Did I ever say an engagement was an elephant, madam?

Interesting. Lots of ridiculous hats, pinstriped suited kakkers and elderly people wit orange feather boas. Fun chatting to my dad and giggling at the cheesiness of it all.





Also, my dad showed me a lovely quirky English book shop just off the queen's palace, that's been there since 1881. From now on I will be redirecting every Dutch friend or member of my family to that shop if they feel the need to buy me presents.

It really feels like it's two years ago. Efteling was lovely, with Roes and Hsins, because they are sort of part of my UK life, but everything else has just been utterly depressing, exactly because it's so familiar and predictable. Also, everything that has anything to do with my future is everything but. I wish I could plan anything, or look forward to things, but seeing as I have no idea what is going to happen, even the next few weeks, that's not really gonna happen. I really hope Wednesday's visit to Dr. Oelp will give me some clarity.

Went to Rotterdam last night with Anouk, Kirsty, Maarten and Maick (aka the Mondegreens), to their gig in a little club called Exit. I won't ever get over the fact how depressing Rotterdam is, especially after 11pm, but I did have a nice time seeing them and a few other local bands. It's almost hilarious how much the Dutch are ignoring the recently enforced smoking ban, but it is ridiculous really. This once more showed me how hard I find it to go back to the Dutch way of not caring about rules or public decency; I spent all night annoyed about it. Anyway, Maarten and Kirsty are still really lovely. I was being a rubbish tag-along, because first I forgot to buy a train ticket and we had to get out at Rotterdam Alexander, and then I managed to dislocate my kneecap briefly in Rotterdam Central, so everyone had to wait 5 minutes until I could walk again. They were all so lovely, but I hate being such a pain: this knee thing is so unpredictable and limiting, I just can't wait to be rid of that!

Plans for this weekend:
- unpack (still haven't done that)
- apply for some translating jobs

Oh, and my lovely mum bought me Converse today. All my shoes are falling apart or making me trip and dislocate, so yay! And I drove all the way to Bergambacht and Goverwelle. I love driving, and may I add, I'm still a decent driver.

If I feel all bleh now, what is it gonna be like when I get back?!

just caught up with a week's worth of hollyoaks.. w0000000t! Aww sweet memories from Mulberry Court last year. In a way it's a shame I'm not going to Caroline's bash tomorrow. Not really.. I'm spending my last Saturday night with three out of the four most brilliant people I've met this year: Matty, Sarah and Helle. Aww we'll be thinking of our poor Chinese lass!

Me and Sarah watched dvds and ate crappy food all night. Lovelyy.

This place makes me so happy, it's silly.

I'm feeling great, for I'm sat here eating HEMA eierkoeken and drinking Tesco finest Earl Grey. Surely, one day I'll find the perfect way to be part of both cultures. Until then, this'll have to do.

Om nom nom indeed.

Bit weird, as usual. Not exactly the peace of mind I thought I'd get, but we'll see.

Rooz asked if I wanted to come out for her birthday tomorrow. Haven't been to Woodies since secondary school, but I guess it would be good fun. Mum and dad's last night in Gouda though, before they're off to Poland, so I'm not sure.. haven't even got Rooz a pressie yet, I think I'll wait till when I get back here in September, I can buy her something nice if I have a look in Manchester I'm sure.

I spent my first night at home fighting a battle with a mosquito. After two years in the UK you realise the blessing of living without them. Welcome home, not. Someone broke our last electronic mozzie roaster so I just went out and bought a new one. No more sleepness nights for me (I hope).

Also, I just got me knees scanned. Seeing the doc about it in September. Can't wait to get this sorted!

The weather here is absolutely rubbish by the way. Come on, sunshine, Lowlands in a week!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/04/euro2008.netherlands

hahaha.. Marieke always talks about GeenStijl, I'm very pleased she's online now so we can have a chuckle over it.

http://www.geenstijl.nl/mt/archieven/2008/06/the_guardian_a_triumphant_piec.html

and in a previous post:
"Verder vinden die bleke dikke homofiele theedrinkers met hun dronken vrouwtjes dat wij een heel grappieg accent hebben als we Englisssshhhh murmelen" hahaha

As for other news, Matt's going today and I'm pissed off with him for something else. Brilliant.

Glaswegians, everywhere! Woo. I think I've seen about 30 kilts on my way to the library and back. The accent whore in me was pretty pleased.

A few of them were carrying British flags, rather than Scottish though, which makes me wonder. Maybe they were locals pledging allegiance to the one British team playing tonight, I don't know.

I'm hoping to see loads of Russians at the airport now. I think I saw a couple but they might just have been Polish.

Right, I'm off to Dutchieland again!

22 April - Rach's birthday. I believe we're going for a meal and night out, should be good fun

23-29 April. Nederland, possibly a good night out in Amsterdam with the korf people, and just generally enjoying being home (again) and the doc taking off my knee brace!

(30 April - Koninginnedag in Sheffield? Dave invited me on facebook, but I don't want to be to presumptious, Rich and/or Rhian, let me know what you think.. It sounds like great fun, anyway)

2 May. Matt's birthday and Hayley's birthday party (must someone manage to combine the two, oops)

(Deadlines 13 May aagh)

15-18 May. Holland again. Mariella's wedding.

28 or 29 May. Julie-Marie is taking us to see a play! Also, we might have a Vic studies Alton Towers trip around this time. Emma works there, soo discount woo!

6-10 June. Copenhagen!

15 June. Amstell!

25-30 June. Glasto!

I've still got no idea what's going to happen in July though, don't even know where I'm gonna live.. oops..

..I recommend you get yourself some crutches! I'd only been hopping from the taxi to the airport for a minute or two when the people belonging to the coach company noticed me, rushed to get a wheelchair and rolled me straight to the easyjet check-in desk (skipped queu #1).
I was three hours early, just in case, but they allowed me to check in straight away, after which a lovely Scouse easyjetter wheeled me into an elevator and straight past the security queu (#2) where they even allowed me to have two pieces of hand luggage instead of one. We got into another elevator and he wheeled me straight to the gate, where I had over 2,5 hours to kill. When it was finally time, they wheeled me into a lift, into a car and then into a sort of lift that went straight upto the plane. Some minor dislocation as I got into the car, but I was more scared than I hurt I think. They saved me an aisle seat; even the seats at the front didn't have enough space for me to stretch my massive legs. The flight wasn't very comfortable; I think the painkillers were making me a bit drowsy. When I arrived I chose to walk the stairs rather than get into one of those chair lifts, for fear of it popping out again, and that turned out to be quite a good idea. They wheeled me all over Schiphol arport, skipped the customs queu (#3) and straight to arrivals where my lovely mum and daddy could hoist me from one wheelchair into another. Really glad I'm home now!

Pfff it's horrible being so dependent, especially after I managed so well on my own in Manchester. Dad took me to the GP this morning, and she's making sure I can see a specialist before the end of the weeks. Right, three weeks to get back on my feet and counting! I don't want to think too much about it yet, but I'm going to have to realise I can't do all the things I had been planning to do over the Easter period. Wombats will be a no-go, and though Berlin, is still a few weeks off, I might not be able to pull that off either, mof :( I'll try my best though so I'll have to get back to you on that!

Awww Nouk's taking great care of me today though, I'm being spoiled to death!

I am going through a really odd phase of only listening to Dutch music, and actually wanting to pop home for the weekend.. up until now I've only wanted this year to go really slowly, but at the moment I just want to curl up on our Gouda couch and have a good heart-to-heart with my mum..

Tonight's going to be great woo! First we're making pancakes with bacon, and then Matt's tagging along to korfball, something that he'd already suggested after he quit his job. And then we're off to this comedy night thing with Alice.

I was gonna start on my Research Outline today, but after writing a single sentence I spent the rest of the day reading up on the whole Natalee Holloway thing, and watching everything on youtube. I don't feel too cheap doing that, as long as I don't read the comments on any of the clips. My god, what a combination: the most ignorant Dutch imagineable in conversation with Americans shouting for the death penalty. Sadly, it's almost amusing in a way.

The other day, I was telling Matt at how, at the heighleight of sisterly jealousy, I peed over Anouk 'kraamverzorgster''s feet, some time in the first week after Nouk was born. I was unable to find a word for this woman's position other than 'post-natal nurse', but now, browsing the guardian website, I understand why Matt didn't really get my drift (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/feb/03/health.nhs1).

I think it is a great idea by the way, and honestly, I thought that most of Europe already had a similar system. Apparently not. To my parents, kraamzorg was extremely welcome thrice over. So, Britain, just get the Tories in power and soon you'll be able to pee over your own kraamverzorgster's feet!

Really brilliant week. Spent loads of time with Nouk and mum especially, we all really needed that! They're dropping me off at the airport in a bit, and I'm really pleased to be going back to my little house and see everyone again, but I'm also really chuffed Nouk's coming over in two weeks already, otherwise I'd a be a lot more sad to be leaving. Less than two weeks isn't a lot. But, my parents are probably flying out to Manchester on my birthday, so that's very soon as well! I'll have to do the parteh-ing the night before though, and risk having to pick them up with a slight hangover. No problem..

Also, WHY did Jet2 have to go bankrupt?! I'll be spending all my dosh going back and forth to Liverpool airport to pick everyone up now! I tried KLM but, sorry, I just don't have the riches. However, I have discovered an arirlines that flies to Manchester from Rotterdam via London City airport.. mental :\

Yesterday was odd yet splendid. I forgot how lovely a city Utrecht is. Ran into both Elizabeth and Stephanie as well, crazy!

I'm NEVER going to be able to write these two 6000-word essays before the 14th..

- shopping in Amsterdam all day tomorrow
- In Belgium all Monday: visiting Rozemarijn in her Antwerp pad and staying at Lijn's in Gent Monday night
- Off to Almelo with Nouk all of Wednesday to go pay a quick visit to all the grandparents
- teaching my mum's 6 year olds some English on Thursday afternoon
- Flying back to Mancs on Friday
- Saturday and Sunday to lock myself away and finish said essays..

Went to see Run Fatboy Run tonight with Nouk. Bernard ghihi. Not hilarious, but very amusing indeed!

My knee has really started to fall apart now. It's making funny noises and keeps popping out of and back into place.

Dieting resolutions will have to commence on a day when I'm not surrounded by delicous snacks..

Roos's birthday in Doorn yesterday was lovely by the way, and I've been enjoying a lot of sister and daughter time, as well as FINALLY see Stijn and Marieke's very own flat on Sunday. So homey aww!! Want to pay her another visit but seeing as my essays.

Should stop rambling.

13 days really isn't enough. I do not mind going back, but I just want to take my family with me, especially Noukie. Soooooooo happy she's coming over two weeks after I leave. She woke me up this morning in the cutest way ever. Aww I know we'd argue a lot more if we saw each other all the time but as it is now it seems silly to not see her for three months!

Edit: Happy New Year everyone!

Very odd! Lots of hugs and babbly family chats.

Off to sleep in my good old long low bed now woo!

Can't waaaaaaaaaaaait! to see my sisters and parents again that is. I imagine I'll be sick of all the noisy Dutchies in no time, but that's alright. There's always vla en bollen!

Lancaster today though, woo