Getting the hang of it

This is grease cleaner (not anything to do with cleaning pet messes - which is what I'd thought). It was already under the sink when we arrived. Incidentally, a variation of one of the word meaning 'to clean thoroughly' can also mean 'blow job'...

This is the pea soup which I'll have with dinner this evening. Lots of soups come in this envelope packaging rather than a tin can...

These are 'double-white' tulips - one of many vases of flowers throughout our home. Corn starch

Ok, you know what these are :)


Tuna - not sure if this is light or dark - in water or in oil...Alex bought it. I'm sticking with Bumble Bee albacore in spring water!

To market, to market....


Toilet cleaner - and *not* toilet cleaner - can you see where it can be confusing?

Well, I haven't yet mastered the art of taking my own picture - so you'll have to visualize me on my bicycle, complete with bell and basket, wearing a long skirt and boots, pashmina wrapped around my neck "European style" - basket full of bread, cheese and wine (this should be easy!). I've learned to ring my little bell when approaching pedestrians that don't know I'm behind them (a signal for them to GET OUT OF THE WAY). You might be tempted to hum the tune from The Wizard of Oz used whenever you see Mrs. Gulch riding her bike...
It can be a bit hairy with narrow roads and a busy time of day. It is easy to understand how one could get injured fairly easily between the cars, other bicycles, construction, delivery trucks and pedestrians.
After I brought the groceries home, I strapped the bag of paper recycling and empty glass bottles to the bike and wheeled it to the nearby church where one can recycle these items, as well as clothing (which typically gets sent to a neighboring eastern bloc country to be distributed to poor folks there).
And a final note for today - I successfully ordered my lunch in Dutch today. I also used the self-checkout at the market - without leaving the receipt at the bottom of my goods as one needs it to open the exit gate. I think I'm getting the hang of it!

Some things I have learned and/or that you might find interesting:

Ham and cheese (spek and kaas I think), cheese and ham, cheese and cheese, ham and ham... Ham and cheese and pea soup are very traditional Dutch foods. You know, I have trouble finding any chicken (kip) on the menus here - and I have to go the slager (butcher) to get bone-in/skin-on breasts (which is my favorite form of chix) -- there are also supposed to be poeliers (poultry shops) here - but I haven't found one yet. There are a number of broenteboer (greengrocer), bakkerij and kaasspecialist (cheese specialist) shops as well.

Some other tidbits I've discovered -- baking soda is purchased at the apotheek (which is much less busy than CVS as the Dutch doctors tend to prescribe things like hot lemon, aspirin, tea and rest for most ailments :) Your family doctor (huisart), by the way, lives right in your neighborhood - in part because they make housecalls - no kidding. When I phoned a doctor in Wassenaar to register (which 'they' recommend you do as soon as you arrive) - they referred me to the doctor who handles my postcode. His office is about a block away (and is not only in a residential area, but in an actual house).

Another interesting cultural thing is that if you take an evening stroll you can see what folks are doing inside their homes. People leave their curtains open until they go to bed (although not in the bedrooms where they're closed once the lights go on). The Dutch don't feel self-conscious about what goes on behind their front door. The rule is doe maar gewoon, dan doe je gek genoeg - act normal and you will be acting crazy enough. This boils down to modesty - act modestly, live modestly; don't buy expensive cars, don't have airs, decorate your home simply, and "don't do anything I wouldn't do." If you close your curtains, you probably have something to hide. Interesting, huh? I love it because it gives me license to be a peeping Thomasina -- I LOVE looking in people's windows at night.

Note - a product labelled "Vanish!" (pink and blue liquid) is not toilet cleaner - but laudry detergent...:O) Look for the ingredient 'blek' - which is bleach - and pictures on the back of toilets, and maybe a drawing of a duck on the front of the bottle and you'll have the right thing. If you bring a Dutch to English dictionary to the market, you might find what you need (or not) - but without it - you might have to guess at some things...

My last educational note for the day -- the Dutch tend to string together lots of words as one (strippenkart is the ticket strip I use for the bus and tram, kaasspecialist is another example)- although these are short words. For a few things I needed to get my uittreksel bevolkingsregister - the letter that shows I've applied for residency. Life insurance company is - get this - levensverzekeringsmaatschappijen!