You know you're integrating (commercially or materially) into a culture when all your toiletries have the native language on them. I know there are supermarkets here too, but I always bring bottles of my shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste, face wash, lotions, and maybe some hair products with me from home. I know its not the most efficient way of packing, but I still do it. But this past week my toothpaste and my lotion ran out. My beloved Aveeno non-scented ultra-moisture body lotion with oatmeal extract. Then you know have a new lotion that isn't quite the same. It may say Vaseline on it (a known brand in the US), but for "droge en gevoelige huid" that is 'hype-allergeen & ongeparfumeerd'. Hey, at least I found a lotion for my dry and sensitive skin and is unscented!
Goodbye 'american' products, hello 'dutch/belgian/french' products
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The perfect cappuccino
just wanted to show and prove that i can make a cappuccino--that's two in a row where the milk foamed! :-)
this past wednesday was a sort of 'staff night' at the hostel. i thought it was going to be just a party in the garden...but it ended up being a going out to dinner at an indonesian place, where i had my first ever traditional dutch "rijst tafel" (rice table)...basically just putting all the different dishes out on the table and everyone can choose what they want, an all you can eat buffet but at your table. then we went to a pool hall nearby and played pool for 2 hours. i was out of practice and not so great. but the building the pool hall is in was really neat- an old swimming pool used to be there, but they filled the zwembad in. But it still has the old brick in there and they added some chandeliers. As a gift, everyone got a kite and a swim tube ...cheap little type gag gifts, but I'm actually excited about the kite! i havent flown a kite in years and years- it should bring hours of excitement.
Thursday I saw Ocean's 13. Fun movie!
this past wednesday was a sort of 'staff night' at the hostel. i thought it was going to be just a party in the garden...but it ended up being a going out to dinner at an indonesian place, where i had my first ever traditional dutch "rijst tafel" (rice table)...basically just putting all the different dishes out on the table and everyone can choose what they want, an all you can eat buffet but at your table. then we went to a pool hall nearby and played pool for 2 hours. i was out of practice and not so great. but the building the pool hall is in was really neat- an old swimming pool used to be there, but they filled the zwembad in. But it still has the old brick in there and they added some chandeliers. As a gift, everyone got a kite and a swim tube ...cheap little type gag gifts, but I'm actually excited about the kite! i havent flown a kite in years and years- it should bring hours of excitement.
Thursday I saw Ocean's 13. Fun movie!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
weekend of world music
One of the fun things of a summer in holland...are all the music festivals. this past weekend we went to two of them, both centering on 'world music'. On saturday we went to Festival Mundial in Tilburg. Quite a popular festival, with 3 or 4 stages and many other booths set up either selling 'worldly items' (aka hippie things)...or tents to promote supporting a good cause- mostly related to world health and charities and the such. The only name I knew of the musicians was Gabriel Rios, and I only knew one song of his. We also listened to a Ukrainian Folk band, which ended up being a rock band with an accordian and a metal sword, but they were fun. We heard of course some raggae and more often spanish/salsa music. It was a fun day, however it rained over half the time and the ground was quite muddy. But we didn't let that stop us from having fun and enjoying drinks to numb the pain in our feet from standing the whole day.
On Sunday, M and I went to Amsterdam with the intent to see a traditional Korean drumming group at the Roots Festival in the Oosterpark. In the early afternoon we went to the Tropen Museum, which chronicles life and cultures of those societies that live in the tropics. Pretty interesting...didn't get to see quite everything. Then we went to the park and walked around. Not quite as organized as well as Festival Mundial, but still ok. We saw this group perform traditional Javanese music on this large wooden xylophone type instrument. It was really neat and really good. About 10 men were playing at one time. It was very beautifully decorated as well (the instrument). Then at 430 when we thought the Korean group would play...they didn't. We finally asked someone at the info point and they said they were playing at 7 instead. We were getting rather tired, and would have been home after 10 if we stayed, so we decided to go home. Too bad, but hopefully there will be another opportunity in the future.
It was interesting to note that the tropical cultures we saw in the museum- from indonesian to african to latin- were the cultures and music that were highlighted at the Roots Festival, just down the street from the museum. It was a good combination.
On Sunday, M and I went to Amsterdam with the intent to see a traditional Korean drumming group at the Roots Festival in the Oosterpark. In the early afternoon we went to the Tropen Museum, which chronicles life and cultures of those societies that live in the tropics. Pretty interesting...didn't get to see quite everything. Then we went to the park and walked around. Not quite as organized as well as Festival Mundial, but still ok. We saw this group perform traditional Javanese music on this large wooden xylophone type instrument. It was really neat and really good. About 10 men were playing at one time. It was very beautifully decorated as well (the instrument). Then at 430 when we thought the Korean group would play...they didn't. We finally asked someone at the info point and they said they were playing at 7 instead. We were getting rather tired, and would have been home after 10 if we stayed, so we decided to go home. Too bad, but hopefully there will be another opportunity in the future.
It was interesting to note that the tropical cultures we saw in the museum- from indonesian to african to latin- were the cultures and music that were highlighted at the Roots Festival, just down the street from the museum. It was a good combination.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
who stole my cheese?
Besides working at the hostel, not too much going on this week. history seems to be repeating itself in that I am having another run-in with a mouse. there is a house-mouse at strowis that has made itself known to me today for the first time. but i heard about him from some guests last weekend. they think there is only one, and he's a pretty bold mouse. i saw him behind the bar running around by the floorboards. he doesnt seem like a scared mouse. he even went in the bag of a co-worker of mine because she had some cheese in there to take home. what a hungry little one! she said she was considering leaving the cheese out for him to eat anyways instead of him stealing it from her bag.
i'm continuing with my integration by watching dr.phil and Lizzy maguire (with hilary duff) on tv. yes, TV shows I never watch in the US I am watching here. The topic yesterday was 'my boyfriend/fiance won't commit to marrying me!' Quality tv.
i'm continuing with my integration by watching dr.phil and Lizzy maguire (with hilary duff) on tv. yes, TV shows I never watch in the US I am watching here. The topic yesterday was 'my boyfriend/fiance won't commit to marrying me!' Quality tv.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Finally...I made a cappuccino!
The biggest news of last week I forgot to include in my post from Saturday---I made a cappuccino and the milk actually foamed! woohoo! It looked so nice. I was really excited. funny how little things make me so excited now.
Saturday night we were at M's parents' house for his sister's birthday. We left on the 11pm train back to Utrecht. By some odd, random chance that I cannot explain, we happened to run into this woman who is staying at the hostel now. She's from the US with a study group, and has talked to M about housing markets and stuff like that in the NL. Apparently she fell asleep between Delft and den Haag on the train, and then woke up when it was continuing on ...somehow I dont quite understand this b/c Den Haag would have been the end of the line. But in any case, I heard some woman speaking English to the train ticket person saying she thought she was going den haag and when he said its going to Utrecht, she said well that's ok, I want to go to Utrecht. Then she walked in the car, and I couldn't believe it. That was too weird for me.
Yesterday we went on a 16km hike/walk through some forested areas between Ede and Wageningen. It took like 4 hours, so I wonder if it was really longer than 16 km. it was nice, but my feet were killing me after that.
Saturday night we were at M's parents' house for his sister's birthday. We left on the 11pm train back to Utrecht. By some odd, random chance that I cannot explain, we happened to run into this woman who is staying at the hostel now. She's from the US with a study group, and has talked to M about housing markets and stuff like that in the NL. Apparently she fell asleep between Delft and den Haag on the train, and then woke up when it was continuing on ...somehow I dont quite understand this b/c Den Haag would have been the end of the line. But in any case, I heard some woman speaking English to the train ticket person saying she thought she was going den haag and when he said its going to Utrecht, she said well that's ok, I want to go to Utrecht. Then she walked in the car, and I couldn't believe it. That was too weird for me.
Yesterday we went on a 16km hike/walk through some forested areas between Ede and Wageningen. It took like 4 hours, so I wonder if it was really longer than 16 km. it was nice, but my feet were killing me after that.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Already one up on my last job...
Yesterday I had a meeting with the man who 'hired' me on at the hostel, it was an evaluation on my last two months there, a sort of self-evaluation and then an evaluation on the hostel itself; if I had anything to add or change to what they do now. I didn't think I would have much to really say, seeing as I'm a volunteer, and I'm only there for about 10 hrs/wk. But I was there for more than an hour. We sat outside in the garden, and it was sooo hot and humid, I was dripping sweat the whole time. But it was a nice meeting, and he's happy with me so far. The next thing i really could do is to answer the phone, but we'll see how that goes. Just because of the language thing.
And, I got a tshirt with the name of the hostel on it! I never got that at my last job! ;-)
Last night it was kind of stormy, so that was cool to watch the lightning from our window. We also watched the movie "Eurotrip" again...such a funny movie, but it's funny to watch all the stereotypes of Europe that young Americans have....but funny enough, many of these stereotypes are also held by those within Europe. Brits as hooligans. Frenchies are 'froggies'. The Rastafari in Amsterdam. The crazy Germans. Anyways, its all just good fun.
On another note...I'm totally excited that Paris Hilton has to go back to jail. I've been following it from here too on CNN International and all my fav celeb blogs/websites. Its such a debacle, but she loves attention...now she's getting it. And if she's faking all these near nervous breakdowns, its working in her favor to get more attention. She has always gotten her way in life, and she will continue to. For once, she should be treated like us normal 'have-nots', and face the consequences for her law-breaking lifestyle, no matter how insignificant it may be (so she didn't kill anyone like OJ..but still). Maybe she won't learn anything by spending 23 days in a 12 by 8 ft cell all alone...but it will give her the opportunity to. Now we just need to lock Lindsey Lohan up as well, before she kills herself. I think LLo is more dangerous to society than Paris is.
Anyways, enough celeb gossip, I gotta go.
And, I got a tshirt with the name of the hostel on it! I never got that at my last job! ;-)
Last night it was kind of stormy, so that was cool to watch the lightning from our window. We also watched the movie "Eurotrip" again...such a funny movie, but it's funny to watch all the stereotypes of Europe that young Americans have....but funny enough, many of these stereotypes are also held by those within Europe. Brits as hooligans. Frenchies are 'froggies'. The Rastafari in Amsterdam. The crazy Germans. Anyways, its all just good fun.
On another note...I'm totally excited that Paris Hilton has to go back to jail. I've been following it from here too on CNN International and all my fav celeb blogs/websites. Its such a debacle, but she loves attention...now she's getting it. And if she's faking all these near nervous breakdowns, its working in her favor to get more attention. She has always gotten her way in life, and she will continue to. For once, she should be treated like us normal 'have-nots', and face the consequences for her law-breaking lifestyle, no matter how insignificant it may be (so she didn't kill anyone like OJ..but still). Maybe she won't learn anything by spending 23 days in a 12 by 8 ft cell all alone...but it will give her the opportunity to. Now we just need to lock Lindsey Lohan up as well, before she kills herself. I think LLo is more dangerous to society than Paris is.
Anyways, enough celeb gossip, I gotta go.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
It was only a matter of time...
I haven't been feeling up to par lately. But you know, its the same as usual...I'm surprised I made it this long without major problems. But, what I assume to be maybe some allergic reaction is back in full effect...more than the normal day. I've had sort of throat problems since Saturday or Sunday...but no fever or other cold/flu like symptoms...just a sore throat. Now that is mostly gone, but it feels like i have a lump in my throat...you know when you are sad and you are going to cry you get a lump in your throat? well, that's me, but I'm not crying (yet!). and usually my arms and neck are quite itchy and have bumps on them (from whatever I'm allergic to)...but now its my legs. Very weird. But very annoying. I found some Vick's Vapo-rub at the store here and it is pretty good stuff, i like it. I never have used it before, but I thought I'd give it a try. It helped my sore throat/breathing (i wish it would help my itchy legs!).
I should probably go to the doctor, but my past experiences don't give me much hope. In the US I could go in and perhaps offer some possible explanations and they will (usually) listen. Here, I feel if you offer some possible explanations on what it could be or maybe what I may need...they dismiss it completely, like no collaboration is allowed. How could I be so crazy to suggest anything? But they don't really give much thought and dismiss it as "allergies" and it will go away with time. I doubt they will give me antibiotics (for my throat). They are very stingy on prescribing medication. I am afraid i have to beg for a throat culture. Anyways, I might be going in tomorrow so we will see how it goes. But there was a recent report saying there were over 40,000 accidental deaths in Dutch hospitals last year by mid-diagnosing patients. This doesn't make me feel so good.
Of course, I'm also maybe half a hypochondriac, and since I had upper respiratory pain when breathing, I was wondering if I have TB...like that dude who traveled to Europe knowing he had TB. There are other diseases and problems I think I may have, but yeah, probably not true. But i just like to see a doctor to reassure me. but i think it goes with my personality...a bit of OCD and anxiety issues.
Last night I went to a BBQ party with the women on the bball team I'm joining to celebrate the year (even though i wasn't even there for the season!). I was not sure how it would go, if I would be sitting there by myself or if people would talk to me....it was a mixture of both, but mostly i didn't talk too much. i tried more to add something if i knew what was going on (in English of course). towards the end a few people made an effort to ask me some things which was nice...probably due to more drinks by this time of the evening. But overall, i had a nice time. I'm glad i went, i just wish i could talk more so people would know me. basically the new news they learned about me is that I'm not going on vacation this summer because i have to save money for a wedding next year. "oh! a wedding!?" But then there really aren't any 'follow up' questions to that. I know, it takes time to fit in with a group. I'm trying...
On Tuesday I met a guy staying at the hostel from Milwaukee...I saw his license in a split second when he opened his wallet...it looked like mine. I'm like, 'are you from Wisconsin?'....yeah, he was kinda taken aback because he hardly spoke so he wasn't sure how i could have pinpointed his accent...but it was the license. Small world.
I should probably go to the doctor, but my past experiences don't give me much hope. In the US I could go in and perhaps offer some possible explanations and they will (usually) listen. Here, I feel if you offer some possible explanations on what it could be or maybe what I may need...they dismiss it completely, like no collaboration is allowed. How could I be so crazy to suggest anything? But they don't really give much thought and dismiss it as "allergies" and it will go away with time. I doubt they will give me antibiotics (for my throat). They are very stingy on prescribing medication. I am afraid i have to beg for a throat culture. Anyways, I might be going in tomorrow so we will see how it goes. But there was a recent report saying there were over 40,000 accidental deaths in Dutch hospitals last year by mid-diagnosing patients. This doesn't make me feel so good.
Of course, I'm also maybe half a hypochondriac, and since I had upper respiratory pain when breathing, I was wondering if I have TB...like that dude who traveled to Europe knowing he had TB. There are other diseases and problems I think I may have, but yeah, probably not true. But i just like to see a doctor to reassure me. but i think it goes with my personality...a bit of OCD and anxiety issues.
Last night I went to a BBQ party with the women on the bball team I'm joining to celebrate the year (even though i wasn't even there for the season!). I was not sure how it would go, if I would be sitting there by myself or if people would talk to me....it was a mixture of both, but mostly i didn't talk too much. i tried more to add something if i knew what was going on (in English of course). towards the end a few people made an effort to ask me some things which was nice...probably due to more drinks by this time of the evening. But overall, i had a nice time. I'm glad i went, i just wish i could talk more so people would know me. basically the new news they learned about me is that I'm not going on vacation this summer because i have to save money for a wedding next year. "oh! a wedding!?" But then there really aren't any 'follow up' questions to that. I know, it takes time to fit in with a group. I'm trying...
On Tuesday I met a guy staying at the hostel from Milwaukee...I saw his license in a split second when he opened his wallet...it looked like mine. I'm like, 'are you from Wisconsin?'....yeah, he was kinda taken aback because he hardly spoke so he wasn't sure how i could have pinpointed his accent...but it was the license. Small world.
Monday, June 4, 2007
BBQ: dutch style
We are now ready for summer, as we bought a small grill for our balcony. Its actually like a George Forman Grill, except there's no cover for it...its electric, but it works well. We tested it out the same day we bought it. Good dinner of vegie-kabobs and burgers. It was on sale for 45 euros, so we decided to buy it. Now, we can have people over for a BBQ....except I don't know that many people!
And it looks like our balcony is also being over taken by plants. I think I have an obsession now, and I must stop buying plants. Besides daisies, we have lavender, a geranium, a lily, basil, thyme, mint, 2 tomato plants and a red bell pepper plant...oh yeah, and a hanging plant that isn't hanging because we don't have a hook for it. The balcony is also home to two crates of Heineken beer...although one crate is so old its expired. Time to get rid of it!
And it looks like our balcony is also being over taken by plants. I think I have an obsession now, and I must stop buying plants. Besides daisies, we have lavender, a geranium, a lily, basil, thyme, mint, 2 tomato plants and a red bell pepper plant...oh yeah, and a hanging plant that isn't hanging because we don't have a hook for it. The balcony is also home to two crates of Heineken beer...although one crate is so old its expired. Time to get rid of it!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Those crazy Belgians
So apparently 'black music' is a music genre in Belgium. I was pretty surprised to see this in a huge electronics store, equivalent to Best Buy or Circuit City. This would not fly in the USA! Who is the store manager or marketing director here? I just had to take a picture with my camera phone.
But I just don't get it...its it's own separate section, next to R&B/hip hop/rap, which I would think that's what they mean by 'black music'....
So, I guess, I have to say, where is the "white music" section at? Is that like Hanson and Backstreet Boys?
This was probably the most surprising behavior I witnessed in Brussels. Not to say there are other things I don't get....like no soap in the bathrooms at the youth hostel, or cafe waitresses who have no customer service OR communication skills what-so-ever... But seriously, 'black music'? There's a reason why there aren't that many black people in Belgium...I'm sure its things like this that contribute to that.
Apparently the one black person in Belgium found the right section.
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