A Novel Adventure

I apologize for the lack of pictures. I promise I'll make up for it in future posts!

This weekend, we were watching TV, and a show came on about stinging/biting creatures. (I'm pretty sure it was "Bite Me" on the National Geographic Channel.) In the intro, spiders, scorpions, and wasps filled the screen, and my husband said, "Oh, look, all the things I'm afraid of in one spot!" While some people have a natural fear of these things, my husband is terrified of them. If a wasp flies at him, he will run and scream like a little girl. (Sorry, sweetie, now the whole Internet knows!) Don't worry, we quickly changed the channel so he wouldn't have to be subjected to the terrifying images for long.

In response, I tried to think of irrational fears that I have, and really couldn't come up with much. I don't particularly care for scorpions, but as long as one's far enough away that I can walk around it, I probably won't freak out. Now that I'm writing this, I have realized that I do have one irrational, uncontrollable phobia-like reaction, and that is my reaction to cockroaches. I will admit that it is completely illogical and that I do get goosebumps just thinking of the creatures, but I think it is more of an intense disgust rather than an actual fear.

That aside, my husband pointed out that my main fear is failure, and I realized that he was right. My fear of failing is so strong, that at one point I had to seek medical help for my anxiety. (There may be some of you wondering why I'm admitting this. Well, first of all, I think that most of you who know me well, probably already know this tidbit about me. Second, I feel like it is very important to create an awareness in the world regarding mental health, especially anxiety and depression. No matter what challenges that someone faces, it is important that they feel that they can seek the care that they need. Okay, my little rant is over.)

Despite my intense fear of failure, I don't feel like I've backed away from too many challenges. Instead, I've created built in excuses for myself. "It's okay if I don't get an A in this class, because I'm taking 20 hours this semester," for example. So, I set my expectations high, inevitably disappoint myself, and then work on building myself back up by explaining to everyone that I really didn't expect to succeed in the first place, or that some other factor out of my control has prevented my success. It's really a classic example of a defense mechanism. (For those of you who are feeling sorry for me at this point, there are plenty of things in which I do feel like I've had complete success. On most days, I have pretty high self confidence and feel like I'm capable of success in most things I do.)

But, why am I going on and on about this? Well, because recently I embarked on a challenge that I felt was probably unattainable. Each year, a non-profit organization known as The Office of Letters and Light sponsors a month long event called NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month). People from all over the world spend a month writing a 50,000 word novel. Some of my friends have participated in the past, but I've never known anyone who has finished a novel as part of this program. (Friends, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.) The goal is not to have a flawless, publishable work at the end, but to put the effort in to write every single day. So, with few excuses not to succeed (I have no job and plenty of coffee), I started my novel on Day 8. Yes, that's right, I jumped on board with a full week of writing opportunities already lost.

Back to my fear of failure, I only told a couple of people that I was participating. I didn't want that failure out there for everyone to see, even if those closest to me and most familiar with the challenges of writing insisted that even a strong effort wasn't a failure. To me, success meant reaching the 50,000 word mark. And, I'm proud to announce that a day early, after 22 days, I have exceeded the mark and turned in my novel. It's not perfect, and I didn't expect it to be. It has problems with tense, some of the details conflict, and at one point I realized I had given 3 unrelated characters the same last name!

By the way, it was sure nice to finish with a cup of hot tea in my hand and the beautiful snow outside. Here is a pic of our first major snow, taken this evening (we've had flakes, but this is the first time it has stuck):

Before you ask, I'm not ready to share my novel with anyone. I suspect I will let it breathe, and then come back to it later with a fresh set of eyes. Perhaps after several rounds of self-editing, it will make it into somebody else's hands. I'm just glad that I made it over the mark (I ended at 50176 words) and now have more time for blogging! Sometimes, I guess, that fear of failure which often drives me mad, actually can be the key to success.

A Little Piece of Turkey

Yesterday was my third Thanksgiving to spend out of the country. The first was in 2001 during my semester abroad in London. My parents and brother came out for the week, and we spent Thanksgiving Day enjoying the sites while the rest of the group ate a turkey dinner at a hotel restaurant. The second was a few years later when my brother was studying abroad. My parents and I flew over to Hungary during the break. We grabbed a rotisserie chicken from a stand down the road and celebrated Thanksgiving in my brother's apartment.

It's always a little weird being out of the country for major American holidays. (We also missed the 4th of July this year while we were on our honeymoon.) Thanksgiving away really makes me appreciate what I have back home: my amazing family, including my new inlaws; my close friends that have become part of my family over the years; my puppy dogs; and the little things like my mom's pumpkin pie. I'm so thankful also the opportunity to travel and to experience a different culture.


This year, my husband and I didn't make any big plans for Thanksgiving. He had to work, so I looked online to see if any restaurants in the area were offering an American Thanksgiving feast. The closest was the Hard Rock Cafe in Amsterdam, which seemed like a bit of a trip for an evening meal. Next, I scoured the internet for places that sell cooked turkeys in Utrecht. A couple options popped up, but most of them only cook turkeys for Christmas day or with a larger notice than I'd allotted. Most of the turkeys are also meant to feed a large gathering of people, which didn't seem like such a good idea for the two of us.

Finally, I decided I would make do with a rotisserie chicken and prepare some pseudo-traditional Thanksgiving sides. I looked up recipes for homemade stuffing and pecan pie. On my grocery list, I also wrote down ingredients for green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. At the store, I was surprised to see cranberry sauce, so I added that to the menu. I had gone to the larger grocery store, which is a couple blocks down from the one nearest to our place. The store also had turkey breasts!

Thanksgiving Feast

I was pretty excited about my finds at the store, and went back to prepare the meal. Since we only have one dish that can go in the oven, I started with the pecan pie. Our kitchen has textured metal counter tops, so rolling out the dough was a bit of a problem. I ended up mashing it into the edges of the dish. That combined with me forgetting that we only had self rising flour and having to substitute butter for shortening, resulted in a pie that was a little more like cobbler. I also couldn't find corn syrup at the grocery store (I think I just didn't know where to look), so I substituted honey. Regardless of the texture, it turned out tasting pretty good.

Once the pie was in the oven, I made the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and stuffing on the stove top. All went in the fridge to be microwaved when it was time to eat.

About 30 minutes before my husband got home, I covered the turkey breasts with butter, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. I wrapped them in foil and cooked them in the oven. I think it was probably the least dry turkey I've ever had.

The Turkey

When my husband got home, he was definitely surprised that we were having a real Thanksgiving meal. It was nice to have something to remind us of home and make us feel less separated from those celebrating back in the states.

Our Thanksgiving Decoration (Yes, I Traced It)

I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday in Amsterdam

A few weeks ago, we ventured into Amsterdam for a Saturday in the big city. (Yes, this post is a bit overdue). Since we didn't yet have internet at home, the first stop when we got to the city was the library (or Bibliotheek). I also love checking out new libraries, so I was secretly excited about seeing the building, too.

The central branch of the library (which we visited) opened in 2007. From each floor, you can see panoramic views of the city through the large glass windows. Lines of computers sit ready for public use, and signs on the escalators indicate which collections are on each floor. Library patrons lounge in a variety of futuristic chairs. It was definitely the most modern library I had ever visited.

Openbare Bibliotheek (Public Library)

After our initial stop at the library, we started our walk to the Van Gogh museum. Out of all of the sites in the guide book, this museum ranked highest on my husband's to-do list. We had previously planned our route with stops at a few other museums and the Nieuwe Church in mind. Unfortunately, the church was closed for the day (maybe because of the carnival that was in town) and we accidentally bypassed the other museums by walking on a parallel street.

Rides at the Carnival

When we finally reached the Van Gogh museum, the line was extremely long. After walking for about an hour, I didn't want to wait in line for another 2. I had read in our guidebook (thanks, Rick Steves), that a year long MuseumKaart can be purchased at any museum. With this card, you can bypass the ticket line and walk right into the museum. Originally, our plan had been to buy one of these at the smaller museums in the central area of the city, but those were the ones that we accidentally missed. We looked around for other museums in the area. There was the Rijksmuseum, but we knew the lines would also be long for it. Plus, we weren't sure we were in the mood for 2 large art museums in one day. We tried the jenever (gin) museum and a diamond museum. Neither sold the pass, but they suggested trying the Stedelijk museum down the street.

We had no idea what the Stedelijk Museum was, but we figured it was worth a short. The line for the museum was only about 4 people long, which was way better than the line next door at the Van Gogh. It turns out that the Stedelijk is a modern art museum. However, it is currently under renovation, so they are having an exhibit called the Temporary Stedelijk at the Stedelijk Museum. We bought our MuseumKaarts, grabbed some sandwiches at the cafe, and explored the part of the museum that was open. All the exhibits were artists' interpretations and/or commentary on the creation of museum space and art exhibits. One room had a piece called, "The Well Polished Floor Sculpture". Other exhibits varied in accessibility for those of us who are not quite so abstract-minded.

Source: http://ioanaciocan.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/25/

After going through the exhibits at the Stedelijk, we headed to the Van Gogh. The museum not only had a very large collection of work from Van Gogh himself, but also works from other artists of the same time period. I enjoyed seeing the contrast of the Van Goghs and the other works. I also saw many Van Gogh paintings that I found much more interesting and beautiful than the ones that are commonly printed. By the time we got through the large collection of works, however, I was tired, my feet and back were getting sore, and I was more than ready to head back.

On first impression, Amsterdam is a busy, international city, with many travelers and immigrants. People aren't shy about carrying around their guidebooks, and English is heard as much, if not more, than Dutch. Many businesses are aimed specifically at tourists, and it's hard to get an idea of what a local person is like. I constantly felt the need to check my belongings to make sure no one was trying to make off with my purse or my camera as people bumped into us on the sidewalk. It was hard to just stop and enjoy the sites with a tide of people pushing us down the street. Still, there is so much culture in Amsterdam. The buildings are amazing and there are so many things to see.

I thought this was the palace, but it's a shopping center!

Whenever we tell someone that we went to Amsterdam, they always ask, "Did you see the Red Light District? Did you see Rijksmuseum? Did you go to the Anne Frank house?" Everyone has their favorite place to go or thing to do, and we definitely plan on making a few more trips into the city to make sure we at least hit the major sites.

Not Another Lazy Sunday Afternoon

On Sundays, the city of Utrecht virtually shuts down. Grocery stores open for a few hours in the afternoon, but other shopping is closed. Many cafes and restaurants also shut their doors, and the center of town resembles a ghost town more than the normal bustling city center filled weekday shoppers. The circumstances make it a perfect day for lounging at home, reading a book, or watching American football. Of course, the last option isn't available on the basic cable package we have over here, which makes my husband a bit antsy on Sunday afternoons.

In addition, yesterday marked the second day in a row of sunny blue skies in the city. So, with no football to watch and the cooperating weather, we decided to try to find something to get us out of the house. On a whim, we looked up the opening hours of the museums in town and figured out that they are one of the view institutions actually open on Sundays. The Spoorweg (Railway) Museum is only a few minutes bike ride from our house, and we'd been wanting to check it out for a while.


When we walked through the door, my husband commented how much he would have loved the place as a child. Trains of all sizes from small models to giant passenger trains filled every crevice of the museum. I thought of the detail with which my brother combed museums as a child and hoped that we were going to be able to make it through the museum more quickly than that.

An Overhead View of Some of the Trains

The museum did take a while to go through, but just because of the large quantity of things to see. We actually walked through the exhibits pretty quickly. At one point, we went through an exhibit with an interesting sign in the front.  No Wheelchairs, Yes Spiders, No Lap Children:

Instructions for Exhibit

Walking through the door of the exhibit, we saw that the room was filled with train memorabilia and parts. Few items had an explanation (in English or Dutch). After we walked through the first half of the room, we noticed we'd been corralled into a line. We waited as 4 people at a time walked through the doors at the other side of the room. Finally, it was our turn. It ended up that the line was for a mini roller coaster ride in the dark (think slow and mild), showing us different scenes of the railroad. I guess the spider was supposed to indicate that the ride was scary.

After the ride, we made our way back and forth through the many trains. Some allowed only a peak in from staircases set against the windows, while others allowed you to walk back and forth between cars.

Train from the 1950s

 

Inside the Train Designed for the Post Office

After making our way through the majority of the exhibit, we stopped at the museum restaurant for a bite to eat. The offerings were typical Dutch junk food. I enjoyed my pastry stuffed with cheese and fries with curry ketchup and mayo (the mayonnaise is different than the kind we have in the U.S. and is sometimes called Frites Saus). My husband had a croquette (a gravy and beef filled fried roll, basically) and some tomato soup.

After we left the museum, we weren't quite ready to head inside, so we grabbed an extra layer and headed out on a bike ride through the country. Not too far from where we live, the sights were a big contrast to city life.

Country House and Sheep

We ended up at one of the forts to the city, but they are only open to the public during the summer, so we couldn't go inside. Instead, we enjoyed the sheep and the views of country life. While it looks a little cloudy in the pictures, the dimness is mostly from the sun setting.

Sheep at the Fort

A little past the fort, the road ended at a group of restaurants and a hostel. Bike paths led out in several directions, and it appeared that you could ride your bike from fort to fort around the edge of the city. By car, you could continue your journey by heading through the arch in the building and down another road. Since it was starting to get dark, we decided to turn around and head back, leaving further exploration for another day.

The Loveliest Castle in the World

My visit to "the loveliest castle in the world" began in the town of Maidstone, England. From there, I jumped on the 510 bus towards the castle. I'd been warned by the lady at the tourist information center that the bus stopped across the street from the castle instead of right in front, so when the bus driver asked me where I was going, I told him I wasn't sure which stop was for Leeds Castle. He said, "Leeds Castle", so I thought it would be fairly easy to figure out. Well, when we got to the stop for the Ramada, I didn't see anyone getting on or off. Then, the bus driver turned and stared at me. I noticed as I got off the bus that the sign said "Leeds Castle" in small letters below the stop name. Ooops! The driver pointed me across the street and down a road that looked like it led to nowhere. I walked down the road to the castle, smiling and thankful I'd gotten a driver willing to help me out.

The 510 and the Stop in the Middle of Nowhere

It was about a 5 minute walk down the street to the castle gates. When I got to the gates, the castle was still not visible. I walked another 10-15 minutes to the ticket shop.

Walk to the Castle Ticket Shop

After buying my ticket, I walked down a path leading to the castle for another 10 minutes. This path wound through a garden with many peacocks and views of the castle.

Castle, Waterfall, and Tractor

Peacock and Pigeons

When I finally got to the actual castle, I asked one of the guides to take my picture. I was pretty pleased that now I'd found two people willing to go out of their way to help me on a cloudy day.

Me at Leeds Castle

Walking through the castle, I was struck by the modern style of many of the rooms. Up until 1974, Lady Baillie actually lived in the castle. When she died, she left the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation and the castle was opened to the public in 1976. Now, it is still used for weddings and other gatherings, and guests still stay in the rooms. It was interesting to see how the place had changed from 1119 to the current day to accommodate the needs of residents and guests.

Bedroom in the Castle

My favorite room in the castle was the library, converted to its current use in 1938. I enjoyed looking at the books on the shelves and identifying ones that I had read.

Library

After the tour of the castle, I quickly made my through the Dog Collar Museum in a building nearby and started my trek back to the bus stop.

Exhibit at the Dog Collar Museum

I was lucky that I decided to leave quite a bit of time for myself to make my way back to Maidstone, because I made it to the bus stop only 4 minutes before the bus arrived. The next bus wasn't due for another hour and 10 minutes.

More Peacocks on My Way Back

For more on my adventures in Maidstone, see A Day Made in Maidstone.

A Day Made in Maidstone

My husband's company sent him to the little town of Maidstone in England for a business trip, so I tagged along and did some exploring while he was at work.

Archbishops Palace (Maidstone)

When we headed to the airport on Tuesday morning to catch our flight, there was not a cloud in the sky. It was one of the prettiest days we've had since I've been here, and it almost seemed a shame to waste it in the train and the airport. Imagine our surprise, then, when we found out our flight had been delayed an hour due to freezing fog conditions in London. We'd already gone through security at the gate, so we were pretty much stuck entertaining ourselves and people watching until the plane arrived. When we first got to the gate, we'd spotted a guy in a torn up pilot hat and another with long British-band hair. My husband joked that the first guy must be our pilot and then asked if I thought they were in a band or if they were just British. Later, we figured out that the Gorillaz and many of the stage crew members for De La Soul were on our flight. When we reached customs, they corralled all band members and crew into a pen in order to complete some work for permits.

After the semi-excitement of the flight, we headed to Maidstone. Once we located the hotel, it was approaching 3pm, and we stopped for a bite of food in the hotel restaurant before the men went off to the hospital for a couple hours of work. Since there were only a couple minutes of day light left, I made the best of my time in the hotel room and even ironed some of the wrinkled clothes in our bags!

Wednesday was my opportunity to explore. The guys wanted to be at the hospital (where they were working) a little after 8, so it was up to me to find my way from there to any sightseeing adventures. First, I took a bus into the town of Maidstone and spent some time walking around the town. Many of the museums and historical businesses were either closed for the morning or for the whole winter, but I still had fun walking around and taking some pictures:

All Saints Church

All Saints Church

I enjoyed walking through the church grounds, seeing the Archbishops' Palace, and checking out the town. You'll notice that the weather decided to turn cloudy for my day out and about.

When the visitor's center opened up, I went inside and found out which bus to take to get to Leeds Castle (which I'll post all about in a separate post very soon). I spend a couple hours at the castle, made my way back to Maidstone, and enjoyed lunch at The Muggleton Inn.

The Muggleton Inn

British Beef and Abbey Ale Pie

Finally, I took a bus back the the hospital, met the guys, and we headed back to the airport. It was a lot of adventure to fit into a day. My favorite part was definitely Leeds Castle, which will be coming soon!

Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Piets Sail to Utrecht

One of the many advantages of traveling to new places is seeing the different ways that holidays are celebrated. When I first started telling my friends about our trip, the most common question I got was "Do you know what they do for Christmas in the Netherlands?" I didn't know, but expressed my hope that there would be some Christmas festivals and markets to visit.

When I first got to Utrecht, the city had just started hanging Christmas lights across the streets. While mid-October seemed a little early to start getting ready for Christmas, I reminded myself that with no Thanksgiving over here, Christmas is the next biggest holiday. Each week, more and more lights have gone up and as the temperature has dropped, it does feel like Christmas is just around the corner. Still, it was a bit jarring to see the coming of Santa (Sinterklass) yesterday. It wasn't because it didn't feel like time for Christmas, but because the celebration is a bit different than the one we have at home.

The Sinterklass feast is traditionally celebrated on December 6th (Saint Nicholas Day); however, Sinterklass arrives in the Netherlands by boat from Spain in mid-November. With him, he brings his Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) assistants (which are basically elves in black-face, dressed in 14th century Spanish attire). Yesterday, marked the big arrival of Sinterklass and the Zwarte Piets in the Netherlands and they marched through town to a children's festival near the big church in the center of town.

Here's a video I took of the Zwarte Piets... sorry it's kind of shaky.

We not only saw a Zwarte Piet marching band, but many children dressed like mini Zwarte Piets and little Sinterklasses.

The Zwarte Pietenbus

Between now and December 6th, good children will receive little gifts from Sinterklass, like candy or fruit. However, if you are on the "naughty list", a Zwarte Piet will stuff you in his sack and take you back to Spain (which I thought wouldn't be too terrible at all, considering it is probably quite a bit warmer there). If you'd like more information on the holiday, check out the Wikipedia pages for Sinterklass and Zwarte Piet.

Zwarte Piets