Tuesday, 9 March 2010
It's all about balance!
The universe is playing some cruel tricks on me, I'm sure. It took me some time to figger it out, but it is truly staring me in the face and I finally got it.
This is the deal.
It has been winter FOREVER in this country and this is not from the point of the-island-girl-who-would-rather-be-in-a-warm-place-ANY-warm-place-but-here. No, objectively speaking it has been winter FOREVER!! Winter started in the beginning of november with ice and heavy snowfall around mid-november. Untill december the snow was nice. In january I was in neutral about the cold and the snow since the kids were enjoying it so much.
In February I perceived it as an annoying fact which was cramping my style (try flaunting your worldly goods like beautiful necklaces and bracelets when you are covered from top to toe in woolen scarfs and other warm-keeping materials... you get my point?) This is around the same time that Maurits would rather stay in then play outside telling me that his house in India was much much warmer then this house in this country.
We are well into march and it still freezing! It was snowing again yesterday!!!!
IS THERE NO END TO THIS SUFFERING?????? (I asked myself)
Well the answer to this very obvious answer is no.
Not yet.
It's all about balance. You see. We left the Nederlands in Januari (mid-winter), and we stayed away for about three years. Only to return last october just before winter kicked in. An easy calculation will show, beyond reasonable doubt, that we missed 2,5 winters and to restore peace in the universe (and the hole in the ozon layer), it is imperative for us to make up for this omission.
As a result of this we (and the rest of Holland with us) will have to sit through 2,5 more winterdays. If cold winter normally lasts 2 months, this year it will last 7 months. This means that we will not be leaving the below zero temperatures till the first of may. I feel like a the main character in Salman Rusdhie's midnights childeren whose fate was entangled with the faith of India after independence. (read it! Not because Rushdie is a Bombay-boy, but the book is amazing!!!) So Holland, because we missed a few winters, this has to be done.
Anyway, the sceptici amongst you will surely say that this is close to impossible. To those of you I say:
" Dah!!!"
Read Gabriel Garcia Marquesz, everything is possible!!!!!
This is not my personal frustration talking, but a scientific explanation of a phenomenon that makes even the Dutch long for warmer days.
Mark my words!! Winter will be over in May.
This is the deal.
It has been winter FOREVER in this country and this is not from the point of the-island-girl-who-would-rather-be-in-a-warm-place-ANY-warm-place-but-here. No, objectively speaking it has been winter FOREVER!! Winter started in the beginning of november with ice and heavy snowfall around mid-november. Untill december the snow was nice. In january I was in neutral about the cold and the snow since the kids were enjoying it so much.
In February I perceived it as an annoying fact which was cramping my style (try flaunting your worldly goods like beautiful necklaces and bracelets when you are covered from top to toe in woolen scarfs and other warm-keeping materials... you get my point?) This is around the same time that Maurits would rather stay in then play outside telling me that his house in India was much much warmer then this house in this country.
We are well into march and it still freezing! It was snowing again yesterday!!!!
IS THERE NO END TO THIS SUFFERING?????? (I asked myself)
Well the answer to this very obvious answer is no.
Not yet.
It's all about balance. You see. We left the Nederlands in Januari (mid-winter), and we stayed away for about three years. Only to return last october just before winter kicked in. An easy calculation will show, beyond reasonable doubt, that we missed 2,5 winters and to restore peace in the universe (and the hole in the ozon layer), it is imperative for us to make up for this omission.
As a result of this we (and the rest of Holland with us) will have to sit through 2,5 more winterdays. If cold winter normally lasts 2 months, this year it will last 7 months. This means that we will not be leaving the below zero temperatures till the first of may. I feel like a the main character in Salman Rusdhie's midnights childeren whose fate was entangled with the faith of India after independence. (read it! Not because Rushdie is a Bombay-boy, but the book is amazing!!!) So Holland, because we missed a few winters, this has to be done.
Anyway, the sceptici amongst you will surely say that this is close to impossible. To those of you I say:
" Dah!!!"
Read Gabriel Garcia Marquesz, everything is possible!!!!!
This is not my personal frustration talking, but a scientific explanation of a phenomenon that makes even the Dutch long for warmer days.
Mark my words!! Winter will be over in May.
Friday, 5 February 2010
Maurits
This morning, as we were preparing for school, Mauch came down the stairs and said to me: " Mommy our India-house is totally taklu" (bald).
He speaks of Mumbai often is very preoccupied with the state of the house. Always wondering if there is someone else living in it and who that would be. When he cannot find a toy he would say that it is probably still in his India house. He still mentions his friends - of course - even though it may not be on a daily basis anymore. But on unexpected moments especially Anne, Kees and Hudson are brought up as if he just saw them yesterday. Then many days go by without any remarks and suddenly yesterday he said to me he wanted to go back to his India house because this house was too cold.
Anyway, this morning, there I was, not knowing what so say, but I said: Yes, Mauch, I think it is taklu. It is probably still totally empty.
At that exact moment our cleaning lady arrives and overhears our conversation. She says: "I knew he was missing India, didn't I tell you! (at this point I was a little annoyed since the lady does not know Maurits at all and of course it is none of her business anyway, so I did not reply and she went about her business).
Mauch waited for her to move on and then whispered to me in my ear: " I do not miss Rosy at all, Mommy".
Of course
we all know
this
is
a
lie
He speaks of Mumbai often is very preoccupied with the state of the house. Always wondering if there is someone else living in it and who that would be. When he cannot find a toy he would say that it is probably still in his India house. He still mentions his friends - of course - even though it may not be on a daily basis anymore. But on unexpected moments especially Anne, Kees and Hudson are brought up as if he just saw them yesterday. Then many days go by without any remarks and suddenly yesterday he said to me he wanted to go back to his India house because this house was too cold.
Anyway, this morning, there I was, not knowing what so say, but I said: Yes, Mauch, I think it is taklu. It is probably still totally empty.
At that exact moment our cleaning lady arrives and overhears our conversation. She says: "I knew he was missing India, didn't I tell you! (at this point I was a little annoyed since the lady does not know Maurits at all and of course it is none of her business anyway, so I did not reply and she went about her business).
Mauch waited for her to move on and then whispered to me in my ear: " I do not miss Rosy at all, Mommy".
Of course
we all know
this
is
a
lie
Friday, 8 January 2010
Not yet settled.....
Dear friends,
It has been about a month since we moved into our own house (will post some pics of that next time), but no, we are not yet settled. We manage to unpack many many boxes, but somehow he have not been able to struggle through all of them. It will definitely take some time before everything is ok, but we are getting there.
Meanwhile the kids are enjoying school and enjoying the snow that has been falling these past few weeks. I may not have been born in it, but I do appreciate the snow. What I do not appreciate is the cold it comes with! The Marriott-pool flashbacks have increased this week (I wonder why....)
Hana, Martin and the kids were here. We really enjoyed seeing them! The kids we totally trilled and played again as if nothing happened. A true example of how friendship finds his way through time and space. Will post some pics of that next time too.
Anyway, so far so good. In the coming weeks I will be starting on my bags again. This will surely help me te get my life back together.
Take care!
It has been about a month since we moved into our own house (will post some pics of that next time), but no, we are not yet settled. We manage to unpack many many boxes, but somehow he have not been able to struggle through all of them. It will definitely take some time before everything is ok, but we are getting there.
Meanwhile the kids are enjoying school and enjoying the snow that has been falling these past few weeks. I may not have been born in it, but I do appreciate the snow. What I do not appreciate is the cold it comes with! The Marriott-pool flashbacks have increased this week (I wonder why....)
Hana, Martin and the kids were here. We really enjoyed seeing them! The kids we totally trilled and played again as if nothing happened. A true example of how friendship finds his way through time and space. Will post some pics of that next time too.
Anyway, so far so good. In the coming weeks I will be starting on my bags again. This will surely help me te get my life back together.
Take care!
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
container is here!
Hi friends,
Our container has arrived and we are very busy unpacking all our stuff. I have unpacked my clothes only to find out that I have a huge amount of Indian attires, and hardly anything to keep me warm (that would have been different if we were staying up norht of course). This is very distressing because it mean I will have to do some serious shopping. And the worst part of all is that the sales are going on. One must sometimes sacrifice oneself. Life is a bitch.
Our container has arrived and we are very busy unpacking all our stuff. I have unpacked my clothes only to find out that I have a huge amount of Indian attires, and hardly anything to keep me warm (that would have been different if we were staying up norht of course). This is very distressing because it mean I will have to do some serious shopping. And the worst part of all is that the sales are going on. One must sometimes sacrifice oneself. Life is a bitch.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
cake
So it's been about 40 days and we are still here. The weather is quite cold now and it's raining most of the time. I tend not to be depressed all the time especially since I am looking forward to starting my business as soon as our stuff gets here.
Anyway, I tend to the kids, taking them to school very morning. This is a short 5 minutes walk. Maurits has joined school since last week so he is a happy boy now (and I am a very very very happy mom.)
Mostly I pick them up at 3,30 (again a nice 5 minutes walk) take them home, offer them some snacks, put on the TV so they wont bother me more then strictly necessary, make dinner, wait for Maarten to arrive from work, take of his shoes, bring his newspaper, homesocks and glass of wine, feed the lot, clean up afterwards. Get the kids in bed after shower-struggle and reading a book, iron some clothes, clean the bathroom, iron some more clothes, join the husband for some quality time (again bring him his drink and check on the snacks).
I understand that I have to do without Rosy to take care of the household and play with the kids and that I have to go to the store myself to get my shopping instead of calling for groceries. I can even handle the fact that I cannot organize a party in 2 hours including catering and entertainment,but I was not prepared to be without Bina's cakes.
Mauritses birthday of last week was the first birthday in three years without Bina's cake. Those who know Bina's cakes know that there's is no way to move beyond them. How can I ever touch another chocolate cake ever again??????
I went into this Cakeshop where they do picture cakes. I thought I could order a simple cake with a nice design on it. This was not easy. I was - off course - too late I should have ordered two weeks before. Secondly, they will deliver the picture top only with a creamy cake that Maurits doesn't like at all. There is no way they could make an exception.
So I decided to bake him a cake myself, including the chocolate frosting. I called it the vulcano cake, Maurits loved it and had three big pieces.
The cake was not bad, but it was not Bina's.........
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)