Hartelijk welkom uit Rotterdam! It's been now approx. five days since I arrived in Netherlands and I already had some time to adapt and get to know the city and some people. As a lot of things already happened I'll just pick out some things to tell here and now. More will probably (hopefully) come later on...
On monday and tuesday i got to know the city a little bit by walking and cycling - yes I already bought a bicycle (fiets). It's very common here to drive by bike and you realize that on the street everyday. As we were told there are around 20 Mio. bikes for 16 Mio. inhabitants in this country. As you can imagine, bikes are everywhere. On every pole you can find next to the street there is at least on bike locked to it. And there are special cycling lanes everywhere in town, which makes it very convenient and relaxing to drive even in the city as you're sort of secured and have your own space. And everyone - pedestrians, cyclists, motorists - is used to it and looks out for bikes so it's even safer. The only thing about bikes which is annoying is, that bikes are getting stolen. So you really have to lock it at all times and rule number one you learn is, that the lock should appear to be more expensive than the bike. But still, there are junkies who steal and then sell bikes in order to earn their money. One of our dutch buddies already told us, that he once bought his own bike back from a junkie for 5€.
In the evening of tuesday I finally got to know my dutch buddy Iris and some of the exchange students. We met for dinner in a maroccon place, which served very delicious food. After eating we went for some beers or drinks before heading home at around midnight (of course by bike through the almost empty streets of R'dam). As mentioned, everyone of us exchangers got a dutch buddy, which is taking part in the international exchange program as well and should help us to get along and get to know a bit dutch culture. Intersting fact about this is, that 2 out of 6 buddies are AIESECers who were P/VP in LC R'dam :)
After those first two days we went on an integration trip from wednesday till today. We were in a hostel (called "stayokay" :) in the eastern part of netherlands between Arnhem and Enschede close to the german border. We had some get to know, trust and confidence or just fun activities like bowling. In the evening we had first a dutch evening and then an international cabaret followed by some for me (and several for others) drinks. But it was cool and fun to get to know the other exchange students. We are a very multicultural group with eg. people from Indonesia, Taiwan, Spain, France and Norway as well as from US or Argentina.
About the university I can't tell you that much yet as I have been there only shortly. Confusing though are only the names of the uni. The whole university is called Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. This is not because people who are on exchange take part in the erasmus program, but because Erasmus was a famous dutch philosopher. Even some dutch people don't get that, as they think that the Erasmusbrug (bridge over the river Maas) is called like that because Erasmus was the architect of the bridge. In this Erasmus Universiteit are different departments and faculties. I'll be studying in the RSM, the Rotterdam School of Management. My first lecture will start on monday and it's called Marketing, Technology and Innovation. As we found out on our trip another exchange student is taking that too, Pavel from Prague. For the second course I have to look for a new topic as they just informed me that the one I was supposed to take had been cancelled. Well there are not so many options which interest me, but at least I have now the advantage that I know who of the exchange students will take which course and that might slightly influence my decision as well, as it's probably more fun to study together. Anyways, I didn't decide yet and we'll see. I still have time till monday to get to a decision. But now, we'll first go to dinner together and then probably for a drink or to a club. What a nice life it still is after handing in the thesis and before lectures start again...
On monday and tuesday i got to know the city a little bit by walking and cycling - yes I already bought a bicycle (fiets). It's very common here to drive by bike and you realize that on the street everyday. As we were told there are around 20 Mio. bikes for 16 Mio. inhabitants in this country. As you can imagine, bikes are everywhere. On every pole you can find next to the street there is at least on bike locked to it. And there are special cycling lanes everywhere in town, which makes it very convenient and relaxing to drive even in the city as you're sort of secured and have your own space. And everyone - pedestrians, cyclists, motorists - is used to it and looks out for bikes so it's even safer. The only thing about bikes which is annoying is, that bikes are getting stolen. So you really have to lock it at all times and rule number one you learn is, that the lock should appear to be more expensive than the bike. But still, there are junkies who steal and then sell bikes in order to earn their money. One of our dutch buddies already told us, that he once bought his own bike back from a junkie for 5€.
In the evening of tuesday I finally got to know my dutch buddy Iris and some of the exchange students. We met for dinner in a maroccon place, which served very delicious food. After eating we went for some beers or drinks before heading home at around midnight (of course by bike through the almost empty streets of R'dam). As mentioned, everyone of us exchangers got a dutch buddy, which is taking part in the international exchange program as well and should help us to get along and get to know a bit dutch culture. Intersting fact about this is, that 2 out of 6 buddies are AIESECers who were P/VP in LC R'dam :)
After those first two days we went on an integration trip from wednesday till today. We were in a hostel (called "stayokay" :) in the eastern part of netherlands between Arnhem and Enschede close to the german border. We had some get to know, trust and confidence or just fun activities like bowling. In the evening we had first a dutch evening and then an international cabaret followed by some for me (and several for others) drinks. But it was cool and fun to get to know the other exchange students. We are a very multicultural group with eg. people from Indonesia, Taiwan, Spain, France and Norway as well as from US or Argentina.
About the university I can't tell you that much yet as I have been there only shortly. Confusing though are only the names of the uni. The whole university is called Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. This is not because people who are on exchange take part in the erasmus program, but because Erasmus was a famous dutch philosopher. Even some dutch people don't get that, as they think that the Erasmusbrug (bridge over the river Maas) is called like that because Erasmus was the architect of the bridge. In this Erasmus Universiteit are different departments and faculties. I'll be studying in the RSM, the Rotterdam School of Management. My first lecture will start on monday and it's called Marketing, Technology and Innovation. As we found out on our trip another exchange student is taking that too, Pavel from Prague. For the second course I have to look for a new topic as they just informed me that the one I was supposed to take had been cancelled. Well there are not so many options which interest me, but at least I have now the advantage that I know who of the exchange students will take which course and that might slightly influence my decision as well, as it's probably more fun to study together. Anyways, I didn't decide yet and we'll see. I still have time till monday to get to a decision. But now, we'll first go to dinner together and then probably for a drink or to a club. What a nice life it still is after handing in the thesis and before lectures start again...
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