Happy Birthday to meeee!

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Well I'm the big 2-1. Now I guess I'm considered a real adult in American terms and am responsible enough to buy a bottle of wine. =) Before I talk about today, I'll mention a bit about last night. I studied all day and by 11pm was so tired of studying so I went downstairs to watch some tv. Dr No (James, James Bond) was on, so I sat there watching it letting my brain recover. All of a sudden, Anouk yelled my name over and over again from upstairs. I wondered what on earth she wanted as Arjan had already gone to bed and she would probably wake him up. I climbed up the stairs and there was everybody in the little hallway with big smiles on their faces and a Dutch "Happy Birthday" song playing in the background. Everybody shook my hand and said congratulations. Then Chiel said, "look in your room." I opened my room and there were hundreds of balloons filling my room half a meter high up from the ground! Most of them were bright orange with a few different colored ones scattered amongst the large heap. This was a big surprise and definitely explained all the shuffling I heard as I was sitting watching tv. =) Anyway, I posted pictures here on the blog as you can see.

This morning I at breakfast and read all my notes again. I got a letter from Grandma and Grandpa and from April (perfect timing, by the way, thank you!). The way to the university was the hardest ride yet as the winds were forcing me backwards. I had to shift my gears down very low just to be able to pedal forwards. It took me 10 minutes longer to ride than normal. I got to the building with 15 minutes to spare before my test began at 1:30pm. I sat in the classroom nextdoor and looked over my notes again. Then I realized it was 5 minutes before the test and I didn't see any of my classmates.....shit. I didn't even think about checking to see if the room had changed. I frantically ran upstairs to the computer lab, logged in and found out that it's in a completely different building!! I didn't know where it was, so I went to the front desk of the building and asked the guy to help me. I ran like the wind over to the correct building, up the stairs and found the classroom. By that time it was 1:40 and I was severely late. My heart was racing, cheeks flushed from embarrassment but also from the cold weather - the avocado sandwich I had eaten at the house now squirmed in my stomach. I quietly opened the door and 50 or more heads turned to my direction. I gave a sheepish smile and scuttled to the front of the room to meet the professor.

"I'm so sorry I'm late I didn't know where the test was I though it was at the same place and I'm not used to it because in Seattle it's usually in the same class as the test" I rambled out in one heaving breath.
"It's okay, take a breath, don't worry. Here's the exam" my professor whispered. I still felt many pairs of eyes looking at my back.
"It's in English, right?" I looked at him. This was supposed to be sort of a rhetorical question as I figured he knew that I was Dutch illiterate/retarded.
"Um..no, it's in Dutch" he looked at me confused. whatttttt!? I thought to myself in my head. Ah! This can't be happening. I told him I didn't know Dutch and I was supposed to have the test in English. He and I whispered back and forth and he said he would talk to his collegue to see about putting it in English for me and me taking it next week. It was even more embarrassing to walk back out of the classroom with everyone looking at me again, the confused American girl. haha.

Anyway, I was so overstrung by all these emotions: excited, anxious, panic, frusteration, paranoia, etc etc. I rode to the Cubicus building where Susanna (my guidance person) was there and dropped in to see if she was in her office. Normally just dropping in to a person's office is considered very rude and you must make a meeting. She saw me and I apologized for not making a meeting but she didn't mind. I basically broke down in front of her and cried because I didn't really know what to feel. She calmed me down and said that she will be in contact with the professor. Anyway, I left Susanna's office and felt much better. I rode to the city and decided to go to H&M to buy myself something nice. I bought a sweater, scarf and a pair of gloves which I really need by now since it's too cold to ride without them. I then met up with Nina and we had a cappucino and I told her about the mess today. We both laughed about it then but at the moment it wasn't funny at all.

Well, thats about it for now. I'm off to eat dinner, there's people coming over and then we're going dancing. I'll update on the birthday events that happen tonight probably tomorrow. Thanks to all that sent me birthday wishes/cards/letters. You guys are the best.

Love,

Myia

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Photos

Happy Birthday to me!
playing with the mass amounts of balloons

Ballooooons
This is what I saw when I first opened my door

Ballooooons
more more everywhere!

Ballooooons
feeling like a kid again

Ballooooons
I guess there is a plus to having a room so small!

Ballooooons
Me and Anouk

Ballooooons
Scooping some of them downstairs and into the living room for the party