The nice side of Amsterdam

This past Saturday I went to Amsterdam --yes on my day off even! But its much nicer to be able to walk around the city and enjoy it, and not go to work. I went there with my friend V to try some wedding dresses on. Then we walked around the shopping street some, and later M came and met up with us on the Leidseplein. We walked around, and as it got colder, we got hungrier, and needed to find a place to eat! We walked along some nice streets-- where the locals are and the tourists probably don't even venture out this way. We wanted to go to our Ethiopian restaurant near the Wibautstraat metro, but when we got there- it was closed! It looked like they were remodeling. So we settled for Italian instead, and of course, that was good. It was a crisp day with a biting wind. But it was a nice day, definitely. I enjoy walking through Amsterdam's streets and neighborhoods that are removed from the tourist track.

Fall Break

Thanks to something called "herfst vakantie", a week long vacation that school children enjoy every year, I am enjoying a break from my Dutch language lessons this week. It was a much needed break. Its nice to leave work and not have to rush around on my bike all over Utrecht and go to bed so late. I can stay home and sit in my pj's and watch my bunnies hop around!

This past weekend I started the search for a wedding dress. The day is still 243 days away (according to my knot.com page). I went to a shop in Utrecht that sells couture dresses. I'm not aiming for couture, but it is the only shop I know in Utrecht! I tried on four, and one was really nice on me. It was definitely a style that I never had in mind, as it is not as 'simple' as I picture my dress to be. But it was still nice. The price was also nice... 1700 euros!! Too bad I can't afford that. Well, we shall see what else is out there. I wasn't allowed to take a picture of myself in it, but for a picture of the dress, take a look here and click on 'diamante'.

http://www.theweddingshop.co.uk/pronovias.html

A perfect lap-bun

Mommy with Bram and her laptop
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

Here's our little Bram, who actually jumped up on my lap while I was occupying myself with a little emailing and Flickr....no space on my lap, but he wanted to join me. so cute!

Either that, or he wanted to do some online shopping for carrots and yummy treats.

Sunset over Amsterdam

Sunset over Amsterdam
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

Its getting lighter later in the morning, and darker earlier in the evening. I ride my bike to the station before the sun is even up! I think within a week I will be in complete darkness at 730am!
This beautiful picture was taken by a collegue from our 6th floor window of our office (i'm on the 6th floor). Its a view westwards towards the sunset. Rembrandtplein, a popular tourist area with bars, clubs and restaurants circle the square.

being a part of something (takes time)

I wanted to write about this past weekend. I've been keeping myself REALLLLLY busy, that's why I haven't been able to write til now! Language lessons, basketball, and basketball related duties are keeping me very busy. Last night I didn't get home til after 1130pm! And didn't get to bed til 1am! I have to let the rabbits out for a little while, or they won't have any time to stretch their legs and hop at any other time of the day! M is not here in Utrecht this week. He's far far away in a place called Friesland...in northern Holland. You know, for the Dutch, 2.5 hours away really is like the edge of the world! He's there helping his parents settle in to their new house. Oh, and his contract was renewed for one more year (or really, it is in writing this time since it really shouldn't have had to be 'renewed' in the first place). So his job is safe, and he will be able to still get his PhD in the end.

Last weekend was full of basketball, as I'm sure many more weekends to come will be as well. Saturday night I had to score-keep for the women's' 1 team. They have a very weird score keeping card/sheet here, it took awhile for me to understand it. Seriously, changing colors of the pen each quarter to keep the stats....very weird. there must be more efficient way of score keeping (there is...trust me...in the US of course).

Then on Sunday, i was again at the sport hall from 530-11. I watched my team play, then I had to keep score again for another game, then I watched M play in his game (he joined the club too). While it was busy, it felt nice to be involved in something, to be apart of something. Its a good way to see some sort of 'result' to just the practicing, as so far that's all I've mostly been involved with. I kinda felt like I was back in middle school again- when we had weekend tournaments and 20 schools would take part in the weekend tournament. Those were fun times. anyways, it felt nice to be apart of something again. (It also helped though that M was around to help me score keep the first game!! and that he was around for the afternoon too). Now, if only I could really be able to communicate better...

Oh, and I'm the 'smoelenboek commissie'...the 'address/picture book committee' for the club...I have to put together all the pictures, addresses, and they have to answer one question based on the theme of the book...we're putting it together and giving it out at the next Borrel ('drink/happy hour'). I'm working with one other woman on this. The theme is 'film'...and the question is 'which film star would you want to resemble and why?' Just an added fun element to the book. This is a good way for me to know people better- to study pictures and figure out who people are! :-)

Two of my favorite things: bunnies and the Packers

This bunny loves the Packers! His one ear up is him giving the 'bird' to the Vikings. What a cutie.

Don't know whose bun this is, but I found it on cute overload.

List of things I've learned

Some things I've come to realize over the past week:

1. This past Sunday I missed another milestone in historic American culture and life by living "far away" in a different country. I'm of course talking about Brett Favre's 421st and 422nd touchdown passes, making him the all time leader in TD passes in the NFL. I will always be a Wisconsinite-- if there's one thing I always miss, it is the fall in Wisconsin, and the Packers football season and watching Brett Favre play.

2. I am very clumsy and should not be left unattended for my own safety. This past weekend I slipped and fell backwards while trying catch little Bram before he ran under the bed. Well I fell backwards and hit my back on the corner of the bed frame. Now I have a sore back and a red and purple wound to show for it.

3. I am not a hindrance to my basketball team as I once feared/thought. Although I could not play in the first game of the new season this past Sunday, I did go to watch and 'support' them. They really could have used my help, especially with rebounding and boxing out. At least now I can tell myself that every mistake I make is not the end of the world, as they are not perfect either. For me, it was important to make as few mistakes as possible, as that way they can see that I'm serious...since we haven't all communicated a whole lot otherwise. I don't want them to think that I am dumb and slow, since that may be the impression they get of me since I don't speak Dutch.

4. There are a lot of "love migrants" in the Netherlands. Of course that is due to my situation as well and the situations I am in that leads me to meet these people (just as I met and associated with students 6 years ago). My language class consists of roughly 15 people, but several of the girls in there have come for partners. Also, some people at my job too. I met the first foreign guy to come for a Dutch girl here as well. you don't see that as often.

5. Love migrants will take whatever job is offered to them. Of these people I've met, I think a lot of them are under-employed. People would rather be with their partner than have a job that they are educated for or enjoy. I am not the only one!

6. Don't expect anything at work. That way I will be more surprised when something actually does happen. Surprised both good and bad. Good when I actually get a drawer or am told where the printer is. Bad when I have to train new people when no one ever asked or told/warned me to begin with, while my supervisor does nothing.

7. There are still people out there (my age) who still don't know how to use google maps or copy and paste shortcuts on Windows. This is amazing to me.

8. Despite my recent swing to a more cynical and negative mentality, apparently I'm still considered a 'sociable' person. Why else would the new people be put with me to train on things, and not with others who can't really communicate on a personal level....because I'm friendly. At least initially! ;-)

9. I will never understand nor get over how I think it is rude that the majority of Dutch people never say 'excuse me', but instead just run/bump into me (in a store, on the street, on the bus) and move on, or try to throw an apple away in the train when my knee is in the way. Instead of saying, 'excuse me', they still just open the container with my knee still there. Pardon me for having my knee in the way of your freedom. Just speak up and I will gladly move my knee.

10. Why don't people get out of the way of opened doors on the train or metro to let the people inside get out first? The NL is full of educated people and they have lived with public transport for a long long time. Yet they still don't understand that you gotta clear out of the doorway to let people out. You will get in faster if you get out of my way and not try to push your way in before I get out. I will start to push back.

11. You cannot resist change. It will always happen. I can resist going to my job. I will still end up going. I can resist wanting to learn Dutch. It will still happen, and I will learn it (note: I am no longer resisting it as I once did). I can try and resist biking in the rain. It will usually end up raining. I can try to resist growing up. I can reminisce about the past and how wonderful and satisfied I was with my life then. But I can't keep looking back to the past, I have to (try to) live in the present and look forward to the future, that it will be just as great and satisfying, just not in the same way (with different people, in a different place, and different circumstances).