Semester 1: Done... sort of

Five and a half months ago I boarded a plane going to from Calgary, Canada to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After a cordial greeting at the airport and a short bus ride to Delft, I began to settle into my new "home", not sure what to expect, but very excited. I quickly made many many new friends, which to this day is my absolute favorite part of this whole experience. The down side: classes were much more difficult than anticipated, and it took a long time to get the basics settled, like a bank account, campus card and residence permit. Even though there were many days that I found myself homesick and wondering how I ended up here, coming here is definitely the best decision I have made.

So, the semester is over. And by over, I mean that classes for next semester start tomorrow. In actuality, last semester has not completely ended. I still have three oral exams and a final project due in February. This concept of overlapping semesters is quite foreign to me... back in Canada, the fall semester ends before Christmas, during which time the only things you have to worry about are waiting for final exam grades to come in and Christmas shopping. Of course I would prefer to be completely done with last semester by now, but its really not the end of the world. Aside from that, what is really amazing to me is how fast the past five and a half months have gone by. In five more months I will be moving to Sweden for my second year. I have definitely learned a lot so far, both academically and in terms of life. I'll comment on a few things about the daily life of an international student.

If there is one piece of advice I'll give to new international students, it is to invest a bit of time and money to make your room/flat more like a home. When I first got here, the basics were provided: I had a furnished room, including sheets, blankets and basic kitchen equipment. But, the walls were bare, the blankets were old and unattractive and my linoleum floor even has holes cut out of it. At first, I decided that because I was only going to be here a year, I would just stick with this place the way it was. But, after a few episodes of home sickness and feeling like I live in a little depressing little box, I decided to fix it up. 

I bought a nice, warm duvet, a purple bedding set, some mirror tiles, a carpet to cover up the holes in my floor, candles and some over-the-door hooks to hang clothes/towels on. I have put up some art that I bought on my recent trip to Italy (which I will eventually write a post about) and made some flower decals out of colored paper. Low and behold, being in my apartment felt much more comfortable, which did make a big difference. It was easier to unwind after stressful days at school. 

As someone who likes to cook, another thing that helped me to relax was to make myself a nice dinner. The "kitchen" of my apartment has a sink, tiny fridge, hotplate and cupboards. Without a freezer, oven or microwave, I found it hard at first to cook. Until I bought a combination microwave and oven, all I could do was either fry or boil things. I am still missing a freezer (and REALLY missing ice cream), but the 90 euro cost of the combi-microwave was really worth it. At some point I will post some recipes.

The other thing I've learned to do is not to take the hard parts of being an international student so seriously. Of course, there may be times that I feel overwhelmed again, but I am better able to remind myself that these crappy things will soon pass. Sometimes you can't do anything about a sucky situation... it will suck no matter how much you complain about it and wish you were somewhere else. But, one thing is for sure: the more you focus on how unfortunate it is, the worse the situation will seem. I know many other people that have had some tough times, but none of them (that I know of) regret coming here. So, for anyone trying to decide whether to go abroad or not, I will say this: If you move abroad, you will likely have some challenging experiences, but in most cases, you will learn a lot about the local culture, have some life changing experiences, make new friends and learn a lot about yourself. If you are up for the challenge, you'll likely find that it is well worth it.

Sunny Portugal

After a challenging quarter of school, a week in Portugal was a fantastic way to unwind and recharge. The sun and blue skies were a welcome change from the rainy and windy weather of Delft. A classmate and I spent 3 nights in Porto and 4 nights in Lisbon, where we met up with one of my Canadian friend for a couple of days.

Picturesque Porto
Situated next to a wide river with steep slopes, Porto offers magnificent views and atmosphere. The town center has many monuments, historical buildings and churches, most of which have elaborate and beautiful designs. We toured Porto by foot. It turned out to be quite a lot of work to make it up and down the endless hills. The hard work was worth it.

For those who prefer chilling out on the beach, you should head west along the river. During our trip the weather wasn't quite hot enough for sun bathing, but I'm sure in the summer its a fantastic place to lay out a beach towel and soak up some vitamin D. Even without sunbathing we were able to enjoy the sun on the patio of one of the many cafes.

  

One of my favorite parts of our time in Porto was when we crossed the river into Gaia where the Port Cellars are found. After randomly walking great distances trying to find our own way, getting lost and then asking for help, we found what we were looking for. We toured a few of the cellars, after which we got to sample some great Port for free. I came home with a few bottles ;).

 

One of the biggest challenges in Porto was that I don't know Portugese and most of the people there don't know English. For my first meal, I made an educated guess on what to order. My guess was half right: I got Bacalhau (cod). What went wrong was that it was steamed, which was definitely not what I was expecting. I was envious of my friend who got the fried variety. We had more success communicating with waiters along the river, which is a popular place for tourists to eat.

Lovely Lisbon
The capital of Portugal is much bigger and busier than Porto. City center is filled with cafes, restaurants, hotels and historical beauty. While still hilly, Lisbon is flatter than Porto. The distance between many monuments is far enough that we opted to both use public transport and hitch a ride on the tourist buses.

Situated on top a hill overlooking the city, Saint George's Castle is the perfect place to view Lisbon from above. Visitors can walk through almost all parts of this ancient structure. It has a small museum with some old artifacts, a lovely courtyard, small cafe and an archeological site. Reserve at least a couple of hours (plus the time it takes to get up and down the hill), because it is worth it to wander around all of the walkways and see the city and water from many different angles.

On our second day we opted to take the tourist buses to see the city. The company we chose had two routes. Between the two of them, we got a nice overview of city. After a few days of walking and climbing hills it was very nice to give our aching feet a rest. Also, the bus was double decker and open on the top, so we got a chance to enjoy the sun some more. The tours start at south side of Parque Eduardo VII, which stretches up a green hill with manicured shrubbery. At the top you can see all of the way down through the park, down Av. da Liberdad to the city and the water.

The next day we headed to the west of the city. Here you can see two very impressive monuments. My favorite was the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, which is a tribute to the great explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries. I highly recommend going to the top for some great views. 

The second great monument on the west side of town is the famous Torre de Belem. King John II built it as both a defensive structure and a gateway to Lisbon. You can also climb to the top and visit a few floors in between. On our trip up and down the stairs we encountered many traffic jams, because of the popularity of this site. I can't even imagine how busy it would be in high season! Of course, its worth it.

While on the west side, you should stop into a cafe and try a pastel of Belem. This egg tart pastry was invented by the nuns of Mosteiro dos Jeronimos before the 18th century.

On the east side of the city you can find many newer structures. The Expo 98 was held here, and many of the structures there today were built specifically for the expo. We visited the Oceanarium. If you like aquariums, I recommend you see it.

On our last day we took a fairy across the water into Almada to see Christo Rei, a giant monument of Jesus Christ. Its huge! Like at Padrao dos Descobrimentos and Belem, the view from the top of the structure is wonderful. 

All in all, my trip to Portugal was great! There were many new things to see and experience. We definitely go our exercise and some sunshine. And now that I have returned to Delft, its time to get back to work!

One Month Later

Looking at the date, I realize that it has been a full month since I left Canada. I'd say "time flies when your having fun", but that's only half of the case. This month has been full of both extremely fun and very unpleasant times.

The good news is that Delft is just as charming as ever, I keep making new friends and, when I have the time, there is always the opportunity for fun. Whether it be strolling the streets of city center with some good friends and a camera, grabbing a beer at a pub, dancing at a club or hanging out at a party, there are plenty of great times to be had.

There are interesting events that go on in city center. Last weekend I was pleasantly surprised to find a carnival in the square in front of the New Church. After dinner and some drinks, my friends and I payed 5 euro each to ride the "Booster" (the tall ride in the picture). While this seems a bit expensive, it was worth it. I got a night view of Delft and surrounding area, and also an upside-down view as the seat flipped.

From August 30th to September 2nd, my faculty took the new masters students to Bunnik, which is out in the countryside near Utrecht. The location was great, and the weather turned out to be quite nice. As usual, I met people and had a lot of fun. However, it is in Bunnik that I got my first indication that things were going to get very difficult. Part of the program was to have our first few lectures for our core classes.... wow, that was a shocker! As it turns out, these classes are meant for people with a bachelor's in math, which I am don't have. After telling a couple of professors about my limited math background, one of them actually said "Well, you are going to have a lot of difficulties."

Luckily, my schedule is quite open. On Monday I have one two hour class, on Thursday there is a one hour class, Wednesday is the day of hell with four two hour classes, and then every other day is free. After my first full-day Wednesday, I truly grasped how much I need that "free time" to study. That was 8 hours of "Oh #$&*, I don't know anything! I am going to fail..." That Wednesday made me extremely homesick. It was the worst day I have had since I got here.

I am pleased to say that, even though I still have a long way to go, I feel much better already. I am grasping some of the concepts. That being said, I'm sure that my days will mostly be full of studying for the entire semester. I am hoping that the other semesters won't be as bad.

Other than classes being hard, there are a few things about being an international student that are difficult. For one, it wasn't until late last week that I was able to open my bank account. A bank card is required for many things, like getting a drink from coffee machines and reloading my printer balance at school. I got by with cash, but every time I need more cash from my Canadian bank account, its costs five Canadian dollars in bank fees. Of course, I also needed my Dutch bank account to be able to receive my scholarship money. The form is in, I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get the money by next week.

The other annoyance is that new students still have not received campus cards. Given that most of us are lacking some of the background knowledge for our math courses, sometimes we need library books to study from. Without a campus card, we cannot take them out. Also, without a campus card I can't get into my faculty building on the weekends, where I have an office. Luckily, with some help, I was able to retrieve my books from my office on a Saturday, even though the security guard didn't want to let me in the building.

So, to summarize, I definitely have mixed feelings right now. But, I can still say that I am happy to be here. As time goes on, things will get easier in many ways, and I'll always have great friends around.

Finally! I'm in Delft!

Technically speaking, I arrived in Delft 5 days ago, but the last few days have been so busy that I haven't had time to post anything. So, as I sit here sipping wine and waiting for my dinner to cook, I finally have a chance to summarize my trip, arrival and first few days of settling in.

The week before I left was BUSY. From the time I came back from a trip to visit extended family to the time I left, I ended up meeting up with friends for every single lunch and dinner. There was last minute preparations, packing and shopping for necessary gear. All in all, I didn't get much sleep.

My flight was in the afternoon on a Friday. The check-in counter was less than pleasant. The lady at the counter first weighed my carry-on, then informed me I'd have to reduce the weight by 2kg. Fair enough... Once I repacked my bags, she then asked me to measure its dimensions in the device they had. It was very very close, only one of my wheels got caught on the top rail. Because of this she made me pack as much as I could into my backpack and check the bag. I was not pleased, to say the least.

Once I got though security, however, things got significantly better. I was called to the flight desk, where I was informed that I was randomly chosen to be upgraded to first class for free! Needless to say, this was the most pleasant flight I've ever been on. To top it off, I had some great conversations with the Dutch guy in the seat next to me.

After I arrived, collected my luggage and went through customs, I was greeted by TUD volunteers who brought me to the Welcome desk where I was given important documents. Shortly after I was taken by shuttle to my residence in Delft, where another volunteer was waiting to guide me to my apartment.

My first weekend involved some pre-organized evening activities and unpacking my bags. The was a daytime city rally organized, but my cell battery died, and so I ended up sleeping through it. It was just as well, since the extra sleep likely helped me to be more energetic at the welcome party that evening.

This week is introduction week. I've attended some lectures, met up with and worked with a project group, met a tonne of people and bought many things for my apartment. Today I (finally) found a bike. Now, I need to get a local cell phone, buy a few more items for my apartment and take care of a few more things.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is my last day for this week. Next week my faculty has organized a four day camp in a "secret location". All in all, I'll say that my trip to Delft has been great so far. I've met some wonderful people, seen some of the beauty of the city and I am becoming more organized. I am almost ready to begin my studies. I am so happy to be here, and I'm sure the next year will be great!

Great Wine and Tan Lines

Before my departure for Europe, I really needed some quality RnR time with one of my closest girl friends. The solution? A road trip to the beautiful Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. The hot sun, crystal clear lakes, orchards, wineries, food and many other attractions was a perfect way to fill five days of quality girl time. Of course, this region is great for guys, couples and families as well. We spent most of our time in and around Kelowna.

Our most frequent activity was cruising around the side roads looking for wineries and fresh fruit. Most wineries have free tastings. The ones with a fee (three to five dollars)  allow you to apply the cost of the tasting towards the purchase of a bottle of wine. One mistake I made was buying too many bottles from the first winery we visited. With my flight to the Netherlands approaching, I had to limit the amount of wine I bought to what I will be able to polish off before the flight. Another worthwhile liquor tasting is the Raven Ridge Cidery, which features iced ciders. These are similar to ice wine, but for a fraction of the price. 

Rainier cherries and peaches were the main fruits in season. Both were very flavorful. Also an awesome find were strawberry-rhubarb and blueberry-rhubarb-apple pies. We were sad to discover that the grapes were nowhere near ripe... I love wine grapes. 

Most of the restaurants we visited were good, other than a couple of breakfast locations. Of note is the last place we went for dinner, RauDZ. It is somewhat pricey, but worth it. The stuffed calamari appetizer (in the picture) was fantastic. The filling was perfectly moist. It was a nice change from the typical battered and fried varieties that are found at most restaurants. We loved the fresh fruit sangria. I had the blue cheese new york steak and my friend had the arctic char. For desert, we shared the featured cherry mousse, which was just a taster size.... perfect considering we were already stuffed! Overall, RauDZ was a very good food find. 

Also of note:

Moo-Lix Icecream Shop: many fantastic flavors of ice cream on freshly made waffle cones.

Blenz Coffee: We had many shaken iced-teas from here. Their baked items were also good.

Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant: I loved my greed curry and the atmosphere.

Momo Sushi Cafe: Very fresh and tasty sushi for a decent price and friendly staff.

Marmalade Cat Cafe: Awesome Sunday brunch. I got the Eggs Benedict with sweet potato and regular potato hashbrowns. Yum.

If you like goat cheese, check out Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisan. They offer a free tasting of all of their cheeses. There was a nice variety of flavors. Some are quite strong in taste, but worth trying at least once. We ended up buying a softer cheese and ate most of it for dinner along with some French bread, fruit and, of course, wine. If you make it out to the farm, definitely try the gelato. I found it to be slightly creamier than the cow's milk variety. The flavor of the goat's milk was noticeable, but overall pleasant for most flavors.

This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the lake. The water was clear, the sun was hot, the atmosphere was wonderful. I would have loved to cruise the water on a motorboat, but that will have to wait for a future trip. While we were there, unfortunately there were some nearby forest fires that added a haze to the lake, so in some places it was difficult to see across the lake. On the upside the smoke wasn't too thick and we couldn't smell it.

  

While the food and lounging in the sun took up most of our time in the Kelowna, I should also mention some of the other things we enjoyed. Downtown Kelowna is beautiful. We loved the flowers, street performers and Japanese gardens. Our visit to Croc Talk, a Crocodilian conservation facility, was surprisingly fun. We did not expect to get so close to crocodiles, aligators, wild cats and tortoises. 

As far as accommodations go, our first couple of nights were in the Samesun hostel, and our last three were at the UBC Kelowna campus. They were of comparable price. Samesun had the advantage of being close to downtown. We got a private room, but the washrooms were shared. UBC had the advantage of separate rooms with our own private washroom. It was very new and clean. However, we did notice that noise travels through the vents when our young neighbors above us attempted to have a conversation though the washroom vent. The out-of-town location made it harder to go out at night, but didn't really make a difference otherwise since we had to drive around to get to the wineries and farms. 

This trip to the Okanagan was just what I needed before I fly away to Europe. We didn't have a strict schedule, which made it easy to relax. If you need to unwind, take a trip to the Okanagan.