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August 24, 2005
The slide
Not yet two, Jacob now has hair gel (courtesy of Oma)and knows how to use it. Running his hand through his hair nonchalantly in the morning he checks himself in the mirror and pronounces his reflection "mooi" before toddling off to the door and announcing that its time go outside.
Posted by Faith at 10:20 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
Reindeer goulash
Posted by Faith at 09:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 21, 2005
Silence
Lapland. Back soon.
Posted by Faith at 07:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 06, 2005
As Dutch as......
The grand scheme for world domination is slowly but surely coming together. In this afternoon's post came the news that I am at last Dutch! Apparently.
As Ron put it so poetically, "at least now we can leave....". To celebrate I went and bought Maria Stahlie's "De Lijfarts". I enjoyed "Sint Juttermis" so much I wanted to read something else of hers although I must admit I hadn't realised that it would be so long. Still, all those endless summer nights in Finnish-Lapland over the next two weeks I should be able to whip through 594 pages in no time. Its probably still shorter than the Wilhelmus, nee?
In this household of three there are now three Netherlanders and two Australians. Globalisation and its pernicious progress through the fabric of society hey?
Posted by Faith at 03:51 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 04, 2005
Reasons to be cheerful Pt 2
Shortly after yesterday's post about my "cheerful dutch" I limped over to our local GP with my most recent case of sinusitis and the intent to demand antibiotics-with-menaces.
Our GP is called Dr Swaan and his partner in the practice is Dr Pelikaan, (thats Swan and Pelican, if you hadn't guessed) which is nice as it gives you something to muse over while waiting in the waiting room. Yesterday however on arrival I was greeted with the news that Dr Swaan was busy on housecalls today and that I would be seen by Dr Vrolijk. I kid you not! (See yesterdays post)
What with her cheerful surname and my cheerful Dutch there was no need for me to trot out my menaces and my sinusitis has been cheerfully resolved.
Posted by Faith at 12:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 03, 2005
Reasons to be cheerful Pt. 1
Dutch is one of those languages where if you don't know a word you can go quite a long way running two english words together and putting 'je' on the end or 'ge' in front, when in doubt do both. And if that doesn't work it will take everyone so long to work out what you were trying to say that you've long since disappeared in a flurry of project plans and font files.
And so we come to 'geconcepteered', or the past tense of having concepted something. Now 'concept' is a noun even in English so its rebirth as a Dutch verb was always going to be a long shot but for several years now it has been accepted by those upon whom I've been inflicted with a reasonable pretence of comprehension. Or something.
More recently however my bluff was called and the ensuing discussion about my "perfect nederlands" (my words) prompted the observation that what I spoke could better be described as "vrolijk nederlands*". Should I charge extra for that?
*cheerful Dutch
Posted by Faith at 08:50 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
August 01, 2005
Kabouter Plop
Some of us are slaving away at work. Meanwhile Jacob is cavorting in the thin and dribbly Dutch sun at Sprookjeswonderland Enkhuizen with the three musketeers.
I'd go to work for nothing to avoid having to take him to these sorts of places. As it is I get paid ludicrous amounts of money and I STILL don't have to take him to places like this. Where's the catch?
Posted by Faith at 09:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack