Day 15: Trip to Breda

Waking up this morning (okay, well at this point yesterday morning!) I looked out the window to see a fresh layer of snow upon the ground! "Finally". I had been expecting it to snow all week (according to Weather Channel.com).

Today I had planned to travel to the nearby town of Breda with my two travel pals, Bali (Singapore) and Mathea (Slovenia). This had been a long anticipated trip, as Breda is the town in the Netherlands with an IKEA! I've had a running list of things I need (okay, wanted) for my new room.

So we departed around 11am for the Tilburg West train station, a 5-minute walk from our Verbs apartments. The snow on the ground was too tempting, and we stopped for several minutes across the road to make snow angels and have a mini snowball fight. The "undisturbed snow" became a scatterplot  of footprints and angelic figures after we came across it.

We took the train to Breda, a 15-20 minute ride. It was nice to look out the windows of the train and see all the snowy fields, buildings and icy lakes...so much different than home! It was also nice, because the sun was out all day today, so it was relatively warm despite the snow!

After arriving at Breda, we visited the VVV (the Netherlands information center found in each city) nearby the train station, bought some postcards and got a map of the city. We headed toward the City Centre to take a look around. Breda is a quaint little town, known for its historic buildings (such as the castle) and nature. We first walked through a gorgeous park. Even though everything was covered in snow, it was quite a sight to see the expansive landscape, trees and wildlife.

Through the clearing, we came to the historic castle at Breda. Unfortunately, we were not able to enter it, as it is now a military academy. But, nonetheless, it was a sight to see! We also came across another magnificent Church (they seem to be plentiful here!) before stumbling upon the shops in the City's Centre. We roamed the streets for a bit and got a quick cup of coffee at the Netherland's version of Starbucks (at least according to us :-). Then we followed the street signs to the Breda Museum of Graphic Design. I really enjoyed this museum. It had some really fascinating history of graphic design in the Netherlands (in English as well as Dutch!) and gave me a new appreciation for the little things that I take for granite everyday, such as signs in the airport and grocery store logos.

We stopped in a few more shops and got a quick snack before heading down to our final destination and the highlight of our trip to Breda...IKEA!!! We took the bus to IKEA, since it is on the outskirts of the city, and it was snowing, and it was getting dark, and it was below freezing. We walked past yet another KFC and McDonalds on our way to the IKEA from the bus stop. It was so nice to be at IKEA. I felt like I was in Atlantic Station! Except I had been so excited all day to get a cinnamon bun at IKEA, only I realize that they do not make cinnamon buns at the IKEA in the Netherlands :-( This was a very upsetting realization, but we were able to find many of the things that we had wanted to buy at IKEA, so that made up for some of my disappointment! I purchased a small rug to jazz up my room and a pair of slippers.

Afterwards we headed back to the train station and our flats in Verbs. Mathea and I ran to Albert Heijn real quick and then joined Bali for some tasty (and warm!) pasta that she made for us. We have decided that we will take turns cooking for one another about once/week so we can enjoy each other's company and try each other's specialties! This should be interesting....

Tomorrow (actually today!) I plan on doing laundry, relaxing, attempting to jog/bike (in the snow), and  preparing for my first full week of classes in the Netherlands!

Day 11: Welcome to Holland!

And what a welcome it was!

I started the day off by cycling to my first class at Tilburg- Group Dynamics. Its a Psychology course that focuses on interactions, decision-making, motivation and behaviors of individuals and groups. A few of my international friends are in the class, and the professor is Japanese. Should be interesting!

This afternoon I relaxed for a bit, before heading over to my friend Daniel's where we painted our faces in preparation for the evening. Tonight was the first ESN Mentor Dinner in which two international students (or in this case the Dutch mentors) cook a meal for approximately 30 people (two ESN groups). I am in group number 12 and tonight we were paired with group 11. The theme for tonight's dinner was "Welcome to Holland". Everyone was told to dress like the Dutch (either in orange or the flag colors- red, white and blue).


The Dutch mentors cooked tonight to show us how its done, and made us a fine dish of sausage and stampot, a traditional Dutch dish made of primarily mashed potatoes and carrots and cabbage. It was delicious! We had Dutch pancakes (only difference from American is that they are much thinner) with apple syrup and powdered sugar for dessert. Yum!
 
Afterwards, we traveled (some by bike...others, like me, by bus....18 F is just too cold for a bike!) down to the LG for the weekly ESN dinner after-party. Tonight they were serving a special orange cocktail just for us....to welcome us to Holland!

Day 10: Errands & Some Fun!

Today's mission: obtain a cell phone!

I have been looking to purchase an inexpensive cell phone that will be compatible with the Lebara Mobile SIM card Tilburg gave us during Orientation. So far, all of the stores have said the cheapest phone they have is around 30-45 euros. Me, being the thrifty one that I am, decided to wait to find a better deal on a phone....and I did! I purchased one today in the Tilburg City Centre for only 15 euro! Its not glamorous by any means, but it will fulfill its necessary functions :-)

I had lunch in the FoodPlaza with some friends before heading to the City Centre with them. We roamed around for a bit, bought my phone, looked at some costume items for our upcoming theme parties, and went to see a movie at the Must See Cinema. I bought an adorable traditional Dutch mug (for hot coco on all these cold nights!) and some items for tomorrow night's party with a "Holland" theme.

We saw Sherlock Holmes in the club seating of the Must See Cinema. Club seating is a special area with couch seats, free beverages and a special entrance to the theater! It was pretty awesome! We really enjoyed it!

Tonight I will be attending a floor meeting with the others that live in my flat. I assume we will be hearing all about the "house rules" and getting to know one another better. Should be fun ;-)

Its also really cold! Today it didn't get above 32 F and right now it "feels like 21 F" according to the Weather Channel. Tomorrow its supposed to be in the 20's (feels like the teens)....CHLLY!!

Classes begin tomorrow...looking forward to it!!

Day 9: Trip to 's-Hertogenbosch

Its official: I have been in the Netherlands for over one week! I am loving Tilburg, Europe, and experiencing a new kind of life!

Sorry for my mini hiatus in blogging. Long story short, I went to ESN Introduction Camp over the weekend, where we had no internet access. The camp was supposed to go Friday-Sunday, but a couple of friends and I decided to leave early and come back Saturday evening (long story...will skip messy details :-). It was nice to get back to campus and relax for the evening. I tried my hand at cooking...I made some pasta! (Baby steps :-)

Since we had the whole day free today, my friends Mathea (Slovenia), Bali (Singapore), Daniel (Scotland) and I decided to make an excursion...my first travel of my semester abroad!! Bali had done some research last night (and talked to a Dutch flat-mate of hers) and discovered that the nearby town of 's-Hertogenbosch would be a nice place to visit for the day and take a walk through. So we set off for the train station around noon to take the train to 's-Hertogenbosch. It is only a 20-minute train ride, so we got there very quickly!

Last night it had snowed, so the ground, buildings and streets were covered in snow! We enjoyed walking around for a bit, exploring the city streets, stopping for mini snowball fights and taking lots of pictures! The buildings were beautiful- that distinct European style that you think of when you picture city streets in Europe! Although it looked much like the City Centre in Tilburg, it was nice to roam a new place. We walked for quite awhile before we discovered the way to the City Centre of 's-Hertogenbosch. In the Centre, we had a late lunch at this small bar/cafe called Opium...okay, it really wasn't that bad! It was actually pretty nice and quite inexpensive! I had a chicken/pesto/mozerella panini for 5 euro and a fancy hazelnut hot chocolate! It was delicious and warm (especially after walking through the snow).

After lunch, we crossed the road to see St. John's Cathedral. It was magnificent- just like one of those cathedrals out of my Art History textbooks! Then we headed back to an Art museum that we had passed on the way to the Centre. We explored it for a bit before it closed...it had some really intriguing Dutch art! Afterwards we set out to find The Chocolate Company, a small cafe serving hot chocolate and various Dutch chocolates that an American woman we had met recommended to us. It was great! We each had a steaming hot glass of hot chocolate, and we got to choose one of 44 flavors of chocolate spoons to mix into the steamed milk. I chose Apple Strudel...yum!

We walked back through the City Centre to the train station. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately!) the shops in the centre were all closed since it was Sunday, so we couldn't do any shopping :-( But it was a really nice afternoon with some new friends. On the train ride back to Tilburg, we chatted and planned some upcoming excursions. Next weekend, we are thinking Breda (another nearby town that has an IKEA), and the weekend after that Brussels! I am sooo looking forward to traveling!

Day 6: Thankful for Subtitles

"Everyone in the Netherlands knows English."

While this statement is (mostly) true, its still difficult sometimes living in a place where the primary language is not your native tongue. I recognized this tonight especially when we went as a group to the City Centre for a tour of the Centre, to meet the Mayor and to see a traditionall Dutch film, "Alles is Liefde" ("Everything is Love"). This film portrayed so many typical aspects of Dutch life. It was set in Amsterdam and the actors and actresses spoke in Dutch...but there were English subtitles! The movie was a lot like the American film, "Love Actually", but in my opinion, it was better.

Watching this movie with the subtitles made me think how odd it is to be in a place where pretty much everyone speaks another language....its like not being let in on one giant secret. Just motivates me to learn some Dutch whiles I'm here! Classes begin for me next week, and I'm really looking forward to them. Here is what I will be taking this semester:

-Dutch Language for International Students
-Theme: Dutch History, Culture and Society
-Organization Development
-Relations and Networks of Organizations
-Group Dynamics
-Social Cognition

Most likely I will drop Social Cognition, but I will go to the first class and see how it is. Six classes might be a bit much!

Tomorrow I leave for the weekend for ESN camp with many of the other international students. We will be going to a local farm retreat location, where there will be teambuilding activities and games....should be fun :-) But I most likely will not resume blogging until Sunday, so don't panic!

Almost forgot! Tonight I ate dinner at Subway! Good old American food :-) It was nice to have some home cookin'!

Day 5: Becoming a Dutchie

Today was all about becoming a true Dutchie:

1.) Applying for a residence permit- in just a few weeks, I will be legally living here!
2.) Getting a bike- now I can ride my bike to class, the market and the City Centre, which will make things much faster than old-school walking!
3.) Ending the night with a drink- definitely part of the culture!

It was nice to relx a bit today. We had a bit more downtime than the past few days, so I got in a quick nap and some time to myself! My friend Jae was kind enough to give me an extra outlet converter that he had, so now I have internet and computer access in my room! (Its a miracle :-)

Tomorrow we get an official tour of the city, as well as dinner and a movie in the Centre. I will also be registering for classes...yay!

I think I'm getting used to this whole "Dutch" thing :-)

Day 2.5, 3 & 4

Hallo! Mijn naam is Sarah. Ik kom uit Amerika.

These are a few phrases that I have been saying a lot over the past few days as I have gotten to know the other 150 exchange students at Tilburg University here for the semester. Okay, well, I haven't actually been saying all this in Dutch, but I have picked up a few words :-)

Sorry for the gap in blogging...two words: dead battery. But alas, my laptop has some juice and it should get me through this post at least....hopefully!

So I will pick up where I left off: day 2.5!

Sunday afternoon, we went to Cafe Phillip on Bus 130 to the City Centre. I learned that the daily bus pass is 3 euro,it only takes about 5 minutes to get to the Centre by bus, the Dutch listen to many American songs (like Lady Gaga and Kings of Leon) and that I have a preference for white wine! The drink was fun, and afterwards, some newly-met friends and I took a walk around the City Centre before heading to Stoffel (a smalll Dutch restaurant) for some supper. We had to ask the waiter for an English menu, as the items were all in Dutch (told you my Dutch isn't that good yet!). In the city centre, we saw the KFC and McDonalds that are loacted in Tilburg...much nicer than Amerika!

Monday morning we shared coffee together before our official welcome to the college as exchange students. Later, we were given a traditional Dutch lunch (where I had my first stroopwafel....omg, the best carmel deliciousness you will EVER try!) before heading out on a short tour of the campus. It was rather funny to be on the other side of the tour, as usually I am the one giving the tours (at ASC)! This was informative though, and made me feel much better about getting around on campus! Monday evening, we made the 2nd trip to Westermaarkt, a plaza of many shops about 0.5 miles down the road. Its really not a bad walk at all, and once I get my bike, I can cycle there in no time! We all went on a mission to get cell phones so that we can communicate with one another over here, but the Electronic store (Dixons) had already sold out for the day! (Come back tomorrow!) Monday evening, I joined my friends Bali (Singapore), Audrey (Texas) and Maddie (Texas) over in Verbs 90 (a flat two buildings down) for dinner. We fixed pasta in their flat's kitchen, and watched curiously as the Dutch students that live with them concocted an interesting dinner of kabobs! Bali was kind enought to let me use her internet for a few minutes before I headed back to Verbs 50 for the evening.

Today, Tuesday, we convened for coffee and then split into groups for various sessions. I was placed in the "Dutch Language" and "Culture Matters" groups. Both sessions were interesting, and I learned to be open-minded about other cultures and a few basic Dutch phrases! I'm still practicing that -g sound though...try this word: daag (umm, I don't know either!). We were given a 5 euro voucher for the cafeteria, so I took the opportunity to try a Dutch tradition: a fried fritter stuffed with cheese and meat....tasty! I have deemed the cafeteria food good, and plan on eating many meals there throughout the week, so that I dont have to cook for myself (call it lazy if you like!).

This afternoon I witnessed an interesting exchange, as several of my friends purchased bikes from an international student that was here last semester and was selling bikes other students had left behind. I am planning on buying a bicycle tomorrow from a girl I met on Facebook that was here last semester. I'm kind of nervous about cycling...I mean, people ride fast! I guess it will all work out! I also got down to the market this afternoon with a few friends to buy the things that we ran out of time for yesterday (essentials, you know...like a hairdryer and hangers!).

Tonight I met my mentor group, which is a group of 16 or so international students and three Dutch mentors that will convene on a weekly basis for dinner and an afterparty. My group is nice and diverse- there are people from Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden, Canada and Spain (to name a few). There is also another girl from Florida, who I will be pairing with to cook an American meal for the group in a few weeks. This should be interesting....we are planning on making hamburgers and mac 'n' cheese, but if you have any other suggestions, please let me know! We had dinner as a group at a restaurant in the City Centre- Drie Gezusters (Three Sisters), before heading to the LG- the night club where ESN will have after parties every Tuesday night after mentor dinners.

Tomorrow will be a long day of applying for my residence permit and getting classes and things all sorted out. But all is well so far. I am feeling settled and starting to plan my travels for the upcoming months...so much to look forward to!

Finally Here!

As most of you probably know (via Facebook ;-), I have finally arrived in the Netherlands!

I left the states on Thursday, flying from Philadelphia to London to Amsterdam. That was the easy part...

Once I arrived in Amsterdam, I had to figure out how to navigate the train system, pronto! Luckily, several other American international students and I had previously decided to ride the train together to campus (so that none of us had to learn it on our own!).

So picture this, five American girls (each with two 50lb suitcases + two carry-ons) purchasing train tickets (in euros!!), squeezing in the elevator to the train platform, and helping each other lift all of our luggage up two steps into the train (then another 5 steps into the seating compartment!)...It was humorous to say the least. Not to mention, we all had mega jet-lag, so we were super fatigued. Sounds fun, huh? But it was a good bonding experience, and allowed me to meet several other international students at Tilburg.

Once we got to the Tilburg train station, we were greeted by some very enthusiastic ESN (Erasmus Student Netwowrk) students, who helped us get ourselves and our luggage to campus. On campus, we checked in (handing over my passport for the ump-teenth time!), got our accomodation information, bank information, ESN activity informaiton, bought bicycles, and wrote a quick postcard to the family! Then we were swept away again by the vans to our accomodations.

I spent most of the day yesterday getting acquainted with my room and the common areas in our flat. I got everything unpacked and put away. The room is simple, but a nice size. I think I need to make a trip to IKEA, but that will have to wait a bit, as it looks like it might take awhile to get to the nearest one. Later in the afternoon, I met up with two other international students, Anti (from Greeece) and Jae (from S. Korea), to find someplace to eat lunch/dinner and to visit the supermarket for supplies for the weekend. I will be cooking for myself mostly while at Tilburg, so this trip was very necessary! We had a good time getting to know one another and learn a bit more about each other's cultures as we walked through the snow/ice together, avoiding the bi-cylcyers and attempting to figure out what various signs meant (as most everything is written in Dutch!).

Today I have been exploring campus and plan to attend the ESN welcome drink with other international and Dutch students later in the day. Tomorrow begins Orientation week, which should be an interesting variety of activities. I am looking forward to registering for classes, meeting more international students and learning more about the services and activities Tilburg has to offer.