Reading a fellow expat's post about finally settling down and had passed culture shock living here in the low country, I thought hard if I can admit to this. I came to the conclusion that I can't, at least, not yet.
I still feel that I'm not completely settled down here; not completely satisfied with the way life has treated me over the last year; and I'm still finding that there are still a lot of missing pieces to my puzzled life.
There was a week of beautiful warm sunlight shining upon this little country in mid-April. Having just gotten back from my business travel, I've convinced the bf to take me to city of Lisse and to Keukenhof one Sunday a couple of weeks back. For the many times I've been here prior to moving here, I've never seemed to be here at the right time when Keukenhof is open. The park is only open for flower-gazing for 9-weeks every year starting in mid-March to mid-May when the bulb flowers bloom.
Keukenhof is the largest flower garden for over 50 years and the park plants approximately 7 million bulbs a year. The idea of Keukenhof came from its former mayor whom wanted a place for flower farmers to showcase their flowers and hybrids and make the Netherlands to be the world's largest exporter of flowers. (from Wikipedia)
I also made arrangements to meet up with a fellow blogger, Rina, whom I shared similarities with. She is also from the Bay Area and came to the Netherlands last year to be with her Dutch boyfriend and now fiancee. Its great to be able to have a friend whom I can share similar experiences and observations with.
We drove to Keukenhof via the A4 freeway and followed the signs to the exit that will take there, but with a very looooooooong queue that stretched for at least a mile from the exit, the bf decided to pass the queue and kept driving until the next exit. Imagine this, Rina and her fiancee and the bf and I reached this queue about the same time 11:45am, Rina and her fiancee decided to wait it out in the queue as the bf and I drove to the next exit and took the back roads, which also had signs directing us to Lisse and to Keukenhof. The bf and I arrived at the parking lot at 12:15pm and walked to the entranced and stood in another long queue to buy tickets.
We entered the park and walked around and took tons of pictures, we even stopped for some yummy ice cream before I get a call from Rina that they had just arrived at the main entrance and this was at 2:30pm! They really waited in that queue of cars for almost 3 hours!!! Crazy! So my advice is, follow the Keukenhof website's advice of purchasing your tickets in advance via their website to save you a little time.
For the complete set of pictures (still under contruction) go here.
I'm writing about my business trip to Hong Kong and I haven't even written about Morocco. Tsk-tsk-tsk...
My hotel was located right by the Victoria Harbour and so each day that I looked out the window and saw fog and overcast skies, I would think that it would be so cold...well, it was, with the AC on. Its not until I step outside that I feel this woosh of warm heavy humid air, then I realized that fog nor overcast doesn't necessarily equate to cold.
Its hard to think that way, when San Francisco was always cold even in the summer with the fog always rolling in come afternoon. Or in the Netherlands, with its always overcast gray gloomy skies where people live in their boots and coats year round.
Work and the hotel was in Wanchai. I took the ferry many times to cross over and go to Tsim Sha Tsui and shop at Harbour City. I only made it once to Mongkok, to look for sneakers the boyfriend and see the night market - the Ladies Market, but it was so hot and crowded that I didn't last very long, although, I did get to see (but laborious effort to do so) some triple A grade LV bags and people selling some Cartier and Chanel watches ;-). Don't worry I didn't buy any fake goods that ends up supporting I don't know what.
A few good things about HK though, was the FOOD and the shopping. I went to Mongkok to shop one night with a colleague and we had late night dessert...and I had this thing with mini tapioca pearls, some jelly noodles and fresh ripe mangoes. I haven't tasted mangoes like that in a long time!
Forgive my sparse photos of HK as being in the office all day long and only having or sometimes not even having time to go out and enjoy the day outside or even to go sightseeing. To say the least, my business trip to Hong Kong is no different from any other business trips I've had in the last 3 years...its lonely --after work my mission is to go food hunting, and thats no fun when you're by yourself. There is simply no time to go sightseeing, I'd be [very] lucky if I did. Its always work, work, work...well, and as you can see...I got sick halfway through. Flying home was very painful!
When I got back to the Netherlands, I had to go back to the doctors and I was diagnosed with sinus infection...and I'm still recovering.
The full speed ahead didn't really come into fruition.
I've been sick for the last 2 days and stuck in my hotel room. Went to the hospital today accompanied by two co-workers and was diagnosed with hooikoorts (hay fever/allergies) and acute bronchitis.
It'd be nice to be home but home is a 12-hour flight tomorrow morning.
Bleh.
Its finally Friday and instead of looking forward to this weekend to re-energize, I'm hopping onto an 11+ hour flight instead en route to Hong Kong tomorrow. I'll be coming back late afternoon next Saturday.
I'm getting robbed of almost 2 weekends worth of rest!
I'm frazzled but I hope I get to do a little bit of sightseeing, shopping, and of course not to forget be in tip-top shape for some intensive-full immersion training.
Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner
This book was at first simple in its storyline but gripping from the very beginning. Amir, the narrator of the story, had many troubles inside...insecure in many ways and I believe a number of people can relate to. "A story of love, honor, guilt, fear and redemption."
Candice Olson: Candice Olson on Design
Love her show Divine Design!!! This book is also great in referencing her color and design schemes.
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