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| Quote on Teaching |
As university and placement started back this week we really
did get back into routine and this was evident that we weren’t used to it as
many afternoon naps were taken when I returned from placement or class! In
placement this week I continued to teach English to my group 8 class and on Tuesday
ended up to be a brilliant day as we got to visit and experience a young toddler
class (nursery) with children at the age of 2/3 years old. I thoroughly enjoyed
this as I love playing and acting the fool with the younger kids! We also got
to make a video for our teacher Ingerbord on our experience of the our school
and what we were doing at The Vonkenmorgen. This was a video that was going to
be presented to teachers all around the world as my teacher was going to a
school conference in Northern Ireland (randomly!) and so Souzy and I were going
to be movie stars! However I was excited at this because it got to show teachers why we were on Erasmus and as international students what we actually doing while staying here.
This week however for me mainly was to get my assignment on
Dutch Culture and Society finished off completely as the assignment date was
creeping up. The assignment consisted of selecting fifteen photos that I thought
were typically Dutch to me. So anything that I now relate to being Dutch in my
eyes was able to be selected and then I would have to write 200/300 words on
why I have chosen these pictures.
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| My OV Chip card |
One of my choices was my OV Chip card that I use for the bus
for placement. The reason I picked this was because I never really use public
transport at home and so now that I use it here it is a big change; making me
more Dutch already as many Dutch people always use trains and buses etc. Plus the
OV Chip card saves me money when travelling on the bus and this is always a big advantage! Furthermore, I will always keep this card as a constant reminder of my Erasmus
stay here in Holland!
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| My Travel Wall |
Another selection was my Travel Wall that I have decided to
begin here in Nijmegen, as I have been travelling to a few places over Europe.
Since being here I have travelled to Amsterdam a few times, I have been to
Delft and The Hague and my favourite Berlin! It will also conatin ticket, brochures etc from Bordeaux when I go and Brussels too! I also have kept boarding passes
of flights, train tickets, museum passes etc. As much as I love to travel and
see things I also love to look back and reflect of what I have done and where I
have been. The wall is filled with my Erasmus memories and so when I go home
and start to put the travel wall on my own wall in my bedroom I will always remember
my Erasmus experience and of course my time of becoming a little Dutch here in
Nijmegen.
“Some memories are
realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again.”
Willa Cather
Throughout completing my assignment I had fun when thinking
of why the certain things were Dutch to me and made me reflect on how much
fun I have had here in The Netherlands. It made me think how much I have
learned and changed as a person. As Jane Austin describes in one of her books
she states:
“Reflection must be
reserved for solitary hours; whenever she was alone, she gave way to it as the
greatest relief; and not a day went by without a solitary walk, in which she
might indulge in all the delight of unpleasant recollections.”
This shows that reflection gives an unexpected sense of
happiness produced by looking back upon what you have done and I completely
agree with this.
By the way here’s a list of all the fifteen things that I have
chosen that are typically Dutch to me:
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| Nijmegen Bridge |
- Half Pints of Beer being served when you ask for a beer at the bar.
- The crazy weather that’s worse than Northern Ireland.
- The Dutch obsession with using beer mats with every drink and bottle.
- My OV Chip card and use of public Transport.
- The lack of WIFI in most places.
- “Enjoy your meal” being said before each meal.
- My new favourite oranges; Blood Oranges.
- Public Peeing Stations on nights out on the main street.
- My travel wall.
- Nijmegen Bridge that I see/cross over all the time.
- My precious bike lock.
- The Windmill at the top of the hill so cycling gets easier after this.
- My towel that acts as my pillow here on Erasmus.
- Paying to Pee – paying to use the toilets in most places.
- Wooden structures in front of people’s houses/gardens.
P.S. Top tip for this week whenever you have to look back upon
what you have done, do not think of the ‘what ifs’ but think of how much you
have done and achieved in your own travels.
References:
Austin, J. Available: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/reflection. Last Accessed: 20/05/13.
Cather, W. Available: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/memories_2.html#87jSheA4VAL8talM.99. Last Accessed: 20/05/13/
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