Things That Aren’t as Bad as I Thought They’d Be

Question 7: Everyone has worries about leaving a familiar environment. What worries turned out to be okay in the end?

Title: Things That Aren’t as Bad as I Thought They’d Be

1.      1. Fries with mayonnaise.

Now, I hate mayonnaise as much as the next sane person (except for the delight that is tuna salad), but I do like making the effort to try local foods. Many people here seem to survive by putting mayonnaise on their fries. After keepings careful tabs to ensure that this assumption was correct, I gave it a try.* Honestly, they were almost good. Is it something that I crave? Absolutely not. Is it something I will willingly decide to eat again if the opportunity presents itself? Probably.

2.      2.  Student Teaching

It’s a terrifying concept in the best of situations. Suddenly, after years of sitting in a classroom learning about teaching, coupled with some shorter stints of time in a classroom heavily supervised, you are supposed to teach young people something. And keep track of them. And learn about them. And make sure they do not harm each other or themselves during class. All at once.

Luckily, I am now aware that students make no sense in the Netherlands in the same way that students in the United States do not make any sense. Ergo, if there is no alternative, I cannot worry.

Scenario that supports my theory:

Setting: Student teaching in the Netherlands, Week 1. I am observing a class.

Teacher: *makes several funny jokes*

Students: *blink*

Teacher: *teaches something about the material. Uses the word, “adolescence”*

Students: What does “adolescence” mean?

Teacher: *Describes the words and explains that every student in the room is an adolescent*

The students begin cheering and clapping delightedly.

3.      3.  Finding peanut butter and coffee

Everyone has favorites and staples when it comes to consumption. Coffee and peanut butter happen to be mine. Staying alert throughout a whole school day without coffee seems like an unfortunate undertaking in which I do not intend to partake.

I am happy to say that both of these are both readily available and commonly consumed in the Netherlands.

*Careful tabs: I noticed many living bodies and zero bead bodies near the snack stands. I did not notice any body bags or people who might be employed with the task of quick body removal.