Mijn Verjaardag :)

On the Saturday leading up to my birthday I went with friends to play some GlowGolf, located along Scheveningen’s boulevard in the shopping centre. That is, mini golf in the dark with glow-in-the-dark golf balls and sticks, obstacles and score-pad. Aimed for children the 18-hole course was compiled out of a fantastically simple blend of piracy and the ocean. We had mermaids, dolphins, reefs, treasure chests and wrecks! It was a lot of fun and I won, always nice! The adjoining Mirror Maze was also amusing under the flashing lights and thumping music, all helping to make it difficult to navigate yourself and locate your wandering friends. I’ve matured a lot over these past few months and have often felt more like a mother than the teenage daughter that I am so it was great to do something a little childish to celebrate the passing of another year. The 23rd itself was an ordinary working Wednesday but it was nice to skype with Ma, Dad, twin and brother (not all together!) and to receive their's and my sister's cards. Not to mention a lovely one from my Church family. Let’s see what’s in store for this year...

The Bike Debacle (13/01)

What happened to the really extensive cycling (press here!) I hear you cry! Or, in fact, cycling at all? Cycling isn't without its problems (just have a read here) but for the last few months it has actually been impossible. I haven’t had a bike. It was actually back in October that I took the bike I use from my host family to do some shopping in the centre of Den Haag. Shopping completed, all ready and unlocked to head home, I suddenly remembered something I’d forgotten. This resulted in an embarrassingly hurried dash back to the shop. It also resulted in a failure to re-lock my bike. A quick 5 minute in-and-out and my bike had gone. My bike could have sat on Ypenburg’s shopping street totally unlocked for hours and it wouldn’t have been so much as touched but in a big city like Den Haag that’s all it takes. Bike theft is after all one of the most committed crimes in Holland and it’s no wonder since there are so many (more than there are people). That’s why nearly all Dutch bikes have fixed on-and-off locks around the wheel with most owners choosing to wrap an additional lock around at least one wheel, the frame and an immovable object.

Anyhow a couple of (pretty pointless) police reports later and a good deal of searching I have finally got a replacement bike courtesy of some great family friends. They even drove a tightly packed me and bike in the car from Noordwijk to Ypenburg to save me the chilly ride! It’s been great to be back on the saddle and I’ve definitely learnt my lesson. Lock and double lock.                  

Home Sweet Home (21/12-02/01)

The end of the school term signalled the beginning of not only my host kids holiday but also (somewhat surprisingly) mine! My first homeward bound flight in over 5 months and it was 11 days not filled with sight-seeing but nonetheless well spent...

• Fresh, more like bedraggled, from my flight it was off to a friend’s house for a sleepover (although there wasn't much ‘sleep’). The following morning was spent back in the ever so familiar Harlequin Shopping Centre. 
• Sunday was a day with my best friend; baking Christmas themed cakes, listening to music and chatting to our hearts content. 
• Christmas Eve heralded my first (in-person) meet with my twin’s boyfriend, he came to our church’s Carols by Candlelight which was lovely. It was great to catch up with my Church family and see how all the kids had grown too.
• Christmas Day was a relaxing family one. A quick church service in the morning, poffertjes for breakfast, present opening, dinner, sjoelen, a film and some card games. Managed to squeeze quite a bit of Dutch into Christmas!
• Boxing Day (as is traditional) meant I got to see all the cousins at our halfway house, Birmingham.  
• Inevitability, although a day later, the Boxing Day sales were thoroughly enjoyed with my twin and good friend.  
• The rest of the day was spent with my twin and boyfriend; meeting his family and watching way too many Harry Potter films. In the following evening it was out to Watford town with lots of others for a friend’s birthday, a memorable evening. 
• Saturday I was lucky enough to go and see Matilda the Musical for free with a good friend of mine, it was sensational! The company wasn't so bad either.
• On Sunday there was a quick trip to a lovely dessert place along Pinner High Street with the bestie which resulted in a New Years Eve plan- just in time.
• I travelled into London on NYE to see my sister’s new (to me anyway) apartment with Ma and met up with my fellow planners in Camden to go out for a meal. Feeling very content we got ourselves a great spot on the top of Primrose Hill, home to a great panoramic view of London. Then all that needed to be done was picnic it out until the fireworks. A great 20 minute show.                               
• It was a bit of a mission but I managed to be awake in time to watch Watford play at Vicarage Road on New Year’s Day. It was a defeat but I still enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere with Dad which I hadn't done for too long. 
• Then it was a day packing ready for my afternoon flight back to Holland so here I am! 1 week into the rest of my stay...