August 2007

This last week, classes started. Everything I heard was just introduction and all seems nice. I take a course in Italian, 2 sociology courses, on Psychology and an economics course. Specially the psychology, sociology and the Italian courses seem very interesting.

On Thursday I went for a drink after climbing in a hall were it was even worse in temperature then outside! On Friday I went with an American girl to another climbing wall off campus. That was nice, though small compared to Nijmegen. It’s funny cause I’m one out of maybe 5 girls who are climbing, and I’m very good compared to them. So…. the guys are impressed as well as the girls. Although, I don’t think I’m good. TO find the routes is a funny experience. They don’t make them by grip colour, but they stick some colored tape under the grips: for instance: purple. Then you have to follow the purple tape. Which is annoying due to the fact that the tape is usually under the grip…After Friday I was broken: my whole body was hurting cause off (predictable) I did too much. On Saturday I did pretty much nothing…. laundry, pool, study. In the evening I went to my American buddy with a Spanish and french friend. We went to her house and had some drinks: they were very nice.

On Sunday we went with a big group, including my Mexican sister, to a big house at the lake. That was incredible!!! We went on a speedboat and with a tube behind it with 3 people. That was a lot of fun. Then, 2 boys and off course I (who else?! I can’t let me beat myself by some guys) jumped of a cliff from 15 meters.

After this ”cool” experience, we had a bb (with veggie burgers indeed!) and back home. Now, today it’s time for a serious study week, although with some relaxation time in between: a diving course, climbing, boxing and so on.

Next weekend, we are planning on going to Atlanta with a big international group. THe monday after it’s labour day, so no classes. There is a jazz festival there and so we will probably have a lot of fun!!!

Well, that’s it for the update. Pics are coming, but it will take some time.

Rridy ai ho,

Here I’m at Knoxville Tennessee! After I left Chicago I went to Memphis by train, which took me 10 hours. I arrived early in the morning and went to my hostel. After, I went into the city, though it was incredibly hot: 40 C! I went to the civil right museum next to the old hotel were Martin Luther King was shot on the balcony. We could see his old room even! It was quite interesting to see the history of the civil rights acts and so on. After I went to Beale street: the street were everything happens: BBkings club, elvis all over and so on. This week Elvis died so there must be a lot of crazy people there around. I went to the ROck and Soul museum. That was interesting as well: you could listen to the history of blues, jazz and rock and listen to loads of songs! That’s so nice!

Anyways, the next day I got a ride to the bus station of a friendly local guy cause the public transport in other city’s then Chicago suck big-time so you can wait for 1 hour.

I went by bus, which took me another 10 hours, to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

I met there my temporally roommate, a French girl and in the other room there’s a dutch girl and an Italian girl! So, I can already practise my Italian!

This week, all the introductions about the uni, sports, and so on are being followed by all the international students, around 200 of them! We go out for dinner every evening, playing pool, drinking and so on: which is nice of course. Sports is for free here for us: they have a big swimming pool outside which is convenient with this weather (40), a climbing hall, 2 gyms, tennis lawns, and so on. All the trips outside for climbing, rafting and so on costs nothing so I can go many times: I will come back probably amazingly strong! The city center is quite some miles away from here and fresh food they don’t have here. In all the restaurants it is hard to eat vegetarian, and as you can assume: everything is fat and greasy. So I must cook myself anyway instead of taking a meal-plan. We, with some other international students, will go every week to some shopping mall to buy our own food and go cooking. But first we must arrange a car from our national buddy’s or roommates.

Anyway, all the people here are nice, although I miss of course Maxi waxi, but I can practice my Italian with the Italian girl, some Spanish guys and of course with the course.

gr

I’m in wonderful Chicago!

Yes people, finally I’m here. After all the hassle and problems in the Netherlands around visum forms and so on, I arrived without any problems.

My sister has had the weird idea of, that in the envelope with my passport and visum, there was only the passport. Which wasn’t true cause there was another paper attached to the passport which is the visum form. So, she tore apart the envelope and this had the result that also the form was torn. PROBLEM! I called the embassy in a little panic attack. They told me: yes, it’s a big problem. So I called my exchange programme people in Washington DC. They would send me another original. That didn’t came until Tuesday, 2nd of august! At least, I thought because it already arrived on Friday the 27th of July. But not at my sisters house, no at the crazy man downstairs. He never told us. So, I rang the bell on Tuesday, but he had one of his crazy moods so he wouldn’t open. I called the people who take care of him (thuiszorg) but they couldn’t come. The best idea for them was for me to call the police!!!! Amazing: the POLICE! So, at 4 pm a police man on his motor came. Had a talk for half an hour with the crazy old man, and could finally come into his house to get my visa form! So, everything arranged, though I was still a little nervous about Chicago: what would they say when they see the form is torn apart?! I arrived at 1pm on Sunday the 5th in Chicago after filling out some forms and having some interviews. The visa was ok! Amazing! It was just okay!

Anyway, Chicago is nice and relaxing! I have a jetlag, but with the weather itsn’t getting any better. It’s 34 c and freaking humid. Let me say: I don’t see the sun, but it’s hot! At around 6pm it’s becoming dark. But, the city itself is nice: people are polite and friendly, and the lake is amazing!

Today I will go to the beach, see a little of the city and going to a film festival in the evening. On Thursday the 9th I will go by train to Memphis, (10 1/2 hours) stay there for one day and then going to Knoxville (8 hours) because I must be there on Sunday.

I miss max; would like him to be with me, which is normal. It’s the other way around as well, but we stay in touch: love SKYPE!

So, my brief updat stops here, cause it’s already 10 am and I want to do something!

Cheers!

fien