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Blog: wordgeyser Topics:expat, netherlands, family and life expatsblogs
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Author Archives: wordgeyser
Who Dat?: Friendly Faces in Foreign Places
A while back driving home from Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport, the Captain and I experienced something which got me thinking about how we react when we meet fellow countrymen thousands of miles from home. Our American home is New Orleans; I’ve … Continue reading
Dutch Workmen: Tips On Understanding The Tribe
I’ve been doing some unofficial research of late into the habits and behaviour of Dutch workmen. I say unofficial because it’s more observation than research and has happened only because we have decorators repainting the exterior of our building. It’s supposedly a twelve … Continue reading
When the Netherlands is Perfect: The Gentle Grace of Holland
It occurred to me this morning I’ve never said much about the everyday beauty of the Netherlands. I’ve sat and typed through the long dark days of winter, made miserable by the relentless rain, howling wind and a chill factor that … Continue reading
Garden Gnomes and Pink Flamingos: The Ultimate in Taste
In the previous blog I wrote about how some people judge or pigeonhole others by the way they speak, which led me to wonder why people are also judgemental about other folks’ belongings, their choice of furniture, the way they decorate their homes. Who it is that dictates what … Continue reading
If The Accent Fits, Should We Wear It?
Struggling this morning with a thumping headache brought on by an accidental glue-sniffing incident (long story) I was rather concerned I wouldn’t be able to think of anything to blog about. Getting the grey matter going was a slow job, until I … Continue reading
Posted in England and Things English, Expat Experiences, USA
Tagged English language, foreign accents, Linguistics, posh accents, Regional accents of English, social aspirations and accents, what accent should we have, what accents tell us about people, what we can tell about people from their accent
5 Comments
Eurovision Song Contest: the Ultimate Revenge for Past Wrongs
Tonight the population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be holding its collective breath in anticipation, fascination and fear of humiliation. It is the annual Eurovision Song contest, held this year in Düsseldorf, Germany. Created in … Continue reading
DIY: Household Chores and the Retention of Sanity
We have been busy catching up on the home front, trying to pull in all those niggling little household jobs that have been outstanding for months. The Captain refuses to pay the exorbitant cost of having a man do the … Continue reading
Alternative Vote: Politics of Apathy by Committee
Before I get started I want to make clear from the outset that this is not going to be a for or against rant for one side or the other of the political debate. I have been relegated to the bench by … Continue reading
Posted in England and Things English, Personal challenges, Politics and Social Comment
Tagged alternative vote in UK, american political system, british political and electoral system, dirrering political systems of the western world, expats and overseas voting, living in different voting systems, living under a coalition government, political systems in Europe, politics in the UK, referendem on the alternative vote in britain
6 Comments
A New Era: Dignity and Deference at the Royal Wedding
I’m exhausted. Weddings do that to me, Royal ones especially. It’s not the romance or love story or even the dress – it’s the splendor, pageantry and formality of the occasion in a time when deference, good manners and behaving well … Continue reading
Posted in England and Things English, Politics and Social Comment
Tagged behaving well, dignity, good manners, importance of the british monarchy in the life of the nation, monarchy of Britain, national ceremonies, Royal wedding, royal wedding in westminster abbey, Westminster Abbey, why the royal wedding is important to the nation, william and kate behaving well
4 Comments
Turning Points and Defining Moments
A bit of a change of pace for this post. I got to thinking the other day – always a dangerous pastime – about how many twists and turns there are in life. How its course can hinge on a single decision and the … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges
Tagged crossroads in life, defining moments in life, facing life challenges, how to deal with life crisis, inspiration, life's challenges, looking for guidance in life, Religion and Spirituality, turning points, turning points in life, when life doesn't work out as it should, when life falls apart, when life goes off track, when life turns upside down
4 Comments
Family Travels and Unaccompanied Children
There’s something rather nice about returning home from travelling, even if home is in a foreign country. It’s a feeling of having survived a mission during which so much could have gone wrong. As I mentioned a few posts ago, getting out of … Continue reading
Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, The Netherlands, Travel
Tagged children travelling alone, cross channel ferry, expat children travelling alone, international travel and unaccompanied children, international travel with children, losing a passport while travelling, Passport, teens travelling alone, travel, travel from europe to UK, unaccompanied children and international travel, unaccompanied minors, when should kids travel on their own
6 Comments
My Father and Other Animals
Having taught my sister and myself to ride bikes my father saw no reason not to apply similar methods to riding horses. He taught himself to ride by chasing down the milkman’s horse, which was guaranteed to be found relaxing at … Continue reading
Posted in England and Things English, Family Life
Tagged are squirrels vermin, childhood memories, childhood memories with fathers, childhood memoryies of dad, dads teaching children to ride bikes, dads teaching children to ride horse, dealing with squirrels in urban areas, detering squirrels and cats from gardens, keeping squirrels out of gardens, problems in the garden from squirrels, problems with squirrels digging up flower bulbs, protecting your garden from vermin, snowdrops
2 Comments
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Writer
Day twenty-one of a thirty day blog challenge, two-thirds behind me and one-third to go. I should be feeling wonderful but sadly I don’t. I’ve hit that wall where it’s too much effort to take a take the next step, … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges, Writing
Tagged becoming a better writer, benefits of blog challenges, challenge of writing, how to keep blogging, lonliness of the writer, self-esteem, struggling to write, writers block and how to resolve it, writers finding inspiration and encouragement, writing, writing momentum
7 Comments
Foreign Invasion: When the Tourists Arrive
The sun is beaming gloriously from a blue sky and it’s two days to go to the Easter weekend. As a family we hate traveling at peak holiday periods, we know Schiphol airport (Amsterdam) will be bursting at the seams … Continue reading
Posted in Dutch Culture, Expat Experiences, The Netherlands
Tagged Dutch attitudes to expats, Dutch attitudes to foreigners, Dutch life, expats and locals, holidaymakers in the netherlands, holidays in the netherlands, summer in the netherlands, wassenaar netherlands, wassenaar the netherlands
3 Comments
Keukenhof: Useful Tips for Reluctant Visitors
I realised in my earlier post I’d forgotten to include some pretty important stuff you may like to consider before visiting the Keukenhof, should you decide to go at some point over the next few weeks. The weather here in The … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life, The Netherlands
Tagged Expat, Haarlem, keukenhof, Netherlands, travel, tulip time in the netherlands
3 Comments
Keukenhof: The Jewel in the Crown of The Netherlands
What I didn’t mention in The Perfect Palette : The Netherlands in Spring and what anyone living here would think of when you put ‘spring’ and ‘The Netherlands’ in the same sentence – the Keukenhof The reason, dear readers, is because I’ve saved … Continue reading
The Perfect Palette – The Netherlands in Spring
When the sun comes out in the spring, there is no more beautiful place in the world than The Netherlands – this from someone who struggles with the weather here after more than ten years living in the heat, humidity and dramatic … Continue reading
Lagnaippe: Return to Childhood with Albert and The Lion
A few days back I made a comment in the blog Filed and Finished- Finally about poking the fates with a stick. Every time I hear the expression I have a visual – a young boy called Albert, poking a lion through the bars … Continue reading
Dutch Death and Taxes: Where There’s a Will There’s a Lawyer
This week has seen the Captain and I have our annual meeting with our Dutch and US accountants – enough angst to put both of us in need of a long vacation somewhere warm, with hammocks, and 24-hour room service. … Continue reading
Posted in Dutch Culture, Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, Family Life, The Netherlands
Tagged do you need a will in the netherlands, do you need to have a will in holland, does an American living in the netherlands need a dutch will, dutch inheritance laws, Dutch inheritance laws and wills, dutch taxes and inheritance, dutch wills, expat and wills in holland, expat and wills in the netherlands, expat life, expats and wills, last will and testament
7 Comments
Loving your Dutch Bike
Ask anyone to think of anything Dutch and I guarantee the top four will be, in no particular order, tulips, windmills, clogs and bikes. Bikes will always be listed – they are such an ingrained part of Dutch life and … Continue reading
Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Culture, Expat Experiences, Family Life, The Netherlands
Tagged best bike for the netherlands, biking in the netherlands, choosing a bike, dutch bikes, exploring the netherlands on a bike, humor, Jeremy Clarkson, learning to ride a bike, Netherlands, omafiets bikes in the netherlands
7 Comments
Dutch Rules and Regulations
There’s no getting away from it, the Dutch are a nation managed by infinite rules and regulations. They are there for a reason, they work and are immoveable. Even Moses would have had a tough time without the Ten Commandments in … Continue reading
Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Culture, Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, Family Life
Tagged bureaucracy in the netherlands, correct forms of ID in the netherlands, dutch bank cards and acceptable ID, dutch rules and regulations, humor, Identity document, Netherlands, Passport, passport as ID in the netherlands
8 Comments
The Art of Thinking
In my opinion thinking is a much underrated pastime, often confused with indolence and idleness by those who do not allow their thoughts to roam freely and often. I can recommend doing nothing but thinking as a wonderful way to … Continue reading
The Ultimate Blog Challenge
Oh shoot, now I’ve really gone and done it. I’ve signed up, registered and will make have to make myself accountable. Why do I always get gung-ho on an idea only to wake up the next day with that hangover-like … Continue reading
Question: What is An Expat?
According to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) – for me the only font of knowledge when it comes to definitive explanation of all words English – ‘expatriate’ is defined as, ‘To expel, remove oneself from homeland; withdraw oneself from citizenship or … Continue reading
Spring Time and Dutch Delights: Dutch Leisure Pursuits
Finally after six long months of cold, wet and dark the Spring Equinox has arrived, the first day in the year when day and night are of equal length. From now until September 21 the days will be longer than the … Continue reading
Boomerang Kids
Life is pretty interesting in our house right now, especially for Missy who has moved back into the bosom of her family after graduating in December. This is not the scenario she had planned as she stood on the verge of … Continue reading
Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Personal challenges
Tagged boomerang kids, employment for graduates, entry level jobs, expat family, expats with boomerang kids, financing kids post college, graduates moving home, TCKs finishing college, TCKs moving home after college, TCKs returneing home after college
3 Comments
Disaster and Tragedy: The Emotional Cost
In 2001 I spent days watching footage from Japan. Then last week Hurricane Sandy. What struck me with both was my utter numbness. It seems inhuman and inhumane to admit this in the face of such horror and suffering on … Continue reading
Posted in Expat Experiences, Hurricane Katrina, Personal challenges, Politics and Social Comment
Tagged aftermath of disasters, aftermath of hurricane Sandy, clean-up after disasters, emotional trauma, emotional trauma after natural disasters, Expat, hurricane Katrina, hurricane Sandy, Japan, mental well-being of survivors, New Orleans, psychological effect of natural disaster on
8 Comments
So where do you go from here Mr. Camping?
Well, what a relief. Although I do wonder if the Rapture really did happen and we’ve all been left behind, including prophet Harold Camping who is now saying “oops, I miscalculated and meant October 21”. That he may be on the … Continue reading →