Judgements

Person:           "So what are you doing over spring break?"

Me:                 "Flying back home."

Person:           "O right! How long is the flight to Denmark?"

Me:                "You mean..Holland?"

Person:          "Yes.. Isn't that a province in Denmark?"

Me:                "No... It's a separate country..."

Just an example of a conversation I had a while ago. People can't seem to find the difference between The Netherlands and Denmark. But that's not the only thing.

Person:        "You smoke weed everyday right?"

Me:             "No??? Do I look like I do???"

Person:        "Well.. you are from the Netherlands!"

Me:             "That doesn't mean I do drugs..."

Or the question so many people ask: "Have you been to the red-light district?" no..No...NO!

People have very interesting judgements and views on Holland. Just like we think that all Americans are fat and eat donuts all day. But once you actually go to the country you are judgemental about, it will prove you wrong (for the most part). I mean: Yes, softdrugs are legal, so is drinking when you are sixteen, and yes prostitution is legal, but it does not mean everyone does it/or uses drugs etc. The same here in the USA: of course, there is a big obesity problem, but it does not mean that EVERYONE is fat, and that EVERYONE lives on donuts. The world generalizes negative judgements about different country, and thinks every single citizen in the certain country is that way.

Asians are from a different planet.

All immigrants are criminals.

Every muslim is a terrorist.

Are any of these statements true?

No.

Will they ever be true?

No.

Is it fair for us to judge?

No.

Yet it's a human thing.

I got the best of both worlds

A short note: sorry for not blogging for so long, I can come up with a million excuses but I've just been lazy. Sorry. Here I am again! You should thank Steve, a good friend of my parents, who I've known for many years now, for reminding me to update my blog. Thanks Steve! :)

School is over. I made honor roll, all 3 terms, which is really exciting because this has been my first year at an American school! So i've studied hard, made new friends, faced difficult times (oh tell me about it), and had an awesome first year!

I've had he roommate issues, the bad grade, the annoying teacher, the bitch that gossips about you. Yet I also had the awesome roommate technoparty, the awesome grade, the lovely teacher, and the best friend! So it all evens out. I'm thinking about (don't get your hopes up yet!) writing & publishing a book about my boarding school experience. Exciting or what? This will not happen soon though, think about a couple of years.

So, to give you a heads up: this summer I've been everywhere! Prague, Vienna, Holland, USA. I made tons and tons of pictures, I selected a couple and posted them on my Flickr photostream, check it out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauradelight/ :)

What have I noticed lately? The difference between my Dutch and American friends.

I've grown up in a city, independent, and not sheltered at all - this is the way most of my Dutch friends grew up as well. I'm not scared of traveling by public transportation alone, going to a city alone, biking at night alone (maybe not the smartest thing, but oh well), etc. Most of my American friends grew up very sheltered; driven by car everywhere, not exposed to certain types of people, not very independent.
Conversation topics differ a lot depending on what continent the friend is from. Let's put it this way: I can talk about religion and politics with the Dutchies without having it to end up negatively. Oh man, I remember sitting at dinner tables at school and people walking off as if they were ready to burst out of anger.. I guess my Dutch friends don't really care as much. My American friends have a different sense of humor, are more relaxed and laid-back. Oh, and a tiny detail about my American friends: I live with them. I know them very well, and they are all amazing people.

Another thing that people ask me a lot: Do I feel like a foreigner in my home country after having been gone for SO LONG? The answer is no. It feels as if I never left every time I see the grim, rainy sky through the window in the airplane. It's all the same, nothing changes, but I am confused. I feel at home in America and The Netherlands now! People then ask me: "But if you had to pick one.." I say: "Hannah Montana didn't have to choose, she had the best of both worlds, and so do I!" (smile).

The funniest study hall ever

For the people who do not know what study hall is: it is a time that everyone has to be in their room with their door open (to make sure nobody is making noise) and studies + does homework. The funny thing is about having your doors wide open, is that you can peek into the room of the girls who live across from you. You bet we took advantage from that.

I just have to say: the 2 girls that live across the hall from me are amazing. One of them is the coolest Korean I know, and the other one is a Jewish ginger with the coolest clothing you will ever see. Instead of do our homework, we decided to "communicate". My mom had just brought me a lot of clementines, so me and my roommate decided to write on it and through it across the hall. 

The study hall proctor sitting in the hallway didn't know what was flying across and just let it go. But then the war started. We began to throw more and more clementines, while they wrote Korean characters on them and threw them back at us. It was a big clementine war. The facial expression of the study hall proctor is hard to explain, but it was the funniest ever. She had no clue what was happening: why are there clementines flying across the hallway?!? 

When study hall was open we just started laughing and laughing and couldn't stop. I don't think I've had fun like this in such a long time. 

And: the sun is shining today!!! Happy easter!!!!

How to live with your friends

Boarding school is not like they project it in books or tv-series, it is a little more complex. I am going to do my best to explain to you what I experience at boarding school and social structures. Please do exactly as I write, and you will find yourself completely understanding me, and getting a different view on boarding school life.

Please think about your 3 closest friends; think about the jokes you make with them, the amazing memories and conversations you have had with them. Think about how you are all so excited every time you see each other; new stories to tell, gossip, and other updates. Imagine being in the same room with these friends 24/7. Yes. Do it. Can you feel it? The nervous feeling of just wanting to be alone? That is what I feel. That is what a lot of boarding students feel.

Friendships in general are very hard to maintain; it is vulnerable, sensitive and amazing at the same time. But actually living with all your friends gives you the opportunity to truly discover who these people are. They are not always fun, peppy, perky. They can be mean, obnoxious, annoying, odd, weird; but they have their moments to be this person when no one is around. Imagine people being around you all the time (apart from your relatives). Wouldn't it drive you nuts sometimes?

 Having to always think about other people, turn down your music, turn of your lights to keep them satisfied, it is very tiring. Trying to forget about everyones flaws (which I definitely have too) is very hard at times: "This annoys me about so and so" and "she is so obnoxious when she does blablabla". It is very hard to always keep a smile on your face, and be the same girl, because secretly we are all hiding a lot from everyone; secrets that only you know; funny habits that are very personal. But at boarding school you are over exposed.

For example: you love this one friend; she is so much fun to be around, you have great conversations with her. Imagine her like this now: her home is very unorganized, she has old pizza slices under her bed, she picks her nose. Do you like her as much now?

Living with peoples strengths and weaknesses is very hard. But I have to say it's a great learning experience. I have never met people like this before, I have never been confronted with my own flaws, I have never had to live with my friends.

It is a huge adjustment, but I think I will carry around these memories my entire life. They will definitely help me in the future. Just got to get through this. Without my mom kissing me good night at 10.