January and February Notes

Hobbies

With the help of a nearby second-hand store, I am transforming my once somber room into a bona fide Paula Paradise. When I moved in, my room was drab with horrid floral curtains. All of that is changing. To start, I have new curtains. Also, I made pottery mosaics around a huge wall mirror. I made the mosaic with cement from a hardware store and broken bits of colored pottery. The colors happened to be red, white and blue, both America’s colors and Dutch flag colors. I have painted furniture. New posters and pictures adorn the walls.

Additionally, I have been getting more involved in Bikram yoga and spinning. My roommate introduced me to Bikram yoga. As a reminder, I bend myself into a slightly misshapen human-pretzel for an hour-and-a-half in a wood-paneled room heated to 105 Fahrenheit and then I go outside in the freezing cold, and then back inside where I take a hot shower.

Spinning is new to me. My friend Jitske introduced me to it. For forty-five minutes you furiously peddle on a stationary bike with dozens of others. The instructor is speaking in Dutch, but you follow the motions of everyone rising and falling and are able to keep up. A loud techno and pop beat thrums in the background and disco lights flash in the slightly-darkened room. The description sounds bizarre, but it is brilliant exercise and surprisingly rejuvenating.

Rotary Presentations

I gave my first rotary presentation last week and believe it was a smash success. I did not use a power point, though I have a jazzy one I made if I need to use it. The only sad part is that once presentations are through, I cannot get to know the jovial rotarians more. So far, the Dutch rotarians I have met are witty, genuine and kind. Genuine is a key word. Like most Dutch people, they say what they mean. There is comfort in that. Usually, they have nice words to say.

Academics

My classes are wrapping up. I will be excited to finish my last two papers of the block and start taking two new classes in February. My classes will be on "Culture and Identity in Europe" and "The History of Religion in Europe." After that block, I have one block left in which I write my thesis. I am still developing thoughts on the subject.

Social Life

At first, I found it difficult getting acclimated to the Netherlands, to feel at home. Despite the nation’s reputation for party-crazed-nights, most students I know stay indoors in the evenings. This sometimes makes it hard to meet people. For instance, to socialize here, you must have friends and then, they invite you to their homes. Fortunately, this has happened for me. My feet, which once felt in the air, now feel planted on terra firma. Riding a bike regularly, taking public transportation, buying cheese in a market, all of these things come easier now. Proost to that! (Cheers in Dutch.)