Getting around in the Netherlands without owning a car

Not owning a car has its drawbacks. Whenever I want to visit family and/or friends, I have to rely on public transport and the goodness of said family and/or friends. Like last Saturday...

On Saturday morning I woke up bright and early (not by choice I have to add) and after having a shower and my breakfast I made my way to the busstop for the first part of my journey. It was 8am. On arriving at the busstop with my suitcase, handbag, knitting bag and presents bag I realised the first bus wasn't to leave until 9.21am!!! So, home I went again, got online, played a few games and an hour later I made my way again to the busstop.

After arriving at my parents' place just before 11am, my mother decided to come with me to my niece's birthday party and off we went in their car. We got to my brother's house at 1pm and were met by a great number of children aged between 1 and 8. The birthday girl was still in bed, as was her big sister (who is three), but all the other children ( I'm guessing there were about 12, but I could be way off) were making enough noise as it was!

A few hours later we had to leave again, since I had another birthday party to go to. So, we got in the car again and drove back to my parents' home. From there I would be picked up by my friend. I had to wait a bit because he had lost his way a bit, but in the end I arrived at my friends' place and was able to celebrate with the birthday boy who had turned 2.

Aren't my family and friends just the best?

Saturday Archive 4

At the beginning of my driving career, I wasn't much good. Yes, I had my driver's licence, but that didn't mean I could drive. For the first three months I felt the coach was lording it over me. But slowly, as time passed, I got used to driving such a large vehicle. And one day I realised I was in charge of the bus.

Being a busdriver is however completely different to being a coachdriver. The first is just driving people from A to B, the second is driving them from A to B, but A might be Amsterdam and B might be Rome (since that's where all roads lead to).

The first couple of months I worked for the company I was usually doing the public transport runs and the school runs. Then I got the chance to do a schooltrip. Not on my own yet, but still, it was a start. Then it was a schooltrip on my own. Then I was allowed to go a bit further afield. Still nothing abroad though and that was something I really wanted to do.

In January 2003 (nearly four years after I started), I got the chance to go on a study trip through Europe. On that trip we would learn how to deal with people, how to get to know your way and what paperwork to use. Our first stop was Paris (France), our second Trier (Germany), then on to Prague (Czech Republic) and finally Berlin/Potsdam (Germany). All this in only six days, so you can imagine it was a lot to take in. Every night after dinner we would have an evaluation of the day.

This photo shows me together with our then highest boss (on the right) and a colleague. He had a soft spot for the tours part of the company and I was sad to see him go several years later, as were many of my colleagues.

The result of this week of training (fun mostly) was that I should start off easy: short trips in the local area or as third driver on a long distance trip. That last option was unfeasible, but the first was a bit easier. Ever since the summer of 2003 I have been driving my way through Europe. The trips are longer and further now, but the fun is still there (mostly anyway). All thanks to that very first study trip!

Thanksgiving

Apparently it's Thanksgiving Day today. It was in the papers over here, it was in the news on the radio. And whenever I open another American blog I read about it!

Now, since we are a first world country, we never had to deal with Injuns (First Nation Peoples or Native Americans) and were never given a turkey to help us get through the winter. As a matter of fact, whenever we were invaded by those Spanish blokes, we would escape on skates (in winter) or just flood the place! We were able to look after ourselves, as long as we kept the dykes high enough!

This post however is not to make other people look silly because they couldn't look after themselves (they have proven themselves in the mean time), it's just to explain that we don't know much about it.

The award at the top is because Cry is thankful I am her friend! I am thankful for all of you who read, comment to and come back to my blog every (or nearly every) day. Happy Thanksgiving to all who do celebrate!!

Things that make me smile!

Sparrows taking a sandbath in the summer.

A little girl taking a bowl of water to her rabbit who is in his cage in the field.

A huge rabbit pushing a push-chair.

Little children giggling over some silly joke.

Teenagers on the coach have the silliest conversations about nothing.

A horse chasing a dog around a field.

Looking at old photos and remembering.

S is for...

Search and Rescue

In May I had to drive a special group of people: plane spotters, but that day it wasn't the planes but the other flyers: helicopters that were the main attraction. Plane spotters from all over the country had come to see, photograph and enjoy the Search and Rescue helicopters from several European countries. Since they all had huge lenses and state of the art cameras, I thought they wouldn't mind me taking a few photos as well.

The Search and Rescue helicopters in the Netherlands celebrated their 50th anniversary and had invited several other teams to come and do an obstacle course. There was quite a strong wind, but most of the teams didn't have any problems to get through the course. I now know that if I ever get lost at sea and need to be rescued by a helicopter, the teams on board are more likely than not able to get me off my little pink dinghy and airlift me to safety! The chances of me actually getting on a little pink dinghy and being way out at sea are of course pretty slim, but you have to be prepared...

For more S words from around the world, please check out ABC Wednesday and join in the fun!

Bearded lady

The things you do while working for Club Med are many! This was during a boy-girl night and every single woman was supposed to be showing up as a man and vice versa. The smoke in my hand is only for display purposes!

I'm still against most toplipgrowth though!

Who are you calling Mara?

While reading my bloglist I read Fat, frumpy & fifty and found this word game. And however you want to pronounce it, I loved this one. So of course, being the ripper-offer that I am, I decided to throw in my cent's worth! And because it's fun of course!!

1.Your rock star name (pet, current car)
Cat Bova - Chorus Girl
2.Your gangsta name (favourite ice cream flavour, favourite type of shoe)
Cinnamon Boot - Fearsome (not!)
3.Your Native American name (favourite colour, favorite animal)
Blue Cat - Eeehhh...
4.Your soap opera name (middle name, place where you were born)
Maria Boalsert - Acting suds
5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)
Jelja -Pronounced Yelya please
6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
Pink T - Pink Lady meets T-bird: Grease is the word
7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers)
Cornelis John - Look out Michael Schumacher
8.Dancer name (the name of your favourite perfume/cologne/scent, favourite candy)
Miss Dior Chocolate - Dancing stripper
9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Orchard Orlando - Liquid sunshine and rainbows
10.Spy name (your favourite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Carnation - License to ehm.... weed?
11.Cartoon name (favourite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)
Melon Socks - a little green kitty set out to discover Mars
12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favourite tree)
Toast Oak - Peace and peanutbutter
13.Movie star name (pet, street where you lived)
Sophie Saturn - Glitz and glamour

Saturday Archive 3

I haven't been on many sun-holidays where I've just lounged all day by the sea or swimming pool. Not because I don't like them (I quite do actually), but because for the last few years I've spent my money elsewhere. But about ten years ago I went to Malta with three friends.

We spent most days by the swimming pool on the roof, but we wanted to do one excursion. We decided to go to Gozo, a small island just off the coast of Malta. I don't really recall what we did in the morning but during the afternoon we had a jeep drive and we went snorkeling.

I am not the best swimmer and when I first put the snorkel equipment on I thought I was going to drown! However, after first testing it in the dry (ie above water) and finding out I wasn't going to drown just yet if I went below the water, I went down and looked at amazing colourful fish. It was brilliant! I spent about half an hour just below the surface just enjoying all the life in the water, before we had to come out again and we continued our trip. Definitely not long enough!

Just wrong!

I am not too fussy (I think) when it comes to the looks of a man. But if there's one thing that turns me off, it's moustaches! Granted, there are a few men who look better with one, but most men should step a little bit closer to the razorblades! To illustrate: check out this site. The only one who looks decent with a fuzzy upper lip admits to only having it a limited amount of time due to divorce threats! The others look as if they have just stuck them on (numbers 1, 4, 5 and 9) and creepy or if they've grown them themselves and creepy.

Laundry

I've had black socks in white laundry and I've found coins in my laundry. And as of this morning I have smelly laundry. Now, don't get me wrong: the laundry is clean, but it smells.

I usually do my laundry with a generic washing powder. It does its job and cleans my dirty linen and that's all I ask. But then, several weeks ago, I bought some things at the drugstore and received a bottle of laundry detergent (Ariel) for free. I finally used it yesterday.

Well, today I noticed I used it yesterday. I wore freshly laundered trousers and all day long I smelled them. And hated it. And know I still have a big bottle of detergent left.

*Sigh*