Phase 3 underway.

So much for updating every day or so.

Quite a bit has happened, but nothing anecdotal pops up. My last night in Paris, I lay in bed, and panic come over me in waves--I wasn't prepared to leave. My bags were packed, but mentally I still wanted to stick around. My overall experience in Paris was much more fulfilling than last year's because I got a taste of what it would be like to have a satisfying life. I met so many people, wack and not, and rather than just a research vacation, it felt like a parallel life. So I had a mini-panic attack, wondering what I was in for with the program in Amsterdam, wishing that I had an extra few weeks (or wishing I could move to Paris for my fieldwork right at that moment.)

I walked out of the train station, lugging my suitcase, and was amazed how much Amsterdam Centrum looked the exact same as it had before, construction and all. I hadn't realized how much I thought or dreamt about Amsterdam until I was back. I remembered nearly everything. I think I really liked it without realizing it. What I remember was not really the company I was with, but the environment, the people, and of course the bikes.

Not even an hour later, I met up with the first person in my program. Her vibe was total confidence and I immediately intimidated, but then again it doesn't take much to intimidate me, sadly. She turned out to be a very interesting person, to say the least. She is a proud black feminist, and is working with the National Organization of Women. She hopes to eventually push through policy to have "positive sexuality" taught in schools. Her personality is loud, friendly, but very attention-grabbing. Kind of like me, you either love her or hate her. And best believe, she's tried my (and others') patience several times, but it's hard not to forgive her for it--most of the time.

I had no idea what to expect with the rest of the group, but it's a very mixed group. The majority are from the States in some form or fashion, but a number of those people are currently living in the European Union. The personalities and people run the gamut including, a white, all-american boy (his nickname is Mickey), a cute gay Black guy, a German, sporty girl, a German not-so-sporty Black girl, a bit of a ghetto-fabulous Black girl from Jersey, a white, lesbian from Minnesota, an older mixed-background woman getting a divorce from New York, a pan-European gay guy who speaks 5 languages...it's all over really. Sadly, cliques have already formed. God forbid we all try to get along. I'm not hating on the fact that certain people have developed affinities with each other, but there are clear "you-are-not-welcome-here" vibes whenever some of us approach others.

The program is intense, and expects a lot in less than two weeks. I mean, come on, you really expect us all to read two or three lengthy articles every day, after a long day (9am -4:30pm) of classes? But the course is very interesting, and has shifted my mentality about what I'm studying and how I'm studying it. The professors for the first week were very interesting: Kwame Nimako and Stephen Small. Stephen missed his calling as a stand-up comedian, but it made for hilarious lectures filled with anecdotes and silly comments. And his Liverpudlian accent, which is a mix between a Scottish and English accent, makes things all the more funny.

On contemporary race relations, as compared to the 50s and 60s: "Of course it's better than before, but so what? If you're first stabbing me, and then you're slapping me, is it better?"

Kwame seemed merely amused by the debates that ensued between us in class. He's cool though.

So that's it for this entry.