I've been keeping up with school, although struggling a bit. Three classes in one period has turned out to be difficult, but I am still enjoying my time thoroughly. My Dutch lessons are going pretty well. I think I'm gaining an ability to read some Dutch, but speaking it still alludes me. It's incredibly difficult to pronounce but it's still useful, and appreciated by the locals when you at least try to fumble around with the language.
My other classes, while difficult, have been interesting and rewarding. My Managing Learning course has forced me to step back and review a lot of my own notions. It is a course that really challenges the way I think at a fundamental level, and through that is helping me discover not only who I am but also how I take in the world around me. So far, I would say it's the most useful course I've taken and will be an interesting complement to the one's I've taken back at MU.
Speaking of which, I have kept up with MU football and basketball. I've even turned a few of my friends here into (somewhat) fans. I think it's hard to explain football and the love and joy that goes with it while watching it online. It's much easier when I can take them to a game to get the whole experience. From tailgate to the Missouri Waltz. But, I think they get the idea and are at least finding it interesting.
Here, the festivals seemingly never end. It is really incredible. As the pictures for this post show, party time is going on. On November 11 (11/11) at 11:11 AM they "officially" started partying for Carnival (Mardi Gras... in March). The sheer number of people out on a cold rainy day was amazing, and makes me excited for the chaos of a festival that will emerge in March.
For now, I'm trying to keep warm, plan some trips for the upcoming months, and get in touch with Rotary here in Maastricht (so far proving to be a bit harder than I expected.)
