Wandelen (Walking)

Wandelen or walking is one of the most common activity among dutch people here. And walking in the park or in the wood is their favorite place.

Last week we walked in the woods in Natuurpad Ennemaborg. I liked it, to walk in the wood on autumn with those orange or yellow trees and fallen leaves. But most of all I enjoyed walking together with the whole family. Gezellig!

p.s. Thank you Papa Willem for sharing some photos you made :)

Bevrijdingsoptocht (Liberation Parade)

Yesterday (May 5) was the Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) here in Holland. But it's non-working holiday, only every 5th year like this year the 65th Bevrijdingsdag. We went to Oude Pekela to watch the Bevrijdingsoptocht or Liberation, Parade. We saw military vehicles, tractors of the farmers, antique cars and some Veterans as well. The parade was organized by 50 Pekelder associations and organizations in cooperation with the Stichting Oranje Bevrijdings Comité Pekela (OBCP).
It's the first time that I saw this kind of parade... I like it!

Beschuit

I thought winter is over because last week I have a chance already to go on bicycle... But last night it had snowed again.... Snow is really nice for the first few weeks but actually it's not really so easy when there's snow... Like today, I didn't noticed yesterday that we don't have bread anymore. So I can't just go out with bicycle and buy bread.... Anyway, every Sunday normally stores are closed here and every monday their openning time is 1:00 in the afternoon.... So it doesn't matter too. So instead of bread we ate beschuit for breakfast...

In Manila, bescuit is like a toasted bread that we normally eat on snack time but here yes, it's really for breakfast... It's light for me to eat beschuit for breakfast but it's okay than not to eat breakfast at all... I like it with strawberry jam but my daughter likes it just plain :)

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....

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

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!

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!

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....

Boodschappen Cadeau Pakket (Groceries Package Gift)

Last year in August I wrote about spaarzegels (dutch my life: Spaarzegels (Trading stamp)) where I did tried to save stamps and if I'll be able to complete the spaarkaart then I'll get special prize...

In January this year, I did completed the whole spaarkaart of C1000 Supermarket and I received a Boodschappen Cadeau Pakket (Groceries Package Gift) worth 50 euro...

Then this Summer the C1000 supermarket once again had a promo on Spaarzegels (Trading stamp). Of course I get busy with it again, why not? We are regular customer of C1000 and everyweek we did our weekly shopping there... It's the same last January, for every 10 euro you'll get 1 spaarzegel but this time it's not much... S0 last Saturday, I claimed again a Boodschappen Verrassingspakket (shopping surprise package) worth 20 euro... This time I did not really have the complete stamps needed, my filipina friends here Ivy and Rhoda and Tina (from Indonesia), share some of their extra stamps... Dank je wek! (Thank You!)

NT2 Niveau 1 (A1) - Dutch as 2nd language Level 1

Today is the first day of school... Yes, I'm not yet done studying dutch language... With my status here in Holland, normally I'm required to take Inburgering Course and pass the Inburgering Exam before I could apply for Dutch passport...

But then I have another option and that is to take Staatsexamen NT2 course and pass the Staatsexamen exam... I choose Staatsexamen... Inburgering is much easier and more on studying culture, but with Staatexamen is to really study the dutch language till Level 4... It's a bit harder and higher level so if I will pass the exam (please pray for me) then I don't need to take Inburgering exam anymore... And with Staatsexamen I could go to school here to study another course or better maybe to refresh Accounting course, but if it would be hard then I have option to study Boekhouding (Bookeeping) here... I hope I could really do it so I could have a good job in the future...

By the way, the photo above was taken last March 2009 with my Verklaring (Testimonial) on NT2 Niveau 1 (A1) - (Dutch as 2nd Language Level 1). It's like a certificate and I'm really excited and proud that I'm done with Level 1, as of now I'm preparing to take exam for Level 2... :) Succes to me!

Dag van het Park (Day of the Park)

Ook weer zo’n zin om lekker naar buiten te gaan? Soms hoef je helemaal niet ver weg om leuke dingen te doen. Laat je verrassen in een park bij jou in de buurt tijdens de Dag van het Park op zondag 31 mei. Het is al de vijfde keer dat de ANWB dit groene evenement samen met verschillende gemeenten in Nederland organiseert. Het belooft weer een leuke dag te worden vol culturele, sportieve, culinaire, groene en andere activiteiten in het park...(lees verder) -www.dagvanhetpark.nl

English Translation: Again some good sense to go out? Sometimes you are not far away for fun things to do. Let yourself be surprised in a park near you during the Day of the Park Sunday, May 31. This is the fifth time that the ANWB this green event together with various municipalities in the Netherlands organizes. It promises a great day to be full of cultural, sporting, culinary, green and other activities in the park.... -www.dagvanhetpark.nl ____________________________________________________________________

Winschoten, our Gemeente (Municipality) is one among the participating municipalities... The activities were held at the Het Rosarium and the Stadspark (City Park) from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon... Actually the the Stadspark and Het Rosarium were just walking distance from our house... so even there's no special occassion we always go there by walking around the Stadspark... The weather is nice.... we walk around, we ate poffertjes (like small pancakes) and ice cream, the kids have special shape balloons, they don't have a chance to have face painting, because there are so many kids falling in line..we thought those parachuters will have their landing in the Het Rosarium, but then it was in Stadspark, so we didn't see them close... Then we went straight to the house of our Filipina neighbor here Ivy, and drink koffee and eat delicious cassava cake made by her...

Anyway, here are some organizations here in Winschoten that joined the activities and invited everyone who wants to join their organization...

1) HCK - Hockey Club Winschoten
2) True Flight Archery
3) Goochelaar Jasper Gray (Magician, actually he's the one who's makes different shape of balloons as you can see in the photo).
4) Vita Nova Toneelvereniging (Drama Club)
5) Hengelsportvereniging Excelsior Winschoten (Fishing Association)
6) Winschoter Kunstrolschaats Club (Skating Club)
7) Golfclub Westerwolde
8) ClubWinschoterGroen
9) Gewichts en Conditiecentrum Winschoten (Weight and Fitness Center)
10) Stedelijke Muziekvereniging Nieuw Leven Winschoten (Urban Music New Life Winschoten)
11) Sportcentrum Nico Jager Winschoten (Sports Center)
12) Damclub Winschoten (Dams)
13) FlyingBirds Winschoten (Cross Biking)
14) Sla Raak Tennisvereniging (Tennis Club)
15) Prenger Hoekman (Physical Therapy)
16) Schaakclub Van der Linde (Chess Club)
17) Kinderboerderij Winschoten (Children's Farm)

Actually there are more organization or sports club here in Winschoten that were not written above, like the table tennis club, runners, wandelen (walkers), swimmers and others. I just wrote here those information from pamplets that were included in the free bag we received from the organizers of Dag van het Park... Mooi zo!

Vrouwlu & Kerels Run 2009

In Zuidhorn part of Groningen the Vrouwlu & Kerels Run 2009 (Vrouwlu  and Kerel are Gronings dialect which mean Woman and Man) was organized by Sportgebeuren Zuidhorn en World Runners... It's like "run for a cause" whose main goal is to help the children from 3rd World Countries...

The registration was at the pool side of the Waterborgh, Zuidhorn and where was also the start and finish line. De Band Nuchter, whose members were Fred, Dick, Harm and my husband Ron, they perform there in pool side too of Waterborgh to give them live music and enjoy the event at the same time.

For more photos you can visit the website of Stichting Loopgebeur'n Zuidhorn and click the foto's in 2009... And the 1st and 2nd photos above were from the website VrouwluRun 2009. 

Oh! I really wish to join the running activities like this or walking activities as well...