I’m loving Spring. We have been having the most beautiful weather. Not exactly warm, but finally consistently above zero (even if that does mean 5C).
Actually seeing the seasons change is quite remarkable! And you don’t even know you’re missing it in Australia!
As you can see above, it was a glorious Spring day, and we were wondering what we could do. Himself hit upon going to the Diamond Museum as it’s connected to our Museum Cards.
There was so much sparkle! Would you like to know more?
Mijn docent (my teacher) had een jarig (a birthday)!!! So once we all wished her “Gefeliciteerd!” (Congratulations) we were all treated to delicious Soesjes … think, Dutch Profiteroles. Schoonzus, correct me if I’m wrong here!
Just when you think you’ve studied and worked hard all weekend, you turn up to class to discover that you have no idea. We were handed sheets of paper with questions on them that ostensibly, we were able to answer. I must have been having an off day, or maybe it was a Tuesday (it was), because, wow. I had no idea what the words in front of me meant. It was quite disheartening and rather awful.
This happens to me sometimes when I’m thinking about Dutch. I know I should know a word, I know I’ve looked it up before, but I can’t remember it for the life of me. I know this feeling goes away eventually as more and more information gets absorbed, and I go to my dictionary and look up that same word just one … more … time. But this particular night I felt more like I was drowning rather than swimming in the language that was flowing all around me.
The questions were about our weekends and how we’d spent them. Thankfully, mijn docent had read my blog, and was able to tell me what I had done. *waves at Trix*. Sometimes self-promotion is a wonderful thing.
I need to work on, not just being able to say what I have achieved in the past (remember, Het Perfectum is completed things), but also add into my sentences when I achieved things; yesterday, last week, last year … In order to give more information and make my sentences more accurate.
“Wat heb je gistermorgen gedaan?” (What did you do yesterday morning?)
“Ik ben gistermorgen in het vondelpark gelopen.” (Yesterday morning I walked in Vondel Park)
Of course, now I’m confused as to whether or not that is a zijn sentence, or a hebben one. According to the book it could go either way …
There was an embarrassing incident where I think I basically answered the question “What did you do with your friend?” with “I did my friend.” *shakes head* This is a perfect example of needing more information in my answers!
We moved on to a game of four of a kind. A deck of cards dealt out between five of us, and you had to collect all four cards from each category. I think, having played similar games in my (long forgotten) childhood, I grasped the strategy behind it a little sooner than others in the class and was remembering who had asked for what and what they were collecting. But it was a fun way to spend the last part of the lesson. It’s a really fun way to learn to inject some sarcasm into your new found language! “Nee. Sorry hoor! Ik heb hem niet!” (No. Sorry! I don’t have the card you want!)
It’s remarkably difficult to convey via written word just how much sarcasm was dripping off our answers by the end of that lesson.
We were allowed a brief reprieve on homework in honour of the aforementioned birthday, on the condition that we all worked harder at memorising the abnormal perfectum verbs for next lesson.
As it turns out though, the next lesson was cancelled on account of no teacher. So on that note, I have set up a revision with Himself (because he needs to learn the language too, and he appears to be learning it via me and these posts …), and wish Trix all the best and the hope that she gets well soon!
See you all next week! Same Fish time, Same Fish channel, for our next exciting episode!!!
In Rembrandtplein beneath a statue of the artist himself there is a bronze-cast of his most famous painting; The Night Watch.
It was created in 2006 as part of the celebration of the artist’s 400th birthday.
This bronze-cast representation of the famous painting was on display for three-years before traveling to New York City, Moscow and Oranienbaum, Russia. In 2012, the bronze Nightwatch sculptures returned to the redesigned square where they serve as a magnet for visitors. In January 2013, the Rembrandtplein Entrepreneurs Foundation began a fundraiser to keep the sculptures in the square throughout the year.
As I’ve mentioned a couple of times, I’ve been working on secret projects for a swap on Ravelry. The theme was Super Heroes. The person I’m spoiling loves Captain America, and so my mission was to make something for her in the theme of her favourite Super Hero.
I ascertained that she loves hats, but not beanies, and the iconic shield leant itself neatly to a beret shape. So I worked top down, and made it up as I went along.
Of course once the beret was finished it needed matching gloves to set off the outfit!
So this made up the basis for my package. There’s a bunch of other little things on theme as well. I hope the recipient likes them!
Scenes from Amsterdam – the Aepjen.
This is one of only two remaining wooden buildings left in Amsterdam. This one is up on the Zeedijk (translated “Sea Wall”). After massive fires swept through in 1452, the town fathers realised that brick didn’t burn as well, and the rest is history.
The only other wooden building in Amsterdam is in the Begijnhof Court.
ghoti industries 