its been a while

Hey!

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. Life is a lot like life in Medicine Hat...only wetter. Though we have had sunshine the past few days, so exciting:).

Yesterday I met with my Nederlands (Dutch) teacher and my new tutor, Lotte, to discuss a plan to help me learn Dutch. My Nederlands teacher bought me the book Dutch For Dummies. Also, for the month of October, I don't have to take several courses, in that time I will be putting my time to better use learning Dutch in the Library. I don't have to take, French (Thank goodness, it is sooo hard learning a language from people who aren`t speaking your language), Maatschappijleer (like social), Maatschappijwetenschappen (I still don`t know what that course is about), Levensbeschouwing (The meaning of life class) and Geschiedenis (history). So hopefully this plan will help me learn Dutch a bit faster.

I had a free class today to start my studying, and I would like to ask something. Who knows what, `The perfect tense is formed with an auxiliary plus the past participle of the verb.` (Dutch For Dummies page 38) means? I sure dont. Also, I had to take an English test other day, I spent 2 full minutes trying to remember what an irregualar verb was, man did I feel stupid. Another example, in French class I sit beside a girl who is originally from Australia, here`s one of our conversations.
Lotte: So you have to write a few sentences about the picture. (A girl in a white turtle neck)
Me: Ok so like what kind of sentences (question mark)
Lotte: Like her jumper is white. Only in French.
Me: O, Ok. Whats a Jumper?
Lotte: Her sweater. What do Canadians call them? Hoddie?
Me: Shes not wearing a hoddie.
Lotte: What do you call that?
Me: A turtle neck...
Lotte: Oh, wow thats cool... (sarcasm) So you call all sweaters turtle necks?
Me: Noo, it's not a sweater, its a shirt.
Lotte: But it doesn't have buttons.
Me: So?
Lotte: Shirts have buttons.
Me: Not all shirts. What do you call that? *Points to someones shirt*
Lotte: A top.
Me: Oh.
It went on like that for a while. I short, I think I`m learning a lot of English here, as well as Dutch.

Also, Marita (Germany) touched on the differences in groups at school in her blog. I have to agree with her, there aren`t groups here in Holland here either. Everyone in my year is friends with everyone else. It is much different than in Canada where everyone has a group of friends, and they stick with the same friends, eat lunch at the same table with that same group of friends, hang out with the same people after school. I like the Dutch way much better, this way I can get to know everyone. Oh! and happy 18th Marita!

Hm...On a side note, being an exchange student has really let me appreciate the small nice things that people do. Like, the other day in Lichamelijke Opvoeding (Gym) we were playing Ultimate Frizbee, I was tying my shoe, and one of the guys on my team stopped (with the frizbee) and waited for me to finish to resume the game. Or today, I was walking to the Library before I should have had French class, and one of the guys that I had French class stopped me to make sure I knew we had French. I guess what I`m saying that it`s nice that people are looking out for me even if I don`t know them very well. The small things like that are really the things that make me feel accepted here.

On a different note completely, I`m going down to Zeeland today for a Rotex weekend! I`m really excited to see all the inbounds again. We are going to see the big dam that controls a lot of the canals in Holland, and go sail and stuff. I will try to update with pictures and everything when I get back from that!

I think thats it.

Doei!

Jayden

p.s. remember! i love comments, so if you have something to say, or just to say hi, let me know your reading and post it!