Kermisalkmaar / Alkmaar Fair

The Alkmaar Fair starts this Saturday and runs until the 4th of Sept. The hours are 11.00 - 1.00am on the weekends, 14.00 - 1.00am during the week. There are lots of attractions to keep the little ones busy, including a Ferris Wheel, roller coasters, a haunted house, pony rides, and a booby trap hotel.  You can read more about it here: www.kermisalkmaar.nl

Sunday Cat Blogging - 21 August 2011

We had a visit the other day from a Tabby kitten who we decided to call Henry. He's come around a few times but this was the first time Rembrandt got a chance to play. Poor Henry. He had no idea what he was in for. As you can see, Rembrandt is not a normal cat, but a ninja who flies in the air to deliver his blows. No animals were hurt in the process of filming.

Super Market Wars

Our local super market used to be Super De Boer which wasn't the cheapest of the super market chains, but compared to what replaced it last week, seemed like it. Our new super market is Albert Heijn and to give you an idea of its reputation, here's a video.

Marktplaats.nl

If you're planning on moving to the Netherlands or recently came here, one website you should familiarize yourself with is Marktsplaats.nl. The Dutch equivilant of Craig's list, you can find ads for everything inclucing apparently, a thirty minute ride in a Ferrari. Here's the ad:

30 minuten rijden in een Ferrari 360

Ferrari rijden is niet langer een onbereikbare droom! Bestuur nu zelf een Ferrari met 50% korting.

Uitgelicht Ervaar de kracht van een Ferrari 360 Modena met 400 pk! Zelf 30 minuten rijden in een Ferrari en begeleid worden door een deskundige instructeur Mogelijk vanuit 30 locaties in Nederland

Neither of us are big into cars. We used it recently to get rid of some stone tiles from the garden as well as to find a local to help with my Dutch. The key to getting rid of unwanted items? Mention that they're gratis, or free.

Sunday Cat Blogging - 14 August 2011

 

Is it a cat or a radioactive mutant? Two pictures today, the first is Rembrandt stalking a piece of paper. The second is him emerging from under the couch after doing some serious damage to a building block. All of his practice paid off earlier this week when he hunted and killed a fly. Now, if he would only stop thinking that my toes are mice and my legs the trunk of a tree.

Book - Berlin Noir Trilogy by Philip Kerr

I just finished Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem which is best described as historical crime fiction. Two of the three stories are set in 1930's Berlin leading up to the war, with the third taking place in 1947 when the city was divided.

The main character is a German P.I., Bernie Gunther whose investigations lead him through the dark world of pre and post war Germany, complete with guest appearances by Goering, Himmler and Heydrich.The plots of the stories are taut with the requisite twists and turns. His descriptions are atmospheric and realistic, painting a more complete picture of the times than what you'll find in a documentary.

My editor and others I've met who know fiction say this is the standard for the modern day crime novel. So for any aspiring crime writers and those readers looking for a fresh take on the police procedural, it's well worth the read but first I suggest Jim Thompson. T76MJ7DMGY3X

Dutch Music - Gnaw Their Tongues

When I think of the Netherlands and music, I think of cheesy pop songs called Nederpop. But the longer I live here, the more variety I come across. One such group is Gnaw Their Tongues which is about as far from pop as you'll find. How to describe it? Death metal? The sounds of hell? You decide.

Being Mr. Mom

I knew raising a child was going to be difficult, but I never realized how ill-equipped I was to assume the role of Mr. Mom. We made the decision because at the time it made the most sense. My wife's profession allowed her to find a job quickly, giving us a steady base income that I could supplement with the proceeds from my book and writings. I had always been good with kids and babies, playing an active role in our daughter's first year on earth when neither of us were working. My wife is a social creature who needs adult interaction. I'm happy in the attic, dreaming up conversations. At least there'll be one of us at home. We aren't the first couple to switch roles so to speak, nor will we be the last. It seemed like a no brainer, totally rational. What could go wrong? The natural order.

I'm chubby and sensitive, but still lack my wife's inherent softness and understanding. "Hush, little baby. Everything's going to be alright," sung in a gravelly voice scarred from too many years in smokey bars isn't the most soothing lullaby for a wound up baby to listen to. Same goes for a flabby, hairy chest for her to rest her head against. And, unfortunately, the only way to change any of this is to get testicular cancer or a sex change. But despite these inherent disadvantages of being a male, I look at our daughter, smiling and laughing, speaking three languages, amazed how she's been able to adapt to the reversal of the natural order. A quick game of peek-a-boo and a blow on the belly is usually enough to calm her, although sometimes she needs a big hug and shoulder to cry on at which point we sing Tom Waits.

Interviewed

For anyone interested, I was recently interview by Jo Parfitt. You can read more here

Sunday Cat Blogging - 7 August 2011

Meet Rembrandt, the latest addition to the family. He's not angry or hooked on tobacco, just yawning. His mother is Siamese, so as of now he has bluish gray eyes. Like all kittens, he has moments when he thinks he's either a ninja or a spider and tries to climb walls. He's almost reached the ceiling a couple of times. The sad news is that his arrival means no more Max, coming by to visit. In the ideal world of cartoons and children's books, he would've been the Rembrandt's surogate father who teaches him the ways of the streets. In the real world, he fears the kitten's angry mother returning and see him as competition. He doesn't even look at the house when he passes by.

Dutch Daycare

I have to say that I've been really impressed with the daycare here. One of the nice things is the size of the groups, limiting the classes to no more than eight children. It also helps that the girls who work there are able to speak English when the alien is wound up or frightened.

If you're planning on moving here, be prepared to wait to enroll your kid. It'll probably start with a half-day here and there with places opening up over the months.  The cost, at least in Alkmaar, is around €6 an hour and they bill right away. If someone is working, you can qualify for government help. The website is http://www.toeslagen.nl/

There are different programs that you'll need to download and fill out, depending on the the type of assistance you are looking for.

1) Huurtoeslag (for the rent)

2) Zorgtoeslag (for medical insurance)

3) Kindgebonden budget (for new borns)

4) Kinderopvangtoeslag (for the daycare)

Keep in mind each year, you'll have to download a new program and yes everything is in Dutch, so you'll need Google translator if your signifigant other isn't a native speaker.

Succes!