Finally I have homework. Not that its a good thing or anything, but it is the middle of February and I have completely forgotten what it means to do work, and that is probably not good. It is still "study" abroad, as my mom said about 15 times before I left, each time acting as if it was as clever as the first time. Actually, it was never really clever, but I love you anyway, mom. But now that I actually have some work to do, I thought it would be an appropriate time to update the blog.

Bike update: Had to get a new back tire today. After the mandatory plagiarism lecture (do not copy and paste from wikipedia was the main message that came across to me) I attempted to ride home and realized my bike was making a strange noise...and barely moving. I got off, and realized the back tire was completely flat. I had to walk it all the way home, it was raining, of course, to complete the emo-feel really bad for the girl who has to walk her bike 20 minutes home-scene. I was really upset, mostly because it meant that I probably would not be able to attend the weekly Tuesday night "borrel" or party that is held for ISN students at a bar called Heffer (fun name, right?). You might not understand why not having a bike would prevent me from going, but I live about a 40 minute walk from there and the busses stop running around 1230, so I would have had to walk home alone, since obviously everyone else would be riding their bikes. This is Holland, remember. But my roomate Robina was nice enough to let me take her bike out, which I was nervous to do given my track record borrowing people's things. Especially other roomates...ahem Maggie and the 58403549 things of yours I have lost. At least I brought back the Halloween dress!! ;)

I'm really glad I got to go out because it was so much fun. After Heffer we went to a bar called...um...De Doos? or something...I'm not sure...but it was a lot less touristy (and LESS EXPENSIVE THANK GOD FINALLY) than a lot of the other places I had been going. It was cozy, and despite the prevailing scent of cigarettes, I really enjoyed myself. AND, more importantly, I did not crash or lose or damage Robina's bike! And it didn't get stolen! Did you know that the average Amsterdam citizen gets thier bike stolen once every 1.4 years? And most of these stolen bikes end up being thrown in the canals? Fun facts.

Creepy Man update: I have probably told most of you the creepy taxi driver story. And the other creepy man story. Yea, the one who stopped me on the street as I was riding my bike to ask if I was Brazilian, and then tell me that because I looked like I had such a positive attitude (dammit subconscious smiling...not my fault, it was the first sunny day in a LONG time) he has an extra ticket to Paris that he would like me to have. Hopefully I will have no more of these kind of updates, as I am learning to not make eye contact in the street, and to look more depressed all of the time.

Speaking of people who don't really smile...I AM GOING TO PRAGUE IN ONE WEEK!!!!!! AHHHH can't wait to laugh obnoxiously and get stared down by angry Czechs with my foreign twin :)