Dutch Bliss

2007-08-24T02:59:00.000+02:00

In the modern age of technology and the internet, pregnant women have at their disposal a wealth of information available (some good and some, well, not so good). Many women sign up for a weekly e-newsletter to give them up-to-date information about the growth of their baby and the physical symptoms they may experience throughout the pregnancy.

I didn't sign up for an e-newsletter, but regularly google to find out what's happening with baby and me this week. "__ (insert #) weeks pregnant" brings up about a thousand pages, so I usually read one or two of the first 10 to give me an idea of what to expect. The information is usually pretty consistent from one to the other, so I haven't really been too worried about any inaccuracies. Until today.

I'm 21 weeks today and the first site I read was from www.i-am-pregnant.com which suggested the following:

Some women also get strong cravings for foods. If you notice a craving for something unhealthy, you should contact your doctor. Cravings unusual things is known as pica. Some women crave cigarette ashes, charcoal, beer and other non-food items during this time.

The last time I checked beer was considered a normal food item - I believe drinks are included in the food category - and can normally be craved just like lemonade (my current favorite), milk, or even water.

And since when do cravings start at 21 weeks? I craved chicken nuggets in weeks 5-8; red grapes from 15-20; and lemonade for about the past two weeks.

2007-08-20T00:38:00.000+02:00

(Olivia feeding one of the twins)

When I first arrived back in N. America in late April, the twins were about a week old and still in the hospital. Up until I arrived, my mom and my sister's husband were taking turns hanging out at home with Olivia while the other went with my sister to the hospital to feed the twins.

My arrival was great timing because Olivia needed someone new to hang out with since she was really starting to miss her Mommy. Although I wasn't Mommy, me and my suitcase full of presents were a nice distraction. During one of our afternoons at home together, she suddenly stopped playing and asked me:

"Auntie Mollie, do you have a baby in your tummy?"

I wasn't surprised at her question because she had been pretending to have a baby in her tummy ever since she understood what it meant that Mommy had had a baby in her tummy. Plus, her other auntie also recently had a baby, so this was a logical question for her to ask me. I'd even heard her ask my mom this question a few times.

Interestingly, this was still a few days before I found out I was pregnant so I really had no idea that I indeed did have a baby in my tummy (although I did realize it was a possibility). So I answered her with a question:

"Olivia, who puts babies in mommys' tummys?"

"God does," she responded.

"Should we ask God to put a baby in my tummy?"

"Okay," she answered. Then she looked at me kind of shyly and expectantly.

"Should we pray right now?" I asked her.

"Okay."

So I put her on my lap and said a short prayer asking God to put a baby in my tummy. It was only a few days later that I got to tell her that there was a baby in my tummy and that God answered our prayer. She thought that was pretty cool and now is really excited that there's a baby in my tummy too.

I wonder what she is going to do when my baby is born and there are no more babies in tummys?

2007-08-18T12:54:00.000+02:00

I found out I was pregnant shortly after arriving in N. America to visit my family and help my sister with the twins. I was expecting my period to start the day I left and of course it never came. That was a Thursday. Brad thought it was too soon to take a pregnancy test so I promised him I'd wait until the weekend had passed before getting my hopes up.

Both of us were a bit skeptical that I could be pregnant because we'd only started trying a short time earlier. I'd been begging Brad for months to let us start trying prior to my 30th birthday and as an early birthday present, he consented. We both were under the impression that at my age *wink, wink* it should typically take a few months for a couple to get pregnant so we thought there was no harm in trying a bit earlier than we'd planned.

So there I was Monday morning lying in bed in the guest room of my sister knowing that there were two pregnancy tests waiting for me in the bathroom just across the hall. The agreement was that I'd call him Monday afternoon (with the time change, he'd be home from work in the Netherlands) and take the test while we were on the phone together. This was, of course, if my period hadn't started by Monday morning.

And of course it hadn't. So then I was in a difficult position and had to make a decision. It clearly says on the box that the results of this test would be most accurate if I completed the test first thing in the morning. I was worried that if I took it later in the day when I called Brad, it might not work. Then I'd really be wondering since my period is never late.

So I did what any woman in my position would do - I took a pregnancy test ALONE without phoning my husband. What other choice did I have? Boy was I nervous! My hand was shaking the whole time. It seemed like it took forever for the little "pregnant" message to pop up on the screen but as you can see in the photo above, it eventually did. As you can imagine, it was NOT exactly how I'd envisioned finding out I was pregnant with our first child. In hindsight, I could have taken a test before I left, but I didn't really expect to get pregnant so soon after we started trying.

Then, of course, I had to pretend that everything was normal and hang out with my family as if I didn't have any exciting news to share. They all knew that I was waiting until the afternoon to take the test so they didn't suspect a thing. Brad, however, was a different story.

When I called him and took the test again, he suspected right away that I knew since I didn't react to the news the way he thought I would. I'm not sure exactly what he was expecting, but it obviously wasn't the right reaction. Funny thing was, I was just as nervous the second time taking it since I half expected it to be negative. He was more than a little bit disappointed that I took the test "without" him, and at the same time was freaked out trying to absorb the new reality that we were actually pregnant. With all those emotions, it was hard to tell if he was even remotely excited.

Thankfully, Brad's forgiven me and gotten more used to the idea of having a baby. As the weeks pass and my belly gets bigger, I can tell that he's getting more excited. The subsiding nausea has definitely made it a lot easier for both of us to adjust to the changes in our life, but I think Brad's still a little freaked out about the reality of "the one-way street" (as he calls it) that we've embarked on.

2007-08-15T09:08:00.000+02:00

Procrastination...

I've been procrastinating for too long to write this post. In fact, it has been nearly 10 weeks since I've thought about it - what I was going to say, how I was going to say it, when I should exactly say it. But this debate in my head has gone on for a ridiculous amount of time so I'll just say it:

I'm pregnant!

That was easy right? Not for me. I've had a hard time motivating myself to post any blog material since I felt like all the events in my life for the past few months are centered around the pregnancy and how I was feeling at the time.

And you'll be surprised to know that I'm actually 20 weeks along already. My reference to 10 weeks is the time since I've actually been home in the Netherlands and legitimately able to post. I would have posted this sooner except that it took us longer than expected to contact all of our direct family members to let them know of the news. (We thought it better to tell them by phone than for them to read it anonymously over the internet).

And I've been physically feeling wretched! It is almost like the last 10 weeks (or more) have been lost in time. There was a period there that I barely showered or got up off the couch. However, at long last the constant nausea and vomiting has nearly subsided. Some days I still feel like staying in bed, but more often than not I almost feel like my normal self again (except for a few other changes such as this seemingly "huge" belly and nothing to wear).

So I just wanted to say that "I'm back" and keep reading because I've got stories to tell about the month I stayed with my sister, the trip to Italy with Brad's brother Matt, the 4 weeks in the middle where I lived in my PJs on the couch, the trip to Germany with Brad's other brother and his wife, and more...

2007-07-04T12:14:00.000+02:00

Happy 4th of July!

Even as an adult, the 4th of July is my favorite day of the year. I can only think of three times when I've been unable to celebrate the 4th with my family and friends at some sort of patriotic celebration. This year is one of those times.

My 4th of July memories start with our move to Lopez Island when I was nine years old. Lopez Island is the third largest of the San Juan Islands off of the Washington State coast. The Island's population was only about 1500 in the winter and nearly tripled in the summer with summer visitors and tourists. Lopez is reached by a 45 minute ferry ride from the mainland of Washington State.

The Lopez community organized a really great day of activities for the 4th that put most other cities to shame (including Lynden, which is a bit surprising because they're very patriotic the rest of the year). Even after my family moved off the Island to Lynden, we all went back to Lopez as tourists for the 4th to experience the festive, patriotic atmosphere and especially the two big attractions: the parade and the fireworks.

This is a description of a typical July 4th celebration on Lopez Island for my family.

The first and foremost event of the day was the parade which usually began at 11am. The parade started a couple of miles down the road winding itself along the scenic Fisherman's Bay Road into the village which would be lined with tourists and locals specifically gathered to watch the parade. My family had a lovely waterfront piece of property in the village which was within a stone's throw of the end destination of the parade route.

Actually, the parade ended about 200 meters down the road at the local bank and so the parade passed right by our house before it dispersed. For many years, the parade judges sat on the lawn right across from our house which forced parade participants to be on their best behavior even at the end of the parade when they were tired and nearly out of candy.

My parents had an open invitation to friends and family to sit on our lawn to watch the parade and every year we had quite the gathering of people over to join in the festivities. My parents would put flags in the yard and set up a table with coffee and donuts. The weather would often threaten to rain, but in the 17 or 18 years that my parents lived on the Island, we can remember only one or two times when it actually rained during the parade.

The parade itself was an eclectic mix, reflecting the diversity of the population who called Lopez home. Nevertheless, as kids, we never really noticed the underlying political statements or messages that were demonstrated in the theme of the floats. All members of my family have participated in the parade at least once. I've personally walked the parade route at least 3 times: with the girl scouts, with the church advertising Vacation Bible School, and with my volleyball team.

After the parade was over, we'd clean up the front lawn and have a BBQ - sometime with another family or in later years, with our boyfriends/spouses. For many years we'd have friends from off-island come visit just for the 4th of July festivities, except in recent years when the ferry traffic became too bothersome, not to mention expensive. Getting off the Island on the 5th is probably the worst headache you'd encounter. We used to marvel at how long the ferry line up was every year.

One of the local Island groups - I can't remember if it was the Grange or the Lion's Club or something - would sponsor a Salmon BBQ every year to raise money for their group. Other Island events include the annual 4th of July "fun run" which was a 10km run or walk on a specific course on the Island, the Library annual book sale, and a variety of restaurants would feature local bands for live music throughout the day.

Keep in mind that all of these events were scheduled around the parade since the whole Island basically stops to watch the parade. If you weren't at the parade, you were missing out because it drew a huge gathering of locals, tourists, and ex-locals who'd come back just to see everyone they knew - it was common for those that had moved off the Island to come back for the 4th.

Another of our family traditions was to go to the local marina and walk on the docks admiring the boats that were tied up there. The marina was in a prime location because from there boaters could watch the fireworks display later that evening. And if you couldn't get a slip in the marina, you could moor your boat almost anywhere in the bay. So the bay was usually filled with a conglomeration of boats all angled towards the direction of where the fireworks would be fired off.

It was always fun to see which boat had sailed the furthest, who had the biggest boat, and which one was the favorite. The size of the yachts were amazing some years. Since we lived on the water close to the narrow mouth of the bay, all of these boats had to sail past our house to get out into open water. Many of the boats parked in the marina would be ones we'd come to recognize over the years. One such boat was called the Nancy Ann and it had a seaplane on its top deck and an impressive power boat as its dingy. It was always fun to marvel at it up close.

As I mentioned, the other big event of the day was the fireworks. The fireworks are renowned throughout the state as being extremely well done, especially considering the modest population of Lopez. Again, my parent's prime real estate provided a great place to watch the fireworks. The same crowd that joined us for the parade would often come back to watch the fireworks from our yard as well. We'd all cuddle in blankets out in the cold waiting in anticipation for the fireworks to begin.

During our last 10 years on the Island, my dad volunteered for the local fire department and was assigned on duty down at the site where the fireworks were being launched. The fire department had an ambulance and at least two fire trucks on site to prevent any brush fires from igniting as a result of the fireworks display. Thanks to Dad, we had an "in". The hose truck not only provided a soft place to sit, but the location was probably the best view of the fireworks on the whole Island. We were pretty lucky to have our dad in the department for so many years.

The fireworks display lasted about 30-45 minutes and had an amazing finale at the end. The location where the fireworks were launched was on a narrow spit connecting one part of the Island with another to make up what we know as Fisherman's Bay. The road would be blocked off at either end and the fireworks would be launched straight up over the water. The boom from the fireworks would be so loud as it echoed over the water. And the reflection on the water really added to its magic.

So as you can see, when my parents finally moved off the Island and discovered that Lynden barely celebrated the 4th at all, it took us only one missed Lopez 4th before we decided to go back and rent a cabin with our whole family just to be part of the festivities again. It cost us an exorbitant amount of money to get on the ferry and rent the cabin, but we couldn't bear to miss out on the fun. Plus, as I mentioned, it was a great time to see all of our old friends.

This year my family is staying in Lynden and having a BBQ with friends. Since the birth of the twins, Meg and Jason are definitely unable to make the trip, fight the ferry, and spend all the money. And my parent's wouldn't go without them. What I do know is that we wish we could be back on the Island together this year if it were possible. And we look forward to the years ahead when we can resume our traditions for ourselves and our children.

Here are more photos and details about this year's events if you are interested in seeing more of what I'm talking about.

2007-05-05T01:48:00.000+02:00

I've been in N. America for a week now helping my sister and her husband (Jason) with Olivia and the twins. I've been so busy and the time has passed so quickly that I've had hardly had a spare moment to sit down and blog or email.

I arrived last Thursday (April 26th) after a fairly uneventful flight. My plane was delayed 2 extra hours during my stop over in London (in addition to my scheduled 3 hour layover), but it actually went pretty fast so it seemed like we were in the air and landing in Vancouver in no time. And thanks again to Chris & Corina for picking me up at the airport and driving me to Lynden. That was a huge blessing!

Over the past week, I've been dividing my time between driving to the hospital and playing with Olivia so that Jason can do the same. The twins were born about weeks early, Evan at just under 6lbs, and Addison at 4.5lbs. For the first week they were hardly nursing at all due to their small size. My sister was really adamant that they nurse, so they were receiving her milk though an NG tube (through their nose). We were only allowed to hold them during the feedings so they could conserve as much energy as possible.

They are now two weeks old and have both broken their respective birth weights. In fact, they have made it to the next pound category (Evan at 6lbs and Addison at 5lbs). Since they are bigger and stronger, they've been nursing more regularly which means that my sister is at the hospital more often. She actually stays there at night in a "camping room" to do the night feedings and only comes home for a short period in the afternoon and evening.

This is hard on her because she sees that Olivia is having behavioral difficulties with her absence. Jason and I have been doing as much as we can to distract her and keep her busy, but having mama gone all the time is difficult. And since I've been thrust into the role of surrogate mommy to a three year old, I'm struggling to be adequate. My only consolation is that she loves me and we get along pretty well together.

The twins will be in the hospital for a bit longer as they are still getting the hang of nursing. My sister is trying all sorts of techniques to get them to feed better - nursing them together, nursing them separately - but it takes a lot of time and energy for all involved. They are so tiny that it is difficult to see them struggle. The doctors recommend that they should stay at the hospital until they can nurse every feeding really well. We are praying that my sister won't get discouraged and resort to bottle feeding.

Needless to say, it seems that we still have a bit of a long road ahead. Our hope is that the twins come home by Mother's Day. Y'all can pray for that. I've learned a lot in the past week of living at my sister's house with Olivia and helping at the hospital. It is good training for my future as a mommy and I've definitely got an accurate picture of all of the work that is involved. I want to say three cheers for all of the moms out there!

I'll try to update again soon, but my time is limited. I'm at Nana and Papa's now so I have a few minutes of spare time. Until then, keep us in your prayers. Thanks!

2007-04-23T23:30:00.000+02:00

I mentioned last post that my new little nephew and niece were born last week. They are about 5 weeks premature, so they are spending a little extra time in the hospital before they can go home. As you can imagine, that means my family is juggling their schedules to spend time with the babies and give Olivia a sense of normalcy at home*.

Since my dad is still in Nevada working and I am still in Groningen, my sister, her husband, and my mom are taking shifts between the hospital and home. I think my dad and I feel a bit helpless as we count down the days until we get back there to help. I am going back on Thursday for about a month to help as much as I can, but in the meantime, I have a lot to finish up before I can head out.

In fact, right now I'm taking a little break from the hours of Dutch homework I've got over the next few days. Wednesday will be my last class although the course doesn't end officially for two more class periods. I have to finish up my last homework assignment and study for my last test to qualify for the certificate of completion. I haven't come all this way to miss out on that, but it means a couple of late nights between now and Wednesday morning.

Plus, we have only a few more days with our friends John and Suzanne who we've become close with over the past 6 months. John's basketball season ended abruptly on Saturday night when his team lost their playoff game. They are leaving on Thursday as well, so Suzanne and I have to have one last IKEA day and one last shopping day before they depart. It is a sad time for us especially since John's contract wasn't renewed in Groningen, and they will be be somewhere else in Europe next year. I am praying that God will bring me another Suzanne for next year.

Finally, as you can imagine, I have a few chores to do in preparation for departure. Brad will not be joining me in North America until mid-May, so there are a few things that I need to get ready for him such as toilet paper in the cupboard, food in the fridge, and clean clothing in the drawers. After that, he'll have to fend for himself.

And of course, I need to pack which is always a huge process when I'm going to be gone for so long. I've shared before that I find packing a bit troublesome especially since I'm going to be handling my luggage alone on this trip. Lugging heavy bags on and off the train is not my idea of a good time.

Needless to say, the time between now and my departure is moving along quite quickly! Which reminds me, I need to get back to my homework...

*As I mentioned, my family is quite busy shuttling themselves to and from the hospital. To make it easier on them, I was wondering if anyone had the desire and ability to pick me up from the Vancouver airport on Thursday evening and drive me to the border. It would make it a lot easier on them to drive a shorter distance. I get in at approx. 7:00pm, but could wait around longer if necessary. Send me an email or leave a comment if you are interested and able.

2007-04-21T01:12:00.000+02:00

April has always been my favorite month for a variety of reasons.

First, April is the month of my birthday. What kid doesn't learn to love the month that contains their birthday? While I was at university, my birthday would fall around exams so I was either studying for an exam or had to write an exam on my birthday. But the campus in April would be so beautiful with the cherry blossoms and the weather would be so sunny that it usually made up for the exam schedule. This year, the April weather in the Netherlands has had record warm tempuratures. What girl wouldn't love to be running around in a tanktop & flipflops on her April birthday?

More recently (actually 5 years now as of the 27th), this month also includes my wedding anniversary. And like many couples, we often take a trip to celebrate our anniversary, so I have spent at least two Aprils in Hawaii soaking in the sun. I always look forward to April because it means another exciting trip. This year we went to Brussels (in Belgium) over the Easter Weekend to celebrate our anniversary. The city was beautiful, and so were the diamonds we looked at to update my wedding ring. Nothing say "I love you" like a couple of new diamonds!

And of course let's not forget Easter! This special time of year, we celebrate Jesus' victory over death, and have a time of reflection on God's Gift to save the world from sin. April is such a joyous month!

Another thing is that it seems that in April spring is actually here to stay. The cherry blossoms are out in full force and everyone is excited about summer. April is like the liason between spring and summer weather. I find in May that it often starts to get rainy again before the hot weather of the summer starts. That might only be a figment of my imagination because I see April purely through my rose colored glasses, or it could actually be true. Either way, I love it when it is finally April!

There is one other thing that has made this April quite wonderful - the birth of my new nephew and niece. Yes, it is true, the twins have finally arrived. They made their way into the world yesterday although sadly, it was not on my birthday. I will get to meet and help care for these sweet little ones next week when I go back to N. America.

So anyways, you can see why I love the month of April and I am sad that it is ending so quickly.

2007-04-18T23:26:00.000+02:00

On Saturday (my birthday), the weather was a record high tempurature of 27°C (that's 81°F), so Brad and I decided to go on a bike ride around a nearby lake. In the Netherlands, there are always convenient bike paths to nearly every scenic location, so what started as an enjoyable and easy afternoon ride ended up covering over 15 kilometers! It was great, but a little hard one's backside after a while.

In the past I've shared a few stories about my biking experiences. I have to admit that biking has actually become my preferred method of traveling. I often ask myself "why would I walk when I could bike?" Now that I've got some photos to post, I'll explain a bit more about the bikes in the Netherlands.

First of all, note the style of bike. You are probably thinking "it looks like the bike my grandma has". Actually, it is pretty unusual to see a racing bike or mountain bike here in the Netherlands. That's partially because those types of bikes tend to be expensive and therefore more likely to get stolen. The other reason is that the bike paths and roads aren't made for racing nor are there any mountains to bike down.

So my bike is pretty typical for the Netherlands except that mine is nice and new. Usually the bikes are quite old and rusty. It is not uncommon to hear a person biking before actually seeing them. It is amazing, the creaking and clanging noises that some of these bikes make! Sometimes people like to paint their bike in all kinds of bright colors to make them "unique" but I think this usually only succeeds in making them look even worse.

Secondly, note the pink saddlebags on the back. You'd be surprised at how much stuff a person can fit in those bags. I know from experience that pretty much anything I can stuff into one of IKEA's yellow shopping bags can be fit in my bike bags! Approximately half of all bikes will have bags although usually the owners are women because they tend to have more stuff to cart around. Most people do not have pink bags however, but these were the only color I could find in the price range that I was looking at. Plus it makes it really easy to find my bike in the bike parking lots.

Finally, my bike is really easy to ride and quite comfortable. The high handlebars prevent me from getting a a sore back when biking longer distances. You often see people with one or more child seats on the bike (one in front and one in back) to carry around their kids. The bike trailers we have in N. America are seen here, but not with kids in them. The trailers here are used to carry around stuff!

And biking has successfully prevented me from gaining excess weight (in fact, I've lost weight since I've moved here). Here is a photo of my bike and my typical biking attire. Note the high heeled boots I'm wearing while riding my bike - the boots are courtesy of my Aunt Julie!

This past winter season required a wool coat, hat, scarf and gloves when biking, but now that spring is here, I'm starting to adjust my biking wardrobe a little. However, I still regularly wear a scarf and gloves to prevent getting chilled as it always seems to be a little windy here. And I usually wear comfortable boots for walking around the city, but high heeled boots are fine to wear on the bike too.

Just for interest's sake, here is a photo of the bike parking in from of the University building. This is a good illustration of the bike parking lots and how full they usually are. Some day I'll post of photo of the huge multi-level parkade at the train station.

2007-04-16T16:32:00.001+02:00

Happy 30th Birthday to me!

Saturday was my 30th birthday. Over the past few months I've been thinking a lot about turning 30 and the person I am and the person I want to be. There seems to be so much stigma when the birthday takes you into the next decade. Brad has been especially teasing me because he is still 29 for two more months. But despite what anyone says about turning 30, I resolved to make the most of it as well as treat this birthday with the dignity it deserves.

I think birthdays are a better time to re-evaluate your past year and make new resolutions than New Year's. In the case of this 30th birthday, it is a chance to improve on some things that I did in my 20s and leave behind a few things that I'd rather forget. I will share a few of my resolutions here, but some things I will keep to myself because it might take a while for them to be implemented.

First of all, I've heard heard and read about women who really become comfortable in their "skin" after a certain age. I think some of that has to do with maturity, some of it with facing the reality that they aren't getting any skinnier or less flabby, and some with plain old common sense. I've decided that now at 30 I'm not going to wait any longer for that "comfortableness" to develop - I'm going to embrace it!

I'm going to be "less modest" with my necklines, wear capris even if they make my legs look short and chunky, and not be so concerned about what other people think about my wardrobe. Besides, I'm not going to look this good forever, so I'd better "flaunt it while I got it"! I may even wear leggings again now they've come back in style.

Secondly, I'm going to try harder at being that industrious Proverbs 31 woman. If you haven't read Proverbs 31 lately, this is a good time to do so. You'll notice that she is very organized, which is a characteristic I've generally had in the past, but have let slip since I've moved to the Netherlands. So I'm hoping to retain that characteristic and then some to be a better woman, wife, and someday a mother, to my family, church, and community.

The first and most practical step in this direction is organizing my daily activities to get the most done throughout the day. Even a simple list of activities will help me get more accomplished. Plus, organizing my day will also allow me to schedule a regular devotional time. That often gets lost in the shuffle. And I will have to be disciplined to say "no" to something if it conflicts with my daily priorities.

Finally, I'm going to try and reign in the anxiety that sometimes plagues me. This process may take a variety of forms of which I haven't figured out yet. This might be a challenge since it has both physical and mental ramifications. However, I want to be more bold in facing this problem head on especially as we hope to get pregnant in the next year or so and having a child will probably only add to the anxiety.

The first step is to put again to memory Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything..." The verse goes on to talk about being filled with God's peace after talking to Him about the anxieties and cares in my life. This verse was a real comfort to me at university when I was really struggling with anxiety. I encourage you all to memorize it also.

Other than that, I hope to blog and email more, waste less time surfing the net (because I can't purchase anything online here anyways!), spend less time shopping, more time reading, and keep my house a bit cleaner so I can invite guests in who randomly ring my doorbell on Sunday afternoon (that's an upcoming post).

I'm sure I'll think of more things along the way, but for now Happy Birthday to me!

2007-03-27T07:06:00.000+02:00

As all you faithful readers have probably noticed by now, I've been out of blog land for the past few weeks. While I have been known to go longish stretches without an entry, but this is the first time it's been THIS long.

Usually, the problem is that I'm not feeling particularly inspired to write. That's partially because I actually spend a lot of time formulating my thoughts and writing my blog entry. Then my husband insists on proof reading it. If he doesn't, and later reads my blog, he is mortified by something or other and makes me change it. So I usually don't post until he reads it first. And that's after I've spent a good amount of time writing.

But the real reason I haven't been blogging lately is that nearly three weeks ago I had an accident.

The embarrassing truth is that I committed the not-so-uncommon sin of eating at the computer. Usually you end up with sticky keys or a keyboard full of crumbs, but the problem this time was that I was eating soup. And our computer is a laptop. You guessed it, I spilled.

I spilled a half of a whole bowl of a half package of top ramen. In case that seems a little convoluted, let me spell that out for you: I made half of a package of top ramen. Then I took the whole bowl to the computer and ate about two bites before spilling half of it - I literally tipped the whole bowl upside down - onto the keyboard of our laptop! (This is the same laptop that had been slightly damaged by the lurching train on our way home from Christmas holidays).

After rescuing my bowl, I immediately cut the power and proceeded to mop up the mess. Interestingly, I didn't get much on any of the paperwork scattered around the desk, but managed to get most of the soup on (and in between) the keys themselves. I got out the roll of paper towels and folded one up meticulously to eke out the liquid from under the keys. I even used my hair dryer to get some air under there to dry it out. I spent quite a bit of time at this before thinking that it was probably adequate.

As an afterthought, I decided to turn the computer upside down, you know, just to make sure it was really dry. You should have seen the amount of liquid that poured out of the computer then. Sheepishly, I removed the battery, opened the disk drive, and removed the wireless transmitter to allow for any remaining liquid to have a chance at freedom. Then I tipped it on its side and waited in trepidation for Brad to get home.

I admit that I might be an IT guy's nightmare (sorry Neklan if you are out there reading this). And I also have to admit that this isn't the first time I've spilled on the keyboard of my computer. Except that the other two times were water and it was Focus's computer. On both of those occasions, the keyboard was the only thing to be replaced. Unfortunately, the keyboard on the laptop is a little more difficult.

Needless to say, immediately after I spilled, I shut down the computer and didn't start it up again until last weekend. That was after we purchased an external hard drive to back up the system just in case the liquid was going to short circuit it. Fortunately, it didn't short circuit, but (not too surprisingly), only half of the keyboard works. This was easily solved by the purchase of a wireless keyboard. 120 Euros later, I'm back in business and blogging. Needless to say, our poor old laptop is becoming less and less portable!

2007-03-06T00:20:00.000+01:00

At last, some photos of our house courtesy of my mom's digital camera. See the October 16th post for a more detailed description of our house.

The outside of our house:

Our bike hallway:

Our living room:

Our dining room:

Our kitchen (photo taken from the stairs):

And the stairs:
I erred in thinking that I would have time to blog while my mom was here visiting, but the next few posts will be excerpts from the emails that she sent home to my family. It provides another perspective on our life here.

* * * * *

Some comments from mom on our home:

Mollie's street is narrow with a reddish stone bike path on the side of the road. The buildings are all connected townhouse style. They are brick with white trim, no front yards and the stone walkway/bike path goes right up to the door.

Their house is very spacious. They have two big windows in the living room facing the street, 15 foot ceilings, wood floors, and it is modestly but nicely furnished. Although the building is 100+ years old, the interior is modern. There is a dining room, small kitchen, remodelled bathroom, and 2 bedrooms upstairs - one large for Mollie and Brad and one small for guests - that's me! Their place is very nice and roomier than their Vancouver place.

2007-02-23T00:03:00.000+01:00

The day has finally arrived! My mom is here safe and sound.

Her flight was to arrive in Amsterdam at 7:40am this morning, but I checked to see if it was on time via Northwest Airline’s website. The website said the plane would get there early. Good thing I checked because it made the difference between the 5:02am train and the 5:42am train.

I wasn’t sure how long it would take her to be cleared through customs or collect her luggage, so I was guessing as to which train I should take. The arrangement was that we were to meet at the “meeting point” in the train station if I wasn’t waiting for her outside of the baggage area. The train station is about 100 meters away from the baggage area and clearly marked in English so she wouldn’t have trouble finding it.

I ended up taking the 5:02 train hoping that I would be able to wait for her outside the baggage claim. I arrived at the airport, checked to see she was at the meeting point, and headed to the toilet. Amazingly, I was just checking the arrivals monitor when she called out my name after leaving baggage. She really did arrive early! It was so fortunate that we were able to connect up right then as I could have been in the bathroom and missed her completely.

Needless to say, we headed north to Groningen after a brief tour of the airport – actually, the trains get cheaper after 9am so we had some time to kill – and are back in my warm little home having tea. Mom is a bit tired, but is hoping the jet lag won’t put a damper on her energy or enthusiasm.

She will be emailing our family back home occasionally and I’m going to include some of her comments in my blog so you’ll get a fresh perspective on our life here. And she brought her digital camera (actually it’s Dad’s camera) and we’ll finally have photos to post. Yea!

2007-02-20T22:30:00.000+01:00

Right now I'm waiting.

We have a small enclosed patio on the backside of our townhouse. We like to imagine that it used to be part of the back lane until all of the townhouse owners decided to make small patios. The walls of the neighboring patios are all the same height as ours so if you are tall, you can see down the lane – or at least see that it used to be a lane.

It appears that only the houses on our side of the lane were able to acquire the back portion because in general the neighbors across the lane have no windows or doors on the ground floor of their building to look into the lane.

The exception is our neighbor. According to our landlord, they wanted to install a window into their house looking out onto our patio. That, of course, is their right. However, it would be at the expense of our privacy. Actually, it would be very unDutch of them to invade our privacy. But as a precaution, our landlord insisted that they install a high frosted window to ensure that neither of us is disturbed.

Needless to say, it has been fine up until now. Today they need to replace the glass in their window to make it more energy efficient. The installers will come sometime in the “middag” which is anytime between 12 noon and 4:30. Which is fine because it’s not like they are installing a sliding glass door or even a giant picture window.

Except that the only access to their window for installation is though our patio. Which is also through our house. Which also means that I have to be home. Which is why I’m waiting. Sigh.

2007-02-08T23:25:00.000+01:00

Today it snowed again! The first snow was two weeks ago, Tuesday. It was beautiful biking to IKEA in the snow. There was enough snow to make it look pretty, but not enough to make biking difficult. It has snowed on and off since then. Now it is no surprise to wake up in the morning and see a white blanket outside. Sadly, the afternoon sun warms everything up and the snow melts.

Today was no exception. The snow was melted by mid-morning. However, today it seemed like the sunshine was short lived because it was freezing cold this afternoon. I biked home from the train station after Bible study and I could barely get my key out of my bike to open the front door – my fingers were so frozen. I stayed close to the radiator for about 10 minutes with my coat and hat on trying to warm up.

The weather here doesn’t seem to stop people from going about their daily activities. I see people biking in the rain, snow, and wind. The traffic does increase slightly in bad weather because those who have cars tend use them more often when the weather is poor. But if you are like us (or the average Dutch person in the city), who only have bikes, you make due or take the bus.

I have a hard time judging what kind of attire to wear outside in this weather. I keep looking at the other Dutch people to see what they are wearing especially when biking. I see a lot of wool coats and scarves worn in all types of winter weather – even in the rain. Most women do not wear hats and only half of them wear gloves. I can’t understand how they aren’t freezing. Sometimes it is all I can do to keep biking when I’m cold.

I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb, but how am I supposed to stay warm if I dress like everyone else here?

2007-02-06T23:17:00.000+01:00

Last week was my last week of freedom. Sigh. Please don’t roll your eyes when you read the rest of this entry. You’ll probably think I’m pathetic or lazy or selfish. Not everyone can say that they’ve had a whole month off with no responsibilities. Don’t get me wrong - I’ve been busy sewing, shopping, watching season 6 of the Gilmore Girls, cooking dinner, meeting Suzanne for lunch, my two Bible studies, Oprah. The whole month went really quickly!

I really have no reason to complain. Except…yesterday my Dutch class started again. That’s a whole blog entry on its own. This course doesn’t have as many hours of class time per week as the last one. I struggled to keep up with the homework in addition to the class time when I took level 1. Level 2 will be difficult enough only two days instead of three days per week. I’ve already spent several hours doing the homework from Monday’s class.

But what this means is that for the next 12 or so weeks, I have class every Monday & Wednesday (plus all of the homework it requires). Tuesday morning is my self imposed IKEA day. Wednesday night and Thursday morning I have Bible study. So Friday is my only free day to do what I please.

It may sound like I’m making it out to be more than it is, but having had a taste of freedom, I’m grumbling about the newly imposed structure. Eventually I’ll get used to it I guess. It’s just that I’m trying to make the most of my time here while I have no work or babies or loneliness. Sigh.

2007-01-31T07:13:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I called my beloved sister Meagan because it was her birthday. She turned 27 years old which makes me ancient. When it’s her birthday, it reminds me about how old I actually am. Until yesterday I might have said I was still 27. I can’t imagine how my parents feel when it’s my birthday.

Anyways, I mentioned to her that I can’t believe how she is 27, has a three year old, is pregnant with twins, with a cute little house living in Lynden. I think I’m a bit envious. She reminded me that while I might be childless and turning 30, being a stay at home wife living in Europe is a bit more exciting. When we move back to N. America, I can have a cute Lynden life too. I guess that’s a good reminder that I should be thankful for my life now – and be content!

When I called to wish her happy birthday and Olivia wanted to talk with us too. We often “talk” together on speaker phone when I call. The conversation goes like this:

Me: Hi Olivia. What are you doing?

Olivia: I’m just standing here. What are you doing?

Me: I’m talking to you. Did you have ballet today?

Olivia: Huh?

Meagan: Did you have ballet today? What did you do at ballet?

Olivia: (at the top of her lungs, excitedly) I had ballet today and I ran around and jumped and teacher Heather and teacher Hope … (her voice gets softer as she runs into the other room).

We laugh. She comes back and we “talk” some more. So last night I asked her whose birthday it was.

Me: Olivia, do you know whose birthday it is today?

Olivia: It’s mama’s birthday.

Me: What song do we sing when it’s someone’s birthday?

Olivia: I don’t know. What song do we sing?

Meagan: We sing the birthday song. Do you remember the birthday song?

Olivia: Yes. I remember the birthday song.

Meagan: Can you sing it for mama?

Olivia: “Jesus loves me, this I know…” (she sings the whole song).

Meagan and I both have tears in our eyes and are trying not to laugh.

Meagan: That was wonderful, sweetpea. But that’s not the birthday song I remember. Doesn’t it go “Happy birthday to you…”

Olivia: (bursting into song): Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, (louder) happy birthday dear mama, (louder still) happy birrrrrthdaaaay to mama, happy birthday to you.

Me: I think that was the movie star version. See, how could I not be envious?

2007-01-29T07:52:00.000+01:00

Today my mom called to say that she was in the process of booking her ticket to come visit us in Holland. It was easy to tell that she was excited, but I must say that I’m excited too! She was at the computer right then choosing her seats for the flights here and back, asking for our advice on what seats to pick based on our previous experience.

This trip to Holland will be a series of new experiences for her starting with the flight itself. She’s never flown on such a long haul flight before and she’s never flown alone either. I will be meeting her at the airport so she doesn’t have to navigate the train system by herself. And then, of course, being in Europe for the first time will be something she has nothing to compare it to.

For Brad and I, we had been to the old part of Montreal prior to traveling to Europe. On our first trip, we would catch ourselves comparing the tiny streets in London to Montreal when really we should be comparing Montreal to London. Now that we are living here, the old buildings, cobblestone streets, and the narrow lanes have become part of normal life.

Interestingly, now that my mom has booked her ticket, I am starting to look at my city and neighborhood again through new eyes -- the eyes that my mom might look through when she comes. I notice the garbage on the streets, the graffiti on the decrepit old building about to be torn down, and the rusty abandoned bicycles. While this isn’t dirty, crazy Berlin with punks and poverty and old political strife, Groningen isn’t the cleanest city I’ve been in.

Of course, we will try to take my mom to all of the nicest parts of Groningen to give her the best impression. That might mean we’ll have to change our bike route a bit. We often try to take the fastest route, but that isn’t always the most scenic. And we’ll try to avoid the red light district so she won’t be freaked out on her first day here like we were when we arrived. And we’ll certainly avoid biking down the Boterdiep whose abandoned shops and boarded up buildings leave a little to be desired.

But the reality is that she probably won’t notice these flaws because there will be so much to take in and so many new things to experience. Like biking to IKEA on Tuesday morning in the sunshine, or taking the train to church on Sunday, or shopping downtown on Saturday at the market in the throngs of people. I think the 10 days will go really quickly!

Anyways, I am really excited that you are coming Mom! We promise to give you a fairly accurate picture of our life here and hopefully a little bit of it will be seen through rose colored glasses. It will be a fun time no matter what because we will all be together!

I’m counting the days…

2007-01-25T23:01:00.000+01:00

The shops here in Groningen are having their huge New Year's sales. It used to be that the stores only had sales twice a year – in January and July. While it is now common to have small sales throughout the year similar to our N. American customs, the January sales are still the biggest and most popular.

I wouldn’t be surprised that if they ever tried to phase out the big January sales that everyone would make such a fuss and they'd have to bring the tradition back. Everyone here knows that the big sales happen in January. People who don’t normally go downtown are out for the sales, combing the streets trying to find the best deals. It is quintissentially Dutch to search for a great bargain.

Of course I’ve been in the throes of it myself. You can’t keep a shopper like me away - I can smell a good deal a mile away! And I can attest that the stores really do mark their stuff way down this time of year. The deals are amazing (which is good, because a lot of things are normally on the pricey side). We actually went shopping for Brad – he even went willingly – because the mark-downs were so incredible. You know the deals must be good when Brad’s willing to part with his money.

Yesterday I went alone just to see if there was anything left. This is the last chance because they say this is the last week before they send their products back to the factory. There is no such thing as "Ross Dress for Less" or "Winners" here. This I find strange because it think the concept would really work in Europe.

Anyways, I found this cute black dress that was on clearance for 15 euros marked down from 50. It is kind of plain, but fits nicely and won’t wrinkle when I stuff it in my suitcase or ride my bike. However, it was missing a belt. I'd heard that it is very common for the Dutch to ask for further reduction if something is a bit damaged. And in N. America I’d have inquired about this without a second thought. But here I would be reluctant to haggle if that hadn’t been brought to my attention.

So I hemmed and hawed about it for a few minutes before I got up the courage to ask a sales person. Needless to say when I did finally ask, they immediately reduced it by 5 euro! Amazing. It was very simple. I'd never done that before. Of course now I’m searching the clearance racks for anything that has a loose button or sticky zipper hoping to convince them to give me a reduction. No such luck.

But my story doesn’t end there. Today I met my friend Suzanne for lunch and shopping. She hadn’t had a chance to look for the deals in the last week yet and I'm always ready for more shopping. I eagerly told her my story and we reveled in my good fortune. I even took her to the store where I found the dress hoping that she too would be able to find something she liked.

She wanted to see the dress, so I went to the rack and saw that there are couple of them left for me to show her. I grabbed the dress and happened to the glance at the price tag. Lo and behold all of those dresses have been reduced to 10 euro - belt or no belt! I was so deflated. Now I'm sure the sales lady gave me the deal because she knew they'd be reduced the very next day.

We laughed at my disappointment and moved on to another store. There goes my theory about the Dutch trying to haggle over the best deals. I consoled myself with the knowledge that I can still get a good deal at IKEA in the “As Is” section almost every time. Maybe this experience has saved me from something embarassing in the future. I guess I can be grateful for that!

2007-01-22T21:30:00.000+01:00

There is a police station across the street from our row of houses (we live on a corner). The other night we were coming back from down town – on Thursday night the shops are open until 9pm – there were several policemen on the corner talking with a group of bikers.

We thought there had been another accident because shortly after we moved into our townhouse here in Groningen, a biker was hit by a car on the corner. We missed most of the excitement, but saw the chalk outline of a body on the street and there were police interviewing the witnesses. Since then we’ve seen several near accidents and a few minor collisions – sometimes bikes into bikes!

Our corner is bit tricky to navigate by bike. For cars it is two one-way streets crossing each other. In one direction there is a stop sign; the other drivers get the right away. For bikes, the rules are the same as the cars, in theory. Problem is, many Dutch bikers seem to take advantage of the unwritten rule that if a biker gets hit by a car, it’s ALWAYS the car’s fault. Problem is, there are so many bikers that the cars sometimes can’t keep track of them all. Needless to say, it can be a bit harried at times especially after dark.

So when we arrived home to the sight of bikers and the police, we assumed it was another accident. However, after watching the scene for a few minutes, we couldn’t believe our eyes – the police were “pulling bikers over”! It was like a typical Canadian “road block” on long weekends when they are looking for drivers who’ve been drinking.

We were puzzled and looked on for a while trying to determine the reason. Was it drunkenness? Lack of proper hand signals? Failing to yield to cars? We finally figured out that that it was because they didn’t have their headlights on!

This struck us as particularly funny to watch. It was most entertaining when we’d see a biker without a headlight approaching the scene. He’d realize the situation and come to an abrupt stop. Then he’d jump off his bike and start walking it in the opposite direction.

We had no idea that this was a common infraction since to us it would be silly to bike around in the dark without a light. But judging from the number of people getting pulled over that night, it is a significant problem. So I did some googling to find out the requirements for bikers in Holland. This is what I found:

Legal requirements for bicycles (via www.holland.com) include:
* safe and adequate handle bars
* a clearly audible and functioning bell
* adequate lighting at the front and the back after dark
* a reflector on rear mudguard and one between the spokes
* reflecting pedals

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to determine the fee associated with violating the above requirements. However, we have now witnessed first hand that there is in fact a fine issued if you are caught. And obviously, no one wants to be caught. I also read somewhere that if you don't pay the fine, you might be delayed at customs the next time you enter the country.

We have always said that we wished there was a manual included with the purchase of a bike; one that would include road signs and laws about right-of-way, etc. But alas, there is not one available – not even one in Dutch. (That’s because these people are practically born on bikes so why would they take the time to put common knowledge into a booklet?).

So we are waiting the day that we get pulled over for violating some unwritten biking rule…

2007-01-19T21:15:00.000+01:00

I’ve been neglecting to blog again. It isn’t because I’ve been too busy with my Dutch class this time. It may have something to do with this reasoning: “if I don’t have time to study my Dutch (for the upcoming course starting Feb 5), I don’t have time to blog”. But really, I think it is something else - lack of inspiration.

It’s just that there isn’t much exciting going on in my life right now. I’ve been keeping myself busy here and there, but do people want to hear about what I made for dinner last night? Or that I spent almost two hours fixing the belt loop on my jeans because it required this special stitch on the sewing machine and the manual is in Dutch? Or that I spent the afternoon ironing and watching my new Gilmore Girls season 6 on DVD? Probably not.

Or it might be that I lack the creativity to turn my ordinary day into an interesting read. How do say “I got up, had a shower, cleaned the bathroom, emptied the dishwasher, checked my email, figured out what we were to have for dinner, went to the grocery store, watched Oprah, tidied the living room, made dinner, and then Brad came home…” in way that isn’t boring?

But don’t get me wrong – I am not bored. In fact, I’ve got 4 or 5 projects ready to go whenever I run out of daily activities. And just wait until my Dutch class starts again! Then my free time will diminish quite quickly. Plus I’m so happy to have such a low key life. Nearly every morning when Brad says goodbye I reply with “thanks for my life”.

It’s funny - almost every time I meet a new person they inquire about what I’m doing here in the Netherlands. My standard answer: “I’m a stay-at-home wife”. Then they look puzzled and again ask me what I do to keep myself busy. Sometimes I ask them about what they do on Saturdays when they aren’t working. They give me a list of activities similar to the things I mentioned above.

Then I ask them if they’d get bored if everyday was Saturday and they say “yes”. That’s when the conversation ends. Sometimes I recount my list of scheduled activities - Ikea, Bible study, Church - but usually I just smile and conclude that I do indeed have a lovely, boring life!

So if my blogs are few and far between, be patient. I'll get inspired again one of these days.

2007-01-14T22:09:00.000+01:00

Our trip back to Groningen, part 2.

So after the “humiliating” (Brad’s words) escalator incident, we are waiting to catch the train from Amsterdam to Groningen. Keep in mind that we have 3 large suitcases, 2 heavy backpacks, a large duffel bag, and my “purse” (a small carryon).

Getting one’s luggage on and off the train can be tricky at the best of times. At small train stations the train will often stop for only 1 or 2 minutes giving you barely enough time to get off and make your next connection. In large stations, the train stops for several minutes so there is not as much urgency to get on or off.

In Europe, it is courteous to let all of the passengers get off before you get on. However, there is no common consensus as to which side of the doors you should enter and exit from. Passengers getting on and off crowd both sides of the doors. This sometimes causes a bit of chaos when you have several suitcases to lug on and off. The other passengers tend to get a bit disgruntled but so far no one has offered to lend us a hand.

Brad and I had agreed that this time we would wait until everyone had gotten off the train and the new passengers had gotten on before we man-handled our bags onto the train. Most of our baggage this time easily weighed 45-50lbs which is a little difficult for a small girl like me lift. Thankfully the station wasn’t too busy so we had plenty of time.

If you’ve ever been on a European train you’ll know that at the beginning and end of every car is what Brad calls the “baggage compartment” with a door that separates it from the sitting area. Depending on the size of the car, the baggage compartment usually has a couple of fold down seats, a small toilet, and a bit of room to stash suitcases or in Holland, bikes.

Although you aren’t allowed to smoke on the train, some teenagers sometimes try to get away with it by hanging out in the baggage compartment. The toilet in these areas is really nasty smelling, so we usually avoid the area as much as possible. That is, until today.

After systematically loading our bags onto the train, Brad proceeds to go sit down in the “sitting area” leaving our bags in the baggage compartment. I, on the other hand, do not want to leave our bags “unattended” and suggest we sit with them (in the baggage compartment).

An argument ensues… Needless to say, we sat in the baggage compartment with our bags. On the tiny pull down seats. It was cold and smelly. And the trip was about 2.5 hours.

By this time, it was early morning N. America time as we’d traveled through the night; we were tired, to say the least. So, even though the seats weren’t remotely conducive to sleeping, we both dozed off a couple of times. About a dozen people came out to use the toilet during the duration of the ride. The door clicks loudly when someone opens it. That kind of jolts you awake when you are snoozing. It was a little embarrassing when they eyed all of our luggage.

Once I was awakened by a loud noise. I thought it was the door again, but I opened my eyes to find that Brad had fallen off his seat when the train changed tracks and he was sleeping. He almost did that again two other times, but caught himself on the way down. I was too tired to laugh.

Another time the train changed tracks, the whole pile of luggage fell over. Our poor computer now has a big ol’ dent in the corner and the corner of the screen has gone black. Sigh. Would this have happened if we sat inside? We’ll never know.

Needless to say, we did finally make it back to our little home in Groningen. Us and our 200+ pounds of luggage. Lesson learned (again): Pack lighter!

2007-01-09T23:29:00.000+01:00

A few days ago, when I was saying goodbye to my mom, she mentioned that having me home for the holidays this year reminded her of when I’d come home from Trinity Western University (my alma mater) for two reasons: 1) the timing is similar – I left for Holland in September, came home for Christmas, and left again in January; and 2) My husband was never around this holiday because he was in Vancouver working!

So now that I’m back in Holland and my life is a bit slower, I've been reflecting on that statement and come to realize that sometimes this does feel a bit like I'm away at college! And there are other similarities as well…

Well first of all, I'm not working. And I can sleep in until I'm not tired. I have the freedom to meet my friend Suzanne for lunch almost any day. I have classes (starting in Feb of course). I have limited amounts of money. And I have a “roommate”!

Ironically, the Christmas holidays also were similar to the old college days because it seems like I've divided Christmas and New Years up with a boyfriend/husband's family for so many years that I've lost count.

I often felt transplanted over the holidays as my "stuff" was always back in my dorm room and most of my friends were not around to hang out with. Thankfully, this holiday season my some of my stuff (clothing especially) was at my parents’ house and my friends were my family, so it was almost the best of all worlds.

However, I always looked forward to going back to college - having a regular routine again, seeing my friends, being independent. College was one of the best times of my life. Interestingly, returning back to Holland has not quite been the "old college return" that I might have expected. It has definitely taken me a few days to get back in the "swing of things".

Of course the first couple of days were emotional not only after saying goodbye, but with the sleep deprivation and my period starting on the plane (!), I am still crying periodically. I even woke Brad up at 5am Saturday morning because I was crying too loudly! Poor Brad - he doesn't ever remember me crying this much in our (nearly) 5 years of marriage.

Strangely, I was also bit timid about venturing out and doing things that I should be completely comfortable with such as going to the grocery store! I was scared that I'd have forgotten all of the Dutch I learned over the past two months. Brad almost had to drag me out to the market on Saturday to buy flowers.

Finally, on Sunday night I talked with my friend Suzanne and Monday we went out for coffee, dessert, and shopping just like old times. It was nice to get back into the swing of things with one who’s been in my situation. She completely understands. Plus, she's on par with me as far as shopping is concerned, so we work well together. Funny thing is that - this time - she was the only one of us to purchase anything since I am kind of over my limit from Christmas.

And today I went to IKEA (because it was Tuesday) and I thought "I'm baaack!!" almost as soon as I walked in which is a sure sign that I am getting back to normal! So while I might be occasionally teary-eyed when I think of my little Olivia, all in all, I AM back.

2007-01-08T22:41:00.000+01:00

Our trip back to Groningen, Part 1.

While we didn’t exactly repeat an experience like our orginal trip to Holland with the frustrated cab driver, our travel back to Holland was still "memorable". Should I start by mentioning that we had 5 pieces of luggage plus carry-ons? That would be one more piece that we originally came with.

I got a little carried away with all of the sales. And the food at Costco. And Safeway. And the 5 DVDs I purchased at Costco. And our Christmas presents. And the two black coats. And the three pair of shoes (two of them were boots). And the new laptop. And the stuff off of Brad’s old desk in Vancouver. You got the picture?

Thankfully, I was very careful and evenly distributed our belongings into our luggage so that we were within the weight allowance granted by the airline (i.e. 4 times 50 pounds). We also had two carry-ons each, including one each that was almost as heavy as the suitcases!

Obviously it had been too long since our move here for me to remember how difficult it is to transport heavy luggage to and from the train. It is one thing to drop our bags off at the airline and use a handy luggage cart or two to haul them from point A to point B within the airports. Once we arrived at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, we used carts to collect our luggage, clear customs and headed to the train station conveniently located within the airport.

Transferring by train is the preferred method of transportation from Schiphol. Nevertheless, there are only two narrow escalators going down to each platform, so you can imagine that these are like little people-funnels. In our case, one of the elscalators going down to platform 2 was out of service, so it was twice as busy as usual.

To make matters worse, in front of the escalator descending to the platform are these metal poles in place to prevent you from taking your luggage cart down to the platform. I guess they want to prevent the platform from getting crowded with discarded luggage carts? Or maybe prevent kids from pushing the cart on to the tracks? Needless to say, the poles are far too close together to allow large rolling suitcases from easily being navigated around them. Believe me, when you're each loaded down with 150 pounds of luggage, this was a daunting task!

I was in the front trying to drag my two suitcases between the poles while balancing my heavy backpack and small carry-on. I was holding up Brad and a horde of people behind him. The people who were waiting for us to navigate our way onto the elevator were either polite enough to wait, or were simply enjoying the free entertainment at the expense of the dumb foreigners.

So I finally managed my way onto the escalator with my luggage. I was probably occupying four full steps – one suitcase two steps down, me on a step, and the suitcase behind me was on a step. I remember thinking that I felt a little precarious. Unfortunately, at the bottom, where the escalator steps flatten out, SO DID I!! Literally, I ended up flat on my back, along with my two 50lb suitcases and my carry-on, and trapped by my heavy backpack. Brad was right behind me with all his stuff, and the bottleneck of people that were waiting for us at the top now occupied the 20 steps or so immediately behind him.

How many people do you think can pack onto a narrow escalator? Well it seemed like about 500 when they are all scrabbling to get out of the way of the lady lying at the bottom struggling to get back up. The problem with escalators is, their job is to steadily keep moving the people foward, regardless of the circumstances. It was all Brad could do to balance his heavy load and try to get me and my luggage out of the way without being trampled by the people behind him. Funny thing is, it all happened so fast that I didn't have time to get embarrassed. Brad, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to remind me this now ranks among one of his all-time embarrassing moments.

But we still made our train on time.

2007-01-05T23:54:00.000+01:00

We are back here in Holland.

Obviously with all of the excitement of the holidays and seeing our families, I hardly even set a finger on the computer. However, here are a couple of emails I penned to my friends to give you an idea of all that I’ve been up to over the past month:

From Dec 12, 2006

Hi friends,
Just wanted to send a quick note to say hi and let you know that Brad and I are safe and sound here in N. America. I am so busy smothering my niece with love and kisses, that I've hardly had time for anything.

I hope you are well. Brad is still at his conference, but is also anticipating a very busy few weeks when he gets back here. Sadly, it looks like his Christmas holiday time off will be very short. Too bad.

You can pray that I don't get too grouchy at him :)

Anyways, I just wanted to touch base. I was thinking about you guys…

Love Mollie

From Dec 21, 2006

Hi friends,
Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'm not sure if I'm going to get a Christmas letter out this year with all of the chaos.

But I do want to announce that Brad has officially been granted his Ph.D as of Tuesday the 19th. It has been a long road and we are glad to be done. Our new life in Holland is wonderful, but it will be nice to feel like we've finally closed the door on the Vancouver portion. And to get officially settled in Holland will be nice.

We'd have loved to see you during our trip home, but Brad has had zero free time up until today and would like to make our families as first priority. Hopefully we'll be able to see some of you in May when we come back for graduation.

Anyways, blessings to you all this holiday season and in the New Year!

Love Mollie

2006-12-07T20:13:00.000+01:00

My Dutch course is finally finished and tomorrow I’m going home! Technically my last class would be tomorrow, but having been given the choice to go home or stay for my last class, I choose home. I’m sure you aren’t surprised.

The last class was a bit anticlimactic because it ended for everyone else as if we were all coming back again on Friday. I said goodbye to my teacher and my new friend Jelena but that was it. All I could think about was the crazy amount of laundry, house cleaning, and packing I have to do in the next 24 hours.

My teacher gave me a list of things I should know before starting level 2. Note that the list was in Dutch. I panicked a bit when I read the list because I couldn’t even understand some of the sentences. I’m thinking “I’m supposed to understand this after completing level 1?” So I’m planning to take my Dutch course book home to practice.

I have this feeling that I won’t get much done at my parent’s house because I will want to spend all of my time playing with Olivia. However, I know my mom is dying for me to get together with her Dutch friends and impress them with my language skills (I hope I don’t disappoint her). So I will be bringing my books home just in case.

It will be interesting to see how much I’ve retained when we return in January. This is the first time I’ve learned a language and been able to use it on a day to day basis. That Spanish I learned in high school wasn’t ever much use to me. Thankfully I have a whole month to get back into it before level 2 starts in February.

Needless to say, I’m grateful for a break in the intensity and will probably enjoy getting back into it after I’ve had some time off. By the way, I did pass the class with a grade of 93%.

Now off to packing!

2006-12-04T22:23:00.000+01:00

Here is a list of things I miss from home:

Starbucks
An oven
Rice Krispies
Rice-a-Roni
Kraft macaroni & cheese
The rest of my clothing from the storage at Mom and Dad's
Cheddar cheese
Yankee candles
Chocolate chips
No-bake Jello cheese cake
Bounce dryer sheets
A digital camera that works!
Ritz crackers
Gum
Costco
My car
Bacchus from Domaine de Chaberton

North America, here I come!

2006-12-02T02:52:00.000+01:00

Brad and I are heading back to N. America for the Christmas holidays. You must be wondering why we are going back so soon after settling in here? Well, lucky for us Brad is attending a conference in Florida for a few days and defending his thesis (finally) in Vancouver. Technically, much of his time will be spent working, so it doesn’t count as a holiday. However, I will be able to spend most of my visit hanging out with my family. And as you can imagine, I’m quite excited.

Now I have the task of deciding what to pack. I don’t really want to repeat the experience we had traveling out here. I mean, we packed our suitcases to exact upper weight limit that we were allowed – 70 pounds each. Not only did we have to roll them around the airport, but we also had to lug them onto the train. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if Brad wasn’t so strong.

We almost found this out the hard way. In LA, after disembarking the cruise boat, we had to take a taxi van to the airport for our journey to Holland. Our cab driver was a big guy, but not very strong. Being that it was part of his job to handle our baggage, he insisted that he personally hoist each suitcase into his van. He struggled to lift each one. On the third one, he cracked his head on the doorway of his van – it sounded like it really hurt. By the time he loaded the fourth suitcase, he was pretty frustrated with us.

On our drive to the airport, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to suddenly make a wrong turn and drop us off in a shady part of town. I think he was glad to get rid of us at the airport and was certainly willing to have Brad help him unload the suitcases.

We came here with four suitcases in total not knowing what we would really need or want to have here. In general, we choose our clothing well. However, I did bring a few pairs of shoes that I will never wear - mostly because they are impractical for biking.

Since we were restricted as to how much we could bring, we left some clothing and shoes behind at my parent’s house. We assumed that we’d purchase anything else we needed here. However, clothes and shoes are very expensive here, so we’ll be bringing a lot of what we need back with us after this trip.

So I will probably not be packing too much to take home, but bringing a lot back with me. Any suggestions on how to keep extra space in your suitcase?

2006-11-28T17:40:00.000+01:00

We have started going to a HOST Bible study on Wednesday nights in addition to our church activities. Ironically, all of the members at the Bible study also go to our church. However, it is not affiliated with our church because the laws here require it to be independent of any church body. There are four HOST Bible studies total in Groningen comprised of 40-50 internationals.

We typically meet at one of our houses for dinner around 6:30pm. Interestingly, internationals never arrive on time, but Nederlanders do. We have dinner, and in true Dutch style, have coffee and dessert before the study. As you can imagine, we don't often get started on the Bible study portion until 8 or 8:30. When we finally wrap up, it is 10:30. Which is quite late by N. American standards especially when you still have to bike home!

Our group consists of ten people from all parts of the world. One couple is newly married from Korea, another is from the Midwestern United States, and the other is an American girl married to a Nederlander. The singles are from Rwanda and Holland.

While language sometimes is a hindrance, we have lively discussions about the Bible, about the Character of God, and about our own convictions. I am often truely amazed at the perspective that the others give about the love of God. The husband from our Korean couple has such insight at times. And while his cute little wife can hardly communicate in English, her prayers are so genuine and sincere.

We have made friends with the couple from the Midwest, John and Suzanne. While they are both quite a bit younger than we are, we admire them because they are so grounded in their faith. John plays professional basketball for the team in Holland. While they’ve only been here in Groningen since August (last season in another city), John has already started a Bible study with the members of his team. I’m always impressed at how open he is about his faith.

Suzanne and I have become fast friends and weekly attend the ladies Bible study through the church. We also go shopping together at least once per week and she has helped me settle into being a wife here in Groningen. I don’t know what I would do without her. We are grateful for their friendship and someone to relate our experiences with.

God has blessed us in many ways here, but so far meeting these great Christian brothers and sisters is the biggest blessing of all.

2006-11-27T00:00:00.000+01:00

My conversation with Olivia (my three year old niece) on the phone last night:

Olivia (overheard): “Nana, who are you talking to?”

Nana: “I'm talking to Auntie Mollie.”

Olivia: “Can I talk to her?”

Nana: “Of course.”

Olivia (to me): “Hi”

Me: “Hi sweetie bug, what are you doing?”

Olivia: “I’m just standing here.”

Me (in my head): “If only life were that simple.”

2006-11-23T22:19:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday, Brad and I went to the market and purchased sweet potatoes. They were hard to find. You’d think that somewhere in the 8 or 9 produce stands, that they would have sweet potatoes. But no…anyways, we finally found them (at the potato stand, of course).

We needed sweet potatoes because we had volunteered to bring a couple of traditional American dishes to the Thanksgiving dinner put on by HOST – a Christian organization that has an outreach to internationals living in Groningen. It is weird that we are now the “internationals” especially when those leading the group are mostly N. Americans. This is partly because the official HOST language is English, and for many of the internationals from other countries, English is a second (or third, or fourth) language.

There were three of us ladies making food for what we thought would be 20 people (it turned out to be more like 30). We knew that there would be limited cooking facilities so we made the food at our respective homes and brought it to the “banquet hall”. We had to make two trips with a friend’s car and since I went with the first trip, I could get a look at the kitchen to assess our limitations. I immediately called Brad and said “bring the microwave”! Needless to say, the kitchen left a lot to be desired. Thankfully, students have lower expectations about food quality than your average church potluck, so when the food wasn’t exactly hot when we were ready to eat, it didn’t matter.

The evening was quite successful despite a few hitches. Besides the lack of a proper kitchen, the person in charge of the turkey underestimated how much we needed because we were out of turkey after about 10 people. That also meant that we were out of gravy right away too! It was a little embarrassing. To her credit, it is not that easy to find turkey here in Holland, and she had to order it sight unseen. Apparently a “medium sized” turkey in Holland is different than one in America… it looked like a chicken on steroids, maybe 6 or 7 pounds.

Since we needed more gravy, I took the turkey carcass and started getting every last piece of meat off of it to get some sort of gravy drippings. I couldn’t help but think that that was something my mother would do – and I kind of felt a bit proud of myself. Meanwhile, Brad had started frying the pieces in a pan and produced something that resembled gravy in taste if not looks. It sufficed and we were back in business. If only we could’ve produced more turkey.

The other hitch of the night was that we also ran out of dish soap after only a few dishes were done. I should explain that the first of all the kitchen was very dingy and dirty so we had to clean the sink before cleaning the dishes. Secondly, the sink had no drain plug so we were improvising there too. You can imagine that the water was draining out as fast as we were filling the sink. We used whatever we could find for soap (i.e. hand soap from the bathroom) and called it good. I have to admit that I re-washed my own serving dishes again when I got home.

I think we definitely made an impression on the other internationals who never had this kind of meal before. Those from Asian cultures are shocked when they find out that all the Dutch eat are potatoes and meat. So imagine their surprise when they found out that it is also similar with N. Americans. We tried to explain the current and historical trends about Thanksgiving, but they got confused when we mentioned that it is also the biggest shopping weekend before Christmas.

Nonetheless, it was a Happy Thanksgiving had by all!

2006-11-19T04:54:00.000+01:00

Today Sinterklaas came to town in Holland. Sinterklaas and Santa Claus are similar fictional characters except that Sinterklaas comes to town by boat about three weeks before he actually gives out the presents (on December 5th). To read the complete story about the tradition and origins of Sinterklaas, click on this link.

Sinterklaas’ arrival is a big deal to children (and their parents) in Holland. Every major city has Sinterklaas "representative" arrive by boat, float up the canal, and dock downtown. Once he has disembarked (a term I learned from cruising), he mounts his horse and parades around the city.

We fully intended to see Sinterklaas arrive on the boat and parade through the streets of Groningen. Unfortunately, Brad and I had different ideas of when and where he was supposed to arrive and almost completely missed it. We were both pretty disappointed since we had planned our whole day around it. However, we did end up catching most of the parade which in the end made us feel somewhat better.

Anyways, the parade was different than anything I’d ever experienced! It is nothing like the big Thanksgiving day parade in America, or the rinky-dink Lopez Island 4th of July parade or even the cutsie-tootsie Lynden parades which all have floats and streamers and sometimes groups of people making political statements. We would have recorded all of this on camera, but alas, our battery was dead! The photo above was "borrowed" from the Groningen city website.

This parade was much shorter and more symbolic. First came (by carriage) what looked like the important people of the town – the mayor perhaps – dressed in official looking outfits from the last century. Then several dozen Zwarte Piets doing tricks and handing out spiced cookies (see the link for a description of Zwarte Piet).

Then there were several rustic carriages (they actually looked like old fashioned sleds – on wheels) carrying brightly wrapped presents with the names of the kids in the town written in big letters. The carriages were pulled by horses of all shapes and sizes. Those miniature horses are sure cute!

And then comes along the animals – an elephant (yes, a real life elephant in Groningen!), two camels (with huge double humps) and a small herd of sheep being herded by sheep dogs. I’m not sure what the elephant, camels or sheep symbolize, but it was interesting to say the least.

Keep in mind that the streets are very narrow here – this street in particular was one lane, so with people lined up on both sides of the road, the parade could barely squeeze through. And we were in the front row. Therefore, I could have touched that elephant if I really wanted to. I don’t know if I’ve ever been that close to an elephant (or camel) even at the zoo.

Anyways, after the animals came Sinterklaas on his horse with his bright red robe and long white beard. And lastly, and seemingly out of place, a complete marching band playing modern, peppy music. A nice touch, but it didn’t fit with the medieval theme.

Interestingly, just before the marching band came the “poop sweeper vehicle” driven by another Zwarte Piet and also carrying presents. This was an important part of the parade because it prevented the marching band from soiling their nice white shoes.

On the whole, it was a fun day. Maybe next year we won't get our wires crossed and we'll get the complete Sinterklaas experience.

2006-11-14T23:38:00.000+01:00

My Dutch class is keeping me very busy! If you consider the number of hours of class time that I have, it is actually the equivalent of taking three courses (except that it is only for 5 weeks). Needless to say, I spend a lot of time working on the lessons outside of class.

The course that we took in Vancouver was not as in-depth and did not have any tests – in fact, it didn’t even have a text book. The only requirement was that you knew the material so you wouldn’t feel dumb when it came to class interaction.

This current course also requires me to learn the weekly material and be prepared to participate in the class discussions. However, we also have a text book, online exercises, an audio CD and new vocabulary to memorize each lesson. And of course, tests. Three of them in total.

I spent my free time on Saturday and Sunday preparing for my first test which was on Monday. It has been a very long time since I had a test from a University course. Um, that would be over 6 years! And while I’m not taking this course for credit, I do want to do well.

And after class on Monday, I spent all afternoon preparing the lesson for Wednesday. Today I also spent the afternoon preparing for Wednesday because we have two lessons to cover. My house work is definitely suffering!

And emailing and blogging are being neglected too – my mom keeps emailing me and asking if I’m okay. I keep saying “yes, I’m okay, but all I do all day is go over my Dutch lesson.”

But it is working! I can occasionally understand what people are saying to me – at the store, at the restaurant, at IKEA, on the train – and I can definitely understand what I’m reading if I know all of the vocabulary. So I think this hard work is paying off.

And to those of you who are going to speak to me in Dutch: Alsjeblieft, spreken jullie langzaam en duidelijk.

2006-11-06T22:21:00.000+01:00

The outdoor market is something I’ve never experienced. It is like a giant farmer's market with more variety and food. In Groningen, the market is open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The vendors bring their own booths and line themselves up in rows in the square. The booths are lined up differently each day, so I wonder if they jockey for the best position or if it is organized so that they regularly rotate.

There are food vendors, of course, but also booths selling fresh fruits and veggies, cheese, raw and cured meats, nuts, flowers (both freshly cut and in pots), olives, spices, bread. Europe has different standards for refrigeration, so it seemed strange to see all of that meat and eggs sitting out in the open. And the smell of the meat almost turned my stomach. A pregnant woman would have to stay away from the market.

There were individual loaves of bread piled in stacks – not in bags – getting stale as the day went on. There are giant wheels of cheese being sold by the chunk. There was so much of everything that each booth seemed like it was overflowing. And there are people standing in line at every one of them waiting to make their purchase. This is completely normal for them.

The fresh fruit and veggies stands seem pretty normal, except that the vendors don’t want you to touch their wares. You have to trust that they aren’t putting rotten apples in the bottom of your bag or giving you the unripe pears. And there were at least seven or eight fruit and veggie stands – several of them right across from each other, which makes me wonder how they can compete with each other.

There were also other booths selling purses, shoes, clothing, scarves, material, wooden toys, statues, watches, carvings, cellphones. I wonder why anyone would want to buy clothing at the market. The prices might be good, but I’m not sure about the quality. And there is nowhere to try anything on. However, the fabric is cheap and the purses are a good price, so there might be some real jewels hidden in that section of the market.

On this day the experience was quite enough -- we didn’t buy anything except a delicious helping of Belgian-style fries. And of course everyone looked at us funny when we ordered ketchup instead of mayonnaise - especially after the two customers prior to us ordered double mayo!

The prices and selection of the food is certainly better than in the grocery store. So in the future, especially as our Dutch gets better, I’m sure we’ll be jostling for position at our favorite vendors!

2006-11-04T22:10:00.000+01:00

Today was the first Saturday that Brad was free from his thesis writing. With all of the changes, it is hard to believe that we can live a “normal” life again. It is hard to remember what that might look like.

For the past five months Brad has been working nonstop -- often 12 or 16 hours per day -- and I would hardly see him except at dinner. By September, he was practically living at the lab trying to finish writing his thesis. Since I was finished working at the end of August, I got used to being a “lab widow” and spending all day home alone during that time. We would meet for dinner – usually at a restaurant – and catch up on life before he went back to work for another 5 or 6 hours.

Despite his hard work and long hours, our departure date came too quickly and he had to finish writing here. Well, as of this past week he is finally finished! Now he can concentrate fully on his new research position here in Holland and we can go back to “normal” life.

Of course, now that I’m not working, our expectations for “normal” life have changed. Now Brad is the first out of the bed in the morning, and I sleep in a bit longer. Now I cook dinner and am more familiar with the prices in the grocery store. I even know my way around the city better than he does because I’m often running errands downtown.

So today we spent our first Saturday walking around the city – Brad was enjoying the freedom from the constant pressure and I was enjoying having my husband around during the day. We went for coffee, walked around the outdoor market, and did a little shopping. I think he had such a good time, it wore him out because he’s having a nap on the couch and it is only 6pm!

2006-11-02T21:58:00.000+01:00

I started my Dutch language course on Wednesday. I had to bike there of course, but the class started at 9am so there weren’t many people on the road at 8:30 when I left the house. In fact, when I got to the bike parking lot, there were about 4 bikes in the lot that probably holds 200 bikes. Of course, when I went back after my class, the lot was so packed full that I could barely extract my bike from the masses.

It was very windy on the ride to the class. So much so that I almost couldn’t go forward once I turned into the wind. You should see what a good gust of wind does to a biker. I was all bundled up in my rain coat pressing on (which is a good thing too because moments before I got inside, it started to downpour).

The classrooms for each day (Mon/Wed/Fri) are located in three separate locations. Two of them are in the same building, but my first class was in obscure building accessed from a small lane beside the main academic complex. Isn’t that always how it works? My first class in a strange place, and I can’t find it! I walked around for 10 minutes before accidentally stumbling into the right building and there was the classroom. It seemed like a miracle. At one point I wondered what I would do if I didn’t find it.

I was still 10 minutes early by the time I sat down, but only the fourth person to arrive in the classroom. There are 13 students total in the class, so either everyone else knew where it was, or else they were also confused. Two people actually came in quite late – at least 15 minutes after the class started. I learned later that one of those students actually knocked on the door of a stranger (and got him out of bed) thinking it was the classroom – that’s how hard it was to find.

The material that was covered on the first day was a good review of the things I learned in the course that Brad and I took last January. We felt very ignorant on the first day of that class, so it was nice to be a little more confident for this one. At the time, that course seemed so painful and slow, but I now appreciate how much I did actually learn in that course.

Thankfully this course has a text book with some English in it. And the teacher said she’ll teach in English for the first couple of lessons. The Vancouver course started out with the teacher only teaching in Dutch. We started to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into.

Sometimes we still wonder, but really it is “niet zo slecht”.

2006-10-30T23:38:00.000+01:00

I thought you might be wondering what the life of a stay-at-home wife consists of while living in Holland. It is different than what I would expect it to be like if I were still in Vancouver.

First of all, in Vancouver, I would likely get up and walk the seawall to the Starbucks on Granville Island. A nice brisk walk and a destination with an incentive – an Earl Grey tea misto! Here, there is a beautiful park close by, but no Starbucks. It is hard for me to get up and walk alone without a destination. Especially since I am getting some exercise from the daily biking.

Secondly, if I was in Vancouver, I probably wouldn't be making a daily trip to the grocery store because my fridge would be able to hold more than one meal at a time. Seriously, our fridge is so small; we have only three condiments sitting in there. In addition to tonight’s meal, the shelves are full of the necessities: vla (Holland’s version of pudding), wine, Brad’s lunch making materials (cheese & meat), and milk for coffee.

If this was Vancouver, I wouldn’t have to be so creative with dinner because I would have an oven. That means an easy casserole would be the quick dinner fix. I’d have more time to do something else besides roam the aisles of the grocery store trying to figure out what to fix for dinner that was easy enough to translate. I could hardly contain my excitement when my family sent me Rice-a-Roni in a care package.

In Vancouver, I would definitely have a dryer to dry my clothes. You know, instead of drying them on a clothes line and ironing out the crispiness! Have you ever ironed underwear? It was new for me too. The only consolation was that it is a good excuse to watch TV. Now I iron quite often.

Speaking of TV, if I was in Vancouver, I wouldn’t feel justified to stop what I was doing and sit down to an hour of Oprah everyday. At 3pm. With coffee and cookies. Because it is the only English TV I could find.

Finally, if I were in Vancouver, I would probably be WORKING, so I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the challenges of being a stay-at-home wife. I guess this really isn’t all that bad after all.

2006-10-27T18:44:00.000+02:00

Near mortifying experiences for the week:

On Thursday morning I took the train to Assen for the ladies Bible study at the church. Brad and I had been shown how to purchase train tickets at the machine (like a vending machine for train tickets), so I was pretty confident that I knew which buttons to push to purchase the correct ticket. I also have a frequent user card that I can use after 9 am, but this was at 8:15 and knew I would face a fine if I used my card.

Anyways, I purchased my ticket and got on the train. The train had gone several stops before conductor started checking each passenger's tickets. He asked for my ticket and then starts giving me a hard time about the ticket I had purchased. He told me that my ticket wasn't validated for today's date and that I would have to pay a fine of 35 euro for having made this error. Of course I didn't have any idea what he was talking about or even how to validate my ticket, so after batting my eyelashes and trying to clarify in English, he let me off.

However, I nearly choked when I found out how much the fine was and what I did wrong. The funny thing was is that I was with another Bible study member who had also made the same mistake and both of us were clueless. Needless to say, we will certainly not be making this mistake again!

Secondly, we are still waiting for Brad to get paid and, of course, are a bit tight on money in the interim. You can all imagine that setting up house, paying a deposit plus rent on our new home, 5 trips to IKEA, etc. would leave us eagerly waiting for the first paycheck. But we aren't so tight that we can't go out for coffee with friends occasionally.

Anyways, last night we went out with a couple from Brad's lab. We were walking around the city, looking at cellphones, and enjoying the evening bustle of downtown Groningen. We are having a nice conversation when Brad proceeds to complain about how long it is taking for the University Hospital to finish the paperwork and put Brad's profile into their computers, specifically, into payroll. He mentions that it would be nice to pay rent next month and hopes that we don't have to wait much longer because we are basically at zero.

Then we go out for coffee and when it comes time to pay, the other couple takes the bill and pays for it because it sounds like we are broke. Of course, while that wasn't really why Brad was complaining, we are both embarrassed because it sounds like we are a charity case.

Finally, I'm kinda new at blog writing and I am still trying to find the balance between witty writing and exaggerating for effect. Sometimes they can be the same thing. However, depending on who is reading your blog, it might matter.

We don't have Internet at home yet, so I regularly go to Brad's lab to check email and blog. I have been busy the past couple of days, so I finally got to check in tonight for the first time since Tuesday. I was browsing through the comments on my blog when I realized that Simone, Gerald's wife, has been reading my blog and she commented on the story about the tiny bathroom and the wet feet (you can read her comment under the first post).

I'll admit that when I read her comment it was more than "nearly mortifying". So I want to clarify that while that story is true, I really should mention that the we figured out how to avoid the wet sock problem on the first day (ie. wear shoes). Of course I failed to mention that in my post because it makes the story funnier. However, I've learned a small lesson about story writing - always think about your audience!

2006-10-24T22:18:00.000+02:00

We have now been to three different church services in Groningen. We've actually been here for 4 Sundays - the first Sunday we were still kind of reeling from the culture shock and jet lag to make it to a church service.

The first Sunday we went to church with Brad's Uncle Joe who is a minister in this area. At first we thought he was a minister at a Dutch church in Groningen city, but it actually turns out that he is a minister in the province of Groningen and the church is actually in a small town nearby - a bit too far to bike, though (10 kilometers or so).

And the service is in DUTCH - and only in Dutch. So it turns out that regularly attending that church isn't really an option. However, it was nice to meet Brad's uncle and his family. They have really reached out to us which has been such a blessing.

The second Sunday we went to a church that was within walking distance from our house. We knew that the service would be in Dutch, but that they had English translation through headphones available. That was great because by this time we were starving for some good worship in a language we could understand.

Interestingly, the songs weren't translated at first, so we were singing along wondering what the words were. Most of the songs we didn't recognize, and I was starting to wonder if we were ever going to sing something we knew. Then the music for "My Jesus, My Saviour" started and it was so cool to sing it in Dutch with everyone. And by the way, singing in another language is a great way to learn pronunciation!

Once the sermon started, we slipped on our headphones and heard an English translation of the sermon. The girl doing the translating did a pretty good job, but it was the "delayed version" so it didn't really feel in sync with everyone else - especially when everyone starts laughing and we hadn't heard the joke yet. After we turned off our headphones, we were back to the reality that we couldn't understand anyone around us.

So this last Sunday, we got on the train and headed 30 kilometers south to an international church in the city of Assen. This church basically caters to visitors and foreigners in the area. The people who attend there are from all over the world and everyone speaks English. It was like a breath of fresh air! This will probably be the place that we will worship at regularly while we are here.

It isn't a very large church and it has its service in the sanctuary of a local church on Sunday morning after the local church finishes. So the service is at 11:30 and goes until about 1:00ish. We didn't get home again until 3:00 with the train and biking travel. It definitely puts new meaning into taking a Sabbath (that and the stores are closed on Sunday here).

The attendance was about 50 - 60 people including kids and there are 70 adults on the church contact list. There were several young couples who introduced themselves to us and they seem really nice. While the church has just lost their pastor, the people there seem committed to teaching God's word and fellowshipping together.

It definitely isn't going to come close to giving us the same experience as our wonderful church in Vancouver, but we feel that this is our best option while here in Holland and are going to make the best of it. And we are looking forward to getting into a small group and really getting to know the members there.

2006-10-21T19:34:00.000+02:00

I almost feel embarrassed to write this post. It was very näive to believe that "you'll be fine, everyone speaks English" would mean that we'd be able to live life normally and get by with only English. I can't imagine what it would be like if we hadn't taken that conversational Dutch course last spring.

There is no doubt that it is quite easy to travel in Holland because it is true: Many people do speak SOME English. We just failed to realize that printed English would be virtually nonexistent. All of the signs are in Dutch, all of the forms and contracts are in Dutch, all of the words on the groceries are in Dutch, all of the menus are in Dutch, IKEA is even in Dutch. It is one thing to travel here, another to live here.

For instance, there is a sign in front of the bank that says "verboden om fiets voor vensters te parkeren". Now we can guess that "verboden" means "forbidden" and we know that "fiets" is bike. So we think it means the we can't park our bike in front of the bank. Except that there are 50 other bikes parked there, so what do we do? It turns out that they just don't want you to park your bike in front of the windows.

We also feel like the blind leading the blind when we go grocery shopping. It is one thing to recognize products - potatoes, carrots, soup, chips, pop, wine, beer - but when it comes to cooking instructions, your guess is as good as mine. And I had a really hard time finding the right type of cleaning products - if there wasn't a picture on the bottle, I might be cleaning the bathroom with oven cleaner!

We have definitely increased our vocabulary by just being here and getting around. It is like learning French in Canada by reading the back of the cereal box. I actually start a semi-intensive course next month, so by Christmas I should be in much better shape. And I purchased a Dutch dictionary which also helps.

Now, if we could just figure out the road signs, I think I'd start to like biking more...

2006-10-19T23:24:00.000+02:00

While I'm on the subject of IKEA, I should mention that there are a few differences between IKEA in N. America and here in Holland.

The store layout a bit different and is hard for me to get used to. At home, there are two floors - one for display and one for product. Here the products and the displays are mixed together on the two floors.

You liked that bedspread on the display bed? Great, it is available in the next section. You want those dishes in the display kitchen? Well, the dishes section is right around the corner. This is fine until you've gone down to the first level and forgot to pick up something on level 2. I haven't found a way to get back up with the shopping cart.

Speaking of the shopping carts, here you have to pay a 50cent deposit for the cart and it requires the correct change. And from level 2 to level 1 there is a shopping cart escalator separate from the one that takes you and me to the next level. You sort of send your cart ahead and hope it makes it down okay. Then you get on your escalator and meet it at the bottom.

The restaurant has a section outside the entrance for cart parking. It is hilarious to see the half full carts "parked" outside waiting for their owners. Ironically, cart parking is free. And another thing, the restauant has a huge, smelly smoking section.

And don't try to return an item without your receipt. I learned that one first hand. Thankfully the cashier was gracious to this N. American and gave me store credit "this time only". I tried to explain that in Canada you can take anything back at anytime and get store credit. She didn't seem to care - she wasn't rude, but she was probably thinking that I should have known because it is clearly marked - IN DUTCH!

Next post, I'll be discussing why "you'll be fine, everyone speaks English" isn't good enough.

2006-10-18T23:15:00.000+02:00

Got to love IKEA. Pronounced EE-KAY-AH in Holland, the big yellow and blue building beckoned me as I biked into the parking lot. And of course, here in Holland, there is a dedicated bike lane in the parking lot and bicycle parking area in the underground parking garage.

I have actually been to IKEA five times in past eleven days. I have been busy shopping and purchasing fun and exciting stuff to decorate our new home. The first time Brad and I went together to check it out - this was prior to moving into our new home. The next time I went alone (on my bike!!!!!) to purchase bedding because I didn't want to use the sheets provide by our landlord (they were used). And since then I've been back a few more times and let me say that under the right circumstances, one can pack a LOT of stuff on the back of a bike!

One thing I've found is that no matter what country you are in, you can count on certain things about IKEA.

1. You can count on the price. Everyone knows that the prices at IKEA are quite reasonable and definitely an affordable way to furnish your home nicely. I'm not saying that they have the best quality, but we all can agree that it is affordable. And since there are no Winners or TJ Maxxes here, this is all I have to work with. Incidentally, the prices here (while in Euros) are actually cheaper than in Canada or the US even after the exchange is calculated. Might have something to do with our proximity to Sweden...

2. You can count on consistent quality (or lack thereof). The quality seems to be the same as in N. America. There is the solid wood, the cheap pressed wood, and the plastic stuff here too. Actually, most of the products here are the same as at home. I could have the same dishes and the same bedroom furniture here if I wanted.

3. There is an "As Is" section. That would be the "Koopjes Hoek" section here. For those of you who aren't familiar with IKEA, this is the reduced section consisting of items that have been returned, the floor models, and other miscellaneous items that have been discounted. Don't get me started - I love the "As Is" section in my Vancouver IKEA. In fact, most of my belongings (currently in storage) have an "As Is" stamp on them somewhere. Needless to say, I am already hooked on the "Koopjes Hoek" section and am prepared to bike out there once per week just to see if there is anything I can't live without.

4. And there is cheap breakfast. Yes, the breakfast is 1 euro which a little bit more expensive than Canada, but the breakfast is better. Here, true to European style, the breakfast is 3 rolls, meat, cheese, a hard boiled egg, and coffee. I MIGHT even be able to convince Brad to go there on a regular basis just for the breakfast.

And I just want to say one more thing - while I've now given IKEA a good portion of Brad's first paycheck, I have been a good shopper and have many nice things because I've spent my money wisely. I'm a good steward. And I know that I'll be put on restriction if I go too crazy. I don't know what that would look like...maybe Brad would make me stay at home. Oh wait...

2006-10-16T21:44:00.000+02:00

We finally found a house to call home in Groningen. That means that Brad will have a 3 minute bicycle commute through the city, instead of instead of biking 25 minutes through the country each morning. He could even walk if he wanted, but he really loves biking (unlike his wife, but that is fodder for another post).

The house is located just north of the downtown core near the big park that runs northwest of the city. In the summer, the park hosts various festivals for the arts - theater, music, fairs. We barely cross the street and are at the entrance to the park. There is also a square (actually it is a triangle) just around the corner with a regular grocery store, a discount grocery store, a bookstore, a florist, a pharmacy, a dollar store (sort of) and a deli. There is also a litte pub and a bakery on the corner, and lots more shops down the street.

Our home is similar to what N. Americans would call a townhouse.

It is a two level unit entered from the street in a row of houses that are connected. It is middle-aged according to European standards (approx. 120 years old) and made of brick - like almost all buildings here. And it looks really cool from the outside! Some of the houses in the row have painted their brick white, but ours is still red with white trim and a dark green door.

There is also a cellar, but the landlord says it often gets wet after heavy rain, so we probably won't be storing anything down there.

As you go through

the front door, the entrance is into a hallway where we will keep our bikes. There is a door off the hallway into the living room which has high ceilings and tall, large windows looking onto the street. There is a fireplace but the chimney has since been closed off; however, we can burn candles in it so it still feels gezellig (cozy).

The dining room is connected to the living room and it has a sliding glass door which leads onto a small enclosed patio which will be nice in the summer. The house is about twice a long as it is wide, so the living room and dining room are the length of the house.

From the dining room you go into the kitchen which is really narrow and long - kind of like a lean-to on the side of the house. The bathroom is off the kitchen and has been completely redone. The stairs are located in the kitchen and there are about 20 of them and they are really steep. One side is a wall, but the other is basically open to the kitchen below. Thankfully there is a railing for those late-night pee breaks!

The master bedroom and the guest room are upstairs. The master bedroom is quite large with a dormer looking out onto the street and a slanted ceiling (kinda like the loft). We have two chairs, a bed and two wardrobes. The bed is huge, but butted up against the slanted ceiling. We are still trying to figure out if we like that arrangement. The guest room has a new bed and mattress and is ready for visitors!

We are excited to move in and get settled. While the house is mostly furnished, there are a few things we will need right away - pillows, sheets, etc. I'm excited to check out the local stores and see what I can find to make our place more homey.

So IKEA, here I come.

2006-10-12T20:25:00.000+02:00

As mentioned in the first post, we are currently living in a loft over the garage of Brad's boss, Gerald. We plan to stay here until we find our own apartment. The room is large and bright with space enough for a king size bed, table & chairs, two lounge chairs, and a long counter which contains a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and dishes.

The loft looks out onto the back yard of their house and into the kitchen. Around 6:30pm we get a wave from Gerald's wife, Simone, signalling that it is time for dinner. Since the loft has no cooking capacity, she has been cooking us dinner every night. What a luxury! We could also pick up a wireless Internet signal through that window and are enjoying easy Internet access at our leisure.

This living arrangement is almost perfect except for one important detail that I forgot to mention - the bathroom. It was built by the former owners as if it was an oversight. And this is what we ended up with:

The door to the bathroom opens directly into the shower. To the left of the shower is the toilet and sink under the eaves (note: this is actually thru the shower). There is a shower curtain to cover the door and one to block the water from getting on the toilet. There is a raised wooden strip to prevent water from going in the toilet area. The floor of the shower is raised in the middle, and doesn't drain well. We have a squeegee to help with the drainage, but it never really dries.

Therefore, we often get wet socks when we go to the toilet. How nice.

As a side note, the only sink in the loft is the tiny one in the bathroom. When we want water for coffee, to wash the dishes, or fill up our water bottles, we have to go into the bathroom.

So we get our socks wet. Quite wet. Quite often.

2006-10-07T15:54:00.000+02:00

Our second order of business should have been to purchase that rain gear I mentioned. Biking in the rain while holding an umbrella is okay - if you want to get KILLED! We almost found that out the hard way. Here's how:

On Monday we were scheduled to look at apartments with a local agency that we had been corresponding with while still in Canada. They had promised to pick us up, drive us around the city and show us some accommodations. Then they found out we had bikes. Apparently it would be easier to get around the city on a bike, so could we meet them in downtown Groningen at 2:00pm? That was no problem, because we thought we liked biking.

The weather Monday morning was windy and sunny, then windy and threatening to rain, then back to windy and sunny. At 1:00pm, we head out to Groningen. The wind was making it hard to bike - remember, our bikes have only one gear. But we want to get used to this biking thing, so we press on. It starts to sprinkle on us a bit. No problem. Plus, everyone around us is dressed in normal clothes without rain coats.

We view the apartment and arrange to see another place about 3 hours later. Instead of biking all the way back to our loft (45 minutes on the bike), we decide to head to downtown to kill some time. Right about then it starts 'piss pouring' rain as Brad would say.

I was wearing a down vest and turtleneck which was almost too hot to bike in. My only waterproof coat is my ski jacket which was sitting at home in my suitcase. Brad had on a useless jacket that seems to soak up the rain instantly. Did I mention that we are wearing jeans? Needless to say, we are soaked and immediately went downtown in search of proper rain gear.

Except we spent the next 3 hours looking because we don't know what stores sell rain gear. Where is a Walmart when you need one? We are weaving in and out of traffic, going the wrong way down one-way streets, and getting honked at by buses. I'm yelling at Brad "what happened to picking us up and driving us around the city?" He is yelling "watch out for that pedestrian." I can only imagine what it would have been like if I was trying to hold an umbrella.

When we finally found the shopping district, we were shocked at the high prices for the quality of product. It was a bit frustrating. That and figuring out European sizes. Eventually, we found a department store with a sale rack and did purchase some jackets. Mostly because I said that I wasn't biking home without one.

"We" are a bit happier now. How DID we manage to live in Vancouver for 5 years and not have proper rain gear?

2006-10-06T00:27:00.000+02:00

Our first order of business was to purchase bikes.

Biking is the primary mode of transportation in Holland and bikers most often have the right-of-way on the road. If there is an accident between a car and a bike, the car will likely be found at fault. Both the city and country roads have well maintained bike paths. Pedestrians have to be careful crossing both the street and the bike path.

We spent about a half-hour at the bike shop and test drove only a couple of bikes before choosing ours. They all look the same to us! We were advised to get the “no frills” version to avoid bike theft. While the crime rate in Holland is low, the most commonly stolen item is a bike. Our bikes have one gear, footbrakes instead of handbrakes, and two locks. We will often lock our bikes together when parking them on the street in the city.

We fell in love with our bikes almost immediately! It is quite a thrill to ride around the country in the sunshine. While Brad is happy that Holland doesn’t require helmets, apparently everyone has some sort of personal liability insurance that will protect them in an accident. We still have to look into that...

We also needed to purchase a couple of accessories such as bike bags. The bike bags fit on the back to hold groceries. They are usually made of canvas or vinyl to keep your purchases dry. Remember, many people do not have cars - even old women are using bikes to go shopping. My bags are pink. It helps me easily identify my bike in the bike parking lot.

Another accessory would be rain gear. It won’t be sunny here forever. I wonder if I can get an umbrella holder instead?

2006-10-04T18:27:00.000+02:00

We are here. In Holland. Our home for the next two years.

We had a loooong trip out here. I definitely advise traveling non-stop when you come to visit. While we enjoyed a 3-day cruise from Vancouver to L.A. with my parents, it was basically a nice break between the chaos of Brad's thesis writing and the chaos of traveling. We chose the cheapest route to Holland - flights from L.A. to New York, New York to Dublin, Dublin to Amsterdam. When we were finally on the train to Groningen, I checked my watch to find it was just about 24 hours from when we left L.A.

Our brief stop-over in Ireland allowed us to experience the airport version of "a full Irish breakfast". Sausage, beans, mushrooms, roasted tomato, white and black pudding (you'll have to google that one), egg, toast, hash browns. The sausage was soooo yummy, but at that point we were happy to eat something other than airplane food. We also went to an Irish pub for beer :) It was just before 12 noon in Ireland and the pub was packed!

We are staying with Brad's new boss, Gerald and his family, in a small town southeast of Groningen. We'll stay here until we find our own place to live. This town is like Fort Langley if Groningen was Langley. We have loft above their garage which is quite roomy with a tiny bathroom and tinier sink. We aren't sure if the heat works, but the cold air makes it feel like we are camping.

We are happy to be safe and sound. And we are excited about our new adventures. Thanks for praying!