So the Battle has begun.

I've been to Amsterdam for two days now and I'm getting used to my academic routine - sitting in the classroom from morning til evening with my newly found colleagues. We're having Critical Thinking and Research Methodologies intensive this week. The introduction was absolutely terrifying yesterday morning when the academic dean tried to scare us all to death (and succeeded). "Are you absolutely sure you're ready for this?" he asked. Gulp. Well... yes. No. I don't know. Why am I here???

So I'm swinging between pangs of pure delight for having academics around me again and sudden panic attacks when thinking of the long, painful and tearful journey ahead of me. I'm not quite sure why I'm doing this to myself. Not sure at all.

There are ten of us, two MA students who're taking the same course for some reason, and eight scared-looking baby doctoral students. In the classroom I'm sitting between an American guy who looks like Zinedine Zidane and who teaches theology and Arabic in Beirut (it's difficult to find a cooler combination if you asked me) and a high-ranking Baptist church leader from Philippines who flies around the world and trains pastors (and who likes to talk about it all the time. Never mind.). So there are people from all over the place - Africa, America, Europe, Asia. The principal of the Study Centre is a hilarious Scotsman who looks like Jeremy Clarkson. I'm the youngest (obviously). Out of ten students, it's eight men and two women. So nothing unexpected there.

I haven't seen much of Amsterdam yet but I'm hoping to explore the city some more on Saturday. But as much as I've seen during my morning and evening commute, it's everything one would expect - canals and bicycles everywhere. People are very nice (except when they're biking and you happen to get in their way). I've decided I'm not going to see Anne Frank's house this time around, I'd much rather went there off season when there aren't tourists around. But I am hoping to get together with M. and hang out with her for a while. I haven't seen her since she left Newbold.

I'm tired. So I'm off to watch The Great British Bake Off to give my poor brain a little break. Greetings from Dutch-land!