This is Amsterdam

SANY0706
Originally uploaded by sarahkatina

A lot has happened over the past few days. I've been pretty overwhelmed, to be honest - my flight in was the roughest I've ever had, I was late for orientation, it is bitterly cold and windy and rainy here, and I had to endure the 48 hours of forced togetherness with 45 other people that is orientation.

But things are settling more now. I haven't been taking nearly as many pictures as I should be, but that will change soon - I'm getting into the groove now. This photo was taken out the top of a canal boat that the whole group went on on Friday afternoon - it was really gorgeous, as you might imagine. I didn't have a picture of Amsterdam in my head before coming here, but it's a cross between how I imagine Vienna and how I imagine Venice. That is, lots of ornate old buildings set close together around cobblestone streets and canals.

I'm living, by contrast, in an ultramodern, Ikea styled and furnished high rise in a quiet part of town east of the center city. It's close to everything, though. I have a ten minute bus ride to Centraal Station, which is right at the top of the city in the very center, and it only takes about 45 minutes to walk from end to end. It is nice to be in such a compact place. The apartment is just one room plus a bathroom, but it's incredibly spacious. I'm living with a girl from Miami.

Today I had my first class of the semester, which is Dutch. I learned how to say "Goedenmiddag! Mijn voornam is Sarah." I also learned how to say "I am from the United States." and "I live in Amsterdam," but I have forgotten how to say those things already. I really like language classes. This is going to be intense, but I am really excited to not be a total idiot when people try to speak to me in Dutch. I have been having a hard time overcoming my American guilt, here, because I have to speak English everywhere I go (because I don't know enough Dutch to avoid it). The next few days are more class and getting things sorted with immigration, and then Whitney is going to be here on Thursday and Friday nights, so I'm excited to see her!

Orientation has been crazy, and I'm exhausted. But I am starting to make some friends, and settle in more, and soon I will have more stories and more pictures. French fries here ARE amazing (with mayonnaise). There are these caramel-wafer cookies called stroepwaffels that I am addicted to. The city, when you first glance at a map, looks nothing short of unnavigable - but it's an illusion.
Love to everyone.