De vrouwen springen

So my latest preparation for the trip has been to start learning Dutch. Thanks to Rosetta Stone, I now know how to say "The women jump," "The dog is white," and "The red car is old." All very helpful phrases, I'm sure. My favorite has been "sinaasappelsap," which is the word for orange juice (sap is juice). Cool. I think we should have the FedEx Sinaasappel Bowl here in the future.

Not having German language in my background means that Dutch is quite unfamiliar. I'm not too comfortable with all the "ach" sounds quite yet --- I feel too self-conscious. I'll keep working on it. But I also read not to compare the Dutch language to German. Not good.

Our group met last Sunday to talk more about details. We're getting black blazers, black rain/wind-proof jackets, and then I think we'll be set for our matchy-matchy uniforms. We chatted a bit about the culture, the politics, the economy, the religions, and major holidays in the Netherlands. We'll be there for National Windmill Day when they open up many of the 600 windmills in the country for tours. We'll also be there for the start of the Tulip Festival. And we'll also be there for the first catch of the herring season, called the Hollandse Nieuwe. It takes place on Scheveningen's Vlaagetjesdag, the Day of the Little Flags. How many fresh, juicy herring will I consume? Stay tuned....