People Should Smile More, Newton Faulkner
Her Morning Elegance, Oren Lavie
Posted by: patriciamar | March 6, 2010
& a few excellent morning songs
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Her Morning Elegance, Newton Faulkner, Oren Lavie, People Should Smile More
Posted by: patriciamar | March 6, 2010
Pillows
I woke up this morning on my futon and the sun was pouring in on me. I had left the blinds open six inches, just for the possibility of this occurring. It has been sunny all week (minus last night), and after a looonng, rainy, winter, there is nothing like bright sunshine waking you up in the morning.
The sunny wake-up call is just another reason for me to want to sleep on [the best ever] futon every night. Matt is pretty strict… says we should sleep in our bed. But really! The futon is so much more comfortable, has no ladder (the bed is lofted), and what if we have to move in five months!? I can’t take the futon with me. I would forever regret the nights when I didn’t sleep on it when I could have.
Luckily, Matt is fairly easy to convince. (He knows it is better too)…So we sleep there quite frequently.
I woke up this morning and after a Toad in the Hole or two, flopped down on my couch (not the futon, the couch), on about 13 pillows. For some reason, when I am looking for things to do nowadays, I am drawn to making pillows. I am not sure how it all started, but it is a nice way to spend a sunny morning, or afternoon… or late evening. I think I would probably like to sew other things, but with no sewing machine here, and no tools other than thread and a needle, a pillow is really the best choice.
I also think it makes my house feel comfy….
Well, my coffee is now done, and I am expected at Matt’s basketball game in about an hour with a stop at the market for kaas before that.
Posted by: patriciamar | February 7, 2010
A Review: Three Cups of Tea
I started reading Three Cups of Tea, and soon, my mind was racing. Even after I had finished, I had to read the acknowledgements just to remind myself that, yes, it was a real story. The events in the book actually happened; People really can make this much of a difference. The book is so energizing, so full of truth, and so real, I truly could not decide who I wanted to pass the book onto first. My parents, I thought, they would both love it; but, of course, my husband should read it first; but also, my mother-in-law would definitely be interested, I wonder if she has read it… I also have this friend who is a teacher; it is so important that she reads it as well. She would really pass the message on to her students.
It really is a book that everyone should read. While providing the opportunity for thousands of children to receive an education, the situations that he gets himself into and out of are nothing short of terrifying, yet he somehow continued, alone, for longer than I thought anyone could live off of will alone.
Now that I have finished this amazing account of Greg Mortenson’s repeated trips and trials through Pakistan and Afghanistan, I cannot help but think that it should stay on my shelf forever. When I am looking for inspiration and a way to rejuvenate my belief in hope, this is where I will turn. The selfless steps Mortenson takes each day remind you that if you take things day by day, one step at a time, unbelievable things really can be accomplished.
If you are interested in the world, it will inspire you further, and if you are uninterested and uniformed, you should read it as well, just to reaffirm the fact that peace and education go hand in hand. After reading this book, I hope that I will never again doubt overenthusiastic or hard-charging ideals, whether they are mine or someone else’s, because now, after reading about this, I cannot imagine thinking that something is impossible.
Three cups of tea : one man’s mission to fight terrorism and build nations- one school at a time / Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.
Website for the Central Asia Institute: https://www.ikat.org/
Please keep in mind that if you buy the book off of the link on the above site, part of the proceeds go to the Central Asian Institute! Thanks!
Posted in Reviews, writing | Tags: Afghanistan, book review, Central Asian Institute, charity, children, David Oliver Relin, education, goodwill, Greg Mortenson, hope, humanitarian, ikat.org, inspiration, Pakistan, poverty, proceeds, review, terrorism, Three Cups of Tea
Posted by: patriciamar | February 1, 2010
Cycling in Leiden
So. Biking in Leiden. This post is for people who actually live in Leiden, will be moving to Leiden, or are interested in bicycling in Leiden.
First things first:
Buying a bike
Overall, the best way to find a bike is to scope out the various bicycle shops with used and new bicycles. If you are a student, you can also go along with ISN (International Student Network) on their bicycle crawl at the start of each semester. They also buy bicycles (but for no more than 20 euros, I believe), so they can either sell you a bicycle, or show you some shops where you can buy them.
The two main shops that I have frequented are Fiets2000 (Lange Mare 72, 2312 GT Leiden) and the two bicycle shops by the station. There is one in front of the station and one in the back, although I was told by one of the bicycle repairmen that they are actually the same store. We purchased our bicycles at the station shops, (mine in the front, Matt’s in the back) for 100 euros each. From what I have found, this is a pretty good price. Most people I talked to bought their bicycles for 80 – 125 euros. I would say both of us have quality bicycles and besides a flat tire or a broken light (these things happen…) we have had no real problems.
As a general rule, I would say that- upon entering the Netherlands, you should throw out your previous assumptions and ideas about bicycle riding. It is different here, and it’s best if you just do what they do and bike how they bike. You will be much better off.
This basically means:
No racing bikes,
No mountain bikes,
No speed racing on your bike
Dutch bikers (unless they have a racing bicycle that they take out into the country) all have cruisers and they sit up straight when they are biking. If you give it a try, although it may seem slower at first than your previous biking, you will soon find that it is much more relaxing to commute this way, and much safer, as well. When you are sitting up, you can see almost 360 degrees around you. This will help you to see cars, pedestrians, other bikers, children, dogs, trains, etc., etc. Compare this to riding on a mountain or racing bike where you have to lean forward and you should be able to understand how much worse your visibility is.
So, more on riding your bike…
I have found that bicycles tend to get away with quite a lot in terms of where and how they can bike. Cyclists seem to take the best rules for pedestrians and the best rules for cars and then slide right through the middle, taking the right of way. This is beautiful if you have ever biked in the U.S., where the car is king and you could be run over at any second. But- keep in mind that the Dutch have been biking since they were two. Literally, I asked someone. They have a little wooden bike (with no pedals) that they start out on, learning to keep their balance, and they are easily cycling with their parents by the time they are three or four. Insane. & Impressive.
Anyway, a few things that are important in terms of legality and safety. If you see triangles painted on the road, and they are pointing towards you (they are called shark’s teeth), this means yield. As in -You: Yield. Following this will keep you out of a lot of trouble. Also, bicycles sold by a shop in the Netherlands must have a front and back light and bell. This also means that the police can ticket you if your bike does not have them. Personally, I think they are pretty lax about it overall, but be careful at the start of the semester. You will most likely get a ticket, as they try to set out the year by setting a good example. During these times, also try to walk your bike in pedestrian zones. I have heard of people being ticketed for this as well.
Parking & Locking your bike: It is always a good idea to lock up your bike… (obviously). Surprisingly, most Dutch people just use a cuff (a sort of hand cuff that locks the backwheel so it can’t be rolled away). Unless they are older and have an expensive bicycle, they will generally only have this one type of lock. These locks are usually already on the bike when you buy it. If you bike does not have one and you want one, I would suggest going to the bike shop and having them put it on. They seem like they would be a pain to put on yourself. The other option (as a first or second lock) is a basic chain lock. This is probably the second most popular type of lock. You can use it to lock your wheel so it cannot be rolled away (which is what Matt does) or you can use it to lock your bike to something. The U-Lock that seems to be popular in the U.S. is much less popular here. It is sometimes used as a second lock or on motor bikes…
Although I could probably go on forever about Dutch biking culture, this is probably enough for now.
Just keep a few things in mind:
You will never be as good at cycling as a Dutch person, but still, just relax, it is such a nice way to get around!
&
Your bike might get stolen or thrown into a canal… Unfortunately, this just happens.
Success!
Posted in Nederland | Tags: biking, chain lock, cruiser, cuff, fiets, fiets2000, Leiden, mountain bike, Netherlands, relax, stolen, U-Lock
Posted by: patriciamar | January 31, 2010
Prins Bernhard
I have just heard that there is a new show on Dutch television about the life and times of Prince Bernhard, whom I know nothing about, other than the fact that he was a member of the Dutch royal family. The show is called, Bernhard schavuit van Oranje. Not that I have a tv.
Apparently, the show takes place in the Paleis Soestdijk, in Soestdijk, which is located between Hilversum and Amersfoort, more or less in the western central part of the Netherlands. The Soestdijk Palace was formerly the home of Queen Juliana (the mother of the current queen, Queen Beatrix) and Prince Bernhard. Since the start of the show, the Soestdijk Palace has had a huge influx of visitors. As a crazy foreigner, I can see why. I have now put the palace on my “to visit” list. I am not really sure what exactly it is, but the whole idea of a royal, family, queen, princes, etc., just draws me in! This is probably mostly because I come from a country with none. (Only movie stars-yuck.) More on the Dutch royal family and my visit to the Soestdijk Palace later.
No king or other hereditary ruler…
The signers of the Declaration of Independence would be quite disappointed in my interest…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeqfwLbQU1g&feature=player_embedded (It looks good, doesn’t it?!?)
Posted by: patriciamar | January 31, 2010
Looking out over the rose garden
Posted by: patriciamar | January 27, 2010
Sheep tracks in the Snow
Today, I took a day trip to Haarlem- just to get out and see a bit more of the world now that I am working and busy in Leiden (hurray!). As you have probably heard, it has been a bit colder and snowier than usual in the Netherlands (and in the rest of the world). On the twenty minute train ride from Leiden to Haarlem, I got to see a world of white, complete with a few frozen canals and a maze of sheep tracks criss-crossing the snowy fields.
Haarlem was wonderful and it was even warm enough for me to skip the bus and make the walk into the center. I spent the day mostly wandering around and visiting charming cafes. On the way to the Frans Hals Museum, I found one tiny cafe and sandwich shop that charged only 1.25 for a coffee! It appeared to be full of regulars and provided local newspapers to pass the time- which I enjoyed as well. Mid-way through, there was a bit of commotion and -although I did not fully understand- terminated with the owner shuffling around outside looking over and under everything and finally returning to say that yes- whatever it was, it was still there, in the old woman’s bike.
Good to know.
The Frans Hals Museum was very nice and had much more than only Frans Hals. There were many of his portraits, as well as those of Judith Leyster, known to be the first female Master painter. I like her work a lot and was sad to read that once she got married (to another painter), she all but stopped painting so she would not be competing with her husband…
The museum itself was great because it is situated in a former almshouse (hofje) for older men. The small rooms surrounded a very nice courtyard garden and visitors were able to read all about the men who lived there and the things that they had to have to be residents (i.e. 5 clean shirts and 5 sleeping hats…). Is there anyone who still wears nightcaps? I know a lot of people who drink them.
It was also quite gezellig (cozy) in the museum because of the nice museum cafe which caused the smell of kaas toasti’s to float cozily around the whole museum.
(please note, toasti’s is actually spelled this way in Dutch, and the apostrophe is a Dutch apostrophe, not an English one, so it does belong there. It signals the presence of a missing -i)
After the museum, I wandered back up towards the markt and the giant church in the center of Haarlem. I found a nice bar/cafe that looked out over the plein and spent a few hours drinking cappuccino and writing. Eventually, I wandered back to the train station and took a train back to Leiden. Although I considered getting off in Heemstede for a look around, I was on such a nice train (the newest) that I just couldn’t make myself get off and go back out in the mist. Plus, thanks to my new REI thermos (thanks Brad!), my tea from the morning train was still hot and made for a very nice train ride back to Leiden.
All over the Netherlands, cyclists were bundled up to make their evening commutes. My own bicycle has been struggling as well. My lock seems to protest any winter usage, and the button of my back light simply refused to budge for several days last week. Although I suppose I could have gotten a ticket for not having a back light, I decided the Politie (police) might understand that it really does work, just not this week…
I guess tomorrow I am back to work. Plus, the new international students have arrived and Matt and I will be helping with Introduction Days on Thursday and Friday. Tours, answering questions, and explaining how to register… just like old times at OFYP at the U of M!
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: patriciamar | January 19, 2010
Something about Britain’s Talent
Posted by: patriciamar | December 11, 2009
Strange things that remind me I am in the Netherlands
Christmas is coming, and now that all the Sinterklaas events are over, it is time for Christmas in the Netherlands. Although they really do love to celebrate their traditional Sinterklaas (on St. Nicholas Day), they still manage to go all out for Christmas as well. In the past few days, I have seen the trees and lights go up, a wildly decorated boat house (with reindeer and all!), and several people using their bicycles to haul Christmas trees. My favorite of these was a mother who had propped a rather large Christmas tree (at least 5 feet tall, probably 6) on her bicycle, branches flinging everywhere, and was walking her bike down the side of the bike path. About fifty meters ahead, her daughter, who was probably about ten years old, was looking back at her, quite annoyed that she had to wait for her mother.
Hmm… What Christmas spirit. Just kidding.
There are giant sparkling Christmas bulbs on the front of the Leiden station, and the big tree is now up in our student center. I am still waiting for the giant Coca-Cola tree to go up in front of the train station, but I have high hopes that it will be there before we leave tomorrow.
Well, I hope everyone is getting their Christmas decorations up as well. See you all soon!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Christmas, christmas tree, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola tree, Leiden, Netherlands, Sinterklaas, St. Nicholas Day, train, train station, trees
Posted by: patriciamar | December 4, 2009
A Wortel at Star Coffee
I just ordered a banana, sinaasappel (orange) and wortel juice. Fresh-squeezed.
Presently, I am looking at my glass, and wondering what a wortel is. So far, nothing strange; at least nothing strange about the color. After a taste, I still can’t be exactly sure, but it might be carrot. I don’t really taste carrot, but the texture is a bit carrot- I would actually guess zucchini, but it’s not green. Either way, it seems very healthy, and pretty tasty as well.
Posted in Nederland, food | Tags: banana, carrot, color, fresh-squeezed, juice, Leiden, orange, sinaasappel, Star Coffee, texture, wortel
