It all will fall, fall right into place
Recently
Something I’m quite happy with at the moment is the way my room is turning out. I’ve rearranged it since I took the picture in my Picasa album, so I’ll have to take another soon and you can see what it looks like now. The most important thing is that I have a desk now, which is really nice! Writing on your knees while sitting in bed is OK sometimes, but can lose its charm pretty quickly. Now I have a place to sit and scribble, and I’ve gotten everything organized just the way I want it.
One thing that hasn’t gotten straightened out yet is my bathroom. I have a functional shower, thank goodness, and as of last week I have a sink and cabinet as well, but that’s it. It was supposed to be done two weeks ago, but there have been difficulties with the contractor and so on (when are there not difficulties with contractors, I ask myself?) so I still don’t have a toilet, which normally I wouldn’t complain about except that the nearest bathroom is down my narrow stairs and through the garage, the laundry room, and the kitchen. What you’ve got to keep in mind is that the Ts had only barely set up house here when I arrived-they moved last month from Copenhagen. So the whole household is still being straightened out, there’s boxes to be unpacked and lights to install and many things still to be done. So I don’t mind having to wait a little!
In other news, I have a phone now-and more importantly, a library card! Rebecca, Bella and I went and got cards on Thursday. There are two libraries close by, one in Stadsplein where the big shopping center is, about ten minutes’ drive away; and a smaller branch in Westwijkplein, the little shopping center right around the corner from our house. There’s a great selection of books in English and German, and of course tons in Dutch for when my mad language skillz get that good.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to do anything at ISA (International School of Amsterdam) in the near future because some uptight admissions lady says that it’s not possible until Luc is actually going to school there-which of course hinges on his eventual potty training. Too bad! It’s frustrating because he’s actually technically enrolled there; and you’d think they’d jump at the chance to have a little extra help somewhere, but maybe that isn’t how it works there. Ah well, I’m sure at some point I’ll get my foot in the door… and Luc’s bottom on the potty.
Crossroads
I went to church again today. I sat next to a really nice lady named Sandra who introduced me to a bunch of young people involved with youth stuff over there, so next week I’m going to meet up with the youth group. Quite exciting! I love communities like this because everyone is so friendly and willing to help you out, even if you’ve only been around a few weeks. Sandra gave me her address and phone number and told me to get in touch with her any time if I wanted to, and it would have taken me way longer to figure out the youth group stuff if she hadn’t pointed me in the right way. So nice! I wish all people were like that all the time.
De Efteling
On Friday I went to De Efteling with Rebecca, Luc, Bella, and Opa Willem (Marc’s father). It’s an amusement park kind of like Disneyland, except not as big. There are two or three rollercoasters and a lot of kid-friendly rides like a big carousel, whirling teacups (except that it’s cannibal stewpots, not teacups, and this crazy song in French about “Monsieur Cannibale” plays while you go around), and an “It’s A Small World After All”-type fun house. I ate lots of poffertjes, mini pancakes served with loads of melted butter and powdered sugar, and went on my first rollercoaster, which was way more fun than I thought it would be (probably because we didn’t go upside down), and met Pardus and Pardeintje, who are Dutch cartoon fairy tale type figures whose names I’ve probably misspelled. It was a lot of fun!
xo
Nora
PS: Don't get excited and think that entries will always be this regular ;)
Title courtesy of the Modest Mouse song "Gravity Rides Everything."
Something I’m quite happy with at the moment is the way my room is turning out. I’ve rearranged it since I took the picture in my Picasa album, so I’ll have to take another soon and you can see what it looks like now. The most important thing is that I have a desk now, which is really nice! Writing on your knees while sitting in bed is OK sometimes, but can lose its charm pretty quickly. Now I have a place to sit and scribble, and I’ve gotten everything organized just the way I want it.
One thing that hasn’t gotten straightened out yet is my bathroom. I have a functional shower, thank goodness, and as of last week I have a sink and cabinet as well, but that’s it. It was supposed to be done two weeks ago, but there have been difficulties with the contractor and so on (when are there not difficulties with contractors, I ask myself?) so I still don’t have a toilet, which normally I wouldn’t complain about except that the nearest bathroom is down my narrow stairs and through the garage, the laundry room, and the kitchen. What you’ve got to keep in mind is that the Ts had only barely set up house here when I arrived-they moved last month from Copenhagen. So the whole household is still being straightened out, there’s boxes to be unpacked and lights to install and many things still to be done. So I don’t mind having to wait a little!
In other news, I have a phone now-and more importantly, a library card! Rebecca, Bella and I went and got cards on Thursday. There are two libraries close by, one in Stadsplein where the big shopping center is, about ten minutes’ drive away; and a smaller branch in Westwijkplein, the little shopping center right around the corner from our house. There’s a great selection of books in English and German, and of course tons in Dutch for when my mad language skillz get that good.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to do anything at ISA (International School of Amsterdam) in the near future because some uptight admissions lady says that it’s not possible until Luc is actually going to school there-which of course hinges on his eventual potty training. Too bad! It’s frustrating because he’s actually technically enrolled there; and you’d think they’d jump at the chance to have a little extra help somewhere, but maybe that isn’t how it works there. Ah well, I’m sure at some point I’ll get my foot in the door… and Luc’s bottom on the potty.
Crossroads
I went to church again today. I sat next to a really nice lady named Sandra who introduced me to a bunch of young people involved with youth stuff over there, so next week I’m going to meet up with the youth group. Quite exciting! I love communities like this because everyone is so friendly and willing to help you out, even if you’ve only been around a few weeks. Sandra gave me her address and phone number and told me to get in touch with her any time if I wanted to, and it would have taken me way longer to figure out the youth group stuff if she hadn’t pointed me in the right way. So nice! I wish all people were like that all the time.
De Efteling
On Friday I went to De Efteling with Rebecca, Luc, Bella, and Opa Willem (Marc’s father). It’s an amusement park kind of like Disneyland, except not as big. There are two or three rollercoasters and a lot of kid-friendly rides like a big carousel, whirling teacups (except that it’s cannibal stewpots, not teacups, and this crazy song in French about “Monsieur Cannibale” plays while you go around), and an “It’s A Small World After All”-type fun house. I ate lots of poffertjes, mini pancakes served with loads of melted butter and powdered sugar, and went on my first rollercoaster, which was way more fun than I thought it would be (probably because we didn’t go upside down), and met Pardus and Pardeintje, who are Dutch cartoon fairy tale type figures whose names I’ve probably misspelled. It was a lot of fun!
xo
Nora
PS: Don't get excited and think that entries will always be this regular ;)
Title courtesy of the Modest Mouse song "Gravity Rides Everything."