Queen B's Birthday

Happy Birthday Queen B!

I realize I am now weeks behind on my blogging, and I have A LOT to catch everyone up on. It might take a few posts so bear with me :) I'll begin with my departure from my friends and new-found family I had formed during almost a year in Europe.

My last full weekend in Europe happened to be the Queen of Holland's birthday celebrations, aka Queen's Day. With the plans leading up to this day, we had heard several illusive stories. So I had tried to plan accordingly and finished up papers and homework before the party began. I had several friends coming in town and needed, including Roberto and another friend from London/Undergraduate at SLU staying with me. On top of this, there were several other friends from Geneva in for the weekend to help celebrate.

Leiden canal

We started the weekend off by a boat tour through Leiden. I had been getting really envious of all the Dutch people riding by me on their boats, so I organized a trip for about 17 of us to rent a boat and driver and take us around the city. We got lucky and the day turned out to be fabulous! Very unusual, considering I have been wearing my winter coat in May. The trip was awesome and ended with a picnic in the park. One of my favorite days.

Our boat!


The next day we got up 'early' to Amsterdam to celebrate the Queen! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but walking into Leiden station was a bit overwhelming. There was a crowd heading to the train platform that looked like a sea of people. Because of the crowds, the trains weren't running properly and it took us a lot longer than it should have, but we finally made it to Amsterdam.

Crowds to the train... absolute madness!

We followed the crowds of people to museumsplein and spent the afternoon drinking, people watching and sampling all the street food we could find! It was a crazy, fun experience with tons of good friends. There was everything from orange smoke bombs, public urination and a live show from DJ Tiesto. The pictures might do a better job of explaining than my words here. For those of you that have been, think Mardi Gras with the Dutch. :)

the boys are clearly not happy with me taking this pic... haha

Ste, Annie and Dena dressed to the nines!
UK, SA, USA

Of course they would have an orange smoke bomb..

DJ Tiesto Concert

The next week I finished up my final papers and said far too many of tearful goodbyes. The people I met this year have helped me create some of the best memories and give me insight into all over the world. I found a quote by the American author who spent a lot of time living in Europe to help me describe.

"I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself." - James Baldwin

xoxo
Amy

Blooming in Dutch!

Per the request of mi madre, I'm back to blogging. My apologies for my absence lately. Things have been hectic! I was just looking back to see where I had left off with my little story.

I was busy planning my trip to India and Thailand. Figuring out embassies and visas, and lots of homework. Things are still about the same, but amplified.
However, I'll start from the beginning.

Since arriving here in Leiden, I've enjoyed the small town atmosphere again. After London, the change was welcome. I have had the chance to visit a few neighboring towns, like the Hague (the capital) and Rotterdam (one of the biggest ports in Europe). Easy day trips by train. Roberto has been to visit a few times so we have been riding around Holland and finding things to do.


the Hague, Parliament square

Dutch view of the American Dream, haha

Rotterdam, NL

Blomme means blooming in Dutch and Flemish... People finally know what my last name is!!
Pronounced: Blumma

Luckily, his trips were before the big Volcano erupted in Iceland that grounded Europe from flying for several days, stranding people all over the continent. This also caused my parents trip to get canceled as many of you know. I couldn't believe it. After all this time and my mom and I finally got my father agreed to take a vacation and come all this way, and a natural disaster strikes.

To add to my twilight zone feeling, my next home has been in political unrest for the past few weeks. The Bangkok government has been dealing with protesters called the Red Shirts parked outside their offices, in the city center and blocking roads all over the city. The protesters, often poor villagers looking for equal rights, are asking that the current government be ousted and a new election take place.

The situation got more serious about a week ago when twenty some people died in a riot. This spurred my school to close down and begin looking for safer classrooms. The question was posed to all of us traveling there if we felt safe enough to continue on with our next term or to choose another location. The decision was tough for me. But after a few days debate I decided to stick with Bangkok, hoping for a learning experience and some safety.

Currently, I am still looking forward to the experience. I have several friends that are there now and say its pretty crazy, but I haven't heard anything too threatening.

To keep me distracted from my twilight zone, last weekend I had the chance to go to Brussels, Belgium for my class. Brussels is a bit like DC in terms of International Organizations and the home of the European Union. We were there to visit NATO, European Parliament and the EU Council.

Outside of Parliament

We arrived on Thursday morning and went straight to NATO to meet with our George Clooney look-a-like representative. (I think this was planned out by them to try and win students over.) But the visit was altogether very interesting. By far the highest security we have gone through on any of our visits. The rep answered our questions very candidly. He was an ex-congress press sec. and had some great stories. I can't say that defense and military actions are my favorite topic, it was engaging none the less. I had never thought I would have visited NATO headquarters.

Tight security at NATO, no pictures...

After this we visited the European Parliament. The closest thing I would compare it to would be the US House of Reps. There are currently 736 MPs from all of the 27 European Union countries. With 23 official languages, the most interesting part was the way in which they communicate within the meetings. Our speaker was also a translator and spoke seven languages. That morning she had just given a presentation in Russian.

European Parliament Hemi-Cycle

That evening we went out to dinner as a group with our professor. We ate 'mussels in Brussels' and had a few of the famous Belgian beers. I heard the most amazing story of how her and her husband fell in love and came to be married. (Her husband is also our professor.) I was blown away. Sorry for the suspense, but it could be a blog in and of itself.

Afterward we walked around the city a bit and to the square (check out my video at the bottom from the next day). We ate waffles and found a bar that is home to the biggest selection of beers on the planet. I had a Chimay Blue. :) Very dark Belgian beer.
It was an amazing day in Brussels, the city has architecture mixed from the 1600s to the 1980s . I absolutely love it!


Part of the Berlin wall...

Square at night. Obviously closer to 1600s than 1980s :)

The next day we had one last visit with the EU Council, which is where the heads of state all meet every 3 months. We listened to the director of the terrorism department, who was extremely passionate about his work and full-body scanners. :) I regret to inform you that I believe they will become the norm in the future...

That afternoon I walked around the city with a friend of mine. We stopped in a Magritte Museum, ate street fries and enjoyed the sunshine!

Brussels is picturesque!

That evening I had planned to meet an old friend from High School for dinner. Vanessa was a foreign exchange student from Germany when I was a sophomore. We had seen each other about 4 years ago in Amsterdam. It was so fun to catch up again and have a local show me around the city.

Vanessa and I, 10 years since her time in Memphis!

Back in Leiden, I've been busy working on papers, presentations and game simulations. However, on Thursday we went to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Special Court to Sierra Leone to watch the trial of Charles Taylor, ex-President of Liberia. It has been in the news recently because of new events that Naomi Campbell was given a diamond by Taylor, which would prove that he was in S. Africa buying guns for his the war on Sierra Leone. It was on ABC news recently. Check it out.

Anyway, the trial was super interesting. I did some research on Taylor before visiting. He's a really bad dude. The defense was giving their side of the case when we were there. They had called a soldier from the Liberian army to testify. The prosecution previously had called child soldiers, amputee victims and much more. It's been going on for 3 years now.


ICC Building, Den Haag
Side note: The ICC is a treaty where the majority of nations have signed, agreeing to let their nationals be tried in an international court. Currently the US is not a party to the treaty. Both Bush's could easily be brought to trial if they were. Clinton signed it and Bush Jr. 'unsigned' it.


Quick visit to the Organization for the Proliferation of Chemical Weapons, Den Haag
Photo op with all of the flags :)


That's the extent of my crazy life right now. Coming up next weekend is Queen's Day (the queen's birthday) so I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories for everyone!

xoxo,
Amy

Brussels Square Video :) Click play twice...

Reading, Writing and Travel Plans

Since I have been so busy lately, I haven't gotten out to do much sight-seeing. So instead I'll tell you a bit what I have been up to. Again, I should be working on a presentation due in six hours... but I'm sure it will all come together :)

On arriving in Leiden, we had an assignment of about 15o pages of articles, an entire book of reading and a paper. This has been the theme the past week and half, tons of reading and huge work load up front. Usually the professors give us a week or two before shoving anything significant on us, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Hopefully that will mean that finals will be less intense :) I'm still hopeful. haha

This term I'm taking a Politics of Development class focusing on aid in Africa. Our professor is South African and the assistant prof is Nigerian. It's been interesting hearing debates on whether the West should continue to give aid to the continent. My other full class is Globalization. The two compliment each other really well and are focusing on a few of the same theories and ideas, which will hopefully make studying easier. Our professor for this class is Iranian and extremely intimidating. (the presentation due in six hours... yikes!)

But all of that is boring. On top of school work I've been trying to plan my trip to in between Leiden and my next term in Bangkok and look for jobs. Stress! I've come to realize that travel agents have a very difficult job. Dealing with Visas, strange airline websites, and converting foreign currency to check each price is a class in itself! However, I'm very excited for my trip. I'm flying to Bangalore, India to visit with my cousin Brian, now Legtsok. I'm staying with him at the Buddhist monastery he's studying at. I've never been past Eastern Europe, so this idea of unknown and completely foreign really excites me. I'm ready for the challenge!

On top of being in Asia, I'm excited to learn more about Buddhism, which shouldn't be hard residing in a monastery. Last night after class we got drinks at the local pub near school, and I found myself in a conversation with my Nepalese classmate about Buddhism and his religious revolution from atheism. He was mentally putting together a book list for me to read. His stories of government corruption, children and meditation in his homeland caught my interest and make me want to see more.

After my stop in India for about 10 days, I'll be heading to Bangkok for my final term and writing a thesis. This year has flown by. Each term goes faster than the last. The next stop after that is real life. I'm hoping to get a job in Asia for a year or so after the program. That's the plan right now :)

After all this ranting, I can't not share a few pictures. Some friends and I went to Amsterdam for the day last week. Here are some of the sights from our day trip and other Dutch things.


View out my apartment window in Leiden

Flowers and rain drops

Dena and I overlooking a canal in Amsterdam

The Dutch love biking everywhere!

Street market in Amsterdam, this little car had two fiesty puppies in it!

Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam

Portuguese Road Trip

Hey Everyone!

I just returned from my last break in Europe during this program and it was gorgeous. Some friends and I decided to rent a car and drive along the Southern coast of Portugal. Flights were cheap and during the off-season, so were the food and lodging. After 2 months in dreary London, I desperately wanted sunshine!

My my classmate Steve and I flew from London to Lisbon on an early Saturday morning and met up with our friends from the Geneva campus, Roberto and Erika. I've been dating Roberto since last October when we met while I was studying in Geneva. We've stayed close since I've left Switzerland, seeing him both in London and back in Geneva. He's sweet and funny and puts picante sauce on everything! Erika is Steve's girlfriend, and she has become a good friend of mine. So the four of us decided to spend a week wandering about Portugal, trying not to get into too much trouble along the way.

The Group!

View from our apt in Lisbon

Our first two nights in Lisbon, we had booked an amazing apartment overlooking the central square of the city. After washing off the airport feeling, we started to explore the city. After walking about an hour, food became the priority and we stumbled upon a quaint little restaurant to try for lunch. We all sat down and the waitor brought out a large, raw fish on a hook, and said "I cook." Without much of an option we all agreed and took his expert advice. He started out by bringing us appetizers of fried sardines with lemon. Then came the fish, with salad and potatoes. It was honestly one of my favorite meals of the trip. So tip of advice: Listen to your waitor in Portugal. He knows best :)


We wandered around a bit more and saw the city. After visiting the grocery store, Steve, who was a cook before an IR student, made us de-constructed Paella, as Erika called it, for dinner in the apartment. Our first night out we went to the bar district of Lisbon called Barrio Alto. The tiny cobblestone streets were packed with people until 4 in the morning. It was a fun first night of being reunited with good friends.

Dinner in the apartment

Ro and I in Lisbon

The next day we headed up one of the seven hills of Lisbon to the Castle that over looks the city. We got tapas on our way up to take a breather from all the hiking. The views from the walls around the city were beautiful. While we were looking around the castle, we found a few peacocks roaming about, that came to be common in Portugal. On our way out, we saw the male spread its feathers and dance for the two females. It was absolutely stunning. (See the video below!)

One of my favorites :)

Overlooking Lisbon

Our plan was to head out Monday morning to start our road trip. The night before we had picked up our rental car and parked it outside of the apartment. When we woke up, the other cars around it had moved. I suggested we move the car soon, so as to avoid being towed. However, Roberto and Steve decided it could wait, until about 30 minutes later, the tow truck was hoisting the car up from where we left it. Roberto ran downstairs to try and convince them to not tow it. Fortunately, most of the Portuguese understand Spanish, so he talked them into lowering the car and only giving us a fine. Crisis averted. It did, however, make for a funny joke the rest of the trip.

Ro chatting with the police officers..

After the run-in with the Lisboa police, it was time to skip town and head east. We were heading to Evora, a small town inland with Roman ruins and an aqueduct. On the way there, we spotted another castle and decided to stop and check it out. We wandered around Montemor-o-novo a bit, had lunch and then headed back on the road.

View from the castle ruins

The night in Evora was raining but we still managed to find an awesome little restaurant to have dinner in. The next day we walked around the city and visited the Church, Cloisters, Roman ruins and a Bone Sanctuary. The sun was shining and a perfect day to see the sights!

Inside the Cloisters

Stopping for lunch in Serpa

From there we headed south in search of more sunshine. We ended up in Albufeira for two nights. We found a cheap apartment and spent the day on the beach! It was sunny, but still a bit chilly for swimming or laying out. So instead we built a fire around the cliffs and hiked around a bit. It was one of my favorite days out and about!

Cliffs around Albufeira close to sunset

Our next destination was the tip of Portugal. We had read about a drive along the edge of the coast line toward Sagres and the end of Europe. So we stopped listening to our GPS and followed road signs along the coast. We started in Lagos, on to Luz, Burgau, Sagres and finally the end of the continent. We drove along two lane roads, winding around cliffs and even ended up on a gravel road at one point. But the sights were unbelievable.

Stopping at an old fortress in Sagres.. Too close for comfort!

Tip of Portugal

From there we went back to Lagos to find a place to stay for the night. Definitely one of my favorite cities outside of Lisbon. We spent another two days there, putzing around and checking out the city. One day we went to the beach and relaxed. We built figures in the sand and played all day. I did yoga on the beach and loved spending time outside in the sun.

Beach in Lagos

Our week exploring was almost over, so we headed back north to Lisbon for one last night before catching flights back home. We drove through more countryside and saw small villages, cattle farms and beautiful views. The farms there had a different look about them than back home. It was fun to be able to see the country side and poke around where they haven't had much influence from tourists or outsiders. During our trip we were even stopped in the road for a herd of sheep passing over a one-lane bridge. The sheppard was driving a motorcycle with his staff in his lap.

Traffic Jam in Portugal

Country Road Sign

It was a wonderful trip, we ate well, relaxed and enjoyed a week without an agenda, phone or distractions.

More from Holland soon!

xoxo
Amy

After reading a few of my friends' blogs this morning, I am realizing how out of touch with everything I have been lately. Since getting back to London after the holidays I have done a terrible job keeping up with connections at home. So again, my apologies for lack of attention.

I can't believe it already but I only have a week left in London!! After getting back from a week in Geneva for a Humanitarian Conference, I had to scramble to finish a paper comparing Hillary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher's political satire. Hopefully I don't sound like too much of a feminist!

Right now all I really want to do is slow down time. Knowing that the real world awaits next July is coming all too quickly. I've been considering staying abroad for a while after this program to get some international work experience and put off the perils of job searching in the States. Any suggestions?

But enough ranting, let me catch you up on recent activities over here :)
London has been full of cultural experiences and good food. I have come to love Indian food, and I think my stomach has finally become accustomed to spice. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, I believe I've heard that 50% aren't Londoners. (don't quote me on that) The East side of the city is where immigrants enter(ed) into the city, and today the area is full of restaurants from the Far East to the Middle East, markets selling rugs, electronics and olives. I have really come to love this area.

Olive Bar in the market near Brick Lane

Inside the Novello Theatre, showing Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
I got James Earl Jones' signature this night!!

The Girls and I going for High Tea one weekend... One tradition that I could get used to!

Dena and I at QPR v. Ispwitch Football (soccer) Match
GOOOOAAALLLLL!!
I was really hoping to see some houliganism but just some angry booing the General Manager. Maybe next time :)

I have also gone to a few plays and visited a few galleries. A few weeks ago I found out that the Gagosian Gallery in London was having an opening right around the corner from my flat. I drug my friend Steve along and I felt a part of the art crowd again :)

For our class Humanitarian Issues, we got to attend the Humanitarian Conference in Geneva (aka an excuse to see my old friends in Geneva!) The conference was two days of speakers, discussing access to resources. In between all of that was a fondue dinner, visiting our old Cafe de la Presse, and wine and cheese by Lake Geneva. It was really fun being back in Les Berges and visiting with the people I got so close to in Geneva.

Humanitarian Conference at Webster Geneva

A Sunday afternoon by the Lake :)

I'll leave you with this and get back to studying Comparative Politics and writing about Culture and Development. (exciting stuff!) And I'll try and be better with my blog writing. :)

Salud!

xoxo
Amy