Day 198: Amsterdam Half Marathon 2013

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I love having a goal and something to look forward to. So when Barbara asked me if I wanted to run a half marathon with her in October, I immediately said yes, not worrying that the last race I ran was 20 years ago and only a 5K.

I started running with Jeff a few months ago, but just for exercise and to do something together. I never dreamed of a half marathon. So many of my friends are runners and I never saw myself as one. I didn’t think I could do it. But last year, Michele inspired me to run more than my typical 3 miles on the treadmill, and I surprised myself when I was able to run 5 miles, and the next day 7. The secret she taught me was to run and then walk if I had to and then to run again. For some reason, I never thought of that as an option. I always thought when I slowed to walk, that I must be done because I was tired. Not true. It’s possible to slow down and then go again. Thanks Michele – this tip should come in handy on the 13 miler!

Bob told me of a cool app called Runtastic. He’s running the full marathon and he uses it on his runs. I tried it out today for the first time and was able to run 4 miles at a 10 minute per mile pace with my music and GPS tracking my distance. It called out the mile markers, which kept me motivated. Thanks, Bob!

I ran out to the Oudekerk, my favorite town in Holland and even slowed to snap a few pictures while running to show you why this is one of the prettiest towns. The sun is out today and it is cold and crisp and gorgeous outside. Hope you have a great weekend.
– Adriana

31Jan2013

Day 190: Challenge Day

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I wasn’t looking for lizards today, nor was I looking for a challenge. But sometimes you’re confronted with things you don’t expect. Some make you laugh, and some make you sad. The lizards made me stop and smile and ponder what they were doing there in the middle of the Leideseplein in an empty field and all over the walls. I’ve never heard of them before nor had I seen them in a guide book. They were just there and they didn’t seem to belong, but they were fun to see. I got a kick out of this little surprise.

The Leidseplein Lizards!

Leaping Lizards – kinda creepy when you’re not expecting them!

My challenge day was not so fun. It was definitely a challenge and made me very uneasy and nervous and sad. I don’t wish to share the details of the private challenge, however I do want to share the experience of dealing with it.

I had to practice several different skills to address it, face it, process it, accept it and wait.

Waiting is challenging in itself. Not having control over a situation is another challenge. Feeling hurt and staying positive and calm is another challenge. Staying neutral and unemotional was another. So within the main challenge, were several other challenges to deal with along side the main issue. And there were several people involved and several possible outcomes to consider.

And in the end, right prevailed.

Being loving won.

And learning and experiencing and growing bloomed.

And for the person(s) who created the challenge, I wish you peace and love.

We need more love and less anger.

Namaste.

31Jan2013

Day 189: The Dutch Resistance Museum

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Patty and I went to the Dutch Resistance Museum today in Amsterdam. It was supposed to be a Girls’ Day in the city, but several of the girlfriends had to stay home because there is a nasty bug going around and several of the kids stayed home from school. I hope everyone is feeling better and staying healthy.

As part of my Wanderlust Wednesdays, today I wanted to learn a bit more about history. I have to say I still feel overwhelmed and intrigued and curious about World War 2, especially now that I’m living in Europe. I was trying to make sense of the timeline and to make personal connections between the German occupation of the Netherlands and how my mom’s family was affected by it and how they chose to leave the Netherlands for a better life in America, 15 years after the war ended. Some of the connections I was pondering included 9/11 and gay marriage and bullying in schools. Of course, I’ll have to think a bit more and for a longer period of time to address these connections more deeply, and develop my own thesis… perhaps another blog post when it’s not after midnight!

I have to admit, my making sense of it didn’t quite make much sense just yet, but left me thirsting for more knowledge. I still have more questions than answers. I’m sure I could study this subject for years and still not know everything! I know I feel compassion for the Jewish people and for all who lived during the Hitler days. It must have been very difficult to be who you were and to be proud of your identity. I feel compassion for the people who did not know any better or didn’t know how to best help those who were discriminated against without fearing for their own safety. If you have any resources to share to help me learn more in an easily, digestible way, please let me know!

My biggest take away is that so many people and groups of people were affected by hate and discrimination and oppression. I can’t say that I understand evil and evil motives, but I know they exist. I just hope that I can live my daily life in such a way that I can stay positive and share the light of love and hope and faith with all whom I associate. And when I make a mistake or hurt someone, I hope that I have the power to apologize and make things right.

I hope we all continue to bring sunshine out into this world the best we know how and spread love, not hate. Namaste.

Sunshine

23Jan2013

Day 182: The Arts & Music & Drama

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Today Juliana invited Jeff and I to come watch her drama performance. The good news is that she invited us. The communication process at her school is less than stellar! Only about 5 parents came to see the performance, out of 40 kids between the music and drama classes. How sad because I know other parents would have liked to have been part of the celebration had they known about it!!

The kids had to write their own scripts, work as a team, memorize their lines and perform in front of an audience. Each skit carried a meaningful message. After the shows, the teacher had them think about their work and performed an after action review, identifying best practices and lessons learned. She made them think about the significance of their work and why it was important. I loved this process! And I loved their responses.

What I learned is that music and the arts are an important part of a child’s learning. I know sometimes they want to cut these programs from school budgets and its a tragedy. The kids were learning to practice, rehearse, be part of an ensemble, perform, and to feel a sense of accomplishment and a sense of pride! They worked on team building skills and learned how important it is for every member to show up and do their best. I loved being a part of the audience and a part of her learning process.

After watching her perform, I headed up to the city for the day. This guy got on the tram next to me smelling like pot and holding a joint in his hand! I think this is legal here!!

Wednesday is now my Wanderlust Day. Every Wednesday I plan to go into Amsterdam and walk around and explore and get lost. I want to figure out how to navigate around the neighborhoods and know how to find my way around. I’m not so good with a map and there is so much to see and learn about in this magnificent city! I met up with my friend Cami and we wandered round Leidseplein and ended up at Blue. This is a great place to see a 360 degree view of the city. I love the wide open feel from high above and there aren’t many places like this. I highly recommend you check it out!

Happy Hump Day!!

16Jan2013

Day 175: Beauty in the City and New Drivers Licenses

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It was cold and sunny this morning and the lighting was beautiful. Jeff and I had an appointment with the town hall to turn in our California drivers licenses in exchange for Netherlands licenses. It felt a bit weird handing them over, but that’s what’s required. They want you to do this exchange within 6 months of living here and we’re fast approaching that milestone. How did that happen so fast?

If you’re an expat in the Netherlands, the agency that handles this process is called CBR and the forms can be found on their website: CBR.nl. Once you receive a letter from them, you can schedule an appointment with the town hall. You need to bring the CBR letter they send you with the application information, your passport, drivers license, residency card, and a copy of your 30% ruling, along with a passport photo. And don’t forget your 45€! All went smoothly.

On for the good part…here are some beautiful pictures of the snowscape and sunshine today. I loved the lighting and the colorful, patchwork, scarf covered tree.

The other beautiful things I discovered today were at the Museum of Handbags and Purses in Amsterdam. A few girlfriends got together to explore the museum and to have lunch afterwards. Happy Birthday, to Carolyn!, I hope you enjoy the photos!! My favorite was the Diet Coke Purse, the lucite box bags, and the old Holland school bags(boxes) that used to serve as desks and supply boxes.

28Dec2012

Day 156: Adaptable and The Art of Negotiation

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The kids have been home with me for 2 weeks now. I’m feeling shiny!

I wanted them to choose what they wanted to do on their vacation today, and they had three options to consider. I think they practiced and might have learned a bit about:

Negotiating
Not screaming or crying to be heard.
Listening.
Giving in.
Making a group decision.
Bargaining.
Picking what’s good for the whole.
Choosing.
Deciding.

They made a decision with a little gift of chocolate from one sibling to the next. Hmmm… I guess they learned about bribery and influence too. But they decided, and I was pleased with the process.

They decided to go to an indoor water park called Duinrell, about 30 minutes away. It felt kind of strange to be driving in the rain and feeling cold but feeling good about swimming and sliding and burning off some energy in a heated pool. We were all happy to be doing something together, out of the house. But when we got there, there was a sign that said they were closed. The place was too crowded and it would be unsafe to add more bodies. We could wait for people to leave and then go in, but still it would be over crowded. We chose to leave, even though our friends were already inside. A tough decision but remarkably we all easily agreed.

I was proud of the kids for being adaptable and flowing with what was. I think that’s a great life skill – we can’t always control what happens but we can control our reactions. And they were so cool. We decided to go with Plan B, which was what one of the kids originally wanted to do in the first place! Ironic how that works! And he got chocolate too!! Lucky kid.

We came home and changed out of our bathing suits and flip flops and put on layers and layers and warm shoes and umbrellas and headed into Amsterdam to go to the Nemo museum. It’s like the San Francisco Exploratorium, with hands on science exhibits and exploratory fun. Even though it was a crowded Christmas holiday off with everyone there, we used our museum cards and enjoyed a couple hours together playing and having fun.

Afterwards we met up with Jeff at his office so the kids could see where he works. We went for dinner at THE Mexican restaurant in Amsterdam.

It’s hard to come by Mexican food here and we sure miss it! The restaurant was called Los Pilones, in case you are looking for Mexican food too, or know of another place to recommend. We enjoyed a margarita (but it tasted nothing like Steve’s!!) in honor of Stacey’s birthday, and ate some chips and salsa and guacamole. It was pretty good and the ambiance was definitely nice. I think we’ll go back until we can get good Mexican food back in Cali!

Happy Birthday, Stacey!

20Dec2012

Day 147: Mama Girl Day

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Doesn’t this look like a fun way to spend the day? Juliana and I headed into Amsterdam for a day of fun. We both got our curly hair cut – she went for the curly look and I chose straight. It’s so much nicer when they do it!!

After our salon visit, we went to meet up with Jeff for lunch at Le Pain. I love that restaurant. They serve healthy, organic and fresh food that was so refreshing and deliciously flavorful. I’ll definitely be going back there again.

We shopped around a little bit, exploring the nine little streets, also known in Dutch, as the Negen Stratjes, a quaint shopping area along the Amsterdam canals. It was cold out but not raining, so I’d say it was a good day. It’s funny how my expectations have changed and I’ve adapted to the cold weather. I’m pleasantly surprised. The highlight of the shopping was exploring the new Abercrombie & Fitch store that just opened up on the Keizersgracht. Going in there was like going into a nightclub, with “bouncers” at the door, good looking people filling the place and a long line to get a “drink” (pay for your loot!) It was dark inside, with a fancy chandelier, nice furnishings, fancy displays, red carpet covering the stairs and loud club music playing. The recognizable smell of A&F filled the air and the street outside. Amazing, marketing, I’d say.

We took the tram home and relaxed for a little bit before we baked chocolate chip cookies together and cooked dinner together. The cookies were so delicious!! Thanks to Kristy and Patty for teaching me to take out a TBS of flour for each cup of flour to make things just come out better here.. don’t know why, but it worked!!

I’d say it was a perfect day… I’m so thankful that my little girl still wants to hang out with me. How long do I get?? Hopefully forever…but I’ll just enjoy today.

(This post never posted last night… I wonder why.. but found it in my drafts today still waiting to be shared. ;-))

17Dec2012

Day 145: First Day of Vacation – Let’s Go to the Movies

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Today was the first day of winter break, and we set an alarm clock for 6:30 am!! My Mom and Dad had an early morning flight back to California. I was fine with the transition until we got to the airport before the sun rose. Looking in my mama’s eyes made me cry. And then again more tears flowed as I hugged my dad goodbye. We are going to miss them being here with us!!

Luckily, my friend Jane was thinking ahead and planning outings for this week. We met up with Jane, Kim, Cami, Patti Beth and a couple other new friends and their kids to see our first movie at a theater in Amsterdam.

The movie was in 3D and was produced in English with Dutch subtitles, popping out in 3-D as well. The movie was really cute and I’m glad that we had something to do to get us out of the house. After the movie, we walked along the Singel and I had heard about a great, Indonesian restaurant, called Sampurna that was on the flower market. We decided to try and it and enjoyed a noisy family meal that included Sayur Lodeh, Rendang, Bami Goreng, Rice, Satay Ayam, and Krupruk!! Trying to take 3 kids to a quiet restaurant and expecting them to sit still and quiet is a joke! Once the food arrived, all was well again and we all enjoyed our delicious meal.

Today was good after all. Mom and dad arrived safely in Los Angeles and are very excited to see my nieces and sisters and brother and their own house and own bed again! Welcome home, Mama and Pops! Slaap lekker!!

30Nov2012

Day 128: The Weather and Warm Socks

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Frost covered the rooftops and grassy fields today. We joined our neighbors scraping the ice off our car windows so that we could see out before driving.

April says its been raining in Sunnyvale and they don’t see it stopping anytime soon. Another connection I guess. She also shares the same opinion as my Dutch friends, that the weather really isn’t a problem, you just have to dress appropriately. I’m just not there yet – a bit of a slow adopter I guess. I didn’t grow up in Michigan or Minnesota or Chicago… I’m a California girl and am not used to being bundled up like a stay puff marshmallow man! Practice, practice, practice!! I’ll be there before the winter is over, I hope!

Luckily someone else is watching out for me. Look what showed up in the mail today!!

My sweet friend, Lisa Molaro knitted a pair of wool socks just for me! She told me she was working on them and was going to send them to me and they arrived just in time! It’s so nice to be loved!! Thank you Lisa for helping me to stay warm and for thinking of me so far away. So cool. I mean, warm. 🙂

27Nov2012

Day 125: Day in the City – Amsterdam and Amstelveen

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Patti Beth and I spent the day walking around the city… No real plan, just wandering and seeing where the roads and canals would take us. I like to call it wanderlust, I just wish I had a bit more sense of direction and ability to follow a digital map more than one step at a time. I definitely do not have visuospatial intelligence! Luckily getting lost was not a problem because that was the point! Funny how that works. Luckily we found the one shop we both wanted to find, along with several other treasures along the way. And who knew the one shop we both wanted to find was the same exact one!! Too funny.

We stopped for coffee and a bagel at Bagel and Beans. I was so excited to have a bagel again, and it was so tasty, toasted with sesame seeds, melted goat cheese, bacon and roasted pine nuts. Are you drooling yet?? A little slice of heaven, and no calories?!?

Here are a couple things that caught my eye today.

We saw a canal house front decorated for Sinter Klaas with Zwarte Pieten and gifts all over the place, just like we would decorate out front yards for Christmas, but in Amsterdam there usually aren’t front yards.

Most store windows have Zwarte Piet an Sinterklaas in the windows.

And definitely not festive but seen on my walk home from the tram, an interesting view of garbage pickup in Amstelveen!! Look how they do it here. People bring their trash to these bins from their apartments and then the garbage truck comes to one location and pulls the whole bin out of the ground. What do you think about that??