Some things never change

As we made our second round in the roundabout near Ghent, Belgium about a month ago with my parents, we all laughed at the connection we were making to National Lampoon's European Vacation when the Griswald's were trying to get out of the roundabout in London.  Growing up, we often referenced how some family mishap was a "Griswald" moment.  And trying to navigate the roads in Europe with a semi working GPS definitely brought out the Griswalds in us.  Some things never change.

It doesn't matter if you are in City Market in Avon, Colorado, or a 9th Century Church in Belgium, your children are still going to sashay around the isles using their fingers as guns (sometimes machine guns, and sometimes just a simple shot gun) mortifying you to no end.  And you are going to look around and see, that of course, your children are the only ones behaving in such a uncultured and uncivilized way.  You will slink out of the church, or City Market, hoping they don't burp or fart and fall into hysterics.

Since our cultured vacation to Brugge, Belgium, I have been closely monitoring the behavior of children in the Netherlands to see how they compare to those of my children (as I was beginning to believe that ours were the only 'unclivilzed' children in Europe) and I am comforted in the fact that indeed, children here still exhaust and constantly push their parents.  I feel better now thank you very much!

Since being here, we have been introduced to new experiences and traditions.  Let's take Thanksgiving.    How, you might be saying, is Thanksgiving a tradition here?  It's not.  But it is in our school staff community.  Later this week, we are going to enjoy a staff Thanksgiving held at school.  We have a wonderful food technology kitchen and it will be there that the turkeys cook and we will celebrate with any staff who would like to join and bring a dish, American or not (I am attempting grandma's apple pie - doing a test run today).  I will still be able to walk by the kitchen during the day and enjoy the smells of the turkey cooking.  I may have to find a few more reasons to walk that way!

We will also be celebrating again at the house of American friends, who will be hosting 3 American families for dinner. Thanksgiving has always been about coming together with friends and family.  So, even though these celebrations don't come with extended blood relatives, the feeling is similar and a comfort.  It's nice to see that this tradition has moved here with us.

The holiday season has also already begun here.  Not dissimilar to the US.  We have British cable, and  are already getting Christmas commercials.  Here in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is a tradition celebrating Saint Nicholas.  He is the patron saint of children, sailors and Amsterdam.  However, the true celebration is on Saint Nicholas' eve, December 5th or on the morning of the 6th. Like the Santa of the US, there are many stories behind Sinterklaas.

We joined in the festivities yesterday and watched the parade that welcomed Sinterklaas into the Netherlands (he comes from Spain) and his "helpers" Zwarte Piet (Black Peter).  Originally slaves, the Zwarte Piet, are now black because of all the chimneys they go down to deliver presents and candies.  As one can imagine, there is some discomfort with the Zwarte Piet - but I try to look at them through the unjaded eyes of my children, and see them as the mischievous helpers that they are meant to be. Christmas is also celebrated here, therefore making the season longer and more jolly - we hope!

Thus we will be putting chocolate coins, candies and a small gift in our boys' shoes on the eve of December 5 and we will be putting presents under the tree on the eve of December 24 - hopefully expanding their own views of traditions and celebrations.

Though we are finding many things that are different here, what is really important isn't different.  Children are still children, much to my relief, Grandma's apple pie is just as wonderful, and holidays and traditions are still the ribbons that bind people together.  It's good to see that some things never change.

Noel


The following are pictures of my parents visit in October, Halloween "International School of Amsterdam style" and Sinteklaas coming to town.


Canal Cruise of Amsterdam

It was a real cold day, we needed something to warm us up! You may be saying...hm, this picture looks familiar...it should!  See another post, not sure which one.

In Gouda - yes, the cheese was gooda!

 Brugge, Belgium

                      The mentioned church (picture above) in which there was much sashaying and general foolery.

Halloween, ISA style - a community even put on by the American and British families at school.  We go to a designated street and "trick-or-treat" at designated houses and cars.  Open to all ISA families, and a real nice community event.  A great new tradition!

Waiting for Sinterklaas

Henry getting some Pepernoten (delicious Dutch ginger cookies synonymous with Sinterklaas season) in his hood by a Zwarte Piet.

 The man himself:

The Pepernoten we collected during the parade.  A new favorite of mine!

Definitely Stage 2...?

Depending on which website you browse, or who you ask, there are between 3-4 stages to cultural adjustment.  Most agree that the first stage is Honeymoon.  All is lovely, all is great, life is good.  New place, new people, new foods.  Cool as a cat.  It's the second phase that I have found several different names to, among them "The Hostility Stage," "The Crisis Phase," The Irritability Stage,"or "The Conflict Stage."  I think you get the gist of this stage.  This is the "grass is greener in my home country stage." It's the initial shock of reality that hits you that you are not going home.  Then, depending on which website you pick, there are a few other stages in between stage 2 and the last stage.  Some have Stage 3 as "The Humor Stage" where one can find the silliness in what earlier caused your pain and vexation.  Others call Stage 3 "The Recovery Stage"- quite dramatic. But most sites agree that the last stage is "Acceptance" or "The Home Stage"- you have assimilated into you new adopted country.

I rather don't like the names to stage 2, as I don't feel my family is in a state of constant crisis, hostility, irritability or conflict.  Rather, we are just in what I may call, the "Middle School Years."  Sometimes all is good and in equilibrium with the world we live in.  Then we become puberty based brats that want to scream and yell for no particular reason over things we have absolutely no control over.  Take my new dryer...OK, bad example, as I haven't been able to assimilate into this part of the culture that hang dries their laundry...though in my defense, MANY people here have dryers.  I really have never been so excited to actually do laundry...soft underwear once again!  I got my dryer on Friday.  As I was unpacking it, it occurred to me that perhaps the directions would be in Dutch.  Nervously, I opened the package, and to my relief, saw 3 different handbooks with the same instructions in 10 different languages.  As I leafed through 1 book, then the second, then the third, my anger mounted as I realized, I didn't have an owner's manual that had instructions in English.  10 different languages, and not one of them were in English.  I have to say that just a tiny bit of of the John McEnroe effect that CAN inflict my family reared its ugly head.  (In defense of Mr. McEnroe, he has tempered himself very well, I speak in terms of the "old" McEnroe).  Nothing that a glass or 2 of wine, and the ever reliable Web didn't fix for me.  I was soon laughing (Brett was laughing sooner than I) over my silly behavior.    Perhaps, after all, we are moving out of Stage 2 and entering Stage 3 - the Humor Stage.  Though I am sure we will regress, it is promising that I can chuckle over some of this now- especially now that we all have soft underwear!

Enjoy some of our "in a state of happy equilibrium" time over the last few weeks.

Cheers,
Noel

     

Wonderland

When Alice first enters Wonderland, she is confused and doesn't understand the world she has entered. Nothing makes sense...rabbits talk, cats disappear and reappear, caterpillars talk...but in mystery and Mad Hatters roam the land celebrating different customs.  After awhile, Alice learns how to navigate Wonderland - taking command of her own decisions.  I can empathize with Alice.  We have entered a place that is not what we are used to.  The language - written and spoken - seems mysterious.  The Dutch enjoy their long words to put it shortly!  Like Wonderland, the scenery is different.  Even the food, though may be the same product, like Skittles, taste differently ( FYI - the Skittles do taste differently here).  There is much that is new to us.  For example:

This is the Dutch version of family size.  I would like to hear the Dutch impression of Walmart and "Super Size."  Also:

We had to travel to Chinatown in the heart of the city of Amsterdam to find Baking Soda.  Apparently, the Dutch don't use Baking Soda to bake.  But now that I have my Baking Soda, I don't think I will be baking anytime soon, as a bag of Nestle Chocolate Chips cost about 7 Euros at the British and American specialty store.  Though American products are expensive, the wine is not, and it is very good.  Additionally:

 Much to my pleasure, soft ice cream can be found in abundance here, and it is absolutely, hands down the BEST soft ice cream I have every tasted!

Like Alice, we are learning the ropes to our own Wonderland.  We have commanded the public transit system, and I now feel I can navigate the buses, metro and tram system quite well.

 
I know how to get back to the places I need to explore more.

Unlike Alice, we like where we are, and are learning to adapt to and accept the differences in Dutch culture.  The "throaty" spoken language, and even the long worded written words do not intimidate me anymore.

Our school took all the new teachers, and Peter and Henry, on a walking tour of Amsterdam the other day.  It was a closer look into the city we will call home for the time being.  Here's a bit of our day:

 This is where we started our tour - in front of the Rijksmuseum - a museum that holds a large collection of art from the Dutch Golden Age.

We walked over canals, through flower markets, pedestrian shopping streets and learned a bit about Amsterdam's history.

Houses in Amsterdam, used to be taxed by area of land that was occupied.  That is why you see so many tall skinny buildings in Amsterdam.  Building tall was a way to avoid paying too much tax.  All of Amsterdam is built on reclaimed land...meaning this area originally was underwater.  Therefore, the land underground shifts easily...which is why you may see some crooked buildings - the foundations have shifted.

They symbol for Amsterdam is 3 X's.  Each X is a symbol of one of the 3 historic dangers that plagued Amsterdam:  Water, Fire and the Plague.  

Here is where we ended our tour - at a distillery that has been open since 1679.  The Dutch expect to get what they pay for, so drinks are topped off.  You are not allowed to take your drink off the bar until you slurp the top off. We had to do our part. 

Even Henry is getting excited about our new culture.  He has used his first 2 weeks of European allowance to purchase Dutch clog slippers!

Noel