Fashion shows, City Golf, Tulips and more!

What a busy weekend! Friday night Katharina invited me to go to a fashion show on the beach in The Hague with a friend of hers. It was pretty neat, although very cold. Good music, and fun fashion nonetheless.

Haarlem might possibly be one of my favorite cities here. It looks very similar to Amsterdam, but smaller, with less people, and more cozy! This past weekend we had the Alders Family Weekend, that happens every three years. Extended family from Rob's side all get together for two days, and catches up with each other! We stayed in the Stayokay Hostel, and on Saturday played "City Golf" through Haarlem. What is City Golf? It's where in teams, you literally play golf through Haarlem, using a soccer ball and a handmade golf club, as you can see below...the hard part was trying not to hit pedestrians!

We ended the day at the carnival, where I went on the scariest ride ever with Dennis and Tim! I knew I would regret it though if I didn't go, so I took a chance...closed my eyes and screamed the entire time! It was one of those rides with the long arm, that holds you upside down, looking over the entire city. Not funny! 

In the evening we barbecued and I got to know a few family members. The next morning we all headed to the beach, and drank coffee on a terrace outside. Heerlijk weather!

 

We also drove through a town full of rows and rows of brightly colored tulips, and other flower types. It was beautiful, really what you see in cheesy tourist-postcards from Holland.

This past week was also my last week of school before the May Vacation, and I got my math retake grade back! I was so nervous I almost didn't look. Good thing I did, not only did I pass...I got a 6.9! Brought up my grade, and now I am passing math...in a foreign country!

Monday evening is Koninginnenach, and Tuesday is QUEENS DAY! I am so excited, it's the last Koninginnedag for who knows when...I have heard about it since the day that I got here, so I cannot wait. Don't know what me and my friends will do yet, but I'm sure it will be fun!

-Molly

Maasland, Feestje, Girls Night!

Last weekend was very busy, but exciting! I spent the day in Utrecht with other AFS students from my region, walking through the city and catching up. We also went to the Dick Bruna Museum, and afterwards ate appetizers and had a few drinks together. I had to take the train home rather early though, because I had Nienke and Ella's birthday party to go to in Pijnacker!
The feest in Pijnacker was erg gezellig, full of dancing and socializing. Biking there of course is a pain, due to the fact that it's about 45 minutes away! The party was well worth it though. We all spent the night at Fiona's afterwards.


Yesterday I spent the day in Delft with Marijke, Tim and Rob,
and we sailed the
sailboat to Maasland. Well, more like I sat on the boat and enjoyed the ride. The sun was shining, and it was so gorgeous outside. We passed by baby ducks, sheep, windmills, etc. etc., typical Dutch things! In the evening, Katharina, Renee, Sanne, Roos,

Marijke and I had a girls night together at Roos's. We did our nails, watched Magic Mike (with the b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l Channing Tatum), and ate so much chocolate until we thought we would die! Great fun though, and an evening very much needed. Roos's husband and son stayed the night at our house back in Bergschenhoek; I'm sure they spent their "Guys Night" drinking beer and watching (or talking about) soccer or something like that with Rob, Tim and Dennis!

Tomorrow I have my math retake (for the test that I failed), and I am so nervous! I have studied so much though, so I better pass it... right now I have a 5.0 average, and I need a 5.5 to pass!

Wish me luck,
-Molly

Feestje!

Last weekend my friends and I threw a "Cowboys & Indians" themed party, to celebrate our seventeenth, and Pascale's&Maartje's sixteenth birthdays! Both VWO classes came, Pascale's friends from swimming, Beau's friends from Scouting, etc. etc., in total there were about seventy people there! Most of whom dressed up, some even went all out with the theme. All in all, I think that everyone had a blast. Next weekend, my friends Nienke and Ella will also be having a birthday party, but in Pijnacker- two towns over.

Tomorrow evening Marijke and I will go to Den Hague for an AFS get together; it'll will be nice to catch up with everyone from my region. Next Saturday I will go to Utrecht to walk around and explore the city, also with other AFS students from my region. Busy busy busy! Not to mention, Maddie comes next month- I am so excited, I can't believe how long it's been since I've seen her...since August! Wow, time flies.

Well, nothing else is new...the weather is FINALLY starting to warm up a bit here- maybe even nice enough to wear shorts in a few weeks. One can only hope.

-Molly

Belgium, Reusel, en Pasen!

Distance seemed unreal here in the Netherlands this past weekend- Friday I hopped on the train to Tilburg to visit my friend Marlie, Saturday we spent the day in Antwerp, and Sunday I came back home to Bergschenhoek. 

Who knew that for three euros and only a few minutes in the bus, you could be in Belgium? It still seems crazy to me! Marlie, who is a former AFS student, lives in Reusel, a small town outisde of Tilburg. This part of the Netherlands is more farm-like, has more open spaces and trees. In contrast to Rotterdam, you could even say it was full of nature! Friday I ate dinner with her family, who is also hosting an AFS student, Laura, from Brazil. 

Reusel is in the south province of the Netherlands, called "Brabant." Wherever you travel in the Netherlands, people's accents will differ. Here, people pronounce the "g" softer than in Rotterdam for example. For me, it took a bit more concentration to understand what was being said at the dinner table due to this difference in pronunciation. 

Saturday morning, we met up with another AFS student, Caetano, who is from Mexico. He had been to Antwerp many times before, which made him a great tour guide! After two buses and literally three euros, we were in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium. The first thing we did was eat Belgian waffles of course! It was the best waffle I have ever eaten, and that I will probably ever eat in my life! Mhmm, and drizzled with rich Belgian chocolate...to die for. I'm glad I didn't choose Belgium for a host country, because I'm sure I'd eat one of these every day!

The rest of the day was spent walking through the streets of Antwerp, and of course shopping. The country itself doesn't look too different from Holland, because the buildings are very similar in structural design; tall, skinny, quirky roof architecture. 

We walked passed incredible musicians on the main shopping street, famous statues, and of course went into Antwerp Central Station- where the well-known, huge flash mob took place about a year ago. 

Caetano then took us to a cafe, that had the best hot chocolate (and other chocolate drinks) I have ever tasted! I really don't think chocolate gets much better than in Belgium. De-licious. 

Before I knew it, the day was over and we were on the bus headed back home. Well, to Reusel that is. Sunday morning, I enjoyed an "gezellig" Easter brunch with her family- mother, father, sister, Laura and grandmother. We also hunted for chocolate Easter eggs outside! 

Afterwards, her dad- who owns a construction machine that lifts people up very high- let us go up on it! I could see most of Reusel, and the Tilburg tower. It was like their own personal Euromast!

Soon after, I hopped back on the train and headed to Rotterdam Central Station, took the metro to Rodenrijs, the bus to Bergschenhoek, and walked home from there. For dinner, we had "gourmet," where everyone gets their own mini-frying pan, and cooks whatever small slices of meat, fish, shrimp, vegetables, or anything that they want! Not to mention, mini-pancakes for dessert. Soooooo good! 

This week, I'm off from school (done with my tests). Friday is "Mentordag," which means every class will do something together outside of school.  Tim's class is participating in a pain-ball war I think, and mine is taking a Cocktail Workshop in Scheveningen and eating sushi afterwards! I can't wait- the school even pays for it! 

Still loving it over here, as always.

-Molly