Dutch in Translation

     It's 6:30 am. I'm merrily biking to the pool. Merrily, happily, sleepy and all. It's dark and chilly.  I love dark and chilly and quiet, rustig .  There's mist everywhere. It feels as if I were interrupting someone's spell. While at it, I'm listening to a Dutch podcast, Zeg Het in Het Nederlands. ( We've talked about it before . ) It's episode #11. It includes the story behind the Bluetooth, and I think to myself..." what a wonderful world... " Just kidding! I do think, " How interesting. Just now my earphones are connected via Bluetooth to my phone, and the app Schwung is using the same technology as well. "      Later, after having swum, taught, cleaned and cooked, I asked my sweetheart, " Did you know a Dutch guy invented the Bluetooth? " He said it didn't sound like it. He said maybe a Danish. At first, I hesitated since my Dutch is not so good ( een beetje slecht )  and many, many times I do get things wro...

"Today you are You,  that is truer than true.  There is no one alive  who  is Youer than You." Dr. Seus             Birthdays are what one wants to make of them. For some, it as an ordinary event. For others, it can be a beginning or an end. Some more might view it as an opportunity to reflect on what has been experienced. And then there are the loud and cheerful who take it as an extraordinary occasion worth sharing. For me, birthdays are unique and unreplicable.      I must confess I am shedding some tears as I write this. On one hand, I am healthy and have been blessed with family and friends that love me and celebrated with me in the same way I approach life, with laughter, joy, and extra pampering. On the other, I wish I had mastered the art of letting go, of being in control. I wish I could embrace certain feelings in order to later let them go. I wish I could ...

           Friendship is an art.   Through life, one hopes to learn, practice, and honor it. It is like any other trade: You understand the skills, put them into practice, ruin hopefully not too many friendships, and then, one day, you look around and realize how friends are stars that illuminate your sky. That is something worth living for to see. OLD AND NEW FRIENDS      When I decided to move abroad for love, I knew that some friendships back home would continue as strong as they could be, other would weaken, and some forgotten. Also, I was aware new ones needed to be built, worked on, sculptured. To have a real friend is a serious private matter. This new person will meet you in a vulnerable state because you are trying to adapt to your new world. You are needy, too many areas to work on. Of course it can be scary! It is too intimate. But you know what? Like my new friends have told me, we are all in the same boat. Ca...

Next week it will be three months since I started working at PostNL. I have gone from this will never happen and this is killing me to feeling proud and having fun while at it.  What is there to be proud of? Having a job in a new country (You know what it was like !) Working in a respectable organization Improving my performance Speaking Dutch with my colleagues Saving money for the first time ever Being a candidate for pension What is fun about it? Exercising and losing weight (Just ask my darling about it!) Being part of "the gang" (This totally deserves its own post!) Riding the bike 500 m to get to work (I know, nothing to miss from Mexico there...) Chatting with colleagues (especially when we need to wait for the mail) Seeing people thankful for delivering their mail or package (Yes, I speak with people, but sometimes I just smile and nod because I don't get what they say! No time to stop to chat either!) How does it all look like? ...

"Ik doe al mijn best er kracht achter te zetten want ik verlang er zoo sterk naar mooie dingen te maken.– Maar mooie dingen kosten moeite – en teleurstelling en volhouden."     Vincent Van Gogh to Theo Van Gogh *      Recently, I have been collecting material about Van Gogh. Reading one of his letters got me thinking about beauty and happiness, and the struggle sometimes they require.        Depression.      Late September, I made an appointment with my huisarts (physician) to discuss my mild depression and what could be done so it wouldn't become a serious health issue. We had an interesting talk pointing out how I was out of balance trying to learn how to live with someone, take care of a house, and at the same time finding out who I would become. This was being very difficult since I was feeling lonely and alone. We agreed it would be helpful to have some sessions with a "prajtijkondersteuner". ...

     As I have mentioned before, I am working on building a healthy routine for my mind and body. What do I mean? I am trying to put together moments that uplift my soul and make everything brighter. Like what? Like the joy I feel when, while swimming, I see the air bubbles under the water, small crystal pearls mapping a sparkling trail along the way.       So far, Mondays are one of my favorite days. I wake up early, get ready and go downstairs to brew coffee. Then, I spend some time writing or reading while waiting for my darling to wake up. Once he does, I go downstairs to prepare his lunchbox (he says it's the best gift ever), coffee and toast. We talk for about half an hour and then we leave: He goes to work and I go swimming.       Today, I would like to share with you a little bit of what I see on my way to the Peter de Hoogenband Stadion. I wish I could show you what I see under the water, but since I...

     I have been thinking about how I can show you who I was before moving to The Netherlands for love. I think that if I can accomplish that, then you can better understand the challenges that starting over imply.       A typical day for me was: 5:20 a.m.                            Get up and go swimming or running 7:15 a.m.                            Drive to school 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.         Enjoy the love and attention of my more than 200 hundred students      7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.         Work on inspiring my students to learn, think, and understand 3:00 p.m.                            Drive to a friend or student's house for lunch 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ...