Counting Down II (Or: #finalcountdown)
From Marco… Yesterday Niki wrote about her final days ‘here’. Today it’s my turn to give you a bit of insight.. While I’m a hothead and usually not a patient person, I am actually quite cool and...
View ArticleFirst day (Or: Tired but here)
So I have arrived. Marco and I are alone, after the guests have all said adieu and gone home. The first flight was JFK to Dublin. In the morning, Roger, Marco and I checked out of the New Yorker hotel...
View ArticleSecond day (Or: Settling in and unpacking)
A pretty uneventful day (sort of). All three of us are definitely under the weather, though Marco has it the worst. But in my case it was probably just from the traveling with heavy luggage and the...
View ArticleIND (Or: Approval for the VVR)
Three business days. Maybe three and a half… That’s how long it took to get approval for my VVR (residency permit). Marco and I had our appointment with the IND and The Hague’s GBA this past Friday on...
View ArticleCelebrations (Or: My VVR has arrived)
Today I checked the mailbox after coming back from the library. I noticed another letter from the IND. My VVR (identification card) was ready for pick up! Twenty days after the appointment with the IND...
View ArticleTwo languages (Or: A letter from the burgemeester)
Yesterday I received another letter from the city of The Hague. Specifically from the mayor, Jozias van Aartsen. But this was definitely a form letter – you can tell because it starts with “Dear Mr.,...
View ArticleNew experiences (Or: Dutch lesson 1 of 14)
Last night was my first Dutch lesson at the Volsuniversiteit. This is the A2 level. My night started out with the bus I needed to take being 7 minutes late. This is actually not a long time considering...
View ArticleSnacks (Or: Kelly’s Expat Shopping)
A few weeks ago, I went to Kelly’s Expat Shopping in The Hague. I was looking for a few surprises to give Marco for Valentine’s Day. Originally I wanted to go there because the website said that they...
View ArticleSpeech! Speech! (Or: Dutch lesson 7 of 14)
The blog title refers to the tradition (at least in America) of a person being in front of a group of friends or family during an event (like receiving a surprise award). The audience then requests the...
View ArticleButtons (Or: Spreek Nederlands! Met Mij!)
I received this button during SamenSpraak at the Central Library in The Hague: As you can see, it was originally made by the folks at Direct Dutch (a language school). Overall the concept is a pretty...
View ArticleExpensive imports (Or: Twinkies for 15 euros)
When Marco and I dropped my family off at Schiphol airport, we stopped at a shop next to the Starbucks. This shop is known for having a small selection of imported American items, including candy,...
View ArticleTurkey AND chicken (Or: Thanksgiving in the Netherlands)
Here is a glimpse of the somewhat simpler Thanksgiving dinner Marco and I had in the Netherlands: Since a real turkey is a bit harder to find (and cooking one is more annoying!) we got a half chicken...
View ArticleTurkey AND chicken (Or: Thanksgiving in the Netherlands)
Here is a glimpse of the somewhat simpler Thanksgiving dinner Marco and I had in the Netherlands: Since a real turkey is a bit harder to find (and cooking one is more annoying!) we got a half chicken...
View ArticleEen jaar geleden verhuisde ik naar Nederland!
One year ago today I moved to the Netherlands. One year ago today I nervously had this conversation with the passport control worker at Schiphol: Worker: And what is your business in the Netherlands?...
View ArticleNot what I thought (Or: Letter from Duo)
As some of you remember, last month I took the Staatsexamen Programma II to test my aptitude for the Dutch language. We were told that we would be able to access the results online after about 5 weeks,...
View ArticleAnother letter from DUO (Of: Niet meer inburgeringsverplicht!)
Yesterday I received what might just be my last letter from DUO. At least on the topic of inburgeringsverplicht (the civic integration requirement). The letter says (roughly translated): We...
View ArticleSuper Bowl 50 (Or: Yay! Expats can watch too)
Guess what I am currently doing at 12:11 am? Watching the Super Bowl on our Apple TV via the CBS sports app! The best part is that it is through CBS so you get access to the commercials as well. For a...
View ArticleReester bunny (Or: Chocolate and eggs everywhere)
Today Marco and I went to Kelly’s Expat Shopping here in The Hague. It’s a great store for American and British food and a store I’ve blogged about before. The one thing I get almost every time is Ritz...
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