Globetrotter

 Zo het is weer eens tijd voor een random update!
Ditmaal eens in het Nederlands, en dat terwijl ik op dit moment in Blarney ben. 
De maanden zijn weer voorbij gevlogen, de ene was drukker dan de ander maar ik heb zeker weer genoten.
Ik vrijwillig dus nu twee dagen per week bij VluchtelingenWerk Utrecht. Elke maandag en woensdag van 9.00uur tot 17.00uur. Ik ben inmiddels ook al mijn eigen caseload aan het opbouwen en ik begin langzaam maar zeker een held te worden met Belastingpapieren en de ambtenaren bij Sociale Zaken zijn mijn nieuwe beste vrienden. Hoe fijn het ook is om mensen met al hun dagelijkse problemen te helpen het is soms wel lastig om je af te sluiten voor alle vreselijke dingen die ze hebben meegemaakt: verkrachtingen, families die zijn uitgemoord, gefaalde gezinsherenigingen (en dat is nog maar het topje van de ijsberg). Er is één client die zich zo erg in de problemen heeft gewerkt, dat ik met mijn handen in het haar zit. Gelukkig heeft de teamleider, deze tijdelijk overgenomen nu ik in Ierland zit. 
De taalbarrière is soms ook ietwat tragisch hilarisch. Ik help bijvoorbeeld een mevrouw uit Guinea, die zelf Frans verstaat, maar een zwaar dialect ervan spreekt. Ik versta Frans ook een beetje, maar ben zelf alle woorden kwijt. Resultaat: druk aan de slag met het woordenboek en zo proberen officiële brieven uit te leggen. Duurt even, maar dan heb je ook wat ;) Gelukkig kunnen we er alle twee om lachen.

Mn andere werk gaat nog steeds een beetje langzaam, maar in mei ga ik gelukkig vol aan de bak. Vooral deze maand is behoorlijk leeg, wat prima uit kwam omdat ik plots naar Ierland moest. Ze gaan nu over twee maanden echt emigreren. Super raar en ik ga ze enorm missen. Ik pas nu 1,5 week op de kinderen, terwijl Helen en Paul alles uitzoeken in Lexington. Paul is er al geweest of course en heeft al veel opgezet. Zo hebben ze dan ook de visa gekregen. Ik voel me nu echt een moeder haha, totaal anders dan toen ik een au pair was. Ik ben nu hoofd verantwoordelijk. Abs is 10, maar Martha die inmiddels 13 is, is echt aan het puberen. Constant aan het kloten met haar telefoon enzo. Gelukkig maakt ze nog steeds braaf haar huiswerk en oefent ze elke dag een half uur piano.
Helaas is de sfeer ietwat bedrukt, omdat de grote verhuizing erg op de achtergrond aanwezig is.
                Het lastigste is denk ik het links rijden in de giga Nissan Navara (denk grote pick-up truck) op smalle weggetjes van en naar school. Het is 's ochtends echt complete chaos, wanneer iedereen zijn/haar sprout komt afgooien. Ik ben er nu maar telkens netjes op tijd, zodat ik niet met dat bakbeest hoef in te parkeren. Ik heb al een aantal bosjes gegraasd tijdens het oefenen...
Wouter komt volgende week ook nog eens overvliegen vanuit Cambridge, dus dat wordt helemaal gezellig.

Natuurlijk is april ook weer DE Larp maand. Two down, one to go!
LiE was geniaal. Voorheen speelde we met dezelfde groep personages op CoH, maar aangezien dat event echt te treurig voor woorden was, besloten we met zijn allen om een ander event uit te proberen. Een zeer geslaagde zet mag ik wel zeggen! Ik heb me enorm vermaakt :)
Natuurlijk weer eens enorm in de problemen gekomen, nouja eens... eigenlijk constant! Het was ook top dat Rik weer Brann kon spelen en we weer samen allerlei streken uit konden halen. Het 'ergste' is denk ik wel onze deal met de Vuurroos. Ik weet OC en IC niet echt wat ik me op de hals heb gehaald, maar het gaat vast erg leuk spel opleveren. Een mooi einde aan onze personages, is een goed einde!

Het weekend daarop was Omen wat ook fantastisch was. We waren ditmaal zonder onze spirituele leider vader Ysengrim (Rik), wat mijn personage erg onzeker maakte. Maar gelukkig was daar de alleswetende Hubrecht (Hans) bij wie ik constant terecht kon. Ik ben samen met een andere alchemist een gilde begonnen en het verliep prima. Uiteindelijk hadden we zoveel kruiden, dat we geen tijd hadden om overal drankjes van te maken. Ook nog een prachtige tuin en vijver aangelegd samen met een paar anderen. Erg leuk om te doen.
Helaas nog wel even een zonnesteek opgelopen, maar deze was zo gefikst dankzij Hans. Echt super!
Het mindere is wel aan Omen dat het ongeveer drie jaar per level duurt, ik kan dus vrij weinig potions maken of kruiden herkennen. Mijn mede-alchemisten waren dan ook één en al klaagzang, maar goed ik heb me echt prima vermaakt en vindt het niet zo erg om totaal nutteloos te zijn haha. Ik heb wel mooi 15 (nuttelozen) drankjes gemaakt afgelopen weekend en heb daar enorm veel plezier aan beleeft! 

Nou, het is bijna tijd om Martha op te halen uit school. Ze heeft vanmiddag een piano concert. Nou dat wordt dus als een trotse moeder foto's maken ;)

 I'm finally back in Utrecht. Lived at my mum's place in Oosterhout for over two months, because I lost my apartment. 
It was okay as I was so busy with work, courses and friends that I lived more out of my backpack than actually in Oosterhout.

I quit my job in Dordrecht, because the travel expenses were too much and I felt like doing something new, which didn't have 4,5 hours of travel time *rolls eyes*. So I got job in Utrecht, basically the same work, but now on various locations. It's still a bit slow as I need to first meet the people at every location, then get one orientation day and then start.
I'm also volunteering two days a week at the Refugees Department at Utrecht (VluchtelingenWerk). It'll be interesting I think. Next to my regular assignment of guiding refugees, who are no longer asylum-seekers, I'm trying to start up some funding projects. We'll see how everything works out. Obviously due to the government's budget cuts they hardly have any money to fund cultural projects, which I hope I can do something about. I'm probably too optimistic at the moment, but hey...

Oh and I also got my Bachelor's diploma last month. I'm now officially a Bachelor of the Arts. Now working on my references, so I'll get accepted to one of the Conflict Studies Masters. They only take around 25ppl every year, but as I was chosen to be the first on the back-up list last year I have good hopes this year will be fine.

Because our DnD campaign hadn't been continued for months I decided together with Merel and EJ to start a new party. Just for a tryout at first. So we invited Niels and Karin and decided I was going to be their DM - IEK! I think it went okay. My strategical visions are still lacking hahah, even after years of theoretical training ;) Although I specialized in group mobilisation, so perhaps I should work that into the story.
I still have tons to learn, but it's actually a lot of fun to do. Even had my first player kill due to Merel's interesting move of trying to grabble a Hydra and EJ trying to kill said Hydra but accidentally killing Merel in the process.  Hahahah! 

I also have a lot of free time in the evenings, now I'm working from 9 till 17u and I have now seen almost every movie in the cinema - hooray Pathe pas, and went to every party available. I feel like I'm a first year student again and I'm loving it!
Further more as I'm still in good contact with my Irish host-family I'm probably going back their in March for a week to do some au pairing. They're planning on immigrating to Kentucky, so the parents are both going to check it out again. I would suck if they'd actually move there, but I hope that when they do, they'll have an awesome time!

Well better put on my running outfit and get my lazy ass of the couch!

So after eight years of living on my own I'm moving back to my mum's place. FAIL!
Yep not really my favourite scenario, but hey at least I have the option to go back.
So many wonderful people offered me a place to stay though. Really very nice and I def will take some of you up to the offer, when I need to crash one night in Utrecht. Of course just when I get offered a job out of nowhere in Utrecht - damn you Murphy! Anyway this will give me more drive to find a new home in Utrecht soon anyways. Also it'll be cheap and I have a car at my disposal.


The Clingendael course is going great. It's so inspiring to talk to these amazing people, who are working in the field where I want to end up.
Am talking to this lady about an internship at Cordaid, which is going to start a department specialist in Conflict and Religion - it's like its meant to be really as we started randomly talking in a train when I didn't even know we were following the same course in The Hague.

I still haven't heard anything about my diploma. Freaking out a little bit as they blocked my account when they couldn't subtract the college intuition from my bank account. Why they couldn't, god knows. But apparently it was enough that, without a warning, they could block all my accounts. That wouldn't be so bad if the secretary wasn't moving and has been unreachable for the last week and a half... aka they don't even know I'm moving as I can't change my data. *shakes head* It'll work itself out I hope.

Celebrated my bday with Arjen in Tilburg, which was a lot of fun. Of course bought waaaay too much stuff, but hey now my brothers can enjoy it hahah.

 Fuck, just heard I'm homeless as from the 29th! 
If anyone knows a temporary place in Utrecht that'd be awesome!
Anti-squating was the bomb shit.... :(

I might be buying my very first car today.
*Jumps up and down*
I'm quite excited and a tat nervous. Silly really. My freakin' little brother already has owned three cars...
On FB some of my friends are already suggesting names haha. There is still some debate going on so any new input is appreciated. 

I have an appointment with the guy in an hour. Hope the car looks okay. I want to try and get about 200 euros off the price. The annoying thing is, is that it's a three door car. I kinda promised myself I would never buy a car like that. But for now it's for work-related purposes mainly, so yeah.
My travel-expenses are now over a 100 euro per week :s. So I'm quitting my job this year, as I only get like 10% refunded. Having no OV-Chipcard sucks ass!

The Clingendael Institute is working magic on my network, so I might already have an internship for next year. I'll keep my fingers crossed anyways. Would be awesome if it all worked out. It's for an NGO named Cordaid and I would be working on the West African department focussing on women and religion. 
Tuesday was a good day not only because someone offered me this internship but also due to the freakiest incident:
I dropped my phone, which killed its screen. Literally 10 minutes later my little brother called on the house phone informing me that he had won a phone and he was giving it to me as a birthday present. Problem solved in no time! Hooray - screw you Murphy!

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Busy busy times right now. Working full-time also have a supposedly full-time thesis, with which I'm incredible behind. I had to finish chapter one on the 23rd of April.... I still have to write the debate parts, so yeah failing miserable. I do have around 9000 words by now, so let's blame it on the chapters becoming bigger than expected. Might scratch Cambodia because of that. Thailand is just too interesting and current right now. It's hard to adapt my thesis to the constant changes occurring in the country. Luckily Nop is able to provide my with inside info.
Poor exchange students though, all the cool areas are on lock down. I can now imagine why there is a negative travel thingie as BKK is no fun locked down like this. Wish I could go over there and interview the Reds though...

My thesis instructor recommended a different master: 'Conflict, Territories and Identities' at the Radboud Uni. The deadline is the first of June, so I'm def applying. *Fingers crossed* that I do get accepted this time. Need two recommendation letters, one I already have taken care of, but I;m too afraid to ask my thesis instructor as I'm so far behind hahaha. So I'll just finish chapter one this weekend, hand it in and then beg for a recommendation letter ;) 

Went to see Robin Hood, pretty okay movie. It think it needed a bit more humour.  Just one small remark here and there. I enjoyed the humour of Iron Man 2 for instance.

Mark Strong was bloody awesome as always as were Russell's side-kicks. The acting performance of Max von Sydow was amazing and Mark Addy was just... well plain old Roland again. 
Afterward I went to Kick Ass again and ended the day with Sherlock Holmes. Only then realizing I had suddenly seen three Mark Strong movies. I still love him best as Septimus with his long black hair hahah.

Also of course had the Boldewijn weekend, which awesome! I really truly enjoyed it. I wasn't bored for even a second. We went IC around 17hrs and I volunteered to cook together with Marlies. The thing was however that my character hated to speak with non-believers and of course Marlies character was one... One hour of awkward silence and mumbled words hahaha. It was a great way to test my non-speaking skills and quite a challenge actually. All in all the perfect way to get IC.

After dinner I was asked to perform in a play by Karin. It was hilarious. I believe it was supposed to be a serious play about the heroics of the family's ancestors, but well we made it into a comedy. It was so much fun. I played several characters, most of them being eaten by a fierce dragon DUMDUMDUM. I hope we def do another play some time.

Afterward I went looking for herbs with my two Masters. Well that is to say my men of the cloth. (right that doesn't make it sound any better) Being overly religious I all but grovelled in their presence haha. Interesting play figuring out the power structures, the right interpretation of religious commends etc. Fun funfun!

Anyhoe better continue with my thesis. Need to at least reach the 10.000 words today! Tsjakka!
 

Okay en toen had ik gesolliciteerd in Ghana. Waarom? Uhm tja, omdat ik in paniek raakte en niet wist wat ik volgend jaar ga doen...
Hahahah! Ik verwacht er helemaal niks van hoor, maar toch wel opmerkelijk dat zodra ik tijd heb ik automatisch naar het buitenland schiet.
Maar eigenlijk vind ik het wel weer lekker om even in Utrecht te blijven. Ik kan natuurlijk ook gewoon in Nederland aan mijn CV werken. Beetje dom van me dat ik daar dan niet aan denk, maar gelijk naar bloody weet ik veel waar loop te mailen *scratches head*

Ik moet nu gewoon even goed nadenken van wat ik nou precies wil... En dat is best wel een beetje lastig. Ik had niet verwacht dat ik weer een tussen jaar zou hebben. Maar goed, wellicht is het inderdaad voor een reden. Beter krijg ik nu een fantastische stage, of vind ik geweldig vrijwilligerswerk. We shall see...

Eerst maar eens even die scriptie eruit knallen. Heb pas 4000 van de 30.000 woorden - Oepsie! 

 Just saw Kick-Ass and it's totally well kick-ass :p
Might just go and see it again! Yaay, for my Pathé pas *grins*

The trip to Istanbul is def off. I'm not that sad really it's giving me tons of time to do other things. Went to the family reunion, which was awesome! I can't believe that some of the smaller kids are now like giants, who can actually talk! At one point we were playing frisbee and Joppe accidentally threw it into this lake. Guess who had to go in and get it! In the end I was dripping wet and the frisbee nowhere to be found. At least I could play the cool (or maybe the crazy) cousin who wallowed in the lake with her clothes on hahaha. I hope we do it again next year. Even my 90 year old grandparents were there.
Am also able to make it to Hannah's bday party and Margot farewell party. She's going to work in Curacao for four months. So, that's two good friends in a foreign country now *snif*

Well, better go to sleep. Have a nice day planned in the library tomorrow!

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