Recently in Life updates Category

As I get used to life in the Netherlands, I am beginning to realize there are some things I can't picture going without ever again, and some I don't know how I will survive the next 18 months unless I can find them here. At the risk of whining, or revealing how little I know about the world I live in, I've listed a few of them here:

Things I Love

1. Chipknip (Smart Cards)

You can use your bank card like a debit card where you enter your pin, but you also have a separate amount which works like cash (called Chipknip). Once you put it on the card, it is there. If you lose the card, it can't be recovered - this also means that machines can accept it without a network connection since your identity or funds available doesn't have to be verified (like a laundromat card).

I have always thought the reason we don't have this system in the US is that it's not feasible - but they're everywhere here. You can pay parking meters, public phones, the cafeteria - it's fantastic and you don't have to carry change for everything.

2. Multi-function appliances

I had no idea there was such thing as a washer SLASH dryer. Not a stacking unit where they both fit in the closet - it is ONE machine. You put dirty clothes in and get clean, dry clothes out! It is like a miracle, a dream come true. But as with other things, you must be careful what you wish for. I have already shrunk about 4 items because I wanted them "extra droog" and didn't realize that 60 on the dial meant degrees Celsius and not minutes in the spin cycle. Lesson learned...

But wait, there's more! I also have an oven SLASH microwave! It is small, only a little bigger than a toaster over but it can also microwave things! You can put plastic in there, or reheat your tea - it's nuts. I don't know how that works, nor do I care, but I am damned excited about it as you can see.

3. Flower markets

Just one canal over from my apartment there is an open air flower market that is open every day. They have every type and color of flower imaginable - several variations of my favorite (lilies). Each stem is the diameter of my index finger and standing on the floor the blooms reach up to my waist! And then as if it couldn't get any better - they're only EUR 7.50 for a bunch that is too big for just one regular sized vase. You can't beat that.

4. Driving sensibly

I've come along way since my last post about driving - I'm even praising it now. There is a law here that makes it a higher penalty for passing on the right than the one for speeding. As such, everyone just passes when necessary and then gets back over in to the appropriate lane. Traffic actually flows and you don't spend your morning behind some a** talking on the phone and going 45mph in the fast lane (not that I would care, because as I mentioned before I am now a patient and forgiving driver). It makes sense, America, try it!

Things I Miss

1. Produce

Vegetables. I miss vegetables! I was spoiled in California having access to quality produce - those days are gone. You can't walk into a market with a list and expect to get tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, lemons, and bananas. You have to walk in with an open mind and settle for the least pathetic looking of the severely limited options. There is no relief in dining out - salads are almost invariably the most expensive menu items and they are mediocre at best.

The Netherlands is not known for good food and I see why. I can also see why they're the tallest on average of any country. Dutch people love meat and potatoes, anything deep fried, and they wash it down with milk. It's as far from California as you can be.

2. Box stores

I know... how very un-San Franciscan of me. I can't help it, I miss Target. I cannot even count the number of kilometers I have walked and hours spent trying to find basic things. They have a different store for everything here. There are absolutely no one-stop shops for groceries, toiletries, and household items. It makes shopping an all-day event - but on the bright side I think I am more conservative since I dread having to go find these things again!

3. Pseudo-healthy convenience food

Hopefully I redeem myself a little bit when I say I miss Cliff Bars and banana chips. As I mentioned above, there is not much of a demand for anything remotely healthy here. I know of a British/American grocery store but I am trying to acclimate and get used to the local customs so I've been avoiding it. Let's be honest though - I can only go so long before giving in!

4. Pedicures

Gone are the days of getting a fresh Mani/Pedi every Saturday for $25. I could walk 4 blocks, go right in without an appointment, and read trashy gossip magazines while the girls tried (often successfully) to talk me into the extra foot massage for only $10 more.

I have looked for places here in Amsterdam, but have found only one that seems clean and it takes a week and a half for an appointment to get a EUR 36 pedicure. The magazines are in Dutch, there is no extra massage, and quite frankly the woman is scary.

These are my initial observations about Holland - overall the good still far outweighs the bad and I look forward to getting used to life here and not noticing my bare fingernails or the extra chins I will probably develop as a result of eating fried meat on a regular basis.

Several years ago I set a goal for myself: to live abroad.  My desire to do so has driven almost every decision I have made for the past three years: my move to San Francisco, the career I chose, the specialization I pursued, the connections I made.  These are not to be mistaken as means to an end.  I am eternally grateful to those I have met along the way: my first employer who fought hard to provide me every opportunity to spread my wings in an environment I sometimes found restrictive, my college professor who quietly engineered a series of events that led me to choose the career I did and continues to provide support, and my mentor/manager/friend who backed me in my pursuit of an International assignment.  I couldn't have planned these things if I tried, and if I could have they certainly wouldn't have turned out as wonderfully as they have.

I arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands a few weeks ago, and this beautiful city will be my home for the next 18 months.  I think it was after my first successful attempt (after a few futile ones) to navigate the tram system that I realized the magnitude of my current situation.  I have achieved my goal.

A runner who beats a personal best time starts his next run with a desire to beat his new record.  A team finds success when they defeat the opponent, but the challenge starts all over again in the next game.  In both of these cases one can define exactly how, when, and by how much they have "won."  In both of these cases the next step is clear; there is always another game to win, another time to beat.  In both of these cases one comprehends the feeling of victory, for if they have not experienced it before they understand it through having been subject to its opposite: defeat.

Achieving a goal independent of outside factors is difficult to define, to quantify.  I wasn't faster, stronger, or better than my previous self or someone else.  I am not suddenly able to compare my performance to a baseline set by myself or others.  And perhaps the most difficult and foreign feeling I've ever experienced: I don't know my next move.  All I can do is just be.

The ability to live in the present and appreciate each moment does not come naturally.  Or perhaps, like imagination and optimism, it fades with age.  By setting and accomplishing a goal with no tangible reward aside from self-fulfillment, I have found myself back in the present.  This state of consciousness is just as foreign as my surroundings, as I haven't been here since childhood.

A mother will indulge her child's seemingly never-ending string of questions.  She will come up with one acceptable answer after another for 'why?', 'how?', or 'what is?' (rarely 'what if?', or 'when did?' because those questions require an awareness from which they don't yet suffer).  Sometimes she answers, "it doesn't matter, it just is." At this age, a child accepts her mother's authority.  This is many years before adolescence when she suddenly knows everything.

In this new and unfamiliar place it has become an internal dialogue: posing a question, coming up with possible answers, and when none seems to satisfy my curiosity I decide it doesn't matter.  It just is.  And I realize, I am living in the present.

Gezelligheid is a Dutch adjective that describes my current emotional state.  Look it up...

I am excited to let you know that in about 12 hours I will be boarding a flight to Amsterdam, The Netherlands where I will live for the next 18 months!  I've accepted a position with KPMG's International Headquarters in Amstelveen.  I will be part of a team that assists companies in transferring data across International borders.  The laws are very complex and differ from one country to the next, and I look forward to what is sure to be a rewarding and challenging experience.

My first assignment will take place in nine different countries across Europe.  I plan to spend as much time as possible traveling around and seeing as much of the world as I can.  Between business and personal travel, I hope to cross a handful of items off my ever-growing list of places I want to see.

I am excited to get there - only a little bit nervous so far.  KPMG will help me with everything related to the relocation.  They will pick me up from the airport on Wednesday morning and take me to my hotel.  Then in the afternoon I'll meet with the housing agent to drive around looking for apartments.  They'll set me up with a car, a bank account, a phone, and Dutch lessons.    Most people in The Netherlands speak English, and the client projects I will be working on will be in English.  But learning the language will make it easier to adjust and I wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity to learn a new language.  I will be allowed two trips home during my stay, I haven't yet thought about when those might be.

You may have noticed I've updated the design of this blog - seems appropriate with all the changes in my life!  I'll still be using the same e-mail address to keep in touch - and I will be keeping my US phone number.  I can receive voice mail but no text messages unfortunately.

Please keep in touch and check back soon for photos and updates!

According to the Chinese Zodiac, I was born in the Year of the Rat (1984). Since 2008 is the Year of the Rat (beginning February 7), this should be a good year for me.

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.

While I am certain this is not my year to get married, it will be a time for a fresh start for me...more to come on that later :)

The following is a description for those born in the Year of the Rat. As with any astrological profile, it is vague and generic and most parts could be applied to anyone. The parts about "knowing how to hang on to a penny" and "love parties and other large gatherings" are certainly not accurate in my case, but I think many of the others are true for me. I guess you could also say the "never without admirers" part is a bit untrue for now - maybe that will change in the Year of the Rat! Other things are very accurate such as: "often buy things they don't need and tend to save everything" and "they try to do too much at once."

Rats are both charming and aggressive. They appear calm and well balanced on the surface,but underneath, they are restless and a little nervous. Rats are compatible,hard working, and they know how to hang on to a penny. They are never without admirers. They are very appealing.They have a bright and happy personality,and this keeps them busy socially.They love parties and other large gatherings. They like involvement and are very outgoing. Rats cherish friends and loved ones. For this reason,they often get entangled with others' problems and lives.

One can always tell when Rats are upset. They become edgy,very nervous, and quite nagging. Rats are always taken by a bargain. They often buy things they don't need and tend to save everything. Souvenirs and sentimental odds and ends are found tucked away everywhere.

Since they make it a point to know everything about everybody,Rats are excellent writers. They have a good memory and are extremely inquisitive. Rats can be successful in almost everything they try to do. They easily adapt themselves to the situation at hand. They are at their best during any crisis and are great problem solvers. Rats are very level headed and are also very alert. Their intuition is strong and are always on the lookout for opportunities to better themselves. Rats seldom get into jams they can't escape since they cover themselves well in advance.They have a built in alarm system.

One of the Rat's biggest fault is that they try to do too much at once. They often scatter their energies and get nothing accomplished. Once they learn to finish what they have started,there is no stopping them from being successful. The Rat must also watch those fast deals and those great bargains. In these areas their judgment may fail them. They must not become too greedy,or they will suffer a financial blow or two.

Rats have great respect for their parents and dote on their own children. They love their home. Family life is very important to them. Rats born during the evening are tempted to a more hectic life than those born during the day. Rats learn early, quickly, and are avid readers. They know how to express themselves well-both written and orally. Given the slightest chance, Rats can make a success of their lives.

I voted in my first US presidential primary election today! I headed to the polls early and found something very different from what I had expected. I had pictured a bustling, busy place full of citizens eager to cast their vote. I found a couple of booths set up in someone's garage. I had envisioned a volunteer stopping me on my way out to conduct an exit poll. They didn't even give me an "I Voted" sticker. Despite those deviations from the experience I had pictured, I am very excited about my day.

I am proud of myself for having made an informed decision. I've been watching the debates - both Democratic and Republican - and doing research online. After the California debates I decided to vote for Barack Obama. I am very impressed and feel that he is the right person to represent our country to the rest of the world. I feel that America has a long way to go go rebuild the reputation our current President has destroyed, and Barack is the one to do that. He has a commanding presence that one can't help but respect, and he has a long-term vision.

I also liked Ron Paul, if I had felt that he was a good strategic choice I might have had a more difficult time deciding. No second thoughts though, I'm all for Barack!