Jason's Daily Notes

Kristina drove me to the Hbf to meet my mitfahrer at 11am. The snow was starting to melt. I noticed that she was studying MS and the license plate code for Münster was also MS. We sat in the car for a few minutes while waiting to figure out who the ridesharer was. Eventually we found her: Mia.

Then, after another couple minutes, the driver came: Ute. I said bye to Kristina, thanking her for her wonderful hospitality. Soon, we were off. We picked up a third ridesharer; V___ or something. I soon fell asleep. Before I knew it, we were past Bremen and headed toward Hamburg. I was following the car with my phone (I had pre-loaded the phone with the maps before we went, so that the GPS would show at least). I was speaking German the whole way, and I am getting better at explaining what I'm doing with my life at this stage.

They dropped me off in Altona, just at 2pm as I had planned. I went to the McDonalds, ordered a latte and tried to connect to wifi. It said that I needed to be a member or to buy access. Wtf?! Wifi is so hard to come by in Europe sometimes. Anyway, it didn't matter as Nicki arrived soon thereafter. We were happy to be reunited (after 5 years!).

We got me a 1-week public transit pass and headed to her place to drop off my stuff. She lives nearby, in Altona-Nord, not far from the cool and happening Sternschanze district. She had just moved in to her flat (literally the day before) so things were all over the place and a mess. I dropped off my stuff and we went out together, because she had an appointment at 4pm near the university. I went with her there and for 1 hour, I was free. I withdrew some cash and walked around, stopping by another McDonald's at the Dammtor station. I then walked, eventually making it to the Alster, but I didn't have time to walk around it because I had to be back to meet Nicki at 5pm. So I rushed back. Luckily I was wearning my green pants, making it easy for her to find me.

We then headed straight to her parents' place, taking the bus to Jungfernstieg and the U-Bahn further. I challenged myself to lead the way back to the house, seeing if I still remember it from 5 years ago. I did pretty alright.

Andreas (dad) was chopping wood in the back with some neighbors, while Anna (mom) was downstairs tutoring. Nicki sold her guitar to a guy who arrived just a couple minutes after us. We heated up some goulash and cooked some potato dumplings to go with them. Sat and watched The Simpsons.

Andreas made me some tea with rum in it - good stuff. Then, Anna offered to drive us back (because we were bringing a dust sucker [vacuum cleaner] with us). So she did. And she quickly left to pick up Nicki's sister. Nicki and I then assembled her clothes hanger thingy and got ready for bed. Her couch was spacious and comfy.

Woke up promptly at 9:45am. Kristina had arranged a full day of things to do, which started with brunch in the city at 11. I got ready (Kristina had already showered the night before).

Katrin, her cousin Ennis (?), and the fourth flatmate Vio (sp?) joined us - we walked to a different bus stop (and the bus was slightly delayed) and went into the city. Ennis is working at a hotel (together with Katrin) and studying hotel management. Vio studied cultural stuff and is waiting to hear back from her application to the Goethe Institut in Toronto (we talked about moving to Canada/US). They couldn't get reservations at any restaurant, so we decided to just pop in and hope for a spae. We went to Cafe & Bar Celona, and we managed to arrange a table for 5 in the corner.

The brunch buffet was nice; half was German breakfast stuff (bread, cheese, and sliced meat), ad the other half had fruits, eggs, and omelet bar. I made 3 rounds - the waffle was amazing (I was the only one who used the timer on the waffle machine, winning!). Completely full and food comatose, we left. Vio had to go, so we said tschüss. The remaining four of us walked around the city center.

We visited several churches. I learned that Münster is just on the northern edge of the Catholic part of Germany. Everything was covered in snow. But, with the snow falling, it didn't feel as cold as it did during the previous days.

We walked to the Aasee, a big lake on the edge of the city center. We walked around, and Katrin and Ennis left because they had to go to work. Kristina and I walked around the snowy and part-frozen lake and had some tea/hot cocoa at a cafe on the waterfront.

Then, it was time for the barbecue. We walked to the schloss, and the university buildings were right behind that. There were about 15 people there, all gathered in a room, chatting; most of them were actually from Bielefeld. I went outside with T___, Jojo, and Thomas to set up the grill and start cooking the meat. We spoke exclusively in German.  We cooked up a bunch of sausages and steaks (and veggie patties for Miriam).

There was a lot of leftover food. The group was planning their annual retreat/event and I observed. Everyone left, and then Kristina and I took the bus to the harbor, where we walked around. We didn't feel like having another drink; we were so full. So we returned home and just had a tea there.

I was up around 08:30 and couldn't get back to bed. Of course not, it was a travel day and I had a lot on my mind. I had to say good-bye to Mike's dad and Roeline before they left to visit her niece. I was also kept up by the fact that I would be saying good-bye to Mike.

I said bye to the parents just before 10am. I registered my account for my SIM card online, and suddenl my 3G service was working! Wtf?! I had a banana and made myself a little milkshake. Hung out with Mike for the last couple hours. But unlike our last day together in London, I didn't feel so sad; I felt a bit more content and confident (most likely from the feedback from eBay - they wanted me, and the problem lies with the UK policy, not with me). Still, it's sad to say bye to your best friend.

Mike printed out my train ticket for me and soon we were walking together to the train station. Had another good talk along the way, and we got to know each other a little bit more. I got on a train 5 minutes earlier than scheduled, but it was ok. No extended goodbyes, just a hug and a wave as the train left.

Suddenly, internet on my phone wasn't working anymore. I could only play Flow as I waited at Amersfoort's central station. I got on the train to Enschede, which took 1.5 hours, and I played a bit on my phone, snacked on my bread/cheese/hummus, wrote a bit on my laptop, and fell asleep. Soon I was in Enschede, and I had 10 minutes to change trains. I bought a bottle of water, since I had none, and walked across the street to platform 6, where the German train was waiting for me.

The German train was smaller, as a regional train. All the seats were facing each other. There was a family with their son in a wheelchair. Suddenly, everyone was speaking German, which was another cultural/language change for me. I fell asleep quickly.

Soon I arrived in Münster. My internet wasn't working, so I desperately tried for wifi. Kristina wasn't there. I waited in the main hall, but no sign. After 10 minutes I decided to walk back to the platform, and there was Kristina, waiting for me. She drove me back.

We went to the grocery store (Aldi) to buy some food. There, we asked if they had a SIM card for sale that would be appropriate for me. They only had the Aldi-branded SIM, which we didn't get. Kristina drove me back (just a couple blocks) to her place, which is a shared flat in a house on the southern side of Münster. I met her flatmates - Katrin and Mia (Maria). I had some coffee and we chilled and chatted (auf Deutsch!)

It was weird for me to be speaking German again, after so long. I was actually mixing in a lot of Dutch words too (kept wanting to say gezelig, alsjeblieft, dank u wel, etc.)!

It started snowing.

We cooked dinner in their tiny upstairs kitchen - pasta with chicken bolognese. Mia (the vegetarian who is studying food technology and whose vegan pastry I tried) made a nice salad.

After dinner, we had a digestiv of Cuarento y Tres (43) liquor mixed with milk - yummy! Then, Kristina, Katrin and I went out to show me Münster's nightlife. We walked through the snow to the bus stop, and we took the bus into the city center. With Kristina's student ticket, I could travel together for free.

We went to Das Blaue Haus, a cool cozy pub. There, I tried this drink that was dark beer with fruits in it. They like their beer fruity. It was good but girly :X We just sat and chatted. After our drink, I paid up and we went to the next bar, a crowded rock bar on the other street (Münster has two streets lined with bars/pubs). We had another drink there, observed the crowd for a bit, and then continued onward so that I could witness Destille, the messiest bar of them all. We had to wait for a minute to enter because it was full. Inside was a spectacle, crammed elbow-to-elbow, everyone was singing those embarassingly awesome songs, which spanned from MJ's "Black and White" to "Fliegerlied (So ein schöner Tag)" - awesome. The atmosphere in the small bar was almost like carnaval or what I imagine Oktoberfest to be like.

We returned home, taking the night bus. Our tickets were checked, no problem. Then to bed!

Up around 10am. Coen and Roeline were already gone to work. I had a little breakfast (sandwich).

I had a phone "interview" (which was actually just a casual formality because they had already offered me the job) with one of the managers (Armin) at 12pm. The call went well; he was happy to see me join the company. All that was left was to sort out my visa situation, but he said that he would push for it to get done asap.

Mike had schoolwork to finish, and I wanted to go out and see the city. (My plan was to "get lost" and just find my way around random places.) So I left in the afternoon and explored. I took the bike and followed a path that Mike said would lead straight to the city. I also wanted to explore on my own, so I took several diversions and took plenty of pictures along the way. I don't know the names of the places I went, but it was very nice. The suburbs of Amersfoort are very pleasant and quiet (actually everywhere in the Netherlands is generally quiet). Lots of nice, semi-modern houses tucked away on traffic-less streets, save for the bikes, and plenty of green space. There are lots of parks and canals everywhere. It does not feel crowded here at all (even though the Netherlands is a densely populated country).

I biked into the city center, which was about 4km away. I found a place to park my bike, and I walked around. I wanted to find wifi and check my messages. Again, I naïvely had the idea that I would be able to meet up with someone (perhaps from couchsurfing), but in the end I was all alone. It's difficult to talk to Dutch people. This I learned. I wandered back and forth through the city center and its shopping streets. The old town is ringed by canals, but since it's not as crowded as Amsterdam or Venice, the city center is very quaint and charming. I eventually went to McDonald's for the wifi, where I had a hamburger and a chili chicken sandwich.

It was cold. Maybe just a degree above freezing, if that. I was disappointed that I could not find any coffeeshop - so much for my last dying stereotype of the Netherlands.I went back to my bike and started riding around the edge of the city center. I was stopping every so often to check the maps on my phone and to take some pictures. I aimed to find my way back towards the house without following the maps too closely, and I took sort of the wrong turn. But I found my way back. Instead of going inside the house, I continued biking. I wanted to learn all the streets in the area (just because). I ended up spiraling around and also going back to Lidl, where I bought ice cream and hummus. It was nearly 6pm, and the day was still bright, but I needed to be back for dinner. I got a missed call from Mike, but my phone couldn't call him.

I returned back to the house. Mike wasn't getting my calls, or my WhatsApp messages. I rang the doorbell several times, but no answer. I was outside for like 10 minutes. Surely someone was home; I saw the light on. I eventually walked around to the back of the house and saw the family in the window, where i knocked and got their attention!

Roy was there for dinner. He's doing the Insanity workout program. Our meal was a casserole of brussels sprouts with meatballs. I offered some ice cream for dessert, but they were hesitant to try.

After dinner, Mike and I biked across town to see the korfbal match. We passed through the city center, where he pointed out some sights to me, and described how nice it is to be sitting outside on a warm summer day. I could imagine it would be really nice, in the outdoor plazas or along one of the canals. But not tonight - it was cold. The shops were open "late" though, because it was Thursday.

We got to the korfbal stadium and watched a 30-minute half of a match. Mike knew a few people, and of course his dad was there as the coach. It's an interesting sport, reminding me of ultimate frisbee. We got a drink (2 beers for me, a beer and an ice tea for Mike) at the cafe in the sport hall, and several team members, including Nienke, joined us after they had finished their game. The football match (Ajax vs. someone) was on TV.

Mike and I left, biking back to the city center, where we went to the Break and played pool for some time. My legs were already getting sore from all the biking (and the cold), so I was not very energetic as we played. We then just sat and rested while having more beers (and Mike ordered nachos).

We biked back around 1am, just when the bar was closing (Mike and I were the only ones left in the bar until 2 other guys showed up). It was cold, like -3°. My thighs really felt frozen.

Quietly, so as not to wake Coen and Roeline, we went to bed.

So I'm in Amersfoort. Staying at Mike's dad's place. It's a very nice house, and very clean. And I can tell you why: They are very anal about keeping the house cleaned and organized. For example, you are expected to wipe the shower down after each use! It's effective, and it's definitely a good habit to have, but it's a big shift fromt he casual, "whatever" attitude that I have been living with on this trip.

I wanted to go out, and to buy some things from the grocery store, so Mike lent me their extra bike (which, by the way, has a lock embedded in the bike itself! How convenient.) and we rode the bikes to Lidl. There, I bought some bread, sliced meat and cheese, toothpaste, and tissues. I also considered buying croquettes but Mike took them away because (1) they don't have a fryer, and (2) they had shrimp in them. D'oh! Biked back home (there are a lot of turns on the route back to his house; it's kind of confusing so I just followed Mike. At least there are bike lanes everywhere, as you might expect in the Netherlands.

We dropped off the stuff at home and then walked to Albert Heijn in a nearby shopping center. It's the store where Mike used to work. Along the way, we walked by the house of a famous footballer. The neighborhood is very pleasant and pretty modern. It reminds me partly of Irvine (master-planned suburbia) and of Tampere, Finland (European modern and spacious).

I had a phone interview at 3pm, with Trivago. The call went well; the manager who spoke with me was American. I did my best to impress him (given that I have another job offer), because it's always good to form strong connecting with whomever you meet.

After the interview, Mike and I just chilled at home for the afternoon. I helped him re-write his CV and LinkedIn profile to help him get a summer internship. (I do not feel worried for him at all. He's got good connections and always puts in great work in whatever he does.)

Why do we pronounce the word "nothing" as "nuthing"?

Dinner was at 6pm sharp. Roeline returned home around 5pm, and Coen shortly thereafter. Mike and I went downstairs to see the kitchen already made up and prepared for dinner. The menu: Pork shoarma served on toasted buns with chopped lettuce and sauce. It was tasty and well-prepared. We ate, put away the dinner plates, then brought out the dessert, which was yogurt with grapes. Put those away, and we each had a piece of chocolate (which I had brought from Belgium).

After dinner, we sat around watching TV. There was football on, Schalke vs Galatasaray. We watched; I offered a round of beers but no one else wanted to join me, so I drank alone, and we also distracted ourselves on our phones. Roeline went upstairs and to bed. Soon, Coen joined her.

Mike and I stayed downstairs and watched There's Something about Mary. Then, to bed. We have to be very quiet when going to bed, so as not to wake up the dad and stepmom.

My last day in Utrecht.

I've decided to call this homeless stage of my life my "exile."

I showered, then went to Albert Heijn and bought some breakfast for me and Willem - croissants, juice, toast, jam.

Mike was on the bus back from London.

Wow. I got big, awesome, fantastic news. For my job interview on Thursday, the manager was so impressed that he decided to offer me the internship without even speaking to me! :) THAT'S RIGHT - I HAVE A JOB OFFER IN LONDON.

But guess what - I have a phone interview for another job (in Germany) tomorrow morning.

My throat is finally feeling better. I'm getting by with no medication today.

Willem had work/reading to do. I went out for the afternoon and walked around the city some more. I got a smoothie at Eazie, a healthy café that had wifi :). Then, I also got some fries from one of the Mannekin Pis stalls located in the pedestrian zone of the city center. I walked more, toward the train station and back. My legs and feet were tired, and it was already 17:30.

Returned to Willem's, wrote him a thank-you note (he was upstairs) and got my stuff ready to go. Mike was texting me that he would be a little late. I said bye to Willem (he still had to get his stuff ready so he wouldn't go to the train station with me) and walked to the station. I tried to figure out my ticket, and I bought it at the ticket office, since my card wouldn't work at any of the ticket machines.

I walked over to our meeting point near the Burger King, and there walking toward me, also wearing a backpack and carrying a Sports Direct bag, was Mike! We embraced. Reunited!

Mike got a kebab since he was hungry, and we sat and chatted for a few minutes. He filled me in with the details of his weekend and what he got to see (including going back to his office and finally meeting Kristi, if only briefly).

We got on the next train to Groningen (which passes through Amersfoort). Amersfoort (along with Utrecht) is a train hub for all trains going to the north and east of the country. Apparently I bought the wrong ticket, since his house is one stop further. We took care of it at Amersfoort station.

It was a short train ride (both of them) and we just stood in the area between carriages (so that we could talk).

Arrived at the station; Mike got his bike, and we walked to his house, which was like a 15-20 minute walk. It's a nice and modern area, lots of new buildings. I arrived at his (dad's) house, which is spacious and modern. His stepmom, Roeline, was there. We sat, as he caught up with her, watching Schindler's List with the volume turned low.

Mike and I then retired upstairs, watching some TV and just chilling for a couple hours before going to bed.

Still in Utrecht. Still recovering from my throat infection. Overnight, I was coughing up some blood (because my throat was too dry). I kept drinking water, but my throat kept drying out (because my swallowing reflex was basically gone). So I kept going to the toilet (which is a smelly shared toilet in this house).

Anyway, got up around 11am. Had some breakfast of bread and cheese.

I left Willem on his own for the day (he had a jam session scheduled and some work to do). I walked around the city on my own, taking pictures along the way. I walked north, through the city center, and then I followed the canal that rings the edge of Utrecht's center. I sat down at some benches along the way, letting the day pass me by. The weather wasn't bad, especially for February: light clouds and temperatures around 7°C.

It did feel lonely, as many of my days have felt, walking round by myself in a foreign city. The excitement of being abroad has washed away, and often all I feel is the hollowness of my decision to stay away from home (or, should I say, to have no home).

I thought that I might find someone to meetup with, but obviously I didn't. How naïve of me.

I walked all the way to the south then back along the Oudengracht (sp?) to the center. I got an order of fries and a Fanta from a kebab shop where some teenagers were smoking hookah with the worker. I left and searched for free wifi. Desperate, I went into McDonald's for a milkshake and wifi. The shake was bad and the wifi slow.

I continued wandering as the sun set. I went into the train station and watched all the busy people. I returned to home, but didn't go in (letting Willem work in peace). Instead, I walked back to El Greco and ordered a gyros pita for my dinner. It was salty; so much so that I didn't eat all of the salty gyro meat.

Around 20:30 I returned to the house and caught up with Willem. He was getting ready for his sort-of date with an ex, which was at 9pm.

I was feeling much more healthy than I had been for the last 1.5 weeks, so I said that I might go out. He gave me the key. I sat down, browsing my phone, and before I knew it, I woke up. I had fallen asleep on the couch for 2 hours. D'oh!

Willem returned, we caught up. He went to sleep quickly, but I couldn't. I even considered going out in the middle of the night to drain my energy, but no.