Dutch Summer

At the end of Summer 2010 the two elder Dilrosun bradas were sooo exhausted: World Championship Soccer, some big Tennis Tournaments, and the Tour the France – imagine how many beers that poor right arm had to move up and down…

Ever since Bram’s right arm and shoulder have been rotten, and even the physiotherapist doesn’t manage to repair the damage. That is of course all blamed to way too much working on the Mac…

The next generation converted Bram’s Dutch office into a decent guys’ room.

Managed to convince Jelle, David and Jolin that a cultural museum trip also can be fun.

Henki & Jolin sweating over something educational.

Nowadays the Rijn behind our Dutch house is clean enough for swimming. As well cause it was a real un-Dutch hot & dry summer!

Varend Feesten / Party Boat.

And of course pancakes.

Boys coming down to forage.

First Dutch visit for Rubel’s sister Samira Pippa

She was staying in Rotterdam – quite a difference from Bangladesh…

And then: Zeeland, the whole family gathered there, to either do or support the yearly Cornelisse bicycle tour.

The tough cyclists, Cees & kids.

Brothers.

Brothers The Next Generation.

Toys for Boys or Man @ Work.

Toys for Girls or Woman @ Work.

Famous Zeeland wafels – in the end there were mountains of those to eat.

The Simpsons – note the SA soccer shirts!

Kiwi-Kaaskop Fusion Barbie – absolutely delicious.

Back in Leiden neighbour Winny and Maud try to get cuttings to grow.

Succer & other Lowlands adventures

Summer finally started (for about 4 days already!), our roses are in fabulous full bloom, and we are socializing like there is no tomorrow. The ‘to do’-list is suffering a bit, as usual – though we could claim watching succer while wining & dining is a ‘must do’ also.


Bram’s family, ready to watch the first ‘Hup Holland Hup’ game.


Managed to sneak in some Bafana Bafana outfits.


“Is this one really my uncle??”


We manage to do a few non-soccer things, like going to fairytale park De Efteling for a meeting & having fun.


Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Astrid & Maud both felt like 6 again, yes, this fairytale wood was there already when we were young – ages ago. And it’s still as fascinating as it was then. For us, that is; we walked around with 3 Dutch grrrrls & 3 non-Dutch hubbies – our men didn’t totally grasp what an amazing intellectual & cultural experience this is.


Tom Thumb & the sleeping giant – and Maud.


Succer-fever is taking over…


In between games the men revive their dreams of being a famous soccer player.


Break while watching soccer in Uitdam.


Wining & dining with Judith & Charmian.


Oranje versus Cameroon – and Maud’s pre-birthday party…


It’s loud!


And sweet!


The Hood.


The famous Dutch lion.

Enjoying the Netherlands

Homesick for old-style colonial Surinam? The camera at least is from the good old days - Bram's first, 1966.


Because of The Crisis our main reason for leaving the house is socializing – hanging out with friends, birthday-parties, graduations, newborn babies – endless reasons to loiter and enjoy. The first joy upon leaving the house is bumping into these fabulous red roses across the road.


All those special occasions keep Bram’s design skills alive, making B-Day-, baby- and graduation-wishes, and picture & video dvd’s.


The ideal guests: when having dinner with us Frank & Stella cooked up a fabulous desert, decorated with roses from our garden. The lady by the way is not Stella but Christa, looking forward to the proof of the pudding.


Yet another plate of whatever is to be served.


We all went to Machteld's graduation ceremony to witness her getting her GP diploma.


A piece of Dutch Leiden University culture: Bas (sitting in the middle) defended his PhD ‘The ne bis in idem principle in EU law’ with success.
It’s the oldest university in the Netherlands, founded in 1575. The Academia Lugduno Batava was a gift by Willem van Oranje because of the heroic resistance against the Spanish army – the Spaniards occupied the lowlands in those days. Everywhere where the Spaniards got kicked out the Catholic possessions were confiscated and put to good use, like harbouring the university.


Proud family!


What to do when on leave in the Netherlands? Visit other people on leave and be homesick. Andre & Tears hopped over to Leiden and in our boat for the one thing you can’t do in Botswana: boating & floating in the canals. We also had rookworst, ontbijtkoek, and other Dutch goodies for lunch of course.


This is how you first see our house when we fetch you from the railway station by boat.


Time to fulfil a long-time wish: a decent ceiling in the master bedroom. The old ceiling was ugly but liveable until a severe leakage ruined part of it. By now we demolished the old ceiling and the older old one. To make a really nice new ceiling we’ll hire professionals!


Like every year the meerkoet got a nest packed with little ones in our floating flower arrangement. And like every year the babies disappear quickly because the seagulls, and maybe the occasional rat, love those tiny snacks.


It’s a good year for the roses!


Killing time between our lunch and our dinner appointment by ‘doing’ the Albert Cuyp market in Amsterdam. It’s a great afternoon out, with good opportunities for plesent shopping.


The northwest of Holland has villages with these huge old warehouses & factories for Dutch cheese, paper, grain, and etcetera.


Some of the typical Zaanse houses survived.


And why did we go there? Typical again: to loiter with friends and their pets, and enjoy a delicious dinner (fresh asparagus yeah!)