On this page the students of the Vyšší Odborna Škola (VOŠ) in Most will describe their experiences in Meppel during their stay from 25 March till 20 April 2018.
At Saturday we were in Giethoorn. Giethoorn is very nice and interesting place. Everywhere is water and so many houses. The most interesting thing about Giethoorn is that almost everyone there uses the boat for traveling. After Giethoorn we visited Primark in Zwolle. We bought so many things there. It was my first time in Primark and it was great.
Nikola
I was prepared for this experience in Netherland. That the people will be nice, that is a quit a different culture and stuff like that. But I didn’t aspect that would be that big shock for me. During the first few days I just fell in love with Netherland and with that also with Dutch people. I can´t use to it, but I love it. My experiences in the Town Hall are the best. There are also very nice to me. There her very different system of the work, so that is also very interesting for me. This first week I just try to get use to it.
On the weekend we go to Giethoorn and all of us were just so exiting about that.
I am very happy to haven´t missed the opportunity to visit Meppel.
In Sunday I and my schoolmates (Denisa, Nikola and Monika)leaving at 6:30 from Most to Meppel. The journey was calm. To the Meppel we are arrived around 13:30. Bart welcomed us and he was very nice. Affter that he took us to walking around the city and borrowed bike us.
26.3.2018 – Monday
In Monday morning Bart picked us in Mepple´s inn and we went to ride a bicyckles. I was scared but it was also realy good. In afternoon with Monika we are taked the bicycles and we go to ride around the city and to the mill. It was nice weather. In evening we went to the restaurant and we had a diner with other people like Hetty, Sophie or HarmJan and food was really good and diner with people was really nice.
27.3..2018- Tuesday
In Tuesday it was our first day in internships on the citty hall. We are meet with Sophie and she is really nice too. Sophie took us to the citty hall. Colegues are really nice until we were suprised.
28.3..2018 - Wednesday
In Wednesday we were in citty hall and we have got homework find anything about the Duch struckture. Aftter instenships we were in the citty after shopping and we are look around.
29.3.2018-Tuesday
In Tuesday we were again in Internships and we are finnished our homework and we talked with Sophie. Affter that we were in citty.
30.3. 2018 – Friday
In Friday we had day off and we relaxing and aftter that we took the bycicles and we are going to ride on the bycicles and we losed but we find way back.
31.3.2018 – Saturday
In Saturday we was on the trip with Hetty in Giethoorn. In Giethoorn we passed to boat around the village and was to really nice. And we had really nice weather. Affter ridding on the boat we just walking around the village. Affter that Hetty invated us to lunch. And affter lung we starded to Zwolle to the Primark and in Primark we stay for 2 hours. It was really nice day with Hetty.
Second week. Now we are in the middle of the adventure.
I am starting to get quite used to the Dutch everyday life. It stopped being such a shock for me. Sometimes I start to forget that I have legs because everywhere I go I am riding a bike. The city still doesn’t stop interesting me. It is such a beautiful city very, very different than our cities in Czech.
At Saturday we were in Amsterdam and it was amazing. Of course, the boat was there, all the buildings, the history about the city, I just have no words for Amsterdam. There were a lot of people, but this was the right vibe of it. Even the smell all around. It´s Amsterdam.
And Sunday we spent in Zwolle. We have seen, all the beauty of the city. We had beautiful weather and before noon there was almost no one there, not like in Amsterdam. We done a lot of shopping, again, but also a lot of food and adventure and all that, because we were go by train by ourselves. But we had good instructions, and everything was going well.
No one was hurts. No one was lost. We are alive and ready for second part of our adventure.
Monika
Report from Leeuwarden
6.4.2018 – Friday
At Friday I was with Sophie in Leuwardern. We were left in the morning. At first we wallked to the centrum the city. Leuuwardern is different than Meppel. After that, Sophie took me to her university which is callled NHL Hogeschool. Sophie showed met he inside of her university, which size amazed me+ it was so big! After that we went to the Fries Museum. We saw a historical part about the Frysian history, a part about the second world war and a modern art part which was really vague. We did not understand this type of art. Some parts were not in English language, so Sophie had to translate them for me. Which was the only minus. Next we had some lunch and we did some shopping. Sophie also showed me oldehove tower. Which is slooping tower. After this we had a drink and we went to train station and we are leaving to the Meppel. It was really nice day with Sophie!
Report from Amsterdam
7.4.2018 – Saturday
Saturday we, the interns, went to Amsterdam together with Bart and his wife. We left for Amsterdam in the morning. We had one transfer, but everything went well. We are arrived in Amsterdam in the morning. Afrer that we went on the boat and we had one hour city tour on the canals. It was very nice. The we walked around the city and visited the Royal Palace. Bart told us some interesting facts about the Palace. After Palace we went to Museum Square and we took pictures with the sing that says „I am Amsterdam“. After that we were came back to Royal Palace and we had free time for us and we went shopping for two hours. It was long and very nice day in Amsterdam with Bart and his wife!
Report from Sunday
8.4.2018 – Sunday
On Sunday we had day off with girls and we went to Zwolle. It was good fun because we could ride the train ourselves. But we did it. In Zwolle we just looked around and walking to the city centrum. The centrum we did some shopping in Primark again. We had a lunch and it was just a girls day Zwolle was very nice!
Veronika
My second week was also very nice. At the weekend we were in Amsterdam. It was very nice. We saw the royal palace, the squares, the inscription I am Amsterdam. We had time for shopping, so i could bought some little presents for my family. We did there so many photos.
On the Sunday we were in Zwolle. We could saw the city, because the last week when we were there we have not got time to see the city. We saw the square, so many boths and we were also in Primark again.
My internship is very nice. The people here are very friendly and kind. If i need something i am not afraid to ask. Only problem is the language. Patients in Kaailanden can speak only dutch, but i found one man and he can speak english so this is very good for me. The co-workers can speak english. I think that i am better in my english and i am happy for this.
Nikola
The next week of my internship. I can not believe how quickly it fled again. Meppel is not enough to surprise me how beautiful it is. Every day we have something to do. At the weekend, we went with Mr Bart and his wife for a day trip to Amsterdam. Amsterdam was all the more amazing because we had beautiful weather. For an hour we saw Amsterdam on the ship. Great experience! We have seen the Royal Palace and the Museum Square. Of course, we had to visit some shops. On Sundays, we all started out on a Zwolle trip and looked around the city. I look forward to more experiences!
Denisa
13 april
Report from Internship Townhall
At the beginning of the internships we knew that we would have interviews with the people that in advance interviews, we focused on doing research on the Dutch political system. The information we found during our research, was easy to understand after Najib Ouaamar explained all the details to us in an interview
The next interview was with Policy advisor Jennifer Noble. The position of policy advisor was new to us and which is why the interview was interesting. This interview give us new perspective for our job in the social domine for the future. Jennifer gave us all information about the system of higher level of municipality as well, it was very helpful.
The third interview was with Paul, who is a Youth Coach. This profession is totally new for us because the job not exist in Czech. Paul told us everything about his job description. We will soon visit the learning centre in order to see this system helping of young people in real life.
Not only the interviews were interesting we also visited Meppel aan Zee where students presented their ideas of activities on Meppel´s port. Then we visited the store where students from Drenthe Collage have their Internships. Also, that we spoke with two students and they explained their activities in their Internships. By having these interviews, was better understood the differences in school systems between our two countries.
Now at the end of our internships we just started working on the final presentation which we will proudly present.
Monika
Report from Internship Townhall
My work experience from internships at city hall was only good. I meet a lot of new people from city hall and I trying something new. I was here with my schoolmate Monika and with collegue Sophie. Sophie give us some works and we are not boring. We had some interviews with interesting people and this interview give us new view for our future in social work. Also we are visits some institutions in Meppel for example Working learning centre. I am glad for this experience because I am trying something new, I improve in my English language also I meet with great people in city hall and I remember for this experience for only good!
Veronika
Report about Kaailanden
The internship is Kaailanden was great. The Kaailanden is home for people with dementia. The house is divided on 4 departments. My work day started from 7:30 a. m. to 15:30 p.m. or from 15:30 p. m. to 22:30 p.m. The work was not easy every day. I could meet different type of patient. Each of the patient was very interesting for me, because of their disease. The co-workers were very polite to me and when I nedeed someting, they aways helped me. I am very happy, that I could meet so very kind, friendly and polite people. The care is similar in many cases, but i tis also different in someting. For example in our republic, the nurses have not got so much time for patient. I would like to say thank you for everything to co-workers from Kaailanden and specially Mieke, because she was so nice to me and she helped me with everything and she was the first person which started cared about me.
Nikola
Report about Het Anker
The health facility I worked in for 4 months was called Het Anker. I was surprised to welcome my open arms. The colleagues were very willing and friendly. They took me as part of the team. The only thing I'm sorry about is that I could not talk to clients. unfortunately, only a few people speak English.. I saw some differences in care than in the Czech Republic. It was a great experience for me.
Denisa
19 april
We did our presentation an we recieved our certificates from the mayor of Meppel, mr. Korteland
Click here for video final presentation
Personal evaluations:
I spend very nice time in the Netherlands. One month is very long time, but the time ran fast. I learn so much there. My internship was at the Kaalainden. The co-workers were very nice, kind and friendly to me. I found so many differencies about nursing between Czech Republic and Netherlands. We visited so many interesting places – Giethoorn, Amsterdam, Zwolle, the Haag and Rotterdam. We were on the beach in the Haag and could sea the see for the first time. It was awsome. In the Amsterdam we could sea the Royal Palace, the sign I Amsterdam and the big park.The Dutch people are very nice, friendly, polite and kind. When we needed something, they always helped us with everything. I am so grateful, that could be part of this. It was big Experience for me. I learn so much about Netherlands. I am very grateful for this oportunity. I tis mean so much for me.
Thank you for everything.
Nikola
My experience in Meppel,
Now I can say that I Grew up during those four weeks that I spent in Meppel. In Foreign country, foreign culture, with foreign people. Now you are a foreigner for them and this fact learn you who You really are. Also my English is on another level. Now I am not afraid to speak anymore. This experience gave me so much memories which I know that I will remember for a long time. Gave me more energy to do something extra, I have more ambition and I believe I can do anything when I really want to. I am very glad for that experience, that I can get to know another culture, people and different philosophy of life.
Monika
My internship in Meppel was one of my greatest experiences in my life. I am grateful for this opportunity. I learned a great deal about it and learned it in the medical facility. People are very nice. Thank you all for such a wonderful month!
Denisa
In the start I didn´t know what I came for. I feel scared from new environment and everything. But first day I didn´t feel nothing like scared but I feel happy and I would surprising. City Meppel was very beautiful and people was very nice.
I improve in my English league and I am proud of me. Because I were very shy at the first time and I almost said „Hi“. But latter I speak English almost fluently and I didn´t expect progress from me. I am not feel afraid to speak English
I was glad I was finally going to Erasmus to The Netherlands. I know new people, new cities and I know Netherlands. The Netherlands was very nice and I love The Netherlands. I hope I came back to Meppel soon.
Veronika