Round Two in Holland

Hello all!

It's time to get back to my blog now that I will be returning to the Netherlands Friday! Especially since I have more followers to write for...

I'm one day away from my flight and currently putting off packing. You know when you have that realization that you have soo much to do and not much time to do it? Well I'm having that realization now and all I want to do is nap or lay by the pool. Poor me right?

Lately, I have been slaving away in my bedroom at my parents' house cleaning out closets and drawers in an effort to avoid becoming an official "hoarder". I mean you won't believe the things I came across in there. It ranged from collector's spoons to old Build-A-Bears to Barbies to clothes from Freshman year of college. You name it, I found it. And despite the total destruction of my room in the process, I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic through it all. These were things that were very dear to me at one point and to give them away or throw them out, well...it wasn't easy. I have a lot of good memories in both this house and our old house and ridding my life of the small things that remind me of the past is a bittersweet experience. Isn't it always?

But...then again... I have to remember that I'm moving back to Holland to be with Koen, his family, Pepi and my new friends which is undoubtedly something I have to look forward to. A very big something. The hardest part is that my life is both here and there and every time I leave either place, I immediately miss everything about that place. There's the freedom and excitement of living in the city of Rotterdam with my Dutch family and then there's the comfort and ease of being back in North Carolina with my family.

I'm torn because I'm going to miss a lot. I'm going to miss my afternoons spent going to the "class" with my mom followed by a glass of wine on the porch. I'm going to miss my beer and Crossfit loving dad who got me to do a lot of things here that I would have normally skipped out on (the Food Drive and my first Crossfit workout). I'm going to miss my brother and I staying up late on vacation watching stupid shows and laughing all the way back from Florida. I'm going to miss the majority of my sister's pregnancy and afternoon phone calls. I'm going to miss lunches with my Nana. And of course all of our pets. Especially my main man, Marls.

But I know there are more things ahead of me in the Netherlands or wherever else I go. I already have a few summer festivals to go to and maybe I'll get back to my Dutch courses, who knows! But I'm ready to be back!

Anyway, I'll keep you all posted on the adventures ahead as best I can. Wish me luck!!

Paris, la ville de l'amour

Sorry this one took a while, I'll explain why in the next blog just to clarify any FB rumors I may have spread myself. (I hate it when people do that but having moved to NL, that seems to be the best way to notify all parties of the events in my personal melodrama that is my life)

(Now I will spare some of the juicy details in an effort to avoid creating too much envy for my French-speaking mother but I can't hold out too much!!)

To add to the experience, please listen to this while you read...

Koen and I took a last minute trip to Paris last weekend which I like to think was a goodbye trip for the two of us considering our present circumstances. And luckily my parents generously and graciously donated some extra money for the hotel/hostel in the center of Paris by Republique as a late birthday present pour moi. I say generously because this place ended up costing big bucks (at least for a girl of lesser means such as myself). And I quickly realized that wasn't because of the hotel itself but the location. This place was a dump... But I'll get into that later...

The journey..
So Friday afternoon, Koen and I hopped on the Thalys which is an extremely fast train that travels from Amsterdam to Paris Nord in about 3 hours. It was luxurious compared to the Sprinter I usually take to work everyday and the best part: there was a bar! Now the train has about 2 stops between where we boarded (Rotterdam) and Paris so once we passed the first and second stops (Antwerp and Brussels), I had to go check it out. I ended up buying myself a little mini bottle of white wine and a bottle of Leffe, a Belgian beer for Koen. This is where I can say its the small things in life that count.... and after my bottle of wine, I felt ready for Paris!

Our hotel...
After we finally arrived, we bought our tickets for the metro and started walking towards the tunnel. The funny part about this was our metro was there right when we walked up and usually I'm quite hesitant about hopping on immediately due to my fear of the doors closing and the metro driving away with half of me hanging out causing me to lose my legs and spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair...yes I've thought this through! But today my inner city-slicker came out and I just ran in leaving Koen shocked and unknowing of what to do. Luckily he caught on and followed suit and ran in with me just as the doors were closing..and in Paris, these doors aren't quite as forgiving as the doors in Rotterdam. They literally slam shut!

We got to the hotel pretty quickly and when I walked in, I immediately assumed we had accidentally booked at a hostel rather than a hotel. There was one guy working at the desk who barely spoke English (as anticipated). He gave us our keys and told us that whenever we left, we had to return them and if we came back after 1 am, they would be left in a drawer in the middle of the lobby for us to pick up..ummm what??? And then before walking away, he discretely asked if we would be joining for breakfast for an extra charge of 6 euros..So we asked what was included and the times...all he said was, "Yes, there will be egg, bread, juice, coffee. And I have to know now because I have to go buy in the morning" HAHA it was the cutest thing. So we gently declined with the idea that tomorrow we'd find a cute cafe and have croissants and  fresh fruit served by a Parisian with a little chef hat...Ok maybe that wasn't what Koen was thinking but a girl can dream right?

So we said goodbye to the receptionist and walked over to the elevator...and oh my god. This elevator was made for luggage alone, I swear. It said on the door that "3 persons" would fit inside but I refuse to believe it. Determined, we somehow managed to squeeze Koen, our big bag, and myself inside the migdet elevator while probably giving the receptionist a good laugh. Claustrophobia was starting to set in as we finally reached the fourth floor where our room was located. We opened the door to our room cell and despite the cute French "Toile de Jouy" patterns everywhere, I'd say it was only two times bigger than the elevator! There were two windows without screens overlooking the streets which was nice but this room was clearly just made for sleeping only. Oh and I forgot to mention, there was no separate shower/toilet for our room. You had to pay 3 euros for a coin that you inserted into a box to begin your shower. It said on the wall that you had 10 minutes to shower although I think because we were visiting in the off season, we had unlimited showering time. phew...? Needless to say, we wasted no time there and set out to begin our exploration.

First night...
We met up with my old highschool friend, Justine, who's parents happen to live very close to our hotel. We  checked out a few bars together while Justine effortlessly ordered in French for us and I must say French is a little easier on the ears than Dutch despite my lack of understanding of it. We went to the gay district in Le Marais and went to one of the coziest bars where we caught up on what we'd done over the past 3 years. Then we walked over the Seine river to the Notre Dame to see how it was lit up at night. One of the most beautiful things about Paris (and Justine said it too) is that everything is lit up at night and looks absolutely gorgeous. You can see the Eiffel tower from almost everywhere and its stunning. While we were standing in front of the Notre Dame, this man proposed to his girlfriend (inconveniently by a trashcan I might add) which was so cliche but I loved it. They weren't kidding when they said it's the city of love or the city of lights, whichever you prefer.

Saturday...
Saturday we started off at a French cafe near Pompidou, the largest museum for modern art in Europe. This place actually looks more like a construction site than anything but eye-opening nonetheless. We ordered our French breakfasts and enjoyed watching the Parisians walk by with their baguettes in one hand and cigarettes in other... I'm not even kidding either. Everyone was carrying a baguette which is why I believe I could easily live here and fuel my newfound passion of French bread by visiting the local markets on a daily basis. Nomnomnom..
After eating, we basically just walked aimlessly around for a while and ended up back by the Seine passing by the Palace of Justice and the Notre Dame. It was very crowded in these areas and Koen was busy spotting groups of American students which sadly ending up being chunky kids in football sweatshirts talking really loudly to their chaperones who were carrying fanny packs. What is it with us and sticking out like sore thumbs in Europe? Nevertheless, it was nice to hear a familiar accent!
We made our way through some cute little streets and pretty, yet unrecognizable buildings until we reached Jardin du Luxembourg. I was instructed that this was a nice place to relax and people-watch but unfortunately, the temperatures were a little too low to enjoy these things for a long period of time. We did, however, see a bride and groom taking pictures in the park which was the first of many we saw in Paris.
So we took our pictures and kept going, walking toward the main event, le tour eiffel!
In an effort to meet all expectations of a trip to Paris, Koen and I stopped off at a grocery store to pick up some wine, cups, plastic knives, brie, and a couple baguettes. Clearly, this was the exact same intention of the American girls in front of us in line and when we were up next, the girl insisted on just giving us a plastic knife rather than buying a whole pack..they must be used to it :)
With our French goodies, we walked to the park by the eiffel tour and set up our little picnic. It was picturesque really. We were in the park right beside the water fountain and the Eiffel tower was literally right in front of us! We snacked on our bread/brie and drank our wine in a speedy manner in an effort to keep warm. This was probably one of my most favorite parts about the trip. Just sitting, relaxing, and taking in the view!

Our picnic....

We decided that it wasn't the best day to go up in the tower, so we walked over to the Arc du Triomphe next. The confusing part about this landmark is how to actually get to it. Surrounding the building is a huge, roundabout with cars going at all speeds and there are no lanes. It reminds me of the toll roads in northern Virginia but worse! A great deal of the tourists were just making a run for it and running through the traffic when there was any sort of gap. Having said that, we thought this was our only way so we did the same and ran into some trouble in the street with a few cars making our run a little awkward as we had to stop and go a few times...we quickly  realized that there was a tunnel on the other side where you could safely go back and forth. Durrrrr....So we took the safe route back and walked down Champs-Elysees which is a major shopping street that never ever ends....can you say Heaven?

Saturday night...
All the walking wore us out the first day so we stopped in at the first cute and people-watcher friendly restaurant nearby. We ordered some beer and burgers and played it safe. The only part was buying a beer in that area was far from safe! Koen ended up paying more for his beer than his burger which for me was hilarious because he ordered a liter of beer and it took him a while to drink it! You live and you learn I guess.

Later, we walked back over to the Seine and looked at all the buildings while they were lit up. This was the first time we noticed that the Eiffel Tower sparkled at night when it was lit up. We were very far away but it was just something you don't miss. It sparkles for about 5 minutes every hour when it gets dark...Soo pretty!

Sunday...
We got a headstart on the day Sunday and got some breakfast at another cafe. Our goal was to go up in the Eiffel tower but stop by Bastille and check it out first. In Bastille, we walked through the market for a while until I set eye on a kiosk (which gave me flashbacks of the North Carolina State Fair) selling Beignets!! Koen ordered a chocolate beignet and I got a sugar coated one..These were sooo good and so worth the calories...because I totally count those anyways!  (See facebook pictures if you don't believe me)
We finished these up and soaked up the sun a little bit on a bench. Sun was something that was lacking a bit on our trip and in Holland of course, so setting apart time for some vitamin D was much needed.

Although this didn't last long because we were too anxious to go to the Eiffel Tower and see the view. We got to the base of the tower and although the line was long, it only took about 45 minutes to get to the front. You have to go through a metal detector and everything even for going up the stairs. Then there, at the bottom of the stairs, without any liquid courage in my system and a fear of heights, my knees began to buckle. Now the stairs are completely safe and enclosed with guard wire so even if you wanted to, you cannot fall from the tower. Unfortunately this did not put my fears to rest. I had to look at Koen or something at eye level the whole time I was going up while tighly clutching the railing. I mean there were even little kids of four years old running past me on the stairs...and thats when I began to realize how truly pathetic me and my fear were. :) I did this for about 20 minutes until we reached the first level and the shakiness went away slightly. The view was beautiful and there were even restaurants and gift shops up there. We walked around the whole first floor and you could just see everything! All the places we'd walked to were in clear site and appeared to be closer than I thought.

Then round two was upon us me. I had to look at Koen again until we reached level two which had a view that made even more things visible and smaller. It's funny because at the bottom, the first and second levels don't really look that high up. Unfortunately, the top was closed so we couldn't go all the way up. Part of me wanted to but I think my legs would have said no...so it worked out nicely. The descent was a bit of a drama as well considering when you have to go down stairs, you HAVE to look down which is the hardest part about being afraid of heights. So my advise is if you have this problem, just look at stationary, eye-level objects and you too, can survive! Ok just kidding, but it was a lot of fun!

After the Eiffel tower, we went to the Opera to skype my family at the Starbucks. On the way we made a pit stop in the Mickey D's and got some Happy Meals. The highlight of this shameful trip was that on the menu in France you have "Le Sandwich" which consists of I think was fried chicken, lettuce, and brie. It was soo cute!! I regret not ordering it but then again cheeseburgers are guaranteed to be good!

Sunday night...
We went back towards the Pompidou area and found a restaurant called, Le Petit Marcel where we ordered Happy Hour drinks. I tried the Kir that my mom recommended which wasn't bad, I must say. Kir (cocktail) is made of white wine and creme de cassis. We stayed there a while and ended up getting little appetizers of cheese, bread, and fries. Camembert and Chevre I think were two of them..The place was so friendly and this where I realized that Frenchman really are charmers. The old man, who I believe was the owner, was so nice to us and seemed genuinely happy that we had chosen his restaurant while the other waiter was winking at the women as they walked into the restaurant..HA! When we filled our stomachs with as much cheese and bread as they could bare, we headed back to the hotel to change into warmer clothes before going back to the Eiffel tower with our champagne.

We decided to take the metro considering it would probably take us an hour or two to walk there. Once we'd arrived, within a few minutes, the tower began to sparkle...perfect timing!!! There were lots of couples and families together with their cameras waiting to catch the spectacle. We walked around a bit before finding a bench by the fountain again and popped open our champagne---how classy are we??? Without a doubt, this was the best night yet! We just sat and talked and an hour later, the tower lit up again!!

Monday...
The next day, we got up early again and did our souvenir shopping and got breakfast at the same place we ate the first morning because it was so good! Then it came time to get our bags and leave :(
It was not so quick going back because we had to change trains in Brussels, Antwerp, and again in Roosendaal (which is in Holland)...I always hate going back but it was nice being back in Holland again. Holland is really starting to feel more like home to me...

Overall, it was everything I'd hoped it would be and I'm very happy I got to see Paris with Koenita. When I come back to Holland, there will be many more trips like this to come!

Places I want to go...

It’s routine days like today that I forget where I am and how lucky I am to be here in Holland. Everyone may be jealous of my new life and home but to be honest, sometimes you lose sight of where you are and get caught up in this busy, messy and chaotic thing called life. There are ups and downs no matter where you are in the world and sometimes you just have to step back for a second and appreciate what you have.

Now Koen and I have had plenty of good times but lately, hard times seem to be more frequent. There are many different aspects of living abroad that they don’t really include in those romantic books…You know the ones about two people who fall in love and run off to some exotic place to live happily ever after. There are work permits and residence permits involved that include piles upon piles of paperwork and important documents (that you even have to get your Dad to send through FedEx Express--sorry about that). There is the constant worry that something might not be accepted and paperwork may not go through and things will fall apart at the drop of a hat. Fortunately, this continual burden has left me with a different perspective and a better sense of what I want in life. Not many people have the opportunity to see with this much clarity and if you do, I hope it is not under the same circumstances. They always say that once you lose something, that makes realize how much you needed or wanted it in the first place. Well… you could say that is something that concerns me on a daily basis and I am very certain I have everything I could have ever wanted.

Now having said that, I want to emphasize the importance of the cliché quote that one must “live every day to the fullest”. (Cheesy I know) But you can’t let the paperwork stop you. Do what you want and experience what you want to experience. For me that experience is travel and seeing the world and luckily for me, Koen and I are on the same page with this goal. 

So here is my list of places to see before I leave Europe:

Paris, France: For obvious reasons, I want to visit Paris, the City of Lights or should I say, la Ville Lumière. I want to hear French all around me. And maybe even learn a few words (“voulez vous coucher avec moi” probably won’t get me very far). I want to have a baguette and drink champagne alongside the Seine.  And being that it is famous for being one of the most romantic cities, I anticipate dragging Koen along for this one!

Prague, Czech Republic: To be honest, I know very little about this country but I think that’s all the more reason to see it, right? Like most people, I’ve googled the city and it looks beautiful.

Istanbul, Turkey: This would probably be the most exotic trip I’ve experienced being that it is the most eastern country that I plan to visit. The Netherlands is different from the US, that’s true but doesn’t have the religious influences that a country like Turkey has. There is something mystifying about the mosques and scenery--they leave me intrigued.

Japan: Now Japan wouldn’t be my first choice but Koen has really sold me on this one lately. Perhaps I've mentioned this before but about 2 months ago, Koen had the random idea of visiting Japan as his graduation present and I was completely bewildered. At first I brushed this off and thought he was just going stir-crazy in the Netherlands but later I did some research and saw pictures of Mt Fuji and Miyajima which truly seem like breath-taking places. Not to mention it is the hub for innovating advanced technologies and could be educational for me since I’m currently working in the IT industry!! Wink wink

Some more on my list: Copenhagen, Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Croatia, Budapest, and Barcelona

Meanwhile, awaiting some cash flow, good weather, and vacation time!!!  

Let the adventures begin! :)

Dutch winter in true Dutch fashion...

Well it’s that time of year again for the Dutchies. Snow has fallen and canals are freezing over meaning Elfstedenkoorts is in the air!!

Now I know what you’re thinking, what is Elfstedenkoorts and what is so great about frozen water and chilling temperatures especially when you don’t have any mountain ranges to go skiing/snowboarding on? Well let me enlighten you, dear friends.

Every year around this time, the Dutch get a sparkle in their eye when temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius (freezing). This is due to a chilly and excitement-worthy event known as Elfstedentocht. I have literally just been informed of this event yesterday and when I was first told that people go to the north of Holland in Friesland and skate in a 200 km (124 mi) ice-skating race through 11 cities, I wasn’t enthused. I mean what is so appealing about standing in the cold while people ice skate. Yeah, nothing.. but if there is a party involved…that changes the situation! Many people flock to the area and watch while the skaters compete and since it has been 15 years since the last event, I’m certain that the drinks will be flowing and I will be there to see it.

Side note: My favorite aspect of this whole event is the verbiage that goes along with it: Elfstedentocht and Elfstedenkoorts. Elfstedentocht literally means "Trip to 11 cities" and Elfstedenkoorts is a way of describing the hype that goes along with the event. “Koorts” means fever so if you compare it to Justin Bieber fans who have Bieber Fever, it is something similar and I have it and you will too.

Another surprising detail I’ve noticed is that the majority (and I wouldn’t say all) of Dutchies aren’t happy with snowy weather. And being that I am ecstatic any time it snows, this is weird to imagine…UNTIL we had our first big snow in Rotterdam. Lots of things go down over here that usually aren’t a problem for most Americans (depending on where you live). City-slickers may think differently but I can speak for most North Carolinians when I say that snow isn’t really bad news. Now in Holland, many people rely on public transportation to get to and from their destinations (bicycles included). It is usually a quite efficient and complex system that beats Amtrak by a mile any day but when there is so much as a snowflake, all hell breaks loose. Trains are delayed for hours at a time, some come and then you immediately have to get off and some simply do not come at all.

The waiting period during this time is what some would describe as extremely miserable. To be more explicit, what this entails is buying a hot coffee (necessary), having very thick socks, hats, gloves, etc and having the attitude that your train will never come so that when it does, you are delightfully surprised. A feeling I've experienced a lot lately with my trains to work.

Then you also have your bike to worry about (which I’ve successfully attempted to ride for the first time this morning). Riding in slush/ice is very dangerous considering how close a lot of cyclists ride next to the road but to the Dutch I guess it’s just a day in the life. Koen doesn’t seem to pay it much attention at least!

In other news, I have yet to set a date for when I make my trip to the States. Ideally I would like to come in the next few months but fiscally that may not be viable...(my excuse for all things worth over 5 euros these days) For now, “I’m living off the land” as my Dad would call it so the saving will begin soon. Either way, I know Katie is planning to visit in June so I have that to look forward to! It’s only a matter of time before more of you guys cave and purchase a ticket to explore all the wonders that Europe has to offer as well as visit Koen, me and my cat. Miss you all!

If you want to know more information about Eflstedentocht:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfstedentocht

Here is an article about it as well:

http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/9104/Het-weer/article/detail/3378556/2013/01/17/Weerbureaus-denken-al-aan-Elfstedentocht.dhtml

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone! It’s almost 2013 so I wanted to write an end-of-2012 blog and wish you all a Happy New Year!

Now let’s review some events from 2012:

-Graduated from Appalachian State with a degree in International Business

-Got an internship in Holland the day after I graduated (yes, I’m going to brag about it)

-Moved to the Netherlands and started my life with Koen (on the same continent!)

-Adopted my cat child, Pepi. I’m a proud Momma!

-Many of my very best friends and family members have gotten engaged and I could not be happier for them! Praying I have the opportunity to fly back and be there on their special days!

-Started from scratch in terms of friends and met some really great people!

-Learned how to live (mostly) on my own and so far away from home

-And lastly, realized how much I miss all of my friends and family in the States and how important they are to me.

Now I’d say I had a pretty good and eventful year.  There were lots of hardships to overcome like adapting to my new life here in Holland but with everyone’s help, I have been able to do that. There are still things that I struggle with like ordering French fries from the Turkish diner down the street (whose counter clerk doesn’t speak any English) or walking through the rain and not complaining about the toll it takes on my hair when I finally arrive at the office (1.5 hours later). Ok obviously these haven’t been the hardest but there are things that I just never had to go through while living at home and with the support of my parents/friends/family.

Luckily, I have Koen. (My make-shift parent and sweet boyfriend). I’ve realized that over the last few months of being here, he has really done a lot for me and tried to make me feel at home. He rarely thinks about himself but puts me first in almost every situation which personally I think is a lot to ask of a 22 year old boy just out of college but he does it. On top of that, his family has been more than welcoming with their constant support and concern for my happiness. (Which I must say is at its peak at the moment) They are always making sure I’m okay and happy with our life and everything in it. I’m truly thankful for this.

Finally, I must bring attention to the fact that I have put my family through a lot by moving here this year. Not only do they probably miss my good looks, witty sense of humor, and money spending habits but I can imagine that having someone live so far away after being together for so long is difficult. I imagine that because that is how I feel myself. Missing birthdays, holidays, and big family gatherings is difficult for me as I come from a very family-oriented well…family. We’ve done everything together and although this is a big time for me, a part of me wishes we could share more with each other. So here’s to hoping they can come visit and spend time in Holland with me in the near future!

 

Happy New Year everyone! Cheers!

 

Ps. Sorry for the sappiness of this blog :)

It’s the holiday season…in Holland

Hey everyone! As some of you may have noticed (or maybe not), Koen and I haven’t been around much in the cyber world lately due to our lack of internet in the new apartment and of course, all of the holiday chaos. Therefore I will catch you up on some recent encounters and experiences I’ve endured over the last few weeks in Holland via my blog.

Atjehhhhh

As most of you know, Koen and I just moved to our new apartment on Atjehstraat in Rotterdam earlier this month. Atjehstraat is located in Katendrecht (in the south of Rotterdam) which until recently was a hot spot for hookers (okay so it was back in the 80s but still pretty recent). The bridge I go over every day to get to work is called Hoerenloper meaning Hooker’s walk. Ironically enough, today it is one of the safest areas in Rotterdam and attracts lots of younger, “hip” people like ourselves. It is the home of over 4,000 people and like the rest of Rotterdam is very diverse.  Now I know what you’re thinking, why do I suddenly feel like I’m reading an article from Wikipedia? Well to be honest, I found a lot of this information on Wikipedia but that’s because there is a lot of interesting information about this area and it’s me and Koen’s first apartment together so I have the right to brag a little J Anyways, there are some other exciting attractions and benefits of living on this peninsula. Just to name a few:

1. The water cab running from the city center to Hotel New York (Right by Hooker’s Walk) Yep, now we can go out in style. Oh wait I’m 23 and poor.

2. Hotel New York- a classy bar/restaurant that has outdoor seating right on the river

3. Luxor Theater-reputed the most beautiful theater in Holland that offers various productions including musicals, shows, theater concerts, opera and dance.

4. Restaurants-Ketelbinkie and Wing Wah are the only ones we’ve eaten at so far but all of them seem very cool and many are located by the water.

5. Erasmus Bridge-if you google Rotterdam this is the white, modern looking bridge in the pictures. It’s only a 5 minute bike ride away (this is how I measure time now). And just to give you a funny visual, picture Koen and I riding the bike over this bridge. Koen standing up pedaling because it’s slightly uphill and me dying laughing while sitting comfortably on the back and enjoying the view. Only in Holland my friends… only in Holland.

For all of you history buffs there is one very interesting fact about Hotel New York. This is where ships on the Holland-America Line were docked. These ships carried passengers to New York and back. The first journey took place in 1872 and actually Koen’s mom’s uncle made this journey at some point to get to Boston where he lives now! Feel free to google this for more information. (That means you Dad even though you’ve probably already done it)

The only drawback of living here is the multiple forms of transportation I must use in order to get to work in the mornings. Bike to metro station (3 minutes), metro to train station (7 minutes), take train to bus station in Utrecht (40 minutes), and take bus to office (20 minutes). Eggshausting.

Sinterklaas

So I know I already gave you a brief introductory of this Dutch tradition but now I have a story of mine own to tell. Last weekend, I went to Deventer with Koen and family to celebrate the holiday with the Kuhnes (Hans’ family). First of all Deventer is pretty far from Rotterdam but nonetheless very quaint and exactly what you’d picture a small European town to look like. Not to mention the apartment we visited also had a euro style like I’ve never seen before. I loved it!!  Pit of the trip: cramming into the little Peugeot with Jelle and Koen crushing me in the back.

Now before leaving for the party, Koen’s mom (Jolanda) asked me if I was nervous and I didn’t understand why she would ask that. Yes, it´s a big family and I had anticipated meeting lots of people but to be honest I thought I could just blend in with the group and have small side conversations with family members all night long. I was sadly mistaken.

First of all, in preparation for this event, everyone has to create a present themselves and hide the actual present somewhere inside. This is a completely anonymous present so it is nerve-racking to open your own present but also watch someone open yours. And considering the family is even bigger than the Griffins and everyone was speaking Dutch while sitting in a giant circle, the wait made me even more nervous.

I was probably the 3^rd to last person to open my present so the anxiety of being next had reached its peak. Finally someone called my name so I went into the middle and began unwrapping my gift. Oh and I forgot to mention this, everyone has a witty poem that accompanies their present so I was happy to see that my poem was in English...or was I?

I open my present and find that the poems included with my present are more like instructions. First poem (which of course was written with poetic harmony): put on Zwarte Piet wig and collar and sing this song in front of everybody:

“Sinterklaas kapoentje, gooi wat in mijn schoentje.
Gooi wat in mijn laarsje.
Dank u Sinterklaááásje.’’

Then I had to throw kruidnoten (aka ginger snaps) at everyone like they did at the parade and do a puppet show with a Sinterklaas puppet and Americo (the white horse) puppet (thankfully I got out of doing this last part). Either way, the joke was on me and my face was crimson. However, I think that after this I can truly say I’ve immersed myself in the Dutch culture. I mean how many people get the chance to embarrass themselves in front of 30 Dutchies right?

In other news, this week is the week Pepi will be emasculated. He has commenced with spraying and action needs to be taken.

Stay tuned for the result. :)

October Update... Winter is here!!

Sorry I am so bad with blogging lately. Fortunately not a lot has gone on since my last blog as I am working every day and there isnt much to tell.. unless you'd like to know all about my hour long commute and what I eat for dinner every night.

My biggest accomplishment as of lately is that I am now a legal dutchie. Ok so I don't have citizenship but I finally got a stamp in my passport at the IND (immigration office) to stay in NL for work. It is quite the stamp. Very official and all that. Now the best part about getting this stamp was the simplicity of the process (once you have finished the giant pack of paperwork that is). You know how people that work at places like the DMV are super cranky and hate their lives and thus are always pissed off at you? Well here it wasn't like that all. I even told Koen as we were walking into the building that I was nervous they'd be rude if I forgot some document. But no, I had a very pleasant experience. The man assisting me was very pleased that I had like 98343097 copies of each document and only forgot a few things like writing my name on the very first page...Durrrr. The other thing I noticed was the casual attire of the employee sitting next to my guy. He was obviously gay and wearing a tight v-neck with a studded jean jacket vest. Soo euro. And i loved it. I guess you could say that The Netherlands overall just seems to be more relaxed than in the States. Even at work I get to wear really whatever I want. Once I got everything stamped and processed, Koen and I went to a nearby McDonald's to celebrate with Happy Meals (I told you there's not much to talk about lately). Woohoooo burgers.

But lets see what else. Oh yes, I have had my first encounter with what appear to me to be somewhat controversial Christmas decorations. Or maybe the better name is Sinterklaas decorations. Google this if you want to know more about it but this is the more traditional Dutch holiday around Christmas. The controversiality with this lies in the helper of Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet or Black Peter. He is a white boy covered in black (presumably soot) and distributes presents through the chimney with Sinterklaas. However it used to be that he was a black slave who was freed by Sinterklaas and ultimately stayed by his side by choice because he was so grateful for what Sinterklaas did for him. (Pictures of the little kid costumes in the grocery store coming soon). Anyway, we are going to celebrate with Han's (Koen's stepdad) family's party sometime around the 5th of December!

In other news, it is currently raining and freezing outside. My mom and dad got lucky that the weather was still tolerable for touring when they were here. Especially with Amsterdam because although that would give my parents a more realistic perspective of what Holland is like on a daily basis, it's not so enjoyable no. I think they had a good time though especially at Fockink. This is a "gezellig" Dutch bar that makes their own liqueur in Amsterdam. It was really funny because the gay bartender working there was really an entertainer. As usual Koen was his victim. (I'm not sure why but he is just about every gay man's type over here and it's beginning to worry me. Haha) He said things like "Oh yeah, those long distance relationships. You just skype once or twice and then it's over. But its good for me and I'm sure your dad is okay with it too, am I right?" I think Koen's face got a little red! ;) But anyways, what they have you do when you get your drink is bend over the bar and slurp it from the glass because they intentionally fill it to the brim. Great photo op there.

All in all, I think the best part about their trip was just being on the same continent again although my mom would probably say it was getting to meet her grandson, Pep! But hopefully they'll be back soon and we can all go on some European adventures preferably to more tropical locations. Nick, Katie and Drewby too!! (Hint hint)