First festival of the year!

The festival season has started in the Netherlands, the land of festivals!!
As it coincides with spring and summer, I can say it's the most thrilling time of the year and I simply love it.

My list of festivals to attend is quite long this year and I'm very excited.

As a matter of fact, my first festival of this year is a fact. It was exactly one week ago.
I went to Bacchus Wine Festival with some friends. As the name already says it, it's a festival dedicated to wine...
It's quite a small festival taking place in the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest)... with no less than 250 differents wines to taste!!
Of course we didn't taste all of them, but we did taste some really good wine and spent a wonderful evening with some music in the background (and a karaoke mini-van).

Next week, new festival on the planning... Keep you posted ;-) Cheers!

D-Day in France

Today feels like D-day in France. Indeed, today we are electing our new president.

It has been a tough campagne, one of the toughest so far. Living in the Netherlands, I could shut myself down from this whole mess. Being an expat, you feel that you're not as much confronted with all the problems in our home country. But on the other hand, I could not keep my eyes closed and ignore what is going on in France.

For this reason, for the first time since I've been living abroad, I went to the French consulate in Amsterdam two weeks ago to vote. It felt extremely important to have my voice heard and to honour this right we all have in a democracy.

Ironically, today, on the second and final round of this election, I'm in France. As you have to vote where you live, that would mean I wouldn't be able to vote. Even though that might not have bothered me a few years ago, I couldn't accept it this time. My voice has to be heard and I have to do my part to avoid the rise of populism and extremism in my home country.

So I arranged for a friend of mine to vote for me. I'm so thankful!

Let's hope my home country won't fall into dark times tonight. I'll already be on my way back to the Netherlands when the results will be communicated.

For now, I don't want to worry too much. My part is done. I just want to enjoy a nice lunch at home, with my parents...

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

 

Being French after the Paris attacks

Friday November the 13th 2015: It started as a very nice day in Amsterdam for me. A great Friday filled with shopping and high tea with my sister-in-law. A day filled with fun, laughter and talks about having children, as my sister-in-law is expecting.

An evening filled with laughter and songs as I was driving to France with my husband. It had been planned for months: we were going to spend the weekend at my parents’ place because it was too long to wait till Christmas and they were having a nice theme dinner in their village. The atmosphere was definitely light and joyful.

Arriving close to Paris, we saw signs that we should avoid the Stade de France area. Just a normal sign on a game night. We did wonder which way we should take: to the right or to the left of the stadium? But no traffic, just the way to the stadium that had been blocked by the police and the bright lights of the stadium. We even said to each other “What a big party tonight! We should check which game or which concert it is as soon as we get home!”.

At that moment, I don’t really know why, but I picked my phone out of my bag and saw that my parents had called and left a message on my answering machine. So I turned my roaming on and saw that my mom had also left me a Facebook message to let me know about the game and that we would probably have traffic. No need to call them back then…

But at that moment I started receiving other messages, on Whatsapp this time… From a group of French girlfriends living in the Netherlands like me. About how horrific it was in Paris… “What?! How?! What are they talking about?! We are driving in Paris right now?!...” And then they answered it was about a hostage situation and an attack!

Now I really needed to call my parents back… They were so relieved to hear from us! But when they told me about the bombs at the stadium, the gunmen, the hostage situation in a concert hall… all I could do was cry. I cried and felt relieved we were leaving Paris and its area.

When we arrived at my parents’ place, the joy and lightness of the whole weekend was gone. We watched TV for a while, we checked Facebook and I heard some of my friends were just a few streets away from the gunmen’s attacks. They were in Paris for two concerts. As were my parents a weekend earlier. And my husband went to Paris for a football game three weeks earlier.

All of a sudden it’s all so close, so personal!

I finally went to bed, but could hardly sleep. Every time I woke up I hoped it was all a nightmare… but it wasn’t! In the morning, I first checked Facebook to check on people I know and I felt big tears rolling on my cheeks.

Saturday was a very emotional day. And in the middle of all this crying and following the news, I was asked to do the most special translation ever: I was asked to translate the condolence letter from the Mayor of Amsterdam to the Mayor of Paris.

That was it: that was my way of doing something meaningful in this horrible situation. A mix of sadness, honor and pride, all at once.

I think I’ve never felt more French. I’ve never been chauvinistic, but for the first time ever, I felt proud of my flag, proud of my land, proud of my people.

All these French flags invading Facebook, even from my Dutch friends. That felt good and soothing.

On Sunday, I went back home, back to Holland. Even if I didn’t do more than a translation, it felt right to be at ‘home’, to be in France that weekend. That’s where I wanted to be and where I needed to be at that time.

One thing is sure, now even more than before that terrible Friday night: I have two homes, two countries which I love very much, and when they bleed and suffer, I do too.

Your Dutch best friend... Or not?!

When you live in the Netherlands, even if you're not a materialist, you'll find out pretty soon that your best friend has become nothing less than an object!...
Indeed: your new best friend, with whom you will have a deeply love-hate relationship, will be your bike.

Take me a few weeks ago for example...
My bike takes me almost everywhere: to the office, the gym, the grocery store, etc. So when I got a flat tyre the other day, just rushing to a meeting, I didn't feel too happy to say the least. Fortunately, I was just leaving home and could take another bike. But that other bike was too high... Well, I still had to go to that meeting and didn't want to be too late, so I did my best to get my bottom on the high saddle and I biked on the tip of my toes.

Thanks to my husband and nephew's help, my bike was fixed and I could go to the office the day after... until my chain got stuck! It was so stuck that I couldn't fix it myself, so I walked to a bike shop.
Can you imagine how long walking seems to take when you could be biking?!...
A very kind man at the shop got my chain loose and off I went to the office... until my tyre got flat again!
Really?! Are you kidding me?

So I had to walk again... to another bike shop where I had to leave my bike for a whole weekend.  A whole weekend?!

At that exact moment, you feel it: even though you've been cursing this bike a few times on your way to the office, you hate the idea of being apart from each other for a whole weekend. What to do without it? Where to go? And how to get there?
Yep, that's true: it's your best friend and you don't wanna miss it.

And what about the week after?... When you get it back from the shop. You've paid a significant amount of money to get your beloved bike fixed and you can finally get back home together. You're happy the tyre is now strong and the chain all greased.
But of course it's raining cats and dogs! You're soaking wet. Trying to bike as fast as you can, holding your hood with one hand. Biking right behind three young girls, so close you only see the pole in the middle of the road when they get to the side and when it's already to late to avoid it.
And you know what your first thought is when you fall? Even before feeling the pain in your leg and fingers? How's my bike?! Is it still ok and can I still bike home?

.... That, my friends, is true friendship, Dutch style!!

Season confusion

During my childhood in France, I remember how annoying it was to see school stuff appearing in supermarkets while we were still enjoying summer holidays. But it seems to be getting worse every year. Now you see school stuff for the new school year in every store before the current school year is even over. That means in June, when kids are still in school!

Dutch stores don't seem to be better with their timing. I guess they experience some kind of season confusion. My head is still on holidays, wishing for a beautiful Indian summer and there they are: "Strooigoed". Stores are already getting ready for Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolas)... But do they know that schools have just started and that this beloved Sinterklaas won't be in the Netherlands before November??

Why is that? Are they too impatient? Confused? Eager to sell?

All I know is that I find it confusing... Just respect the seasons.

Admit it....

You have to admit... 

Wouldn't you fall in love with this city too? 

View of the Prinsengracht canal in Amsterdam. September 2015

Love at first sight

Some see them as ‘Kaaskoppen’ (cheese heads), or the craziest supporters dressed in outrageously over-the-top orange outfits. Walking around with wooden clogs, world travelers, German (close enough), and so on...

But that's not how I see them, how I used to see them... ‘Handsome surf dudes’: that's exactly why I fell for the Dutchies! Tall, blond, tanned, strong...

You have to forgive me... I was just 15 and spending summer holidays in France, my own country. I was there with my parents and my sister. She wanted to learn how to surf. I wanted to get to know surfers... Well, more seriously speaking, I was a typical teenage girl who didn't mind spending her holidays on a sunny beach, watching young surfers trying to catch the perfect wave.

So it's in that wonderful village, with its sun and sea vibe, that I've got to know Dutch people. I didn't know much about the Netherlands. Of course I knew about Dutch cheese, windmills and tulips, but not much more than that. As a teenager, I discovered a whole new side of the Netherlands: their handsome, sportive young men. A side that wasn't too unpleasant to get to know!

What was so fascinating to me was their general personality:  they seemed to be so free-spirited! I loved their open-mindedness and fun attitude.

And what was meant to happen, happened: one of those summers, I did fall madly in love with one of those handsome Dutch guys. It was of course a beautiful and ideal summer love. We believed in our love story and it was forever... Except that this first love was as endless as summer in Europe: it wasn't! 

But this first love did leave more than heartache behind: I had had the chance to visit him in his country and that's where another love found its way to my heart... I fell in love with the Netherlands! Too late, my heart was lost and this country would be mine, one day...  

Today, years later, my teenage hormones have left my body, but I'm still in love with the Netherlands. And you know what?... I am now proud to call this country my home.
I know that these Dutchies aren't all handsome surfers, but I still like their free-spirit and open-mindedness.

I have even found my own Dutch guy: tall and handome of course!