Portland here I come!!

I can't believe it - I'm heading to Portland tomorrow!!! I'm so so SO excited to get to see everyone again! It's hard to believe that I've been gone for almost 8 months already - time has absolutely flown. I'm in town for only a week... I'll be working from WHQ Monday through Wednesday (trying to save my PTO for adventures in Europe), and then spending the Thanksgiving holiday with Sean and his family. Pretty much every second outside of work is going to be with friends... it's been tough trying to figure out how to make all the puzzle pieces fit, but I'm managing. I can't wait!!

Sinter Klaas is coming to town!

Sinter who? Sinter Klaas. No, ladies and gents, this is not your everyday Santa Claus, this is something completely different that adds a whole new twist to the "guy dressed in red who brings gifts to the children". Sinter Klaas is a Dutch tradition, and I think they might have it in Belgium too. Basically, what happens is this... on November 15th, Sinter Klaas arrives in Holland via a boat that is coming from Spain. He has little helpers (kind of like Santa's elves) called Zwarte Pieten (which means "Black Peters"... a bit racially questionable, but that's a whole other can of worms) who help him to pass out candy and gifts. I'm not sure exactly what Sinter Klaas does for the two weeks between now and December 5th, but December 5th is his birthday, so there is more celebrating on that day. Anyways, once Sinter Klaas gets to Holland, the kids leave their shoes out that night, and the shoes get filled by Sinter Klaas while the kids are sleeping... this is bringing back a lot of memories of Saint Nicholas from my days back at St. Raphael's. :)

So, on November 15th, there are big celebrations all over Holland, because Sinter Klaas makes an appearance by boat. I was lucky enough to get to spend this special morning with the people that enjoyed it the most - my former manager's Dutch children - Tijn, who is 6, and Linde, who is 4. There is nothing quite like hanging out with kids that are SO excited about something. We got to the canal around 10, and the Zwarte Pieten, followed by Sinter Klaas, arrived pretty quickly after that. The Zwarte Pieten pass out this cookie/candy mix to all the kids, and then Sinter Klaas walks through the crowd and shakes the children's hands as he walks through. I'm sure you can imagine what a crazy scene it is. :)

Bart with his children at home... a lot of the kids dress up in outfits like this so they can be "Zwarte Pieten" also... some even painted their faces black!!

A Zwarte Piet passing out candy and cookies to the eager kids

Zwarte Pieten arriving on a boat from Spain... note the Spanish flag...

It's Sinter Klaas!!!

George's "Hen Do"

One thing that I have learned while I have been here is this - just because we speak the same language as people from the UK, there are A LOT of things that are different. For example, what we call a "bachelorette party" in the US, they call a "Hen Do" in the UK... similar with bachelor parties - those are "stag nights". Whatever you call it, my co-worker George (short for Georgina), who is British, is getting married this weekend, and so last weekend, we had a "hen do" for her. It was a lot of fun putting it together and finding gifts for her. George is really cute - she loves anything with bows, so we decided as a group to follow the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" theme, but with one catch - everything had to have a bow on it! :) We started the night at a fun Turkish restaurant, and then moved on for more girl fun at a few pubs and bars. We attempted to go to a salsa dancing place, but it was SUPER packed, so we decided to go somewhere a little less intimate. :) All and all, we had a great time, and I broke my record for the latest I've been out in Amsterdam... I slid into bed right around 3:30am... and proceeded to try to recover for the rest of the week. Man, I'm getting old! :)

Anyways, here are some pictures of our fun night and of the bow extravaganza! :)

George, the Bride-To-Be

Yummy Turkish Food... okay, you didn't think I could do a post without food, did you?? :)

A Blue hat with a bow and a New purse with a bow :)

Some of my friends from work - Ditte, Gulsun, and Sanne... we were trying to have "long necks" like models do. :)

Best wishes to the bride and groom! xx

Yes We Can!

Okay, so I'm not usually one to put my political views out there, but I feel the need to comment. I'm not saying that this is what you need to think or that what you think is wrong - that's the beauty of America - we can all think what we want to.

But, what I DO want to say is that I am REALLY excited about making American history this week with the election of our 44th president. It's truly a new day in America, and I have never been prouder. My American colleagues and I all agreed to wear red, white, and blue to the office on Wednesday if Barack won, and we did!

Europe was largely in support of Mr. Obama... it was funny - I saw several people on campus with Obama shirts on - and they weren't Americans!

I'm not fearful of this change. I'm so excited. Even though I'm several time zones away, I still took the time to watch Barack's acceptance speech. It seriously brought me to tears. I'm not sure about you, but in this time of great political and financial uncertainty, I sure needed a little bit of hope... I really hope that he can help to bring Americans of ALL views, colors, backgrounds, etc, together. We need someone who can do that, and I think he's our guy. In case you didn't get to see the speech, I'll post the text here. I hope it is as inspiring to you as it was to me. The last part was especially impactful... it's better in the video, but the arena of Americans saying "Yes we can!" together brought goosebumps to my skin. Enjoy!


[*] OBAMA: Hello, Chicago.
(APPLAUSE)
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
(APPLAUSE)
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
OBAMA: We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
(APPLAUSE)
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
(APPLAUSE)
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.
(APPLAUSE)
Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton...
(APPLAUSE)
... and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
(APPLAUSE)
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years...
(APPLAUSE)
... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady...
(APPLAUSE)
... Michelle Obama.
(APPLAUSE)
Sasha and Malia...
(APPLAUSE)
... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us...
(LAUGHTER)
... to the new White House.
(APPLAUSE)
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
To my chief strategist David Axelrod...
(APPLAUSE)
... who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics...
(APPLAUSE)
... you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy...
(APPLAUSE)
... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!
OBAMA: There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
OBAMA: This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
(APPLAUSE)
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
(APPLAUSE)
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope. (APPLAUSE)
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
(APPLAUSE) OBAMA: She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)

Viva la Espana!!

My apologies for taking so long to post this... it's been a ridiculously crazy week, and tonight has been my first night to sit down and relax. Ahhhh...

My dear friend Michelle has come and gone. She arrived in Amsterdam on October 26th, and left yesterday morning. We were able to spend her first day in Amsterdam, just exploring the city. We didn't let the rain get us down - no, we just let it soak us! :) That first night, since I knew Michelle would be tired, I didn't make any huge dinner plans with friends... we just made a nice lovely dinner at home... check out this spread:

Monday and Tuesday, Michelle explored the area on her own while I was working, and then Tuesday night, we flew to Spain!! :) We flew into Malaga, which doesn't really have any noteworthy sights except an airport with cheap flights. :) Our flight was about an hour delayed, and, once we got on the airplane, we were ready to relax. The crazy Dutch bachelor party next to us, on the other hand, was just getting started. I have never seen such crazy, loud people on a plane. Seriously - they were up and down, yelling, and drinking non-stop beers. It was pretty rude, to be honest. I was so tired and just wanted to sleep, so, since the flight was really empty, Michelle and I were able to move to a non-party zone. Very strange! We got into Malaga and found our hotel with no problem. We even figured out the public transportation! For two extremely directionally-challenged people, I was quite proud. :) We pretty much went straight to bed, and then woke up the next morning for a run down palm-tree lined streets!

Beautiful Nature along the streets of Malaga

I didn't really want to leave... but, we had to, because we had reservations to see the amazing Al Hambra in Granada in the afternoon. One bus ride later, we were there. We checked into our hotel, which was also really nice, and then made the trek up to the Al Hambra. Let me emphasize the work UP. The Al Hambra was a palace back in the days when Spain was ruled by Moors. It's up on a huge hill, which was the safest place for a palace because you could see your enemies coming. We made it all the way to the top of the hill, and, just before getting to the Al Hambra, we found this beautiful lookout point:

Michelle with Granada in the background

We continued the trek up to Al Hambra, and then spent a few hours touring the whole thing... it's actually 4 different sites: The old Moorish Palace, the Christian Palace from after the Moors were conquered, a big fort, and the impressive royal gardens. We really enjoyed everything, however, it was FREEZING!! We couldn't believe it! Luckily, we had brought our winter coats, but, man, it was SOUTHERN SPAIN... the land of sun and sangria... not chill and hot chocolate!

The Fort at Al Hambra...

Beautiful reflecting pool at the palace

The gardens actually have a live concert venue now, but nothing was going on this evening

View of the town below

KP trying to be artistic...

Okay, so I said it was cold, but Michelle actually lost circulation in her hands - I had to take a picture because this looked SO crazy! The lady at the gift shop let Michelle use her space heater to try to warm up!

That night, we had our first round of tapas, which is a way to serve food that is famous in Spain... it's basically just little portions of everything, which is perfect for me, since I like to try EVERYTHING! :) The really cool thing about Granada is that when you order a drink you get a free tapas dish... so, if you REALLY wanted to, you could get pretty full by just going place to place and ordering one drink at each place... not that I did that. ;)

The plate of tapas that we ordered at the first place - yummy!

The next morning, we went for a run through Granada, and eventually made it up to this amazing viewpoint, where you can see all of the Al Hambra in one place... it was mighty cold, but it was SO worth it in the end.

After checking out of our hotel, we headed to the train station to catch a train to Sevilla... unfortunately, we missed the train station stop somehow (I have to say - this was the ONE hiccup on our trip), and ended up at the main bus station. This ended up not being a problem, however, because there was a bus leaving for Sevilla at the same time our train would have left, and they took the same amount of time. The public transportation was most excellent! About three and a half hours later, we were in Sevilla. We made it to our hotel, which was a really cute place in the Santa Cruz Barrio, run by a family. It looked nice enough, however, the problems began that evening when we realized we had no water in our bathroom, but a huge leak on the floor:

Trying to catch the water in a cup... we realized that this wasn't going to work after the cup filled in about 5 minutes and then improvised another plan to keep our room from flooding!

The next day, our shower didn't work. Our heat NEVER worked. It wasn't the most pleasant experience, but Michelle and I are troopers, so we didn't let it get us down. Just not the nicest place either of us has ever been to.

Anyways, our first night there was pretty normal... just headed out and tried some Spanish food, including gazpacho (cold, tomato soup) and Sangria, which is a yummy drink made with wine, liquor, and fruit. :) Our first full day, we covered most of the main sights we wanted to see. We started out with the Alcazar, which was Sevilla's palace in its day. If the pictures look a lot like the Al Hambra, it's because this palace was built as kind of an Al Hambra knock-off.

The Reflecting Pool

After the palace, we toured the impressive Cathedral and La Giralda, which was once the tower of a Muslim temple, and was made the main steeple of the Cathedral when the town was conquered (are you sensing a common theme in Spain's history?!?). Both were really beautiful, and we saw some amazing views from the top of the Tower. It was interesting... this was the first tower I haven't had to climb a million stairs to get to the top of... this one was ramps (34, to be exact), which were put there so horses could carry their riders to the top to announce when prayer time was. Much easier on the joints! :)

La Giralda

View from La Giralda... the blood orange grove in the church courtyard - these oranges are everywhere in Spain!

That evening, we went to see a local Flamenco performance. Michelle and I were both pretty excited about this... we were picturing women in pretty colorful dresses with castanets in their hands. For anyone who might be thinking about going to a Flamenco performance, let me just spare you the imagery - that is NOT was Flamenco is all about (that is Sevillana dancing - checked with my Spanish colleagues when I got back!). Flamenco is about dancing through the joys and sorrows of life. I think the dancers we saw were having a lot of sorrow, because they both looked so ANGRY the whole time they were dancing. The man looked like he was fighting a secret robot, and the woman looked like she was trying not to throw up. Seriously. I'm usually one for culture, but this was weird. And the singing! The guy that was singing was singing in Spanish, which I can understand for the most part, but he was singing with his tongue sort of halfway out of his mouth, so it was really difficult to understand what the heck he was saying... I was afraid he was going to choke on his tongue!! Long story short... we left feeling a little confused about exactly what we had just seen. I'm glad we went, but just wish I had known a little more about what to expect!

Mr. Flamenco dancing away

The next morning, we went for a run through the city's largest park... it was quite beautiful, and we came across the famous Plaza de Espana, which was part of the World's Fair in 1929. It was super foggy at that point, so we came back and saw it again later. We didn't really have much more that we wanted to check off of the list, so we went to a local international fair, and then spent the evening sampling tapas and sangria at the local bars and restaurants. It actually was quite fun! :)

Michelle and I at the Plaza de Espana

We woke up the next morning and left our dreadful hotel. We made our way to the airport, and Michelle went to Prague for a few days, and I returned home to Amsterdam. Good friends, good times. :)