insignificant, but it kind of stuck with me.
Victor, one my friends who lives in the house here, decided to go home for the weekend, just like many Dutch freshman do. (or freshman at any college, I suppose) Anyway, he brought downstairs to the living room a suitcase, completely stuffed. When I questioned him needing a bag that big for the weekend, he said that his loving mom would be doing all of his dirty laundry while he was home. Haha…Twenty minutes later, he came back to tell me he was leaving. A group of us were all just chilling, watching the Olympics on a Belgian tv station. His mom came in right behind him (I didn’t even know she was in Middelburg), pointed at me and asked Victor if I was “Landon.” His nod prompted her to immediately introduce herself, saying that Victor had told her all about me. She then invited me to come stay at their house anytime, that I would be very welcome in their house. At all this, Victor looked very embarrassed, especially in front of the group that were watching these events unfold. Of course I was very gracious, thanked her for the invitation, and assured her that I would come stay some weekend. They immediately left and I couldn’t help but smile at all the ways that mothers continually embarrass their children all across the world.

Well my first day has been a complete whirlwind. At this moment I have been up since before noon on Thursday Central time. Right now its Friday night, at midnight. Discounting the two or three hours of sleep I accumulated during the flight, I have been awake for the entirety of two days on two different continents. During the flight I met an American woman who is currently teaching English to Dutch students in the Hague, the second biggest city in the Netherlands. She was very interesting, and she told me that all Dutch students are required to take English by the fifth grade. This is the reason that the large majority of Netherlands citizens speak English fluently. As we descended to Amsterdam, one of my first sights out of the window was the wind farms that the Dutch had created in the North Sea. Complete square miles were blanketed by thirty or more massive (modern) windmills. The woman beside me explained that the Dutch took pride in being one of the greenest countries in the European Union, although they consistently don’t have enough capital to act on their impressive progressive ideas. She went on to clarify that the same Dutch company that is making the expensive Dubai islands is planning on increasing the coast of the Netherlands by at least 5%. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

After going through customs and picking up our baggage, I met up with Renske, a cute Dutch girl that had been assigned to pick us up. She is twenty years old, is very friendly, and has made a job of coming and meeting the new students at Shipol Airport. After waiting for at least an hour for a Turksish student that she was supposed to pick up, we finally boarded a train for Middelburg with Kelly (the other student from NW), Renske and Veirtra, the Turkish girl who was incredibly nervous for her experience, which will last for a minimum of three years. Two and a half hours later, after many stops and towns, we arrived at Middelburg, a town bustling with more bikes than you’ve ever seen, as well as loads of people relaxing in the many cafes and outside restaurants of the city. Finally we reached the university from which forms a big market square where flowers and fruit are sold and as well as where many cafes spread their tables and chairs into the sunny day, each customer enjoying a coffee or glass of wine or beer. It felt weird to walk past these people, as you could feel their eyes you as you walked through as the typical American tourist, walking with ridiculously big bags rolling on the cobblestone and brick streets and sidewalks.

Finally we reached our destination, where we would get our room keys. The whole program is in mass chaos but after at last finding our keys , Alex, an outgoing student from Zimbabwe, showed me the way to my room. About a ten minute walk to campus, through the narrowest and quaint-looking alleyways imaginable, we came upon my flat complex. Although I have my own room, I share living and kitchen facilities with sixteen people, most of them new to the college and therefore just out of high school. We entered the room, only to find that it was completely empty, totally contrary to the furnished room that I had been promised.

(Okay now its 3 in the afternoon the next day after a very refreshing sleep)

Anyway Alex went straight to work. After a few unsuccessful phone calls, we headed to a nearby apartment. This guy literally knows everybody. There I met Arturs, from Latvia, and two German girls Inga and Jannica. Turns out I live across the hall from Inga’s boyfriend, King. Sweet name. And in ten short minutes they had managed to find me a spare mattress, a desk and chair, and some shelves. However they wouldn’t let me move the furniture into my room until I finished by beer…and some wine. Afterwards, Alex and I went to his place, where some Dutch girls had fixed dinner. They invited us to eat, which we did and it was very good. I can’t pronounce any of their names and they have real problems with mine as well. From there I showered up, (the shower is just a stall in a room the size of a cubicle) and went out to our living room where everyone was gathered. The new ones were all eighteen, and now live in this flat. A few were Dutch, but there also was a girl from Egypt and a guy from the Czech Republic. We all just sat around the table and talked and drank, then headed to a party across the street. There I met even MORE people. I don’t remember hardly anybody’s name, but everybody had a good time. The group wanted to go dancing, but the place they were going didn’t allow anybody wearing sandals. This was a convenient excuse for me to go to bed, as I was wearing flip flops. Sam, a Dutch guy, was like “What, you don’t have any shoes? What size are you, we’ll find you some shoes!” Despite his persistence, I went home and slept till about noon today.