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November 11, 2005

Dutch-isms

Alsjeblieft
The number one most important word in Dutch. If you can mutter alsjeblieft 4 to 5 times and throw in a few nods during an encounter with a checkout clerk you could very well pass for Dutch. The direct translation is "please" but Andy told me it also serves as "here you go."

Live as a pack mule
Example A Today I had Britta strapped to me for hours in the Baby Bjorn and a backpack on my back. After my daily trip to the grocery store I had 2 bags of groceries, and a 4 year old son needing to hold my hand on the walk home. If only I could carry more items on my head.
Example B Britta falls asleep in the bike basket. I have to lock the bike with 2 industrial strength locks (must remember to take photo of these locks.) I walk up 6 flights of stairs with backpack and 2 helmets on my back to put her down for a nap. Then I have to walk back down 6 flights of stairs to secure the cover on the bike and walk back up the 6 flights of stairs. If I don't end up completely sweaty on a daily basis it is a miracle.

Survival as an ex-pat requires creativity.
Consider dinner I attempted to make the other night, a carrort curry soup. Halfway into it I realized without aid of a food processor or blender the carrot curry would never become a soup. A knock on the nice neighbor's door didn't help because she wasn't home. Quick thinking, carrot curry soup becomes curry. I rummage through the diaper bag for the kid's cashews and raisins, find rice in the cupboard and an apple in the fridge. Throw it all together and voila, quite tasty. This would be an adequate example of all the meals I make here. 10 years of cooking has finally paid off. I am getting good at winging it with substitutes, not measuring (500 grams???), setting the Magnetron/Grille//Hetelucht plus appliance (a.k.a. microwave/oven/grill in one appliance without a popcorn button) at 200 degrees celsius and sitting back to see what comes out.

And further more, survival as an expat requires flexibilty. Take for instance the wilted spinach and apple salad I made the other day. Was it really spinach? What about the cesear salad I bought that had gouda chunks instead of croutons, bacon bits instead of pepper, arugula instead of romaine and ranch dressing instead of cesear dressing? See, ya gotta be flexible. It's worth it.

Posted by jana at November 11, 2005 1:18 PM