Betsy Braves the Netherlands Part 1

Hey friends- ah- the creation of a much needed betsy blog. Please enjoy and refer to as much or as little in order to get your fill. I'm posting my first mass e-mail just to give this abroad experience a little perspective for those of you who need filling in.

September/October 2005

So far it's been one week of orientation and two weeks of classes,which have proved to be pretty exciting- I am really looking forward to them, and my schedule is finally set so no more running around lost and bewildered and non-dutch speaking- I've got it down (except for the dutch part which, I admit, has been a lot harder than I perceived, but I'm working on it). I'm taking a class on social trends, social policies and social problems in the Netherlands, one on the Social Meaning of Gender, auditing a lecture series on religion, human rights and development, a dutch course and a field experience class (which I LOVE, me and my prof did hand stands together in the hall on the first day, heh) which I am hoping to do some hands on research in the red light district concerning, of course, prostitution, women's human rights, policy and law, sex trafficking...any and all of the above. This week I went to visit an organization that is basically a small, non-profit that serves as a hub for information on prostitution to clients, students tourists, as well as prostitutes themselves seeking any info- taxes, health, safety (the website is very informative- http://www.pic-amsterdam.com/pic.html). So we'll see how all that evolves.

I live in an apartment with three other American students- we share a kitchen and I share a bathroom with one of them- and it's working out pretty well. My room is really nice, so big (major transition from this summer!) and we live in a really nice area of town. I bought a bike last week!! Amsterdam is the city of bikes, it's really just fabulous to get anywhere, whenever you need, oh man, I got on my bike and it was like liberation- it's an old green, fendered, kind of upright (think Wicked Witch of the West-esque) and it was promptly dubbed Wilhelmina, after it's late successor (joh's trusty bike) and of course the former Queen of NL.

Amsterdam is really such a beautiful city, and surprizingly clean from my perspective. There's so much history here, so many beautiful old churches and buildings, homes, houseboats- it's just kind of a cosy feel in the centrum, the old city. There are so many markets and museums, parks, quaint cafes, galleries, and all that jazz :*). For the last two days we've had rain and some cold, chilly weather. But pretty much since we arrived it was amazingly gorgeous, very uncharasteristic of Amsterdam- warm, bright sunny, almost hot weather. Now it's like we're finally settling into fall, and I like it.

I've been out of the city a few times now, once to Zandvoort a Zee to a beach. It was sharp water that you get used to fast so long as you keep playing, with great sandbars and little hermit crabs and a fuzzy horizon. On our way home we stopped in Haarlem (Corrie ten Boom's home is there, anyone who's read The Hiding Place). Last weekend my friend Neah and I escaped to the North land, took a ferry across the river IJ North of Amsterdam and rode our bikes through the countryside, sleepy canal towns, content, munching sheepies and very large cows. We ended at Edom, right on the coast, where I have never seen so many huge sailboats all together at once. The countryside here is in such stark contrast to the city- it was feast of green, relaxed, and striking. It was very beautiful, and about 40 km altogether, so it was a good ride too :*).

I have conjured up a few families here now. My good friend Johanna left me an American family she became a part of while she was here. I spent some time with them and their three young children, and it's been a welcome and refreshing break. They are incredibly generous and open-hearted and I have really appreciated it. Their children can be very revitalizing too.
I am also begining to babysit a dutch girl, Nina. She's about 7 years old and her parents wanted an American who will speak english with her (she's fluent in both dutch and english). She's very vibrant and a lot of fun, and her parents are really interesting people- I'm excited to get a chance to get to know some Dutch people well. They took me on a cruise through the canals on their boat last weekend, which was so beautiful. So that's exciting :*).

So, that's the most of things going on with me here, a good sum up. I look forward to hearing from all of you as well! If you know anyone who should have been on this mail list, please let me know, sometimes I'm a bit scattered, yes, so just send me a quick note :*).

Also, for those of you interested, I have attached the paper I wrote for the schlarship that enabled me to work at Amnesty in NYC this summer. Some of you I haven't gotten much of a chance to really delve into that whole experience with, so, if you so desire, take a look at it, I really enjoyed writing it and I think it'll give you a little piece of the NYC Betsy.
(To those of you at Jewell, I will be "there" giving a little speech on it on October 19th, I believe, one of few chances to see me sprawled across the wall of Gano, fun and excitment for all!)

ok, well take care--

betsy

oh- and address info---
for normal mail, here is my apartment address:

Betsy Bramon
Grote Bickerstraat 56 F-4
1013 KS Amsterdam
The Netherlands

and for packages (this isn't a hint by the way, just informational, so no pressure)

Betsy Bramon
IES-ISHSS
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Prins Hendrikkade 189b
1011 TD Amsterdam
The Netherlands