The Sky at Night (2)

While preparing for our holiday, I looked up what astronomical events to expect and realized there will be a meteor shower next week. Thought I'd give you all a quick heads up!

This is the Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower which show up from mid July to mid August each year with peak activity this year on July 28 & 29. This shower gets its name because most of the meteors ("shooting stars") seem to come from the constellation Aquarius, near one of its brightest stars, Delta Aquarii. This is considered to be a "strong" shower, which means there are likely to be a relatively high number of observable meteors. What this means is that under "dark sky" locations where there is not too much light pollution, you could potentially see 15-20 meteors per hour with a possible peak of 60.

If you don't want to get up early, you can start viewing after midnight and by 2AM you should be guaranteed to see some streaks in the sky. The best viewing times are in the pre-dawn hours away from the glow of city lights. Look halfway between the South and Southeast, at between 30 and 60 degrees above the horizon, and if conditions are right you will see meteors fanning out through all compass points from east to north to west with fewer seen heading southward.

The best way of viewing meteors is actually with your peripheral (side) vision as the eye's retina is more sensitive to low light conditions this way. So relax in a good recliner, get your blanket and a hot beverage (even on warm days it can get chilly in the early hours). Just open your eyes wide and don't try and focus on anything in particular. Enjoy the stars and the stillness and nature's fireworks show. Maybe not as fancy as a 4th of July, but still magical!!

Happy Viewing!

15 things I'll be doing next week instead of blogging

We're off on vacation for a week, so I won't be blogging. This will really determine the level of my blog addiction. So instead I will be...

1. Reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" aloud to my children (this way I also get first crack at it!).

2. Swimming, floating on the lazy river, going down waterslides, getting dumped on by a giant water bucket.

3. Lounging by the pool (probably more of this than of number 2).

4. Having a kids-free time-out at the sauna. Maybe even going for a massage and/or beauty treatment!

5. Not cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, organizing, etc., etc., after all, it's vacation!!

6. Going to a restaurant. At least once. We'll see how the kids behave to find out if it's something we want to repeat. (My kids are not very good at eating out, unless it's somewhere with yellow arches, and I'm not very good there so we don't do much of this.)

7. Sleeping late. We'll be at a CenterParcs facility, where access is limited and after the first move-in day, no vehicles are allowed on-site. This makes it a very kid-friendly environment. So our usual routine is to let the kids run down to the bakery and pick up croissants and fresh buns for our breakfast. They love the independence and responsibility, and we love having a good half-hour to stay in bed longer. Well, I might not be sleeping...

8. Walking around the hills of Hochsauerland. The vacation park is in the middle of north Germany in an area known as the land of 1000 hills. In the winter this is a popular ski resort, though it isn't alpine skiing. It is beautiful
rolling hills and forest area with a number of hiking/walking trails. If the weather permits we will try and walk every day.

9. Star gazing. If the weather permits we will be outdoors and try and use the telescope to look at planets and various deep-sky objects. My girls already know some of the constellations, but hopefully we can see a few more as well.

10. Playing board games. Set! and Scrabble and chess are favorites, as well as Monopoly (Astronomy version). And DD1 wants to learn backgammon while DD2 is still partial to Memory (Disney version) as she can usually beat her parents.

11. Taking a nap. During vacation breaks we all are a little flexible with bedtime, and after a morning of swimming and playing in the pool, we are all ready for a little siesta!

12. Exercising. I absolutely have to start back on aerobics and the facility has various workouts at different times, so I think this will be a good way to ease back into a healthier routine. (Wish me luck!)

13. Cuddling my kids. During the school year we get out of the routine of cuddle time. Usually there is homework and housework and playdates and sports and afterschool activities, and, and, and... Vacation time is a break from all that and a chance to catch up on some one-on-one affection. Won't be many more years they'll let me do this I'm afraid, so I'll enjoy it while I can!

14. Reading up on various blog tricks, HTML code, etc. I have to try and make some improvements, add some blogrolls, buttons, etc.

15. Thinking about future blog topics. Even if I'm not online, I will very likely be composing some new entries that I hope you will enjoy reading!

Happy holidays!!

Summer Recipe

Okay, let me first add a disclaimer here. I am not a "recipe" person. I did not intend this blog to be all kitchen and cooking,etc. I don't have the talent nor the writing skills to make this kind of stuff interesting. If you want that, I can recommend a few blogs that do: Anno, Scribbit, or check out 101 cookbooks.

Having said this, I have collected a number of what I thought were special or unusual recipes and I happened to mention one to a friend who subsequently asked for it. As I was reading the recipe over again, it sounded so good I thought I'd go ahead and share it here. The measures are in US norms, but all ingredients should also be available in Europe. This will likely be a rare occasion, so if you don't like this sort of stuff, please don't be turned off by my blog and stop reading! However, if you are a bit adventurous and want something different for a hot summer day, I give you...

Green Gazpacho

Ingredients for 2 Servings:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, cut into quarters
1 cup cooled chicken broth ( I sometimes used canned, if it isn't too salty)
1/2 cup light sour cream or lowfat yoghurt
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lime juice (can also substitute lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I sometimes substitute Garlic or Celery Salt here)
1/2 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and mashed.
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I have also been known to add more, but this is a matter of taste!)
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow pepper
Chopped parsley for decoration
Garlic or other seasoned croutons

In blender or food processor, combine cucumbers, chicken broth, sour cream or yoghurt, scallions, lime juice, avocado, salt and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. Stir in diced peppers, saving a few as topping. Chill one hour before serving. Garnish with remaining diced peppers, parsley and croutons!

As a variation I have on occasion also added canned corn for a bit more texture.

For another variation, leave out the Avocado and you have White Gazpacho (also good, just not quite as thick!)

If I was better at this blogging stuff and picture taking, I could provide you with a great photo, however before I could take a nice one for posting, the bowl was already empty. Sorry!

Enjoy!

The Sky at Night (1)

At our backyard bar-b-que, some guests were having an argument, and I was asked to resolve it.

Guest 1, pointing to the south, "Okay, which planet is that one? I say Venus."
Guest 2, "It's not a planet, it's a star:"
Me, "Yes it's a planet, either Saturn or Jupiter."
Guest 1, "No, it's too bright, must be Venus."
Guest 3, "Oh, oh, you question the "professor"? You're gonna learn something now!"
Me (ignoring the teasing), "Okay, which planet is closer to the Sun, Venus or Earth?"
Guest 1, "Venus".
Me, "So, Venus will always be close to the Sun in the sky, either right after sundown or just before sunrise."
Guest 1, "Makes sense. So which planet is it?"
Me, "Not sure. Let me look it up." I go online to Tonight's Sky. "It's Jupiter."
Guest 2, "Are you sure it's not a star?"
Me, "It's not a star. I'll prove it to you." I get out the telescope (Meade ETX-70AT Autostar). The sun had gone down, the wind had subsided, it was clear at the moment, although not really dark. The object was just above the roof of a neighbor's house and I was able to get it in focus fairly quickly. "Take a look."
Guest 1, "Okay, I see a white dot. Why is this Jupiter?"
Me, "See the little dots on either side, along the middle of the big dot?"
Guest 1, "Yeah, there are two of them."
Me, "If you look closer, you should see 3, one is really close in. Those are some of Jupiter's moons."
Guest 2, "What are you looking at?"
Guest 1, "Yeah I see 3. Those are Jupiter's moons? How many does it have?"
Me, "Over 60 so far. But only a few are visible with a small telescope. Here, let me put in a stronger lens."
Guest 1, "Honey, come look at this. Jupiter's moons!"
Guest 3, "Told you you'd learn something!"


With the new lens we could actually see 4 moons, just like Gallileo did in 1610. All our guests and their kids got a chance to look through the telescope. And the kids brought their friends who were playing on the street. And we all talked about how amazing it was.

And it was. Though I've seen the same view many times, each time is still amazing and exciting. We were fortunate with the weather and the timing. Often you cannot see all 4 moons as they are in front of or behind the planet. Or the weather is not clear enough. Or Jupiter comes up too late or too early to make it easy to set up the scope. But we were lucky. Maybe you will be too. For the next 2 weeks or so, look a little to the south for the "first star", about 30 degrees above the horizon. With clear skies and a powerful pair of binoculars, or a small telescope, you should be able to see Jupiter and if you are lucky, one or more of its moons.

Happy viewing!

Where Do I Belong? (Update)

Conversation with DD1

"You asked me this morning a question that I said we could talk about in more detail this evening. You wanna do that now?"
DD1, "Okay."
"You asked, 'Where do I belong?' Now that is a question that almost everyone your age starts asking and it is one you will be asking yourself and answering for the rest of your life. Sometimes you won't have answers. Sometimes the answers will change. But for the most part, you are the one who will have to answer that question and while Pappi and I will always try and help you with your answers, for the most part it is something you will have to figure out yourself. Do you understand?"

DD1, "Yeah, kinda."

"But there is also part of that question that you are asking, that I can give you an answer to. You want to know how to deal with the issues of your home country and your culture and how you identify yourself, right?"

DD1, "Yeah, everyone else in my class gets to say things like 'I'm Italian' or 'I'm Israeli'. What can I say? I'm not Dutch. Pappi's German, but I'm not. You're American, but I haven't been there for more than a month or so. So what am I?"

"You, my love, are very lucky, that's what you are. You are a child of the world. You can say you are German, because your Pappi is German and you can have a German passport. You can say you are a US citizen and you do have a passport. When you are 18, you can even decide if you want to be Dutch because you were born here and went to Dutch schools. Also because of your father and grandfather, you could even apply for an Italian passport, but you might have to learn to speak the language first, I'm not sure."

DD1. "I want to learn Italian. I'm learning Spanish next year and Elise says that Spanish is a lot like Italian."

"Yes it is. So when you get a bit older, you will be able to choose which passport you get. By then it might not even matter. There may be an EU passport then so it doesn't matter which EU country you're from. But that is only part of the answer. Where you belong doesn't necessarily mean where you were born or which language you speak. Where your home is isn't just where you live or where you grew up. There's a saying that 'Home is where the heart is' and that is really true. Home is where the ones you love are. Home is where your family is. And sometimes 'family' is not someone you are related to by blood, but also people you welcome into your life. Do you know what I mean?"

DD1, "Like someone you marry?"

"Exactly, but not just that. Also the friends that you share your daily activities with, people you talk to about problems, people that you can call on when you need help. So that's your own 'created family'. And when you ask where you belong, then the answer is 'you belong to the people you love and who love you'. What do you think about that?" DD1 doesn't answer, but cuddles closer and actually crawls into my lap. I know this is a small victory as she has never been a lap child, even as a toddler.

"And the great thing about this kind of belonging, is that no matter where you move to, no matter what language you speak or where you travel, you will always belong in the hearts of those who love you. And however else you answer that question, that part will stay the same. Does that answer your question?"

DD1, "Yeah Mom, but it doesn't help when I have to do a project on my 'home country'."

"We'll deal with that when the time comes, okay? Now cuddle with Pappi and off to bed." She goes to have a cuddle with DH and he reinforces what I've been saying in their German conversation. She doesn't realize how lucky she is. She doesn't feel yet that she belongs anywhere in the world. But I know she will find her place. And I know it will not necessarily be the one I pick out for her. But for now it doesn't matter. The identity crisis has been averted, or at least appeased for now. And we can all smile for a bit.

I want to thank all of you who have commented and shared your thoughts and wisdom on this. Most especially thanks go to Shelly who provided a link and used her network of ex-pats which resulted in some new blog-friends with advice. Special thanks for inspiration go to Anno, Rock Chick, Stacy and Jen whose words I used to shape my answer to DD1. I feel like I came off wiser than I think I am, but what is important is I have given her some things to think about along with the reassurance she was looking for.

What a great blog-family I am creating for myself!

Love at First Sight...

Flashback 21+ years...

Maybe it was the jet lag. Maybe it was just a side effect of the new adventure I had started. It certainly wasn't a romantic setting or anything I had expected in any way.

But on my first day on the job in Germany, in the office next door to where I worked, I was hit by a bolt of lightning. My heart started pounding harder and faster. I felt giddy. I couldn't speak coherently. I just smiled like a maniac and could hardly take my eyes off of one the to engineers in the department I would be working in. Later, I asked the secretary who was guiding me around if he was single. You have no idea how out of character this was for me. But I was giggly and stupid and this just was not normal.

It has not been an easy relationship. Not the start. Not the adjustments. Dr. Phil has yet to do a segment on cross-cultural relationship difficulties. His producers should call me if he ever does as I have stories.... I don't know if this was "love at first sight". It certainly was the start of something, as we celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary this month. And sometimes, when I am not really thinking about it, something will happen and I will look at him and feel the same feelings, the same giddiness, the same heart palpitations.

Whatever you call it, it's mighty fine.

Communications Difficulties (1)

I guess because I live in a place where most people don't regularly speak my native tongue, I have an affinity for jokes, cartoons and other "funnies" about communication problems. So for this Sunday's funnies, I offer a selection that I usually giggle over:

Great commercial about language problems!

And one about another "failure to communicate".

This one is R-Rated, but still is so typical of language barriers!

This one is for my friend Jenn and others who might appreciate the choreography.

And from one of my earlier posts, one of my own mis-communications. I think it'd make a great commercial for language lessons:

I used to be a perfectionist. I took myself very seriously and I never liked making mistakes. I was cured of this shortly after moving to Germany. Even though it was only going to be for a period of 2 years, I learned the hard way that I would not survive the stress of holding onto my ideals. I had to let go and not be afraid of making a fool out of myself when I tried to speak the language. This lesson was only too clear after I went to the office where six of my male German colleagues worked (including one who was eventually to become my husband). In a very clear and confident tone, I announced that I was moving house and was there someone who would be willing to help me. A very good, perfect German sentence, pronounced well and easily understood by my colleagues, except...I included one tiny extra word that changed the sentence to me announcing that I was removing my clothes and would someone be willing to help me. My conservative German colleagues were very quiet and stunned, and I stood there a bit confused about why they were looking at me so strangely, when I realized my mistake at the same time that they did.... Well, it did break the ice. And the colleague who did volunteer to help me move also helped remove my clothes some months later...

Happy Sunday!

Fifteen online quizzes to help my child "Find Herself"

Yesterday I dealt with a pre-teen crisis (see previous blog entry). After the heavy discussion we talked about an on-line personality quiz that her friends were talking about. As I oversee most of her online activities, I promised to look at it and let her try out a few of these, with the caution that they are fun and not to be really taken seriously. Then I cam across another one from one of my blog friends and decided this was a good 15 topic!

1) As I was catching up reading posts from a number of blogfriends, I came across this link and couldn't resist taking the test. This is the result:

You Are 88% Texas

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. This ain't your first rodeo!

How Texas Are You?

Thanks DangerDoll! It only goes to show you I will go to no ends to try and help my child!

Thought this might be a lighthearted way to help her come up with some answers, so here are more such links:

2) Are you a Fake Girl?

3) What Superheroine Are You?

4) Has American Culture Ruined You?

5) What's Your Hidden Talent?

6) What's Your Geek Decade?

7) What's Your HTML Color?

8) What Would Hogwarts Boys/Girls Think of You?

9) Are You Too Hard On Yourself?

10) What Color is Your Soul Painted?

11) What American Accent Do You Have?

12) Where Is Your Spirit Craving To Take You To?

13) Which Star Wars Jedi/Sith Are You?

14) Which Pirate of the Carribean Are You?

and 15) What Type of Candy Are You?

I hope this helps cheer her up and gives you a smile!

"Where Do I Belong?"

I knew it was coming, but the question I have dreaded is now here...

I knew when I had children that this might be an issue. I knew in raising them to be "children of the world" that this would come up. I had hoped I would have an answer by now, but I don't. My oldest daughter (12 in October) has now hit the age where she needs to "belong". I am American. My husband, with an Italian last name, is 1/4 Italian, 3/4 German, but was raised in Germany and doesn't speak Italian. When his Dad was a young man in Nazi Germany, it was not good to be "different", so he stopped speaking Italian, cultivated a neutral German accent, and has never spoken Italian in front of his children. Our daughters were born in the Netherlands and their early school years at the creche (Dutch day-care/ nursery school) and first years at primary were all in Dutch. They have a number of Dutch friends and participate in sports and after-school activities that are all in Dutch.

We have adapted our lives to help them "fit in". Birthdays and holidays were celebrated in "Dutch style" with slight modifications (future blog on how I resolved the problem Sinter Klaas vs. Santa Claus). But they have also had exposure to German and American culture. We visit the German grandparents and cousin for a weekend about every 6-8 weeks. Last summer was the first time we had a vacation in the US longer than 2 weeks, and it really helped improve their English.

Three years ago, after being very disappointed with the education they were (not) receiving at their Dutch public school, I placed both girls in a semi-private "International School". I vetoed their going to the "American School" or the "British School" for a number of reasons, but primarily because neither would support the multi-culture that is their homelife. We had/have the option of the German school, but that is a lot further away so I felt the IS was the best option.

Both girls have thrived. They both have a mix of friends, and speak at least 2 of their languages every day. German is used less often, but they speak it fluently at home with their father. Though the school has the usual financial and organizational problems, there is a wonderful open environment where all cultures, beliefs and religions are accepted. It is a small school (20-25 kids per class) with a wide mix of nationalities. My DDs have joined in celebrations of Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish and Christian holidays. And they have picked up various words in 8 or so other languages. As a parent this sounds wonderful, and I am of course thrilled with the rich environment they have at their doorstep.

But puberty is now upon us. And while there is not really an issue of "fitting in", my oldest child is now trying to understand who she is. This first came up earlier in the year when each of the children was to do a project on his or her "home country". I was faced with the tearful tantrum accompanied by the wail "I don't have a home!" Boy did this pierce me to the heart! I identify with this feeling as it accompanies my darkest homesickness bouts. I have lived much longer as an adult in Europe than I lived in the US. And while we have a wonderful house that I got to help design and personalize, at times I still don't feel like it's my "home".

While we overcame the earlier crisis with a long discussion of how she had at least 3 "home" countries and she could pick whichever she wanted for her project, I knew the problem was not solved. And then this morning, almost out of the blue, she cuddled in my arms and said in a small voice, "Mom, where do I belong?"

Now I know that part of this is coming from the angst that is present in all pre-teens/teenagers. Those answers she will have to come up with on her own and will take some time. But the part that I have to help her with is the part that I too struggle with, and I am at a real loss. How can I help her forge her identity when my own is so fuzzy at times? How do convince her at how blessed she is with the advantages she has, how it is so wonderful to have perspective and understanding of so many countries? How do I help her forge a confidence and a feeling of "home"? How do I give her a feeling of being "rooted" when I feel myself that I am almost "rootless"? My worst bouts of homesickness came after being in Texas for 3 weeks by myself, surrounded by family and friends, and I could not explain why everything felt so "wrong". There definitely is something to the old saying that "You can't go home again".

So this evening I face a delicate diplomatic discussion that has repercussions that a UN ambassador can only remotely imagine. I know it won't be the last, but it is a very important beginning. I am helping to shape the future outlook of a child of the world. Your prayers, good wishes, advice and wisdom are more than welcome on this.

Inventions (1)

My technical/scientist side still stays in touch with the developments and discoveries in various areas that interest me. One of the recent inventions is something called "flexible electronics". While this has been part of the sci-fi world for a long time, it is only just now becoming something that can realistically be incorporated into our daily life.

I tell you about it here blogfriends because I predict in a few years time it will be something as ubiquitous as the current IPod/MP-3 rage. To elaborate, the development allows for electronics to be embedded into a flexible, enclosed medium (not such a new thing), but then takes it one step further with flexible connections that can stretch to twice their length.

Imagine wearing your IPod as a headband! Or your mobile phone as a belt! Those are the easy inventions to think up. Sci-fi tells us about flexible electronic books that you can read, then close or roll up. Ever see the electronic piano that Jean-Luc Picard's girlfriend (Star-Trek) played? As the electronics are not only flexible, but the sensitive parts are encapsulated in the flexible medium, they are washable. So devices can be built into clothing and later put into the washer without any damage.

The revolutionary inventions that will result from this development are ones that are yet to come. Inventors in medical technology have been waiting for this development and this will be one of the first areas to take advantage. I can't wait to see what the auto industry does with this. And of course entertainment and information distribution will continue to be on the cutting edge with their new gadgets. Advertisements will invade all sorts of spaces that they couldn't go before. I expect fashion designers will soon get into the act and we may finally see the kinds of "future clothing" portrayed in so many of the sci-fi films and TV programs.

And imagine the toys that will result from this...!

Worries

My husband spent a couple of hours at work Saturday to supervise the installation of a new radiation source for one of the labs under his management. I mentioned this to my mother when I was talking to her and she immediately was concerned.
"What if something happens? Is he wearing a lead apron to shield himself?"
"Mom, he isn't handling it, other professionals are. It's all under tight security. And he has his radiation badge?"
"Oh my, a radiation badge? This is more dangerous than I thought. Now I'm going to be worried until you tell me he is home safe."
"Mom, don't worry. He's safe. It's just a new procedure that he wants to oversee?"
"You mean they haven't done it before? That means so many things can go wrong. What if there's an accident like the one in Russia? How far away is your house?"
"Please Mom, it's not that kind of radiation. It's a very small source. Kind of like for taking X-rays and such."
"They make me wear a lead apron when they take X-rays of my teeth."
"Momma, don't worry."

This conversation with my Mom got me to thinking about what we worry about. As Moms, we are always worried about our children. So much so that this almost becomes background noise. We get used to cautioning and reminding them and nagging them, all because of the "little worries" we have about their health, appearance, grades in school, safety at play, etc. But I don't often get the real anxious worries like those described yesterday by my friend Jenn in her blog.

I don't worry about flying on airplanes, despite all the terrorist threats. It is still safer than driving your car.

I don't worry about driving or riding in cars, except sometimes when my husband is driving too fast (he did his driver training on German autobahns).

I don't worry about getting older, thought I definitely am. I don't think old, so I don't worry about it. Yet.

I don't worry about my health or my weight, though I probably should. It might motivate me to go the the gym more often.

I don't worry about money. This doesn't mean that I spend frivolously. But we live a comfortable life and are fairly secure.

I don't worry about being alone. I have moved to Europe by myself and traveled all over the continent for business and pleasure. And many is the night that I find myself in the role of single-parent, so "alone" has never been a problem for me (as my granny said, "By myself I'm in the best of company").

I do, however, worry about the future. I worry about the environment and what we continue to do to our planet's ecosystem. I worry about technology getting so prevalent that the younger generation seems to have lost touch with the simplicities in life. I worry about my children's education and if they will suffer from their mixed up cultural background. I worry about the US and the outcome of the current political machinations. I don't have any close family currently serving in the Armed Forces, but still I worry about the men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day. I worry about the world our children will inherit. I worry that the nightmare scenarios, that "24" has won so many awards for portraying, are less fictional that I would like to believe. And my biggest worry is that I can't effect enough change to prevent any of these worries from being realized.

But really, this blog was supposed to be about how little I worry, so every once in a while I need to remind myself with this little funny. Seriously though, somehow it seems that there is more to worry about every year. I don't know if it is indicative of the times we live in or just a natural part of growing older (sigh).

May all your worries be small ones.

Blame it on Mom

Flashback 21+ years
I wasn't looking for a job in Germany. I was just bored with my present position, and at a decision point about continuing for my PhD, and a headhunter happened to call. I thought, why not go for the interview, polish up my resume and job-seeking skills. Two years in Germany? Nah! Not really interested. But as my CV was such an ideal match with 4 years of college German, the headhunter flattered me into meeting with the company rep.

And suddenly I found myself wooed and praised and tempted with a great financial package and the idea of a 2-year European adventure. To top it off, my only semi-serious relationship was in a holding pattern. My 29th birthday was approaching and I could not imagine myself finding a similar opportunity 5 years down the road. Or find my personal situation any more accommodating that it was at the time. So I went for it. Got my passport, put the furniture in storage, loaned my car to my Dad to sell, put my house up for rent, brought my cat to my Mom's and I was all set for my big adventure. My friends could not believe it. My best girlfriend from high school was in shock. But I needed this. I wanted to stretch myself and challenge myself and after all, I figured I could stand anything for 2 years.

So at the airport, with Mom in tears at her "baby" going so far away, her parting words to me were "Now don't you go over there and fall in love with a German!".

And we all know that the rebellious streak in us that causes us to pull away from our parents also almost forces us to do the opposite of what our mother's tell us.

She knows it's her fault...

Sunday Funnies

Dutch humor is different in many ways from American humor. Actually with the prevalence of flatulence and other off-color subjects it may be close to the humor of all 10-year old boys. However, at times there are some really funny advertisements and some of the best use the tag line "Even Apeldoorn bellen". As the literal translation "Call Apeldoorn" doesn't mean anything outside of the Netherlands, you must understand that all the call centers for the insurance providers of accident, household, casualty, theft, travel, etc. insurance are located in a city in the far north of the Netherlands, Apeldoorn. The insurance companies got together a long time ago to develop an ad campaign to remind people to get insurance and pay their fees and make their claims, and instead of saying " Time to call the insurance company" they said "Even Apeldoorn bellen".

With this information you can now visit the website which contains all the award-winning television advertisements of the collective insurance group, most of which require no further translation. Some of my favorites are : Vlieg (Fly), Balletje (Ball), Gorilla, Museum, Cementmixer...I could go on. But these choices give you an idea of my twisted sense of humor. Find your own favorites!

Happy Sunday!

Lurkers Anonymous

Hi, I'm FA and I'm a Lurker. I first got started doing this when I visited a friend, Jenn in Holland and I was hooked. From there it escalated and I found "myself" in various blogs all over the net. While Jenn reminded me of myself in my early thirties with my initial confusion and wonderment at life in the Netherlands, Soccer Mom in Denial lives the life I might if I had done some things differently. In fact, her handle could be mine as with two girls I was not supposed to be a "Soccer Mom". Life seems to laugh at her just as it does at me and I have spent many an afternoon entertained by her blog entries and thought, "There but for the grace of God...". And then I stumbled onto 'Twas Brillig and got caught up in her Soap Opera Sunday and Flashback Friday entries and I just couldn't stop lurking. I didn't feel that I could comment. Me, who discusses with strangers on the bus or in the shops in any of 3 languages. But I felt odd, just dropping in and giving my opinion. I didn't really belong to this world. But I couldn't stop lurking...

It got really bad one day when I saw all the links Jenn had posted and I couldn't resist finding out who these people were...Gunfighter has such a wonderful male point of view and I share so much of his political orientation that I would love meeting him in person. Next I followed Jenn's links read what Anno had been blogging. Again I read so much that resonated that she could be my sister. Especially her blogs on her ex-pat experiences are things I can relate to. Maybe in the future I can join with her and update how things have changed since her visits. But in any case her writing captivated me. Then there was the fellow Texan Shelly who has such a similar childhood that I almost passed out from deja-vu overload when she blogged about her piggy bank. I had that piggy bank! Reading Worker Mommy makes me almost jealous at the calmness and creativity she has in her approach to life. Well, okay, I am jealous, but it doesn't stop me from reading and I hope to get up the courage to comment soon. She seems to have a really neat bunch of blog-friends that I also been lurking at.

I know, this is really getting out of hand now. Especially when I find myself identifying with a few R-rated blogs such as the ones by Cathouse Teri and Crystal. I consider them my voyeuristic pleasures. Ah to have the freedom of expression these ladies have! Though I'm not sure I would want to live their adventures, I get serious pleasure out of reading about them and regularly ROFLOL times.

And then when I need to be reminded that no matter how frustrated and unhappy I am in my life, I really have it great, I turn to Sweet and Salty Kate. Her heartbreaks and courage facing them have made for riveting reading that I have only been able to take in small doses they have been so moving. She has made me reach out with my mind and prayers and some day I hope to have something profound enough to say in a comment to her.

Yes, I am a Lurker. I should say Recovering Lurker. I have taken the first steps. I have made a few comments. I have started a blog. I have entered a contest and responded to a meme. I have now made a few links. I hope in the future to have a blogroll and pictures an buttons and...

As we say in LA, one blog at a time.

15 Reasons Why I Should Not Start a Blog

1. There are people in my past that I don’t necessarily want to find me.
2. With all the blogs I read and want to comment on, I really don’t have the time to write very much.
3. With all the great blogs out there and people who can write with such insight, poetry and wisdom, what do I really have to say that anyone would want to read?
4. My mother and brothers don’t read blogs, so it is not really about communicating with family. Neither does my husband, but that’s not necessarily a negative...
5. Despite my extrovert nature, I am really a pretty private person.
6. I have planned for a long time to submit some of my stories to Reader’s Digest and earn money, that is if they would publish them. Would they do that if I write them in my blog first?
7. I’m not really as nice a person as I want people to believe I am. What if I let my true cynical self shine through on this forum? Then the jig would be up!
8. I do have a habit of using “fifty-cent words” (as my best friend reminds me). Would any want to keep reading my blog if they have to keep using a dictionary?
9. I am a scientist, an engineer, a physicist, an astronomer. At least in what is left of my mind after I get through the day being “mommy”. Just because I’ve always wanted to write doesn’t mean that I can.
10. I am not really that creative.
11. My schedule is pretty erratic.
12. I really should spend less time behind the computer and more in the gym.
13. I get pretty cynical and at times can be a real whiner. Who wants to read that?
14. No one would believe some of the stories I have, even though they are the honest truth.
15. I can be pretty verbose. And I ramble. And my general style is stream-of-consciousness. A blog might well be all the evidence needed for locking me away in the insane asylum.

What does it say about me that I seem to be unwilling to listen to reason?

My First Contest

Fellow Texan Shelly is running a writing contest and as a naive novice I am entering. Especially as it uses one of my favorite Texas expressions:
Check it out and her site "This Eclectic Life". She also is making an effort in her own way to make the world a better place, making her a woman after my own heart!

I am entering with two items out of my first "Meme" . So here are:

2 OUT OF 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ME...:

I was once mistaken for a "hooker". (Sorry, I've been out of the US for too long and don't know the PC term. "My bad!") I was in hotel in Vegas, waiting beside the entrance to the casino for my date who was playing blackjack. A man walked past me a couple of times. I wasn't really paying much attention, but then he came up to me and asked if I was busy. I smiled and said I was waiting for someone (we Southern girls are brought up to be polite). He said, "Well Honey, I'll double whatever he's paying you." It took me a moment to understand what he was saying, but the gleam in his eyes finally got the message across. I was in turn shocked, angry, momentarily speechless, and then amused. I straightened my spine, cocked my hip, and gave him a long slow look up and down. I then looked him in the eye and in my best Texas drawl said "Darlin', you couldn't afford me." Must've been pretty convincing as he backed away fast. One of the few times I've had the perfect comeback...

I have gone for a topless swim in the ocean. Once. And I was punished for it and learned my lesson. But having seen the almost full frontal nudity that was the accepted attire on the public beaches in Portugal, on a day when there was only one other couple on a secluded beach, both sleeping and the woman having only a postage-stamp sized bottom, I gave into the temptation. I admit it was exhilarating to feel the ocean waves on bare skin that had always been covered. And it was no small feat to overcome my Southern Baptist upbringing and indulge, even in this less-than-public location. But it was fun, for about 10 minutes. And then, "OHMYGODICAN'TBREATHEITHURTSSOBAD". At first I thought it was a jellyfish. But no, only some algae, complete with the microscopic protozoa’s that administer a burning-stinging sensation. It left a long red welt, right across my bare nipple. I knew without a doubt it was a message from God. Baptist girls do not go swimming nude or semi-nude. I learned my lesson. Never again.

My first Meme -- all about Me (me!)

This is my first "Meme". I wasn't actually "tagged" per se, but read about it in my friend Jenn's blog and was so inspired by her that I had to stay up late and send in my meme in her comments. Come to think of it, this was the first time I got out of lurking mode and actually wrote a comment (well 11) and it was appropriate that it was on her blog which got me started lurking in the first place. She got such a hoot out of it that she even made her long-suffering husband read it and reported back to me that he actually snort-laughed, which is supposed to be high praise! So...

10 ULTIMATELY INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ME...:

1) Even though I am/was a scientist and engineer, even though I designed semiconductor chips that are still used in computers and electronic gadgets today, even though my husband is also an electronic engineer, my children are both generally deprived of using computers, playing computergames, video games, etc. We do not own a playstation/gameboy/I-Pod/mP-3 player, etc. And though I do have a mobile phone, it is rarely switched on and I have only sent out about a dozen SMS messages, ever. By the way I didn't mention that I also worked to help market mobile telephony and data communications in the Netherlands, having been employed at various times by 3 of the major operators in the Netherlands. I guess the adage about the cobbler's children is true...

2) When speaking to non-native English speaker, I have little or no Texas accent. The occasional "yawl" does sneak in, but it's only because I have never found a better word (plural you can be confusing). My accent in German is generally considered American, but I have also been asked if I was Swiss or Austrian. My accent in Dutch is often considered to be Belgian (not necessarily a compliment!). And what little Italian I speak has met with such raves by my Italian friends who claim I have no real accent. However, when I get off the phone from talking to my Mom or girlfriends, or spend a morning with a fellow Texan or Southerner, then my poor long-suffering German husband can barely understand me for a couple of hours. It takes some time for the "native" tongue to wear off. You can take the girl outta Texas...

3) I was once mistaken for a "hooker". (Sorry, I've been out of the US for too long and don't know the PC term. "My bad!") I was in hotel in Vegas, waiting beside the entrance to the casino for my date who was playing blackjack. A man walked past me a couple of times. I wasn't really paying much attention, but then he came up to me and asked if I was busy. I smiled and said I was waiting for someone (we Southern girls are brought up to be polite). He said, "Well Honey, I'll double whatever he's paying you." It took me a moment to understand what he was saying, but the gleam in his eyes finally got the message across. I was in turn shocked, angry, momentarily speechless, and then amused. I straightened my spine, cocked my hip, and gave him a long slow look up and down. I then looked him in the eye and in my best Texas drawl said "Darlin', you couldn't afford me." Must've been pretty convincing as he backed away fast. One of the few times I've had the perfect comeback...

4) I have an album credit. When I was a back-up singer to an electronic music band, we scraped up enough money to actually cut a record. I not only have my laugh and a couple of vocals enshrined in the grooves of black vinyl (yes, this was before CD'S became all the rage), I have actual credits as back-up singer and "Executive Producer" printed on the album cover. Okay so maybe it's not 15 minutes of fame, but it is mine...

5) My youngest child was born without any drugs, and we were home from the hospital less than 8 hours later. Sometime I'll write you about how the Dutch treat pregnancy and child-birth in the Netherlands, a verrry different experience from my US and UK girlfriends!

6) I wanted to grow up to be an astronaut. Since I was 10 years old. I mapped out my career path, and pretty much followed it for the next 14 years (a few detours, but still got back on track). I wasn't deterred by the many times I was told that this was not something for a girl/woman. I was not intimidated in my Physics classes when I was the only girl. So many of the choices that have shaped my life today came from this original goal. I learned German so that I could read Einstein in his native language (and it was more "scientific" than French or Spanish). I learned to fly an airplane when I was only 17 years old. I was not bothered to be the "geek" or "nerd" because I had a goal I was focused on. Being left out and lonely only made me more determined. I even had the opportunity when I graduated from college to follow the same career path that Sally Ride eventually took. But when that choice came up, I realized that I no longer had the same goals, even though they had gotten to that point. It took some soul-searching and hard thinking, but I chose a different path. And today I have no regrets, well, not many and not often. Just a twinge and a "What if..." every once in a while.

7) I dream in 3 languages. Sometimes even 4 when I have visited with my Italian friends. I cannot even tell you what language many of my dreams are in. I just know that sometimes I wake up with phrase in my head and it isn't English. I can't say that it comes naturally to me, the way it does to my girls who change languages on the fly. But it has become "normal". We speak 3 languages at home. It is at times a real "cultural chaos". But as you would of course attest too, it is a rich, surprising, at times hilarious mix. My neighbors have admitted to getting a real laugh out of their eavesdropping on our backyard conversations.

8) I have gone for a topless swim in the ocean. Once. And I was punished for it and learned my lesson. But having seen the almost full frontal nudity that was the accepted attire on the public beaches in Portugal, on a day when there was only one other couple on a secluded beach, both sleeping and the woman having only a postage-stamp sized bottom, I gave into the temptation. I admit it was exhilarating to feel the ocean waves on bare skin that had always been covered. And it was no small feat to overcome my Southern Baptist upbringing and indulge, even in this less-than-public location. But it was fun, for about 10 minutes. And then, "OHMYGODICAN'TBREATHEITHURTSSOBAD". At first I thought it was a jellyfish. But no, only some algae, complete with the microscopic protozoa’s that administer a burning-stinging sensation. It left a long red welt, right across my bare nipple. I knew without a doubt it was a message from God. Baptist girls do not go swimming nude or semi-nude. I learned my lesson. Never again.

9) There is a gap in my memory. I was in a bad car accident (my station wagon vs. a bridge support on an icy road). It took 2 tow trucks to remove the car. I received a double concussion, multiple bruises, no broken bones but ended up with a bad case on pneumonia before I got out of the hospital. But the lasting effect is a 6 month period of time where I have little or no memory of events. I have since filled in the gaps with the stories and memories that other people have told me about those times. But in all of these memories, I see myself in the picture, rather than seeing the picture through my own eyes. These "manufactured memories" have blended seamlessly with those from before and after that period. But whenever there is the rare occasion when I try and recall something from that period, it is like I am watching a video of myself. Strange things these minds and memories.

And...

10) I used to be a perfectionist. I took myself very seriously and I never liked making mistakes. I was cured of this shortly after moving to Germany. Even though it was only going to be for a period of 2 years, I learned the hard way that I would not survive the stress of holding onto my ideals. I had to let go and not be afraid of making a fool out of myself when I tried to speak the language. This lesson was only too clear after I went to the office where six of my male German colleagues worked (including one who was eventually to become my husband). In a very clear and confident tone, I announced that I was moving house and was there someone who would be willing to help me. A very good, perfect German sentence, pronounced well and easily understood by my colleagues, except...I included one tiny extra word that changed the sentence to me announcing that I was removing my clothes and would someone be willing to help me. My conservative German colleagues were very quiet and stunned, and I stood there a bit confused about why they were looking at me so strangely, when I realized my mistake at the same time that they did.... Well, it did break the ice. And the colleague who did volunteer to help me move also helped remove my clothes some months later...

Tag! You're It!!