Steven held a reception event on Thursday night. We went to a park near his house and played around with a soccer ball. I'm terrible at soccer - I just like the running around!
posted by James 9:33 pm
This weather is too hot! Last night, one of the trains was delayed, so there were a lot more people than usual on the train back to Tilburg. For the 20-minute ride home, I was standing in a small carriage with 20 other people. It was literally a sauna. I was sweating so much - it was streaming down my face. This is uncomfortable when you are wearing your work clothes. It was such a relief to get off the train at Tilburg and walk home.
Later in the evening, I took my bike to the repair shop below the train station. (It will be ready for me after work today). I gave Moise a call to see if we were doing anything with Maja. It turned out that he was also at the train station, waiting for his ride home. We walked to town and each had a big chilled beer at the Irish Pub.
posted by James 9:59 am
Last night’s AIESEC drinks were held outside. This is a good idea during the summer, especially as it doesn’t get dark until very late.
I had a small chat with Huimei, as she was walking back to her bike. I needed to resolve the situation. I told her that I was still interested in going out with her, but I would get over it, and I would like to be friends. She shared my sentiments.
She also said that she wasn’t interested in going out with anyone at the moment. That’s a lie. (Otherwise, why did she go out on a date last Thursday?) I think it’s just one of those things you say to someone so as not to hurt their feelings. I can appreciate that and I’ll accept it as a good thing. Yet, I can also imagine how it could lead to confusion over where someone stands.
My bike had a flat tyre, so I walked with it alongside me to the bike repair facility at the train station. It was 11pm, but this place was still open. All I did was pump up the tyre, but I really should have left the bike there to be fixed. The tyre was flat again when I was barely halfway home!
I walked to the train station this morning. It only takes 30 minutes at a slow pace.
The heat wave is back. Last night, I couldn’t get to sleep, so I had an impromptu 1am cold shower. In summer, the attic is the worst place to be in the house!
posted by James 10:54 am
I spent last weekend chilling out in Tilburg. Most of the time, I was at home reorganising my room, watching television and studying Dutch.
At university, I would make posters of what I was studying and put them up around my bedroom. I have started to do the same over here, to help me study Dutch. So far, it’s just the most important verbs and their conjugations. I found a new place to stick my Fiona Tan poster. It is at an unusual angle on the ceiling and you can look at it properly only if you are lying on my bed.
I have finished my Dutch language book and have moved on to translating random newspaper articles and watching Dutch television. I find reading Dutch so much easier than listening to it. Whenever someone speaks, the whole sentence seems like a blur of Dutch noise. I can only distinguish the individual words when I recognise them. It’s frustrating not being able to learn a language as fast as you wish. I guess it is just a case of continuous immersion. Then the words and grammar will gradually stick in my mind, rather than be immediately forgotten.
I got a haircut on Saturday. I feel much better with a short haircut, especially in this heat!
Steven joined me for my 30 minute run on Sunday. It was Steven’s first run for a while, so I think he wasn’t used to that type of exercise. Our time was 34 minutes, which is fine with me. I remember taking approximately 35 minutes to do this run the first time.
We went pooling in the evening. Steven is going through some bad form right now, so I won a few of the games convincingly. At one point, though, Steven almost pulled off a shot that would impress anyone who has ever played “Smash Pool”. He smashed the white ball, causing his “target” ball to go airborne and skid violently along the next table, coming within centimetres of landing in the far corner pocket. That would have been cool. Another time, he hit the white ball off the table, and I caught it with my foot – playing four hits of “cue ball hacky” before I lost control of it.
I asked him for some advice about what I should do with Huimei. He told me to forget it and move on. It’s not how I want things to be, but I agree with his advice as the only realistic option.
I’m changing my opinion about how to ask girls out. I’m starting to think that it’s silly to be patient until you have “enough information” about the other person. It’s impossible to know everything about someone, anyway. And, as people have been telling me, learning about someone is one of the better aspects of going out with her. When you have the feeling that you are interested in someone, don’t hesitate, just ask her out. Even if it’s just to see what it is like to go out with her. You can find out more about her once you are both going out.
I have gone 180 degrees. I now prefer honest openness to patience, even in this situation.
posted by James 4:55 pm