What A Week!

I can’t believe that my first week in Lewes is already over. I’ve enjoyed every day so far. Christine and her family have been very good to Sanny and me and I loved staying here. School is fun and I have met a lot of nice people. LOGS is really different from the Rijnlands. Until the 11^th year the kids have to wear uniforms. The classes are smaller, there are a lot of boys and the days are longer. Also, a warm lunch is being served every day, so while you all in the Netherlands are eating squashed sandwiches, I’m having spaghetti, potatoes, broccoli, lasagne, fish, pancakes or something else warm.

Friday we were told about our host families for the coming two weeks. Mr Blewitt had decided for us. I would be staying with Tim Telford, a friendly guy who was actually the first boy I had met on my first day at school. He is in my economics, history and philosophy class, so I often follow him if I’m not sure where to go. After school Sanny and I walked down High Street to buy some bath stuff and afterwards we had a lovely drink and a piece of cake at Costa.  

Saturday morning Sanny and I said goodbye to Christine because she was leaving to her parents. After breakfast we did some washing and ironing and at 12 we set off to the sports club. We watched LOGS’s girls team playing their hockey match. After this I watched Sanny playing with Ladies 2 and when they had finished I played a match myself with Ms Webster’s team. Gabbey joined me and unfortunately we had lost with 3-2.

At 7pm Tim and his mum came to pick me up at Christine’s house. Sanny had already left. I said goodbye to Dominic, Rosie and Teddy and took my luggage. Tim is living outside Lewes in a town called Ringmer. From now on I’ll get lifted to school, all though I just got used to an early morning walk. Tim’s house is nice and he has a 14 year-old brother called Nick. His parents are very friendly, they are called Michell and Bill. And, how lovely, I’ve got two dogs again! Macy (beagle) and Ronny (labrador). There is also a cat in the house, Lotty. After dinner Tim and I watched a movie on his new 3D television.

Sunday was a sunny and relaxing day. Tim’s family took me out to have a typical English lunch at a pub. It was a very nice meal and I didn’t have to eat anything for the rest of the day. When we got back, Tim, Nick and I went for a walk with the dogs on the beautiful green hills. At night we went to a youth church where we sang. To be honest, this was the first time in my life I enjoyed going to the church. Again I have met many nice people.

I’m planning to do some Dutch work tomorrow, because of course I have to keep up with that as well. Let’s see what week 2 will bring! 

So Far, So Good

Monday morning Sanny and I woke up and realised we were going to meet a lot of people in an hour. At LOGS the first lesson starts at 9am every day. At the Rijnlands we can come to school later if we are free for the first hour(s) and we can go home when we have an hour in between, but at LOGS you always have to be at school from 9am till 4pm, even if you are free earlier. Of course, as we both are always late, Sanny and I arrived at 9;10. Fortunately Ms Rosin didn’t have any problems with that and brought us to our classes. My first subject was philosophy. This class was very small and there were mainly boys. Different from the Rijnlands, we all were sitting in a circle around one big table. After philosophy I had 4 hours in between and Sanny, Jop and I went to the Sixth Form House, the ‘big chilling room’ of the year 12 people. We met a lot of nice people, though I still do not remember all their names. The people at LOGS are very open and I immediately knew I was going to have a great time with them. After the break I had history and in the evening Sanny, Jop and I went to the school play ‘Daisy Pulls It Off’. It was really nice and I was amazed about the year 8 children performing like professional actors.

Tuesday I had economics and psychology. Both lessons were interesting and the teachers are really friendly. I also had some hours in between, in which I spent my time at the Sixth Form House. In the afternoon there was a hockey match of LOGS’s girls team against another school. I applied to join on Monday but I didn’t feel so well this afternoon, so I didn’t play. Sanny did and Jop and I came to watch her. They had won with 11-0. After the match the girls had training and I watched this as well. 

Today I also played a hockey match. This time the teams were mixed and Sanny and Jop were playing as well. We won the match with 6-1. School was nice and I’m slowly getting to know people a little bit, as I talk with them more every day. After hockey Christine took us out for a walk over the hills with Teddy. Unfortunately it was rainy and windy, but I’m still happy to have a dog for some time.

I’m looking forward to the coming weeks and I’m very curious about what all will happen. I do not know how many cups of tea I’ve had already, but after this one I’m going to catch some sleep, because my eyes are almost closing. 

Just The Start

Finally it was time to get in the taxi and drive to Schiphol. The moment I had been waiting for so long was there; my exchange to England was about to start. At 7pm I left Holland and flew to London Gatwick, together with Sanny and her mum. When we arrived we took the train to the village and dropped our loads of luggage at Bed & Breakfast Garden Cottages. We went out for dinner and afterwards we had an evening walk to get an impression of the place we are staying for 5 weeks. One word: cute! While walking up the high hill we passed some shops, cafés and Lewes Castle. We also saw our school, the Old Grammar School Lewes.

A lovely stay at Garden Cottages was a good start of the exchange. After a typical English breakfast (scrambled egg, bacon, beans, sausage and tea) we met Jop and his mother at Lewes Castle and had a drink at Caffè Nero, High Street. At 12 o’clock we had an appointment at school with the school’s headmaster. It was a very warm welcome. Mr Blewitt handed us our schedules and we got a tour through the school. We also met Ms Rosin, the head of our department. Old Grammar School Lewes is like one big house. I’m sure I’ll get lost a couple of times during the first week. It is very cosy. There are a lot of classrooms and there is also a theatre room and a library. The building is pretty old and is divided into three parts, so, depending on your schedule, you sometimes have to go outside and walk down the street to the other entrance. After lunch we took some time to take pictures. In front of the school were a few garbage bags and we noticed a piece of paper fully covered with the sentence ‘’I will get in trouble’’. This was very funny and made sense we had to behave well.

Then it was time to get to our first host family. Sanny and Jop said goodbye to their mothers and Ms de Wolf, who is staying in Lewes till Tuesday, got to her hotel. During our first week Sanny and I are staying at a house of a member of staff. She is called Christine and we had a warm welcome here as well. Her husband is called Dominic and she has four children, but only her youngest daughter Rosie still lives at home. Their house is located about 10 minutes walking from school. I immediately felt home and I finally have a dog! His name is Teddy. Jop and his family came over in the evening and we had dinner all together. During our first week we have time to make friends and Friday we may decide at which family we would like to stay for the rest of our time.

Tomorrow will be my first day at school. I’ve never been so excited to go to school as I am now, because actually then the exchange really begins. Sanny, Jop and I will be in year 12, in Holland this is the 5^th year. The subjects I’ve chosen are Psychology, Economics, History and Philosophy. We all will be playing hockey as well. I’m going to enjoy every day, every hour, every second of this exchange!