Rome was Burning

Our recent trip to Rome happened to coincide with the Occupy Wall Street protest that was going on.  Unfortunately a group of anarchists took the opportunity to get involved as well.  We were on our way back from Ostia Antica (more on that trip in a follow up post) we were unaware anything was going on, when we had to wait and wait for a bus.  We decided to hop another bus that was going in the same general direction the bus was supposed to take us.  During the ride we found out why the other bus was not running.

This was our first view of SWAT teams lining the streets, further in the background were about 10,000 people coming this direction.

As we traveled further we saw the dark smoke cloud in the distance.

This is the view from the backside of Palatine Hill. At this point we thought someone may have bombed the Colloseum as it is located in the direction of the black smoke.

We subsequently learned of the protests and that the fire was from the burning of a ministry building and cars beyond the Colloseum.

SWAT teams were out everywhere.

Most of the main thoroughfares were closed as well.

A few days later we saw some of the damage that went on for blocks and blocks.

What's in a name?

There are many interesting looking and sounding Dutch last names. Over the last few months, I have heard and seen quite a few funny ones! There is a good story behind these names. It begins in the 1800's when Napoleon was occupying The Netherlands. At that time many people were just adding "_____'s daughter/son" or "from (insert hometown here)" to their first name to identify themselves. Well, Napoleon did not think this was enough so he signed a law requiring all Dutch to choose and register a last name. So when chosing the last names many chose something descriptive. These include Van Buren (from Buren), Bakker (Baker), Visser (Fisherman), Vandenberg (From the hill), etc. Then there are the unfortunate names like Kip (chicken), Goedkoop (cheap), Beenhakke (leg chopper), Kaasenbrood (cheese bread), Aarsman (ass man), and my favorite Naaktgeboren (born naked). It is said that these less attractive names are around because people didn't think the last names would stick around after Napoleon was gone and they could go back to their way. Ooops!

A Politically Incorrect Christmas

In The Netherlands, Sinterklaas Eve (St Nicholas Eve) is celebrated on Debember 5th, the day before Sinterklaas' birthday, with much celebration. Sinterklass is an older man with long white hair, a beard, and dresses much like a pope. He is also said to be a fairly serious man. The Zwarte Pieten on the other hand are a bit more whimsical. They dress much like a jester, with the addition of an afro and blackface (yep, blackface). Zwarte Pieten jump around and act quite silly (even in the middle of a church service).

Weeks before his birthday Sinterklaas travels to The Netherlands from Spain (where he lives) by boat with his helpers (slaves), the Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). Below is the announcement from our local paper letting everyone know when Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten will arive in our little town.

For the next few weeks, he travels the country by horse to find out if the children have been well behaved or not. During this time children put their shoe near the fireplace with a bit of hay or a carrot for his horse. In the morning the good little children will find a small treat in its place. The treats are usually similar to the following: peppernoten (small spice cookie), chocolate formed into the letter of your first name, or pastries. This can continue each night until the 5th. Now, if you have been naughty watch out because the Zwarte Pieten will spank you with a stick and might even toss you in their burlap sack and take you back to Spain (I couldn't make up this stuff if I tried!). In adition to these treats there are also gifts received but only on the 5th The gifts for the children are delivered by Sinterklaas to your front door, but of course he does not have time to wait and hand deliver them so he rings the bells and leaves them on the stoop. Gifts are also exchanged by adults on Sinterklaas Eve. Names are drawn so only one gift is brought by each person. Your present must be wrapped creatively (anything but wrapping paper) and should have a poem attached. The poem cantains hints about the gift and lyrics making fun of the reciever. This poem is read aloud before opening the gift.

 To view better pictures of Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piet, click HERE.

Learning the Language

One of the biggest adjustments when moving to a new country is of course the language and the Dutch language is a bit confusing to say the least! Over the last 6 months I have picked up enough Dutch to have a short conversation with a 5 year old and to answer simple questions such as "Do you want a receipt?". This is because most of my Dutch has come from the children my daughter plays with (who don't speak English) and from cashiers in the shops.

There are many problems with trying to learn Dutch, one being that most Dutch are fluent in English. If you manage to stutter out a sentence in Dutch they will quickly respond in almost perfect English making you feel a bit like an idiot. I have also been told that they are very happy to show off there English skills so will rarely respond to you in Dutch even if you continue speaking it. There are also several confusing aspects of the language, for example the order in which thing are said. An example of this is "Ik zie dat de ouders de kinderen Jan het huis hebben laten helpen schilderen" which word for word translates to "I see that the parents the children John the house have let help paint" but means "I see that the parents have let the children help John paint the house". Really?!? Another confusing issue is that sometimes many smaller words will be strung together to form one very long word. An example of this is the word telefoonbeantwoordapparaat. Yep, that's one word and it means telephone answering machine. Again, really?!? This doesn't even start to get into all of the other issues, like the way multiple digit numbers are said mostly backwards, the feminine and masculine forms of words or the multiple words used for "the", etc. The language is so difficult that during World War II to determine if someone was a spy in The Netherlands they would ask an individual to pronounce certain Dutch words. Only a true Dutchman could pronounce them correctly.

Although difficult we want to continue to learn the language. My husband has enrolled in a weekly class offered by his employer and we have even picked up some study materials.

Wordless Wednesday

How the Dutch do breakfast (and sometimes lunch)

The typical Dutchman loves his carbs! I think the rule is the more bread, the better. The thing that sticks out to me the most though is the toppings. The favored topping is hagelslag, which are sprinkles. Yes, sprinkles! Similar to the type that Americans put on ice cream or cupcakes. The type that as a child if you asked for them for breakfast you would get shot down quickly by any adult around. These sprinkles are enjoyed by all ages, both morning and mid day.

Another topping that at first I thought was quite odd is Speculoospasta. It is basically spice cookies that have been ground into a spreadable paste similar to the texture of peanut butter. Something didn't seem right about a cookie spread for your toast but of course we had to try it. Oh it is heaven!! I am hooked and may have to ship a case when we move back to avoid withdrawal. I try to only use in moderation but I really want to just dig right in with a spoon and eat it right from the jar.

As for the drinks at breakfast, there are many kinds (some strange to us and some not so strange). There is coffee, tea and milk. There is also karnemilk (buttermilk) as an option. I cannot bring myself to drink that one. Then there is the milk & fruit drink, which tastes a bit like watered down fruit yogurt.

This one is actually pretty good.

Eet smakelijk!

 (enjoy your meal)