Right now I am soaking wet (stupid rain), sitting in Coffee Company, drying off with some very dry Public International Law reading. I have one more midterm on Tuesday for Introduction to Conflict Studies. I think it's mostly just to make sure we've been doing the readings, which I have been. I has lots of studying to do though. I also have a group paper about Kosovo to write for the same class, due on the 30th.
Yesterday was NL Doet, de grootste vrijwilligersactie van Nederland. I went to a cool farm/garden school thing with some other CIEE people. We painted tables, and planted violets and other plants, and went to class with some 10-year-olds, and played with goats. It was really fun! And they fed us lots of yummy food, and gave us free flowers. :-) One funny thing I saw was a large group of elementary school students on bikes. They were all wearing bright orange vests, but no helmets. Helmets really aren't a thing here. I'm glad they had vests though.
Tuesday's going to be such a busy day. I have an appointment to pick up my residence permit from immigration peoples at 11, then my Conflict Studies midterm from 1-3, then a CIEE meeting at 3:30. :-/
Next Saturday I'm going to see ‘Kasteel Amerongen’, a beautiful castle, originally built in the 14th century. First we will have lunch in a restaurant near the castle, then we will do a tour of the castle and the garden. The castle has artistic, royal, political and architectural factors, and Bonny will also inform us about the Dutch royal family and important people that lived in the castle (like the exiled German emperor Wilhelm II). [might have just copied and pasted that from an e-mail... :-b]
On the 30th, I'm probably going to a passover seder with this cool reconstructionist/renewal congregation: http://www.beithachidush.nl/english/index.html
I also may be organizing a small seder at my dorm. "I might be willing if people are interested," in my e-mail to our RD became "Maya is in charge of" in her e-mail to all of CIEE. Oh my. Should be fun though.
I'm in the middle of picking a day to go chill with my host family. It will be some weekend in April.
Maya; We're glad your back ... Happy Vernal Equinox - hope you see the tulips soon.
ReplyDeleteLynnie made a seder in a hotel room in China in 1978. She brought her matzo from home - no local version. xoxojdw
I hope you stay well for the rest of the year. I knew you were busy with midterms but we missed your blog. Since you moved to Amsterdam I have changed my computer viewing. I used to check AOL first, then my credit cards,and get around to facebook. When your brother was at camp I would check their site early on. Now I check your blog first in the morning and before I go to bed, Then facebook as you are often there, then AOL, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe Temple sound very interesting. Even though we have a gay Temple about 8 blocks from our temple we have several gay members and a gay assistant Rabbi. Good luck on both of your Seders.
Tomorrow, our Temple Sisterhood will have our Women's Seder at our house. Our Temple has had a women's Seder for over 30 years. We talk about the civil disobedience of the midwives, the compassion of Pharaoh's daughter, and have a Miriam's cup.
Our family seder on April 29 will have four young children and then 14 adults from Lucas, age 22, to four grandparents.
On Tuesday I was at a Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project fund raiser that featured Gloria Steineim.
It is good to hear from you again. Lenore