Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

We did celebrate Thanksgiving and I am so happy we did! It was a blast! My friend Tayler video taped so I really want to watch it and maybe download it. We all did go around and say what we were thankful for. We had four countries represented at our Thanksgiving: Spain, Canada, USA and Australia.


Dessert --- I really wanted Pumpkin Pie this Thanksgiving, but of course that wasn't able to happen. This was an Apple type of dessert, and it did the trick for the time being :)

All of us!

The Wisconsin Fam :)

Chili, Mashed Potatoes and Chicken with veggies soup

The spinach dip was awesome! So happy my friend Zuwenah made this, it was a hit

All of the girls

Myself and Inma (from Spain) in the kitchen helping Joe and Tayler with the meal.

My dish to pass was devlied eggs! I LOVE DEVILED EGGS! A lot of people have never had them before, and this is a huge hit at my house so I wanted to make them as something "new" for others to try.

The other night as I was trying to figure out my laptop dilemma, I went to my friend's apartment, Madison, who is from Toronto. Her Dad actually came on skype while I was at her house and he brought up how Thanksgiving was coming up and how huge of a holiday it is in the US (They indicated that in Canada it is NEVER as big as it is in America), so he sent Madison this picture and she printed it out for all of us to have on the table during dinner. It was so nice. This is my friend Zuwenah showing the image for the camera :)

I hope everyone back home had a great Thanksgiving and remained safe and warm :) Ours was a great holiday and it was awesome celebrating with those who never celebrate Thanksgiving but to spread the holiday cheer. Yes, yes we listened to christmas carols during the night as well. It was great for me to come home after our festivities at Joe and Taylers apartment and skype with my family.

Miss you all!
Love,
B

Nerd Party

So last Thursday night before heading to Prague the organization that I am a part of on campus (ISA) had a "Nerd" themed party. We all had worked very hard on exams (I only had one, but others had upwards of 4 in one week!) So we decided to dress as nerds and head downtown.

Everyone had a great time laughing at each other for looking so ridiculous.

Here are some pictures from the event

Birthday Party! 24 Nov

So it is my Australian friend's 22nd birthday today! I secretly woke up at 7am this morning (yes yes, I know VERY rough -- especially since we were up past midnight last night watching Gosspip Girl, I AM SO ADDICTED!) and decorated her door with massive amounts of green, blue, pink and red balloons and a big streamer that says "Happy Birthday" in Dutch. Of course with the classic pink "Birthday Girl" pin that she'll be wearing tonight. I had class at 8:45am this morning and she did as well, so I hope she got a great awakening before heading out ;)

Tonight we are headed to a pizza/pasta place for her Birthday Dinner. She set the reservation for about 30 people so it should be a blast! They have a 5.95 Euro special tonight for any pasta or pizza on their menu... so it is very reasonable.

I'll try to post a picture of her door within the next few days. Still no laptop! Hoping to buy a computer monitor today.

B

Praha! (Prague) Nov. 19th, 20th, 21st 2010

The view out of the boat window on our boat tour


The stairs leading up to the tower in the clock!


Astronomical clock

The Prague Astronomical Clock is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction.

It has three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months




Prague Castle

This fairy tale castle on a hill overlooking the Vltava River is the most popular sight in the city, reflecting the city's "Bohemian Baroque" architecture. The seat of Czech rulers for 1,000 years, today it houses the office of the Pesident. Contained within the castle walls are three courtyards, beautiful gardens, shops, and restaurants. St Vitus Cathedral, a Gothic landmark of the city started in 926 that has always been the center of Prague's religious and political life, is in this giant castle. The cathedral has 21 chapels as well as its most famous archway, the Golden Portal entrance , containing a mosaic of The last Judgement dating back to 1370.


Prague Castle








Baroque statues


Baroque statue


Right near our hotel in town


Me on the Charls Bridge overlooking

Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Malá Strana. It was actually called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) during the first several centuries. Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and began in 1357. In charge of the construction was architect Petr Parléř whose other works include the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle. It is said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge. Our tour guide explained this egg yolk thing to us!

Charles Bridge is one of the many monuments that were built during Charles' reign but it is not the first bridge that ever connected the Prague banks of the Vltava. Another bridge used to stand in its place - the Judith Bridge, which was the first stone bridge over the river. It was built in 1172 and collapsed in a flood in 1342

The bridge also has the Baroque statues (a total of 30) began to be placed on either side of Charles Bridge in the 17th century. Now many of them are copies and the originals can be seen in the Lapidarium.


Our view from the top of the tower


Our view from the top of the tower


Charles Bridge


Our view from the top of the tower


Charles Bridge


The driver/our tour guide on the boat tour


On our boat tour :) We had hot wine and beer included in the price. The others didn't like the hot wine, but I surprisingly did!


Powder Gate


Powder Gate


TGI Fridays in Prague! Whaaaa?!


Me!


Overlooking


Overlooking


Do not be alarmed! We didn't spend this much money! It was just crazy seeing that on a bill.

Computer Troubles Abroad :(

Things go wrong! You must remain calm and flexible... Going abroad means money troubles, travel troubles, and those can only be the beginning! I have been so fortunate just being here... but realize things CAN go wrong...

So Nov. 9th I dropped off my computer at the Local Arnhem shop and have not had luck! I turned on my Dell Laptop one morning and the monitor was black. I could barely, barely see the background - it was EXTREMEMLY dim. I could see my welcome screen on the back and even got to my desktop but the bulb has been completely OUT. I have been really bummed out - not being able to skype with my family and friends and it has been tough with all of the group projects and things coming up as well with school. You realize you don't know what you have till it is gone :/ !

I have learned when things go "wrong" at home you have a lot of options/people to talk to and resources, but when abroad you must be open and flexible because when problems happen you must suck it up and deal with it (a lot of times in a DIFFERENT language than your own...). So today is the 22nd and I still don't have a laptop or gotten it back yet. The Arnhem shop (about 2 mins from where I live) only picks up laptops on Tuesdays and Friday's. I dropped it off on a Wednesday (thinking it would be picked up and taken to the store approx. 20 km away to get fixed). Well the man said there was a "mix up" and my laptop never even got picked up from the shop and all it had been doing was sitting in Arnhem - very frustrating! After I called multiple times to try and figure it out they said that they would get it sent to the next town to get fixed. This then took days and days just to get even a call back with cost...etc. The process here just hasn't been efficient and I feel as if I would have to do a lot of micro-managing just to understand the status of my laptop, what was happening and so forth. I feel like back home you would drop your laptop off, get a call the next day, get a quote and diagnostic - not necessarily here.

The Ede computer company (approx. 20 km away from Arnhem where they actually fix the computers) called me on Friday --- FINALLY! They said it would cost 140 Euros (Approx. 185 USD) to change out the backlight of the laptop. The man said this cost would NOT ensure that it would be fixed though. He said he could try but it wasn't for sure. He said it could have something to do with the motherboard or something that "turns on" the backlight and not necessarily the backlight itself (alone). Now I'm no computer genius by any means, but my entire laptop works, it is just so faint that I cannot see the mouse or what I am doing. When I showed him my laptop he said it was most likely just the light because everything else seemed to work - this is what I don't understand? I told the Ede company not to go through with the purchase of 140 euros, because I could not justify spending 140 Euros on something that I don't know would be fixed or not, especially because I could spend the 185 USD back home to go towards a NEW laptop. Make sense? I think if I knew it would be fixed for 140 Euros, I may do it -- but it was too much relying on luck more than anything, so I just couldn't. As I mentioned, it has been a frustrating ordeal being abroad without a laptop but I'm really trying to stay positive and learn from the experience. I hope that others who decide to study abroad will realize that being flexible is key. You get told "if things go wrong abroad".... blah blah blah, but NOTHING ever goes perfect while abroad and you never expect things to happen you just try to deal with them when they do. There are always occurances when things go wrong and you have to deal with things. My friend lost her I-pod and her camera broke after our first trip - i.e. things go wrong. TWO of my other friends laptops broke as well - i.e. things go wrong. My other friend took out 100 Euros from an ATM, and the money never actually came out - though she got charged for it. My other friend bought a bike - and it got stolen.... ALL IN ALL things go wrong. This is life :) You just think it is way worse when you aren't in your "comfortable" home country or home city.

My options now are going to be, picking up my laptop (un-fixed) in Arnhem and then take it to the city center to get looked at by some other shop with a different opinion. This was the first shop I went too and it looks as if it would cost me an outrageous 140 Euros so I am hoping if I take it to a different store they could give me a diagnostic and a quote and hopefully it can be a "quick" fix rather than something really intense or with the motherboard or what not. I went to the IT department at the HAN University and they gave me names of 2 other shops in the city center, but I am also trying to contact them more seeing if I could rent a laptop from the school in order to get me by 'till January. All in all, it comes at a bad time when school is starting to get tough and in depth and having group meetings day after day that I don't have the 2-3 hours to bike to and from the city center and try to meet with people to help sort out my laptop situation. Wishing there were more than 24 hours in a day!

A lot of my friends and teachers at school are saying - GO MAC GO MAC! I've never been a Mac girl, wondering what all of you out there think? I love my Dell laptop and my Mom ended up buying my sister a Dell a few months ago before she started college, and I love PC's but I'm wondering if a change is needed?

Lets just hope the best scenario comes out of this, I go to the city center - they can switch out the backlight and it won't cost me a lot. My friend Tad here from San Fransisco is really big into computers, and he said that I could order the backlight for my monitor directly from Dell - get it sent to Arnhem and then him and I could go online and look up how to switch it ourselves, I was also thinking of this option. I think I could do it. Why Not! I can do anything... right! ;)

And I'm wondering how much Dell would charge for a new backlight. As I said the computer works and everything is good and fine, it is just the bulb on my screen! Urgh!

I know I post a lot about great things, and the magnificent people I am meeting here and things I am doing - but this proves that Studying Abroad makes you such a better person just dealing with issues outside of your own country. If you would've asked me in September if I could function without a laptop in a foregin country I would un-doubtably say NO WAY JOSE, but now I am doing it and things are essentially fine. You realize what you can deal with and what you can deal WITHOUT. I've met amazing friends here who let me use their laptops at any time and even have sleepovers in their rooms so I am not lonely in my own room without movies to watch before bed :)

Always remember.... when things go wrong -- it honestly COULD BE WAY WORSE! I know there are others out there in the world with thousands of problems much, much bigger than mine :)

If I don't get my laptop fixed before coming home it'll be ok - and hopefully I can find someone at home more computer-literate to help out, for a cheap price :) I can have high hopes, right!

BK

** Stay tuned for the Prague pic's and blog from this past weekend :) It was a wonderful time! I am becoming IN LOVE with Eastern Europe now after Czech and Poland!

Nov. 13th & 14th in Den Haag, Nederland

Just came home yesterday from an amazing weekend! Friday night we traveled to Den Haag, spent the day Saturday at the day of the international student, and Sunday we went to the beach and checked out Den Haag more, as sinterklaas was there too. (We didn't go to Amsterdam this weekend, decided we wanted to see more of Den Haag).

Friday night was great. We couch surfed and went to a few pubs that night, but came home a tad bit early because we were very tired and had a busy day Saturday.

Saturday was the Day of the International Student at the World Forum Center in Den Haag. There were 2,000 in attendance! They day was jam-packed full of activities and the entire thing only cost 12.50 Euros. It started at noon with lunch provided and an information fair. We went to the different booths and learned more about the professional aspect of studying abroad as it relates to jobs, and other booths had a lot of info about the Dutch and the Netherlands in general. The opening ceremony followed, and the whole day was provided by Nuffic. HERE IS NUFFICS WEBSITE WITH A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION

After the opening ceremony (which closed with BMX bike riders doing crazy tricks!) we were able to choose two workshops to go too. The first one we did was "Brand Me" which had you look at the qualities you look for in an organization and how you'd fit in it. This wasn't the best workshop and really wasn't what we expected, but I was happy I did it anyway. The second workshop was all about entrepreneurship and the qualities entrepreneurs had. For some reason I really wanted to check out this workshop and I'm happy I did. I think I share a lot of the same characteristics as entrepreneurs do :) We'll see where my future takes me!

After that we had a closing ceremony with a commedian and also a buffet dinner right at the World Forum Center. After that we used our four free drink vouchers and enjoyed the DJ and the band! We had an amazing time and the band "Tour De Funk" was really great. I'll get photos up stat! The Bands website: http://www.tourdefunk.nl/

After that we went with many other international students downtown and we met one girl from Costa Rica, one from Kenya and one from Nigeria that we hung out a lot with. They said to us that if we are looking for an African Safari to do in the future, to go to Kenya! I think I am going to keep this on my radar.

Then Sunday we woke up and explored Den Haag a bit. We went to the ocean and spent time on the beach. The cold didn't hurt us to much because sinterklaas was going on so there were a lot of kids and a lot of people dressed up celebrating the holiday. It was a great weekend and I'm so happy we decided to go there! Our couch surfing hosts were great and the Day of the International Student was well worth the money and was a great time.

Food For Thought

My friend Dani sent this to me a few days ago, kind of interesting "Food for Thought".

Enjoy :)

"What the U.S. Can Learn from the Dutch About Teen Sex"

CLICK ON THIS LINK, or go below

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/09/09/what-the-u-s-can-learn-from-the-dutch-about-teen-sex/#ixzz15MEBsq9M

http://healthland.time.com/2010/09/09/what-the-u-s-can-learn-from-the-dutch-about-teen-sex/

Weekend of 11/12/2010

So last night we had a quite night in watching "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and tonight we are headed to Den Haag! We'll couch surf Friday night (tonight) and Saturday night, and then Sunday we'll head to Amsterdam. All embassies and government buildings are in Den Haag as it is the third biggest city in The Netherlands behind Amsterdam and Rotterdam. We are excited to see some of the judicial institutions and possibly take some tours or check out some museums while there. We will arrive late tonight, but tomorrow there is a "Day of the International Student" at Den Haag. So all of the International Students that are studying in the Netherlands will be there. They have the whole day jam packed with things to do and people to meet as well as like a lunch and dinner thing as well. After this we will meet up with our couch surfer for the night. Then on Sunday we hope that our couch-surfer/host will show us around Den Haag a little more. We've heard there is a lot to do and a lot to see, and the beach is something great to see as well (as we have heard). So hopefully we'll learn a lot and see a lot in this Netherlands city! We all had a goal of not only traveling here, but see the Netherlands. Of course it is cool to travel from country to country, but if I am living in the Netherlands, I'd like to see some of the other cities and go around a bit, because the country is very small.

Then after site seeing in Den Haag on Sunday we'll head to Amsterdam for the night. I do not have class until 12:45pm on Monday, and Sinterklaas is coming to town! How exciting! (This is Saint Nick for those of you wondering...). We've heard the festivities are very fun and they even have a parade. I absolutely love the Christmas Parade back home in Downtown Appleton (though of course it is always freezing!) so I really wanted to see a parade here, and in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is very big. I guess a lot of the kids get candy, and the lights are beautiful around the town.

Here is a little bit about Sinterklaas

As I promised, Pictures from our wonderful trip to Krakow, Poland

Wawel Castle

The little market that you can buy different Polish things as well as Jewlery

Of course the horse and carriage to take you around the city at night.

Krakow

Another Underground Chapel at the Salt Mine

At the square in Krakow

At the square in Krakow

This was a work of art done at the Chapel inside the Salt Mine.

Market square at night in Krakow

Inside the underground chapel at the Salt Mine. Unbelieveable how this looks and it is sooooo many feet underground!

Zurek Soup! My favorite! We had this every day, it has sausage and potatoes in it. This is a traditional Polish Dish.

The Old Synagogue

The Old Synagogue of the Kazimierz historic district in Krakow

Traditional Polish Food! Perogi (filled with meat, though you can fill them with other things as well)

Salt Mine

Wawel Castle

I needed to take a picture next to the wall outside FULL of the "snowboarders" party promotional posters.

Wawel castle

So Jo took us to the "opening" weekend of snowboarders party. This is us three at the beginning when we first walked in to the factory. I can say it is my first "going out" event when I was at a factory! Very cool to check out, we had a great time. And ANOTHER form of knowing people in other countries, we never would've known of some of these things if we didn't know someone in Poland. This is Zuwenah and Kristie who I traveled with to Poland. Zuzi is from San Fransisco and Kristie from Brisbane, Australia.

This was in the market square (main area of Krawkow). We went inside, so beautiful!

Checking out the water inside the Salt Mine

Wieliczka Salt Mine

This is inside of the Wieliczka Salt Mine

This is at Wawel Castle

Again, this is the park we walked through all of the time, but at night - the lights in the city were very pretty.

This is the restaurant we ate at the first night with traditional polish food. It was delicious! The exchange rate at the time was 1 Euro to 3.9 zloty's, this meal was three courses for 14 zloty's! Jo took us here, and we would've never found it without being with an actual Polish person. We were very lucky.

Some of the buildings in town as we walked around checking things out.


At the top of Wawel castle, these are the views!

The burger in the Jewish Quarter.


In the Jewish Quarter on our last afternoon in Krakow we went to a place Jo recommended. She mentioned the have the BEST burgers anywhere, here is a picture inside at the wall. This place was so cute and so cool! Burgers were scrumptious! We also had potato wedges with the burgers. This is when we alerted each other how much we'd be hitting the gym when we got home ;)


This is inside of the Wieliczka Salt Mine


This is Jo's car! For her job she gives tours of the Communist areas outside of Krakow, and her company gave her this car! How cute is it?!


Theatre in Krakow


The park we walked through every day


Salt Mine


The first night we arrived, Jo knew we'd be tired of traveling, so we went to a few laid back clubs, this was one of them! I thought it was totally cute and creative. These were located all over the bar.