Spring is springing

The flowers are blooming! More updates and pictures to come. (Deep down, this is really the only reason I wanted to move to Holland…to see all the flowers.)

Another reason to learn the language

Here is something you may not think about before moving overseas. I know I certainly didn’t. Calling a Dutch customer service phone number will inevitably lead you to a phone tree., like in the States. Unfortunately, all the options are given in Dutch. I typically end up pressing numbers until the computer gets so frazzled it just puts me through to a human being. (Zero doesn’t seem to work here.) Or else I press the numbers I think I should be pressing, and then get bounced around to 12 departments when I finally speak to someone. Even though it’s frustrating at times, I can’t help but laugh at myself. I mean, who knows what all I’ve agreed to by pushing “een”, “twee”, “drie” when I don’t know which numbers I’m supposed to be pushing!

Dependence

Over the last few weeks I’ve said many times, “For us, there is a cliff at the end of 2005.” We cannot see any further than December 2005, when Dan finishes his coursework. Many peoples’ lives are planned out – as best as they can be – many years into the future. They buy a home, start a family, and settle into a job and a community. We gave that up this year. The home we were living in has been sold. We’ve left behind our jobs and our incomes. We remain in touch with our family and friends through e-mail and an occasional phone call. Many of our belongings were sold or given away, and those we kept are scattered throughout the world (8 homes, 5 states, and 2 countries at last count).

But what is amazing to me is how at peace I feel with my life. There are days when I am lonely. And there are days when I worry. And there are days when I want to be able to understand the people around me. But those days are far outnumbered by the days I feel complete contentment.

As I have thought and prayed about this, I’ve come to realize that this peace and contentment is from experiencing complete dependence on my Lord. My life is not my own. I’ve known that since I turned my life over to Him 10 years ago. But now, I am experiencing that concept on a completely new level.

I suppose our expatriate experience is somewhat different than others’ experiences may be. We are students, here temporarily. We are doing this largely on faith, in order to begin some sort of ministry wrapped in economic development, and we want to stay in Europe long-term. But I think that anyone who moves to a different culture, far away from their family and friends, would have to admit that they are more dependent on others helping them than they were in their home country.

How could an expatriate not be? We get letters in the mail weekly that are in Dutch. Our meager means of translating them doesn’t always work, so we must ask for help to understand them. We don’t understand the Dutch “systems”, so it would be incredibly easy to be taken advantage of. Fortunately, we don’t think that’s happened to us yet!

Although we’ve met many very nice strangers who have helped us along, I know without a doubt that God has put those people in our path. The many “coincidences” we experience (a trailer “just” big enough to get everything in; customs releasing our shipment “just” when we could arrange to move it to a new apartment), I know God, who is watching over us, orchestrates them. And if God cares enough about the little things, like leading us to nice strangers, then he certainly won't let us fall off that cliff in December!

The Market

I like Fridays. It is the day that the open-air market appears in the little shopping center across the street. It is a cross between a flea market and farmer's market, but with Dutch flair. Bicycle parts are sold in one booth, cheese in the next. Then there are the produce stands, the clothing tents, and (my favorite) the flower booths. The Frite (French Fry) stand is extremely popular.

Setup for the market begins on Thursdays, and the vendors arrive early Friday. Lageland (the shopping center) fills up with shoppers from 8:00 or so till about 3:00. I like to visit the market, and I occassionally buy my produce there. When Dan isn't at school on Fridays, he'll buy some Frite and even surprise me with a bouquet of flowers from time to time.

What I like best about the market, though, is sitting in the apartment, listening to the sing-songy voice of the fresh flower vendor as he tries to attract customers with his jingle.

The Drugstore

I was looking for contact solution in the drugstore today. I found it - or I found what I think is contact solution. We'll find out when a soak my lenses in it overnight and put them into my eyes in the morning.

Anyway, I discovered that I can buy contact lenses without a prescription - 6 pair of soft lenses for Eur20. Yoo hoo! I don't have to go to the eye doctor for years!

But one of the most interesting comparisons is that Ibuprofen is behind the counter.

Dutch Fast Food

STAY AWAY FROM DUTCH FAST FOOD. Just don't go there. Look for a McDonalds or a Burger King if you are that starved for a burger.

We've known for awhile that the mystery dishes served at "greasy spoons" weren't worth trying to figure out. But the sun was shining, the air was warm, and the flowers were blooming. Spring (and maybe some second-hand fumes) got into us. "Let's go for a walk," I suggest. "And we can get some lunch." Sounds great!

The walk was wonderful...no rain, no bitter cold wind.

The lunch was not. My hamburger was not real meat. I don't know how it could have been.

But Dan's sandwich was even worse. A "Filet Americain". Sounds a little scary...after all, do they really know what "American" food is, or is it in the title just to get people to buy it? (Cool Ranch Dorritos here are called "Cool American".) But this sandwich! There was no filet! There was no American! There wasn't any resemblence to anything we've had in the states. Our theory is that is was a chopped up croquette (we still don't know what a croquette is) in a tomato-like, mayonnaise, cheese paste. Slathered on a bun about a quarter-inch thick.

I still get the heebie-geebies when I think of it. Where are the Pop Tarts when I need them?

The National Plant?

Does anyone know the growing season for marijuana?

Because if my nose tells me anything, it's telling me it's harvest time.

I get a wiff of weed wherever I go these days.

Of Bikes and Bike Riding

Six weeks using a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation. Here's everything I know about the two-wheeled objects.

Bicycling in Holland is a typical mode of transportation. We ride mostly three-speed road bikes here, and the quality of the bike doesn't seem to measured in how new it is or how stylish it looks. Rather, a good quality bike, I'm finding out, has more to do with whether there is a cover over the chain and gears, whether or not the bike has disk brakes, and how the gears function.

Standard features include a lot of very practical pieces of equipment. A rack on the back of the bike, with bungee cords for strapping on packages. Fenders are on both wheels. Reflector lights, and power-operated lights are all over the bike. A generator is also attached to the front wheel, so all bikes have a headlight and taillight (and they are bright!). A bell is also a must. Although they have to purchased separately, two or three locks are also necessary!

Optional equipment includes such items like saddle bags, a front basket, child seats (some have two or three!), and a hook for pulling such things as a cart or a smaller bicycle for a child (that's an interesting sight). It seems like soft seats are also optional - or maybe I'm just sensitive.

Whole (rather large) sections in stores are dedicated to bicycle parts, and there are many "tweewheiler" stores around.

I've ridden my bike in sunshine, rain, snow, ice, wind, and hail. Sunshine makes me very happy to have a bike so I can enjoy the weather. Rain makes me ride faster. Snow is a lot of fun to enjoy on a bike, if it's not too cold (which it hasn't been). Ice sends me praying I won't go flying into one of the canals next to the bike paths. Wind makes me want a car. And hail is the most painful.

I've taken my bike through a tunnel made especially for bikes that goes under the Port of Rotterdam (that's a wild concept, isn't it?). It also goes on the train with me quite often. I take it short distances, like to the Metro stop near the house, and I've been to several places pretty far away from our apartment, like the port and the city center. My most recent ride was to the train station 35 minutes away at 4 a.m. (in the hail).

I've fixed a light on my bike, and I haven't manged to lose any keys for the locks. Dan has fixed several things on his bike, and we have bicycle parts in various places throughout the apartment. We've bought some, but most are salvages from the three bikes Dan purchased since arriving in September. We never know when a headlight will break, when a kickstand will fall off, or when the wheel will go flat.

All this aside, the most impressive thing I've done with my bike is prevented it from getting stolen for six weeks!

The most lovely-est sight

In my refrigerator, there is the most lovely-est of all sights. One can of Mountain Dew.

I'm not sure I'll ever drink it. It's just so beautiful, waiting for me to drink.

My lovely Mountain Dew.


**I thought about making this post into a Haiku. It would be so fitting. Poetry in honor of the Dew. Anyone want to give a try??**

Beware! Dutch Language Alert

It's kind of fun learning a new language. (Nevermind that I never know which language I'm speaking...my mind continues to go to Chinese whenever I want to speak Dutch; and it wanted to go to French when I was learning Chinese. Poor, confused brain.) It's fun to learn the intricracies of the language and try to understand how it has evolved as society has changed. After all, who on earth would have imagined BLOG would be a real word one day?

But this is the pinnacle of all strange-ness. Even though the time may be written 08:30, it is spoken "half nine". OK. I can handle that...kind of like quarter till five or half of nine. However, when a Dutchman is translating, watch out! If they are not thinking in English, they will say "nine thirty" for 08:30. So now, after my first experience with misunderstanding the time, I'll always get clarification!

Laundry Day...er...week

I just started a load of laundry. In 2.5 hours the washing machine will be done washing. Therefore, at 18:30, I will be able to hang them up to dry on our industrial-size drying rack. I'll be able to wear these clothes tomorrow around 8:00. It will take me 4 days to do the same amount of laundry I did on a Saturday in Birmingham. And I wondered what I would do with my time after I moved here!

What do molasses, oregano and bacon have in common?

Today I bought some molasses. Too bad I meant to buy plain old pancake syrup. Entering the grocery store is an exercise for my mind. Shopping in general in the Netherlands is my greatest challenge. Here are some illustrations that will show you why:

1. Trying to arm myself with the Dutch word for “oregano”, I was frustrated that none of my English-Dutch dictionaries had an entry for it. When I got to the store, I found “Oregano” in the spice section.
2. Yet the Dutch word for “cinnamon” is nothing like cinnamon. I forgot to look it up in the dictionary, so I resorted to opening and sniffing every spice (except oregano) in the spice section until I found it. By the way…it’s “Kaneel”.
3. I bought bacon. It came in two rolls, which I thought was strange. I thought it was also strange that it had the word for hamburger on the label, in addition to “bacon”. When I showed it to Dan, he pointed out that it is hamburger wrapped in bacon. Oh well. It was still good.
4. Say this really fast, “Tvai en fiefenfieftick euros”. Now imagine me trying to understand how much money I need to give to the cashier.

Hoe gaat het met je?

Today I spoke Dutch to a stranger, and she understood me! And I understood her response!

Dutch classes are going well. I've been to two, and I've learned how to say about 20 phrases. I listen to the CD provided with the textbook everday to get the rhythm of the language down, which is quite important, I've found. But what I really want to know how to say are useful phrases like, "Where are your lentils?" and "I really want a Mountain Dew."

P.S. The stranger was 10 years old.