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Nevada teen returns from The Netherlands
By Nancy Malcom
Nevada Daily Mail
Nevada native Brad Erwin, son of Russ and Marian Erwin, just recently returned from spending a year in The Netherlands as an exchange student.
"I decided during my freshman year that I wanted to participate," Erwin explained about his interest in becoming an exchange student. His first step was applying to the American Field Service program. AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization which exchanges more than 11,000 students among more than 50 countries annually.
The paperwork didn't take long. "They (AFS) came to interview me and then it was just waiting for acceptance by Holland. That took about six months."
Since he couldn't participate for a couple of years after his applying, Erwin took advantage of the time to get his passport, learn some basic Dutch and read all he could about The Netherlands.
The cost of participating in the program was about $8,500.
"You provide your own spending money too," Erwin explained. "I took about $2,000 with me and my parents would deposit money here in Bank of America. Then I could just get it out there at any ATM. There was a charge of five American dollars for every transaction, but that was the cheapest way to get money to me."
"I found out who my host family was going to be a few months before I went there," Erwin said. "That way I got to learn a little about them through phone calls and e-mails."
The Internet made things easier for him on both sides of the Atlantic.
"I used a Web cam and instant messenger to talk to my host family and after I got there, to talk to my parents here at home. That way I could talk to them and see them." With almost 50 countries to choose from, Erwin selected the Netherlands.
"Almost everyone there speaks English so I technically didn't have to learn much Dutch although I did learn some before I went. I ended up in the northern province, Friesland, where they have their own language, anyway. But they still almost all spoke Dutch and English," Erwin said. "I did end up learning Dutch," he added. "You can't help but learn it when it's around you 24/7." The Kingdom of the Netherlands is located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. Less than twice the size of New Jersey, the "Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands" is sometimes referred to as simply Holland or The Netherlands. A constitutional monarchy with it's capital The Hague located in Amsterdam, the country's ports are still vital to all of Europe. There are two official languages depicting the two main political and cultural divisions, Dutch and Frisian.
"I was in a small town about the size of Nevada. It was Surhuisterveen. My host family consisted of a father who worked as an accountant, his wife who is an nurse, and their daughter.
"I rode my bike seven miles each way to school. People rode bikes a lot or took trains." "I attended Lauwers College, but it wasn't 'college' it was high school. They have block scheduling divided by levels of advancement with VWO which is the hardest, HAVO is second hardest and VMBO is the easiest. You go there till 15 or 16 then you go to a different school that is tailored for your career choice.
"After that you can go to a university and complete training for a career. Basic school lasts until you are about 20 years old, then you go to university. They have to decide at a very young age what they want their career to be, for it's very difficult for them to change their courses."
A big difference in the school there and here in America is there is no public school sports program.
"If you want to participate in sports you have to join a sports club. You have to pay extra for that."
"The school day lasts from 8:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., although not all students go all day. You go to school for five weeks, then one week of testing. After that your schedule of classes changes again. You might have one class for three hours a day but only one day a week."
Another difference he had trouble getting used to is there is no school lunch program.
"Everyone brings their lunch," Erwin said. He laughed and added, "And every day lunch is ALWAYS bread. Sometimes bread with butter or meat or cheese. Always just one thing on the bread."
Some other food differences he noticed was the meals. "No one eats breakfast. Lunch is always bread. Dinner is always steamed potatoes, beef in one form or another, and another vegetable. Always the same thing."
He discovered the Dutch do have one favorite snack food.
"French fries they love! But they won't eat ketchup, they dip them in mayonnaise."
The weather wasn't as bad as many might think. "It rains every day. But even during the six months of winter the grass always stays green. It gets cold in winter, at least in the 30s but milder than you'd think. The clouds always seem huge there." Erwin said he tried not to think of America too much while he was there, but chose to immerse himself in the Dutch culture and lifestyle. "I wanted to be a part of it while I was there."
He wasn't too fond of the need to ride a bike everywhere he wanted to go, and the whole bread for lunch thing got tiring. Home life with his host family wasn't much different than when in the USA.
"Everyone was home in the evenings. We'd watch television -- which has most of the same shows we get here broadcast in English with Dutch subtitles -- or play cards." He grew close to his host family while there and anticipates their visit to the US within the next couple of years. "We'll definitely stay in touch."
Once back home his first stop was at Sonic. "Had to have a cheeseburger!" The next day he hit the local Mexican food place.
Erwin will return to Nevada High School this year to complete his senior year and graduate with his classmates. But he won't forget his experiences.
"It gave me a new look at the world and at America," he said.
He would encourage other students to participate in the program. "Go for it! You won't regret it."