Saturday!

Saturday was so much fun! I woke up feeling the best I have since I have been here. I don't know, I just had a little extra energy. I did sleep in which always helps. Well today there was a festival going on all over the Centrum or street performers. There were acrobats, jugglers, dancers, tight rope performers, and for some a combination of all of the above. In fact, I just got in a little while ago (10:30 or so) from a movie (You, Me, and Dupree) and there were still street performers going at it. Well it was so fun. This one guy (see the pic/caption below) had me laughing so hard! Every so often he would randomly pick someone out of the audience just to make fun of them, or he would pick someone out to use in a stunt and still make fun of them. He mainly juggled fire and swords and other stuff some of which while he was on a bike. It was pretty cool. Both Robbert and Morten (father and son) were picked out of the audience to take part in a stunt. We all ended the afternoon with cool drinks for everyone and a bike ride home just before the rain started.

I have been told that this s a giant clock.

This is tall building in Rotterdam and the Pathe Movie Theatre in the front.

This is the Rotterdam city hall.

Here is another street performer. This guy came all the way from Austrailia and was so funny. Had me laughing the whole time.

Morten assisting a performer.

More tight rope performers

Some real cool street dancers at the festival

Another view of the performer.

This is an insane street performer who wsa very high up and not strapped to anything! I am not afraid of hights much but you wouldn't get me doing that unless I were safetly strapped onto something!

My Day off, a visit to Delft, and my first proposition from a prostitute!

Well today was my day off so I decided to get out of Rotterdam for the afternoon and see something new (at least for me). So I asked Ineke for a recommendation and she and Robbert sent me on my way (by bike) to Delft, a very old and historical city. It was somewhere between 15-18 Kilometers to Delft which is about 10 miles or so. Driving into the city I was kind of going, ok, what's special about this city? Then I followed the signs and people to the Markt (market) which is the old cented of Delft. Coming into this part of the city was so beautiful! Old canals mixed with old buildings and cafe's brought the city a charm that can only be described as enchanting. In the markt were shops, cafe's, a huge church, and the old city hall. I ate lunch there at an outdoor cafe (Dutch Crokettes and fries with a 7Up) and then explored the shops and town a bit.
Ok now onto the exciting part of the day! My first proposition by a prostitute! On the way out of Delft I really had to use the bathroom! So I spotted a McDonalds and thought back to all those old family trips where we would stop at McDonalds just to use the bathroom! Just before I could get into the restaurant a man approached me and said, "Hey" so I replied "yes?" Realizing that I was not speaking Dutch he said "what do you speak, do you speak Dutch?" I said, "no English" Then he said, "oh!" and turned to these two girls and said, "English!" Then he pointed to the girls and was like, "Ehh, Ehh?" One girl immediately replied, "oh, English!" The other girl was like, "Ahh! Irish!" I immediately realized what was going on, I was being propositioned by a pimp and his prostitutes! I could not believe it! In broad day light outside of McDonalds in Delft! Now I woudl not be as suprised to be propositioned in the larger cities like Amsterdam, or even in certain areas of Rotterdam but Delft! Outside of Micky Dee's! "Would you like a prostitute with that? Err... I mean ...would you like fries with that?" Well I thought the whole experience was quite humorous, especially the girl who was like, "oh! Irish!". I mean, I was wearing a green running jacket and I do have those rosy red cheeks, but seriously where did that thought come from?
Well all in all it was a fun and relaxing day off.

Another view in Delft.

A street in Delft.

Just an old house and a bridge in Delft. Notice how slanted the buildings look though.

Another view of teh center market in Delft. I am not sure if you can see it, but one of these old houses is now a Subway restaurant! Kind of sad if you ask me.

A view of the center market in Delft.

This is the beautiful city hall in the center of Delft.

Here is the Nieuwe Church "New" Church (completed 1496) in the center of Delft.

This is an awesome windmill (very Dutch) found in Delft

some more pics

A view from my terrace
This is one view of my terrace

Some pics

The other half of my room
A view of my room from the terrace.
This is Timo the 5 yr old showing me some Judo moves!
This is Morten (the 7 yr old) with the kittens.
This is the Euromas that I wrote about earlier with a great restaurant and awesome views. You can also repel from the top during the weekend for about $35 Euro. I am considering it!
This was the main stage at the Romantic (Classical) Music Festival
This couple went all out for the Romantic Music Festival in the park.

Europe is the place to be!

Well I did post pics of my room but accidentally posted them twice so then I accidentally deleted both! Now the wireless network I was using to post pics isn't working so I have to go a different route until I gat a password. Ok enough of that. The weekend was so much fun! Friday evening I chilled at home. Saturday I got this huge craving for sesami chicken! So I went out on bike to see if I could find some. As soon as I left it started to drizzle. I didn't care though, I was on a serious mission! Well then it started to pour so I parked the bike and stood on somebody's stoop under the overhang. Then I heard all this loud music, boom, boom, boom. It was the dance parade that was going on that day! The parade made it's way right across the street from where I was standing and it was so cool! I couldn't find any sesami chicken, bummer, so I went home and ate for free. Then later when the rain let up I went back out to the dance parade. It was one of the coolest parades I have ever seen.

Today (Sunday) I got up and visited a church I found on the net, Scotts Church, which is an English speaking international church. The church is affiliated with the Church of Scottland and is pretty traditional, with a touch of contemporary songs and other things. It was a little too traditional for me but I did manage to meet an American in the military from Virginia/North Carolina! We talked for a bit and just out of ear shot of the pastor he basically refered me to another church, one where he takes his family sometimes. He said it is geared more towards a younger crowd. So I will try it soon. Later in the day I went out to a park near the Euromast where they were having classical music musicians playing on stages throughout the park. It was very nice and I felt very European sitting in a large garden with a large classical house in the background with many people sipping their wine. It was somewhat of a classy event with many people dressed up for the occassion. Some people dressed quite extravegantly for the occassion in very ornate dresses or suites. I will post pics soon. Other than that I did a lot of biking today (mostly getting a little lost then pulling out the map and getting back on track). So all in all it was a great weekend with Europe, particularly the Netherlands, making a good impression so far.

I made it!

Its so hard to believe that I have been here in the Netherlands 4 whole days now! Well I have been having a blast and the family I am living with/working for is great and very hospitable. My flight ended up being delayed two hours and Ineke didn't get my phone message so she showed up at the airport with teh kids at 7:00 AM sharp. Well I didn't make it there and through customs until like 9:30! I was a little tired the first day as I do not sleep on planes but I managed to only lay down for a 20 minute nap the whole day. On the second day we went on a driving tour of parts of Rotterdam, which is a very cool modern city might I add, and later that day we went on a biking tour to an old part of the city where the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock left from on their way to America. (FYI they left from Rotterdam, sailed to England to get the Mayflower and then to America) Tuesday evening, I think, the boys had swimming lessons which lasted a few hours. Wednesday we went to the Euromast which is very tall tower with an elevator to the top and a restaraunt at the top which we ate lunch at. The boys were participating in a kids activity there. Timo, the youngest boy, won first prize for the best creation of Knex (don't know if it's spelled right). If you get the chance google the Euromast for pictures. Today we went to the maritime museum which was an awesome museum about shipping and boats in Rotterdam. Rotterdam used to be the main port for the Dutch/America line in which many immigrants used to come to America. Then we ate at a very cool pan cake house in a large park. It was a very Hansel and Gretel looking house with great pan cakes. Sorry I can't post pics yet but I am waiting for a password so that I can sign my laptop into the wireless system here at the house. I will post them when I get the chance.

So all in all it has been a great first few days and the kids and I are getting along well. I need to learn Dutch fast though so please pray for me. They seem to understand me at times but I want to understand them well and to be able to speak in their language. Well got to run, later guys.

It's almost here!

Well it is Friday afternoon and I am almost ready to leave. I am about to re-pack my bags and then I will be officially ready to leave. Of course I don't leave until Sunday evening but it pays to pack early! So what have I been up to lately... Well for starters I finished work at Worth Your Wait last Friday. I finished my last distance learning class with Liberty on Sunday!! (Got an A!) Since then I have been shopping like mad and visiting friends and family. Tomorrow some good friends are throwing me a going away party here in Charlottesville. Anyone is invited so send me a message if you want to come to say goodbye. I have this theory on goodbyes though. There are no real goodbyes, only see you laters. I know that sounds cliché but it is one of my life's mottos! So as I close this last post from the US for at least a year (a new and improved European version soon to come) I close not with a goodbye, not a farewell, simply...
See you later,
Austin