Good
afternoon everyone,
It’s hard
to believe that today is the beginning of May and that Block 4 of the Master’s
programme is in full swing. It has been a rollercoaster over the last couple of
couple weeks of final deadlines (marking the end of Block 3), Dutch
celebrations, dreaded laptop mishaps and unexpected job opportunities.
The final
essays have all officially been submitted and the grades for our work are
slowly trickling in, leaving one last puzzle piece to this Master’s: the
thesis. It is certainly bittersweet to be at the end of classes and not to see
all of the usual faces during the week, but the class group is already busy
organizing (much-needed) park dates away from thesis time and planning a
fundraiser traditionally arranged by students of the LLM.
Over the weekend,
the streets of Utrecht flooded with a sea of orange for the celebration of ‘’Koningsnacht’’
(King’s Night) and “Koningsdag” (King’s Day), the Dutch national holiday which
began in 1885 in honour of the birth of Queen Wilhemina and has continued annually
ever since. This year marks the first celebration for King Willem Alexander
after his mother Queen Beatrice stepped down as monarch last year, passing the
role to her son. The celebration is a mish-mash of street vendors, outdoor
music stages and all things orange. The feeling in the streets of Utrecht is
electric and it is certainly not something to be missed.
Like any
enthusiastic international student, I headed into the city centre to soak up
the spectacle of outrageous orange outfits and walk the streets closed for
pedestrians, stopping at different music stages and randomly running into friends.
You know it is a celebration in Utrecht when it is even impossible to ride your
bike right into the city. Instead, you park your bike at the nearest spot and
join the large crowds walking towards the action.
Unfortunately
for me, the not-to-be-missed thrill of Koningsnacht means it is known that most
people are not at home during the night. Not long into the celebrations, I
received the call that my apartment had been broken into and that my laptop had
been stolen. Of course, this is the dreaded moment any student can imagine when
you realize you have (very naively) not backed up the files on your computer.
Luckily, sending assignments by email and dropbox means I have a portion of my
research, but it is certainly a lesson learned. I am just happy that this did not happen
closer to the thesis deadline. Now, it is time to change the locks, call the
insurance company and make a solemn promise to myself to back up all future
files.
Even though
I missed the full experience of Koningsdag this year (luckily I have had the privilege
to celebrate the full weekend over the past two Queen’s days), the week offered
an unexpected silver-lining. I have been given the opportunity to work as a
paid student-assistant for the university, starting right away and working
throughout the summer. It is a great way to meet new faces at the university,
build my CV, and continue to do in-depth research after my thesis is finished.
It is a wonderful feeling to be chosen for a job opportunity based on your
student work, and I’m looking forward to starting my first ever job in the
Netherlands.
The start
of May brings with it the countdown to the ICC Moot Court competition taking
place at the end of the month in the Hague. The pleadings are written, the moot
sessions are scheduled, and there’s nothing left to do but practice, read and
then practice some more. This week we received the schedule for the Moot Court
along with the memorials of the opposing teams we will face in the first rounds
of the competition. It’s going to be tough work, but with regular guest judges
for our practice sessions, we are gearing up to handle anything that is thrown
our way.
Tot
de volgende keer/Until next time!
Erin
Totally impressed. law Essay
ReplyDelete