Canadutch
So, my classes are awesome. The content at the moment is easy, as I already know most of it. My teacher said she thinks I might need to skip up a few levels because I’ll get bored in this one. I told her I’d rather just do it from the start so I don’t miss anything. They are using this new program for teaching Dutch and I find it kind of confusing. You get a book and one minute you’re supposed to do things on the computer, another time in class, with a partner, with the whole class etc. So at different times you sort of have to search for what you’re supposed to be doing. I can’t really explain it but it will probably become more clear after I use it for a while.The good ( GREAT!! ) news though, is that out of the 10 people in my class all but 3 speak English well enough to chat and communicate. Three of the girls speak it really well, I’m totally thrilled with that. The two I speak to mostly are Russian and Columbian and they are really cool. I’m thinking of asking them if they want to get together outside of school sometime, but I don’t want to seem pushy or needy. Which, of course, I am!
There’s an American woman in the school as well that I met during break, but .. meh. I’m kind of unsure about her. She gives off this weird vibe and I find her kind of offputting. Maybe I’ve been associating with Europeans so long that when faced with Americans they almost knock me over. At least this one. Within a few minutes of meeting she stood in front of me and the rest of the group I was with asking me how long I’ve been here, what have I done since I’ve been here, how is my marriage, and a number of other questions. I answered her without getting into any serious details, I mean what was I supposed to do? Stand there in front of all these new people I’m hoping to be friends with and tell this nosy American woman “Oh yeah, well I came to Holland and decided I didn’t like it, went through a nasty depression where I hardly showered or did any housecleaning. Played online games all day and watched TV”. Uh yeah.. What I really meant to say was “FUCK OFF You nosy BITCH.. don’t they teach you TACT in Texas?!”.
Oh, oh! Then on the bus ride home she was telling me about how when she lived in the states her husband was having trouble finding a job. She told me how she knew this woman who’s husband was German and worked in the same industry as her husband, so she buddied up to her and became friends with her. THEN explained how she didn’t even like the woman, she just got close to her because she had something she needed. Uh, yeah.. not exactly prime friendship material for me, I think. There are other things that rub me the wrong way about her, but I won’t bore you all with any more details. We’ll see though, I’ll still talk to her if she comes around and be nice. Maybe she just gives really really bad first impressions.
Weird huh? Who would have thought that after all this time whining about wanting to meet more Americans and Canadians that when put in a situation where I could meet them, I prefer the Europeans!
I’ve been listening to Howard Stern a lot on the tram going back and forth to school. Does anyone else listen to Howard a lot? What happened to Jackie the Jokeman? I don’t hear Fred much either. Who the heck is this new Arty guy? So many questions. I leave Canada and don’t listen for a few years and when I come back half the cast is gone and Howard is divorced. The damn show has been falling apart without me!! If anyone has any answers to these questions, please leave a comment explaining.
I saw the weirdest guy on the tram yesterday. He was one of the guys who checks your ticket and I couldn’t stop staring at him. He looked like a cartoon, that’s the only way I can explain him. A cross between Mr Putty Head (which is a cartoon character I just made up in my head) and Johnny Bravo. He was tall and blond with his hair full of crap and all slicked back. His face was SO smooth and shiney that he looked like the surface of a ball of putty when you roll it in your hands for a half hour. If any of you have ever played with Silly Putty you’ll know what I’m talking about. Anyway, he wore an unbearable amount of gold jewelry. Like 3 big rings on one hand, 2 on the other, a rather feminine looking bracelet and a big gaudy watch. I was fascinated by this guy, I wondered what his bedroom looked like. Did he have a strange mixture of Elvis and Mr T posters on his walls or was he a fan of one of those Dutch rappers and that was his version of the Bling Bling? Whatever the case is, I was just downright staring. I wonder how many people look at me that way and wonder what ever possesses me to dye my hair purple and pierce my face. Variety really does make the world go ’round! I think I’ll call him Mr. Bravo in my head, just for fun.
