Howdy,

Another crazy eventful day in Amsterdam. I slept in a little bit today, which was nice considering the lack of sleep I've been getting. I went straight to school, where they told me to go to another building in school, who promptly gave me a letter to take to the bank. Forty-five minutes later, I had a bank account. Then I got a cell phone. The rest of the day has been spent grocery shopping anf wandering amidst the rain and wind... lovely amsterdam weather. That's about it.

One thing I've noticed here, is that everything is more difficult for the non-dutch, regardless. Systems are set up to benefit the dutch, and annoy foreigners. Yet, I believe the dutch have a right to do this. They have made a living, since the beginning of their country, doing business by learning our language and coming to us. Now that I live here, the more I realize that in order for them to do that, it comes with a catch, either by charging more money or acting differently. Yet, they have a right to do this, and I accept it. It's my job to integrate, not theirs to be welcoming. Dutch is a tough language phonetically at first though, so I'm having difficulties, but I'll pull through. The adventure awaits.

Here are some pics from my flat I took two minutes ago.





Love Ya... (especially Alli)

Shain