The Canals of Amsterdam...

Boat season is underway and I was lucky enough to cruise the canals with some of my Rotaract friends yesterday, it was a holiday here in Amsterdam (They still celebrate or at least get vacation for the Ascension). I feel like the past couple of months have been filled with holidays, Easter, Queen's Day, Liberation Day...

I have been trying to balance all these fun exciting adventures with my time in the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam. Ah yes, the beginning of summer also means the end of school and I am slaving away at my thesis which will hopefully be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.

I will be so happy to be done and to finally take a real vacation. The sad thing is that the closer we get to July the closer my time here in A'dam is coming to an end.

I am going to remember all the interesting things I learned at VU and with my LPIS classmates my Rotary adventures and most of all the great times I had with great friends. This year just makes me realize more and more the doors that Rotary has opened for me and for young people around the world.

Bring on the summer of relaxation, beach times on Lake Superior, family, friends and preparation for my return to Ottawa, the hometown of my heart :)

Hopefully the next time I write I will be able to sign my name:

Laura Morrison (LLM)

On the Prinsengracht near the Westerkerk.

Rotaract Club of Amstelveen :)

The World's Largest Flower Garden!

Greetings from another lovely Sunday afternoon in Amsterdam. It is becoming harder and harder to settle down into thesis work when the sun is shining outside. Yesterday a friend and I biked to Haarlem, which is quite close to Amsterdam, where we went shopping and walked around the city. It was a great day and only a small bike ride compared to the previous weekend's 75km treck to and from the "Keukenhof". Directly translated it means 'kitchen garden' and it is the world's largest flower garden. Over 7 million bulbs are planted annually.

Having studied in Ottawa, I definitely feel a connection to tulips and the story connecting The Netherlands and Canada after the Second World War, as we hosted part of their Royal Family and their present Queen, Beatrix. It certainly was enjoyable to relax in the tulip garden and to take in all the pretty colours.

After all the biking I also put in more sporting effort, when I participated in the Annual Beach Volleyball Tournament organised by Amstelveen Rotary. There was a team put together of Amsteleveen Rotaractors and we definitely had a good time, while managing to squeeze out a couple of wins. Though it was held in side, playing volleyball in the sand had me wishing for summer and beach weather to arrive.

In other sporting news, I am also closely following the NHL Playoffs, as close as I can. Especially with the Annual Morrison Pool underway, too bad about the 6 hour time difference though.

More fun events/holidays are on their way: it will be a relaxing Easter weekend, with a possible visit from Belgium and then Queen's Day on April 30th, the craziest of the Dutch holidays! The beginning of May will bring Remembrance Day on the 4th, in commemoration of all fallen Dutch soldiers and then Liberation Day on the 5th.

Looking forward to enjoying all these events, let's just hope that along the way I also find the time to finish my thesis :)

Cheers once again and hope that wherever you are, you are also enjoying spring weather.

Laura

Die Schweizermacher!

What a wonderful time of year! Spring has sprung, tulips are blooming and it's sunny in Amsterdam. Spring fever had me spending all day Sunday outside and I even got a slight sun burn to prove it. I will have to start applying the SPF 30.

Well a great start to my Spring season was my trip to Switzerland! Though the weather was a mixed bag, I had a great time all around. Just spending time with my friend Michele is always fun and it was nice to also meet up with her family and friends. We had a typical Swiss brunch of Rosti with her family and made two nice Italian style meals and reminisced about our Roman adventures.

It was great being able to use my German again and everyone was kind enough to adapt to the 'Hochdeutsch' standard. One place where this wasn't possible however was during a Musical we went to see in Zurich, called "Die Schweizermacher". It is based on a 1978 film that has Federal Police investigating immigration to Switzerland. I could understand the main aspects of the story and was really intrigued to see how Swiss culture was portrayed through this very popular medium. Die Schweizermacher means quite literally the Swiss maker and the love story in the end tied all the details together to make for a very Swiss story.

Another great part of my trip was the day we spent in the mountains. Though we did not strap on any skis we still made the trip up to 3500m with 2 gondolas and a Mountain Metro. The view was needless to say breathtaking. There were some avalanche warnings so even the skiing was limited, but in Saas-Fee they can ski all year round because of the glaciers, which sadly to say are receding quite quickly based on observations.

So after a wonderful trip full of good times, laughter, cheese and chocolate :) I took the overnight train back to Amsterdam to finish the last assignment of my course work here in The Netherlands. Hopefully if everything goes well I will have just my thesis left to work on. To add some inspiration to the mix after I handed in the take-home exam on Friday I took a trip to The Hague.

First, I was able to visit the Canadian Embassy to pick up my forms to vote in the upcoming federal election. Excited to see how the campaign plays out over the next few weeks. Second some classmates and I attended a Master Class given by Luis Moreno-Ocampo. It was a very thought provoking session as students were able to ask the Prosecutor of the ICC questions about his mandate, decisions on cases to prosecute and the politics of the court. It was a great follow-up, hearing from the man himself, after having watched the documentary film "The Prosecutor" and also having visited the ICC this past fall. What is sure is that the next year and three months of Ocampo's mandate will be interesting to watch, especially as current events unfold around North Africa and the Middle East.

Now enough law and politics it's time to get my vitamin D intake while I still can.

Cheers to all :)

Laura

In the Swiss Federal Palace.

More than four 'Laura's' in a House of Mirrors in the Glacier Garden in Lucerne.

Yummy Swiss Fondue in Saas Fee with Michele and her parents.

In the beautiful Swiss Bergen. Saw the highest peak in the Swiss Alps, Dom.

So gorgeous and literally at 3500m it takes your breath away.

Michele and I on the top of the world.

A beautiful day in Zurich.

With Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court last Friday in the Hague.

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!

Ownership v.s. Donorship

It is a beautiful day here in Amsterdam, about 10 degrees and nice and sunny, which is a nice change after a weekend of 50 km/h winds that almost blew me off my bike and into the city's canals.

Yesterday evening I was fortunate to catch Paul Collier, the Oxford economist speak at my University on external interventions in Africa. Collier is the author of "Wars, Guns and Votes" and "The Bottom Billion" and he had some interesting and perhaps even controversial ideas concerning the so-called "forgotten continent". As a student of international law and politics it was particularly interesting to hear his views on common sense solutions to political corruption. The balance between the urgent needs of the struggling nations of the earth need to be balanced with the concept that aid finds its way into the right hands.

It was an interesting challenge to many in the crowd when Collier claimed that many Southern countries need to do away with the idea that the West still has a "colonial agenda". What is clear is that Collier is passionate about making a difference with a hands on perspective and he challenged the youth in the room to make these problems their own and to contribute to the flow of knowledge he deemed so important to helping economic growth.

Collier's speech marked the end to a busy weekend. I caught the premier of "Black Swan" in Amsterdam on Friday night and felt the movie really makes an impact with the audience, especially the performance by Natalie Portman. I had goose-bumps for the rest of the night.

Saturday I celebrated Chinese New Year with some friends and received the interesting fortune: "Things come and go like lightning, Wheel of transmigration rolls like drifting clouds. Where is the time to discuss right or wrong? Quite cryptic I know.

And like any self-respecting North American, Sunday night I found myself in a pub in Amsterdam catching the big game. I was cheering for the Packers and was really happy to see them pull through with the win.

Now I am off to bike to the VU and take advantage of this gorgeous day :)

I survived!!

The month of January is finally coming to a close!

I received inspiration for this week's Blog from the Rotary Club of Amstelveen where I spoke this past Tuesday. It was a lovely meeting, where I spoke in front of 35 Rotarians, who had interesting and thought provoking questions. They were happy to tell me I survived the Amstelveen Rotary Club, something that was a great feat ;)

In fact, I am not only happy to have survived the Rotary meeting but also the entire month of January.

After 10 000 words and one 3 hour exam, I am more than half way done my Masters Program in Amsterdam.

I have been relaxing over the past couple of days, relishing the fact that I didn't need to go to the library or the University. Tomorrow I start one new course but my work load will be substantially lighter and the coming months will bring thesis preparation and of course enjoying Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

It has been quite chilly over the past couple of days but dry and sunny, which is a nice change.

Friday night I went skating at an outdoor oval in Amsterdam called the Jaap Eden Baan with some Rotaract friends. The Dutch were out in force on their speed skates but I stuck to the traditional hockey skates.

Also, yesterday a couple friends and I ventured to Den Haag, where we did some touristy things. We went to see the Knights Hall, where the Queen gives the Speech from the Throne every year, of course I was interested to learn more about the Dutch political capital! We also visited Het Paleis, an old Royal Palace that was turned into a Museum and now houses an Escher exhibition. Quite amazing modern work on the differences of reality and perceptions. We finished off the day with a trip to Scheveningen, the beach town near The Hague, where I couldn't resist dipping my toes in the ice cold North Sea. Being so close to the sea we had a nice dinner of fish before returning to Amsterdam exhausted from the day of site-seeing.

Now it is time to start fresh in February and as I mentioned I am excited to celebrate Chinese New Year next week in Amsterdam. Lots of exciting things planned, first off to finish off my weekend, some flatmates and I are going to check out some Sunday afternoon Jazz.

Wishing everybody a nice and lazy Sunday.

Until next time!

Laura

Time to Hit the Books!

The first week of 2011 has passed. The further we get into January the busier I will get and I think this is a sign of things to come for the year. I have been told by Dutch students that January is the worst month of the year and I am starting to believe them.

I had an amazing vacation at home and a great New Year's in Amsterdam, but this past week has seen the return of the school work that I left behind before the holidays. Not the best start to a New Year. This year I think the Chinese New Year would be more appropriate, can't wait until February 3rd to start the year of the Rabbit!

Outside the school work, it is nice to be back in Amsterdam, to see all my friends, to ride my bike around the city, to enjoy the great things this city has to offer. I took a study break on Friday night to go for Ethiopian food with a group of friends, which was an amazing experience. We had the real authentic flavour and even ate with our hands. Such great tasting food!

No New Year's Resolutions for me this year, I just want to be able to enjoy the coming months in Amsterdam. I am sure it will all go by so quick and then comes the next step in a path which is still a little unclear. This is what makes life interesting though and the more options available the more exciting life is!

If anyone is looking for me during the next few weeks I will be at the library ;)

Tot zo!

Stick in til you Stick out!

It's the time of year to spend with family and friends, enjoying the traditions of the season. I am very fortunate enough to have made it home for Christmas, especially considering all of the mayhem in Europe over the weather.

Boxing Day is a special one in the Morrison household as we all get up early and make Tatty Scones or Potato Pancakes, a Scottish tradition. We were rolling, frying and flipping potatoes this morning for 2 hours before we sat down for a feast and stuck in til we stuck out. This afternoon marks the start of the World Junior hockey tournament, which brings back some great memories of Christmases past. Its that time of year when you reminisce and remember, yet also look to the future. With 2011 right around the corner, new opportunities and experiences will come forward and I can't wait to see what is in store for me.

I hope my flights back to Europe are as smooth as coming here and if so I will be ringing in the New Year in Amsterdam.

Best of the Season to all and I hope that you are surrounded by loved ones who help make this time of year so special.

Laura from home in Sault Ste. Marie

Tis the Season!

It's the most wonderful time of the year, at least in my opinion. Christmas is 2 weeks away and I could not be more excited. Getting into the festive spirit is my favourite thing about December, I have been playing Christmas music on repeat for the past two weeks. Adding to the atmosphere was the snow on the ground for the past couple of weeks, but it has all melted now.

Last weekend I went to Munster in Germany with some friends to visit the Christmas Market. It was amazing being back in Germany and shopping for Christmas presents, eating lots of great German food and let's not forget the Gluhwein :)

Last Sunday was another Dutch Holiday celebrated in December called Sinter Klaas. It's a traditional celebration where Sint comes and leaves candy, treats and toys in children's shoes. But the most interesting part of the Dutch tradition is that you write poems for your friends and family. Many of the students in my program got together last Monday night and we celebrated Sinter Klaas where we each wrote a poem for someone else. It was really fun celebrating this Dutch tradition with people from around the world.

This weekend I am in Amsterdam finishing up some assignments before leaving for Canada via Belgium for the holidays. Tonight I am going to go volunteer with the Amsterdam Rotaract Club in making Christmas hampers for homeless people in the city. Tomorrow there is a Christmas market here in Amsterdam and I will be going to compare to see if it measures up to the German variety.

Then it's back to work, humanitarian intervention discussions and deabtes on legality and legitmacy. The week will be gone before I know it and then it will be time to visit my host families and friends in Belgium and then home for a Morrison Christmas.

Best wishes of the Holidays to everyone!

Peace or Justice?

Today I had the amazing opportunity to visit the International Criminal Court in the Hague with some of my classmates. We attended presentations by people working at the Court and were also allowed to attend trials. The most interesting case before the Court started just last week and is on command responsibility. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo who is a former vice-President and Senator of the Democratic Republic of Congo is on trial for the atrocities committed by the men in his group the Movement for the Liberation of Congo in the Central African Republic. The prosecutors were questioning a witness today, yet we were not able to see the woman based on confidentiality of victims.
My head is about to explode from all the new and interesting information I acquired today. It is so amazing to be able to go out and see in action that which we talk about on a daily basis in class. It is funny how for learning methods we never change, students will always get excited about a field trip!

Another particularly interesting point is that Amsterdam witnessed its first snow this past week. There is still a little on the ground now and it is only supposed to get colder over the next week. I didn't think -14 Celsius was possible in this country :( But, the weather makes it feel very real that Christmas is just around the corner. This past weekend added to the holiday spirit as I had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday with all the trimmings. With the 1st of December tomorrow it is time to break out the Advent Calendar to count the days until Christmas 24!! and until home 19!!

But before leaving I will have to hand in my final assignment for my central course the Changing Nature of War on the subject of humanitarian intervention. Here is hoping that the ICC today can help with some inspiration.

Ciao from Chilly Amsterdam.

Laura

Reunions

You can see the excitement on my face!

It has been awhile since I updated but life in Amsterdam got very busy as the past two weekends I had some good friends visiting. The nice thing about travelling all over is that you meet and make friends with people you might never have had the chance to otherwise. It was also really nice to reminisce with these friends about past adventures. This past weekend Terri from Scotland and Meike from Germany joined me in the city, both who I met while I was studying in Heidelberg. The weekend before Michele from Switzerland, who I met in Rome, was visiting. It is weekends like these that I realize how fortunate I am to have such an international network of friends.

What is also interesting is that when these visitors arrive it is like I become a tourist again in the city I live in. I want to show them all the interesting sites and take them to all the best places. We went on bike rides, on canal cruises to musuems and concerts and out for some very nice meals. This past weekend it was nice that the Christmas season officially kicked off so the city is alight with decorations which made for a nice atmosphere. Michele and I also went to Utrecht about 30 min south of Amsterdam and climbed to the to of the big Dom (over 400 steps!) All in all I was really happy to play hostess and have such good friends visit and see my life here in Amsterdam.

In between my visitors I saw the Canadian Cirque de Soleil show Totem, made two presentations about Rotary (one to my classmates :), went to see Harry Potter Pt.1. and tonight I am going to the Opera. Life just doesn't seem to slow down. This weekend I will relax and stuff myself with some turkey as some American friends celebrate Thanksgiving.

To any American readers have a Happy Thanksgiving! Christmas is just around the corner and here in Amsterdam temperatures are supposed to slip to a frigid -5 this weekend. With the winter feeling, who know maybe we will even get some snow.

So with my visitors now gone it is a return to real life, this means studying and preparing for the end of the Semester, which happens to coincide with Christmas. This is the next big thing to look forward to, I am definitely excited to be going home to see my family and friends.

Ciao for now!

Laura

Meike, Terri and I near the Amstel river.

Terri and I at Paradiso for Broken Social Scene!

Michele at the top of the Dom in Utrecht!

Michele and I inside the Houseboat Museum.

Susi in front of the Big Cirque Tent for Totem.

Lest we Forget

I want to take this weeks post to reflect on November 11th, Remembrance Day, which in Canada takes place this week. It is interesting that in my program, everyday I am studying and reading about war and armed conflict, and it is sometimes easy to forget, the people out there fighting and those who have in the past. I wish I could join everyone this week in wearing a poppy. When I was living in Belgium on my Youth Exchange I travelled to Ypres for the Remembrance Day Ceremony and when I was in Germany during University I travelled to Vimy Ridge to witness celebrations there. This year I will be unable to leave Amsterdam on the 11th as I have my most important seminar aptly titled "The Changing Nature of War". The Dutch don't recognize the holiday but I will take a few minutes at 11:00 to pause and reflect on the real affects of war.

After a couple of weeks of studying and writing I finally finished all my assignments. The new semester has started already and with that comes new classes and new challenges. I have a much heavier course load for the next 2 months so unfortunately I won't be continuing with Dutch classes at the moment. Though I did pass my exam with top marks.

When I handed in my last assignment last week I went out for a celebratory dinner with some friends. We went for Indonesian food and shared a bunch of typical dishes which were all really delicious. After the dinner we went to see The Social Network, which had my friends and I debating intellectual property and privacy rights the rest of the night.

Last night was also a unique opportunity in Amsterdam, as all of the city's 45 museum stayed open until 2am. The city was buzzing with activity much more than is usually the case. I went to see the Tropenmuseum, which has exhibitions on natural sciences, the Aquarium and the NEMO, one of Amsterdam's most popular museums, which has many hands on science exhibitions.

Today as the first Sunday of the month I returned to the Westerpark near my house to go to the Sunday Market and fortunately it was another great day. I can feel that winter is on its way though and I think it might be time to pull out my winter coat.

For now I will return to my readings on International Criminal Courts and Tribunals, one of my new classes that is really interesting. In fact at the end of the month we will be going to visit the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Den Haag which is really exciting.

All the Best from Amsterdam.

So very close to Flanders Fields.

Building Bridges - Between the Cultures

WOW and WOW!! I officially have a new favourite city.

My trip to Istanbul was great!!

There is so much for me to say that I know I won't fit it all in this one post.

First off Istanbul is the 2010 European Capital of Culture. I find this interesting in two ways because first off, it is definitely an amazing cultural centre. I was there for only four days and I hardly scratched the surface of all the interesting things to do and see.

Secondly, in this context Turkey is referred to in a European capacity. This is definitely a controversial topic as Turkey has been advocating for membership in the European Union for the past five years.

That is one thing that Istanbul definitely has going for it. It bridges the gap between West and East. With ties to both Europe and Asia, Turkey is able to find a balance between different peoples, cultures and lifestyles.

Turkey definitely fits the mold for this year's Rotary theme of "Building Communities, Bridging Continents", quite literally actually. I stayed in the Asian part of the city with my friend Melek who is Turkish. It was really nice to see her again and we both got to practice our Italian which was great. She was completely amazing in showing me around and making sure that my short time in Istanbul was full of amazing things to see and great things to eat.

One of my favourite things to do was just to take the boat across the Bosphorus from the Asian part to the European part. Most of the major tourist sites are in the European part. I was able to see many of the important places such as Topkap Palace, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (more popularly known as Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Galata Tower...

I also did some shopping at the Grand Bazar and the Spice Market. Both impressive in size and action, bargaining is a Turkish way of life. Also Melek and I were invited for tea when we were discussing prices with one group of vendors.

One of the big highlights of the trip was the relaxing Turkish Baths - Hamam. With the combination of humidity, hot water and a special turkish hand towel for getting rid of dry skin, I felt like a baby at the end of the afternoon.

Just walking around the city was also pretty amazing. There is so much life and tourists and locals blend together especially in the area around Taksim Square and also down the busiest street in Istanbul: Istiklal Avenue.

Lastly for the food, I can't even begin to describe all the wonderful things I ate. First off because most of them have turkish names and I can't remember what they are called. Secondly because I ate so much. Melek's mother had some really great meals cooked for us, stuffed pepers, cheese pastries, dolmas... We also had the traditional kebab and many desserts, the best being Turkish baklava :)

I arrived home yesterday morning to my subscription of the Economist with a 14-page special report on Turkey. I feel like it is meant to be, and I know I will find the perspectives as put forward by the journalists rather interesting having just come back from Turkey's biggest city.

Since this week is vacation I am still off school. But that doesn't mean I am not working. I have my papers to finish up and also my Dutch exam Monday night. Not to mention, new courses start Monday with a whole new stack of readings to go along with them.

So now it is back to reality, but after such an amazing trip I am sure to find some inspiration and motivation.

Ciao for now.

From the top of the Galata Tower

Melek and a friend with Baklava

Hagia Sophia Across the Golden Horn

Inside the Blue Mosque

The Spice Bazar

The Past, the Present, the Future

I just got home from Dutch class and we started learning the past tense this week. This is officially the last week of the first semester of my studies. Time is flying by. Just a brief update on the going ons in my life. It's in point form, because forming coherent sentences at this moment not relating to international law is difficult ;) I am very focused as you can tell.

The Past:

Seeing the Dutch national football team dominate the Swedes 4-1 at the Amsterdam Arena!!

Meeting up and eating Dutch Pannenkoeken with a past Rotary exchange student, Lukas, who had stayed at my house in the Soo, and his family.

Attending a Rotary Fundraiser Event of my Host Club, we had dinner and played Musical BINGO, which I WON!! All to the benefit of the IMC WeekendSchool, which benefits Dutch students from underprivileged neighbourhoods.

The Present:

Finishing my paper for Public International Law and starting my paper for the Changing Nature of War.

Studying for my Dutch exam.

Recruiting authors for the Amsterdam Law Forum's next issue - Health and Bio-Ethics.

Hard at work!

The Future:

TURKEY!!! This Friday I will be taking a little vacation to visit a friend of mine in Istanbul. I am really excited to be shown around the cultural sites by a true local and to eat all the delicious Turkish food!

When I return I will have to deal with submitting my papers and sitting my exam, but I know I will take the time while I am away to relax and enjoy all that Istanbul has to offer.

Back to work for now.

Daha sonra bakın (See you later in Turkish)

The Pre-Game ceremony.

Happy the Dutch Team won!!

Dinner with Lukas Zielinski and Family.

Me with my prizes from winning Musical Bingo.

My Rotary Counsellor Wilko and another Scholar Miao-Chien from Taiwan.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!

I hope that everyone having celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend is recovered from the Turkey comas.

Unfortunately the Netherlands has no typical autumn celebration like Thanksgiving. But that didn't stop me from cooking up a storm with a Canadian friend of mine on Sunday afternoon.

We gathered with some friends of ours and gave thanks for many things, the great weather being one of them. Everyone is in shock over how nice it has been here lately. All weekend and even continuing to today. The air definitely has a crisp fall feel about it, but the sun is shining and the sky is blue. It is perfect biking weather :)

For our Thanksgiving meal we were not able to locate a proper turkey, so we had chicken instead. Served with carrot soup, mashed and sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and salad. And I even made Apple Crisp for dessert. One tradition we definitely followed, was eating until we were stuffed.

It was a busy weekend for me as I also visited a Dutch friend of mine I had met in Rome. Saturday she took me to a dutch them park called Efteling. We rode all the roller coasters and enjoyed an atmosphere or kids running around freely, which reminded me a lot of Disney World. I also had dinner with her family Saturday night and it was such a nice experience to sit around a table and be immersed in dutch language and feel part of the family. It brought me back to my experience as a Youth Exchange Student.

I attended my first Rotary meeting last week and was introduced to the small International Club here in Amsterdam. I will return to make a presentation in the new year. But, for tomorrow I have my first official presentation at my Host Counselor's club and I will even attempt to say some of the presentation in dutch.

Tonight though I will be going to see Holland play against Sweeden as a Qualifier for Euro 2012. I know it seems like a long way off, but they definitely take soccer that seriously here. Both teams are undefeated so far, so it should be an interesting game.

All the best from sunny Amsterdam :)

Laura