A few days ago I was somewhat caught off guard. I was walking to a lecture by an American judge when I bumped into one of the Dutch students I taught last month, and who greeted me by saying "Hello, Mr. Connah". I don't think I've heard anyone address me like that before, and I suddenly felt like my Grandfather.
Anyway, yesterday I went back to school. But fortunately this time I was neither teaching nor being taught, and instead I became an English language assistant. Our first task was to be interviewed by groups of 11-12 year olds who then had to produce a newspaper article on us. Their English was terribly impressive and I wouldn't be surprised if some were almost fluent - all this despite the fact that it was only their first or second year of learning English officially. Most of the questions they asked were quite innocuous ("What's your favourite ice-cream?", "Do you like football?" - "Why not?!", and the rather more probing, "Do you like Dutch girls?" etc), but I had a rather disconcerting exchange with one group. They asked me how old I was, so I asked them how old they thought I was. The guesses went something like: 24...22...26...29... at which point I stopped the exercise and let them know that I was in fact a comparatively sprightly 21. 24 I can deal with, 29 though! The second task was to talk one-on-one with 16 year olds, and surprisingly, they seemed a lot more self conscious about their English than the younger ones did. They then took us on a tour around the city of Culemborg which culminated in them trying to get us into a Coffeeshop. It didn't help that it was raining and that I'd neglected to take my umbrella, but still, it seemed like a pretty place - a bit like Delft.
It was actually good fun though and everyone seemed to have a really good time taking part. Comparing it to my school experience though, the secondary school was more like my sixth-form than my secondary school. No uniforms, more relaxed teachers etc. I wonder if it's part of the reason that the Netherlands ranked as the best place for children to grow up recently, and the UK the worst? Humphry Davy School it wasn't.
Later that day I saw Notes on a Scandal and aside from it being a rather good film, it was also set in a secondary school. So I'm now well and truly in the schoolboy mindset!
28/02/2007
25/02/2007
Small world
When I was in Cambridge last week I thought I saw one of Emma's friends who visited Utrecht last term. Unfortunately, being in my own world at the time, I didn't realise that I recognised her until sometime later at which point it was rather too late to go back and check. However, a post event clarification has confirmed that it was indeed her.
Unexpectedly bumping into people in all the wrong places is actually surprisingly common. I spotted loads of people in London this Summer, but perhaps that's to be expected. After the first year at Uni I saw Flora in Penzance's shopping centre of all places, with my first comment being a cheery and welcoming 'what are you doing here?!'. But perhaps the most far fetched occurrence has come through me getting to know Bart, who spent an Erasmus year at Jesus last year, and who organised the Legal English course I taught earlier this year. His girlfriend goes to Oxford and I've met her a couple of times, but the oddest thing is that she went to school with Lottie and the two are still good friends. This is bizarre in itself, but even stranger, his girlfriend is also good friends with someone I went to secondary school with back in Penzance.
Now that I've met people from the UK, Spain, America, Germany, France, the Netherlands etc, I can't help but wonder who else I'll bump into wherever I eventually end up.
This all got me thinking. It seems amazing how I can come all the way to a different country and meet someone who knows two friends of mine. There's no pattern to it and it's all entirely random. People talk about the six degrees of separation rule, but in my experience it's often much lower. But how about this for food for thought: If it can be that I can quite randomly met these people, then how many other people do I have some sort of connection with, yet walk past each day without noticing them?
Unexpectedly bumping into people in all the wrong places is actually surprisingly common. I spotted loads of people in London this Summer, but perhaps that's to be expected. After the first year at Uni I saw Flora in Penzance's shopping centre of all places, with my first comment being a cheery and welcoming 'what are you doing here?!'. But perhaps the most far fetched occurrence has come through me getting to know Bart, who spent an Erasmus year at Jesus last year, and who organised the Legal English course I taught earlier this year. His girlfriend goes to Oxford and I've met her a couple of times, but the oddest thing is that she went to school with Lottie and the two are still good friends. This is bizarre in itself, but even stranger, his girlfriend is also good friends with someone I went to secondary school with back in Penzance.
Now that I've met people from the UK, Spain, America, Germany, France, the Netherlands etc, I can't help but wonder who else I'll bump into wherever I eventually end up.
This all got me thinking. It seems amazing how I can come all the way to a different country and meet someone who knows two friends of mine. There's no pattern to it and it's all entirely random. People talk about the six degrees of separation rule, but in my experience it's often much lower. But how about this for food for thought: If it can be that I can quite randomly met these people, then how many other people do I have some sort of connection with, yet walk past each day without noticing them?
24/02/2007
That was the week that was
And it was very good fun. I'm now installed back in my room in Utrecht, and after such a whirlwind week, feeling slightly unsure of where I am. It was fantastic being back at University and seeing everyone who I haven't seen for too long again. So much so that I've already arranged my next trip back!
I came across a rather startling fact while back at Uni; I'm not actually studying in Holland after all - I'm a little bit too far east for that. So I'm really studying in the Netherlands after all. Unfortunately, quickly after realising this, I came across another startling fact; namely that after sleeping on Stuart's floor for two nights, Clare actually had a spare blow up mattress sitting unused. Although I am continually amazed how well I seem to sleep on the floor - so well in fact that on Thursday I managed to sleep right through the fire alarm, which doesn't bode well for next year.
I got some odd looks going to the EU lecture this morning, but it might have turned out to be a rather smart move. The topic was discrimination in the field of the free movement of persons between EU states and it got me thinking about the Dutch OV card. This is a card that gives Dutch students free rail and bus transport throughout the country, but isn't available to non-national students. Discrimination? The lecturer seemed to think so, and naturally, so do I. After my success in complaining to Marks and Spencer, Microsoft and First Great Western I feel the Dutch Education Ministry is the natural next step, so watch this space. I've even got my bank statements to claim back payments!
The journey back to Holla... rather, the Netherlands, was quite entertaining. Check-in opened at 17:45 and I checked in at 17:46, but mysteriously was still assigned to boarding group B. Perhaps I wasn't cheery enough. Security once again took ages as people tried to smuggle just about every size, shape and sort of liquid through despite the myriad of signs. Then of course I had to take my shoes off to be scanned. I knew as soon as I came around the corner that I'd been spotted and was going to be called over. Perhaps I really wasn't be cheery enough. Unfortunately things weren't much better once through and I discovered I possessed a grand total of 29p in English money. Now, it probably won't surprise you that 29p won't get you far at Stansted. In fact, sadly, the cheapest item I found was 49p, and then it took about ten minutes before I found a charity box to give it away. Of course, the flight back over had the obligatory hen party (or in actual fact, three), but it was actually quite good natured with a cabin announcement as to their presence which concluded by saying "Good luck. The first ten years are the worst". Cue much laughter and a slightly worried look from the bride-to-be. I then had the rather bemusing experience of having to tell a Dutch person where the capital of their country was. So yes, in a word, entertaining.
But now it's over and I'm back in Utrecht. I took a few pictures while I was back (and I know everyone likes pictures), so here's a pictorial review of the week:
These are both of Greenwich park. I've no idea who the people in the bottom photo are, and they've no idea who I was, but it just seemed a nice scene summing up what's so lovely about the place.
This is what should have given away the fact that something big was happening in China town, but to save face, I should point out that we only came upon this after consulting the police as to why there were so many people around.
And this is Will and I proving that two biologically unrelated people can indeed give off the impression that they might be brothers.
I came across a rather startling fact while back at Uni; I'm not actually studying in Holland after all - I'm a little bit too far east for that. So I'm really studying in the Netherlands after all. Unfortunately, quickly after realising this, I came across another startling fact; namely that after sleeping on Stuart's floor for two nights, Clare actually had a spare blow up mattress sitting unused. Although I am continually amazed how well I seem to sleep on the floor - so well in fact that on Thursday I managed to sleep right through the fire alarm, which doesn't bode well for next year.
I got some odd looks going to the EU lecture this morning, but it might have turned out to be a rather smart move. The topic was discrimination in the field of the free movement of persons between EU states and it got me thinking about the Dutch OV card. This is a card that gives Dutch students free rail and bus transport throughout the country, but isn't available to non-national students. Discrimination? The lecturer seemed to think so, and naturally, so do I. After my success in complaining to Marks and Spencer, Microsoft and First Great Western I feel the Dutch Education Ministry is the natural next step, so watch this space. I've even got my bank statements to claim back payments!
The journey back to Holla... rather, the Netherlands, was quite entertaining. Check-in opened at 17:45 and I checked in at 17:46, but mysteriously was still assigned to boarding group B. Perhaps I wasn't cheery enough. Security once again took ages as people tried to smuggle just about every size, shape and sort of liquid through despite the myriad of signs. Then of course I had to take my shoes off to be scanned. I knew as soon as I came around the corner that I'd been spotted and was going to be called over. Perhaps I really wasn't be cheery enough. Unfortunately things weren't much better once through and I discovered I possessed a grand total of 29p in English money. Now, it probably won't surprise you that 29p won't get you far at Stansted. In fact, sadly, the cheapest item I found was 49p, and then it took about ten minutes before I found a charity box to give it away. Of course, the flight back over had the obligatory hen party (or in actual fact, three), but it was actually quite good natured with a cabin announcement as to their presence which concluded by saying "Good luck. The first ten years are the worst". Cue much laughter and a slightly worried look from the bride-to-be. I then had the rather bemusing experience of having to tell a Dutch person where the capital of their country was. So yes, in a word, entertaining.
But now it's over and I'm back in Utrecht. I took a few pictures while I was back (and I know everyone likes pictures), so here's a pictorial review of the week:
These are both of Greenwich park. I've no idea who the people in the bottom photo are, and they've no idea who I was, but it just seemed a nice scene summing up what's so lovely about the place.
This is what should have given away the fact that something big was happening in China town, but to save face, I should point out that we only came upon this after consulting the police as to why there were so many people around.
And this is Will and I proving that two biologically unrelated people can indeed give off the impression that they might be brothers.
22/02/2007
Lonsterdam and Camtrecht
As you might well know, I'm currently reprising my old role as Selwyn resident, although this time, I'm doing so by sleeping on Stuarts (still surprisingly comfortable) floor. In fact, I've passed up the opportunity to go to a Family Law lecture to write this blog entry - Labour Law and Equity lectures yesterday were quite enough.
I flew into Luton on Saturday to spend a few days in London staying with Kelly and Dan while doing a mini-pupillage at One Essex Court chambers. I've never been to Luton before, and I was pretty surprised to see that the 'green' customs channel had a bin with 'Bird Flu' written on the side. Absent any other sort of notice I can only conclude that it was for those people unfortunate enough to have flown in from Hungary with turkey giblets in their hand luggage. Things did not improve greatly when my train down to London was (a) delayed by thirty minutes and (b) devoid of anywhere to sit. But at least it was an authentic re-introduction to the good old United Kingdom.
It was great to see both Kelly and Dan again and I had a good chance to have a wonder around south London and the Greenwich area. I don't know what it is about Greenwich, but I just think it's lovely, especially the park. Unfortunately someone had rather selfishly taken the Cutty Sark away for refurbishment leaving a bit of an empty space on the pier, but it was still worth the trek. Greenwich also provided the setting for a rather brutal haircut. My passport photo convinced me that I needed it cutting, but not quite to the extent that my barber evidently thought necessary! I should imagine it won't need cutting again until at least July. Met up with Will, Jon and Nathan from home as well which was great. We did the usual thing of spending two hours trying to meet up before going for lunch then spending about three hours deciding what to do with the rest of the day before trying to find somewhere for dinner etc. Unfortunately we ended up in China town while being oblivious to the fact that it was Chinese New Year. The amount of people around was therefore quite perplexing, but one clarifying conversation with a policeman later and we were slightly the wiser. But not wiser enough to realise that finding somewhere to eat would be almost impossible. Cue much walking in and out of restaurants in quick succession.
London though felt a lot different than it did when I lived there over the Summer. When I flew back to the UK, for the first time, I didn't get that 'coming home' feeling, and stepping off the train at London Bridge, it didn't feel like I was in a different country. Walking around London things didn't seem that different either. Sure, the architecture is very different and the people mainly speak a language I can eavesdrop in, but things really didn't feel that different. Perhaps I've had more time to get used to Holland, or perhaps more likely, I've changed in the way I perceive things. It was great to be back 'home', but it didn't feel anymore familiar than Utrecht now does. Although, having said that, the UK does have the huge advantage of having both J2Os and Innocent Smoothies in abundance, so that'll probably keep me coming back.
The mini-pupillage was good and I got the chance to play at being a Barrister for two days. It's such a shame that I can't mention what I was working on, but it's amazing knowing what goes on behind the scenes in the most everyday things. Unfortunately it took me about half an hour and an inordinate amount of prodding before I approached the answer to one of the problems I was working on - so I guess I've a little work to do before next year! But I'm convinced that it's a career I'm going to give serious thought to pursuing.
I've now been in Cambridge for two days and again it feels a little odd. It's great to be back and to have seen everyone, but at the same time, it doesn't really feel like I've been away for any length of time, perhaps because nothing's really changed (although the whacking great big crane behind Newnham appears to have disappeared). Although I have finally had a famous Chelsea Bun from Fitzbillies, and for the first time in my life I've actually done everything on my highly-optimistic to do list. So they were both worth coming all this way for! We're going to a Formal Hall tomorrow night before I fly back to Amsterdam tomorrow afternoon with my bags packed full of crumpets and cheddar cheese.
I flew into Luton on Saturday to spend a few days in London staying with Kelly and Dan while doing a mini-pupillage at One Essex Court chambers. I've never been to Luton before, and I was pretty surprised to see that the 'green' customs channel had a bin with 'Bird Flu' written on the side. Absent any other sort of notice I can only conclude that it was for those people unfortunate enough to have flown in from Hungary with turkey giblets in their hand luggage. Things did not improve greatly when my train down to London was (a) delayed by thirty minutes and (b) devoid of anywhere to sit. But at least it was an authentic re-introduction to the good old United Kingdom.
It was great to see both Kelly and Dan again and I had a good chance to have a wonder around south London and the Greenwich area. I don't know what it is about Greenwich, but I just think it's lovely, especially the park. Unfortunately someone had rather selfishly taken the Cutty Sark away for refurbishment leaving a bit of an empty space on the pier, but it was still worth the trek. Greenwich also provided the setting for a rather brutal haircut. My passport photo convinced me that I needed it cutting, but not quite to the extent that my barber evidently thought necessary! I should imagine it won't need cutting again until at least July. Met up with Will, Jon and Nathan from home as well which was great. We did the usual thing of spending two hours trying to meet up before going for lunch then spending about three hours deciding what to do with the rest of the day before trying to find somewhere for dinner etc. Unfortunately we ended up in China town while being oblivious to the fact that it was Chinese New Year. The amount of people around was therefore quite perplexing, but one clarifying conversation with a policeman later and we were slightly the wiser. But not wiser enough to realise that finding somewhere to eat would be almost impossible. Cue much walking in and out of restaurants in quick succession.
London though felt a lot different than it did when I lived there over the Summer. When I flew back to the UK, for the first time, I didn't get that 'coming home' feeling, and stepping off the train at London Bridge, it didn't feel like I was in a different country. Walking around London things didn't seem that different either. Sure, the architecture is very different and the people mainly speak a language I can eavesdrop in, but things really didn't feel that different. Perhaps I've had more time to get used to Holland, or perhaps more likely, I've changed in the way I perceive things. It was great to be back 'home', but it didn't feel anymore familiar than Utrecht now does. Although, having said that, the UK does have the huge advantage of having both J2Os and Innocent Smoothies in abundance, so that'll probably keep me coming back.
The mini-pupillage was good and I got the chance to play at being a Barrister for two days. It's such a shame that I can't mention what I was working on, but it's amazing knowing what goes on behind the scenes in the most everyday things. Unfortunately it took me about half an hour and an inordinate amount of prodding before I approached the answer to one of the problems I was working on - so I guess I've a little work to do before next year! But I'm convinced that it's a career I'm going to give serious thought to pursuing.
I've now been in Cambridge for two days and again it feels a little odd. It's great to be back and to have seen everyone, but at the same time, it doesn't really feel like I've been away for any length of time, perhaps because nothing's really changed (although the whacking great big crane behind Newnham appears to have disappeared). Although I have finally had a famous Chelsea Bun from Fitzbillies, and for the first time in my life I've actually done everything on my highly-optimistic to do list. So they were both worth coming all this way for! We're going to a Formal Hall tomorrow night before I fly back to Amsterdam tomorrow afternoon with my bags packed full of crumpets and cheddar cheese.
16/02/2007
Pausing Utrecht
Before going to bed last night I had one of those 'Oh, that's good, I'll blog about that' thoughts. Of course, I've now completely forgotten what it was going to be about, but it was really good. Alas. But something else odd just happened that I can write about instead. I was walking back to Parnassos from spending an afternoon in town having a drink and trying to book a bus ride on a non-existent route, wondering how to make something exciting from spinach, potatoes and onions, when I became aware that I was being flagged down by the girl in front of me. Now, this doesn't happen that often. But she seemed very pleased to see me and asked me, in English, if I could help her with her bag. Now, I have no recollection of talking to, or even meeting, this person before, but I didn't feel I could deny her request seeing as she apparently knew me. So, I took the bag and had one of those awkward '(I don't know who you are, but) how are you?' conversations all the way back to Parnassos. I am still no closer to knowing who she was, but she apparently lives downstairs. How very odd.
On Tuesday I handed in my final assessment of the first semester and at the same time officially started the second semester. That means I'm halfway through my time here, which is a pretty scary thought when I think about how much has happened already, but also how much there's still left to do. Annie was right on her blog when she mentioned how odd it seems to think that some people only get to do this sort of thing for six-months. Worryingly, the 30th June is only 4 1/2 months away, and I can well imagine the time running by at breakneck speed, but the sun has shone for two consecutive days now, so that must be a good sign. Shamefully though, still ik spreek slechts een beetje Nederlands...
On Tuesday I also went to the Hague to do some research at the Peace Palace library. Law people will know the building from the front of Shaw's International Law book. I must say, from the picture I'd expected a grand palace in the middle of nowhere, so we settled down for a long haul on the tram, only to find it nestled in between normal buildings about 5 minutes from the centre of the Hague, so that was a surprise. We had to go through security to get in to the library and then we had to pay €10 for the privilege of using the library, which didn't have what we wanted anyway. Humph. So we spent three hours trying to make the most of our €10 before giving up and spending the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Hague where most things were oddly closed, but I do now know a rather nice cafe there, somewhere. I even had the good fortune to find an English-language Dutch newspaper which informed me that if I ate something from a fast-food outlet in the Netherlands, there was a rather disconcerting 30% chance that I would end up eating horse meat. The Febo fastfood automat vending machines have never seemed so unappealing.
I'm coming back to the UK tomorrow for a week to spend a few days in London on a mini-pupillage at One Essex Court and to visit friends I haven't seen for too long, before heading up to Cambridge for a few more days to do exactly the same (and get in the way). So I'm really looking forward to that, although I'm somewhat less looking forward to getting to Schipol airport at 6am tomorrow morning.
On Tuesday I handed in my final assessment of the first semester and at the same time officially started the second semester. That means I'm halfway through my time here, which is a pretty scary thought when I think about how much has happened already, but also how much there's still left to do. Annie was right on her blog when she mentioned how odd it seems to think that some people only get to do this sort of thing for six-months. Worryingly, the 30th June is only 4 1/2 months away, and I can well imagine the time running by at breakneck speed, but the sun has shone for two consecutive days now, so that must be a good sign. Shamefully though, still ik spreek slechts een beetje Nederlands...
On Tuesday I also went to the Hague to do some research at the Peace Palace library. Law people will know the building from the front of Shaw's International Law book. I must say, from the picture I'd expected a grand palace in the middle of nowhere, so we settled down for a long haul on the tram, only to find it nestled in between normal buildings about 5 minutes from the centre of the Hague, so that was a surprise. We had to go through security to get in to the library and then we had to pay €10 for the privilege of using the library, which didn't have what we wanted anyway. Humph. So we spent three hours trying to make the most of our €10 before giving up and spending the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Hague where most things were oddly closed, but I do now know a rather nice cafe there, somewhere. I even had the good fortune to find an English-language Dutch newspaper which informed me that if I ate something from a fast-food outlet in the Netherlands, there was a rather disconcerting 30% chance that I would end up eating horse meat. The Febo fastfood automat vending machines have never seemed so unappealing.
I'm coming back to the UK tomorrow for a week to spend a few days in London on a mini-pupillage at One Essex Court and to visit friends I haven't seen for too long, before heading up to Cambridge for a few more days to do exactly the same (and get in the way). So I'm really looking forward to that, although I'm somewhat less looking forward to getting to Schipol airport at 6am tomorrow morning.
08/02/2007
Winter Wonderland
After spending last night moaning to anyone who'd listen about it not snowing here (sorry Cecily!), it seems someone at the Dutch equivalent of the MET Office was paying attention. Yes, today it finally snowed properly in Utrecht, and seemingly just about everywhere else in Europe as well!
It did though come as quite a surprise for I met up with Andrew for breakfast this morning in what has just become my favourite cafe in Utrecht. It's built into the wall of canal in what look like old cellars and is all very quaint. Unfortunately where we sat we didn't really have a window and despite seeing some flakes falling and some pretty damp people walking in, we couldn't really see what was going on in its full glory. So five hours later when we emerged it was to quite a surreal, but rather pretty scene:
I had a grand total of 20 minutes to get back to pick up my lecture notes and camera, and to enjoy the scrunching of the snow before my final lecture of this period, so sadly I didn't get a chance to regress to my childhood and join the children in sledging down the banks in the park.
After said lecture the student association here had arranged an ice-skating session at the 'local' rink. Being quite curious as to what it would be like to cycle in the snow and ice for 30 minutes, I cycled there with about five others, but (un)fortunately it wasn't quite as extreme cycling as I was hoping!
The ice-skating itself was good fun though, although the same problem I have with my left leg skiing is exactly the same problem I have with my left leg ice-skating, so everything I do comes in halves! I don't really feel like I've improved since I went last year and it's always the case that things feel like they're coming together just before we have to get off. But I guess that's a good reason to go back and keep trying. And, making up for my not being able to regress to my childhood earlier in the day, we even found time for a snowball fight on the way home.
So, my timetable for today has been something like this:
10:00-15:00 Breakfast
15:15-18:15 Lecture
19:00-23:00 Ice Skating
Unfortunately, I feel that my timetable for tomorrow will instead go something like this:
10:00-23:00 Paper Writing
But if it snows again then I guess I might have to alter that a little.
It did though come as quite a surprise for I met up with Andrew for breakfast this morning in what has just become my favourite cafe in Utrecht. It's built into the wall of canal in what look like old cellars and is all very quaint. Unfortunately where we sat we didn't really have a window and despite seeing some flakes falling and some pretty damp people walking in, we couldn't really see what was going on in its full glory. So five hours later when we emerged it was to quite a surreal, but rather pretty scene:
I had a grand total of 20 minutes to get back to pick up my lecture notes and camera, and to enjoy the scrunching of the snow before my final lecture of this period, so sadly I didn't get a chance to regress to my childhood and join the children in sledging down the banks in the park.
After said lecture the student association here had arranged an ice-skating session at the 'local' rink. Being quite curious as to what it would be like to cycle in the snow and ice for 30 minutes, I cycled there with about five others, but (un)fortunately it wasn't quite as extreme cycling as I was hoping!
The ice-skating itself was good fun though, although the same problem I have with my left leg skiing is exactly the same problem I have with my left leg ice-skating, so everything I do comes in halves! I don't really feel like I've improved since I went last year and it's always the case that things feel like they're coming together just before we have to get off. But I guess that's a good reason to go back and keep trying. And, making up for my not being able to regress to my childhood earlier in the day, we even found time for a snowball fight on the way home.
So, my timetable for today has been something like this:
10:00-15:00 Breakfast
15:15-18:15 Lecture
19:00-23:00 Ice Skating
Unfortunately, I feel that my timetable for tomorrow will instead go something like this:
10:00-23:00 Paper Writing
But if it snows again then I guess I might have to alter that a little.
07/02/2007
From Moots, to Mocks, and Beyond
I'm getting concerned at the amount of time I'm spending wearing my suit at the moment. Today was the end of the Legal English course that I've been teaching here, and it was time to hand the floor over to the students as they took part in a Mock-Trial. My role was strictly non-participatory with me having 'observer' status, so we were intrigued to see what they came up with.
To say it was good fun would be an understatement and the whole thing was nicely light-hearted. Some were more prepared than others, but everyone put in a great effort especially considering that English isn't their first language. The scenario was a dangerous driving case and everyone really got into their roles:
It ended up being my class against the other class, so people seemed to be quite competitive! Unfortunately the other class won in securing the conviction, but my class did a grand job nonetheless. I'm actually a little sad that the course has come to an end. I didn't always do a great job of teaching, but I had fun trying and it's been great to be involved with something so different to what I'm used to. So much so that I'm spending a day in a Dutch secondary school at the end of February helping out in an English class, so I'm looking forward to that as well.
Today has also been momentous for another reason - I've been able to sort out my timetable for the rest of the year. Winning the moot has had the unexpected benefit of freeing up my options enormously and I've been able to drop two courses this coming semester without falling below the number of credits I need to come away with. So, after tomorrow I won't have any lectures again until the 25th April as the only course I'll be following in period three is self study. After the 25th April I'll have one lecture a week, every Wednesday, until the year finishes at the end of June. I have a paper to write for next Tuesday on the future of the European Union before I can really start the second semester, but now it's all confirmed and timetabled, I'm almost feeling that it's coming to quickly. Suddenly the 30th June doesn't feel that far away.
To say it was good fun would be an understatement and the whole thing was nicely light-hearted. Some were more prepared than others, but everyone put in a great effort especially considering that English isn't their first language. The scenario was a dangerous driving case and everyone really got into their roles:
It ended up being my class against the other class, so people seemed to be quite competitive! Unfortunately the other class won in securing the conviction, but my class did a grand job nonetheless. I'm actually a little sad that the course has come to an end. I didn't always do a great job of teaching, but I had fun trying and it's been great to be involved with something so different to what I'm used to. So much so that I'm spending a day in a Dutch secondary school at the end of February helping out in an English class, so I'm looking forward to that as well.
Today has also been momentous for another reason - I've been able to sort out my timetable for the rest of the year. Winning the moot has had the unexpected benefit of freeing up my options enormously and I've been able to drop two courses this coming semester without falling below the number of credits I need to come away with. So, after tomorrow I won't have any lectures again until the 25th April as the only course I'll be following in period three is self study. After the 25th April I'll have one lecture a week, every Wednesday, until the year finishes at the end of June. I have a paper to write for next Tuesday on the future of the European Union before I can really start the second semester, but now it's all confirmed and timetabled, I'm almost feeling that it's coming to quickly. Suddenly the 30th June doesn't feel that far away.
06/02/2007
Jumping Ship
It’s a strange time here at the moment. The second semester officially started yesterday and while it’s made no difference to me on my courses, for some it’s meant the end of their time in Utrecht. Moving room has shielded me from the changeover to a large degree and there are now a lot of unfamiliar faces and voices floating through the corridors, so I’m going to have go meeting and greeting!
Yesterday evening I had the mooting team over to dinner to say goodbye to Yu who’s now on his way back to Australia (hopefully sans food poisoning!). Yu’s been a great friend these past five months and he’s probably the one I need to thank (or perhaps more suitably, blame) for infecting me with the travelling bug after we went to Brussels last year. Not to mention the fact that without his sterling performance on Saturday we probably wouldn’t be going to America in March.
So it seemed the least I could do to bring a few people around for dinner to say sayonara. So my tiny kitchen was rearranged Tardis-like to seat three more people than it really should be able to. Unfortunately I should have realised that I was biting off a little more than I could chew. Not only did I manage to get lost on my way back from Lidl this morning (that's the last time I try and make up a shortcut home – 10 minutes there, closer to 40 minutes back!), but neither did I reckon with the fact that I’ve never hosted a dinner party before, and my intended menu consisted of a main dish that was somewhat more adventurous than I’m used to – a chicken and leak puff pasty pie.
I couldn’t find the pre-made stuff in the supermarket so had to resort to making my own. Amazingly, despite ending up with only an hour to get it all together, and never having peeled so many potatoes so quickly, it all came together at the right time. Once again, there are no photos of the actual end products, but I’m starting to think that’s a compliment! I’ve also been bequeathed an umbrella, a bicycle lock, a roll of masking tape, some hay-fever tablets, a bar of soap, and best of all, 18 (possibly overdue) hardback library books. So it was all worth it after all!
Yesterday evening I had the mooting team over to dinner to say goodbye to Yu who’s now on his way back to Australia (hopefully sans food poisoning!). Yu’s been a great friend these past five months and he’s probably the one I need to thank (or perhaps more suitably, blame) for infecting me with the travelling bug after we went to Brussels last year. Not to mention the fact that without his sterling performance on Saturday we probably wouldn’t be going to America in March.
So it seemed the least I could do to bring a few people around for dinner to say sayonara. So my tiny kitchen was rearranged Tardis-like to seat three more people than it really should be able to. Unfortunately I should have realised that I was biting off a little more than I could chew. Not only did I manage to get lost on my way back from Lidl this morning (that's the last time I try and make up a shortcut home – 10 minutes there, closer to 40 minutes back!), but neither did I reckon with the fact that I’ve never hosted a dinner party before, and my intended menu consisted of a main dish that was somewhat more adventurous than I’m used to – a chicken and leak puff pasty pie.
I couldn’t find the pre-made stuff in the supermarket so had to resort to making my own. Amazingly, despite ending up with only an hour to get it all together, and never having peeled so many potatoes so quickly, it all came together at the right time. Once again, there are no photos of the actual end products, but I’m starting to think that’s a compliment! I’ve also been bequeathed an umbrella, a bicycle lock, a roll of masking tape, some hay-fever tablets, a bar of soap, and best of all, 18 (possibly overdue) hardback library books. So it was all worth it after all!
04/02/2007
Mooting USA
Last week I mentioned that I was finally going to see the back of my mooting competition and 'get on with the rest of the year'. I was wrong. Yesterday I found myself wearing a suit, sitting on a train while the sun was rising and again when it was setting. In between I mooted. Twice. And amazingly, despite everything I'd predicted, we won! We're going to Washington DC in March to represent the Netherlands in the world finals!
The moot was held in The Hague's District Court building, and it was the first time that I've mooted in a proper court room which was a little intimidating to say the least. The Judges themselves weren't afraid to butt in with awkward questions, but thankfully they were never obstructive and instead asked questions that allowed us to get on with our arguments. Fajar and I first mooted again Maastricht University and I thought we'd done OK, but I flunked the rebuttal. Yu and Emma then took on Rotterdam and both did a good job, with Yu deservedly winning the award for being the Best Orallist for his performance. Then came the final. I wasn't sure whether we were going to make it in, but we did and found ourselves up against Amsterdam. Amsterdam won the coin toss and chose to present the case for the applicants. This equalled the worst case scenario for it meant that I had to represent Utrecht in the final. As Emma's mum kindly reminded me before I got up 'It's up to you to get them to Washington'! Amsterdam's main orallist was scary, and even made me jump when she started talking! Still it allowed for quite a difference in styles and I felt like I'd done a reasonable job, and made a much better effort in the rebuttal second time around.
But still, none of us could believe it when they said we'd be going to Washington, and to tell the truth, I still can't believe it. But it's fantastic and I'm still on Cloud 9. We've a meeting tomorrow to discuss logistics, but at the moment I'm just quite hapy with having been presented with one of the biggest trophies I've seen, as shown in this rather self-congratulatory (and bad!) photo of us all:
Unfortunately we no longer possess said trophy as our Coach appropriated it after we went out for dinner, but not before he'd had it filled with wine:
Now it's all a blur and I can't remember what I said at the podium, but hopefully I'll have remembered by the 26th March when it starts all over again. A few weeks or months ago I'd have been crying at the prospect of the moot dragging on for another two months, but now that's it's all over, I almost can't wait to get there and do it all over again. In fact, I think I might even be looking forward to it!
The moot was held in The Hague's District Court building, and it was the first time that I've mooted in a proper court room which was a little intimidating to say the least. The Judges themselves weren't afraid to butt in with awkward questions, but thankfully they were never obstructive and instead asked questions that allowed us to get on with our arguments. Fajar and I first mooted again Maastricht University and I thought we'd done OK, but I flunked the rebuttal. Yu and Emma then took on Rotterdam and both did a good job, with Yu deservedly winning the award for being the Best Orallist for his performance. Then came the final. I wasn't sure whether we were going to make it in, but we did and found ourselves up against Amsterdam. Amsterdam won the coin toss and chose to present the case for the applicants. This equalled the worst case scenario for it meant that I had to represent Utrecht in the final. As Emma's mum kindly reminded me before I got up 'It's up to you to get them to Washington'! Amsterdam's main orallist was scary, and even made me jump when she started talking! Still it allowed for quite a difference in styles and I felt like I'd done a reasonable job, and made a much better effort in the rebuttal second time around.
But still, none of us could believe it when they said we'd be going to Washington, and to tell the truth, I still can't believe it. But it's fantastic and I'm still on Cloud 9. We've a meeting tomorrow to discuss logistics, but at the moment I'm just quite hapy with having been presented with one of the biggest trophies I've seen, as shown in this rather self-congratulatory (and bad!) photo of us all:
Unfortunately we no longer possess said trophy as our Coach appropriated it after we went out for dinner, but not before he'd had it filled with wine:
Now it's all a blur and I can't remember what I said at the podium, but hopefully I'll have remembered by the 26th March when it starts all over again. A few weeks or months ago I'd have been crying at the prospect of the moot dragging on for another two months, but now that's it's all over, I almost can't wait to get there and do it all over again. In fact, I think I might even be looking forward to it!
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