- When two of my best blog buddies, Neal Kind and Catalina Blue, host a blog party, I can't stay behind. Especially not if the blog party is about reviewing 2014. I have to say I love 2014. It was a big year for me. I worried a lot about what 2014 was going to be like, but it turned out totally awesome!
It's an early edition of the College Experience this Christmas Eve. However, it wouldn't make any sense to post after Christmas. You see, Germans love Christmas. And since I not only study the German language, but also the German culture, this month was crowded with Christmas activities. Here's a short and sweet picture-filled post on my fourth month in college.
Part of the College Experience is getting your head stuffed with almost useless information. For me, this means I don't just learn German, I also have to learn about the culture and experience it. It's the experiencing part that's fun.
My class organised an excursion to Münster for a measly two college credits. The point of this excursion? See Münster and enjoy the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market). To be honest, I didn't love the city. But I loved the hot chocolate they sold at the Weihnachtsmarkt. Besides, who wouldn't trade a day of school for a day of Christmas shopping?
We saw more Dutch school kids than Germans in Münster, but the Germans we saw at the train station were awesome: they were handing out free advent calenders :) Studying German has its advantages.
A few days after the Christmas excursion we had a Weihnachtsfeier (Christmas celebration) at college with all the freshmen and sophomore (plus one junior and a nine-months old baby from one of my classmates). Everyone had brought food, we played silly games and ate way to much (at least I did). Most of the peoplewere dressed in red and black, some people were wearing Christmassy hats and even the teachers were in an extremely good mood. For once, no one talked about grades and papers :)
So you see, college isn't all about hard work all the time. Sometimes it's about having fun with your friends around. Have yourself an awesome Christmas ;)
It's the most wonderful time of the year, they say. The holidays are just around the corner, there's no school to worry about and life really is a bit more wonderful than on a usual Monday. The city is full of light, music, Christmas trees... and tourists. You can't move an inch around town without bumping headfirst into a group of tourists. They are everywhere, here in Rotterdam, but also in deserted places like Death Valley and the Peruvian Andes. They are driving me crazy with their completely illogical behaviour... They make my blood boil, my fingers twitch...
'But, Envy,' you might say, 'that's just because they are impeding you while you're shopping for Christmas.'
True, they are impeding me. But I hate tourists all year round. Not all of them; some are awesome. Most, however, are downright terrible. Let me illustrate my point by telling about my visit to Colca Canyon, Peru. Fasten your seatbelts, I'm taking you on an imaginary trip with me to Cruz del Condor!
'But, Envy,' you might say, 'that's just because they are impeding you while you're shopping for Christmas.'
True, they are impeding me. But I hate tourists all year round. Not all of them; some are awesome. Most, however, are downright terrible. Let me illustrate my point by telling about my visit to Colca Canyon, Peru. Fasten your seatbelts, I'm taking you on an imaginary trip with me to Cruz del Condor!
A Normal Day At Cruz Del Condor
If you want to see the great condors fly at Colca Canyon, you have to wake up early. Only until noon do the condors fly at Cruz del Condor, only until noon are the winds in the canyon exactly perfect for condors to fly. So we wake up - at 5am. We get into the bus that will bring us from rural town Chivay to Cruz del Condor. Quite frankly, this will only take one hour or so. But when we arrive at the entrance of Colca Canyon, we find ourselves in a gigantic traffic jam. Bus after bus after bus full of tourists... Everyone is trying to get in first. This is the real reason we got up this early: the time-devouring tourist-traffic jam.
After inching our way to Cruz del Condor, the tour guide tells us something about condors. This is actually super interesting if you have the slightest bit of interest in condors. Sadly, most people on the bus don't. They're just here to brag about the fact that they'll have seen condors by the end of the day.
So we learn about condors and are abou to get off the bus. This is what we see.
Tourists are standing so close to the edge of the Canyon that it's a miracle nobody's falling down as we speak. But if we want to see condors, we'll have to get up there with all the others. We dive into the masses. Other tourists are touching us in places we really don't want them to touch us - intentional or not, we'll never know. Body odor is constantly attacking our nostrils and our toes have been crushed a thousand times by the time we get more or less close to the edge of the Canyon. By now you'll probably understand why I hate the creature called 'tourist'.
The tallest people from every busload are standing up front, as always, and I can't see a thing with my meagre 1.67m. I hope you do better, but by now I fear neither one of us will see a condor.
Meanwhile people complain that the condors might fly to fast to take a good picture. As if complaining will slow these animals down. Others, who've brought a camera with a lense the size of the Hubble telescope, laugh at me for having 'just 10 megapixels', while the best picture of a condor they'll take today will look a lot like this.
So we stand there, not even close to the edge of the Canyon, behind a crowd of bored tourists - they've been waiting for a full five minutes and haven't seen a condor yet. How dare those animals not show up within five minutes! Alas, nothing is happening, except for some fat Germans stepping on our toes once again.
Then, all of a sudden, I see a condor. I nudge you and point at it. We admire it in stunned silence - until the rest of the tourists discovers it. The crowd lets out a deafening roar: OMG LOOK IT'S A CONDOR IT'S FLYING OMG A CONDOR I HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE FLYING CONDOR OMG IT'S STILL FLYING WOW IT FLIES IT'S A CONDOR AMAZING.'
The OMG's keep piercing our eardrums; it's almost as if no one ever expected to see a condor at Cruz del Condor. A thousand miniature Hubble telescopes are pointed toward the sky. We hear a thousand pictures being taken and feel the people behind us pushing us as to get closer to the condor. By now the poor animal has probably had a tiny heart attack. It flees behind a rock on the other side of the Canyon and disappears from view.
We have now seen our condor and I don't know about you, but I want to get out of the crowd before we're crushed to death. We slowly make our way bakc to the bus, which is blocked by a group of teenage girls. They won't step aside, because they have spotted a baby condor! Or so they think.
Remember the tour guide telling us all about condors? Well, she also told us you'll never see a baby condor fly by. They are too heavy, their wings can't support them. If they try to fly, they'll die. The average tourist will hear this information and forget it the second they get off the bus. And that's why we see these girls pointing at hummingbirds and calling them 'baby condors'.
Somehow we get back to our seats in the bus and leave the idiocy of the average tourist behind us. We'll go back to Chivay in half an hour. Slowly the other people from our group get back to the bus. Ten seconds before we leave, our tour guide notices one of the women is missing. You take a quick look out of the window and you've found her: she's standing in line for the toilet - along with about 50 other women. And she's not anywhere near the toilet yet.
Since this womam refuses to go back to the bus before she's been to the toilet, we wait. You fall asleep quickly and I also decide to take a nap. When we wake up we're back in Chivay, far away from all the touristy madness at Cruz del Condor. Just the way I like it.
Have I convinced you that tourists aren't awesome at all?
No? Believe me, one day you'll find out for yourself when you get stuck in a crowd of tourists ;)
Yes? Great! Then you'll probably also know what not to do the next time you're being a tourist.
Stay Awesome!
When I wrote my post about being Dutch, I would never have suspected that hagelslag would catch everyone's attention. Making fun of Belgians? Yes, I expected comments on that remark. Also on our national ice-skating obsession. But hagelslag? The chocolate and fruit flavored sprinkles I eat on my bread every day caused a tsunami of questions. How do you eat hagelslag? What do you eat with hagelslag? What kind of bread do you use? Well, people of the internet, fear not, for I shall present you: Envy's Ultimate Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich Tutorial!
Now it's easy: put the hagelslag on the bread. Just as much as you want. If anyone says you're being unhealthy when eating a hagelsag sandwich, just point out that it's a Dutch habit. As far as I know, the Dutch are the tallest people in the world, hagelslag may just be the secret behind our tallness. The only reason to stop pouring hagelslag onto your bread is hagelslag directly falling off the bread.
Getting the Goods
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| The normal hagelslag and the specials |
So you wanna make a hagelslag sandwich? Then you'll have to make one important decision: fruit-flavored or chocolate sprinkles? I presonally recommend the chocolate sprinkles (hence the name 'Envy's Ultimate Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich'), but the fruit-flavored ones are great too.
There are several brands of hagelslag in the Netherlands. Most popular and known are the sprinkles from De Ruijter. They have sprinkles in every shade of chocolate from white to the bitterest black. There's also Venz, who aim more at kids: they often add little chocolate figurines to the mix.
My Mom always buys one of the cheaper and unknown brands. To be honest: they all taste delicious. I can't tell the difference between Venz and hagelslag from the Lidl. She switched brands almost two years ago and I didn't notice until... this very morning. So whatever brand you can get your hands on: it'll taste great!
Make that Sandwich!
The first thing you do is getting yourself a slice of bread. Or a bun. Or a roll. Whatever kind of bread is at hands. There are no restrictions whatsoever when it comes to the type of bread. BUT, and this is a big but, you can never ever EVER toast the bread! Don't even think about doing that!
So we have a normal slice of bread here, the kind most Dutchies eat for breakfast. Next we'll put some butter on it. Without butter the hagelslag will end up everywhere except for inside your mouth, which is exactly the place where you want all those delicious sprinkles to go. So we put butter on the bread. Not too much, 'cause we want to taste chocolate, not butter.
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| Note: there's not supposed to be a hole in your bread like in mine |
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| Because it's almost Christmas we have a special kind of hagelslag today |
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| Cover every inch of that bread! |
You can choose how to eat the sandwich. My Dad just eats it like this. He takes tiny bites and loses quite some hagelsag along the way. I always fold the slice of bread in two and take huge bites. If you decide to eat the sandwich that way, you'll have to eat quick and have a firm grip on the bread; you don't want to be losing your sprinkles now that you can finally start eating!
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| Eat quickly, before the hagelslag escapes! |
Enjoyed your sandwich? Then why not spread a bit of this Dutch awesomeness by introducing your friends to the deliciousness of hagelslag? Whatever you do: Stay Awsome, Awesome like a Dutchman!
It's 2014. I'm at home, watching tv with my parents. The Christmas tree is full of ornaments and lights, presents lie around it, waiting for us to unwrap them. Everything is fine, everything will stay fine and we'll celebrate Christmas this way for many, many years.
December 1914. Another time, another place. It's cold in the trenches, bombs are falling everywhere and the Christmas spirit won't come to Europe this year. The soldiers on both fronts thought they'd be home by now. They thought the Great War would be fun and brief. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Back home their families wait for them, knowing they won't see their brothers, fathers and sons home this Christmas. Or next Christmas. Maybe theyear after that. Maybe not until Christmas 1918. Probably they'll never see them again...
The First World War fascinates me. It's the war that changed the essence of war itself. The Netherlands were completely neutral during this war, but less than 100km to the South, the Belgians were having a rough time. The Western front was very close the the town of Ypres. At the end of the war, there was very little left of this place.
Since it's exactly 100 years ago that the First World War started, I wanted to go to Ypres, where the fallen soldiers of this war are remembered every single day. I wanted to witness this ritual, and when I finally did, I was overwhelmed by the raw reality of the scars that WW I left on the face of Western Europe.
From Envy's Make it Happen List
#22: Witness "The Last Post" in Ypres, Belgium
Status: Awesomeness Achieved
I went to Ypres in October with my parents. We arrived there on a beautiful Autumn day. It was strange to see how peaceful the place is now, considering the tragedies that took place there just a century ago.
We went to the Menenpoort. This gate doesn't look very special on the outside. The inside, however, is covered with over 50.000 names of fallen soldiers whose bodies were never found. It's here, within the walls of this gat, that "The Last Post" ceremony takes place every night.
I read some of the names written on the inside of the gate. The lists were endless. The soldiers came from all over the world. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium of course...
I couldn't imagine how many people's bodies were never found.
There were Fishers there too. I'm probably not related to any of them, but suddenly the First World War came very, very close.
That night my parents and I joined the gigantic mass that went to the Menepoort for the Ceremony. Even though we came early the gate was almost too crowded to get in. I sneaked in somehow, wriggled my way towards the middle of the mass. We stood there, packed together so tightly that I couldn't see a thing. Then the sound of a single trumpet pierced the skies and everyone became quiet.
December 1914. Another time, another place. It's cold in the trenches, bombs are falling everywhere and the Christmas spirit won't come to Europe this year. The soldiers on both fronts thought they'd be home by now. They thought the Great War would be fun and brief. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Back home their families wait for them, knowing they won't see their brothers, fathers and sons home this Christmas. Or next Christmas. Maybe theyear after that. Maybe not until Christmas 1918. Probably they'll never see them again...
The First World War fascinates me. It's the war that changed the essence of war itself. The Netherlands were completely neutral during this war, but less than 100km to the South, the Belgians were having a rough time. The Western front was very close the the town of Ypres. At the end of the war, there was very little left of this place.
Since it's exactly 100 years ago that the First World War started, I wanted to go to Ypres, where the fallen soldiers of this war are remembered every single day. I wanted to witness this ritual, and when I finally did, I was overwhelmed by the raw reality of the scars that WW I left on the face of Western Europe.
From Envy's Make it Happen List
#22: Witness "The Last Post" in Ypres, Belgium
Status: Awesomeness Achieved
I went to Ypres in October with my parents. We arrived there on a beautiful Autumn day. It was strange to see how peaceful the place is now, considering the tragedies that took place there just a century ago.
We went to the Menenpoort. This gate doesn't look very special on the outside. The inside, however, is covered with over 50.000 names of fallen soldiers whose bodies were never found. It's here, within the walls of this gat, that "The Last Post" ceremony takes place every night.
I couldn't imagine how many people's bodies were never found.
There were Fishers there too. I'm probably not related to any of them, but suddenly the First World War came very, very close.
That night my parents and I joined the gigantic mass that went to the Menepoort for the Ceremony. Even though we came early the gate was almost too crowded to get in. I sneaked in somehow, wriggled my way towards the middle of the mass. We stood there, packed together so tightly that I couldn't see a thing. Then the sound of a single trumpet pierced the skies and everyone became quiet.
Many people snapped away with their cameras during the entire ceremony. I didn't. I listened to the trumpets, read the names written on the walls. And then it happened. Call me crazy, but...
I had goosebumps all over my body when I closed my eyes for a second. It was like all those soldiers whose names were written on the walls marched through the Menenpoort. The feeling didn't subside until the trumpet stopped blaring. Children put poppies down beneath one of the lists with names. Then the trumpet started again, and all those dead soldiers marched out of the city again. It was a warm night, but I was chilled to the bone as the moments went by while I couldn't help but feel the presence of the fallen...
Never forget the ones who died for your freedom. Respect them, honour them, like they do in Ypres. It's the least you can do to stay awesome.
I've done a lot of tags lately. In my opinion a little too many. After all, this is one of those blogs with random writings that doesn't fit into any of the common blogging categories. So today I'm not doing a tag, I'm not telling more about myself, no, I'm showcasing one of my poems again.
Last month I got positive feedback on something rather long. This month will be different. I wrote this after meeting one of my old friends at the bus stop. From that moment on, I prayed every Tuesday that I'd see him again at the bus stop. Then my timetable changed and... the odds weren't in our favour anymore.
*Note: the poem is inspired by real life, but not autobiographical.
Last month I got positive feedback on something rather long. This month will be different. I wrote this after meeting one of my old friends at the bus stop. From that moment on, I prayed every Tuesday that I'd see him again at the bus stop. Then my timetable changed and... the odds weren't in our favour anymore.
*Note: the poem is inspired by real life, but not autobiographical.
Will you meet me at the bus stop?
A pretentious poem by Envy Fisher
When I met you at the bus stop
It took me a split second
In the blink of an eye
I'd fallen in love with you
Long before the bus arrived
When I met you at the bus stop
I needed no one to tell me
That something between us wasn't right
Still I told you I loved you
Long before the bus arrived
When I met you at the bus stop
I couldn't accept it was over
Until you said your last goodbye
You left me there, heart-broken
Long before the bus arrived
When I didn't meet you at the bus stop
I just sat there and waited
Did nothing but cry
Whispered: 'I miss you'
Long before the bus arrived
Will you meet me at the bus stop?
It won't take long, a minute
Certainly no more than five
We'll talk it through, I promise
Long before the bus arrives
What public transportation can inspire...
I hoped you enjoyed reading this. If you did, I may be posting more of this stuff this month.
Stay Awesome!
I was very exctied to see that I was tagged for this one. Most of the time I feel like tags force you to answer awkward questions, but the quality of these things have gone up a lot over the past few months :) The Handwriting Tag is something I'd never expected to find on the internet, where looking at a video of a sleeping cat isactually more important than being able to spell the word 'cat'.
Anyway, I was tagged and had to write my questions by hand. Not a very big problem, except for the fact that I write in three different styles. The first one is the one I use when taking notes in class: totally illegible to anyone but me. Then there's the one I use for writing down ideas and quick notes to my Mom. According to her, this is almost as illegible as the first one.
And then there's the handwriting you see on my tests and in my blogging notebook. Straight, clear and totally decipherable! That's the one I'll be showing you in my Handwriting Tag :)
Stay Awesome!
Anyway, I was tagged and had to write my questions by hand. Not a very big problem, except for the fact that I write in three different styles. The first one is the one I use when taking notes in class: totally illegible to anyone but me. Then there's the one I use for writing down ideas and quick notes to my Mom. According to her, this is almost as illegible as the first one.
And then there's the handwriting you see on my tests and in my blogging notebook. Straight, clear and totally decipherable! That's the one I'll be showing you in my Handwriting Tag :)
Stay Awesome!
Tonight there'll be a knock on the door of many Dutch houses. Thousands of kids will run to the door to find a big bag full of presents, left there by Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten.
For most people with little kids, Sinterklaas is an annual tradition, like Santa Claus in the States. I'm the youngest in my family and haven't celebrated Sinterklaas in over ten years. Still I look forward to this national holiday every year. When Sinterklaas comes to the country, he brings loads of food with him. Chocolate letters (I still get a chocolate E every year) and my personal favorite: kruidnoten!
Kruidnoten are basically pieces of speculaas. They are delicious. Literally translated their name would be 'spice nuts', which does not sounds delicous, but they really are!
According to the whole Sinterklaas saga, Zwarte Piet leaves kruidnoten in the shoes and nooks and crannies of the houses of children who have been nice all year. But when you're too old for Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet to come to your house, you'll have to buy them. Or you could bake them yourself!
It's easy. Very easy. Even I can do it, and I caused a black-out while baking cupcakes a year ago. You don't need much. And it's freaking delicious! Bring a little bit of the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition into your home this winter with this recipe!
You'll need:
You're gonna:
Stay Awesome!
For most people with little kids, Sinterklaas is an annual tradition, like Santa Claus in the States. I'm the youngest in my family and haven't celebrated Sinterklaas in over ten years. Still I look forward to this national holiday every year. When Sinterklaas comes to the country, he brings loads of food with him. Chocolate letters (I still get a chocolate E every year) and my personal favorite: kruidnoten!
Kruidnoten are basically pieces of speculaas. They are delicious. Literally translated their name would be 'spice nuts', which does not sounds delicous, but they really are!
According to the whole Sinterklaas saga, Zwarte Piet leaves kruidnoten in the shoes and nooks and crannies of the houses of children who have been nice all year. But when you're too old for Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet to come to your house, you'll have to buy them. Or you could bake them yourself!
It's easy. Very easy. Even I can do it, and I caused a black-out while baking cupcakes a year ago. You don't need much. And it's freaking delicious! Bring a little bit of the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition into your home this winter with this recipe!
You'll need:
- 250 grams of self raising flour
- 125 grams of brown sugar
- 100 grams of cream butter
- 50 milliliters of milk
- a pinch of salt
- 1.5 table spoons of speculaas spices
You're gonna:
- preheat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius.
- mix de butter until it's not one massive lump anymore. You've gotta mix it with the other ingredients, so make that stuff soft!
- use your hands! Add everything with the butter in a bowl and mix it until it's well mixed. Start out using the mixer (use those swirly things you use for making bread - my dictionary doesn't know the right word, neither does Google). After a while the mixer will have trouble kneading this dough, so continue by hand - which is much more fun anyway :)
- make tiny balls out of this dough. Put these on top of greaseproof paper on a baking try
- squish those balls! They have to be a bit like a dome before you put them in the oven, the shape they are in the pic below (though these have seen the heat of an oven already)
- put these things in the oven for 15 minutes, wait five more minutes for them to cool and...
- EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT
Stay Awesome!
As the rest of the blogosphere did what it usually does, I had serious trouble juggling my blogging career, my college career, social life (okay, maybe not that one, I quit being social the minute I discovered the internet) and athletics. College was all fun and games until the dreaded midterms/finals came up...
This year is divided in four parts. Each part is called a 'block'. There's eight weeks to a block. And a week full of tests and exams at the end of each block. It's actually a lot like my senior year in high school. However, I had no idea what to expect this time. Probably 20 German sentences for Syntax. A mere 1500 German words for Sprachtraining. A letter about my every day life for the same course. Oral examination for Spracherwerb. The theory behind teaching kids to read German texts for Fachdidaktik. And the worst one: Oh yes, 40 multiple choice questions on adolescent psychology and its effect on education for Preparing For Internship. I was very sure this week would mark the end of my college career.
Everyone, yes everyone, was totally freaking out. People stayed up all night to study. Then picked up their phones, neglected their books and complained that they had to study all night. People were telling eachother horror stories about how difficult it all was. About how they had no idea how to learn for every course at the same time.
I started to panick. It didn't help that G. had told me that I had to pass Preparing For Internship (PFI as we call it). Didn't pass PFI? Bad luck, not internship for you!
I went crazy. I dropped everything. I neglected my blog, I had tons of posts in mind that I couldn't write, I couldn't promote my blog or contest as much as I would've liked... It's was a rough month. The college experience became one big torture...
Now, two weeks later, I've got most results back. I passed PFI with 8.8 out of 10 points. Syntax with 9 out of 10. Fachdidaktik with 10 out of 10!
I passed all my exams with outstanding results. But I'm still not very happy. I've done too much this month. I have to slow down, reconsider my schedule and probably take a step back. College has my highest priority at the moment and I'm simply doing too much in my scarce free minutes.
What does that mean for Picking up the Pieces? Probably not very much. I'll find a way to keep posting as much as possible. I'm announcing the winner of my contest this Wednesday and I have two very Dutch posts prepared for you!
My sense of humor has more or less disappeared since I started thinking about what to write for this months College Experience post. Alas, I can't make it any more beautiful than it is at the moment. I'll do whatever it takes to keep on blogging! But if I disappear for a while, send a rescue team this way: I'll probably be buried under land slide of homework!
This year is divided in four parts. Each part is called a 'block'. There's eight weeks to a block. And a week full of tests and exams at the end of each block. It's actually a lot like my senior year in high school. However, I had no idea what to expect this time. Probably 20 German sentences for Syntax. A mere 1500 German words for Sprachtraining. A letter about my every day life for the same course. Oral examination for Spracherwerb. The theory behind teaching kids to read German texts for Fachdidaktik. And the worst one: Oh yes, 40 multiple choice questions on adolescent psychology and its effect on education for Preparing For Internship. I was very sure this week would mark the end of my college career.
Everyone, yes everyone, was totally freaking out. People stayed up all night to study. Then picked up their phones, neglected their books and complained that they had to study all night. People were telling eachother horror stories about how difficult it all was. About how they had no idea how to learn for every course at the same time.
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| Well, turning your phone of would help |
I went crazy. I dropped everything. I neglected my blog, I had tons of posts in mind that I couldn't write, I couldn't promote my blog or contest as much as I would've liked... It's was a rough month. The college experience became one big torture...
Now, two weeks later, I've got most results back. I passed PFI with 8.8 out of 10 points. Syntax with 9 out of 10. Fachdidaktik with 10 out of 10!
I passed all my exams with outstanding results. But I'm still not very happy. I've done too much this month. I have to slow down, reconsider my schedule and probably take a step back. College has my highest priority at the moment and I'm simply doing too much in my scarce free minutes.
What does that mean for Picking up the Pieces? Probably not very much. I'll find a way to keep posting as much as possible. I'm announcing the winner of my contest this Wednesday and I have two very Dutch posts prepared for you!
My sense of humor has more or less disappeared since I started thinking about what to write for this months College Experience post. Alas, I can't make it any more beautiful than it is at the moment. I'll do whatever it takes to keep on blogging! But if I disappear for a while, send a rescue team this way: I'll probably be buried under land slide of homework!
Did I just miss my own blogoversary?
Yes. Yes I did. On November 28th in the not-so-distant past of 2012, I wrote my first very sad, very depressing post here at Picking up the Pieces. On November 28th of this amazing year, I was in Germany. Apparently the Germans aren't a big fan of free wifi...
I decided to celebrate today, keeping things short and sweet with a cupcake and this Thank You post.
Yes. Yes I did. On November 28th in the not-so-distant past of 2012, I wrote my first very sad, very depressing post here at Picking up the Pieces. On November 28th of this amazing year, I was in Germany. Apparently the Germans aren't a big fan of free wifi...
I decided to celebrate today, keeping things short and sweet with a cupcake and this Thank You post.
Two years ago, I was in a bad place. Blogging helped me to get out of there. I just wrote every random thought down. And I really mean every random thought. If you want a good laugh, go back to the earliest post you can find. It's terrible XD
To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing at the time. I had been watching Awkward on MTV and thought: I can do that too! It didn't take me a lot of effort to write about my life. But after a while I had to face the fact that my life wasn't that interesting. When all my friends graduated and I was left behind in high school the trouble started for Picking up the Pieces. Apart from my not-so-interesting conversations with friends and odd feeling I had for them, there was nothing I could write about. Without said friends and said feelings, I felt like giving up...
It took me a full year to figure out what to do with this blog. In May of this year, after I graduated, everything clicked. I wrote about how I was turning into a hipster. I wrote about the trouble fandoms have been giving me. I wrote about my Make it Happen List. To my own surprise people liked these posts. To my even greater surprise I found myself laughing out loud while writing some of these posts. Picking up the Pieces was no longer an online diary. It became what it is today: a place full of my random thoughts, hopes and dreams.
Lately things have been turning out great. I'm doing well in college, I'm making new friends, but best of all: people appreciate what I'm doing. My Dad has become the biggest Picking up the Pieces fan (after Catalina Blue) and celebrates every new follower with a victory dance, while my Mom says: YAY. It's fun. Life's fun.
Two years ago I felt like I needed to get my life on track. I think I'm well on my way. I picked up the pieces, put them in a blender and this came out. Random people are following me. People are commenting. I am part of a great blogging community. I'm making friends all over the world. I love what I'm doing and I'm not done blogging yet. People of the Internet, beware: Envy's here to stay!
Stay Awesome and have a cupcake for my blogoversary!
At some point in our life, we all have to stop being egoistic and demanding jerks and be grateful for what we already have. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but we don't celebrate that in the Netherlands. But what if we all have a turkey sandwich and read a post about what I'm grateful for? I've already got the Grateful Blogger Tag, thanks to Catalina Blue from the emo wolverine writes, I'm fixing myself a turkey sandwich and... let's go!
Reaching 50 would be amazing, but I'm grateful for reaching 45. It's not a whole lot, but if you'd told me two months ago that I'd have 45 followers before the end of the year, I would have laughed at you.
Rules:
- Thank the person who nominated you, they will surely appreciate it! Also, leave a link back to the person who nominated you.
- Write about ten things you are grateful for. Here is the tricky part though; you can't just say you are grateful for gum or video games or whatever "little" thing it is you want to discuss. Think deeply about what is really important to you, such as family, or life itself. Explain why you are thankful for those things.
- Tag ten bloggers; our goal is to tag everyone!! Comment on the blogs you nominate so they will know that they were tagged!
- Add the pic above to your sidebard or award page, thanking the person (or people) who tagged you.
#1
The first thing I'm grateful for is the way I've grown over the past few months. When old high school friends see me now, they see a totally different Envy than they used to see. I'm a long way from being the strong and confident girl I want to be, but I know how to act confident. There are days, seldom though they are, when I am not insecure at all. I just go with the flow and see where I end up. It's working out fine so far and I've really overcome some personal fears and phobias. I'm a better person now than I was a year ago.
#2
I'm also grateful for the friends I've made over the past years. We're drifting more and more apart now, but they are still there for me when I need them, just one phone call away. I've also made a lot of new friends since I started college and one old friend... Let's just say G. and I have become a lot closer since we're going to the same college, both studying to become teachers. It's crazy how much fun we can have with bad puns based on our most important study book, the Manual for Teachers.
#3
Speaking of college, I'm super grateful for more or less landing an internship! Internships are a huge part of my curriculum. A friend of mine had place for an extra intern at her intern-school, so now we're both doing an internship teaching German at a high school in Rotterdam!
#4
What else? Well, I'm grateful to be here at Picking up the Pieces, sharing too much information with all you guys. Blogging has become an important part of my life. I'm glad I am able to do this. I can't really explain how much blogging means to me. Just take my word that it is very very very important!
#5
When it comes to blogging, I'm also grateful for all my 45 GFC followers! You are amazing! Every time I see someone new following me I do this utterly ridiculous victory dance. Lately my Dad joins me in these dances and he likes this so much that he wants me to reach 50 GFC followers as soon as possible. He even made a bet on how long it would take me XDReaching 50 would be amazing, but I'm grateful for reaching 45. It's not a whole lot, but if you'd told me two months ago that I'd have 45 followers before the end of the year, I would have laughed at you.
#6
Another thing I'm grateful for is being part of the Teenage Blogger Central team. I'm a greeter there and I come up with ideas for guest posts every now and then. It makes me feel useful and I like to see the community grow. If you're a teenage blogger, head over to Teenage Blogger Central and join our community! We're so freaking awesome, you don't want to miss our amazingness!
#7
It may sound cheesy, but I'm also very grateful for having parents as great as mine. They've shown me a lot of the world before I turned eighteen. They've supported me in my darkest hours. They love the fact that I'm blogging. They're proud of me for not giving up on my dream of becoming a writer. They're very sweet for thinking that 45 followers is a whole lot these days.
They're amazing and I wouldn't know where I'd be without them.
#8
The last thing I can think of that I'm truly grateful for at this very moment is the scholarship I get from the Dutch government. Every month I get some money so I can go to college. I'm very happy with this money, because money would've been too tight to mention if I would've been denied this scholarship. Now I can go to college without being a gigantic financial burden on my parents and I am very grateful for that. Sometimes I even have a little money left at the end of the month. Most of the time I have to get it from the sparce clicks on the ad in my sidebar though, but that's okay. At least my parents won't have to change their way of living just because I wanted to go to college!
Naming ten things is very difficult. I'll leave it at eight for tonight. I'm quite sure that I'll come up with two more things as soon as I close my laptop, just like I always knew the answers to the hard questions on my math tests three hours after handing it in.
Tagging people? Oh right, almost forgot about that part. Let's see... I won't be able to do ten in this department either, since most bloggers in my part of the blogosphere have already been tagged.
Anyways, I'm tagging these awesome bloggers!
Riley @Smiles No Matter
Kathie K @A Sea Change
Jenna @Sparkly Kid
Holly @Inky Quill and Paper
A Girl without a Name @Sunsets and Sundays
Ruya Preetika @Waking Moments
Stay Awesome!
I've never made an FAQ page on my blog, for the simple reason that very few people ask me questions. But if someone does ask me a question, it's always this one: 'Are you really Dutch?'
Yes, of course I am! Why would I lie about that? And what else do you expect me to be? I'm a full blood Dutchy and proud of it too!
Sometimes though, I wonder why people keep asking me this. Is it because they're jealous? Probably, because, let's face it, guys, the thing about being Dutch is... it's pretty freaking amazing!
Being Dutch is all about cycling everywhere - without a helmet of course. Through wind, rain and snow the Dutch cycle to their homes, schools and work - without giving a single F-bomb about such a thing as traffic signs, cars, cats and other cyclists. Survival of the fittest! We cyclists are the kings of the roads!
And ice-skating, is that part of being Dutch? Let me tell you: it definitely is! Whether it's just watching a 10k race between Sven Kramer and Jorrit Bergsma or going ice-skating yourself, it's all part of being Dutch. -2 degrees outside? Get those skates ready, it's going to be a great winter!
Being Dutch means eating hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) on your bread. Who says sprinkles are only for birthday cakes?! Whoever said that, they were defenitely not Dutch!
Being Dutch is also about not being Danish. And not being German either.
'I'm Dutch.'
'So, you're from Germany?'
'No man, I'm Dutch, not German!'
'Oh, from Denmark.'
Dear people of the rest of the world, buy a map and learn English!
Being Dutch means learning a ton of languages, so we can annoy at least half of the population of planet Earth our nonsense. French, German, English, you name it. And who learns Dutch? That's right, no one! Our language is way too exclusive for others to learn (and most of you can't make the spitting and gurgling noise we call a 'G')!
Big part of being Dutch is making fun of the Belgians. You don't want to know how many jokes we have about those 'dumb Belgians'. But at the end of the day, we all love the Belgians to bits (the Dutch speaking Belgians of course) and root for them in sports competitions (but only if the Dutch aren't competing)!
But mostly, being Dutch is about secretly loving our stereotype. Because we all eat loads of cheese. Even I have walked on wooden shoes when I was a kid. Mills are scattered around the countryside. And those beautiful tulips? I plant them in my garden every spring.
Yes, I am Dutch. I am lifethreatening as soon as I start cycling. I obsess over the weather forecast every winter. I watch every ice-skating match. I eat sprinkles at breakfast. I'm not from Germany or Denmark, I'm Dutch! I speak your language or will try to learn it, even though you'll never learn mine. I make bad jokes about Belgians and I secretly do the most stereotypical things. But you know what, I'm freaking proud of that. We're a crazy country with crazy habits - but that's what makes being Dutch so awesome. I am proud to be Dutch and the whole world may know that!
Stay Awesome!
Yes, of course I am! Why would I lie about that? And what else do you expect me to be? I'm a full blood Dutchy and proud of it too!
Sometimes though, I wonder why people keep asking me this. Is it because they're jealous? Probably, because, let's face it, guys, the thing about being Dutch is... it's pretty freaking amazing!
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And ice-skating, is that part of being Dutch? Let me tell you: it definitely is! Whether it's just watching a 10k race between Sven Kramer and Jorrit Bergsma or going ice-skating yourself, it's all part of being Dutch. -2 degrees outside? Get those skates ready, it's going to be a great winter!
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'I'm Dutch.'
'So, you're from Germany?'
'No man, I'm Dutch, not German!'
'Oh, from Denmark.'
Dear people of the rest of the world, buy a map and learn English!
Being Dutch means learning a ton of languages, so we can annoy at least half of the population of planet Earth our nonsense. French, German, English, you name it. And who learns Dutch? That's right, no one! Our language is way too exclusive for others to learn (and most of you can't make the spitting and gurgling noise we call a 'G')!
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| Only the Swedes can beat us at this game! |
But mostly, being Dutch is about secretly loving our stereotype. Because we all eat loads of cheese. Even I have walked on wooden shoes when I was a kid. Mills are scattered around the countryside. And those beautiful tulips? I plant them in my garden every spring.
Yes, I am Dutch. I am lifethreatening as soon as I start cycling. I obsess over the weather forecast every winter. I watch every ice-skating match. I eat sprinkles at breakfast. I'm not from Germany or Denmark, I'm Dutch! I speak your language or will try to learn it, even though you'll never learn mine. I make bad jokes about Belgians and I secretly do the most stereotypical things. But you know what, I'm freaking proud of that. We're a crazy country with crazy habits - but that's what makes being Dutch so awesome. I am proud to be Dutch and the whole world may know that!
Stay Awesome!
November is my blogoversary month, so I thought it'd be a good idea to do some new things in my own little corner of the internet. I already have a contest open for entries right here. A little while later, Holly from Inky Quill and Paper sent me a lovely e mail and asked if I was interested in doing a guest post swap. This was an offer I couldn't refuse! So hereby I present you the very first guest post ever here at Picking up the Pieces, written by the amazing Holly!
Hi guys! It's Holly from Inky Quill and Paper here! These a lot of 'What if's' in the world. From that 'what if I had brought that dress' or 'what if I had the confidence to talk to that person on the train', everyone every single day thinks about what could have happened if something had or hadn't happen. Would my life have changed so much more than it is now? Would my relationships with other people be different now?
My big 'what if' in life is what would happened if I hadn't got into youtubers and the whole youtube video culture. Back when I was a few years younger, I wasn't involved in anything internet orientated. I had grown up a small, village primary school which didn't really make me interested into the whole internet based world. Once I reached secondary school, the internet hit me like a brick. There was MySpace and Skype and Facebook which people in my year already used regularly. I wasn't used to that whole world and I really didn't know how to work it.
Youtube was one of the last things that I got into. I didn't originally understand the whole concept of video watching but then I started to watch music videos which moved onto viral videos on the 'popular' homepage of Youtube and then onto short films. Short films moved to vlog channels such as Jenna Marbles and Joey Graceffa. Joey later introduced me to the british youtube group and their videos.
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| Via |
Youtube was one of the first place that I became properly aware of the blog world, also. I started to watch people like Zoella and SprinkleofGlitter in 2012/13 and often on their channels, they spoke about their blogs. This interested me and intrigued me quite a lot. What was this blogging concept? How do you find blogs? What do blogger do and write about all the time? Then, in the summer 2013, I researched into the whole blogging idea and started not only a blog but a youtube channel. Neither lasted very long but it gave me fresh new concepts of the internet world and taught me a lot about the whole blogging and vlogging world.
I continued my interest in the whole blog and youtube world over the next year. I then became ill and wanted something to do with my life so I was able to communicate with people every day without putting pressure on myself mentally and physically. A blog opened those doors and this was how Inky Quill and Paper was created and remained. Youtube opened a lot of doors for me and if it had never caught my interest, I think I would have really struggled this year. It's given me a chance to expand and express how I feel about things.
See ya on the flip side (or on my blog over at inkyquillandpaper.
Holly x
Want to do a guest post or swap posts too? Contact me with your idea!
Stay Awesome!
Want to do a guest post or swap posts too? Contact me with your idea!
Stay Awesome!
Ever since the Black and White Photo and Writing Contest I've been writing and taking pictures and editing stuff. I love writing poetry just as much as I love writing a novel. The thing is: with a novel I know when my writing is bad. With poetry I don't. But I decided to take a leap of faith and start publishing some poetry here every month. I hope you can relate to some of the things I'll be posting over the next couple of months.
Sometimes doubt creeps up on me
When I think I've done something wrong
Will people look down on me
For something that I've done?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Greed?
When I see my pay check
And think of how much I still need?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Pride?
When I walk around after winning a contest
With a smile I just can't hide?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Envy?
When I cringe as my friend kisses his girlfriend
Right next to me?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Lust?
When I hold his hand in the streets
Do you only see a slutty crust?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Gluttony?
When I see an almost empty package
And decide to eat the last cookie?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Sloth?
When I take a break after midterms
And do nothing instead of a lot?
Am I a bad person?
Do I display Wrath?
When injustice is done to a friend
Who's never done anything bad?
I look at myself
And see what they can't see
I see the reason why I do what I do
A bad person? That's not me
I am not a bad person
Greed? I'm just thinking about
My uncles in PA whom I promised to visit
But with this little money I can't help but doubt
I am not a bad person
Pride? I've finally found some confidence!
Now that I've found it I want to show it
Doesn't that make sense?
I am not a bad person
Envy? I just show that I care
Because I worry that she'll dump him
Right then and there
I am not a bad person
Lust? I just need to hold on tight
When I'm afraid I'll lose him
Who brought the light in my life
I am not a bad person
Gluttony? I just appreciate my food
And if no one wants that last stale cookie
It doesn't mean it's not good
I am not a bad person
Sloth? We all need a break
So we have time for ourselves and talk to others
Over a cup of tea and a piece of cake
I am not a bad person
Wrath? If the wrong thing to do
Is standing up for your loved once
I think the real problem here is you!
It's long. It's far from perfect. But I enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoyed reading.
Stay Awesome!
Thank God it's November! Even when you get used to it, life with as least technology and electricity a possible is tough. When I woke up on the first of November, I was still in Low Battery mood. I didn't turn my phone on all weekend. On Monday I had the wifi turned off most of the day, because it saves energy. Realization hit that night when I tried to figure out Twitter (I now have an account right here!). I didn't have to hurry because I was running out of internet minutes and it just felt soooo good.
Still I think this was a good thing to do. Ive achieved a lot. Time for a short round up!
Still I think this was a good thing to do. Ive achieved a lot. Time for a short round up!
Electronics
In September I used electronics all the time. I wanted to turn that down a notch. A bit to my own surprise I succeeded!
In October, I:
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| Cover of my Wattpad novel |
- charged my phone six times, instead of the average 30
- listened to the radio for only five minutes a day on average (don't know how I did that, but theradio was the easiest thing of all to ignore)
- watched tv for about 40 minutes per day
- spent an hour a day blogging and doing other fun stuff on the internet
- barely looked at my Facebook account at all!
What else did I accomplish?Well, I got rid of some bad habits. I don't waste my time on Facebook anymore. I think I've outgrown the website. I also turn off the computer when I get bored with the internet (yes, that does happen from time to time!). I turn the lights off when I leave a room. Most important of all: I don't feel like a smartphone zombie anymore.
My Challenge was difficult, but I think it was totally worth it.
Stay Awesome!
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| Yup, got some of these in my class again |
It's been two months since I first met my classmates. I've reached the point where I know which people I like a lot and which people I like a little less. I know which teachers I like, I know which teachers like me and I know which teachers I'll be seeing in my nightmares for years.
But maybe more important: I know which classes I love.
In the next four years I'll learn two things: fluent German and how to be a good teacher.
Learning German is relatively easy. We speak German all day long and over the past four weeks we've done written vocabulary tests. Those aren't very awesome, but I aced them all which is totally awesome. So I'm pretty confident that I'll be fine when it comes to the actual speaking part of my college education.
And then there's the part in which we learn teaching skills. It consists of three classes: practical didactics, theoretical didactics and drama. Drama? Yes, drama!
In drama class, my favorite class of this semester, we learn to stand up straight to indicate a high status, we learn to use our emotions to get a message through, we learn to control our motions. It's really helpful and super funny. I had my last lesson on Friday and I'm going to miss these classes.
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| That's what I looked like all day. Muderous lunatic enough for you? |
I was super nervous for my solo, but my teacher was really excited about mine. She had read the piece I'd written and loved it. So on Friday I performed my solo, even though I was scared.
I threw the door shut, pretended to kill a teacher with a water gun and then held a monologue on why I'd killed him. Then, after realizing my life was over too (I would get caught after all) I pretended to commit suicide with the water gun.
My class was in shock. They hadn't expected anything like that, since I'm usually quiet and calm. Suddenly there I was, with make up all over my face, yelling and screaming and threatening to use the water gun again, this time on my classmates.
I passed the test with flying colors and impressed my classmates by showing them a different side of me. Which they immediately accepted.
So after two months of college, can I tell you what the College Experience is? No, I still can't. But it's something like this.
The College Experience is:
- Running through the halls with a water gun
- Pretending to be a lunatic
- Making bad jokes about Germans
- Wearing a Batman sweater to school and being called awesome for doing that
- Having the freedom to be who you've always wanted to be.
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When I miss my PB (that means personal best in this case and not peanut butter) on the track by a hundredth of a second, I need a hug.
When I fail my driving test, I need a hug.
When I think about my own mortality, I need a hug.
When I feel ugly, I need a hug.
And when I say goodbye to a friend, I need a hug too.
Let's face it: we all have those moments when we feel like crap. We all need a hug every now and then. In my case, those hugs never come my way.
I once asked a friend why she would hug our other friend when said friend is feeling blue, but not me when I'm sad. She looked at me with eyes full of suprise and said: 'I thought you hated it when people hugged you!'
I know why she said that, because I've never been the hugging type. I hug my Mom and Dad, but when it comes to friends I like some more space is apropriate. I think it's absolutely unnecessary to yell 'OMG I haven't seen you in ages!' when you see an old friend and then strangle them in your 'hug', while you've seen them last week and you actually don't like them that much. But when you're feeling down, a single hug could cheer you up.
Last week I failed my first test since I started college. I felt like the world was coming to an end. Then one of the girls in my class held my hand in hers and said everything was going to be okay. And because of that one tiny gesture that accompanied her words, I felt so much better. Imagine what a hug would have done.
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| The only way for a nerdy girl to get a hug? |
Once upon a time, I would have hidden my need for a hug. But why should I? I'm only human. True, I don't have to hug you every singe time I see you, but when you need a hug I'll be there for you with my arms open. The only thing I want in return? That one hug I need when I'm the one who's sad.
We live in the days of 'sharing is caring'. We live in the days of Facebook likes instead of actual support. We live in the days of world wide RIP tweets when a celebrity dies. But those 1's and 0's of the internet aren't real, not solid.
Tear your gaze away from the screen and take a good look at your friends. Are they really as happy as their tweets, statuses and emoticons make us believe? Or are they hiding their need for a hug?
Take a minute to consider. Take a minute talk. And when they need it most, give them a hug. Even when they're not the cuddly type, even if you've never seen them hug someone. Believe me, a hug will help them just as much as you.
Don't hesitate, just hug.
Stay Awesome!
Another week has gone by already? Suddenly time seems to be flying.
After last week's total breakdown, I tried to get myself together. I picked up the list I made in my first week and did as much if the listed things as possible. Now I've got only two more days to go. I'm going to make it all the way to the end of my Low Battery Challenge.
I spend my free moments reading and writing. I've got some awesome posts for you guys, great pictures and true stories. I wish I could tell them already, but I'm running out of Internet time for today. So I'm going to call it quits for today. I'm missing you guys, but reading by candle light has something enchanting too. The longer I do this, the more I start appreciating the little gadget-free moments. I don't miss the repetitive music of commercial radio stations anymore. I don't miss the brainlessness of most Facebook statuses. I don't miss seeing the same Awkward episode three times a week. The only thing I honestly miss, the only thing I feel like I can't go without for much longer, is blogging, actually being an active member of the community and being out there promoting my blog. But then I take a look at the hypnotizing candle light and all is well :)
After last week's total breakdown, I tried to get myself together. I picked up the list I made in my first week and did as much if the listed things as possible. Now I've got only two more days to go. I'm going to make it all the way to the end of my Low Battery Challenge.
My midterms are coming up and I've had enough time to start studying already, thanks to my Challenge. I think I'm going to ace most of them. Studying goes a lot better when there's no Facebook to destract you.
I've also written lots and lots of blog posts for next month. November will me one big birthday month (that sounds a bit off...) for Picking up the Pieces. I've got an interview and a guest post coming up. And to my own surprise, the only tough part about my challenge right now, is not being able to do all my online homework within two hours. Every time I think I'm done, my professors give me another assignment... and then another one... and another one. All to be handed in before midterms, thank you very much.
I spend my free moments reading and writing. I've got some awesome posts for you guys, great pictures and true stories. I wish I could tell them already, but I'm running out of Internet time for today. So I'm going to call it quits for today. I'm missing you guys, but reading by candle light has something enchanting too. The longer I do this, the more I start appreciating the little gadget-free moments. I don't miss the repetitive music of commercial radio stations anymore. I don't miss the brainlessness of most Facebook statuses. I don't miss seeing the same Awkward episode three times a week. The only thing I honestly miss, the only thing I feel like I can't go without for much longer, is blogging, actually being an active member of the community and being out there promoting my blog. But then I take a look at the hypnotizing candle light and all is well :)
Stay Awesome!
'So, you're Dutch?'
'Yup, 100% Dutch.'
'Awesome. Nice country. You must have seen it all, right? I mean, it's so small. Been to the Anne Frank House?'
'Ummm... no.'
'The Keukenhof?'
'No.'
'The mills at Kinderdijk?'
'No, I'm sorry.'
'The Euromast then?'
'Nope...'
'Oh. Well then, how about...'
'I'm sorry, but I'm afraid not.'
Ever found yourself in a conversation like that? It seems to be a global phenomenon: we travel the entire world, see the most beautiful parts of every continent, but when it comes to our homecountry, the most interesting thing we've seen is the supermarket. Sad but true. And so not going to happen to me anymore!
From Envy's Make it Happen List
#16: Go to a 'tourist trap' in my own country
Status: Awesomeness Achieved
It's a shame that we often neglect our own country's beauty. So seeing one of those places that all the tourists are raving about became one of my goals. But the Anne Frank House is all the way over in Amsterdam, the Keukenhof is closed this time of the year, the Euromast is close to home but way too expensive for a girl living on student loans. The mills at Kinderdijk are just a few kilometers away and very cheap, but if you've seen one old Dutch mill, you've seen them all. And believe me, I've seen a lot of old Dutch mills in my life.
There wasn't much left. Or so I thought. Because I'd forgotten all about Rotterdam's brand new tourist trap: the Markthal.
And thus I went to the Markthal, which is literally a hall with a market in it. I'm not a big fan of the architecture, it reminds me way too much of one of the monsters from Monsters University. The inside is stunning - if Where's Waldo is one of your favorite books. The entire thing is covered with a mural of everything you can buy on the market from fish to flowers to peppers.
Still I love the Markthal. It's superhot inside, so you don't need to wear a jacket, even when it's midwinter. You can buy every kind of food you can imagine. There's an Asian supermarket and a foodstand that sells Australian barramundi! There are miniature donuts and cupcales. There's ice cream and delicious Japanese food... It's heaven for food lovers. If you're ever in Rotterdam, go to the Markthal.
The place was crowded with tourists from all over the world and there are tons of cute little stands to check out. A few of them even have a terrace on top, so you can take a better look at the ceiling and the ginormous crowds.
So I was walking around there with my parents - when they decided they'd seen enough. 'It's a market in a hall, just like in Peru.' And to be honest, that's true, it's like the Peruvian market with tastier food and less organs from animals for sale. It's not that special. Nevertheless, it's an awesome place. Maybe I'll go back and do some Markthal food reviews soon!
Stay Awesome!
'Yup, 100% Dutch.'
'Awesome. Nice country. You must have seen it all, right? I mean, it's so small. Been to the Anne Frank House?'
'Ummm... no.'
'The Keukenhof?'
'No.'
'The mills at Kinderdijk?'
'No, I'm sorry.'
'The Euromast then?'
'Nope...'
'Oh. Well then, how about...'
'I'm sorry, but I'm afraid not.'
Ever found yourself in a conversation like that? It seems to be a global phenomenon: we travel the entire world, see the most beautiful parts of every continent, but when it comes to our homecountry, the most interesting thing we've seen is the supermarket. Sad but true. And so not going to happen to me anymore!
From Envy's Make it Happen List
#16: Go to a 'tourist trap' in my own country
Status: Awesomeness Achieved
It's a shame that we often neglect our own country's beauty. So seeing one of those places that all the tourists are raving about became one of my goals. But the Anne Frank House is all the way over in Amsterdam, the Keukenhof is closed this time of the year, the Euromast is close to home but way too expensive for a girl living on student loans. The mills at Kinderdijk are just a few kilometers away and very cheap, but if you've seen one old Dutch mill, you've seen them all. And believe me, I've seen a lot of old Dutch mills in my life.
There wasn't much left. Or so I thought. Because I'd forgotten all about Rotterdam's brand new tourist trap: the Markthal.
And thus I went to the Markthal, which is literally a hall with a market in it. I'm not a big fan of the architecture, it reminds me way too much of one of the monsters from Monsters University. The inside is stunning - if Where's Waldo is one of your favorite books. The entire thing is covered with a mural of everything you can buy on the market from fish to flowers to peppers.Still I love the Markthal. It's superhot inside, so you don't need to wear a jacket, even when it's midwinter. You can buy every kind of food you can imagine. There's an Asian supermarket and a foodstand that sells Australian barramundi! There are miniature donuts and cupcales. There's ice cream and delicious Japanese food... It's heaven for food lovers. If you're ever in Rotterdam, go to the Markthal.
The place was crowded with tourists from all over the world and there are tons of cute little stands to check out. A few of them even have a terrace on top, so you can take a better look at the ceiling and the ginormous crowds.
So I was walking around there with my parents - when they decided they'd seen enough. 'It's a market in a hall, just like in Peru.' And to be honest, that's true, it's like the Peruvian market with tastier food and less organs from animals for sale. It's not that special. Nevertheless, it's an awesome place. Maybe I'll go back and do some Markthal food reviews soon!
Stay Awesome!
The Rules Of This Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
2. List the rules and display the award.
3. Add 7 facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers.
5. Follow the blogger who nominated you.
2. List the rules and display the award.
3. Add 7 facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers.
5. Follow the blogger who nominated you.
Seven facts about me:
- Once upon a time I vowed that I'd never have a Twitter account. And now I'm seriously thinking of breaking that vow...
- I've recently learned how to make the ultimate Caesar Salad
- I'm taking a Chinese course at college, starting next month
- I'm saving money so I can buy a ticket to the States and make some things from my List happen
- I've found the most amazing little shop in the Koopgoot in Rotterdam, can't wait to go Christmas shopping there!
Sorry for mentioning Christmas already! - I need to buy a new camera, it's been slowly dying since my Dad dropped it on the Inka Trail
- In conlcusion to that and #4, I desperately need a job -.-"
Okay so now I have to nominate 15 bloggers. Which is an awful lot. I don't even follow that many active bloggers, I'm afraid... Is five okay too?
Stay awesome!