Time is Flying!

Hallo Allemaal!

My apologies regarding the lapse in my regualar updates- consider it that I am having too much fun to find time to post:) I know that it has been awhile since I have made contact with anyone across the ocean. So officially I have been in Holland for 70 days now! Wow, I can't believe how fast time is flying...but on the other hand when I think about the 9 months that still lie ahead of me, maybe time isn't going that fast at all!

Since arriving in the land of cows and cheese, also know as Holland, I have been to 3 other european countries...driving through Belgium ( I don't think that really counts, as I didn't get to see anything other than the landscape along the highway), Germany ( my host family and I have visited a Roman settlement "Archaelogical Park Xanten" as well as a lovely sunday afternoon drive on the Autoband) and FRANCE!!! I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Paris with my school for 5 days!!! Let me tell you, did we ever see Paris... the Louvre, Musée D'Órsay, Centre Pompidou, Disneyland Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Sacré-Coeur! Lucky me, tomorrow I am off to London, England for a week with another Canadian Exchange Student! I can't wait to explore to the city and hear people speaking english again!

In the last few weeks, I have become more accustomed to my new life here in Holland. I've learned a lot more DUTCH...it always surprise me when I am able to understand what a teacher is saying or the conversions of my host family. Sometimes I have to stop and think, wow I actually just understood what they said, and no one spoke English! What I find must difficult concerning the language is, even if I can understand, I don't always know how to respond other than "ja" or "nay". I find that frustrating at times, but I know if I work hard enough at it, things will improve! I have a dutch tutor that I visit on a weekly basis. She really helps me with my pronucation...the dutch language has many sounds that do not exist in the english language whatsoever!

School is school, but here the high school experience is much different than back home. I can't help but feeling high school here is more like elementary school. I mean we have pauses in the morning and the afternoon, which reminds me a lot of RECESS! ( rememer those days?) But on the otherhand, students here have to learn how to teach themselves much sooner than we do in Canada. So in that sense it is more like university! I can hardly praticipate in any of my classes, other than english. I do have some assignments on the go, thankful! My favourite class would have to be gym, and then social science, because I can actually understand most of what the class is discussing! Concering gym, somedays I absolutely hate it though. It is not very fun when I don't understand the instructions, and have never played the game before! Then I am just confused!

In these next few weeks I'll be very busy, as soon as I return from London I'm off to a Rotex Weekend where I will get to visit with the other exchange students in Holland! Yes! Exchange Students ROCK!! I miss you all back home very much, keep the e-mails coming! I love hearing from all of you. Well this foreign exchange student is off to pack some more, and then go to bed! Ik ben moe! Wow, I just realized how long this blog actually was...I guess I had a lot to say!!

Much love,

Deirdre xoxo