Tulips!

Check out these lovely, lovely tulips on show at the Keukenhof gardens and nearby. Ahh...

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MORe 

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Experiencing Animals

There is no shortage of animals in Rotterdam. As you know, pet dogs are everywhere. Yesterday I saw one family with 6 dogs. I really don’t think it was a pet sitting service. The dogs were all so similar. And I know there are plenty of cats around. A big black and white one suns himself on the patios below "The Attic". A beautiful white one sits in the window of one of our neighbors. And then there are the horses! There are riding trails in different parts of the city, and a lot of people come out to ride. There is a slight problem with this…they don’t always stay on the trails, so bike riders have to be a little careful not to ride through a surprise! It’s kind of similar to the problems with having so many dogs around…



But the other animals in this city are even more interesting. You must remember how much water there is in Holland, so that means…a lot of waterfowl! I wish I could convey to you how many birds there are around here. Hopefully, it will satisfy you to know there are A LOT. I love watching the geese waddle around, the ducks dive for food, and the swans swim gracefully. I like discovering new birds…the blacks ones with white beaks and the bandit geese are among my favorites. And I vote for them to be the two most interesting birds in Rotterdam. Take a look at their pictures.





The petting zoos are a great place to animal watch, too. Near our church and near the lake there are parks with deer, and peacocks. The one by the church has roosters and chickens, too. And all the animals are in one pen. The children (and lots of adults) love to feed the deer. At some point, I will get a picture of the peacocks strutting their stuff.

But here is my biggest surprise…sheep by Dan’s school! Here’s what I wrote in an e-mail about the experience. "On my way to meet some people to buy a shopping cart, I passed a flock of sheep grazing - I was still in the middle of the city! On the way back the shopping cart fell off my bike right in front of the sheep and they all started "baa-ing" at me. I had never been that close to so many baa-ing sheep. Anyway, the shopping cart wouldn't stay on my bike so I ended up carrying it back home while still trying to steer my bike - about 20 minutes and through lots of traffic. I can't help but laugh at all the silly things I have to do these days. They are so different than days at work - no power suits and big meetings. Just sheep baa-ing at me."

I’ve had a few other close calls, too. Shortly after I arrived here, we had a cold spell that froze the lakes and canals. I was enchanted with the ice skating ducks and geese around, so I set out to take their picture. Well, I got the picture, but I also got about 40 geese honking at me. Imagine 40 honking geese ice skating on a frozen pond toward you as you try to get their picture!



My most recent harrowing animal experience was with a duck playing chicken, however. I was biking toward it, and it was taking off. I lost. The bird did not figure me into its flight plan. I ducked (ha ha), avoiding a head-on (literally) collision with the bird, and the bird continued happily along its course.

Well, despite all these close calls, I’m still loving my time animal watching. Here are some more of my observations. My favorite is the last one! It was so cute to watch the babies get out of the water. (Yeah, my life is pretty relaxing right now!)

“The Attic”

I discovered yesterday on my afternoon bike ride that the Dutch elite name their mansions, kind of like Americans name their mountain cabins or beach homes. The names of the homes are painted - in very large script - onto the outside wall, near the eaves on the front of the house. Where I just live in an attic apartment of Jericholaan 8b, these individuals live in homes with such noble names as St. Petersbrug or Tannehuis. So, I decided yesterday that from now on my home will be known as “The Attic”.

My first official complaint

I decided yesterday that I really don’t like grocery shopping. My emotional and physical health is at risk, I believe. If I could measure my blood pressure while I’m shopping, I know it wouldn’t be good. I fear being run over by a rogue shopping cart. And, I actually break a sweat doing this simple, weekly errand. That can’t be good.

The dislike begins with the crowds and the general lack of personal space displayed at the grocery store. In American stores, people generally attempt to move if they see they are in another’s way, and there are unspoken rules about who goes in front of whom when shoppers meet in the aisles. The Dutch possess very few of these social cues, so attempting to make my way through the aisles is rather difficult. Shoppers cut in front of each other. They stand directly in front of the products without moving to let others get an item quickly. They stop in the middle of the aisle, leaving no room to pass on either side.

Then, of course, is the product selection. I’m much more familiar with Dutch food labels now, but it is still a painstakingly slow process. This is probably complicated by the fact that I’m getting used to a new grocery story with a wider selection of items. Nevertheless, it is still a long, slow, arduous process to find the food on my list.

The third dislike is the constant stock replenishment. If the shoppers don’t make it difficult enough to navigate the store, then add at least one person every two aisles stocking items. It doesn’t matter what time or day I’m at the store. They are always there, and they always have huge trolleys blocking my way. At one point, I actually stopped to watch two stockers tossing cartons of pudding across the aisle. It was entertaining but difficult to walk through. I could only think of a carton of pudding landing on my head.

Checkout time is where I break a sweat. I find myself mentally preparing for this sprint the same way I would prepare for a track race in high school. I begin by unloading everything onto the narrow, narrow, NARROW belt as fast as I can so I can get ahead of the cashier. Then, I run quickly to the other end of the belt to pack and re-load the groceries. In the time between unloading and re-loading the groceries, I need to find the shopping bags I’ve brought and prepare them to receive my purchases. I can only hope from week to week that I’ve brought enough bags. Quickly, I need to load the groceries, or else the customer behind me will be held up. However, I also need to pay the cashier when she finishes ringing up, so I need to watch her progress. A successful run, I figure, is when I manage to load all but one bag prior to having to pay. Yesterday, I had only one bag packed. I was grateful the people behind me had only a few items each. I love the grocery baggers in American stores.

Normally during my 10-minute walk home, I reflect how I could make the process easier, like how to best unload the groceries to ensure they can be loaded without the bread ending up on the bottom of the bag. However, yesterday, I had to protect my groceries from the cold, steady rain that was falling. That took that last remaining mental stamina I had.

Carrying the groceries up our 38 steps took the last remaining physical stamina I had.

So, now, I think I’m going to go on a hunger strike. I’m not going to go back until I’m hungry.

I did find a new bread, though…

Bread of the Week

This week’s fun bread is a white loaf. That in itself is fun, since the majority of the bread is (very good) whole wheat. But what makes it really fun is that it is soft and squishy and has a flecked crust – a really pretty dark and light gold pattern – created from cheese being baked on the crust, I believe.

Words on 'Roids

From a scan of a local newspaper, here are the words I see that are in the 15+ letter range.
doktersassistenten
onderhandelingen
voorschrijffouten
onderzoeksproject
veiligheidskaart
gebruikersoverleg
verhuisbewegingen
studieverenigingen
ouderenbigeenkomsten
verbouwingsopruiming
inspraakbijeenkomsten
uitvoeringsprogramma
interieurarchitectuur

whew!

Now the good news is that the Dutch LOVE compound words - look at the first and last words in the list. What English-speakers would write as two words, the Dutch have made into one word. Nevertheless, there are still lots of BIG words in this SMALL country.

Bread

I counted 105 different kinds of bread in our new grocery store today. (Yes, I was a little bored.) Next time I go I may take the time to count all bakery items. The count of 105 doesn’t include the muffins, cookies, brownies, and other non-bread baked goods. I decided last week I would choose which kind to buy according to which one looked the most fun. Last week it was a loaf that was perfectly round. This week, it is a normal kind of loaf, but it is too tall for our toaster. It’s fun to try to toast it thoroughly.

What Expatriate Life Comes Down To

An expatriate’s life, I’ve determined, is simple: It is simply one of learning new systems. We need to learn new languages, new rules and regulations, new ways to conduct business, new ways to get information. The list could go on and on. Think of any thing you do, from the simple to the complex, and imagine having to relearn it according to a different set of norms and values. And even those systems that are familiar to us, we need to learn that they are NOT different from our home country.

You’ve already read about some of the systems that have affected me the most: shopping, the language, the rules of public places (especially when bikes are concerned). But there are multitudes of others.

1. Those related to moving overseas: residence permits and customs. These systems are bureaucratic and time-consuming, but easy to manage otherwise. Of course, most letters related to anything “official” are only in Dutch. That makes it a little difficult.
2. Finances: the Euro and conversion rates, setting up bank accounts, remembering sales tax is included in prices. I still don’t understand buying and selling dollars for Euros, but I have mastered the art of multiplying everything by 1.33 to determine what the price in US Dollars would be (but then I have to subtract 8% since tax is already included…) And my bank account here carries my maiden name, with no mention of my married name. That still makes me nervous, but it is what the bank required.
3. Getting around: an archaic public transport ticketing system, different road signs, and automobile drivers that are kind to bicyclists. When riding public transport in Holland, one must know how many zones they are traversing, and then “stamp” their “stripkaart” accordingly. It’s bizarre, and difficult to use considering there are over 20 zones in Rotterdam and surrounding areas. Most road signs are fairly self-explanatory, but they are still very different than in America. And I am so thankful that motorists slow down for bicyclists…it makes my life much safer!
4. Life: different ways to use household appliances, interacting with neighbors, garbage disposal, receiving mail, making phone calls. The two more interesting ones – garbage disposal and mail delivery. I don’t believe it is like this everywhere in Rotterdam, but in our new neighborhood there are giant underground garbage bins. Rather than curbside pickup, we put our garbage in these bins. They resemble library book returns…that’s actually what I thought they were after we moved here. Postmen, dressed in red, ride bikes throughout the city delivering the mail. Trucks follow with larger packages and to pick up the mail in the postboxes.

Americanism

It is strange how America is idolized here. In only the last couple of days, we’ve received flyers from furniture stores, household item stores, and pizza places that all reference America in some way. One furniture store’s flyer was particularly interesting. As a backdrop, there was the American $20 bill. In the side bars, the Statue of Liberty was pictured. For a little while, I thought I was back in the States. The pizza places reference “Amerikaanse” pizzas. I’m not sure what the appeal is or why American symbols are an effective marketing technique, but it is pretty fascinating.

Perhaps it would be different outside of the Netherlands, but I’m not convinced of that. Many of the international students at Dan’s school think we are crazy for leaving America…it is their dream to GET to America. On international trains and passing through customs in the airport, the United States passport essentially means only a quick glance from the passport control. U.S. businesses are admired here. Wal-Mart is discussed as if there is no better business. The busiest McDonalds I’ve been to is here in Rotterdam, and the second busiest one is in Cologne, Germany. Rubbermaid products are advertised with BIG BOLD “RUBBERMAID” stickers. In the news, Major League Baseball, the NBA, and the Master’s are all getting headlines.

In so many ways, I can see the allure of America. And, quite frankly, I’m somewhat grateful for its allure. It certainly makes my life easier (and right now, I’m all about things being easy)!

Pets

Well, you already know about the dogs being allowed everywhere…restaurants, trains, shopping malls, etc.Yesterday I found evidence of an even more pet-centric society than I first thought existed in the Netherlands: a toilet seat cover with a picture of a HUGE cat on it and dog food in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

Our new home

We moved to a new apartment this week. I prefer to use the term “cozy” to describe it. I’m not very good at estimating square meters, but there aren’t many here. In order to have some luxuries, like consistent hot water and Internet service, we’ve given up other luxuries, like room for a kitchen table. There are some other perks to this apartment.
We have 9 less steps to ascend and descend – 38 instead of 47. It is important, however, that you understand the slope of these steps. Dan calls them a “ladder ramp”. They are steep! So perhaps the perceived savings is only 3 steps. It is still a savings, though!
There is a real bathroom and a real toilet. I care not to describe what we had been living with. Let me just say that some European bathrooms aren’t fun to use – and we had one of those. This bathroom is well-equipped with a nice shower, normal toilet, hot and cold water, and a washing machine (?!).
The new apartment has closets! Two closets!
We have a fully-equipped kitchen now. There is a “large” fridge and real stove and oven. This compares to the dorm-size fridge and cooking plate we had in the old apartment.
We have a nice landlord, who is also our neighbor. His daughter is darling, and his pre-teen son introduced himself by asking if we liked the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m a little afraid to find out why, considering his bedroom shares a wall with ours.
Cable television is provided. I haven’t turned on the television yet, but I’ll keep you updated on Dutch cable television programming.

I have given up a few things. I will miss the view of the canals from the bedroom window. And I’ll miss learning about Polish culture from what ends up on the balcony of our Polish neighbors. (Sausages heating on radiators, a various assortment of interesting food dishes keeping cool outside.) And I’ll miss my kitchen table.

Where is Home?

Last weekend, Dan and I took a short trip into Germany, to the middle Rhein area. We saw lots of castles and churches along our cruises up and down the river. It was pretty fun, and I definitely recommend it to anyone.

It was strange, though. I quickly found myself wanting to go back to Rotterdam. I enjoyed the trip thoroughly, but I missed the familiarity of the Dutch words, the Dutch train system, the fact that most Dutch speak English. I’m surprised at how quickly I’ve grown accustomed to this way of life.

Mountain Dew Update

Remember that Mt. Dew we wrote haikus about? I lived in anticipation for several days, and then I finally broke it out. Mt. Dew imported from Spain just isn’t the same. I’m only now getting over my disappointment…I can finally talk about it.