Merry Christmas ~ Netherlands style

I LOVE being back in Holland, reconnecting with my family, and experiencing Christmas through the eyes of the dutch. 

I didn't realize how much England has influenced me, as my first time on a bike here I promptly starting biking on the (wrong) left side of the road. The cycling here is just incomparable to anywhere else I've been. There is a new bike bridge to Zwolle, the next town from Hattem and you can pedal to the next city in an astonishing 10? minutes. 

I love the attention to detail and presentation my aunt - and it seems to be all the dutch - have talent for. Spoiled with special treats for Christmas!

Christmas dinner consisted of 5 courses from appetizer to dessert - all included on our personal menus in French. Delicious. The dutch do less gift giving and more eating. Perfect.  

Opa took me for a ride in his car in the country. Equipped with Netherlands - English dictionaries and Google translate, I say we had a successful conversation. 

We experienced some real winter temperatures at our visit to the ice sculpture displays in Zwolle.It's amazing what art can be created from ice. Here a rocket is taking off with puff of ice smoke. 

 Settlers is a universal game. I think I'm a better player in the Netherlands, or it could just be the beer? :P 

One day I ventured to Amsterdam on my own. I have never been so pleased in a photo. Here I am successfully standing outside Amsterdam central train station.  

This is a modern painting of Rembrandt's "Night Watch." I don't know if you have seen the original, but I thought this to be a clever parody. 

Here is where the original Night Watch is kept - the Rijk's Museum . The building itself is art. 

One of my favorite treats from the market - a warm stroopwafel!

So European.  

                                     

This one I call "The Couple and I." The joys of solo travel!

The first evening out with the family!  

This is where my father was born. Their place was the second level. Every time I am in Holland I take a photo with the house. I only have two photos with this particular place however, because the previous years I took a photo with the neighbors house instead. I've been informed since.  

Hattem's landmark.

I reunited with Rianne, my dutch host sister, when I was in Holland in high-school for the international exchange program. I also got to meet her precious baby.  

My host brother and father decided I was the outdoorsy type and took me mountain biking in the woods behind their house. It was quite the experience! We decided everyone needs some healthy fear once in awhile. 

Merry Christmas everyone, hope the season is happy and bright, and most importantly a reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas at all! 

Seasons Greetings.

Elementary my dear Watson

Hello

Hope all is well,

With our first OT placement behind us, we students were looking forward to sleeping in, Christmas celebrations and exploring the countryside. 
Tiff and I fired off for London overnight to see all the Christmas sights. 

Always "Mind the Gap" Tiff's first experience on t

It overtook us so long to figure out how to get a photo with us and Big Ben - we call this the "low selfie" because you have to hold the camera at knee height to capture the scene.

We toured London with a Rick Steves audio tour, connected with one earbud in each ear. It was highly comical as we abruptly stop, point and nod to whatever historical revelation Rick had for us.

Having been to New York Earlier this year, I Began to feel a tad anxious approaching the square. I think I prefer London though with a unique blend of new and old captured above.

Walking through the streets, decked out in Christmas lights, I could not believethat the cherry on top was the factthat it "snowing?" I exclaimed my disbelief to Tiffany, apparently loudly enough for a stranger to approach us and say, "let me help you out right now, it's fake snow ... "and points to the giant snow blower on top of this building. So kind.

This is Hyde Park or "Winter Wonderland." When going to thesis sort of things you have to Decide Whether you are going to go on rides or eat food. We opted for a giant bratwurst. 

I recently Discovered BBC's Sherlock Holmes series. Now, I've always put a fan of Sherlock Holmes, but this modern version is brilliant! I was stoked to be bootable to visit Baker Street where clause it was filmed.

This is the Cafe in Sherlock Holmes. 

 This is for Sam! The entrance to the British Library. I almost applied for a library card for my souvenir collection. 

Reynard Way had Their Christmas nativity show. It's neat Because The actors are made up of children in the church and the community And They perform for the parents and friends.

Off to Holland! I somehow managed to navigate with the 2 trains and 1 bus to the airport. In hindsight I should have just paid more for my flight to arrive at a more convenient airport. The flight was 45 minutes, the additional travel time to and from airports was 6 hours. Live and learn. 

A treat for my first day in Zwolle with auntie Alice. I love trying out all my English words, and with the help of Google translate it is so easy! Except as I type this my dutch internet connection keeps changing my English words to dutch...

Doei!

The Transit Diaries

Hello there, 

I hear the rain has come again to the beautiful west coast. Windshield wipers will be frantically waving and that 1.2 minutes it takes to walk from the car to work/home/school will feel so inconvenient. You may wonder, as I often did, how I could have lived 20 years in the Fraser Valley and never simultaneously owned rainboots and a umbrella. 

Well, my lack of a vehicle in England has put a whole new meaning to rainy weather. I was reflecting on a particularly drizzly walk home on how incredibly posh my life back home was. In reference to the inconvient 1.2 minutes of unwanted outdoor exposure mentioned above. Now, if you know me at all, you would understand that navigation is not a particular gift of mine. That adds to the adventure of commuting, although at least getting lost is not spending anymore fuel.  

Here is a synopsis of my transportation adventures, I'm in the story-telling mood. You have been warned:

For placement,thankfully, I am part of a carpool with some girls in my cohort. This means all I have to do is walk 10 minutes to our meeting point and can zone out from there. That is, until the driver of our carpool gets sick. Left to my own devices, I wake up at the crack of dawn, and make the 30 minute walk downtown to the central bus station. I ask the bus driver if this bus goes to Kettering. He says yes, not to the hospital but to the town, so I feel satisfied, but slightly uneasy at the fact that my dog-eared highlighted bus map is not matching the number of this bus. 
Mistake number 1. I did not inquire how LONG it would take to get to Kettering. Every single bus stop later... the bus is packed with school kids sharing chocolate, why not? It's 7:30 am. At 8:30 - the time I'm supposed to be at placement, I sheepishly saunter up to the driver. I tell him I was supposed to be at work, right now, and if he could let me off now, I would like to run there. I proceed to tell him I'm a very fast runner. He takes pity on the lost foreigner and makes a special stop out of his regular route and drops me at the hospital door. There are kind people in the world! 

I often take the Uni bus from the university to my home. Every time the bus driver asks where I'm going, every time I say "Kingsthorpe Grove" and every time, they laugh! I still haven't figured this one out. I also haven't figured out how the bus manages to fly past my stop at rocket speed, causing me to panic, realizing I have no idea where I am and end up walking ages home anyway. At least the Uni bus is free. 

Sometimes I opt for a more fitness friendly mode of transport. I love my bike, I don't know what I would to without it, and since living here my main wardrobe additions have been waterproof. Today I showed up for a job interview decked out in a complete set of dripping rain gear. A personal first. 

The university Stallions Wheelchair Basketball team had a tournament last weekend. It was loads of fun, 3.5 hours each way in a mini bus, 6 games of bball later, we were exhausted! 

 I posted a video of what wheelchair basketball is like. I don't know if it will work, but you should google it anyway, to appreciate the ethos of the sport. 

I received some fantastic gifts in the mail! A clever shirt from Annemarie, we've lived together for 2 years, trained to be Rehab Assistants together and now both have Occupational Therapy in our furture! A special thanks to Em and Queen Bee for the headband!

Christmas is here, there, and everywhere in Northampton. There is so much to be thankful for. And to all a goodnight!

Bel

Bonfires and Fireworks

Hello everyone, 

The weeks have effectively melted together, and it's November! 

We are half way done our placement, and the Canadian students are counting down the weeks till they fly home for Christmas. Well, all the Canadians except one. I'm heading off to the Motherland this Christmas! Flights booked and I am thrilled to be spending time with my dutch relatives! I'm already looking forward to the oliebollen at New Years. Lekker.

Speaking of flights, I recently made a decision to go on a class trip to Finland in February. We are learning about sensory integration with children ~ this means a lot of playing games, and activities with the Finnish who apparently have no sense of personal space. For the proper British and reserved Canadians, it should be an experience! 

This past week we celebrated Guy Fawkes day. I don't really know what to think of this holiday. It is essentially remembering the fail of the parliamentary destruction - the gunpowder plot - often commemorated with guy fawkes figurines being burnt in a massive bonfire, to a background of a fireworks display. Interesting. Anyway, it is the most history I've been exposed to to date, so I stored away what reserves I had about the event, and participated like a true local. 

This was how a few of us celebrated Oct. 31. Yes, those are gingerbread men. 

 What happens at Bible Study when it's only the ladies. 

Bonfire Night! Highlights were having 2.5 fresh doughnuts, a giant toffee apple, being in the great outdoors with some new friends.

You never know what you are going to get when you go to town. This was the fair! I give the British credit, they do use space effectively. 

Some days it hits me that I live in England, and this is a normal street view. 

Tiff and I ventured through a nearby church / cemetery. Just for fun we looked at the date of the tombstone. 1852! 

Hi James! This is what it's like to Skype the family back home. People everywhere! Love them, glad nothing has changed!

At the Christian Union last week we were left with some food for thought. "People don't care what you know until they know that you care." How true. Words have a completely meaning depending on who they are coming from and what relationship has been established.

Do we really love people?

 In regards to "christian duty" it was mentioned that you don't talk about a person you love because you feel it is your 'duty', you do it because you love them! 

How do we talk about God?

1 Peter 4:8 

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 

LOVE from across the ocean.

Sweater Weather

Hello!

The best part about having a blog is the fact that you are always on the lookout for exciting news items to take place so you can write about them. 

Then the realization hits that life is sometimes very ordinary, whatever part of the world you live in, and you understand that it's not the external factors that make life grand, its those little everyday occurrences and a positive outlook that allows us to see how life can be so marvelous! How often we forget to give thanks! "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name." Psalm 103:1

 Here is a little recap of some of the past week's activities. In no specific order, although moving from AM to PM. 

 Good morning world! Everyone is still tucked into bed in their terrace homes when I start my walk to my carpool's house. Everyone, that is, except for the faithful dog walker that has two exceptionally excitable puppies that seem to be attracted to green uniforms. I've learned to walk on the other side of the road. 

On weekend mornings, after our park run I often have breakfast with Tiffany. Then I sing the song for the rest of the day.

The sausage you see here are complements of Danielle's part time job at "Fuel." I tell her she is literally the breadwinner in our household. We all appreciate the food she brings home.

Speaking of food... look what arrived from Canada! 

My mom wanted to share a little Thanksgiving cheer! Who can resist nutella and pumpkin cookies. Much appreciated. 

Look what the wind blew in... you don't know what you will discover strolling through the race course. This man was using a parachute and a skateboard to whiz around the park. Sadly, later the parachute ended up tangled in a tree.

On a sunday afternoon walk we circled the obelisk that so many of the roads here are named after. If you are looking for an address you can bet it will be on "obelisk rise." 

Moving on to the evening : Our second thanksgiving dinner was a smashing success.

Finished the night with a gluten free pumpkin pie and a game of settlers.

When you don't have a car, you realize how night time activities become less accessible, however you get to experience different modes of transportation like riding on the top deck of this Uni bus. Last time I rode the bus it was packed and the football team decided to hand out a slice of pizza to everyone! 

Climb on! Found the local climbing gym and I joined the university climbing club so Sophy and I can go for free! It's way across town and I ended up getting a flat on my bike on the way home...I was glad for Sophy's company for the 50 min walk home. 

Ah... I miss my friends in Canada to have a nightcap with! Instead I drink wine and eat cheesy curls in my sleeping bag. I bought these cheesy treats from the corner-store down the street and didn't have enough change, so the store owner said, no problem! You can pay me next time. Does that even happen anymore?

In light of the shootings in Ottawa, I'm thankful for health and safety, and reminded to pray for our government and continued freedoms that we can still enjoy.

Take care of yourself! 

Love from England. 

Everything is Awesome!

Hi Everyone! 

I'm happy to be back here to "connect" again will all of you!
Today, everything is awesome. 
I'm 7 days into my 9 week placement, and I am loving learning how to think and act like an OT. England is getting some of it's notorious rainfall, but the days are full of learning, building relationships and reflecting on this fabulous opportunity! 

Who doesn't love a fresh new ID badge! Best part of the uniform for sure. I did my first initial interview yesterday, the typical questions like do you know what day it is, have stairs, cook your own meals, do your own laundry...some days I wonder if I would pass myself.

If you haven't already met these lovely folks on my Facebook page, here are the faces of the Stallions Wheelchair Basketball team.

 Who knew all those years maneuvering wheelchairs and shooting hoops in hopes of making the high school basketball team would finally pay off! I love this sport. The training is intense, apparently falling out of your wheelchair is to be expected! Can't wait to be back into the competitive sports scene! I've already been asked to fix a few chairs...

 The Best part about being in a country like England is the architecture I don't even know what this building is, who know its could be a post office and still look fascinating! Not to mention the fact that most of these buildings are older than my country! 

One day we ventured to the aquadrome, sometimes having an accent comes in handy, the security guard waved the 10GBP parking fee for us lost tourists, and let us walk around for free.

Here is Tiffany, myself and Paula - a friend from church, at said aquadrome

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I hope it was a joyful celebration with family or friends. Tiffany is helping to prepare our 1 of 2 Thanksgiving celebrations here. She would her Martha Stewart dress for the occasion.

Thanksgiving dinner was enjoyed by our Canadian classmates and their 20 or so flatmate friends. Needless to say there was plenty of food for everyone, and we all took turns saying what we were thankful for. To be fair, most were thankful for the food. But at this point we were all very hungry. 

                                                  

Someone contributed their amazing artistic talents to create this scrumptious thanksgiving cupcake.

Speaking of food, my most favorite meal at the moment are these spicy bean burgers from ASDA, the local grocery store. Next time you are at ASDA you should definitely give them a try!

This is the morning commute. 4 of us from Uni carpool to our placement, together we endure the traffic, variable weather, repetitive radio songs, and the deep questions about life that occasionally I spring on everyone. Have to keep things interesting right? Fun fact: all 4 of us come from different countries, England, Ireland, China and Canada!

                                                     

This is the least desirable part of my placement. Our office is on level 6 so either its a cardio workout taking the stairs (my usual choice) or a claustrophobic, get to know your college really well experience, in the most tiny lift I have ever been in. Literally we have 4 or 5 of us in here at a time. Also, something I find ironic about this whole scenario is the location of the yellow "caution wet floor" sign in the corner. First of all, why would you take up any more of the precious space, now we are down to 3 occupants, and second, where are we going to fall down? The lift is so small we wouldn't have anywhere to move to much less horizontally. 

It's the small things that keep life amusing. 

That's all for now! 

Before you know it, Christmas will be here, so enjoy today. 

Love from Northampton.