Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Maligayang Bagong Taon!

Medical System

I saw already some differences in Medical System here in Holland compare to Philippines... Here in Holland almost everyone have a medical insurance, unlike in Philippines ordinary workers don't really bother to apply for medical insurance... But here there's a big difference also with rules in going to hospital... Every person has Huisarts, or what we called family doctor... If you are sick you first have to have an appointment with your doctor before visiting the doctor's clinic... then if you need to go to the hospital, it's your doctor who will make a referral for you to have an appointment to go to hospital... Of course except for emergency cases, then you could go directly to the hospital without appointment...
Anyway, that's the exact procedure we are going through with my husband's situtation... Today, it's good, we received a letter from St. Lucas Ziekenhuis (hospital) in Winschoten, on January 7 (Wednesday) Ron will have his MRI scan....

Good Health

Lately, I don't really have so much in my blog although there are lots of ideas in my mind to write... we don't have internet connection also since 24 December so... At first, I felt a bit homesick before christmas... I mean, this is the first time that I would have my christmas here in Holland, I'm excited of course and happy because first christmas also for me and my husband together with our daughter..... But every now and then the christmas in Manila keeps on coming in my mind there's really a big difference with christmas celebration here....

But on Christmas day itself, I realized that we should always look on the blessings around us... more than receiving material things as a gift... we should not forget that having GOOD HEALTH is a gift itself... and to spend the christmas day just in the house together with your family is a celebration itself....

Actually my husband is on sick leave now because of BACK PAIN, sound simple and common pain but I think what he had is not a simple back pain... Last 23 December, while he is changing his clothes to working uniform, he felt suddenly an intense pain in his lower back while lifting up his left leg to wear his pants. After that, the pain in his back and leg stays but he had managed to still go to his work...

24 December, in the morning he felt that the pain in his back and left leg are still there but he could still walk and drive a car... We attended Holy Mass on 6:00pm then we went to the house of Klaas and Ivy (my filipina friend who's living near to our house).. Then at around 10:00 pm Ron felt such pain in his back and left leg to the point that he could not stand straight any more and could not almost walk, so we went home...

We don't have a chance anymore to celebrate for Noche Buena (Christmas eve) because we went to bed as early as 10:30pm. But actually we almost don't have sleep that evening because Ron's back and left leg was so painful then... I asked him to call his doctor but then it's not possible because of Christmas holiday so his doctor was also in holiday.... at 1:00 in the morning (25 December) he called a Doktersdiensten Groningen, because that's the only way he could talk to a doctor even it would cost (Euro) 0.10 cents/minute. Oh! I thank my sister-in-law Marjan, who came here at 3:30am and bought the medicines that the doctor recommend for Ron... so at 4:30am Ron finally take a medicine for his pain but it's sad that the medicines seems to be not working because the pain stays...

So on Christmas day, at 9:00 in the morning, Koos (our neighbor) brings Ron to the St Lucas Ziekenhuis (Hospital). They recommend Morphine (10mg) and Lyrica medicines so Ron would not feel the pain but actually the pain stays even after taking those medicines... So on Christmas day we put an airbed here in the living room for Ron to make sure that me, Ron and Mireille are together to celebrate christmas.... In the evening, we almost don't have good sleep again because even he took those medicines, it seems to have no effect to Ron's backpain and leg too.... so at around 4:00am Ron called the Doktersdiensten again to ask if it's okay to take 2 tablets of morphine and the doktor said okay...

Christmas day here are 2 days, and 26 December is what they called here the 2nd Christmas day... we have observed that taking 2 morphine tablets seems to have no effect so at 2:00 in the afternoon, our neighbor Evert brought Ron to the hospital again... They made some xray in his back and it's good. It seems to be just lower back pain but they suspect that it's possible he has Spinal Disc Herniation (or Lumbar disc herniation). So they gave a letter that Ron will show to his doktor to recommend an emergency MRI to detect if he had hernia and to know if Ron needs an operation in his back right away.

Somehow the medicines work good, Ron had a chance to have a good sleep although waking up every now and then because of pain, it is better than the past 2 nights then that he almost don't have sleep. But on 27 December when he woke up, he don't feel anymore in his left knee, then on lunch time, he got fever... So he called again a doctor, it's unbelievable, the doctor just said, oh fever, that could be a start infection, then oh you don't have feeling in left knee that could be a sign of hernia, please call again if you don't have any feeling also in the legs...

Yesterday, it's a bit better, because at least he don't have fever anymore.. At night he had a good sleep.. Today Ron receives a phonecall from St Lucas Ziekenhuis (Hospital) to say that they cannot promise that Ron can have an emergency MRI this year, so i hope at least next week, Ron could have a chance to have MRI or as soon as possible...

Kerstmis (Christmas)

Prettige Kerstdagen!
Merry Christmas!
Maligayang Pasko!

May God Bless you and your loved ones with a truly Blessed Christmas!
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"Today our Savior is born". These words of St. Leo the Great ring out with great joy in churches across the world this Christmas morning. Today, He is born. We do not celebrate this day as the anniversary of the Lord's birth, but rather as the solemn commemoration of His presence with us this very day. --- Reflection from Daily Gospel 2008, Dec 25

16th December

On 16th December or 9 days before Christmas, there's no really especial occassion here in Holland. But I cannot deny the fact that I MISS the Filipino Christmas traditions especially today starts the SIMBANG GABI or MISA DE GALLO ("Night Mass") the nine-day dawn masses (usually every 4:00 in the morning from December 16 to 24). Oh, I remember the filipino kids in the evening will be busy going house to house to sing christmas carols... And I can imagine how busy the shopping malls now because everyone is busy buying christmas gifts...

I know i would miss Christmas in Philippines....

Kerspakket (Christmas package)

Eventhough I'm working on non permanent basis, I still received Kerstpakket (Christmas Package)... It's very common here, in every company to give away kerstpakket every Christmas season as part of bonus gift.. Nice ha!..

I remember in Manila only big companies give Christmas package... I've worked for more than 5 years as accounting clerk in different private companies... Then I've worked more than 6 years as secretary of the Director in Government office in Philippines... but i've never received as much as what I've received here from my kerspakket... but it's okay... The Christmas party every year in Phillipines was always a nice and happy experience for me... Here it's not common to have christmas party... unlike in Manila, every christmas season, I'm attending Christmas party at work, in the school, in the Parish church and different organization I'm member with.. there are even christmas party before among the neighbors... so nice! I miss it!

Sinterklaas Cadeautjes (Gifts)

Mireille is busy now with the Sinterklaas cadeautjes (gifts) she received on our pakjesavond last December 6.

Kerstboom (Christmas Tree)

They say normally they put the christmas decoration after Sinterklaas (5th December), but for us, as early as 1st day of December, we put already our christmas decor. Ofcourse, I'm here in Holland, some would say we should put the decor also after Sinterklaas but I think there's nothing wrong if we put the decor just a week earlier ha. This would be the first christmas for me here in Holland, and I know there's a big difference with Christmas season here compare to Philippines. And for sure I would miss my family and friends and all the christmas activities I'm used with before in Manila...

But for course i'm happy and excited because this would be the first christmas that me & ron and our daughter will be together.... By the way here is our Kerstboom (Christmas Tree). It's my husband who put the christmas tree and almost all the christmas balls in it. I thank him for supporting me, when I said I like the christmas decoration on 1st day of December. I don't have a chance to help him much with decoration of christmas tree because I feel that I would miss my family sooooo much on the moment that I would be busy with the christmas tree so i choose to just put another christmas decoration in the house then.... Merry Christmas!

Pakjesavond (present's evening)

Yes, it's yesterday night the pakjesavond (present's evening) but we decided to celebrate it today because everyone is free from work. As I've mentioned yesterday, 5th December or Sinterklaasavond is the occasion for gift-giving here. My mother-in-law's idea was just to buy gifts for the kids. We are four givers, Mama Gea & Papa Willem, Marjan & Greg, Marieke & Michele and me and Ron. Then each giver will buy 3 gifts for each kid. There are 5 kids to whom we're going to give a gift, Sharon, Nienke, Deniz, Tim & Mireille. I'm happy to see how excited they were to open their gifts. Imagine receiving 12 gifts. I'm happy also that during those moment, my daughter feels a bit better, although at the end of the day, she feel not good again maybe because she was so tired then. So the kids thought all the gifts are from Sinterklaas, hehe! funny! By the way, I receive a gift too, a book titled "Baby's wil is wet". Thank you Sinterklaas!

Mama Gea cooked two kinds of soup, Cheese soup and Vegetable soup. So after the openning of the gifts, we have a delicious dinner. I don't have a chance anymore to made some photo of our dinner food, because at that moment Mireille is not feeling good again.... But for sure, everyone enjoyed the pakjesavond.

Dag Sinterklaas tot volgend jaar! (Bye Sinterklaas till next year!)

Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas' Eve)

This evening is called Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas' Eve) here in Holland. It's the evening before the St. Nicholas feast day which is tomorrow. They called this evening also as pakjesavond (present's evening) because now is the chief occasion for gift-giving here.

This evening, we found a gift in front of our door. It's for Mireille but we don't know who gave this gift. But of course here when kids receive a gift, they would expect it's from Sinterklaas. I'm thinking maybe it's from our neighbor but I'm not sure yet. But for now, I will call the giver Sinterklaas and I just want to say "Dank u wel" ("Thank you") for the gift.

Mireille was already sleeping when we found the gift, so I will just add the photos here when our daughter will open the gift.

By they way, she's a bit sick this week. Starting tuesday night, she got fever, then wednesday till today, she don't really feel good. I think there are two teeth coming out. Also she had common cold that's why I don't have a chance to go to school this wednesday and thursday. The doctor says it's common now the sickness here because of the cold weather now here in Holland.

KFG Christmas Party

Yesterday, we've attended a KFG (Kapisanan ng mga Filipino sa Groningen) Christmas Party. There you'll see more dutch-filipina partners with their mestiza kids. I don't know yet every Filipina here, especially around Groningen. And it's the first time for me to attend in a Filipino organization party here. In the program they show different Filipino Tribal Dances, as you can see in 3rd photo. In the 1st photo you'll see "my filipina neighbors", as I always say although they are living in different street near to us. Ivy and Rhoda are my classmates too but they are in another group (higher level na sila). In the 4th photo you'll us with Inday between Ivy and Rhoda... The past weeks, we made schedules to visit each other's house, first at Rhoda's house, then at Inday, then in our house. Last friday was at Ivy's house...

It's a bit busy in the party, we don't really have the chance to meet more Pinays, but it's okay for sure we've enjoyed the night.... Mabuhay!!