It's November already!

Wow.  What happened?  Here we are in another Season and so much water has passed under the (canal) bridge.  I was perhaps a bit premature in setting up the blog but hey ho, I'll get round to spilling it out sooner or later.  Suffice to say, we have moved on from the honeymoon period of feeling like we're just taking an extended holiday to actually calming down and, dare I say, settling?  It's still early days.  And naturally, there have been moments of homesickness which is really quite unpleasant but nothing that Skype and Heinz Tomato Soup can't deal with.

The past couple of weeks have been what I'm calling Phase 2 of our stay - the one where I no longer am searching for banal things like plugs and water softener.  I can proudly say that I have graduated from "alien" to "tourist".  I've been doing a bit more exploring on my trusty bicycle discovering some of the more Bohemian quarters of The Hague.

Being in an International environment is very stimulating - to begin with I found it difficult to not be affected by everything that was going on around me - the chatter of different languages, new transport sounds and even the sounds of nature (particularly the resident Parakeets which I wasn't prepared for!).  You hear it but you can't make sense of it and I found it all quite exhausting but exciting at the same time.  Now, after almost 3 months I am tuning out to most of it and beginning to feel a bit more calm on the inside - I think adrenalin has a lot to do with it!  Derek mentioned this today too and we compared it to the movie Lost in Translation.  A great deal of this movie is without dialogue - the lead character, an American girl, seems to float through the streets of Japan as if she were invisible.  I totally get this now.

Anyway, I am pleased to say that I have made some social progress and have joined a Book Club and a Photography Club.  We have just appraised the book One Day which I would give probably 5/10.  Found it a bit frustrating.  Am now reading The Reader and find that a bit disturbing!  Next is The Slap which I'm really looking forward to.  I was invited to the Photography club by one of the class mums and was completely bowled over by the talent.  I will be a bit reluctant to show any pictures but they seem like a helpful bunch of people.  First step is to invest in a digital SLR which I am researching just now.  Recommendations welcome!

Much more to follow.  Must tell you about Martinmas, Sinterklaas, my trip to Delft and the smell of cinnamon wafting through the streets....oh and I promise more pictures.

Our first week

We have been so busy the past week, getting the house cosy and navigating the domestic side of Dutch life -finding out where to get hold of this and that. Some of it quite tedious to be honest but there has been time for some fun and relaxation too.

We are loving being so close to the beach - just a 15 min bike ride and the bonus of it now being to the West of us as opposed to the East back in Scotland is that we are seeing some spectacular sunsets. There is a fantastic atmosphere at Scheveningen Beach and while the weather holds out (it got up to a very respectable 24 degrees at the weekend) there are pavilion bars right along the beach so we have enjoyed sipping a wee tipple while Jamie throws himself about in the sand in front of us.

Jamie has settled remarkably well and already is hugging his pals in the school playground. The school is much bigger than home which means it's pretty noisy in the playground but we're getting used to it. There seems to be a good network of mums that can be called on for help and I was introduced to them over coffee at the Tennis Club next door this morning. It was lovely to meet a couple of fellow Scots too (I miss the accent!). Tennis is HUGE over here and the Dutch (and other internationals) play it day and night, rain or shine it seems. I am thinking of signing up for lessons, if only to feel a bit less guilty about all the amazing cakes I am scoffing!! I will probably dedicate another post to that subject. The Bakers shops are AMAZING! Oh, and then there's the cheese and the coffee.....

A New Start

This is the blog of a family of 3's venture into expat life. Moving from our beloved Angus in the North East of Scotland to The Hague in Holland, it will chart our ups and downs as we bump our way through a new country and culture.

Apprehensive, yet excited about the adventure ahead we are taking a leap of faith - leaving behind a very comfortable, peaceful existence in our lovely wee village for the hustle and bustle of trams and bicycles, a new house, school and language.

It's time to try something different for a while.

We leave on Wednesday 31st August and hope to be moved into our new home on Friday 2nd September. All being well...