A Week at a Time: Mar 12 - Mar 18, 2011

At the 5 month mark of our 10 month stay in Utrecht, I've found myself feeling more settled and quite a bit busier. I'm starting to pick up on phrases at the grocery store and even understand a bit of Dutch in overheard conversations. Although I'm not brave enough to try holding a conversation, I don't feel as lost as I once did. I've attended several events with the women's group and am enjoying meeting new people in various settings. I'm more comfortable navigating and using the trains and buses. Although sometimes I grow tired of visiting the local grocery store, it no longer seems as overwhelming as it once did. My next step is to be a little more adventurous in visiting local shops, like the butcher and produce store.

In the next few months, we have several guests visiting, a cruise planned, weekly baseball games, disc golf tournaments, and many other one or two day events marked on our calendar. I'm sure this last half of our stay will fly by even faster than the first half.

One of the things I'm looking forward to over the next few months is the increase of day light hours. During the middle of winter, the sun went down before 4:30; however, now the sun sets closer to 7:30. After daylight savings time this weekend, we'll gain another hour of sunlight in the evening. And by mid summer, the sun will stay up until almost 10pm. I'm hoping the increase in daylight hours will allow us to make the most of our visit before it is time to go back home.

Anyway, on to the past week. Saturday, Mr. Traveler woke up with a pretty strong head cold. We had made plans to go to the zoo, but with the arrival of sinus pressure, we postponed the trip for a week. Instead, we caught up on our rest and took a short walk through the park. The weather was beautiful and it seemed a shame to waste it spending the entire day inside. In the park, I took quite a few pictures of the flowers, which seem to be popping up everywhere.

Mar 12 - Bloemen

On Sunday, even though Mr. Traveler still felt yucky, he had his first baseball game of the season. I went out to (silently) cheer on the team and take pictures.

Mar 13 - Honkball

On Monday, Mr. Traveler worked from home (Wasn't it nice of him not to spread the germs at his office?), and I went to meet up with the women's group for coffee at the restaurant in the V&D department store. I met some new ladies and enjoyed hearing about everyone's travel plans and experiences. The view from the top of the V&D is pretty nice, and I kind of regret not taking a picture from there. However, I figure it just gives me an excuse to go back. Instead, I took this picture of an ice cream vendor; along with the flowers, the truck just seems to scream ,"It's spring!"

Mar 14 - We All Scream for Ice Cream

Tuesday, Mr. Traveler worked from home again, but I drug him out for another walk in the park. This time, I let him man the camera for the majority of the walk, but took a few pictures of the fungus on the trees before handing over the photography duties.

Mar 15 - There's a Fungus Among Us

Even though he was still feeling less than stellar, Mr. Traveler returned to the office on Wednesday. The weather was beautiful, so I decided to go for a run. It was the first time I've run in shorts and a t-shirt since arriving in the Netherlands. On my jog, I spotted these Texas registration and inspection stickers and made myself go back later to take a picture.

Mar 16 - From Texas

Thursday, I had lunch at Rechtbank with a girl I met a few weeks ago at an International Meetup event. Since she's Dutch, I enjoyed learning more about Dutch daily life and culture from the perspective of an insider. She also pointed out a couple interesting places to visit and things to do around Utrecht. On the way home, I ran by the grocery store, where I spotted this generic beer on the shelves:

Mar 17 - Beer

Finally, on Friday, I decided to take some time to sit down and write. I headed to the library, set up my computer, and indulged with a chai latte and brownie as I tried to come up with something creative to say. I left just before it started to rain and took this picture of a canal boat making a delivery at one of the restaurants along the water.

Mar 18 - Delivery

Silly Little Moments

Yesterday, the weather was beautiful, the sun shining, with no cloud in sight. In the 50s (F), it was warm enough for just a light jacket over a short sleeved shirt. When I went for a jog, I even wore shorts and a t-shirt! From the start of my run, I felt amazing. Something about great weather just lightens my step and makes me feel like anything is possible. In fact, if my hip hadn't started hurting again when I neared our place, I probably would have ran for even longer.

Besides the mood changing effects of pleasant weather, I wanted to share two little moments on my run that made me smile. The first happened before I even left our small neighborhood. Two boys (probably about 8 or 9) were playing in the street. As I neared them, they began to whisper and then one of them made direct eye contact with me. The disc golf course in Leidsche Rijn is right by a school, and I'd seen the same look from kids of a similar age before they yelled out taunts. I felt pretty sure this kid was going to say something to me, but I didn't know what; besides, whatever it was, I knew I wouldn't understand. 

However, a moment later, instead of hearing a taunt, I saw this:

You've Been Mooned

Well, not exactly that. Instead it was a little boy's behind, but I think the picture is a little more blog-appropriate. It made me laugh for a few reasons. First, I was just completely caught off guard. You just never know what you are going to see. Second, I mused at what must have been going through the boy's mind. Was he trying to intimidate me, someone 3 times his age? Was he trying to impress his friend? Finally, I thought about what a ridiculous sense of humor little boys have and how amazing that it is the same all over the world.

The second thing that I saw on my walk that made me smile was affixed to a vehicle that I had noticed before. In fact, I'd even taken pictures of the car in the past:

Rusty Car with a Cover

This time, passing by the car, I got a little closer to try and figure out what type of car it is. (I went back and took the next two pictures since I didn't bring a camera on my jog.)

The Cover is Off Here

I believe it is a Packard Panama Clipper. Anyway, when I got closer to examine the hood ornament, I saw something familiar out of the corner of my eye. In fact, it was so familiar, it almost didn't register that it was unusual in this context. Then, as I started to jog away, I realized what I had seen:

Texas Stickers

The car had an inspection sticker and registration from Texas! It's funny to think that someone living a few blocks away from me here may have lived near me back home as well. Of course, the Lone Star State is huge and the owner could be from any part of the state, but finding this little connection still made me pretty happy.

Through the rest of my run, I thought about these two moments and how such small things can affect our outlook and our feeling of connectivity with our surroundings.

A Week at a Time: Mar 5 - Mar 11, 2011

Last week seemed quite eventful, and by the end of the week, I found myself behind on responding to emails and with a growing pile of laundry. Sometimes I can't imagine how I actually worked a full time job, taught as an adjunct, and worked on freelance projects all while planning a wedding and still making time for cooking and hanging out with friends. I am very thankful for the break I have this year before starting back to school and teaching in the fall.

Saturday, I played a disc golf tournament in Amsterdam. The first round, I got a little frustrated as I missed out on some of the mando and OB rules that were written on the tee signs. I started to let my inexperience with the course and the serious mindset of my fellow card members get to me, and my score suffered as a result. During lunch, however, I shook off the first round, and my second round was much stronger, as well as more enjoyable. I took the following picture from the basket of Hole 9. For an alternate tee pad, we used the top of the hill in the background.

Mar 5 - Disc Golf Tourney

On Sunday, I though I would be content with my normal day of "post tournament rest". However, the sun came out and the sky was beautiful. I couldn't let the day go to waste and insisted that we pick a site in town to visit. We chose the Geldmuseum (money museum), which also houses the mint (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the museum is housed in the mint). I think the museum is mostly intended for children. Although I enjoyed the exhibit of old coins, the rest of the museum consists mostly of interactive exhibits in Dutch. We were given a card with "money" on it, which could be used to play the games in the exhibits. If you win a game, you gain money which can be used in other games. At the end of the visit, you can use this money to buy a souvenir. Way to teach the kiddos gambling early! Maybe it helps to stimulate the economy?

Mar 6 - Geldmuseum

Monday, I did rest. In fact, I can't really remember what I did except for taking a few pictures of Mr. Traveler's bike. He's been riding his foldy bike to the train station, carrying it on the train, and then riding it to work in Houten. However, since we figured out the buses, he decided it would be nicer to take the bus to the station in Utrecht and leave his bike in Houten. Monday was the last day for the bike around our place, so I took this picture as the sun streamed through our window.

Mar 7 - Rust

Tuesday, I set out to run some errands (including a little clothes shopping -- I was pretty excited with my purchase of 3 new undershirts for less than 15 euros total). It was another sunny day, and that, along with the increasing temperature, encouraged many people to spend time outside. Along the Oudegracht, people filled almost every outdoor table, enjoying their lunch or coffee.

Mar 8 - A Springy Day

Wednesday, I went to my first event with a women's group I joined. I loved getting to know the other women, seeing a new town, and spending time with the dog that accompanied our walking group. The sheep in the picture below were quite vocal, almost as if they were trying to get us to pay attention.

Mar 9 - Bah

Thursday, I made plans to play disc golf with my friend M (the guy who helped me get to the first tournament I played here). We met up at the train station and traveled to 3 different parks. At the first one, we talked about potential holes for a course that is in the city plan. We even threw a few discs to try out the holes we had invented. Next, we headed to IJsselstein, but got on the wrong tram and ended up at the Nieuwegein course instead. We played 6 holes of that course and moved on to IJsselstein. None of the courses compare to the ones we have back in the States, but they are all better than the one in Utrecht. I took the picture below from the Albert Heijn (grocery store) across from the course.

Mar 10 - IJsselstein

On Friday, I set out to find a book for the book club I'm attending next week and ice packs (the kind you use to ice down sore muscles). I found the book, The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer, at my first stop (Selexyz). Even though their Web site only had the Dutch copy of the book, the English one was on the shelf when I went to the actual store. The ice packs were a little harder to find, but I finally found them at the sporting goods store. I grabbed ingredients to make a pizza and headed home. The following picture was taken near our apartment just before the sun started to set.

Mar 11 - Avond

Walk with the Women

On Wednesday, I went to my first official event with the International Women's Contact Utrecht. The plan was to gather at Theetuin Eemnes and then head out on a walk through the neighboring town of Blaricum. Afterward, we would grab lunch at the theehuis before heading our separate ways.

Since I don't have a car in Europe, I met some of the ladies at the Jarbeursplein in Utrecht, where one member had so graciously offered to pick us up. The car ride went quickly as we swapped stories about how we ended up in Utrecht. While some of us are here temporarily, others have been here for many years with no end date in sight. One of the British ladies came for her Dutch boyfriend who she met in Greece on a vacation while living in America.

On my way to the Jarbeursplein, it had started to sprinkle a little, but we all kept our fingers crossed, hoping the sky would clear. As we approached Eemnes, however, the rain started to come down harder and harder. Since the radar showed only a thin band of rain, we opted to grab a quick cup of coffee in the theehuis and see if the showers would pass. This also allowed time for some of the ladies who were running a little late to arrive.

When we did head out, it was still drizzling enough that I opened my umbrella. Within a couple hundred meters, however, I realized that the rain had stopped completely when the umbrella blew completely inside out and I remained dry.

Slight Detour, Laying Some Water (?) Pipes

We walked for about 2 hours, but the time flew past. I enjoyed getting to know all of the different women and hearing about their adventures both in the Netherlands and around the world. Even in the midst of great conversation, however, I pulled myself away to take a few shots of the cute town of Blaricum. Out in the country, the town features relatively large houses with thatched roofs and nice, spacious yards. On the edges of town, people keep livestock, including sheep and horses.

Cute House

Funny Horses

These Sheep Were Quite Loud

At one point, we walked through a large off leash dog park. One of the ladies in our group brought her Portuguese Water Dog, Bailey, along, so we enjoyed getting to see her play with the other dogs.

Bailey and a Matching Friend

We returned to the theetuin (tea garden) around 1:30 and enjoyed a quick lunch before heading back. I ordered a ham and kaas (cheese) sandwich and pear muffin. Just as we started to get in the car, the blue sky decided to peek out of the clouds. While a sunny walk would have been nice, we were all just thankful that the rain had stopped in time for us to enjoy our jaunt.

Theehuis Eemnes (from the Road)

A week at a Time: Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2011

On Saturday, we had lunch at a bakery/cafe down the street and later attended the midday organ concert at the Domkerk. It was quite chilly, even inside the church; that, coupled with the uncomfortable folding chairs and not so exciting pipe organ music made for a long hour. The organist was extremely talented, but listening to a single instrument for that long is a little bit too much for me. When we got home, I warmed up with a cup of tea.

Feb 26 - Cup of Tea

Sunday, it rained nearly all day. This little (well actually relatively round) kitty kept begging to come inside. As the cat meowed, I took pictures. I don't think he was too happy with this arrangement, as he was soaking wet and cold and I was nice and warm just a few feet away.

Feb 27 - I Want Inside

Monday, the rain stopped, but the clouds hung around. So did our little friend from the day before. As I walked to deliver mail that had been dropped in our box by mistake (the street names start with the same letter and are in the same post code), I passed the kitty sitting on this scooter. I almost felt like he was glaring at me, perhaps holding a grudge from Sunday.

Feb 28 - At Least I Found Somewhere Soft to Sit

Tuesday, I headed to Amsterdam to play the Sloterpark Disc Golf Course. I've already shared this experience in an entry from last week.

Mar 1 - Sloterpark

As I rode the train home from the Amsterdam, I got an invite from a friend to play the local disc golf course the following day. On Wednesday, I trekked across town (this time with no bike problems or rain) to the course. We played a putting game called Ronkonkkoma and then a round of 18, piecing together holes on the Prinses Amalia course. I had a great time and forgot to even get out my camera while we were playing. Instead, I snapped this picture of some wall art on the way home.

Mar 2 - Wall Art

Thursday, I was beginning to feel a sore after 2 straight days of disc golf. I know, it sounds a little pathetic, but I haven't been playing that often, and I don't use the same muscles in my everyday life. I took it easy, but did meander out to run some errands. I liked the lighting as I was coming home, but this building does nothing to show it off. Later in the evening, Mr. Traveler and I joined a Meetup group for a monthly pub night. It was interesting because we got to mingle with English speakers from all over the world (Holland, U.S., Portugal, France, Bulgaria, and Canada just to name a few places from which the attendees hailed).

Mar 3 - Pretty in Pink?

Finally, Friday I got ready for the tournament (laid out my discs, towels, a snack, etc) and did a little bit of cleaning. We also started working on our taxes. I took my camera with me to run to the store, and snapped this shot on the way back. This snowman looks like he may have been forgotten when the Christmas decorations were put away.

Mar 4 - Forgotten Decoration

It's interesting how my interest in taking pictures fluctuates between the weeks. Sometimes I have dozens of photographs from which to choose. Other weeks (like this one), I snap only one or two pictures each day and am stuck with what I have (ex. the sad snowman). Of course, with 365 total pictures, there are bound to be a few less interesting ones.

I Guess Riding the Bus/Tram Isn't So Scary After All

Since arriving in the Netherlands this past fall, I've tried to be open to new experiences and willing to go beyond my normal comfort zone. One thing that I had not mastered until yesterday, however, was the use of public transportation. You might remember that we did manage to use the tram while in Den Hague, but that was only with specific directions from the hotel staff and the old Strippenkaart method. Since last year, the country has been in the process of phasing out the Strippenkaart and introducing the OV-chipkaart. Since the Strippenkaart was developed in 1980 and has been used ever since, it seems like everyone here, Dutch or not, has an opinion on the new method. I was confused about where to buy the new chipkaarts, whether I could use the same card that I had been sent for my train discount pass, and how to load the chipkaart with additional funds. Well, yesterday, in the midst of a trip to Amsterdam to play the 18-hole disc golf course at Sloterpark, I figured out the process. (Yes, I can just use the card I already have. I can load it at the machines or at the customer service desk for an additional 50 euro cents. And, additional, anonymous cards can be purchased in the train station machines.)

Armed with this new information, a loaded card, and a couple tram schedules I picked up at the tourist office in Amsterdam, I found the trams easy to use and navigate. I didn't even get lost! (Well, maybe once, but I knew the tram stop was somewhere along the block. It was just hidden by a huge construction trailer, so I didn't see it immediately. After inquiring at the tourist office, I was on my way.) At first, I wondered if remembering to scan the card when entering and leaving the vehicle would be difficult, but with the number of reminders played along the way, I don't think anyone could forget. Plus, just scanning your card seems a whole lot easier than figuring out which zone you will be traveling to and stamping the right amount of spaces on your Strippenkaart. And, now that I know how to use the trams and the busses, I feel like I have so much more accessibility to places that once seemed too far away.

Anyway, enough with my public transportation rant and on to the rest of my day.

After getting on the first tram in Amsterdam, I went to grab my keys out of the pocket of my jacket. When I left my bike in Utrecht, I stuffed my keys in my pocket and zipped it up, thinking that I needed to transport them to my bag once I got on the train. On the train, I distracted myself with a bit of journaling and forgot to make the switch. Now, on the tram, I reached into a surprisingly unzipped pocket and felt, well, only the bottom of the pocket. I checked the other side, the pocket at the top of my jacket, all four pockets in my jeans, each compartment of my disc golf bag. The keys were nowhere to be seen... or felt. I decided that I must have unzipped the pocket to shove my hand inside and forgotten to rezip it when I got on the train. Since I took my jacket off for the ride, the keys must have fallen out then. I was almost sure they were sitting on the train seat, but the train was long gone and I knew I had to move on with my day. There was nothing I could do at that moment.

When Tram 14 dropped me off at Sloterpark, I looked around. Buildings lined my view on one side. A grassy area was in front, but construction clouded this view. To the other side, a bike and running path led the way to what appeared to additional trails, and I headed that direction, convinced the disc golf course had to be somewhere nearby. I passed the Sloterparkbad, a indoor swimming complex, and tried to decide which direction to turn. Just as I decided to cross the road, I noticed a basket on my side, down one of the many sidewalks. A sense of calm swept over me. It's funny how disc golf has such a powerful and unique affect on me. No matter where I am or what's going on, when I walk onto a course, I feel a sense of belonging. I guess it's the combination of being surrounded by nature and of sharing a common interest with other people who are on the course.

Since, I couldn't immediately find hole 1, so I started my round on the 4th hole. After almost 2 hours of travel, including loading my chipcard, grabbing transportation schedules, and wondering around looking for the tram stop, I was ready to start playing.

Hole 4 - Sloterpark, Amsterdam

Helpful maps, posted at each hole, helped me figure out which way to throw (or at least which way to try to throw).

Map for Hole 4

Sometimes, however, the map didn't tell the whole story. For example, examine the hole on the map below.

Hole 13 Map

Sure, the darker green is supposed to represent some type of vegetation, but I didn't expect to see this:

Hole 13

Still, the course is put together pretty nicely, and the signs definitely did help me figure out where the baskets were located. After playing through hole 18, I found holes 1-3 and began a second round. I let myself play the two rounds for the first 3 holes simultaneously, throwing 2 discs for each of the holes.

After completing both rounds and tallying up my scores, I called Mr. Traveler and updated him on the lost key situation. He agreed to come home a little early and skip going to the gym so that I could get back into the house. Before leaving, I sat on a bench near the final hole and thought about the day so far. In the scheme of things, the lost key seemed like only a blip on the radar. Even lower down on my list of concerns was the growing hole in my jeans, which had expanded from only a little tear to a rather large hole as I climbed over a cement ledge on the course. What stood out to me was a sense of accomplishment. Not only had I treated myself to 2 rounds of disc golf, but I had learned to use the public transportation system and opened new doors for myself in the process.

It was getting cold, so I picked up my bag and began my trek back to Utrecht. Except for a 5 minute train delay, the travel back was uneventful. I even used my new found knowledge to take the bus from Utrecht Centraal to our house. When I exited the bus and rounded the corner to our street, Mr. Traveler pulled up right behind me. Perfect timing to end a less than perfect, but very satisfying day.

A Week at a Time: Feb 19 - 25, 2011

Today, I went to Amsterdam, learned how to use the public transportation chip cards, navigated the trams and busses, and played two rounds of disc golf. I'll update you on the entire day shortly (maybe tomorrow, after I've had a good night's sleep), but for now, I'll just say that this beer from last Saturday is looking pretty good. Besides enjoying this Trappist beer, we also dropped off 2 bikes at the bike shop for repairs (my chain was about to break and the bike we shipped over needed some new tires).

Feb 19 - Trappist

Sunday's picture also looks pretty good. After Mr. Traveler left for baseball practice, I was feeling a little sorry for myself with him going off to play baseball and me stuck at home doing, well, nothing really. I decided that cookies would make me feel better, and I whipped up a batch using a recipe I found here. They were so good. I really could have just sat down and eaten every one of them. (I eventually limited myself to four for the evening. I thought that was quite an accomplishment.) While the cookies were in the oven, I watched a video my mother-in-law had posted on Facebook. I never open videos on Facebook; even if someone sends me a personal email with a video, there is about an 80% chance I won't watch it. Something made me click the link, though, and I'm glad I did. (By the way, if you want to watch the video, you can find it here.) The video was about a man who is feeling sorry for himself, basically wondering why no one is watching out for him. Then he is given special glasses that allow him to see the needs of others. Anyway, it sounds corny, and it is a little bit, but it made me think, "Why am I sitting here feeling sorry for myself when I have the opportunity to do something about it?" Immediately, I went through the sign up process for an English speaking women's group in the area and started researching other ways to meet people in the area and get involved.

Feb 20 - Time for a Cookie

On Monday, I went to pick up both of the bikes that we dropped off on Saturday. Unlike the Dutch, who can easily transport a second bike, holding the handlebar as the pedal along, I needed to make 2 trips to get both bicycles home. During one of the trips, I snapped this photo of the park, naming it "Another Canal?" as a nod to the desensitization I've experienced in regards to the beauty of the various canals around Utrecht. A helpful fellow Utrechter interpreted my question as less rhetorical, however, and shared the following tidbit on my Project365 wall: "This 'singel' is an old defense line. The park used to be a high soil wall to protect the city. The sign at the right of the picture tells more about the wall."

Feb 21 - Another Canal?

Tuesday, I headed to the gym. I hadn't been since before our trip to Paris (I've been nursing a bit of a sore hip and between that and the stomach bug I had the previous week, I just needed a break), so it was nice to get back into the swing of things. I noticed when I got to the gym, however, that the bicycle lot was relatively empty. My gym shares a building with a college, and I figured out later that it was Spring Break. Still wearing my heavy coat, it doesn't seem like it's quite time for the week long vacation normally associated with bikinis at the beach.

Feb 22 - Spring Break

Wednesday, I decided that I needed to do something different. Still thinking about my Sunday realization about getting out and doing things, I opted for a museum. While not completely social, it still was something to get me out of the house in a location with other people. I headed to the Museum Catherijnconvent, an adventure I've already shared with you. The following picture captures on of my favorite objects in the museum, a modern stained glass window.

Feb 23 - Modern Stained Glass

Thursday, I had plans to meet one of the ladies in the women's group for coffee. Even though I haven't been to an official event yet, we organized the coffee get together through email. It was foggy and misting, but I didn't let it ruin my excitement. In fact, I actually took the time to appreciate the fog and the beautiful picture it made hanging over the canals. I also truly enjoyed the discussion with my new friend, which morphed from a quick coffee to a nice long visit with lunch.

Feb 24 - Fog

Finally, Friday, I made it back to the gym. On the way home, I took a picture of a sign which has become symbolic for me. Although I haven't done great with the task of learning Dutch, I have picked up a few words here and there. Much of my Dutch vocabulary revolves around food (which is pretty self-explanatory), but the rest is random and picked up by nice illustrated moments such as the one depicted in the following picture.

Feb 25 - De Blauwe Walvis/Learning Language

Friday's picture, with its representation of learning and newness seems like a great way to wrap up a week that for me was all about making the most of my opportunities.