Holidays

So yeah, all the major holidays are over. Holland has two days of Christmas, which is pretty silly considering that they're not even into Christmas as heavily as Americans. What's better than not celebrating Christmas, gents? Why, not celebrating for two consecutive days lijkt me wel leuker! Anyway, Christmas was not too bad. Went to two church services on Christmas Eve: one at 7PM in the Wallonian Church of Arnhem (weird and in French) and a real midnight mass at the Catholic church of Wageningen (good and in Dutch). The Catholic church here is quite impressive; neo-Byzantine and all that jazz. Christmas Day involved opening packages from my parents--THANK YOU!! Awesome!--then going for a run and watching Finding Nemo. Scintillating. The SECOND day of Christmas was spent going to Het Loo (a palace in Apeldoorn) and having dinner with the Go-de Jong family in Amsterdam. Het Loo was pretty unremarkable...yeah, nice palace, okay, but nothing really stood out. It looked like just another poser Versailles, which essentially it is. Neuschwanstein remains as my favorite castle that I've visited. Dinner with the Go-de Jongs (my father's aunt, cousin, her husband, and their two daughters, so that makes themmmm...my second cousins? First cousins once removed? I never have understood this.) was very nice. The food was INCREDIBLE. And they are very nice people, and very definitely my family hahaha.

Yesterday was New Year's Eve...rather a flop, if I may say so. I was invited to go to a party hosted by a friend from school, but my host parents had other plans--visiting "Oma & Opa" in Flevoland. Julia and I went along somewhat grudgingly. Lucas then invited us to visit him in Lelystad after we'd eaten, but the busses stopped running after 8 PM. Renee said she would bring us, but when we got ready to go she retracted this offer. Sooo New Year's in Zeewolde it was. I had a mind to finish Ulysses, but Julia wanted to go on a walk instead. We went. It was cold. The police asked for my ID for NO REASON. Seriously, officer, if you're looking for disturbers of the peace, I'd suggest trying over there by the gemeentehuis where people are THROWING FIREWORKS AT BUILDINGS. But whatever, I had it, I gave it to them--there were two of them, because you know both of them had to get out of the car to keep me and my peace-disturbing under control--and they went away. Not a problem. People continued doing stupid things with fireworks...throwing them at cars, at buildings, in the water, etc. Setting them off with their kindergarten-aged children. You know. Smart. Julia and I hung out in a square because we didn't feel like going back to listen to a cabarettier on TV who was absolutely full of crap. It was insanely misty, and it just kept getting worse. By midnight it was impossible to see 20 feet away...and then the REAL fireworks started. I don't know where these people found any joy in setting off so many fireworks; it was impossible to see them and they were just loud and dangerous and unpleasant. Standing in the square, being unable to see where the noise was coming from, it really sounded like the beginning of World War Three. This went on for, well, longer than was strictly necessary, one might say. When it sounded almost safe to walk back we did. Got in the car and headed off to Wageningen, only to realize HEY! It's MISTY! No one can SEE to DRIVE! This was no surprise to me, but I kept my mouth shut. We ended up sleeping on the floor of Renee's parents' apartment. Definitely not the way I would have chosen to spend my one New Year's in the Netherlands, but it was an experience.

Tomorrow I'm going to Den Bosch to pick up my Residence Permit. Grreeeaaattt. Did I mention it's the best picture of me EVER? Yeah, it is. NOT!

Wow, that was 90's.

This blog entry contained entirely too many asides, parentheses, ellipses, etc. My apologies.