tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40253690070028497682011-11-28T01:07:11.833+01:00I write stories about my daily life...how it is like to live among the Dutch and how I look at their culture and society. It is not the ultimate truth, but a glimpse of what a Filipina migrant perceives as "the truth" ..... Nothing serious. Just an observation. A figment of my wild imagination. My own concoction. My hutspot.Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.comBlogger1381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-23984220835049285872011-04-20T04:19:00.004+02:002011-04-20T04:23:07.063+02:00

Some things are better left unsaid .....

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-43123846868011150302011-04-01T02:50:00.002+02:002011-04-01T02:53:41.097+02:00

Everyday passes away just as quietly as it had come, and we don't even question where it goes. As the famous song goes: Day is done... gone the sun. Meanwhile, we try to do something in between... sort of to fill-in the long hours; the emptiness of our very existence. Ironically, we don't think of day and night as The Beginning and The End of another day. We simply assume that tomorrow morning

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-46043025730553695972011-02-05T00:57:00.010+01:002011-02-05T01:56:11.480+01:00

Today, I'm happy. I received a very nice card from my mother and I want to share it to the world. HAHAHAHAShe said: Dearest Daughter,Lots of nice surprises are waiting for you; it's not you, waiting for them. You're very, very, very special..... Trust me! Lots of love (oh?)... Hectares of love (huh?).... Archipelago of love (what?).... Continents of love (hmmmmm) ... WORLD OF LOVE (Guess,

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-31210909247287915362010-09-07T00:24:00.008+02:002010-09-09T23:58:43.031+02:00

Between watching Bridget Jones and playing online chess, came the loud sound of our doorbell. It was Romke and some friends. I've heard a lot about Romke. Romke this and Romke that. Hubby seems to have deep admiration for Romke. I only knew the man for a couple months, whereas he and hubby go as far back as the early nineties during their university days.Romke is a very animated man. He waves his

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-86274418082943758112010-07-13T00:33:00.005+02:002010-07-13T01:04:34.693+02:00

The Oranje lost. We lost. The desire to win and the determination not to be defeated has made a long journey. The Dutch is defeated and made an outcast, while Spain became the Reyes --- the unico hijo.It is true that Oranje fought to dominate, control, lead, and protect its territory. Iniesta, Xavi, and even Puyol were, after all, trained by a former Dutch professional football player (said to be

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-26116728382453979262010-07-10T14:17:00.001+02:002010-07-10T04:43:59.376+02:00

I was told that hours before my dear friend Amelia passed on to a higher form of existence, she scribbled on a piece of paper `I love you, Mom.´ She was blind, had suffered from myasthenia gravis for more than 2 decades and therefore could barely move... but there was that note. I love you, Mom.I love you, Mom.How often do we have the chance to say that to our mothers? And how often do we refrain

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-83602780831983311932010-06-19T03:48:00.009+02:002010-06-23T01:40:31.874+02:00

It was the mid-eighties. We were a bunch of silly college students who all hail from the province, and were all passionate about discovering life in the Big City. Then one lazy weekend, Amy invited us to stay overnight at her place in Espana. We bought pizza and junk food, and we talked until the wee hours of the morning.I still remember it vividly. It was almost dawn. The store across their

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-14760549117965989642010-06-07T22:50:00.003+02:002010-06-07T22:58:25.982+02:00

"If everybody had the standard of living of the average European or American, we would probably need five new planets. But we've only got this one." These are the wise words of Jane Goodall, an English scientist who spent years observing the chimpanzees in the forest of Tanzania.Five new planets. Imagine that! But she's absolutely right. Western people are fond of acquiring new stuff and

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-369901189188250552010-05-30T23:43:00.008+02:002010-05-31T13:27:56.749+02:00

My townmate Jesusa posted a blog about a pink hat and cacti. When I saw the innocent picture, all I could think about were pretty phalluses... Oh yeah, you got that right. PHALLUSES. lolThis really bothered me. It made me think... and wonder. I wondered if I've seen too many 0900 evening shows. I wondered if I´ve frequented the De Wallen and the Sex Museum too many times! I wondered if I FINALLY

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-50724267965878412902010-05-28T01:46:00.005+02:002010-05-29T13:50:17.092+02:00

An acquaintance shocked me the other day with his statement. He said, Moroccans are thieves and criminals. He continued and said that, they only cause trouble in this country and that they should be sent back to their third world country.As I have said, I was shocked. So it took me awhile to recover. I really didn´t know what to say.When I finally found the nerve to talk again, I asked him what

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-87201943812302674862010-04-10T00:16:00.007+02:002010-04-10T01:03:23.437+02:00

We had been blessed with two beautiful weeks now. The temperature is high, and there's beauty anywhere you gaze. Yeah! This is how Spring should be like: refreshing... captivating... ethereal. Just like this song. Truly a joy in your heart.A stick, a stone, it's the end of the roadIt's the rest of a stump, it's a little aloneIt's a sliver of glass, it is life, it's the sunIt is night, it is death

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-5606220875210292082010-04-03T23:51:00.004+02:002010-04-04T14:24:37.010+02:00

For quite sometime now, I am convinced that the word LENT is of Dutch origin. Maybe it's not. But here's why I think it's Dutch. Lent (lente) means spring in Dutch. Spring means rebirth.In Catholic tradition, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which is normally sometime in February, and culminates in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is Easter of course, mostly sometime in late March or early

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-84118802504417543512010-03-16T22:07:00.005+01:002010-03-17T01:53:35.283+01:00

Aunt sent us (Ma included) an email about this 15-foot Eastern Diamondback rattle snake found just south of Jacksonville. Ma sent Aunt this naughty reply:"In several parts of the Philippines last year, reports were made about large pythons being found on places thickly inhabited by people. This appeared abnormal since these animals are usually found in forests, near creeks, or in areas where

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-50184851574009527362010-03-14T23:56:00.007+01:002010-03-15T00:31:11.929+01:00

One of the things that never impressed me about the Dutch is their music. Make that pop music. Reason: I find the language too direct and very unmusical. You see, whenever I listen to a Dutch song, I have the feeling that there is absolutely no feeling in it. The song sounds like a cacophony of words. No heart. No soul. As I've said, no feeling. Sorry for my bluntness but that's how I really felt

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-56278240704871039022010-03-11T22:54:00.002+01:002010-03-11T22:57:32.880+01:00

I just saw this on TV a few minutes ago... It definitely belongs to the top 5! hahahahaha

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-29487608598358063752010-03-11T00:14:00.006+01:002010-03-11T00:56:22.697+01:00

Going on a date with a Dutch guy? Here's the most recent Mcdonalds ad. Watch the lady almost choke when her date told her "ik krijg nog geld van je... voor de burger" (you still owe me some money for the hamburger). LOLThis one is about "men hamburger" .... after a trip to McDonalds, the husband puts on that tight jeans and asked wife if his behind is dik (fat). Wife said "not really", which

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-79994202881963434732010-03-09T00:45:00.014+01:002010-03-10T03:25:19.497+01:00

Some people refuse to read newspapers. They say it only makes them feel miserable. Others become upset whenever they watch action films. They say, there's too much violence. Then there are those people who pretend and assume they read and understand you. It's annoying. People telling you what they think of you ... and people assuming that their way is the better way. I've always maintained that

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-59905924727392364462010-02-20T23:01:00.018+01:002010-02-24T04:41:44.804+01:00

Everyday at around 11 AM, the woman in red would religiously pass by. Some days, she would drop few mails into our box. Mostly bills and invitations to buy stuff. Junk stuff. Other times, she would just walk passed our house.Last Friday was a special day. I received a small envelop, with my name neatly written on it. I recognized the penmanship but I was not quite sure. I eagerly ripped it open

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-44540876400017112742010-01-27T23:38:00.012+01:002010-01-28T03:34:24.048+01:00

When I moved to this country 8 years ago, I was happy about my anonymity... not that I was famous ever. But the feeling that nobody knew who I was, made me feel good about myself.There were times when I was treated like an elevator music. You know, they know that you are there but nobody really pays close attention to you because you stay in the background. I actually liked it. I was invisible

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-14751507792874945612010-01-22T02:02:00.005+01:002010-01-22T03:13:26.241+01:00

Some people don't believe in karma, but I do. I believe that what goes round, comes round. I believe that you reap what you sow. I believe that when a person treats you badly, someone out there is going to get him/her too. BUT I don´t share the Mafia´s blood oath that if you take a life, you also have to pay it with (preferably) your own life. lolMy Mongolian friend does not share my view. One

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-77296104459797412572010-01-17T01:03:00.006+01:002010-01-23T21:49:59.463+01:00

Snow continues to fall, and the freezing condition continues.In the years that I have lived here, I have never seen such severe winter like we have now. Everyday, I look out and feel the desolation. Newscasters emphasize that this is perhaps the coldest winter in more than 30 years.Actually, I was hoping that the cold weather will only last for a week or so. But we have ice practically all around

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-10615682271775841082010-01-11T23:13:00.006+01:002010-01-15T03:08:50.469+01:00

When you only see snow for more than a month, you tend to dream about the days in the sun. I did just that. I travelled back in time.... to June 2009. Not so long ago....I was in my hometown. It was Pa's death anniversary. I wanted to prepare beef stew. So I got up early that morning, and went to the market. Well, after living in the Netherlands (meat land hahahahahaha) for quite some time now, I

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-10768003448843273902010-01-08T00:16:00.005+01:002010-01-08T01:06:42.192+01:00

It's past midnight. I have a deadline, and as usual, I am cramming. lol Some things never change.I am working on a project for a local museum. It's about the resistance during the Second World War. Yeah, it´s interesting for some, boring for others, and maybe too boring for those who can't & don´t want to relate. lolWell, I actually like the topic. I learned a lot about my adopted hometown and

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-2425046700758244692010-01-03T02:11:00.008+01:002010-01-03T02:50:18.321+01:00

Just before New Year, my cousin sent me a disturbing email about her stepfather who has colon cancer and is terminally ill. He is on his last stage, and has probably a month to live.Today, I received a sad email from an old friend and classmate. She told me that her husband is suffering from cancer. Ronny is a good and loving husband, caring father, and a funny friend. He's a very jolly person.

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-48081544402162204852010-01-02T02:22:00.009+01:002010-01-02T02:58:38.600+01:00

This is how our otherwise empty street looked like last night. There were lots of beautiful fireworks that blanketed the pitch dark winter night skies. Everyone was eager to meet the NEW YEAR with a BIG BANG....!People were outside their cozy homes, holding a glass of champagne on one hand while eating oliebollen on the other... and in between, shaking hands with their neighbors. I thought it was

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-71678523267465614792009-12-28T22:47:00.008+01:002009-12-29T01:16:28.806+01:00

I was at KFC very recently, and I must tell you that I don't go there very often. I ordered for a bucket and when I arrived home, I discovered that there were a few pieces that were probably left overs from the previous day. Annoying, isn't it?In the Philippines, if we dine out and find left overs mixed in our food, we are more likely to wrap it in a table napkin and slip it in our bags or

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-67032164355033449702009-12-26T03:09:00.006+01:002010-01-08T00:14:31.767+01:00

First of all, A BLESSED, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all! :DThe goddess of blogging left my nest for awhile, and I had been without a muse (my inspiration) since then. Hence, the long silence. lolThe year is almost over. We are all aware of that, I suppose. I am doing some thinking myself as to what I have accomplished this year. Then I stopped and became somewhat agitated. Why do I always think in

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-68853785421157113062009-12-03T21:22:00.004+01:002009-12-03T21:30:36.061+01:00

So I have a new job. I am teaching at this local school called De Weier. My fifth week now. I don't know yet the names of my colleagues, but I am now a familiar face to them. Today, I was standing by the coffee machine when I overheard two, young teachers discussing their private lives, in Dutch of course.Colleague 1: Men are such strange creatures.Colleague 2: No, they're not. They're just ...

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-66064458083792011842009-12-01T01:13:00.008+01:002009-12-18T00:13:26.547+01:00

In my life, I lost childhood friends, boyfriends, and bestfriends. Yes, it can be very painful when a relationship breaks up. First, there's shock. You know, like your friend has died. Then, there's this gripping grief that it's over. Normally, we would ask ourselves, what went wrong? What did I do? We tend to blame ourselves. Then, we get angry and frustrated, and we punish ourselves by thinking

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-71072674219184261842009-11-24T00:43:00.004+01:002009-11-24T01:23:28.748+01:00

It was November 11th. Some kids from the neighborhood came knocking at our door for Sint Maarten´s Day. They had paper lanterns and candles with them. You're supposed to open your door, light a candle, and give these kids treats like candies, cookies, chocolates, or fruits after they sing you songs. The songs have funny lyrics, by the way. One song went:Sint Maarten Sint MaartenDe koeien hebben

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-20153255924047702812009-11-20T00:16:00.006+01:002009-11-20T02:59:05.551+01:00

I heard of the word unfriended for the first time early this year, when a friend of mine called me to inform me that her highschool buddy unfriended her on Facebook. It sounded very strange to my ears. What exactly is unfriend? I mean, how do you unfriend a friend and why would you do it?It turned out that unfriend is a word that people use today to mean that your name had been deleted from

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-77946915182008233802009-10-27T00:12:00.010+01:002009-10-27T01:13:37.610+01:00

I know that when people read blogs, they want to read something light and funny. Something happy and uplifting.Well, I don't feel sad. Neither am I happy nor affected by the gloomy skies today. I'm just worried about the state of someone very close to me. Let's call him William.Willy has been suffering from severe depression since 1989. He was institutionalised on four occasions. Two of which,

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-87245880260643952802009-10-20T23:38:00.006+02:002009-10-24T22:43:42.308+02:00

Let's talk about food. Dutch food.Whenever friends and relatives ask me about my favorite traditional Dutch cuisine, my mind would normally go blank. Sure, Hubby taught me to prepare hutspot and boerenkool (or zuurkool met rookworst) stamp pot but I don't really consider any of those dishes my favorite.This made me think.It's a question that always pops out, and I feel a bit stupid that I

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-79085376395555718022009-10-17T02:10:00.006+02:002009-10-17T12:22:58.089+02:00

It's officially Fall. It is windy, cloudy, and rainy. The leaves are falling. An elderly woman who lives a few houses away, was hanging her Christmas lights this afternoon.Some have giant-sized pumpkins in their frontyards.And ..... I am receiving weird sms-es and emails. Two went too far. So I asked myself the common question. What did I do now? They didn´t have the courtesy, decency and the

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-1867471827140100682009-10-09T00:41:00.004+02:002009-10-09T02:13:10.181+02:00

When I told my friend JR that I was getting married and am moving to Europe, his first reaction was, "Why? Why are you giving up your life here? Europe does not have a soul. It is dead. Cold and dead."I thought that he was merely being his cynical self. There is nothing amiss about living in Europe, I thought.I haven't seen JR since the wedding day but there are times when I think about what he

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-11433031304238534402009-10-05T03:03:00.008+02:002009-10-05T03:33:54.043+02:00

Sometimes when nobody is watching or looking, nature reveals itself. Like this beautiful rainbow I saw from our kitchen table today. I had to make sure I take a picture of it. It was too beautiful to pass!and tonight, this full moon.....Truly, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.... Those are Mahatma Gandhi's words of course, not mine. :)

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-28644752697869984532009-10-02T12:36:00.010+02:002009-10-03T23:43:36.313+02:00

This was written by Theo, a friend of mine. Thanks, Theo, for sharing your wonderful story about Rome. I would like to go there again after reading your piece.! :)June 16, 2009.Rome made me feel "touched" by the Holy Spirit.In Holland, I was rather sceptic and at times, sarcastic about several weird opinions of most of the previous and even the incumbent Roman Catholic popes. They do not match up

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-79655523692627424652009-09-27T15:20:00.016+02:002009-10-04T00:01:37.227+02:00

In 1953, a storm hit the Netherlands. In the province of Zeeland, ships and boats went aground. Houses sank in the deepest whirlpool of the angry North Sea. Thousands were homeless, and close to another thousand vanished in the sea. It was a nightmare that the Dutch people will never forget.Let me tell you something about Zeeland. It is a province where the formation of the land is so much

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-79423013379949642052009-09-26T02:20:00.002+02:002009-09-26T02:42:29.672+02:00

Last June, Hubby and I went around (in our neighborhood) to collect for ANGO (Algemene Nederlandse Gehandicapten Organisatie), an organization that helps handicap and people with chronic ailment. It was a volunteer job that hubby signed up for online, and I merely tagged along to meet our other neighbors. You wouldn´t believe what people are capable of doing when you come knocking at their door,

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-1690443896765974432009-09-24T00:35:00.006+02:002009-09-24T01:35:59.580+02:00

I have a new 7-year-old piano student. He is quite special. Highly-intelligent and doesn't want to be treated like a kid.During our first session last Friday, he urged me to talk to him like an adult. He was annoyed about the fact that I explained everything to him twice. He was also insulted upon realization that I was choosing carefully my words. Finally, he had an outburst. Begged me to stop

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-29991561097400145312009-09-23T00:01:00.001+02:002009-09-23T00:47:31.840+02:00

The mayor of Shanghai is complaining about its residents who are lounging around the city steets in their pyjamas. It´s bad for the image of Shanghai, he said.This reminds me of the flea market in front of our house in Sampaloc. Every Wednesday and Saturday, people from remote villages (barrios) come to sell their goods. Some are decent, others in their pyjamas, and there are those who walk

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-86578902683457702262009-09-21T21:28:00.005+02:002009-09-21T21:59:55.338+02:00

Do you ever wonder how biased the English language is to men?Take for example an unmarried man of 50 years old. We use the word single or bachelor to describe him. Right? Such decent and dignified words. lolBut if it´s a woman, the only word available to label her status is single. Unless, we will count spinster and old maid... which frankly, do not even come close to decent, dignified

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-82904123990484436932009-09-21T02:38:00.010+02:002009-09-21T03:50:54.179+02:00

These photographs were taken today in and on our way to Den Helder to visit friends.... It's a lovely city. Only 45 minutes away (could be more, could be less... lol) from Amsterdam. windmills, of course.... It's an old fishing village..... and like any other coastal city, there are lots of boats, yachts, and ships. People are warm and friendly. They also love the outdoors... like this one,

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-16595407812494881022009-09-17T10:34:00.012+02:002009-09-23T03:07:35.189+02:00

I was talking with my friend, Linde, yesterday. Haven't seen her for almost 6 months. And in the 6 months that I haven't seen her, Linde lost 12 kgs whereas I gained 8! I was a bit jealoused of course. She was looking fabulous, and I was feeling oh-so-bloated. lol So I asked her, what did you do?Without hesitation she said, oh .... bakken. If you look up the dictionary, a bakker is a baker. And

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-37596115107925513182009-09-16T01:23:00.008+02:002009-09-16T02:51:19.288+02:00

Every night and sometimes, every morning I check my blog with much anticipation. Like a child on Christmas  morning, I wonder if Santa dropped by and whether or not, he left a package for me. So it goes without saying that whenever I click on my blog everyday, I am reminded of Neil Diamond´s Sweet Caroline. You know, Where it began.. I can´t begin to knowin´ ... But then I know it´s growin´

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-25422412605826898702009-09-14T00:33:00.007+02:002009-09-14T13:13:25.551+02:00

A Filipina friend of mine and her husband moved to a flat, which she calls a condominium. Emphasis on the condominium. She is very thrilled and excited about the whole moving thing. She told me that she enjoys watching the city skyline at night and well... everything and everybody that is below her.I am happy for her. True, the skyline is beautiful, especially late at night. But it made me think

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-53176770246749806932009-09-12T22:13:00.007+02:002009-09-12T22:47:22.266+02:00

I guess, summer will never be over.... as far as these kids are concerned anyway! lol "let's build a castle...." "are you serious?""I am! Let's get started!" I was reminded of my childhood actually. How my siblings and I used to make our own castles and volcanos. Love those days...!

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-36658537956103671542009-09-09T23:02:00.011+02:002009-09-10T00:27:36.472+02:00

There are people who continue to impress me with their huge egos and what I perceive as stupidity. Take for example some of hubby's cantankerous relatives. I mean, really... tell me what do sophisticated people need --- to realize that migrants are struggling to be accepted, and will therefore remain to laugh with an accent (to borrow the title of Firozeeh Dumas' book LAUGHING WITHOUT AN ACCENT)?

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-36429947109576525332009-09-06T21:15:00.007+02:002009-09-07T23:49:36.255+02:00

Stella, my fellow scholar in Indonesia and German friend of 15 years is devastated upon learning that her 63-year-old mom has Alzheimer's disease. Her life crumbled like a cookie dipped in a frothy milkshake. Together with the rest of her family, she watches her mother slowly slip away.I have never met Stella´s mom. Whenever I went visit Stella in Munich before, her mom wasn´t around. I knew

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-82145698781603834132009-09-06T00:09:00.008+02:002009-09-06T21:06:27.471+02:00

The Dutch Prince and heir to the throne, Willem Alexander is crying foul. Foul that the paparazzis ambushed and took pictures of his family during a trip to Argentina, homeland of his wife and future Queen of the Netherlands, Princess Maxima.This was one of the many topics my friends May, Micky and I had tonight. Micky (a diehard Dutch) pointed out to me that these people did not really choose to

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-37010673025872955172009-09-04T21:17:00.004+02:002009-09-04T21:30:52.736+02:00

Everdien was one of my many Dutch teachers at the language school where I went for the integration program. She was ... has always been the funny one although I must admit that her facial expression has the intensity and seriousness of the Queen of England. There were times when she would make jokes that probably half of the class didn´t get. I still laugh at them whenever I think of her.For

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-8638452889923105252009-09-02T11:32:00.006+02:002009-09-02T12:36:55.284+02:00

Hubby needed a new hard drive, so we drove to Media Markt. After waiting for what seemed like 30 minutes, I decided to approach two men in an identical suit who were carrying a box of Dyson vacuum cleaner.I said, could you please help me? The guys looked at each other and said in unison, sure.I pointed at my husband and told the guys we needed their assistance to help us decide which one to

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-69460899303626214262009-09-01T14:03:00.011+02:002009-09-01T23:45:37.595+02:00

For me, piano playing is something that I do to entertain myself, be closer to a loved one, or at times when a beautiful melody is playing in my head and I want to capture it on my keyboard. I don't do it to entertain people. Or to make a living out of it. It is not a hobby either. It is my way of life.A lot of people don't get that. They don't understand why would I waste my talent on ME, myself

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-66892428833440334412009-08-30T14:24:00.007+02:002009-08-30T15:15:49.894+02:00

People are still talking about them.... Edward Kennedy, Corazon Aquino, Michael Jackson. Old photographs, old articles, and past events are being dealt preponderantly with the description and analysis of past political and creative activities. The analyses being highly-opinionated and biased.I am not criticizing anybody. I am merely stating that there seems to be a need for perspective in

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-21230764342268578452009-08-26T21:56:00.008+02:002009-08-26T22:29:49.180+02:00

When you go to an interview in the Netherlands, always remember that it's not enough that you speak Dutch. You should also speak their language --- their body language. Meaning, get into their minds and think like they do. If you have to, wear a klompen (wooden shoes). lol All right, that was uncalled for.I went to another job interview. I applied for a teaching position. And I did not get the

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-51669790488475107372009-08-23T21:29:00.006+02:002009-08-23T21:53:44.091+02:00

Whenever I feel sad, am whining, or am wallowing up in self-pity because of a job that I didn´t get, or am simply being ungrateful ..... I often turn to a poem by Emily Perl Kingsley. The poem is entitled WELCOME TO HOLLAND. It´s beautiful so I´m sharing it with you.... :)Welcome To Holland...... by Emily Perl KingsleyI am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-66168626280820984332009-08-18T15:01:00.008+02:002009-08-18T22:53:49.651+02:00

When we were growing up, my siblings and I came up with this language that only the 5 of us can understand. You know, when we want to sneak out of the house and leave grandma in the dark....we speak in that language. Or, that time when we plotted against the maid. Or sometimes, when we just feel like conniving at winning a game.So when we want to communicate with each other and isolate a playmate

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-53499691995211093502009-08-17T09:33:00.008+02:002009-08-17T10:30:43.381+02:00

I got up early today... at 6:30 AM. That's early for a night owl like myself, who is restless and constantly moving around the house like a mad man afer midnight. My friends tease me about it, and call me a white witch. hahahahahaBut last night, I decided again (for the nth time) to go back to the morning rhythm and enjoy the sacred, early morning hours.Hubby was already up by the time I got up.

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-24283690127025407072009-08-14T23:10:00.011+02:002009-08-15T00:00:57.092+02:00

I received a phone call from a stranger yesterday afternoon. The call was about a letter addressed to me that was dropped in her mailbox "by accident." She said that she could have thrown it away, but that that was not the right thing to do. So she asked her son to look for my last name in the telephone book, find my phone number, and call me.Her instructions were simple. She asked me to pick it

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-36224941328234281462009-08-12T02:19:00.009+02:002009-08-12T14:41:50.550+02:00

It's almost 3 AM. I'm tired but not sleepy. I was sitting outside in our backyard the whole evening, contemplating on what I've been doing the past few months. Every now and then, I would gaze at the sunflowers, corns and pumpkins I got from the market. I still have to put the flowers in a vase... and the corns and pumpkins have to be stored in the basement.Then, I had a horrible realization that

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-23293068503775510882009-08-11T00:21:00.004+02:002009-08-11T01:50:44.819+02:00

I don't know if you've heard of naturist camps, or naturism for that matter. Well, I have. Or at least, that's what I thought.Anyway, we were on our way back home. The sun was already setting, and we were becoming quite desperate looking for a campsite where we could stay for the night.After driving through villages, and up & downhill, we finally saw a sign pointing to a campsite. We followed it.

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-86062620339049235272009-08-08T20:59:00.006+02:002009-08-09T21:26:23.373+02:00

I haven't seen him for years. There were times in my life when I thought he was dead. Maybe he was too, in my head... in my heart.He resurfaces, like a ghost from the past. And just like that, my life begins to feel like a kite, spinning in mid-air, aimlessly flying, at the mercy of the wind.Many times, I thought of him..... of what ifs and could have beens. The joyride. The happy days. The hole

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-57778753041109034442009-08-06T11:36:00.005+02:002009-08-06T12:11:02.710+02:00

My friend Candy is married to an English bloke. She had been married twice, and is now contemplating on getting another divorce. She claims being verbally and emotionally abused. And just last night, we spent hours talking about her problem.I've been married for almost 8 years. Like any other marriage, ours is not perfect. We run into problems. Lots of them. Issues and disagreements mostly

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-87721164862432275582009-08-02T20:00:00.007+02:002009-08-02T20:42:04.272+02:00

My 14-year-old niece wrote an essay on life. I was amazed. How could a girl of such tender age capture in words the very essence of life? Here it goes: A Beautiful Life .......... by Chess C. FajardoFor every smile that the sunrise brings, for every giggle that I hear them sing, for every hope that a new day gives, I wonder, how beautiful life truly is…As I thought of this line, I slowly laid

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-83690228875510352942009-07-30T01:21:00.008+02:002009-07-30T02:36:27.559+02:00

Emotional abuse is perhaps the most common form of abuse that women suffer from and yet, we wouldn't even acknowledge that it is there. That it is real. That our own partners are sometimes doing it to us. We think that it is normal that our spouses sometimes lose their temper, insults, tease, and/or isolate us. Or is it really? Normal, that is.In Dutch society, it is quite normal for women to

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-1970462282303498892009-07-14T22:20:00.010+02:002009-07-15T13:07:34.629+02:00

Netherlands is a very flat country. Having grown up in a city where the Sierra Madre mountain range of Luzon ends, I plead guilty for longing for the mountains every now and then.This reminds of a story.Once, I was hiking somewhere in Benguet. I met and saw many Igorots. I wondered why Igorot men could squat for hours and hours on the roadside, doing nothing... saying nothing. But they all do

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-79370334072222005122009-07-13T13:43:00.007+02:002009-07-15T21:45:56.186+02:00

People are still talking about him. Television talk shows are still airing old concert tours; his life's work, analyzed by everybody. Music stores are still crowded with fans, rushing to get a copy of this-and-that dvd. My sister-in-law even spent more than 3 hours deliberating on the life and charity works of Michael Jackson last Saturday.In this country where freedom of speech and freedom to be

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-10784716815280378902009-07-07T01:26:00.006+02:002009-07-15T10:21:28.241+02:00

Hubby and I are planning a road trip to the south of France.... to Avignon, Marseille, Monaco, St. Tropez, Nice, and Cannes. Never been there before but I like France...... aways had. And who knows, maybe I'll bump into Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Cannes! hehehehe So I googled Avignon. Guess what I found? It says that the city was chosen by Pope Clement V as his residence and was the seat of

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-8443532814233442952009-07-04T21:53:00.013+02:002009-07-15T10:14:42.641+02:00

Michael Jackson passed away 9 days ago. As expected, there was massive "mourning," and opportunists took advantage of his death.I am one of the millions (perhaps, even billions) followers of Michael Jackson's music. I first heard of his voice when I was about 6 years old. The film BEN was being shown then in 1 or 2 of the big theaters in my hometown. People instantly fell in love with the song.

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-14214551895836891642009-06-28T17:24:00.004+02:002009-06-28T17:35:37.391+02:00

There's this little prompt on yahoo feature that caught my attention today. It says: "Mystery deposit dilemma If you receive an unknown deposit in your bank account, should you keep the money?"Not to sound too moralistic or anything, but I don't see what's the dilemma there. It's not your money, you did not earn it, THEREFORE you should NOT keep it. Period. I don't understand why that is a

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-1356955848767905702009-06-21T07:27:00.005+02:002009-06-21T08:53:43.604+02:00

Going away for 10 weeks was perhaps a much needed vacation but it was long and went very fast. So when I got on the plane last Sunday, I only had wonderful memories of my stay.I saw and spent a lot of time with people that I haven´t spoken to for more than a decade. I discovered that Gina is not a bitter widow at all. On the contrary, she is wise, caring, and funny. Then there´s Ali who had

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-22673850025178769452009-03-17T01:06:00.009+01:002009-03-17T03:28:30.520+01:00

Our 25th Alumni Homecoming is just a few weeks away. Former classmates who started organising the affair since 2007, are now glitch checking and fixing to make sure that attendees will have an affair to remember.As for me, I had been playing and singing songs from the early eighties. Funny, I never thought I would still be the same sentimental fool I was when I was in high school. But here I am,

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-80769141532940059602009-02-21T16:07:00.017+01:002009-08-10T13:10:04.457+02:00

February is perhaps the most melancholic yet exciting month for me, eversince I moved to this country. I always get a little bit jittery and too anxious around this time. (what winter can do to a tropical creature who thinks having sunshine everyday is her birth right! lol) But to compensate for that, there´s the colorful carnaval to look forward to. Carnaval, as we all know, has pagan overtones

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-76960721206196455052009-02-14T03:11:00.007+01:002009-02-17T23:39:33.505+01:00

There is something about musicians and their romantic interests that I can not put my finger on. It's almost as if, musicians are doomed in that department.Beethoven was once engaged to a beautiful lady. They had plans of getting married, until her father opposed and married her off to a nobleman. When the marriage ended years later, she tried returning to Beethoven. But he was cold as

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-46297373441024097322009-02-11T01:09:00.003+01:002009-02-11T01:41:06.707+01:00

I never liked television. For one, I grew up in a town frequented by typhoons and storms. In those times, cable tvs were not invented yet. We relied on anthenas that were often blown away by strong winds. And sometimes if we were lucky, we didn´t have electric supply for a month.There are of course those days when we produced a cacophony of sound, trying to sing while Ma played the piano. And

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-83698104187230411682009-01-31T23:59:00.011+01:002009-08-10T13:15:09.476+02:00

Chinese New Year made me think of China and myself. China is changing and the West finds it too painful to accept the fact that this former Ice Princess is growing into a warm, temperate economic super power.Yes, the West is pretending and is hiding that it is hurting from this change in economic climate.It made me think of myself. The fact that I've overlooked and have resisted change since I´ve

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-29333838500645351212009-01-30T12:20:00.004+01:002009-08-10T13:22:50.400+02:00

Here´s a poem that our family love to recite, and perhaps you do too. :)THE RAVEN.Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--Only this and

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-68976130918846360212009-01-20T12:35:00.009+01:002009-01-22T13:01:08.757+01:00

I am Maya Angelou.I'm a poet.What I am going to say to you now however, is not a poem.Doesn't pretend to be.These are ruminations, are reflections upon the event of President Barack Obama.We needed him.We, the race, needed himWe, the American population, we needed himBanks, our mobile companies, and insurance companies, needed himThe stockmarket in Japan, in Germany, in France, in Britain, in

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-90216517889216519332009-01-14T01:40:00.006+01:002009-01-14T02:34:53.985+01:00

We´ve all heard about fur farming, but do we really understand what it´s all about? Not me. I´ve always thought that those beautiful mink coats I see Hollywood actresses and socialites wear, are made from wild foxes, wild lambs, wild rabbits, and wild minks.Emphasis on WILD. But raising these animals for fur production never occured to me. Maybe because we raised pigs and chickens for consumption

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-84451732432048251272009-01-09T21:46:00.005+01:002009-01-09T23:28:47.782+01:00

My piano student for almost 20 months, waltzing his way to Gertrude´s dream. Check out this video I took of him. :)

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-52753900788451052882009-01-04T20:24:00.010+01:002009-01-05T00:27:13.514+01:00

No matter what the temperature is, thousands of Dutch flock the North Sea and plunge into the icy waters on New year´s Day. They call it nieuwjaarsduik. The word duik means to dive or to plunge into the sea. So Nieuwjaarsduik means to throw oneself into the water on New Year's Day. It's an old Dutch tradition. If you´ve seen the film Titanic, you know more or less, how cold the North Sea can get

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-26313068068112576052009-01-02T02:58:00.007+01:002009-08-10T13:42:09.843+02:00

My good friend Chyt wrote a very interesting story about Jesus and Christmas Commercialism in her blog SMORGASBORD OF RANDOM THOUGHTS. There was a particular paragraph that caught my attention. It says:"Christmas is no longer an occasion to celebrate the life of a man who turned the tables of profiteers upside down. It is the Feast of Capitalism as we are pressured to do a lot of spending, even

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-29228915379243918602008-12-20T00:17:00.012+01:002008-12-24T00:43:02.786+01:00

salmon mousseEven this early, I am already stressing about our second Christmas dinner (December 26) which is traditionally spent with the inlaws.This year, I am assigned to prepare the appetizers, and I am cracking my brain to find something pleasing to the tastebuds that will go with fondue. Yup.... fondue! I was thinking of salmon mousse or salmon amuse. But I'm not so sure. Because although

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-1074204389096040522008-12-17T05:08:00.016+01:002009-08-10T13:12:09.382+02:00

Photos: Somerset, England Yesterday, I woke up to an enchanting, magical world. Tiny drops of rain floating in the air. Clouds at ground level. It was like being in Avalon. Except that there was neither an Arthur nor a Morgan Le Fay. No nymphs or fairies. No forging of the excalibur. No Merlin. In fact, it was just The Fog of Hengelo. I went outside in my backyard. I tried catching the tiny

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-28949688435348718892008-12-14T23:24:00.008+01:002008-12-17T06:42:11.804+01:00

Last December 1 of this year, the body of a dead baby boy was found in a city close to where I live. A DNA profiling was employed to identify the identity of the unknown mother/killer. Last Thursday, the forensic scientists had identifed the mother. A 23- year old young lady, who claims that she was not ready to take complete responsibility for her life or the child because she is young and still

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-34544105541788392442008-12-06T23:02:00.010+01:002009-08-20T21:14:16.812+02:00

Julia had been my piano student for over 2 years now. She just turned 6 when I first met her back in November 2006. In the beginning, I was hesitant to take her in. She could barely read the alphabet, let alone notes!But I saw talent. The kid has a good ear. Although she can't read notes, she can play short, simple passages that I showed her during our first meeting, without the aid of a music

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-43009445866929032642008-11-19T10:09:00.009+01:002008-11-19T22:41:05.993+01:00

Some 30 years ago (upon her return from her world tour), my grandmother said that it's better to be poor in a poor country, than to be poor in a rich country. I never really understood what she meant until that day I was walking the narrow streets of Termini in Rome. My sister Mcel and I were shocked. Literally.The previous day, we were floored by the Colosseum. Truly, it was the glory that was

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-88672337600495104532008-11-17T14:06:00.010+01:002008-11-17T22:54:56.961+01:00

Last Saturday, Sinterklaas (the Dutch Santa Claus) and zwarte Piet arrived in Hengelo. There was a grand parade around the city center. Extremely excited children were there to welcome him! Yes, it´s that time of year again....In the next couple of weeks, Sinterklaas will be busy visiting houses. In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas arrives in a boat from Spain. Together with him are

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-47437426054226670372008-11-11T01:47:00.011+01:002008-12-24T00:36:34.637+01:00

My 17-year-old student told me about his recent trip to London. He said that in East London, people use a very strange language. They call it cockney. He asked me if I knew that britneys means beer; and rub a dub means pub? I said, no. He smiled.That´s the beauty of language, I suppose. It´s dynamic, alive. It´s changing and moving with our times. And yes, people will always create new words to

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-9699037718739976002008-11-09T23:03:00.012+01:002009-08-10T13:12:54.211+02:00

CMae and I went to a Charlie Brown concert today. The American music director, Abby, is an old acquaintance of mine. She knows that I'm a musicologist and that I play several musical instruments. So when she put up this concert 6 months ago, I was in the must-come guest list. Why, she even invited me to the dinner party after the concert!The day started weird. Hubby had to go to the observatory,

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-81465143876256328542008-11-05T20:54:00.010+01:002008-11-07T11:39:13.396+01:00

Cpie called. There was an incessant noise in the background. Her two Pocahontas were singing, talking and playing. Gabrielle who´s almost six, is the teacher; her sister Emmanuelle, three, the pupil. I chuckled while I listened to them play. I could hear Gabrielle hitting the table with a stick while calling the attention of the younger sister. LOLIt reminded me so much of our childhood. When our

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-19817529391533023822008-11-03T22:30:00.014+01:002008-11-05T20:46:43.339+01:00

My first musical recollection was at age 3. Perhaps noone will believe me if I'd tell them that I still remember that moment. My older sister Mcel was playing the piano with both her hands, and I was fascinated at the sight & the beautiful sound she was producing. I thought it was easy, and I could do it.I tried imitating her on my piano toy. I don't think it came close, but during one of the

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-42621961793068335682008-11-02T12:48:00.009+01:002008-11-02T17:52:54.384+01:00

All Souls Day.... One of those heavy days. Those days that make me think about my existence. And let me tell you this, I try not to think so much about it! LOLExcept for a few, most of us will not live more than a hundred years and not one in a million that long. Yet even that one, spends half his life as a helpless child. Of the time left, half is spent in sleep, or wasted during the day. And

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-54694676320754576792008-10-26T15:05:00.009+01:002009-08-10T13:38:09.637+02:00

There is one thing that my husband and I don't like doing together. In Dutch, they call it knutselen. Working with your bare hands and making `do-it-yourself´ projects.Hubby loves math and is so passionate about astronomy. He loves taking pictures of comets, the milky way, planets, and other heavenly objects. In the summer, he enthusiastically waits for the meteor shower. He also measures the

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-74733846302454662482008-10-25T00:56:00.006+02:002009-08-10T13:13:28.812+02:00

Cherie asked me what Europeans think of Americans. I told her I will do an extensive research on the subject matter. hahahahaThe truth is, I don't know.When I came to Hengelo in 2001, there were a number of things that struck me. First, there were no McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Pancake House, or even Wendy's. Second, no malls. And third, the tallest building is the Cathedral

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-71332072377758464062008-10-23T12:49:00.008+02:002008-10-23T13:26:55.628+02:00

I was clearing our garage this morning, when I stumbled upon this card. It says:In my life,I have been blessed by angels.Some, strangerswhose one-second smilesor compassionate eyeshave made a difficult day a little easier.Others, soul mates who connectwith the deepest partof my spirit.Dear Ma´am,My life wouldn´t have been the same without your friendship, or the gentle, tender gifts you share

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-53339822607617812222008-10-20T22:18:00.017+02:002009-08-10T13:37:49.313+02:00

The Netherlands is said to be one of the most densely populated country in the world. The Dutch are constantly complaining about the influx of immigrants and emigrants. And whenever there is a car honking like a madman, the conclusion is made easily. It must be a buitenlander. An outsider. A foreigner.This is the reason why third class citizen*** like myself, has more responsibility here to

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-1712536318990750712008-10-19T10:51:00.023+02:002008-10-20T00:14:25.571+02:00

"If everybody had the standard of living of the average European or American, we would probably need five new planets. But we've only got this one." These are the wise words of Jane Goodall, an English scientist who spent years observing the chimpanzees in the forest of Tanzania.Five new planets. Imagine that! But she's absolutely right. Western people are fond of acquiring new stuff and

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-9054669004235306942008-10-13T00:34:00.007+02:002008-10-20T00:15:36.036+02:00

Smoking in public places is finally banned in the Netherlands. People are no longer allowed to smoke inside the office buildings, restaurants, and bus stations. I thought it's rather cool. Finally, I don't have to choke on somebody else's smoke. Coming from an ex-chain smoker, that probably sounds not cool. lolBut I read in the papers today that in Rijssen (a town closeby), chewing a gum in

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025369007002849768.post-64820351358422217392008-10-10T03:48:00.015+02:002008-10-18T00:52:43.602+02:00

There is an ongoing discussion whether we Filipinos are pikon (visit http://proudlyfilipina.com/content/are-pinoys-pikon#comment-620 )Amgreen has recently posted a blog entitled "Are Pinoys pikon?" Some of us shared our opinion. Others opted to keep silent. And there was someone who took it to the next level and played Freud. She said, I truly believe how we take someones words also, has a lot to

Droomvlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320679838869362079noreply@blogger.com4