WEEK ZES

Three weeks ago I went to Prague in the Czech Republic for my friend Alex's 21st birthday and I'm finally going to share how it went...

USC Girls at St. Vitus Cathedral

Our flight was at around 8 AM so we left our apartment around 5:30 for the train station.   After about 6 hours of traveling including a train, a plane, and a taxi we finally made it to our hostel, the Czech Inn.  This adorable hostel was filled with 30+ USC students studying abroad all over Europe, all in town to celebrate three girls' 21st birthdays.  We got lucky with our own spacious room with four bunk beds. 







As soon as we got there we grabbed a meal, got a tutorial on the tram system, and headed straight for the castle.  We explored the castle grounds and cathedrals, which are up on a hill overlooking the entire city.  The view was breathtaking:  

Maggie (studying in London) and Me at the Lennon Wall

After a million photos, we walked through the hillside and made our way to the Lennon wall.  It is covered in graffiti of symbols and lyrics inspired by the Beatles and John Lennon.   On our way back to the hostel we crossed the Charles Bridge as the sun was setting.  From the bridge you can see the both the city and the hillside with the castle on top with the water in between (one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen).  It was filled with vendors, street artists, and tons of tourists enjoying the view.   After a long nap, we had a fantastic birthday dinner for Alex and spent the night catching up with USC friends and celebrating her birthday. 

21!

Finally got a Kappa picture...

Beef Goulash with Dumplings!

The next morning I had a DELICIOUS Czech meal of beef goulash with dumplings.  It was even better than imagined, definitely an ideal meal for me.  We eventually made our way to the Old Town Square to watch the Astronomical Clock.  It was installed in 1410 and the oldest one that still works.  Every hour the clock changes, bells ring, and apostles are shown through a window at the top one at a time.  We spent the day outside exploring the city, and enjoying the great weather (our first bit of sunshine in a long time).   While Alex was distracted we bought her a slice of cake and discretely guided her to the bridge during sunset.  We sang her Happy Birthday and ate cake while taking in the view for a second time. 

Astronomical Clock

Old Town Square

Birthday Celebration on the Bridge

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to and I would love to go back one day.  Everything looked like it could be in Disneyland and the Czech were very friendly and helpful (and it's a lot easier to enjoy a city when you aren't freezing to death).  Since Prague, we have spent the last couple of weeks enjoying Amsterdam as the weather keeps getting better.  I leave for London tonight (for another 21st birthday celebration!), but promise to post pictures from the last two weeks and this weekend when I get back!

WEEK DRIE, VIER, VIJF

It has been nearly 3 weeks since I last posted.  So much has changed now that I have been in Amsterdam for over a month:  I no longer have to look up how to say the week numbers on Goodgle because I can count in Dutch and I have discovered the Stroopwafel McFlurry!  The last couple of weeks have been very cold and rainy (even snow!) and I desperately miss LA winters. Here's what I did:


The weekend after I last posted a bunch of USC students were visiting Amsterdam and I enjoyed hanging out with them and running in to more people than I wanted to see when we were out at night.  Other than that, it was a had week for me in school and spent a lot of time catching up on school work.

Frozen Canals in Copenhagen!

THEN, the next weekend we went on our first trip to Copenhagen, Denmark!  I traveled with two of my good friends from USC (Alex and Laura) and Alex's cousin Jeff who came to visit.  We took the train to the airport where they tried to tell me I had to pay to check my luggage.  She claimed that my luggage was too long and I had a hard time believing that after Dad bought me the supreme traveler's suitcase from Eagle Creek and I'm sure they knew the correct size a European carry-on had to be. Alex and I fought with the lady who finally said that I could take it on the plane and try it... it fit without a problem.  We got to Copenhagen in the late evening and instantly noticed the harsh cold weather and the surplus of 7-Elevens.  We walked straight to our hostel to put our luggage down and walked in search of food (I tried my first Shawarma and fell in love).  We fell asleep early to get ready for our big day of touring.  Saturday morning we got an early start and bundled up with two pairs of pants, wool socks, and every other layer we could think to wear.  It was so cold that the rivers were completely frozen with the boats still in them and after half an hour of walking your muscles would tighten, shortening your steps.  On our way to the Royal Palace we saw Christiansborg Palace where the Danish Parliament is held and stumbled upon the adorable street of brightly colored houses along another frozen canal called Nyhavn.  At each stop Jeff would take out photocopied Lonely Planet pages from his back pocket and read us the paragraph description of the monument we were taking pictures of.  Nyhavn is a common touristy area, but of course we were the only crazy people outside that day.  We stopped here for some Irish Coffee to warm up!

Christiansborg Palace - Danish Parliament

Nyhavn

Next we saw the Royal Palace where we took pictures with the guards and continued to Frihedsmuseet - the Museum of the Danish Resistance.  You really enjoy taking your time and reading every description at a museum when you are avoiding going back outside.  Close by was the famous Little Mermaid statue.  The Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen wrote the tale and the city is filled with small tributes to him.

Hanging out with Hans Christian Anderson

Me with the Little Mermaid statue

Our final stop that day was the Rosenborg Castle.  It was built in 1606 and has been left practically the same way as it was built and decorated.  We saw inside and also saw a bunch of artifacts from Christian IV and the royal treasures!

After our 6 hr walking tour of Copenhagen we went back to the hostel for a long nap then navigated the streets for local bars we could sit in and relax after out long day.

The Round Tower

Sunday morning we had to leave in the early afternoons so we got up early once again and after having a breakfast of "danishes" we headed to the Round Tower where we climbed to the top and saw the most beautiful view of the whole city!  Finally we walked to Christianshavn, which is a artificial island off of the city with lots of canals and a beautiful church.  It is supposed to have an incredible view, but the tower was closed for the winter.  The inside of the church was enough of a sight though and the giant organ was carved from wood with the most delicate details.

View from the top of the tower

The church in Christianshavn

more frozen water

Finally we headed back to the airport and back home to Amsterdam!

The next week I recovered from the long weekend and caught up on school work.  It snowed on Wednesday as I was doing homework at my desk with the view of the courtyard and I couldn't stop talking about it to my roommate and friends.  They laughed because its no big deal to them, but I've never lived in a place where it snowed.  

This weekend Laura and I visited the Albert Cuyp Markt, the largest flea market/farmers market in Amsterdam.  It was so fun and we had tons of good cheese samples and explored the different tents.  They have everything from produce and fish to clothing and wigs.  We went because we were told that they make fresh stroopwafels, which are Dutch cookies they sell everywhere.  They are two thin wafers with a maple-y caramel in the center.  We watched the man make them for a while, but decided to end our day with Pofferjes (the mini pancakes I wrote about last week) that were made right in front of us. 


That's it for now, but next week we are headed to Prague for our second adventure!





How could I forget to mention the many "Jensen" sightings around Copenhagen! I never forgot to tell the people I met (including 7-Eleven cashiers and the Pizza guy) that I was Danish and my last name was Jensen.  Here are a few...

WEEK TWEE

 Classes have officially begun.  I have class three days a week with Wednesdays and Fridays off.  I'm taking a Dutch Language and Culture class twice a week and three social sciences classes: Intercultural Communication, Ethnic Diversity and Popular Culture, and Introduction to Argumentation Theory.  So far they are pretty interesting and in small classrooms set up for student discussion rather than all lecture.  Two of my classes have the same professor and our final paper actually counts for both courses!  The grading system is set up in numbers here 1-10. A 10 is the highest, but is never given out and 9 is almost as rare!  The Dutch don't mind it though because their goal is to merely pass their class.  Those who actually make it to the universities are already a very tiny percentage of the population and with a degree they are already part of an elite group so they don't need to compete within that group.  Laura and I were talking to another student from Belgium who was astonished that we pass all four of our classes every semester.  She said that only the smartest students pass all of them and they are even given make up finals in August if they don't do well the first time.  We want the university to send a letter home to our parents explaining this.  We are trying to assimilate into this new culture and it is not Dutch to get perfect scores!

After my first week of classes three of our best friends from London came to visit! Jane, Maggie and Grayson flew in Friday afternoon and we met them at Centraal Station.  That we had a long reunion dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant and then explored Amsterdam.  Our guests were tired from a long day of traveling so we decided to sit and rest at a cafe in Rembrandtplein (Rembrant Square).  Little did I know that my life would be changed forever in a few minutes.  I picked the first thing I saw of the desert menu, a classic Dutch desert called poffertjes.  Poffertjes are similar to mini pancakes and usually come with powdered sugar, butter, and/or chocolate.  The order that was brought to me was smothered in a sugary butter and powdered sugar.  I cannot even describe how delicious these little pockets of heaven were.  I am tempted to call up one of my favorite shows "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on FoodNetwork and beg them to put these (and me) on the show.

The next day we went on a day trip with the CIEE program and explored the NDSM warf where a bunch of abandoned warehouses have been turned into studios for all types of artists.  We took a ferry there, had lunch, and endured extreme winds as we explored the area.  After the tour we ran across town to make it to the Heineken Brewery before closing! We learned how to drink beer correctly and went on a ride that shows the process of making the beer.  Laura and I were very excited to buy personalized engraved glasses (of course the gift shop conveniently located after the tasting room).

At the warf inside one of the warehouses.

Outside of the Heineken Brewery!

Sunday morning we first went to the Van Gogh museum, but of course stopped at the famous I AMsterdam sign for many photos.  Through my program have free access to all the museums!  Never thought I'd be so excited about that, but we are excited to save any money these days.  Euros just disappear.  That afternoon I had to do a group project and explore a neighborhood outside the city center.  My group was sent to the Bijlmer, which is a desolate area with many high-rise apartment buildings.  It was built to attract middle class families, but didn't do so well.  As the extreme winds continued, we wandered through the neighborhood and despite large amount of housing not a single person was outside. 

Group shot at the I AMsterdam sign. 

M for Maggie and Michelle

The only noteworthy thing so far this week would be my lunch today.  Alex and I started the day of on a bad note getting lost once again.  We finally found each other and were cranky and starving so we dropped in a little sandwich shop called Broodje Bert.  We saw the other customers eating what looked similar to a hamburger so we ordered it.  It came on a huge plate with an open baguette topped with lettuce, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and red peppers, an amazing seasoned mayo (and everyone knows how much I hate mayo) and these meatball sized patties.  The cook said it was beef, but it was no ordinary beef it was seasoned perfectly and super tender.  This can't even be categorized as a burger because it was so unlike anything I have ever tasted.  Alex and I talked about this hamburger for hours after we cleared our places (and I was just telling Mom how I didn't have much of an appetite here).  We decided that happy cows must actually come from Amsterdam.  Twice in one week I had meals that topped anything I had ever eaten.  Can't wait to bring all my visitors there!

WEEK EEN

Me and Alex at SFO ready to go!

This Tuesday, Alex and I boarded our KLM flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam the morning of Wednesday, January 26, 2011.  From the airport we took a cab straight to the housing office where we waited for our keys and housing contracts.  Alex and I were placed in different dorm so I had to grab my own cab and was dropped of at the corner of Prins Hendrikkade 189 with no idea where to go from there. Finally someone came out of the courtyard and pointed me to the right direction to my room, but of course there was no elevator.  All on my own I had to push two large 50 pound suitcases, my carry-on, and my full Longchamp up a narrow staircase to the third floor.  There was nobody around and rule #1 about traveling is never to leave your belongings alone (and I was convinced I would be the one to get their suitcases stolen with my luck) so I had to push one suitcase up a few sections, turn around and run down the stairs and pull the next one up until I finally reached my room exhausted and had 15 minutes to get ready for orientation.  That day we met everyone in our CIEE program that is half USC kids and then students from small colleges all over the US.  After giving us Dutch phones and brand new bikes (with the most complicated lock system I have ever seen) they took us on a night canal tour and we got to see our first glimpse of the city all lit up.

Thursday and Friday continued to be packed with orientation activities including the orientation for the International Student Network for the University of Amsterdam (or UvA) where we met students from all over the world.  My group visited a flea market and toured the Royal Palace. 

Saturday was the first free time we had and a small group of us ran to the Dutch version of Target called Hema where we bought things we needed for our rooms.  My front door opens to a small hallway with two single rooms, a small kitchen with a stove top and fridge, and a bathroom.  My room is bigger than my room at home and looks out onto the courtyard where all the bikes are locked up.

My desk and view of the courtyard.

My bed and bookshelf.

After Hema we had traditional Dutch pancakes at the Pancake Bakery and they were incredible! They are more like giant crepes with any toppings you can imagine.  I had bacon, cheese and mushroom. 

Me, Laura and Drew at the Pancake Bakery.

Saturday night I went to a Burlesque show with a few international students and my friends from USC Alex and Laura, but it was not at all what we expected and ended up being a bizarre kind of improv show... we had fun anyway.

Sunday Laura and I met Alex and our friend Drew in Dam Square, which is where the Royal Palace is along with a lot of shopping and the most beautiful mall you will ever see.  We were proud to get there without looking at a map once! We spent most of the day exploring the center of the city.  Amsterdam is one of the quietest places I have ever been with only the occasional ambulance that sounds more like an ice cream truck than an emergency.   Later, we bought groceries at the main Dutch chain Albert Heijn which has everything you could imagine and tons of already prepared food (chopped vegetables in a bag or chicken that is already seasoned and cut) that you can just throw on the stove.
 

Alex and Laura with Albert Heijn bologna that has cartoon faces on it.

So far I've learned a few things about the Dutch:

1. They are the tallest people in the world. I didn't notice it until we were told this as a fact and now I can't stop being amazed at how many of them tower over us, including the women (who look like they could be in the WNBA).

2. A 10% tip is considered more than generous!  Its really nice to be paying almost exactly what the bill says. Most people just add a couple euros or round up the change for smaller bills.

3. Dutch men are very standoffish and do not approach women the same way other European and even American men do.  One of the program leaders asked out her boyfriend twice before he finally answered with a "fine."  And they also don't really rush into marriage, if they get married at all.  The leader I mentioned has been dating her boyfriend for 10 years and they don't know if they even are considering marriage.

4.  The Dutch saying that is the title of this album is directly translated into "That breaks my wooden shoe!" which is their equivalent to the American saying "Well I'll be darned!"   Its funny to see how much an expression can change with the cultural differences, but still mean the same thing.