Weekend with exchange friends

12.16.22- 12.18.22

I spent a weekend with my exchange friends.

FRIDAY- AMSTERDAM

Went to Amsterdam on Friday with some girls. Avery and Abbi from the US and Lory from Italy and Emma from Finland. We walked all the way to the Museum District, so we passed through a lot of different areas just sightseeing and window shopping. We ended up at the Christmas Market at the Rijksmuseum. There was an ice skating rink and food stands and art stands. We got this spiral chip. I thought it was going to taste like a potato fry, but it tasted like a potato chip so I was disappointed. We also got churros with warm chocolate drizzled on top. There was this guy from Australia that had a stand where he sold stickers and shirts and pins of art he designed. He was giving away free stickers, and when we took them, he said we were like the only ones who actually took the tickets he offered. I guess most of the Dutch people ignored him because they thought he was trying to sell it to them. Typical Dutch haha. Abbi bought these cute homemade stamps from a wooden stamp shop. The Netherlands is so freaking cute. Like ice skating, warm churros, homemade stamps. Everything is so aesthetic. We walked back through the main shopping area. We went into the lego store, candy store with barrels full of candy, and an American snack store. Then, we went to my house to sleepover.

SATURDAY- DEN HAAG

The next day, everyone left except Avery. We met Wren (another exchange student from Florida) on the train to den Haag. We walked around and shopped here and there. Then, we went to a Korean restaurant which was owned by a Korean couple. I got bibimbap, Wren got gimbap, and Avery got some kind of curry. I miss Korean food! This food wasn't that good and pretty expensive, but I still loved it. We walked around some more. It was so cold outside that we would go into these random stores to warm our bodies. We went into this one shop that was so expensive. The clothes were cute, but like a scarf was 80 euros. And there were bodyguards standing around so that was a little intimidating. We also went into this cool store that has items from local artists or cooks or whatever, just local sellers. They even had a small coffee corner. We also went to an Asian store and bought some snacks. Then, we went to Dunkin Donuts and ate holiday donuts. They were so cute. We got a white snow dog, lollipop, santa claus, christmas tree, and pink monster donut. The American stores here like Dunkin, Five Guys, and McDonalds are way better in Europe. Like so much cleaner inside and the food tastes like real. We went to TK Maxx which we think is TJ Maxx, but we don't know. The K throws us off. Like it's exactly like TJ Maxx but it's TK Maxx. I'm 90% sure it's European TJ Maxx, but like why would they call it TK Maxx? There is a J in the Dutch alphabet. But I kind of like not knowing if it is or isn't TJ Maxx. It's like a surprise. We also got boba at this boba shop. I think I've been there like 3 times, and the workers there are always so cute. I also am now remembering that we got taiyaki and these octopus fried balls (I forget the real name for them). That happened before we got lunch. Wow, we spent a lot of money that day. Then, Wren and Avery slept over at my house.

SUNDAY- OLDENZAAL

The next day, Avery and Wren and I went to Oldenzaal for the Rotary swimming marathon. It was a painful 3-hour train ride. But, we met Mau, another exchange student in Utrecht, and on the train we did a Spotify sharing session and did car-eography except on the train. I bet it looked so funny to the other passengers cuz we were all dancing the same moves in silence. We got there, and it was so freaking cold and windy. We went to the gym hall for the swimming marathon. Guess what we had for lunch? You won't believe it. We had sandwiches :) There were ham and cheese sandwiches and cheese sandwiches with just bread and then cheese in between. Which yes, that is a cheese sandwich but like how sad. Just bread and cheese.

Then, I went back home on the train. There was this family from either Canada or the US, and they were so loud on the train. In our train car, it was silent, and so when they came in, we could hear them talking very clearly. I actually turned off my music in my headphones so I could listen to their conversation cuz it was super interesting. Basically the mom and her mom/ the grandma were fighting about a Christmas tree. The grandma was like "just get a fake tree, they're so much easier to manage" and her daughter/ the mom was like "are you kidding mom? you want me to get a fake tree? Artificial trees are so inauthentic. I need a real Christmas tree" but she was yelling and using attitude in her voice. The mom was trying to tell her mom/ the grandma that they should bring a real tree to their house when they come to their house for the holidays. She was being really sassy. She was like "it's not that hard, just bring it." Like woah, if you want a real tree, just get a real tree yourself girly. And her husband was watching the WK final w Argentina and France and the whole time during the argument he was absent-mindedly making comments like "Guys, it's not that hard, stop yelling, get a real tree if you want one", stuff like that, and the mom and the grandma were like shut up. And then the WK went into penalty kicks and the mom was going on a rant like I don't understand how such an important game is determined by penalty kicks and stuff like that, and her husband was like please please shut up, i'm trying to watch the game. And then, their sons who are really little, like one was 5 and the other was 3 maybe, started singing. The younger one had a mini guitar and started singing Twinkle Twinkle little star and was strumming the guitar (but not the right chords). And the dad, mom, and grandma were like "Aw, he is sooo cute and talented" The dad made him sing it again so he could record it on his phone. So everyone on the train got to listen to Twinkle Twinkle twice. And then the older son wanted to sing a song with the guitar too, and everyone ignored him lol. But, then he did sing the song after whining and the dad videoed him and everything but he sang that song "What you know about rolling down in the deep" I don't know the title of that song but LMAO. And then the little kid sang the Peppa Pig theme song, but the only lyrics in that song are Peppa Pig so he was basically just saying Peppa Pig and strumming the guitar. And the whole time, all the Dutch people were giving the family side eyes and looking at each other like "are they serious?" Haha.

Also, on that train transfer back, my train got cancelled and I had to get on a new one, but I did it so easily. I went to the platform and saw that it got cancelled, so I looked at the NS app, and just went on the new train. Kinda proud of myself. Remember, when I was talking to that pole because I got lost on the train station a few months ago? I've really gotten used to the NL and taking the train.

That was my weekend. Very eventful, very fun. Byee

- Amelia