So, I've had a couple people ask how class is going here, or if I even go to class here. I know I don't mention it a lot, so I thought I'd say something now.
I have class four days a week. On Monday, I have 3 hours of the Netherlands and its European Context. Tuesday gives me two hours of Dutch Art & Architecture lecture, and on Wednesday I have 3 hours of photography. Thursday is my fieldtrip day for Dutch A&A, and we go to museums in the afternoon. That's my easy-piesy class schedule here.
I only wish I were learning a little bit more. I adore photography, and I wish I could have tons more of that. It's been wonderful to have:
(1) a teacher who encourages me to do weird stuff with my camera, just to see what happens
(2) practice with slide film, which I've never used before
(3) time to take whatever photos I want to take, just because
(4) and also time to try and take photos to fill a purposely vague assignment title, like "take pictures of something that is the same but different in every country you go to" (I'm doing these things that separate sidewalks from the road -- I'll post a pic up soon perhaps).
I am so glad I came here because of the photography class. I also like Dutch Art & Architecture, but it's a ton of information for me to process.
NEC drives me crazy. It's supposed to be about the Netherlands and Europe, but it should really be called "Comparative USA NL studies" because of how much we talk about the US. I think my country report I'm doing on Spain will actually teach me as much as the entire class will. I must say tho, the class did make me go to a soccer game and to several towns already, which is good. I'll think about it and post more later, because I'm running out of web time at the cafe, and I want to make sure this posts. But I will say that this is definitely not the most academic semester I've had in my life. Still, I am learning tons about living on my own in an entirely new place where people don't always speak my language.