Sleep and relaxation

Okay, the title is wishful thinking, coming from the mind of a sleep deprived person, but there we go! My last post was only a couple of days ago but life's busy enough that I'm able to write pretty often and easily find things to talk about.

The highlight of Thursday night:
Walking home with a dinosaur... in a hoodie.

Thursday evening was an open stage and awards night. It was the social summary of the introduction week but, to be quite honest, I wasn't really looking forward to it that much. As it happened, it was an okay evening. There were some really talented people, some funny acts, but it was a bit chaotic and haphazard and I was generally tired and not really wanting to be there. I think, by that stage, I needed my bed, and some space!

Friday was a shorter day, with just an hour long tutor session on time management. The session ran over and we didn't finish properly. The irony is not lost. Anywho, most of the other students tootled on off to their weekend away and I stayed behind. Hope they're having a good time while I relax ;-)

I decided to use Friday afternoon for paperwork and admin, of which there is more than you could possibly imagine. I mean, think of all the things you would need to do to move abroad and then times that idea by four. It's really surprising how much there is to do... but I digress. Finding that I needed to print one of the forms off, and lacking a printer, Maria, one of my penpals, kindly offered to print off the form for me and to bring it round.

She arrived at around four pm and then suddenly it was dark. It was the first time we'd met in person but somehow we managed to get on so easily that time just flew past without either of us noticing. It was so nice to meet her, finally, and to chat. I'm looking forward to seeing her again soon, I hope!

Today was a less impromptu meeting, with the lovely Annelies. She showed me round Amsterdam a little more, and showed me some lovely shops that were definitely my style. We then stumbled across the Uitmarkt which is a free festival thing, at the beginning of the season, with events and stands based around all the arts. It was great to explore some of the things that will be going on over the next few months (even if as a poor student I won't be able to afford to go!!!) and it's quite exciting. Annelies also trained me in the art of taking things that were offered for free ;-)

What can I say? The hats were free!

Events aside, we had a good day! Annelies is a really kind person and such good fun too so it's great to get to meet up with her. It's certainly been a good start to my weekend! As for how it will continue? Sleep and relaxation, of course! (*)




(*) Please note: "Sleep and relaxation" hereby means "filling in forms, doing grocery shopping, attempting to unpack the flat, and preparing for my first classes!"

I have internet again!

I just got internet in my room and am taking the chance to post this. If the language seems inconsistent it's because this post has been written over a few days. For those of you who want to know what’s going on in Amsterdam, this is for you. For those of you who are sharing the experience with me… it’s probably just going over what you already know ;-)

My time so far has been really busy. The intro week programme is pretty intense, consisting mainly of speeches but also of some social activities.

I feel my group's 'token' is rather fitting ;-)

For this week we have been sorted into ‘families’ with whom we share the activities, led by ‘parents’ who are current students. Well, we’re current students so I guess I mean older, more experienced students… maybe. The first event was centred around getting to know our families and was a Sunday evening social event at the university’s café which is just down the road. Each student was given something to wear or hold, something to link them with their family. The event also served to allow us to get to know our fellow students as we mingled generally and I was very happy to meet a couple of people who I’d communicated with online, and to find that they were lovely :-)

The first day of the intro week itself, the Monday, was a little bit daunting, to be honest, but went rather smoothly. After a lot of speeches we had some lunch and looked around the different committees’ stands. It was a rather claustrophobic event but nothing like the cattle markets we have back in the UK. Seriously, despite being over crowded by students, I was really amazed at how little groups were selling themselves and pushing others to join. It was a bit of a shock! This was followed by more talks from our tutors. Afterwards, I was supposed to be taking part in a Continent themed potluck dinner, cooking with a gentleman from my corridor, but my parents surprised me with a  visit and took me out for a steak so I wasn’t going to say no to that!!

Tuesday was a lot harder for me, emotionally, I think. We opened up with a speech about how to succeed at AUC, followed by a speech on our major. It was then lunch and I started to feel a little homesick and also was struck by the magnitude of my choice to move abroad. For all I’m quite adventurous and travel a lot, this is something I’ve never experienced before and, knowing how family and friends orientated I am, I’m not so sure that choosing not only to move out but to move abroad was the best idea ever. I’m having a good time, and there are lovely people, but I am finding that hard, right now. I guess it’s natural but I hope it passes sooner rather than later.

Following the lunch break was a tutor session on good academic practice. It was okay but nothing that exciting. After that was supposed to be a bike tour but that didn’t work out so well for me. My vision and lack of bike riding practice made it impossible for me to ride myself and the vision thing also makes motion really disorientating. One girl from my group, Fatiya, who doesn’t have facebook so will not see this, kindly attempted to carry me on the back of her bike. I am so grateful to her. Sadly, I just ended up feeling really sick and having to stop which was so disappointing. I sometimes hate my body. Anyway, I’m more annoyed with AUC because I did say at interview that I would have this problem then there’s a compulsory activity scheduled that involves it. Urgh!

Things did look up though, for all Tuesday was a bit of a challenge for me, as there was a barbeque at the main building and it was really rather fun. A combination of social activities, free food, and the Dean singing with teacher and students, this is the side of AUC I’m really starting to fall in love with. I’m looking forward to meeting new people and forming new friendships although, of course, it’s difficult being so far from the old ones!

Fridge means milk and milk means tea and with it... sanity!

The main positive thing from that day was that I have finally got a fridge and managed to clean the goo that the previous tenant kindly left me with out of the cupboards which means I started to piece my flat together!

Yesterday was a fun, if exhausting, day. Another speech, this time on Life at AUC, opened the day. Although yet another speech was a little tedious, I have to say that the section on drug use was the most interesting. I believe it boiled down to: “alcohol and cigarettes are bad for you so don’t use them. Use cocaine instead” and “although you don’t want to be so bad it takes over your life you should be a bit bad so experiment”. Weirdest drugs talk I’ve ever had, and that includes that one at Colyton with the guy and his masked one man theatre thing.

Acting out a battle as one of the challenges
(from the AUC facebook)

The afternoon was the ‘fun’ bit, however. It consisted of a scavenger hunt which involved going from station to station around the campus area completing tasks for points. It was actually really rather fun, especially as we were in larger groups meaning we got to meet a new group of people. What followed, Crazy 44 was a similar concept but the aim was to complete as many tasks off of a list of 44 in the allotted time. It was fun, slightly uncomfortable at times (hey, I'm a shy, British prude!), and really tiring. I feel kinda guilty because my group all walked as opposed to biked so I could take part (thank you guys!!!) but yeah, it was really fun!

Because I got the train in as opposed to biked, I got back quite late and didn't go to the evening activity but it wasn't the end of the world. I popped round to see Tessa (and attempt to order my books... to no avail!). It turns out that her room mate is someone I met at interview, Nina, and, although she had to tell me where I new her from, it was lovely to see her again. It's hard seeing so many faces every day - who do you know from where! Anyway, it was a great way to end the day, before falling into bed!

This morning has been fine if rather dull to talk about so I wont! There's a museum trip in about five minutes but I won't go because getting there without a bike will be hard, I don't want to cause my group trouble, and it is optional.

So, to sum up, other than some drama along the way, I'm settling in really quickly :-)

Setting up

Wow, what a busy couple of days. I mean, I knew it was going to be busy but I don't think you ever predict the chaos that will await.

The flight yesterday (was it only yesterday!?) was actually quite smooth. Checked in with no problems, no problems at the airport, flight actually flew... a lot better than we've had recently! Just before we flew I got a text from my Aimee's little sister, Caroline, regarding her exam results. She's done incredibly well, and got into the college she wanted to go to, and I am so proud. It was really good news to have as we got onto the plane. Good news greeted me off of it too as Aimee has got into graduate medicine and you have no idea how proud I am of her too. Well done to both the sisters... wow!

The problems started when I got to my flat and found out that my bank card, pin code, and authorisation code hadn't arrived. It was a little worrying because the fact that all three were missing meant someone could have had full access to my account. Nothing we could do about it that night, however, so it had to wait to be sorted.

Today saw another mini crisis as Mediamarkt, the shop I was ordering my white goods from, wouldn't let my card's billing address be anywhere outside of the Netherlands. That meant that I couldn't use my credit card as planned, although it's fine in store, and, as my debit card hasn't arrived, I was left in a little bit of a mess. Oh well, at least it's saved me having to plan what I want to do tomorrow!

I also had to go to UvA to a Start meeting. Of course, the heavens decided to open just when I needed to set off and I ended up walking through the red light district in a thunderstorm (and back again). The meeting itself wasn't all that useful for me but it gave me my ID card and it wasn't too hard! Oh, and the minute I got back to my flat the sun decided to make an appearance!

Once I returned, Thijs kindly helped me with the bank issue as the only number I had wouldn't switch to English for me. It did for him. Technology hates me. Anyway, I was really grateful for his help, and tea, and it was lovely to meet someone from the university, face to face. We'd been speaking a bit online and get on quite well so it was also nice to meet him, of course!

The evening was spent continuing to attempt to get my room in a liveable state. It's going slowly but I have carpet down (if a little wrinkled still as it's not relaxed down yet), my desk, sofa, and bed. Tomorrow's going to be a long old day but there we go! All exciting now!

The clock is on the wall even if I'm missing batteries!
Yep, this room is certainly mine!

Tascha time!!!!

Yesterday was a really exciting day for me as I met up with my dear friend Natascha. Tascha had planned to visit England, being from Austria herself, and I delayed my move in order to get to meet her once again. We last saw each other in Vienna where we spent a good few days exploring, and where we celebrated my eighteenth birthday together. If you can't work it out from that I'll clarify: We've not seen each other in way too long!

We met up outside Camden station in London and it was truly wonderful to see her again. Tascha is one of the kindest people I know and it really is a shame that we live so far. It was truly amazing to meet up with Tascha again and I am not even going to try and put it into words. Despite her protestations that her English had worsened (her English is great) we really did pick up where we left off and had a wonderful time. I was also lucky enough to get to meet her cousin,who I think is called Sabrina but I didn't catch her name after the initial introduction so apologies if I am wrong!

Can you tell which of the cousins was sitting in the sun?

It was great to be back in Camden after a while of not visiting. The mazes of stalls, all full of clothes and items that I could quite easily integrate into my collection are all fun to explore. I maintain that the best way to explore the area is to simply walk and get lost in the markets. If you try to find something in particular it's not going to work out quite so well! 

We also had a Turkish wrap thing off one of the street food stalls. Not only were the people on the stall lovely but the food was good too. Indeed, we've not had one of these pancake things (I forget the name and the stall just called the wraps) since my mother and I were in Turkey and sitting in a little tent. It was really nostalgic for me!

Of course, I never manage to show people around without there being some drama and this came in the shape of getting caught in the middle of a police chase. By this, I mean that the bloke who was running managed to hit me in the head with something as he went past. Nice couple of hours of dizziness (sorry to Tascha and Sabrina who had to look after me!) and a lovely bruise forming today. Not complaining because, seriously, these are the events that make the best stories for the future!! It was really funny though as one of the stall holders came over to clarify that this wasn't what England's normally like, bless him!

By this time, it was about time for us to part anyway as The Visitors had tickets for The Book of Mormon and needed to go to theatre land! Can you tell I'm jealous? ;-)

Tascha then really surprised my mother and I by giving us gifts that she had brought with her. My favourite, and that of my family, has to be the home made miniature bottles of schnapps with a little gnome on the bottle. Those feel so special and my bottle is going to take pride of place on one of my shelves in my new room no doubt. It was really sad to part, once again, and I simply hope that we manage to see one another soon, and, indeed, hope that both she and her cousin have a safe flight home on Thursday.

<3

Of course, after a day like that, the journey home simply couldn't be smooth... The car broke down, having been serviced the day before, and we were stuck for about three hours on the M1 - luckily we got to a service station. That said, the drama of the day really brought people out of themselves. Stall holders who came to check I was okay earlier in the day, the men who stopped to try and help with the car, the gentleman and his family who  lived locally and said that we could go to his if need be, the lady who gave us parking for free because it would have cost us twenty pounds otherwise, the cashier at the service station who came over and chatted for ages after his shift so we didn't get bored. These kind of interactions only really happen in mini (or larger!) crises but don't they remind you of the beauty of humanity. If only we all came out of our shells a little more and showed each other the love that we have inside, and if only society allowed that to happen.

A moment back down in Exeter

In a rush to attempt to see a couple of my closest friends before moving out of the country, I managed to steal a couple of days back in Exeter. The plan was to see Lloyd on day one and Nené on day two. I also planned to drop some stroopwafles off at Aimee's as she loves them and I forgot to take any last time. However, on the way down, I received another text from Aimee asking if I was sure I really couldn't stay (again) so I took the hint and stayed there for the night.

Meeting with Lloyd is always fun. He's a highly intelligent and really lovely person. We have some of the most amusing debates on every subject, usually while drinking tea and or eating good food. Naturally, this meeting was no exception. He introduced me to a little restaurant, Mashawi, in Exeter, which serves Middle Eastern food. Although my diet is severely limited at the moment, the food that I could eat was lovely while there was so much I would have liked on the menu. Well done, once again, Lloyd. As always, it was great to see him!

I did bring my camera but only took the one photo!

Then it was a half an hour walk to Aimee's in the rain. I guess it was worth it but y'know... ;-)

Seeing The Best Friend again was a real unexpected bonus and we messed around, played silly games on the computer, talked about stupid things. The morning was brilliant too as Nené was running very late and Aimee, her sister Caroline, and I spent the additional time singing through Disney songs. We're certainly responsible adults, okay?

It was also lovely to get to see Nené again. She was her normal bouncy self and I am so pleased I got to see her before I went. Aimee came with me and those two got on exceptionally well, as I always said they would! Our time was cut unexpectedly short but, to be honest, her gentleman friend who accompanied her seemed so bored that I am slightly pleased to have relieved him of the burden of my presence!

Leaving Aimee once again was really rather strange. Although our previous meeting had seen us saying our goodbyes, doing so once again was really rather painful. My leaving, exciting as it may be, feels so much realer now and to say goodbye within that realisation... it's not comfortable. Now she just has to come out and see me in the Netherlands soon!

Castlefest review: Saturday

For introduction post and Thursday round-up click here, for Friday click here.

Saturday

My plan for the morning was to go and catch the very start of Finvarra's set and then go to see Asynje
while my mother stayed at the former. I'd heard bits of Finvarra's music and wanted to listen to them live but as they clashed with Asynje I knew I was going to have to leave. Well, that didn't quite work out. In the end, I ended up so wrapped up in Finvarra that I ended up staying for the whole thing.

Finvarra, apparently play celtic folk with oriental aspects. However we catagorise their music it's really, really good! Gwen, their normal vocalist, was away on maternity leave and hence lead vocals were provided by Monique of Cesair but it didn't impact on the general performance at all.

The general performance was wonderful. The audience were up and dancing despite the heat - and it was boiling - and the combination of music and dance was the perfect way to start the day. Of course, I bought Finvarra's CD after this set and am currently listening to it. I would certainly go and see them in their own right at some point.

After Finvarra, and conveniently on the same stage, it was time for Zirp. Zirp are one of my favourite live bands because they are simply such good fun. Every time I see them I wish that I could get up and join in with the dance. Seriously, their music will drive me to dance again and that will be dangerous for anyone in the area! Anyway, I digress!

Their hurdy gurdy led folk music makes it impossible to stay still or, indeed, to be unhappy. Intricate melodies, driving tempos, there's something infectious about their music. Before their set, my mother commented on how empty the area in front of the stage was, questioning if Zirp weren't popular... her question was soon answered when they started playing and that space became the dance floor!

It's the only photo I have of all the band, okay! ;-)

My favourite piece that they play would probably be Bourrée Inkarnation and it's probably easy to just listen to them playing than me blathering on about them!

After their set I, once again, decided to try and get one of my scrapbook paintings signed and I was so so pleased that I did. The band were so appreciative of the drawing and it really gave me a chance to chat to them and I can certainly vouch that they are lovely guys! It was weird though as my little scrapbook sketch garnered more attention than I could have imagined with the band asking to have a photo with it. There's something strange about something that you created for yourself to show your respect for the artistry of another receiving so much attention in its own right but I was so pleased too, of course!!

The next band that I was lucky enough to catch was Cesair. Cesair are probably one of my complete

favourite bands. Their music has this magical quality to it and I love both their CD and the shows I have been lucky enough to catch. Although I only managed to see the one show this festival (there were too many clashes between good bands!), it certainly lived up to expectations. I won't go on too much about their show as previous posts have already said it all but once again, I can only say that I would highly recommend catching them live, if possible, and purchasing their CD.

Once again, after the set I went to get my scrapbook painting signed and had another rather large shock with how nice everyone was about the image, based on their CD cover. Fieke, in particular, was so sweet and that did mean so much to me. I also spent a bit of time, while hanging around the Cesair merchandise area, talking to a lovely lady from Amsterdam who was, similarly, lurking. Although I have no continuing contact with her, these little meetings, comings together of strangers, are what make Castlefest such a special festival.

Mother and I then planned to sit down at the back during Corvus Corax's set as there was a real shortfall of seats. I didn't know Corvus Corax particularly well but, having heard a few tracks and a lot of good things about their live show, had decided to attempt to see them but I wasn't that fussed about sitting and not prancing around (etc etc). However, a few tracks in it became clear that there was no way you could sit still, or stand still, during one of their sets. While the music wouldn't be my choice on my iPod, the live show was so loud, energetic, and engaging that it was thoroughly enjoyable. There is no doubt that they are skilled musicians, even if the style isn't quite to my taste, and, moreover, great performers. I may not go out of my way to see them again but I hope that our paths may cross, nevertheless!

Following their set came the burning of the Wicker Owl. Each year, there is some kind of wicker creature/figure with some symbolism that is, on the Saturday, burned with messages etc within it. I won't attempt to describe the whole process as you can see for yourself in the video below. However, what I will say is that it's a profound moment of unity. At that moment, everyone is joined and it is something quite special. 

Video from Castlefest's youtube channel

Following this was Faun. Now, Faun have been one of my favourite bands for many, many years now and I would say that every show of theirs is special. Okay, I'm a bit biased. However, there was something really special about this show. I don't know if it was because it followed the Wickerman ritual, if it was because it was the 10th anniversary of Castlefest, or if it was just an amazing crowd. The atmosphere, the energy of this show was much greater than I have seen before. Wonderful!

 

I was also lucky enough to meet Faun after the show, something that I have not managed to do before (although I've met Oliver when I've seen Folk Noir, previously, and Stephan with Zirp, obviously!). Pleased that I managed to meet them but even more pleased I was at that show. Looking forward to seeing them again soon!

I have a lot more photos on my facebook page, and Sunday's review will be up soon!

Castlefest review: Friday

For introduction post and Thursday round-up click here

Friday

Friday was the first day of the festival itself. My mother and I got up early and walked towards the unknown (i.e. a shuttle bus) and waited. The queues of people waiting by Hillegom station must have been quite the sight! Although I would have liked to have camped, as planned, the atmosphere on these shuttle buses was lovely and we were also lucky enough to have drivers who felt like putting on music for most of the journeys... got to get into the mood, right?

The first act I was lucky enough to see was Lisa Cuthbert. I first got into Lisa's music last year when I accidentally ended up listening to a small part of her set and found it truly beautiful and rather haunting. She has the most stunning voice with true emotional qualities. Her subject matter, and songs, are stunning too. Her CD, Paramour, is a concept album centred around the theme of the Magdalene Laundries which were religious run institutions in Ireland in which fallen women lived in awful conditions. I won't go into her music too much at the moment but will probably review Paramour at some point and would urge you to get it because it's a wonderful album.

Lisa's set this year included several sections in which she played solo and also played with a new band. Despite the fact they have only been playing together since December, if my memory serves, they worked together really well. It's exciting to see the project growing and developing. That said, I'm pleased that the set still does contain some of the stripped back sound that I really did fall in love with.

The highlight of this set for me was hearing my favourite, Gartan Mothers Lullaby, played live. It's such a simple, bittersweet sounding piece that truly does show off Lisa's emotional and vocal range.

After the set (which was spent mostly hiding in the shade) I went over to the merchandise stand to see if I could get my scrapbook drawing signed. This was the first time of meeting Lisa, and also her drummer, and it really must be said that she was lovely. She spent a lot of time with everyone talking about her music, life in general, and really bothered to make everyone feel special. And she did sign my drawing so I was pleased with that too!

After that great start, my mother and I gravitated towards the Forest Stage where Shantalla were playing. Indeed, my mother was supposed to go and see them and not Lisa Cuthbert but, hearing Lisa's performance while 'dropping me off'  the mother decided she wanted to stay too. We were lucky that we managed to catch the end of Shantalla's set and therefore got the best of both worlds.

Shantalla are a band that I vaguely know, and know that they're good, but don't really listen to. I did, however, really enjoy the part of their set that I managed to catch! I think it's really worth commenting upon the lead singer, Helen Flaherty, who, not only has a lovely voice, but has a real joyous energy on stage and brought a lot to the overall atmosphere.

After a brief detour to catch a few minutes of The Moon and the Nightspirit (too many set clashes!) it was back to the Forest Stage for Folk Noir. Although I really do like Folk Noir, I'll be honest and say that I didn't really manage to see all of their set as I had to go and sit down part way through it. One year I will be healthy ;-)

The parts that I did see brought all that I expect from that group, beautiful music with a somewhat nostalgic tone along with a presentation that is professional but not too stiff. There's something great about seeing this group perform live in that it rather feels that you are watching a group of talented individuals jamming together rather than a polished performance. There's that kind of intimate feeling and, perhaps, that is what makes this group stand out.

I'm really looking forward to the prospect of a CD release from the current Folk Noir line up as opposed to the early EP which is wonderful but simply not enough! I don't know if there's one in the works but it was mentioned last year so fingers crossed!

We then moved to one of the other stages to sit in the shade and listen to the next band on our itinerary, La Horde. Now, if you know La Horde you will know that there is no way you want to sit down and listen to them because they are a real party band. I honestly don't know how to describe
them as a band, or their music, other than feel good crazy stuff. From the expected tunes, played in unexpected ways, to tunes you wouldn't really expect at this kind of festival (I like to move it, for example), their sets are fun and unusual! I know there was one set that was planned to be a pyjama party, complete with pillow fight, and also, I've heard, a 'wall of hugs'.

After a bit of a break (listening to Euzen from a distance, and also catching the very end of Rastaban's set) it was time for Scrum. Now, last year, I was really disappointed by Scrum's set. I really do like their music and felt that, surely, this was because the sound tech was messed up. That said, I wasn't expecting too much this time, just in case. However, Scrum did live up to my original high expectations this time (re-enforcing my idea that it was the tech not them causing problems before).

Scrum play a mixture of traditional celtic folk tunes, with a rocky twist, and original pieces in that style. This results in a high energy, high impact performance. This is another band that is really easy to connect with as an audience. Although their musical performance is of a high and polished quality, there is an openness about their stage presentation that makes them seem as though they've just jumped up there for a laugh as opposed to being serious professionals. To be honest, with this genre with all its earthiness, you need to have that kind of attitude on stage. They were also lovely guys and signed my scrapbook painting even though I believe it caused some confusion as people couldn't work out quite what it was!

After Scrum, it was time for The Dolmen who are a band from Weymouth. Despite the fact I lived just down the road from there until a few months back I have only managed to go to their shows in mainland Europe. If any of my English friends are reading this, go see them, okay?

This late night set was full of people who really wanted to dance and have a wonderful time and with The Dolmen's music it was an easy thing to do! Although I was alone for this set I was approached by a fair number of people either to chat or to dance so thank you to anyone who absorbed me into their groups for a time. I think this was one of the most fun and friendly crowds of the festival so, for me, it's one of my highlights for sure and a brilliant way to round off day one!



I have a lot more photos on my facebook page, and Saturday's review can be read here!

Castlefest review

It's hard to believe that Castlefest was only one week ago. As always, it shoots by so quickly with an element of surreality that means that it is only days later that the brain finally starts to believe that it happened.

This blog post is somewhat later than my normal event summary posts as I've been unable to sit down and write, or sort through pictures. Indeed, as I type this I am still whittling down my 1000s of images to a few 'good' ones! I am also splitting it into a few sections (one post for each day) because it would be impossibly long otherwise!

Thursday

As those of you who are friends of mine on facebook (etc) will know, the start of Castlefest didn't exactly go to plan for me. A combination of cancelled flights and standing in queues waiting for KLM for hours, and my own weak composition meant that I was actually quite ill for most of the weekend and chose not to camp. I also ended up having to miss the opening concert which, sad as it was, did allow me some recovery time before the weekend proper.

However, I am happy to say that there was one lovely surprise - the whole festival being live streamed meant that I was able to watch the show from the comfort of the flat my mother was renting. Admittedly, I would never have chosen to do it that way but it was surprising how much of the atmosphere did carry through the computer screen. It also meant that, for the first time, I managed to see a live performance of Dikanda. Every single time I have planned to see them live I have been ill - I think I'm going to give up ;-)

For Friday's review, click here.

A bit of DIY and such

Two blog posts in as many days, oh my!

It's been a really productive day my end and things are feeling more and more positive as my family and I continue to work. In my previous blog, I mentioned that my flat came in a less than suitable state. Indeed, that was the condensed version of the issues faced (I'm still not sure how the previous tenant managed to make quite so many holes in the ceiling), but after two days of solid work and painting, and the such, the room is starting to look more and more habitable.

Working very hard, obviously.

It's amazing what a bucket of paint and a lot of disinfectant can do. Annoyingly, it has put our plans behind a bit as dad's going back to England tomorrow and hasn't had time to lay the carpet yet and that is something I wouldn't know how to even think about doing. It just means that I'll have to spend tomorrow doing more admin stuff (setting up bank accounts anyone?) before going back to England for a couple of weeks, myself.

The minute my old faithful desk went up it started to feel like home!

So, I'm guessing this might be the last blog of this trip to Amsterdam. I've got some really lovely things planned for the couple of weeks I'm back in England, mainly meeting up with friends, but I'll be honest, I'm excited to get back here now!!

Moving in.... slowly

When you enter the room that will be your home for the next three years you really hope that it's going to feel right... or at least okay. I have to be honest and say that I did not have that feeling yesterday.

We should have guessed something was wrong when my mother and I went to pick up the keys from the agency and found that the electronic keys were broken, there were two door keys instead of three and one of those was snapped in half. The caretaker was called, an appointment made for the lock to be changed this

A fuzzy photo of local wildlife is better than a photo of my flat!

morning, early, as I had furniture arriving. It was one of those annoying things but not a great problem.

However, perhaps that should have set off the warning signs, after all the previous tenant obviously wasn't that fastidious and neither, it seems, are the housing agency. We weren't quite expecting the state that the room would be in... I don't know if anyone would have expected it. It was filthy, toilet blocked, holes in the lino etc etc etc. After a long day, that wasn't exactly what one hopes to find.

This morning also saw some setbacks as the caretaker didn't turn up (turned out that despite the appointment being at 9a.m. she didn't start until 12:30). After a few complaints, we eventually got the caretaker of one of the other buildings to come and change my lock and wow, was that for the best. This gentleman was wonderfully helpful, had a few things to say about the previous tenant (none of them very nice!), and got someone to come and completely clean my room there and then. Admittedly, it should have been done before we arrived but I couldn't complain about the service today.

We also moved my stuff in and, although we can't assemble it as we have to paint over hand prints on the walls, it's now starting to feel like home. It's weird how the fact that it's not clean(er) has made it seem a lot more manageable. Indeed, the longer I'm spending out here, the less scary it's becoming and the more exciting it seems!

How can it be over already?

Well, well, well, Castlefest has happened once again. I simply cannot believe it. The last few days have been so amazing, as always, that my mind hasn't really had time to process the fact that they really did happen.

At the moment, I'm sat in the apartment that we're renting until tomorrow typing on my new computer (which isn't working properly so I can't get my photos off my camera... annoying thing). The point being, this is going to be a short post with my full post coming, probably, when I get back to England.

I don't really know how to summarise the weekend and a bit that has just passed. Surrounded by some of the most friendly people, beautiful music, amazing costumes, and an atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else... that is Castlefest. I was also happy to meet up with a couple of people I had originally met last year, and meeting new people too - hi everyone :-D

In a lot of ways, this weekend wasn't exactly what I'd planned. I was unable to camp for various reasons, a last minute discussion based on ill health prompted by several hours standing in a queue at an airport (thanks KLM!). However, things also went well in unexpected ways. I got a couple of my scrapbook paintings signed and they drew quite a bit of attention from some the respective bands. I honestly didn't expect it and it was a little over overwhelming actually for something that I do for my own enjoyment to be so much the focus! Weird but in the very best way!

The other non-planned event was my first conversation in German with a native speaker. Because I'm self-taught 100% I've never had the chance to take the baby steps into conversation although my understanding is not bad. I also got to exercise my French a little too (I learned it since I was 6-7 and only stopped about a year ago yet I have never really used it in conversation... everyone seems to want to speak English)

Anyway, I'm rambling on a lot more than I had intended so I'll go for now. As I said, proper long post with photos and stuff is to come. I will probably have at least one generic blog post before then because I'm getting my flat keys tomorrow... eeee!