What do you say to spiders at 7 o' clock?

     Now that I had to take an hour off my clocks, these past few days I feel like I have been time travelling. It took me a while to understand why I feel I'm always running late or why I am hungry at 11. Either way, time has become a rather elusive friend lately, since finals are right across the corner, and every second counts. I have no idea who came up with the marvellous concept of pressure-maybe the engineer that invented sardines cans- but I think it should only apply for processed food. If you really think about it, the problem per se is not pushing the limits, but pressuring yourself because of the fear of failure ...that's heaven on Earth right there. Of course as students most of you know what I mean, because no matter how many books I read, inspirational quotes I write down, or how many hours I spent talking about it, it's always there at this time of the year. 

     What are we (if you are not, please contact me) so afraid of? Maybe those little (and sometimes big) brownish spiders that hang in their webs, but I honestly believe they can actually harm you more than a not-so great exam. I am not implying that you shouldn't care (or that you poke every spider), but is it really necessary to live exams has a dreadful and horrific experience? Failure is a relative word, and can mean different things for all of us, but its connotation is so negative it literally has the same effect as a red traffic light, and makes you stop from everything you are accomplishing. I propose eradicating this word for being too loose on its definition, and ‘ failing’ is nothing more than giving it another go. Take it as a challenge, go all karate- kid and kick it on the face. We survived the end of the world in 2000 and 2012, we are unstoppable.

     On a similar note, I suffer from a great anxiety problem. It does not only apply to school, but in life in general. Like when I'm watching a futbol match and for some reason no one seems to do what I am politely screaming them to do. Anyway, I find that in stressful anxiety prone situations the best remedy is what Taylor Swift so eloquently said: Give me my money Spotify. No, that' s not it, I mean the song: Shake it off. I go outside and walk around for 15 minutes or more, and now that I'm in the Netherlands ,I just grab my good old bike and go for a ride. This also works when you have a hard time concentrating on something, I hate the feeling of being stuck that I just take myself out and physically move. Do not take a lot of time, because that's just procrastinating. Don't escape, just find inspiration or get some fresh autumn wind on your face. And get back to it.

      Now, I have found myself in a dilemma. As you might imagine it is probably not a big deal, but it does have something to do with living and adapting to this country. I call it The Red Thin Line.. of goedemiddag/goedenavond. In my view of the world, goedemiddag sounds like good midday, so I have no problem of saying it at 12, maybe push it till 1. But what to do at 4? The day definitely moved on, but people still wish you good midday without a blink of an eye. And when the clock hits 7… the real fun begins. Is it avond already? I sometimes hear hesitation on the conductors of the train when they announce the next stop and greet the dames and heren, so why shouldn't I hesitate? See? Anxiety again. But I'll just embrace it and move on.

       I hope you find some comfort in this blog, and don't be afraid, everything will turn out fine. If you can manage to remember where you parked your bike after a long study day, you are certainly a winner for me. Blogger out.

Discovering your boundries: Fried eggs and glass doors.

Last week I was heading to the Library (Drift), thinking I had to get my paper done, so I might as well grab a computer and start writing. After walking up and down and then turn to the sides and back again I realised there weren't any free computers at sight. But I knew better. The library site said there was free space available, and I was determined to find it. After asking for directions, I discovered (?) a whole new wing of the library and I was in awe. So much, in fact, that I could not believe my eyes when I saw a free spot. My eyes were set on the empty chair. As I opened the glass door that separates the sectors, something held me back. My finger was still set on the door, that closed silently on it. Even though I knew the possibilities of someone understanding what I wanted to say in my native language were indeed scarce, I kept my cool. No one seemed to notice me. I just love the effect that library has on students.

I believe I haven't mentioned this before, but I work in Amsterdam on the weekends. That is why the capital city has been my very first impression of Netherlands. I took a train from Haarlem, and a friend of mine told me: ‘ Get off in Amsterdam’. And so I did. Of course it was Amsterdam Sloterdijk. No one told me there are a lot of Amsterdams. After 10 minutes, I corrected my path and I finally got to Centraal. I thought that I had already mastered the technique of knowing my right hand from the left, until I tried to cross a street in this city. The bicycles didn't strike me as calm and peaceful, I was scared. They come out of nowhere, and when you think you dodged them all...you hear this strange bell… you should probably move because there is a tram coming.

I know a lot of people is going to resent what I'm about to say, but I think Amsterdam has nothing on Utrectht. There is something magical about this streets, maybe its student stress building up in the air, or the lack of non-particularly hurried tourists, but it does give you some peace of mind. I'm not implying you can't achieve inner peace in Amsterdam, but, let's just say it might take a bit longer.

There was one object that drew my attention when I had my first breakfast in this country...It's not like I have never had cheese before, but I never really had a cheese cutter. I was so used to the image of badly cut, (ugly-shaped cheese) that when I came to Netherlands and saw this device my jaw dropped a few centimeters. It might seem to be easy to use, since even my 3 year old nephew uses it, but it does take some skill. Our life changed so much after this that the first request from my family was to send a cheese cutter to Argentina. It sounds strange I know, but this is what it is all about. Trying new things, and slowly taking in this culture. I'm not saying we will become dutch, (although I wouldn't mind growing up a few centimeters), but it is important to find your way in this country, stop being a foreigner and be part of it. Luckily, that is something our University helps us with: Schedules, teachers, and classmates...they are all part of our days, and slowly shape and fit into your life.

Time for my tip of the week: Always carry a bag (tasje) with you. Not only because you never know when you will go to the supermarket, but also you never really know (Apps are not THAT smart) when lovely rain can strike. Since we are students, you always have important papers,the computer, etc. So cover your bag with a bag, and continue your journey.

An interesting thing about moving away is learning things about yourself, like ‘ I didn't know I could cook more than a fried egg’, or ‘ I can fry an egg’. There is also the realisation that you are stronger than you thought,and that finals are almost here. Finals are almost here? I should really go, tot laters uu and non uu students .

Between dragons and tea

          Month 2 has already begun, and I am very proud of myself for managing to deal with Black Board, Osiris and the library page, and not mix up my student id. I'm not saying it is a difficult system to cope with, but personally I had never used  anything like this before. So a lot to read and cold weather to make you stay indoors. Cold will never leave you, especially in the coming months. I promised myself I wasn't going to say this but, technically, and no-tv show-related-reference, winter is, in fact coming. So, since we do not have dragons and realms to rule, what can we, in fact do about this?

Let's try a positive approach. Things could be worse, I mean, we could be under tropical weather and then, how will we ever get things done? How come I have never seen a movie about a master student in the caribbean?What's the hidden message here? When the sun is shining we are inclined to go out, so the cold at least will keep us at one secure location. The last few days I have found myself shocked by the few amount of clothing the dutch use when they are outside. Whereas I am completely stiff with 5 layers (and still cold), I see a guy wearing merely a t-shirt. A T-SHIRT! And girls with dresses and skirts. By the way, I think I could write a book on dutch women wearing heels while biking. It would be called "I'm so not carrying an extra pair of shoes just to pedal my way to the club, long title but a definite best seller.

I have always found that a way to fight the cold is food. I mean, tea is great, coffee too bu still, you need something else. We can all rest assured we are bound to find just the right thing to eat here in Holland, since we lack the guilt of calories, because we will surely "bike it off" later. Have you tried poffertjes? Those little round, full of butter and sugar and happiness pancakes? They are just like watching cat videos on youtube. Once you feel you've had enough, somehow you find yourself having more than a normal person should EVER have. Go ahead and get some, if you find recently baked ones you will see how easy it is to be happy.

Even though my arrival to Holland was 6 months ago, I'm just now starting to realize how far away from home I am. Mixed feelings cross your heart,  because this is just a new and exciting adventure, but you find yourself longing for the flavours, the sights and the people that you grew up with. Being far is not easy, but I guess you can find comfort in the thought that time invested in education is no time lost at all. All that you are doing now is going to improve your life in the future. I know this sounds like fixed phrases but I have found them to be true. Always remember you are not alone in this process, and if sometimes it gets hard just think that everything happens for a reason. If it's happening to you, it's because you can make it.

So put your socks up and keep that kettle boiling. Unless you are making coffee. Then you don't boil the water. And if it does, you can always make some soup. Or not. Whatever works for you. This could go on forever. I will stop blogging now. Till next time.

The Dutch are not likely to forget your birthday

Captain's blog. It's been  159 days since I have arrived to this strange land.
    I can't drive. I don't have a driver's license and as long as I'm living in Holland I suspect I won't be needing one in the near future. Either way I have never really grasped  the concept of 'not finding a parking place' , it was never among of my daily problems. Until now. Of course it is a very present and current issue ever since I'm here. As far as I am concerned there are only two kinds of people in this world. The PRP (Proper Responsible Parkers) and the non-pancake related- IHOPP (I Have Other Priorities Parkers). The latter are far too easily recognized due to their typical behaviour of leaving bikes in the middle of the street, sideways,barely hanging by a lock,or on top of another bike. Even when I'm running late I take 3 seconds to contemplate their modern art-like parked bikes..you just have to love them.
      On a more academic note , lately, I have tried to divide myself into different characters. As Napoleon said Divide and conquer. I decided I will do the same with university. I am currently enrolled in two subjects of the Master Programme and since I have quite some reading to do, organizing time is vital. One of my first steps in organizing academic times is getting an agenda. There are some important dates you would not want to miss: special lectures, guest speakers, deadlines, thesis workshops, open karaoke nights, etc. Another piece of advice I can give you is: carefully write down WHERE you have the lectures... you wouldn't want to end up second guessing if you are at the correct place at the correct time. Why would I bring this up? Well, because as we are imperfect humans beings, we are subjects of doubt and mistakes. In other words, I was once at the correct building but one hour early.
Another particularly interesting device is the calendar. An actual physical paper calendar. I do not have the habit of looking into the cellphone planner, because everytime  I want to look at it something diverts my attention and Isomehow end up in a social network. How odd is that?
          Speaking of calendars. have you had the pleasure of visiting an actual dutch house. If the answer is yes, have you stayed long enough to go to the bathroom of such houses? Chances are, if you visited a young dutch, the probability of seeing what I'm about to tell you are scarce. One of the most striking cultural aspects of the dutch is the 'verjaardagskalender'. Yes, it Is only one word and it means “birthday calendar”. Many houses in the Netherlands hang in such calendars in the bathroom to remember the birthdays of loved ones. When I first learned this, there a lot of questions emerged in my mind. Why the bathroom? What is the protocol to write on it? How much do I have to know the owner of the house in order to write down my name on it? and of course, why the bathroom? This and many other questions have crossed my mind but, cultural differences are not meant to be questioned. Just embrace it. Live it. Hang a calendar in the bathroom. Be happy.

          Are you all aware that it has  already been a month since we became Utrecht students? I don't really know if I feel different, but surely I have a lot more things in my mind. Learning new things is always a tricky and hard subject. Just like going to the gym after years, exercising yourself into university requires time and commitment. I don't know if there is a formula to it, and I know sometimes you are bound to feel frustrated and stressed, but we all are.Just bear in mind this is something that will inexorably add something to your life. I'm pretty sure by now you have made acquaintances with your classmates (and even if you are the shy type, you probably know who you will hang out with later on), and don't feel as lost as you once were. Talking out insecurities and owing to your mistakes is what I recommend. Just think if you weren't capable of this, you' d probably be doing something else.
         Until next time, this blogger needs to do some reading.

First impressions and friendly translators

        They say first impressions are vital, and once you have made up your mind it is pretty hard to undo what's been done. Having said that, lets just hope this virtual space will give me a hand with that and help me out. As you all might figure, I am a student in Utrecht, particularly,Master Student in LLM Law & Economics. I will try my best to give you a proper view of what it is like to study here in Utrecht (And living in Holland!).
      My name is Maria Laura, and I come from the other half of the world (Half and then to the left, and then to the south), Argentina. I arrived to Holland on the 2nd of April of this year. Knowing that a lot of changes awaited me, I decided to travel early. This adventure (I still feel like it is one) had most of my friends puzzled. Mainly because of my choice of the country, and some of them were worried about the language. Little did they know I had undertaken a 4 months course of dutch in Buenos Aires and after all that time I can proudly say... I can count. And that´s about it. Somehow numbers came easy on me. The rest.. well.. geen idei.
      My relationship with Utrecht started with a trip and ended up with my enrolment to the University. I had my doubts regarding studying abroad, primarily because I was scared about the system, I do, in fact come from a very different environment. Luckily, (although I do not particularly believe in luck, there must be a reason under this) I sent an email and I got myself an appointment in the university. After my meeting nothing could stop me. My fears were not vanished but the hope and confidence became palpable. There is something about the way the staff treat you, like you are somehow important and valuable as a student and frankly, I never felt that from an educational institution in my life. Of course, my day dreaming about changing the world was struck by reality, as the deadline for inscription was closing 48hs after my meeting. Emails and buses and trains passed by and I became a Utrecht Student.
      During a personal research I found that Holland is one of the most welcoming countries of the world. English is spoken by the majority of the population (except for my 85 year old neighbour and his wife, with whom I had long and completely incomprehensible-at least on my end- talks). So technically language is not a problem to be very worried about. One of the things I love is that the dutch curiosity makes then very sociable when you try (and try and try) to speak their language. They are instantly drawn to ask you where you are from, and how they can assist you. Once, not so long ago, I was trying to get a special breakfast in a supermarket and the girl at the counter spoke no English at all (I failed even at the word breakfast; since it's not a number the word escaped me). A woman that was passing by, literally on her way to the isles decided to step by and become my personal translator (very United Nations style). She basically ordered me breakfast, and continued with her shopping.
    Since I did not know where I was going to study, of course, I found a house and a job before I found Utrecht. So currently I I'm living in Haarlem (delightful little city, you should visit and I could give you a very limited but enthusiastic tour) and working in Amsterdam. As far as cities go, Amsterdam can get crazy, loud and then act completely normal about it. When the sun comes out (and yes, sometimes it does! Or so I've heard) boats appear from the canals and as summer comes to an end, loud students appear and sing inexplicably 'beautiful' songs; families pass by with no hurry whatsoever and tourists gather to snap 437 pictures of the surroundings.
     As an international student I know how difficult and challenging it can be to live far away from home, let alone study. The pressures, the fears and insecurities seem to erupt from within, but please do not worry. We are in Holland, we are in Utrecht and there's a lot of us out here. Every time I feel I have doubts I figure no one was ever born knowing everything, we are here to learn and make mistakes. There is no evil in mistakes, they are choices and to make them (and to have the courage to take them) is the only way to succeed. If we hadn't walked out of the door and went to the airport, things would be different (not good or bad, better or worse). But this was our choice and we can definitely make it through.
     In this blog I wish to share what is going on in my head as a student. I'm not perfect nor I intend to be, and this is going to be a challenge.I'm happy to be able to share at least part of my journey with you all.

Netherlands v. Chile/ Procrastination v. Thesis

Hi everyone,

Unlike the usual monotonous Mondays, today is an exciting day in Master’s land. Today is the third Netherlands game in the World Cup (and the third day of football-induced madness) topped off with the first of a series of final thesis deadlines.

Students in our LLM, depending on who is your assigned supervisor, are doing small jumps for joy and happy dances as they submit the final draft copy of their thesis to be graded. Submitting the thesis (otherwise known as the small *fingers crossed* masterpiece you have been working on for weeks) today means you can get it back with corrections, receive a provisional grade and have the opportunity to edit it one last time to go up a maximum of one grade point. For those who are highly organized, avoid procrastination and are immune to the many distractions of summer, it is a good opportunity to receive feedback. For me, I will be steadily plodding along to the final deadline of July 14^th, working out the nooks and crannies of my arguments on the insanity defense at the ICC and hoping in vain that my footnotes will magically edit themselves during the night.

Among the many distractions of summer, it is hard to ignore the thrills of the World Cup, even for those who only find themselves drawn to football once every four years. The Netherlands is truly a football-crazed nation, and the World Cup is certainly no exception. Walk through the streets on a World Cup match day and you will find outdoor TV screens, decorations that rival the national holiday and (of course) people dressed head-to-toe in bright orange.

The excitement grows with every game as the Netherlands claimed victory against both Spain and Australia and are marching on to the next round, with the remaining game against Chile to be played out tonight. It is hard to escape the infectious cheers of HUP HOLLAND! that spread across the city after every goal. If there was ever a moment to see the party spirit of the Dutch, it had to be the celebrations following the Netherlands 5-1 win over Spain, a sweet revenge against the team that took the finals four years ago.

Fans cheering as the Dutch team scores a goal in the World Cup

For those who don’t like football, there is still plenty of distraction. Many of my classmates have managed to sneak in a quick holiday (or two) over the past few weeks, sharing pictures of sun-soaked places while I enviously work away at my thesis. My consolation is that my flights for summer holidays are booked and I will soon have a few weeks back in Canada after being away for an entire year. It’s just enough time to get a taste of all my home favourites before returning to the Netherlands - my new home away from home.

The joys of getting to the end of the programme and handing in the thesis are also met with the reality that most of the people in our programme come from far away and it’s just about time to return home. Some people have already gone home early (because you can write your thesis from anywhere) and most are planning to leave this week. The class is set to have a final dinner on Wednesday, a final hoora to a year well spent and good friends made along the way. There will certainly be many promises of reunions with those good friends we wish would find a job in the Netherlands and stay well past this year.

While others jet off to start new jobs, travel, or spend the summer celebrating before continuing with law school back home, I will be happily continuing my student assistant work at the university and looking forward to staying in the fairytale city of Utrecht long past the end of the programme. Aside from very studious ICC-related reading, I am reading the many adventures of Foeksia de Miniheks (Foeskia the mini witch), a popular Dutch children’s book. Learning language and culture is a continuous process here and there is always something new and unusual.

This week, I thought the sight of a schoolbag hanging from a flagpole outside a house was the result of beer-fuelled World Cup antics, only to be informed a school bag is placed on the flagpole of the house to signify that someone has just successfully graduated high school. It’s just another long-held tradition that you bump into along your way as an international student.

As the Dutch say “Doe maar normal, dan doe je al gek genough” –  Just act normal, then that’s already crazy enough!

Tot de volgende keer/Until next time,

Erin

Moot Mayhem, Family Visits & Marvelous Weather

Hi everyone,

This morning marks the end of the latest much-loved visits from my family, my second official day of work at the university as a student assistant and the true beginning of thesis time (perhaps best referred to as crunch time).

Last week was nothing but moot, moot and more moot as the Utrecht University team took part in the much-anticipated ICC Moot Court Competition 2014. After a few last-minute mooting sessions with guest judges, we packed our bags (filled to the brim with our smartest business clothes) and headed to The Hague for the start of the competition. After receiving the legal problem in November, submitting our written arguments in February, and practicing our moots until May, it all came down to the week of the competition.

The sun beamed all week as teams from 50 universities descended upon the Leiden University campus located in the center of the Hague to take part, network, and of course show off their extensive knowledge of international criminal law.

The competition is set up so that all 50 teams participate in the initial main rounds of the competition. Several mock court rooms are lined with three desks for each counsel – Prosecution, Defense, and Government – and a panel of three (inevitably intimidating) judges listen to pleadings and pose questions to test your ability to be flexible with the material and back up your point of view.

I acted as counsel for the Government of Southeros (the fictional country to which I’ve spent so long reciting a speech about that it’s hard to believe it’s not real) along with my researcher. The pleading of 20 minutes (including questions) is followed by a 10-minute rebuttal, with a short sticky-note infused scramble to prepare in between. Luckily, my researcher not only knew every piece of information, but had a colour-coded system to make sure I did too.

After three excellent oral rounds, well worth all of the work we had put in, we waited in anticipation for the results. Unfortunately, only the top 9 teams can advance to semi-finals (based on both written and oral rounds), and we didn’t get the chance to move forward. The exhaustion of late study nights combined with the competitive spirit of the competition made for a mixed reaction to the news – one part relief for not having to prepare all night for the next round and one part disappointment for not being able to show more of what we can do. It’s amazing how invested you can become in a fake legal problem.

Last minute preparation before the judges arrival in Court Room 2 - ICC Moot Court 2014

I was very lucky, on my day of speaking, to have our wonderful coach, my former teacher/thesis supervisor, my teammates and my parents backing me up. The feeling of delivering a practiced speech and dealing with off-putting questions as planned is one that can’t be beat. As an added bonus, I not only got to show my parents the beautiful cities in the Netherlands, but also got to celebrate at a the competition's beach-side barbecue event, enjoying the sunshine and meeting teams from all over the world. Once the initial competitive stiffness fades, the competition presents the opportunity to meet new people, make new contacts and dance the night away.

Utrecht University ICC Moot Court Team 2014

With the competition finished, I was able to spend the remaining days with my family, biking around Utrecht and showing off some of my favourite spots including the local jazz bar Oude Pothuys, a canal-side venue with free live music every night of the week. The city is in full swing for summer and pop-up music stands and festivals take place all over the centre of town so there is no shortage of things to do. On my student budget, as long as the sun is shining, I can be found in the park reading away the day with a book.

Fun festivities aside, the next few weeks are set to be a blur of work days and thesis deadlines. The final deadline is just shy of four weeks away, and those of us who did the Moot Court are feeling the pressure to make up for some lost time. Between now and the final draft, we get the opportunity to submit one chapter for review and in the meantime we must stitch together the issues promised in our thesis outlines.  As a final act of procrastination, I headed to my local Hema (a one-stop shop for everything you could need) yesterday afternoon to pick up a healthy supply of highlighters, pens and notebooks. Now, it really is time to buckle down and get to work.

It’s hard to believe it is only a few weeks away from the finish line and there is only one task left to complete. The official invite for graduation was sent this week, an extra piece of motivation to meet the thesis deadline and be able to graduate with the class I have spent all year studying alongside.

The usual rainy weather has settled back over the city, which is probably for the best as I focus on thesis and settling into my new job. Working at the university gives me the chance to study EU policy (a new subject area for me) and to take a break from my thesis research. Not to mention, I’ve upgraded my email address from @students.uu.nl to @uu.nl – officially making me a member of staff (at least for a little while).

Until next time/Tot de volgende keer,

Erin