Girls night out...

Hi all!

Just a quick update :)  It has been another hectic week thus far!  We currently have interim audits running, so we have quite a bit of deadlines, too much work, and too little time :)

We still make time for the fun stuff though :)  Had a girl's night out last night with Carien and Casey at the PATHE in Rembrandtplein.   It is the movie theatre I visited over the weekend...  You buy a ticket to go see the movie and then you get the following:  Champagne and macaroons when you get there, with awesome feel good music playing...  There was stalls with perfume testers, or you could sit for a massage ect...  Then you get popcorn and a cooldrink, and a leuke (which means AWESOME / cool) goodie bag afterwards.  There was also a lucky draw - we actually sat in row 13 (13 is my lucky number), but the luck was not on our side last night :)  Still had a great time!  See the pics included. 

Our group of friends are visiting Brugge (in Belgium) this weekend.  Will send you news soon!

Have a great weekend!!!

busy, busy, busy... good times!

Hi all!  :)

Hope you are doing very well, and ready for another awesome week to come!

I was feeling extremely blessed today...  This is truly a STUNNING city, we are an awesome group of South-African friends and each of you at home, sending emails ect, are TRUE blessings in my life!!!

But let me not get ahead of myself...  Last week was the first week of REAL work... It was quite hectic, and I found myself working a bit of overtime already :)  We had a deadline for Friday, and I left the office just after 8 on Friday evening...  Hopefully things will go a bit smoother this week...

We went to Rijswijk to get ourselves registered at Immigrations Office, as well as to the Expat centre, last Thursday... What a mission!!!  But I think our admin is finally sorted out!  Check out this cool statue - it was taken just outside the station at Rijswijk...

 

On a lighter note!  Our new and old South-African friends came for hamburgers at our place on Thursday evening...  We had a GREAT evening, with lots of laughs, some South-African wine and good food...  Was really one of the best nights I had in a long time (I know I say that a lot!) :)...  The neighbours stomped on their floor by 22:30 - guess our laughing kept them up :)  Check out this cool pic :)

This weekend I took it a bit easier...  Watched the rugby with friends yesterday!  Go BOKKE and Ireland!!!  Then went shopping - not very successful tough...  And it rained a LOT!  I got soaked on my way home...  I biked with an umbrella - impressive stuff! :)  With bags ect!

This morning I went to Anne Frank house...  WHAT an experience...  I cannot even imagine WHAT they went through during the time of concentration camps, world wars ect...  We are really fortuneate!!  it reminded me again, to count your blessings EVERY day!  Even if it is just to be able to walk outside, and see the sun shine or the rain fall...  Being able to laugh!  It really makes your heart ache, to think that people had to go through pain like that...  Losing your family, and basically all your hope... 

Us girls at the Anne Frank House...

From there I went to check out Hillsong church - Amsterdam...  I got TOTALLY lost on my way there!  I am usually quite good with direction - but here!?!  Don't know what is up?!?!  When I really felt totally lost and tired, I asked one of the people at the bus stop if the bus I needed would pass there...  He then confirmed, and asked me where I needed to go...  I said - I want to go to church!  Just check this - how mysterious God works!  He was on his way to Hillsong church and then took me with him!!  Charlie from London - what a legend!!  True blessing on my way today!

Tonight we went to the PATHE...  It was an old Opera house, converted into a BIOSCOOP, or as we know it - THE Movies :)  It was AMAZING!!!  We watched Crazy, stupid, love...  For those of you who wondered - the movie is in English, with Dutch subtitles :)  Really enjoyed it!  We sat on the balcony, and it really was an experience I will remember for a long time!  If you are ever in Amsterdam, make sure to put this on your list of things to do!

I hope you all will have a blessed week!!  Sorry for the long update :)  Will try to write more regularly!  Chat soon!!!

The city that never sleeps and going patriotic...

Hi all!  :)

Hope you had a great weekend, and that you feel ready for an AWESOME week to come!  If you read the title of this post, you probably think that I am confusing Amsterdam with New York...  I realised this past weekend - this place rarely sleeps!  There are still people biking as late / early as 3 in the morning!  It is insane!!

We had a very fun-filled Friday night.  We are 7 expats from SA, working together and we painted the town red.  We went for drinks at Leidseplein, and then went dancing.  When the SA Soccer World Cup song, Wakka, wakka started, it was just an unbelievable feeling that came over our group! You cannot believe how special it feels! You feel united - being a few South Africans in a foreign country, and extremely proud to be associated with our beautiful country!

The X-PATS:

Saturday was an admin day, ended off with a girl's night at our flat.  We made chicken wraps, had lots of laughs and "lekker" chatting.  Very relaxing evening :)  Had our first thunderstorm, which was quite and experience :)

Today we went patriotic, watched the rugby, and had a braai :)  It was absolutely amazing!!  It was also great meeting some more South-Africans and being able to speak Afrikaans :)  The Dutch aren't big on rugby, so there is NO SIGN of a rugby world cup being played...  Two of our friends are subscribed to a special channel that broadcasts the rugby, and they invited all of us there...   We took our bikes there, and I could see that we were a strange sight to the locals - riding a bike (like an Amsterdammer), but wearing a rugby jearsey (so NOT Amsterdammer)... Those who know me well, knows that rugby is one of my biggest passions, so being able to watch the game with friends, was priceless...

Hope you all will have a great and blessed week!!  Chat soon!!

 

Lost and found...

Wow, what an absolutely crazy busy and awesome week!!  We have been quite busy with training at the office, and then sorting out the last admin hiccups in the evenings :)  I am truly enjoying every moment, and living in one of the MOST BEAUTIFUL cities in the WORLD!!!  Just check this photo below - it looks like a postcard / something from a story book!  I took this photo last night...  We had a quick bike ride to Leidseplein, and when I saw this sight, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a photo!

As we only have our current apartment for the first month we are currently searching for a new home... We had to go and view an apartment tonight, and got TOTALLY lost on our way there...  If getting lost, and being late (those of you who know me, knows that I HATE not being on time!) was not the worst part - it actually started raining, while we were at our most lost :) :)  It was AWESOMENESS!!!  After we saw the apartment, we ended up at Museum plein (also a result of being lost).  After cycling for almost an hour and a half - it was the most astonishing sight!  It looked like an enchanted castle in the middle of the town!  I absolutely LOVE this place!


Chat soon!

Day 2 - 5

Day 2 – Admin time…

Our first mission for the day was getting bank accounts; going to Deloitte ect.  We (me and Carien) got lost a FEW times!!  For instance – Sloterdijk (where our office is at) and Slottenmeer, are two very different places J  We quickly learned that when we took the wrong trem!  A trem is like a bus that runs on a trainline.  We ended up at a park, instead of an office building…

Amsterdam is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!  Everywhere is waterways, trees; bloemen (flowers) and really beautiful architecture…  See this picture below.  It really reminds me of Stellenbosch a lot!!

Something which I ALSO realized quite quickly, is that I am EXTREMELY short!!!  1.53m…  Carien, my friend is 1.87m and she is short when compared to the Dutchies J  It is really funny!  Still having the time of my life though J

First day @ work…

The new work chapter has begun!  We had an introduction day in Utrecht.  We left the apartment quite early – 20 minutes to 7.  The introduction day only started at 09:30, but after getting lost so much on Wednesday, we decided, rather get there early, and go and chill out with a coffee.   Something I can say about the people living here, is that they are EXTREMELY friendly and VERY helpful!  And if you try to speak some Dutch, they help you even more J 

 

Got to Utrecht just before 8 and then went for a coffee at Starbucks.  The first day was very cool – we met up with awesome South-Africans, and had a good few laughs, as the WHOLE introduction day was in Dutch!! 

We went for an early supper with all our South-African friends.  It felt like home being with some SA people J

Friday

We spent the whole day just loading software, and installing our new i-phone 4 J  On Friday evening, we went to Leidseplein for dinner.  That place is REALLY beautiful at night time!  It looks like an enchanted city J  We went for dinner at Wagga Mamma – and had some Chu Chung Chicken curry and wine from Spain.  I attempted eating with the chopsticks, and it was not half bad J  After Wagga Mamma we went for a drink at the Heineken beer garden and sat there chatting until one o’clock!   We had such a nice time, that we did not keep track of the time. When we decided to go home we realized that the trems stopped running at 00:30.  We therefore had 2 choices – take a taxi – R120 for 2 kms, or walk for free J  We chose the latter option J  And it is something I will remember for the rest of my life!  Got lost, laughed a lot and got to our house for this first month an hour later. 

Saturday

We went shopping for some groceries at Albert Hein (like Woolies) first thing on Saturday.  We got lost (again) on our way there, and then got some things for our new house. 

After this we went bicycle shopping!!  I got myself a TRUE AMSTERDAM bicycle!!!  It was a mission and a half to find one small enough J  The saddle is set at the lowest possible point, and I still struggle to get up J  It is also a back-paddle bike – which means, if you stop paddling, your bike comes to an automatic stand-still.  I also have a basket and a bell J  Very cool!!!  Feels like I am starting to be a TRUE Amsterdammer J   It’s the best way to travel, and experience the best things this city has to offer.  For those of you thinking of Amsterdam as “the red light district” or “a place to smoke weed” – it is SO MUCH MORE than that!!

Sunday

Today, we went shopping for some clothes!  And I bought almost NOTHING!  EVERYTHING IS WAAAAAYYYY to long or big for me!  I tried on a few jackets (which is supposed to come to just above your knees, and it came to my ankles J  I had a pancake to eat at the Pannekoeken kelder, and afterwards met up with SA friends and had a cool drink at Rembrandtplein and afterwards we had a quick outing to the DeB'jenkorf J  It is a big department store.  After I said goodbye to them, I walked past a band playing in the street.  It is just AMAZING, and such a blessing being in this unbelievable place!!  I am feeling truly blessed!!

Photos to follow soon!

Chat soon!

 

Arriving in Amsterdam…

Arriving in Amsterdam…

After only sleeping for 4 hours, and struggling with our baggage, we took a taxi a Schiphol Airport, to the Apollo Museum Hotel (Best Western) we stayed for one night.  We went for a walk to Leidseplein, and immediately I forgot how tired I felt!  It was ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL!!!  I looks like a storybook picture J  We also had a quick walk through Vondelpark.  Everyone has a bicycle, and they cycle where they want to be.  In Vondelpark there is a type of “lost and found” board.  People can go and put everything they find  there, and you can then go and check there for anything you might have lost!  It is AMAZING!  I saw some tickets there for the Rijksmuseum (for entry for that day) which someone handed in.  Very cool to know that there are still honest people J

We went for our first dinner @ Leidseplein – at a Pannekoeken and Sportsbar (all in one).  Was really awesomeness!!

Where to start?!

Where to START!  Finally had some time to post some news on my blog :)  To give you the full picture I will start at the beginning, and try to keep it short, but I can make no such promises J  As you all know, I LOVE to write, so let’s do this!  I have been in Amsterdam for  5 days, and it has been an EXCEPTIONAL experience thus far!  But let me not get ahead of myself – let’s start at the beginning…

Saying goodbye…

So the time finally arrived for me to start on the adventure of a lifetime!   I think the reality of my decision to go and work abroad for 20 months, only hit me when I got to the airport J  As Celine Dion sings – “Goodbye’s the saddest word…”  It was really sad to say goodbye to the people I love and leaving Cape Town (one of my favourite places in the world! behind)…  But, this has been one of my BIGGEST dreams, and I am truly looking forward to fulfil it and live life to the fullest while I am here J

My suitcase was packed and re-packed 3 times J  We (Carien and I) we were allowed 30kg’s, and overweight’s prices ranged as follows:  For 5kg’s overweight – R2,400 and then the biggest – 25kg’s overweight – R12,000!  You could almost buy 2 additional plane tickets, and take 30kg’s for those tickets!  My suitcase weighed in at 30.7kgs J

Our flight was 9 hours to Dubai and then an additional 7 to Amsterdam!  I took half a sleeping pill at 21:00, but they woke us up at 01:00 South African time for breakfast!  My whole bio-rhythm was thrown off a bit J  There was a weird guy sitting in my isle – looking VERY worried the whole time, and he did not eat anything, and sleeping the whole time…  Having 9/11 at the back of my head, it had me a bit worried…  But all ended well J