remembering space

Ohio Space. Taken near Hocking Hills on a adventure I had a couple yrs. ago.

Amsterdam space. A picture of the annex where Ann Frank hid with her family.

thoughts at 11pm

Yesterday I baked a GF brownie mix that I brought from home. So good! The baking process was a little funny though, since the only oven we have (as most ppl. here do as well) is a microwave with an oven feature! Which is good for me... no fear of blowing things up anymore when I forget to take off the aluminum foil! Here's a random picture for fun: 

This image took me completely by surprise. I have to share. The artist is Peter Wever, from Berlin. The title: "Um Blau Hochkant." What an image! I want to experience a hug like that! I think that's the kind of hug the prodigal son received (we receive) from his father. 

Language class was so good today! It was really fun and I feel like I got a bit closer to people in the class as well. We talked about Prinsjesdag, which is today. The day when the queen goes to parliament and the budget and plan for the year is presented. It's the official start of the political year. I think I caught that all (she was speaking in dutch!). There's also a sort of parade of little hats. All the women wear these fancy old fashioned hats. Here are some examples:

Allie and I made up a list of people to invite to our first party next weekend! I'm so excited! It'll be a little house warming party and a way to get to know our new friends better. We're going to invite everyone we've met and interacted with so far! So, pray that they come! Yay!  I'm also praying for a very "dutch" environment, a cafe or somewhere where I can become a regular and study dutch there a couple times a week, practice the language, as well as get to know the people who work there and frequent the place. I'm trying to kill many birds with one stone!

For now, 

goodnight!

dutch music

piles of awesome patterned clothes. mint and fresh eggs

I just built a little desk for myself. I'm sitting here taking a break from my homework. To my left is a large window where I can people watch. It's Sunday, but there's a lot of action on the street... a motorcycle gang of middle aged men just roared by. At the other end of the street is the Elandsgracht festival. It's been going on since noon on Saturday. Wild dutch music galore! It's kinda painful to listen to after a while (17 hrs and counting, ha ha!) I just got back from getting some groceries and exploring. There's one store open on Sundays. I continue to find amazing ethnic restaurants! Let's see if I can remember them all... Tunisian, Moroccan, Brazilian, Thai, Indonesian, Indian, Italian (of course!), Japanese, and even a boutique burger place! And that's just my street! It's so ethnically diverse around here!

Saturday was wonderful! I had some great time in the morning to read and rest, then had lunch with a new friend we've met through a great little church here in the city. She had Allie and I over for yummy sandwiches, fruit, and great coffee! Then off to the organic market just north of us. Amazing! My favorite place so far in Amsterdam! Everything was so fresh and gorgeous and so inexpensive. So, I'm thinking I'll just get my produce for the week there.  It will also be a great place to Christmas shop... lots of little hand made art items, clothes, and gorgeousness! My senses are going crazy lately! I can't take the beauty, it's out of control! I've taken this month to just soak it all in... now that I'm thoroughly drenched I'm going to start making art again... and putting my thoughts in to some paintings.. If it's any good, I'll share!

Tomorrow morning I'm back to the dutch! I leave at 8:30 and cycle south through  Oud West, Vondelpark and Oud Zuid to the Vrije University. It's a beautiful ride and I'm wide awake by the end of it! The lessons this past week were on furniture, food, and ordering things. Which came at a perfect time since I went to get some furniture (meubels)... I was able to understand a lot! And then the market was great for food practice! I successfully asked, paid, and thanked in dutch :) Slowly but surely! 

Our teacher informed us on Thursday that "This is the most intensive dutch course in the Netherlands!" Wow, we sure know how to pick em! Ha!!.. oh well, at least we'll learn fast... and hanging on for dear life! The other students are so fun! People from New Zealand, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Guinea, Italy, Spain, and Morocco to name just a few! I'm in heaven! It's fun to look at all the dictionaries, not Dutch to English, but Dutch to Farsi, Italian, Arabic, etc... These people are so crazy smart! 

Much love,

bc

As promised: pictures of my new little home

the other angle of the living room.. to the left is the hall back to the kitchen

proof: no need to worry mom, I'm eating!

the view from the front window. It's a very active street, lots of ppl and action!

the view from the back balcony (attached to the kitchen and my room)

building furniture

the kitchen. Everyone has Ikea designed kitchens here. Very clean and modern.

The living room and the huge wonderful front windows

home sweet home

Yesterday was a low point for me. It's hard living out of suitcases and not feeling settled, and feeling confused about why the apartment stuff was taking so long. Carol J. sent this psalm to me. It hit me square between the eyes and was exactly what I needed to hear. 

God, the one and only--I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnalbe castle: I'm set for life. My help and glory are in God--granite-strength-and-safe-harbor-God--So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be. Ps 62 (the Message)

Some of today's highlights:

1)  I had some great time praying with Eric, Julia, and Allie in the am. It felt amazing to re-focus and worship God, remembering that He is our solid rock and the one leading us as we enter in to this new city and love new people and seek his wisdom as we plan and dream and join what He's doing here.

2) Gigi (the Pickerill's youngest) and I went looking for an adventure in the afternoon while Eric and Julia had some chill time. We had so much fun, got sandwiches and ate them under a tree by a canal. It started pouring (and I hadn't brought rain coats) so we hopped from tree shelter to tree shelter and then ducked into The Flamigo, a cute little pub for some tea. It was a great afternoon which finished with this amazing pic of Gigi buying her mom flowers!

3) Our broker finally called back! Praise God! ... and (drum roll please!!) we have an apartment!! Hurray!! hurray! hip hip hurray!! We'll get our keys and move in Friday! It's in the Jordaan neighborhood. Really great! 2 bedrooms, perfect for Allie and I. I'm going to go measure some things tomorrow and head to Ikea to get some furniture. The address is:

                Elandsgracht 97 3H

                1016 TS

                Amsterdam

              the Netherlands

4) I'm going to start language school on Thursday, I think. It's a great program held at the Free University. It runs for 9 weeks, 4 days/week, 4 hours/day with usually 16 hours of work to do at home on your own. It's pretty intense.. ahh! They have 4 levels. So if we find it to be really good we'll just keep going. I'm so excited to start! Eric and I will do this session and then Julia will follow. 

5) Amanda and John, my team mates who are still in Ohio arrive in less than a month! I can't wait to have them here! It feels like a huge chunk of me is still in Ohio! I can't wait! and then Bernie and Roxi will follow a few months later in January! Please pray for all of them!

So, those are the highlights! It was a fun day finding out about lots of things! 

i don't like dam square

So I decided that I'm going to shy away from dam square from now on. The last two times I've ridden my bike through that part of town (very busy and touristy) I almost died... twice. Today was pretty close and horrible. A car pulled up in front of me to my left (as I was riding by) and before I knew it the passenger side door flew open. I came within centimeters of slamming in to the door. All I could muster was a wimpy "ahhhyiaaahh," as I slammed on my brakes as hard as I could. Nothing else came out, I couldn't breathe. The girl behind me almost crashed as well, and she let him have it. He just laughed a crazy weird laugh and I wanted to punch him. I got my voice back a couple blocks later and almost turned around to go give him a stern talk and then I heard my mom's voice in my head and thought better of it. Thanks mom. Well, I just thought I'd share my most recent biking adventure with you, since the end is happy: I'm alive! Good night all!