Amidst the craziness of last week, I forgot to push "publish post," so here are some thoughts from last week!
As of Monday, I am in student-mode at UvA. My semester here is divided into two blocks: the first running from now until mid-October, and the second block ends in mid-December. Some courses run through only one block and others cover the entire semester. During block 1, I am taking "Contemporary Dutch Social Policy" and "Dutch Culture" with CIEE, meaning that the people in these classes are all from my program. I was hesitant to commit myself to a classroom possibly too familiar to that of my home institution, but the Dutch professor and completely new course material certainly spice up the room, making these courses (so far) well worth my time. Dutch Culture includes a language component, which is exciting but incredibly challenging. I'm in the middle of learning Hebrew at Brandeis, which is an extra confusion added onto the fact that Dutch is challenging even for native speakers. Still, it was fun to use some new language skills today when I went to a cafe near the UvA campus... "Mag ik een kopje koffie zonder melk of suiker, alstublieft?" (May I have a cup of coffee without milk or sugar, please?)
I'm also taking a lecture series called "Social Justice and Development in the Global South" for the whole semester. My first class is next week, and I'm itching with excitement! During the second block, I will be taking this lecture series, the Contemporary Dutch Social Policy course, and a gender/sexualities study course, "Moving Manhood: Men, Masculinity, and Sexual Citizenship from Cross-Cultural Perspectives." I won't know much about this last course until late October, but I am really looking forward to delving into masculinity studies, given that most of the gender and sexuality courses offered at Brandeis are more focused on women's studies.
The start of classes is undoubtedly a time of transition, bringing both nerves and excitement into my daily routine. I'm not necessarily able to rely on friends to help navigate the city as I make my way to classes, but getting around on my own has only shown me how far I've come in getting to know Amsterdam in less than three weeks. After class today, I spent a couple of hours reading in a cafe near campus and then made my way over to Dappermarkt for some groceries. Like a local Amsterdamer, I pedaled fearlessly through the rain and quickly made my way through the market stands, this time knowing exactly who I wanted my cheese, bread, and produce from. The alone time both in the cafe and while running errands was refreshing and I had several, "Wow, I really do live here" moments. Dutch society is noticeably different from the American culture I grew up with at home in both policy and [cultural] practice, but I feel like I blinked and am suddenly far more assimilated into this city than I expected. Though the Dutch can be brutally honest and direct, they treat each other and foreigners with respect, which has definitely helped me feel more welcome.
Looking forward to reporting back with more excitement soon!
