AHHH. Time is passing

School

Ahhh the feeling of stress leaving your shoulders once exams are finished! I only had to exams this midterm period but they didn’t feel like exams as they were worth the same amount as finals. I had an exam in business too business marketing, and an exam in project Dutch and the economy. Business to Business was on Monday and I actually did study all weekend for it. The professor gave us a case in class and told us our exam would be based on this case. As well he went over some focus points in order to better prepare us for the exam. In general while writing the actual exam on Monday I did feel the exam was quite fair. We were told what to know and the same case was there. Although the questions did not relate to the case as much as I thought they would I preferred this a lot more than if they did. As well than on Wednesday I wrote project Dutch in the economy. This exam was broken up into two parts half multiple choice and half written essay format. In general found the exam easy to write as I wrote it within an hour and it was a two hour time frame but at the same time I don’t know how I feel about the multiple choice. Of course there was some I felt I knew for sure but some I was like uh oh I have no idea, so we shall see how that one goes. In general the exams were very fairly written and I guess I will have to wait and find out how I did.

• Now of course things never go as smoothly as they could for me so please note these points that I had to deal with and anyone who is planning to come to Arnhem please take these into account.
• The exam instructions are in Dutch- Make sure to ask all your questions in the class before the exam because chances are you cannot read the instructions
• Your teacher is not present at the exam- Once again you may not ask questions at this time which was very hard for me because I always ask clarifying questions. Also be prepared for the person that is in your exam to not speak a word of English because this is what happened to me.
• Not all people write in the same room from your class- we had a mess in the morning because people did not know what room they were writing in and it’s not the same for everyone. Make sure to check your personal exam schedule (which we were not told) in order to find out where you are and what time.
• Study!- As much as I love the travelling in Europe I still want to receive good grades. These midterms being worth so much means you still have to study. Especially for classes like Project Dutch where nothing in class is really taught more just shown on slide shows. You must be independent in learning. Once again a new learning process that can be obtained through this adventure.

Travels

Currently I am sitting on one of Europe’s high speed trains in order to make my way to Germany to my families for the week.  I am going to be staying in Erlangen Germany and it should eb interesting. I am going to family I have never met (it is my second cousin) and staying their until Saturday. I will tour the city and hopefully have a nice relaxing time since I defiantly need to relax after this exam time J

From the time with the family I am going to be meeting Sonya in Dusseldorf Germany where on Saturday her family is going to give us a tour of there. We than will make our way back to Arnhem to hang out for a few days where on Tuesday around 10pm we fly to Milan Italy.

Arnhem Updates

We have had some sunny weather which has been so nice. I have been able to go for runs be outside in a sweater and really just enjoy the weather before it starts to get really cold and raining again all the time. It is starting to get cold in Arnhem which is making me upset that I did  not bring my coat or any coat at all so I will see how well that goes. Another shopping day? Maybe J

Of course even with the sunny weather I am getting sick L. It’s funny how things work, it rains all the time in Arnhem and has rained every trip we have taken really but the one weekend in England it doesn’t rain is the one weekend I find myself getting sick. It’s not too bad, I had a cold which I got over (no more runny nose) and now I just have a sore throat and a bad cough. I have bought myself cough medicine (thanks to my boyfriend forcing me) and am going to try and relax to get better. Maybe make some chicken soup when I get back to get better.

My adventurous culture interest has started to get better. As Brig and Niklas joined Sonya and I for our made up thanksgiving dinner we decided that each one should cook a dish from their country so we really got to try one another’s home food. Brig decided she was going to cook her favorite Hungarian dish which made me very nervous. The ingredients within this dish were pasta, cottage cheese (which I do not like), sour cream, bacon (which I do not eat often) and raisons. This dish could be made into two different ways;  a dinner dish in which you would use bacon with the pasta and cottage cheese sour cream mixture, or a dessert which you would use raisons and icing sugar instead of bacon. I was nervous about this dish because I did not like or eat many of the ingredients within and especially having them combined I was very scared. Being on exchange I knew that I had to open myself up because the whole reason I am here is to learn and try new things. I DID IT. I tried it with an open mind and I actually liked it. I was very surprised that these random ingredients could be mixed together to make a tasty dish. I don’t think it would be anything I would make for myself but it is defiantly something I can say I tried and I am happy I did. I liked the salty dish better but I did enjoy the dessert one as well. I did prefer thre desert one without the raisons and ate it for a second time J GO MICKEY

I HATE A HUNGARIAN DISH... AND LIKED IT :D 

Exchange

So I know you all are enjoying this amazing experience I have and I want you guys to have the same

exierpeice. It is something that is going to change your life and you are never going to regret.

If you want to find out more information about this exchange please contact
Michelle Fitzgerald at exchange@uwindsor.ca or go see her in her office in Cody Hall.

- application for Fall 2012 will be available online by Nov 1
As well there will be a Student Exchange Information Fair in the CAW on Thursday, November 10 from 11am - 2pm
HONESTLY PEOPLE.. GO TO THIS ITS GREAT INFORMATION, AND THIS EXPERIENCE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!!

Blog

I apologize for the lack of pictures and how short this blog was but really within this past week nothing has happened because everyone has been busy studying.

A well another thing I want to apologize for is missing a blog week. As I am going to be in Italy from Oct 24ht-Nov 3 and Nov 3-Nov 8^th I will be Greece I will not have the time to write a blog. I promise though since there are going to be so many travels and adventures to make the next blog very special and interesting… Well I will try, but it will for sure be long J

If I have my computer or can update I will make sure to do this

Hope you are all enjoying your time doing whatever you’re doing

Miss you All

Another day in the life of Mickey

            PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY

LAST NIGHT WAS HALLOWEEN… A little early right?

Well next week we are starting exams so they wanted to do Halloween early to make sure everyone got the chance to dress up and enjoy. Sonya and I dressed up as cowgirls, Brig was a creepy zombie. Niklas was a pirate and all the Spanish girls were vampires. It was kind of early for Halloween to be happening but at the same time it was fun to get dressed up. Nights like this are good because I have been getting very home sick lately and having things to do makes it easier to keep my mind off missing home. I am looking forward to a lot of things coming up in the future.  As well please note some of the other costumes J

Next week I have my only 2 exams ( I am not looking forward to those ) but I am happy that I only have two. After exams I am heading to Germany to spend some time with family I have out there. From there I meeting Sonya in Germany for a day where we will tour around with her family. Then comes the good stuff, Oct 24^th Niklas, Brig, Sonya and I are flying out to Milan Italy where we are going to start our weeks journey. We are going from Milan, to Venice, Bologna, Pisa, Florence, Tuscany and finishing our journeys in Rome Italy. I am so looking forward to this week because I LOVE ITALIAN FOOD. If I love Italian food in Canada I am so looking forward to having it in its homeland country Italy. And of course I am extremely looking forward to the amazing scenery that is going to be out there. Italy is the one place in the world I have always wanted to go and it is finally happening. Not only am I seeing Rome I am seeing a whole span of Italy it is going to be amazing. From there Sonya and I have more time off due to not having exams so we are planning on flying to Greece. As of right now we are sticking with this plan but we are keeping a close eye on what’s going on over there and if we can fly into the country as well if it is safe for us to fly into the country. I will be very disappointed if we cannot go because I have always wanted to go there as well but the danger is not worth it I can always come back so we will see how that works out.

As well something I just know you have all been waiting for…My flight home has been booked. You can all be graced with my presence soon after December 16^th 2011 as I will be coming back into town than. You are all so excited right, I know J

Anyways enough about that… the stuff you want to hear about

School

As much as I complain about being frustrated with the school system, people out here would love it. I have 4 classed which count as 5, the teachers are very understanding, classes are generally straightforward and easy, people are nice and its very relaxed. As well people looking for a challenge you will defiantly get it as well. Things are so broad that you really need to be independent to go on your own to understand what is being looked for, as well we have all worked in diverse groups but working in diverse groups in a foreign country is something new all in its own.

Updated news

I have two exams next week in business too business marketing and Dutch project economy. I am a little worried because I have never taken an exam out here and don’t really know what to expect but at the same time I am hoping to do well because I pay attention in class sand have been studying. That being said I cannot wait.. The school system out here as much as I hate it sometimes it does work in somewhat of my benefit. So the way it works is last week was my last week of classes was last week and now this week is study week (so only some people have classes), I do not have classes and thus have time to actually study. Next week I have 2 exams; Monday and Wednesday and then I am done. That means after exams on Wednesday I go to Germany, come home, Got to Italy for a week (week break for all students) and then exam week again but I have no exams so thus I will hopefully be in Greece. I than start school again Nov 8^th and really only have one month left. I do want to warn people thinking of coming here to please look into the semester time changes and make sure it can somehow work for you, but if you can do it very worth it trust me.

Alright enough about school right..

I know you guys all want to hear about Ireland.

Travelling every weekend has been so amazing. It has allowed me to meet new people, really get to know new people, see so many different places and learn about their history and experience things you just can’t experience by just reading. We have been going to the capitals of cities because they are usually best known and have the most tourist stuff to see. In Ireland we did something a little different, we went to the capital Dublin and we as well made our way out o the country and a seaside town called Greystones. Dublin in my mind honestly was nothing special. It had everything you expect in a city. What I did like about Dublin was the pub atmosphere. When we arrived on Saturday night we did a pub crawl with Tom from the Odette school of business and that was very fun. We went to all different types of clubs and pubs. We did about 4 or 5 anywhere in-between a pub and a club. The clubs were the same in Ireland as they are all over the world and in Canada. But the pubs in Ireland I found had such a great atmosphere. They played live music and they were crowded (which I don’t like ) but at the same time the happy feeling you got there was great. That is definitely an experience worth having. As well the funniest thing about that night would have to be how many Canadians I met. On our pub crawl the dominant culture was definitely Canada as every other person I met was from a different part of Canada. J We had Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan, Quebec it was fun and exciting 
to meet other Canadians.

The other thing that was cool to see in Dublin would have to be the Guinness house. I had never tried Guinness before and for that reason it was so cool to have my first real Guinness experience in its home country. I am sad to say that even being in its home country the beer did not taste any better. The experience was cool and interesting to learn about but the beer did not do it for me. We walked around the city like always; saw all the major buildings there is to see attempted to see all monuments and churches and all the average stuff they say you need to see while being in Dublin. Definitely the best and most interesting thing done in Dublin would have to be the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail). This is where all the prisoners used to be kept until it was shut down for being to many bad memories and inhumane. We learned a lot about Ireland’s history within the wars, with England, their own riots and how Ireland really became who they are today. We saw where famous prisoners were kept and learned how they handled people back then. It was probably one of the most interesting history lessons I have ever learned and as well it was amazing to see up close and first hand.

Now moving on to the real Ireland I loved. Although we didn’t get much time we did make our way out for a day to the country side. This is the Ireland I definitely want to go back to and spend time really exploring and enjoying. It was beautiful, the hills, and houses, water and rocks just the whole scenery was so beautiful and exactly what I wanted to see that I loved it. I will definitely be making my way back to Ireland sometime in my life (well I hope) and spending the time out in the country.

This is an experience of a lifetime.
Although I am home sick every single day and I am counting down the days to be with family and friends again I cannot deny for any second that the experience and learning’s I am gaining are beyond words. Or if I were a MasterCard commercial
Flight 2000 dollars
Trips 5000 dollars
Shopping 2000 dollars
Memories, friends and experience; PRICELESS

(Please not these numbers are made up)

If anyone reading this is thinking about doing an exchange please do it. It’s something I promise you won’t regret

Oh and how can I forget.... As anyone who knows me or you have all learned quickly throughout this blog I love to eat food. Unfortunately this year I was very sad I was missing thanksgiving and turkey dinner. Luckily fellow Canadian and Holiday fanatic Sonya insisted we make our own thanksgiving dinner. Man am I happy she was. So they do not have turkey out here so we made chicken instead, but chicken potatoes corn, friends and a really good time. If I couldn't be home for thanksgiving I am sure thankful for having a small celebration here. (As well it was Niklas Birthday)

As well I am thankful for;

My Boyfriend who is the most amazing person ever

My friends ( all the old and all the new )

My family because without family I would be very sad and they have all been so supportive throughout this

Love you MOM AND DAD... and yes Sue this includes you :) 

This experience, and the Odette School of Business and University of Windsor for really allowing me to take advantage of the opportunities

Pretty much everyone in my life and all the things I have done I am thankful for because with out each and every single one I wouldn't be who I am today and right now

THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING MY LIFE INCREDIBLE