It Only Took Two Weeks!

A map of the city- there are two black circles, the smaller one is where I live (south of the city center) and the larger one is where I have classes (north of the city center)

HOI!

Guess who has internet?!!!

YAY!

I will divide this post into three parts: classes, social stuff, and pictures!

First, the most boring,

CLASSES

AHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I am doomed! I have three classes:

1. Statistics for International Business and Management:
This class assumes that I have already taken a statistics course. It will also be dealing with SPSS (Statistics Package for the Social Sciences) which is taught in America in more advanced statistics level courses. *I will begin freaking out now* so basically, I spent this last week with my head in the book teaching myself to get caught up. I think it will all be okay...

2. Managing International Business Organizations:
This class will be a breeze. It is 14 weeks long, and I am the only native English speaker in the class. Although, nearing the end of the semester I have to write an essay involving a theoretical strategy to better improve a particular industry...and guess what industry the professor chose for us to write about? The Beer Industry...uugh. I am the only person in the class writing about an industry that I am not legal to be involved in within my own country. haha, wonderful. Yet, no worries. The professor assigned us to read four articles which he called "high browed" and said we would have difficulties understanding them, and they were quite easy (yay English as a first language!)...yup!

3. Business Supply Chain Marketing:
Oh my gosh. I am in for a difficult time. During the first class I learned that the prerequisites to this course involve an economics course, statistics course, and management course that I have not taken...Everything is over my head. The professor is using regression analyses I have never seen, and equations requiring knowledge in economics and statistics that I completely lack. Not only that, but I learned that it is also co-listed as a Master's course...what did I get myself into? Oh well...I will work hard, and everything will be okay.

Yes, those are my courses for the first portion of the semester...I will update you all if things change, but I think it will all be consistently this: Statistics- eh... MIBO-easy-peezy...BSCM- AH!

SOCIAL STUFF

Well...I have made some American friends (and some Chinese ones), but I never see them because we all have classes in different parts of the city and they live in the international dorms while I live on the other side of the city. It is difficult to meet friends because all the internationals stick with other people of the same nationality, and they all speak in their native languages. It is hard, but it is also okay. I am in love with the buildings and wandering around, so I have enough things to distract me.

I have a very good Dutch friend, Sebastien, the boy who picked me up from the airport. He is being so helpful. He found friends who had already taken the courses that I am in, and got my books for me (thank goodness!). I ate with his family for lunch the other day and it was quite fun.

Today I went with one of my roommates to the city center to shop (she needs shoes for a class) and that was fun. She is quite eccentric and lively, so talking to her is very entertaining! And it is also nice, because when I am in the house, the girls mostly speak Dutch, so I feel slightly confused! arg...I need to figure out this language!

I spent an hour in a grocery store yesterday because I could not figure out what things were...I mean, you would think that it would be obvious because you can see what the item is...little do you know! aaah! I ended up buying random things and brought them home to try...eck. It was this strange yogurt-cheese spread thing. woopsies. But I asked one of the girls if she would like to have it, because I did not like it, and she went "OH! I LOVE THAT!"...oh dear. I am not close to being Dutch...

Hmmm...mishaps that have occurred: I jammed my finger while being a loser, and it was blue, purple and swollen for a few days. It is getting better, so no worries there...

My back tire on my bike is flat, and I have to find a bike pump that fits the air hole (the one my roommates have does not fit) so until that gets fixed, my feet will be transporting me, which is fine...I like looking around instead of focusing on not hitting the bike in front of me…

PICTURES

This is a view of the Grote Markt, which is the main part of the city center

More of the Grote Markt...I took the picture from the top of a bakery!

This is the entrance to the building where my Statistics class is...wow...

This is the door that leads into the living room of my house...I will upload pictures of the actual living room once I take pictures of it...

The bathroom...Yes...there are many pictures of naked men...


This is me, looking down and taking a picture of the stairs...They are very compact and tiny and go STRAIGHT UP...talk about 'conservation of space'!








This is the view from my room...

This is my room...

My room again...









A random house in Groningen...

More random houses...

More pictures will come...it has been rainy or snowy ever since I got here (I have seen the sun once for about five minutes)...so...once it is pretty, more pictures will appear...and I will also get pictures of the girls that I am living with and of the rest of the house...

Tot ziens!