Is It a Sign?

So, last weekend was the big wedding weekend. Doris’ cousin Heidi married a wonderful man from Guatemala, Mexico. If there are two cultures who know how to throw a great party it is the Mexicans and the Germans. We weren’t disappointed. Well, maybe when the band stopped playing at 1:30. His close family was able to attend but that was all. His mother was so pretty and done up. She wore a gorgeous pink dress and cute little peep toe silver pumps. Very proper but very festive.

They had a catholic ceremony in a small town near Munich. I saw next to Doris’ cousin, Uwe, and he is a ton of fun. We all had a great time at the wedding, making small jokes, and listening to the mariachi band play. They were so wonderful and they sounded so great in the church. It was just the perfect touch to the wedding to have them. Here is a picture of Doris and I with the band. The day was a bit windy…..

The reception started with an abundance of cake. It is tradition that all of the cousins and aunts bring a cake. Let’s say there are 21 cousins plus aunts to go with them so there is always a TON of amazing food. The cake time leads into coffee and then the dancing began. Oh, and the drinking. There was great beer, homemade schnapps, and tequila. The Mexican heritage had to be represented also!! The party got started right by Miguel’s parents dancing to a traditional Mexican song played by the mariachi band.

Part of their traditional weddings (and it is more of the Romanian/German heritage than current day German traditions) involve many games. One of which is kidnapping the bride and the groom must go and find her. At the last wedding I went to during my exchange year we went a bar and he had to try to figure out which one we were at. Every time he went to the wrong location, he had to do something, like put his shoes on the wrong feet, roll up his pant legs, or wear a wig. This time, since it was such a small town, we went out to the patio where they had sangria waiting for us. Miguel eventually showed up wearing a dress, wig, and breasts. It was quite the site! They made him do certain tasks to get her back, such as saying 5 words to describe the bride with a mouth full of wine, or finding a ring in a bowl of flower. He eventually got her back then everyone else got to play in the games as well. I got called up for a game where you have to take either a tennis ball or a ping pong ball and fish it up one pant leg of a unsuspecting guy and down the other. I lost, horrible. I also lost my ball. Everyone was laughing at me. I have no idea who this guy was since he was wearing a Rastafarian wig. Did I mention how great a comforter sangria makes when 10 tables of people are laughing at you?

After the games ended and we headed inside it was time for dinner. They had a great spread of food. I have no idea what all they served but everyone’s plate had something different. It was amazing! There was also more cake and even later, they brought out plates of ice cream with crepes. The ice cream was so delicious! They were big slabs of all different flavors. Caramel, hazelnut, chocolate, vanilla. I couldn’t pass on a taste test of those either. After dinner we all changed into clothes a bit more comfortable for dancing. Here I am with Rosi (Doris’ cousin) and Doris after the costume change.

The dancing was great. The band played great songs, but their sets weren’t very long and they had really long breaks. At the beginning this was ok because the mariachi band in between, but after they left it let the mood die down. We weren’t very happy with that. All of the younger cousins had planned a game for everyone. The audience participation wasn’t very good but that probably had something to do with alcohol consumption and the noise. But the King and Queen were on a chariot lead by a driver and 2 horses. There was a story that went a long with it and every time someone’s “position” was said, such as “the driver” he had to run around his chair. Everyone had a roll and it was a lot of fun. I really like how they all play games and have so much interaction. As it got later, it was time to throw the bouquet of flowers. There were plenty of single ladies there so the competition was tough but I’m not one to back down from a challenge. I’m not exactly in a rush to get married, but I really don’t like to lose so the result….

I caught the flowers. Woo Hoo! I also caught them at the last wedding I was at and that I’m still nowhere near close to being married. Doris said since these are German flowers it now leaves me the opportunity for a German man.

On Sunday we all woke up decently early and had breakfast down in the parents kitchen. It was fun seeing everyone the next morning and some people were definitely in better shape than others! Shortly thereafter we said our good byes and headed home. My flight left at 3:30 so we had to get back. Doris’ mom made an amazing lunch then Doris and I headed off to the airport. I go to check in only to learn my flight has been cancelled. I am supposed to go through Munich which was apparently close shortly before we arrived due to this annoying ash cloud. I got lucky and caught the KLM direct flight back to Amsterdam. I only arrived an hour later than scheduled and got to spend a few extra hours with Doris’ family and see her brother and future sister in law. I am still recovering and due to all of the partying I have come down with a cold.

I will not let this cold stop me though, because tomorrow I fly out to Copenhagen for my first solo trip ever. I will then travel to Stockholm and meet up with my cousin, then fly back to Amsterdam on Sunday. Therefore, I will not be able to blog the rest of the week but expect some great stories and pictures next week. I will also try to get a few more pictures of the wedding from Doris. Have a great week and pray the winds keep the ash cloud away!!

Koninginnenacht

I’ve been wanting to do something outside of my apartment and start some sort of Dutch socialization process and I decided on yoga. Last night was my first class. I found a studio right across the canal from my apartment, not even a 5 minute walk. It was really nice. There are lots of young people who were there and the instructor was nice too. She said everything in Dutch though so I was a bit lost, but I just followed everyone else and it wasn’t too bad. I plan on going back, and hopefully continue 2x a week until I move home. We’ll see how that works. I am a bit sore today. Nothing major, but I can feel a few select muscles. I consider that a good thing.

Tonight is Queen’s night or koninginnenacht as the Dutch say it. It is the start of the celebration for the Queen’s birthday. It is actually the date of her Mom’s birthday since the weather tends to be better on April 30 compared to January 31, her actual birthday. This celebration continues right on through till tomorrow night. I am planning on going out tonight, alone, for the first time EVER. I have never been out to a bar or party or anything of the sorts totally alone. I have met people there but this time I am flying solo. The guys at work have given me all sorts of advice and tips, only half of which I feel safe listening to. The other half I would have been better off never hearing. I did make two of them in charge though. One is responsible if anything should happen to me, and the other is responsible for searching for me if I don’t show up to work on Monday. I should survive, but you never know.

Tomorrow, Queen’s day or Koninginnedag, I am headed to Amsterdam to see what the party there is like. It is going to be wild. They say over a million people come out and celebrate in the city. There aren’t even that many full time residents! I am meeting a few people from work who reluctantly agreed to be my friends. I still don’t own any orange, which is a prerequisite to wear but I figured I can buy a big silly hat on the street or something. I’ll manage one way or another. The weather isn’t supposed to be that great though, rain in the mornings and a high of 59. Oh well, maybe there will be less crowds? I doubt it. I will keep you posted about the crazy antics of Dutch partying. Hope I live through it!!!

Oh No.....

I’m in the process of getting sick, and fighting it. I hope I curb this with my planned mass amounts of hot tea drinking and Emergen-C consumption. I will be miserable if I don’t. I also know why this all started….

I had planned to go visit Erik on Friday. I hadn’t heard from him for a few days and was a bit worried about our plans. He ended up emailing and he told me he would be in Delft till about 10:30 pm so I should just go hang out with his family until then. I love his family and I didn’t see anything wrong with that suggestion but it was just so late! My parents hardly stay up past 8! I call their house and get the youngest daughter on the phone and she tells me to come around 8 or 8:15 pm. I still think its super late to be showing up but she assured me it’s Dutch and I shouldn’t worry. I say OK! Erik had emailed me instructions on how to get to his parents house from the train station. This thought was overwhelming but I figured I’d give it a shot!

I took the bus for the first time in Haarlem to the bus station. It was raining and I had a big bag with me. Lazy won out. But the bright side, I figured out how to use the bus in Haarlem!! Not so difficult, but still, the ice has been broken! So I jump on the train down to Delft and sit back and enjoy the 40 minutes that I have. I thought I had synced my Ipod so I could watch my show, but it didn’t work so I read my book instead. I have started reading “The Blind Side.” While I’m not generally one for football books, I really like it. I get lost in the football talk but I like the characters and the story behind it.

Anyways, I get off in Delft and follow the signs to the new bus station and jump on the bus that Erik says. I look at the bus driver a little lost, I tell him where I need to go, he confirms that stop is on his route and I pay the €1.30 and sit down. A few stops later, I get off the bus. I was a bit worried about how I was going to find my way from the bus stop to their house, but Gina (Mark and Erik’s mom) was waiting for me. I was so HAPPY to see her!! I was so proud of myself for getting there totally Dutch style too. Full use of the public transportation system! She led me back to their house where I settled in for a few hours to wait for Erik. It was so nice to spend time talking with their family (and their American exchange student). She performed Lady GaGa at the school’s talent show and they had filmed it. I was super impressed!! She is really good! And it took a lot of guts to get up there and perform. I never would have! Americans are quite competitive so my first question was “Did you win?” I was informed it wasn’t a competition; it was just for fun for the students. What is funny, when Mark called later that was his first question as well. Apparently America is rubbing off on him also!

Ton, the father and husband of the family, is really good at finding cheap air fare. Kelly and I have a few trips up our sleeves and I started talking to him about them and he started looking online. I had ran into an issue when I was looking because I couldn’t book them on a budget European site because I don’t have a European billing address for my credit card. This is just another issue that I have with the Dutch monetary system. I ended up not booking anything yet because I have to verify my holidays but I do think I’m going to try and open a bank account today after work. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll see how the weather is. It snowed again last night so we are back to white.

Another issue with this credit card/chip card thing is the OV chip card. This OV card is for use on subways, busses, trams, and all other public transportation systems in Holland. Basically, you scan your card when you get on public transit vehicle and then it charges you €4. You scan it again when you get off at your destination and it credits you back the difference of your travels. Pretty handy, right? Now I’ve seen signs for this card but have no idea how to get one. I even asked the train station lady and she didn’t really know either. I asked Erik, he knew! So that was his mission, to help me get an OV Chip card. The downfall, I can refill it unless I have a bank chip card. Another reason I need a local bank account, the stupid chip card!

So anyways, at about 11 pm Erik and I headed off towards Rotterdam. His parents were perfectly fine staying up so late. I guess it really is Dutch style. Ton took us to the train station where we intercepted the train and took the 20 minutes (or somewhere around there) down to Rotterdam. Erik’s fraternity house is only about 10 minutes from the train station but it was kind of drizzling and ruining my cute “party hair.” It was my first Dutch party; I had to have cute hair! We arrive at his fraternity where they are having a bit of social hour and I get to meet a few of the other members. I found the cute, tall Dutch guys!!! They are still in college…and not living in Haarlem! Dang. But at least I know they’re out there.

After I drop my stuff off in his room, and he promises me the mice won’t get it, we head out for the evening. You will have to tune in tomorrow to find out how it went!

Just Another Day

Today has been quite uneventful. I have been pretty busy at work, which is nice and there doesn’t seem to be anything too catastrophic going on anywhere nearby or in the news. Kelly continues to blog about her fun trip to Germany and I continue to be jealous when I read about it.

Jillian’s workout kicked my butt yesterday. It was very tiring, and I am sore today - my calves mostly. I’m sure Kelly had fun watching me work out in our “dining room” area. I’m pretty sure I asked her to put me out of my misery a few times. Oh well, no pain no gain, right?

Tomorrow I plan on heading down to Rotterdam to visit Erik, Mark’s real Dutch brother. I guess we’ll be hitting the town tomorrow evening and hopefully I’ll be able to con him out of a tour on Saturday. Kelly has 2 friends arriving on Saturday as well. I guess they/we will tour Haarlem on Saturday then we were thinking about trying to go to Den Haage (The Hague) on Sunday. Kelly and I haven’t been either so it will hopefully be a good adventure. They have a jam packed schedule for the week they are here. I would too if I was in their shoes! I’m glad we can help facilitate people’s tour of the continent  Kelly’s mom will be here next Monday as well. I can’t wait to meet her. I’ve obviously heard so much about her and she seems like a really neat person. It will also be glad to have a mother figure around. Mine is a bit harder to pin down.

I guess we’re getting a new floor in the office building. I’m not exactly sure how all this works, but apparently, we’re sinking. So they are going to jack up the building and put stuff underneath to stabilize the floor and make it all level again. We also get new carpet. The downside to this, all of the furniture has to be moved off the 1st floor. That is a lot of equipment. They are going through bookshelves and cleaning out cabinets in what I’m guessing is an effort to make them light and get rid of old stuff. In New Mexico the ground is so hard, it generally doesn’t move. Apparently, since Holland used to be underwater, the ground still shifts and sinks. Lucky country.

I am also starting to make friends. I answer the phone when our co-workers are out. It generally rings about 45 seconds after they step out of the office. People are slowly getting more and more used to having an American answer, and even asking me questions about how I am still liking my time here and job. I get excited about any friends that I can find! Baby steps.

Life's Little Challenges

Life is interesting. It’s amazing at what it throws at us and how we are “trained” to deal with the different situations. I guess our “training” is based on our upbringings and while there is a right and wrong way to handle most things, there is plenty of grey area in between the two opposites. I am missing working out/running and am making an effort to get back into it. Back in Colorado, I was well on my way to becoming a beef jerky eating hippie. I was hiking on the weekends and working out nearly every day. It’s hard not to get out and enjoy the outdoors when you are surrounded by such spectacular landscapes. It makes running that much more enjoyable when you have to make noise so that the deer grazing on your path realize that you’re coming and don’t freak out. Houston was a different story. It was hot, humid, and gross. Who wants to go outside then to only get attacked by the onslaught of cars and trucks and noise and mosquitoes? Yeah, my working out fell of the cliff in Houston. It also didn’t help I was travelling a lot and never allowed myself to get into a routine. There are no excuses, but my conditions were not favorable for me to be dedicated to a workout routine. Now, in Holland, faced with bad weather but an urge I have to figure out how to balance the two extremes. There is a nice park very nearby where I can go running. There are deer, granted in an enclosed fence, but deer none the less. Oh, and a pair of Shetland ponies. So we’ll chalk that up into the wildlife column. There are also other people to where I feel safe enough someone might find me if there was an attacker lurking in the trees but not enough people to feel claustrophobic. This might change when it’s not either raining or snowing.

So taking this new approach I signed up for Jillian Michael’s online program. Today marks the first full day, so no amazing stories or discoveries just yet. I do have some opinions (no surprise) though. Since my week hasn’t been exciting and I completely forgot to blog yesterday, you will be getting my rundown of the site today.

Likes: It gives you a shopping list for the meals that it assigns you to eat every meal of the day for every week of every month and so on and so forth. Handy. It also creates a work out for you each day. It changes things up, tells you exactly how to do it, and is generally dummy proof. It also has a food log where you write down what you eat. I know this is helpful as many weightloss programs have this, but I really don’t like it. It just takes so much tedious effort (I know, I could have (and did) write everything down in the same time I do this blog).

Dislikes: The food plan is clearly made for an American. Our European fridge can’t hold all of these foods that are “needed” for a week. I printed out the shopping list and it is 6 PAGES LONG. Now, it has everything on there from your oils to sugars fresh veggies. You don’t have to buy new oils every week, but still. Not a plan for the small kitchen. It also uses lots of things like jalapenos. I really like those spicy peppers and there are surprisingly lots of dishes made in restaurants with them but I have yet to see a pepper in the grocery store. They have canned/bottled ones but I don’t like those. Jillian also has recipes with Mole, like the Mexican chocolaty mole sauce. Something tells me that won’t be happening in this country. The recipe measurements are all also done in American measurements, not metric. While these are all big complaints coming from me, something tells me she isn’t after the European market. They are generally skinnier people as is. But being an American in Europe is frustrating. I can’t even put myself on a diet without running into all of these little issues that are just so difficult an annoying!

Ok, enough about that. We’ll see how I do. I might kill myself with my work out today. Hopefully Kelly will rescue me if necessary. I don’t know about this rigid menu stuff. There are so many other great things here that is not common in America. I feel I should take advantage of those things when I have them. One example, dark bread with whole nuts - the bread has whole sunflower seeds and oats in. I just love their breads and some aren’t totally unhealthy!

Ok, off to finish off my afternoon! Wednesday is on the downhill slide towards Friday! Can’t wait!