The 11th of November is Sint-Maarten here in the Netherlands. Okay, also in France and parts of Germany and Belgium. Everyone celebrates it a little differently. Here in Amsterdam, the school children make lanterns and learn songs. In the evening, they go door to door and show their lanterns and sing a song. In return they get some candy, an orange, what have you. I don’t remember celebrating this as a child so it would have completely skipped my awareness had Joanne not advised me of this very Dutch holiday. I had offered her the dogs and she insisted that they should remain here until after Sint Maarten. I have some experience in how the dogs are when people come to the door so I took them for a walk, fed them an early dinner and then closed them into the bedroom/office/mission control. Earlier today, before going to the office, I stopped by AH and bought five bags of candy. Now these were Dutch bags of candy so they had 14 pieces in them each instead of the giant Halloween bags. I thought I would be okay and I purposefully bought candy that I would have zero interest in eating. With my highly elegant IKEA dish box, err candy bowl, I sat on my front stoop and waited for the kids to come by. They did. The deal is no candy before the song. I ran out of candy so I went tearing through the cupboards looking for anything at all. Well, I can’t really pass out packets of Starbucks VIA to little children or Nespresso capsules. I had a package of speculaas and a mandarin. It was completely okay for the kids to each take a cookie from an open pack and eat it right then and there. None of their parents freaked and no one was worried about what might be in them except one little boy who had a nut allergy – he was thrilled with the mandarin. It was such a nice experience, that you could give something out of your cupboards without anyone being worried that there was something dangerous underneath. I really enjoyed it and the songs were great. I know for next year to have even more on hand. And the boys did pretty well, they only barked a few times.

After I ran out of speculaas, we went for a long walk because the theory is that a tired dog is a happy dog. I am not really sure Henry agrees with that and I think George could just keep walking forever. Every time a tram passes us by, George stops and looks at it as if to say “Shouldn’t we be getting on that one?” I bet that one day I will find George with an OV chipkaart of his own, so he can travel wherever he pleases.

The weather has really taken a turn for the chilly. I am already regretting the fact that I sent all my winter coats in the shipping container. Today when I was going to the office, the wind was really sharp at Schiphol and it ripped right through my fleece. When Mom and I used to fly into Amsterdam, I always wanted to work on the ramp for KLM. They had these bomb turquoise jumpsuits and foul weather gear and they had every kind of airplane, including the 747s that went around the world. I used to think that if I could be KLM ramp rat, I would have it made. And I loved Schiphol. There were trips to the Netherlands that Mom and I lived almost entirely in Schiphol – it is a city unto itself. We would take day trips out of Schiphol but that’s where we would keep coming back to at night. And here I am now. If I go into the office, the building is on Schiphol grounds and I can watch the planes take off and land from anywhere in the building. Different industry and very different skills but still at Schiphol. I walked past a KLM ramp rat today and wondered if I could get one of those parkas secondhand? They strike me as incredibly useful for on the bike and when the rain comes down here, like the day I got so soaked, my laptop shorted.

The cats got more of the tuna and shrimp tonight. Which they then promptly threw up. And George got into the cat food bag yesterday, including the bag itself so he’s had some violent digestive fury. And I am not sure what Henry ate but he’s pretty questionable at the moment as well. So, all the way around, I should probably dose them with Petpo-Bismal. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better otherwise I might open a side business as a biohazard specialist.

I promised to get organized and post some pictures. I started to do that today and I will keep adding as we go along. You can find them here and that is where I will keep adding them.

When she was last here, Jo had the good sense to put two of the garden chairs in the shed to dry out. I decided that today they were dry enough and I have moved them indoors. So, tonight, I actually ate dinner at a table, instead of standing up at the kitchen counter. The table is a green plastic folding table that Jo and Pieter brought me. It really reminds me of my mother. My mom seemed to have this magical attraction for tables. She was always finding them next to someone’s garbage, in Ikea’s dents and dings department and in antique stores. For the longest time, she had this round outdoor plastic table in the same shade of green as her kitchen table. With a table cloth over it, it worked just fine as long as you didn’t put anything in the middle where the hole for the umbrella pole was.

The camping out doesn’t really bother me. As you can see, I obviously come from a line of practical people who make things work. The only reason I wish I had furniture at the moment is so that if people come to visit me, they can be seated comfortably. And I would like to have the dog beds so they have a place to call their own. There is a perfect sunny corner for it in the living room and at the moment, we are using towels and blankets but they have let me know it is not quite up to their standards. Today I had fun vacuuming the wooden floors. George was convinced that the vacuum is some new kind of game that he has to dance around and avoid. Henry and the cats ran towards the Belgian border.

We took a long walk this morning, to the Albert Cuyp market in the neighborhood called De Pijp. It is a great neighborhood, we stayed there in April when we were here for Mom’s service in Marum. It is a very busy neighborhood. It is one I like to visit but I am glad I don’t live in. The Albert Cuyp market is open everyday, except Sunday so it was unusual to actually be able to walk down the street freely. On the way home, I stopped for an olieball from the outdoor baker. You can only get them from fall to New Year and they are delicious. I prefer the old fashioned kind with raisins and currants. Some of the “new” olieballen stands make them with banana and pineapple and all kinds of modern flavors but I like them best old school.

Something I find fun about living here is that I can take my trash and recycling out everyday. There are containers on the street and they are labelled according to what they accept. Not having to wait for once a week service is something I really enjoy. I took pictures of how they empty them. A great big truck comes on Fridays and pulls the whole canister out of the ground and then dumps it in the trash truck. It is super cool to watch. I can recycle paper and glass but not plastic. In the paper this week, Amsterdam is finally moving to collecting plastics for recycling. And today, I found one of the big bins! It’s about four blocks away, going towards De Pijp. You have no idea how happy this made me!!! Now if I could get something for food waste, my garbage needs would be complete!

We took another walk this afternoon along the canal that runs behind the street behind us. Having learned my lesson from yesterday, George stayed firmly on leash. Despite his best efforts to go in, I managed to keep him dry. In the summer it won’t be such a big deal but it is in the mid 40s right now and that’s a bit cold for wet dogs. Probably in an hour or so, we’ll take another walk. I am doing laundry right now and I don’t want to leave while the dryer is running. Can I just tell you how fortunate I feel that our apartment has all of the major appliances? As helpful as George tries to be, I can’t really see him helping me carry a basket to the Laundromat.

I was thinking about why I am writing this blog. The most important reason is that it helps me not to miss you all quite so much because I have the idea that I am still talking to you, regardless of distance. So, thank you for being part of my life and for reading.

Vrijheid is the Dutch word for freedom. Today we took some pretty important steps towards it. We were fortunate to have clear and sunny weather around noon. So, it seemed like a good idea to put the boys in their sweaters and head towards Beatrix Park, around the corner. I have mentioned that the life of the dog here is more free than we are used to. It is very common to see dogs walking unleashed, next to their owner’s bike, etc. Boy, does this type of trust make me envious. I know that the dynamic duo are more fierce and protective when they are on the leash. And i know that no one ever gets better at something without practice. Today I put all three of us to the test.

We went to Beatrix Park. When something is forbidden here, the sign will show the item forbidden with a big red circle around it. Silly me, I thought that meant it was permitted so I took us to an isolated area, thinking to try the boys off leash. Luckily, I prefer to read rules and read just outside the area that dogs are forbidden in the medicinal garden, not permitted. So, the red circles mean “No”. That left us with one choice. Off to the main park, where they were allowed. This is also where there were tons of other walkers, dogs and people going bout their business. And then it was time to take off their leashes and hope that they would be friendly. George right away began scouting up ahead while Henry stayed nearby in case he was needed. They actually did pretty well. It is going to take some time for Henry to stop thinking he has to boldly charge every dog. I think i was more anxious than they were. I don’t want them to get hurt or to hurt another dog.

So we enjoyed ourselves in the park. However, freedom comes with certain responsibilities. Near the end of our walk, we  were along one of the paths that goes near a duck pond. Before i could even think, George goes flying over the small fence and lands with a giant splash in the middle of a group of ducks. While wearing his brand new sweater. To his credit, he came out relatively quickly when he realized he couldn’t swim very well but he was completely soaked and in the cold. No ducks were harmed. Of course he did this with an audience.

We hurried home and he got a shower. At the moment, he smells heavenly and I am watching him closely for sneezing and coughing. Henry is delighted that he escaped a bath. I am pretty sure he told George “neener neener, i don’t have to take a bath and end up smelling like lavender”.

Moortje went outside today too, in the garden. The cats are coming out now so I think everyone is adjusting.

It is cold and rainy tonight. I am going to have to get some gloves. This time of year, my mom would always buy 20 pairs of those gloves at Bartell’s.if she could find them for 3 pairs for $5, she would be thrilled. But she would never wear two matching unless she was going out to Cactus or somewhere fancy. When i was packing up the house, I would find all these single gloves. They are coming with the furniture but that might be a bit long to wait. This week, I think I will head over to the HEMA and find myself the brightest pair I can. 

Instead, I have been running all over the Netherlands. That might be a slight exaggeration but this week alone I have been in 8 new to me train stations as I have been making my way around the country for various work commitments. Since it is my goal to stop at every train station that NS (the Dutch train service Nederlandse Spoorwegen) serves, I am making pretty swift progress this week alone.

I spent the day today with my new team digging deep into everyone’s Meyers Briggs profiles. This was a pretty amazing exercise and I really got to see the difference between Dutch colleagues and American colleagues. And I realized during the day that coming here was an excellent step for me work wise. I am finally going to get a chance to work with people in the way that I work best, collectively and with open dialogue. I was paid a pretty big compliment today, I was told that although they didn’t know me very well or even at all, they felt that I was best described as “authentic”. I liked hearing that since it is an important value to me. And I also liked hearing a bio break called a “Plas Pauze” or literally a “pee pause”.

Yesterday I was invited to speak to students at a Dutch college. Luckily for them, in English. I am definitely going to do it because I believe so strongly in the value of an education. I am also incredibly thrilled to be asked.

I had worried, a lot, that when I got here I might not be able to get along with people because I definitely have some quirks and social anxieties. But I seem to be doing okay. And that’s a big relief.

I realized too that one of the things about being here that I like so much is hearing people use expressions and tones of voice that my mom did. Even though I don’t know anything about the people using it, it is comforting to hear that some things remain the same. I was reminded of my mom when I rode in the silent car yesterday coming back from the conference. The last time I was in a Silent car on the train was with my mom, Jo and her mom on our way to celebrate birthdays at the Frankendael Park and Hortus Gardens in Amsterdam in 2011. The conductor busted my mom and aunt for talking out loud in the Silent Car and after he finished lecturing, my aunt was quite upset. And continued to talk. I remember the look on my mom’s face, it was that smile she got and twinkle in her eye when she was up to no good. Inside she was cracking up. My brother, Rupert, gets that look from her.

I’ll be posting some pictures over the weekend, I think. In between laundry and walking the dogs. The furniture won’t be arriving before the beginning of December so the camping will have to last a bit longer. Sitting on wooden floors makes your butt numb, in case you were wondering.

Big points to IKEA for being punctual and delivering the mattress, dishes and other items on time. Minus points for the bed frame not being properly drilled and as such not able to be assembled. Whenever I open an IKEA box, there is always that feeling of dread. It equates to the question of “will all the pieces be here?” and “will all the holes be properly drilled and aligned?” Lately, it seems the answer to that second question is more frequently “No”. I do have a drill. However, it is currently in the shipping container somewhere on a cargo ship. Once Astrid (my much loved old SAAB) gets here, we’ll be making that trip to IKEA to return the bedframe. It is a bit much to navigate on the metro system and the dogs are too small to handle heavy sled dog loads! The ship that Astrid is on is due into Rotterdam on the 8th. Not sure where the furniture is, I think I should probably check into that on Monday.

You see, I am learning. The Netherlands observe the weekend strictly. So I am making the adjustment to not fire off emails and inquiries over the weekend. I wait for working hours. I haven’t given up writing emails in the middle of the night. I am going to use the excuse that all the travel has reset my sleep patterns and so I am gradually adjusting. I think I can probably get away with that one for another week.

Jo and Pieter came down today to deliver the suitcases I left here last time and to loan me their Nespresso maker. You see, now I have it all to sustain myself for weeks of camping without furniture. There’s a mattress, Nespresso, the internet connection and the pets. What else does one really need? We went to a little café for coffee and cake around the corner. The conversation was great but what really struck me is that this time I am not leaving in a week or two. Next time they come down to the neighborhood, we can for Indonesian or beer or Thai or to the kosher deli. I live here now.

Tomorrow, Lawyerella and I will go to a museum. We bought museum cards in April that are good for a whole year. They were 49 euros or close to it, an incredible deal since they work all over the Netherlands. At the time, I had no idea I would be living here, we just figured we would be back to visit my Mom and Oma in the churchyard in Marum. Of course, before we go, it will be time to walk the dogs a lot so that they don’t bark us right to eviction. They have never lived somewhere with people over their heads so the noises are causing Henry to be very alert. And in case you are wondering, the cats are definitely not talking to me. I am pretty sure I saw Lientje giving me the finger when I tried to get her to come out from behind the curtains she was hiding behind. Cats are funny that way.

Fortunate to be here and I can’t quite believe how awesome this apartment is. I really think that you will like visiting here. That’s my goal anyway. I am channeling the Move Goddess and unpacking quickly as opposed to waiting until three years have gone by. Of course, since I am an amateur, I do let myself get sidetracked and walk back and forth 72 times while I put things away. However, that all counts as Fitbit steps so I think I have a pretty good strategy. Tomorrow, if the cats are talking to me, I will bravely venture into my new room and try to put away my clothes. Of course, if they are not speaking to me, it might have to wait another day.

I know that it seems slightly strange that I could have any doubts about this move being real but there have been moments that I have wondered if it really was going to happen. And there have been moments when I have asked myself “Do you have any idea what you are doing?” usually accompanied by “What in the hell where you thinking?”. Well, those questions can definitively be put away now because I have not one but two sets of keys in hand for the new apartment. We covered a lot of distance today, both on foot with Henry and George and in terms of life movement. I am not sure when it will all settle in that for the near term, I don’t have to go back on a flight. I don’t have to count down the days and raise the end of trip flag that I normally do when I come to the Netherlands.

Today was the first time Henry and George experienced the tram system. George took to it like an old hand, with his stylish Halloween bandanna around his neck giving him the appearance of dog about town. By the third tram today, he was pushing to get on by himself and didn’t have to be told to get on. Henry, on the other hand, isn’t really that thrilled about being the shortest occupant on the tram. He prefers the trams that have steps inside them so he can sit on the step and raise himself up a level. He also definitely dislikes elevators, whether they are the ones here in short term housing or the big ones like in the Apple store. He braces himself against the floor with all four legs locked like columns. Fortunately, we are going to be living on the ground floor so after tomorrow’s departure, there are less elevators he has to worry about.

This morning, I was having all kinds of American agita about what to do with the dogs while we went to get the keys, etc. And then I started doing some research to see if they were allowed on the trams. It turns out that there are some set rules about where dogs may not go – anywhere that has a posted no dogs sign, major museums and churches. Everywhere else is fair game, subject of course, to the business owner’s preference. This is very different for us, even coming from a dog friendly city like Seattle. So, the boys did about 5 miles today because I spared them the trip to IKEA. I like the idea of them being able to go places. This means that we will have to work on their urban dog qualities – such as not barking just because they are on a leash. For George, it will also include not eating every piece of food you find on the sidewalk. On our pre breakfast walk, he managed to get down half of someone’s discarded sandwich on dark bread before I could get even get my brain wrapped around what he was doing.

I wonder what my Mom would think of her boys living in Amsterdam? I was thinking about that today as we were walking around. I’d like to think she would have enjoyed seeing them here. The cats aren’t really speaking to me yet, but I am working on that. Of course, since we’ll be moving again tomorrow, it will probably start the acclimation/forgive the human clock all over again.