Ten Things I Miss About Malaysia

Home is where the heart is. As cliché as it may sound, that aphorism has more resonance now than I can ever before imagine. In my humble opinion, a person has - no matter how much he wants to deny it, to run away from it, or to repress it – to some degree or less, a deep-rooted attachment to his mother/homeland. It’s been a month and a half since we arrived in the Netherlands - the famously irrigated, verdant land below the sea level. Since it’s the fasting month of Ramadan coupled with the cold weather, my longing for Malaysia is more acute than usual. If only we can make the heater work and crank it to rainforest setting! Due to these circumstances, it’s quite appropriate for me at present to reveal the ten magnificent things that induce me to miss Malaysia:

1) Food – A variety under the sun, from the savoury, sumptuous ‘lauks’ to the mouth-watering sweet cakes and delectable glutinous desserts. The Dutch likes to eat a lot of herring apparently, and their diet consists mostly of cheese and bread as well as the occasional Indonesian fare available in the supermarkets and restaurants. Though I love fish, the raw consistency of herring is an acquired taste. In Malaysia, you can buy the food cheap off the streets in ‘’pasar malam’ (night market) or a nearby restaurant anytime of the day, without worrying you leave a hole in your pocket as a result. Last but not least, I miss the endless Ramadan bazaars during this month, with a whole gamut of food from different states in Malaysia to choose from. Although a greedy part of me usually ended buying more than we both can stomach.
2) Cheap stuff – Besides cheap food, everything else in comparison is cheap, from the toiletries, the clothes to the bicycles.
3) More brands to choose from – This is particularly true in supermarkets and grocery store. I find that in Holland, certain brands dominate the market at the expense of consumers’ purchasing power. Malaysia, located comfortably in South East Asia, is blessed with the availability of both Western and Eastern products on its shelves. With so many brands to select from, consumers are able to execute wise shopping decisions. Or the opposite is also true when buyers indulge in more splurges owing to the range of items on offer.
4) Weather – A no-brainer. No need to bundle up in the cold climate. This is quite exasperating when you have an uncooperative 7-month old baby.
5) Our car – Our personal parking bay right on the ground floor of our building in Malaysia makes it convenient to just drive out to get anything that we want, without ever having to think about bundling up, weather conditions (except for torrential rains with low visibility) or making super-efficient shopping lists. Oh well, at least here, we get some form of exercise via walking.
6) Malls – Especially the permanent non-smoking malls. Also, make that non-smoking areas in general. We have yet to find a great mall with all the trimmings here. We were in Mega Stores, The Hague mid of last week, all excited to see a BIG mall but our hopes were dashed when the place lacks any interesting or novelty shops and houses mostly interior design cum furniture stores that they might as well call it Mega FURNITURE Stores! We were however contented that Toy R Us took up a big space there. Also, we remain optimistic that Amsterdam’s latest offering Kalvertoren Shopping Centre will be a great relief, once we go and visit it.
7) Nurseries – Baby-soothing ones with a comfy nursing section are paramount in our daily existence and the provision of such amenities in Malaysia translates into a (reasonably) happy, fuss-free shopping experience.
8) Starbucks (and its much obliged Malaysian-based compadré San Francisco Café) – Need I say more? Robust, nutty coffee concoctions. Makes you want to go
Hmmm lovely, ala Nigella Lawson’s sultry accent (haha!).
9) Our house – Specifically our cozy tv-equipped bedroom where we often dwell, since the stork’s visit. The presence of our familiar things has a reassuring and cathartic effect on our piece of mind.
10) Our family – Awwww! Having loved ones around to visit and inconvenient is family tradition. Be it for the weekly potlucks, angpows (Raya money!) or a ready listening ear to vent out to.

Conversely and unfortunately, there are five things that I DO NOT miss about Malaysia. They are, in no particular order:
1) The Haze – A recurring problem of late.
2) Non-ecologically friendly – Lack of public awareness on recycling. I’m amazed that in the Netherlands people rarely use the plastic bags when buying their grocery or shopping since they will be charged Euro0.20 each for the bag! Rather, they bring their own bags or baskets.
3) Rude drivers/motorists – Quite notorious even to foreigners and expats on the roads.
4) Slow public/government service – Legendary in some quarters. In comparison, over here, if there is a long queue, the personnel will open new counters without hesitation.
5) Disjointed public transport system – The snail-pace progress to restructure the public transport system in KL has left many people cynical on its viable development. The lackadaisical attitude also discourages people to use such facilities until proper implementation is in place. With ruthless and addled ‘Metro’ bus drivers reigning supreme, riding the public bus is never an option unless your life depends on it!

The profundity into these comparisons is a personal exercise for my own gratification and remedy against homesick-ness. It is by no means, intended to injure the differing sensibility or sway the judgment of others. It’s based on my experience, my socio-cultural background and philosophy on life. And most of all, by apprising people of this list, I feel grounded and proud of my roots!

As Nature Intended

Day-lefth is a haven of flora and fauna proportions. The hotel we stayed at the first day we arrived is by the canal. The canal is at times filled with this green moss-like substance, which upon close inspection, is algae. At times, it overfloweth the canal, making the canal looks like green glazed floor. It's like scrummy green-swirled candy! My sentiment must be shared by a child who had apparently jumped head-on into the canal the second week we were in town! Also, the smooth surface must made him think it was part of a safe pedestrian crossing, akin to a skating rink perhaps! Luckily, a man jumped in after him.

The ducks, swans and these black squatty birds, which we call water-fowls, are natural to the canal habitat. They are quite breathtaking to watch and swarm to passerbys who have bread and other snacks to offer. The water-fowls are especially noisy and quite aggressive in jostling for the food. The mute swans remain graceful as ever.

Come winter, I wonder if they'd be around for our food-giving ritual. It's therapeutic giving them food. Surprisingly, they make me feel at home in Day-lefth.

TITA Squared

Lest I should postpone it again amidst the domestic chores, fasting and Sadia's unpredictable temperament, I better write this blog now. I don't want it be too old news like my previous few blogs.

Last week, on Thursday, I had the pleasure of finally meeting, Tita aka Dwinita Larasati, a PhD candidate at the same university my husband is attending. It was 3:30 pm and drizzling when Tita appeared at our front door.

Two days earlier, I called her with much trepidation. It is surreal calling someone whom you have only communicated through the internet. My mind was racing. She answered the phone with "Tita!" Later I found out from her one of her sketches, it is the Dutch culture to answer the phone with your name. She was cordial and we set a date.

When I first arrived, we did mull over the possibility of a meet-up. But, due to the lack of internet connect back then, we had to resort playing 'email tag' with one another. Now that things are more settled, a meeting is inevitable and eagerly awaited.

My nervousness was put to rest as we sat down on the sofa and got to know one another better. Tita brought a 'goodie-bag' for Sadia to which I'm humbly grateful. Also, for me, a cooking book for baby with fun food ideas.

I was embarassed that I didn't manage to give anything in return. It did occur to me a day before the meeting: What if she comes bearing a gift? But now that I know she's an avid Lat fan, I will get her some Lat books when I get back home. ;-)

With chocolate digestives and hot tea on hand, we talked about living in the Netherlands, specifically in Delft and Amsterdam - where she and her family reside. Any inquiries that we had about travelling, discount card or even culture were aptly answered. I also found out, she a great lasagna cook - like my twin sister!

Sadia also takes an instant liking to Tita. She likes kids too (like me!), I can tell. Neither Sadia nor Tita mind when Sadia kept bouncing on Tita's lap, for the umpteenth time!

When it was time to leave, we suggested that she took the lift instead of the winding stairs. She agreed to try it out. On hindsight, we should have told her how to operate the lift BEFORE she entered the enclosed domain. Not hollering instruction whilst she was already in it.

She was listening to us and let go off the button/lever she needed to keep pressing until she reached the ground floor. As a result, she got stuck in the lift!!!

Owh no! We tried everything imaginable with regards to the existing contraptions inside the lift but to no avail. My husband then called the university's residence hotline which connected him to our building keeper. Luckily, the lift has a rectangular glass opening to which you can see the outside (that's how we spewed some ideas to Tita on how to get the lift moving again) so Tita wouldn't be so claustrophobic. And I was amazed how calm and not panicky she was in the lift. As someone who has got stuck in the lift TWICE, I was panic-stricken (and teary-eyed when I was pregnant) when that happened to me.

Since the keeper cum lift technician was in the neighbourhood, he cycled quickly to our rescue. He crawled into a space besides the lift and fixed something which enabled Tita to press the lift to the 1st floor where she gladly exited and took the stairs down. When the guy asked her why she didnt take the lift down, she quipped that she had spent too much time in it already!

Yeah it looks like she was in there for half an hour! All the time, she was worried if she could get back in time via train to Amsterdam to cook for her family. I hope she did arrive promptly.

As I told her, this is a meeting she will remember for a long time! Tita heartily agreed. Her effervescent nature put people at ease and is easily transmitted in her comic strips. I'm glad I finally meet another Tita that gives the name justice. Hehe!

Here's a comic that she had sketched of that eventful day. Thanks TIta for being the first one to immortalise me (and Sadia) in ink! ;-)



For more of her wonderful cartoons, please click on this link: Tita's comics

Addendum to Amsterdam

I might be hasty to draw conclusion of my short trip to Amsterdam on a mere jaunt to shopping arcades.

I've read a guidebook on Amsterdam which details some interesting historical spots and museums galore that will be a nice departure from materialistic and therapeutic rituals of shopping.

I yearn to see the Van Gogh Museum, The Rembrandt House Museum, Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, the Royal Palace, amongst others.

When time, weather, finances and Sadia permit, we will venture into these places. After we have about a year to see them all!

Amsterdam, Nurseries and Then Some…..

And we have lift off! October 5th was the day when we finally got internet connection at home. I feel liberated and at one with the outside world (again). Also, it gives me an accessible and cheap window to communicate and keep in touch with loved ones and friends.

As I had blogged earlier, my family and I went to Amsterdam on the 23rd September. That was the Saturday after my husband’s classes ended and before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. We decided to let off some steam by going out of Delft. It was drizzling as we walked to the nearby train station. Little that we know the ticket fare would be pricey. It cost us each Euro19.70!!!!! (And as told later by a friend, Tita, children under the age of two travel for free on public transport).

The ‘snelltrain’ (snell=fast) took about one hour to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, there was no direct nonstop train from Delft to Amsterdam. Tita also kindly informed me that we’d have to take the train to Den Haag (The Hague) first if we’d want to catch the ‘intercity’ (direct) train to Amsterdam Centraal. Further, if we hold a discount card (valid for a year), we’d be able to pay 40% off the normal fare.

The long journey also translated to a restless 7-month old baby Sadia becoming noisy and irritable half-hour into the ride. Luckily, we had snacks handy to pacify her.

As we got off the train at Amsterdam Centraal, we were met with a throng of tourists and locals departing to and arriving from their own ‘spoors’ (platforms). The frenetic scene repeated itself outside the station where hundreds of tourists milling about the streets, on top of the clanging of trams and other vehicles passing by. It was sheer havoc. Then, it occurred to me that I have acclimatized to the quiet, suburban lifestyle of Delft that Amsterdam’s raucous environment came as a shock. It is, after all, a tourist haven.

The infamous sex museum was a stone throw away from the train station as well as along the same street where we sat down for halal ‘doner’ (turkey) kebab. Since the weather was mild, we were seated outdoors whilst big Turkish guys wearing chunky chains served our food and drink. Considering its touristy price and big portion, the doner was quite delicious (‘lekker’) and filling.

Thereafter, excitably, we entered our first department store in the Netherlands – the upscale De Bijenkorf (don’t ask me how to pronounce it). Strong perfume greeted us after we came through the revolving doors. The place smelled of luxury and (ka-ching!) money. We went up the escalators – floor upon floor – in search for that coveted relaxing café to rest our feet and mollify Sadia’s temperament. She doesn’t like long trips away from home, away from her reclining position in bed. The café’s décor was rather old-school with wood interiors and complementary wooden chairs, benches and tables. A huge mirror was mounted on one corner of the room to make it look bigger than it actually is. Yellow ceiling down-lights were quite minimal, giving the café a smoky effect. Perhaps it was the smoke drifting from the smoking area or the small uncomfortable seating arrangement that cramped us to those at the adjacent table, but I find the café uncongenial and somehow dingy. The only redeeming feature was the fact the place has free WI-FI.

Gratified by our cappuccinos, we walked out to Dam Square which situated just outside the store and where the smell of cannabis was fresh in the air. People were loitering on the Square and the nearby National Monument – a memorial where two stone lions stood to commemorate Dutch soldiers that fought in World War II. Also, crowds were lining up outside the Madame Tussauds Museum off Dam Square.

The weather got chilly so we took a welcoming sanctuary inside Magna Plaza, touted to be Amsterdam’s great mall. Our expectations were high that it’d be as big as the ones back in Malaysia. However, this was not the case. Filled mostly with boutiques and an assortment of garment stores, it’s even smaller than Pertama Complex!

But it houses MNG (Mango), a few stores selling Americana merchandise, and last but not least the famous ‘Sissy Boy’ brand. Don’t let the name fool you – the clothing line is nice and expensive. It reminds me of Abercrombie & Fitch mixed with JCrew. Also, I was amazed to discover along the mall corridor on the second floor, a small tent cum kiosk giving head and back massages, reminiscent of the Thai massage parlor tents that grace Malaysia malls (minus the pungent massage oil, that is).

We later trudged back inside De Bijenkorf again since (1) Sadia was acting up, (2) we wanted to check our emails for free at the store’s computer section and, (3) bathroom and nursing break.

We had the impression that De Bijenkorf, being called the Dutch Harrods in tourist guidebooks, would boast a fantastic restroom and cloak area, much like the Harrods in London. Much to our dismay, the cloak area is a mere small closet and the bathroom is quite a condensed space that put it to shame compared to the ones in Malaysia or Harrods, for that matter! There is only enough room for one person to stand in between the bathroom stall and the sink. And with the toilet being crowded during weekend, I was miffed by the invasion of personal bubble. For a snazzy department store, De Bijenkof should consider sprucing up its restroom area. Is it because the management is afraid that the public might abuse the toilet privilege? At Euro0.20, the paying price for the bathroom doesn’t live up to a classy De Bijenkorf experience. Moreover, to hinder any misuse, the ‘warenhuis’ can fix a higher price to enter this private domain, outfitted with friendly staff handing out paper towels and toiletries, which in turn mirrors its exclusivity. Okay, enough ranting about toilet for now.

Let’s move on to nursery. Now that we travel with a baby, a commendable nursery cum diaper change room is a highly sought commodity. Having a copacetic, baby-friendly nursery is a matter of great import. In our checklist, it’s top priority during shopping outings. So, when De Bijenkorf offered us a small grimy room which was replete with small boxes of toilet supply on its floor and reeked with infant urine due to improper ventilation, we were ‘seriously injured’ and appalled. The poorly-lit room was not conducive for changing diapers and one uncomfortable plastic chair in the store-like space was not the inducement I needed to nurse Sadia. It made KLCC spacious nursery room looks like a 7-star palace in comparison. Also, when I tried nursing Sadia at this cushiony bench closer to the toilet, I was asked to leave since it was quote-unquote a private area for their furniture showcase. But earlier when I was in the area, another mom did nurse her baby there, albeit with bottled formula milk, but she wasn’t shooed away. Racism or lack of propriety/discretion on my part?

Since we are nursery treasure-hunters, we had ventured to locate them in Delft soon after arrival. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to find any. It was not until last week – first week of October – that we stumbled upon (like we usually do) a nursery at an H&M branch in town. Yippee-yay-yay! But it’s under lock and key – so we don’t know how it looks like but it’s comforting to know in case such an occasion arises. So far, nothing of the sort has happened. Maybe the Dutch has short and efficient shopping trips that do not entail a diaper change break or their houses are within walking distance from the bevy of cobble-stoned stores. The latter seems more logical. After all, who want to be out for so long in this weather condition where temperature hovers around the lower teens (in Celsius), gusty wind and erratic, icy rain?

The Latest Addition to the Mohd Ali Clan.....

My eldest sister gave birth to her FIFTH child -a daughter - on 4th September - two days after my mom's birthday and two days before we flew to the Netherlands.
She was delivered around 4 in the morning and she looks much like her brother, Zaris (according to my mom, that is).
I was later informed her name, Mas Nurzafira Alya or Alya for short.
I really give EXTRA credit and much respect to my sister for raising four fine kids and now a new one.
I, even with one, am still grappling with motherhood and ironing out its kinks. Motherhood takes time. And loads of PATIENCE!
With Alya, my parents are now proud grandparents of 8 grandkids. (and another one on the way, God willing, for my twin sister)
And to Alya - hope to see you again when we get back home.....

More Pix @ Home in Delft

First week in Tulips, Clogs and Windmills (and Cows…) Land

As explained in my previous blog, we settled into our new home on Friday. By Sunday, the weather has turned warm and dry. It’s definitely not humid since we get easily parched whenever we step outside for our walks. From Monday to the following Saturday, the sunny condition helped to alleviate any pressure in adapting to the new environment, especially for Sadia.

On Monday, as I resumed my solo maternal duties at home, a few hiccups did occur. With Sadia now an avid beginner of crawling, I find attending to her whims and fancies at times nerve-racking. I think beforehand, I’ve been pampered by the fact that my husband is always around to take turns in holding or entertaining her whilst I do something else or take a much-needed break. Now, it’s full-time mommy duties until late at night when my husband comes back. On average, during the first week he comes home at 9-10 o’clock, with the exception of one night when he had forgone dinner with other fellow students. On Monday, I was only able to eat bread both for breakfast and lunch. On Tuesday, I was adamant to get something more nutritious and wholesome into my system. I went to Benjamin’s Bagel and Coffee – a café ran by what appeared to be, Indonesian-Dutch and got their tuna sandwich served on a bagel. This was followed, on Wednesday, by tuna sandwich on a ciabatta in Hema, a specialty store not dissimilar to IKEA, save for their ‘slightly’ more expensive price range and the fact they sell toiletries, clothes and stationeries. Oh yeah, the store doesn’t sell furniture though. Wait a minute – it’s a mixture of Marks & Spencer and IKEA. On Thursday, I had (surprise, surprise) tuna on a croissant at Delifrance (the same chain in Malaysia – they even have my fave Croque Monsieur but I doubt it’s halal turkey ham), so by Friday I was already sick of tuna. And by then, I had educated myself on the Dutch word for tuna – Tonijn. Other Dutch words have become part of my expanding vocabulary ever since I arrived, thanks to my necessary shopping rounds and invaluable Dutch subtitles on the telly. So without much further ado, here’s my brief yet essential list on Dutch words:

1) Jaa (Ya) – Yes 29) Morgen – Morning!
2) Nee (Nay) – No 30) Middag – Afternoon!
3) Moeder – Mother 31) Avond – Evening!
4) Vader (Darth Vader?) – Father 32) Vanavond - Tonight
5) Zoon – Son 33) Gisteren - Yesterday
6) Dochter – Daughter 34) Gisteravond – Last night
7) Kinder/Kinderen – Child/Children 35) Postkantoor – Post office
8) Vriend – Friend 36) Korting - Discount
9) Weken – Week 37) Vanaf – Starts from
10) Zaterdag – Saturday 38) Tonijn - Tuna
11) Zondag – Sunday 39) Koffie - Coffee
12) Hallo – Hello 40) Thee – Tea
13) Daag – Bye 41) Broodje/Brood - Bread
14) Open – Open 42) Ijs – Ice/Ice-cream
15) Gesloten – Close 43) Kaas – Cheese
16) Bel – Call 44) Melk - Milk
17) Nu – Now 45) Chocola - Chocolate
18) Straks – Next 46) Kip - Chicken
19) Goed (Ghoot) – Good 47) Rundvlees - Beef
20) Prima – That’s fine 48) Varkensvlees - Pork
21) Huis – House 49) Groeten - Vegetables
22) Ingang – Entrance 50) Vis (Fiss) - Fish
23) Uitgang – Exit 51) Rijst - Rice
24) Vhay Say – Toilet 52) Patat Frites – (Potato) Fries
25) Winkel – Shop 53) Gratis (No charge) - Free
26) Kapper – Hairdresser 54) Vrij (Unoccupied) – Free
27) Kamer – Room 55) Kassa - Cashier
28) Bakkerij - Bakery 56) Warenhuis - Department store

On Friday I decided to chuck tonijn for kip so I fried some – make that 3 chicken wings. We bought them at this Muslim Turkish grocery store which we stumbled upon during our Sunday stroll. We were earlier informed by a Malay student here that there are 3 places to buy halal meat – this one, another Turkish store and C1000, a Dutch version of Tesco which carries some halal produce.

I’m quite relieved that we needn’t go outside of Delft to purchase the meat. Actually, following our web surfing the first night we arrived in town, we discovered that Rotterdam port is a major exporter of halal meat. Wow! Yippee! We had then (wrongly) thought that we must commute all the way to Rotterdam for much vaunted grocery. Which however, shouldn’t cause a problem since our apartment is right behind the train/bus/tram depot. Further, Rotterdam is apparently closer to Delft than Amsterdam, but The Hague (Den Haag) is even closer – my husband told me that some of his professors actually cycle all the way from their house in The Hague to Delft! Frugal Nederlanders! (- this is another interesting topic for discussion).

Oh yeah, come Saturday, the town’s atmosphere became quite festive with street vendors seling a myriad of delicacies, fresh produce, flowers, trinkets, baubles, antiques, pottery and other hand-me-downs to pique your interest and entice you to part with your money. The market scene was familiar to the one in the previous Saturday when we had newly arrived but this Saturday the weather was mild and cooperative. Following a take-away lunch from Subway (Yay! There’s a Subway in Delft!), we rested for a while at home, much to Sadia’s benefit. We later ventured to IKEA on our inaugural bus trip that cost us each Euro1 (Sadia's was free). We needed some necessities to de-sterilise and personalize the modern apartment and to buy ‘human-size’ drinking receptacles (compared to the miniature ones at home that fail to quench our thirst), amongst others. Much to our chagrin and aching bodies, this IKEA doesn’t come equipped with an escalator! It’s either the small (again) lift or the stairs! Oh well, as my husband glibly commented, in a nation full of cyclists, an escalator is the last thing in their mind.

Other interesting observation that I have made for the last two weeks is that most Nederlanders smoke! There won’t be a street corner that I tread on without a whiff of tobacco in the air. They even smoke while cycling (talk about multi-tasking!). How about those who smoke, cycle and chat on their cell phones at the same time? (Isn’t there a law against that kind of thing?) Wow, I’m both impressed and bamboozled by such amazing Cirque-De-Soleil feats. Cycling is one thing. Eating is another. Here I was, quite happy that Hema’s café where I planned to eat my tonijn ciabatta has a designated non-smoking zone. But when I arrived that fateful afternoon, people were puffing away underneath the big glaring ‘No Smoking’ sign like nobody’s business. Old ladies, college boys and girls, housewives. Aaaaarrrggggghhhh! Luckily, one corner remained untarnished and I managed to WOLF down my sandwich relatively in peace before Sadia tried to snatch it away from me.

Oh, lest I forget, on a side note, the Dutch – smoking or otherwise – do have the decency to put away their trays into the tray remover stand after eating. That’s what happened to me in Hema when I was in turn, wondering where to stash my tray. When in doubt, do like the locals. I now believe, Malaysians are a spoilt lot – having service staff to take our dirty trays away. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves and strive to be more efficient and conscientious like the Dutch and the Americans! Hehe.

Smoking aside, my own weakness (or vice, if you may) would be coffee and much to my horror, the whole of Nederland doesn’t have Starbucks! Egad! How could they survive! Netherlands must be one of those few countries that succeed in blocking Starbucks’ global invasion. Oh well, I have to go to good old Great Britain for Starbucks then. Fortunately, other coffee chains like Kaldi and Moccamore offer some reprieve, especially the latter which has to-die-for big oatmeal & raisin chewy cookies. Yum! And it is one of the two places in Delft that I know of (believe me, I’ve scoured high and low) which sells donuts. Yes, sugared, chocolate and frosted ones. Of course, Amsterdam would have much more caffeine-IV-ed variety to choose from – which will be the subject of my upcoming blog where I will ruminate on our virgin trip to Amsterdam on the 23rd of September. Until then, have a glorious and soul-fulfilling Ramadan to my Muslim families, friends and readers!

Day-Lefth...

Tuesday 19th September 3:10 pm

It’s cold and windy outside. I’m with Sadia in the comforts of our boudoir. My husband is in class since 8 am this morning. It’ll be another long night. By 9 pm only he’ll be back.

Come this Thursday, it’ll be two weeks long my family and I have been in Delft (DAY-LEFTH, as the locals say it, with a slight ‘H’ inflection like ‘Twelfth’), Netherlands. Oh yeah, it’s wrong to say Holland since Holland comprises only a region of the country – Netherlands. With my husband having classes a few days after we arrived, the first week was ‘make-it-or-break-it’ moment for me. However, the long respite of hot weather last week lent support to my adjustment period.

Now, the weather has turned cold (didn’t I say that before?). Yes, cold. And dreary. I shouldn’t complain though. It was cold and rainy when we touched down in Schiphol airport during the wee hours of the morning on 7th September. Against the chilly rain and with Sadia in my arms, I had to sprint (or you could safely say – walk briskly) to the van taxi that would bring us to Delft. Lo and behold, we got stuck in the morning rush hour which contributed to an exorbitant taxi cost of Euro103! Of course, we couldn’t lug all four gigantic bags into the train (Hopefully, come touristy time, we’d be able to travel light). The protracted car ride coupled with lethargy from the 13-hour transcontinental flight also set off an inconsolable cry by Sadia in the taxi. She cried her heart out much to our helplessness, until she fell asleep on my shoulder. Who wouldn’t cry coming out from one compact space into another?

The first day, my husband booked us into Johannes Vermeer Hotel, which cost around Euro125 a night. It is a quaint place with replicas of Dutch famous painter’s works on display in every room (or ‘Kamer’ as they say it in Dutch), hallway and in the lobby where a small bussel desk cum receptionist and a glass cabinet encasing Vermeer-esque paraphernalia are located. Funny thing is the hotel has this Do-It-Yourself kind of setting where you have to take your own bags upstairs to the room (it doesn’t have any lift!), you go downstairs to retrieve your free WIFI password and you help yourself to cutlery and plates for breakfast (Luckily, the lobby also has a small store where we store our big luggage!). Also, the room doesn’t come with its own miniature fridge but instead you are given a key to a big glass ‘fridge’ – the one you can easily find at 7-Eleven – situated at a common landing area, to get your own sodas and other beverages. You then tick which beverage(s) you have taken in a form provided inside your room, which in turn indicates how much you have to pay upon check-out. All fridge-relatd activities are under the watchful eye of a CCTV!!! This Spartan-like service must be owing to the fact the place is co-owned by this lanky blonde woman – who I might add became rather standoffish when I asked too many questions (Hehe – I have that effect any where in the world).

My husband scurried to his university after depositing us in our Kamer to rest and knock our shoes off. By that time, my facial skin had begun to flake off and to make matters worse, I had caught the flu bug possibly from a family member in Malaysia (or was it from the lady sitting in front of us in the flight who kept sneezing?). After our beauty sleep at the hotel, he came back gushing over the soon-to-be-ours apartment that he had the pleasure of viewing. I’m quite surprised my husband has all this energy left to go around and run errands that could have waited until we stretched our legs in the hotel room. I guess he is used to it from his travels. And partly, it is in his nature to get things settled first before he can relax. As for me, I was travel-weary and jet-lagged. We later had our first real meal (if you could call fast food REAL) in McD, filet-o-fish set for lunch and by 4pm we had snoozed off until 2 in the morning! Jet-lagged big time!

The next day, following DIY breakfast, we moved into our apartment. The lift was broken however, so my husband had to divvy up the clothes and other knick-knack from those big luggage into a smaller bag before hauling them up the narrowed stairs. Yes, we live on the second floor where access is only (save for the lift) by way these spiraling rickety wooden stairs which can accommodate one person at a time on each of its step. Yep, it’s that tiny so you cannot walk up hand in hand if the occasion EVER happens to call for it.

The apartment itself – well, I already saw it briefly with the family the day before, following our McD excursion – is a showcase of IKEA furniture and fittings, not unlike our house in Ampang. However, this apartment parts company from the one in Ampang due to 1) its heavy reliance on IKEA items and 2) its too modern, minimalist concept. Linen, curtains, placemats, glasses, plates, dinner table and chairs, lamps, coffee tables, kitchen towels, bath towels, rugs. Speaking of rugs, the living room’s has this sisal-like texture which the coffee tables stand. The upstairs houses, amongst others, the bedroom, side tables, a wardrobe and the only bathroom in the apartment. To go up is yet another set of spiraled and narrowed set of small steps. The entire floor of the boudoir is covered in the aforesaid sisal-like carpeting which can be quite painful on the feet if you are lucky enough to trudge on its random splinter ends (We have yet to buy house slippers or flip-flops to contain this problem).

One marvelous feature of the second floor is its unique gable look with wooden beams hanging above the bed’s foot, laid out in a triangular fashion from the floor and extended all the way up to the bathroom’s door. In fact, it is the first distinctive thing that you see when you reach the top of the steps. The bedroom also has two skylights and a small diagonally-angled window (or attic window) which overlooks the building next door, particularly its inviting ‘alfresco’ top floor with flower pots and summery lawn chairs. As anyone can guess, this furnished apartment comes at a price and a housekeeper who cleans the place once a week (ours is either Tuesday or Wednesday). I already had some incidences and grievances with her - a hybrid of a brunette Ingrid Bergman and an Auschwitz prison guard - even with only twice housekeeping duties. Perhaps I’m being too hard on her – she did give us a babycot cum playpen from the storeroom when we first arrived, which originally didn’t come with the apartment. Hmm, let’s see how things pan out in the next few weeks and whether she will be extra nice and won’t lord over me when my husband is around.

Anyway, I will further expatiate on the first week of life here in my next blog entry. Till then, DAAG!