The good and the bad

Since it is a rather rainy day and Dan took the umbrella to work so I'm stuck inside and tired of cleaning, I thought i'd write a list of odd or frustrating things about the Netherlands. And since you should always follow up negatives with positives, I will write some positive things too:)

1. Did you know that it is very difficult to find a comforter here? From what I have found so far, they seem to really like their duvet covers. So  you're either stuck with a white comforter or you have to give in and buy a duvet cover...which I don't like because they get all bunched up. Dan's mom gave us some clips that are supposed to hold it in place. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.

2. So we've been without light fixtures since we got here because it is common practice for tenants to have to purchase their own light fixtures. When you leave, you take them with you and leave bare, exposed live wires for your next victim. When questioning a Dutch person about this, their response is "Well, don't you want to buy your own light fixtures??"..hmm, no, i don't particularly want to spend $100 on light fixtures for a rental home!! But we consider ourselves lucky because in most rental places, they take the floor when they leave. Yep, the floor. Because it's sooo likely that their next home will have the EXACT SAME DIMENSIONS as the apt they are living in now. riiiiiiight.

3. You have to walk EVERYWHERE! or ride a bike.  This is cool sometimes when it's nice and you don't have far to go but on days like today when my husband comes home soaked through to the bone, with water running in sheets down his face, not so cool. But don't worry, we will be investing in ponchos and rain pants. That's how cool we are.

4.Cobblestone streets=uneven ground and difficult to walk on=a disaster for the graceful person that I am.

5.They only work 36 hour work weeks. Which means, Monday mornings most places don't open until 1pm, if they open at all. Most places close at 5pm each night except for Thursday's where they stay open until a whopping 8pm!!! I'm sure this will turn into a pro when I have a job:)

6. Tiny fridges. TINY fridges. see pic below.

IF you look into the kitchen and look at the 3rd cupboard over, to the left of the sink, on the bottom...that is our fridge. Yep, it fits into a small cabinet. Awesome. Oh, and no oven. Just a countertop stove.

7. Did I mention no oven??? I think this is where the term "Dutch oven" was coined from.

8. Bike riders. These people are crazy. They will run you over if you are walking in a bike area. How am I supposed to know I'm in a bike area? I'm new here and all the signs are in Dutch! I can't wait until I'm a bike rider...

9. No option for water at a restaurant. Wait, let me rephrase that. No option for FREE water at a restaurant. Water costs more than a beer. You cannot get just tap water at most places. and then when they do bring you water, it's in a tiny glass. I'm not sure we even have glasses as small as that in the US. It's kind of like 2 1/2 shot glasses on top of each other, made into one glass...to give you an idea. about that width too.

10. No familiar faces. None.:(

Positive
1. Amazing history! Some of the buildings around here date back to as early as the 12th century! In America, we can't even fathom something being that old!

2. The canals are beautiful. There are always people riding boats down them, people are lined up on the sides having lunch, it's a picturesque sight.

3. cobblestone streets:) While they can be a con, they really do make the city look beautiful and leave their piece of history.

4. Adorable apartments where you have no choice but to get to know your neighbors because you share a door and a mailslot with them. They have been so kind, leaving us flowers, inviting us to dinner, loaning us dishes, etc.

5. Walking everywhere. You get to see so many things that we miss when we hop in our car and drive straight to our destination. I have found so many cute shops tucked away that I would've otherwise missed.

6. DELICIOUS pastries and goodies! There is no denying that Europe has us beat in this department!! Beautiful displays in store fronts and the aroma of fresh baked goodies wafting out of the store.

7. Speaking of fresh baked, bread  has to go on the list. They bake their bread fresh daily and you go and all the loaves are on a table and you can pick out your own and they will slice it and bag it for you! No  more processed bread for me!

8. The  laidback lifestyle of the Dutch is still something that intrigues me (see 36 hour work week). In addition to their shortened work week, they get 4-6 weeks vacation a year, just starting out. I haven't figured out if they don't like working much or if they have caught on that working yourself to death is not a desirable option.

9. The 6 weeks vacation that Dan gets=lots of travel time for us!!! Our neighbors downstairs have been here for 3-4 years and have traveled to 30 of the 49 capitals in Europe!!! Our first trip is coming up in October but unfortunately, Dan is still keeping it a secret so I can't tell you where we are going.

10. Having an adventure to look back on when we are older and some funny stories to tell our children!!!