Prettige Kerstdagen (Merry Christmas)

We celebrated the christmas with Papa Harry and Hanneke (my father-in-law and his girlfriend)... We did have a nice evening... Delicious food were prepared by Hanneke and her daughter Angela, "Dank je wel voor het lekker eten".... And my daughter and her cousin Deniz have the floor and enjoyed much the dancing... Gezellig! (nice and pleasant evening).

Merry Christmas!
Prettige Kerstdagen!
Maligayang Pasko!

Sneeuw (Snow)

This is the first time for me and my daughter to experience walking and playing in the sneeuw (snow) . My husband said that it was few years ago the last time they experienced the same heavy snow, normally whenever there will be snow it's always light and not getting thick like what we have now... We have the chance to walk in the "Het Winschoter Park" and Mireille enjoyed riding in the sleigh... My favorite part is when me and my daughter lay down in the snow... such a nice experience....

Kerstfeest op school (Christmas party in school)

We have our Kerstfeest op school (Christmas party in school)... It's the first christmas party for me here in Holland... I'm really soooo happy!.... Way back in Manila, every christmas season I'm attendting to at least 3 christmas parties a year... At work, at the Parish church, then separate christmas party in the organization where I'm a member too.... Then sometimes there will be some invitation from christmas party of some friends, then there are christmas party for relatives which usually considered as family reunion.... Yes, December is always a busy month so much activities so many parties to go to... Last year, I'm kind a miss the christmas party, I thought there will be at least a christmas party at my husband's work but I just heard then that it's not common here to have company's christmas party....

I would like to thank Michael our classmate, for leading the organizing of christmas party... At first this was suppose to be only in our class, then we invited the students of our teacher from other class she have... Then our contact persons and volunteers from Stichting Welzijn Oldambt came as well to join the party... Anyone can bring food or drinks, so there were really so much food and drinks.... As for me, I was so busy then so I just prepared a fruit salad... We did have exhange gift too...

We have a sort of Recognition day too... We prepared a special kind of Certificate of appreciation for our mentors... Lineke, Lijla, Paul, Christine and Josefa.... Gefeliciteerd!

It was such a nice kerstfeest before our christmas vacation in school...

Pakjesavond 2009 (Gift-giving)

In celebration of Sinterklaas or feast day of St. Nicolas every 5th December, this is the time that they celebrate at night the pakjesavond (evening of gift-giving). Mostly kids receive kids as well as adults and normally every gift will be considered from Sinterklaas though the parents or grandparents bought and gave those gifts...

As for me I received a big milk chocolate letter M and a flower vase with a poem in it from Sinterklaas...

Together with the flowe base that I got from Sinterklaas, there is an attached poem from him as written below....
__________________________________________________________________

Spanje 5 December

Lieve Marge,

Sint was in het magazijn aan het zoeken naar een kado voor jou.

Ja,.... wat wil ze nou.

Een kop en schotel of een flesje parfum
Sint raakte langzaam uit zijn hum.

Ik wil haar graag iets geven naar haar zin maar....
zit dat er wel in?
Ik ken haar niet als kind, dus moet ik maar gokken
Misschien wel een set mokken.

Oh, daar staat iets moois voor haar
vooruit, dat doen we maar.

Niet mooi? ruilen kan niet meer
misschien een tip voor de volgende keer
zet onder je naam een paar wensen op papier
dan kan Sint dat kopen en heb jij plezier.

Tot volgend jaar

Sint en Piet

___________________________________________________


Dank je wel, Sinterklaas and Piet voor het mooie cadeau. :)

Tot volgend jaar,
Marge

Gedicht (Poem)

Today we received from "Sinterklaas" in school a letter milk chocolate and gedicht (poem)... It's usual during gift giving on Sinterklaas to have a gift and poem with it... and the gedicht (poem) that we received is the one written below... it's in dutch so I think it's more for my dutch readers and for my classmates too...

********************************************************************************

Lieve cursisten!

Een paar dagen geleden, ja donderdag vorige week
was het Sint die stiekem door het raam van het klaslokaal keek.
Hij zag jullie zitten en hard werken... zonder dat de "juf" erbij was!
Tjeeminee....... jullie zijn dus echt wel een heel bijzondere klas!
Goede, vlijtige studenten met culinaire kwaliteiten... en wat de eigenaardigheden zijn?
Dat vertelt de Sint jullie op rijm!

De grote ster der NT2
is MARGARITA.... nul fout in het dictee!
Dus binnenkort staat er bij jou misschien in de schuur een nieuwe fiets??
Jammer voor de anderen, want zij krijgen helemaal niets.
Maar ach, het is altijd feest,
vooral als MICHAEL geweest.,
Erg snel naar school vanuit Bellingwolde met zijn nieuwe auto
met de wens nu "Let it snow" !!!
Hij verzorgt ons met veel hartigs en zoet,
ook zijn prijsgunstige aardappelsalade Najarstijl viel erg goed!

DAVID zit nog niet zo lang in onze klas,
Maar aan zijn gewoontes te zien zou je denken dat hij een echte Nederlander was...
"Koffie? eeh... moet ik zelf betalen?,"
"Nou als het gratis is, ja dan wil ik het wel gaan halen." :)
MEHRAN is nu ook bij ons en is erg blij
want de tijd dat de lessen "rampzalig" waren, is nu voorbij
Jouw specialiteit uit Iran...
Een echte Iraanse kotelet die laat je niet staan!

KADER is in onze klas ook nog niet zo lang
En hij zeker niet bang.
Is de docent te laat?
Docent Kader zorgt ervoor dat de les gewoon doorgaat!
AMINA heeft het druk druk druk
en haar Marokkaanse sigaar met vis kan bij ons niet meer stuk.
Zelfs met haar baby (erg lief... maar wel veel werk) haalt ze alles met gemak
Het diploma "Staatsexamen" heeft ze al voor de helft op zak!

Kijk daar is onze TITHIRAT
Ze maakte voor ons "Lapkai".... wat is dat?
Zij wil graag in een koor zingen
Misschien als ze wat ouder is...? Ze heeft al zoveel andere dingen!
Laten we ORHAN niet vergeten.
Van zijn lekkere Turkse sigaar boregi hebben we erg veel gegeten.
Hij houdt echt niet van huisdieren,
Maar gelukkig wel van mensen , als ze maar niet klieren!

DIMITRI is er nu gelukkig ook weer bij
en we worden allemaal zo blij
van zijn lieve wensen:
"Prettige dag verder, groeten aan familie" voor alle mensen.
KONSTANTIN zien we op heel veel dagen...
Altijd vriendelijk en vol vragen.
Dat doet de goede Sint veel plezier
Daarom is er ook voor jou een cadeautje hier.

Onze "gouden" JOSEFA hebben we vandaag nog niet gezien
Komt ze maandag dan misschien?
Ze is de rots in de branding en de rechterhand van de docent
Altijd vriendelijk , vol vuur en zeer actief op elk moment!

Ach lieve studenten, jullie moeten weten
Dat de goede Sint jullie nooit zal vergeten.
Jullie maken de Sint gelukkig en blij :)
Dus......... is er een pakje voor jullie allemaal bij!

Veel liefs van Sint en Piet!

*********************************************************************************
We're really glad to receive the letter chocolate gift we received with the poem above... It's so special how Sinterklaas mentioned each one of us in it... The first four lines written in bold letters were meant for me, about having no wrong spelling in dictation that will give a chance for me to win a bicycle... (i hope)....

It's timing that I have my camera with me so I made some photos... In the photo above you'll see (from left to write) Dimitri, Tithirat, Lineke (our teacher, who probably wrote this poem, hehe), me, Michael, Orhan, Mehran and Kader.

"Dank je wel Sinterklaas en Piet"

Sinterklaas Party

We went to Ron's work today to attend the Sinterklaas party in their work... Especially for the kids... Last year, Mireille was so shy and just got busy eating candies... But this time she watched the program while sitting and eating pepernoten and candies... But the nicest moment for the kids was when they received their gift from Sinterklaas...

Zwarte Piet, the assistant of Sinterklaas gaved the gift for Mireille and he helped her openning the gift as well... that's why if you will ask Mireille from who is the gift? Instead of saying from Sinterklaas she will always answer from Zwarte Piet.. This year, she got a house toy with many functions like telephone, counting and puzzle... She likes it and started pretending that she's calling her Oma or her cousin Deniz in that telephone house :)

Het Groot Dictee der NT2 (The Big Dictation of NT2)

Six years ago when Thieme Meulenhoff launched the first Het Groot Dictee der Nt2- Nederlands als tweede taal (The Big Dictation of NT2 (Dutch as 2nd language)... The dictation/spelling is annually given to all foreiner students here in Holland Nationwide... with four different levels: A1, A2, B1 and B2/C1... or simply level 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively...

Last October 30, we took the dictation and for me, I took the A2 because I'm now in Level 2 with my dutch language in school... Today, we received the result... I'm think I'm guided with angels during the dictation, I don't have any mistake... I didn't expect this, way back in Manila, my weakness in school were the spelling quizzes. I always failed with spelling quizes then... But today, it's true, my teacher gave me a copy of my paper and at first I'm a bit afraid then that maybe she made mistake in checking my paper, I was afraid that maybe I have a mistake and she doesn't noticed... but yeah, I guess that could really happen to me... :)

The Het Groot Dictee der Nt2 will give 1 bicycle per level as a prize, but of course I'm not the only one who have a perfect score in A2 level, so what the teacher will do is to submit my paper to the Thime Meulenhoff (the organizer), then they will do some lottery to get the name of the lucky winner of bicycles ( 1 bike per level) ... As for me, I will have that chance to win bicycle but I'm more than happy already to receive the souvenir mug (as shown in the photo)... that's a special prize a got from my teacher... Denk je wel Lineke!

My classmate Titirat from Thailand brought her camera that's why we have a chance to make some photos together with our classmates.... :)

11th November

Last week, 11 November we have a chance to walk in the Centrum near to our house for Sint-Maartenfeest (St. Martin of Tours feast day). Here in Holland in the evening of November 11, children walk house to house with their paper lantern and sing Sint Maarten liedjes (St. Martin songs) then after singing they would receive candy's, chocolates or fruits.

Last year, I wrote also about Sint-Maartenfeest and showed some photos too... But last year my daughter was a bit young, so she doesn't really sing any song then. All she does was to get the candy and gave it to me, hehe!

This year, it's the first time that we walked in the Centrum, it's nice that those stores which are normally closed at 5:00 in the evening, stayed open till evening to give candies to those kids that will come to their stores... My daughter was a bit shy to sing, at first three stores she doesn't really sang any song, she just proudly showed to those persons in the store that she has a very nice lantern... After that, she does other way, she doesn't want to sing in front of the stores it's good that her cousins Deniz and Tim are with her to sing but after she got the candies then that's the moment that she will sing while we are walking going to another store.... But there are stores where she sang Sint-Maarten song but it was with soft voice as if she's whispering. By the way, this is the song that she sang then....

Sint-Maarten, Sint-Maarten
De koeien hebben staarten
De meisjes hebben rokjes aan
Daar komt Sint Martinus aan

In the photos you'll see her with her cousin Deniz and with their Opa (Grandfather).

Nacht Van De Nacht (Night Of The Night)

At the beginning of spring time here in Holland, we changed our time into DST (Daylight Saving Time) where the clock jumps forward from 02:00 standard time to 03:00 DST and that day has 23 hours.

And now it's autumn and yesterday the clock jumps backward from 03:00 DST to 02:00 standard time, repeating that hour, and that day has 25 hours. There is an organization here in Holland that since 2005, are busy every year organizing activities for this especial night nationwide.. They called the event Nacht Van De Nacht (Night Of The Night). They say over 18 thousand people, including children went out and enjoys in the dark of the 5th Night of the Night. They took part in a record of 300 'dark' events, spread over all provinces. There are also 120 Municipal offices who turn-on tens thousands of lights or lamps together. Also companies named De Dom, Euromast, de Zaanse Schans and all branches of IKEA stood in the dark, along with hundreds of offices, churches, bridges, towers and monuments.

Sad... we didn't have the chance to go out and look for the fireworks in the Centrum near to us, because it's late for my daughter to go out and also my husband then went to the house of his bandmate for their band practice... Here in our place, I heard the main event was the cycling and walking at around 9:00 in the evening.... Maybe next year I could join those bikers and walking activities as well and enjoy "the night of the night".

Paddenstoelen (Mushrooms)

The Herfst (Autumn) season here in Holland officially begins last month (September 22). With my family here we have the chance to walk then in the woods of Drenthe and I made some pictures of Paddenstoelen or Mushrooms. Every Autumn season, kids are busy collecting fallen leaves, nuts and some cute things that can be well used for Autum decorations...

Mushrooms are popular also during autum, as you walk in the woods then you'll see different kinds of mushrooms are growing out... And making photos of them is nice too like what I did... I remember last year in the television program i've seen a documentary about Mushrooms, what are different classifications of them, their human uses like for eating, for medicines, etc.. But there are also poisonous mushrooms, like the first photo of mushroom you see above the red with white spots, according to Wikipedia they are called Amanita Muscaria .


By the way, today is the last day of our Herfstvakantie (Autumn vacation), a one week school vacation nationwide here in Holland during Autumn season... So back to school again on Monday... dutch! dutch! dutch!

Debulos Family

I just received from my brother the photos from yesterdays birthday celebration of my parents... Yesterday was my father's birthday and today is my mother's birthday... Just made me happy to see them celebrating together... It's a bit like a reunion because almost all the brothers and sister of my father came there with some of my cousins and their kids...

They use to make a joke with each other... Debulos is my maidens surname and we call ourselves "Pamilya Dimagiba" (family that can't be ruin). Actually it's the expression that we've seen in old filipino movies before, where ther are about 9 or more brothers... I don't remember anymore the title of the movie but it's simply shows that with big family especially more brothers that's not really easy to break them ha... By the way, in my father side, they are 12 siblings (8 brothers and 4 sisters)... We don't really came from rich family but for sure, we feel good under our skin... One thing I noticed, my Tita and Tito's have a sense of humor as well as my cousins...
In two photos you see above, those photos were taken in summer 2007, that's really like a reunion in a resort... The two youngest brother of them are in Bicol that's why you can just see ten of them.. I like this photo and I'm happy to see how they are close to each other even they are a bit old already...

And for me, my Papa is number 1 with great sense of humor... very funny and cheerful to be with. Whenever he's in the house, there is always a moment where we have to Laugh Out Loud.... I miss them...

Mijn Vader en Moeder (My Father and Mother)

Last year, I greeted my father and mother's birthday, but my father was in Saudi Arabia then and mother was in Philippines, so I wrote my wish that they will be together on their birthday (dutch my life: Happy Birthday Mama and Papa!). My wish came true... Today is my father's birthday and tomorrow is my mother's birthday... And they are together now in Manila, my father came for a vacation in Manila last month and he will be staying there till first week of November... Oh! now, i have a new wish that on their next birthday (next year) I wish that we could have a chance to have a vacation too in Manila, so that we are all together. That would really be like a reunion ha.


I would write it again... "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 hearts 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.

Last but not the least, I appreciate how my father and mother bring music in our family and in our hearts.... I think that's what also make our family more lively and cheerfully... I'll never forget how we enjoy singing karaoke together and how my papa and mama dances on ordinary sunday by hearing oldies love songs in Radio... soooo sweet!

We miss you......
Big kisses from Ron, Marge and Mireille

K2 zoekt K3 (K2 search K3)

For a few weeks we tried follow and watch every saturday night the Reality show "K2 Zoekt K3" (K2 search for K3).. K3 is a Belgian singing band that become famous in Holland for about 10 yrs... K3 came from the original name of 3 singers Karen, Kristel and Kathleen, their main audience were children... But last March, Kathleen (the old blond member of K3) quit the K3.. So the two old member Karen and Kristel (named as K2) tried to search for new member to become K3 again thru the Reality show "K3 zoekt K3"...

Last Saturday, was the Final show where among thousands who auditioned, 3 candidates were left to the final episode named Josje, Noa and Madelon.... It was reported that about 2.4 million televiewers in Holland watched it and we are one of them...

And the winner is Josje Huisman, the blond girl you see in the photo above.... If Karen and Kristel were Belgian, this time they have a dutch member now with Josje.. She deserves it, she's good in singing, good in dancing and with charisma too... Gefeliciteerd Josje!

Now Mireille and I will be watching K3 TV shows and i hope in the future we'll have a chance to watched their concert as well... I see my daughter is encourage to sing and dance everytime she watches them on TV... Mooi zo!

Overstroming in Filipijnen (Flood in Philippines)

Please Help Ondoy's Victims from Godz on Vimeo.

Last week Saturday evening here in Holland, when I first heard the news over the typhoon named "Ondoy" or the international name "Ketsana" hits Manila on that day (September 26). It flooded almost 80% of Manila, the Capital Region in Philippines... It breaks my heart to see in internet news on how many people were stranded, became homeless, injured, died and missing. They say almost one month worth of rain fell in just six hours over Metro Manila and was the worst in recorded history of floods in Manila after 40 years...

Sunday Morning I have a chance to chat with my family and Thank God, everyone is safe and our house doesn't reach the flood. Over a week, I tried to send sms and messages to all my family and friends to ask how are they? I heard stories how some of them got stranded, like sleeping in jeeney, reaching the roof of the building to avoid flood water and sad stories of those who died in about few streets away from our house in Karuhatan.

As of now Philippines declared In State Of Calamity, yes for the entire country. Declaration designed for worst-case scenario. In Malacañang, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said: “The President agreed to declare the archipelago under a state of calamity for two reasons -- for local government units to have access to calamity funds and [subsequently] be more prepared, especially in areas threatened by Pepeng (the next typhoon after Ondoy), and to address rampant overpricing.”

Flooding is not really new in Philippines but the last one really affects the country because this time it hits the National Capital Region (Metro Manila)... Big companies were affected, millions of properties were damaged and it would take time to recover everything back in businesss. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this morning asked even thousands of people to stay longer in evacuation centers in view of next Typhoon "Pepeng.''

I'm here in Holland and married to a dutch man...
But I'm still a Filipina who's asking Please help victims of typhoon 'Ondoy'.
You can visit Google's Typhoon Ondoy Donation Web Page for information.
And watch some captured video at youtube or read articles at gmanews.tv.

Thank you in advance for your help.

And please let us continue to pray for the victims of typhoon "Ondoy".

Dierencrematorium (Crematorium for Animals)

Last year I made a video of Mireille offering noodles pack for "Droopy", the pet dog of my mother-in-law.... I look back again to this video which i posted in Youtube last year.... "Droopy" was such a nice and sweet dog... But now she's gone already... Last week she just got an injection to die... She is about 9 years old i think... And since January, she got sick and the Veterinarian found out that she had Ovary cancer... Last February, she already had a schedule for injection to let her die, to avoid her from suffering with pain, but it was cancelled and after that she seems to get a bit strong but the last few months seems to got worst so there's no choice but to give her injection to die... sad...

By the way, the photos you see were the document of the Cremation of Droopy. She was cremated in the Dierencrematorium (Crematorium for Animals) in Delfzijl... and the ashes were in the jar as you can see in the photo....

We'll miss you Droopy....

Schilderij (Painting)

After showing photos of our house, some gave compliment for the paintings that hang in the wall. Well actually we have four paintings and each one came from different person, as a gift. The first painting above where you can see there is written Azian dream, that was created by Daniel Stuttje, he made it especially for us... Last year, he gave that painting as birthday gift for me and my husband... Daniel is a good friend of Ron for about 20 yrs. already. Mijn compliment to other paintings he made... and you can see more of his works at www.popcircus.nl and click the Schilderijen Daniel on the right side among the headings.

Then 2nd 3-pcs. painting is from Ivy Tan, a filipina friend of mine, she created and gave it to me last Chrirstmas as gift.... The first time I came to Ivy's house, I saw that 3 pcs. painting and I said right away that I like it. That's why she gave it to me... nice!

Then the 3rd 2-pcs painting was given to me by another filipina friend I have here named Tessie Spelde... Actually that 2-pcs painting was created by Raimunda Spelde, the daughter of her...

Finally the 4th photo of painting was given to us from Josefa Katuin or "Ate Josie", she's also a filipina who came and live here in holland for about 20 years already, that's why she's like a filipina mother here for me.. And that painting, she said was the first painting she bought here in Holland 20 years ago...

Thank you Daniel, Ivy, Raimunda and Ate Josie for giving those paintings for us.