I HAVE A BOY FRIEND!! Met him at ........

Every week when I finish and publish the blog on Monday I am afraid I do not have enough to write about for the coming week. Now I am looking at all my photo's of this past week and I cannot choose what to write about!

                          ..... ......On Monday........ I HAD A BOY FRIEND!!

Well, I had to share him with hundreds of other girls who fell for his six-pack and looks. I met him at the Abercrombie and Fitch shop!! (Daaaaa!!!!hahaha)

We went to the Abercrombie shop with Mieke, mama & Steven. We danced in the dark with the loud music. What a strange and crazy shop!


...On Tuesday...we saw the LAST 2 Olympic games in LONDON!!

 We went to the Beach Volleyball ladies in the evening which was in the hart of London. From the stands we looked at the ??beach?? and saw the Big Ben sticking out above. We also went into the Olympic Stadium and saw the Olympic Fire burning while we watched the Athletics. The atmosphere was very nice and there was a lot to see at the same time. The most favorite athletes were from Jamaica and we also saw a South African runner.

After the Games we went to see London Bridge (is falling down, my fair Lady) and the Tower Bridge and the castle.

.....On Wednesday.......we went out to see the 1st Steam Engine which they displayed in the Science Museum in London. Mom is nearly finished teaching me about the Industrial Revolution and we wanted to see the first machines now. There were also a lot of other interesting things to see and we met with Pascale and Freek (friends from their study in Breda) and their kids Anabel, Justice and Floris. All the children wanted to go to the London Dungeons, so WE WENT TO THE LONDON DUNGEONS!!! It is a scary basement where it is very dark and when you walk around you will be frightened by all kinds of characters famous from the London history.


...On Thursday........we were surprised by Mieke who had won a lottery for Olympic Tickets for Semi Final Hockey men:  Holland-Great Britain. It was a big party when Holland won by 9-2!!!!!!

We also met with Kim, Demy, Amber, Kees & Fiona. They had found a place to sit in the sun next to a group of dancers. Kim, Demy , Amber, Steven & I were dancing with them and tried to do the moves.  WE HAD AN AMAZING TIME!


....On Friday..... we went to the Dutch Embassy to see the Ladies Hockey Final: Woman- Holland VS Argentina. WHO WON.................. Arge.................HOLLAND!!!!!! With 2 - 0.  Holland had Gold. Argentina Silver. Great Britain Bronze.

Doing the Mexican Wave in the stadium

(next week  blog : " Last week in London! ")

Steven and I with the Olympic flame

Loes

After walking home from another busy day. We were all hungry and wanted to take away Sushi. When we put one foot inside Steven, Mieke & I changed our minds and sat down to eat instead. It was not just a restaurant with waiters, but it was a moving buffet with all the dishes going around.... take a look at the movie. Everyone was sitting around a bar and in the middle was a belt with all kinds of sushi on plates passing by. You could choose out of loads of different things. Some of them where gold plates which meant that it was the most expensive dish; white plates was the cheapest and red was in between. You could just take your food from the belt and eat it. It was soooooo cool (and delicious)!!

Lex and I were invited to go to another hockey game with friends of my aunt (Mieke) and uncle (Lex).
Belgium  VS  China =  0-0  / with umbrella
UK          VS  Korea = 5-3 /  with sunglasses on

I thought the Belgium vs China was very boring, UK vs Korea was fun. My favorite hockey match remained the one from last week; China vs Korea! GO CHINA!!!!!.

Ping Pong

As you all have read Steven and I had professional table tennis (ping-pong) lessons from Ms Chen in Beijing. We wanted to see how the professionals played ping-pong, so we went to the Olympic quarter finals table Tennis. We did not see the Chinese play but saw Germany vs Denmark. Dimitri vs Michael. IT WAS SO EXCITING!! They were on the same level and had to play 5 games to get a winner. So much excitement on such a small table. We were all for Denmark- Michael!!!! except for Lex. He was for neither of them since we could just hear him snore. He was already up at 5 that morning to work so he could come to the match. As a surprise we also had a SMS (Short Message Service) from a friends of us from Monaco, the Piket-jes. What a coincidence that they also had tickets for the same Table Tennis games that evening. We saw them sitting at the other side of the stands in the Arena. Afterwards we went to the Belgium House were we had crispy Belgian fries and could chat and relax.

                                                    Island

This week we also went to Essex, on the coast of England near London. We went with the train to Witham to see the Harreman-netjes. Robert, Annemarie and Floor and Kiki were on holiday on an island there - Osea Island. We could only go to the island at 5.00pm when it was low tide. We swam, played ping-pong, boxed, made fish nets, read, drawed and had a braai. After the dinner we walked to the edge of the island and saw the high tide coming up which flooded the road to the mainland. No where to go !!. The next morning we woke up early to catch the low tide again and went to have a traditional English breakfast. Toast with tea, please!!. We were in a rush to go to the train station. We quickly said good bye and caught the 10 o'clock train just in time....we made it "phew".

The present from the houses of  Lords and Commons
to Queen Elizabeth for her 60th jubelee

We are staying in Notting Hill near the Portobello Market and Steven and dad went shopping and met a nice woman -Elizabeth- who was born and lived in Zimbabwe and who was now living here in London and worked as an event organizer at the Westminster Palace - Houses of Parliament. In school we were learning about democracy, monarchy and government. Elizabeth offered to show us around in Westminster Palace and parliament. We met her and her daughter Cloe and she knew so much about all the rooms. Amazing stories about Westminster Hall where only special people are allowed to speak. We saw the name of Nelson Mandela, where the Queen dresses and uses the toilet when she opens Parliament every year in May, about the 6 wives of Henry the VIII (divorced-beheaded-died-divorced-beheaded-survived), about the Black Rod and why the Queen cannot go into the House of Commons and of course the House of Lords and the House of Commons. We had seen the Prime Minister - David Cameron walking the first day in London and now we saw where he sits and we touched the beautiful box from where he speaks in Parliament (a gift from New Zealand). Elizabeth gave us an amazing tour. We also saw the Big Ben which is part of the Westminster Palace and the Westminster Abby, the cathedral where Kate and William got married last year. Afterwards we went to see Jan Krekel at the Dutch Embassy where we had drinks and bitterballen.

THE BIG BEN!!!! With Elizabeth and her daughter Cloe

Loes

Olympics here we come!!!

The last days in Belgium we had some more family and friends saying hallo and bye bye to us. Granny Mouse, Astrid and Giannini (Steven's friend) came over and while the ladies were chatting the boys played soccer in the garden and boring ipad games. We also had granma & granpa and, uncle Mart & aunt Wil come over the next day. They brought delicious salad and pasta and kiwi/lemon cake. mmmm!! Steven and I did not spend alot of time with them, because we had to pack our bags so we could go to Brussel on our last day in Belgium. We went to see the famous Manneken Pis, tjeeeeee what was the statue sssssmall. Only 61cm. We also went into the museum of Brussel and saw anexhibition Manneken Pis, the legend of him and all his costumes. Over the years he received a lot of traditional clothing (around 800) from countries and cultures which he from time to time does wear. I saw also traditional Xhosa costumes, gumboots and a Madiba-shirt from Nelson Mandela in the collection.  Also Elvis Presley and all kind of different colourful costumes were on display. Other than the Manneke Pis we also saw the many paintings and history about the how Brussel was ones a small little settlement on the Zelle and became a big city - the Capital of Belgium and the Capital of Europe with many important headquarters like the European Union (EU). We of course had a Belgium wafel with Belgium chocolate and my parents had a nice Belgium beer. Back home we were invited for a Braai, not just a braai,.....'' A BRAAI WITH A SWIMMING POOL!! ''
The last time we went swimming was in the indoor pool in Beijing so Steven en I were very happy. I also made friends, Maja (my age) & Monique and they were both born in Pretoria/ South Africa. We talked, swam, ate, played soccer, cycled and said goodbye. It was nice meeting you!!
The day we left for London we woke up very early, cleaned the house, washed the car, did the washing and mobbed the floors. We put our kreeft-on-the-move t-shirts on and took the bus - train and \euro rail to Great Britain.

Olympic Games....here we come!!!

Having a picnic@=

The crossing from the mainland to the UK was very interesting since we went by train under the sea. We went underground in France and came up on the surface in England. Within less than 3 hours we were in Londen. Uncle Lex picked us up and dropped us off at Rene and Kadri in Pimlico. There we had a delicious, healthy picnic in their communal garden. With strawberries, grapes, blueberries,chips, melon, crackers, nuts & rocky road/ chocolate. That was the best PICNIC!! We had to leave mama & papa behind, because it was time to go to Notting Hill to see aunt Mieke (joga teacher)!
The first morning we walked through the market to a cafe were we had french toast. Steven had berry pancake and Mieke had fruit salad. The first day in London was already very very busy:

problems with  the bicycles

1. We went to Mieke's joga class. It was so great. I felt very light and relaxed.
2. Hired bicycles so we could cycle the London streets
3. Went in a traditional Londen taxi 
4. Saw Buckingham Palace where the queen lives
5. Saw Prince William and Princess Kate in a car going into the Palace visiting their Grandmother
6. Got a ice-cream
7. and saw prime minister Cameron walking past
8. Cycled through parks and bridges,saw swanes,different kinds of people,the sun,   busy traffic & many squirrels
9. Said: Happy Birthdy to a cute 2 year old neighbour and played with him and his sister.



prime minister of England 

10. Had a nice get to gether in the Mews and watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games 2012 with all the friends and neighbours in the Mews in Notting Hill.

On Saturday we went to the Holland House in Alexandra Palace. A big Heineken House about 1 hour from our home. And yes, we were just 2 seconds to slow to get into the tube (underground), but in those 2 seconds Steven slipped in and the doors closed!!! We shouted and did all kinds of sign languages before he took off. We wanted to phone Steven, but there was no signal. Mieke and I took the next tube and Dad and mam and Lex stayed behind. Apearantly he took the first tube back because . . after waiting for 7 long minutes we saw him arriving safely with mama,papa & Lex.

People we met at Heineken House

papa en mama on TV  many times. They are in the left corner.

The Holland house was great. You could listen to music, play Olympic games, drink Heineken Beer of course and dance, go in a photo cabin and take Fun fotos and ate friet (frensh fries) and kroketten & meet other nice Dutchies. We saw on the big screen how The Netherlands earned their first medal in the relay swimming (silver). Later mam, dad & Mieke were in the audience of RTL4 Spelen, a Dutch talkshow about the Olympic Games- meanwhile we could see them on the big screen tv.
We went to bed very late!

THE FIRST OLYMPIC MATCH- '' Let the rains BEGIN!! ''
Our first match to see and cheer for the team was women hockey China- vs- Korea.
I had my Chinese t-shirt and jacket on and was one of the few supporters for the CHinese team. Nevertheless the Chinese girls won.

Chinese hockey team

The 2nd match was women hockey South Africa-vs-Argentina-. I also had my South African Shirt with me and song the South African national Anthem very loud. Unfortunately the girls did not play so well and Argentina won with a 7-1 score. Strange to see the Argentinian hockey girls (I was playing in the same shirt in Buenos Aires only in March this year), but I cheered louder for my South African team. I had to think about my own ockeyteam at Kronendal School and missed playing with them.
The whole day was crazy weather and we sat in the pooring rain one moment and dried up from the warm sun the next moment.
It was great to be there although I found it very disappointing that the South African hockey team disappeared straight after the game. Normally the teams make a small round past the stands to thank the audience and their supporters. We came all the way from South Africa (?!) to see them and they just left without saying goodbye to the fans.

Loes

VISITORS

We did not have time to go to Brussel, but we did have many guests/visitors who came to see us from Holland.

 After leaving Granny & Grandpa we had our first visitors Juunie , Pieter & Jean Pierre; you may know the names already since we met them in Beijing. Mom’s friend –Marga- came with her daughter Lena and a friend of Marga, Fred and his son Dax. We had 6 kids so Steven and I decided to have a Sport’s Day. A boy’s team against the girl’s team.  It was much fun! We did hockey, football, running, ping pong, badminton, Rummikub & jumping rope. Dax taught me a few tricks on the jumping rope. The parents talked and we played different kinds of sport. After dinner Jean Pierre, Juunie & Pieter left. The rest slept over. We left the next morning for Antwerp where we went to the old city centre. Walking, listening to street musicians, people singing and dancing and acting. We visited the Peter Paul Rubens House. Rubens was born in 1577 and died at an age of 63 in 1640. In Rubens big house we saw his artwork, bedrooms and the lovely green garden.  Mom & I where talking about the Antoon Van Dyck painting when a museum guard who worked there was explaining  us about the Antoon Van Dyck painting and told us that 2 weeks ago it was discovered that the portrait of Van Dyck was not painted by Rubens but by Antoon Van Dyck himself. He painted his own portrait at the age of 16!!! It is still officially a secret until they have confirmed this in the art lab.

Afterwards we took a look at the cafe The Pilgrom, where my parents went in the 80-ties when they were studying in Breda. It was very dark with a few candles. Then we went to a cafe near the Cathedral where we had mussels for dinner. It was a very special restaurant because hundreds of eyes were watching (over) us........ it  where............ church statues!!! The name of the restaurant is “The 11 commandments” Het Elfde Gebod. There were 5 portions mussels left and that was just enough for us all. On the first day without rain they left and we had school, went to a WIFI area to send mails and do our homework and we watched a movie and ate my dessert which I named “Loes’ fruit forest”.

On Friday morning Dad left to go to Holland for meetings and he had to pick up some things. Mom, Steven and I had our whole day planned. We first had school, played Rummikub, had lunch, walked for an hour to a small village where we had apple pie with hot chocolate. We went shopping and all bought something!!!

We walked ... NO.....RAN back home. It was raining again (or still) very badly. We were just in time home to hear the Storm. Watched a movie. Slept.

Saturday no change in the weather and the whole day was darkish and cold until the evening when the Rosiers from Amsterdam surprised us. Just before they arrived we saw the sun and we could all sit and play in the garden and have a wonderful picnic. We played with Bas, Willem and Stijn soccer & hockey and had dinner across the street. After our delicious apple pie with mocca ice-cream we were tired and went to bed. The next morning they went back to Amsterdam and we left too to go to Holland to meet the Vonkjes -  Hans Vonk, Annelies Vonk, Tieme, Josephine & Susan. We went with them to Woudrichem, and old town on the Maas with old houses and a ferry across the river. We ate a ” Kroket” ( very traditional Dutch course) and walked around and saw Annelies’ and Hans’ first house that they lived in. The neighbours were still the same neighbours- who were fisherman (Paling – eel) and many many years ago had a friend who moved to Cape Town to fish and who stayed in South Africa.  We finished the sightseeing tour at the ICE-CREAM SHOP and they had... STROOPWAFEL ICE-CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all had much fun together.

So, with all the cold and rainy days this week, we did have a very very nice week full of surprises and fun.!!!!!!!

(next week London)

Loes

The Video on the right is the Vonkjes and the Kreefts eating an ice-cream in a very cute village. 














The video on the left is in Antwerp where we saw a very old wagon

Discovery- I feel more South African than Dutch

Since Moscow I looked forward to get closer to Belgium and Holland so I can eat the things I know again, speak the language I know, but most of all to shop in the shops I know. I could not wait to eat ‘drop’ and ‘stroopwafels’ (typical Dutch sweets and cookies) and last Monday I was very excited that we were off to Antwerp in Belgium. We went with a very very fast train – The Talys from Paris to Brussel and got off in Antwerp.

But, now that we are in Belgium and close to Holland again I realize that South Africa is my country, my home. “I am proud to be a South African.”  There are some people who 

asked me which country I liked to live, where I feel more at home. At first I did not know which country was my home country. I was born and raised in South Africa, but in Holland I have family, my mom & dad are from Holland. I have a South African and a Dutch passport & I like to go to Holland and see my grannies and grandpa and have delicious products like kroket, drop, stroopwafels, cycling in the rain (ha-ha). But in South Africa I feel more at home, because of my friends and school. I also like the country with the weather, the different people and exciting environment. To go to the beach or have a picnic in Kirstenbosch, hike or cycle or do nothing and relax in the sun. I miss it and I am so glad that I have my phone and skype to stay in contact with my friends. This week was also great since most of my friends had winter holiday and had plenty of time to skype and Whats App!

Yum, Dutch chocolate milk, with biscuit
on a rainy day

While we are travelling and seeing all the different countries I also realise how special South Africa really is. In a lot of countries there is something I do not like. Cape Town becomes a paradise where you can drink the water from the tap, have sunny and most of the time blue sky, can talk English and can speak with people, have all kinds of food, have nature and birds. I always thought these things are everywhere, but now I see that often there is something missing.

RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!

My shopping !!!!

Ellen (the birthday girl) + MOM

After a few days in Belgium where we slept in a beautiful house with a garden we were looking forward to cycle in the forest and do shopping on our own. Sadly we had rain rain rain rain and more rain and did not go anywhere. Luckily we got picked up by Granny & Granpa who came from Holland to try their new car. We stayed with them for 4 nights. The first night I ate a kroket ( traditional Yummy Dutch...) The second day we went very early to surprise my mom’s friend Ellen Voets who was turning 50. It was a big surprise since she did not know of our visit. Ellen’s mom and dad brought us to her house. We first waited in the car, but we were quickly called that Ellen was getting cake so we went in the house. We heard her coming through the backdoor so we silently tip-toed to the nearest room, which was Ellen’s bedroom.  She was very shocked to find us there!! Happy Birthday!!!

While Shopping went into a shop full
of buttons

The other days we stayed at my grandparents house because it kept raining. They spoiled us of course and finally Granny took me Shopping YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.

Unfortunately the city of Eindhoven was very wet, but I did get my Orange dress which I had seen some months earlier in Berlin. I had been saving for it and hoped it was on sale due to the bad weather, but it was still 15 Euro. Surprise!@@ When I got to the counter to pay for it my granny & grandpa had already bought it for me!!!!!THANKYOU GRANNY & GRANDPA!!!

Another typical Dutch thing is the Fair. I do not know the word for it, but it is an amusement park on wheels. It stays only a week in a city and then it moves to somewhere else. You can take crazy rides and scare yourself with weird attractions. It is very expensive in Euros and the rides take only a few minutes. So more fun to look at than to do!

Today dad and Steven will fetch us and bring us back to Antwerp. I seriously have to stop eating the delicious, yummy, Dutch sweets, cookies & cakes because I feel small pimples coming up. Is this part of my growing up or is it because I love SWEETS.

Attraction park

 Hopefully the rain will stop and we will have some nice days to go and see Brussel or Antwerp.

Granny & grandpa

Is Steven going to throw up?

DANKJE JE WEL

LOESJE