Plethora

So, I don't really have one topic or anything in mind for this post. I thought I would talk briefly about a few different things. But, before I start I have an idea. How about, if all of you who read this agree, you guys ask questions (if you have any) via the comment section. I will then respond to your questions to the best of my ability. That way I have topics to write about and you all will have your questions answered.

Anyways, maybe that will work, and if not I won't hold it against any of you!

So here we go.

The Shy Dutchwoman(man)

Freek (see photo) is not a shy guy. When he came to America he made friends easier than most people wake up in the morning. Although I knew mentally that all Dutch people aren't like Freek some part of me insisted that they would be. Basically, I imagined myself meeting a whole country full of exited, extroverted Dutch people, who would be more than willing to talk to me in English. Well, it hasn't quite been that way. Freek's friends are really great people. But they are a bit shy around me. Some of them are more outgoing than other, but overall I spend a lot of time listening to people talking in Dutch. I'm not complaining at all, I totally understand. But it's interesting to compare and contrast the way Freek says they act around him (extroverted, etc) and how they act around me (like they don't talk in English). Obviously many of them have loosened up with time (or alcohol), but I'm not going to lie, I spend a lot of time trying to understand Dutch. Which, brings me to my next mini-point.

The Language Barrier

The last couple of months I've spent a lot of time not understanding what people are talking about. In a way it's really nice. I'm not held to the same standards as everyone else. When people are arguing or trying to plan something, I can just stand there with a dumb grin on my face and pick my nose. It's awesome. But, at the same time I get the feeling I miss out on a lot. Oops, I'm straying from my point. SO, in both India and Holland, while listening to people jabber away in their native tongue I've always felt like I could almost understand what they are saying. It felt like if I just relaxed my mind a little of something I would understand it all. Of course I haven't been able to, but it's interesting. You can tell, just by listening, that the weird words they are saying have meaning. I imagine this is true with any language.

Sex(uality)

When I first got to Holland I kind of felt like what a conservative Christian farm boy might feel like if they suddenly landed in Las Vegas. There were so many pictures and posters of nearly naked women. I couldn't help but stare, but not in the usual way that I stare, this time I was staring just out of sheer amazement. In India they aren't allowed to show people kissing in movies. The most revealing film shot is the the famous wet Sari shot (any Indian movie worth it's salt (I bet that saying comes from a time when salt was expensive) has a wet sari scene). I've gotten used to it pretty quickly, I mean I was born in the heartland of sexuality as advertisement (aka the USA) it's in my blood, when I see a women in a bikini I immediately think about either shampoo, vodka or the retail value of the bikini. I can't help it.

All this aside I have a confession. The naked advertisement women are definitely hot, but like some famous person said, “It's just tits and ass”. I find it a lot more exciting and intriguing to see a beautiful woman that is wearing slightly revealing (yet beautiful) clothing. It's so more interesting, I think.

The Legal Beer

Another thing that has surprised me about Holland is how legal alcohol is. I mean, me, Eli Francovich, the 19-year-old kid, can walk into a Dutch pub, throw some Euros down, and drink a beer. Wow. It's awesome. I no longer have to sit in my room, drinking beer from a lemonade bottle. A couple nights ago I went out to a pub with Freek and a bunch of his friends. There was music, dancing, beer and conversation. And it was all legal. In Couer d' Alene the only place I can dance is in my room, the only place I can have a conversation (after 9 pm) is a coffee shop and the only place I can have a legal beer is... no where.

I know alcohol is evil (until you turn 21, then it's not evil anymore) but I can't help but think that maybe things would be better if people were allowed to drink a little bit earlier. At the Pub I went to some people had quite a bit of alcohol, but no one was out of control (as far as I know). In the books that I read that talk about underage drinking parties in America there is a lot of out of control behavior. People throw up in plants, on coaches and on each other. It's disgusting. It's one of the biggest problems facing America's youth, vomit. Every year millions of dollars are spent cleaning out clothes, buying new plants and having coaches cleaned. If we could save all that money we would be able to balance the national deficit in at least 100 years. Oops, I'm deviating from my purpose. Where was I? Oh yes. So, perhaps, if the USA was to lower the drinking age maybe people would learn how to drink responsibly. Maybe not. Maybe we would just have a lot of bing drinking high schoolers (which we don't have now). But if nothing else, I would be able to go out on Friday night in Coeur d' Alene and do something besides wander up and down Sherman trying to get the courage to try and sneak into a bar.

If facts and evidence don't support my hypothesis, don't tell me. I don't have any serious legislative power so you might as well let me believe lowering the drinking age would accomplish something.

Money

Wow, this post has it all, sex, money, beer and language. Actually this is a post in response to a question asked by Terri Simmons on my comment page (that is how I got the idea for an interactive blog). She asked how I've been budgeting my money. So in response: I don't really have a budget plan. I worked over the summer and in the fall a bit. But more importantly I graduated from highschool and my extended family and friends were incredibly generous in my graduation/travel gifts. So I left America with about $3,000 in my account. While in India my mother paid for everything (and my father, he stayed home and worked and gave money to my mom and I). So I arrived in Holland with almost all of that $3,000. In Holland I don't have to pay for a place to stay, but Freek and I are splitting food costs. That hasn't been too expensive. We usually eat for about 4 Euro a day. Transportation in Holland is very expensive (compared to India at least). But I have the money so it's not a problem. The exchange rate isn't favorable (as of today one dollar equals one Euro and 33 cents) but like I said I have the money and my expenses aren't too bad.

The End

OK, that is it. Please let me know if there is anything you want to hear/learn about.