There are times when you just want a good old Sheffieldian Hill...

Yes, you did indeed read that right. I’m missing what I’ve spent a good 2 years complaining about: The Seven Hills of Sheffield, although in reality we all know that there are in fact more than 7...

Holland: the land of flatness. If there weren’t some silly scientific rules that say it’s impossible to roll a ball from Nijmegen to Amsterdam, then I’m pretty sure I could roll a ball from Nijmegen to Amsterdam. It’s that flat. The biggest hill here is the wheelchair access ramp to the lecture halls. I’m not kidding. I long for a proper hill, one where once you’ve reached the top you pant, ‘Jesus, who thought building a town in the hilliest place known to man was a good idea?’

For all those people in Sheffield: I envy you! Lucky you with all those hills... However... There is one advantage of being in Nijmegen: Cycling is easy. Although when you have a passenger, well, that’s another story (isn’t it Aimeé...). Scarred for life.

Though I do miss a good old walk to and from University. Cycling is fine but I’ve not quite mastered the carrying an umbrella (almost took out about 6 innocent pedestrians last week...) whilst on my phone, carrying a small box trick which just about everyone else seems to be able to do.

Wow, that’s a lot about hills... What else have Ibeen doing?! Well, I’m now famous in the Dutch/German/English office as I spent the best part of the first week there! Almost a fellow secretary there I tell thee!

To get anything done here, you have to go through about 3 people and probably even then, you’re still not sure if what you wanted to happen has happened. My first week has involved emotions ranging from 'sheer confusion' to 'utter bewilderment'. I never seem to be registered for courses which I should be, which kind of makes the whole painful and lengthy ‘Learning Agreement’ process pointless, Maybe I’m just not being as organised as I usually am but some days I think, ‘What the hell am I doing now?!’ It’s not as easy/simple as it is at Sheffield :) For starters I never really fully understand what’s occurring in lessons. I’ve infiltrated a course which is only meant for actual Dutch students and sometimes the teacher will say something about a lesson from the previous year and the whole class will start reminiscing about a certain event, meanwhile, I’ll be sitting there and laughing blissfully along, taking some sort of sympathy from the fact that I know they’re talking about something I haven’t the foggiest about.

Printing the numerous bits and bobs out for classes etc is a mission in itself, especially when they tell you to print stuff out but you’re not actually part of the online group allowing you access to the file, so you actually can’t do it. Then you have to get a special card to let you actually print something off. Why not use the Student Card they gave me as some sort of payment card just like we have at Sheffield?! Much easier. Honestly, it’s like living in the stone age.

This is all very negative! I’m sorry. I’m actually still having a good time. I suppose I’ve just been reading The Sun too much and therefore exaggerate everything, focus on stupid things and never report the good stuff in the world.

So I shall end on a HIGH. No, no, not from that funny stuff which people kind of, maybe, aren’t, but are allowed to smoke in certain places, but actually with a picture of a touch-screen machine in the supermarket which I found quite funny. Maybe I’m just a kid but I had a giggle!

Cigarettes or shag? What a choice....

Now unfortunately I don’t smoke sooo...

(For the more curious amongst you, ‘shag’ is only the stuff which you put in cigarettes, so the Red Light District didn't just suddenly appear...)

We also have a 'beautiful' bike shed,

according to our 'Caretaker', and this is where I took my next photo (or for the Dutch readers of this blog: this is where I 'made' this photo)

And who has the heart to tell this furry little fella to move? I know I couldn’t do it. Could you?

!! IN OTHER NEWS !!

So I also have a Dutch Blog now too.

It is HERE: http://all-double-dutch.blogspot.com/

I've aptly named it: It's All Double Dutch To Me. Even kijken

If you're one of the unlucky ones who can't speak Dutch, then there are some pretty pictures ;) If are a foreigner and able to digest the language of the Oranje then klik op de link :) And if you are Dutch then feel free to have a grammatical rant.

Veel plezier en succes met alles :D

van je lieve James

Groetjes :D

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