First day of school

Yesterday I felt like a 7-year-old. It was my first day of school! I could finally start my Inburgering. I woke up early (at least early for me) in the morning, packed a notebook, pen and a sandwich in my bag, put a scarf around my neck (the weather was not very springish) and ran downstairs to get my bike.
- You're gonna be like a real Dutch student now... going to school on a bicycle! - Maurice was so happy and proud of his "freshman".

It took me more less 20 minutes to get to the university. Except one hill with bumps set literally every 100 meters, the whole route was pleasant. From the city to the school, along the railway tracks leads a long bicycle lane sometimes called The Bibycle Highway. During a day it's quite calm and empty, but in the morning between 8 and 9, the traffic really reminds of a highway. Tens of (mostly) students follow in a direction of the Radboud University. Everyone's going focused, smoothly in quiet. Like fishes floating downstream. And somewhere there in the middle, me. Bravely cycling and feeling, that I'm a part of it. Very cool feeling, with a spark of something extraordinary. But why? Why am actually so happy about? Cause I'm going to school surrounded with  the Dutch people? What's so special about it? It sounds so normal. And it is normal... finally! I'm an ordinary part of the society. Seemingly ordinary ;)

I came much earlier, but there were already two people sitting in a classroom. Very sympathetic Japanese girl and Afghan guy. We started to talk, asking who came from where and making sure their Dutch also really sucks. After all it's a biginners class. Meantime another people started coming and joining our conversation. Before the lesson started we already knew who's from what coountry and how long has been already living in Holland. Together it was twelve people, all from different parts of the world. None of the countries did duplicate except of Poland and China. You could expect these two nations... after all, it's always full of Chinese everywhere, same as Poles in the Windmill-land. 

We started with officially introducing ourselves in front of the class and shake a welcome hand with our teacher. Those who didn't have the books yet (like me of course) went to the secretariat, put their signature and received three heavy handbooks and an even bigger binder with school's logo. Well, with this kind of equipment you can really feel like a student again! 

The lesson was fun. I could quietly laze, because the basics we were learning about, I have already done myself  many times at home. I didn't even have to strain with the answers for any questions. I just let other people to try and show off. Now it sounds like I'm so immodest, but why should I pretand... I just know these things already. We'll wait and see. When we come to the point where there's something new for me or issues I have problems with, than I'm gonna start working hard. Till now it's memorizing well.

 All of it was nice and fun. The group is very sympathetic and I already started liking them. The teacher is also fine. There's only one tiny details messing the whole picture. The books... I was clearly not prepared for their size. And not only me. They didn't want to fit my bag (after all not very big one) in any way. And of course I left the backseat clasps at home. And what now? How am I supposed to go back home? Holding the books under one arm and the other hand on on a bicycle? I wouldn't dare... my cycling skills are not that good yet. Especially not up the hill. After few minutes struggling with my bag, I took my stuff out, pushed the books inside and tried to cram my wallet and sandwich on the sides. Now I could go! With the bag wide open and the books sticking out of it and covering half of my back. Whatever, it did work! On a way I've lost my sandwich crossing one of the bumps, so I had to stop and go back for it. Luckly I wrapped it well in a morning in a plastic bag. Otherwise the bump would deprive me my lunch and it was a long day waiting.