No pain, no gain.

When I woke up this morning the last thing I thought was that I'd be spending 7 hours of my day to book ONE train ticket. Good thing only one of our 3 professors showed up for classes today because it gave us plenty of time to discuss our weekend plans. So-- Germany it was: we found train tickets and found an apartment for about 30 euros total per person for 2 nights... sounds sweet, right?

Well, the website to book train tickets was being really selective about everything-- who got to buy tickets, when they got to buy them, and what price they paid. We all expected to pay about 72 euros for a round-trip ticket, but some how one of our travelers got one for 66 (and I booked it for him! I'm such a good Samaritan). Then we got a few others tickets, but for some reason Karl and I could not get tickets... for 7 hours. We literally spent 5 hours straight trying to book tickets and could not get them. We tried everything-- different computers, different credit cards, different websites, even tried to get people in America to help! We tried to call on the phone, but no one would answer and there was a long wait to talk to a rep! Then, at rocket speed, we biked to the train station to try and buy tickets there, only to find out they don't sell international tickets there... yay. So we biked back to my house, ate dinner, talked about the crappy service, and then attempted again. Total  it took about 12 people, 9 computers, 7 hours, 40 minutes on the phone, and a very stern and stubborn Friesan to get it all done. Finally, Karl and I had booked train tickets to get to Germany. What a day... and now I have successfully shoved a weekend's worth of clothes, makeup, passport, camera, and money in my backpack and tomorrow we leave for Germany! Pray for us: we will need it!

Taking the advice I posted earlier: packing 1/2 the clothes I intended to and twice the money.

PS-- this is it for the weekend. No internet in Germany for me! Dag!

Putting Survival Dutch into Practice

Today after class we had to put our survival Dutch into practice by heading out in Zwolle to find a few locations, ask for directions/hours of operation/ordering food, and such. Without my "I'm learning to speak Dutch" pin I'm pretty sure every person would have just started speaking English to me, and I kind of wish they would have. Speaking another language in the context of the real world is so much harder than saying, "I would like to pay" in front of your struggling Dutch class classmates. But alas, I managed to order a hot chocolate and a muffin. :)

Sorry to disappoint, but that is about as interesting as my day was today. Not every day can involve cheese and stroep waffles though. :)

Tuesday is the New Friday

Today seriously felt like a Friday all day. A piece of me is thankful it isn't though, because our first full weekend adventure to a different country is supposed to happen this weekend and we are no where near ready for it, but right now it's looking like Belgium? Who knows. Everything changed here in a blink of an eye (especially the weather). Anyways, today wasn't all that eventful at school: Survival Dutch, Cross-cultural communication, cheese sandwich for lunch, and intro to our art class. After class we biked home and looked up some more stuff for trips. Good news-- Spring break flight got booked. From Barcelona to home is 30 euros! Now we just have to get to Barcelona. This is going to be the best Spring Break yet!

For dinner we had a sort of dinner party with our parents and their Bible study group. There was lots of really, really good food (most of it had bacon in it... mmm mmm mmm). One of the ladies asked us if we've noticed differences in the cultures and what exactly we had noticed-- mostly toilets, coffee, drinking, stairs, and small driving paths. After dinner there was coffee time, of course, but this one was a bit different than usual. Coffee was served during their Bible study. Unaware that I was kind of intruding on the discussion, I grabbed a chair and my coffee and joined in. About 40 seconds later I realized what just happened but knew it was too late to walk away. So, I did what Americans do best-- ate. Probably feeling inclined to include the American, the group informed me of the discussion: the difference between grace and mercy. Then I was put on the spot: what IS the difference? I was not expecting that one... so, I thought for a second, ate a little more, sipped my coffee, and then answered. To me, grace is something that is already present. Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. Mercy, however, is something we must ask for when we repent of our sins. Maybe that's completely wrong, but that's what it seems to be to me. I'm curious: what's the difference to you, followers? There was some more discussion in Dutch, and some translation: should it be easy to accept mercy? Again, what do you think? 

At first, I felt a bit awkward entering a Dutch Bible study, but I am actually glad I "intruded" the Bible study. What a wonderful thing, to be able to participate in a Bible study with a group of people who don't speak the same language as me? Another blessing. :)

Waking Up in Zwolle

So, Monday rolls around and the weekend has finally caught up to me. I tried to tell myself to go to bed on time Sunday night, but after hanging out with my host family, putting away laundry, and skyping my sister about her trip out here (yes, she and Nate are coming!), it was almost midnight. Then it took me a bit to fall asleep and before I knew it, it was 6am and my alarm went off... I threw my phone, went back to bed and re-woke up at 7:40am. I got ready, made lunch, grabbed my bike and took off. I asked LaRae if she thought I should wear rain pants but she said it wasn't supposed to rain. So, we met Lauren and biked our way to the bridge...where it began to pour rain. Note to self: LaRae is no longer in charge of weather forecasts. We showed up to class pretty wet-- a combination of rain and sweat, and sat through 3 classes.

After class, we began looking at where we wanted to travel. Long story short, travel planning is NOT that easy. There's so many places to go, so many sites to compare prices, and in the end, you still pay an arm and a leg. However, we got some rough plans figured out and are well on our way to a wonderful semester in a lot of wonderful places. 

After dinner LaRae and I went to a friend's to watch a movie. I wasn't planning on going because I wanted to fill out scholarships but alas, I joined. Another long story short, don't watch Braveheart unless you are wide awake and have 3 hours to focus on poor acting and a lot of fake blood. It was a decent plot, but I just really am not into movies that don't include Draco Malfoy (kidding, but not). 

At 10:40pm I arrived home and will literally fall asleep in seconds... so... DAG!

Sunday Funday!

9:30am-- Breakfast with the family. 10:35am-- walk to church (in the rain, or course) with the family. 11:00am-- church in a completely foreign language. Yes, we have an English Bible. Yes, we have a translation of the sermon. Yes, our host Dad fills us in on what is going on in church, but it's just really not the same. I'm sitting there trying to follow the sermon, but I'm also trying to learn Dutch as I go, resulting in a very frustrated and tired brain. I'm closing my eyes during prayer, but all I can think about is hearing the "Amen" so I open my eyes with the rest of the congregation and don't look like I've fallen asleep. I'm seeing these 3 beautiful babies get baptized but I have no idea what the pastor is saying besides, "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

Part of the journey of SPICE is challenging ourselves to be submerged in a completely different culture and learn and grow from them. If I don't understand 90% of what these people are saying, how am I supposed to grow? You take what you have been given and roll with the punches. You ask questions. You appreciate the fact that you can be in a country that allows you to worship freely with others. You recognize that not everything in life is going to be easy as pie and you go with it and make the most of it. I'm not going to lie; it's a bit of a struggle mustering up the same excitement to go to a church when I know only 3 people and about 5 words. Jennifer, get over yourself. How selfish of me to think that I'm not getting anything out of a time of worship on the Lord's Day. I am so lucky to be able to study in a different country and to live with a family that comes from the same religious background as I do. Imagine how much more difficult it would be if my "Sunday fellowship" was with nonbelievers or Buddhists?

We got home from church and had coffee and cookies with the family, made a sandwich, then took a nap. After our nap, we had soup and bread and potato salad for dinner (just like home). Then we had little mini pancakes (they have a name for these like pulfergees or something like that), followed by ice cream-- my sweet tooth was more than satisfied. Then our two host brothers that live in Zwolle came over for coffee and family time. It was so fun. Seriously, this family is giving my own a run for their money. We looked for our farm on the map, but only found the "village" of Orovada and so I showed them some pictures on facebook. We then spent the next hour or so looking at pictures, telling stories, drinking coffee, and eating more sweets. We also learned a joke in Dutch, but that is something I will have to impress you all with in person. Believe me, you will not be disappointed: if it's not funny, at least be impressed by the fact that I can tell a joke adequately in Dutch.

All in all, it was a great Sunday, regardless of the rain and language barrier. That's something that's going to take adjusting and time, but that's alright with me.

My Favorite is Gouda.

You know in the movies when you see the man chasing after the train because the woman he loves just left to start her life anew somewhere else? That happened to us today. Except there were 3 women on the train and 2 men and 2 other women chasing a train. The problem was, they didn't know which train the women they were seeking were on. So, they ran toward the correct one, second guessed themselves, and then got on a different train, only to sit in the luggage cabin. Meanwhile, on the train to Den Haag at 7:46am, 3 young women sat, waiting for those pursuing them to join them... and they  never did. So they sat on a train for an hour and 20 minutes, got off in Gouda and waiting for the others to (hopefully) arrive. Finally (2 minutes later) they were joined by their fellow travelers and they continued their journey.

However, before they sought out the cheese in Gouda, we were informed that the train incident was not the first travel dilemma on the trip. One of the boys who lives about 30 minutes (biking) from the train station had his bike break 3 times before he even crossed the bridge completely. So, he chucked the bike off the trail and ran the remainder 20 minutes to the station, to make it just in time for the train, only to find out that he had to run after a train 5 minutes later again. It's a good thing they did all that exercising though, because little did we know, Gouda is where tourists go to eat. When they say, "cheese and stroep waffle capital," they aren't kidding. Every Tuesday and Saturday they have a market in many of the towns, and there is cheese EVERYWHERE-- stroep waffles as well. We stopped at a bakery, ordered some baked goods, found freshly made stroep waffles that were the size of a salad plate and ate those, too. Later in the afternoon we returned to the market and bought hunks of cheese and walked around the city eating cheese. 

Before our return to the market, we explored the city a bit more-- found the city hall, a church built in the 1400's, and a windmill with the mill-man anxiously waiting to give a tour of his mill. Luckily one of the guys we traveled with spoke enough Dutch to understand and communicate with the joyful little old man as he gave a very thorough tour of the windmill-- including turning the windmill on. We climbed halfway and got an overlook of the whole city-- gorgeous. We then climbed the ladders to the top and looked out of the small open-air windows at the city. We made our way back down, took some more pictures, and then decided to make our way back to the train station to head to Delft (you know, that city that's famous for the blue pottery stuff).

When we got there, it was pouring rain, but that didn't stop us. We found a souvenir shop, did a little shopping, and then tried to climb to the top of a church but were informed it was closed for the wind. So, our handy tour guide Karl led us around the city to an old bridge that is the oldest remnant of the city entrance. We fed some ducks, took some more pictures, and then decided to get back on the train and find a place to eat dinner. We all ended up sleeping a bit on the train ride back and decided to just head back to Zwolle and grab something to eat there. We, again, visited our host brother's pizza place and ate some really good pizza and then headed our separate ways.

All around, I'd say it was a successful first day excursion and now that we've mastered the trains, nothing stands in between us and the rest of Europe.

Week 1: DONE!

Well, today marks 1 week of being in Zwolle. Today was a very long day: 3 classes-- Survival Dutch, Cross cultural communication, and Portfolio. It was a great day though. For dinner we met our host Oma and Opa who speak basically no English. I can't wait until I know more Dutch so that I can maybe communicate a little more with them, rather than just saying numbers and "eat well" in Dutch.

Tomorrow is our first excursion. I will post more about it later either tomorrow night when we return or Sunday afternoon, but we are visiting the city of Gouda (like the cheese). This city is famous for 1) their cheese 2) the stroep waffles and 3) candles. The original plan was to visit Den Bosch, a city that was once lower but was raised for some reason and now the old canals that are nowadays below the city feature a tour of the "city" underground. The tours don't run in the winter, so now we are going to Gouda. Here is a bit of information of the city of Gouda, but I will tell you more about it later.

http://www.holland.com/global/Tourism/Cities-in-Holland/Cities-in-Holland/More-cities/Historical-Cities/gouda.htm

I am extremely tired and have to catch a 7:46 train tomorrow morning, so I am going to go to bed. Slaap lekker!