It seems that debitcard related woe wasn't unique to the continent. The Co-op just denied my card. She wiped it and we had another go. Nothing. Then the machine said it had expired, which it hadn't. Swiping didn't work. Eventually she was able to type in my card number and I had to sign for it. 

This is related to the worry of not having enough money to last the summer... I guess being semi-reclusive will help me write my damned project? I thought so, but no. I should do some work on that, really. 

Updates after a short absence:
- I am once again (after an absence of a year) a resident of Crookes, Sheffield.
- Work has began on my Year Abroad project, though not enough.
- I am fully decorated and unpacked.
- I have lost 2kg.
- I spent a wonderful weekend in London and went to see an exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery. I also stayed up talking all night with Nic and Leonie, which was brilliant.
- I have discovered that The Old House sells Kwak and Chimay.

... and then they took Herb.

The ferry journey was uneventful, aside from me getting wasted at my dad's expense. This morning I was rough and therefore appreciative of the breeze on deck. I've been back in Hartlepool an hour or so. I wish I were still on my year abroad.

Also got some bad news. My granda's sister, my Auntie Pat, died last night in her sleep. She'd been taken into hospital with dehydration, but they think that she may have caught MRSA in the nursing home she was in.

Yesterday it was Alice's birthday, so the two of us and Matilda went to the Lake for a picnic, take celebrate and take advantage of the weather. It's hot again today, and not at all conductive to revision. It's also too hot to cook; I'm having sandwiches and beer for dinner. Horse sandwiches (again). Mmmm.  I have also started to pack; my dad's coming tomorrow for the weekend, but I have no idea as to the time or what he's going to do whilst I'm in my exam. Only four more days in Groningen...

Mijn tweede reis door europa...

.... begint morgen!

I'm quite excited for it. My bags are all packed, and I'm catching the 0944 train from Groningen to Rotterdam, then journeying on to Brussels (where I will be the guy who orders in Dutch), Luxembourg City (to make friends jealous), Trier (to see Roman ruins and visit a new Bundesland) and then on to Bonn (to visit Pricey and the Siebengebergegebiet) and finally back up to Grunnen, perhaps via Maastricht (to truly make this a tour of modern European political history).

But back to the common room to laze about watching the TV.

 Update:
I don't think I have the swine. Piggelin pointed out in a reversal of roles that it was probably coffee withdrawal, hayfever and a bad night's sleep. 
She appears to 

I have symptoms.

Symptoms of THE SWINE. 

(I shall go and buy baklava and give you an update later, folks). 

 Laura, our American, left Groningen this morning. Of all the new people I have met since coming here, she is probably the person who I like the most, and with whom I got on with the best. First impressions ("are you guys British?") weren't the best, but I have since travelled Europe, awkwardly worked a pole, got wasted on many occasions, swam in a lake, done fancy dress and cried from laughing with the girl.

I'm trying to find a decent picture of the two of us to send to her in a card once I get her address because I wasn't as organised as others and didn't get her a going away present (because secretly, I don't see this as "going away", but rather a period in which we won't see each other). However, the majority of pictures look like this one, which I think sums up our friendship: 



Or this:


Though, this one from Berlin isn't too bad to be honest:



I'm going to miss her. Real bad. 

Today, for the first time in my life, I swam in a lake.
I'm gowing inreasingly attached to my current life in Europe...

Yesterday it was really hot and sunny in Groningen. I even managed to spend a few hours out in the sun with Laura and Sinead. It was, however, very humid, and, despite showering twice, I was clammy all day.

At 3am I was woken by a huge noise. In the next three hours I got to sit through one of the best thunderstorms I have ever experienced. It was so bright, so rumbling.... ahhh. I was, however, concerned by the amount of rain, but we didn't flood!

I thought that it would mean that today would be fresh. Nope. Cloudy, windy, hot and humid. Are we getting it all again?

 Those who know me well know that I like to bake. The problem I have here is, well, we don't have an oven. Until Rhian made "chocolate"balls today, our fridge baking ventures had only extended as far as cheesecake. Now, I'm not complaining because I like cheesecake, and so does everyone else around here (I have had requests, people). I just need to branch out more. 

I am considering starting a baking blog. I am going to be one of those people. I need a hobby, and some way to de-stress next year... and nothing says de-stress like pounding bread onto a counter, whipping cake batter or stuffing my face with home-made chocolate chip cookies.

Tomorrow is my last day of classes... maybe I can develop fridge baking like no-one has before?

:(

er zijn muggen in mijn kamertje...

I really like Groningen. I just wish it was a little bit closer to everything else. I was vaguely planning a trip this coming Saturday, but didn't fancy travelling for hours in the train to get somewhere. I've already been to Leeuwarden and Assen. Delfzijl isn't too far away but I'm going wadlopen (mud walking) in two weeks in the area. By the time I've travelled down to Zwolle, Amersfoort or Appeldoorn I might as well stay on the train an extra half an hour and go to Amsterdam or Utrecht. Only two weeks since returning and I already have a feeling of Wanderlust...

I had been planning on going on a tourtje during my month free between exams (thanks, Groningen!). Today, AP and I decided to make things a bit more concrete. I am pleased to present: Eurotrip '09 Part II!

Last night there was a party here in the Dump. Two of the Americans had their birthdays last week, so the decided theme was "America". Some people put more effort into their costumes than others, it must be said- Rhian even had the ingredients list of the Macaroni and Cheese box listed on her left-hand side. I was (and remain so in my heart), Lady Liberty.

I was so drunk. I have new cycle-bruises from falling of Rhian's bike. I have almost no gin left. We had a conversation with a guy in the street whose friend was taking coke (I was too drunk to notice this). I am still hungover.

Today was Bevrijdingsdag, liberation day- the third of three national holidays celebrated in the past week (with Queen's Day last week and Dodenherdenking, Rememberance Day, yesterday). Last evening we marked the two minutes silence at 8pm as Anouk was with me and Helen, but I didn't see any of the events in Amsterdam.

I spent most of today, ironically, working on an essay about the occupation of the Dutch during the war. This evening, Laura, her sister and I headed to the free concert that was going on in the town park. I only saw The Ting Tings but thought it was really good. But the rain got too much and, coward that I am, I didn't stay to see The Wombats. The cup of tea I had when I got back was the best cup I've had in a long, long time.

"Manche Menschen ändern sich nie"

I have written half of my Dutch Studies essay (on the presentation of war in Dutch Literature). I have also done half of my German homework. Somehow, I am going to get up in the morning and do some work before my 2pm lecture. I need to buy paper. And I need to pay my rent. I also need to do something else that escapes me.

( Pictures from Queen's Day )

I finished reading De donkere kamer van Damokles this morning. It was such a good book! But, I still don't fully understand the end (not from a language perspective, but from the fact that the main thing wasn't really resolved at all)... now I have to read Het bittere kruid (again) and attack the scary prospect of an essay due in next Thursday(Wednesday?), German homework, an exam to revise for, Helen visiting Groningen, Mae's birthday party, Bevrijdingsdag...