Tonight, Tonight

I've decided to name my posts after songs...and the first person who can tell me who sings this particular song, wins a gold star! (hint...one of my favorite artists)

Couldn't resist, the full moon was gorgeous tonight.

Funny News...and pictures

Police respond to pet bird’s screams of ‘help me’
TRENTON, N.J. — Police who were called to a house in Trenton after people heard screams inside were surprised to find that the noise was a pet bird.

The people who heard the “screams” said it sounded like a woman screaming “Help me!”

It took police a while to get in the house, because there was also a big German shepherd inside. But once they got in, they found Luna — a cockatoo with a limited but loud vocabulary.

Luna’s owner had no idea why the bird was screaming. Police did not charge the family.

— WCAU, Philadelphia

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26661223/?GT1=43001

My mentors, we bought tokens ahead of time for drinks at the farm.
At the sports center day, they have this exercise where you stretch and things to music and theres the person in the middle telling you what to do...very difficult because it was in dutch, so we just had to watch what other people were doing

I'm feeling very silly.

This is at the Cuban Beach Party, I just thought it was fun there are (well used) violins and bows on the ceiling
This is in Amsterdam...Vanessa (germany), me, allie (england), anna (hungary--there are 2 annas from hungary), kata (hungary)Eating at the farm
Tha mayor speech, they posted pictures online from our orientation, at the time Jack (scottland) and i were joking about how many pictures we'd be in, i think i counted 4 or 5
Playing musical chairs...right now watching musical chairs
I was asked about my posters...so here they are. This is the one i bought
This is the one i got for 1 euro in belgium, its of the river and trading in antwerpen

Okay, I'm Updated...

I found out today what happened with Rhysa. I guess that her and another girl had gone outside and the bouncer told them they couldn't have drinks outdoors. Rhysa had a beer and the other girl had a water. So, they went back inside where Rhysa finished her drink and they went back outside again. The bouncer told them again they couldn't have drinks. The other girl (not sure who) had a water bottle she bought at the bar. So, Rhysa said something like, it's just a water and she bought it at the bar, with attitude. It just escalated and the bouncer called the police and got really rough i guess he pushed or threw Rhysa down and her shoe came off so she started hitting him with it and the cops came. They both went 'downtown' haha, back to the station and got their statements. Rhysa was really drunk when they left for the bar, i cant imagine how drunk she was when this happened. But, when giving her statement she left out about hitting the bouncer with her shoe because she forgot. (But, really, how hard could she've been hitting the guy when she was so drunk she didnt remember doing it right after). So, they charged her with physical abuse and in a month or two they're going to do hearings. She doesn't know if she can still go to school or not here, because she already submitted her residence permit, but she has to stay in the country for the hearings either way. From someone else i heard she was yelling, 'im an american, give me my lawyer' when the cops were there, haha, which doesnt surprise me. But yep, that's all I found out...

Things I Hate...and Love

Hate
Riding my bike in the wind
Riding my bike in the rain
The fact I have no other choice in the above 2
How hard it is to find books in english
That DVDs i buy here dont work on my computer
That there are no drinking fountains
That you have to pay to get water in restraunts and bars
That there are no free refills anywhere
That the guy at the bakery down the street is so hostile towards americans
That I had to pay a conversion fee to order books for class from the UK
That paper is expensive...and everything else is too
That I definately don't fit in here (my transition glasses totally stand out, and of course clothes) That I don't have an awesome motorized bicycle that the old people all do
That I'm so close to where the train runs and it's loud

Love
That a lady stopped riding her bike to help me as I was trying to figure out the map today
That I'm cooking dinner with one of my roommates on tuesday night
That I discovered the dryer
That they make fresh stroopwafels at the market on saturdays....and they're so delicioso
That I bought 6 rolls that you bake for one euro today
How excited anna was about having her first fortune cookie
That I have a new poster to decorate my room
That I got a package yesterday! (thanks auntie!)
That the sun was shining all day today
That I discovered a band that is now my new favorite...Vampire Weekend (go listen to them!)
Also discovered a movie musical that is fun...De-Lovely (but not for everyone)
That you can rent movies on itunes!
That I found a new area of town I hadn't been to before today
That there's grass growing in the middle of side streets
Passionfruit sorbet from the Australian ice cream shop in the city center
That I can now recognize a lot of dutch words
That the school library is so incredibly quiet

Oktoberfest?

Well, I'm currently trying to get to Oktoberfest in Munich. I've found out that overnight hi speed train tickets are 231 euros, which looks like its cheaper than flying, which is around $1,350. Oktoberfest starts Sept. 20th and goes till October 10th...i think. I was looking the weekend of the 27th.
The thing im worried about is hotel and hostel rates. Some seem okay, but then have higher prices, some even double, for when oktoberfest is going on.
But, id really love to go i think its definately a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to go to munich (as opposed to up the canyon) for the oktoberfest.
So, i know some of you are wizzes and some just have extra time. If you happen to come across anything for getting to munich or for accomadation please please let me know.
Also, thought id start word of the day, or word of the blog rather, and that way i would learn a new dutch word, and so would you!
So...first word(s) is....peanut butter = pindakaas (kaas means cheese, but also seems to be associated with all things dairy or creamy)

Goendedag!

This was at the farm when we split off into groups--this is the american group. From guys to girls it goes...Alex (new orleans), Jason (california), Phillip (down south...?), Keisha (seattle), me (look awful, obviously camping, im also bending down by the way...not quite that short), Jordan (texas), Rhysa (florida-also girl who was arrested)

The City at Night & The Samba Festival

Kaas means cheese

A bakery stand in city center (market only saturdays)

Recent Events...

So, last night i went over to allie's place for some drinks and to hang out. There were...4 americans (including me), 2 scottish and 1 english girls and a few of allies roommates. We played a few drinking games, and around 12:30ish...they all decided to go into town to a pub where some other people we knew were. I didn't think it was such a good idea to go for me since i think i had had too much to drink to make it to the pub stay a while and have to ride all the way back home. So, i just went back to my place along with another girl who also went back.
But, here's where it gets interesting....
So one of the american girls (of course---also the one i told some of you about...shes kind of loud, shes the one who got too drunk and sick on the bus ride back from zandvoort). Anyway, i guess at the pub she was talking to the bouncer (very drunk--she was when i left too) and he called the cops on her (we're not sure why). She got arrested and they said she would be in jail for 9 hours...but no one has heard from her since. One of the other girls has tried calling and texting her, but hasnt heard back.
I know with ISEP if you flunk out of classes or are arrested they ship you back home, but she applied on her own since her school doesnt have ISEP. But, the residence papers i signed today had questions about whehter or not youve been arrested...that kind of thing.
So, im kinda bummed i missed all the action!

I meant to mention this a while ago, but forgot, i was talking to a girl from hungary and we were talking about food and the differences between our countries and the netherlands, and she said something about my mom cooking. So, i informed her that either my dad or i are the ones, mostly, who cooks in my family. She was really shocked and told me how she wishes when she gets married that her husband will cook, but then said, no, i will just have to get used to it. I told her, well, you never know maybe some guy will actually like to cook. Some comments ive heard since ive been here about how the man works and the cooking and everything kind of take me aback, im not used to people talking like that. And, i think its interesting that men dont seem to have a problem with women going to the university, and women talking about careers, but always seem to refer to men as the ones who work full time and the supporters. Just different from what im used to.
But, anyway, that was the excitement of the day/week...I know theres a festival in town this weekend i think it would be fun to go to, i think of few of us are going to meet there, and sunday im meeting some friends at the chapel im going to and then we're coming back to my place to make fajitas for linner...So, it should be a nice for the most part relaxing weekend...if it stops raining sometime soon. I guess the humidity today is 70% a girl was saying...we have a t.v. in the kitchen but i dont know how to work it.
Here's a few pictures other people took, that i just got....

TTFN.

At the farm...keisha (nebraska), me, girl from slovakia (ah, i know her name!), allie (england), kata (hungary)On the boats in amsterdam going through the canals... me, girl from hungary, allie, kata
slovakia girl, keisha, me in zandvoort...cuban beach party
It's a swingset in the city center. Okay, so the sign is in dutch, but we think a school used to be there, and was destroyed when the damn americans bombed nijmegen by accident (thinking it was germany---damn nazis...haha). The date on the sign is when the bombing happened, and i could read school and children...

First Week of Courses

Okay, i think i pretty much have my schedule worked out. I'm taking five courses. American Popular Culture, which i'm really excited about...we're watching 1950s commercials, pretty woman, head of state, alien...others i forget. we're talking about sex and the city and desparate housewives, the simpsons...
I was talking to the scottish and british girl(s) about taking British History and Culture (another one of my courses) and allie, from england, didn't think there was any point in taking a course about your own culture. But, i definately think its an important thing to do to think critically and analyze your own culture so you know how silly it actually is and why you are the way you are. Everything I am is from my culture, plus, its really interesting to hear what the dutch students think about america and american culture in their own lives. I guess there's a sex and the city show here thats a dutch version of the american one (with different actors). Did you know the European countries have restrictions on the shows they watch, that only a certain percent of shows can be from outside their country? In the netherlands i believe they said the percentage was 60% were local or european and the rest could be from america (or wherever, but of course most are american). France I believe they said was 70 or 80 percent had to be french shows. Interesting stuff.
So, I may be boring everyone so...I'm taking American Popular Culture, British History and Culture, but it doesnt start till october because the professor is out of the country (go figure). I'm also taking Dutch History, Politics, and Culture, which seems like it will be very interesting, we're getting into groups to write a magazine type thing about a dutch subject, ours is on immigration, integration, and religion. There's only one dutch student in the course, the rest of us are exchange students. The professor had us choose groups so that we couldnt be with people from our own countries. It should be interesting.
I'm taking Sounds in time and space a socio-linguistic course, and Europe Revisited, just a history course im not too excited about, but it fulfills my credit requirement.
But i was talking to a masters student from scotland, but goes to school in belgium, and he was saying for one of his assignments they got into groups and have to steal a laptop from the school. Only one person in the faculty knows about it, and they cant get caught by the campus police, who know something is going to happen. After they steal the laptop they have to figure out how to break into it and find some kind of information thats on it. How much crazy fun would that be????
So, to answer your question grammie from earlier, sometime. I havent been going to mass because its just been so crazy here, i think it will finally settle down pretty quick. I did find out that on campus theres a chaplancy who are starting to do an english catholic mass on sunday mornings, that starts this week. i went in the other day and had coffee with some of the people there and found out about all the schedules. they also have a english (language) dinner every month with anyone who wants to come. In the building they have a muslim prayer room, a church setup, a meditation room, a prayer room, a place where jewish people can pray/study...all kinds of things, so everyone is invited to all their activities, i think something like that would be fun to get involved in, if not just to meet people from all over (which of course im constantly doing).

I came across a course when i was registering that was the 2008 american elections course...a whole class just taught on the 2008 elections, how crazy? I dont even think back home they would have something like that, but here in europe people are very interested in the elections and who we, as americans (exchange students), will be voting for.
This is really long, I'm sorry, i just actually had time to write something. Tomorrow im registering with the local administration as a citizen of nijmegen, and am picking up my bank card...so wish me luck! tonight im going to allies flat (england) with a couple other people to hang out instead of going to lent, where everyone else is meeting for a 'pajama party' no idea what that would be with 150 people.

Dag!

Belgium---Part 2

Ahhhhhh!!!!!! I just wrote a huge thing and now it was deleted. Okay, so ill be brief. So, in belgium we tried to see all the sites. We went to de kathedraal, we went to some blank panther museum (very weird, we didnt stay long...it was some guy painting about the blank panther group...we think), to a castle that was a port for trading with the u.s. and canada, the plantin-moretus/prentenkabinet musem (is in a house with dozens of rooms, has a secret garden, a page from the gutenberg bible, printing press machines and all the letters and symbols they used, tons of books, aristotles journals, some paintings...all kinds of things), walked along the river, went to the modern art museum, to the zoo (was closing), the opera house, the city center, the court house/local administration building...i think that might be it. We tried to do as much as we possibly could...we were there for one afternoon and one day. On our full day, we were so exhausted that we went back to the hotel took a 4 hr. nap and went back out again, there was a band setting up to play. But, i posted the pictures from belgium on a separate website because there are so many of them... but here's the link..

http://picasaweb.google.com/paige.schultz3379/AntwerpenBelgium#

Also, I'm posting a couple of other pictures in this blog, a picture of my bike (i know a few of you wanted to see it) and a picture of me on my first day of school for the parentals. i did a video, let me know if you can actually see it...

If there's something you think i can add to this site, or i should add, change, or do, let me know. My dad suggested videos and it looks like that does work, i suppose i could do more of those. Let me know!

This is my second hand bike. i really like that its blue and my seat cover also happens to be blue and with my chain being yellow its fairly easy to spot. i know some people spray paint theirs different colors so they can find it easily. so, in this picture you can see my kickstand somewhat. well, yesterday it fell off...it wasnt much use anyway, just to semi stablize if it was balanced perfectly, but it just rusted off. kind of sad.

On my first day in Nijmegen

Belgium...not Germany---Part 1

Okay, so I'm sure most of you know that i didn't end up going to germany. I went with keisha (american girl) and her friend who's studying in amsterdam we went to the train station and found out tickets were 189 euros round trip to frankfurt (about 276$) so we passed on that and checked out other prices and found that belgium was the cheapet (only 29 euros). Luxemberg was cheap too, next time i want to go there i think.
We had already booked the hotel in frankfurt, so we called and cancelled and just hoped there would be a cheap one in belgium somewhere. We bought a ticket to Antwerpen because we all had heard of it, but couldnt remember why, and figured if it was somewhere wed heard of it would probably be a fun place to go.
So we got to Belgium and talked to the information stand, got some maps and info about hotels and museums...luckily we found a good deal on a hotel around the corner from the train station. On the way we saw a lot of hasidic (?) jews in their dress, pretty interesting, i think we were in the jewish neighborhood, a lot of signs in hebrew or yiddish? We also found a chinatown not too far away...there was one in amsterdam too, kind of interesting i think.
Belgium was different from the Netherlands. I've been to Brussels, but dont remember too much, just the tiny cobblestone streets, the lace and the little boy peeing statue (hehe). But, it was nice to be able to now appreciate it all much more. But anyway, Belgium seemed to have flowers decorated everywhere, even around underground parking lots and things. And the call the streets are cobblestone (except for highways), whereas here in the netherlands the walkways may mostly be in cobblestone or bricks or tiles, but in belgium all the streets and walkways were cobblestones. But, it did have drawbacks. In the Netherlands (worse in amsterdam) every once in a while you get wiffs of marijuana smoke, but in belgium every once in a while we would smell the sewer, i would definately rather take the pot smells. Also, most people seemed to speak english, more so than here in the netherlands, which of course was nice for us.
So, i think i did all the things i should in belgium, ate belgium waffels, ate belgium chocolate, bought a lace pillowcase...i just didnt eat mussels (which apparently they have an abundance of) because they were expensive, and didnt have any belgium beer (we were too exhausted to go out), but i tried one here (in the netherlands) the kriek, cherry beer. Very interesting.
But, Im going to bed now, so ill post the second part about what i did in belgium tomorrow.
Stay Tuned...(very cheesy and bad i know)
Goede Nacht.