Sander and I used to go grocery shopping once a week. He’d come home from work and we’d hop into the car with our reusable bags. We roamed the aisles looking for delicious foods, both new and well loved, to fill our bellies. But families are limited to one member per household and I can’t go shopping anymore. Well I can, but would be for small hauls. All I have is a bike so I can’t do a weekly haul.…
Things have been a bit slow for us here. We were suppose to spend this week in Belgium but I’m sure you’re aware of the travel situation. So instead Sander and I spent a quiet week at home. It’s been nice though and I’m glad we did. So since we didn’t do much, I’d like to share a few updates on what we’ve been up to. Housekeeping Last Friday I spent the entire day cleaning the house from top to…
For Americans, Independence Day is one of celebration. We learn about it in school, throw huge parties, and light up the sky with fireworks. We also have Memorial Day, which is a day of remembrance for all those who have fallen in battle. But we don’t have anything like National Remembrance Day or Liberation Day. These two days are particularly important for Dutch history. World War 2 left a huge impact on the Dutch. It was a war torn country…
I love living in The Netherlands because I get to observe seasons. A year in California is a year of summer so when I moved I was a bit overwhelmed. It’s been 4 years since I moved and I’ve adjusted well. I have to say that spring and autumn are my favorites but there’s so much to see during the spring. So allow me to share a bit of what makes me happy! Babies! Oh boy, the amount of baby…
On the edge of the Amsterdamse Bos sits a circle of beautiful cherry blossoms. 400 of these elegant trees were a gift from Japan to Amstelveen in 2000. Of course Sander and I kept missing our time to go so we decided to use the sunny weather to head outside. I know we’re supposed to be in quarantine… But Sander and I could not resist the outdoors on Saturday. We’ve been in the house for so long and it was…
Whew. We thought that 2019 was terrible but nothing prepared us for 2020. It’s only mid-March and it sounds like the world is spiraling out of control. Sander and I live in a small town in North Holland so we’ve been safe so far. But all our big plans for the spring crumbled due to COVID-19 and advised social distancing. Here’s an update on what’s going on with us and our situation here in The Netherlands. Staying Home Remember that…
Dutch words are hard to read and even harder to say. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a beautiful language. Dutch has its quirks and charms, and even those words that make you want to gag. I was disappointed when I first learned that duck was “eend.” However, if you add a -je to the end of it, eendje sounds so much cuter and is a ton more fun to say. I use -je for as much as I can.…
The Dutch enjoy the holiday season a lot and festivities begin early! We even saw Christmas treats in our supermarket in October! Sometimes it feels like Christmas season starts earlier each year but the traditions always stay the same. So how do the Dutch celebrate Christmas? Christmas Markets I’ve written about Christmas Markets before but it’s such a huge part of Christmas in The Netherlands. Christmas decorations hang from every store front in America. Outdoor house decorations get larger and…
The Dutch are a huge exporter of flowers. Most of this trade happens in the Dutch Flower auctions and take place in only two towns, Aalsmeer and Eelde. Millions of flowers pass through the doors everyday! And I was lucky enough to get a look at the surface of what goes on. This time around I didn’t learn everything about the Dutch Flower auctions. But I do have a better understanding of what happens! A few weeks ago I went with…