Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

This past Saturday marked one month in Amsterdam!  I still have to pinch myself sometimes to believe that I'm really living here.  This first month has flown by, yet I feel like it's been longer than a month at the same time... I think that's a good sign :)  I am loving it here so far and in honor of the one-month mark, I thought I'd put the tourist part of me aside and share a real life update.

Apartment
I moved in to my permanent apartment this week!  While I'm writing this from my oh so comfy seat of hard wood floor due to a complete lack of furniture, I'm still super excited to start making my home here.  My apartment is in the Oud Zuid (Old South) part of Amsterdam and over looks the end of the Vondelpark which I hope to take advantage of for running and biking in the near future.  The neighborhood has a lot of local shops and restaurants that I'm excited to explore.  I'm actually living above what I've been told is the most 'posh' Chinese restaurant in the city (don't worry, no Chinese food smell here!) - I will be trying it soon! Here's a couple views from leaning out one of my front windows...

While I love the views from the front windows, I am most excited about this:

My very own HUGE deck!!

Other than the size, it doesn't look like much now, but oh it will be!  I can't wait to decorate the deck with Christmas lights for the holidays and am very much looking forward to enjoying the sunshine out there next Summer.  I'm picturing some tulips, comfy lounge chairs, white wine, and good company :)

I'll share pictures of the inside of my apartment when I get it set up... hopefully by early December when my first visitors from the states arrive!

Also, a big thank you to my neighbors upstairs for sharing their internet password - I'm loving them already!

Nederlands (i.e. Dutch in English)
This past week my company was awesome and offered culture and language training to several expats new to Amsterdam.  While I have a LONG way to go in learning Dutch, I definitely picked up on some useful things this week and it was the kick off I needed to get focused on my language skills.  I've decided my goals here are to be able to speak Dutch in stores/restaurants for common questions (i.e. phrases you say to check out or ask for the menu, etc.) and to understand what other people are talking about (especially at the office).  These goals are going to require some serious practice and effort but I'm going to try!  Here's some of my favorite tidbits from class last week:

• Spruill looks like a Dutch name!  The "ui" combination is very Dutch, but does not sound at all like how my family pronouces it.  When I say the "ui" sound "correctly" here, it literally hurts by jaw and I've yet to figure out the American English equivalent.  I'm working on it :)
• Two-digit numbers are spoken with the last digit first - i.e. 27 is zeven en twintig (with no spaces).  But for three or four-digit numbers, you say the hundreds/thousands first and then go to the last digit - i.e. 184 is honderd achtenveertig.  It's a whole new way of thinking :)  But I've got my cell phone # and address down pat!
• Alsjeblieft = please.  While I wasn't raised so Southern as to say "mam" or "sir" after everything, I was definitely raised as a "please" and "thank you" girl so I was very happy to finally learn this word!  It's also used here frequently in an abbreviated form - when the coffee machine at work finishes brewing your drink, it says "beker a.u.b." meaning, roughly, "take the cup if you please."
• One reason the Dutch are known for their directness is because the Dutch language itself is very to the point - what takes us 10 words to say, the Dutch say in 5.  Understanding this is actually helping me adjust to the directness a little better - I'm learning to not take things personally.

Friends
Now I can't speak for others, but I think (/hope) that I'm on my way to making some friends here!  As I've mentioned before, I love the expat community for its acceptance of new people. and as expected, other expats are people I've spent the most time with so far.  There's four American women who just moved here with the firm, so it's been great to share moving knowledge... and commiserate about the annoying things (the 100,000,000 forms we fill out, our love/hate relationship with IKEA, anxiety over life out of suitcase, to name a few) and to share in learning the amazing parts of life here (delicious bread and cheese, the beautiful canals and architecture, the appreciation for individuality, the proximity to so many other countries - this list could go on and on).  One of the women moved her by herself as well so we've become fast friends and shopping buddies.  The Dutch stores are SO MUCH more manageable when you have a friend!  I've also been spending time with new friends from Spain and Poland living here and have had lots of fun American visitors that are currently living in other European cultures - it helps when a huge work training is just outside of my city - thanks firm! :)  Here's a few photos to alleviate any worries that I'm sitting home alone all the time (one of my biggest fears in moving here)...

Canal boat tour with new friends from Munich - they made my first weekend here a lot of fun!
Credit for the pic goes to one of them - thanks!

Enjoying some drinks at the Leidseplein - great people watching spot.

Out and about with my friend from Spain... really hoping to go visit her there in the Spring!

Birthday night... btw, so excited when I received my shipment with coats this week -
good bye fleece and North Face! What was I thinking to bring the most unfashionable (and
screaming tourist) coats ever on the plane?!

More birthday fun at Escape in the Rembrandtplein.... no upcoming visitors get excited about this
bar though, I've been there 3 times and while a blast, that is TOO many for a city with so many places to check out!

Everyday Life
A couple people have asked me what my days are like here... honestly, other than the moving issues, they're not too different than back home.  I'm up and at work by 9am (ok, so maybe that's a little later... I'm not complaining!), work all morning, do the big group lunch at exactly noon with everyone on my floor where we all drink milk (still getting used to that one), work all afternoon, and if it's a good day, head home at a reasonable time!  The work hours so far are fairly similar to the states.  A couple days after work I've been able to make it to the gym in my firm's office.  I've taken both Zumba and Cycle in Dutch now!  Some nights involve dinner with friends and others are just taking care of business - like nights this week will be spent building IKEA furniture... that's an adventure all on it's own!

The biggest changes in my everyday life so far have really been getting used to public transportation and walking and figuring out how to use the phones here!  It sounds silly, but the dialing rules are very confusing to me.  Landlines and cell phones have different versions of what Americans think of as area codes.  Then you have to sometimes dial a 0 in front of a number, sometimes not.  Then my firm has a completely different "area code" all it's own, and it just gets very hard to keep straight!  I still think my iphone that lets me google how to do some of this was the best purchase I've made yet here. 

I'm hoping that biking to work will be my next significant everyday life change.  I actually got a car last week but driving is almost scarier than biking because you have to watch out for the bikes and trams, so I'm going to leave the car parked at home and hit the pedals starting tomorrow!  If I can get up the nerve to be 'that girl', I'll ask someone to take a pic - I know you all want a good laugh!

Upcoming Adventures
In the next couple weeks I hope to get settled in my apartment and am looking forward to having all of the moving things over so I'll have time to keep exploring Amsterdam and more time to spend with friends or even just at the gym!  Although while I say I'm craving time to relax, I keep wanting to do more and more with my time here - saying no to an exciting opportunity is just not something I want to do!  I'm heading to Frankfurt, Germany in a couple weeks to have "Thanksgiving" with some American friends from Munich.  (Side note - I'm told it's almost impossible to get a Turkey in Amsterdam.  You have to order months in advance and then most likely, your oven is way too small for it anyways!)  After Munich, friends from home will be here and we're thinking about a 3 day trip, destination TBD (perhaps Paris??!!) - there's honestly too many options!  I know saying goodbye again when my friend leaves will be really hard but I'm comforted by (hopefully) a trip to Germany for the Christmas markets the following weekend with some local friends!  Then it's the holidays and my wonderful family will be here :)

Thanks for reading!  Conciseness is still not my strong suit :)  Blogs on Dutch Food and Make like a tourist - Part Twee up next!

Make like a tourist - Part Een

Hello friends!  So I have not been as frequent with my blogs as I originally promised, but it's with good reason.  I've been very fortunate to have visitors (fellow expats) to Amsterdam for the past three weekends! 

One of my favorite things about the move so far is the expat community in Europe.  Until I made the big move over here, I had no idea just how different life would be, how emotionally taxing in some ways, but also how exciting!  Other expats understand what you're going through and since we're all far away from the friends and family we've always known, we're very open to new friendships and bonding over the moving experience.  Granted, this is just my perception of things, but so far I've met some wonderful people in this community!

I've had American visitors from Munich, Brussels, Zurich, and England and hope to visit all of their homes in the next year and a half - one of the definite pluses of this community.  I'm also excited that I'm moving into my permanent apartment this week and should have a proper place for guests within another month - friends from home, take note!

Along with the visitors came great excuses to be a tourist in my new home and check out all of the beautiful history Amsterdam has to offer.  Here are some of my favorite tourist spots thus far...

You're looking at the absolutely gorgeous Rijksmuseum.  It's filled with Dutch art of all kinds from Rembrandt's The Night Watch and Vermeer's The Kitchen Maid, to historic weaponry, to breathtaking pottery and jewelry, to children's dollhouses (which are huge and ornate and I really wanted to play with it!).  The museum is under renovation until possibly 2013 but it's highlights are still available for viewing and it's definitely worth a visit in my book.

Anne Frank - courtesy of www.annefrank.org

After visiting the Anne Frank house/museum, I truly believe that it's a must-see for anyone that comes to visit.  Her story is heartbreaking and fascinating, and the museum has done a great job of using Anne's own words (she was an AMAZING writer for a 13-14 yr old) and the words of her helpers and Father to describe what her life was like in hiding and the horror of the Holocaust.  It's extremely hard to believe this happened in the lifetime of my grandparents.  At the museum, you will literally be in the house where Anne and her family and friends hid during the war and were eventually discovered and removed by the Nazi's.  You can see the bookshelf covering the entrance to the annex, the blackout curtains that were kept down all day every day, and even the photos of celebrities that Anne glued to her wall - it's a touching must-see to say the least.

I've decided that none of the pictures I have of canals do them justice.  They are my absolute favorite part about the city.  And biking over a canal - priceless!  This is the Blauwburgwal Canal - a great photo spot close to the Anne Frank Huis - I'm working on my Dutch :)

Vincent Van Gogh - from www.vangoghmusem.nl

I didn't take a photo of the Van Gogh museum because the outside is just boring while Van Gogh's work will fascinate you for hours!  I would definitely spring for the audio tour at this museum so you can hear all the interesting details about his life.  Did you know he was only an artist for 10 years?  And he produced roughly 2,000 pieces during that time?  Incredible!  I've always enjoyed art museums, but my appreciation for it has gone way up since I moved here.

There are visiting expat friends coming to Amsterdam again this weekend so more tourist spots, including some less well known ones, to come!  Also, expect a post on Dutch food soon... pancakes, cheese, and bread - yummm!

Blown away by Barcelona!

Two days in Amsterdam then off to Barcelona for the weekend!  That's right, that's how this crazy adventure of mine started.  My Amsterdam work department takes a group trip each year, and this year's trip just so happened to be two days after I landed in Amsterdam and before I even set foot in the office.  A very thoughtful, generous partner reached out to me on Monday before the weekend trip to ask if I wanted to go, and it took about 5 seconds for me to say yes please!  I'm so grateful that I was included in the trip, because I absolutely loved Barcelona!  Here are the highlights (and lowlights) from my weekend on the coast of Spain :) 

Let me tell you, if you ever move internationally, the small things will make you SO proud.  Getting myself to the airport via two trains on time and with everything in Dutch (and of course an overpacked suitcase) was almost as good as getting a raise!  That's right, that good.

Having made it to the airport, I was extremely anxious about meeting all of my new coworkers.  I was headed on this trip with approximately 70 strangers.  Thankfully, there is an expat from NYC in the Amsterdam office now and she took me under her wing and made sure I got introduced to everyone and had someone to explore Barcelona with.  While it was wonderful to meet so many of my coworkers in an informal setting and get to know them outside of work right off the bat, truth be told it was quite overwhelming.  Keeping names straight is so hard!  Especially when I can't spell or pronouce most names...  Luckily the office has a photo directory of people, so I'm playing catch up on the name game :)  Also, I keep getting asked if Spruill is a Dutch name... maybe if I changed my wardrobe and got an accent I could pull this off!  Wishful thinking I'm sure...

First on the agenda for Barcelona was pretty much not to have one at all.  It is such a great city to wander the streets in.  Barcelona is full of narrow alleys filled with excellent shopping at the street level and apartments above with lights and laundry hanging from the balconies.  There are tons of outdoor cafes to sit in and people watch and the larger streets are filled with trees.




                                     

                                                     Looks like scooters are to the Spanish

                                                    what bikes are to the Dutch.



I'm a sucker for rainbows :)



 

                             

                                Typical street at night



Palm tree in the Placa Reial square -
site of the first tapas meal - yummm



We also checked out Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral on Friday.  The Sagrada Familia is a huge church designed by Gaudi in 1883 and it is still under construction!  The estimated completetion date is 2026 - this church is 143 years in the making and is definitely something to see in Barcelona.  I found the older side of the church to be much more intricate and beautiful than the newer construction (It has also been more recently cleaned I think so that explains some of the difference.).


                                           

                                                                Older side and front of the Sagrada Familia church     



                                                  

                                                                The picture doesn't do it justice.      



<>                                              

<>

                                                                         I was there!

 

                                              

                                                            Newer side of the church
                                                                                                                                                           


Dinner the first night was at an excellent tapas place.. lonia de tapas - delicious!  I had tapas and sangria for 3 means in two days and don't regret it one bit!

Saturday was filled with gorgeous sunny weather and more sight seeing.  We spent a lot of time wandering around Barcelona's water front.  I was extemely impressed with the port area - it includes a multipiece dock that slides back and forth to let boats in and out during the day and the whole area was very clean and pedestrian friendly.

  
<>                                Just beautiful! <> 

Christopher Columbus statue - I'm
very glad you sailed the ocean blue in 1492.



I was here too! With hair in face per usual.



Would love to get my hands on one
of these to sail around the Mediterranean!

After wandering around the waterfront we checked out the Church of Santa Maria del Mar.  It's beauty is on par with any other church/cathedral I've ever been in.  The stain glass and molding on the ceiling is spectacular.  I always wonder how people build such massive, detailed structures, especially back in the 1300s, like this church!  Any engineers out there?  You amaze me.

Up next came the most stressful part of the weekend (not getting to the airport, not worrying if people will like me, not protecting my purse from pickpockets, but this) - a two hour bike tour of the city.  It is truly a miracle that I did not fall off!  In theory the bike tour was really cool - we rode all around the city and saw all the major sights, but when you're unsteady on the bike, going through crowds of people in narrow streets pretty much just leads to lots of "eeeeek!"  Several guys in the group stayed back to make sure I didn't get left behind and a partner literally felt the need to explain how to brake to me.  So very nice of everyone but so embarassing!  The good news is that I was getting better by the end and Amsterdam is the most bike friendly city in the world I think it's safe to say so I should have much fewer obstacles here and greater chance for success!  I'm buying a bike this week :)

I know it's hard to see, but I'm the second person from the front on the bike.  One day I hope to be happy enough on a bike that I'm giving a thumbs up like the guy in front of me!  For now, I hold on with two hands and pray :)

Saturday ended with a work organized dinner at Xup Xup restaurant.  The restaurant was right on the beach and would have been absolutely beautiful if the wind hadn't been blowing so hard!  We all froze sitting by the water and resorted to using tablecloths as blankets :(   Dinner was still a good time though and we continued the evening at a couple clubs.  I headed home from a club called Opium Mar at 5:30am with several of our group still there!  The Spanish culture of dinner at 10pm and partying all night is great for vacation but I don't know how they do it all the time... siestas are a definite must!

Partying with the NYC expat at Opium Mar

I would highly recommend visiting Barcelona if you can!  The city definitely charmed me and I WILL be making it back there.  One word of caution - do watch out for pick pockets - 4 people in my group (all men) had phones/wallets stolen... so just be safe, smart, and enjoy!!!





Bikes, Canals, and 34 letter words...

Hello friends and family!  I'm happy to report that I made it to Amsterdam last Wednesday to start my year and a half adventure in Europe.  I arrived without luggage or a phone but luckily things have improved since then!  I've settled in to a nice temporary apartment on the East side of Amsterdam in an area called Oost.  I've explored my current neighborhood, started searching for a permanent place, and taken care of some major details like a work visa and bank account.

I knew I'd have to adjust to living in a foreign country here, but the adjustment to living in a city (versus suburbia) has proved almost as difficult.  Public transportation is the norm here (there are 6 year wait lists for parking permits in the city center!), personal space is almost non-existent, and everything is expensive!  Gone are my days of lean cuisines for dinner... I actually cooked a meal tonight (chicken stir fry) in my attempt to be more economical and save my money for traveling :)  Those who've ever lived with me know this is almost as significant as moving here!  Thus far the biggest challenge in adjusting to life in Amsterdam has been the language barrier.  While most people (and everyone at work) speak excellent English, they speak Dutch first and almost all writing is in Dutch.  Small things like learning how to use my washer/dryer have become big successes in my book.  I am going to try my best to learn Dutch but I know the chances of mastering it in a year and a half are minor with 34 letter words like projectontwikkelingsmaatcschappijen (property development companies).

Speaking of traveling, I actually spent my first weekend in Europe away from Amsterdam.  Last minute I was able to join my work department's trip to Barcelona, Spain!  See future posts for details on the tapas, streets, and clubs of Barcelona... I would LOVE to go back there and it was a great way to start this adventure!

While this post is already getting long, I do want to share a few quick things I've noticed here that I find interesting and hope you all will as well.

Some things you might not have known about the Dutch...

• They love milk! In the cafeteria at work today milk was free and the only drink I saw. In trying to fit in I channeled my 10 year old self and drank a glass.  I can't say I loved it, but hey, it does a body good right? :)
• Personal liability insurance is required.  Expactica.com says 9 out of 10 Dutch people have this insurance that covers them if they cause damage to another person or property.  At 3 Euros a month, my klutziness is now insured as well!  Having this kind of insurance significantly reduces the number of civil suits here compared to the States.
• Street signs are tiny and even with my new glasses I can barely read them!  Rather than being on posts on an intersection, street signs are attached to buildings.  No doubt I will be getting lost and trying to memorize the map.

My current street.  I promise to have good stories from the day I start driving and have to look for these teeny street signs.

Some things you might have known that I can now whole heartedly verify...

• Biking is HUGE in Amsterdam!  Riding a bike is clearly the easiest way to get around the city, and bikers always have the right away above both cars and pedestrians.  Let's just say it only took one dirty look from a cyclist for me to learn where the bike paths start and the sidewalk ends!
• Water is everywhere. - Canals are quintessential Amsterdam and they're truly beautiful.  While I don't think I could actually live on them in a houseboat like some people do, they are definitely my favorite part of the city thus far.

The Amstel Canal

I made it to A'dam!  This is the Singelgracht canal near my temporary apartment. 
Check out the background - modern apartment buildings next to a windmill!

Houseboats on the Singelgracht

• The weather is dreary :(  - It has been cold, windy, and somewhat rainy every day thus far.  The forecast says sunshine starting Thursday though and I can't wait!  I've also come to the understanding that no, I will not melt in the rain, and while my hair will get frizzy, I can handle a walk to the train station in it.  I'm throwing girliness out the window!

While I'm really enjoying Amsterdam so far and continue to be amazed by the beauty and way of life here, I am starting to miss some things from the states...

• Friends and family of course!  Thanks to everyone for the emails and messages - you all have helped my home sickness tremendously!
• Diet Mt. Dew - We all know I have a caffeine addiction and Coca Cola light is just not cutting it!
• Being able to get in my car and drive anywhere I want to - The city has buses/trams/trains that I use to get around and while convenient absolutely nothing beats having your car out front and going directly to where you want on your own schedule.
• Good smelling laundry detergent - it smells a little funky to me here... who knew?!

Thanks for reading!

Met vriendelijke groet/ Kind regards,

Katherine