Moving - Phase 1

The beginning of our move from Leiden to Leidschendam has begun this morning as the movers arrived to take about 1/3 of our furniture and the boxes I’ve been busy packing over the last 6 weeks. Seeing our belongings stacked up is a stark reminder that we have entirely too much stuff. This is definitely a lot different experience than our overseas move when we weren’t allowed to box our own things so we couldn’t smuggle anything and all our furniture was wrapped in bubblewrap to protect it in case the container took on water. We thought about trying to move ourselves, but with the crazy stairs in this house it just isn’t worth it. So we’ve hired a guy with a truck that does a lot of moving and handyman work for the local expat community. He’ll come back on the 12th, the day after school finishes, to move the rest. We’ll definitely make the most of these final two weeks on the river.

Hup Holland Hup!

While I used to follow the Raiders and San Diego State Aztecs while in college, I haven’t watched football in years. Of course, European football is what we Americans call soccer. Frankly, the Dutch are just mad about football, especially when the national team is competing (11 million of the 17 million population watched the last game). It was impossible not to catch Orange Fever as flags and orange banners were flying all over town after the Netherlands beat Italy for the first time in 30 years. The girls caught the fever and they made signs for all of their stuffed animals when we watched the Netherlands crush France. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed watching. Unlike American football, this was fast paced for 90-minutes of play and commercial free, except for the 15-minute halftime. The Netherlands made it as far as the quarter-finals, but sadly got outplayed by Russia during double-overtime. Now we have to wait two years for World Cup.

Sharing Our Lives with Great Friends...

We always enjoy going into Leiden, but it’s even more enjoyable sharing it with great friends. We did the usual loop around town showing them the market, Burcht (a man-made hill with a circular fort on top for flood safety), gothic cathedral and lots of canals. Of course, Jimmy and Michael had to visit the beer store and the fish stalls to get provisions for our paella dinner that evening. The day before, I took the gang into Amsterdam for the usual whirlwind tour while the girls were busy at Sports Day at school. On their final day, it was raining and we just relaxed. It’s so great knowing that distance hasn’t changed our friendship and that we can have fun together wherever we are.

A Unique Windmill Tour...

On our way into Leiden Centrum (some by canoe and some by bike), we noticed that the lumber windmill was finally turning after a 2-year renovation. This windmill, built in 1804 from a kit, is run by volunteers who enjoy using old-fashioned technology to cut wood. These same techniques are what made the Dutch famous as shipbuilders back in the 1600’s. When we went inside, the saws were popping up and down by wind power but nothing was being cut. Instead, we watched as giant trees were moved by a combination of wind and winches. Then we were given a fantastic tour of the different levels by Arthur, who’s been working there for 35 years. The kids especially enjoyed getting to stop and start the blades.

A Great Day in Den Haag....

A visit to Holland isn’t complete without seeing some Dutch Masters of the Golden Age of the 1600’s, so we started our day with a visit to my favorite art museum, the Mauritshuis. The kids were very impressed with the new children’s audio guide that described the masterpieces coming to life after dark. This photo was taken next door in the courtyard of the parliament building.
Next up was Madurodam, which is a miniatures park that depicts many of Holland’s best sites. We finished up the evening at Scheveningen Beach with the kids playing in the sand while the parents hung out at a restaurant.

Happy Kids!

When Veronica introduced me to her best friend Rachel while in kindergarten back in 2002, I had no way of knowing that 6 years later they’d still be best friends or that Rachel’s mom would be one of my closest friends and her little brother would be one of Ashlynn’s best buds. We were all thrilled that the whole family was able to join us for 5 nights after they spent over a week with their grandparents discovering their Hungarian roots. It was Rachel and Ben’s first visit to Europe and they had a great time. Our girls made a major sacrifice by skipping a day of school to help show them around.

Another Wild Hash Weekend...

We were excited when we found out that the Dutch Nash (aka national) Hash would be held at the local amusement park Duinrell. I helped organize the weekend event as a member of the mismanagement (although Neptunus deserves 99% of the credit!) , and Jimmy hared the Saturday run (he ran about 30K in the drizzling rain as he did the trail 3 times between laying it and sweeping). In another testament to our great parenting, we left the girls behind with two other little kids to go on the rides while we spent hours away on trail.
I was happy that my suggestion to do a toga party worked out well and we were able to recycle our costumes from Jimmy’s 40th. The girls especially enjoyed building a Roman city with the other kids out of Legoie-waferie thingies while we were busy dancing to a live band.

Leiden Invaded by Red Dresses...

In an effort to have the Hague Hash back to our house for one last time before we move, we volunteered to hare the 2nd Annual Red Dress Hash. In an effort to have maximum exposure, we decided it would be more fun in Leiden Centrum than running around our neighborhood. So here you see us on the train traveling into the city. While the group didn’t like my idea of singing while wandering through the train cars, we did create quite a stir when we stepped out into the busy station. Opee than led us on a route past lots of outdoor cafes and a few windmills with two beer stops along the river. We even passed through the middle of a McDonald’s. Here we are on a historic bridge. We eventually made it back to the train, then to our house for down-downs and dinner. Although some of these folks are still having a tough time actually wearing a dress rather than shorts with a long shirt, a great time was had by all.

She’s a Young American...

We were very excited that Veronica was invited to attend a 3-day performance workshop held by the theatrical group The Young Americans, which was founded in 1962 and is praised to be the first group to combine choreography with choral singing. The group consisted of 48 young adults, 2 of which stayed at our house for 4 nights, traveling to schools throughout Holland and Germany for over 2 months. After all the workshops in singing and dancing, the kids put on an hour long show for the parents after The Young Americans performed. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to get a photo of Veronica as she was lifted into the air as a yoga girl. It was a great show and great experience for all the kids involved.

International Day...

A favorite day during the school year is International Day when everyone dresses up in costumes from around the world. Since the costumes don’t necessarily have to be from your home country, the girls were able to wear native dresses that Jimmy brought back from his big trip. I always try to volunteer to help with the potluck buffet that day so I can try all the yummy foods from the different countries represented in the class. This year I had an extra surprise as the teacher pulled a small wine bottle out of her desk and offered me a glass. Drinking in the classroom--that’s definitely a first for me. Wonder if the teacher only partakes on special occasions?

Valuable Lessons Learned on the Roads in Holland...

* Don’t ride your bike on the sidewalk facing the wrong direction. When the bike lane disappeared (as this sign depicts), Jimmy went on the sidewalk instead of riding along with busy traffic on the road. Little did he know, but the police were doing a sweep of criminals that day and were waiting to write tickets to wayward cyclists. Lucky for him, despite the $55 ticket, the officer was friendly and offered him directions and the use of his cell phone so he could call me to say he’d be late.

* It is possible to get two speeding tickets in less than an hour. In fact, it’s possible to get two speeding tickets in less than 5 minutes if Jimmy’s behind the wheel. When a ticket arrived in the mail in January, I had to think back to the day in September when Jimmy had a rental car and we tagged along to pick up the gear for his big trip. Traffic on the freeway was horrible, so we took back roads and the navigation system kept yelling at us. We were running late, so getting a ticket for 4 MPH over the speed limit wasn’t shocking. The shock came when a 2nd ticket arrived with a time of just 4 minutes after the 1st going 3 MPH too fast this time. Big Brother is Watching!

Street Music...

While Wikipedia reports that most calliopes disappeared in the mid-20th century after steam power was replaced, we see them regularly in the walking-only shopping areas of Holland. The larger ones are usually pulled by scooter or horse and are accompanied by two gentlemen with tin cups that they shake to the tune in an effort to collect coins by passersby. I still laugh when I hear old American tunes played in the streets here (but still not as much as I laugh when I hear Pink Floyd at the grocery store).

A License to Cycle?

While The Netherlands doesn’t require a license to ride a bike, there is a Cycling Proficiency Exam to ensure safe cycling. This exam is required of all public school students, but is optional at our school since some of the kids don’t even own bikes. The practice sessions involved giving up several Sundays to practice an obstacle course on the school grounds, a road course and quizzes on the road signs. The preparation was worth it as the five kids from our class all passed. Since Veronica will be cycling to middle school next year, it’s nice knowing she’s had this extra training and confidence building.