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!!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
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 ourroom 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!
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!
(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
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.
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.
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!!
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!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
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.
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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! :)
Friday, January 18, 2013
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:
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.dhtmlMonday, December 31, 2012
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 :)
Monday, December 17, 2012
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 3rd 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.’’
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. :)
Sunday, November 4, 2012
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)
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)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Fall and the real dutch weather are upon us!
Hello everyone! It's a lazy Thursday (my day off from work) and because Lauren has been persistently nagging me to blog, I'm going to satisfy her thirst for juicy details about my life here in NL. Although there are not many I believe a few new things have happened since my last blog! ;)
I can't remember if I've already written this in the last blog but we have kitten now. His name is Pepi and he's seriously the sweetest little guy ever! He sleeps in the bed and cuddles any time he has a chance. Oh and did I mention he's my morning 6 am alarm clock? Oh yes, unfortunately every morning whether its a Saturday or not, he props himself up on my chest and stares at me while purring VERY loudly. Does he do it to Koen too? No. Just me. Smart little feline. Just like his momma. Anyways, we are very happy to have him and call me Eileen but I think we want another one! I already have the perfect name for him and everything. Just need to wait a while so we have enough money to pay for shots and vet bills. Exciting though! He really needs a buddy to run around with...
Aside from Pep, we´ve done a lot lately. For one, I´ve finally gotten my train pass for work and it´s absolute bliss. Not having to rush to the train station every morning and wait in the line to buy a ticket is great. I´ve never relied on public transportation so much in my life and although it is very convenient, I´ll be the first to tell you that it´s expensive and a pain in the ass. Not to mention might be making me gain wait. Yes, the Netherlands doesn´t have drive thru McDonald´s on every street but they DO have this great establishment by the name of Smullers. They sell fries, burgers, chicken sandwiches and more...Hate-love it. It´s also made me realize Koen´s obsession with french fries which makes me sick because he can eat it every day if he wants and never gain any wait. Stupid metabolism.
We´ve also gone to several Dutch parties with Koen´s friends which has been an adventure as there is hardly any English speaking going on. I think this has been the biggest challenge for me so far. Living in Spain wasn´t as difficult considering I spoke the language a little but here I´m completely lost. Koen has found some relatively cheap classes in Rotterdam that I should sign up for but hopefully over time listening to people speaking will speed up the process. The only conversational vocabulary I´ve mastered is ordering food, train station conversation, buying food at the store (want a receipt, do you want a bag, goodbye). But its pretty good considering I´ve only been here a month and a half. I must say its a very tricky language with all of the R´s and strange throat noises you have to make in daily conversation. One day Erin..One day.
Another challenge is the grocery store. Everything is placed in spots you would least expect them to be or aren´t in stores at all. For example today I wanted to make Koen and I chicken parmesan. Where are the bread crumbs...don´t have them. However to me the worst is that there is no ground turkey..my mom wouldn´t be able to live over here. Just beef and pork. And with things being in Dutch I find myself having a hard time deciding on pretty much everything unless Koen´s there with me. And I think I mentioned this in my blog from Spain but I have to bag my own groceries and it´s still as struggle.
Aside from the difficulties of living here, there are many perks. To mention a few:
-the local park: Koen and I go to this park by the apartment every now and then. It's so nice because it's an escape from the city life and everyone is just hanging out and grilling food. It's very relaxed.
-constant festivals: in Rotterdam there are lots of festivals almost every weekend and despite what theyre for they are a good time. The city is so crowded and theres music. Last weekend we went to this art festival with Jolanda, Hans, and Jelle on Wittedewith straat which is a very popular street with bars and restaurants.
-Mint leaf tea!!! This is my new favorite drink. A lot of europeans drink coffee after they've eaten dinner but personally, I'm so full from my meal that I cant stomach an espresso so my alternative is tea. I've found that many restaurants serve mint tea. It's basically mint leaves, honey, and hot water. Very easy to make, healthy, and warms your soul ;) I recommend it.
-I've probably lost weight from walking so much. In America, you are always driving everywhere and here I'm always on my feet. Whether its walking to the train station, walking to the city, or walking to the grocery store. We'll see how much I like this when the weather starts to change though :)
-Even if he's sick of me at this point, living here with Koen has been great. Spending a year apart was definitely worth and I don't think many couples can say that. I don't mean to get all sappy on you guys but I'm so much happier being on the same continent as him for once. He's really done a lot for me since I got here including cooking, grocery shopping, walking with me to places, and much more. I'd recommend everyone to study/work/live abroad because its a great experience but I don't think I could do it alone.
Things to look forward to:
-In about one month my parents are coming to visit after their trip to Ireland. I cannot wait and I'm so happy that they can experience Europe with me there to watch. I've never seen my parents in a foreign environment and I cannot wait to see the look on their faces when they witness their first coffee shop or walk through the red light district. Despite some similarities, it really is a whole other world over here! But hopefully they'll enjoy it and then maybe the rest of my sibs can come visit. Not seeing my family is very difficult especially since we've grown a lot closer over the past year considering the amount of visits I've made to Cary.
-My friend Kristen from App is coming to visit at the beginning of October. She's traveling to Hamburg, Munich, Austria, Prague, and Amsterdam! I'm actually kind of nervous because this will be my first American visitor and there's a lot to show her! :)
-Further, Koen and I have (briefly) looked at apartments in Rotterdam. I know Jolanda (Koen's mom) really misses being in her apartment and wére gonna have to find something soon so the process has begun. I'm excited but nervous because there's so much to do!
Anyways, I think I've rambled enough. Hope you guys enjoyed reading my post.
P.S. For those of you who I havent skyped with, get it together! I miss you! :)
I can't remember if I've already written this in the last blog but we have kitten now. His name is Pepi and he's seriously the sweetest little guy ever! He sleeps in the bed and cuddles any time he has a chance. Oh and did I mention he's my morning 6 am alarm clock? Oh yes, unfortunately every morning whether its a Saturday or not, he props himself up on my chest and stares at me while purring VERY loudly. Does he do it to Koen too? No. Just me. Smart little feline. Just like his momma. Anyways, we are very happy to have him and call me Eileen but I think we want another one! I already have the perfect name for him and everything. Just need to wait a while so we have enough money to pay for shots and vet bills. Exciting though! He really needs a buddy to run around with...
Aside from Pep, we´ve done a lot lately. For one, I´ve finally gotten my train pass for work and it´s absolute bliss. Not having to rush to the train station every morning and wait in the line to buy a ticket is great. I´ve never relied on public transportation so much in my life and although it is very convenient, I´ll be the first to tell you that it´s expensive and a pain in the ass. Not to mention might be making me gain wait. Yes, the Netherlands doesn´t have drive thru McDonald´s on every street but they DO have this great establishment by the name of Smullers. They sell fries, burgers, chicken sandwiches and more...Hate-love it. It´s also made me realize Koen´s obsession with french fries which makes me sick because he can eat it every day if he wants and never gain any wait. Stupid metabolism.
We´ve also gone to several Dutch parties with Koen´s friends which has been an adventure as there is hardly any English speaking going on. I think this has been the biggest challenge for me so far. Living in Spain wasn´t as difficult considering I spoke the language a little but here I´m completely lost. Koen has found some relatively cheap classes in Rotterdam that I should sign up for but hopefully over time listening to people speaking will speed up the process. The only conversational vocabulary I´ve mastered is ordering food, train station conversation, buying food at the store (want a receipt, do you want a bag, goodbye). But its pretty good considering I´ve only been here a month and a half. I must say its a very tricky language with all of the R´s and strange throat noises you have to make in daily conversation. One day Erin..One day.
Another challenge is the grocery store. Everything is placed in spots you would least expect them to be or aren´t in stores at all. For example today I wanted to make Koen and I chicken parmesan. Where are the bread crumbs...don´t have them. However to me the worst is that there is no ground turkey..my mom wouldn´t be able to live over here. Just beef and pork. And with things being in Dutch I find myself having a hard time deciding on pretty much everything unless Koen´s there with me. And I think I mentioned this in my blog from Spain but I have to bag my own groceries and it´s still as struggle.
Aside from the difficulties of living here, there are many perks. To mention a few:
-the local park: Koen and I go to this park by the apartment every now and then. It's so nice because it's an escape from the city life and everyone is just hanging out and grilling food. It's very relaxed.
-constant festivals: in Rotterdam there are lots of festivals almost every weekend and despite what theyre for they are a good time. The city is so crowded and theres music. Last weekend we went to this art festival with Jolanda, Hans, and Jelle on Wittedewith straat which is a very popular street with bars and restaurants.
-Mint leaf tea!!! This is my new favorite drink. A lot of europeans drink coffee after they've eaten dinner but personally, I'm so full from my meal that I cant stomach an espresso so my alternative is tea. I've found that many restaurants serve mint tea. It's basically mint leaves, honey, and hot water. Very easy to make, healthy, and warms your soul ;) I recommend it.
-I've probably lost weight from walking so much. In America, you are always driving everywhere and here I'm always on my feet. Whether its walking to the train station, walking to the city, or walking to the grocery store. We'll see how much I like this when the weather starts to change though :)
-Even if he's sick of me at this point, living here with Koen has been great. Spending a year apart was definitely worth and I don't think many couples can say that. I don't mean to get all sappy on you guys but I'm so much happier being on the same continent as him for once. He's really done a lot for me since I got here including cooking, grocery shopping, walking with me to places, and much more. I'd recommend everyone to study/work/live abroad because its a great experience but I don't think I could do it alone.
Things to look forward to:
-In about one month my parents are coming to visit after their trip to Ireland. I cannot wait and I'm so happy that they can experience Europe with me there to watch. I've never seen my parents in a foreign environment and I cannot wait to see the look on their faces when they witness their first coffee shop or walk through the red light district. Despite some similarities, it really is a whole other world over here! But hopefully they'll enjoy it and then maybe the rest of my sibs can come visit. Not seeing my family is very difficult especially since we've grown a lot closer over the past year considering the amount of visits I've made to Cary.
-My friend Kristen from App is coming to visit at the beginning of October. She's traveling to Hamburg, Munich, Austria, Prague, and Amsterdam! I'm actually kind of nervous because this will be my first American visitor and there's a lot to show her! :)
-Further, Koen and I have (briefly) looked at apartments in Rotterdam. I know Jolanda (Koen's mom) really misses being in her apartment and wére gonna have to find something soon so the process has begun. I'm excited but nervous because there's so much to do!
Anyways, I think I've rambled enough. Hope you guys enjoyed reading my post.
P.S. For those of you who I havent skyped with, get it together! I miss you! :)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Gay Pride and Random Updates
Hello again! Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I have been super busy and tired adjusting to my new schedule for work. It turns out I have to get up at 6 am every morning and only have a few hours to be with Koen in the afternoons so I wanted to wait a while until I figured out when the best times are for blogging, skyping, etc.
Anyways, a lot has happened since I last blogged. The biggest being the gay pride parade that Koen, Jelle and I went to in Amsterdam! It was like nothing I've ever seen. We arrived in the city center by train and the first things I noticed were rainbows, butterflys and sunshine! Really though there were rainbows everywhere although not too many butterflys and if you know anything about Dutch weather there wasn't much sunshine either! Bhahaha kidding it was a gorgeous day. Anyways, as far as dress, I believe that the theme when you go to this parade is to wear pink too because I was noticing a lot of feminine males wearing it. It was so great. Everyone was just going crazy whether they were straight or gay.
We met up with Jelle shortly after arriving and luckily for us, he had planned ahead and brought a 12 pack of Grolsch (Dutch beer) so we wouldn't have to buy the mega expensive beer that they were selling. Aka he saved the day. We walked around for a while trying to find an opening on the canal to watch the parade from. It was probably the busiest event I've ever been to because every railing and bridge was covered with people and we still had about an hour before the parade started. Madness. Finally we found a spot right by this nice boat next to the canal. Mom would have loved this too (as usual). They were drinking fine wine and serving appetizers to everyone on their boat and had the perfect view of the canal.
A little later the boats starting coming by and if you saw my pictures, you probably have an idea of what I was seeing. Sooo great. Everyone was dressed up and the music was very European. Dad knows what I'm talking about with the same beat over and over again! Overall, it was a good time. We need more parades like that in NC. Maybe one day! :)
Anyways, works been going well. I have finally figured out the train system. It's actually quite easy once you understand where each train is going to or have the 9292.nl app on your phone. Basically you can plan your trips depending on what time you want to arrive/leave and it gives you a schedule of where to go and when! Perfect for train amateurs like me. It's a long trip to Amsterdam from here but I've learned to catch up on my reading. However, the thing I've become most proud of myself for is my relationship with the morning newspaper guy at the station. At the beginning, he would hand me a newspaper and I didn't know what to say because I didn't feel like explaining that I can't read Dutch and just take it anyways but then I had a revelation: there's a sudoku/game section that is English-speaker friendly!! So now every morning I walk by and he hands me the newspaper and says, "Goedemorgen" (Good morning) and I say it back or say "Dankjewel" (thank you). Mornings=conquered. The only annoying thing is that I have to pay cash every morning to buy my train tickets at the office and sometimes this is time consuming. They have ticket machines but unfortunately they only receive a certain type of debit card and just coins instead of bills. Cool. But once the month is over and I am reimbursed with my transportation costs (my parents will be very happy about this), I can get a discount card so I can be a pro like everyone else and scan my card super quick.
We've had a lot going on lately with all the visitors we've had (I think they're all just secretly here to see Pepi) . Koen's cousin, Bernd and his girlfriend came for a couple days and we went out in the city. My favorite bar here in town is de Witte Aap (I may be spelling this wrong) but in English its the white monkey/ape. It reminds me a little of town tavern because its kinda small and homey. It seems that here there are still a lot of students that aren't in school because when I have my days off on Wednesdays, there have been a lot of people at the bars. Until veryyyy late.
Update on Pepi: He is still his adorable self although I think he has gotten a lot bigger since we picked him up. It's hard to tell since we live with him. He is such a cuddle muffin though: he follows us around the house and his sleeping spot at night is on my head. I love it! He just visited the doctor with Koen this week and they said he's a good kitty.
For some reason living in Holland has been a little harder to get used to than living in Spain. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I can't read anything in the grocery stores (or anywhere for that matter), I travel a lot on my own (yes I'm being forced to become more independent finally), and we have a baby in the house, Pepi. It's a lot to take on but so far I'm learning a lot about myself and I think this is good for me!
Anyways, this is all I have for now. Next blog will probably be about how I now have a functioning bicycle and what it takes to survive riding it around the city of Rotterdam. Wish me luck! Love you all. Kusjes.
Anyways, a lot has happened since I last blogged. The biggest being the gay pride parade that Koen, Jelle and I went to in Amsterdam! It was like nothing I've ever seen. We arrived in the city center by train and the first things I noticed were rainbows, butterflys and sunshine! Really though there were rainbows everywhere although not too many butterflys and if you know anything about Dutch weather there wasn't much sunshine either! Bhahaha kidding it was a gorgeous day. Anyways, as far as dress, I believe that the theme when you go to this parade is to wear pink too because I was noticing a lot of feminine males wearing it. It was so great. Everyone was just going crazy whether they were straight or gay.
We met up with Jelle shortly after arriving and luckily for us, he had planned ahead and brought a 12 pack of Grolsch (Dutch beer) so we wouldn't have to buy the mega expensive beer that they were selling. Aka he saved the day. We walked around for a while trying to find an opening on the canal to watch the parade from. It was probably the busiest event I've ever been to because every railing and bridge was covered with people and we still had about an hour before the parade started. Madness. Finally we found a spot right by this nice boat next to the canal. Mom would have loved this too (as usual). They were drinking fine wine and serving appetizers to everyone on their boat and had the perfect view of the canal.
A little later the boats starting coming by and if you saw my pictures, you probably have an idea of what I was seeing. Sooo great. Everyone was dressed up and the music was very European. Dad knows what I'm talking about with the same beat over and over again! Overall, it was a good time. We need more parades like that in NC. Maybe one day! :)
Anyways, works been going well. I have finally figured out the train system. It's actually quite easy once you understand where each train is going to or have the 9292.nl app on your phone. Basically you can plan your trips depending on what time you want to arrive/leave and it gives you a schedule of where to go and when! Perfect for train amateurs like me. It's a long trip to Amsterdam from here but I've learned to catch up on my reading. However, the thing I've become most proud of myself for is my relationship with the morning newspaper guy at the station. At the beginning, he would hand me a newspaper and I didn't know what to say because I didn't feel like explaining that I can't read Dutch and just take it anyways but then I had a revelation: there's a sudoku/game section that is English-speaker friendly!! So now every morning I walk by and he hands me the newspaper and says, "Goedemorgen" (Good morning) and I say it back or say "Dankjewel" (thank you). Mornings=conquered. The only annoying thing is that I have to pay cash every morning to buy my train tickets at the office and sometimes this is time consuming. They have ticket machines but unfortunately they only receive a certain type of debit card and just coins instead of bills. Cool. But once the month is over and I am reimbursed with my transportation costs (my parents will be very happy about this), I can get a discount card so I can be a pro like everyone else and scan my card super quick.
We've had a lot going on lately with all the visitors we've had (I think they're all just secretly here to see Pepi) . Koen's cousin, Bernd and his girlfriend came for a couple days and we went out in the city. My favorite bar here in town is de Witte Aap (I may be spelling this wrong) but in English its the white monkey/ape. It reminds me a little of town tavern because its kinda small and homey. It seems that here there are still a lot of students that aren't in school because when I have my days off on Wednesdays, there have been a lot of people at the bars. Until veryyyy late.
Update on Pepi: He is still his adorable self although I think he has gotten a lot bigger since we picked him up. It's hard to tell since we live with him. He is such a cuddle muffin though: he follows us around the house and his sleeping spot at night is on my head. I love it! He just visited the doctor with Koen this week and they said he's a good kitty.
For some reason living in Holland has been a little harder to get used to than living in Spain. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I can't read anything in the grocery stores (or anywhere for that matter), I travel a lot on my own (yes I'm being forced to become more independent finally), and we have a baby in the house, Pepi. It's a lot to take on but so far I'm learning a lot about myself and I think this is good for me!
Anyways, this is all I have for now. Next blog will probably be about how I now have a functioning bicycle and what it takes to survive riding it around the city of Rotterdam. Wish me luck! Love you all. Kusjes.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Finally in Holland
Hello all! I am finally settled in Rotterdam, my new home! After a long and exhausting trip, I arrived in Brussels, Belgium Thursday morning. Didn't sleep a wink as usual but for some reason it wasn't so bad this time. When I got to customs they hardly asked me any questions and I basically walked right into the country. Woohoo. For some reason that always makes me nervous... I ended up having to wait a while for Koen because as most of you know, people over here must rely on public transportation and his train was delayed..but I got to people watch while I waited and when you haven't been to Europe in a while, it can be quite entertaining. I saw the standard "marfs" (man scarves), DEEP v-necks, euro shoes, and fedoras. They're everywhere I swear!
Anyways, when we arrived in Rotterdam, the weather was quite nice. I have to embrace this as it may not last long considering winter starts earlier here than in NC. I caught up on some sleep almost immediately and later we made reservations for a nice turkish restaurant in the city center. The restaurant was called De Bazar and it was really good! Then we had a couple drinks elsewhere in the city. You would all definitely appreciate the atmosphere in the city. They have little awnings outside of all the restaurants and you can just order a beer and watch the people go by. Very peaceful.
Friday Koen and I decided to go to this beach that was only 30 minutes by train. The beach was called Hoek van Holland which means Corner of Holland. On our 20 minute walk there from the train station, we stopped in a snack bar (these are everywhere and they sell typical Dutch fast food) and got some frietjes (french fries) and I was slightly embarrassed because I ordered ketchup while Koen ordered a giant glob of mayonnaise--thats the Dutch way it seems! This place was a little different from the beaches in Spain and I'll tell you why: COLD WATER. We dipped our toes in the water as soon as we got there and it was absolutely freezing. I don't know how people were swimming in it..Probably felt good to them. That will probably be me around this time next year I hate to say! :) But we found a spot and "chilled". Had a few Amstels and did some people watching (yes I love people watching). It was pretty entertaining because there were cute little Dutch kids running around half naked and my favorite part: the boys trying to the throw an American football. Bhahahaha! I mean think about it. You know how cocky boys are in the States when it comes to Football. They are all pretty good at throwing one because that is something you learn while youre in the womb. These guys here were pathetic. I told Koen I should have gone over there and embarrassed them. However, to redeem themselves, they were all pretty good with a soccer ball. They were everywhere on the beach! After the clouds started rolling in, we caught the train back to R'dam and apparently you can bring all sorts of wildlife on the train because we saw a parrot AND a baby kangaroo. This kangaroo was seriously the cutest animal I've ever seen. He was swaddled in a towel that was hanging from the woman's neck and he looked so cozy. I wanted to steal him! When we arrived we decided stop by the grocery store. Our store is about a 10 minute walk from the apartment which is nice. We got some dinner and went back home and I didn't even get hit by a bike. Success.
Today Koen and I went down to the city center for the Zomercarnaval. This was the best people watching opportunity I've had all week. The parade consisted of people with crazy outfits. There were even guys in slutty clothes shimmying with heavy makeup and fake birds on their shoulders and feathers. Lots of feathers! The music was pretty good though. If you want a taste of what they played, go on youtube and listen to Balada Boa by Gusttavo Lima and Ai Se Eu Te Pego by Michel Telo. They're so catchy! :) However my most shocking view was the girls wearing American flag leggings. Do not try this at home. It isnt gonna work for you I can promise you that. For some reason wearing clothing with the flag on it is popular here. We went into one of Koen's favorite stores called Pull and Bear and in the girl's clothing section, there were flags everywhere.
So far I like it here. It's cool living in a city and although it's a huge change from living in Boone, I love it. The people are nice and hopefully my Dutch will improve faster now that I'm forced to hear it and occasionally use it. :) It's time to watch the Olympics now so I must go but I'll post again soon!!! Ps. We may be getting a kitten this week!! :) :) :)
Anyways, when we arrived in Rotterdam, the weather was quite nice. I have to embrace this as it may not last long considering winter starts earlier here than in NC. I caught up on some sleep almost immediately and later we made reservations for a nice turkish restaurant in the city center. The restaurant was called De Bazar and it was really good! Then we had a couple drinks elsewhere in the city. You would all definitely appreciate the atmosphere in the city. They have little awnings outside of all the restaurants and you can just order a beer and watch the people go by. Very peaceful.
Friday Koen and I decided to go to this beach that was only 30 minutes by train. The beach was called Hoek van Holland which means Corner of Holland. On our 20 minute walk there from the train station, we stopped in a snack bar (these are everywhere and they sell typical Dutch fast food) and got some frietjes (french fries) and I was slightly embarrassed because I ordered ketchup while Koen ordered a giant glob of mayonnaise--thats the Dutch way it seems! This place was a little different from the beaches in Spain and I'll tell you why: COLD WATER. We dipped our toes in the water as soon as we got there and it was absolutely freezing. I don't know how people were swimming in it..Probably felt good to them. That will probably be me around this time next year I hate to say! :) But we found a spot and "chilled". Had a few Amstels and did some people watching (yes I love people watching). It was pretty entertaining because there were cute little Dutch kids running around half naked and my favorite part: the boys trying to the throw an American football. Bhahahaha! I mean think about it. You know how cocky boys are in the States when it comes to Football. They are all pretty good at throwing one because that is something you learn while youre in the womb. These guys here were pathetic. I told Koen I should have gone over there and embarrassed them. However, to redeem themselves, they were all pretty good with a soccer ball. They were everywhere on the beach! After the clouds started rolling in, we caught the train back to R'dam and apparently you can bring all sorts of wildlife on the train because we saw a parrot AND a baby kangaroo. This kangaroo was seriously the cutest animal I've ever seen. He was swaddled in a towel that was hanging from the woman's neck and he looked so cozy. I wanted to steal him! When we arrived we decided stop by the grocery store. Our store is about a 10 minute walk from the apartment which is nice. We got some dinner and went back home and I didn't even get hit by a bike. Success.
Today Koen and I went down to the city center for the Zomercarnaval. This was the best people watching opportunity I've had all week. The parade consisted of people with crazy outfits. There were even guys in slutty clothes shimmying with heavy makeup and fake birds on their shoulders and feathers. Lots of feathers! The music was pretty good though. If you want a taste of what they played, go on youtube and listen to Balada Boa by Gusttavo Lima and Ai Se Eu Te Pego by Michel Telo. They're so catchy! :) However my most shocking view was the girls wearing American flag leggings. Do not try this at home. It isnt gonna work for you I can promise you that. For some reason wearing clothing with the flag on it is popular here. We went into one of Koen's favorite stores called Pull and Bear and in the girl's clothing section, there were flags everywhere.
So far I like it here. It's cool living in a city and although it's a huge change from living in Boone, I love it. The people are nice and hopefully my Dutch will improve faster now that I'm forced to hear it and occasionally use it. :) It's time to watch the Olympics now so I must go but I'll post again soon!!! Ps. We may be getting a kitten this week!! :) :) :)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
One day left in 'Merica
Hey guys. So upon request of several friends/family members, I have decided to start a blog for living in The Netherlands. I am pretty excited to start blogging again because a) this means I'll have more interesting stories (how can I not when I'm around Koen) and b) I just love writing these and reading them long after my trips to reminisce!
It is the day before I leave and I haven't even finished packing yet...this is what happened last time so I guess I never learn... However, as an alternative to packing, I have decided to go spend some time in the sun before I leave for the land of rain and colder weather aka. NL. They are infamous for their gloomy and MOIST (this is for Katie) weather so I want to get as much vitamin D as possible before I surrender to the rain and frigid air over there.
Now I don't know if anyone else has felt like this before but it seems to me that leaving the country for long periods of time forces you to become a social butterfly (in terms of meeting up to say goodbye to certain people) and in turn you receive lots of extra attention and I love it. The last few months I have spent a great deal of time with good friends and family and it makes me realize how much I am going to miss everyone and everything American..Especially Mr. Marls, my ultimate non-human companion. I love traveling and seeing the world but home means a lot to me and to leave it behind is a very difficult task.
However, I think this will be a good thing for me and Koen too because I'll get to see things from his perspective and the Dutch business perspective which is never a bad thing! Maybe I'll learn some Dutch too if Koen follows through and posts sticky notes on everything in the apartment like I've asked.. Anyways, I'm hoping to learn a lot there and ultimately come back with a sense of what I want for the future. Duh Koen is a big part of that. But I won't get all sappy and lovey dovey on you all. :)
Ok gotta go, I'm wasting daylight so I'm signing off but I will post my address and new phone number in case anyone would like to contact me! Love you guys!
It is the day before I leave and I haven't even finished packing yet...this is what happened last time so I guess I never learn... However, as an alternative to packing, I have decided to go spend some time in the sun before I leave for the land of rain and colder weather aka. NL. They are infamous for their gloomy and MOIST (this is for Katie) weather so I want to get as much vitamin D as possible before I surrender to the rain and frigid air over there.
Now I don't know if anyone else has felt like this before but it seems to me that leaving the country for long periods of time forces you to become a social butterfly (in terms of meeting up to say goodbye to certain people) and in turn you receive lots of extra attention and I love it. The last few months I have spent a great deal of time with good friends and family and it makes me realize how much I am going to miss everyone and everything American..Especially Mr. Marls, my ultimate non-human companion. I love traveling and seeing the world but home means a lot to me and to leave it behind is a very difficult task.
However, I think this will be a good thing for me and Koen too because I'll get to see things from his perspective and the Dutch business perspective which is never a bad thing! Maybe I'll learn some Dutch too if Koen follows through and posts sticky notes on everything in the apartment like I've asked.. Anyways, I'm hoping to learn a lot there and ultimately come back with a sense of what I want for the future. Duh Koen is a big part of that. But I won't get all sappy and lovey dovey on you all. :)
Ok gotta go, I'm wasting daylight so I'm signing off but I will post my address and new phone number in case anyone would like to contact me! Love you guys!
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