Home Sweet Home...
We've been in our permanent home now for 2 weeks. Valeriusstraat 280 HS. HS means house or ground floor. We were very fortunate to find this place. We have the ground floor with a garden out back and our bedrooms are on the first floor above. People are on top of us, right next to us, all around us. It's always a bonus when you can find a spot to lock up your bike right in front of your house. Now that we have a car, you're lucky if you can find a parking spot on your own street. It's totally different but we are totally loving it. We've met some very nice people and we have great neighbors who have been extrememly helpful. The children on our end of the street don't speak english, (they start learning english in the 5th grade) so Kiley and Quinn have a lot of opportunity to practice their dutch.
We were warned that if we ever had a need for construction workers in Amsterdam to be patient. Well, let's just say we've been practicing patience. Just before we moved in we had a walkthrough and the owner made a list of things that would be fixed. The process was started on the Monday we moved in. When we showed up that evening, there was dust and dirt all over the kitchen, a light hanging from underneath the cabinet and a latter in the middle of the hallway. We just expected that they would show up and finish the job on Tuesday, but that didn't happen. Wednesday was Queen's Day and the entire city is shut down so we thought maybe they would show on Thursday. Nope... so placed a call and we were told that it was PARTY WEEK and no one would be there till the following Tuesday. Wow, party week, okay we'll see you Tuesday. Tuesday rolls in. No one shows, no answer on their phone, no call back. Now these are not major repairs, but they do need fixing. A call was placed again on Wednesday..."We can't seem to get ahold of you, our next step is to call the owner." Within 10 minutes there is a call back. "I am out of the country, please call Ralph, he will come and help you." Okay, let's call Ralph. Friday Ralph replies and says he will be there next Tuesday. He shows up at 8am...looks at the work and says he will be back in one hour. At 3pm he calls and says, "There is a problem with work today. The problem is I can't come back to do the work, so I see you tomorrow. Ya?" At this point we just have to laugh. "Uh ya okay...see you tomorrow." So over two weeks later they are here, right now! It's getting done!
Our local neighborhood market is about 100 yards down the street. Very convenient, but very small and very expensive. We just found Dirk's, another market just over the canal about a 3 minute bike ride away. It's much bigger and has better prices and a better selection. Right now when we shop, you basically buy what you can carry. Tomorrow while the kids are in school, Jacqui is going to stock up a bit and use her friends bike with a huge wheelbarrow like box attached to the front to go shopping at Dirk's. We'll report later on how she does steering the bike back filled with groceries.
There are many cafe's and restaurants all around our neighborhood with seating out on the sidewalk. The weather has been amazing the last 10 days so the sidewalks have been packed with people sitting and eating. It's a very relaxed atmosphere and no rush for you to vacate your table so someone else can have it. This is partly due to the fact that you don't tip, so the waiters and waitresses are not trying to turn tables over. It feels odd initially, but you begin to get used to it. It's very common to be at your table at 6pm and still be there at 10pm just hanging out and chatting.
Go Tom Tom or don't go at all
Travelling by bike, tram or train...a piece of cake. Watching an American drive a car for the first time here...priceless. It's a bit stressful watching out for pedestrians and bikes travelling in packs strung throughout the streets like christmas lights. Not to mention the oncoming tram heading straight for you. Then there is tne way streets that seem to sneak up on you and you can't make a right on red. Like anything else, it gets easier the more you do it, but we owe the survival of our first two weeks in a car to our trusted new best friend...the Tom Tom. Plug in the address and city and her voice (you choose male or female) gently guides you to your destination. She doesn't even yell at you if you make a wrong turn. She patiently picks a new route and gets you back on track. She makes you feel and drive like you've been living here for years. It makes it much easier to pay attention to that oncoming tram.
Tip Toe Through the Tulips
A short 20 minute drive from our house you'll find the town of Lisse, the home of Keukenhof. They claim to be the most beautiful spring garden in the world. We went last weekend and not only is it absolutely gorgeous, it's huge. Among a varienty of flowers they have every color and shape of tulip you can immagine. The kids even enjoyed walking through the garden and then we hung out at the playground and the kids played on the zip line. If you are planning a visit durig the end of March throught mid May, this is one of the places you will have to visit.
Blog Music
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
We Are Moving
to our permanent home in A'Dam during the next few days. We will be leaving the tight quarters, small streets of the 9 Straats to a two story place with a garden for Scout to do her business. A garden is a tiny plot of space that is a special treat for renters. We will be able to fit our bbq, a small table and chairs and maybe one other item in our secret garden.
Our new place is located on Valeriusstraat (rhymes with Hilarious) Straat which is the longest street we've seen in awhile. The door to our crib opens up onto a one way street which cuts down on the traffic. There will be kids nearby who break-out the straat chalk will their parents bring out their benches to watch and chat with the other parents. Feels similar to 9570 158th Cul-de-sac.
We've got the kids their beds the other day which are a little different from their Portland set-up due to the size and shapes of the rooms. The Dutch are very resourceful when it comes to making things work in such tight spaces. Kiley has a large room which overlooks the garden and has some interesting demensions to the room. Kiley is upgrading to a bunk bed that has a queen bed on the bottom and a twin bed up top. Her mother promised to carry her up to the top bed when she falls asleep down below (fyi-Dad had surgery on his right hip...). FYI, Kiley's bed/room will be used for all you guests so get your climb on.
Quinn, on the other hand, downgraded from a queen bed to a small single bed which fits into his unique sized "room". He has a cool blue bed, with a neat dresser and a little storage section for his toys. Quinn's room will not be used for the guests unless they are 36 inches or smaller. His room looks over the street, right next to Mom and Dad's room
The honeymoon suite is a standard square room which is off-limits except for some small people who wander into the room at all times throughout the evening/night. The family bathroom is down the hallway right next to THE STAIRWELL...
We have a spiral staircase that is more straight up then spiral. This type of staircase is very traditional in almost all Amsterdam homes so you have to adapt but you still cringe a little bit when the kids cruise down the stairs ("stay to the outside of the stairs.") Or, as one realtor told us, "You just fall once and you remember to be careful. We all fell once."
This Wednesday is Queen's Day which is a national holiday that has about 1 million people dressed in Orange invading the area for the biggest block party in the world. Everyone is out selling anything (kids sell their toys) so we might be picking up some new additions to our house. The party goes well into the night/morning with fireworks and spontaeous celebrations.
We'll have a post party recap...
Tot ziens
Our new place is located on Valeriusstraat (rhymes with Hilarious) Straat which is the longest street we've seen in awhile. The door to our crib opens up onto a one way street which cuts down on the traffic. There will be kids nearby who break-out the straat chalk will their parents bring out their benches to watch and chat with the other parents. Feels similar to 9570 158th Cul-de-sac.
We've got the kids their beds the other day which are a little different from their Portland set-up due to the size and shapes of the rooms. The Dutch are very resourceful when it comes to making things work in such tight spaces. Kiley has a large room which overlooks the garden and has some interesting demensions to the room. Kiley is upgrading to a bunk bed that has a queen bed on the bottom and a twin bed up top. Her mother promised to carry her up to the top bed when she falls asleep down below (fyi-Dad had surgery on his right hip...). FYI, Kiley's bed/room will be used for all you guests so get your climb on.
Quinn, on the other hand, downgraded from a queen bed to a small single bed which fits into his unique sized "room". He has a cool blue bed, with a neat dresser and a little storage section for his toys. Quinn's room will not be used for the guests unless they are 36 inches or smaller. His room looks over the street, right next to Mom and Dad's room
The honeymoon suite is a standard square room which is off-limits except for some small people who wander into the room at all times throughout the evening/night. The family bathroom is down the hallway right next to THE STAIRWELL...
We have a spiral staircase that is more straight up then spiral. This type of staircase is very traditional in almost all Amsterdam homes so you have to adapt but you still cringe a little bit when the kids cruise down the stairs ("stay to the outside of the stairs.") Or, as one realtor told us, "You just fall once and you remember to be careful. We all fell once."
This Wednesday is Queen's Day which is a national holiday that has about 1 million people dressed in Orange invading the area for the biggest block party in the world. Everyone is out selling anything (kids sell their toys) so we might be picking up some new additions to our house. The party goes well into the night/morning with fireworks and spontaeous celebrations.
We'll have a post party recap...
Tot ziens
Friday, April 18, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
In the beginning
a family moves to Amsterdam which prompted them to become bloggers. Big bloggers. This is our new life in the 'Dam.
A FEW THINGS WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT THE 'DAM SO FAR
Salsa looks like ketchup but has a surprisingly familiar taste (a lot like chicken...)
Phresh. The food is very fresh and tasty. The bread and cheese are to die for.
Coffee is less about quantity and more about quality conversation.
Pay attention when riding or you will leave your mark on someone.
Every canal looks familiar so don't use them as visual landmarks for directions.
Poffietiers are small, puffy silver dollar-esk pancakes that are fantastic. A little powdered sugar and butter. 'nuf said.
Cartoons have gone global "Hey Mom, Diego can speak DUTCH!"
Bikers RULE everything and anything.
PACKING UP AND MOVING OUT
A letter told us we could only bring over belongings that equaled 18 washing machines stacked on top of each other in 3 rows. Translation, please. We thought we were being very strategic in our selection until the moving crew estimated our "stuff" to be 1,300 lbs over the limit. Brian had to quickly reduce his running footwear museum so we wouldn't be paying some serious euros for the overage. In the end, we wound up with a few lbs to spare so Jac was able to squeeze her spinning bike onto the back of the container. We will see our valuables in about 5 weeks if we are lucky. The first part of the move done.
Next was the removal of all remaining "stuff" in our house. Everything had to go either in Storage or Goodwill or the Dumpster or Lisa Eves. The last 24 hours were exhausting but we had great help from our awesome neighbors/friends. No matter how much we loaded, donated or tossed out, there was still more "stuff". It was a bottomless house. After a quick bite at Stephanie and Michael's house, we did finish with a few hours to spare before we had to take off to the airport @ 4:30am (a huge thanks to Lisa and Pri for escorting us out to the airport). Tot Ziens, Portland.
THE TRIP OVER THE POND
The kids did fabulous start to end. We dressed and carried them out of bed pre-dawn in the U.S. and walked off the plane in Amsterdam 20 hours later without one meltdown. Along the way, we had a four hour layover in Chicago which allowed us to get Scout out of her crate so she coud stretch her legs. The flight into Amsterdam was smooth except for the landing when Quinn exclaimed "I've got to go potty! I've got to go potty!" He did his best to hold it but we were on the longest airplane taxi in history so in the end his body won out and a cute little puddle was left in business class.
WE ARRIVE
After pulling (8) 100lb bags off the carousel, and gathering a XL dog crate that was holding a slightly dazed and confused dog we were stumped on just exactly how you get out of the airport. We figured it out and cruised into a beautiful sunny dutch day that eventually turned into a cloudy, snow day 1 hour later. Our new Dutch friend, Anna, gathered us up and brought us to our temp. apartment on Wolvenstraat. A very small place in a very cool location, Jordaan, which is in the west part of the city (if you know him, Richard Mulder's stomping grounds as a young Dutch boy).
We had a slight snag upon arriving at our temporary apartment. Brian got to the place first and had all of our luggage, crate and Scout laying on the sidewalk when the landlord pulls up and announces "I didn't know there was going to be a dog." We thought we were going to be wandering the streets of Amsterdam with our light (8) 100lbs bags and easy to hold dog crate in search of a place to stay. But, after walking across the street so Brian couldn't hear his lengthy conversation in Dutch (obviously, he thought Brian was already fluent in Dutch), the landlord came back, introduced himself (Paul) and escorted us up to our apartment. Whew. We got to sleep in beds that night.
That same day we decided to freshen up the apartment with some scented candles. We were just starting to settle in (unpacking, relaxing, much needed potty stop) when Kiley came running down the hallway with eyes as wide as saucers calling out "Mommy, Mommy, my HAIR! my HAIR!" We think she got her hair caught or Quinn pulled it but quickly realized it was neither. The smell of burned hair is very distinct...Kiley laid back on the coffee table to watch tv when the back of her head dipped into the candle and gave us all a good scare.
Later, we decided to take a little family nap before heading out for some food. Our quick cat nap turned into a 6+ hour power nap. We woke up at 8pm and did not go back to sleep until 4am. The next day was a wash as our teenage 8 yr old did not get out of bed until 2pm. Jet lag is powerful but only temporary.
TRANSPORTATION
The first of couple of days was all about our two feet. We covered a lot of pavement discovering this quaint little city. While it is a small, quaint city, your feet get a little tired walking around in circles because you got lost using the canals as visual landmarks.
Friday we decided to become a little more like locals and take on the tram system. We were on the way home from visiting the kid's school in Amstelveen. We jumped on a tram without tickets thinking we could pay once we were on but found out that was not possible. We jumped off and tried to pay on the platform with one of the machines but they do not accept credit cards or euros. We needed a debit card which we won't have for another week. Not good. We then decided to walk over to the tram that will take us into the city and jump on without tickets. If caught, we decided we would plead ignorance (Marc Patrick was our inspiration). Jacqui and the kids hopped onto a tram while Brian confirmed the time standing outside on the platform. The tram doors slammed shut and Brian watched the family wave goodbye. He had no money and no clue where the tram was going. Inside the tram, Jacqui laughed and then quieted the kids down as they shouted "WE LEFT DADDY! WHY DID WE LEAVE DADDY?! WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" She knew she would see Brian again even though he had no money or clue about the tram system. In the end, they were reunited at the next stop and rode like bandits into the city.
A little fact--The Amsterdam population is 750,000 but home to over a million bikes. Today, we joined the bike population with the purchase of (2) used bikes. Brian has a mini-seat on the frame of his bike where Quinn sits right in front of him, holding onto the handle bars and yelling to the pigeons to look out. Jacqui has a seat and footrests on the back of her bike for Kiley to sit side-saddle. The bikes make it very easy to get around the city but you do have to pay attention. Brian almost rear-ended a woman on her bike the first 5 minutes into their inaugural ride while Jacqui almost tossed Kiley off her bike as she went flying over a speed bump (Kiley's shoe actually did fly off). We survived the initiation so now consider ourselves true locals!
At the end of 5 days, the kids have adjusted quickly and refer to the apartment as home. Quinn announces every time we come up the stairs "It's GREAT to be home!" while Kiley has told us frequently she "loves it here." But, we all miss our friends and family back home.
Photos to come...
A FEW THINGS WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT THE 'DAM SO FAR
Salsa looks like ketchup but has a surprisingly familiar taste (a lot like chicken...)
Phresh. The food is very fresh and tasty. The bread and cheese are to die for.
Coffee is less about quantity and more about quality conversation.
Pay attention when riding or you will leave your mark on someone.
Every canal looks familiar so don't use them as visual landmarks for directions.
Poffietiers are small, puffy silver dollar-esk pancakes that are fantastic. A little powdered sugar and butter. 'nuf said.
Cartoons have gone global "Hey Mom, Diego can speak DUTCH!"
Bikers RULE everything and anything.
PACKING UP AND MOVING OUT
A letter told us we could only bring over belongings that equaled 18 washing machines stacked on top of each other in 3 rows. Translation, please. We thought we were being very strategic in our selection until the moving crew estimated our "stuff" to be 1,300 lbs over the limit. Brian had to quickly reduce his running footwear museum so we wouldn't be paying some serious euros for the overage. In the end, we wound up with a few lbs to spare so Jac was able to squeeze her spinning bike onto the back of the container. We will see our valuables in about 5 weeks if we are lucky. The first part of the move done.
Next was the removal of all remaining "stuff" in our house. Everything had to go either in Storage or Goodwill or the Dumpster or Lisa Eves. The last 24 hours were exhausting but we had great help from our awesome neighbors/friends. No matter how much we loaded, donated or tossed out, there was still more "stuff". It was a bottomless house. After a quick bite at Stephanie and Michael's house, we did finish with a few hours to spare before we had to take off to the airport @ 4:30am (a huge thanks to Lisa and Pri for escorting us out to the airport). Tot Ziens, Portland.
THE TRIP OVER THE POND
The kids did fabulous start to end. We dressed and carried them out of bed pre-dawn in the U.S. and walked off the plane in Amsterdam 20 hours later without one meltdown. Along the way, we had a four hour layover in Chicago which allowed us to get Scout out of her crate so she coud stretch her legs. The flight into Amsterdam was smooth except for the landing when Quinn exclaimed "I've got to go potty! I've got to go potty!" He did his best to hold it but we were on the longest airplane taxi in history so in the end his body won out and a cute little puddle was left in business class.
WE ARRIVE
After pulling (8) 100lb bags off the carousel, and gathering a XL dog crate that was holding a slightly dazed and confused dog we were stumped on just exactly how you get out of the airport. We figured it out and cruised into a beautiful sunny dutch day that eventually turned into a cloudy, snow day 1 hour later. Our new Dutch friend, Anna, gathered us up and brought us to our temp. apartment on Wolvenstraat. A very small place in a very cool location, Jordaan, which is in the west part of the city (if you know him, Richard Mulder's stomping grounds as a young Dutch boy).
We had a slight snag upon arriving at our temporary apartment. Brian got to the place first and had all of our luggage, crate and Scout laying on the sidewalk when the landlord pulls up and announces "I didn't know there was going to be a dog." We thought we were going to be wandering the streets of Amsterdam with our light (8) 100lbs bags and easy to hold dog crate in search of a place to stay. But, after walking across the street so Brian couldn't hear his lengthy conversation in Dutch (obviously, he thought Brian was already fluent in Dutch), the landlord came back, introduced himself (Paul) and escorted us up to our apartment. Whew. We got to sleep in beds that night.
That same day we decided to freshen up the apartment with some scented candles. We were just starting to settle in (unpacking, relaxing, much needed potty stop) when Kiley came running down the hallway with eyes as wide as saucers calling out "Mommy, Mommy, my HAIR! my HAIR!" We think she got her hair caught or Quinn pulled it but quickly realized it was neither. The smell of burned hair is very distinct...Kiley laid back on the coffee table to watch tv when the back of her head dipped into the candle and gave us all a good scare.
Later, we decided to take a little family nap before heading out for some food. Our quick cat nap turned into a 6+ hour power nap. We woke up at 8pm and did not go back to sleep until 4am. The next day was a wash as our teenage 8 yr old did not get out of bed until 2pm. Jet lag is powerful but only temporary.
TRANSPORTATION
The first of couple of days was all about our two feet. We covered a lot of pavement discovering this quaint little city. While it is a small, quaint city, your feet get a little tired walking around in circles because you got lost using the canals as visual landmarks.
Friday we decided to become a little more like locals and take on the tram system. We were on the way home from visiting the kid's school in Amstelveen. We jumped on a tram without tickets thinking we could pay once we were on but found out that was not possible. We jumped off and tried to pay on the platform with one of the machines but they do not accept credit cards or euros. We needed a debit card which we won't have for another week. Not good. We then decided to walk over to the tram that will take us into the city and jump on without tickets. If caught, we decided we would plead ignorance (Marc Patrick was our inspiration). Jacqui and the kids hopped onto a tram while Brian confirmed the time standing outside on the platform. The tram doors slammed shut and Brian watched the family wave goodbye. He had no money and no clue where the tram was going. Inside the tram, Jacqui laughed and then quieted the kids down as they shouted "WE LEFT DADDY! WHY DID WE LEAVE DADDY?! WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" She knew she would see Brian again even though he had no money or clue about the tram system. In the end, they were reunited at the next stop and rode like bandits into the city.
A little fact--The Amsterdam population is 750,000 but home to over a million bikes. Today, we joined the bike population with the purchase of (2) used bikes. Brian has a mini-seat on the frame of his bike where Quinn sits right in front of him, holding onto the handle bars and yelling to the pigeons to look out. Jacqui has a seat and footrests on the back of her bike for Kiley to sit side-saddle. The bikes make it very easy to get around the city but you do have to pay attention. Brian almost rear-ended a woman on her bike the first 5 minutes into their inaugural ride while Jacqui almost tossed Kiley off her bike as she went flying over a speed bump (Kiley's shoe actually did fly off). We survived the initiation so now consider ourselves true locals!
At the end of 5 days, the kids have adjusted quickly and refer to the apartment as home. Quinn announces every time we come up the stairs "It's GREAT to be home!" while Kiley has told us frequently she "loves it here." But, we all miss our friends and family back home.
Photos to come...
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