I have received official confirmation of my registration for the Dutch Language Intensive course which begins 1 August which means that I should be leaving in three weeks or so, provided my visa gets sorted out. I will have 6 hours of language training per day for three weeks and then a week or so off before my regular classes starts in which I might get to do some traveling. Also, if I get passing marks on my final exam in the language class, I get a refund of my tuition money as part of a University sponsored scholarship, so here's hopping that I am better at languages than I thought I was.
I have registered for an apartment as well. "Stadswonen" is a bunch of apartments and rooms specifically for exchange students where the rents are governed by the University. My room will be in the "African Inn" which is part of the exchange student housing and community areas (it is several blocks square) generally inhabited by students from Africa (the Dutch had a very recent colonial connection which, apparently, increases their cultural and education associations with lots of different peoples). It is a little studio apartment and it is ~$800-$820 dollars per month (depending on the status of the dollar) but it has a private bath (which is a given neither in Europe nor in university housing) and a kitchenette, which should be awfully nice, and plenty of security, which should make Mom happy. It is about 4 miles from the University and across the river but there is, theoretically at least, ample public transportation in case of rain or oversleeping.
In a couple of weeks I will be driving to Michigan again, to get some final paperwork taken care of, and then it is off, into the wild blue yonder. . .
Do I get the "Most Favored Sister Status" for not only reading but also commenting on your blog?
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