As you may have noticed, there's not a ton of pictures that I can put up on here. Due to that, I've created a Shutterfly website, where people are able to view ALL my pictures, make comments, etc. These will be the same pictures that are up on Facebook - so this is mainly directed at those who don't have access to my Facebook pictures.
The website is: http://studyabroadthroughpictures.shutterfly.com/
BUT - you may have to get an email invite from me to be able to access the site, I'm not sure. If this is the case, please email me at vosex007@umn.edu and I'll make sure to send you an invite. I'm not sure of who all is interested in viewing this site, or email addresses of said people, so if you are interested, please don't hesitate to email me!
On a side note - I'm in the process of planning my first trip! The plan is to head to Paris next weekend...from early Sat morning until mid-day on Monday. More details to come, but looking into hostels and train tickets today. Can't WAIT!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Fortification and Exploration!
Today I took a tour of the fortifications (tunnels) that surround Maastricht. The city was a great location to cross the Maas river, so 
enemies tried to invade the city frequently. We toured the tunnels and got a bit of a neat history lesson. The tunnels were built as far back as the Roman empire...and have been expanded on for centuries as the city grew. We toured the tunnels that were built more recently - in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were even used during the World Wars, as safe havens during air raids. They were also used during the C
old War as bunkers to hide in from chemical weapons etc. Was very neat! The tunnels were about 5'5" high, so everyone was ducking - haha, except me! Yay for being short!! I've included a picture from the tour.
Then, my friend Carolyn and I (she goes to school with me at the U) decided to explore Maastricht a bit more. We wandered around, glancing at the map only once. We went in lots of the little shops, including a pastry shop. She got a delicious waffle that's covered in powdered sugar, and I got a round puffy pastry with chocolate on top. As I bit in for my first bite, I discovered it was FILLED with cream, as it basically exploded. Had cream and chocolate from my chin to the bridge of my nose. Haha, not hard to picture. I'm sure to all the other customers I must be quite the amateur. There has got to be an easier and less messy way to consume a cream filled pastry. I just laughed and continued to eat, having to stop frequently to wipe the cream and chocolate from my face. But it was worth it.
We explored a bit more, looking into some shoe shops, some floral shops, and a cheese shop. We asked for a tasty Dutch cheese and got a few slices to take with us. We also stopped in a bread shop and got a roll for each of us - to eat with our newly purchased cheese. We walked around a bit more, but as it had started snowing (and we were pretty chilled), we headed home.
We met some more exchange students in the lobby of our dorm building where we'd hoped to eat our little dinner. We ended up learning how to play euchre - which was quite fun. We lost, but I feel it may be the first of many games to come. It's very similar to pfeffer or hearts, with two teams of two who sit across with one another. I then headed back to my room to relax for a bit. [Still no roommate.]
The plan is head out to a pub later tonight for a few drinks with some other exchange students...but as many people have been out for the past few nights, tonight should be pretty relaxed. More to come tomorrow - as I'm attending a traditional Dutch buffet dinner. I'm sure I'll have lots to report about the food, and pictures of it possibly too.
**Sending birthday wishes to a Miss Marcy Koch back in Mankato, all the way from Holland! :)
enemies tried to invade the city frequently. We toured the tunnels and got a bit of a neat history lesson. The tunnels were built as far back as the Roman empire...and have been expanded on for centuries as the city grew. We toured the tunnels that were built more recently - in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were even used during the World Wars, as safe havens during air raids. They were also used during the C
old War as bunkers to hide in from chemical weapons etc. Was very neat! The tunnels were about 5'5" high, so everyone was ducking - haha, except me! Yay for being short!! I've included a picture from the tour.Then, my friend Carolyn and I (she goes to school with me at the U) decided to explore Maastricht a bit more. We wandered around, glancing at the map only once. We went in lots of the little shops, including a pastry shop. She got a delicious waffle that's covered in powdered sugar, and I got a round puffy pastry with chocolate on top. As I bit in for my first bite, I discovered it was FILLED with cream, as it basically exploded. Had cream and chocolate from my chin to the bridge of my nose. Haha, not hard to picture. I'm sure to all the other customers I must be quite the amateur. There has got to be an easier and less messy way to consume a cream filled pastry. I just laughed and continued to eat, having to stop frequently to wipe the cream and chocolate from my face. But it was worth it.
We explored a bit more, looking into some shoe shops, some floral shops, and a cheese shop. We asked for a tasty Dutch cheese and got a few slices to take with us. We also stopped in a bread shop and got a roll for each of us - to eat with our newly purchased cheese. We walked around a bit more, but as it had started snowing (and we were pretty chilled), we headed home.
We met some more exchange students in the lobby of our dorm building where we'd hoped to eat our little dinner. We ended up learning how to play euchre - which was quite fun. We lost, but I feel it may be the first of many games to come. It's very similar to pfeffer or hearts, with two teams of two who sit across with one another. I then headed back to my room to relax for a bit. [Still no roommate.]
The plan is head out to a pub later tonight for a few drinks with some other exchange students...but as many people have been out for the past few nights, tonight should be pretty relaxed. More to come tomorrow - as I'm attending a traditional Dutch buffet dinner. I'm sure I'll have lots to report about the food, and pictures of it possibly too.
**Sending birthday wishes to a Miss Marcy Koch back in Mankato, all the way from Holland! :)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Maastricht = stamina
This one will be short (as it's 2:30 AM), but needed to jot down a few notes on the day. First, people here can stay out until the sun rises. It's INSANE! We went out on a pub crawl with all the new 
exchange students as part of our "Introduction Week Activities" and we left early at 2:00 AM. It was a great chance to meet people though!! I've meet many people from Finland, met some new friends from Scotland, some Australians, some people from Sweden, Spain, and Portugal as well as people from other states in the U.S. (mainly Indiana, Florida and Texas).
It was a great day to meet people as the majority of the day was orientation for all the business exchange students, and tonight the pub crawl was also attended by 80% of all the exchange students. I now am actually looking forward to classes starting! More to come tomorrow!
**Friends pictured above are (from left to right) from Texas and Scotland
exchange students as part of our "Introduction Week Activities" and we left early at 2:00 AM. It was a great chance to meet people though!! I've meet many people from Finland, met some new friends from Scotland, some Australians, some people from Sweden, Spain, and Portugal as well as people from other states in the U.S. (mainly Indiana, Florida and Texas).It was a great day to meet people as the majority of the day was orientation for all the business exchange students, and tonight the pub crawl was also attended by 80% of all the exchange students. I now am actually looking forward to classes starting! More to come tomorrow!
**Friends pictured above are (from left to right) from Texas and Scotland
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Successful Errands!
Today I had a lot I wanted to accomplish, as I didn't get as much done yesterday. I wanted to go back to the grocery store and 
purchase more food (this time I brought my backpack! DAH HA!) and I needed to get a cell phone that would work with my free SIM card. The SIM card is what makes the phone work, and then all you do is put 10 euros worth of minutes on at a time. They call this, "topping up". I have yet to figure out exactly how to 'top up' but will ask my friends here who already have phones. It's so nice to know that I have a phone on me as I'm walking around. :) I also had to get my photo taken for my resident visa card. I found the little photo shop, and they directed me to the photo-taking area. I was in and out in about 5 minutes. Nice!
So after my success with the phone and photo, I felt I deserved a little treat before heading to the grocery store. I stopped at a little bakery across the street from the Guesthouse. I asked what they recommend and the girl who helped said I HAD to try this particular pastry. It was DELICIOUS!!! It was a flaky puffed pastry crust that was covered entirely on the outside with cream, which had also been covered in little nuts. On the top was meringue with sprinkles. Inside was a different cream surrounding fruit! And the fruit was not what you'd expect, it was a large purple grape, a large green grape, banana slices, an orange slice and a slice of melon. OH MAN! So good. SOO good. I may become a regular customer! I've included a picture above so you can see it!
So - off to the grocery store. I still couldn't figure out how to weigh the veggies and fruits, the little weighing computer was all in Dutch, so I figured I'll wait and go with my friends later this week and we can all figure it out together. I bought more bread, some Brie cheese, some meat that looked like ground beef (I guess we'll see when I cook it later!), more noodles and spaghetti sauce, some yogurt, some milk (though I'm not sure what kind of milk it is, so I got a little one to taste test it out), cereal, more applesauce and some spices. Should be good for the next few days! The grocery store is attached to a mall, so today I wandered around more than I did yesterday. I found a store that sells candles - so I bought some to make my room a little more cozy. (A trick I learned from my new Finnish friends!) I then found a store where I could buy pens and paper - as up until now I haven't had anything to write with!!! I also got some towels to use in the kitchen area. And then - I headed home. SUCCESS!!!
I've heard my top ten fun facts went over well last time, so here's a new one:
1) If you don't like clowns, Carnaval is NOT for you! It's in about two weeks, and all the shops decorate with pictures of clowns. It's a celebration of fools, so clowns are the go-to picture I guess. Everywhere are clowns dancing, singing, jumping, pointing at you...I don't mind clowns, but was getting mildly weirded out.
2) In January you may wonder why Holland stores are selling Halloween costumes. They're not for Halloween, but for Carnaval! Everyone dresses up, in costume, with feather boas, with beads, with face paint, with ANYTHING apparently.
3) If you can pay with coins, DO! There are $1 and $2 coins, and whenever possible, the shop clerks will ask if you have coins. I'll have to get quicker at pulling them out and sorting through them.
4) When you get your picture taken for an official document, in Holland you don't smile. I sat for my Visa picture, and smiled (like normal) and was told, 'close your mouth.' (I was thinking, what the heck?!?! Fine!!) And then was told, 'you can smile a little, but no teeth.' How boring.
5) Holland does not believe in sheets. You have the bottom sheet that goes around the mattress, and then a duvet. There is no middle sheet. Trust me - I've looked.
6) At night - the goal of these bars is to get as many students in them as possible. For instance, at the pub we were at last night - Tequila shots were 1 euro. Students love their discounts! As soon as we walked in, you could tell the international students were taking advantage of that special.
7) Holland doesn't think males and females should have their own shower rooms. We all share one room - though each shower stall firmly locks and you can't see into them. Still - that was a little strange.
8) Escalators in the mall are set at about a 30 degree angle and are flat. This way, you can push your cart up and down the escalators. Way cool. I may push around a cart just for the fun of using it on the escalators.
9) When you see a shop labeled Brasserie, no Mom - it's not for bras, but for eating. It's a little restaurant.
10) When you say, ' have to go to the bathroom', here they say, 'I have to go the toilet'. I prefer our way, but hey, maybe my verbage will change.
That's all for now! I'm going to cook something up for dinner now...not sure what, as I actually have CHOICES of food in my kitchen now. How exciting! I have posted pictures on facebook, for those who are a part of that, and will post more pictures on an online photo site soon so the non-facebookers can see. Once I do that - I'll make sure to provide the link so you can see pictures.
Tot ziens
purchase more food (this time I brought my backpack! DAH HA!) and I needed to get a cell phone that would work with my free SIM card. The SIM card is what makes the phone work, and then all you do is put 10 euros worth of minutes on at a time. They call this, "topping up". I have yet to figure out exactly how to 'top up' but will ask my friends here who already have phones. It's so nice to know that I have a phone on me as I'm walking around. :) I also had to get my photo taken for my resident visa card. I found the little photo shop, and they directed me to the photo-taking area. I was in and out in about 5 minutes. Nice!So after my success with the phone and photo, I felt I deserved a little treat before heading to the grocery store. I stopped at a little bakery across the street from the Guesthouse. I asked what they recommend and the girl who helped said I HAD to try this particular pastry. It was DELICIOUS!!! It was a flaky puffed pastry crust that was covered entirely on the outside with cream, which had also been covered in little nuts. On the top was meringue with sprinkles. Inside was a different cream surrounding fruit! And the fruit was not what you'd expect, it was a large purple grape, a large green grape, banana slices, an orange slice and a slice of melon. OH MAN! So good. SOO good. I may become a regular customer! I've included a picture above so you can see it!
So - off to the grocery store. I still couldn't figure out how to weigh the veggies and fruits, the little weighing computer was all in Dutch, so I figured I'll wait and go with my friends later this week and we can all figure it out together. I bought more bread, some Brie cheese, some meat that looked like ground beef (I guess we'll see when I cook it later!), more noodles and spaghetti sauce, some yogurt, some milk (though I'm not sure what kind of milk it is, so I got a little one to taste test it out), cereal, more applesauce and some spices. Should be good for the next few days! The grocery store is attached to a mall, so today I wandered around more than I did yesterday. I found a store that sells candles - so I bought some to make my room a little more cozy. (A trick I learned from my new Finnish friends!) I then found a store where I could buy pens and paper - as up until now I haven't had anything to write with!!! I also got some towels to use in the kitchen area. And then - I headed home. SUCCESS!!!
I've heard my top ten fun facts went over well last time, so here's a new one:
1) If you don't like clowns, Carnaval is NOT for you! It's in about two weeks, and all the shops decorate with pictures of clowns. It's a celebration of fools, so clowns are the go-to picture I guess. Everywhere are clowns dancing, singing, jumping, pointing at you...I don't mind clowns, but was getting mildly weirded out.
2) In January you may wonder why Holland stores are selling Halloween costumes. They're not for Halloween, but for Carnaval! Everyone dresses up, in costume, with feather boas, with beads, with face paint, with ANYTHING apparently.
3) If you can pay with coins, DO! There are $1 and $2 coins, and whenever possible, the shop clerks will ask if you have coins. I'll have to get quicker at pulling them out and sorting through them.
4) When you get your picture taken for an official document, in Holland you don't smile. I sat for my Visa picture, and smiled (like normal) and was told, 'close your mouth.' (I was thinking, what the heck?!?! Fine!!) And then was told, 'you can smile a little, but no teeth.' How boring.
5) Holland does not believe in sheets. You have the bottom sheet that goes around the mattress, and then a duvet. There is no middle sheet. Trust me - I've looked.
6) At night - the goal of these bars is to get as many students in them as possible. For instance, at the pub we were at last night - Tequila shots were 1 euro. Students love their discounts! As soon as we walked in, you could tell the international students were taking advantage of that special.
7) Holland doesn't think males and females should have their own shower rooms. We all share one room - though each shower stall firmly locks and you can't see into them. Still - that was a little strange.
8) Escalators in the mall are set at about a 30 degree angle and are flat. This way, you can push your cart up and down the escalators. Way cool. I may push around a cart just for the fun of using it on the escalators.
9) When you see a shop labeled Brasserie, no Mom - it's not for bras, but for eating. It's a little restaurant.
10) When you say, ' have to go to the bathroom', here they say, 'I have to go the toilet'. I prefer our way, but hey, maybe my verbage will change.
That's all for now! I'm going to cook something up for dinner now...not sure what, as I actually have CHOICES of food in my kitchen now. How exciting! I have posted pictures on facebook, for those who are a part of that, and will post more pictures on an online photo site soon so the non-facebookers can see. Once I do that - I'll make sure to provide the link so you can see pictures.
Tot ziens
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Grocery Shopping
Well today I figured I should probably go buy some food - as we must cook for ourselves! Didn't think much more than getting myself to the store. Once I arrived, remembered, DUH - EVERYTHING IS IN DUTCH! Like really, no English on ANYTHING. So...that was fun. Picked out things that I knew were obvious, like bananas, bread, spaghetti noodles, jam, eggs, etc. Pretty basic stuff. And pretty cheap too! It was all under 10 euros! I had one minor glitch...I didn't realize that they don't have scales at the checkout, so I needed to weigh the bananas and then get a sticker before I checked out. I just said I wouldn't get them, as there was a LARGE line behind me at the checkout. And they don't really have bags at the checkout either - surprise!. What they do have were flimsy tiny bags that I could barely fit three items in. So I was trying to quickly bag my stuff, put my money away, and meanwhile, the whole line of people are watching/waiting. Haha...oh well. I then am carrying my groceries (in my arms because the bags would break if I carried them normally) and spotted the store with sheets etc. [We had to bring our own sheets/towels, or buy them here. I chose to buy them here. So...last night was pretty amusing with no sheets! Thanks to Lauren - my sleep-sack was what I slept in!] So found towels, a duvet and duvet cover...not TOO expensive. Success! But - hauling it all back the three blocks with the groceries was a workout!!! I'll need to buy things that aren't in cans...or if they are...bring my backpack!
So tonight for dinner - I cooked (on my hot plate) myself grilled cheese, scrambled eggs and ate it with applesauce!! YAY!! I finally get to shower today (I know I know...gross) and then I'll be heading out with my new friends from Finland to a pub close by! Should be a fun evening. More to come tonight/tomorrow!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hallo Maastricht!
Wow. That's all I can think when I look back at the last day and a half. Although it's only 2 PM back home, I FEEL like's it's the 9 PM it is here. Due to the need for SLEEP. So...synopsis of the travel day: flights all went well, were on time, and no strange people sitting next to me. In fact, I never had anyone next to me. That was very nice - so I just spread out over all the seats! Once I arrived in Brussels, I was expecting a long wait at customs...and even longer to get bags. I had my bag within 15 minutes of getting off the plane. Unexpected - but wonderful! Next up - the train. I have never been on a legit train before - as in, not the light-rail in Mpls, but an actual train. I found out, the train is literally exactly like the light-rail. Who knew? ANYWAY...so picture me, small and looking a little frazzled, hauling one rather large and heavy suitcase and a decent size carry-on...DOWN STAIRS. That was me at the train station. I had lots of people offer to help, but I was too afraid they'd take my bags...finally this old man, as in a bit fragile looking, helped me carry my suitcase down the last four-five steps. Didn't I feel weak. Haha. Then the matter of what train to get on...as I was way early for the one I had planned on taking. I finally picked up some English being spoken down the platform...wheeled my crap in that direction...and met some lovely girls my age who were going to studying abroad in Italy. They helped me out with which car to get on, and which train to get on, and which stop to get off at. This all repeated itself at the next train transition - minus the girls, but lots of me rolling my bags around trying to read the signs looking lost. Humorous I'm sure to someone watching. Made it successfully on the train to Maastricht, and successfully off at the right time. Found my ride to the place I'm staying at okay too, which was a relief. I had some struggles with the ATM and with my Internet today, but figured it out! With no tears! I even learned a bit about the city, as I had to walk to the school building for Internet help. SO...all in all...here are 10 fun facts about my first day:
1) Everyone here refers to the Netherlands as Holland, not the Netherlands.
2) Electric converters don't need to be used with a laptop...the plastic melts off the converter...found that out the hard way.
3) Pubs in the Netherlands play the exact same music as bars back home. Example: Come On Eileen.
4) Hong Kong students love the Netherlands. I am the only non-Hong Kong student on my floor thus far.
5) I CAN drink the tap water. Which is good, because water is NOT free at restaurants. Bummer.
6) All the streets are cobblestone. All of them. (In Maastricht at least.)
7) When people ask, "so where are you from?"...they don't mean what college, or what city, or even what state. The country is all that really matters. U-S-A!!!
8) Maastricht believes in traffic circles. Lots of them. Everywhere.
9) Cars don't run over pedestrians like in Mpls, they stop at crosswalks and wave you across. How lovely. :)
10) They don't eat a lot of ketchup. At McDonalds you pay EXTRA for ketchup. I was told this, no worries people, I did not already go to a McDonalds.
....that's all for now. Going to see if anyone is on Skype...read a bit...then sleep until I wake up. Tomorrow brings grocery shopping, bedding shopping, getting my cell plan set up, and getting a picture taken for my visa. Should be an eventful day! "Tot vegende tijd..."
***Above pictures are from the train station. I caught the train to Maastricht from the Brussels-Nord station...and the picture on the right - that was when I FINALLY saw I was waiting for the right train. Yay!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Travel Day
Killing time until tomorrow - the BIG DAY! I'll be traveling all by myself, which is exhilarating and frightening all at once. I'll be heading out of Mankato around 5:00 AM...flight leaves Minneapolis at 10:25 AM...my connecting flight leaves Newark at 6:35 PM...and I arrive in Brussels at 7:50 (their time). Then I get to take my first train ride! I leave Brussels and head to Maastricht via train and should arrive in my new temporary hometown just before 1:00 PM (their time). Should be quite the 24 hours!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
About A Week Until "Go-Time"
Starting to mildly freak out as there's about a week left until I hit another continent. Freak in a good way, mind you. Starting to go through the packing list mentally about four times a day and remind myself of the millions of things to make sure I do in the next week. But - how I love lists and crunch time, so this week will be fun, actually.
Covering a lot on the 'check-list' this weekend by visiting family and friends. Starting down in Johnston, Iowa with Doug and Laura and then making my way up to Minneapolis on Monday to see those I can catch on their last free day before the semester begins. It's surreal to say good-bye to people knowing you won't see them for 4+ months...if not more.
Bought a Dutch language and translation book today and realized, when in doubt, start the word with a hard 'k' sound and you'll be right. For anyone who cares to know...Dutch words that start with a 'ch' or a 'g' or even a 'sch' are all pronounced with the hard 'k' sound. (Which are a LOT of words!) Found that to be quite interesting.
So...getting ready to begin the big adventure. Want to see as many people in the next week as possible, at least to get in a hug - so please, shoot me a text/email/phone call if you'd like to hang out/grab coffee etc.
Covering a lot on the 'check-list' this weekend by visiting family and friends. Starting down in Johnston, Iowa with Doug and Laura and then making my way up to Minneapolis on Monday to see those I can catch on their last free day before the semester begins. It's surreal to say good-bye to people knowing you won't see them for 4+ months...if not more.
Bought a Dutch language and translation book today and realized, when in doubt, start the word with a hard 'k' sound and you'll be right. For anyone who cares to know...Dutch words that start with a 'ch' or a 'g' or even a 'sch' are all pronounced with the hard 'k' sound. (Which are a LOT of words!) Found that to be quite interesting.
So...getting ready to begin the big adventure. Want to see as many people in the next week as possible, at least to get in a hug - so please, shoot me a text/email/phone call if you'd like to hang out/grab coffee etc.
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