It snowed today! And it stayed on the ground for more than 5 minutes. Everyone was excited as we’ve never lived where it snows before!
Enjoy the show…
Tag Archives: Holland
Day 129: I Love Christmas Time
I was excited for today. We decided to get a tree on December 1st, when the Holland Homies said that Praxis would begin selling live trees.
Holland Homies is a Facebook Group for Expats to share best practices and inside knowledge like where to find stuff like tortillas and corn syrup and to share upcoming events and news.
Charlie woke up today to find a plastic stocking full of marshmallows in his shoe from Zwarte Piet. He wants to save them to make Rice Krispy treats.
He was excited to open the first window of his advent calendar. He says the chocolates here taste better!
After hanging out at the house all morning, we headed out to pick our tree. The guy at Praxis was very friendly and spoke English, but said he’d charge for that service. I love when people are friendly and funny. While we went in to pay for our tree and drove our car around to pick it up, the funny guy forgot and gave our tree to someone else. I can laugh about that, but isn’t that weird?? How does that happen?? I try to not make anything a big deal, and just flow with whatever happens. Luckily my family followed along and we just picked another “Dr. Seuss” tree from The Czech Republic. Juliana didn’t like any of them and the funny guy just told her these trees weren’t from Disneyland. I giggled.
Jeff and I tied the tree on top of the handy minivan, in the cold rain. I think today was the coldest day since we’ve been here! We then walked across the way to the carnival like booth selling the holiday hot item – Oliebollen.
These are really popular on New Year’s Eve and supposedly people line up to buy them. They are dough like pastries, sort of like donut rolls. Some are filled with raisins, cream, apples or just plain and topped with powdered sugar. We took ours home, and I bet these would be great fresh out of the hot oil! I love celebrating new traditions that others love.
Our tree is now home and waiting for Oma and Opa to come back tomorrow to help us decorate it. We didn’t ship any of our Christmas decorations, so we’ll need to buy a few new Dutch ones.
And finally, we had a wonderful dinner with some new friends who invited us over. What a great way to start December! Life is good.
Day 127: Dutch Advertisements and Shopping
I thought you might like to see what Dutch ads look like. They come in the mail in a group like this and wrapped in plastic and are delivered every week.
They don’t really tempt me because I can’t usually read them or I don’t know where the store actually is. But I do like the Zwarte Pieten and Sinterklaas images that we wouldn’t see in the states.
Shopping here is a very different experience for me. Instead of it being pleasurable, most of the time it feels like work. I think it’s because I don’t really know where to go, to find what I need and to be able to comparison shop. I haven’t found something like a TJ Maxx or Target or Costco, although Hanos is pretty cool. The language barrier doesn’t help either, but luckily most people are friendly and will offer help when I ask. I typically ask if they speak English first (in Dutch) and they most always answer me, with “yes – a little bit!” Isn’t that funny? I’m so thankful when they do, because when I do use a little bit of Dutch to ask a question and then they answer me in Dutch, most of the time I have no idea what the answer means!!
Most places I go to shop I have to pay for parking and I hate that, just on principle. And the other part of shopping that I don’t like is that if you have to go to the bathroom, you have to pay for that too! And speaking of paying for things that should be free, most restaurants charge you for water and will not even offer you tap water. Now of course, there are plenty of exceptions to these, but I am confronted with at least one out of the three evils on most shopping occasions.
I used to like shopping online, but here they charge you huge import fees. Jeff ordered a backpack for work and had to pay 10Euros to the delivery guy on the spot before they would give him his package. That was in addition to the shipping fees of course. Makes things pretty pricey!
I didn’t intend for this post to be such a downer, but its kinda sounding like that and ending like that, but maybe the good news or the take away is that shopping shouldn’t be that important!!? But I need to shop to support our family! They need food and clothes to stay full and warm and dry, especially now when it’s supposed to freeze tomorrow! I’ll accept the challenge for what it is. Even if most stores close by 5 pm and are closed on Sundays! More time to be efficient and with family and friends, right??
Namaste
Day 126: Beautiful Skies and Lunch
Can you see the windmill in the background? This view was from my car window while I was stopped at a traffic light, on my way to the Dutch version of Costco. I love the open fields, cows grazing, flowing canals, windmill and trees in the background, and a sky filled with a changing cloud skyscape. I never tire of this view. This path is near Ouderkerk Aan de Amstel, one of my favorite little towns in Holland.
Hanos is the name of my new favorite store. It’s like a restaurant supply warehouse store, similar to Costco. They have great produce, meats, cheeses, wines, international food items, bakery items, decor, and general restaurant supplies. I love going there and imagining all the things I could make and bake. Today I was there to buy fresh rolls, deli meats and cheeses and some general items, as Gerard was coming over for lunch and Hanos opened at 7 am!
While serving lunch, I learned a few more Dutch and American differences. Along with sandwich fixings, I had bowls with crackers and chips, as well as condiments such as mustard out. Gerard, my Dutch cousin, asked me what the mustard was for. He said he likes to put mustard on cheese but never a sandwich. He puts butter on his deli sandwiches, as do many other Dutchies. At Subway in the USA, they don’t even offer butter as a condiment. I asked him if he wanted any Pringles potato chips and he thought that was weird. He says the Dutch don’t eat chips with their lunch. I asked when they would eat such salty snacks and he said as a snack, in front of the TV, but never with his lunch. Makes sense. He probably thought I was really weird when I put some crunchy chips on
my sandwich.
The other lunch difference I noticed is that the Dutch enjoy eating an open faced sandwich. But then is it still called a sandwich? They have two slices of bread with butter spread on top, and one side is topped with one slice of cheese and the other side is topped with one or two slices of meat and maybe a tomato slice but the two shall never meet. They then cut the topped bread slices with a knife and fork. Interesting, right? My mom claims they taste better that way. She and my dad both joined Gerard eating this way, but I stuck to my normal.
Coffee is served with every meal and in between. And after lunch, a dessert was served immediately. Fun, right?
After lunch, Gerard took my parents with him to Schindel for a few days. I’m sure they’ll all enjoy each others’ company. We already miss them and “hate”sharing!! Just teasing… But Charlie did say at dinner tonight, “Mom, remember how we were waiting so long for Oma and Opa to get here and how excited we were and we couldn’t wait, and now we’re all sad because they’re about to leave?” He’s one smart and intuitive little one. Yep, Char – I know what you mean! Anticipation works both ways… Luckily they’re still here for awhile longer.
This is a view of the full moon tonight after a lunar eclipse. The sky was beautiful all morning and night.
Day 123: 4 Months
We left our Sunnyvale house 4 months ago today! We’ve been gone for a third of a year and have seen and done so much already. It’s strange to me to think that we packed up and resettled and adapted and redefined our life in just 4 months. When I was looking for something new to do with Jeff earlier this year, I had never envisioned this! I was hoping we could cook together or do a puzzle, you know, something interactive and a shared experience!! Well look what happens when you dream (big) a little!
We are so lucky to have made the transition and we still like each other, and our kids don’t hate us (yet.). We’ve had many shared adventures already and so many more are still to come. We’ve made some wonderful new friends and have enjoyed getting to know our Dutch family a little better. This is what I was hoping for back in January – I just didn’t know we’d have to move overseas to experience family togetherness like this.
Tonight we hosted a family celebration with 21 of us for dinner.
I still can’t believe that many people can fit in our house. It’s the second large dinner party we’ve hosted here and it was quite gezellig, meaning tight and cozy.
My mom and I planned a menu and shopped and cleaned and cooked together – actually she did the cooking and I was the prep cook and cleanup helper! It’s so nice to have a wife again!! We make a good team. Franca so graciously brought the desserts that she made with her daughter. I love that this was a shared experience too.
I love that we have family here in Holland and that everyone took the time to come together for a nice, Sunday family meal. A few families were missing due to other commitments, which is totally understandable. But it was nice to be together and to laugh and share stories and to just BE.
Hope you had a great weekend and have a wonderful week.
Adriana
Day 122: Thanksgiving in Holland – Round 2
Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving with some of our new friends in Holland, and with Mom and Dad. We all cooked and brought our dishes to Patty and Brian’s house, who graciously hosted all 20 of us. Tonight was really special and a great way to celebrate an American tradition in a new country.
I actually enjoyed the work to make the delicious food and to be able to share it with loved ones. We all worked as a team, brining and baking, cooking and shopping and eating!! My friends are good cooks!!
In Holland, refrigerators and ovens are really small. This made it a challenge for anyone to cook a large turkey. We are fortunate to have a larger than usual oven and fridge and were the lucky ones to cook the turkey. We purchased a 22 pound turkey that cost a 100 euros!! It hardly fit in any container and made brining, refrigerating, cooking, presenting and transporting quite a challenge. But luckily today, it was all possible.
Dinner was really delicious. Everyone put so much effort into making home made dishes, that tasted so savory. I think we all went back for seconds!! Desserts were filling too and no one went home hungry. There was chocolate cream pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin tartlets, pecan pie, apple crumble and vanilla ice cream. I think there was more than plenty!
I think tryptophan took over my body here!! Good night!!
I hope y’all are enjoying your holiday weekend, wherever you may be.
Day 116: Sinterklaas and the 1000’s of Zwarte Pieten
Today we celebrated an old, Dutch tradition from the 1930s of welcoming Sinterklaas to town from Madrid on his steamboat. He arrived with huge fanfare and docked his boat on the Amstel River next to the Het Scheepvaartmuseum. The Zwarte Pieten were entertaining the crowds, singing and dancing and repelling from the rooftops, excited for Sinterklaas’ arrival. It was such a site to see and a day to experience true, Dutch culture.
We got up early on this Sunday morning to take the tram to Amsterdam Central Station, and walked over to the “best” spot to see his arrival.
My favorite part of the day was people watching. Everyone was in such a good spirit and were happy and were together with family and friends. Kids everywhere were dressed up in Zwarte Piet hats and painted faces and costumes.
Not having experienced this celebration but once when I was a child, I was in awe and didn’t want to miss a thing. I don’t know who was more excited – me, my mom, or my kids!! I guess it was a good day for all.
Zwarte Piet means Black Peter, and there are several different explanations as to what he symbolizes. There is some controversy over his being, which I’d rather not discuss here because I think it takes away from the true intent and context of the original celebration. Literally thousands of people are dressed up as this character with their faces painted black. They run around and tease the crowds, play tricks, ride scooters or roller blades and hand out pepper noten – small, miniature ginger/cinnamon like cookies and small candies. They also gave out post cards and flags to wave along the parade route.
The story is that Sinterklaas arrives in town on his steamboat, and then parades through town on his white horse with his helpers before St. Nicholas Eve on December 5th. This gives him time to visit all the good childrens’ homes before the big event.
He received the golden magic key from the mayor and can now magically get into the houses to deliver small presents. Children leave letters and carrots in their shoes, and Sinterklaas replaces them with gifts.
It was really exciting to experience this celebration today with so many people along the parade route. The spirit in the air was truly friendly, warm and jovial, despite the cold and sunny weather. I think it’s a great way to bring on the holiday season. To learn more about Sinterklaas, you can visit wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas.
Watching Charlie’s excitement today at the parade, and seeing my mom help him write a letter to Sinterklaas in Dutch and drawing pictures on his letter was pure joy. I wish that everyone could feel the magic and spirit of being a kid, filled with wonder and curiosity and a touch of fear, waiting and anticipating when Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Pieten may come and knock on our door, throwing pepper noten inside and filling his shoes with candy and toys.
Happy Holidays!! xo
Day 113: Being Still
This is what my morning looked like. Foggy and still.
Yesterday Jeff and I had to sit in a quiet airport, in an empty restaurant seating area that was closed with the lights off. We sat there for 3 hours. Foggy heads from being tired and still.
But the funny thing is, we weren’t bored. We didn’t really care, except that we really wanted to be home. We were thankful to be together and away from protestors. We were thankful that our flight wasn’t cancelled and that we had food and water, even if it was from McDonalds!!
And the funniest part was that Jeff agreed to play cards with me. If you know my husband, he hates playing cards or any games for that matter and I’m always begging him to play with me. So he agreed and that made me giddy and laugh which made him smile. But the funniest part was that when I brought out the new deck of cards from Madrid that I had bought as a gift for my mom and dad (we play cards every day) – the deck of cards only had 48 cards!! There weren’t any Queens!! What’s up with that? So Jeff got out of playing cards with me, but still won because he even agreed to play in the first place. That made me happy. Instead we played tic tac toe and another dot game. He’s not so bad!! I’ll keep him.
We were thankful that the plane took off as planned and that we got home earlier than expected.
The thing I learned after traveling to Italy, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands in a period of less than a month is that it’s tiring to travel!! ;-). I also learned that I’ll find joy wherever I go, even if its just sitting in the airport waiting for time to pass.
Day 104: The Sun is Shining, Let’s Go Outside!
Oma on her bakfiets.
When the sun is shining, the Dutch go outside! I dropped the kids off at school, and was planning to clean and cook and get ready for company tonight, but the SUN told me to do otherwise. I came in and told my parents I was taking them for a ride today – on bikes!! They were so cute and we all loved being outdoors together, getting some fresh air, exercise and sharing an adventure. We rode for at least an hour and probably would have kept on going if we didn’t have “work” to do!
We enjoyed riding all over Amstelveen and into the Amsterdamse Bos, a man-made forest close to my house. The sun was shining through the trees, and all the fall colors were beautiful. The crisp air felt fresh on our faces and we just had those perm-a-grins again. I hope the sun is shining again tomorrow. 😉
Checkout Opa on his OpaFiets – and what’s that on his head? I don’t think a hat counts as a helmet!!
Pure Joy!! Oh, to be a kid!! 😉
Day 103: Hugs
Have you ever had someone hug you and you could just feel the love oozing from their being?
Have you ever had someone look at you with love pouring from their eyes where they really look at you and see you? Oh my gosh, this is the best feeling and I got this from my Tante Do.
This is Tante Do and I at Dorine and Nadja’s house, celebrating Dorine’s birthday.
We were at Dorine’s house today to celebrate her birthday, and her mom was there too – my Tante Do. Well, actually she’s my mom’s Aunt, or Tante as they say in Dutch, but she’s always been Tante Do to me too. Every time I see Tante Do, she stops to look at me and to really see me. She smiles and stares in a sweet way that seems so thrilled that I’m there. She grabs both of my arms and pulls me close to give me the traditional three Dutch kisses on the cheeks, left side, right side, and then left again. And then she looks at me again, and then gives me a big hug, like she’s soaking me in and can’t get enough.
Later during the evening, I went to sit by her on the couch, and again she reached out with her eyes, smiling with them, and reached for my hands with both of hers, as she told me stories about how she still rides her bike, and how she’s excited to travel to Thailand and Paris and Amsterdam. She continued to tell me how she rides her bike everyday and asked me questions about my family and how I like life in Holland. She seemed so thrilled for me and truly happy that I was happy. She also was so proud too, of herself and of me and her family and she just had this amazing smile and peace to her, that I loved seeing and experiencing.
I want to be like her when I grow up. She lives on her own, as her husband died 10 years ago tonight. She is fit and beautiful and sweet and loving, and is traveling the world still, in her 80s. While we were together, she snuck away to Skype with her 90 year old sister who lives in Redwood City. She was so happy to be able to see her and she shared how they will chat on Skype again next month on her birthday. She also talked about her plans to travel to America again next year. I love how she loves others and how she expresses herself, and is full of adventure and spunk.
The next time I see you, be careful… I might just really look you in the eyes, kiss you three times and then really hug you, like Tante Do!! xo
here i am 