Monday, April 12, 2010

Netherlands is absolutely beautiful

Saturday:

I woke up early like every morning to start my daily routine. I didn't do much, just more paperwork and organizing my life. I did finish the book, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and I recommend it to everyone. It's such a devastating story, but yet grabs your attention to where you cannot put it down. Well, that's what happened to me anyways.

I also cycled around parts of Rotterdam that I haven't seen. I intended to go to this park that my mentor teacher recommended but I couldn't find it so I just kept cycling. I cycled for 90 minutes around the city, and stopped and stared at the river for an hour. I really am going to miss this city. The weather was pleasant, and the sun made Rotterdam sparkle. :)

I also went to Zumba class since it has been a while since I attended a Saturday session. I wanted to go to the shoe repair store to get my shoes fixed, but I decided to wait until I get back to the US. I had tomato soup and cheese sandwich for lunch, and spanish rice with meat and mushrooms for dinner. I was proud of myself for cooking such wonderful meals.

I also contemplated whether I should go out or not since it was my last Saturday. I ended up just watching Eurotrip and Blood Diamond. It was a great way to end my Saturday night. I just couldn't imagine going out by myself and going home by myself at night in those dark streets of Rotterdam.

I also looked up different things to do in Poland. I'm super excited about the trip, but sad that the Polish president died in a plane crash.

Sunday:
I woke up early to shower and get ready for Keukenhof. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting - maybe just tulip fields for free. But this is like a botanical garden kind of deal. Annemarie came and picked me up at 8:30 am, and the drive to Keukenhof was 45 minutes away. Her daughter, Rosa, came with us. :)

When we got to Keukenhof, I paid 14 euro to get in, but it was definitely worth every penny. The gardens and greenhouses were full of stunningly beautiful tulips and varieties of flowers. I was amazed and overwhelmed at the beauty that surrounded me. I took lots of pictures to try and capture the atmosphere and the beauty of it, but it was nothing compared to what I was seeing.

We only spent 2 and a half hours at Keukenhof, and you can easily spend 5 hours there. There were tons of people! The weather wasn't as nice as the day before, but it wasn't raining. I heard lots of English being spoken by Americans, and I quite enjoyed it. Goodness, I wish I could fully describe Keukenhof. Because of this trip, I'm convinced that The Netherlands is absolutely gorgeous, and I understand now why The Netherlands is known for tulips.

When I got back to Rotterdam, there was a marathon going on right in front of my building. The crowds were full of vivacious cheerleaders, and the surroundings were very relaxing. I hope to complete a marathon one day. For lunch, I had a hamburger with cheese and mushrooms and fries. It was great. For dessert, I had my leftover Easter chocolate. Yum.

Then, I took a nap and headed to Oude-Beijerland to visit Magdalena and her family. I'm truly blessed to have them in my life because they have guided and supported me in getting closer to God. Just to have them around me makes me feel like I'm a good person after all. They've done so much for me, and they keep doing nice things. Magdalena's kids adore me, and I adore them. It was really nice to be with a family with so much love for each other. After the kids were put to bed, we had one of our long discussions about God, family, and the past. Magdalena and Frank told me all about how they met and the blossoming of their relationship. I love hearing stories from happily married people. They've been married for 12 years, and they assured me that it's not easy all the time. I needed to hear that.

Frank also ceases to amaze me. He helps out around the house, cooks, cleans, etc. He reads the Bible to his kids every night, and sings a song with them before putting them to bed. I love watching this whenever I'm over.

I got home pretty late because of the great conversation we always have with each other. I ended the night by calling Steven and him making me laugh.

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