Day 319 - Honestly, this country....

.... never ceases to amaze me.

Yesterday I sat in the sun in the garden out the back of our guesthouse flat studying. The mercury hit 30C at some point during the day (truly amazing for the Netherlands and about bloody time!). At some points I even broke a sweat (although I wasn't quite to the point of wanting air-conditioning like some of the other foreigners here!). Nonetheless, the point was it was hot... Today I wake up ... and it's RAINING! and I mean really raining. So far the maximum temp has been 14C and I got absolutely drenched cycling home.

                              
Felt like this was me on the way home today! 


<= Me yesterday in the garden (happy snap by the housemate Emma)


I honestly can't believe it - a 16C turnaround in less than 24 hours. And we're not talking a 'cool change' like we get back home. This was literally "Netherlands: summer one day, winter the next". And remember this is one day from the official start of Summer. It did get me thinking though about other things that surprise/amaze/dumbfound/disappoint/confuse me about the Netherlands, so here's a few:

• People here walk their dogs ALL the time - seriously, day or night - and in whatever weather. So of course I saw people in ponchos walking their dogs today as I was cycling home against gale force rain. And the other night Emma (my housemate, Sydney) and I came home from the pub about 1.30am and a young girl was walking her dog!
• No fly-screens on the windows: even though they have just as many bugs as the next country here it seems the Dutch haven't heard of fly-screens :( which means no opening windows on muggy nights (its MUCH more humid here than back home) or playing mozzie hunter before bed
• Non-poisonous spiders: even if they get inside, apparently none of the insects here are poisonous. I really found this hard to believe when I was first told - that their spiders aren't poisonous. But enough people have told me now that I suppose I have to believe it. Coming from Oz though it just doesn't seem possible!
• Pre-cut food: it seems the Dutch are as time-poor as any other western nation but what really gets me is the staggering variety of pre-cut, pre-washed, pre-flavoured food you can get at the supermarket. In addition to the usual freezer pre-cut chips or pizza, there is a literal WALL of refrigerated peeled, cut potatoes at our supermarket in EVERY shape, size, flavour and filling.Our Dutch teacher said most Dutch families don't like to spend a lot of time cooking during the week. "Choose and cook" fridges like this are common:
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• Dairy products: there's also about a bajillion types of yoghurt/drinking youghurt/cream/milk etc variations in the dairy section. Lot's i've never heard of obviously, like Vla, Slagroom, just plain Room or Kwark... (whatever that is)!
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• Missing words: language-wise, one of the funniest things is the missing words. For example an English speaker would say "I play tennis" or "I use the computer", but in an effort, perhaps, to be efficient the Dutch simply turn the activity into a verb. So, one "tennisses" or "computers", or my favourite, "I internet" - sounds like Apple's next venture.
• Mutant words: the Dutch also have the LONGEST words I've ever seen (except maybe in German). Apparently, in many cases it is okay to join a number of words together in the Dutch language to describe something, and there's really no limit to the length of the combination. Perhaps they were the true inventors of 'supercalafrajilisticexpialadocious' (or however you spell it!)
• One word for too many words!: one last thing about language, it seems the English have a lot more words for things compared to the Dutch. There are a number of little words in Dutch that cover so many meanings, depending on context, which can make it really hard to make sense of a sentence. For example, the word 'nog' can mean yet, still, besides, further etc etc.

And this brings me to a brief piece of other news - my narrowly passed Dutch course. I'm sure I complained to a number of you that I was surely going to fail my Dutch course... but I managed to scrape through. While I now feel after 28 weeks of lessons once a week (and admittedly VERY little homework in between) I can understand about 60/70% of everything I read and hear (ie. government letters, announcements at the train station, speaking to the lady at the supermarket counter) my speaking and writing is not so flash. My grammar in particularly is atrocious, which was pretty embarrassing to discover given my profession of choice! The problem is I tend to think in English and then put Dutch words into the English grammatical structre - which is COMPLETELY different to Dutch. For example, the verb always comes at the end so when in English you say "I went to the beach with my friends", in Dutch you would say "I to the beach with my friends went". Hence I messed it up a lot!

However I saw the classes as much as a cultural experience as anything else - a chance to ask our Dutch teacher questions about the country and lifestyle as well as the language, and figure out some of the oddities of this place. As a result I feel a little bit more like a resident and less like a tourist. It's also a humbling experience to realise how hard it is to learn another language, let alone become fluent - and therefore makes me appreciate the across-the-board English skills of almost Dutch person!

So before I go, some funny Dutch words or phrases from our last few classes:

• Kater = hangover (NB: overgeven = vomit!)
• de voedselvergifiging (yes, that's a real word!! an example of those combination-long-as-you-like words) = food poisoning
• magnetron = microwave (i just love this one cos it sounds so futuristic :P)
• Jeetje = aw geez! or oh gosh!
• borsten = breasts!, or elleboog = elbow, or billen = bottom :P
• Trouwens = "by the way"
• handschoenen = gloves (literally, handshoes)
• beha = bra
• ontzettende = very, very, very, very, very, very, very .... you get the point, it's a very emphatic word!
• ging = going, which isn't anything very interesting but I just think its a cute dutch word, only missing one letter and it could be English
• zadelpijn = saddle pain, as in when one rides one's bike !!!
• zonde van de tijd = "waste of time"
• paars = purple & geel = yellow

So, a very random selection, but some of the quirkier things that came up in class in the last few weeks.
For now though, it's back to the study of "theorising terrorism" - the course that got me excited about coming to UCM in the first place. Only about one and a half months til I'm home now! I hope the weather gets its act together - I need to get a tan to make you all jealous on my return!

Day 274 - Bloomin' Holland

If there’s one thing the Netherlands is known for among people who know pretty much nothing about the Netherlands its tulips. So spending a year here I’d feel like a bit of a failure if I came home without visiting the infamous Keukenhof flower garden. Just as some background, the privately run park boasts 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties, lovingly landscaped (and planted by hand) around 15km of footpaths over 32 hectares of land! It is literally a horticulturalist’s Disneyland.

It took us about 3 hours by train/bus to reach the park, near the town Lisse, south-west of Amsterdam. From the moment we entered the gates our eyes were bombarded with an explosion of colour and our noses with a waft of flower perfume. The red tulips first caught my attention, but as we wandered in and out of pathways, through garden mazes, up lookouts and around fountains I discovered so many colours and varieties I never knew existed. Some of the more interesting variety names included “Night Club”, “Teletubbies” and my personal favourite “Erupties” – these weird spikey lookin’ flowers with bunches of tulips hanging underneath a kind of crown of leaves much like a pineapple. What a name!

Erupties!!!

Generally, the landscaping was so impressive, with grouping of flowers either meant to startle by contrast (think blue, red and yellow all in a bunch) or to please the eye in shades of one colour (ie. purples, magenta’s, pinks and maroons). I was also impressed by the depth of the displays, with flowers of all different shapes and heights they seemed almost 3D.


  

It’s peak tourist season for the park at the moment (it’s open from march 24 to may 20, but the annual centrepiece parade was held yesterday) however the crowds weren’t too overwhelming and the place had quite a peaceful feel to it (even with the small children running around everywhere) courtesy of all the water features and the pleasant smell in the air. My only gripe was with the tourists who decided to completely ignore the copious “please do not touch the grass” signs and tromp all over it in search of the perfect photo op. Now, don’t get me wrong, we took our fair share of snaps (in fact, embarrassingly, all of us left with either a flat camera battery or a full memory card) but we were generally as respectful as possible. In contrast, there were grown women forcing their children out into the middle of big bunches of expensive, hand-planted flowers and lovingly manicured grass to get their photos. I felt sorry for the grass in a way, it gave the perfect uniform backdrop to the bursts of colour from the flowers but was pretty much taken for granted.

   


After about five hours in the park we decided to venture out into the actual tulip fields (commercial growing) for a squiz before heading home. This was the one time we may have ignored the signs… We were very gentle and light-footed but it was worth it actually be able to walk out amongst those rows and rows of brilliant flowers.

 




By then we’d had our fill of all things Dutch and touristy (if you count cycling to the station in the morning, eating ham rolls and poffejes in the park and drinking Heineken, taking photos of the fake windmill in the park, and of course all the flowers) we called it a day and made the 3 hour trek home. So it was more than 6 hours travel for about 6 hours of tulips. But as I said, it had to be done. Now all we have to check off the list are some heritage listed windmills and a spot of cheese rolling! Stay tuned…

These times they are a changin'

Just takin' some time out to put down a few observations of late.
This blog comes slightly out of order, in that I’ve just got back from 2 weeks holidays with the lovely Brett (which I will blog about soon I promise but its looming as a massive undertaking for another day) but I’ve noticed a few things which I wanted to share.


Spring has finally sprung in Maastricht. I’ve been waiting for it for so long because I got here in time to see the trees change from green to autumn colours to deathly black sticks and I’ve been so looking forward to seeing all the leaves and flowers come back. Now don’t get too excited, the signs are only small at the moment – but the promise they hold is making everyone here noticeably more happy. Little daisies are starting to sprout in the green lawns now that they’re no longer suffocated by snow, and rows of yellow or purple flowers are popping up in random clumps in large patches of grass (for example there’s a rectangular sort of section of flowers out the front of our guesthouse building in the middle of a whole field of grass). Japanese blossom trees are flowering and there are daffodils in people’s front gardens. (All of this bodes very well for our planned trip to the Netherland’s largest display of tulips and other flowers up north in about a month’s time).

     

(a taste of the Keukenhof flower gardens - maastricht doesn't quite look like this yet!)

The weather also has pulled its finger out – it got to a whopping 16C yesterday! (although the average has been more like 13C during the day and about 4C at night.) Still, there’s sun, oh glorious sun. It was actually warm in the sunlight, like ‘break a small sweat if you were mildly physically active in said sun’ warm. My new roomie even hauled a chair out on to her balcony (which I don’t think anyone else has used since I’ve been here) to read a book in the sun. And it won't be long before Nakita gets out those shorts she's been longing to wear (and so whinging about) for months! When we first got here all the Aussie gave these Euro wimps crap for ripping off their tops and dining alfresco as soon as the weather tipped above 10C but after months of sunlight deprivation and night falling as early as 4.30pm we know understand. When Brett and I left here 2 and a bit weeks ago it was about 5C, gloves, scarves and hats were necessary. On my return I find I need only wear 2 layers now and I can even get away with cycling without gloves. I don’t even need the 5 pairs of woollen socks I’ve accumulated. Over the last few days I too, like some deprived European sunflower, have begun turning my head to the sun every chance I get (although I argue it is still a bit too chilly to sit outside to eat).

I am most pleased though at the extended daylight hours – it’s now light until at least 6.30pm which means less riding home in the dark. AND its lighter earlier in the mornings which, yep, you guessed it, means less riding TO uni in the dark. All in all the weather over the past few days has reminded me a bit of home, those days between summer and autumn where its no longer beach weather but its perfect for a drive with the window down or a walk on the beach (but not a swim).


However, I am weary not to get ahead of myself. We have had bursts of nice weather before (say a week of 8C days in between weeks of frost and fog) and even during one day the weather can turn – you leave the house without a scarfe, hat or gloves because you think it won’t be necessary and end up coming home an ice cube. So I refused to be suckered in completely. But it is officially spring here and the signs are good for a gradually move back to that elusive European summer I experience for just a few weeks at the start of my trip.



And on another note, I know I've been a bit slack with your Dutch lessons (although I've still been going to mine) so here's some Dutch I've learned:
"Helas pindakaas!" = "that's crap!"
spijkerbroek is the Dutch word for jeans (go firgure)
and a cute one... krumeltjes = crumbs! :)

Days 85 to 89 - Officially livin' the Dutch life

Day 85- (Mon) Yes, Adelaide is a proper city!
Had a meeting at Maastricht town hall this morning to officially apply to live here (bit late now right?! but that's how the system goes). I had to register within a couple of weeks of getting here, then they set you up with this meeting. You have to show your passport, rental agreement, uni forms etc, they even wanted my birth certificate but let it slide given the hassle it would be for just 10 months here (but if I ever come back I must bring it, the lady tells me in an ominous tone!). So we fill out the forms and she gets to the bit that says "Adelaide" and queries "Is this a place?" HA! I nearly burst out laughing ... all anyone knows about Australia is Sydney!! Where's Norman from Eindhoven immigration and his recognition of the Adelaide Crows when I need him!!?? Anywho, I'm now (after more than 2 months here) officially allowed to live here (even if I come frm Adelaide :P). To celebrate this status I went and bought Milo ... yes MILO!! found it in, of all places, an Asian supermarket. Has what appears to be a Chinese Olympic swimmer on the can instead of Kieran Perkin's look-a-like like at home but has that same 'just like Nesquik only crunchy' taste :) mmmmm
Also, on my way out of he town hall to buy said Milo, I passed a bridal party and was aghast to seethe bride wearing ... BLACK!!! (And no Jess, just cos a European does it does not mean its acceptable!!!)

Day 86 (tues) - Totally a Dutch student
Went to a Dutch girl's house for dinner tonight after class (although we ate tortellini, not anything particularly dutch). Then I went to my first hippy student open-mic night. The uni holds free-for-all performance nights for arty students in the common room. Cheap vego food on sale, cool kids with guitars, make-shift drums, AMAZING voices and even a girl who did fire twirling (and almost set her stockings on fire in the proces!). Made me annoyed at myself for giving up the piano... :(

Day 87 (wed) - Cashing in on the student life
Scored a multitude of old-school kitchen goods from an op-shop this avo for the miserly sum of 6 euro! then scrounged back 1.50 euro from the supermarket by returning plastic and beer bottles - e-YES! Returned for (i think) the third Zumba class this evening - we're totally pros now, we gots da mooooves LOL

Day 88 (thurs) - Telling times
Tackled the overwhelming topic of financial crises in history class today, presenting me with an opportunity to brag about Australia being the "only country to avoid recession"! Later, in Dutch class we handed in our first written assignment - a whole 50 words! (I later received a grade of 4 and was DEVASTATED ... until I found out the score was out of 5, not 10!) We also learned to tell the time in this class but its so weird in Dutch ... if its for example 8.30, we say half past 8 (as in how many minutes it is past the turning of the current hour) but the Dutch say its half 9... (as in there's half an hour to go until it turns to the next hour) SO confusing!!! although its fun and knowing these little bits of Dutch is helping out day-to-day, I've come to the conclusion that if I ever want to have a proper conversation with a Dutch person I'm going to have to put a lot more effort into studying the language ... like grammar for example, I hardly know how to describe grammar processes in English, let alone Dutch! But after a day of bragging about Oz and all things Dutch, I ended this 24hour period at an international student dinner. Basically everyone brings a plate from their homeland and we share (again with the communism!) I made ANZAC biscuits (but with stroopwaffle syrup bc I couldn't find Golden Syryp, so they were kind of Dutchy ANZAC biscuits!), some other Aussie girls cut up sponge cake and dipped it in choc and coconut to make lamingtons (YUM), but the craziest thing was this blood pudding from Sweden. It was really, really dark red, almost brown, sliced thinly and baked or fried or something (and obviously is made from, among other things, animal blood). Its a bit of a Swedish specialty apparently, tastes really bland and floury but they put this kind of tart jam on it... (I tried a small bite... :S) Unfortunately it totally looked like chocolate cake ... and this meant more than one person was duped to "try some chocolate cake for dessert" and took a BIG mouthful... eep! To round off my multicultural education I learned two swedish words tonight - "tjnixen" (or something like that) means "howdy" and "schkrinkly" (totally not the spelling but roughly how it sounds) means "crinkly" as in a crinkly shirt ... useful hey?!

Day 89 (fri) - Rookie mistakes
So I got ripped off at the market this morning ... found this awesome dip store and asked for a small amount of dip and some stuffed baby capsicums, but there were no price signs and the language barrier prevented verbal clarification so I was left with a 12 euro bill (about 18 aussie dollars!!!). Later on that night, we went to a new little beer bar and (rookie mistake no. 2) asked the bar tender to just bring us some nice beers... we ended up with one that tasted like a mix of rocket fuel and anniseed, two that were 10+ % alcohol and another that was like sweet/sour cherry medicine!!! on the upside the place had the cutest bathroom, with rubber ducky patter on the bright blue toilet seat! In between mistake one and two I managed to pop over to Belgium for dinner - yes that's right, ANOTHER COUNTRY for dinner (really we just cycled up the road to the house of a German girl I met in introduction, who lives just over the border). Had to stop in at my place between cycling from there to the bar to meet other friends bc it had rained while we were in having dinner and I'd sat on a wet bicycle seat... (I may spent 10 or so minutes blowdrying my butt! don't judge!!) And then, I am proud to report, I cycled all the way to town holding an umbrella over my head ... doing about 2km an hour! As the title of this post says, I'm a real Dutchy now!

Observations: Brie cheese is especially smelly in Europe! And supermarket-brand wine for like $4AU is actually drinkable, as chocolate for 50cAU is edible.
Also, I've realised cycling time is like "loo time"... gives you time to think. Unlike catching the bus at home where I can read the paper or do uni work, and unlike the car bc there's no radio, you just have time to think (and watch the road of course) but I come up with some of my best (if I can call it that) blog material on two wheels.

Mistakes: See above!
Mini victories: Cycling with an umbrella ringing a bell...?

Dutch I've learned: "laat maar" = "never mind"
"Ja, ik wil" = literally translated means "yes, I want" but is apparently the Dutch version of "I do"!