Integration into mainstream Dutch society is good for your figure. That's basically the conclusion of research conducted by the Social and Cultural Planning Officethe Netherlands (SCP).
You can imagine my chagrin when I came across the results of a recent research completed by the SCP (Social and Cultural Planning Bureau) in the NL, when I learned yet another reason why it is important to integrate into Dutch society...I'll be obese if I don't! This recently published information from the SCP concerns the non-western immigrants to Holland (of course, because Holland is obsessed with this group of immigrants). They found that someone from this immigrant group in the NL is more likely to be overweight than the normal Dutch population. Those that are integrated, are less likely to be overweight. What a simple conclusion we arrive to! Instead of looking at the factors as to why this may be (different upbringing, different diet, different stress on health or body image)...its instantly related to the level of integration. This gives those hard-core right wing Dutchies the opportunity to slam immigrants again, that we are lazy, jobless and hopeless cases. But now that I am about to become jobless again...maybe I will better fit the data and support their findings. But I gotta say, I've integrated into society by being employed this past year...but the stress from actually working and trying to learn dutch 2 nights a week has driven me to eat more out of stress. I think this research made to find out just exactly what the gov't wanted to hear...to offer more propaganda as to why immigrants need to integrate.
What is also quite interesting is that M is going to start working for the SCP in a month, as a researcher. I hope he will only be bringing home "the bacon"...and not more propaganda.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
A little gem
You'd think by now I'm aware of how life works here in the Netherlands, what "business-as-usual" really is. But sometimes I'm still surprised by some interesting quirks that I did not yet know about or experience yet in Dutch culture. One such little gem caught me off guard when I went to the movies a few weeks back to see the new Batman movie. The Dark Knight is a pretty long movie, as far as most mainstream blockbuster movies go. It is a hefty 2.5 hours long. Apparently, in Holland, you don't always just pay a simple flat ticket fee per movie, but rather, by how long the movie is! When a movie is defined as 'extra long', you have to pay an extra 1 euro per ticket!! You can imagine my shock, even though I'm pretty good at rolling my eyes by now, after having had lived here for over 3 yrs (in total). But what "they" define as an extra long movie, I really don't know, but have I ever received a discount for an extra short movie? I don't think so! If you often think that American culture is the only consumerist/make-as-much-profit-as-you-can economy...think again. The Dutch just do it differently, and that's what I have to keep telling myself. But of course, that doesn't mean I will ever get used to it!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Jam session
What is more quintessential European than going to a market to buy fresh fruit on a Saturday morning? How about cooking in the kitchen with three French women! In my new role as house-wife, there's a "few" (read: a lot!) culinary skills that I am lacking at! A week ago Saturday, I spent the afternoon with these three ladies (one is a friend, and the other two I met that day for the first time) making jam!
We started out the day at noon, buying kilos of fruit! We bought strawberries, cherries, red currants, nectarines and pears. Probably over 12 kilos in total. We sat around the table cutting and pitting and talked about what comes natural to four foreigners brought together for an afternoon: about living in Holland as a foreigner all because of love. It was very relaxing, and enjoyable. While the first batch of jam was boiling, we had lunch of quiche and pepperoni (bell pepper) salad. Simply delicious!
After 5 hours, we finally had our final product--jars and jars of jam. One batch was red berries, and the other was the nectarine-pear combo. I have yet to try it, but it is sitting in my fridge getting a bit more jelly-like in consistency. But however it turns out, it was definitely a day well spent! If you don't hear from me anymore, then you know it was the jam!
We started out the day at noon, buying kilos of fruit! We bought strawberries, cherries, red currants, nectarines and pears. Probably over 12 kilos in total. We sat around the table cutting and pitting and talked about what comes natural to four foreigners brought together for an afternoon: about living in Holland as a foreigner all because of love. It was very relaxing, and enjoyable. While the first batch of jam was boiling, we had lunch of quiche and pepperoni (bell pepper) salad. Simply delicious!
After 5 hours, we finally had our final product--jars and jars of jam. One batch was red berries, and the other was the nectarine-pear combo. I have yet to try it, but it is sitting in my fridge getting a bit more jelly-like in consistency. But however it turns out, it was definitely a day well spent! If you don't hear from me anymore, then you know it was the jam!
Monday, August 11, 2008
summer holiday
well, we've been back a month now! at least there have been some days of sunshine and "heat" to make it feel like summer. at least we had to use the fan a few days at night to keep cool. and its been nice to not have things to do in the evenings after work..no class, no basketball. but I've still keeping myself relatively busy, but with a few other more enjoyable things. I've had some stress too, job-related, but that is nothing new. two weeks ago, after work on a Thursday, i went to the beach in The Hague for dinner on the beach with M and his best-man, K. It was nice to sit and eat our dinner and drink wine on the beach. wish i could do that every day.
But truly is summer vacation here...maybe not for me, but for the rest of Holland! Its really drastically noticeable: the trains are emptier in the rush-hour times, and there is a lot less traffic on the streets, and the grocery stores aren't as packed and insane. Mid-July thru mid-August is summer vacation for Holland. The last two weekends in July are said to be some of the busiest days of the whole year at Schiphol airport. The last weekend in July, it was estimated that almost 1 million (of the 16 million) inhabitants of Holland were out of the country! Dutchies like to travel. Dutchies also like to camp. The biggest destinations for dutchies are Germany and France, and I'm sure a large majority of those people/families are camping. (sounds familiar...like my honeymoon...). I've enjoyed having a seat to sit in on the train every morning...but on the way home in the evening, there are a lot more tourists, including Dutchies, who come to Amsterdam for the day, and clog up the train on the way home with crazy loud kids and lots of shopping bags. Seeing all the young 20-something backpackers in Amsterdam Central Station really makes me want to take off and travel as well. Maybe next year...
Now, with the olympics started, my evenings will be spent catching up on the daily activities in Beijing. Whenever there is some inter-country sport on and the Netherlands is playing, I will support them, and vice versa with the USA--M will support the US (usually). But what do you do when these two countries play each other? Well, words get thrown out there that can't be repeated on this blog...and its everyone for themselves. Luckily this does not happen too often, but especially now, during the Olympics, our true patriotism (for sports) shows. The first major match up came in the form of soccer yesterday afternoon, where it was NL vs USA. the US played better, and was set to win it 2-1, but at literally the last 30 seconds of the extra time of the 2nd half, Holland scored on a free kick...so it was a tie, 2-2. I suppose that is the safest outcome for us as a couple: a draw...no bragging rights for either of us!
Swimming is the other major sport where Holland shines, so the 100m mens freestyle is the big race to watch here, where national swimming hero Peter van den Hoogenband will match up vs American swimming hero Michael Phelps. Should be a good one. and in under one minute, it'll all be done. I'm looking forward to it!
But truly is summer vacation here...maybe not for me, but for the rest of Holland! Its really drastically noticeable: the trains are emptier in the rush-hour times, and there is a lot less traffic on the streets, and the grocery stores aren't as packed and insane. Mid-July thru mid-August is summer vacation for Holland. The last two weekends in July are said to be some of the busiest days of the whole year at Schiphol airport. The last weekend in July, it was estimated that almost 1 million (of the 16 million) inhabitants of Holland were out of the country! Dutchies like to travel. Dutchies also like to camp. The biggest destinations for dutchies are Germany and France, and I'm sure a large majority of those people/families are camping. (sounds familiar...like my honeymoon...). I've enjoyed having a seat to sit in on the train every morning...but on the way home in the evening, there are a lot more tourists, including Dutchies, who come to Amsterdam for the day, and clog up the train on the way home with crazy loud kids and lots of shopping bags. Seeing all the young 20-something backpackers in Amsterdam Central Station really makes me want to take off and travel as well. Maybe next year...
Now, with the olympics started, my evenings will be spent catching up on the daily activities in Beijing. Whenever there is some inter-country sport on and the Netherlands is playing, I will support them, and vice versa with the USA--M will support the US (usually). But what do you do when these two countries play each other? Well, words get thrown out there that can't be repeated on this blog...and its everyone for themselves. Luckily this does not happen too often, but especially now, during the Olympics, our true patriotism (for sports) shows. The first major match up came in the form of soccer yesterday afternoon, where it was NL vs USA. the US played better, and was set to win it 2-1, but at literally the last 30 seconds of the extra time of the 2nd half, Holland scored on a free kick...so it was a tie, 2-2. I suppose that is the safest outcome for us as a couple: a draw...no bragging rights for either of us!
Swimming is the other major sport where Holland shines, so the 100m mens freestyle is the big race to watch here, where national swimming hero Peter van den Hoogenband will match up vs American swimming hero Michael Phelps. Should be a good one. and in under one minute, it'll all be done. I'm looking forward to it!
Friday, July 18, 2008
married!!!
Its been almost a month already that i'm a married woman! while i dont have photos up yet on my own flickr page...my friend jonanne took some wonderful photos..mostly of the party afterwards. I don't have a good pic up yet of me and matt, but here is one just to show there's more to follow---soon!
it was a wonderful day and i had so much fun, and i know everyone else did too. it was really special that so many people came from such distances to be there and help us celebrate our wedding day! it was amazing and very overwhelming, this feeling of love and friendship! but the day went by so quickly...I just have to keep going back to these great pictures to see that yes, in fact, it really did happen- it wasn't just a dream!!
i had a great time in the US- a whole month! the 2 wks after the wedding were spent out west in washington state and in british columbia, canada. not a real traditional honeymoon---as we were with 4 of M's friends for the first week, but then just the 2 of us the 2nd week. Mostly we were camping, which is also not your typical honeymoon activity. but it was a fun time and i really enjoyed it. we saw temperate rainforests in olympic NP and climbed mt. rainier in the snow! M and I also went horseback riding and seakayaking. we saw lots of cool animals, including a black bear and elk...and many squirrels that talked to us.
now, back to reality - work. we arrived back this past sunday. things are still the same around here, but its july, so i dont have language class or basketball...so i can relax and enjoy life a bit, i hope! only for month...because amazingly, july is suddenly half over already!
more pictures to come soon!
it was a wonderful day and i had so much fun, and i know everyone else did too. it was really special that so many people came from such distances to be there and help us celebrate our wedding day! it was amazing and very overwhelming, this feeling of love and friendship! but the day went by so quickly...I just have to keep going back to these great pictures to see that yes, in fact, it really did happen- it wasn't just a dream!!
i had a great time in the US- a whole month! the 2 wks after the wedding were spent out west in washington state and in british columbia, canada. not a real traditional honeymoon---as we were with 4 of M's friends for the first week, but then just the 2 of us the 2nd week. Mostly we were camping, which is also not your typical honeymoon activity. but it was a fun time and i really enjoyed it. we saw temperate rainforests in olympic NP and climbed mt. rainier in the snow! M and I also went horseback riding and seakayaking. we saw lots of cool animals, including a black bear and elk...and many squirrels that talked to us.
now, back to reality - work. we arrived back this past sunday. things are still the same around here, but its july, so i dont have language class or basketball...so i can relax and enjoy life a bit, i hope! only for month...because amazingly, july is suddenly half over already!
more pictures to come soon!
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