World Trade Center and beyond

Markus and I enjoying a yummy pancake from a local pancake house.

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My first class in the Netherlands is in Amsterdam. It is as everyone has portrayed it to be, from the wildness of the freedoms to the beauty of the water that surrounds it.

Marketing is my major for my masters and I have been so excited for my first class to begin. In comparison to the other classes that I have taken towards my masters and the management class that I have started here, I do have to say that this class will challenge me unlike any other. My professor is Randy Bootland, he is from Canada and has been teaching this subject for many years. I am again the youngest in my class and surprisingly the one that has had the most years in the field of marketing! I take the train from Leiden to Amsterdam which is about 30 minutes of travel. The train station is directly next to the World Trade Center in Amsterdam where Webster University is based out of it. Many companies that are based out of the United States have a satellite office here. Some of the companies are Google, Coke, McDonalds, and a few airlines. The company that I am working with in combination with my marketing class is TPK, which is a Netherlands based company for diagnostic devices for disease prevention. I am pumped about this because we are to complete a full business plan and marketing plan for this company for a one year and three year cycle.

Will, Alex, and Dan (students from St. Louis) off to Italy for a few days.

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Today I came down with my first sniffle, the weather I believe is the cause. Everyday the weather changes, most of the time it rains...I can best describe it like Florida but milder temperatures. :)

There are some favorite spots that I have already. First, bars of course, the Crewg which is Websters hang out. I have made friends with the bartenders already. It is small but very Dutch like with a basement where you can play darts and pool. Then there is the Duke, which even on Sunday nights they have a live jazz band playing until around 1am...I don't know how they do this! The music is fabulous!!! Markus and I went there last weekend and they played all American jazz songs....we were in heaven!

This weeks agenda.....

School of course....

Then Erin (shown in a picture previously) and I will be off to visit Germany for a few days. We will be staying in the Kriegers house. This weekend we will spend time with Markus and some of his friends. Pictures to come!