I've lived with 3 families this month. First I've lived with Hans and Maria Malefijt. Hans is the club represetative. I spent one week there. Then I went to Castricum for my language coarse. I stayed with Felix and Nora de Bats. I didn't really have a good experience with them but I did learn some things. Then now I am at my first host family, the Thijssens. They are really cool. I am really enjoying myself here. First, about the first week I spent in Maastricht. Maria and I did various errands that needed to be done for my stay. Maria taught me dutch everyday. Hans made me laugh. It was very difficult for me to go to Castricum. I had to be comforted
because I was a wreck. I was nervous to meet all the other exchange students and also i was scared to leave
the only host parents I had ever known. Maria and Hans do have kids, but they are grown and have lives of
their own. In Castricum. I enjoyed meeting all the other exchange students. I got particularly close to
my roomate Anna from Wisconsin. In a moment you will understand why. 

There are 37 exchange students from the Northern Hemisphere here in the Netherlands. They come from all over the world: Japan(2), Mexico(3), Indonesia(2),Canada (12),USA(17) and Finland (1).  There are also exchange students from the Southern Hemisphere in the Netherlands and they have already been here 6 months. I didn't really get along with my host parents especially my host mother. Unfortunately I was unable to find a connection. Castricum is not an exciting place. More then anything really, I think I just wanted to go back to Maastricht. Anna and I slept in a really small attic. We even gave it the nick name, attic dungeon. Our host parents were old and they were extremly overprecautious. So much in fact that I think it took away time for us to bond with the other exchange students. As many of them were going out at night and we were not allowd. I ended up bonding with Anna because she was my cellmate.

 Once I arrived back in Maastricht, I was extremly happy. My counselor, Ton Willems came to get me in Castricum. We then went to his father in laws house to pick up 3 of his daughters and his wife, as Veronique was already with us. He droped me off with my host family the Thijssens. I then begined to move all my stuff into my
room. Felice there oldest daughter goes to college in Utrecht. I am staying in her room. Everything is out
of it though that belongs to her. Maastricht is the best city in the Netherlands. Its very close to the meeting point of the three countries. Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Its very mulit cultured. Its very alive. I've been to a cycle race and a street theather before I left to Castricum and after I went last night to a food and drink tasting festival. It was alot of fun. 

The Thijssens are really kind people.  Theres Peter(host dad), Jose(host mom), Felice(20 yrs), Bart (19) and Anke (16). I feel very comfortable and I think I have made a connection with everyone in the family. We have a swimming pool. Yesterday everyone except for Bart was swimming and sunning. Felice and I tried to make Jose mad by throwig beach balls at her. We scared her but in the end everyone ended up laughing. Anke is the total
opposite of me. Shes very much into fashion and everyone knows that I'm not. I'm into comfort. She came home with these 70 leather boots with high heels I died laughing. Jose, Bart, Anke and Felice all help me with my homework. 

Here in the Netherlands the teachers don't care if you do your homework or not.  They want you to but they don't grade you. A test every 8 weeks does. I like Math partially because I understand and I've only been in school for almost 2 weeks. I liked it before I came is the other reason. I used to like French but now I don't because everything is in dutch in the french book especially the directions. The education system here in teh Netherlands is very complex. They have 4 types: VBO (technical straight hands on training) Mavo ( also technical but a higher level) Havo(prepares you to go to what the dutch call hogeschool, its something like community college) and then they have the level i'm in VWO (pre university) I'm in form 5 which is like a junior. They have this new thing in the Netherlands.

In your last 2 years its completely self taught. The teacher gives assignments and brief explanations but they don't walk you through it unless you ask. They also have areas of study. I'm in Natuur and Gozontied. The literal translation is nature and God Bless you.  It means nature and health. Its a science major. I will take biology, physics and chemistry plus a general science class. I also have math, english, french, culture, current events, dutch etc. You don't take it all in one periode of 8 weeks. After school, I've begun to swim. I swim for an hour and a half 3 days a week at a local facility. It takes me 15 minutes to get there. I go by bike. In Holland you go
everywhere by bike. I even have my own. Its a classique from the 1960's or something. In the morning
to ride to school, its 2 miles. It takes me 20 minutes and its all uphill. Did i forget to mention that Holland is NOT flat everywhere? I happen to be living in the region of the country where elevation does exist. I call them mountains (321 m) but technically they are hills. My dutch is progressing. I'm currently on the reading level of a 7 year old. I know so because thats what it says on the cover of the books I currently read. My host mother and I read a book a day. My family talks dutch to me with english for clarification. I'm not afraid to speak anymore even though i sound like an idiot. Everyone at school wants to talk english to me and it makes me mad. They always ask me why i'm not in the english school. They have a department at the school I go to. Ik vindt dat
Nederland is veel leuk. (The Netherlands is very nice)ik hoop dat alles is goed met de studenten naar
Florida (I hope that everything is good with the other students in Florida.)

ik wil later schriven, (I will write later)

Corinne

Nederland