Returning to university after Easter, I applied to go to a summerschool in China, courtesy of the faculty of science. My application was successful and I was off for 3 weeks to learn Chinese language and culture in Dalian, China.
Step 1 however, was getting there. It was decided that we should meet at Amsterdam airport, rather than in England. This meant I could fly from an airport nearer home, but also meant I had to meet a bunch of people I didn't know, in a foreign country... argh! The night before I began to question my sanity. "I'm going to the other side of the world, where I can't speak the language, for three weeks, with people I don't know...WHY?"
At Amsterdam airport the plan was to meet at the gate shortly before our flight. But I got there several hours early. I guessed it was best to check out where the gate was and then wander around. Luckily, at the gate I found someone on the trip (well, he found me) - yay! We wandered around the airport and heard a piano... There were some half-baked plans to meet at the piano so we thought we'd see if anyone was there. We saw a university hoody and found more people going on the trip! Who'd have thought you could find people you didn't know in a huge foreign ariport...
Luckily Amsterdam airport has plenty to entertain! There's shops, of course (mainly cheese and tulips!), but also a 'museum', a library, TV's, a piano to play, a spa, sleep rooms, a cafe where you sit in teacups... 4 hours wait wasn't so bad!
When the time came, we met everyone else at the gate, through the hi-tech, full-body scanners and we were off to China!
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