My Sister's Birthday

I found this old photo... I have two brothers, named Jon and Alvin. And Roshel is our youngest sister. Everytime someone will ask how old are my brothers and sister, I will just count back from my age... I'm now 34 years old, Jon turns 33 last September 20, Alvin turns 32 last August 28, and now Roshel turns 31... Easy to remember their age ha... But for Roshel it's even easier to remember now because "she turns 31 on October 31", nice!

Lately, it was not always easy for me to chat with my family because I'm always busy... But I can imagine too how busy Roshel could be... Working in the Office from Monday to Saturday. Then giving her 3T's - Time, Talent and Treasure (hehe!) for Parish activities in Karuhatan. She is Chairman of Parish Commission on Youth which is not an easy task... and at the same time being a member of Choir and member of Lectors and Commentetors... I know exactly how busy it could be... That's why I'm so proud of her because I know her, she's doing her best in every task given to her... She had a favorite line "Never rest in serving God" and I think that's what she's doing... I miss my sister.

Happy Birthday Roshel!

Aardbeienkwarktaart (Strawberry Fromage frais Cake)

Last week, my husband tried to make a Kwarktaart (Fromage frais cake). It's a bit thick with kwark but for sure it's delicious and a success.
Today, Ron made just another flavor Aardbeienkwarktaart (Strawberry Fromage frais Cake)... Delicious! I've watched him while making the cake. I think it's easy to make, so for sure next time, I will try to make kwarktaart, known in Manila as Refrigerated cake....

Sinigang na baboy

After 8 months here in Hollland, for the first time, I've got chance to eat my favorite ulam (viand) "Sinigang na baboy".. hmmmm, lekker! Last Sunday, we've attended a birthday celebration of Andre, dutch husband of Precy, you can see them in 2nd photo with their son Angelo who's a bit shy when I take this photo... Then on 3rd photo, you see me with other Filipina friends I met here in Holland (Diana, me, Precy, Angelita, Hadj and Mely).

"Sinigang na baboy", is a filipino dish, some kind of pork soup with tamarind flavor, so for me the sourer it is the more I like it... I'm really happy that Precy cooked the sinigang.. Sarap!

CET - Central Europe Time (GMT =1:00)

At 3:00 AM, we adjusted our clock back to Standard time here in Holland (CET-Central Europe Time), so from 3:00 am we adjusted the time back to 2:00 am. Funny! it's like 1 hour was gone hehe! so DST- Daylight Saving Time had just ended.

Winkelweek Winschoten

Winkelweek (Shopping week), yes "winkel" means shop or store, maybe some will thought winking ha!ha! :)... This week is Winkelweek Winschoten, we walked along the shopping stores in Langestraat...

I remeber way back in Manila, shopping stores are always busy that's why store hours are open around 9:00 in the morning to 9:00 in the evening. And open everyday (except Holidays) especially Sunday is like a shopping day for families ha.....

Here in Holland it's completly different, i haven't mention yet the store hours here are between 9:00am to 6:00 pm, yes almost all the store here closes at exactly 6:00pm. Also here, stores are open only from Monday to Saturday, take note, stores and supermarkets are CLOSED on Sundays (except on special occasion like Winkelweel) so in case on Sunday, you noticed your cooking oil is not enough or something you need, then of course, you can still buy some in Gasoline stations stores, which is always open of course even on Sunday. And before I forgot every Monday, all ordinary stores will open at 1:00 in the afternoon, except for the Supermarkets, they open in the morning.... I still don't know why they have limited store hours and days here, unlike in Philippines, where the stores are open as more hours as they can.... Happy shopping!

Pinokkio de Musical

My daughter and I enjoyed watching TV yesterday morning, they showed "Pinokkio de Musical" (in dutch)... In Manila, it's not always that they will show in TV, the musical play... Here it's okay, it is even without interuption by commercial advertisement. I love watching musical play, and this time, even it is just a reply in TV, I did enjoy watching it. Mooie! (Nice!)

Virtual goods

Last Tuesday, October 21 I forgot to put a link news to my blog from Yahoo News about two dutch teenagers here convicted of theft for stealing "virtual goods". They forced another teenager to transfer "virtual amulet and a virtual mask" from the online adventure game RuneScape to their game accounts. Even though they steal only virtual goods, under Dutch law they considered them goods because mostly in online gaming you pay real money to have those virtual goods... kaya ayun.... read more in- YAHOO NEWS

Actually I've 1st seen the news in TV, so here's the link in dutch news - NOS Headlines

Happy Birthday Red

I have a chance to chat today with my family in Manila... Today is birthday of my niece Rosber Marie, better known as "Red"... I'm happy because internet helps me a lot, during times when I feel like missing my family so much...And i'm glad too to receive some of their photos via email... The 1st photo, shows Red and her "handa" (food prepared for her birthday). Then in 2nd photo, she got a Barbie as birthday gift from her Tito Kay. Then in 3rd photo, Red with my sister Roshel and her boyfriend Erwin, my Mama, and Steph (Red's sister).

Oh! I really miss her birthday... Red is my first niece that's why since she was born, for me she's like my daughter too. Infact, some are saying, she looks like me and she smile like me... ganda!
I heard she's in the Finalist for Spelling Bee in their school... Congratulations to you Red.

May God continue to bless you to be holy, healthy, bright and beautiful person always...

Happy 5th Birthday Red!
and
Gefeliciteerd to Jon and Happy!

Curly hair of Mireille

Herfstvakantie 2008 (Autumn vacation)

Herfst (Autumn) seaon is here. Here in Holland it starts on 22 September this year.

And now we have our Herfstvakantie (Autumn/Fall vacation) for this week. It's one of the official school vacations here in Holland and this year Herfstvakantie starts 18 to 26 October. But for me it's not really a holiday ha, because i have lots of "school assignment" to do and to study too. But for sure it would be a nice week vacation because I would have more time for my sweet daughter Mireille, for I don't need to leave her to a "Nanny" this week.

Fijne Vakantie! to other students like me....

Pinay Birthday

We've just attended the bithday party of Angelita. She is one of the Pinays (Filipina) I met here in Holland. In the first photo you'll see Angelita with her dutch husband Simon. And today is the first time that I attended a party here with more Pinays. Like what you can see in 2nd photo, we are 10 Pinays there, actually we are 12, Ate Julia and her daughter Ariane were not in the photo, they are outside the house then... And just today, I met 4 more pinays there...
We really have a nice time there, in combination with Karaoke singing which you can always see in Pinay birthdays here...

Happy Birthday Angelita and Gefeliciteerd also to Simon!

Midwolderbos (Midwolda's woods)

Saturday last week (Oct 11), we walk in the Midwolderbos or woods of Midwolda, a village near to Winschoten. Walking in the woods is one of the favorite recreation here. That's why you'll found many nice forests here to walk on... And it's really relaxing to walk around the nature even it's cold... The autumn had already started that's why you'll see some yellow leaves, fallen already in the ground and some trees here are having yellow leaves on it too. You'll see in photos kids are busy picking up some seeds and yellow leaves to make an art out of it... creative ha!

NT2 (Nederlands als tweede taal)

NT2 means Nederlands als tweede taal (Dutch as second language). Since I started going to school i've been so unbelievable busy with dutch language. At first my schedule in the school are every Tuesday and Thursday. And now I have additional schedule, every Wednesday too. So it's not even easy for me to go online now always...

By the way, I just got a new pocketwoordenboek (dictionary), "NT2 - Nederlands as tweede taal" by Van Dale... with this dictionary, the definition of every word is in dutch, so everynow and then I still have to use my Dutch-English and English-Dutch dictionary, hehe!... But this NT2 dictionary is always recommended by our teachers for us to get used purely in dutch words... Also this book have free CD to listen for the right pronounciation as well... so I think this book would help me a lot with studying dutch. Good ha!

Fijn weekend!

Happy Birthday Mama and Papa!

Happy Birthday Pa, Ma.

Yesterday (Oct 11) my father's birthday and today (Oct 12) my mother's birthday... Nice because next to each other... My father is still working in Saudi and I called to greet him on his birthday... Then today, I've called my mother in Manila... I wish they are together to celebrate their birthday... And I wish them good health always...

I don't know if it's because their birthday is next to each other. that they have almost the same attitude in many ways. And if there are things they differ from each other, then for sure there will always be a balance between them...

I thank God for giving us a parent like them kind hearted, generous, responsible, cheerful and loving mother and father to us... They've shared to us everything they could give... And I thank them for upbringing us with FAITH in God, because that's a treasure that would always stay in our heart and they share it with all their LOVE... We are really blessed to have a parent like them...

WE LOVE YOU MA and PA
May God bless both of you with love and happiness you truly deserve always.

Miss ko po kayo Ma at Pa... Ingat po lagi.
Big kisses from Marge, Ron and Mireille

Kinderboeken Week 2008

The Kinderboeken Week 2008 just ended yesterday. The week for child books held every October 1 to 11... And somehow, I just noticed also that my daughter sometimes give time just browsing to some books... These are some of the photos I made, when suddenly i would see that she would stop playing with the toys, then she would pick a book and will sit in the sofa, just to look in the book as if she can read already ha... Nice!

Gefeliciteerd Marieke

Marieke is my schoonzus (sister-in-law) too. Today is her birthday and I wish her all the happiness she always deserve. She's a very good photographer and I wish her more success.
I thank her for all the nice clothes and shoes she gave to me...

May God Bless you Marieke with good health always and God Bless your family.

Happy Birthday Marieke and Gefeliciteerd to Michel and Tim!

By the way here in Holland, everytime someone has the birthday... You normally will greet Gefeliciteerd (Congratulations/Happy Birthday) not only the birthday girl/boy but also you may greet the family members (husband, wife, daughter and son). That's why on Tim's birthday, I congratulate his parents (Marieke & Michel)... and now I greet gefeliciteerd to Michel (husband) and Tim (son).

Tim's Jarig (Birthday)

Happy 2nd Birthday Tim!

Tim is my daughter's neef (cousin). And also our neef (nephew). He is the son of my husband's youngest sister. Here in Holland they use the term neef which means (boy) cousin and also means nephew. And for the niece they use the term nicht which also means (girl) cousin.
At first I got confused with the term, and when they introduced someone as their neef or nicht, sometimes i just make a guest if it means a cousin or nephew or niece. hihi!

And about Tim, I remember in his baby photos, he looks like Mireille. In Manila some of my friends got confused with Tim's photo as my daughter... Here in Holland, I don't see Tim always because they are living a bit far from here in Winschoten... But for sure, Tim is always sweet to me. There was even a day he came here and never get tired saying my name Marge as "Mads" "Mads" "Mads"... and before going home, he always say "Mads auto", "Mads auto" which means he wants me to go with them in their car as they go home.. sweet ha!

By the way, in the 3rd photos, you'll see a newspaper. Yes, it's Tim in the headline photo with Oma Gea. On 15th of March 2008, my husband perform in a Benefit Concert so we went there to watch... Tim holds a piece of Benefit Concert poster... then the media noticed him and make some photos of Tim... cute!

Gefeliciteerd Marieke and Michel! God Bless your family.

Bouquet of Flowers

Bouquet of Flowers for me... of course from my husband, still fresh, he gave it to me for our 2nd Wedding Anniversary but I'm really so busy to even put it right away in my blog... But for sure it's always refreshing and giving a nice feeling for me to look at the flowers... but most of all it melts my heart to know that my man gave it to me with all his love...

Sprookjeshof2 Photo Album

Junior Songfestival 08 Finals

As usual another busy and gezellig (pleasant) weekend for us, in the evening Sharon, Nienke and Mireille became busy in watching the Finals of "Junior Songfestival"... The winner is Marissa Grasdijk who will go to Cyprus to represent The Netherlands in the coming "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008".

I made some photos while the kids are watching the T.V... you'll see Sharon and Mireille are dancing and dancing, but Nienke doesn't feel good, that's why she stay sitting in the sofa...
Fijn weekend!

Martini Ziekenhuis (Hospital)

The Martini Ziekenhuis (Hospital) is a large general hospital in the south of the City of Groningen. The hospital arose from a merger between the general Christian Diaconessenhuis on the Van Ketwich Verschuurlaan and the Roman Catholic Hospital on the Van Swietenlaan. The Martini Hospital also accommodates the Brandwondencentrum voor Noord- en Oost-Nederland (the Burns Unit for the North and East Netherlands)... read more in www.martiniziekenhuis.nl

Last September 30 2008, My mother-in-law (Mama Gea) had operation at her back. Because she suffers spinal disc herniation. Today we visited Mama Gea there at the Martini Ziekenhuis. I've noticed the high tech gadgets they have there. You can watch T.V., you can recieve and make a phone call, and of course you can also go internet... Mooi! (Nice).

Get well soon Mama Gea...