After the end of the DLC program, I was sad to see all my new Californian friends leave. Everybody went traveling in Eastern Europe, France, Spain, and Portugal. Unlike the other students, I was stuck here for the week. I did manage a trip to Amsterdam for the weekend, but I had to return on Monday for an early 9 am meeting (which actually never occurred). Monday was a long day: all the new first year students and other exchange students gathered to listen to introductions and short speeches. Almost immediately they split us into groups, "families" of 10-15 people, led by 2-3 orientation leaders,"parents." Our parents were in charge of educating us on the ways and means of the school, as well as help us socialize. Unfortunately for me, socializing often involved smoking and drinking. Sitting in a room full of smoke was aggravating to my lungs, so I soon began excusing myself from parties in our parents' units. The other planned events were fun, but better suited for freshmen than a third year student. I enjoyed the city bike tour, led by our Dean, Prof. Dr. Rob van der Vaart. We saw the countryside, the marshy land right outside our campus, and the Univeristy Utrecht campus. Prof. vd Vaart even treated everyone to hot chocolate. It was a good introduction to riding a bike in the city, especially on nice rented bikes. We were also treated to an afternoon at the ice skating rink. We had to take two busses out to the industrial part of town. The ice rink had two rinks: one outdoors and one indoors. Having never really enjoyed skating in general, I wobbly made it around the rink once before retiring to the cafe for a hot chocolate. Karaoke night was the highlight of the week. I've only done Korean style karaoke, in the room with a small group of friends, never in a bar with everyone watching. I just sat back and watched because it was too daunting to perform in front of the crowd. The theme party: "Cowboys, Clowns, and Crazy Colors" was a total failure. Nobody came, the DJ was dull, and the atmosphere was really dead. Every nights' planned activities have concluded at the bar, which doesn't close unti 4 am. I do not have the energy to stay up that late, and I always left by 2 am, if I even bothered to go. The campus bar is interesting. It's run by students who bartend voluntarily and its only patrons are other students. Apparently the alcohol is cheap: one euro for a small beer. I've learned that I don't enjoy the taste of alcohol, so I'm not worried about wasting money at the bar...
Intro week came to a close with a half day trip to Amsterdam (which I opted out of, after visiting twice already) and a "jazz" night at the bar. "Jazz night" = playing jazz music on the stereo system. Rather dissapointig, after the many years of my brother blasting jazz music from his room.
Today was a lazy Sunday. Everybody was doing laundry today, and catching up with friends and family at home. In the afternoon Anne-Sophie and I helped Selma put together her bed in room. She brought a double sized bed and has furniture from home. I'm rather jealous because my room looks so bare compared to hers. She has a nice antique velvet plush chair and a cool paper latern light, and drawers to put stuff in. I have a lot of dead empty space, and nothing to put on the walls. :( Late in the afternoon I ventured out into the city on my new used bike. I didn't get a Dutch bike (too expensive) but rather a regular bike. It's just like mine at home, just a little rustier and more beat up. Anyways, I've ventured out into the city twice: once to go shopping, and today to go to the Dick Bruna Huis. It's a museum in the city center, which showcases the collections of Dick Bruna. Bruna is most famous for his character Nijntje (Miffy in English). The museum is really more for little kids: everything is plush, lower to the ground, and colorful. But that is how Bruna wanted to make Miffy: for children. I got in free with my museum card, so I had a nice free weekend adventure. There are many other museums nearby: Railway museum, Univeristy musuem, Centraal museum, and and the Cathrinje museum. If I have a non traveling weekend, I will definitely check out the other museums.
