Today was our last official day of class. We gathered in Vondelpark to present our outside activity reports. It was really fun to see what everyone else had been doing. The activities ranged from interviewing a prostitute to street performing. This assignment was another way for us to immerse ourselves further in the Dutch culture and acquire a deeper understanding of what life in Holland is like compared to our lives in the United States.
After the morning presentations Azure and I decided to visit the Rijksmuseum, which neither of us had been to yet. We both decided that our favorite of the exhibits was "Nightwatch" painted by Rembrandt. The exhibit included a video explaining the story behind the painting... a murderous story. Then we got to see a light show projected onto the painting highlighting the relevant figures, as well as adding sound effects and music to make the story come alive off the paint. The rest of the museum contained items owned and commissioned by Dutch royalty and also told more about the history of Dutch aristocracy. I enjoyed seeing paintings of historical figures (e.g., William of Orange) I had learned about in my history classes at Hamline, as well as seeing objects they once owned.
This evening the whole group went to a popular local pub to eat dinner and to watch the opening game of the World Cup. It was a good time to reflect on all the activities we've done so far and share our favorite stories as the flight home nears ever closer. Oh, and to watch some fabulous soccer.
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