Happy 2008! I'm back on 'the other side' -back on European soil already. And on the other side of winter - on the way up: to longer days and more day light.
My time in the US went very quickly. It was only 10 days, but it was pretty packed every single day with things- whether family stuff, shopping, or planning, I really didn't even get a chance to talk to any friends on the phone as I'd like...or even see some in person, as I would have liked that even more! I feel bad about that. I needed more time! I didn't even get a chance to really relax and realize that I was home. I guess shopping at Kohls, Target, and Walmart sort of helped me feel more like I'm back in the US. And the over-zealous customer service in stores and in restaurants. That just does not happen in Holland.
Besides spending a lot of money shopping (the dollar/euro exchange rate is great for those who earn euros!!!), I spent a lot of my time working on the planning of our wedding. It was hard to plan when my other half was not there with me. Invitations were picked, food was discussed, and most importantly, I found a dress. I found it at the last minute, seriously. I visited two bridal stores that week, one a national chain, and one a private shop. There was one other place in Sheboygan that for some reason I didn't go to til Friday night, half an hour before they closed (I thought I had 1.5 hours). I was leaving Saturday noon to drive to Chicago. I honestly did not expect to find something that I liked in Sheboygan. Well, amazingly I found a dress here, and its probably much easier to deal with a local shop owner than with some national chain.
This photo was taken over Lake Michigan as I was approaching the shoreline on Dec 19th, looking south towards downtown Chicago. You can see the top of the Sears Tower on the right, and the Hancock Tower is more towards the left. It was beautiful! I think my short time in the US can be described as this picture: the time was beautiful but also only a short glimpse of what's really there. I didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to do or see. My mind was sort of in a haze the whole time, since I was so busy. My hometown is on Lake Michigan and I only live 1 mile from the shore- yet in 10 days, I did not even see Lake Michigan. I only enjoyed this image of downtown Chicago for a short minute as we flew on towards O'Hare. My time in Wisconsin was short, but also enjoyed every moment I had there.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas to all
Well, I am back on a short visit in the US for the Christmas holiday week. Its been very busy with all the preparations for the wedding...I hope I can get something accomplished...mostly finding a dress is the of the upmost importance. After spending most of my day shopping last minute, tomorrow I can sit and rest (I hope)...enjoy the tree, enjoy being back in WI, enjoy the day. I hope to get over this cold, and I hope to catch up with some friends on the phone. It might be the last xmas in this house for us all, which is quite sad...as my parents might move before next xmas. i've been too busy to dwell on this.
Merry Christmas to you all, and here is a pic M took of Bram last week in front of our tree in Utrecht. He wishes you a wonderful holiday too!
Merry Christmas to you all, and here is a pic M took of Bram last week in front of our tree in Utrecht. He wishes you a wonderful holiday too!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
sunset in rotterdam
this past saturday afternoon we went to rotterdam to see where 2 of M's friends are living...and where they will be moving to in a year or so...they are planning on buying a house in an 'up and coming' neighborhood. the entire house needs to be refurbished and re-done. but currently they are living in an anti-squat place in the city of schiedam. its in a deserted office building in the middle of a industrial area- where who knows what kind of shady things go down. they have a whole floor of this place to themselves, its huge. but its also freezing cold- there's no heat or hot water. so the rent is cheap- i prefer a real house with necessities than cheap living in a shady area. but we went to the top of this building, maybe 10 stories high, it was a nice view.
then we biked from there several km to the city of rotterdam and around some neighborhoods. the city reminds me of baltimore a bit- a city based on its harbor. rotterdam has all these "new" huge office buildings, because everything was bombed in the war and needed to be rebuilt. its the most 'american' city in the netherlands, as far as architecture and a central downtown business district goes.
we had to bike thu a tunnel that went under the harbor. we also biked by this 'parking lot' area for boats, one permanent boat had a playground on it even. beautiful sunset.
then we biked from there several km to the city of rotterdam and around some neighborhoods. the city reminds me of baltimore a bit- a city based on its harbor. rotterdam has all these "new" huge office buildings, because everything was bombed in the war and needed to be rebuilt. its the most 'american' city in the netherlands, as far as architecture and a central downtown business district goes.
we had to bike thu a tunnel that went under the harbor. we also biked by this 'parking lot' area for boats, one permanent boat had a playground on it even. beautiful sunset.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Christmas markets in Cologne
This past Sunday, M and I went to Cologne, Germany, on the train, for the Christmas markets! It just happened to be my birthday as well on Sunday. We went because it was the only free day we had, not necessarily because it was my birthday. We went there 4 years ago in 2003, and it is such a nice atmosphere, we wanted to go again (or he was nice and suggested we go). So, a 2 hour train ride, and there we are in the center of Cologne. There are I think 7 Christmas markets around the city. We walked all afternoon, and got to 5 of them I think (the other 2 you have to pay for!). The weather cooperated and it was nice, but of course, a bit cold. Since it was Sunday, none of the stores were open! That was a bummer, I wanted to buy some shoes!
The city was packed full of thousands of people, and it was just inching along as you were in the markets. I didn't look much at the stuff, since some of it is kitchy. But of course I spent more time with the food! We knew where to go for potato pancakes-- and we bought those first! Yum! And later I had a big bratwurst (not the american/sheboygan kind) which was like a foot long! We also made time for some cake/apfelstrudel and hot chocolate. yum! But I was so full that for dinner I did not want any more meat or anything heavy. Funny enough, we went this place called "Chicago Steakhouse" and they had a salad bar, not up to normal US standards, but they had one. So i had a big salad and some soup and I was good. Oh yeah, and we also went to Starbucks, since there isn't Starbucks in the Netherlands (although, they just opened one in the terminal at the airport...but you have to be a passenger to buy it. Not that I think Starbucks is the best, but its nice to have flavored coffee instead of this dutch koffie). A grande -small- was really too much for me to drink. I'm used to smaller portions now.
The day didn't end so well though. At 840pm our train was leaving. So we got to the track a bit before 830. There was a big steam engine on the track, pulling the train, it must have been some special tour thing. But as it was pulling out, all the steam went up into the air but got trapped by the glass ceiling. It must have condensed very quickly, as I felt these big drops falling down on me, it was dirty steam water or oil, I don't know, but it fell on ME ONLY for some reason, and on my head, glasses and worst of all, on my pink wool jacket. So we went to the customer service as fast as we could and luckily were able to see someone in the 10 minutes we had left....just to ask for a number for the DB (Deutsche Bahn- train company) where we could file a complaint, and hopefully get them to pay for the cleaning or the jacket. It could be ruined if its oil. Even dirt is not easy to get out on a pink jacket. Oh well, I can't control anything. But we made our train and back home by 1130pm. And of course, it was raining here when we got back.
Next Christmas, I may try another Christmas market in Belgium or in London, even though its the German food that draws me back to Cologne!
The city was packed full of thousands of people, and it was just inching along as you were in the markets. I didn't look much at the stuff, since some of it is kitchy. But of course I spent more time with the food! We knew where to go for potato pancakes-- and we bought those first! Yum! And later I had a big bratwurst (not the american/sheboygan kind) which was like a foot long! We also made time for some cake/apfelstrudel and hot chocolate. yum! But I was so full that for dinner I did not want any more meat or anything heavy. Funny enough, we went this place called "Chicago Steakhouse" and they had a salad bar, not up to normal US standards, but they had one. So i had a big salad and some soup and I was good. Oh yeah, and we also went to Starbucks, since there isn't Starbucks in the Netherlands (although, they just opened one in the terminal at the airport...but you have to be a passenger to buy it. Not that I think Starbucks is the best, but its nice to have flavored coffee instead of this dutch koffie). A grande -small- was really too much for me to drink. I'm used to smaller portions now.
The day didn't end so well though. At 840pm our train was leaving. So we got to the track a bit before 830. There was a big steam engine on the track, pulling the train, it must have been some special tour thing. But as it was pulling out, all the steam went up into the air but got trapped by the glass ceiling. It must have condensed very quickly, as I felt these big drops falling down on me, it was dirty steam water or oil, I don't know, but it fell on ME ONLY for some reason, and on my head, glasses and worst of all, on my pink wool jacket. So we went to the customer service as fast as we could and luckily were able to see someone in the 10 minutes we had left....just to ask for a number for the DB (Deutsche Bahn- train company) where we could file a complaint, and hopefully get them to pay for the cleaning or the jacket. It could be ruined if its oil. Even dirt is not easy to get out on a pink jacket. Oh well, I can't control anything. But we made our train and back home by 1130pm. And of course, it was raining here when we got back.
Next Christmas, I may try another Christmas market in Belgium or in London, even though its the German food that draws me back to Cologne!
Friday, December 7, 2007
i'm a zwarte piet!
From American holidays to Dutch holidays we go….Dec 5th is the night that Sint leaves presents outside the front door for all the little Dutch kiddies. It is the night of the 5th that he sails back to Spain with his helpers, the zwarte pieten. Since Wednesday night I was at my dutch class, we just planned on having a short lesson, then we all brought some food to share with the class, and if possible, the food could be something from your home country. I made a pumpkin pie, or in dutch : pompoen taart. They don’t really ‘do’ pies in the Netherlands. The whole idea of a pie crust is not exactly the same as our pie crusts. They have vlaai , which is more like our pastry tarts or something. If they have a crust (like in apple pie), its usually much thicker and bread-ier, not just a thin crust like we have.
Anways, the pie was enjoyed, even though it was a bit burnt, and the top part was wrinkled (perhaps too many eggs?? I don’t know!). They still were adventurous and tried it.
But at 8, unannounced to us, Sint was coming to the school where we were at. We all went to the break area, and he drove in on a blue Honda motorcycle! That was interesting for sure. Guess he couldn’t find his white horse. But then he immediately choose two people as he needed some helpers, some piets. He choose a black guy and then he pointed at me and I thought he said I was to help him get dressed…but he really meant I was the other piet! My first time being a piet. I had to put the clothes on over my jeans and sweater…and had an afro wig and a hat with a feather. The other guy said to me in Dutch ‘I am a REAL black piet!’ How funny! And if this isn’t integration, I don’t know what is.
Sint read some stories, sang a few songs, and then 30 min later he had to go back to Spain. I wish I could have really gone with him. Its warmer there, and rains less. Plus, I could use a vacation!
Anways, the pie was enjoyed, even though it was a bit burnt, and the top part was wrinkled (perhaps too many eggs?? I don’t know!). They still were adventurous and tried it.
But at 8, unannounced to us, Sint was coming to the school where we were at. We all went to the break area, and he drove in on a blue Honda motorcycle! That was interesting for sure. Guess he couldn’t find his white horse. But then he immediately choose two people as he needed some helpers, some piets. He choose a black guy and then he pointed at me and I thought he said I was to help him get dressed…but he really meant I was the other piet! My first time being a piet. I had to put the clothes on over my jeans and sweater…and had an afro wig and a hat with a feather. The other guy said to me in Dutch ‘I am a REAL black piet!’ How funny! And if this isn’t integration, I don’t know what is.
Sint read some stories, sang a few songs, and then 30 min later he had to go back to Spain. I wish I could have really gone with him. Its warmer there, and rains less. Plus, I could use a vacation!
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