Dutch in Translation

This is what I learned from visiting my country after almost two years: Life tricks us and nothing will ever be the same.    Why would I say this? Well, after thinking about how to explain it in a way that would be understood, I couldn't find the words. Don't panic! I did find an image. Visualize this:

So here we go... What is the famous "inburgering"? Well, according to Wikipedia , " ...   the foreigner is obliged to learn very basic Dutch and basic knowledge about Dutch society... " There are different levels of exams, it all depends on what you want it for. From now on, let's call it integration exam.

According to the International Community Platform , there are around 500,000 internationals living and working in the Netherlands; and according to World Meters and World Population Overview , the total population (live estimate) is of 17,105,348. In my opinion, it is here where you ask yourself: In which perimeter would I like living on?

Is renovating your stairs a kind of couples' therapy session? Back in Mexico, you would look for someone wise (and hopefully not too expensive) to discuss how you can be closer to your partner and to learn some strategies in order to solve conflicts together. In the Netherlands? Just renovate your home and you will find enough time together which will definitely allow you to solve problems with patience and many trips to Praxis !

If you are one of those who complains about Dutch music and movies, this post is probably not for you. Why? Because I am about to tell you why watching movies is one of the best ways to learn Dutch and get a glimpse of the beauty found in Dutch culture. 

   B ack in 2015 and during the two weeks I traveled with my darling to better get to know each other, I cried almost every day: out of  laughter ! Today, 1178 days after, it is still one of the reasons why I fall for him every time he says something funny. Who could resist him? Definitely, not me.      Now, let's approach this issue seriously: Which role does laughter play in our lives? Should it be important? Does it lead us to more fulfilling lives, happier and healthier? We will all probably agree with most of these benefits, but if we classify them in two, I would say one must laugh with others and at oneself. A JA JA! Here is where I trip over and over. It is difficult to laugh at myself: Sometimes I can't laugh about something and I get all worked out. Good news is I am learning to just let things go. My sweetheart is the best example and a patient teacher!      Having said this, I leave you with one of my favorit...

37 days ago was my last day at PostNL. I do miss my colleagues every day. I have been lucky enough to sometimes see Cindy or Loes. I know I have to get all of us together every now and then. I will work on that pretty soon. On the other hand, since I stopped being a postbezorger, a whole new world of opportunities has open. All beautiful. Let's see... New Office Space I had been wanting a space of my own in our home. My darling is not keen of changes, so I knew it would be a challenging negotiation. When I said Interior Designer Ayşe İçaçan would be in charge, he could only agree. And guess what?! She did a superb job in such a sweet and beautiful way! She was able to create a little magical world for me. Ayse combined my personality, the purpose of the office, and the colors of the logo. She considered every little detail: the students had to be comfortable and able to concentrate, the atmosphere should be modern and fresh, and I would find it inspiring for pr...

My sister is 8259.17 km from me or I from her. It depends who you ask, doesn't it?  I have been missing her. A lot. Especially when she sent me the photo of her new tattoo: Two stars. One purple, one blue. Our favorite colors. The tattoo represents us, blood sisters. How far I felt! Sometimes, how lonely! And then, I remembered one of her  posts on social media: Obviously, the message of this phrase will depend on what you want it to mean to you. As the teacher in me, I would think of it as this: If you really want ______________ , you will  ______________ ____________ . If you don't, you will find an excuse. Here, the homework begins: What does one really want? What is the point in all we do? Anyway, to make the long story short, I decided to focus on the element that has me struggling at the present: Loneliness. First, one must define it in order to understand it: "Loneliness creates a deep psychological wound, one that distorts our perceptions...

      Wouldn't it be wonderful to plug oneself into a computer, run a scan, detect errors and fix them? My report would probably say, body overload,   brain overload, heart overload, and contents spilling down the muscles. Back muscles. Beware of severe damage!       Unfortunately, this technology is not available at my home and I couldn't prevent the damage: I have been out of order from PostNL for almost a week. Needless to say how I feel since this is my last month with my dear colleagues.       What the hell happened?! An overload, of course! Now, let's try to find the beauty in this because I do have many happy projects going on... Our bodies are like computers, and if they need to talk to us, they will. In this case, I am being told to sit still, review body, brain and heart activity, re-design plans, and reboot!      Here comes the tricky part. One must stop avoiding. One must con...

  Life has some very tough moments. My mom used to say that when things got hard for her, she felt like throwing in the towel. The problem was, the towel had to be picked up and there was no one else around to do it. End of story: Quitting was not an option.   I feel as if for months I had thrown in the towel. I knew it, I stared at it, I ignored it. Now, this is not an easy task either. It also drains you and your closest friends. You know you are stuck and no one but you can do something about it. Luckily, spring came, and with it,  my decision to set a deadline to make up my mind. Time for feeling sad, disappointed, tired, and lonely was up.      And what, you might be wondering, have I decided?  1.  Embrace my relationship as it is 2. Seriously study Dutch 3. Focus on ARTSY Language Studio 4. Swim 5. Date PostNL less frequently 6. Find a support group In summary...    Moving abroad for love an...

  I wonder when is it ever easy to say goodbye or close circles. In my experience, some come easy and others don't. It can be a relief, but it can also give you a heartache. Still, no matter what, I have learned that peace comes first. So, one just needs to do whatever it takes to achieve it.  As for now, I need to get ready to close two circles, peacefully.  1. My  praktijkondersteuner   I started seeing her back in October 2017. She has been of great help. With her, I have understood my place in this country and in my relationship, I have remembered who I was and still am.    During our session last week, I could tell it was going to be the next to last one. I was at ease and self-confident. Now, this doesn't mean everything has been a bed of roses, it signifies I have been dealing better with my reality and my own inner world. In other words, I got the tools, and I am using them better.   What is next? I have one mo...

    Can you find the treasure?      My sweetheart and I sometimes are poles apart, like in our musical tastes, or the fact that he is a night owl and I an early bird. Still, to have a common area of entertainment was important to me. The good news is that he has indulged me by looking for something we could share. The question was: What could we do that was mostly outdoors, implied a challenge, and fun? GEOCACHING! What is geocaching?      According to Wikipedia , geocaching is, "...an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.  Is it popular in Eindhoven?      I'll let you answer that. I will just say that we have found caches that have been already found that same day! Are we going ...

Writing this post doesn't come easy. Dutch in Translation has been a transformation agent when I've needed it most. Now, and in order to pursue this year's main goals, writing the blog every week doesn't come first. Let me explain. Dutch in Translation was born as a catalyst for change. Writing about my experience moving to the Netherlands helped me organize my thoughts, feelings, and decisions. Thanks to the power of journaling, I was able to understand what I was going through and what was needed in order for my life to improve and move forward. Exploring my life's priorities was a key factor. "Life is not stressful, we make it so."   My mother told me this last night. Wise phrase. I tend to overwhelm myself with projects and activities that it makes me wish days were longer: I want to work on EVERYTHING I like. Now, acknowledging my limitations, I realize I must choose in order to have a balance. So, which is my new mindset? Finding tim...

          It is the end of the year, and one starts thinking of what has been accomplished and what one desires for next year. Oh, dear!  I hadn't reflected on it until a cheerful friend of mine asked me about my 2018 goals. Then, and to follow up on my top priorities , I settled on a plan of action. In it, I pursue and select activities which bring me excitement, joy, and that in a certain way, provide nourishment to my brain and soul, as for me, like knitting or visiting museums.  What is at the top of my list?      The  Museumkaart ! It  is a personal card that gives you access to more than 400 museums in The Netherlands and it is valid for one year.   If I had asked Sinterklaas for a present, it would have been this! As you can tell, I didn't ask for it so...I will give it to myself as a New Year's present. Yeah!         What will I do in order to foster personal growth...

What happened to me? Did it happen to you too?      I must confess. My darling is not hallucinating or imagining things. Yes, I used to cook more often and sometimes even sophisticated meals. Then, reality sank in. You might wonder what I mean, or maybe you know EXACTLY what I am trying to say, as in "been there, done that." It started feeling like an obligation, a must, a chore that couldn't be skipped. I asked myself, what can I do to like cooking again?      Not much. It has never been my strength. Even so, I have looked for ways to enjoy it more: Share a meal with a friend; enjoy when I am invited over and someone else does the cooking; have fun when preparing a meal. When alone, never say always but close, I listen to a nice podcast and have a glass of wine. Then my honey comes home and says home cooking is better than anything else. I don't agree, but I try to feel flattered. Do you see what I mean?   What have I been co...