Random Pics

Here are just a few more pics that were taken on a bike ride through the area we live in. There is so much beautiful countryside here. We are loving it! I have had a lot of time on my hands while Joe is at work, so I take the bike and the camera out investigating. This particular trip I found some pretty fields and some chickens just hanging out in a flower shop. Of course, as I was trying to be super savvy photographer, I took a trip through the field to take different shots and I managed to lose my house key! Haha. Leave it to me. It took me about 17 times of backtracking but I found it!

A Soggy First Day

So this was our very first day in our house. It rained about 3 inches in 30 minutes and obviously our street was under water. We were lucky because we didn't have water in the house, but the people at the end of the street did. Our neighbors had just bought a car and came home to find a foot of water in it. We moved in on Friday, even though our stuff hasn't arrived from Atlanta yet. The government gave us some furniture to use until our shipment arrives. We moved to a village named Amstenrade. Which is in the small southern Limbergh Provence. Things here are very simple and is really a farming community. There is a cattle farm near our house, and Jen names the cows something different every time we pass them. It is funny to see the farms here, because the largest ones I have seen are about 20-30 acres, and it is pretty common to see a small corn field of about 1 square acre.

Third Time is a Charm!

Well, with some effort, we passed our driving test. Yes, we are now able to drive in a country where we cannot read the words on most... no any of the road signs. Dutch drivers beware! It did take one of us, who we will not name, three times to pass the test. :) The other one of us, who actually studied (hint hint), passed the first time. :) You can guess who that was. Anyways, some of the driving rules here are crazy. The questions on the exam sounded more like opening lines to a joke. An automobile, a horse, and a tractor all come up to an intersection at the same time. Who has the right of way? It's pretty strange.

We're Here

Well, we made it here and are starting to settle in. Once we got past the jet-lag and stress of making it here in one piece (along with Kay) we found a beautiful country, very friendly people, and plenty to do. We are currently staying in a dutch hotel right in downtown Brunssum. They call the downtown area the Centrum. So we are right by the Centrum which basically consits of shops and restraunts. We have been able to get by pretty easily here because most everyone speaks English. Most restraunts have English in the menu, but boy when they don't it is sure hard to order. They do prefer if you at least attempt Dutch though, so we are working on it. We have learned the important words like Please- Alstublieft, Thank You- Dank U Wel, and I have learned to recognize the word Verkoop- which means Sale ;) Kay-go-gi is adjusting to the new smells here and likes the attention because they don't have many beagle muts here. Really no muts at all. They mostly have the tiny dogs that you can fit into your purse. Anyways, we are all doing well and it seems like we will really like it here...but still, there's no place like home.