Carbinschieten 2006 @Brummen

Day 10 in Brummen

 

Day 9 in Vorlendam

Today Jan drove me to Vorlendam. Wilma had to work. It was so cold that once you step your foot on the ground outside the car, you want to go back right away. The bean soup was very delicious, especially in the cold winter. I saw the one and only one wind mill which I saw during my trip in Holland. Delicious Bean soup + Wind Mill The harbor was freezing. There were some memories drawings about a bomb accident happened in a disco here some years ago. Jan bought some herrings home, and we had fish at dinner at night. Herrings + at the cold harbour

X'mas puzzle

ICQ with P and I today. They both asked if I've received the Xmas cards. Then I read from P's diary: "食完飯一齊去揀christmas card俾Angie, 走黎走去之後買左副吉既puzzle, 每人畫左d 野再拎六粒分別寄俾Angie~ 很好的idea, 佢收到一定好攪笑~" I simply hope I find these cards in my sooooooo unreliable mail box when I return to Tuebingen.

Day 8 in Bronkhorst & Arnhem

Wilma drove me to the Charles Dickens Museum in Bronkhorst. There was a ferry for a less than 10m wide river. The ferry at river Isle and Charles Dickens Museum Then we took the train to Arnhem. We went shopping at a Chinese store, and I prepared some Chinese food that night. But I cooked too much dessert, which was able to invite 3 neighboring households. :p A traditional musical instrument + Chinese dinner

Day 7 in Amsterdam

My host family drove me to Amsterdam today. We parked at the Arena and then took the Metro to the city centre. Saw the centraal station, had lunch in KFC (found back the taste of the lost KFC chicken wings in Seattle!!), passed by the Dam's square, the Royal Palace, the famous street for shopping (but I've forgotten its name). It was dammmn cold. We had the canal tour, then had a coffee inside a Brown cafe, but my DC is out of battery again and again. Cenraal station and "boat home" in Princess canal(?) At early evening, we visited the Chinese temple in China town, the red light district. Not to be demeaning, but sometimes you just don't understand why it looks like anyone can rent a room there. Do they really earn? Had dinner in a "real Chinese" restaurant. My "step-father" always makes the joke: "Chinese are good at washing dishes", but I can't wash the dishes at home, because most Holland families have a dish-washing machine. :p Wooden shoe and Red light district Coffin shop and "Girls in windows" are legal in this international city with tall modern buildings. On the one hand, you feel the freedom; on the other hand, isn't it a bit chaotic? Zurich is a bit boring, but you feel a kind of serenity.

Day 6 in Apeldoorn

Visited the Paleis in Apeldoorn. But it would probably be better if we visit it in summer. Saw the wedding dress of the "Queen of the poor" from Argentina. Nationality is still a big problem in a royal family (actually I didn't know there is a Queen in Holland). :p Paleis

Day 5 in Zutphen (riding club)

Tonight we went to the riding club in Zutphen. I was told they made a carriage ride in groups this afternoon. But it was sooooooooo cold. People here do smoke alot, now I understand. My host family doesn't smoke is actually an exception. We had "real-Dutch" food for winter. Something like smashed potatoes, was traditional for farmers after a exhausting work-out in winter. Riding club and "real dutch" food :p

Day 4 in Brummen (X'mas)

Today was only about eating. We had a "Brunch" i.e. Breakfast + lunch. It is about different kinds of breads. Dutch have a special bread for X'mas, which is also available in Germany. Then, I told my "step father" about the story of a long long table full of bread in a hotel. So, this is expected in Europe. :p Brunch (Breakfast + lunch) and Gourmet. Lecker~!! :D For dinner, we had "Gourmet". I was told this is a French stuff. Then, I asked my French netpal if they have Dutch food for X'mas dinner. Nope, they didn't. :p It is like BBQ with special cooking utensils.

Day 3 in Zutphen and Brummen (X'mas eve)

J brought me to a carriage ride this morning. I also tried how to control it, but definitely I'm not yet ready for the HK Jockey Club. Then they drove me to Zutphen, there we had fish (name forgotten), Haring (the famous Dutch test), and "spring rows" for lunch. It was a nice small town. Carriage ride and Haring in Zutphen Their son, also J, came back home for the X'mas eve. The have very nice X'mas decorations for the living room and the dinner table. The host family and the X'mas eve dinner After dinner, we received the X'mas gifts from the Santa Claus. So, here I made my first mistake, I haven't brought a gift for them. But they are so smart, so each of us still received 3 gifts from "each other" :p. They also showed me another "real Dutch test" called the "Drop" test, which is a candy only available for sale in Holland, and trust me, this is not a product for export. :p Then, J's friend came and they went for beer. One of his friends told about visiting his Grandma early tomorrow. A European X'mas is 95% comparable to the Chinese New Year. :p My X'mas gift and the Drop "candy" :p

Day 2 in Brummen

So, this morning I woke up in the house of my Dutch netpal. They live in a small village of 400 people. Before I came here, I didn't even know where this place is. I was told to go to a German train station near the Dutch border, and my netpal would drive a car to pick me up. But don't ask me why, I'm comfortable to do something crazy(?) like this... although I did ask somebody for an emergency email to my family JUST in case I disappear from this world. Typical Dutch landscape and the car washing station I was with them to wash the car and to the supermarket. I visited my first ALDI not in Germany, but in Holland :p The Dutch language is quite similar to German with a French influence, so sometimes I can also understand a little bit. :p

Day 1 in Koeln and Emmerich

Today is the 1st day of my crazy Koeln-Holland adventure. I woke up at 7am and started my journey to Koeln - the 4th biggest city in Germany. My netpal N from Aachen picked me up at the Haupt Bahnhof. My O2 loop reception is always bad, I missed a few calls and I sent an SMS, "I'm at Koeln Hbf. About when will you arrive?". Then, I received an SMS, "I'll be there in 5 minutes...". But he received my SMS some 15 min later outside the Dom. :p Typisch Angie am Dom (with wrong buttons LOL) We visited the Dom, a few X'mas markets and the Schokolade Museum. With my before-trip short preparation, I already known the places in Koeln better than N :p. We tried to find the Halven-hahn, but we couldn't. Mein Netpal im Schokolade Museum und Weihnachtsmarkt We talked a bit about his gf, our studies, our budgeted living in Germany... He left at 3pm, and I walked around the city until 5.30pm and took a train to Emmerich. J was there at the tiny Emmerich station to pick me up, with the 3 kisses greetings. With his audio GPS system, he drove me home and had dinner with W. I was soooo glad that I arrived there safely.

Strasbourg@France (1. mal)

Ai-Ai, Ma, Wan-Chun, me, Yu-Chun + me@square

X'mas market and X'mas lights on a street