20 February 2008
Sorry for letting you wait so long for an up-date in regard to our move back to the Netherlands. First we would like to thank all of you who came to the Mooloolaba Spit on Sunday February 10th. It was a fantastic day with lots of good food and plenty of good company and even lots of emotions.
It was really great to see our family and so many friends together; we really appreciate your friendship and hope we can continue to communicate by email or phone. We would like to send a special thanks to John and Elly who came all the way from Adelaide, it was a great surprise and we are truly sorry we didn’t have more time to spend with all of you.
After finalising some final details we left for Nambour on Wednesday morning where Lilian’s cat Simba had his final check-up before flying him back home. Then at 11 we had to take Simba to the AQIS (Quarantine) for another final check-up and of course another bill! Simba has become the most expensive cat that I have ever known! So after finalising the travel documents (8 pages with about 22 official stamps….) we took Simba to the shipping company where he would stay until the next day, the day of departure, praying nothing would happen to him, you wouldn’t like to loose such an expensive cat!
We then checked in to a hotel in Brisbane for our final night in Australia, after a couple of drinks with cousin Robert and our Dutch friends Tanja and Joppe we had “diner” in our room. The next morning we took a taxi to the airport where we checked inn without any complications.
After an 8 hour flight we arrived at Kuala Lumpur where we had a 6 hour stop-over. We spent most of the time in the lounge, had some great snacks and a couple of drinks. Then it was time for the long haul, 13 hours to Amsterdam where we arrived at 6.30 am. When Lilian was asked to put her seat in the up-right position she replied, why, are we there already….?
Our luggage arrived within 25 minutes but after an hour still no sign of Simba, so of to the Smurf office where we were informed that we had to collect Simba at the Cargo department 10 mins away from the airport.
Luckily our best friends, Phili and Willy and Wil (Eva’s dad) were at the airport to collect us. They frove us to the cargo department where we received a document that we had to take to customs for 1 stamp, again 10 mins away. With the document stamped we went back to the cargo department where Simba was released after yes, paying more $$$$$.
Obviously we knew that it was winter in Europe but its hard to imagine how cold, cold can be. We left Australia mid summer with temperatures of 30 degrees, at 8 am in Amsterdam it was -8 degree, now that’s a temperature shock….Lilian’s first remark: why do they call it Holland and not Freeze land?
We arrived home (Eva’s dad’s house) at about 11 AM, at about 3 PM and after a quick chat and a cup of coffee we went to bed for a couple of hours, Lilian didn’t want to go to bed, who goes to bed during the day time she said. Eva and I woke up at 5 but Lilian just didn’t want to know anything about it, she was grumpy complete unconscious so we left her in bed. At 2 AM she woke up completely stressed that she didn’t have any diner. So down stairs we went for a midnight snack and then back to sleep again. The next day we all felt much better. In the morning we went out for some shopping, bought some gloves for Lilian, couldn’t find a winter coat (small town) so will have to go out again next week. In the afternoon friends and family came to see us, it was great to see everybody again after such a long time.
On monday we took Lilian to a school to get her registered, the principal asked her when she would like to start school and prompt replied tomorrow? So tomorrow it was, Tuesday morning she started school, same class as in Buderim, grade three until the summer holiday and then to grade 4 in August. The first day was a great success, she really loved it., children are so flexible. It’s very interesting that she is enjoying the weather where as for my self; it’s taking some time adjusting and wearing trousers and socks all the time. Today, while Lilian was at school we went to pick up our car. We bought my father-in-laws used car in December so at least we have comfortable transportation and do not need to depend on bicycles only.
27 June 2008
It’s time again for a short up-date from the Netherlands where we have settled amazingly well. After living with Eva’s dad in a small pensioners cottage for three months we moved into our “new” home per June 1st. We have rented a house in Berlicum which is near Den Bosch, for those not too familiar with this city; it’s not too far from Eindhoven. So it’s in the southern part of the country about 1 ½ hour from Amsterdam, that is if there is no traffic, during rush hour it could take 2 ½ to sometimes 3 hours to get there. Luckily we have no need to go that direction. Eva will have her work in Berlicum, she wanted to continue her artwork with Powertex and because our house isn’t large enough for a studio we have rented a unit where she will do classes but it will also be a craft shop (Eva’s Krea Shop). It’s actually quit exciting, for the last couple of weeks we have been cleaning and decorating the shop. Next week we will be buying the shop fixtures / furniture and inventory from the wholesale. In July we will take two weeks vacation in France so will not open the shop until august 1st after our return. Eva is really happy to be back and to spend time with her dad (83). He lives like 5 minutes away from us about the same distance from Lilian’s school as from our house to school.
Lilian started school four days after we arrived Holland, it was still winter which means in the morning it was dark until 7.30 and by 5 in the evening it was dark again. Of course it was quit cold so we had to get new winter clothes including a thick winter coat and gloves! We (and the school) thought it would be better to continue with grade 3 for the rest of the school year which finishes on July 4th, that’s when the school holiday starts (6 weeks). It was better for her to continue at the same level and to work on her Dutch writing and reading skills which she has picked up amazingly well. So after the school holiday she will start in grade 4. They are learning three languages at school, Dutch, English and French, it’s just wonderful to see how fast and easy kids can learn. The learning system is quit different and Lilian had some difficulties adjusting. Here the kids have a task list per week and per day; they must finish their tasks daily so they work very much on an individual base in stead of in a group. Now Lilian understands what is expected she manages well to finish her tasks. The kids do not get homework until grade 6 so we decided to give Lilian homework because it’s not new for her, the result is that she picked up her Dutch so fast that she now reads Dutch books.
Although the school is only like 5 minutes walking distance Lilian prefers to go by bike (1 minute). She loves riding her bike, after school she often goes to the park or to play with friends or she will go and visit opa (grandfather). Because it is light until 10.30 this time of the year she has some difficulties going to sleep, “it’s not fair, why do I have to sleep, it’s still light outside” she keep saying. Well after next week she will have school holiday and then she can stay up late for a couple of weeks. Sometimes Lilian is sad and starts crying, she then tells us that she misses her friends in Australia, unfortunately we cannot get her motivated to write letters or emails to her friends. It might be her way not to have to think about the fact she cannot see them. Don’t worry though Micah, Maddy, Devon, Madison, Chloe, Tesheia, Sophie, Linden and all others from Lilian’s class, Lilian still remembers you and really misses you all! Luckily she has already a couple of new friends who invited her to birthday parties and some of them come over to play quit often. Amazingly enough she doesn’t seem to miss Australia as much as we thought she would, kids seem to adjust so easy don’t they?
By the way, a couple of months ago we went to Denmark to visit Legoland, while there we also visited some friends who also lived in Australia, some of you might remember the Wormington’s. Lilian was thrilled to see Adam, Cecilia and Emil again; the whole family spent the whole day at Legoland with us. A couple of weeks ago her whole class went to a school in France for the day, it was like an exchange with a school just over the French border about 4 hours drive from here. It was a fantastic day and she made a few more new (French) friends.
Although we miss the Sunshine Coast, “our house”, friends, family, BBQ’s in the park, coffee in Mooloolaba, the views and the Australian lifestyle, I must admit that we enjoy it here again; it’s good to see “old” friends again and to spend time with the few family members we still have. We have planned to travel to France in July for two weeks; we look forward travelling through this wonderful country. We will most likely stay somewhere in the French Alps and drive trough Switzerland and Germany on the way back.
As for work, on and off I have been job-hunting, have had two interviews, both offered me a position but we couldn’t agree on the package. I am now in the process with a new job, it will be a European position as Business Development, naturally in the EAS (Security world) business again. It’s a new company with plans to grow throughout Europe so lots of travelling involved. Last weekend the company invited me to Prague for a brainstorm session and to meet other people of the company, I must say that I was quit impressed. Most likely I will start per September 1st. So it’s back to work for Mr. Lazybones!