Some Pictures and a Quick Update!

I officially started classes this week. That is exciting, but also somewhat disheartening. I am looking forward to all of my classes so far, but they do seem to be a lot of work. Oh well, I came here for a reason (to study!)

I am still settling in, but I already feel comfortable in the city. Amsterdam is a very welcoming place and an easy city to call home. My neighborhood is very nice and I am looking forward to exploring it more. Today is a day off from classes so I am planing on running errands and maybe going to a museum later. I have not yet been to any of the museums in Amsterdam, but am really excited about a few of them. Amsterdam has two of the best art museums in the world (The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum), but it also has a plethora of other museums that are begging to be explored.

In lieu of a full update, I have posted some pictures of my room and my neighborhood. At top is the Oosterpark, a large city park that is just a couple of minutes from my dorm. It is just across a canal in the Oost (East) section of the city while I am in the Center. Next is a group of street performers from the flea market in Waterlooplein. The market is expansive and quite nice. It is a great place to buy things on the cheap. Further down is the Kriterion Bar and Theater. Kriterion is the local bar but is also an art-house theater. They play everything from documentaries to new movies to classics. They also have cheap Belgium beer (!).

The next photo is of my kitchen, and then two of my dorm. Finally I have included a picture of the view from my window which overlooks the Nieuwe Kaisergracht.

I update again as soon as possible, I really appreciate everyone who has been reading my blog. As the Dutch say, Tot Ziens! (See you later!)