Life updates: June 2008 Archives

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.