Two VERY Hectic Days

After stormy weather and a cancelled flight, I'm back in Parkwood! It have been two very hectic days. I'm not sure if I really realize it all actually happened. It's tough to really live in the moment at those times. I'll try to make myself aware I'm really in this whole different country, but because everything goes so fast and in one day you can travel into this completely different world, it's difficult to fully understand the world you have just left is now so far away. I should have left to The Netherlands at 2 pm from Heathrow airport. But when I arrived and got to take my boarding pass the computer told me the flight had been cancelled. I checked again, maybe I did something wrong, but the same message appeared at the end. So I went to someone from the staff and he told me to go this other guy and he then send me through to this woman at the ticket desk who immediately put me on the next flight which was going to leave at 4 pm. The reason my flight got cancelled: the weather. Was the weather that bad? Apparently in The Netherlands it really was. In Canterbury it was the same on Monday afternoon, a lot of wind, but in the morning walking into town everything seemed perfectly okay. But because of the cancellation it meant I would not be able to go back home first, eat some soup my mother had prepared and then go to the ceremony with my parents and brother by car. Instead I arrived at Schiphol around 7, the time of the start of the ceremony, and picked up by my mother, my brother and father already left for the ceremony by car, we went straight to the train platform as soon as I met her on the airport to take the train to station Amsterdam Bijlmer. When we got there (it was two stops) we had to search for my brother's school as my mother kind of forgot where it was exactly. So when she had finally found someone who could show us the way we went inside the building and there stood my father waiting for us while everyone was already sitting and listening to this guy who was giving a short speech. However, the 'real' ceremony had not started yet, that when came just after we arrived. We had to switch rooms and then every student who was graduating was given his diploma. So we made it in time afterall you could say. At least for the important bits. My brother was very happy to see me and I was very happy to see him and glad he brought me over from Canterbury. I was a bit tired though. I had been travelling all day. I had to wake up at 6.30 to get ready and walk into town by foot to take the coach to London at 9.05. Of course I wanted to buy myself something to eat as well and I knew exactly the place I wanted to get my stuff, at EAT. It was during those 5 days in London before the Christmas holidays that I went to eat there with Alice and Jan and coming back in Canterbury, I discovered there was one in Canterbury as well. I love that place and especially their cereals and yoghurts, like the greek yoghurt and granola. This time however, I choose the Banana, Honey and Grapenuts yoghurt. I was eating it some time later that afternoon at the aitport just before having my bag checked. Like my bottle of water, I apparently couldnt take it with me either and had to finish it before. So I sat down somewhere on a bench and started eating it. Yum yum. The taste of honey with the yoghurt and the banana and pieces of cereal mixed through it. The best! Mmm mm. After I had my bag checked and had to take everything off, including my shoes. Standing in the line the two men in front of me asked this guy from the staff if they had to take their shoes of as well. No, he said, just people with boots on. Can't say i wasn't dissapointed. But when it was my turn, having put everything on the conveyor belt I got to ask the wueation tot his other guy myself and he nodded. Yup, I indeed had to take of my shoes, just as last time, just as I expected. And there they were my funky star printed socks. One black, the other orange. Yes, two socks of two different colors. It's something I do quite often, mix socks, like I also soemtimes mix my All Stars. One foot wears the green one, the ot`er?he black one. And again, I can't say I didn't do it on purpose. Nope, I planned it all. If I had to take my shoes of, I'd better do it in style. I almost walked through the portal with my watch still on, so at the last moment I put it on the conveyor belt as well. And there it was, the guy complemented me on the socks. And walking through the portal to check if I was carrying something dangerous on me, the other people from the staff were all smiles. :p But back to the ceremony. It was really nice and reminded me a lot of when I got my diploma after fifnishing secondary school. The teachers spoke some words about every student and then they were congratulated and got to sign their diploma's. It's always funny to hear a short speech about every student, good and bad things, the whole story which eventually led them to graduate. Afterwards we could get some drinks and little snacks. I only had some orange juice. I didnt need the snacks. I had already eaten enough and Im not such a big fan of all things fried. Then we went back home after my brother got to speak to some of his friends and teachers and I decided to instead of sleeping in my own bed at my parent's home, I wanted to sleep at my brother's place. I had been at the place during the Christmas holidays but it had not been finished yet at that time. I then also got to see it when it was done via webcam, but now for the first time I was really there myself after the walls got painted and the big plasma screen was hung onto the wall. I just had to take things with me like a toothbrush and a pyjama pants, clean underwear and socks. An some stuff for my contact lenses. We went to his place by bus. The bus stops at the back of my parent's house and then stops right in front of my brother's place. We had to wait something like 10 minutes for the bus, but it was okay. But I got an idea of the weather and why they had chosen to set a weather alarm to warn everyone the weather was really bad and people who have difficulty walking to have to travel by bike should better stay at home or travel by other means. My brother's place is the most beautiful place around. It looks so luxurious and pretty big as well. i love the floor, the white walls and all the other furniture which fit together very nciely. It just really looks clean, fresh and open. There seems to be so much space. His bathroom is really nice as well, with this big shower. Just the toilet he has to share with the three other people living in the building. I was permitted to sleep in his bed while he slept on the couch, which was very sweet. I slept alright, but when i woke up one time during the night I had trouble getting back to sleep. I just couldnt help thinking what an amazing life I have and how lucky I am to be able to experience all of this. These last months definitely have been some of the best of my life. In the morning I got to take another shower in his really cool bathroom and then later on our mother arrived by car and together we went into town"towave a drink and eat something. I however didnt eat anything as there wasnt much choice for us non-meat eaters. But when I got home later on after we dropped off my brother at work i had some soup and some slices of bread while also a muesli bar and some grapes. Like during Christmas, I all of a sudden have so many options again, I can eat so many different things. My father arrived later that afternoon to bring me to the airport together with my mother. But before that my mother and i went into the shopping mall to buy some last minute things. My journey back went much better. My flight left on time at the view from the airplane looking down at London at night was beautiful. Lights everywhere, a very pretty sight. I arrived at 7.30 UK time which meant I was not able to take the coach at 8.30 like I wanted to. The enxt coach would leave at 10 pm which meant i had to wait a while. But I didnt see it as a problem and just made the best of it. I had to wait a while for the underground first and arrived at Victoria station at around 8.40. So the coach from 8.30 already left. I decided to buy myself a ticket first. Havign to wait before I was asked to the counter, I found a ten poundenses. We went to his place by bus. The bus stops at the back of my parent's house and then stops right in front of my brother's place. We had to wait something like 10 minutes for the bus, but it was okay. But I got an idea of the weather and why they had chosen to set a weather alarm to warn everyone the weather was really bad and people who have difficulty walking to have to travel by bike should better stay at home or travel by other means. My brother's place is the most beautiful place around. It looks so luxurious and pretty big as well. i love the floor, the white walls and all the other furniture which fit together very nciely. It just really looks clean, fresh and open. There seems to be so much space. His bathroom is really nice as well, with this big shower. Just the toilet he has to share with the three other people living in the building. I was permitted to sleep in his bed while he slept on the couch, which was very sweet. I slept alright, but when i woke up one time during the night I had trouble getting back to sleep. I just couldnt help thinking what an amazing life I have and how lucky I am to be able to experience all ofversity. So at Keynes collage. I remembered when coming back from a cocnert with Marion the bus also happeend to stop at Keynes without our knowledge. So we didnt have to walk all the way back to parkwood from town. I was really happy, cause it would mean I would be home 20 minutes earlier as walking from town to Parkwood takes that long. It's alright when it's day and the sun is shining bright, but at night it's not so fun. But the weather? Dry. Not cold. Really nice actually. No storm at all! So I walked back, went into my room, threw my bags on my bed, changed into my The National shirt which i forgot last time I went back during Christmas, but now had taken back with me and went straight to Veronique's party which was held because her housemate of last term Estie came over from Spain to see how all of her friends had been doing. Amandine, Marion and Andy were there as well. Also Anne dropped by and Loraine. It was really fun, like always and so strange to all of a sudden be there. What a day, what a trip! I wnt to bed at around 3 after putting all the things I brought with me into the refrigerator and cupboard etc. When i arrived at home there was soemthing waiting for me as well. A surprise I had send myself just some days before. I can see it now, lying on the floor. It has wheels, it's made from wood. And it's the coolest thing I've ever bought. This Sunday I will wake up early, put on a sweater with a hoodie to cover my head in case I make a full of myself. Maybe I suck at it, maybe not. But if I suck, who cares, it's nice thing to have anyway. Like an accessory or a piece of furniture. This Friday i will finally watch Paranoid Park which is said to include lots of what I bought. Today Ill stay at home, resting, working. Ill go to the circuits class at 6. Heidi will be there as well, really cool! I love the circuits and am glad Im not the only one. Afterwards I plan to go to the library. Marion was thinking about doing a working session and I need to work as I will be very busy next week! Enjoy your day and all the pictures! Bye bye.

P.S.: At those parties when we're in the kitchen most of the times it's completely dark. The pictures make it appear differently, but that's because of the used flash from the camera. ;)