Spring is definitely here. The weather has been gradually warming up since February, and the flowers sneaking out. Last summer we stripped the garden almost bare. We cut down trees. ripped out tons of undergrowth, and tilled the soil with compost. I was surprised to find some flowers actually survived the…
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February Holiday
The last week of February is my quarterly week break from school. I am spending the end of break in Zeeland with my in-laws. It is always a lot of fun here, and the countryside is beautiful. We took the afternoon to visit the seaside together as a group. All…
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Blijdorp Zoo
My fantastic family went out today to Blijdrop Zoo in Rotterdam for my birthday. We celebrated early and had a lot of fun. The visit was courtesy of my brother and sister-in-law, and our niece CA 🙂 This was my first visit to a Dutch zoo. The fringes of winter weather stuck around…
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Haarzuilens
Four years ago, I saw the Green Heart for the first time. My first impression of this area was endless green countryside and historical buildings lying in hidden corners. I caught sight of Kasteel de Haar (Castle de Haar) from the roadside, but never had the chance to visit it. Even…
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Fireworks
New Year’s Day is a free for all in the Netherlands. Today every town block and distant horizon is filled with the clattering light of fireworks. It is tradition to let loose and light fireworks in the street or your yard. I haven’t bought fireworks here yet, but I enjoy watching…
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Home for Christmas
For the first time in my life, I hosted a Christmas party. We invited all of our immediate family to the party at our new house in Voorhout. Eleven people in total managed to squeeze into our downstairs to party! We exchanged gifts beside the Christmas tree, and feasted on…
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Thanksgiving Amsterdam 2014
I miss having the day off for Thanksgiving, though it’s an American only holiday. We still had work and school, which made for a very long day. The roads and public transit were jammed due to rainy weather. It took us nearly 1.5 hours to reach Hard Rock Cafe for…
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Double Birthday
Two birthdays in a week require a special gathering of family to celebrate. We spent the weekend in Zeeland with our in-laws, to celebrate the birthdays of N and A. Saturday we stopped by a Christmas fair with everyone and drove to a coastal area named Hoedekenskerke at sunset. The…
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Moving Update: September
The amount of progress made in this month alone is mind boggling. Every member of our family (here) left their mark upon our house. One of our friends also dedicated a lot of time to us. We heartily thank everyone involved in the process. After two weeks of a lot of work,…
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