Farewell Dinner/Party

I'm a bit late today. Woke up early to go to the library where I met Heidi and Penelope. Penelope just came to pick up some books, so Heidi and I went to the computer room, level 3 to work. Yesterday I worked as well and prepraed something for Clements farewell dinner/party. I made mashed potatoes and put it in the oven with some spinach and tomatoes in it and cheese on top. I also made some desert of soft banana with melted dark chocolate mixed and stroopwafel crums on top and mixed through it. It made me get to the cinema a bit late. I said I would be there at 6, but turned out to be there later. I went to see Juno. Marion and Amandine were there as well, but sitting on the left side, while I sat enxt to Heidi int he middle. Nicholas and Ciro turned out to be there as well and both liked the movie. I liked it as well. I thought it was nice and sometimes very funny. It's a sweet film nothing groundbreaking, nothing extemely beautiful when it comes to cinematography etc. but just carried out nicely. It was kind of this year's Little Miss Sunshine, although I think that one made a more lasting impact. Then after I went to Clements house. His housemates had made some really nice things like tortilla and some rice. Veronique brought a really ncie cake later on as well, which she made with strawberry yoghurt, which was soooo good! I had a nice night and stayed until after 2, so pretty long. Right now I'm going to work on my essays and at 6 circuits! :)

8 pm Earth Hour

So last night from 8 to 9 was Earth Hour. I turned off everything in my room and went to sit in the hall, with only the light from the stairs switched on. I would have loved to just turn everything off, but I dont have candles or anything. But I sat reading for an hour. And well, my housemates didn't really participated, so there would be some light and some things still switched on anyway. Patricia was cooking so she couldn't go and do it in a dark kitchen. It's just to create awareness. It almost seems days ago, but it was really just yesterday morning I went into town with Heidi and Marion. Then in the afternoon I worked at home until I needed a break and started watching two episodes of Scrubs and being on MSN. My computer had a freeze two times, so I had to switch everything off and on again. A bit annoying. So then I decided to wait with finishing Scrubs as my pc didn't seem to be able to handle letting Alice download things from my shared folder, being in a conversation with Khodr this guy I know from Syria, speaking to my mother via Skype and watching Scrubs all at the same time. I still have to finish that second espisode. But it's so much fun, I really like Scrubs. It's a great way to pass the time and I needed it as I was getting hungry, but didn't want to give in to this feeling too much as I knew I would be eating in a short while with my housemates and some of Patricia's friend, who cooked a lot of delicious things. Around 9 the kitchen started to fill up with people so eventually we decided to go to Grimshill number 8, they have a bigger kitchen. Patricia made three pizzas, some crepes with some vegetable mix to eat with it and a cake with chocolate and banana on top. Because it was her birthday on Friday her friends also brought along two pies. The pizzas were sooo good, especially the first one I tasted which only had tomatoes and cheese in it. It was fun and actually the first time Victoria, Farhad, Stuart, Patricia and I were together at a party at the same time. Victoria and Stuart brought some wine to which they added cassis liquor, which was really nice, but it made me feel a bit more tired and I already felt tired quite a bit. But I had a really nice evening. Tonight I will go and watch Juno, finally, and then head over to Clements place for his farewell dinner/party. It's going to be really sad.

Scrubs Time!

I worked, worked, worked, need a break. So it's time for an episode of Scrubs!

I ♥ EAT

I just came back from town with Heidi and Marion. They always do their shopping on Saturday morning and lately I have been joining them. Last night I went to see No Country For Old Men with Marion and Amandine from which I got pretty tired afterwards so I wasn't sure if this morning I would be ablt to go into town at 9.30. I didn't set my alarm clock, but I woke up myself already around 7.45. I felt tired but I noticed I wasn't able to fall back asleep so I decided to go into town and join Heidi and Marion since I was already awake anyway. Yesterday I worked and went into town around 3 as well. I also went to Tesco, but apparently I still had some things to buy today. I bought some noodles and bread, kiwis and some other things as well. A total of not more than 5 pounds. It was raining almost all afternoon yesterday and pretty hard at times as well, but I didn't mind, I had a great time. I bought this yoghurt kind of thing at EAT, the one I really love. It's with banana and honey and something like oats sprinkled on top. You can make me really happy when buying that. No Country For Old Men was really great. It's so full of suspense that you sometimes want to start laughing from the tension. You´re like, oh, oh, here it comes, here it comes! It's really cool. However, if I had to choose between There Will Be Blood or No Country which won the Oscar, I would choose Blood. No Country is really cool, but Blood was just a masterpiece. Loved every bit of it. Well, everyone enjoy you Saturday! It's the weekend! Bye.
I almost forgot: tonight at 8 pm it's going to be Earth Hour, so turn off those lights and everything else!

Made In Tesco

It's my new passport size picture.

A Midnight Surprise

Today it's Patricia's birthday, so congrats on your 21st! I had this lovely night after going to the circuits. I had been working all day long on my essays before going to the circuits training at 6. This time things went a bit differently. Instead of having all these excerices spread around the room, we had to run from one side of the room to the other and when we got there we had to 12 times this one excerice then run back. Run back again, do the excerice 12 times and then do another, but 11 times. Then run back again. And then when again running back to the other side you had to do the one of 12, 11 and a new one of 10 and so on. Because there were a lot of people we had to split into groups of 3. At first I wanted to go with Heidi, but because there were still some duo's left, we had to split, so I ended up doing the excerices with these two other guys. So while one of the three of us was doing those excercises across the other side of the room, the people left behind were kept busy with things like star jumps or jogging. I liked it a lot. It was kind of what they do on Thursdays at the boxing class. It was though, but I liked that, because afterwards you feel sooo good. Then at home I took a shower and had dinner. Some minutes before 10 Farhad came back from the sports centre. He went to the kick boxing class and now had this argument with Vesna in German about buying pasta or something like that. :) Hana was still here as well, so she later on came over. While I was still in my room Vesna came in to tell me about how she had been in Sainsburys looking for stroopwafels, searching like a crazy person, asking the staff, but noone could help her. Poor girl. But i'm not sure if you can get them there, Farhad was the one who said go to Sainsburys, I think they also sell them there. But now they thought that I had told them that. But no I didn't. While Farhad went to take a shower the girls went on to play with my skateboard and Vesna played the guitar. Because it's Patricia's birthday we wanted to surprise her at 12 pm last night with a birthday cake. Vesna and Farhad went to bake it in Vesna's house, Grimshill number 1. I came by later on as well to help out, or actually more to play songs on Vesna's computer. She lives in a hosue for 7 people, so her kitchen is even bigger than the one in the houses of Amandine, Magali, Jan and Heidi, who live together with 6 people. They even have two ovens and everything. It's huge! Ivana was there as well, whom I had never met before but of whom I for some reason had heard of before many times already. The cake turned out to be delicious. It was really nice, topped with some chocolate and chocolate inside it as well. I ended up talking to Hana a lot as well, which was great because she is leaving again. It's strange that you might not see some of these people ever again once all this is over. Hopefully you get to meet up again one day, but you can't be quite sure as everyone's life will go on and before you know it, people are so busy with other stuff again that meeting up will become difficult. Just some minutes before we went back to my place just to make sure someone could open the door when friends of Patricia would show up to join all of us to surprise her. Patricia was upstairs in her room already dressed in her pyjamas. So at 12 we all went up the stairs, Farhad in front with the cake in his hands. Patricia was completely surprised and was very touched. She was talking to Joseph who had returned as well, just like Hana. They both only stayed here the first term. i had not seen him yet, so I got to speak to him briefly as well, which was cool. Downstairs in the kitchen we all ate some cake and then later on everyone left and the kids went to bed. Today I'm going to work and tonight I would liek to see No Country For Old Men at the Gulbenkian. It's finally playing! :) We got a bit of stormy weather right now, but it's okay.

A Visit From Hana

I'm glad today there's finally going to be a circuits training again. I missed it. Next term there will only be one on Monday Heidi told me. :( I'd better enjoy it as long as I can. I hoped to see Alice yesterday at the stepping class. I kind of came there especially for her. I also did the pure abs class after. That class is a pretty good one, though both can't top the circuits. But Alice was still a bit tired of all the early morning partying that she only went to the aerobics after the pure abs. But i don't like the aerobics and already felt I had done enough. At 2 I was going into town. I was supposed to go with Marion and Heidi. I checked the library, level 3, but didn't see any of them. Maybe I just didn't look good enough as for later on that evening I read an email by Marion saying she was goign to be at level 4 from 6. I was there around 7.30, but no trace of Marion. When I got home i received another email saying she was indeed there. I didn't see you though. Must have been hiding behind a big computer. :) But I went into town to go to Tesco and make a passport size picture and buy some groceries. On my way to the library before, near the sports centre, I met Hana! She made a trip to London and of course had to drop by in Canterbury to see all her friends, such as Farhad. But it was so cool to see her again. It's funny, 'cause recently she popped into my head when I was thinking about how it must be when you leave and everyone else is still going to be here. Farhad leaves himself the end of April. First he will have some friends over and they will drive around through the UK a bit. Then after he will have some days left to spend working on some essays. But it will be different not having him around. I'll miss him in the house. After the shopping I went to the drawing session. I made four new drawings, three of which I actually really liked. After we had to wait a bit, because it was raining real hard. I had my hoodie on so I offered Claudia and Clement my umbrella. I only use it when it's raining really hard. In the library I scanned the picture I made in the photo booth at Tesco and then went home to eat and work a bit. So yes, today circuits!

Alice's Friday Night Party

Alice's birthday party at Veronique's place.

In My Place

Drinking a cup of tea in my kitchen on Saturday.

Ann's House, London Road 63

The bed & breakfast my brother and parents stayed for the weekend.

Canterbury Tales

Listening to the Canterbury Tales. Really fun!

Snow!

It was snowing on Sunday! Here's my dad at Starbucks and walking in town while snow falls from the sky.

Alice's Easter Lunch

Having lunch at Alice's place on Sunday. She made so many things. It was great! :)

Monday Morning

In EAT just before leaving at 11.45 with the National Express.

Trying To Keep My Eyes Open

I didn't work on my essays yesterday. I guess I simply couldn't. I was extremely tired during my seminar. We were watching the film we were supposed to see on Monday but I almost fell asleep. It was very difficult to keep my eyes open. When I got home I slept from 11.45 until 12.30. Before I slept Marion asked me if I wanted to do a laundry session and have lunch as well. I agreed, but told her I first needed some sleep. So at 12.30, after having slept a bit, I had some new energy. I took my dirty clothes and went to Marion's place to pick her up and walk to the laundrette. We didn't have to wait, because there were enough machines available. After having put our clothes in we had some peas and after putting our clothes in the dryer, some potatoes. Our clothes managed to really dry in the dryer so it wasn't a waste putting them in there. I then went home again and put all my clothes away. Around 6 I walked to the Gulbenkian to meet up with Clement. We had a tea and Clement also a large biscuit, because he was hungry from working in the library all afternoon. At 7 we went to the screening from the film society. They played Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola. Next week is the last screening. So yeah, I didn't go the salsa last night, because I wanted to spend some time with Clement. He's leaving next Tuesday. He might come back for a weekend, but still, he won't be living here anymore, so it will be different. The regular group of people were there to see the film, which were Julia, Sofia, Theo and Clement and me. Turns out Julia is my neighbour. So funny. She lives at number 17. I saw her before, but had no idea she was living right next to me. So strange. Today I will go to the step class and the pure abs class at 12. Alice is probably going to be there as well so I'll be able to see her. Then around 2 I probably will join Marion and Heidi into town. I need to get a passport size picture taken and do some grocery shopping. And at 5 there's the drawing session. Before the drawing I probably go to the library and afterwards as well. Hopefully in the evening there won't be that many people. ;)

Finally Got Credit On My Phone

I still feel a bit tired from the last couple of days having my parents and brother over. I'm sure I could have slept until really late, but I have to go to my seminar to see the film we would have seen yesterday, but because of Easter, we didn't. But it's good, because else it takes me a while before I get out of bed and leave the house. Especially when you're tired/lazy you easily stay in bed until real late not caring about the time. After having said goodbye to my brother and parents as they took the National Express, I stayed in town for a while just to buy myself some credit for my phone at the Orange shop and after that I went to look for a lunchbox which I bought at Wilkinson. Then I took the bus back to Parkwood and just some minutes later Marion said she was going to the library, so she came to pick me up. Heidi was already there and to my surprise it was really crowded. I thought it would be empty because of Easter. But no. Apparently a lot of people thought let's go to the library and work, because there were no seminars or lectures yesterday. During the evening I went to Alice's place. Marion, Heidi and I wanted to do something fun, so we decided that we could go to Alice and maybe also help with the food which was still left from her Easter lunch on Sunday. However, a lot of people stayed until late in the evening and after talking for hours they got hungry again and ate even more. So now everything was finished except for this cake and some kind of cookies. Today I have the salsa but I will go to the filmscreening from the film society with Clement. He's already leaving the first of April, so that's next week! So I'm going to meet up with him to spend some time before he leaves. Well, everyone, enjoy your day. Hopefully no more snow. It's nice, but not when it's really cold. :)

Farewell

I came back from town like an hour ago, sending my parents and brother off on the National Express as they will go to London to later this evening fly away back home to The Netherlands. It was great having them here. It was cold, we had snow, wind, rain, everything. Just not enough sun :( Yesterday I took them with me to Alice's Easter lunch, which was great. She cooked so much, all kinds of delicious meals. She really outdid herself. The first time she cooked/baked this much. Amazing! So now I have to go back to my life the way it was before Friday. I feel like I've missed some days.

Becoming Addicted To Scrubs?

I'm going to London in a couple of minutes to welcome my brother and parents at Heathrow and spend the day with them there. It's going to be really nice and they will finally be able to see where I have been staying for all these months. :-) But yeah, yesterday morning I went out on my skateboard as I mentioned before. Right now, though, I'm still a bit tired. Seems like I'm getting a bit Scrubs addicted as well. It's such a fun show! I did the circuits training at 6, but before that II had lunch with Marion at the Gulbenkian. I had a humous and roasted vegetable sandwich, she a plate of fries. And after we also ate some vegetables Marion had brought with her. Then we went to the library where it was crowded, so we couldnt join Heidi in the computerroom of level 3, because we needed a computer which we couldn't find in the computerroon. Luckily we were able to find one in this smaller room. Some girls and a guy had been working there but were just about to leave when we came to see if there was a computer available. I stayed working there for a while. Marion had to leave after a while to go to her seminar and not too long after that I went back home. I watched another episode of Scrubs (you see, addicted!) and then got ready for circuits training. Heidi had a volleyball match so she couldnt come to the training, which was alright, because her team won! So congrats on your victory! The training was harder than last time. So apparently last time was really easier. But I went for it again, 100 % and had some moments that I reallyw as able to push myself. Again, no breaks and some big guys standing at the side taking a breather or a sip of water. You would expect those guys to be better thean me, but apparently they're not. Well, I have to get ready to leave. Enjoy the Easter weekend etc.! Ciao.

About Yesterday

So... what did I do. Well, I had the drawing session which was cool. This time we had a model and I made like 5 or 6 drawings of her. They were pretty nice, especially the first two but the rest of them I didn't quite like even though this guy Casey told me he liked all of them, which was cool. Before the drawing I met up with Euan again. We didn't actually spoke much about our film as we had discussed everything already the day before. Clement was busy on his assignment in London Tuesday so we did another meeting in case he had the time to meet up yesterday. But it was just the two of us. But it was okay. I like meeting up, gives me something to do other than work at the library. Gets me out of the house too. Which is partly why i'm going for lunch at 12.30 with Marion and I think Heidi as well. After the drawing I went to the library again where I had also been before going to that meeting with Euan. I'm working quite well and I will go on working the same way today. At 6 it's the circuits! I'm already excited. Now I'm going to watch another episode of Scrubs! It's this comedy series they also show in the Netherlands I think, on comedy central, or they used to show it. But i saw it years ago when they started with the first season but soon it got cancelled and dissapeared. I guess because of poor ratings, noone was watching it. But it's funny and you can watch it online and thanks to Alice and Marion i have found new interest in the show. Mama happy birthday, see you tomorrow! Bye bye.

Where Is The Skateboarding Society?

I did it! Yes, I went out on my fist ever skateboarding trip, lol :) I think everyone knows by now I got one, if not, wel surprise surprise! At 5.30 in the morning I got out of bed took my skateboard and walked the path which leads into town. I knew exactly the place where I was gonna go. There's a big field of grass just before you take the path with the spooky tunnel. Well, there's this long bicycle path right next to it and if you were there one hour ago you could have seen me! So, how did it go, well... I guess I did alright for a beginner. This is me personally writing this message, which obviously means I'm still alive and did not end up in hospital either. I fell twice. One time landed on the grass, the second time on the path, but both times I didnt fell real hard, so nothing bad happened. I wanted to take pictures also because the whole area looked so nice early in the morning. Also it's much less cold when you wake up early. So many perks to living live early in the morning. No wonder all the birds and rabbits hang out at this time of day.
But my battery was low, so I could not capture anything. Too bad. Well, I'm proud for going out there. It's so cool. And the thought that never in my life had I even touched a skateboard let alone stand on one! It went alright. I only need to make more speed. I know how to steer a bit as well. No, I can't do any tricks so far. But what do you expect. It definitely was a whole new experience. Now I'm going to catch a bit more sleep. Good morning world and everyone on it, enjoy your day!

Alice's New Housemate Eeyore!

The Lovely Cecilia

3 More

Proost!

Cappuccino and tiramisu chocolates

And That's Me

Heidi's Eyes

Heidi didn't think she looked nice enough that night to be on pictures. So... here are her eyes!

She Will Not Get Married ;)

All For Alice

Unwrap The Presents!

First Seminar In Weeks

So it's going to snow this weekend in The Netherlands, 10 cm?! Well, I checked and I dont think the same will happen in Canterbury. It's pretty cold right now though. Yesterday I had my first seminar in like two weeks. It was really good like always. The only thing was that I missed last week screening and because the seminar got cancelled because Tamar got stuck at Schiphol airport, we discussed the film, 8 Femmes, as well yesterday, together with Belle De Jour. But it wasn't that much of a problem as I already saw 8 Femmes once. But it's too colorful for my taste. But yes it was nice and before that i walked together to the seminar room with a girl who is in my seminar group. I already saw her once when I went into town, she also lives in Parkwood. So I met her on my way to the seminar. She's the first person from a seminar with whom I have really spoken outside the seminar room, so that's cool. Most of the time you only see those people there and that's it. After my seminar I met up at 11.30 with Marion inf ront of the campus shop to go and buy something at the volleyball bake sale which Heidi is part of. Heidi wasn't there as she had to work, but we did buy one of her chcolate muffins and they were really good! I especially loved that there were little pieces of chcolate inside as well. I also bought some sushi and a flapjack, a kind of muesli bar. Then we went to sit somewhere to eat and then went into the library. At 2 we took a break and went to sit downstairs where they have come couches and where there's also the library cafe. I really worked a lot at the library yesterday and was very efficient. But I had to as on Monday I didnt find any time to work, because it was crowded and after the circuits I went to wrap up Alice's presents at Heidi's place and then we went on to surprise Alice. Marion left earlier than me as she wanted to eat something before going to her belly dancing class later that afternoon. I stayed until just some minutes before 6, because I had a meeting with Euan at the Gulebenkian. We have a bit of trouble with the planning of our film. We had to re-schedule again. I know, it has takes us so long already. But next week, Wednesday + Thursday is like our only real chance or we have to do it next term, but Clement then has to return especially for the project as he is going to leave soon just after this term ends. So we have to hurry up. But we'll see what happens. Today there's the drawing session, I cant wait! :-)

Surprise!

Happy birthday Alice! Today is your day. Have fun in London watching the muscial Hairspray! Last night I went to her house together with Marion and Heidi to surprise her. Last Saturday morning we were in town buying her some presented and because today she will be in London we decided to give them last night. Marion and I eventually stayed until after 12 just to make it official. We were all very happy because it really came as a surprise and she enjoyed it very much. And good news about Friday's party, which yesterday had to be cancelled because apparently someone heard about it and complained sending a message to the headmaster. But Veronique is now going to host Alice's party for her. So it's going to be in Vero's kitchen instead of Alice's big one. But it's okay, better than having no party at all. I also went to the circuits last evening at 6 just after my screening of Belle De Jour, which was completely different than I expected. I had never really heard or read anything about the film, so I was surprised about Catherine Deneuve's character. Heidi was at the circuits as well and we both agreed that this time it seemed less tiring or we just ate a lot that day, giving us a lot of energy or maybe we are getting used to it and make some progress. Don't know, but it was much easier than normal. But then again a lot of people were still struggling. It was the first time that I ran passed everyone, whereas normally some very fast people run passed me. Maybe it was the number of people, cause for some reason it was CROWDED. Vesna was there as well, just Farhad didn't join us, but he did came to have a look and wave at us seeing how we were getting sweaty. I only did a little bit of work yesterday, so i have to catch up. The library was completely full yesterday afternoon so I had no other option then to come back home. Today i will go again but hopefully it will be less crowded. I have my seminar in about an hour so I will be at the library earlier. Maybe there will be less people. Before though I am going to attend the baking sale with Marion. It's from Heidi's volleyball team, so we're going to check that out. No salsa tonight :( Don't know why, but too bad, I already missed last week and now there isn't going to be one either.