Leadership

On Saturday, I attended a training session about being a leader and the skills required. It was twinned together with a moderator meeting in which we discussed the problems in the school that we have to address. In the previous term we saw very little happening, our voices rang out unheard. Hopefully, this term will be very different. More initiatives have been created and a more committed attitude adopted. We all want to see change. As part of this workshop, led by a second year, I learnt a lot of things that we often just regard as common knowledge and disregard.

This morning I held a speech as one of the candidates for the new student representative, I don't have high hopes but it was worth the experience. I'm beginning to feel slightly more confident and putting together more projects on my own. Something, I don't think, I would of even attempted previously. There is so much potential in UWCiM but so far it has been dormant. Soon I hope to see it unleashed!

The Netherlands

This week I left home for the second time and ventured into the flattest place in the world! I arrived on Monday, flying from Bristol to Schriphol where I met my friend. We took the train back to his place in Den Haag, then went for a little tour around the city on the most common mode of transport in the Netherlands, bikes! It was a very pretty city. We got some sleep and the next day headed into Amsterdam where we wandered about, visiting Anne Frank's house and lots of other main tourist spots. In the afternoon I headed up to Friesland to meet my second friend!

After a good nights sleep in the tiny village of Nij Beets, we went out to the town of Sneek, which has a beautiful water gate and is also very typical of old Dutch towns. We spent a lot of time inside due to miserable weather. The next day we went to a nearby city of Drachten, where my friend used to go to school. We visited his school and his grandparents, who were very lovely even though we couldn't speak due to them knowing no English and me not being able to speak any Dutch. They gave me some Stroopwaffles which are delicious. Again a day of miserable weather. We spent the next day in Nij Beets having a little walk around and then doing a lot of studying in preparation for going back to UWCiM. On Saturday we ventured out to the city of Groningen, a beautiful city full of students. We visited the university and many other astounding buildings. Again, miserable weather. Then, before I knew it, we were heading back to Mostar.

My time in the Netherlands was really nice. I got to see bikes, canals, tulips, clogs and windmills but also a lot more. All of a sudden I'm back in my other home and its still maintaining a resounding atmosphere! And the weather is much better here :)


Sneek

Nij Beets

Amsterdam

Ready, Set, Go!

I've been home around 3 weeks and today I leave, again! It went so quickly, with the snow, christmas, new years all passing by in a flash. It is strange being home but at the same time completely natural, I think I have found myself in the in-between state of staying and leaving. But friends and family have been incredible and I really am going to miss them, as I have also missed by college friends! So here I go off to the Netherlands and then on to Mostar. Adios yet again :)