fout van mij

I have a bad 13 year old girl habit. I blame the world for my promblems. okay, maybe not all my problems and maybe not all people. To be a lil more specific I blame the Dutch for why I can't speak Dutch. I bitch and moan about how they all speak Englsih and are always trying to show how much English they know.
However, I ahve recetly realized it isn't their fault it's mine. The reason I don't know Dutch is because I don't listen. To be honest I don't listen in English either. At least not the first time anyone says anything it takes two or three tries for me to really know what anyone is saying, even in my native tongue. The problem with that is when I say "Wat zei je?" to a Dutch person they assume it is that I don't understand, not the honest to God truth I just don't like listening to anyone's voice but my own. So, when stuff gets repeated to me here it is always in English. Once someone has started speaking English to me it is a very difficult process to get them to go back to Dutch. Takes a lot of answering everything in Dutch and whinning in English about how no one speaks Dutch with me.
So to all Dutch people het spijt me. I only sort of blame you for my problems now.

Hazed and Confused

Last night...er or should I say this morning.... whichever.... I was driving home from a cafe in lemmer at 3 in the morning(guess that answers whether it was morning or night) when I saw two figures standing in the middle of the street. As I drove closer I realized they were people trying to get me to stop. I instantly swerved around them, my American everyone-is-a-psycho-killer instinct kicking in overtime. Then I realized I was in the middle of no where and that no cars drive down that road at night so they would be the worst psycho killers ever waiting there. So, I came to a stop a ways down the road. The two young guys came running at my car full speed. They didn't open the door but stood outside it til I opened it. ONce I opened it they popped their heads in and the chatty one start talking in VERY fast Dutch and all kinds of words I didn't know. So I gave him the time out signal and said " WHOA WHOA TIME OUT! Spreekt uw Engels?"
"YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?!"
"JA"
"We are a part of a fraternity we have been dropped off and we must make it back to our fraternity by tomorrow afternoon. WHERE IS A MAIN ROAD?"
I was thinking maybe the Fraternity was in Groningen which is only an hour from me. "Where is your Frat?"
"In DELFT!"
Delft for the record is no where near me... although it is a tiny country so you never that far away.

I had to inform them that they had been walking in the wrong direction. If they were to keep walking the direction they were they would run into a big lake and just more teeny tiny villages.
"Where are we?"
"Friesland"
"We are in fucking Friesland?"
the quiet one speaks up, "Middle of fucking no where Friesland!"
"Well if you want any kind of big road head back the other way and go to Lemmer. It's just off a big road. Good Luck."
"Thank you so much"
I drove on and realized that was kinda mean of me to just leave them in the rain in an area they don't know and there are no good walking routes to Lemmer. Also, I didn't feel it was very Midwestern of me to just leave two confused college guys in about as remote of a place as you get in the Netherlands. I drove on for about a kilometer and then turned around and came back for them. I had my window down(despite the fact that it was raining) and shouted, "C'mon get in the car!"
They couldn't believe I had come back fror them. They were very Dutch so they did the polite Dutch thing and asked me what I had done tonight and why was I on these back roads at three in the morning. They also couldn't believe that any American woman would be willing to live in Friesland without being married to a Frysan man.
They told me that they had started drinking at a quarter to 5, they each had to do a few beer bongs, and then once they were pass out drunk they and the other freshman were thrown into the back of a van asleep and then they were all being dropped off in different places around the country and had till the afternoon to get back. So, they woke up on the side of the road near nothing. I asked them if they were still pretty drunk. The quiet one in the front seat was like, "No, it has all warn off!"
I had been the first person to drive by and also the second person to drive by in the few hours they had been walking. They were so glad both cars stopped. I gave them a lil tour of Lemmer as we drove though it towards A6, a major road in the Netherlands. I took them to a bus stop where a bus goes to Lelystad and stops at a train station. They had no money. They kept saying, "all we have is a bottle of water, these trash bags for rain coats, and now you!!!!"
I had a full tank of gas and was tempted to just say I'll drive ya all the way to Delft. I have never been there and that seems as good of a reason as any. But, I realized that would be taking away the fun and adventure of figuring out how to get back. Making it too easy for them would ruin it. When I told them I felt bad for their dillema Tom(the chatty one in the back seat, Martin was the quiet one in the front) grabbed my shoulder and told me I shouldn't feel bad. It was their decision to join the Frat and that other than this it is a very nice fraternity. I explained to them I went to a party school with a great greek system and have seen some pretty shitty stuff with Hell Week and still thought the frats weren't all bad so no worries.. Martin said, "Well, we just have a hell weekend." God everything really is smaller in the Netherlands(roll of eyes should be said with that last sentence)
They were excited to see the bus stop was next to a McDrive, but sad when I pointed out that because they are in Friesland it doesn't open til ten. I walked them through what they could do: take the bus, catch a train to amsterdam and then from amsterdam to delft. And since they had no money and were kinda cute I made sure they knew they should trying sweet talking the ladies and telling the guys the whole story about being left out by Oudemirdum. I don't know if they have some how already gotten back or if they are still sitting at that McDrive, but I do now know Hazing is Hazing the world over.

Димa Билан

So, if you ahve ever read this blog or hung out with me after I was in Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan than you know how much I LOVE DIMA BILAN!!!! Love him. Love him. Я люблю его He is the only Russian Singer that I really got into. And when leaving kyrgyzstan I way over paid for his CDs but it was so worth it.
Well, a little news item about Dima Bilan is he just won Eurovision. It's like the competion that made Abba. I'm super excited. However, I actually don't like his singing in English. The song is called Believe. And you can believe me he is awesome. So, check out the clip from his winning performance below.

Borat in AMsterdam

This isn't even half as funny as the last clip I posted with Ali G and the Beckhams but this fun too. You can see some Dutch Subtitles and hear some Dutch since no one seems to know what it sounds like :)

insanely funny!

Seriously you need to watch this!

An Bingo was his name ooooooo

I wnet and played Bingo last night at the Doarphuis It's nice to know the world over that Bingo is a sport for old ladies.... Did I just call Bingo a sport? Wow I need to get more exercise. cUz if sitting around smoking cigeretes drinking Berenburg(Frisian Liquor) with Cola is exercise than these women are the fittest women every.
However, I din't win anything last night. Not even one of the little consaltion prizes at the end. I tell myself I'm helping out the community center, I mean I never use the blender I won last time. But I'm only fooling myself because I really wanted to win. Like really wanted to win. I was chatting with the bartender(where I had to sit since I showed up late) and the whole time I kept saying ik wil iets. IETS! I was just saying I wasnt something. SOMETHING!
I even got annoyed with a nine year old that kept winning stuff. Everyone kept applauding for her and I was doing that slow sarcastic clap. I gotta start practicing my numbers in dutch some more since I am convinced I only lost cuz I would miss a number here or there. I hate the way Dutch say there numbers. 59 would be said nine and fiftey. It takes my braina while to process that infromation cuz first I go to nine and then I have to think of what they said after the nine but my brain has already becme fixated on the nine. Stupid Dutch language keeping my from my prizes!

iggnorance

yesterday a Dutchman I don't know told me not to vote for Barak Obama because he is black which means he is lazy and doesn't want to work... he wasn't joking around in anway. When I gave him a dirty look he said well, it's true. So, I guess it is good to know there are ignorant people all over the world. And one thing all you ignorant people out there should know is|: where a rubber.

My aerodynamics

Cycling in the netherlands is a national past time. But I ahve to say one thing about it... It's windy in the Netherlands. And I'm no Lance Armstrong. I'm probbaly the least aerodynamical person in the world. So, when I bike against the wind I come to an almost complete stop. Fortunately I bike alt in the early morning so it is only me and the farmers that are out at that time. I'll be inching along at my ever slow pace against the wind and then when a farmer comes by in his tractor I ahve to try and speed up as best I can to not apear to be as slow as I am... My answers aren't blowing in the wind... It's just a pain in my ass....

I know not a lot of people read my blog but for those of you who do can I just promote the links on my blog for a minute. There are alot of nice blogs that my friends have from all over the place and if you currently can't travle live vigarously through some of my friends :)

It's in the title

So, the title for this blog is How did I get here? So, I figured I would compile a slide show of different pics from all my travels. I never know how I ended up somewhere..... things just seem to randomly happen to me. So, I hope you enjoy the randomness.

I might have laughed too hard at this....

for the first time....

I feel like I'm seeing the netherlands for the first time. I have to say it is a really beautiful country. It isn't the majestic beauty of Canada or the American west. It isn't a classic and perfected beauty of Paris or Northern Italy. It especially isn't a wild beauty like Scotland or Kyrgyzstan. No, I'm finding here to have what I would say is a quiet beauty. Almost....hmmmm.... if landscape can have this.... let's say an inner beauty. I have been living here for over 8 months and though I have kind of noticed it in the past I never truely was in awe of the beauty here. That is the problem with inner beauty... It doesn't hit you in the face right away.
When I first got here I was kind of in a daze from the summer I had just ended. I worked at...hmmm.... for lack of a better word... uniquely insane camp.
Actually it could have been a good summer if I didn't have the boss I had. He would tell me to do something, I would do it, and then he would get mad or sarcastic at me for doing it. And unlike after Peace Corps I didn't get to have a week or two to recoup before joing the real world. Nope. I moved to The Netherlands the day after camp ended. For the first month or so here I was still in post camp shock.
Then as that wore off I began to realize... I'M IN THE NETHERLANDS!!! WHAT?! How did I get here? It has been difficult to develop a social life here. The Fries aren't the most welcoming people to outsiders.

However, in the past two months I have started to develop a social life. I'm on three different sports teams and I go out once or twice a week. The weather was crap for months.
It wasn't even snowing, it just was kinda cold, windy, and there was no sun. Now all of a sudden the sun has come out and with it there is a whole new light being shined on the netherlands. Now as I look out on the green pastors filled with sheep and cattle; the canals that seem to stretch on forever; the sea filled with sail boats; the flowers next to the roads; I suddenly get it. I get that The Netherlands is a truely beautiful place.

Keukenhof

Yesterday I went to the Keukenhof in Lisse. It boasts of being the biggest spring time garden in the world. I don't know if that is true or not, but it is really big. I showed up early in the morning which was cool because there weren't many people there. I planned on staying there all day but after the busses started coming in there were just too many people and I had to get out of there. But it is really lovely.
I'm putting up some photos. I don't know if these are even the best photos I took but I felt I needed to put some up. The Keukenhof also claims to be one of the most photographed places in the world. So, if that is true I'm just keeping with tradition and adding my little lot to the bunch.
Enjoy.

making clean water available to all

This is doc from National Geographic about how PLay Pumps are bringing fresh water to people in s.s. Africa. Worth taking a look at:

Clean Water

It's all in what ya drink....

I am not a great student of languages. There are some people who get languages. I’m not saying that they don’t study, I‘m just saying they know how to make their studies very efficient. A friend of mine seems to think people either get languages or they don‘t. I don’t exactly believe that, I think some people are naturally better than others and the rest of us have to work really hard just to learn the basics.

In high school I took a year and a half of Spanish. I recently went to Spain with my sister and what was made painfully clear is that I can’t speak any Spanish. If I hadn’t had Diane with me I would have been totally screwed.

However, in the past two years I have been able to learn two very different languages. Last year I lived in Kyrgyzstan and was an English teacher with Peace Corps. I had to learn Russian in order to live and work there. It was tough. It is a difficult language to learn and in all honesty it was the first language I was ever really learning. I then went back to America for a few months. Fortunately while I was in America for a majority of the time I was working at a camp with a lot of Russian Jews so I got to still practice my Russian. Since coming to the Netherlands my brain has pushed out a big chunk of Russian in order to fill that space with Dutch. Russian, -a language spoken by almost 200 million people -came in second place to Dutch -a language spoken by almost 30 million people. I have never been known for prioritizing.

I’m still not confident with foreign languages. I hate that I don’t know slang. I have a very thick American accent. I can only really understand if people are speaking clearly and not too fast. I hate all of it. The thing I hate the most is when you can’t find the words to express myself.

I have found something that helps my language abilities more than studying ever has. Alcohol. Not just any alcohol. The drink must be very specific to the language.

Vodka for Russian and beer for Dutch.

When I would first show up at a party in Kyrgyzstan I would sit quietly. I might be able to carry on a little bit of a one-on-one conversation but nothing more. As the toasts went on through the night my Russian became better and better. When I started to slur, I some how became more understandable. One party in particular by the time it was my turn to give a toast I went on so long they had to sit me down because everyone wanted to drink and I had been talking to long. I have only had vodka a few times since leaving Kyrgyzstan, but every time I have had it since I suddenly feel I am a great master of the Russian language.

Vodka doesn’t work with Dutch. If I have a couple shots I resort back to Russian. No, it takes beer for me to speak descent Dutch. I especially need to have a couple beers to keep up with the conversation if I’m at a party with a bunch of Dutch people. If I’m not drinking beer I can keep track of the conversation but I can’t think in Dutch quickly enough to add anything to the conversation. I don’t get messy when I drink beer. I become very focused which is what I need to speak Dutch. Vodka makes me very sloppy which brings what I’m missing to the Russian language.

The past two weeks I have been too sick to drink beer so I have been stuck just sitting and listening to Dutch people at the parties I went to. My Dutch feels as if it has dramatically decreased. I need to get healthy again so I can get drinking again and starting speaking Dutch again.

Whenever I drink wine I think I can speak French. When I have sangria I think I think that year and a half of Spanish actually did some good. Whiskey has made me believe I can understand what Scottish people are saying to me. Tequila makes me pass out.

The more I learn about different alcohols the more I learn about different cultures. So, Bottoms up!

Dutch Music vs. Russian Music

When I first arrived in Kyrgyzstan a Peace Corps volunteer from the group before me told me it would be just a matter of time and I would learn to like Russian Pop Music. I laughed in his face cuz I felt I had a good taste in Music and Russian Pop was not good music. Eventually over time I learned to love Димa Билан (Dima Bilan) I thought his music videos were ridiculous but I loved singing along with the music. I even bought one of his CDs before I went home. Ever since then it has been one of my favorite CDs that I own.
So, when I moved to The Netherlands I was at first skeptical that I could find anything that I liked. Now with my Dutch considerably better than my Russian I have found lots of Dutch Music I enjoy. My favorite Dutch band in Blof. There should be like a line through the "o" but I don't know how to do that. Also, I saw a band called Nick and Simon in concert. While, my friend Lauren hated them, I actually really enjoyed their music. They sing the theme song from the movie De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe. I don't know if you noticed but my last name is totally rockin' the title of that movie.
So, I decided to let you hear and judge for yourself which is better. I know odds are if your my friend or relative and you are reading this you know neither Dutch or Russian(Carly your the exception with your Russian) Still check out these music videos they are all kinda funny in their own right.
The first one is Dima Bilan with: Impossible Possible
The second is Blof with: All is Love (theme song from the Dutch version of Love Actually)
The third is Nick and Simon with the theme from De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe: Take my hand
I gave the English names just cuz the Dutchand Russian names would me nothing to you. Blof is my favorite Dutch band and this is my favorite song of theirs and Dima Bilan is my favorite Russian singer and this is my favorite song of his. Nick and Simon were just included cuz I saw them in concert and I love typing my own last name
Bontekoe
Bontekoe
Bontekoe
ENJOY!!!!!

Dwarf Soccer in Brazil

I love when this is on CNN

Spanish Football

Me cheering on Barcelona

Diane and I at Real Madrid.


I never did get the chance to talk about going to some Spanish Football games with Diane. We first went to a Real Madrid-Getafe game in Madrid that ended with Getafe winning 1-0. Very dissappointing. Then I got her to also go to a Barcelona-Valencia CF game. That ended with a 1-1 tie. It was amazing though. Valencia's goalie Timo Hildebrand was so A-Mazing. Barcelona had shot after shot and he was stopping everything. Valencia had two shots at the goal and made one. Barca's goalie only had a 50% for the night. Diane felt the need to point out the math on that. Barcelona only scored in the very last seconds of the extended play of the game where they threw everything they had at good ole Timo. Diane and I sat near the Valencia crowd, which was so loud and chaotic. After the game Diane and I waited for the fans to clear out so we wouldn't have to fight our way out. What we didn't know we'd get to see by waiting was actual fights. The police trapped in the Valencia fans and wouldn't let them leave till all of Barca's fans were gone. The continued to sing and cheer for the time they were trapped in the stadium. However when they did let a few go there were still a few Barca fans in there and that's when the fights started. Was pretty cool for D.D. and I since we were just sitting there waiting for everyone to leave.
Those fights didn't seem too common of the atmosphere of Spanish Football. I couldn't believe how supportive the fans were at both Barcelona and Madrid. Diane said people had potty mouths(she speaks Spanish, where as I was delightfully ignorant) But seriously they would cheer just for trying to make a goal. They weren' angry at the team for their mistakes but encouraging them to do better. I loved the enviroment that I was engolfed in at the games.
One strange thing from the Madrid game that didn't happen at the Barcelona game was that at half time everyone in unison pulled out a sandwich wrapped in tin foil and sat there eating their sandwiches and talking about the first half of the game. The women's bathroom at Real Madrid was empty in the mostly Male crowd. Diane and I looked around and we were the only women that were there without a man. Barcelona was completely different with a strong female presence. The one who sat behind us had a particularly filthy mouth.
So, if you are ever in Spain it is worth checking out the football Matches. Even if you know nothing about the sport. Diane can back me up here... Spanish Football is alot of fun.

This made me laugh

taking my blog to a multimedia level! Watch out for more ways to waste your time.

how old am i?

I know in the grand scheme of things 24 isn't very old. If I were to keel over tomorrow everyone would just keep sobbing, she was so young, she was so young. The problem with 24 is when you haven't played basketball since you were 18 and some how you talked your way on to one of the best basketball teams in the netherlands.... Suddenly 18 seems like an eternity ago and 24 belongs in a nursing home.
Yep, I'm training with the women's basketball team in Urk.The practices aren't even that hard, I'm just that out of shape. I hadn't done a sprint in two years.
Now into my third week of practice I'm doing alright. But that first week.... oh, that first week I could hardly move. I hadn't been so sore since freshman year of college during the first week of track practice. That week Erica and I debated over whether it would be less painful to throw ourselves down the stairs than it was to walk down them.
I do alirhgt for about the first hour of practices then the last half hour I'm just throwing up shots hoping something goes in. When need be I still resort bck to the infamous walk-jog. It something Erica and I perfected in college. It is where you are actually walking but you throw your hips in such a way as to appear to be running incrediably slow.
I'm going to keep going to the basketball practices, but all I can say this thank god I'm leaving before I'm 25.

J.J.Jaded

Since my lil sister Diane didn't make her flight to Spain I found myself with some time on my hands. I spent my first night in Madrid just wondering around walking into any store that was open...Stores open after 5! Wait till I tell everyone back in Friesland that that really happens some places.
I ended up walking into an underground Supermarket. Similiar to the first underground supermarket I ever saw 5 years ago in Prague. While rolling down into the store on a converbelt I realized I'm starting to be a little travel jaded.
When I fisrt started traveling abroad I had to take in every sound, taste, smell... i wanted to absorb the country into my pores. I often did with the frequent acne that came along with these trips. In the past five years I have gone from only one country under my belt, Sweden when I was 13, to double digits. I have studied photography in the UK, Whitewater rafted the Nile, drank virgin margarhitas at 8 in the morning in the carribbean,have drank more vodka in Central Asia than one person should consume in a life time. Over the past six months, since moving to Friesland, I have gotten to travel around the norther part of the Netherlands, Watch Rugby World Cup Semi Finals at the Eiffel Tower, dancing till all hours of the night in London, learned all about Bols jenever in Amsterdam, jumped a fence in Italy, and now am exploring Madrid. I list these things not to brag but to try and understand why I wasn't overcome with joy as I rolled into the supermarket. When I was in Prague 5 years ago I went out of my way everyday to go to that underground store because I thought it was the most unique thing on Earth. AN UNDERGROUND SUPERMARKET! I also thought, okay still think, the "Prague Czech it out" shirts are so clever and cool. I seem not to get overwhelmed anymore by how cool and new and exciting things are. My skin for the first time in my life, is clear. I often will see something that would have suprised or shocked me in the past and now find myself going oh, that's nothing compared to... insert country I have been to before where ever I am at the time.
Traveling is all I every really wanted to do. No, let me rephrase that... exploring.There isn't really anything left to discover except for the things you discover for yourself. The wonder and awe that you find in things. I have been extremely lucky, no no that isn't the right word...blessed, with all the traveling I have gotten to do in my short lifetime. I wandered the aisles of the underground supermarket thinking about how I always swore I wouldn't get jaded, I would always find ways to be excited. and then without trying I was reassured that I might not be as jaded as I think, when I saw a woman pull out a giant knife cut off the head of a fish, gut it, and cut of the tail and wrap it in less than 10 seconds. No one else there was amazed but I was restraining myself from applauding. And then I saw that the store had Mountain Dew and Oreos. Two things I haven't seen in months. ¿Man does life get better than this?

My 24th

I had my 24th birthday two days ago. I didn't want a party or anything big to happen since my 23rd birthday in Kygyzstan ws a disaster.
In the morning Rob(my boss) said: "oh, 24? hmmm... I had been working for 6 years and started my own company the next year."
Well, happy Birthday to me. All I could say was good for you. I was changing his daughter diaper at the time. Thank goodness after that I had volleyball. Even with my birthday I'm still on average 40 years younger than the other players on my team. They all kept telling me how I ahd so much time ahead of me and that I was so young. Thank you that is exactly what I want to hear. I ahd made cupcakes for everyone on the team just to make sure they really understood I'm not as old as them.
In the evening the family I work for took me and a friend of mine out for dinner. I had a fantastic meal. Only problem is I found out I don't know what the Dutch word is for Lobster cuz apparently it was on menu. Dang I missed out on free lobster! If only I had know.
I tried to go see the movie Kite Runner since I will never get around to reading the book. Only problem is we got five minutes in and there had only been about 4 lines of dialect in English. We grabbed our coats and ran out of the theatre. I over exagerated my English and in ability to understand English.
"Oh, I am soooooo sorry Do you speak ENG-LIIIIISH????!"
yes
"Well... We were in the movie Kite Runner and it's in Arabic not English"
blank Stare
"We SPEEEAAAK ENG-LISSSSHH. So, we can't watch that and we want our money back."
We got the money back and since we both felt like we had just made 8 euros we decided to go spend it on Blonde Beers(yummy!) Lauren wanted to get me a piece of Chocaolate cake but it was to expensive and they don't give anything for free in Friesland... not even on your birthday.
Over all a nice and very relaxed b-ay. Tonight I'm going out with "the Girls". The group will include an Aussie, Polack, Chinese girl, and an Israeli. Well, it looks like my 24th year is going to be competative as my most random year of my life... thus far.

The newest haircut in a series of terrible haircuts.

this is my newest haircut. I'm still trying to find a descent style 7 months after the New Jersey crisis.
Also, I couldn't figure out how to rotate the pic since everything is in Dutch on this computer. But if you ahve a lap top put it on it's side and you can see it vertically. let me know what ya think.

I'm an American!

Every Tuesday night I have a two hour Dutch lesson in the capitol of Friesland. I have to drive an hour each way and bath the kiddies early in order to go and study Dutch. It isn't convienent(this is like my sixth try to spell that word, I give up on it... you should know what word I'm goign for) I also seem to be the only one who consistently does her homework. I have also put in a lot of effort to change my teacher's orignal preseption of me. I think all was lost his past Tuesday. In my class there were only three of us that were none European. One Chinese Girl and a Ugandan girl. There used to be couple more Americans and Africans but they have stopped coming. So, I am the token American. I am the American Embassy right there for anyone who needs to vent over the world problem of America.
However, this past Tuesday it didn't start out aggressive but it stung more than any comment that someone could have made about Bush's forgien policy.
It started with the comment:
"Canadians are also Americans."
NO THEY ARE NOT!!!!!!
In Dutch my teacher started talking about how she had family in America. just about everyone in the class had at least one relative living in America right now. Then the Italian girl said she too had family in America. I asked, "Oh, where do they live?" Canada.
Well, sorry honey then they live in North America but they don't live in America.
Everyone started talking at once in broken English and Dutch and whatever other language they speak. But mine was the only one that mattered. I was the only North American there.I was the only American there.
I have my reasons for feeling this way.
a.) REAL Americans have no other name to go by. We aren't called United Staters no that whole first part is cut out when you are talking on a global view of America. I shouted on about how Canadians come from Canada, Americans come from America. My teacher said, "je komt uit Verenigde Staten"(you come from United States) I shouted back, " van Amerika!" (of America) she let me have that point
b. I went on with the fact that Canadian's haven't earned the right to be called Americans. People don't view Canadians as a threat. Their culture of maple syrup and hokey hasn't been spread all over the world, they aren't blamed for all problems in the world. Americans are. We wake up everyday being hated for the simple fact that we elected Bush... Twice. I have earned that title of American: I'm loud, I'm Pushy, and I fat. I have American locked up in my gentic code. Surviving cold winters doesn't make Candians as thick skinned as an American living abroad must be.
c. One girl was like Canada, America they are right next to each other who knows th difference. She is Romanian and I couldn't think of who Romania is next to. So, I couldn't properly insult her by not knowing the difference, but I'll let her know that your average American with a Public School education has never even heard of her country. Mexico is right next to us too. and just cuz we have porious borders it doesn't mean every Mexican is an American. yet.
D. And finally what I feel was good point. I don't think Canadians want to be called Americans. Maybe North Americans but nothing any closer than that. The greatest challenge would be if Candians start telling people they are Americans when they are abroad. If as a collective whole they start doing that, than maybe... just maybe I'll let this whole issue drop and say Canadians are also Americans. Cuz lord knows when I'm abroad I've been know to fudge that line... Michigan... Canada when your talking to people who live in a country that America has screwed over than Michiganders might as well be Canadians. I mean it's cold and we have similiar nasally accents. Although, I always end up getting caught. Cuz if you say Canada the conversation always goes to hokey and I can't help myself I have to inform people that the Maple leaves suck and the Red Wings Rule!!!! Aren't the Red Wings in America? oh, I think your right and I think that is my bus! See ya!

Bingo!

Maybe it was Peace Corps. The first two months they drill into your head that half your job is to intergrate into your community. Or it could be growing up in a small town and being an athlete and a member of just about every club out there. I don't know what it is but something in me makes me what to come involved in the community I live in. In my smal villge here in the Netherlands I haven't become as involved as I'm used to. Until now I thought I was some how sliding under the radar. The only thing I did in the community was play volleyball with the 60± crowd of ladies. Oh, and the butcher always chats me up. However this past Saturday night I had to go to the town hall. It became The Netherlands version of wall Drug for me.
Wall Drug you know what that is?
It is a crumy lil town in South Dakota but starting hundreds of miles away there are signs proclaiming the greatness of Wall Drug by th time you get into double digits miles away you have to go to Wall drug. Wehn you hit single digits your brain is about to explode with curiousity.
For the past month everywhere I have gone has been advertising Grote Bingo(Big Bingo) for January 12th. Even if I was shopping in another town or my gym in another town had the sign. So, this Saturday came and I had been thinking about Grote Bingo for a long time. I had nothing planned so I put on my Fryslan scarf my bright pink shoes and I walked into town. I figured I play volleyball with old ladies, at least ne of them has to be playing bingo. I was very relieve when I wlked in and saw Tjsetke. She seems to be one of the only ladies from ym teams who always goes out. I sat with her and her daughter. I was quickly embaressed as I stood up shooting Bingo just to have Tjsetke pull me back down and tell me that I infact don't have a Bingo. I have been playing Bingo my whole life I know a bingo when I see one. What I didn't understand is that you had to have a specific Bingo to win. I was forced to just wave the reader off as he kept asking if I really did have a Bingo. My low key status was blown by one shout of Bingo. Later on I thought I had a Bingo and hesitated to shout Bingo because f the last time. But Tjsetke told me I did have one and encouraged me to run up there. So, I shouted Bingo. Everyone gave each other a look like "I'm sure." They reviewed my card longer and slower than they had anyone elses. When they informed me that I had one a brand new smooth maker(blender with a cool spout in it) I lost all Dutch reserve and my Americaness came shining through as I jumped into the air, pumped my fist, and shouted, "Yes!"
I sat quietly the rest of the time eating chips and rinking a hieneken.
Apparently I was never as under the rador as I thought I was and this past Tueday comfirm it. On Tuesday my boss Rob had to go to a meeting for the parents of the kids in the school. I guess I was all people could talka bout. A mini celeb here in Oudemirdum. They were talkign about how my Dutch was coming long how I played Voleyball on Wednesday, my Bingo playing skillz, amongst other things. I guess now that I know that De Au Pair Van Lucas(the au pair of Lucas) is better known thn I had thought there might be many more Bingo nights in my future. And who knowns maybe I'll even manage a sentence sometime that isn't covered in my thick American Accent.

Happy New Year

My friend Caitlin once told me this whole theory she has about how you spend your New Year is how your up coming year is going to be. She believes this, that is probably why she spent New Year's Eve in Thailand.
I'm not exactly a believer of that. I have had super weird New Year's that didn't represent my next year at all. There was even one very sad and depressing one my sophomore year of high school that my lil sister Diane still likes to bring up and laugh about. However, when she does bring it up it almost brings a tear to my eye. And I don't see where how I spent 2006 with Sara in a basement bar where we were the first ones to show up, we ate all the food, and sara got us kicked out 15 minutes after the new year; represents my graduating university and joing the peace corps.
I spent one new year with Tommy and his sisters having his sister smuggle us shots and telling us if we got caught for drinking underage we were to say a dirty mexican gave us the shots. I went to Africa to work with children who have AIDS that year.
But last night I was thinking of Caitin's theory and thinking of what that would mean about my 2008 based on last night. I was watching the movie Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz with my bosses till a lil after 11:30 when we went and woke the kids up and got them dressed. We watched the clock count down then opened a bottle of Rose champagane and eat olibalen(What Dutch think are doughnuts). Then we went out into the front yard and light fire works. I was given a sparkler. Not one of those little ones but one of those GIAGANTIC ones(ny true American knows what I'm talking about). I used all my restraint to keep myself from running away when Rob gave it to me. In my head I took off running and was giggling and laughing just like I wanted to be. However, Peace Corps broke my spirit and now I feel I need to show restraint instead of joy. I did show Lucas, age six, how freakin' cool it was to watch me spell out happy new year with th sparkler. After the fireworks were done we took the kids back to bed. Ellen went to bed and Rob and I walked into th village to see what was going on. There were some trash cans with fires going in them. We stood around and talked to some Fries guys and one guy who recently got out of an Ethiopian Jail. ONe guy grabbed me and gave me a very long hug and told me in English that he loved me. The Ethiopian told me how he loves George Bush and hates muslims. Rob and I took that as our cue to go. I came back to the house watched some news about the riots in Kenya and Arrested Devlopment(disc 2, season 2) and fell asleep. What does this say about my upcoming year? I have no idea. But I had fun on New Year despite trying to act grown up.
2008: the year I grow up?
Keep reading, we'll see how it goes.

Clogs

I need to bust open a myth about the Netherlands right now. People seem to be convinced that clogs(wood shoes) are not worn here anymore. That they are a thing of the past. A nice little idea for tourists but not something that is actually done in this modern age.
To be honest that is simply not true. Oh, I'll give ya when I was in AMsterdam I didn't see any one wearing them and since most tourists here don't get further than Rotterdam I can see how they would think that. If however someone were to venture out where I live, in rustic farm country, they would see the occational farmer walking around in clogs. And not just plain wooden ones. I have seen guys out and about in ones desigened to look like a cow, red ones, and even the fries flag.
I even got offered a pair of clogs but unfortunately they were too small, and trust me I really tried to jam my foot in there. I was told walking around in clogs would draw less attention to me then walking around in flip flops(and this was when it was still warm) So, if you come to the Netherlands and can manage to leave the high of Amsterdam come out to Friesland, we'll have some clogs ready for ya.

It's the most wonderful time of the year?

Sky Radio 101FM bring non-stop Christmas hits 24/7

No matter where you live in the world all radio guys sound the same, especially with their obnoxious 24/7 Christmas music. I get the all Christmas music here in the Netherlands even. The only difference is ocationally they throw one in in Dutch which I actually enjoy because then it becomes a Dutch Lesson. The Big thing is I haven't had a car in 5 years so I have been able to miss the 24/7 Christmas hits coming at me.
This year I ahve new perspective on Christmas. Living in a forgien country, hereing only Christmas tunes in my car when I drive, and spending Christmas all by myself has opened my eyes.
All I can say is that who ever wrote It's th most wonderful time of the year, did it right before blowing his/her brains out. If not then, then I will say with some dertainty the person was wasted and alone on christmas.
I can see him now(I'm going to assume it is a guy) alone in his appartment. He pathetically hung up a couple christmas lights and has a little plastic tree on his piano. He is in his pyjamas(Iknow that is the Dutch spelling but I forget the English one so...) with a robe(not tied shit, of course). stuble on his face, greasy hair, and an open bottle of scotch. The song has a real Scotch feel to it, I don't drink it but it feel like the song of someone who does to the point of blacking out.
I mean c'mon the song is so making fun of Christmas.
It's not just the happiest time of the year it is the : hap=happiest time of the year.

Not just fun hanging out with your friends:
Gay happy meetings
when friends are calling
...only someone who has no one visiting them coule write a line like that.

he punches at the keys of the piano hearing a party going on next door, he picks up the bottle of Scottish to pour into his dirty glass. Here the giggle of a girl and then looks at the bottle and dirty glass and decides to take a big swig from the bottle.
he then writes this next line:
There'll be parties for hosting looks around his empty apartment
And thinks why not :
Marshmellows for roasting(hey it rhymes!)
He heres some carloing out in the snow
but then he writes the clintcher line that lets ya knw he was off his rocker
There'll be scary ghost stories
Really?
never once did we sit down and have scary ghost story time on christmas... The closest thing to that you got is with Scrooge and what not but it isn't really scary...
So, maybe this guy didn't blow his brains out maybe he drakn enough Scottish just to pass out, but I promise you anyone who could write that song was at least thinking of blowing his brains out.