This chapter may well be over, but just like a good book, another one is about to begin....

The summer course is over. Three weeks just doesn’t seem enough. The people, the stories, the laughter, the LOL, the food and the memories; these moments will stay with me forever and will most definitely make me smile whenever I think back on them. There are many, many moments which were side-splittingly hilarious. The rather embarrassing but all the same rather amusing trouser splitting incident and subsequent falling-off-bike accident from a certain somebody was an absolute classic! The plethora of photos is on facebook from various people and if you haven’t already had a looky look, then look!!

But it’s over and I’ve learned so much and got SOOOO much paper and other stuff that it’s beyond belief! I’m now the proud owner of my first Jip en Janneke Book along with multiple over books which the beloved Nederlandse Taalunie planted in my hands :) Bedankt! The Goodbyes are always tough. I never can say goodbye. Saying 'tot ziens' to so many people was a little overwhelming. It's like losing the family goldfish. But this time, it's the whole treasured family aquarium which lies upon the shelly bottom of the tank. To sum it all up: You don't know what you've got till it's gone... Here is my ode to the zomercursus! It is a video so CLICK on the link :) Veel plezier

After the course, things just wouldn’t be the same again. After all, I’d have to start PAYING for things again!? No free ice cream tokens, free museum entry or travel.... Well and truly thrown back into the real world with
a THUMP.

And what a THUMP it was. Say hello to the distinctly coloured Steyn Hotel Zeist... The welcome was a bit dodgy, however, ‘as welcome you already find some coffee and tea in your room.’ Great... There also followed the promise of unlimited mussels for just 9 euros on Wednesday, which actually turned out to be 12 Euros. Great...

The hotel information book also does more harm than good where I’m made to believe that Steyn hotel is putting my well-being in ‘fronth’ and if I have any ‘defaults’ and ‘complains’ I should report them directly to the reception who will immediately try to find a ‘solusion’. Sounds like you need a translator... HALLO! ;)

Zeist is not a bad place. Just nothing here. So to resolve this I went all over the place to meet people from the course. Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Hilversum and others were on my hit-list. One problem here though: Trains are rather expensive! Gone are the days where I can purchase a £5 Travelcard for London and go anywhere in an area practically the same size as the Netherlands. Yes, looong gone. Ah well. Thank the lord for Lord Erasmus and his desire to dish out some dollar to little old me. Just hurry up yeh!

But one observation is that this entire country is obsessed with churches and bells!!!!!! From my room I know whether it is precisely 'on the hour', '15 mins over', 'half past' and finally 'quarter to'. And i'm not kidding, at 9am it starts. I'm awoken by a rendition of 'Bring back my bonnie to me' - The Church Bell Remix!

So tomorrow I’m off to Nijmegen in yet another hotel, getting ever closer to the crème de la crème of events: the start of the university season!! Then it really begins.

I’ll leave you with this thought. I made it up myself so it may not make much sense but we’ll see:

Every Story has a Beginning and End. I think I’m somewhere in chapter 2.

Till next time.

Stay warm and cuddle your neighbour.

James

xXx