Eerste Half Jaar (1st Half Year) in Holland

It was 11th of February this year, when my daughter and I arrived here in Holland. It was Winter then so from 25 celcius degree in Manila we felt right away the difference with the weather here, maybe between 1 to 10 celcius degree then... For me, it's a big changes too with regards to food. In Manila, we eat bread in the morning, then rice meal for lunch and dinner, sometimes we even eat rice in the morning, so imagine eating rice almost 3 times a day... But here in Holland, it's different, normally bread in the morning and lunch, then dutch dinner (potato, vegetable and meat)... But of course, sometimes I cook filipino food for dinner.

On the first two months we’ve been busy with processing of documents here in Immigration, Gemeente (City Hall) and other Gov't Institutions here... Then we did some visiting of relatives and friends of my husband too.. I also spend my time studying dutch language online and at the same time trying to speak dutch language to my daughter (in "baruk" way)... Then I discovered and explored my talent in cooking with different filipino cuisines (thanks to those recipes available online)... Aside from our busy sched I’m glad I met some Filipinas here in Groningen... So the past 6th months have been really busy, busy, busy... I'm happy the internet is there so i could continue my communication with my family and friends too....

If I will compare my life here in Holland to my life way back in Manila it's totally living in two different sides of the globe. They are totally different in a lot of ways. So I have no choice but to adjust to those changes. Together with those changes, are my many 1st in my life. First thing in line is living for the first time with my own family (with my husband and my daughter).... and a first time hands-on mom of an 18th month old cute little darling who is growing so fast and showing a lot of developments as well.... Well some dutch ways are still strange to me but I know I can get along with it in the future after all this is already my so called home....I'm now trying having a work experience, preparing for Dutch class and many more to mention. There are so many changes as I go on..

But those changes doesn't matter at all, everything comes to me smoothly and it is because of the love I have for my husband and my daughter and my faith in God that I keep in my heart that makes me stronger.

May God continue to bless us all...