frustration

first, it is annoying that the internet knows i am in the netherlands. google and its myriad sites are always displayed in dutch because of my IP address. when i search in google most of the first hits are in dutch (and if there is a wikipedia page, it is usually in dutch). on an intellectual level it is nice to be bombarded with so much new vocabulary, but it makes things take that much faster to try to translate or to switch to an english version of a site.

second, adjusting to the dutch education system has been bumpy. i suspect that most european countries have the same vibe, but the set-up is so laid back and student-driven. students usually take time off and are so casual about school. the attitude i've seen is very much about lifestyle and remembering to have a good time. administrators during the registration day even mentioned spending time on "relaxing" and "having a good time," terms i am not too comfortable with given my experience at MIT. the faculty building, for example, is only open until 10 pm (i don't know about weekends). a friend said he was in the middle of the discussion portion of a lecture and the building staff kicked them out of the building in order to lock up. i'll save my praise and concerns for the faculty of architecture for a later post when i have documentation to back up my claims. the system here is student-driven; he or she has to speak out and ask for help or information in order to grow.

anyways, today was scheduled to be my first day of class. i registered, as suggested, for one main studio, two supplemental classes, and a half-term philosophy of architecture class that meets in the second part of the semester. i think i will try to take an additional drawing course to fill time and get as much as i can out of the formal academic experience here.

i am getting carried away. so my first class was scheduled to occur from 8:45 until 12:45 and then the first meeting of the studio course in the afternoon, 1:45 until 5:45. i made the mistake last night of having a cappuccino around 10 so i was wired until at least 2 or 3 in the morning, rolling around with my mind spinning and thinking about thousands of things. i pull myself out of bed and get to school around 8:40, eating a chocolade broodje on my way over the bridge to campus, really surprised i actually got up on time.

the course was supposed to meet in room Z (they have an assortment of main rooms and then secondary rooms are lettered A-Z and even less important rooms receive an actual room number). i double-checked the room number with the information desk (not very informative) before arriving around 8:48 to a tiny empty classroom on the 2nd floor. i wandered around near the department that is teaching the class (the office wasn't open yet) before checking the room and surrounding rooms again. i used a school computer to check my email. i talk to the secretary in the DSD (delft school of design) office who doesn't know what is going on and thinks the class should be in that classroom. she takes me up to the mountain (will explain "the mountain" in the aforementioned post about the facilities) but the PhD student there doesn't really know what is going on. i sit around near room Z for a while before deciding that this is stupid. i return to the mountain for a final check before going to the library to check out the collection before my class at 1 (it is now like 10:30). two PhD students are there now. upon talking to them, i learn that DSD classes don't start until NEXT WEEK and that there is a meeting on friday to give out information. NEXT WEEK. i am at once really angry that i didn't get that email (i wasn't officially registered yet by the time it was sent on friday but the main organizer did know i was in the program) and spent so much mental energy preparing to be back in school now and pleased that i get another 5 days to do what i want before the term begins.

why didn't the secretary know that the classes were not starting yet? maybe she didn't understand my question? anyways, i emailed the organizer-dude and he apologized and confirmed that we didn't meet until friday. after that fiasco i went to check out the bibliotheek (collection is seriously weak, but most of it was lost in the fire in 2008, so there is some forgiveness). ended up dozing a bit in the library before going home to take care of other things.

but yes, another 6 or so days with no class. things to do include a major overhaul of jean-paul's bike, trips to other cities (utrecht? haarlem? eindhoven? brussels? the beach?), opening a bank account, drawing, cooking, and finally buying shoes. upcoming posts include photos of my environs and a comparison of the architecture departments at MIT and TUD.