phone mishap.

i bought some coca cola light (just one bottle... not all of these.....)


yesterday i went to school with vivian and hilde. about 200 people in the class and it was taught in ENGLISH. of course that seemed so normal for me, but i was fascinated that everyone else was having to really concentrate. while i didn't pay attention, i noticed the difference between american girls and dutch girls (there were about 6 boys total in the class). barely any dutch girls color their hair. they are so natural and beautiful. their makeup isn't caked on, either. i'm digging that. everyone keeps trying to speak dutch to me and i make this funny face and say "i only speak english." and then when we leave i say "doei" because it's one of the only words i have mastered.

anyway, i tried to get money out of the atm and it said insufficient funds, which was not true. i tried a couple of different atms and then went into two banks. they couldn't help me. i needed to call my bank. but the toll free number could not be called from a cell phone or a pay phone. so we went to vivian's work to use their land line. something very funny happened (by the end of this, you may say "i think you had to be there"). i picked up the phone and dialed the number. a man answered and i said hi i would like to make a call to my bank in the US, i think i am just supposed to give you this number. and he said okay and i tell him and i hear him dialing. then he says "so then what is supposed to happen?" and i say "well, it's supposed to call the bank" and he goes "but you're in holland" and i say "yes, i am. i am using a phone in holland" and he says "no, but you're in my business." i get really confused at this point and think that maybe he picked up the phone to use it as the same time as me. i say "do you know vivian?" and he says yes and i say "i don't know what is going on, sorry!" and i hang up. then a man comes up the stairs (who i thought was the man who let me use the phone in the first place) and he says to me, "i was just downstairs" and i say, "i know because you just came UP the stairs." but then i realize HE was the man i was talking to on the phone. well anyway, it happened to be vivian's boss. he doesn't speak very good english so it was very confusing. last night i almost peed myself in bed laughing about this with vivian. the fact that he started dialing on his cell phone the number that this american girl was telling him.

okay, so it definitely was a had to be there, but if you could follow--it was very funny. they don't see very many americans in this town because it's not a touristy place. they all watch me closely and listen to me talk. vivian said the only americans they have seen are on MTV. what a great impression that must make!!!!! so long story long, i got the debit card worked out later when my dad called vivian's cell phone. i'm no longer stranded without euros.

off to shop more!
happy queen's day eve.

doei,
e.