Mardi Gras!

It's been awhile since I have updated my blog and it can be due to the deceiving thing about the month of February, as the shortest month, you blink and it's gone.

I have been keeping busy with school and work and also enjoying this lovely city as Spring slowly but surely arrives. This past weekend marked the Carnival festivities here in the Netherlands and around Europe. In Canada we would call yesterday Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday and to celebrate last night I invited some classmates over to eat some traditional Canadian pancakes, topped with authentic Maple Syrup. It was great to share this small bit of Canadian tradition with my friends and to mix it with Dutch traditions as some of us even dressed up in costume :)

In an attempt to take advantage of all the little time I have left in Amsterdam, a friend and I have compiled a list of things we really want to do before leaving. Unfortunately each week brings new exciting events and our list just keeps getting longer. This weekend I will get the opportunity to visit the Dutch Royal Palace here at Dam Square, as I will be guided around with friends.

More exciting news is that I will be taking a vacation next week, leaving for a long weekend in Switzerland. My friend Michele came to visit me here in Amsterdam in November and now I am reciprocating. It will be nice to explore the country with a true native and to enjoy the Swiss scenery, people, culture and of course food :) I hope I can practice my German, though I am not sure what they will think of my Hochdeutsch.

After Switzerland it will be a reality check as I return to Amsterdam to a take-home exam, a final thesis and the Amsterdam Law Forum Conference coming up in May. The end of the year is getting closer and closer and this brings about lots of interesting conversations around the Uni as everyone in my program is trying to figure out what comes next. It's the disadvantage of a 1-year Masters Program where just as you start to get comfortable with everything it's time to move to the nest step.

That is all for now, but next time I hope to have some great pictures to share with you from my Swiss adventure.

Laura

P.S. Happy Belated International Women's Day to all the Ladies around the world!