Exchanging my bike for boots

It's my last day in Delft. I haven't really sat down and thought about leaving until now. There were just so many exams, errands, and moving out tasks to take care of that I haven't let the emotions kick in yet. But now that my room is empty except for my backpack, hiking boots, and trusty pink water bottle, it's hitting me. I'm sad to leave, but ready for what's next in my life.

To my Wave friends, thank you for making my exchange experience as Dutch as possible. It would not have been the same here without such a fun club. I guess swimmers stick together, all around the world. I'll never forget the water scooter song and late nights at the pool bar after practice. To be honest, I think I will convert back to water as my post-work out hydration. I'll leave the beer for you! I did most of my traveling with Wave while I was here, so thanks for showing me a great time in the Netherlands, Germany, and London. My last request is that you don't use the term "87.5% effort" to describe how fast to swim a 50 ;)

To my exchange/Erasmus friends, it's been amazing to meet people from all over the world. I love how everyone is up for anything. Just post an idea on our facebook group, and suddenly 10 people want to join your activity. I've never facebooked this much in my life! You are always welcome in Texas (or Colorado as of December!), and I'll show you how Texas has much more than cowboys and guns. I know you still don't believe me, so you'll have to see for yourself. Safe travels... I can't wait to see everyone's summer pictures. Johanna, I have to say a real goodbye to you in the next 6 hours and I don't want to think about it. I can't wait to visit you on September.

To my petroleum friends, I wish our Germany field trip would have happened earlier in the year. Also, I think I will demand a 15 minute coffee break every 45 minutes for the rest of my life. America is missing out! Good luck with your final year of your masters. Our industry is such a small world, that I am not worried about seeing you again!

I'm writing this post from my iPhone, which I plan to have turned off for my camino, except to check in with my family to let them know we're okay. I know many people dream about doing this pilgrimage for decades, so I feel very lucky and privileged to be able to do it now. How often do you have 3-4 weeks free? I'm excited to see what God has in store for Sarah and me this trip. Please keep our safety in your thoughts and prayers, and we will be back in the US to share our experiences the second week of August!

Peace,
Becca

The Rough Life of an Exchange Student

Graduation in Texas, triathlon in London, geology field trip in Germany, and vacation (within a vacation) to Rome all within 5 weeks leaves me with little time to share with you what I've been up to - exchange student problems! Oh wait, I have exams now too. So, I will prioritize by writing you a blog post.

I was initially not going to write about graduation, since it's not exactly happening abroad, but I've changed my mind. I think it's fun for my friends here in Delft to see what a Texas graduation entails!

First and foremost, you must dress up like you attend Hogwarts:

Hermione pouty-face

Make sure your cap doesn't all off!

Take a picture with your lovely sister.

Next, sweat outside in 95 degree weather (35 Celcius for the Europeans, oh wait, everyone else besides Americans. USA, we need to convert!), especially when you're not used to the heat. All your makeup runs off your face, suddenly you hate Texas and want to be back in chilly, rainy Holland, you really don't feel like hugging everyone since your black polyester gown is trapping in all the sun's radiation, and all you want is a snow cone. Why is Communication's graduation taking so long? It's Engineering's turn now, let us inside before this newly-turned-Dutch girl faints in Texas heat! Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but I really was not used to it.

During the ceremony, regret that you did not sneakily conceal your iphone in your robe so that you could text/FB/tweet/whatever during the 3 hour ceremony. If you're smart, you'll try to be the very last person to walk across the stage, because you're guaranteed to have the biggest applause when they call your name (shout out to Clay)! Man, these people are as excited to leave as they are to see you graduate!

Blur of graduates

Where's Becca?

The professors' robes are even more fun.

After the ceremony, attempt to find your friends & family (note, without a phone). The best solution: climb up the wall and yell your sister's name. Worked like a charm!

Found me at the wall!

Next, take pictures with people who are proud of you.

We match :)

Proud parents

Note: I am taller! These wedges are awesome.

Have a graduation party with your friends...

The Ladies - so happy to see them and very blessed to have such great girlfriends

My bestie

And another party with your family...

Half of my wonderful Houston family

Can't ask for much more

Okay there you have it, a very abbreviated guide to a Texas graduation. Now, back to Europe.

In June, I joined the WAVE club for another exciting event - the Idea League. This time we needed our passports! I didn't realize England required your to show your passport when you travel there from within Europe. All the other European countries don't make you show it when you cross European boarders. I guess they kept the Pound too. Jolly good!

I was especially excited about this trip, because we would be doing a "triathlon" at Imperial College, London, where my Dad and Grandpa went to university way back in the day. I mean, WAY back. Just kidding, Dad. Apparently not much has changed, because he used to hang out in the same student bar that we hung out in each night. Crazy!

Imperial College student union area.

Dad, I had a one of these here in your honor.

I put "triathlon" in quotes, because it was the most noncompetitive sporting event I have ever seen in my life. First of all, we got in trouble for asking questions like "Can we wear a wetsuit? It's faster." and "What kind of bike clips do the bikes have?" before the event, because that attitude is just too competitive.

For the race, we swam in a pool, each university had its own lane for their 5 athletes, and we weren't allowed to start biking until everyone finished swimming, so we had 20 minutes to change into dry clothes and warm up on our spinning bike. Yes, a spinning bike, and they gauged how far we went with cadence, not power, so take off all of that resistance and let those legs fly baby fly!

TU Delft ladies warming up

Then we had to walk to the gym door, and start our 5K run outside - 5 laps around the block. Look out  for the old ladies and dogs, you never know what you'll run into.

Okay maybe I was a bit sarcastic about the event, but it was a lot of fun and I was seriously sore for 5 days, which might be a record! I blame the 0 resistance on the spinning bikes. So, the reason this race was not as competitive as most triathlons was that the entire Idea League event is about meeting students from other universities in Germany, France, Switzerland, and of course Imperial College, London. Unfortunately, the French didn't turn up, which is funny because they are the closest to London. Anyway, each night we had a party and got to know each other with dance-offs and such. Most importantly, TU Delft placed 1st in women's and men's triathlon. I'm sorry, but you can't stop triathletes from being competitive, it's in their blood!

"Played in the spirit of the Games" was the slogan,

following the London 2012 theme.

No time to dilly-dally, onward to Germany.

This was a week-long geology field trip, looking at outcrops all over Germany. I don't have too many pictures, and I bet you guys don't think rock pictures are as cool as I do, but here's a few.

Trekking to our outcrop

aka secretly humming "the hills are alive with the sound of music"

View of a cute German town from the hill

Jia & me

Wine tasting at a vineyard!

What a conveniently located outcrop.

Henk found a slug and natually wanted to pet it.

Henk, Praveen, & Iwan -- aka syndicate boon-boon (??)

In other words, they were my group this trip.

All you geologists out there, tell me about this...

No, he's not kissing the rock. It's the Darcy test. 

10 points to the first person who comments on what that is!

Cute German town

Walking the streets...

Typical German buildings (I think)

It's not that far!

I will have to save Rome for next time since I have an exam tomorrow. As a head's up, I'm leaving on Saturday for Bilbao, Spain to meet with the fabulous Sarah Hill and walk the Camino de Santiago (Nothern route) for three weeks together. Only 3 days left in Delft, 1 exam, and lots of good-byes. Time sure does fly.

Texas and Tom Kha Gai

Just a quick post to say, I'm coming home for two weeks! I "graduate" on Friday, which is hilarious because I still have a month of classes left over here in Delft. Good thing one of those is a field trip to Germany... awesome! 

Before I forget for another month, here's the Tom Khai Gai with noodles recipe. It'll knock your socks off. Plus, it's super quick and easy to make. 

This is someone else's picture. Yes, it looks better than mine.

BUT don't be fooled! Mine tastes better!

Tom Khai Gai:

16 fl oz soup broth (chicken/veggie stock or water if you want less salt)

2 tbs lime juice

1 inch cub galangal (ginger) sliced thinly

4 oz chicken breast - bite size pieces

2/3 cup coconut milk (I just use a whole can)

chillies to taste! (not necessary if tom kha paste is spicy -- mine was)

coriander (cilantro) to garnish

1 tablespoon TOM KHA PASTE - that's the key.

1 package udon noodles (my addition)

1 package of Chinese mushrooms (my addition)

Optional, in my opinion

2 inch piece of lemon grass, bruised to release flavor

4 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon lime leaves sliced (lime juice was enough for me, but this is more authentic)

Heat the stock, add lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal/ginger, fish sauce, tomka paste, and lime juice. Stir, bring to a boil, add raw chicken and coconut milk. Bring to a boil again, then lower the heat and let it simmer and cook for 2-5 mins (until chicken is cooked).

If you're missing ingredients such as lemon grass or ginger... just add more tom kha paste. It's still amazing! This will serve 3-4 people as a meal, or more as just an appetizer.

Bata Race

As my WAVE friends know, this post is long overdue. A couple weeks ago, I was a part of the WAVE team for the Batavierenrace - http://www.batavierenrace.nl/english . Bata is the world's largest relay race!  


Here's some copy-paste info - 
The route of the Batavierenrace goes over 175 kilometers and contains 25 stages, of which 17 are men's and 8 are women's stages. There are three shifts, a night- (stage 1-9), morning- (stage 10-17) and dayshift (stage 18-25). The night-shift starts with an official start, in Nijmegen at 00:00 AM at the University Sports Centre of the Radboud University. The morning-shift starts at Ulft at 06.30 AM and the dayshift starts at Barchem at 11.00 AM. The final stage is a combined men's and women's stage, which starts at the Old Market in Enschede, and finishes at the cinder track on the campus of the University of Twente.

I was in the first shift along with 8 other people, or so. When you run your leg of the race, someone from your team is biking next to you cheering you on. When you're not running or biking, you're hanging out in the stinky van that travels to each stage where we switch runner and biker. I was the first runner! Our group started at 1:30AM. Being the first runner was really exciting, because your competition is still right next to you. After few stages, the crowd thins out.


On to the pictures and videos! This is pretty much in order of how the event happened. Thanks to Farhad who was official photographer this whole trip and kindly narrated all the videos :)

Wolke and me in the van, ready to leave Delft

Grolsh van!

We first drove to our campsite at the finish line, we must claim a spot!

Super old tents were tricky to put up

Farhad gives us an intro. He was super stoked to run, not!

Mark, Martijn, & Farhad

Group one on the way to the start line!

We're totally ready.

We have 3 hours to kill before 1:30AM!

Lookin' good, Group 1. I'm MIA...

...because I'm getting ready to kick some butt!

This was a little pre-race entertainment. "Wow!" Makes me giggle.

My starting group, it's 1:20AM, we need to stay warm for 10 more minutes...

...so this guy got us pumped up.

I'm #345. There are 350 teams in this race, dang.

My trusty biking buddy, Mark. 

He cheered me on along the way, and then we switched so I biked while he ran.

Simke, Alexander, Wolke, & Martijn - the rest of Group 1.

We were about to spend 7 hours together in a van (when not running/biking), woo hoo!

It was pitch black at some points, surprised I didn't trip while running

or wipe out while biking. Knowing my track record, that's quite a feat!

Farhad is ready for his leg of the race, 

and he knows that dancing is the best warm-up.

Well, we finished our stage around 7am or so, and met the morning group before they started their stage. It was pouring with rain most of the time, which made for a dynamic van ride. The one line I remember from this trip is, "close the freaking door!" from Alexander, since he didn't have a dry change of clothes and was shaking in his boots. Good thing he can take a little teasing :)

Team Group One got out of our trusty van and moved over to the coach bus that would take us all back to the finish line/campsite/party location. It was still raining!

Trying to keep my trusty pillow dry. 

She was almost stolen so many times this trip.

Who brings an air mattress but not a pillow camping?! The Wave'rs.

I got the last seat on the bus, keeping the bus driver entertained in between my dozes.

It was about 8am by then, and we had stayed up all night!

Back at the campsite, we're happy to be warm and dry!

Pre-nap breakfast time

Victor: ready to party already

Time to sleep: 9am-2pm

My group slept while the 2nd group ran.

Rise and shine!

While we were waiting for the 3rd group to finish, 

we looked around campus and had some classic Dutch french fries with mayo.

Alexander & me - happy after fries!

It was almost-shorts weather.

Around 5pm, it was time to watch the last stage of runners finish the race with a victory lap around the campus' track. Keep in mind, there were 350 teams competing, with 25 people on each time. Add in spectators, and those who turned up just for the party that night, that's a lot of people. The race will be mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records!

Eagerly waiting for the runners to finish

The Wave cheering squad, well some of us

The last runner has to dress up in a costume. The girls' heat finished first, and then the boys' heat followed with some more gutsy costumes. We saw some pretty quick changes right before the runners hit the track! Some were funny, some disturbing, but all were cheered on. Here's some costumes we saw -

Sweaty Snow White

Ready for Queen's Day this weekend!

Don't worry, I'm a doctor

Not entirely sure what she's going for here

Super Pink!

Here's our Waver - Julia! 

She's wearing the team suit, cap, & goggles.

Quick change

500m to go, with a surfboard, props to you girl

Tehe

Time for the boys. Brace yourself!

How to make the banana costume more original: add a snorkel

About time I saw a speedo around here!

omg omg omg omg

OMG OMG OMG OMG

Running while drumming - impressive!

Here's our smiley banana man, Eric. Go Wave!

M-M-M-Mario!

She's a pinata...

... complete with a guy running after her with a stick. 

Woman! Give me candy!

Tom, this one is for you since for some reason you want one of these hats...?

WARNING: the following video is not for children or easy-grossed-out people. Seriously, I'm warning you.

Bet you $100 they practiced, there was some serious technique in that.

I'll do my best to take your mind off that video. On with the weekend! Now that the runners are finished, it's time for dinner and the party.

Serving the Chinese food

Hungry runners

Geertje and my fellow Texan, Jay :)

Papa Simke thinking deeply

He did a lot of the organizing for this weekend. Everybody ran,

 we didn't get lost, and we had a blast. Thanks Simke!

Time to get the party started. I know what you're thinking, a marching band

is going to get the party started? Well, you'll see...

The band toured around the campsite, picking up more groupies at each corner.

Victor, Farhad, and Simke love orange soda!

This is how we get pumped up!

My new favorite Dutch song

Here's what it's supposed to be, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVPCYr3XDPg

Orange soda!

Getting our dancey pants on

Some people kept warm until the bands started by huddling in the tent. 

I preferred dancing to a marching band :)

The bands started playing later on Saturday night. There were stages all over campus with live music, dj's, and lots of dancing.

Go Wave! Plus a few photo-bombers. The guy in brown in front is very convincing though.

Mooie dames :)

Federica and Zarife dancing it up

Farhad, how did you manage this? 

Watching the awards. Wave placed 55 out of 350, not too shabby!

So crowded - 12,000 estimated visitors at this party

Which drink has no alcohol in it?

We danced around to all kinds of music, Dutch sing-along bar songs 

(that's what they sound like to me), Spanish music, English music, you name it.

I'm so excited I just want to throw full cans of beer at people's heads!

The next morning...

What boggles my mind is how Europeans are so into recycling, 

but just throw their trash on the ground at festivals. That's all plastic!

I think half the country looked like this on Queen's Day.

Students are so messy!

Breakfast time...

The Dutch breakfast: bread, butter, & sprinkles. No joke!

I'm home in a week, who wants me bring them some sprinkles?

http://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/2011/03/06/hagelslag/

Actually, that site looks funny itself :)

Pro tent folders

Parachute! Like 3rd grade PE class!

Teamwork

Wolke found the bubbles

The Wave-mobile, she's a beauty.

Federica shows us what angry Italian drivers look like.

Go Wave! What a great weekend.