MIAMI!!

---

After four months of Calgary, with its mountains and a lot of snow, it was time for something else: Miami!! I decided to go to Miami for two weeks and take a language course over there. This way I could experience the atmosphere Will Smith sings about, have some sun and beach, and improve my English a bit more.

However, this was easier said then done. Although I only wanted to go to the States for two weeks and I was planning to spend lots of money there (a language course is not cheap unfortunately), the US customs did not want to let me through, I still don’t have a clue why. I wasn’t told or asked anything, they just said I had to wait and then they let me sit there like I was some kind of criminal. I really realized again why I wasn’t that fond of the States. After a long time I was fortunately allowed to cross the border (I had already started making back up plans if I would not be allowed to enter the States), but not before they emptied and searched through all my luggage. Because of this delay I missed my flight and had to be rescheduled on a later flight. But, of course, my luggage was already on that flight, but I was told that was okay and I would receive my luggage later in Miami. Of course, lucky me, my luggage was still in Chicago when I arrived in Miami and for the second time I had to leave the airport without my luggage. Great, again no clean clothes. Because of the missed flight I only arrived at the language school at 2 am, but luckily I could still get into my room.

My room is okay, I’m sharing a bedroom with three others, a girl from Columbia, a girl from Korea, and Daniela, a Swiss girl, whom I only met on Monday evening. This of course means no privacy at all, but for 2 weeks I can survive that. I was really surprised to hear that some people stay here for more than half a year! I would really get bored, since, although Miami is really nice, besides its beach, night life and shops it doesn’t have that much to offer as far as I can see. Ok, no offense, but I just like the European cities better. Although I have heard that NY is supposed to be really amazing too, so probably it’s not a general thing about major US cities. For me Miami is however more a city to spend a holiday in, not a city I would want to leave in.

Despite that, I have to admit it: Miami is pretty cool and I’m really happy to be here for a while.

Okay, what have I done here till now? Sunday I got picked up by Jos, a friend of mine who coincidently also happened to be in Miami until the next day, for a Miami city tour by car. It was really cool to see all the things I’d only seen on pictures and TV in real life. We saw, Little Havana, Coconut grove, South Beach, the Financial district, Key Biscane (although that wasn’t really planned, haha) and probably a lot more I forgot to mention now. After a while we picked up a friend of Jos’ who he was visiting over there and had some drinks in the Coconutgrove. Wow, it really felt like holiday… Jos managed to convince me to skip the dinner at the school (was not so hard, haha), so we went out for dinner and had some really nice fish in .. After having a drink on a terrace on Lincoln street I had had a complete Miami tour in one day J, and of course I was delivered home safely, where I slept like a baby…

Monday I had my orientation session, I which besides others was told about the things to see in and around Miami. What was really funny was that besides the standard stuff like beach, party life and shops they mostly told about all the attraction parks. No cultural stuff, no historical buildings, haha, only the parks. That’s such a caricature of the US culture, haha, awesome.

After the orientation I had my placement test, which was pretty easy. Afterwards I heard I was placed in the highest level, 8, despite my tiredness, fortunately. After the test, I was so exhausted that I decided to go back to bed for a short while. At dinner I met an Italian girl with whom I went to Lincoln street for some drinks.

Tuesday I had my first classes, which are not too hard, but they’re interesting. After my classes I went to the Aventura mall with some girls, and both a few extra summer tops. To make my little sister Kyra jealous: I bought two Abercrombie & Fitch tops J. That night after dinner we went to Ocean drive, one of the most famous streets in Miami Beach, and really pretty and to some sushi bar/club on Lincoln street.

Today I finally relaxed a bit in the sun. I had only classes in the afternoon, so in the morning we went to the pool, read and swum a little, and relaxed nicely.. I had to start to get a little bit of a tan, as you can understand.. 😉 Now, after classes and dinner, I’m updating my blog a little and waiting to go out with a bunch of people, to a club here on Miami Beach.

Okay, before I finish this post, I’ll tell a bit more about the school. It has a ideal location, right at the beach, with its own pool, and on Collins Ave, where also all the hotels are. The rooms, as told before, don’t offer a lot of privacy, but are okay. The school is okay too, only the freezing cold airco drives me nuts. Classes are pretty interesting, luckily my level doesn’t have that many students. The people are from all around the world, but since many stay here for such a long time, there really are a lot of ‘isolated’ groups. Breakfast and dinner are included in the price, and although I’m happy with them now, I can imagine it gets a bit boring after a week, cause it’s pretty much the same every time.

Okay.. That’s it for now. I’ll try to keep my blog up to date!

---