Making A Move

Some time last year, Jim and I received work of a possible future assignment posting for him in Singapore in 2013. Whilst in the back of my mind, I've been very much aware of it... the reality of it never really sank in. Until now. 

It seemed like just not that long ago that he and I made the decision to move here to the Netherlands for a change of environment. Yes, KL-PJ was sucking the soul out of us (or maybe just me, I don't know). And although the move here was fraught with a mix of both excitement and fear, our journey through it all, albeit harrowing, allowed us to emerge stronger and more appreciative of life, love and each other. 

Looking back the three years (almost!) that we've been here, it has made me see that the world is so big, and it is filled with endless opportunities and boundless possibilities. If we could just disentangle ourselves from the negative experiences, we'd be able to see and appreciate so much more. Of course there would be bad experiences, otherwise it isn't life, right? :) 

On a Tulip trail

Life here isn't free from complaints. Far from it! Haha... Maybe I'm a serial-complainer, I don't know. But what I do know is that the good outweighs the bad. We've never really made the decision if we would grow our roots in the Netherlands, as we were still getting used to life here, not to mention the language. And I tell you, that is the biggest barrier for me. The Dutch Language seriously, seriously kills me. To even want to say something in Dutch, I got to crack my brains and ultimately come up with something so wrong that it makes everyone laugh out loud.

Us in Volendam with our Klompens

But before we found out about the assignment to Singapore, we were thinking of making things more permanent. We were thinking about a move to Central Holland (near the city of Utrecht) and to make plans settling there. Just a side note, Leeuwarden's not that bad.. But it can get pretty boring and it's so far away from everything else. What ties me to Leeuwarden the most are the friends that I've made while I was here.

With the Windmill in Kinderdijk

It's just that now, when we are finally settled in The Netherlands (barely!), we are packing again. Even though we've only been here for a short time, and it's also only a 3 year assignment to Singapore, it's ironic how burdened I feel about leaving what I know here. And I can't believe that I find myself looking forward to coming back here again after our 'adventure' in Singapore is over.

I know, I have some ridiculously random photos on this post. But it's just a reminder to myself the good times I've had here :)

 

The Dutch 'Huisart' System

'Huisart' in Dutch refers to a GP.. Or sometimes, we know them as family doctors. Generally, the group of medical practitioners that you go to when you have health issues, big or small. If it's a big issue, then your 'huisart' will refer you to the hospital for treatment. And these 'huisart's, they only see you if you are subscribed to insurance, so that would indicate that there's a proper system for it.

Medisch Centrum Zwaaij - Photo Courtesy of Google Maps

In Malaysia, when I was feeling under the weather and needed medication, I would drive to the trusty Mediviron Clinic in Paramount PJ. I would show the nurse on duty my medical card (I was insured by my employer so I need not pay) and wait in line to see the doctor on duty. Sure, there were issues when it came to Mediviron Clinic. The line is never ending and I always catch the nurses slipping 'paying' guests in front of me. However quirky the issue was when I visited my GP in Malaysia, it cannot compare to what I've come to experience here in Netherlands.

Jimmy came home from work in a bad state on Thursday evening. I believe he went through some work aggravation, but I digress.. Anyways, he spent all night coughing and keeping us both awake. We got concerned because he has been coughing since 6 weeks ago when he came back from our vacation in Malaysia.

So on Friday morning, he called in sick to work and called to make an appointment with a GP near to where we are staying - the Westerman Huisart. The administrative personnel told him that he has to go back to the huisart that he has been seeing previously, the Boscha Huisart, but Jimmy explained to the administrative personnel/receptionist that he has been trying to make an appointment with Boscha Huisart but keeps getting rejected for because, according to the Boscha Huisart Receptionist, his coughing is not serious enough to warrant an appointment, and he should instead drink more water, sleep more and try some over-the-counter medication. He further explained to the Westerman Huisart Receptionist that he has tried all that and after so many weeks his coughing still persists, but still they denied him appointment with the doctor and he is getting a bit freaked because all the coughing is giving him sleepless nights and he is getting blood in his spit.

The Westerman Huisart Receptionist then told him that it is a lot of work that he is asking to see another GP(wtf?!) but finally relented and gave him an appointment at 2:20pm. So we headed over at 2:10pm but we could not find the location of the Huisart. The GPS brought us to a few different locations in Cambuur but we still could not for the life of us, find the clinic! We tried calling the receptionist again to clarify but got a voice recording saying that it's past working hours.

Then Jimmy went to the Boscha Huisart building to inquire about the Westerman Huisart and found out both practices are sharing the same building, together with about 6 other practices! So we hurried to the Westerman Huisart Reception and explained to her the situation and apologized for our tardiness. The Westerman Receptionist told us that she made an appointment for Jimmy with Boscha Huisart because it would be better that he has a medical record in the same practice. We thanked her and went back to the 1st Floor of the same building to see the Boscha Huisart. The Boscha Huisart receptionist told Jimmy that he does not have an appointment in her records and the doctor is fully booked. She told him to go back to the 2nd Floor to see the Westerman Huisart since he has made an appointment there. So, Jimmy, with his temper mounting, went back up to 2nd Floor to speak to the Westerman Huisart Receptionist again and this time, the receptionist just casually told him that she is busy, it is past his appointment time and he should make another appointment via phone for another day! (mind you, she was reading a book when he approached her)

Woohoo!! Talk about being kicked around like a ball!!! A sick coughing ball at that!

Naturally, my dear husband erupted like a volcano and told the Westerman Receptionist off, aggravating his already aggravated cough. He stormed to the Boscha Huisart Receptionist and told her what happened and she simply told him that the doctor's occupied and she'll have make him an appointment for Monday morning.

If this was a life and death situation, I think the ghost of my dear husband would be tormenting the Westerman Huisart Receptionist as I write this.

But on a serious note, why do the GP's take the health issues of the residents of Netherlands so lightly? I mean, this is a beautifully developed country but the house doctor system is skewed towards Primitive! (please note my emphasis on the P)

I know that the hospitals here have excellent service record but just because it is not what they deem is an emergency, that does not mean that it should be dismissed with the wave of a hand.

It is at times like this, I wish for the Mediviron Clinic.. At least it would be a fruitful wait and the doctor-on-duty would be able to give us peace of mind and tell us straight off whether he has a throat infection and what we can do to make it better.

I heard from Jimmy that his colleague's father has been diagnosed with 4th stage cancer because it was detected late. Apparently he has been to see the Huisarts so many times to treat the symptoms and they keep playing it down and telling him that it's not an emergency and that it will go away. Now, he been told he's only got 3 months left and it is too late for treatment...

It is just so easy to dismiss a person when that person is of no importance to you, but I guess it has never occurred to these Huisarts that these people have families too, and they mean the world to someone else out there...

Update (8th May 2012) : Jimmy's finally seen the doctor at the Boscha Huisart group yesterday and the doctor's confirmed that he indeed, has an inflamed and infected throat, that has been making him feverish, and has been given a strong dose of antibiotics to curb and ease the inflammation. Jeeez...

Travelogue : Koninginnedag Weekend in Düsseldorf

Jimmy and I were made travel plans to visit Düsseldorf in Germany over the 3-day weekend of the Dutch Koninginnedag (30th April). I did some reading online and found out that Düsseldorf is a bustling metropolis of sights, art, culture, and most important of all (for me), fashion and shopping!

We packed our overnight bags and started on our 3 hour journey by car at a little after noon. We arrived at our hotel, the Van der Walk Airporthotel Düsseldorf, at about 4pm and freshened up a little before heading into the Düsseldorf city center.

The Hotel at Night

The modern but cozy hotel lobby

The first thing we see when we stepped out of from elevator on the 14th floor!

Yes, I know that the hotel is out of the city center and it's about 15 minutes by car but we wanted a quiet getaway and that is not going to be possible along the honking dusty streets. 

We walked around the Düsseldorf-Carlstadt area, lost in the busy crowd, checking out the shops, the cafes, the beautifully dressed people and the amazing cars. We stopped for a quick dinner at Maredo's Steakhouse along Königsallee (the famed fashion and shopping district).

My Steak

Jim's Salmon & Prawns

Our Shared Dessert

We wanted to have authentic German food but we were half starved and Maredo was just right there in front of us, so it was the most convenient choice. We had a crazy time trying to talk to the waiter who could only speak in German but we successfully managed to order an all-chocolate dessert! Haha..
And after dinner, we went on foot all the way to the the Altstadt (Old Town) for the quiet lanes and cobblestones and saw old houses still resplendent in their old glamour. Then it's off to the  Rheinuferpromenade to feel the breeze of the Rhein River and to check out the brightly lit pubs and eateries. We melted into the crowds of people sitting by the Rhine embankment promenade, with a drink in hand, gazing off idly into nothingness. 

After walking so much for a day, we went back to the car to make our way back to the hotel for an early night.

On Sunday, we had breakfast in the hotel and headed out into the city center to visit the Rheinturm (Rhine Tower), only to get stuck in a horrible jam! The roads leading into the city center were closed for a local marathon. We did not want waste any more time stuck in the traffic so we went instead to see the Benrath Palace & Park.

Schloss Benrath

Photo of Us with Schloss Benrath as Background

More shots of the Palace, its lavish gardens and the surrounding park...

Tired from all the walking, the compound around the Palace was enormous!, we stopped by the Schlosscafe Benrath that was located right at the entrance of the Palace for some refreshments.

The cafe was done up a matching concept to the palace and had an exquisite, quiet elegance interior to match. There was a patio overlooking the canal surrounding the castle for those who want to bask in the sunlight. The drinks were lovely and the menu was unique.

All that however, was spoilt by crappy customer service. I was at the cafe's website and boasted of a "friendly competent staff". Right. I guess the place was understaffed and when we asked to pay the bill, the waiter told us to sit back down at our tables and WAIT until they are free to come. What peeved us off was him adding a racial slur to his comment.

That aside, after finally paying (Jeez.. It's like we have to bend over backwards just to pay!) we drove back into the city center (the roads have been reopened) and headed off to see the Rheinturm.

Rheinturm

The Rheinturm against the Night Sky

The Dancing Towers of Düsseldorf Harbour from the Rhine Promenade

The Theodor Heuss Bridge Over the Rhine River

We paid the entrance fee to go up about 170 meters onto an observation deck to see the 360 view of Düsseldorf. There's also a revolving restaurant in the same tower but we did not plan to have dinner there cause we really wanted authentic local food.

We went to the Brauerei Schumacher, on Oststrasse  for dinner and it was truly, truly an authentic, German experience! They've been around since 1838 and they brewed their own beer, the Schumacher Alt. Loved the cozy ambience, the food and the price. A definite must-go if we ever go back to Düsseldorf again.

The Best Pork Knuckle Ever!

 And on the way back to the hotel, I saw this little shop from the corner of my eye, beckoning to me. So I asked Jimmy if we could stop and have a look and lo-and-behold!!

Bubble Tea!! And it's like none I've ever tasted before. Like the typical bubble tea, you get to choose the type of tea (red or green), to opt or milk or not, and if you would like to add flavour to the tea.. But instead of just having the typical black tapioca pearls, this place had different types of pearls that you can opt for. Flavoured bubbles! They have it in passion fruit, yoghurt, strawberry, lychee and mango. I was curious as to how it would taste like so I requested for some 'lychee pearls' on top the typical black tapioca pearls. The 'lychee pearls' were lychee syrup encapsulated in a thin membrane-like fibre that bursts in your mouth. And it was very refreshing because the tea was sugar-free.. First time I ever tasted something like that and I thought it was pretty cool. Been finding good bubble tea shops in Germany :)

After that, Jimmy and I just headed back to the hotel for some spa time... The hotel had a good spa area complete with a steam room, a sauna room and a solarium. There were also lounge chairs in the spa room complete with foot wash basins. And even our room came complete with a jacuzzi.

There's nothing better than settling down and enjoying the sunset and each others company. Leaving the everyday stress and issues melt away. Watching the beauty of God's creation makes our everyday troubles seem so insignificant :)

   

After a restful night, we were all geared up for a full day of shopping ahead before heading back to Netherlands on Monday. We checked out at about 10am and headed into the city center for some shopping time...

We basically just window shopped and visited the main centers like the Sevens, Schadow Arkaden and The Kö-Galerie. And we just walked along Königsallee (affectionately referred to as "The Kö") and people watched.  

Königsallee

I didn't want to buy anything because as you all know, I'm saving up for a special trip ;) Hee Hee... But I saw this bag once on the Longchamp Spring-Summer Collection Ads and fell hook-line-sinker!

Le Pliage Cuir

It's beautiful isn't it?? It's made from soft goat-lamb leather and it's simple yet versatile. I have loads from the typical Le Pliage line but this one and Planètes takes the cake. I was aiming to get either a red or a pink one but the lady in the store said it was out of stock in most of Europe and what I could do was to make an order online and wait for the next batch. She only had the big one available in orange and I didn't like that one at all! I was a bit relieved as well because it cost a little over EUR300 and I wasn't ready to part with the cash so it was kind of a mixture of relief and disappointment.

The Jimmy said I should choose another one to make Düsseldorf even more memorable and I was looking in the shop and through the catalogue with the sales lady, and she was a lovely person! So patient with me, showing me stuff from storage as a lot of these bags were not on display. And I was just looking for something small, like maybe a purse or a wristlet.

And then, Jimmy found THE bag.

The Deltaligne Tote

The tote was hiding on the display shelf behind two other bags and it was MAGNIFICENT! It was also waaay above my initial budget and I was reluctant to part with my cash. Yes, moving to Europe has made me frugal (not to mention stingy! haha..) And Jimmy was selling the bag to me like he was on commission! Gah!!  So in the end, I bought it and walked on cloud nine for the next few days.

In total, we spent over one and a half hours in that store and we had to start on our journey home because it was getting late. And that's how our Düsseldorf trip ended... On cloud nine :)