A Nine!!!!

I got a NINE (10s are mostly in the mind)!

Finally. I'd given up hope, knowing my written Dutch was inadequate ("onvoldoende") for most purposes. I was content to get passes (6s and above) and the occasional 8, and also, sad to say, occasionally not passing. Most exams and serious writing assignments (of exam level) here get two chances, so one can improve. My wonderful Russian friend ("Jenia") routinely gets nines, but she works a lot harder than I do, and she's been here a year longer than I have. She also has the most remarkable memory -- nearly photographic, whatever that is. She looks at things once and usually retains what she sees. It's a marvelous gift. So, my nine was awarded to a "portfolio" we turned in last Monday, a compilation of newspaper and other clips on a chosen topic (mine was "traffic and transportation", thinking I'd see lots to do with shipping), short writing assignments on both our own topic, a political party of our choice (mine was the Socialist Party, "SP") and this shared with another classmate's choice of party, another piece on our native country contrasted with Holland, and finishing with our interview of a Dutch family. I included illustations (the dishy cabinet minister of my topic, who at 35 is the third-youngest minister of "traffic and water conditions" in history; photos of the political party chairs, bios of the U.S. ambassador to here (who's French-born and Montreal-bred) and the Dutch ambassador to Washington, D.C., and ending with a photo of my street, for the family interview (my neighbors). It was all fun to do, but like every assignment here, a huge amount of work, with constant checking of spelling, grammar and articles and hours spent coming up with ideas. Nonetheless, seeing the 9 made up for a lot of earlier disappointments and made me feel that I had made some progress. I had to tell someone!

Now, to trudge on to three exams next week. It's an odd life, and different from what I expected, somehow. I can't wait to take a few days off and ride the train around the country (after 25th June).