Project: Immigration low-lands

It is the blog everyone has been waiting for! Mijn naam is Angelie Linthorst. Ik ben blij, ik hou van Richard en ik woon al twee maanden met zijn familie in Nederland... and only a dutchy what the heck that says!

So.. the low down... Life has been rather different than I was used to (as anyone would imagine). The people I have been associated with are great! The dutch are a unique breed of the human species... nonetheless they remain a GREAT crowd of Cloggies. Now... really... the first few weeks the weather was horribly cold (as I know it was in the states as well), but the past couple weeks have been really nice. The rain pays off (if anyone is from Oregon you know this simple fact well)!! The beginning of my days had been spent trying to get my bearings by studying the language, sporting, basic daily routines with the family, and evenings and weekends out with Richard and friends.... of course I am still getting the hang of things, but just this last month we got the keys to our flat and the last couple weeks have begun working in it.


I also started my new job in the hottest spot of the Rotterdam red-light district.... it turns out that these euro-folk like American things more than they let up to! (I sell chocolate... get your minds out of the gutter!)

It has been great to spend so much time with Richard and get to know him better in normal life situations. He is AWESOME and we have a lot of fun and are learning a lot about eachother. His family is amazing and they have taken me in like their own and they are a very open and unashamed group. They have never shown hesitation to treat me like a sister, it's GREAT... (and I mean literally holding nothing back... if you are a memeber of my family reading this, I am refering to how we are with eachother in comparrison... nothing to hide) :P

Things are changing and working out for me being able to get a visa here. Thanks to a friend here, I was referred to a family that needs an aupair. I just met with them this week and... money in the bag baby! Now I have to go through the gruling paperwork process, but I begin in June! As soon as I get the verblijfsvergunning (visa) I am legal for a year!

Well... there is a brief overview of what's hittin the fan in HO-land. Here are some pics of some of the events and happenings.

Beginning of the Photos...

A bunch of party animals op het plein. Koninginnedag 2008. This is a holiday that the queen made in celebration of her own birthday. Everyone in Holland has the day off and it is basically a huge party all over the country. Everyone represents with Dutch flags and all manner of orange paraphernalia and heads into A'dam to party it up! SUPER fun. I have never seen such a huge celebration.. the closest I can even imagine is New Years in Time Square. The streets are filled with bands/DJs playing on stands or out of the houses, people selling all sorts of junk, hotdog stands, and patat (french fries usually served with not ketchup, but MAYO... these people love thier mayonnaise.. Frank and Dave, try not to gag over the thought of it). Then in the crowd you get your occational wiff of what at first you wonder who ripped a ronchy one.. but nope, you quickly discover someone has just lit another dooby.... aaaaahhh Amsterdam, there is no place like it.

DJ David Guetta from France was the last performance of the night. It was freaking AWESOME. We were in the front section with plenty of room to dance and hang out.
Radio 538 had tons of popular artist and DJs play all day long on the Museumplein (the big fat square/field bordered by the Rijks and Van Gogh museums... (which I have yet to visit... I KNOW, sorry Erin).
I love this kid!

They were handing out these orange crown/viser things at Amsterdam Central train station (our means of transport considering you would have to be some kind of fool to think you could get there by car this day). Everyone thought it would be a good idea to put all of them on my head. The pressure from it caused a major lack of bloodflow to my brain resulting in this intimate picture with an A'dam tree.

Everystreet in Amsterdam was packed full of people heading toward the center. It was tallied that 500,000 people were in Amsterdam for the celebration and that is not including those that already live in that huge city. Seriously a cool holiday here!
Me, a New Zealander and a gang of dutchies out to dinner at a pizzaria in Amsterdam on Koninginnedag.

Richar and I op een brug in the famous Vondelpark in Amsterdam.

Klimmen. We went climbing with a group and this was actually my first time ever. You could possibly say these are some of the highest points in Holland... if you climb in this gym you might even get to about sea-level!

At this point my (or Jord's) life is in Richard's hands... and that tiny mat on the floor. Keep that rope tight!

Bianca (Richard's sister) and Marcel's wedding.

Beautiful art piece eh? Of course Richard managed to fit the the most important section of the sculpture into this pic.

He is so freaking HOT! SASSY!

Pictures continued.

Moederdag. Mother's day dinner with the family at Sylvia and Bert's home (where I am staying)

Richard and Kilian's verjaardag feest. Barbeque and party for Richard and Kilian's birthdays in April.

A group of the friends who attended the party.

(Left) Kenny grilling while Richard and Jord chat. (Right) One of our best friends, Kilian, showing us his good side.

Kenny and I putting our facial contortion skills to work. Look: Surprized, "It wasn't me", snobby.

This is the Room I am staying in at Sylvia's house. Before I came it was the room where the 3 kids got to sleep together on the weekends as a treat. Luckily for me they were ok with me coming and occupying the room, even Calvin had to think about it first and get back to Syl on it.

Hard at work with my "Learn Dutch Now" interactive CD-ROM. I listen to it, and repeat in the little mic on my aviator headset. Ik hou van het Nederlandse taal!

One bright, perhaps sunny, morning getting ready to head out to the Trimpa course for a run or walk with Elly and Siebe Staal.

Op de pad. This the path we run or walk on (Trimpa course). It is marked 2400 meters long, winds around through some nature, and has fitness station throughout the course of the path for your training pleasure.