*Welkom* to our blog! We are the 2008 Group Study Exchange team representing Rotary District 7620 which includes Central Maryland and Washington DC. We will be visiting District 1600, located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands as a part of a professional exchange with members from their district. This exchange is a part of the greater goal of the Rotary Club to promote world peace through the exchange of ideas and the understanding of other cultures. District 1600 includes Rotterdam and The Hague, which are the second and third largest cities in the Netherlands, following Amsterdam. We will be in the Netherlands from April 26 through May 24, during which, we will live with host families, give presentations to several Rotary Clubs and visit vocational sites related to our respective professions. Most of all, we will be immersed in Dutch culture and have many wonderful experiences. We hope you will enjoy reading about our experiences and adventures! *Dank u*

Sunday, May 4, 2008

The End of Week One

It has now been a week since we have been here. It's nice to have three more weeks and not feel rushed to see everything as I often feel when on vacation. We're learning a lot and we're exhausted. Yesterday we switched cities, host families, and host clubs. We are now in Wassenaar. The club in Delft had a nice little farewell party for us and the new club picked welcomed us with great energy. To transport us here, they sent a van for our luggage and a separate car for us! ha! As soon as we arrived, we met our new families and then attendd a classical concert performed by young students from the conservatory. This morning we went to the Keukenoff, which is a huge garden with thousands of different types of flowers. We also visited some of the flower fields which are just amazing. Today is Memorial Day here which remembers those who died in World War II. We were asked to particpate in a cermony at the local memorial. We marched to the statue, had two minutes of silence, and then laid a wreath at the base of the statue. The mayor and several other prominent leaders in the city were there and a reception followed. Tomorrow is liberation day and a day of celebration.

We have had several vocational visits, which have all been very informative. I have visited two colleges so far and have learned a lot about the education system here, which is quite different than our system. Students choose an education path at the age of 12 (or maybe 14, I have it written down somewhere). I can't imagine knowing what subject I would like to study at such a young age. We also visited several homes for the elderly and learned a lot about the healthcare system here. Tomorrow we are going to a bioscience center and then to have high tea and then we have another presentation to give. There is very little free time...which leaves little time to blog. I'm off to bed but wanted to add a picture.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kim,
Glad you made it there okay and that you are having a great time. It is really good to read all about your experiences. Makes me want to plan a trip to Italy.
Take care
Love you
Aunt Judy