September 9, 2012 by Emma
This past Friday I went to a football match (European football of course!) with my study abroad program. I’m a huge soccer fan, having played from age 5 through high school, so I was more than thrilled to be going! It was a World Cup qualifier between Holland and Turkey.
Honestly, the metro ride to the stadium was one of the more terrifying experiences of my life. The atmosphere was so charged that I wouldn’t have been surprised if a riot broke out. My friend and I were packed like sardines in the subway car, surrounded on one side by a solid mass of orange (the Dutch) and on the other, red (the Turkish). Because there is such a large Turkish population in the Netherlands, this was a particularly popular game and the Dutch never seem to miss out on the chance to get drunk and watch football! Over the course of our 30 minute journey, we probably heard 10 different songs in support of the Dutch team and the metro driver requested over loud speaker that we please refrain from stomping as the car was shaking quite a bit. I couldn’t help but notice the considerable police presence as we exited the station…
After that introduction, I could only imagine what it would be like in the stadium! The stands were full of orange and the raucous singing and stomping that had begun on the metro only got louder and, impossibly, more enthusiastic. There were fireworks and smoke whenever a goal was scored, which didn’t seem particularly legal, but nevertheless made for an interesting experience! The match was terribly tense, with Netherlands finally winning 2-0, scoring it’s last goal within minutes of the final whistle.
This wasn’t what I wore to the match, obviously, but rather what I wore to wander around the shops in (and drink copious amounts of coffee in!) earlier in the day. I love how European women wear lipstick on a more everyday basis, and I couldn’t help but try it out myself. I absolutely love this shade of red– it’s from Kate Moss’s line for Rimmel. It makes me feel like such a lady, even if the rest of my ensemble is a bit more 90’s grunge.
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September 8, 2012 by Emma
One of the things I love most about the Netherlands so far are the many flea markets I’ve been frequenting! There’s a great one near my apartment that sells mostly textiles (including the most amazing Indian sari fabric) and local produce. There was also this stall full of nuts and dried fruit– I must admit I got a bit carried away!
On my way home from the market, I stumbled across this great big abandoned church surrounded by a field. I was so surprised that there would be so much unused space in the middle of a fairly dense urban area, but I can’t complain. I’d love to explore the church more if I ever get the chance… Once again, I got an audience for my picture taking, but I’m getting used to it :)
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September 4, 2012 by Emma
After a whirlwind of a week, I’ve begun classes here in Amsterdam. I definitely appreciate getting into a routine, and going to school here definitely makes it seem like I’m a resident rather than a tourist. And the whole forced bonding of orientation was really starting to get to me…
My class today was a gender studies course with an emphasis on the homosexual culture in Amsterdam. I’ve never taken a class like this before, as I do tend to stick to my English and Art classes, but I am rather excited for it! Once I got over the fact that the class would last for four hours, I actually quite enjoyed it. I learned so much about the current political atmosphere in Amsterdam– apparently it has become much less tolerant within the past 10 years or so. It definitely gave me a lot to think about… My first assignment is to keep a sexual diary, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t think mine’s going to be terribly exciting… A cute dutch man gave me directions to the school, but that’s about the extent of it. I have noticed, at least in some of the less reputable areas that I seem to wander into with great frequency, that catcalls seem to be more of a common occurrence.
On a different note, this is the first time I’ve done outfit photos by myself, with my little tripod and remote and I’ve got to say, it’s been quite an experience! I found what was seemingly a quiet alleyway and figured no one would bother me. How wrong I was! I must have picked the most traversed little alley in all of Amsterdam. I had the same car drive past me slowly twice, a businessman stop to watch, and a little old lady peered through her curtains at me the whole time! I’ve already resigned myself to being considered the crazy foreigner!
Anyways, since it was the first day of school, I couldn’t resist donning a very school-child ensemble. I’m in love with this deep berry color, and I think it actually pairs quite nicely with my vintage floral dress. And of course, no school uniform is complete without a trusty backpack ;)
Also, I got a blog lovin account… will you follow me? Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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September 1, 2012 by Emma
It’s always so hard to begin things, and writing this post has been no different! I suppose I’ll just go right into it then… These pictures were taken on one of my last days in Hawaii, before I went abroad to study English and Art in Amsterdam. Currently I’m in the Netherlands, and will be staying here for the next 4 months. It’s the furthest I’ve ever been from home, and so far it’s been quite the whirlwind of an adventure. The program that I’m studying with has us arrive a week early so we can go through a week of orientation and “bonding.” Definitely not my favorite aspect of the journey so far, I’d much rather be thrown into it and feel like a local as soon as possible, even if I don’t look like one!
On a different note, I found this great 90’s era lace dress at my favorite Church Thrift store with the intention of hemming it shorter, but I actually quite like the length now. Definitely something I’m not as used to, but I love the feel of the skirt swooshing about as you walk (or twirl!). I couldn’t resist sneaking in a shot with my puppy, Jazz. We found her a month ago at the humane society and we couldn’t help but bring her home with us. She was the skinniest little thing and we were sure she was part whippet, but since then she’s tripled her body weight and become covered in spots! I’m thinking she’s a Dalmatian and Great Dane mix, but who knows!
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