Xmas in Holland

This year, for the first time, no Xmas in France for me. I had to get used to that idea, but having to work till the 23rd made the decision easier. So we invited my parents to our place for their very first Xmas in Holland.

If we couldn't go to France, then we had to get France to us. Xmas has to be traditional, in some way or the other...
That means traditional dishes like stuffed turkey with chestnuts. Hmmmm. As a real French girl, Xmas wouldn't be Xmas to me without this dish. Even my Dutch husband has quickly adopted this new tradition and wouldn't like to spend Xmas Eve eating something else than turkey.

So, that was that: my parents were here, the food with perfectly Xmassy and the house was magically decorated.

But we also added a new tradition to our family's traditional Xmas: the 'Kerstsamenzang' of Amstelveen. On December 24th, at night, between 1.500 and 2.000 people are used to getting togeher on a small square to sing and celebrate Xmas Eve together.
It was cold, but oh so nice!

My parents were amazed by the Xmas lights in Amsterdam (so was I, every time again and again) and by the fact that so many people were out on Xmas Eve: on the square, in the cafés and in restaurants. Struck by the Dutch 'gezelligheid'.

On Xmas Day, it was time for a Dutch twist. No traditional French dish, but 'gourmet', which is so common in Dutch households during the holidays. The 'gourmet set' is placed on the table and warmed up and everyone chooses what they want to eat: small pieces of meat, fish, vegetables, etc...

We had a great French-Dutch Xmas in Holland. Hope you did too, wherever you were.

Being an expat and dealing with loss

Being an expat also means being far away from your family and that's far from being the best part of it. But sometimes it's even harder than others...

In times of loss, it can be very confronting and hard to be an expat, to live in another country. I've learned it the hard way and so have others around me...

Last summer, my lovely grandma passed away. I knew the end was near for her. My parents were at her side and kept me updated. Unfortunately it was impossible for them and doctors to say how long she had left. At that moment I was painfully confronted with what it meant to be an expat: it meant not being able to go home at night or for a day to be at her side and at my parents' side. In the end, I got that fatal call from my parents... My sweet, sweet grandma was gone.
In all this sadness, I still had the chance to say a final goodbye at her funeral. My sister, also an expat, didn't have this chance. While I've been living in the Netherlands for 13 years, so just a few hours drive from home, she's been living in California for 15 years. It was simply impossible for her to get several days off from work and the tickets were too expensive. She had to say goodbye on her own and all we had to be together was Skype.

Today, I've heard that one of my dearest friend is confronted with the very same, painful situation. She too is an expat. Last week she heard that her aunt was seriously ill. So she decided to fly home (to France) to see her aunt 'before it was too late' as she told me. Waiting for the kids to finish school and for the chance to get some time off from work, she booked plane tickets for Monday... This morning, Monday morning, I opened my Facebook to discover her aunt had passed... on Sunday!

My thoughts are with her and her family.

Yes, being an expat is a big adventure, a very enriching adventure, but missing our families makes it tough, especially when facing loss.

Soccer time!! FR-NL

It's the story of a French-Dutch couple going to a soccer game.., France-Netherlands

My very first soccer game in a big stadion. And that in the prestigious Amsterdam Arena.

Last Monday, France played against the Netherlands in a qualification game for next World Cup. And I was there with my Dutch husband.
So, you could see it both ways: as a French expat, both my countries are playing against each other and for me that means winning anywway... Or good reason for a fight at home!

But no, we're a civilized mixed couple :-)

For the fun he dressed in orange and I wore my 'France' tee-shirt and blue colors. I did sing the French national anthem loud and clear and didn't care for the 'looks' I got. Yep, I was one of the only Frenchies around. The French supporters were sitting on the other side of the stadion. But I also sang (parts of) the Dutch anthem (thank you karaoke version on the big screens).

The short version is as follows: France won!! Of course I was delighted, but barely noticed the goal cuz there were not enough French supporters to clearly hear them. And to be honest, I would have like the Dutch team to score as well so I could feel the excitement in the whole stadion. You have to admit: the Dutch supporters are probably the best and most enthousiastic in the world.

Well, the conclusion is simply that I had fun and would love to go to another game!

A sunny Sunday afternoon in Amsterdam

September the 25th: the sun is shining and the temperatures are still quite summery. So what to do on a Sunday afternoon?... Bike to Amsterdam of course!

I have the chance to live at only 30 to 40 minutes bike from the city centre. While biking through a part of the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest), I feel so lucky with where I live. It's leafy, quiet and busy at the same time, with people lying in the grass, playing football (soccer) or biking around with their kids. Just a few minutes further, we arrive in the busy city centre and while a tram full of tourists passes by, I feel proud to be living here and to be biking around in this wonderful city.

And what to do in Amsterdam on a sunny Sunday afternoon when you're a 33-year-old woman? Shop of course!! I didn't shop till I dropped though cuz I was with my husband and didn't feel like dragging him for too long in shops, but just enough to go home happy and with two jeans, a shirt and a hat.

But we also enjoyed the weather on a terrace. Actually at one of my favorite spots in Amsterdam. De Drie Graefjes! It's just right next to the Dam and the Royal Palace, in a small street, so typical of Amsterdam. And there you can enjoy the  best cookies, pies, muffins and cupcakes of the city. Hmmmm I love it there!!

And you know what's so great about all that? You don't feel that guilty about enjoying a delicious red velvet cupcake because you're biking back home!

Yet another festival...

Exactly a week after Mysteryland, I went to yet another festival: Lief Festival in Utrecht. 'Lief' meaning 'sweet/nice' in Dutch. And I have to admit that it was pretty 'sweet' and 'nice'.

I'd been there last year already with a couple of friends. And as we liked it, my friends offered me tickets for this year's edition for my birthday... Yeah, I know! I've got great friends!
And what a great birthday present it was!!

While I spotted and heard quite a few groups of French speakers at Mysteryland, that wasn't the case at Lief (except myself and my two French friends with our own Dutchies). But no big surprise, because Lief is a smaller festival and less known... That doens't mean it's not as good!

While Mysteryland impressed me by being so huge and overwhelming, Lief impressed me by its intimacy and atmosphere.

Once again, the Netherlands have proven to be such a wonderful country for festivals.

The weather was good, the setting wonderful, right by the water, the people extremely friendly and the music fantastic. We didn't stop dancing until the music stopped and we had to go home.

We started at a quieter area while the sun was shining. Just dancing and chilling on house music, before moving to the main stage. What a blast we've had!! With DJ's such as La Fuente and Sick Individuals, we danced until we couldn't feel our feet anymore. And the fireworks at the end were just the cherry on the pie!

What a country, what a day, what a sweet, sweet festival!
See you next year Lief!

The land of festivals... Mysteryland

Maybe you don't know it yet... But the Netherlands are really the land of festivals!!
All year long, but especially in the summertime, festivals are being organised all over the country. And there's something for everyone: from dance music to movie festivals, from reggae to culinary festivals. Name it, you can find it!
In Amsterdam alone, more than 300 festivals are organised every year. Yep, more than 300!

Every year, as soon as spring arrives, the big question in many Dutch people's minds is: which festival will I attend this year? Even the shops get filled with what's called 'festival fashion'. Festivals simply make Dutch hearts beat.


Last Saturday, one of my dreams came true: I finally went to Mysteryland. One of the country's biggest dance music festival.
What a day, what a day!!
In one word, it was FANTASTIC! First of all, the weather was great: 25 degrees and sunny (not always a guarantee in the Netherlands!). But that wasn't all! The atmosphere was so cool and friendly. The setting was great (and huge).

And the music... Well, the music was mind-blowing!
No wonder that all the best DJ's in the world are Dutch. How can't you be inspired by the music and this atmosphere? Just to name a few: Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, Martin Garrix... and the list could go on and on and on. I don't know too much about the music and the inside-outs, but I do love dance music and I know I fell in love with Mysteryland.
It's a 2-day festival, with, of course, a huge camping where to stay. Next year, for sure, I'll go two days, one wasn't enough.

Going only Saturday also meant missing Martin Garrix. What a shame! Seeing him perform is still on my bucket-list.

On Saturday night, the end show was given by Afrojack. Not the best DJ-set ever if you ask me (sorry for the fans), but what a show! That were the best fireworks I've ever seen. Definitely worth dancing, jumping and bouncing till the end.
And when Afrojack shouted "Welcome to f*cking Holland", that's when I felt it... this joy, this pride to be here, in this country where music can be so freely enjoyed and celebrated.

Thank you Mysteryland, see you next year!

Where has the summer gone?

These are also the joys of living in the Netherlands!....
August 3rd, the sky is grey, it's raining and barely 20°C.... Where's the summer???

Biking to my work is a lot less fun that way.
I got my jeans, my boots, my hat and my poncho on...
But my flip flops, shorts and summer dresses are in my suitcase... Driving to sunny France this afternoon!!!

King's Day

King's Day is my favorite Dutch holiday!
When I moved to Amsterdam, it used to be called Queen's Day and took place every year on April 30. On that day, Dutch people celebrated their queen's birthday. Well actually, the former queen's birthday, because the actual queen's (Beatrix) birthday falls in the winter, which would have made it a lot less nice to celebrate.

The first time I celebrated Queen's Day in Amsterdam was in 2004. What a shock! What a great, overwhelming shock! People everywhere; streets were packed, so packed that you could hardly make your way from one point to the other; music, beer, laughter, etc... And orange everywhere!! Wherever I looked, I just saw orange. Even the canals were orange! Filled with boats of all sizes. So full you could literally walk over the water, from one side to the other, from one boat to the other.

Since Queen Beatrix's abdication in 2013, Queen's Day has become King's Day, celebrating the new King's (Willem-Alexander) birthday. King's Day is now held on April 27.

This year, for personal reasons, no big party for me on King's Day. But still, I couldn't just stay at home, even if the weather was cold and rainy. I still put some orange on and went for a beer or two... or three... or four... or...

But King's Day is not only fun for adults. It's also kids' favorite celebration (next to Sinterklaas of course!). Kids reserve spots on the streets or in the parks to sell their stuff and/or perform, and that way make some money. What about giving a little girl €0,50 to get a compliment? Or listen to young talented musicians? Fun guaranted!!

This is a celebration you have to experience at least once in your life!
My advice: start your day in the Vondelpark where kids sell and perform, walk along the canals and enjoy all the fun you can. And don't forget to wear orange!

What do I miss most?

As an expat, you often hear the same questions. One of those is "What do you miss the most from your home country?" And do you know what my answer has been all these years?... (Except from my family of course!)... French supermarkets!! Huge, almost overwhelming, with plenty of food. But not only food, also books, magazines, CD's, clothes, make-up and more.
Obviously, Dutch supermarkets are very different. Much smaller and the variety of food on offer seems very limited for the French girl I am.

I have to admit though that my family and supermarkets are not the only things I miss from France. I also very often miss the French subtlety!!
Dutch people are well-known for their directness and that's an understatement! Their direct way of communicating can be very puzzling when first experienced and after almost 13 years of living here, I still have to get used to it sometimes.
Yes, of course, it can sometimes be handy. Especially when it comes to work. Having worked in a Benelux company employing both Dutch and Belgian people, it felt so fine hearing clearly what my Dutch colleagues wanted and expected. That wasn't the case with my Belgian colleagues who suddenly seemed so vague and unclear in their expectations.

But on the other hand, in private sphere, it doesn't always feel that handy!
Do you want an example?... Being French, I am often too subtle according to my husband. So when walking through a shopping street of Amsterdam and saying to my husband 'what a nice shop and they're having a final sale before closing their doors' wasn't clear enough for him. I should have said 'I want to go have a look inside'. Yeah, right?!
On the other hand, him being Dutch, he doens't know anything about subtlety! So when asked whether my trousers or skirt make me look good, he will always be painfully direct... 'Yes, but your butt looks big in this!' Believe me, in such moments I long for Fench subtlety!!...

Dutch Birthdays

February is the birthday-month for me. Not that mine falls in February, but many others do: my mother's, my sister's, my father-in-law's, and some of my best friends'.

Birthdays are of course celebrations, but they are not celebrated the same way everywhere around the world. As I have learned since I've been living in the Netherlands. No dramatic difference with French birthdays, but still...

The traditional birthdays, like the ones you experience at your in-laws, go this way: the birthday boy or girl will stay home all day in case anyone would show up unannounced. There will always be coffee, tea and cake available. If it's not a special birthday, don't expect an invitation, but know that you will be expected! And if it's your birthday, know that you are supposed to have cake in the house!
As I already said, coffee, tea and cake will be the main ingredients of the birthday. That's what you will be welcomed with. You will usually get one piece of cake, with one cup of tea or coffee, before moving on to salty snacks along with sodas, beer and wine. That's about it!

If you go out for drinks or food, know one more thing: you are expected to treat others for your own birthday! Yep, the other way around!

But still after 12,5 years living in the Netherlands, there is one birthday tradition I can't get used to. First of all, you don't really say 'Happy Birthday' to the birthday boy or girl, you congratulate them with their birhday: 'Gefeliciteerd (Congratulations) met je verjaardag (with your birthday)'. But the strange thing is that you congratulate their family, as well as any other person attending the birthday party. Really?! Why?! This still remains a mystery to me...

The best of both worlds

Sometimes you can feel torn apart when you're an expat. But a lot of times, you actually feel richer then others. Richer because you get the best of two worlds! The best of two countries and two cultures. How cool is that?

That's exactly how I would describe my feeling a few weeks ago.

On Wednesday night I went to a concert in Paris with my parents. I attended one of the greatest French music concerts: the concert of the Enfoirés. Every year, this is a much-awaited event, as it has been for years now. It's an adventure that started in 1986, with one song to support a good cause. It has never stopped since and keeps reuniting France's most famous singers, actors, stand-up comedians and others. They offer the public a 4 or 5-hour long concert.

It was my second time and, once more, I loved it! Great music, great artists, lots of fun and a great spectacle!

 It also felt good to sort of go back to my roots, with French music sang by French singers in a huge Parisian concert hall.

Les Enfoirés 2016, Paris, France

 

The Monday after, I was back in the Netherlands and ready for my second concert of the year. And this time one of the greatest Dutch concerts, with friends and family! Namely, 'De Vrienden van Amstel live'. This also has been a musical tradition for years in the Netherlands. Great Dutch singers and bands get together for a series of concerts (this year 9 in a row!!) that is sure to get you dancing, singing along... and drinking beer!

It's even called 'the largest café in the Netherlands'. This concert gives all its meaning to the untranslatable Dutch word 'gezellig': music, friends, cosiness, party and drinks, all together!

That evening, I was felt really Dutch, singing along with huge classics. I even had one of my dreams come true: seeing the former Dutch band Acda en de Munnik singing together again.

Can't wait till next year!

De Vrienden van Amstel live 2016, Rotterdam, the Netherlands