Lei·den: home away from home

Zero Hour...

2005-12-14T22:23:00.000-06:00

...it's 5:31 a.m., Local Leiden Time...Steef, our program director, is coming in an hour and 29 minutes to check me out of "mijn kamer" (my room), the place I've called home for the past 4 months. This last week has all sort of just rushed together, and it's a bit strange knowing that I'm going to be home in 23 hours. Today, I thought to myself "this is the last time I'll see Leiden in the daylight...at least for a long time." It was such a strange thought to me. My college years aside, I've grown up in the same house since I was born, and that's been my home for 21 years. Then 4 months ago I plunged myself into a foreign culture 5000 miles away from home--and this shift back home is feeling as abrupt as the first one.
Don't get me wrong: I'm ready for home, but I also have a bit of a home here. The guys in Ak-Al call me "vriend" now. I didn't really buy into the whole "reverse culture shock" idea, but now (and granted, maybe it's the 5:37a.m. in me talking) I can kind of see what Pieter was talking about during our last class. Looking back at where I was 4 months ago, I've come amazingly far. It amazes me because it never really soaked in until now, and I think it's because those things just seemed so natural.
This last weekend all of the students got together and when to the "Pannenkoekenhuis" (Pancake House), which is where we all had our first meal together the night we arrived. I can remember sitting down in that place, and having to ask Steef so many questions--because I couldn't read word of the menu! "Spek? Kaas? Slagroom?" (don't run off to your pocket Nederlands-Engels dictionary, that's "Bacon, Cheese, and Whipped Cream" respectively. This time around, I had no trouble ordering my pannenkoek met "Ham, Kaas, and Ananas" (pineapple). Yeah, that's right. A pancake the size of a medicine ball with ham, cheese, and pinapple inside...mooi lekker!
I should wrap this up, as my early-morning flight looms ever closer...despite my skepticism, this place has changed me, more than I really expected it to. I don't think I'll really know how much until I go home and try order my french-fries with mayo (which actually isn't that bad once in a while...)

Last Lessons in Leiden

2005-12-14T02:57:00.000-06:00

Well, this is it. My last day. And what a doozy it will be:
First I've gotta go pick up some developed film, then swing by a couple of shops to double-check what time they open (probably around noon or one), go get some other developed film, finish putting together my photography portfolio, finish studying for my Dutch final, take my Dutch final, and then run around to tie up loose ends before the big end-of-the-semester get together tonight.
I've uploaded a couple of pictures from Norway, but I need to get more up (I had to dash to class after the first batch). Not sure if I'll get them done or not before I leave for home (which is less than 24 hours from now--and that blows my mind). Oh yeah, and I found out that CentralMania, the online newspaper at Central, has put up a few of my photos, and that means two things:
1. Someone at Central reads my blog! Woot!
2. You can click on www.CentralMania.com, and check the right-hand side of the page to see some photos (all of which are also available in my album) paired up with some fantastic poems by Kristin Clague--another KHS graduate and Central student.

Home Sweet...errr, Leiden...

2005-12-06T01:15:00.000-06:00

We're back from Norway--which was undescribably beautiful...I'll have to let the pictures speak for themselves, but I probably won't get them uploaded until tonight at the earliest...We got back safe and sound, no thanks to EasyJet announcing that our gate was closing a half-hour early, causing us to sprint across Stansted airport...(and without playing Ultimate Frisbee the past 4 months, I was in no shape to be running...especially on no sleep for 22 or so hours...)
Speaking of which: my papers are done! (Mom or Pieter, if you're reading this: they were done WAY ahead of time)...(everyone else: well...you know how it goes with me...) :)

There's a fjord outside my window...

2005-12-01T11:43:00.000-06:00

...okay...that's a lie...I don't have a window...but if I did...there'd be a fjord out there. It's 6:46 in at the Dorm.no hostel in Norway, which is where Allison and I are crashing for the night. We had a long day of traveling, and it's finally coming to an end. The sun (evidently) sets around 4:00 since we're so far up north, so right now it feels like it's 11:00...not to mention I feel like it's 11, having lugged around enough layers all day to keep me warm for the next 4 days...my head is pounding--but this is still a really beautiful place to be. The papers aren't done yet, so you may have to wait a while for pictures...it'll be worth it though, I promise.

An actual substantial update...

2005-11-29T14:42:00.000-06:00

...Will not happen any time soon (as if you were expecting it to). I literally just spent 11 hours in front of a computer doing research and typing, only to get about a third of the way through one of my two papers that needs to be done on Monday. This wouldn't be so bad, except that Allison and I go to Norway at 7am on Thursday. This leaves about 36 hours with which to finish my combined 4500 words of European reports. In other news, I have what...16 days left here? I honestly don't know where the time has gone (other than to these papers)...I still feel like there's so much I want to do, but at the same time I miss all of my family and friends (that's you guys) so much. I'm ready to come home. I really am. I'll miss the Turkish Pizzas...(and don't think for a second that I'm not planning on how to imitate them once I'm home)...I'll see you all soon.

Katwijk Beach

2005-11-23T10:35:00.000-06:00

Great news:
Allison and I found the beach just fine yesterday, and we made the (incredibly smart) decision to take the bus there instead of biking. After about a half-hour wait, we found ourselves on a path toward the strand (beach) of Katwijk, a nearby town. It was about 3:30 when we arrived, and the tide was out so we had a long, sandy walk down to the coast of the North Sea...the sky was absolutely beautiful, and we took lots of pictures...we thought we had seen the best of the sunset so we decided to lug our freezing cold bodies back up to the bus stop and wait for a ride home. We got all the way back across the sand and up the slope that leads to the road when we turned around and saw an absolutely gorgeous sun coming ever closer to the horizon. The scene we originally saw was no doubt beautiful, but it didn't hold a candle to what was happening right then. Cameras in hand, Allison and I dashed (as best we could) back down the sand and started snapping pictures of what was undoubtedly one of the top 3 sunsets I've ever seen...you can find pictures at http://www.schwanebeck.com/gallery/Katwijk-Beach.

Better late than never!

2005-11-22T07:05:00.000-06:00

As promised, I finally put a few new pictures up...but they're old pictures, actually...they're pictures from London. Ah, and my new photo site is:

http://www.schwanebeck.com/gallery/albums.php

I'll try and remember to throw up a link on the right side of the page, so you can keep up with my (what are quickly becoming weekly/biweekly) photo updates...It's hard to believe that I've got such little time left here...Allison and I are going to try to find out way out to the beach right now, while there is still daylight out (wish us luck!)...I swear that sometime I'll finish my fall-break and other stories...and tell you about the fire that woke me up last week at 4:30 am...ah, the fun never stops here!

At the speed of light!

2005-11-16T10:55:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking over here...I've got some great stories to tell, but I've also got photography class in 4 minutes...make that 3 minutes...okay, rather than host a countdown to class, I'll fill you in on a bit of fantastic info: Last week, Allison and I found cheap(er) tickets to go to Norway. We'll be flying to and staying in Bergen, which is just south of Norway's largest and deepest fjord. This place is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places to travel to...I'll take lots of pictures!

Things are looking different around here

2005-11-09T04:19:00.000-06:00

Hey! Yeah, you're on the right page, I swear it! I decided that things needed a little "visual overhaul" here, so I slapped up a different template. Don't worry though, you'll still get all of same enthralling information you've always found here (ha!). Also, big thanks to my uncle for hosting a new image site for me. In the next couple of days (okay, probably a week or so), I'll try and get some more new photos up, as well as finishing my fall break stories and describing my Texel weekend. For now though, I'm off to drink some morning coffee and do a little Dutch!

As promised...

2005-11-07T07:08:00.000-06:00

There are new photos on my Flickr Page. Sorry it's been so long...also, I can only upload so many pictures per month, and I think I'm getting pretty close to November's limit already...If I put them directly into Blogger, they're really hard to work with, too...if anyone has a better idea of how to share, let me know!

Time Flies...

2005-11-01T09:39:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been so long since a substantial update...These past few weeks have been quite adventurous.

On October 12th, the whole program went to Brussel, Belgium. From there, we went to Brugge, also in Belgium. On that Friday (Oct. 14), the excursion was officially over, and our fall break started. Allison and I started by hopping back on a train to Brussel, and getting student train tickets to Paris. The only problem was--they only had student tickets for one train that night, and that was a few hours away. To soften the blow, however, the only student tickets they had were for first class. So we roughed it, and made our way to Paris in the lap of luxury with enormous amounts of foot-room, and complimentary sandwiches, coffee, and desserts. I don't know how we ever managed.

Our original plans were to stay with a friend who had studied abroad at Central who was living in Paris, but unfortunately she had had a cracked tooth, and was at home in Germany. Her roommate Larissa, though, was very nice and took us in for the weekend. Not only did she let us crash in her place, but Larissa (also from Germany) even made us breakfast and took us out with some other international students. From Paris we flew to Venice, and spent a day and a half there wandering the canals and streets. Allison and I took a gondola ride, and got to see a great majority of the beautiful city from the water. As it turned out, the Venice Biennial (a huge international contemporary art exhibition that only happens every 2 years) was going on. What luck!

From Venice, we took a train to Florence--Allison's old stomping grounds. We were pretty wiped by the time we got there, but we still managed to take a night walk around the city (and came close to buying some fake Gucci purses)...unfortunately, we didn't have very much time in Florence, so we didn't get to actually go in things like the Duomo and the Uffizi, but I DID get to see Michaelangelo's David...

They're closing up the lab, so I've got to go...but more abroad stories and pictures are to come!

Back in Action

2005-10-31T06:07:00.000-06:00

Never fear--I'm still alive and well. I was sorry for not telling you about break sooner, and now I've done no better. I spent this last weekend in Texel, the largest island of the Netherlands--and a land that boasts more sheep than Wales (no joke!). Our entire means of transportation for the whole weekend was by bicycle. Allison and I were trying to figure it out this morning, and we're estimating that we biked somewhere between 40-50 miles in the past 3 days. We saw some absolutely BEAUTIFUL countryside, and I got to bike along the North sea, literally just feet away from it. I've got some great pictures to share, but right now I've got to finish up homework for my class that starts in 2 hours (story of my life)...more to come soon!

Call off the searches

2005-10-24T07:40:00.000-05:00

I'm home...well, at my home-away-from-home-away-from-home...the whole trip was marvelous, and I'll have to tell you all about it in installments...but that won't happen until at least tomorrow...for now, sleep well with the fact that I'm in the Netherlands and bird-flu-free, despite my best efforts...

Hi. I'm in Delaware...

2005-10-19T01:55:00.000-05:00

That's a lie. I'm in Italy. Sorry to decieve you all like that. More to come next week.

Mortal Sin

2005-10-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

I know I really should have let you all know before now, but I'm spending a week and a half (otherwise known as my fall break) traveling around Europe. In fact, I'm currently in Paris and getting ready to depart for Venice...I promise to get news and pictures up once I get back "home," but that won't be until next week...sorry!

I went to London, and all I got was wet...

2005-10-03T06:02:00.000-05:00

...actually, that's not true. It's currently 1:04 in Leiden, and we got back in at about 9:30 this morning. We had a whirlwind 3 days of seeing as much of London as we could (and we did a pretty good job of it, too!). We arrived at Luton airport at about 11pm on Thursday night, and camped out in the terminal there. At 7 we took a coach bus in to town, and walked to Vandon house, the hotel owned by Central. We met up with McKenna and Shannon there, and it was great to see some familiar faces! We dropped our stuff off there, then went out for the day with McKenna. Our first stop was Abbey Road, where we took a rather blurry version of the obligatory walking-across-the-intersection picture. From there we hit the tower of London (which is not actually a tower, for those of you who were as mistaken as I) and saw the crown jewels, as well as a lot of other really interesting things. Then, just outside the tower I had my first real British Fish & Chips experience from none other than "Ted's Fish & Chips." Absolutely delicious. We tried to go to Madame Tussauds, but we would have had to pay an obscene amount of money just to get in (almost $50). Finding this outrageous, we decided to return to Vandon. From there, Allison and I went down to the Drury Lane Theatre to see The Producers--which was hilarious. After a restful nights sleep (which was much better than the airport floor), the three of us ventured out to the British Library, basically a museum of a lot of cool, really old things. For example, I saw a Gutenberg Bible. And the Magna Carta. And pages from one of Da Vinci's notebooks (complete with backwards handwriting). And the scraps of paper that The Beatles scribbled and edited lyrics on ("and you say to me: I want to hold your thing...")--I'm not even joking. From there, we trekked over to the British Museum (though first stopping for a Cornish Pasty, which McKenna insist that we try...I think it's best described as a kind of pot-pie like pocket, filled with a kind of beefy-stew...also very good). We spent just a little bit in the British Museum, seeing some important highlights like the Rosetta Stone. We also snapped some obligatory "Red Phone Booth" photos out front...(or would that be 'boothe'? I don't know...). For dinner that night, we went to a place called "Ciao," which is a little (but fancy) Italian cafe. At Ciao, they take vanilla ice cream (or possibly gelato, we weren't quite sure) and put it through a spaghetti-noodle-maker, making a big pile of ice cream that looks just like spaghetti. They then top it off with a strawberry sauce that looks just like red-sauce, and white chocolate flakes that look like Parmesan cheese. Again, fantastic eating. After dinner, we wandered across the river to the Tate Modern (a modern art gallery) and Shakespeare's Globe. There was a show just finishing up at the Globe, but they wouldn't let me go in to peek at it. I do, however, now have a picture of me with 'the whole globe in my hands'...as well as a hat. Woot.
Sunday was our "catch-up" day, and was a gloriously sunny day without any rain. Allison and I played frisbee in St. James Park (upholding my "frisbee in every country" goal). After a bit, we strolled on down to Buckingham Palace to snap a few photos. Then we hit the National Gallery (a huge art gallery that contains numerous works from numerous artists, including Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello. Upon finding a Donatello to complete the quad-fecta, we definitely sang the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme song in the middle of the museum. Who says art can't be fun?!). We took a walk through a little market on our way down to Covent Garden, where we had muffins for lunch and saw the theatre museum where Allison did her internship. After a quick stop at a--ugh--stationary store (who goes to London to visit a stationary store?!), we headed back to the National Portrait Gallery, which was doing an exhibit on the most photographed people of all time--really interesting stuff. Leaving there, we moseyed on down towards the houses of parliament and Big Ben (stopping, of course, for numerous photo opportunities). We then got our tickets (which we had prebooked--I highly recommend doing so) for the London Eye. The Eye is essentially a giant ferris wheel with glass-enclosed carriages. It took us hundreds of meters above the Thames as the sun was going down over the city. REALLY cool stuff. We topped off the night by joining McKenna at a deep-dish pizza restaurant. (That being said, their pizza was decent, but I'm really missing Pizza Ranch about now...). As we packed...ahem, let me rephrase that...as I packed and as Allison drifted in and out of napping (and in and out of watching Miss Congeniality, the feature movie on the one channel of McKenna's TV that came in that night after a couple days of technical-difficulties), we just sat around and laughed, talked, ate Cadbury chocolate, and laughed more. At 1am, we trekked on down to the bus station (which we had to run to catch) to get us back to the airport. We're very sleep deprived, but today in Leiden is "Leidse Onzet" which is basically the anniversary of the liberation of Leiden from the Spanish. What does this mean? It means that all over town there are carnivals, markets, parades, herring (which I just had a bite of...R-A-W herring...), and beer tents. We may go out later to soak in the culture, but right now I need to soak in some sleep...

Weekend Update

2005-09-29T04:48:00.000-05:00

Howdy folksch (for all of you who get that esoteric reference)...This past week has been filled not only with the excitement of attending all of my classes for the second time, but also a field trip that we took last Friday to Het Loo (an English palace on the other side of The Netherlands) as well as Kroller-Muller is a museum set in a huge nature reserve that has a huge collection of Van Gogh, as well as a lot of other recognizeable artwork. The really fascinating part of this is that the majority of the artwork in the gallery was owned privately by one woman, and was donated to the state (basically to keep it from getting repo'd during the depression). Lots of cool things there, and I'll try and get some pictures up soon.

Right now I've got to go finish up some last minute details--because I leave in 5 hours for London! Allison and I are going to spend the weekend with McKenna and Shannon, and still have to finish packing! (I, true to form, am still working on laundry...some things never change, even cross-continental).

Ding, Dong, The Dutch is Done!

2005-09-22T06:02:00.001-05:00

Hello, world (and happy Thursday, might I add). I'm glad to say that I'm completely finished with Intensive Dutch I. Now, however, I've picked up Dutch II. This class, however, is non-intensive. (When I say intensive, I mean that we were meeting 5 days a week for 3-4 hours straight...now that that's over, we're only meeting once a week). The class size has also dropped significantly. Because Dutch I was required, all 9 of us program participants (or "students" if you like) were in that class. There's a cozy 4 in the second half of the class. I've also started my other classes, including The Netherlands and its European Context, Photography, and Globalization.
Today also marks the first day that I've brought my bike to class--an act that brings me out of exile from the rest of the group. Have I told you about my bike? I got it for free from our Dutch teacher. It's a folding bike that collapses at the center. Why do they have folding bikes, you may ask? Well, because it's a folding bike I can take it with me on a train and not have to pay extra for it. It's essentially then just a "carry-on." Nifty, eh? That didn't sell me on it so much as the "free" part. Also, you may find it amusing that I'm taking a risk by only locking up my bicycle with 2 locks. ("2 locks?!" you may think..."isn't that 1 too many?"). Oh no. Bicycling is by far the most popular means of transportation around here (case in point: I haven't seen a gas station in a month, and I'm not exaggerating by any stretch of the imagination). Because of that, bike theft is extremely popular. Well, imagine what carjacking would be like if every car had the keys in the ignition and no doors.
I tossed a couple of more pictures up on the flickr page, but nothing terribly exciting. I'm running low on my "monthly upload limit" for flickr, so we'll see if I keep using it to update or not...
A couple of girls from BV live in the same "dorm" as Allison and I, and so we're taking turns cooking for each other. Tonight is Allison and I's night, so I've got to go pick up some ingredients. We're also cooking for Willem (pronounced Villim), my Dutch next-door-neighbor. I've got a field trip tomorrow, so I probably won't be updating any more 'til next week, but really--this one was pretty egregiously long, don't you think? Congrats to you if you made it this far...

Sunset on Leiden (or Pictures, pt. 3)

2005-09-14T06:08:00.000-05:00

Sunset on Leiden
Originally uploaded by schwanjoe.

With any luck my procedure for supplying you all with delicious pictures of my abroad adventures has changed. I'm using a site called flickr, which allows me to upload and organize my pictures. If you go to here you can view a handful of my most recent Leiden pictures. Wish me luck with my last 2 days of intensive Dutch! Tot zeins!

Contact Me!

2005-09-13T06:02:00.000-05:00

Alas--after much anticipation, I can now give you all what I'm sure you've been waiting for. The way to send me snail-mail. This address actually goes to the college office here, but they have a mail system set up to get us our letters/packages/etc...here goes:

My Name
Central College in Leiden
Rapenburg 8-10, Unit 4
2311 EV Leiden, The Netherlands

Nifty, eh? I'm off to go check out the local library--and I took some pictures last night for the blog, I'll try and get them up tomorrow, but I've got more Dutch to study!

Anticlimactic

2005-09-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

Well kids--

I know what you're thinking. That since I haven't really put anything up here for almost a week, that I've got some sort of really big, impressive, earth-shattering thing to share with you all right now. Well...no, I don't. Both Allison and I have been a little sick--she more than I. This has really cut down our time out in the city, and thusly has cut down on the amazing and exciting tales I have to regale you with. Instead, we've been sitting around eating Ak-Al (which really helps clear up congestion, if you must know) and watching episodes of Family Guy on her laptop. I've also gotten quite an addiction to solitaire in all of its forms, especially simulated on the iPod. After first arrival of the iPod, I would toy with it now and again--but was never able to beat solitaire. This has now changed, and I have done the impossible and conquered Apple Computers and its credit-card-sized solitaire-playing supercomputer. Score: 1, USA! (Right now, I've got to go take a test for my intensive Dutch class over the first 10 chapters of "Het Groene Book"). If I can manage to remember that Eva komt uit Spanje, I should be okay...tot zeins, everyone...

Pictures, Pt. 2 - Fixed!

2005-09-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

Back by popular demand:

This is a view of Leiden, and another one of the large churches nearby: the Hooglandse Kerk. (I'm sorry I'm a liar and said it was the Pieterskerk!).

A shot of a couple of streets in Amsterdam. (You can also find a bike tire in there if you kinda squint your eyes and turn your head a little. Don't try it if you're in public, though...people will only look at you funny).

A sign about a block from the trainstation in Amsterdam. I found it funny, and for any of you who have a memory of Wall Drug, the existence and/or location of Wall Drugs: you will too.

Two random people in a park in Leiden, down the street from where I go to class. We have no idea who they really are, and this was as close as we got to them. It still seems pretty romantically European, no?

Pictures, pt. 1

2005-08-29T07:46:00.000-05:00

Above is a little Leiden alleyway that ends up at one of the large churches in the main part of town.

This is a floating stage from a weekend Jazz festival that just
happened on the Rapenburg, where the college office is located...so it
was just literally down the street about a block and a half from where
I take classes. If you look closely, you can see that the entire
stage is actually floating on the canal.

Is this heaven?

2005-08-29T03:14:00.000-05:00

No...it's Ak-Al. Where did I leave off last time? Well, I've met a couple of other people in my hall including Willim (pronounced like "Villain" with an M), who has been quite a hit with the program's ladies thus far. My friend Stacy just got back stateside from Leiden, and she demanded that when we were here that we check out Ak-Al. Ak-Al is this little Turkish place that does hot food and is also a little bakery. Your life is not complete until you eat a Turkish Pizza and a Kebab from Ak-Al. I've been scoping them out in the mornings to see how early they start making hot food so I can make their delicious exotic spices a part of my balanced breakfast. I've been there 4 times in 5 days. Oh, and their food is hella-reasonable. (Though after Fiancee paid $1.50 for her pizza the last time we were there, they guy looked at me and said "Two-fifty!" and began to laugh...I think I may have officially become a regular there). Just yesterday we took a boat ride through the canals of Leiden. Let me rephrase that....I paddled an akward boat for an hour and a half up, down, around waterways, and through tiny little tunnels under bridges and streets. Oh, and Fiancee lost the map about 10 minutes from the end. And by lost the map, I mean dropped it in the water where it promptly sank. We didn't mention it when we got back, though, and I don't think they noticed. Today I think will consist of attempting some grocery shopping, and who knows what else. I go to Amsterdam for the first time (that doesn't consist of just the airport) tomorrow. Here goes nothing!
Schmo.

Are you getting somewhere?

2005-08-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry folks, but (for those of you who know the song reference) you knew it had to come sometime. Ironically, I haven't been to Amsterdam since I last posted...and I haven't really gotten lost, either...so I guess I should've saved that title...but oh well...on to actual events!
I'm fully unpacked in my room in the Pelikaanhof (though I still need to do a bit of organizing)...for a single room, it's actually pretty well sized! Also, the housing situation is a bit different than what the average college student is probably used to...basically, students just sort of leave things in there when they move out, and no one comes around to take them out. I mean, my room was clean and everything--but not only did I get extra toiletries, I got a leather-esque loveseat and even a splatter-painted fridge (along with a collection of candles an a couple of incense burners)...I also met my roomate (and what appears to be her live-in boyfriend, Jakob (pronounced Yakob)...good times, and I'll share more later!

Tot zeins!
Joe

TADA!!!

2005-08-25T08:16:00.000-05:00

Howdy Folksch,

Just a quick note to let every know that I arrived in Leiden yesterday (about 24 hours ago, actually)...and it's been a whirlwind of Dutch since I arrived. All of my baggage and everything else arrived just fine, but I've gotta go! Bye everyone!

Bad Zoute!

2005-08-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

I know--I suck. I haven't blogged in a long time, and I promise to change my ways...but I'm moving between my house at school and my house at home right now, and then must pack and get ready for the big trip. I'll try to throw something else up here at least before I go...but in the mean time, perhaps this will satisfy your craving for culture:
Postal Service
Schmo.

Still Kickin' It

2005-08-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

Howdy Folks...just a quick note to let you know that I'm still alive...I've been working this week at the college for a big admissions festival...it's been quite the entourage...tonight I leave to go to the future in-laws, with a big "engagement party" tomorrow. We've begun some wedding planning (something that will have to continue in Leiden)...but we're trying to get as much done before we leave as possible. Sunday we're hoping to track down one of Fiancee's old pastors to listen to him preach as a possible candidate for our ceremony. Oh, and I (hopefully) bought a new iPod on Wednesday. It's another eBay gamble...that's all I've got for now--peace out.
Schmo

Big News!

2005-07-28T22:21:00.000-05:00

Hey, all you blog-fans out there...I just wanted to let you know that Girlfriend and I got engaged tonight (which I guess technically makes her Fiancee, now)...I'm sorry for not posting about it sooner, but I couldn't run the risk of her reading about it! Okay, I'm off to go tell more of the world! Woohoo!!
Schmo

Tedium

2005-07-28T00:39:00.000-05:00

So, here's an interesting tidbit about the 'ole Leiden program (or "programme" for you readers across the pond)...I was under the (evidently false) impression that when I filled out my "housing preference form," indicating which of the two residences in Leiden I'd like to live--that it mattered. Turns out--and this is coming from a program alum--that the program director literally takes an alphabetical list of the students there for the semester and draws a line down the middle...the top half go to one hall, the bottom to the other...call me crazy, but doesn't that make my filling out that form a bit superfluous? I'm not mad or anything...just becoming increasingly aware of things I do that don't really matter...
Nothing much has changed since I posted last...I'm considering selling the new ipod and getting a bigger one to use as picture-storage for the trip...we'll see...as for now, it's sleep for me...(if this dammed dryer would ever finish...)

"I just dropped in..."

2005-07-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

"...to see what condition my condition was in." Good stuff, there...
Ah, so what's been happening in the life of Schmo for the past several days, you ask? Well, as of Friday night Girlfriend and I have plane tickets to Amsterdam...4 more digits of money than I was really ready to part with, but at least it's done. Tuesday I went to the clinic to get my immunizations (another "Thanks, but no thanks" to the College health center for that one...)...and ended up getting FIVE shots...FIVE. 2 in each arm, plus a TB test in my right forearm. On the upside, I found out today that I do indeed NOT have Tuberculosis. Woot. However, I think getting loaded up with all those drugs at once really wreaked some adverse effects on my body. Sure, I played it stupid and played some all-out Ultimate that day and the next, but the immunizations just made me extra-sore. Plus I've had a headache for circa 2 days now. It's finally starting to go away (ironically, I just got home from the Octagon (bar) too).
I don't think I've ever been so inclined (or so impatient) to say TGIF...this week has been LOOOONG, even with taking time off to get immunizations and things. There's only a week between me and Iowa Private College Week, and I still have lots to do. It's been hard to be motivated, though, because I just feel so DRAINED...my body just constantly wants to collapse. It's not like mono or anything like that, I'm just really run down...it's sure as hell not Measles, Mumps, or Rubella, either...my newly immunized body is now impenetrable to such foolish diseases...

(p.s. - this is the LAST time that I spell-check my blog...don't tell me that LOOOONG is not a word...sucker...)

The eagle has landed...

2005-07-14T23:03:00.000-05:00

It's a good day to be blogging...at precisely 10:24 am today (Central Time) I became officially in posession of my shiny new (well, new-to-me) silver iPod mini. It, coupled with the arrival of my new (until last night literally un-thrown) UPA-approved Ultimate Disc, has made it a fantastic 5 days of eBay-ing and waiting...to top it off, I did what many have deemed as impossible and actually transferred the data from a Mac-formatted iPod to my PC, salvaging a good 3 gigs of Elton John and motivational audio-books...I've begun window-shopping through the plethora of accessories now begging to be utilized by my sleek new epitome of portable music technology...but, despite the call of the Harpies, have resisted the temptations of the Griffin iTrip mini and the JBL Onstage docking speakers...ooo, and (if I can remember) I'm going to throw a link up to fatwallet.com--and I highly recommend going there first before you buy anything off the internet...veritible bookus of money are just waiting to be saved...i'm out.

"Let's go, 'overcoming adversity'!!!"

2005-07-12T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well, you've finally done it. I have decided to give up on the iPod thingy (notice I didn't even make it a little green link this time). I've instead given up, broken down, and paid for a silver iPod mini (on eBay, just under my student discount price...woot!). The thing hasn't even arrived yet (though it's guaranteed by Thursday, and I'm hoping for tomorrow), and already I'm giddy with the prospect of all the nifty accessories and iPod swag I can purchase (correction, haggle off of eBay).

As for a Netherlandic update (no, I'm not there yet)...I still have not purchased plane tickets (and they've dropped a whole 5 bucks in price...double woot!). Nor have I gotten my immunizations, as the Central College Health Center refuses to stick me with needles containing managable amounts of potentially crippling and deadly diseases...it's just something I guess I'm not meant to understand...

Flattery will get you nowhere...

2005-07-08T01:03:00.000-05:00

...but perhaps shameless bribes will work?! Seriously, people...only *1* of you has even signed up for the iPod thingy. Let me also say that I'm actually kind of enjoying my Real Rhapsody trial subscription. I've made my own personalized radio station that will stream songs to my computer based on my tastes (centered around Weezer, Cake, and Guster). If there's a song I don't like, I can just skip it and go on to the next one! I'm gonna be kinda bummed when they bump the price up from $.99 to $9.99 a month. But at least I'll get to keep 5 songs all to myself (take that, RIAA!). Now where was I? Oh, right...shameless bribes...
let's just say I have a little something special cooked up for those first 5 of you that help me out with this iPod thingy. At least, for you Central folk, I have. If you're not a Central folk, I'll come up with something else...and no more of those "free visit to Neverland Ranch" coupons...(it's 1:10 in the morning...let me apologize in advance...)

It's the smell!

2005-07-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings once again, my newly aquired internet public...I'd just like to give one more shout-out for my iPod thingy...I found an offer that wasn't too bad, actually. It's downloading Real Rhapsody for $0.99. I wasn't really sure what I was doing at the time, but I now have a 30-day access to "a million songs" to play as much as I want. Plus, I can keep 5 of them forever. (Weezer's "Beverly Hills," here I come...). So let me recap...5 of you can have a month of unlimited tunage, 5 songs, and my undying love and affection...or at least that of my to-be iPod.
Remember: in order for the iPod thingy to work, you have to sign up with that link!

Oh yeah...and if you're reading this--drop me a line! My kudos to Smuder, who has already left a "comment," and that was after getting back from Australia! Immediate replies upon return from the land down under? Yes, that's dedication...

Delicious iPods...

2005-07-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

So, you want to help me get to Leiden? Well, you could always save me money by helping me get an iPod. If you click on this bad boy: YES I WANT TO HELP JOE! And complete one of the offers (do something simple, free, and cancel right away), you'll earn me a brand spankin' new iPod. (You could also then get 5 people to do the same for you, and get yourself a new iPod, too...). I know that it sounds kind of shady, but they seem to have been checked out by CNN, Wired, and a bunch of other people. Here's my advice: try and find one where you don't have to put in your credit card number. Just take a few minutes, do something free and easy, and help get this poor guy an ipod...(In case you missed it, here is that link again...a huge thanks in advance, everyone!)
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Update: Free as it may seem, don't do the eFax offer...it will cost you, in addition to being a big headache...

Aha!

2005-06-30T00:33:00.000-05:00

So this is it...I've officially joined the "elite" and created my own little personal patch of the internet to kick off my shoes and bitch about things. Woot. Eventually, there's gonna be some stuff here. LOTS of stuff. Or I could be lying. You'll never know, unless you check back later.