Andere Dingen

Non-Amsterdam stuff

Damaris turned Amish:

I turned Turkish

Every Saturday we go on the most exciting grocery shopping trips: 

The Dutch know how to make grocery shopping FUN! (in this shop there are quite a few of these above the shelves)

Ed, Vera and I went to Feedback - the biggest music store in Rotterdam (or something like that). It has more specific rooms than Guitar Center (a room for cymbals, a room for drums, a room for electrics, a room for acoustic, a room for bass, a room for show lights, keyboards, etc etc etc). Pretty great. It even has tables in it if all that music makes you hungry. But all their nice stuff was in a glass walled room so you couldnt touch it. I saw my guitar and it was in that glass case. You cant touch perfection. Here is me not touching it:

Vera and me:

Ed found himself something to do in the acoustic room:

Vera, studio session

This one wont stay there long:

A fast food place on way to the school in Amsterdam (who WOULDNT want to eat here!)

And Vera says

Update

This is my fourth week since I've moved to Amsterdam, and my sixth week since I moved to Holland (I'm going to stop counting pretty soon). CRAZY. Here is the updates, thus far.

Language classes are going well still, I think. I am as impatient as ever, but I am constantly learning so with that I am happy. If I ever need a self esteem boost, I can just ask Michiel what he thinks of my progress. He is so enthusiastic and proud of me haha. Today he was telling his friend my life story. He got everything right except he said I was from Africa. Marlies & GertJan are also so encouraging, it is obvious they like me here and that makes it so great to have it go both ways like that. The situation is quite perfect, if you had any doubts please squish them now. I talk to the kids all in Dutch so that is good practice, but they will not correct me unless I make them. But whenever I talk to adults (Jenny, Ed, GertJan, Marlies...) I get my fair share of education haha. So much to learn and damn it I'm an American and I want it NOW. But, here I am, chapter 3. Test results: I passed the big test, but the teacher decided not to move me up after all. Long story, with a lot of unhappy GertJans and Ashleys, but in the end, I can still learn from level 1 so I will do what I can with it. There is always something else to learn.
Also, since we're talking about language, should I tell you or should I not tell you, that a native Dutch speaker is beating me at WordFeud (scrabble for smart phones)... in ENGLISH? Beating, and has beat - current and past tense. It has gotten funny to me now. I think I should just live on moon and use the Morse code or something. But I think my slang is catching on.

GertJan and Marlies bought me a plant yesterday. Quite nice. I think I'll get more of them. Livens up the room a bit. I'm so plain I dont even think of what I could add to the room...think I need a Jacqueline to decorate for me or something.

I went on my first run last week. It was the most beautiful run I've ever been on - ran along the beach. If I had time, I'd go there every day. Sit and watch. Sit and watch. It really is lovely here in Ijburg, so close to the water, and so windy.

Got back from another great weekend in Schiedam. Always hard to leave, but good to come back to. Parting is such sweet sorrow. haha. (We all have our melodramatic moments, right?) But also, it is great to be with the kids and talk more with Marlies and GertJan, so I admit, I have it pretty good.

Love to all.

mijn moeder is een stresskip

Femke & Michiel's favourite song (besides 'Thriller')

Us together again. Hopefully we'll grow to like eachother, in time:

Mijn kinderen

My days are like this:
Mon, Tues, Thurs - Dutch Class
Every day - Iron, cook, clean, get kids from school
Some days - change bed sheets, wash clothes, grocery shopping

That's basically it. Don't laugh at me. I'm a good woman. I can also make sandwhiches and wear an apron. But its good. The kids are fun and great and I love them already, and they like me too, which is also great. The parents are pleased with how things are going, and are very helpful.
So that's my "job". But don't call it a job. Because its not.

I also fill up my day with studying and wordfeud. Aren't I exciting? (Yes I am, because I'm in a different country). But really its great. Being here is perfect.

I also spend a bit of time with my family in Schiedam - they are wonderful.

Here are pictures.

Femke (age 7)

Michiel (age 5)

Nu

and finally, i can do THIS

Vraag: Wat wilt u liever doen? 

Antwoord: ik heb een cursus nederlands, maar ik wil liever weet het allemaal al

De Taal

As a summary (pictures come later because first you must look at the France photos) for those who are dying to know:
It's going really well here. I have not yet been on my own, my first week in Amsterdam Marlies (the mum) was with me, and now (the second week) Sara (the au pair) is with me. But from how it's been I think I have good standing to say it will continue to be excellent. People have asked me what the hardest thing for me has been, and I gotta say it has been being away from Schiedam. I try to fix that by coming back on the weekends, but it can normally only be for a day...of course I always enjoy it there.
My main responsibilities are: washing. ironing. cooking. a little shopping if needed. being with kids. being a good woman. and of course, the studying the language.
So far the language has been easy for me. I haven't really learned much in the class I'm taking, but I've been learning alot listening and trying to speak and being corrected and all that. But now things will be getting more difficult because I take a big test on Monday...if I pass, I advance to the next level. Because the class has been so easy for me, it would be a waste of money if I continued to stay in it. GertJan (the father) made some calls and now, well, here I am.

A little bit nervous.

Frankrijk

Rewind to December, around Christmas time, and then these pictures won't seem so out of date.
Ed and Damaris drove 13 hours (i think?) straight through to France while I just sat there because I'm a big help. (Why didn't I learn to drive stick shift) Oh what fun!

Vera had lots of fun squished in the back with all the luggage.

 Kim sat behind me

Ed slept very comfortable in the car;

We spent a week in a chalet in the French alps...suuuuper beautiful and suuuper great. People skiied and I tried to snowboard. Look now!

 This is the the spot we stayed:

 We lived like eskimos. Make our own personal group freezer:

 And again:

 Fireworks at Christmas (I kept forgetting it was Christmas, I guess they had to remind us)

 The view from our chalet:

 Sunny day and Sunny Wim

 Sunny Girls

Well I tried:

And then we just chilled...
(and this is the BEST wine in the whole world)

pasta point 1

1) Pasta in the make

I pasta:

Jenny pastas:

Wim pastas:

We all pasta!