Never left Rotterdam.

My last post on this blog was couple of years ago but nothing has changed. I still love Rotterdam and I am still here. I lived in few other cities in between but now I am living and studying here. Be careful of what you wish for!

And for the first time I am actually attending Dutch language courses! Will see how that goes!

www.engaan.nl

Rdam nightlife. Welcome.

Next challenge accepted.

I guess this is my last post here, well at least adventures in Rotterdam are more or less finished.

Now I'm back in my home country, in Latvia/Riga  already for 2 weeks! [just realized that,wow, time fly's!] My EVS project in Rotterdam is done and I can absolutely with no doubt say that it was one of the best 6 month in my life for sure. 

This short period was so full with emotions, new experience, people and discover that I'm sure in some kind of way I'm changed. Not like I'm not the same old Soldza but I feel the difference inside, I feel I grew up a bit. There is nothing I regret. I've always said that we meet some persons for a reason even if the experience with them is not the one you would like to have, but that leads you to some other point. The same is with places and events, they move us deeper into our future. Step by step we're building our way forward.

As already some noticed I got really good along with Holland. Somehow I fell in love with Rotterdam in first 3 hours I was there and Dutch culture seemed so cool and more or less close to Latvian, that I felt appropriate there. That all gave me feeling - wanna stay. And as I've always fallowed my feelings not what my mind says  [I'm the person - "I feel like .." not "I think that .."], I decided to get a job and stay in Holland. So, from December 8th I'll be living in one of the craziest cities - Amsterdam. Who knows for how long. Will see where the next people, places and events will bring me ...

Pants is not my style.

So, for now I'll try to make the most of my 3 weeks left in Latvia. As my mom said - do something nuts, so you have what to remember in Amsterdam! This is funny how sometimes people act when they know that you have limited amount of time left. It's something like - what if today is your last day - you have to do all the things you've always wanted to do but never did. Love this feeling, should live like that more often.

Rdam, I will never ever forget u.

It's impossible to say in words how lucky I feel that I've met all the amazing people I've met in Holland. Keep in touch! Seriously!!! And come for a visit to Amsterdam!

My blog 'Soldza in Rdam is done', thanks for reading and fallowing and if you have a chance to do an EVS project - go for it! [this is not an ad ;)]

Groetjes,
Your always awesome Soldza.

Everything happens for a reason, of course.

I spent this weekend with wonderful people from all over the world in Den Haag in a midterm training. It's a really nice city [mainly because the North sea is so close]. These more than 48 hours we spent together was amazing. We did a lot of cool stuff. One of my favorite ones was kickboxing despite after that I was totally exhausted and my only shirt was so wet that I had to wear my extra skirts as a shirt. And it looks like I don't do enough sports because my body still hurts a bit. But the most most awesome thing was one kind of a tour/workshop don't know how to call it, where we met some crazy and inspiring people.

First - Lucinda with beautiful lips. She's owner of her own book store about Suriname culture. She told us her story how she realized her dream she have been dreaming about for 9 years. All the stuff she said about feelings, signs, energy's etc. was so - yeah, you speak my language! But the main thing, she made me think of some things. She's already 4th crazy person who I met here in Holland with a crazy "dream business  come true story". Sign?

Lucinda

Second - Joe with excellent humor. He lives on island between North part and South part of Rotterdam. He's an artist and he owns an art gallery where he lives as well [gallery+house, nice]. He showed us around and told his story. It was more about how he sees the world and everything. Crazy guy with a good humor or as he would say - I'm just a fartist! In his gallery he'd build a big box in the air, where you can go in and charge your  energy. To get some and to give some. He's really serious about this, he will check you twice before he will let you in the box. He don't want to have bad vibes in his place. And his place was charming and very very peaceful. And the look is his eyes was the same. People on this island has their own money, of course Joe made it and spread it out. He also made flags for island [well, actually his wife is doing all the "hard working" stuff. He calls his wife - a dragon. A fartist and a dragon.] He's just playing this life with his own rules and feels happy about it. What else do you need?!

I will repeat, but craziness is one of the best qualities you can have.

Noordereiland

And I've been thinking loads about what to do after my EVS because it's gonna finish in 27days and I don't really feel like going back home now. Not yet. And I'm pretty attracted to dutch people and culture. I like them! They are friendly and open. Don't want to loose people I've met. But life is life and everything goes as it has to go = as you want it to go. And we meet people for some reasons. Some of them will stay as your friends despite the location but some persons you just meet just to realize some thing about yourself. And they won't stay. And I need to let them go.

    After this weekend I'm full with so good emotions. People can give so much only with their company :]

P.S. And finally [in October] i enjoyed a swim in the North sea! Who would thought that summer will come here for a week in sept/oct.!

Cool to be crazy.

Sometimes you just need one person to turn your OK day into a cool one.

Today was one of the rare days when you can see sun in this city and in those days you can find me at Kralingse Plas [nice gay park in town]. I was chilling in grass when suddenly a small white cute dog from nowhere jumped on my book and looked at me with his eyes, who said - let's go to play! NOW! Than the second dog appeared, the same but black. Afterwards came the third dog with the owner. He was a cool guy, around 50. We were talking for a while and he's a business man, he was telling me his story - how he decided not to work for others but to work for himself. I always love these stories because these people are so strong with such a belief to their ideas that you can't stop wander how crazy people can be [in a good way]. Businessman have to be crazy! And than from other side, it made me realize that I'm not crazy enough... [i need to work on it!].

Kralingse Plas

And if were talking about craziness .. after he and his dogs were gone, I met kinda sober middle age dutch lady with 2 dogs - one was funny small and other was big and swimming in the lake all the time. Dogs loved me today! Never thought that I might like one of those funny rat dogs but I did. Yeah, but lady adviced me to RUN AWAY FROM BIRDS! She told that she was sitting in grass and those birds started to come closer and closer, and if they come to you, dutch people have a saying, that somebody from your people will die. I think the birds were ravens. And I saw in her eyes fear, she was trying to ESCAPE DEATH. 

Always pleasure to meet random crazy people.

He or she, doesn't matter.

Today I saw the most amazing transsexual singer I've seen!

After a tough weekend I needed some piece of culture and luckily there was a festival in Rotterdam. I was wandering around and fallowing places what got my attention till I saw a small circus house with bunch of people around it. There was a big hairy guy dressed in a long green dress, long black gloves and make up was impressive as well but the most amazing thing was he's voice! He was singing some covers and song Mr.Brightside by The Killers what he was performing in his own way, totally got me. It wasn't a joke, he was true. The way he looked, moved, everything ... was real.

He looked like such a weirdo but he was so confident and so sure about who he is. And everybody loved him.

Respect.

Prinzessin Hans

Plan B.

Today is my first day of my vacation. And? All my plans are gone. I was planning to go around Holland with my bike BUT that was few weeks ago and I've discovered that I'm not the person who can plan smth, I just do as I feel at the moment (don't go travel with me ;)). And at the moment I totally don't feel like cycling in wind and rain, that's not fun at all. Hopefully I will pull myself together, the sun will shine and I'll be on a road with a thumb up :)

[will see what happens].