Heading Home for the Holidays!

Well... I think I've seen it all. Early this week, I was walking down Beethovenstraat and I saw a Dutch man carrying home a real Christmas tree on his bicycle! Here is a list of things that you will see the Amsterdammers doing while riding their bicycles (and usually all at the same time):

• smoke
• text their friends on their mobile
• carry a huge bouguet of flowers
• hold an umbrella
• eat a cheese sandwich
• carrying an Albert Heijn bag of groceries on the handle bars
• carrying 2 kids in a basket on the front of the bicycle

And if the Amsterdammer is a woman, then she is doing all this while wearing very chic high-heeled boots!

We are getting all ready to head home to Toronto for the holidays tomorrow. We can't wait. Jack and I went down to the Bloemenmarkt to check out the Christmas wreaths and arrangements . We stopped outside the Christmas shop on the canal. (pictured above) Jack was very excited about seing all the Santas.

So we will see all our friends and family very soon!

Merry Christmas!

Trailer Park Boys

Check this shit out! James was at some Aussie guy's desk at work today and he noticed a pile of DVDs on his desk. He started flipping through them and guess what he found... wait for it... yeah you guessed it right homey, Trailer Park Boys! James was like, "What the feck! Where did you get this?". Singapore DVD black market! Can you believe it? James asked the guy if he even understood it and he said, "Ya mate. Trash is trash." And so it is.

The Maple Leaf Forever

Last night, James and I had to go see a notary to get some paperwork from Canada signed. We went to see Mr. Blom. This guy was unbelievably nice and he started off by telling us how he thought that Canada was one of the sanest places on earth. In a straightforward style that is so typically Dutch, he said "Canada is a bit boring for some people. Most people want all sorts of action and confrontation. Not Canadians!" He then proceeded to tell us that his rights as a Hollander, especially his right to speak his mind, were given to him by the Canadian soldiers who died liberating Holland from the Nazis in World War Two. Many people over here, especially the older generation, remember the Hunger Winter of 1944 and the atrocities that occurred during the Occupation and they credit the Canadians with their lives and freedom. I can tell you, I have never been prouder to be Canadian than I am now living here in Amsterdam. After he signed our paperwork, Mr. Blom walked us out of the office and I turned to him and I asked him how much we owed him. We thought it was around 70 Euro. He just shook hands with us and said, "It's free. It's a pleasure doing business with Canadians. Especially when you smile all the time like that." James and I didn't know what hit us. We were floored! Kind of made us feel all fuzzy inside. I know we say 'thank you' and 'sorry' alot but are we compulsive smilers too?

Lunchtime on Apollolaan

We have discovered some exquisite cuisine for our son. Billy Beer Wurst. I think that it's some kind of bologna or ham. They also have some that are shaped liked Christmas trees. Which I think is just wrong. ;) I like to finish off this nutricious meal with a Sponge Bob orange juice drinking box. Yum!

Beatiful Day in the Dam

We had a great day today. It was warm and sunny so we decided to spend the morning at Beatrix Park near our house. First, we took bread to the pond and we fed the ducks. Then we went to the dog area and we let Zephyr mix it up with some of the local canines. Zephyr got a little too excited with some of the water fowl and she ended up jumping into the canal. It was a small one so she managed to get out on her own. But boy does she stink! After that we went to Beethovenstraat to do some shopping and I noticed that the Christmas tree guy had set up shop. The pine trees smell so good, I almost bought one. Aahhhhhhhhhh, Christmas!

Happy Sinter Klaas Day!

Today is like Christmas morning! Well... sort off. The kids get presents and candies but the parents still have to go to work. Poor James, he just got back from Seattle yesterday and he is totally zonked. Jack got lots of presents from Sinter Klaas. He left his wooden shoes (that we bought at the mall) by the tree and this morning they were filled with chocolate Euro coins ($1.50 CAN). The first thing he went to was the PEZ and we had to coax him to look at the gifts! Nanny has turned him into a candy hound!!!!!

The big horse is named, Fred and Jack decided that he must sleep in his bed too!

Please send a Zamboni!

Another observation. The skating rink in Dam Square is really cool. It's a much smaller version of Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. However, they don't have a zamboni or even a rink rat with a snow shovel who can clear all the snow that builds up. We stood and watched all the Italian tourists trying to plow through it all while wearing these horrible plastic rental skates. And none of the kids were wearing hockey skates - they all had speed skating skates with those extra long blades.

Did I mention that you can drink booze while doing all this?

At this time of year, the Dam square is turned into a Christmas market. They have an artificial skating rink, kids' rides, and hot chocolate & waffle stands. The best thing about it is that you can order a shot of booze in your drink. I love Europe!

Zwarte Piet

I just love Christmas - purely for the gift giving. This year, my son Jack is 2 1/2 and just starting to figure out the whole Santa Claus or Sinter Klaas thing. Yesterday we decided to write a letter to Santa to tell him what he would like. Here is what he said:

• a dragon
• play soap
• birthday cake
• rebas (his word for zebras)

Any idea where I can get this stuff?

Blah!

Where: Artis Zoo, Amsterdam
When: June, 2004
What: Monkey

I snapped this pic last summer when we were visiting the Dam. The whole Zoo experience here was a bit tramatic for our son. In addition to this pissed off primate, we saw a fluffy bunny hopping around a cage and then out jumped a panther and snapped its neck and then tore it o shreds in front of us. Sometimes nature can be so cruel.

WELCOME

So here I am. I've been living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands for almost a month now. Things are going rather well. So far I have experienced only positive things from the Dutch and as an example of this... all of the neighbours in my building came to introduce themselves to me! Strange.

The weirdest thing that I've seen here is the Dutch version of Santa Claus. It's Sinter Klaas - which is no big stretch. He's a white guy who dresses in red and he is old and has a beard. But things start to go strange when it comes to the elves. He doesn't have the short, pointy ear variety. His helpers are called Zwarte Piet or Black Peter. And as you might have guessed already, Black Peter is actually a white guy with black make-up on. Here's what I'm talking about: