The weekend!

What does a weekend mean to an unemployed housewife? So tiring. Morning:job hunting; Afternoon:shopping, coffee; Evening:pooped, too tired to cook, let fingers do the walking and book a table for 2. (Below: Look at my big lamb's shank; Ice skating in the centre of nijmegen! In the midst of a warm winter, totally unnatural ice and therefore a bit disturbing but still picturesque)

Stereotype quiz. Are you...
unemployed- yes
pregnant- yes
barefoot- nope!!!
I have new shoes and earmuffs! Took them out for a walk, got bogged down.

Our couches are here!

After >1 month of sitting on a gym ball and 2 lime green fatboys our new couches finally arrived (insert Joyous reaction here): our first guests had to help shift them, attach the feet but after the work they were allowed to sit.

Dessert that night...cute baby pineapples (baby anythings are cute) and mango brulee with vanilla ice cream.

D-Day/Going away dinner #2/sIlly seasoN #5

unemployed :( But strangely I'm happy :) Going away dinner #2 with workmates was festive and I did get a little sentimental...


Goodbye my robot friend I'll miss you too.

PS I spent the first day of unemployment (finishing off stuff) working, starting at 4:00 am.
PPS Unfinished work: finding out why the toilet smells bad after the cleaner cleans it.

SillY SeaSon #4

I have indulged this week, because....just because.
Chinese Roast pork- carefully nurtured to crackling perfection in the top shelf of my oven, Isaan Thai Banquet (10 seconds of pleasure and a few minutes of pain- it's worth it)

Breakfast: Warm Chelsea buns with glazed goodness, smoked salmon & asparagus quiche, salmon & guacamole thingies, goats cheese & balsamic onion tartlets, troupical fruit platter with the queenly mangosteen (I love you) & Bugles (chips I love but never [normally] buy)

Yummy-licious creme brulee, Duck spring rolls: different but delectable

Thanks all for the calls, sms's and emails- if you didn't, leave a message in the comments!!! It was a quiet day (a PJ day), but still warm and fuzzy ;)
There was no wild party, that's why Ingrid (birthday 5 days prior) and I are in pyjamas blowing out candles.

You can take the girl out of emu park/yeppoon but....Let's just say table manners flew out the window when we were having fun.

No hangover, but talking till the wee hours will have the same effect

Happy & Lucky & 29 (Silly Season #4)

Thanks for coming (from so far away) !!!

The month of birthdays

It's terrible, The Month of Birthdays. It all happens so quickly I'm always prone to forget one. So I'm going to cheat and do them all at once! (I'm sure I've still misseed some)

My pa

Tyrita

Ingrid (BTW ingrid, this photo is captioned as: Touring Inala!!)

Dennis(the one with his eyes open)

Laura

Koongkoong & Amah

Me, my Twin, and Alvin all on the same day!

Dave and Nick

Samir (with a gratuitous appearance by my husband- both looking quite fine)

Wedding Anniversary Mustafa and Anke


Aunty Sally
Aunty Daisy
DanMan

Silly SEason #3 Leaving Work Dinner (#1)

One More week to go!!! We had a totally enjoyable dinner @ Appels&Peren with my immediate group members past and present. Beginning from me clockwise is Virginie, Bas, Leo (Boss), Luisa, Miguel, Nardy (hidden) and Douwe (who is the only one trying to following my instructions to "look SPARKLING!!".

the details in this restaurant were so disarmingly charming (I got a bonus choc muffin for the entree when I explained I was saving my precious little stomach space for the dessert) and the food was Sa-tis-fy-ing and prepared with lurve. At least that what I felt from the food. I mean, look at the dessert platter: for the one who cannot choose, you can have it all.

Silly Season #2 The All-you-can-eat Pancake Boat

We had a suprise invitation to Renee's yearly Kabuki day: In spirit, kind of like Festivus - an event invented by one family and really only fully understood by that one family! I understand the concept. You do something you've never done before (and never will do again?): Pannenkoekenboot (Pancake Boat)
and playing cheesy party games in a cafe.

Us and Captain Pancake

All you can eat pancakes with a multitude of toppings while the boat chugs along the river for 1 hour. I'm ashamed all I could eat was 3.

Silly Season #1 Christmas Tiramisu in November? Ridicuros!

I Love silly season. It's not really that much of a recognised phenomenon in my orbit, and I miss it so I'm doing my best to foster its growth. Excess, indulgence, luxury, decadence, hedonism, it's all welcome for a period until the New Year.
Here's the opening event: Delectable whole egg and mascarpone Christmas Tiramisu (traditional Vellinga Christmas Day Dessert) in November on a regular night dinner? A modest but definite start. Message for Dirk: that piece was for you, too bad you weren't here to claim it, enjoy hawaii :P.

It's a planetoid, doesn't fit on the screen anymore!

We (I) couldn't resist the temptation to take another look at douwe's work. Just trying to get insight into the thing that has been kicking me awake early every morning, kicking Douwe in the guts when we hug (it's still nearly possible).

It's getting too big for the screen, that's why the videos will be a little myterious (vague) and you need lots of imagination! Here, you can catch a glimpse of the facial profile (near top right) after 10 secs or so.

Here, a nice view of baby back ribs and spine.

That's a noggin! It's a virtual planetoid. If you squint, there's eye sockets (left) in the very begnning and the 2 brain halves at the very end.

Hooray! There's a doctor in the house

Samir officially became Dr Samir yesterday...I'm not going to be too mushy, but we're so happy for him, his parents, elles... Samir's extra special, for other reasons, but this is a guy that gave me Boney M, Abba, Britney CDs and made me feel extra welcome from the beginning!

Smoke-Free Restaurants in Nederland PLEASE!!!

Imagine not having to swallow the cigarette smoke from the next table while you are enjoying your soy latte/carpaccio/tiramisu....this is the easiest thing to do: sign the electronic form here to send a message the parliament...

I'm a card-carrying wife

I'm now officially an import wife: I cost €830 for one year which is actually a bargain considering my bells and whistles!
My visa is for "verblijf bij echtgenoot D Vellinga*" (literal translation with artistic license: stay by real enjoyment. Yes, i guess that is accurate). Unlike Australia where you have to prove to the immigration department a case of "real love" to bring in a spouse, here, Douwe had to prove he could provide me with a credit card. Who's to say what's real love?



*Previously I was indepently sponsored by my employer, but since I'll be unemployed in the near future my visa would have been not valid.

Weekend in Guildford with Reuben

We had a fabulous long weekend in the UK staying with Lisa, Matt and Rueben. It was heaps of fun, meeting up with old rellies (Ann, Vanessa + Chris, Jamie + Ying-ley) in London and Oxford, meeting new rellies Reuben en John, eating duck duck and more duck, doing a bit of baby practise, shopping and just hanging out.

Vanessa, Lisa & Me @ YUMMMMMMMM-cha
With Ann and Vanessa, weapons ready

Practising, practising...

...and more practising. Reuben was so good, he let us try out our baby names on him (when his parents weren't looking).

The Cottage @ Guilford (Lisa and Matt confusing explaining to Reuben, "the sound is there but the plane is there because....")

Reuben's first birthday

Jamie and Ying-ley's John skillfully eating one noodle at a time.

definitely no camera or posing tricks- this is real!

How I look today

How big is my belly? This is the view from my vantage point.

Just kidding! This (below) is more realistic. I can barely see my toes.

Yesterday had the monthly check-up: baby heart beat, my blood pressure everything is fine, growing at a normal pace and so am I. I'm not camera shy, I'm just too vain to show my face without good lighting! Just enjoy my colour coordination: it's coming up to my 4th winter in the Netherlands and I'm just starting to get the hang of layering and coordinating one's wardrobe but throw in pregnancy clothing and all the extra layers it entails, makes for long toilet visits with all that rearranging of the multiple layers.