I have been here two weeks already! Some lovely people have requested my address, so if you'd like it send me a private message on Facebook and I'll give it to you!
My most recent accomplishment has been riding "my" bike to and from school every day for the past week and a half! It's five miles one way, which means when I arrive at school around 7:45, I have gotten more exercise before 8AM than I usually do in a
This weekend I was mistaken for a Dutch person! They tried to ask me for directions, I think. Whenever people on the street talk to me in Dutch I say "I'm sorry?" in the most American accent I can muster and that seems to work. They usually switch to English with no hesitation.
The weekend before last I went to Antwerp, Belgium. (which I fondly call Antwerpin'...get it!? like Twerkin'?!) I went with two friends from UWRF and a new friend from Ohio State. They are all here with COST (Consortium of Overseas Student Teaching) as well, teaching in different areas of the Netherlands. In Antwerp I got my first taste of the nightlife. We may or may not have found ourselves in the Red Light District. It wasn't very exciting, more surreal. Anyway, you know how in the US when women go out they sometimes wear low-cut shirts? Well that happens in Belgium, except its the men. There were so many deep vee tees and unbuttoned shirts. As a lady of shorter stature, there was chest hair everywhere I looked. Bars and clubs don't close until after 4AM and by that time you're hungry so of course you have to stop and get Belgian fries. Most people know that I have an affinity for French Fries, so these thick cut fries with any sauce imaginable was a dream come true. Of course, we also did touristy things like visiting cathedrals and an awesome museum with a panoramic view on the roof. We also went to the "Bird Market." I know what you're thinking and yes, there were birds there. There were birds for sale from roosters to cockatoos, as well as bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, and mice. I pet every single one of them. It was hard for me to resist purchasing a travel companion, but I was soon distracted by the delightful food smells wafting from the next street. One cannot leave Belgium without partaking in a Belgian waffle and let me tell you, it was magical. Whipped Cream, Powdered Sugar, and Strawberries.
Ah. Yes. It's not really that interesting of a story, but it was in Belgium that I convinced two Dutch guys that I was from the UK with my English accent from Acting 2. David Allen Stern would be so proud. There's probably one person who will read this and know what I'm talking about. *ahem*LISA*ahem* They demanded proof that I was indeed American.
Since this is supposed to be a blog about my teaching experiences, I guess I'll include some of those.
My name can be tricky. I've gotten Ms. Obstacle, as well as Ms. Stop-Over. I give them credit for trying? Then there's the ones who think they're clever and have found me on social media. They tried to call me Brittany...once.
Before I got here, most people I spoke with said that my experience here would probably be better than the US because European students are so much more disciplined and respectful. Let me tell you, they are European but they are still kids. They like to talk and goof around. Sometimes they forget their homework or just don't do it. No matter what country they're from, 10-14 year olds are pretty consistent.
My students LOVE One Direction! Obviously the girls are a little more vocal about it than that guys, but that's probably just because they're jealous. I told one of the first years that I didn't know a lot about them, so she spent the next ten minutes telling me everything I need to know. Good news! I now have a favorite one. It's the one pictured below. I have been informed that his name is Zayn. It brings me back to the good old days of my obsession with N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
Last week, one of the classes was listening to a recorded dialogue. In the dialogue, an individual from the UK made a comment about an American exchange student being a "stupid foreigner." This was met with shouts of "That's discrimination!" and various other dissenting opinions. My favorite was "That's not true! Americans have swag and can do what they want!"
Finally, I posted this on FB earlier but I wanted to share it here too.
Today, one of my students here in the Netherlands asked, "Is there racism in America?" I wanted so badly to tell them that my home is a place where equality reigns. Some day, I hope the answer to that question will be a definite "No" but today it was not.
I'm pretty sure I remembered everything I wanted to include.
BYE!
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