The Hague

Well, Europe is quite the contrast from 5 weeks in Africa, that's for sure. We threw our stuff down at the hostel when we got in and really wanted to get to Belgium, but it was a little expensive for my blood. So, instead Sarah, David, and I explored The Hague which turned out to be great. I had slept the whole way from Dar es Salaam to Amsterdam, but it was still an interesting trip. I met a girl on our flight from Kigali who was from Atlanta as well as a German couple who booked the flight when it was scheduled for 7 am, 8 hours earlier than it actually departed, and were never notified. Our plane was an hour late leaving Kigali for no reason- we call it Africa time- and then the flight attendants on KLM flight looked down on the size of my bag, and made fun of me with other passengers!! Oh well, we made it safely and were shocked at how chilly it was when we left the train station.

We left the hostel and got some cheap Turkish food off the street, and I felt like my tastebuds were rejuvenated, it was so amazing. Saturday was one of the biggest days of the year- Pink Saturday, celebrating homosexuality with concerts, displays, parades, it was an interesting experience! We left and went to Delft, a small and really European village. There was an antique sale going on at the canal and a middle school marching band competition in the city center. We explored two churches, where the graves of the inventor of the microscope and the father of international law are buried, and had the best sandwiches ever!!! We met up with the rest of the group that night in The Hague and went out for the block parties and ska concerts, but just walked around in circles and got laughed at for wanting to go to a nightclub before 2. One thing I've noticed is the height of the people. There's even lots of women taller than me, and especially some guys who tower above me.

Sunday we slept late, found a sweet place for free wireless internet and were generally really lazy until my roommate John arrived from Paris. It was great seeing him, hearing about his trip, and spending the next two days in The Hague. We rented bikes as a group and rode about 20 minutes to the beach, which was packed with people but way too cold to swim, then rode back to the hostel. John and I continued further south, got really lost in a really cool neighboring town, and came out on the north side of The Hague. We felt European since everyone here rides bikes and the infrastructure is built for the paths.

Monday we slept late again, went to the grocery store and bought some stroopwaffles, the local caramel cracker that's amazing. We just walked around the city and had a pretty slow day, found a great pizza place, and relaxed some more. The Hague is kind of slow, even though its a big city (I compare it to my experiences in Charlotte), but I feel like our groups gotten to be even better friends here when we reflect on our experiences in Africa.

Tuesday, my 22nd birthday, we woke up early to go to the International Criminal Court. We watched the trail of Thomas Lubanga in the morning, on trial for conscripting child soldiers and the first trial ever for the ICC. We knew what was going on this time, and even though the witness was protected, we were able to understand everything that was going on. After a great sandwich place for lunch and ice cream from the gas station, we went back to talk with the lead investigator, a former prosecutor for the Manhattan and U.S. district attorneys office, and then the deputy prosecutor for the ICC, who actually leads the trials and is the highest ranking female lawyer in the world. She was incredible, talking about her earlier experience in Rwanda, her convictions that international justice was and will make a difference especially in Sudan and Uganda, and the political process of her election. It was a really interesting day, with happy birthdays from everyone everwhere.

The group had Ben and Jerrys and a card for me back at the hostel, and we threw in lots of the Belgian chocolates my parents sent me for a great celebration. We drank a little at the hostel bar (free drink #1 of like 6), tried to open minikegs from the grocery store in our room (10 Carolina students just couldn't figure out this contraption, it was hilarious) and then went to the same pizza place as a whole group!! We had a great time at the restaurant, then a few people went back but most came out to the two bars we went to and had a great time. The best parts were sitting outside our hostel when we got back just talking, and then going crazy when we got back. The party was one of the most fun nights of the trip!!

Today we slept in (a fantastic birthday present from the professor) and then heard from an American working on the special court for Sierra Leone also in The Hague, and his experience and personality were really enjoyable. He had also worked in Rwanda, and it was really interesting hearing so many different perspectives and now being able to contribute my thoughts to the conversation on the post-conflict developments. We tried to watch more of the trial, but it ended up being all administrative matters and closed sessions to protect the witness.