What did the fish say when it ran into the concrete wall?........Dam!

So I decided it was time to get a blog.

I've been in Amsterdam for 2 weeks now and I've learned a few things.

Bicycles are dangerous.  Dutch people are pretty.  Stroopwaffles are death....death!  Cheese, bread, tea, wine, and beer are the only necessary food groups.  Online television is a god send.  Thirty minutes is a short walk, anything under an hour is doable.  Bicycles are dangerous.  Acoustic tiling helps acoustics...go figure.  The dutch have a bizarre transportation system.  Credit cards are not universally used.  Bicycles are dangerous.

Classes at the conservatory are definitely awesome.  Well, the ones I have so far.  Apparently course catalogues are not necessary here.  I'm taking music history with a professor who was head of early music at Paris Conservatoire for seven years!  I feel like I'll learn a lot and have fun doing so, which is good.  I'm also taking solfege... hahahaha.  All I have to say is Europeans are much much better at solfege.  I'm trying to fill my credits, so my new classes may include advanced rhythm or Japanese gamelan.  

I'm really enjoying my lessons so far.  Music is done differently here, especially early music.  Especially C.P.E Bach.  But, I'm slowly transitioning.  Luckily the acoustically phenomenal practice rooms are helping me get there.  

There are so many concerts here!  At least 4 a day on weekdays, about 7 on weekends, most of which are free.  So far, I've been trying to settle in, so I've only been to a few.  

It's hard to believe that I've only been here two weeks.  This place is starting to feel a lot more like somewhere I live.  I can practically walk with my eyes shut to the Conservatory.  I'm slowly but surely finding my way around Dutch pronunciation.  People even ask me for directions on the street.  

Things I will definitely take away from this, even if i were to leave tomorrow:

We have it better at Hartt than we sometimes think we do.  It is easy to take musical resources for granted when you live around them every day.  It is easy to take your sense of direction in a familiar place for granted.  Stressing out is highly overrated.  

So, now I leave to watch Mean Girls with my roommate!