At Home He's A Tourist

Hoi! Loyal Blog Followers ; )

So, pretty much everyone by now knows that I was back home in SLC for a week while I had a break from school. It was soooooo difficult not to be able to tell anyone! Definitely worth the surprise though. But, what you may not know is that the day before I left for the U.S. of A. I spent the day in Dusseldorf, Germany where I flew out of.
The Rhine River

I didn't spent too much time there, just enough to walk around sufficiently before sitting for 19 (give or take a few) long hours.

Throughout are some highlights from my walking tour of Dusseldorf, if you'd like to see more from Germany, or from Mandy's Bridal Shower or Marsha and my mom dressed up like superheroes, those are all on my picture website...click here for more.

On another note, I made it back in nijmegen just fine. Actually, walked onto both airplanes--I went from Dusseldorf to Atlanta to SLC. Before arriving in Dusseldorf we were given a contact sheet to fill out in case anyone on the plane turns out to have Swine Flu (Dutch swine flu news click here) and we will be contacted. When leaving the plane, people in white suits from the neck down, wearing masks greeted us asking each person if we had any symptoms shown on a piece of paper, and asking those who did to stay on the airplane. It was unclear whether they would turn the plane around and send them all back to the U.S. ; )
In SLC with Tucker and Peyton

After my 19 (give or take) hour flight I then had to catch a 2 1/2 hr. train back into the Netherlands to home. Luckily I didn't have to manuever many stairs I was able to drag my suitcase up the couple of steps onto the trains, and when I got to the Heyendaal (my stop) as I was looking up at the steps wondering how I'd make it, a kind lady asked in dutch if I needed help, thank goodness!

I missed Queen's Day while I was gone (April 30th). It is Queen Beatrix's mother's birthday (who was also Queen) and is a huge celebration in the Netherlands (mostly in Amsterdam and Den Haag)...a good excuse to party and drink. Well, I'm sure most of you heard that there was an assassination attempt against the Queen. A Dutch man acting on his own attempted to drive and hit the Queen & Royal Family's bus that was on a procession in Apeldoorn (a city south east of Amsterdam). Seven people were killed and ten were injured, none were of the royal family. The driver also died the next day of injuries. You can read more about that on China View or on UPI.com. Also, tuesday the 5th of May was Bevrijdingsdag, or Liberation Day, marking the end of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. Since that was the day after I got home, I was far too jet lagged to get out and celebrate, but I heard because of what happened on Queen's day, there was a call to tone down Liberation day (another party day) in recognition of the attack.Don't throw rocks at the ducks...or they'll be forced to swim upside-down.

I had a great time back home for the little time I did have. It was very overwhelming compared to what I've become accustomed to, i.e. living by myself, attending a semi-small university (1/2 the size of the University of Utah), in a semi-small city. I also didn't get nearly enough exercise while I was back home...it felt good to bicycle today.This needs a little explanation...apparently Dusseldorf children are known for cartwheeling 'wheels of joy' when the town got its charter. There are still children offering to demonstrate their skills by the Rhine for a penny or two.

It's hit me I literally only have 2 months left (I leave July 16th). I've finally gotten to the point where I can read most signs and newspaper headings (todays: Great Fraud in Kosovo with EU-money). Of course, I can't speak very much and sometimes have trouble with pronunciation, it's been fun to see my progress with arriving knowing only 'hello', 'goodbye', and 'cockroach'...and thinking 'please' in Dutch (= astublieft) was the most difficult word.
I will miss this place.p.s. I was watching a BBC cooking show, where the chefs are given random ingredients and have to make something out of it. Anyway, one chef got razor clams...those are what I couldn't figure out what they were that are on the beach in Scheveningen. The long skinny shells---yup...razor clams.

p.p.s. title song by Gang of Four