Summer of Joy???
Wednesday, August 22nd
Okay, so I have a little time on my hands. I have been pretty busy this summer not enjoying my time of school and/or work. Why? Because I only went on a vacation for about 8 days, which was 4 days at Rock Werchter (a Belgian rock festival, pretty big) and 4 days to Disneyland Resort Paris, which adds up to a not really relaxing vacation. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, no the opposite is the case. It is just that the weather here in the Netherlands really sucks, it sucked when we were at Disney and it almost sucked when I was sleeping in a tent in Werchter, Belgium. But on the other hand, me and my boyfriend were lucky enough to look back at it and say that those days were probably one of the better days. Another reason why I have been so busy not enyoing this summer, because I have to finish my BA thesis in order to start with my Master courses 3 September, while at the same time working my part-time job which sort of tired me out for the rest of the day. Therefore, I have only started to work really hard on my BA thesis since last week, when I didn’t have to work. Yesterday, Tuesday, I have finished a first draft, which, I hope, is being reviewed by my professor while I am typing this so that I can start working on the final version before the weekend begins. But somehow I suspect those are false hopes.
Overall, it means I have a little time on my hands to say 'hi'. Actually I have to study for an exam (two actually, but it is the same course) tomorrow, but I felt the TDS blog needed to be updated. But that kind of sucks because I have little to say. It’s just I have been so busy that people must expect me to have done a lot of things, but what it comes down to is that I have done a lot of things of the same. Get it? I’m just so tired of the whole typing thing.
That’s it, now you can all see what I’ve been up to, nothing. Hopefully next time around I have something meaningful to say. At least I hope everybody has enjoyed his or her summer, just to make up for mine. But at least now I can recommend the best choices of food which are crucial for the ultimate study experience. Here’s the list:
- Knakworstjes (for lunch, which must include bread, mayonnaise, ketchup, and a bit of mustard)
- Lots of licorice (good for the brain…)
- Brownies (perfect for the quick snack when you feel drained of your intelligence)
- Pasta, or pizza with something like tuna in or on it (an evening meal full of calories pumps you up)
- Water (all that junkfood needs to be balanced out by something right)
- Coke (for those who get sick of all that water and just don’t care about balancing their intakes)
- And last I recommend a buck of your favorite flavor of ice-cream, any flavor of Ben&Jerry’s for me (because in the end one needs to relax in front of the TV with something that melts in your mouth, I love eating ice-cream and watching Charmed re-runs)
So there it is, a short list of simple study food. And as for outfits, I recommend a pajama with a warm sweater (when its cold and rainy like this summer) or your favorite pair of jogging pants with a comfortable fitting top, and to top it all of… add those fun clog slippers (http://typicaldutchstuff.com/clogs.shtml) to keep your feet warm and nice.
What do YOU think?
Monday, June 25th
It’s been a long time since I last posted something. I actually had written a blog, but due to Wendy’s very busy schedule it got lost in the pile. Although the piece you are about to read isn’t exactly up to date, I still find it worth posting. So keep in mind that a small part of this blog is a bit outdated. To make it easier I will put those passages within quotation marks.
“Today is “hemelvaartsdag” and God knows what that’s about, because I don’t. To me it means that my weekend has started a little earlier, because it is common to get the Friday off as well; more or less one gets a prolonged weekend due to “hemelvaartsdag”. I’ve quickly looked it up and I see that in English it is called Ascension Day (which I also remember now). “Ascension Day celebrates Jesus's ascension to heaven after he was resurrected on Easter Day” (). Aha, that explains the name of this holy day. It makes me think about what it means to me, like nothing.”
In Holland we are losing touch with our/a religion. Many of the younger generation does not know the meaning of Easter, Ascension Day, Whitsun/Pentecost (Pinksteren in Dutch), and for some even Christmas lost its religious meaning. People don’t even go to church anymore, not even on a irregular basis. I feel that the for instance the Islam is a more lively religion in the Netherlands than Christianity, but that is just how I experience it. There are probably still many believers in the Netherlands, even in my generation and other generations to come. However, when talking numbers, out of my class which consists of around 30 people (from all over Holland) we have only two people who are still true Christians. The rest are, so the speak, atheists, although I believe the majority is baptized and has participated in the holy communion. Me included, because my believe is the believe in myself and my friends and in something outside us all, which is however not in the form of any God or creation. I believe there is not ONE religion, and that every religion is evolved from the same core. Mankind wants hope and believe in something outside ourselves, we want to be united by a greater power than ourselves. I feel that is how religions came to be, and why it is for so many people an important aspect of life. And as a last note on religion I want to comment that extremism, in any kind, is in my eyes not a form of religion but a form of hatred and violence evolved out of beliefs that one thing is better than the other. Religion should unite, not divide!!
Having made that spontaneous speech I want to say that I’m suffering from what you call a writer’s block, I have no inspiration whatsoever. I’ve twice tried to write something about Queens Day, which is (next to football/soccer) the only time we (the Dutch) get patriotic. But as one can see, I have not posted anything remotely close to a piece on this orange colored day. Nope, I’m suffering from a minor version of writer’s block. Every word I write feels like a big blah to me.
I have an idea, which will work if people read this. I thought that maybe my readers can come up with some topics I should write about. There comes a point where I am repeating myself about my studies, my own life, and other boring stuff. Therefore it should be exciting to see what you all think and want to see posted on this site. It would also be good to make Typical Dutch Stuff a more interactive site. I know it is foremost a site where one orders food and stuff, but here at TDS we want to make things a bit more fun and lively (there’s more to life than shopping). There are already some interactive bits on the site, but there is always potential for improvement and fresh ideas.
Maybe Wendy can arrange something for people to comment or react to this blog. I am curious what you want and what you think. I know I’m a bit dull at times, therefore I need your help. Wendy will proofread this, so I’m hoping she will let me know how she feels about it. For now you just have to read my boring stories. I’ve sad it before, and it’s true, I’m really interested in what you all have to say!! I hope we will soon get an opportunity to communicate in a two-way stream, instead of me addressing onl
Back again
Monday, March 26th
Outside the sun is shining, don’t know if the temperature is up, and I also don’t know if the spring has finally arrived or if we will still get some cold days. I’m way too lazy to find out, too lazy to go outside… Well, actually I’m just an hour behind everything, but that has more to do with the beginning of the summertime period.
What’s on the agenda for the coming period, not much however important. I have to write a 4000 word research paper which I should have finished in December, but I also have to pass an exam which I should have passed in January. So no biggie? Oh and I have another paper I have to write for my 20th century art class, which is totally no big deal (I hope).
But okay I have been to New York and it was quite a ride, mostly because I got ill and that kind of ruined the whole “vacation” atmosphere. I definetely think New York is a city you should go to yourself to decide how you feel about it, I don’t feel the city was like everybody who has been there described it, or how it is depicted in the media. And although you can view the city in five days, I think you have to live there for much longer of a period to feel and capture the true city. We were however lucky, as we arrived just before a coming snowstorm, thus we enjoyed our real winter in New York.
Mostly when people have visited New York they say it is the best city in the world, my boyfriend asked me what I thought. And I honestly have to admit that for me Paris kicks New York’s ass. He said I could not compare Europe cities to American ones. That makes it quite impossible for me since New York is the only American city I have been to. Looking back I think I was not fully capable of enjoying the city, due to the fact I really did not feel well and I was @#$% tired from the flight.
Maybe someday I will go back and give it a second opinion, but not before I have seen the rest of the States, which I am definitely looking forward to.
Easter is on its way, along with the fun spring colors. The coming period makes me think off pastel colors, don’t you? Hmm, well whatever.
Oh have you all read the updated blog of the TDS site…you can see my hands, my old looking hands, hahaha? Yeah, I definetely enjoy doing the gift baskets, I don’t do them all by the way, I’m not yet that helpful! It’s also fun to do baskets because it will always be different. Wendy comes up with new delicious food to put into, or we put an original present in it, and of course we can change the colors (except for those fixed ones, like orange for the Dutch Basket and purple for the Milka Basket. I feel pastel colors for this seasons baskets, haha. I must say that I would recommend a basket, the basket itself is durable, and usable for so much other stuff. Next to that you get all sorts of delicious food, and maybe a small extra (depends on the basket), which makes it such a great gift for those typical Dutch stuff lovers.
Maybe you can contact Wendy if you’re kind of basket isn’t on the list, and pass along some of your ideas, and who knows, maybe I will make you a personal basket (Note to self: must contact Wendy on this idea if it not yet exists…).
Hmm I think it is warm outside, because as I’m typing this I can feel the sun burning on my arms, through the window of course. Guess I’m gonna start on some homework, read some Mary Wollstonecraft. Happy Easter for those who celebrate it!!
A “quickie” before takeoff
Monday, March 12th
There are only a few more days left before I will leave for New York City. People have already started to wish me a “fijne vakantie,” and, as expected, have expressed their jealousy. I’m only leaving for a week, and in the meantime the daily routine will go on without me. Normally when you go on a vacation other people are also going, because it is some sort of holiday or Summer vacation. Now my boyfriend and I are the only ones (that I know about, of course) who are leaving for a vacation, and maybe that’s why the whole feeling of going away is kind of missing. I think it will hit me the night before, which will ultimately lead to a sleepless night.
Life has been pretty much the same as I have expressed in my last post, ordinary days for an ordinary girl, so to speak. Well, today was somewhat different because it was hot!! Okay, not 30 degrees (Celsius) hot, but warm for a day in early March (still winter). Even when the sun was going down there was no need for a coat, and during the day I had to wear my sunglasses which made it feel like a nice day in May. The frustrating part of it however was that I had to sit in a hot train, with no air-conditioning, for over an hour (it had a huge delay). Hmm, I’m already looking forward to those sunny days sitting in a packed train, not!
This is where my inspiration stops. Heading back home meant an even bigger delay, I sat in the train for an hour and a half, and I still wasn’t home. I had to call home to get someone to pick me up.
At the moment my head is bouncing, I definitely need some sleep. All in all it wasn’t such a bad day, especially because the weather was so extraordinary pleasant. Had it rained…well, then the day would have been a typically Dutch day in March.
I will get back to you when spring has arrived, till then!
Enjoying the freedom of 2007
Tuesday, February 20th
It’s been a couple of weeks again and in the meantime I have been back to the university, meaning that my “vacation” is over. However as I live in the Netherlands, and we love our freedom, I again have another week off. Yes it is ridiculous all this spare time on my hands, somehow I don’t really mind, would you?
I have a week off, because it is the ‘carnavalsvakantie,’ a holiday celebrated in Brabant, Limburg, and maybe at some other places too… I don’t know, so if you wanna know try asking Mari-jane. Oh wait they celebrate it in Germany too, I know so because I have been to some parades there. In Germany they are allowed to throw candy, so you know why I’m standing there while my feet freeze off. A short explanation for those who do not know this phenomenon: with Carnaval you get dressed like with Halloween, so all kinds of silly costumes, then for 4 or 5 days in a row you go out at night to get totally wasted and kiss as many strangers as you can and when you’re not lying in bed during the day you go and see some parades in the area and while doing so, drink some more (usually beer). Ok, I have to admit this is what the young people, a.k.a. students, do. I’m not into the whole bit although I have celebrated it a couple of times, it just costs a lot of money. First you make or buy an outfit, either way you have to spend money. Next, you have to buy your drinks, which is expensive on its own. And in the end you have to bribe your friends for keeping their mouth shut because you have kissed the most ugliest guy in town, or just hope nobody remembers which usually works.
There, as you can see, it is just a silly celebration which, I think, once had a religious meaning, again ask Mari-jane for the details. It is a lot of fun when you get into the whole thing, but I guess I’m just not that kind of party-animal, and kissing strangers is something I was never good at, and since I am not single it isn’t something I SHOULD be good at. Okay enough about it, let’s talk serious.
OMG, shocking world news, it even deserved a spot in our local newspaper, it was like so important…not!! I must say I like her music, and I was/am looking forward to her new CD, and I also read every bit of gossip about her, but still to make it as huge as it has been made is kind of more shocking than her behavior. By the time you have read this I hope you know who I am talking about and otherwise hooray to you for being so down to earth!! I will leave it at that.
I have little classes this period, such a relief compared to the period before Christmas. I’m having a lot of time to do some different stuff, maybe find another job which I can do during the week, who knows. The last few weeks have been blissful, the weather has been nice, we even had snow here for exactly one day which was fun. The weeks have been the opposite from nerve-racking, and knowing that my New York trip is just over twenty days from now makes me smile. I have even been to the hairdressers, don’t know how that fits in, but it feels nice to me.
Oh and b.t.w. I am working while having no classes, so I am not turning into a couch potato, at least not fully, lol! I must say I enjoy the day after having worked really hard, knowing that I have did something makes it more comfortable to lie in bath and just soak while reading. Actually that sounds so tempting, that I’m hopping in bath right now with my book Max & the City: het New York van Max Westerman, quite a good Dutch read.
Goodbye 2006 and hello 2007…
Wednesday, January 17th
The holidays are over…they ended last week for me. That week I had to pick up where I had left; it was horrible! It all reminded me of the stress and I felt as if my right eye was on the verge of doing that tic it sometimes does when you’re stressed out. Luckily it passed, and I successfully handed in a paper this Monday, which I had been working on with a partner since last Thursday. So, the drama is kind of over now, all that is left are some exams coming Friday and the Tuesday after that. Then I will have a couple of days left that are completely free of doing anything before the second semester starts, hmm people must be jealous?
I wonder..is the winter as nice everywhere as it is here in Holland? They say the real cold weather will arrive mid-January, isn’t it already mid-January? I guess it is getting colder a bit…but hello, has the temperature even reached below zero? Hmm, a lot of questions. But honestly, I like this winter. Of course it’s sad that it didn’t snow at Christmas, but does it ever here in the Netherlands…not really. Okay, it is a little windy and it is raining quite a lot (the two of them don’t go together actually; try holding on to your umbrella when the wind has gotten a hold of it). But I’m not complaining, I’ll just wait until it has topped raining. This brings me on a totally new/old subject, the ‘fiets.’
It is, I guess, a typically Dutch way of transport. I…yes that’s me, I use it to get everywhere. Okay, not literally, but I use it to get to the train station, the grocery store, my boyfriend, and so on. I don’t have a driver’s license, although many people of my age do, but still most people will use their bike to get to nearby places. It is lovely to see someone riding a bike, children getting out of school, and such things. I am not really aware of the situation in other countries, but I feel that we (the Dutch) must be in the top something of the countries that make the most use of the good old fashioned bicycle.
It’s less than two months until I go to New York with my boyfriend. The best part of going abroad when you’re Dutch is trying and experiencing different food. I believe, here in Holland, we have some typical products (a lot actually, why else dedicate a whole website to it, silly me). Let’s see, I’m going to New York, thus my breakfast will most likely consist of a muffin…ooh or a bagel with cream cheese, but that’s something for lunch. Dinner will most likely consist of a huge plate, covered with too much food, and the midnight snack; nachos with cheese?! To be honest, I’m exaggerating, well not about the muffin, or the bagel, and maybe not even about the large plate at dinner (what’s large in the Netherlands is most likely small or medium in the US). I forget to mention the hotdog btw, hmm I would definitely go for a hotdog right now. But what I am trying to say is that whatever I eat it will be far from Dutch, I am not that kind of person who wants Dutch food while abroad, no I want nothing of that when I’m away!
But when I’m back, ooh my craving for some typical Dutch stuff is bigger than ever. Like a ‘frietje oorlog’ (frietje oorlog = fries with ‘satésaus’ and mayonnaise (and for the real dare devils, some unions and curry on top of it all)), or some ‘salmiakdrop,’ I’m always a sucker for that. When my boyfriend and I came back from our two week trip to Paris, the first thing we ate was a ‘frietje oorlog,’ yummy!!
How I'd love to go to New York right away. It will definitely beat going to classes.
I’m going to bed and hope everybody out there is looking forward to this new year. Oh and don’t forget, to celebrate the start of Typical Dutch Stuff’s 4th year in business, we are offering a 10% discount on ALL orders in January! Enter voucher code tdsopening upon checkout! Happy 2007!
PS. My new year’s resolution: creating my own title for every new blog I write, citing a song was so 2006!! (What do ya think of my first??)
"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas,
we wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy new year!!
Thursday, December 21st
Yes, it is almost Christmas, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way ? I L.O.V.E. Christmas, for me it is definitely the most wonderful time of the year. And I know for sure that everybody at Typical Dutch Stuff, especially Wendy, wishes you a merry Christmas and a happy 2007.
Especially for Christmas I’ve slightly changed my picture, slightly yes. Well, in real life I would leave the hat of and wear some tights, but I actually really will dye my hair brown. So, the image somewhat represents the real me at Christmas.
Today is my first ‘real’ day off since a long time, which means this I have time to write a Christmas blog. Isn’t that great? I think so.
The few days off I’ve had were spent with my boyfriend or helping Wendy with all the packages and orders you’ve all made. It was really busy and hectic, but I guess it all worked out nicely. I hope that all of you received everything you want in time, especially if you’ve ordered before the deadline. At least I know Wendy and everybody who helped did their utter best to do so.
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Oh, how I love Christmas music, have you noticed the other songs as well?
My favorite is, “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night…” It is such a fun song.
I think, and hope, Dutch people are more and more embracing Christmas. My family and I don’t even celebrate Sinterklaas anymore, however my mom still buys the chocolate letters; a tradition you cannot get rid of I guess. We quit celebrating Sinterklaas when I was around sixteen, I opted to give gifts at Christmas, because it is much more fun and the whole feeling surrounding it is so much better.
This is not really a real blog, because I’m not saying anything meaningful (not that I normally do so). To be honest I’m stressed out by school, so I’d rather not talk about it; in my memory it is also more like a big blur.
I’d rather talk about tomorrow, because it is my final school day before the holidays, and also something else. Okay, I have once said I would not say it, but I will. Tomorrow is also my 21st birthday, another reason why I like Christmas; Christmas decorations, lights, and trees were one of the first things I saw in my life.
Fourteen? That’s the number of times I used the word Christmas (fifteen now). But I mean it, I love it and I’m really looking forward. I will have to work on the morning of Christmas day (sixteen), but that’s ok. I’m getting a 200% pay, and I love to spread the joy to all the people I will see that morning; I clean at a rest home where also live people with dementia and they deserve some Christmas joy (I mean it, they are often so pure of heart). Ok, I’ve now mentioned the word Christmas eighteen times, wonderful!!!!
Enjoy the holidays and spread the message!!!
"Als ich mien oage sloet zeen ich elke daag wat mier"
De wereld is groet in mien durp aan de rivier
Sunday, November 19th
Yes, I’ve reached my technical breakthrough ? I did it, I just did it. It was so %!&$@# easy. This afternoon I’ve gotten internet on my laptop (I recently bought a laptop for all writing; in my dreams I’m the new Carrie), and there were some minor problems that kept bugging me. But I fixed it, me me me me me me me!!! Sorry, I’m just overly proud at myself; I’m tingling.
Newsflash: I’m going to NYC!
I needed a good way to tell y’all that, and newsflashes always seem to do the trick. Okay, in my last blog I, sort of, dissed the Dutch weather, and I’m sorry. My spell-check says dissed isn’t a word. Apparently it is a slang word; I googled it, because I knew I was right ?. Why am I sorry? The leaves are falling, the color of the sky is changing, and every time I’m in the train I love what I see; that’s why! There will always be moments that I’m depressed; too much writing assignments etc. But when I take the time to really look at the true Dutch landscape (that is nature, not the grey buildings), I see something that makes me smile. Would I miss it if I were to live somewhere else? I hope I do.
You might have thought that the title of this blog is gibberish; it looks like Dutch, but not quite. Well, for those who got that far, you’re right. It is a certain Dutch dialect; which I don’t speak, but (most of the times) do understand. It is from a song that, to me, captures the mood of what I was explaining just now. Not the tingling feeling form achieving something, no…The part after my newsflash. If you’re curious, I’ve added the link so you can listen to the song, and watch the somewhat low-budget video --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV1U1nzB_6E
I’m in the midst of my exam weeks now. Again it is a Sunday evening; like my previous blog, only this time I am getting cold. Guess I should turn up the heat.
I noticed something today, something about my birthday. Something special, something special that happens on the same day as my birthday. Yes, if only I would tell, but then again I think I shouldn’t. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m turning twenty-one; which, I recently realized, comes in handy when you’re going to New York. Being twenty-one I mean; this way I’m legally allowed to consume alcohol in the States. Not that I’m an alcoholic or anything, but I love cocktails, and also the idea of drinking a beer in the USA is tempting (although I’d rather drink a glass of wine). But as I said it has nothing to do with that.
Being mysterious is difficult, because I like to talk about myself ?. I feel like I’m running out of subjects, which is of course not true. There’s a lot to talk about like…Oh, I made a blind date!!
With a girl.
But it’s not a sexual, love, or I-don’t-know-what thingy. This girl is also an American Studies student, but she studies somewhere else. But we live nearby. That sounds stupid and weird; especially grammatical. Thus, we live nearby, share the same studies (but in a different place), yet we have never actually met. Her friend asked my friend for my address, because she maybe wants to switch cities; study where I study. Therefore, I told her that, if she liked, she could come along for a day. We call it a blind date for the fun of things, because obviously we need to tell each other what we’re wearing in order to recognize each other. I already told her I am not planning to wear a rose; she was disappointed!
I’ve actually typed more than a page, and that’s kind of enough for one blog. I guess this is my goodbye for now, and also a goodnight; I’m going to bed.
"I’m not dead, just floating…"
Sunday, October 15th
These past few weeks have been a little busy…again. I had to write multiple essays and assignments, thus meaning that I was left with little time to spend writing my blog for Typical Dutch Stuff. I guess this year I have got my priorities fixed. I’m saying this because last year I had a dilemma choosing between schoolwork and leisure, and I opted for the leisure. I emailed my teacher with the message that she probably thought my priorities were in the wrong place, but that I had to follow my heart and ‘for once’ not my mind. Okay, it wasn’t that cheesy, but the conclusion is the same. So I can now honestly say that my priorities are, because I let this blog slip for schoolwork, back in place.
It’s now Sunday night, and I’m lonely and cold… haha. No sorry, I just felt that sentence coming, and I let the magic happen. I’m not lonely and by no means am I cold. It’s Sunday night, and I actually need to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Rope. Why, you wonder? Well, let me tell you. We, all the students following the Mediated Identities course, have to watch this movie, because it will be discussed in class this Tuesday. The reason that I have to watch it at home is due the fact that I had another course at the time of the scheduled film screening. Simple, right. However at the moment I’m just chilling, and there’s no need for me to stop?
It’s October now…which means that the summer is already over, which sucks. During the whole of August it was raining, raining, and even more rain, and it was cold off course. September was a bit better, but I missed the real Indian Summer feeling. So I’m kind of left with this empty feeling, and it’s not getting better. I live in the Netherlands, so the weather isn’t often nice, but this summer it was really disappointing; not counting the heat wave that lasted for about three weeks. And now we’re heading for the winter again; the fun part, I get to buy a new coat.
You know, I have my exam weeks soon ahead of me; two weeks from tomorrow. It’s so weird because I feel I just began. This is actually not a feeling but the truth, I have only been back for five weeks. It’s just that every period counts seven weeks, and week six of the first period starts tomorrow. I think it’s too bad, because I don’t want this year to slip by like last year. I don’t want to look back and know another year has passed, but feeling like I haven’t changed or actually learned something. That reminds me, I have to make a new appointment with my dentist ? Don’t know where that came from…
Hmmm, guess the time has come to watch Rope, and see how two gay men kill another one (so I have been told).
Voor degene die Nederlands kunnen lezen, tot snel weer en geniet van de herfst, waar dan ook!!! I’m not trying to be annoying, so for those who didn’t get it, “Enjoy the Autum, wherever you are; ‘till soon!”
"Sure I can’t accept that we’re going nowhere
But one last time let’s go there"
Wednesday, September 20th
It’s been a very long time since my last blog. It never was my intention, but due to unforeseen circumstances I have been busy. I knew things were going to get tougher; the summer vacation was over and a new year of University had begun. However, I didn’t know that I was going to get sick in the second week of classes and this made me feel a little bit worse than I already was. I am still running low on energy, so I am sorry if this blog is more depressing than usual … what I am trying to say is that my mood is kind of low, and you should not expect this blog to be like a ray of sunshine.
I don’t want this blog to be too personal, because nowadays you’ve got to watch out with being too honest on the internet and so; something Wendy taught me. Still, I will tell you that due to his studies, my boyfriend is away from home for twelve hours a day, five days a week. This is kind of hard for me, because I am not used be away from him that much. In some ways we’re standing still…going nowhere, which explains the citation I used this week.
The citation is from a song by Paolo Nutini, an English lad, who I’ve seen live in August when he performed at our yearly summer park festival in town. I think he’s fairly known in England, but I am not sure about the rest of the world. Either way, if you like a bit of soul, up-tempo, music with a nice beat, some light lyrics thrown in, and a nineteen year old with an amazing voice (especially for his age), then you should buy his album (These Streets)!
Okay, enough with the free advertising! You know what, writing this makes me feel better. It really helps getting everything out in the open to an unknown crowd. It feels great, simply great.
I’ve should have done this before, but instead I was writing about the first laborers in America at the start of industrialism. And the week before that, I wrote about slavery and the American Civil War; all for a class called Social World History; who built America? The material we have to study is really interesting, most of which I’ve already studied for my history classes, but I feel that the workload is kind of stressful. It’s a course outside of American Studies, so I sort of need to get used to the different kind of work ethic they use for this course.
All in all though, my weeks are pretty laid-back. I only have to be at the university three days a week for classes. And except from the course I just mentioned, my classes are more or less fun. I’m doing a minor in Gender Studies, which gives me a really fresh look on everything in the world. I’m really happy with that choice, although unfortunately due to my illness I only have been to one class so far.
Oh gosh, look at the time. It’s a few minutes past three, and I have to be somewhere by four. No big deal if I was all set to go, but that’s not the case. Well, I want to thank you for reading this, because it felt great to write it.
"If you want my body and you think I'm sexy
Come on, honey, tell me so"
Wednesday, August 30th
I already want to make my apologies for the sentences above. Please don’t take it seriously! (I already worry that Wendy will not be pleased with that sort of stuff  ) For the music buffs among us; you may recognize that these lines are taken from an old popular song. For the rest of my lovely readers; if you read along you will find out what it’s about.
Moving on now, can you believe another week has passed? It seems like yesterday that I wrote my previous entry! What have I been doing this week? Let’s see…we, my boyfriend and I, have booked us a little trip to Cologne; it is more or less like saying goodbye to our free time. Oh that reminds me, this boyfriend of mine challenged me: he told me that I didn’t had the guts to say: “I love you, honey” in this weekly blog. Guess what I’ve just done! Hahaha, that will show him; yep we lead a pretty pathetic life.
Well, I also had a little mother-daughter day. We do that two times a year or so, which aren’t the most relaxed days of my life. It’s just that we can’t hang out together without getting annoyed with each other. Nevertheless, we went to the movies that day; we saw The Lake House with cutie pie Keanu and the lovely Sandra (I do believe the two match perfectly together). It was a great movie, and I think it was really nice to see this one with my mother.
I also went to my brother; just a little gathering due to his birthday earlier this month. It was fun; I met some new people and stuff like that. Oh I almost forgot that I also had two exams; it’s better for me to forget, because I only took one exam which went pretty bad. So don’t blame me for not wanting to talk about it!
Now for what you’ve all been waiting for…drum ruffle…I legally downloaded Paris Hilton’s debut album Paris, hahaha. I know, I can’t explain it either. It’s something I was curious about; how it would sound (=bad), and if the songs had some contents or depth (=no). Still, it is not too bad; just set your mind to zero and take it with a grain of salt. Even so, I couldn’t help noticing that her last song was a cover; Rod Stewarts’ Do ya think I’m sexy. I mean, that song was fun in its own time, but come on: Is she serious!? I guess everything is possible in 2006: this should be mentioned in The Lake House when Alex asked Kate what the world looks like in 2006.
Guess what? I’m not wearing my PJs, apart from the shirt (but I have already worn something else today), and it’s not six o’clock. No no… my day has been more rewarding than last week’s. I have been making money this morning with my part-time job I have next to my studies, something students all over the world must have to pay for their (higher) education. Except when you have rich parents who pay everything, or if it’s paid by the state; however I envy those persons who have those privileges. But then again, a part-time job prepares you for the harsh world we’re living in, and teaches you to deal with money. Furthermore, having a job means meeting new people, which is always a plus…I think.
Anyhow, I am going to continue my fruitful day by putting Paris’ cd on my iPod! See you next week, in a not “really” seeing way off course!
The Sky is Falling Down…
Saturday, August 19th
Last time I wrote the summer had just begun, and temperatures were often above 30 degrees. Yes, I am referring to Celsius; which is pretty darn hot for our little “kikkerlandje.” (For those of you who don’t have their cell phone with them to use the converter: 30°C is 86°F! However, now the weather has drastically changed and the sky is falling down. It is raining too damn hard (which makes me depressed) and the thunder is so loud I can’t even hear my own thoughts.
But, I guess you all just want to hear how my trip to Paris was. It was great! I had a lot of fun and I have seen parts of Paris I had not seen before, which is always a good thing. A quick count tells me that this was my third vacation to the capital of France, and I still really, really love Paris. Nevertheless, I have been back for a whole month now and I have been busy.
For instance, yesterday I went to a friend whom I have been friends with for about seven years now. Wow, I never realized it was that long. Either way, tomorrow she is leaving for Budapest for six months. However, something she asked stuck with me; something which I do not know the answer to. She asked me this because I have had pronunciation lessons in English. So here it comes, “De Donau wordt in het Engels geschreven als Danube, maar hoe spreek je het dan uit?” For those of you who did not understand this: she wanted to know how you pronounce the word Danube in English, because we call that river the Donau. If you happen to know the answer, please let me know!
Moving on to a different subject; remember my previous entry? I mentioned this rule that obliges me to pass all my first-year courses within two years. Well, I have passed my final exam and I can proudly tell you all that I have my Propedeuse. That is some kind of important piece of paper; kind of like a diploma.
Now I am starting to wonder how many people actually read this blog, but Wendy assured me that you read my stories, and she said that she liked my style. What do you say about that, I have a style! We made a deal together: I will write a weekly blog and she will act like she likes it, haha! The first part of that sentence is true and the latter I just made up. To be honest there is no real reward for what I do; I do it voluntarily and I do not mind. It is good practice, and it is fun to know that people I do not know read it and maybe even like to read it. However, I do not think I have fans already..if you want to be my fan, let me know!
I am wrapping this up now, because I am still in my PJs and it is half past five (that is P.M., yes)! Don’t laugh, don’t yell, don’t cry, this is normal; very typically Dutch!
One last comment, I have to re-take two exams in the upcoming week before the new semester starts. Wish me good luck and talk to you soon!
"Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty"
Thursday, July 6th
Pheew, my exams are over; it’s time for my summer vacation. You know, I’ve just finished my second year of university. It’s weird to think about, because it means that in the upcoming year I have to write my Bachelor thesis, and the year after that I am doing my Masters. You don’t have to understand what it all means, just know that for me the pressure is on. Therefore, it’s really important that I’m fully going to enjoy my summer.
For the past week it was really hot here in the Netherlands, a total heat wave or “hittegolf” as we say it in Dutch. That’s why I put those lines from the Lovin’ Spoonful song at the top of my little entry. I don’t know where you all come from, and what the weather is like there, but… Oh I am so sorry; I am talking about the weather. It is just that we Dutch people have this little flaw. Most of us start to talk about the weather to keep a conversation going, and I just busted myself for doing so.
Okay, wanna know how my exams went? They went fine  No, just kiddin’. Actually they did go fine, well reasonably at least, but I am not really worried about them. I have this attitude that I do want to get good grades, but I am not giving it my all; I’m lazy. There is however one exam I am really anxious about, it is a retake from last year called English from Old to New, the Old bit. I already passed the Middle English part, but I have some trouble getting “the old bit”; it is just so old!
I need to get a pass for that course, because there is a rule in the Netherlands, which obliges me to pass all my first-year courses within two years. If I do not get a pass, I will have to quit my studies (however, there is always some room to wiggle). Luckily I can retake this retake in August, so as I said there is some room to wiggle. I mean I have passed every single first-year course, except that one, which hasn’t even got that much to do with my American Studies. So my future is still very bright, I hope…
Still, next to all the drama, I had some more or less fun exam. It is called a take-home exam, and I had to do this with a partner. The subject was the American movie Tears of the Sun; we had to write a paper of about twelve to thirteen pages about it. Obviously it is not much fun to write a paper, and doing it together meant spending more time on a paper than necessary. However, putting two girls in one room is fun; we laughed, we gossiped, and of course we ate some brownies, and eventually we even finished our paper. I also got the inspiration to start my blog with a citation after doing this paper; we used citations from the movie as titles for our various paragraphs. But enough about all this exam stuff; school is out!
When there is no homework there is time for some more important things, like reading real literature, watching real-life documentaries, and watching classic movies. Thus, after my last exam I started reading Lauren Weisberger’s, who also wrote The Devil Wears Prada, Everybody Worth Knowing; a great piece of literature. Subsequently, I am following the first season of Canada’s Next Top Model; all my favorites have been voted off, damn! I also watched, for the first time of my life, (those last four words are so fitting, if you catch my drift), Dirty Dancing; a total classic. All in all, you can see I really have been trying to concentrate on the more important things in life.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading all this crucial information about me; I hope you’ll be back for more! For now I am off to the City of Love; enjoying a little vacation with my aficionado!
An introduction in the life of me..
Saturday, July 1st
Inspired by Mari-jan’s column, I was given the opportunity to give you a glance in the life of me!! No… well yes, but “me” sounds so selfish. “Me” is actually a synonym for a typically Dutch girl who tries to make it as a student of American Studies.
I guess I have to introduce myself, but I’m so afraid of sounding silly, boring, and stupid that I just don’t know how. Oh gosh, I portray myself as a girl with no self-esteem. Okay then, just to get it over with. My name is Lian, I’m twenty years of age, I lead a pretty ordinary life, and uhm I’m a natural blonde. I guess that says pretty much everything about little me. I don’t mind being blonde by the way, it actually suits me. For those who do not get it yet, I can be PRETTY DUMB. Maybe dumb is the wrong word; it’s just that I am easily distracted and I forget – let’s say – a lot.
For instance, yesterday evening, I am on the verge of heading home after spending the evening at my boyfriend’s. We romantically, off course, say goodbye, and I told him, “When I’m home I’ll send you a text message to let you know I got home safely.” Yep, just as you will expect, I forget the moment I got home… It’s just that this really juicy nectarine was looking at me, and saying, “eat me, eat me.” I can’t help it, us girls just like our food in the evenings. However, my boyfriend didn’t forget, but luckily he wasn’t mad that I had.
Sometimes I think I have the sweetest boyfriend in the world, Yeah I do… You know, I haven’t even told you what this column is going to be about, no wait, I actually did in the first line. Aaah, I told you I was blonde!
Because I really am in need for a bath, this is where my introductory column will end. I hope you’re all desperate for more; I will try to make the next one more Dutch and less blonde! 
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