Saturday was my first day to sleep in so I caught up on sleep, but around three or so we drove into Amsterdam to get my first real look at the city. We had had big plans to soak up of all sorts of cultural attractions (I was really pushing for the zoo) but because of our late start we just ended up wandering around looking at stuff. We went to the only windmill in Amsterdam, which is now a brewery, saw Caspar's apartment, and met the parents for drinks and dinner. Holland was playing Northern Ireland in a soccer game that night, so there were drunken, orange clad people EVERYWHERE, singing and carousing. I don't think many of them actually made it to the game, but apparently that's not really the idea.
Me and Felix in front of his dad's firm
The next we drove to Noorwijk, a beach town on the Atlantic Ocean to spend the day in the summer apartment of one of Felix and Caspar's friends. The ocean was absolutely freezing, but it was fun, and like everywhere else in Holland, everything was clean and charming and such. For dinner that night we drove to Leiden, home of the second oldest (third? first? really old anyway) university in the world. Nothing but medieval and old buildings, cobble streets, and gorgeous canals everywhere. Mama, I could really see you loving it here. We wandered down a bunch of narrow streets and saw a huge church where the first pilgrims were burried (confused how the pilgrims got to Europe from America, but I can't speak Dutch, so I just kind of have to accept everything at face value), the apartment where Rembrandt lived and studied, and stopped at a pub that had been the same since the 1700s, and ate on a boat bobbing in one of the canals. I forgot my camera, but believe me when I say pictures cannot do it justice anyway. (Felix did get this picture on his phone).
Back to work on Monday, and I got my first real, writing assignment! I was a bit nervous, but felt very good about the final product. Also on Monday a fresh batch of interns arrived, and I got to feel like a big shot with my three days of experience. This feeling did not last long because we went on an hour long tour of the office to meet everyone and the entire thing was done in Dutch. I just laughed when everyone else did, and the only time I knew what was going on was when I could hear the word "American" and then twenty people would go "ooo" and stare at me for a few seconds. I really feel like I'm part of family here.
Besides that work has been a bit slow. All the other interns are already law students or have graduated from law school so they have a lot more to do. But I'm keeping busy as best I can. I think I'm going to start playing for the firm's soccer team, which will be fun.
I must go, it's dinner time over here, but I'll check back in soon.
For anyone who wants to skype me, add connorjr1026, I'd love to here some friendly English speaking voices.
Connor, thank you so much for these several postings! I hope you can keep it up. Your time there will be so brief, but so valuable in terms of new challenges! The pictures are wonderful. So, too, your stories. We will follow with extreme interest.
ReplyDeleteNothing of any particular interest here except that the Rhubarb Festival went really well last Saturday. Now it's almost Saturday again - how time flies.
Love and hugs,
GrAnn