Amsterdam (day late, no internet)

I just got back from my 4 day trip to Amsterdam. It was a mandatory excursion planned and guided by Emerson. 5 museums in 3 days… a lot to take in but most of them were really interesting!

Friday morning was a early bus ride into the city, followed by a tour of Amsterdam with one of the professors, who treated the group to coffee, and then the Rijks Museum (lots of art and a boring tour guide). Friday night we were free to explore, so a group of friends and I hit up a Coffeeshop and then walked through the Red Light District. Woahh. I’d heard it was barely-clad women in windows but I hadn’t fully mentally prepared myself for… barely-clad women in windows. You don’t fully experience Amsterdam if you don’t visit a Coffeeshop and the Red Light District!

Saturday started off with the Amsterdam History Museum, which was a good mix of art and interesting history and a more-in-tune-with-her-audience tour guide. We saw some drinking glasses that had a built in drinking game! You spun the windmill and a clock hand rotated to different numbers- the number it landed on was the number of glasses you drank! After a yummy lunch with Pat and Emily at a small pizza place (with a giant “individual” pizza!), we were split into groups to visit different museums. I was fortunate enough to go to the Van Gogh museum… I absolutely loved it. I got to walk around on my own exploring his works from the beginning (lots of darker colors), through his pointillism experimentation (pastels, what?), his time in Paris, and time in the asylum. It was incredible to see how his work changed over time. I’ve never been a museum-loving person but I LOVED this. I would go back in a heartbeat. Saturday night consisted of a group at a pub for a few hours, followed by a crazy (and crazy expensive) club called Escape. So much dancing, so much fun!

Sunday, our last official day with the whole group, began with a small(ish) group trip to the Anne Frank House. I am SO thankful I made it there on this trip. A sobering and emotional morning that I wouldn’t give up for anything. I thought about my cast from high school, and wished they were there to experience it with me. You get to walk through the empty hiding places (Otto wanted it to stay empty- as he has returned to it), saw the pictures Anne had posted on her wall to make it more interesting, saw Anne and Margot’s heights marked on the wall through the 25 months they were there. That was spooky- I was staring at the lines for Margot, straight in front of me at eye level. As I walked outside, the church bells that Anne heard and commented on in her diary rang. Eerie moment.

After that we were free to explore and make our way back to the Castle. I’d made arrangements to stay an extra day with Sean and Christina, so we got lunch and hit up the foam, a photography museum. It featured American photographers, which was weird to look at from a European perspective. Really interesting though, and found a few I think Dad would like. Sunday night the three of us had dinner at a really cute, quiet hipter-esque place run by students with really good food. Early night in with picture-taking and “I Amsterdam” the next morning before finishing up with some last-minute shopping and heading back to the Castle. We navigated our first city on our own!

Photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/olivia_moriarty/

Classes and Planning, Planning and Classes

Things I learned about European schooling:

• Teachers swear a lot. Heard "asshole" from one professor about 10 times, "bullsh*t" from another 6 or 7 times, and I swear he said something involved both the F word and sh*t again...
• Apparently, American students respect teachers way more than European students
• Dutch students don't like hanging out with American students because after 2 hours Americans get too drunk and throw up and can't hold a conversation. #thanksguys

That's kind of it. But it was fun to learn.

Classes were good! I can tell I'm really going to like World Drama. The professor reminds me of a professor back home, Eric Weiss, whom I love. And I get to do a presentation of whatever I want for the class as an introduction of myself, something I do well, so I decided I'm going to sign a song in ASL. Yay!

I'm finally planning trips and buying tickets and booknig hostels! It's exciting and taking some stress off now that I actually have things booked with people I like. Here are the plans thus far:

• Amsterdam this weekend for the group excursion
• Bruges
• London (4 days 3 nights!)
• Dusseldorf?
• Staying back to explore the beautiful country I'm in and see a play for World Drama.
• Spring Break: Madrid, Barcelona, Marrakech
• Valencia with my best friend to see my family!!
• Paris? (Oh, it's definitely happening, no worries)
• Italy?
• Prague

Long update. First acting class tomorrow! ... And American Night at the Linden! ;)

Orientation Day 2

Hello!
After 12 hours of much needed sleep last night, we had breakfast at 8:30, followed by info sessions about travel, general rules, bikes, laundry and the computer lab. I went back to the store "Everything Under One Roof" today to get the hairdryer that I forgot yesterday. They literally have everything! From kids' toys to toiletries, cards and school supplies to power tools and house paint. It's crazy.

The food is nice, just a bit different, which I'd expected. Some friends were saying that they heard horror stories, but nothing is as bad as what they were expecting. For breakfast AND for lunch they serve bread, meats, cheeses, fruit, yogurt, granola and cookies. Then for lunch they add in things to make a salad or sandwich with. And fried eggs. I used to be a person that really needed breakfast food before I could eat anything else - regardless of the time of day I got up, I needed cereal or a bagel before I could eat "lunch" food. Guess that's a habit that will not continue. All for the better.
Dinner last night was great: potatoes, broccoli and chicken... and at lunch we saw some sort of chocolate batter being made for tonight... perhaps cake? Yum!

Also, I had my first taste of Stroopwafel yesterday. It's the food that I'd heard about from my freshman year at Emerson... it's amazing! Perfect textures and taste! Words can't describe... but if you're lucky, family, I'll bring some back for you!

Starting to seriously think about booking trips, having just gotten back from the travel meeting. Time to plan!

Room photos!

View from the window of my room of Main Castle and the central courtyard, and the empty suite before we unpacked. No lofted beds! Floor space! Super lumpy pillow, though.

Bus Video

Patrick and I on the bus from the airport to Castle Well! Delirious at what was 2am for us.

Arrival!

I am currently typing this from my room in the "New Wing" of the VB (Voorburcht) in the Kasteel Well, The Netherlands. Christina and I have the BEST view- right in front so we can see anyone entering the castle, and a view of the center courtyard and the Main Castle. It's been a whirldwind of luggage, walking and waiting since about 2pm today back at Emerson's Boston Campus. I'm absolutely exhauseted because my body thinks it's 7am, and I've been up for 23 hours now. I'll post some pictures (maybe on my flickr?) and videos soon. Time to unpack and shower! Tour of the grounds and the village in a few hours, followed by dinner tonight. I can't believe I'm living here for the next 3 months. This is going to be an incredible experience, and I can't wait to share it with some of my closest friends.