Current Music: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (I just downloaded the movie, and it's playing behind this window as I type this.)

Ah. Aaahh. AAAAHHHH!!! You are not going to BELIEVE all the good things that are happening to me lately! Listen to this:

1.) I had my appointment today with the SINIAC teacher (as did A, M, and C) and all four of us were 'toegelaten'. I was in the room the shortest of any of us - I was answering one of her (WEIRD) questions and then she cut me off and said, "Oke, ik hoor het al - jij mag SINIAC doen!" :) :) :) I don't think I'm going to do it - no money for it, first of all, but second of all, here's my theory. It might sound a bit arrogant, but if I'm good enough to be allowed into a 'near-native' course, then I'm probably good enough to not need it. You can't learn everything in a classroom and I'm starting to feel like I've reached the point where the rest of my learning is only going to come from practice, interacting with people, etc. I'm going to start with university classes taught in Dutch next block, and also, I'm speaking it more and more. Today I didn't speak any English until P called me when I got home (and that should rightfully have still been Dutch, but my phone acts up at home so English is easier.) I went to school early this morning, then had the interview, then went shopping with A, M, and C in the Hoog Catherijne (and we always speak Dutch together, regardless of the fact that we all speak varying degrees of English too - once you get to know someone in a certain language, it's very hard to change that, even if you try.) Anyway, then I had an afspraak with M (another one :)) and S (another one :)) - the new TA who's heading to UF in a couple of weeks. We filled her in on everything - what to expect, etc. She's really nice. I'm glad the class is getting somebody good.

(Note: I've stopped translating 'afspraak' because in English we don't say 'appointment' if you're just meeting a friend for a drink - we don't really have a word for that, we just say we're 'getting together' with someone or 'meeting' someone. So no more translation of that word. Deal with it. :))

2.) J finally agreed to go to Elton John with me after I dropped the price to 45 euro. (If anyone knows how to make the Euro symbol on the keyboard, please tell me!) I wouldn't have been able to get more than that anyway, even if I had sold it in front of the stadium, because 45 was the, um, 'vaste prijs' - don't know the English for that... the amount that's on the ticket. Anyway, so now I won't be alone, and I'm getting money, and I get to see Elton!!!

3.) My first English lesson to W is (probably) Thursday... aaaahhhh! Nervous about that, but hey, that's normal.

4.) And... the best news of all... I'M GETTING A NEW ROOM!!! P (the Utrecht one :)) rocks - she has a friend who's going to South America from February till July and wants to rent her room. 5 minutes from the centrum, 240 euro per month, and with Dutch people! It's a 'normal' student house, I think - my own room, and sharing the kitchen and bathroom with the rest of the people in the house. Like what M has. It's right by M, actually, close to Weerdsingel. The one downside is that there's no Internet - I can 'inbellen' but there's no 24/7 connection like here. (Dial-up - that's the English.) But I don't REALLY need Internet for more than a few minutes - to receive and send mail (which I can write in advance) and to post to this site (which I can also write in advance). Anyway... NEW ROOM! CHEAP! CLOSE TO CENTRUM! AAAAHHHH!!!

I think that says it all. I am SOOOOO lucky!!!!!!!!