Mijn weekend

On Friday Tim and I met with Molly and Brian, an American couple we met some weeks ago, we went to a lovely bohemian style restaurant, The Atrium http://www.eetcafeatrium.nl/. They brought along their friends Maeghan, Canadian, and Neme, Turkish. Unfortunately I don´t have a photo yet, only of Tim before they arrived. Trying to get the chandelier in as well. We had a lovely time.

Saturday Tim and I went to a swimming pool, which was fun filled, I felt like a kid again. No such thing as swimming lengths in the pool but going on slides, pretty much joining the kids. I´d like to take note of some things that are culturally different such as the unisex changing rooms.

Tim headed off to Amsterdam for a party that night, meanwhile I went for a meal at Neme´s, we met her housemate who is also Turkish, and Molly, Brian and Maeghan were also there. We ate some delicious salad, potatoes and chicken wings. The night ended with a game of charades. Which is pronounced differently by my fellow friends to me. Sometimes Molly and I don´t understand the words eachother uses because we pronounce them slightly different or they are words we´ve never heard, I find it interesting. I've not really played the game before. It was hilarious!

Today I visited the Rijksmuseum, and actually liked going by myself and at my own pace, also got in free! It was great to see some art and work thats quite different to me. I especially liked three portraits of different meisjes (girls) by Guo Jan, It was very effective, the artist had added and removed paint that causes a great effect and reminded me of very old photos that are decaying.

Bits and pieces

Thursday was our flat mates birthday so I saw it as another baking opportunity, A while a go he said he liked the look of the brownie based cheesecake in my recipe book. So I baked it, and I did myself proud, yummy!

Jochum made a cake with his sister which was beautiful, like black forest gateau.

Last weekend Tim and I visited his parents in Hoorn, on Zaterdag we all had a nice walk around a village Medemblik, heerlijk! and on our way back on Sunday stopped at Amsterdam, I have visited there once before. I remember little of that trip. The weather was beautiful. We visited the Negen Straatjes a lovely Bohemian area of the city and after stopped at a bar we went to years ago for a snack. I was curious to see the red light district, of which we walked through, but it put a bitter end to seeing the city.

Multi Culti festival

This morning I attended "High and Dry" at the Praat Huis, where immigrants and refugees attend to improve their Dutch language. I found this through Theo who volunteers there, we meet to exchange languages every so often. You are supposed to Nederlands spreken, I have enjoyed it as it forces you to speak Dutch and i find it very exciting. I get such a warm feeling from going, it is great and fascinating to meet new cultures. Today was a Multi culti festival, the 5th Birthday of the Praat Huis. I took a victoria sponge cake along, mainly to thank Theo. Sponge seemed to be a curious word for the volunteers, difficult to pronounce, Theo said "Like sponge bob?". They had a lovely spread.

I tried a small piece of Tiramisu and Gefeliciteerd taart, and later the raw fish; herring, i liked it!

Theo played a lot of great music and we sang nursery rhymes which I believe helps with my pronunciation.

A man from Afghanistan sang and played his harmonica, it was great, very moving.

A Brazilian lady gave a dance too, which was fantastic! She danced with another lady originally from South America and another volunteer.

I met different lovely people, most spoke to me in Dutch and I was thrilled that I understood some words.