Days 4-6

Thursday:

Today was "Sports Day" at Orientation. We went to the University's sports arena for the afternoon, where they had spinning, yoga, dancing, fighting (like tae kwon do, but they call it fighting-interesting), and other activities. Once again, it was raining profusely the entire day. We Americans assumed that it was raining a "normal" amount. But, my orientation leader James Paul informed us that it was an exceptional amount, and many of the trams were forced to stop running due to excessive flooding around the city. For a city that is basically underwater (the majority of the Netherlands is about 10m below sea level) you would think that they could handle a bit of rain. But, I am not one to judge them! So after a fairly uneventful travel down, two cappuccinos in the lounge and no sports for me, my roomie and I left to run errands and explore the city- a much more productive way to spend that day, in my opinion. That night I met up with my orientation group at a hip restaurant called Bazar on Albert Cupystraat, where they have a cool flea market during the week. We all dined on yummy kebabs, then went to the Dutch Borrel. A Dutch Borrel is America's equivalent to socializing at a bar- much different then "partying" at the clubs. It was a great night of meeting new people and hanging out with previous international acquaintances.

Friday:

Our final day of ISN orientation. It started with coffee at the Crea Cafe, a student cafe right by one of the University buildings in a quiet area right on one of Amsterdam's many canals. I only got slightly lost, and, with the aid of my other orientation leader Evelin, I made it there safely. We had creative workshops that we signed up for. Some kids did things like flamenco, singing, and yoga. Maike and I chose to do painting, where we basically just got to slap paint onto a canvas for forty-five minutes. A refreshing break to the mayhem of Orientation week. We then trekked down to the Artis Zoo. While it was nothing compared to the Los Angeles Zoo (all you Acting 1 alums know what I'm talking about) it was quite fun to see all the animals. As anyone who has been to the zoo or any other area with a plethora of creatures, you know that I am easily amused by these attractions. We all had a blast running around and seeing the llamas, monkeys, lions, and other exotic animals. One of the rabbit/hamster looking things looked like Pumpkin! It made me really miss my dogs at home. Some of us also went on an excursion to find the local Hema (Dutch equivalent to Target) to purchase bedding. We strolled through the Waterloo market, where people had stands with tapestries, clothing, bike supplies, and other tourist items. While the bedding hunt was unsuccessful, it was still exciting to wander around the city. I also could walk home by myself without getting lost!
For our last Orientation activity, the University threw us a shindig at the Panama club, about a 20 minute walk from my dorm. It was so packed with all students, and was a legitimate club- one of my first I've ever been to. It was enjoyable dancing and having fun with CIEE and ISN kids, but I've learned now that I am more of a Dutch Borrel kind of gal. I'm not hip or groovy enough to go "clubbing". (I just used the word "groovy" to describe this, so I am definitely not hip enough!)

Saturday, aka today:

Today was my first free day since I have arrived in Amsterdam. Aside from being woken up by extremely loud thunder and storms early in the morning, I slept in well past noon and spent the majority of the day vegging in my room. Once Liza and I showered and woke up, we went on attempt #2 to find Hema. After only getting quasi-lost in the city, we found our way. I bought lovely duvet and pillow- much more comfy than the stuff we were provided with. We then found a cute restaurant and ate tapas in Rembrandt Square. After we came home, I went to a cafe next to my dorm and drank cappuccinos while reading and people watching. An overall enjoyable afternoon. Nothing eventful has actually happened within the last few days, but I hope that more adventures will occur once classes start and I get into the school routine. Tonight is hopefully going to consist of making dinner at home (first meal being cooked in our kitchen! Very exciting) and then going to a club to celebrate someone's birthday. Will write more soon!

I love: Dutch children, ie shnoos- so darn cute
I miss: the warm weather of Baltimore and LA- it's already feeling like fall here.