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Cat Feeding Time- Clingandel Park

Malieveld

The largest green space in Den Haag, is one of my favorite places to sit, and enjoy the spring weather. One of the best spots in Den Haag to people watch, there is a skate park, cafe for eating poffertjes (little pancakes), and a deer run.

Thursday Book Market Leiden

Boek Markt Leiden

World's Warmest Condom

Saw this in the window of the Condomerie, in Amsterdam, along with other novelty items.

Volendam

Continuing my tour of North Holland, was a stop in Volendam. This touristy little town is popular for it's beautiful wooden houses, seaside views, and old fishing boats. Close to Amsterdam, it makes a nice day trip away from the city. Only 20km from Amsterdam, it's also the perfect distance for a bike ride. Overall a beautiful place to walk around, and enjoy the seaside, in spite of the hoards of tourists.

Cheese Please

Alkmaar- a city in North Holland, not too far from Amsterdam, and best known for the weekly cheese market! Every Friday, a cheese market is held in the Waagplein, a large square in front of the weighing house. While my visit was not on market day, the Holland's Cheese Museum was open, and full of "cheesy" info. Free piece of cheese included in entrance fee.

 Weigh House

Tiles featuring the cheese market

Bij het strand/ At the beach

When the sun is shining, and the air smells of the coming spring what do the Dutch do? Head to the beach! Just had a typical Zuid-Holland “day at the beach”in Noordwijk aan Zee, a small, touristy, seaside town. It appears that the rest of Holland had the same idea as I, to get outside, and enjoy the fresh air. The boulevard was jammed with the usual traffic jam of Dutchies queing for a parking spot, or hoping to show off their status ride (be that car or scooter). The sidewalks were full of couples out to walk along the dunes or beach, and the cafe terraces teeming with customers (and their dogs) wanting a spot in the sun.

Favorite Places

Clingendael Park
This has got to be one of my favorite parks around Den Haag (although technically located in Wassenar). Right now the spring flowers are just starting to bloom, and baby animals are being born. This parks has great biking/walking trails, and even a fabulous children's park, built to look like a castle! There is a Japenese garden in the park, open from April 30.

Dutch Wildlife

Well, it's been months since I've posted- I guess I am not cut out to be a blogger. Anyhow, here are some "wildlife"pics from my travels around the Netherlands.
Not quite like Canada......

Homesick?

Here I am, four months into my Dutch adventure, with six to go. I thought I would devote a post to the issue of homesickness. I have received quite a lot of advice on this topic, especially since moving to the Netherlands. Some people have counseled me that the first few months away from home are the hardest, others say that the holidays are hard, but I have to say that for me, this post-holiday period has by far been the worst. Roommate number one (Hans) has advised me to keep busy, and number two (Otlo), has told me that really the ultimate advice he has, is to go home (problem solved). A dear friend of mine advocated for frequent hugging which seems to be the best option so far.

I guess homesickness hits everyone in different ways, and the solution is pretty individual. For me, since moving to the Netherlands I feel like I have undergone an identity transformation. I have left behind my identity as a nurse, embraced being a Canadian, and have become an outsider, in a society where I do not speak the language. I left my cat behind in Canada with his auntie, and gained two senile cats, and a wild hedgehog (temporarily). I have moved away from a part of Canada, that I absolutely adored to a part of the world that is crowded, and flat, and into a derelict house with two moody Dutchman. So family, and friends aside, here is a list of what I miss the most from home:

What I Miss:

1. Maple Syrup (This is so much better on pancakes than pouder suiker)
2. Hockey (Best sport to watch on TV, do not miss Canadian men who are obsessed)
3. Mountains
4. Snow
5. The Wilderness
6. The Garborator (ok, really a functional sink would suffice at this point)
7. Silence, Space, and Fresh air
8. My car
9. Speaking English
10. Sour Skittles

(The Dutch syrup of choice)

A little bit about where I am living

For those of you who know me, I am a Canadian, studying abroad, learning Dutch, and fulfilling my dream of living in Europe. I am hoping to update friends, and family wherever they may be, about my life, and to chronicle my cultural experience here, in the Netherlands.

Here I am, four months into living in the Netherlands; a rose, in the land of tulips. I living in a big house, in a small town (location to remain anonymous), in Zuid-Holland. I live in an area of Holland, called the Bollenstreek region, which is an area of fertile farmland where tulips are grown. The Bollenstreek area stretches from the city of The Hague, up towards Haarlem, and inland. 

I live with two Dutch room-mates, who frighteningly remind me more and more of Beavis and Butthead every day. The house was built in 1914, and is considered a historical landmark. The house has three levels, and used to be a group home for people with handicaps. I am living here, in an anti-krack arrangement, in one of ten bedrooms. The house has a huge living area, but unfortunately for us, hasn't been maintained well over the years, and is starting to fall apart. Only some of the electrical outlets work, we have disfunctional plumbing in the kitchen, and the walls are quite literally crumbing around us on the top floor of the house. To wash dishes, we have to wash them in a basin, in the old sink, and dump the dirty water into a bucket, as opposed to into a drain. 

The best feature of the house- the toilet. The house is equipped with two old fashioned Dutch toilets. For those of you who have been to the Netherlands, maybe you know what I am talking about. The toilets here are designed with a special inspection platform, so that poo falls directly onto the shelf, and is ready for inspection. This was a totally new concept for me: FYI, I see nothing wrong with the way the Canadian/American toilets are designed with water in the bottom of the toilet bowl. At first I was confused and wondered how I was supposed to sit, so that my poo would actually make it into the hole with water, as opposed to onto the shelf. I totally missed the point, that the toilet has been designed so that people can actually check out their poo. Also, because the poo doesn't fall into water, the odor is much more potent. This was quite horrifying to me, but as it has been explained to me by the local Dutchies, this is actually quite practical as it allows a health examination of said poo, and wastes less water than the American toilet equivalent. Four months in, and the toilet is still here, but I have to say I miss my Canadian toilet.

 Well, enough for now, more to come on Dutch life! Ciao!