July Sees the Return of Reality

First of all, my apologies for not updating in almost a month.  I've been super busy doing nothing whatsoever related to school or the future (ie. playing as hard as I possibly could.)  Then, because I assumed no one really read this blog, and because I was out of the habit, I just sort of stopped altogether.  Then Jon missed me, so I decided to start again, if only for him.  :-)

So, yes, much much to update.  I went to Brussels with Koos and his friend Lize.  We toured around Brugge, which is an amazingly cute little old town.  Lize was in Holland for a few days too, and the three of us bummed around various towns, and beaches, and cricket fields.  

The rest of the days have been filled with barbeques in parks, and at Koos' apartmen.  Football (soccer), frisbee, badmiton.  Lots of watching Six Feet Under with Koos.  Lots of sleeping until midday.  Lots of reading.  Lots and lots and lots of reading.  And food from Eazie.  Good lord, tons of that.  :-)  Great few weeks!

And now reality has crashed back down, as it tends to do.  I had decided not to do anything before 1.July, and to just give myself the rest of June to relax and chill.  And play.  And as if it had been planned, at exactly midnight 1.July, I realized that my residence permit expires on 3.July (today) and reality burst back into my life.  I'll spare you the stressful details, but after a day of craziness and hating Dutch beaurocracy, I got that handled. 

Koos' sister arrived in town yesterday, and the three of us went to the Valkenburgse meer, the lake nearby.  Today, Koos and his sis did Amsterdam, and I stayed home and studied.  I have three exams that I MUST pass at the end of August.  Egyptian one, Egyptian two, and art history.  Yes, helaas, I failed my art history exam.  However, I blame this entirely upon a cultural misunderstanding.

Back home, if you're given a long list of "essay topics" you're expected to pick one and write a nice long, well argued ESSAY answering the question.  Here, apparently, you're expected to answer ALL of the essays.  I don't know, but I assume you have to write nothing more than a paragraph.   Surely!  I don't know.  Must meet with professors and learn how to be Dutch.

So there ya go, an  attempt to get back into the habit of writing what's going on.  I will do my best to keep up with this!  :-)  

Year Two of Butterfly Time is a GO!