Chasing after a ship.

Finally it's sunny here :) Last few days has been completely dark and rainy and not cool at all. It's surprising how sun can change your mood. I still have problems with internet at my place cause it's impossible here to get a contract for half a year and our neighbors also doesn't seem interested in earning some money, so I'm sitting at R'dams library with a nice view in front of me. Library here is so awesome, can't wait when we gonna have our Castle of light in Riga.

I'm still discovering the city and looking for great spots for our tours what's gonna start in June. What is pretty soon already. There are some really cool places, I'm not talking about the city center but places around it - huge harbor area, big lake, old criminal looking factorys and other stuff. I felt pretty excited going with a bike under the river through Maastunnel what is 550m long and is 20m below sea level.
Talking of bikes - cycling culture here is so developed! I'm not using public tr-port at all just my bike. Everywhere where you'll go you find a road for bikes and even when you're driving on a street, there is such a feeling that bikes are the kings of the road not cars. I like it a lot! Would be cool if we had so good structure in Latvia. And people are not fat here! I believe it's because of cycling every day.

Last week I saw the smallest art gallery I have ever seen - it was on the wall outside of the bar. Each Friday at 8:30 there is a new exhibition opening - an artist who opens this "art gallery" what looks like a big frame with glass on it, puts in his artwork and people are standing around on the street, drinking beer and just watching. It was so cool.

We finally checked out some "must party" places. And here in R'dam is THE number one bar in the world according to Lonely planet - de Witte Ap /White Monkey/. Woohou! Going out here is pretty expensive and I still can't get used to those funny girl beers - 0.2l.

Looks like students here go out on Tuesdays and Thursdays /and also all the other days as well :D/. This Tuesday some couch surfing people showed me bit around and we end up in a place what is really similar to the French bar in Riga, just like 20 times better. There I met first Latvian here in Holland - of course tall, blond girl. I spoke with her for a while and what was really sad - when I asked her, is she's planning to go back to Latvia, she said - no, never. Here she can find a well paid job with no such a big problems as in Latvia. It's easier here. In that moment I felt kinda bad, that our country can't make such an environment so people wouldn't have to leave just to earn more than "enough". I'll definitely will go back. It's cool to travel around, live for a while in other places and see what's happening on this world but home is home and full happiness you can find there where is your home. Travelling gives inspiration, new experience and new ideas and that is what I love about it.

One day I was chasing a huge cruise ship with a bike. It was going through the city and view was incredible, it was about to pass the Erasmus bridge and I really wanted to see how that huge bridge will open, so  I figured out where I need to get to see that in a really close distance. When I got there /on a small island close to bridge/ I saw that cruse ship has stopped cause there was some kind of stupid cruise ship stop. I waited for 40min, hoping that it will start to move again, but nothing! Meanwhile I was studying some dutch what still is problem for me cause that pronunciation will kill me!

This time I have some pictures as well ;)

Historical parts of R'dam

Here are REALLY nice parks

New skyscraper each year

Erasmus bridge. Awesome in the night.

Skyline of R'dam + my bike.

Central library not Aqua park!

Cube houses. This architect was smart.

From left - Noa, me and Lenka.

woohou :)

Where is my handsome sailer?

Going under the river.

Maastunnel.

Noa, me, ship and skyscrapers. 

Our neighbor Sebastian from Belgium.

The roof is on a fire!

This is how looks my room :)

ciao :*

ENTER

It was pretty hard to start to write the blog because I couldn't choose between Latvian and English but when I understood that I'm already thinking in English - problem solved.

As you all most probably know or not, I'm here because of my EVS project. I'm working as a volunteer for Use-it -http://www.use-it.nl/. And I will enjoy Rotterdam for at least half a year, who knows what will happen afterwards :)

When I arrived here, it took me 2 or 3 hours and I already was in love with the city. I love these big giant buildings, canals in the middle of the city, smell of harbor and ships ... also here is some historical parts what seems kinda like Amsterdam cause they haven't been destroyed during WW2. Here is such a feeling that city is growing, all around new buildings and skyscrapers are under construction. I feel a big potential in this city.

About place where I live. Yesterday one dutch boy told that we live at the very beginning of criminal neighborhood. I thought that it's a bit different from all other city but it's not so bad. So, now it's a bit creepy feeling to come home in the middle of the night. We are 4 volunteers together and we have half a house with a small garden and a neighbor dog who likes to leave his brown smelly things in our garden. I have my own room with balcony what is really awesome :) I live together with Spanish and Czech girl, boy from Serbia still have problems with his visa, so his not here at the moment. Spanish girl is around my age and she's "loca"! In a good way. Czech girl is a bit older and bit more serious, what is good, because somebody needs to be like that.

I have been here already 6 days but I have to say that I feel like home, like fish in the water. I'm surprisingly good with maps :D Everything is new, so every day I try to discover more and more. Inside me there is a small devil who says that I have to go out every night, I start to hate him.

Dutch people are nice, they are pretty positive all the time, smiling and joking. But their language will take some time while I will learn it. That pronunciation!!!

I love that here almost everybody uses bikes! I also have my own, I have to say that my but is not used to such a cycling each day! There are so good roads for bikes and I even had a chance to be in bike traffic jam!

One thing that I really miss is Latvian food and beer. After a meal here I don't feel that feeling that I'm fool (sāta sajūta in latvian.) And glass of beer is rediculous - 0.2l or 0.3l instead of 0.5l. Schaise!

I'm still are discovering the city and wandering around, still looking for best places to go out and some dutch friends. Can't believe that I'm here only 6 days, I have a feeling that I have been here for a long time. So far all is good :)

ciao and kisses,

Soldža