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Archive for September, 2007

The Apartment

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

Accomodation in the Delft is especially hard to find, so like many students, I contracted with DUWO short stay housing to find my new apartment. There’s three bedrooms, a kitchen, a toilet room, a shower room, and a dining room. The housing is simple, and our apartment is one in a large complex of low-income apartments. There’re a number of student apartments here, but we’re intermixed with families and other residents.

I have two roommates, but only one is moved in. Sylvain, from France, is teaching me French (comment ça va?). He studies Aerospace Engineering, and has quite the sense of humor – he refers to the trash thrown down into our yard by the people above us as “charms.”

The toilet room in our apartment - Dutch, small, and quaint!

Stop throwing trash into our yard!

Sylvain holding my new bike in front of our apartment.

Delft

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

Delft, home of TU Delft, will be my home until at least February 2008. Delft has a population of about 100,000 people and dates from the 13th century. My favorite area in the city so far is the city center, which has the City Hall, the “New” Church, and a nice little pub called De Ruif. Like many Dutch cities, canals are numerous around the city center.

The city center and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church).

A statue of Hugo Grotius in the city center.

Justine at our table on De Ruif’s patio, next to one of Delft’s canals.

The people of Delft playing Pétanque in the city center.

Arriving to Delft

Saturday, September 1st, 2007

I arrived to the Netherlands. The flight to Amsterdam and train transfers to Delft went smoothly. After I got to Delft, I met up with some friendly CouchSurfers (Sophie, Boris, and Juan-Carlos). This was my third CouchSurf, and again it was another great experience!

Connector between Concourses B and C at Chicago O’Hare

Myself, Boris, Sophie, and Juan-Carlos after some dinner and drinks.