The Pride of Utrecht: Domtorentjes

Aside from the beautiful Dom Tower, another pride of Utrecht is the Domtorentjes, a mouthwatering pure chocolate bonbon filled with special chocolate cream inside. This delicacy is a registered trademark of Theo Blom and only available in their confectioners shop in the heart of the city, a few meters away from the Dom Tower.

DIY Haircut (for Man)

Yesterday I gave Honnepontjie a haircut. Yes! I am doing it and I have learned it from my Thai and a Vietnamese friends. They gave me an idea to do a DIY haircut. They are doing it to their partners, so I said I would also give a try.

The cost of living here in Holland is expensive. One of the things which I find expensive here is having a new haircut. A normal haircut, long or short costs -+20 euro exclusive hair-drying  Now if you want your hair to be blow dried,  you have to pay extra -+5 euro for it. Other treatments are of course high priced. I think the price is ridiculous and I still don't understand why it is so expensive.

Skipping Sunday

Every Sunday my brother- and mother-in-law go to our house for a "spelmiddag" (Playing games in the afternoon). It started about three months ago when we invited them to come over to play some games with us. Never thought it would be every week.

The "Saboteur" (Sabotage) card games, Yahtzee, and "Hartenjagen" are on the favorite list. Hartenjagen is a Dutch version of Game of Hearts. Honneponjie and his brother love playing cards and dices. They are both good and they are not just typical gamers. Aside from playing the normal game rules, they make also some expansions and own version of the games to make it more exciting and fun.

Two weeks ago, Saturday, there was a birthday party in the family, we decided to skip once our Sunday routine. I was happy to have a pause and thought at last I can do other things. Sunday would be a nice weather, so I like to take a walk in the woods. I asked my mother-in-law if she would like to come with me. She said yes, but she started also to ask the whole family. Coincidentally, only the four of us would like to go.  

Sinterklaas

It was 2005 when I first met Sinterklaas and the whole naughty family of  the "Pieten". You are wondering perhaps who is the person I am talking about. I would like to introduce him to you.

Sinterklaas is his Dutch name. But you can also call him Saint Nicholas. This holy man became known for his generosity and his love for children. He is also known as a patron saint of sailors and merchants. Extending help to the needy, he used to give it in a secret way, like putting it in the shoes or stockings of those in need.

Santa Claus, the fat man in red a suit, the man I have known for his kindness since I was a child started as a product endorser and later on became a symbol of American Christmas gift-giving. The creator of Santa Claus has based his character to the Dutch Sinterklaas.

The feast day of Saint Nicholas is usually on 6 December. But all over Europe it is most celebrated on 5 December. In Belgium and in the Netherlands Sinterklaas is more important the Santa Claus, that is why it is a primary occasion to them.

Wijk aan Zee

DAY 1
The Wijk, the Spar and the Beach!

Wijk aan Zee is a small village on the coast of North Sea in the Province of North Holland. I read that its former municipality was Wijk aan Zee en Duin, which existed from 1817 to 1936. Afterwards it merged with the municipality Beverwijk.

From Utrecht Central Station we bought two tickets to Beverwijk. From this point we took the bus to Wijk aan Zee. It is about 5 kilometers away from Beverwijk. Because this is a small village, the bus' timetable always change, so expect some travel delay. That time we had to wait for about an hour for the bus.

The small town is facilitated with hotels, hostels, a NIVON house, campsites and many food service establishments. But one thing was really special when we visited it, there was only one supermarket which monopolized the whole village.

Kreadoe Expo 2012

Kreadoe Expo is held annually in Autumn at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht. I have always wanted to go to this event, the reason is I am very curious what for new inspiration the expo can give me, aside from what I have at home. Last Friday I fulfilled my curiosity.

I bought weeks ago my entrance ticket at Pipoos, Utrecht. I was happy, I got 4 euro discount, the normal ticket costs 15.25 euro. I woke up just on time, though I worked on my Thursday evening shift. My excitement made me energetic.

All Saints Day in Holland

Have you ever wonder if we celebrate All Saints Day here in the Netherlands? My answer is "No". As far as I know it does not belong to their Catholic tradition.