Home is where The Hague is: February 2007

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Feasting and fasting, rags and riches

Happy Ayyam-i-ha!

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Ayyam-i-ha, or 'intercalary days', are the 4 or 5 days preceding the start of the Baha'i fast, and is a period of feasting, gift giving and charity. The fast will begin this Friday (March 2nd) and extend from sunrise to sunset for 19 days when Baha'is finish fasting and gloriously ring in the new year (Baha'i new year) on the 21st of March (on the vernal equinox)!

So, we had a few people over for an Ayyam-i-ha party last night and I haven't stopped eating since. I feel justified in my pigging out because in two days time I wont be able to. Today, I have had about 5 Belgian chocolates, a number of m & m's, half a packet of Pringles, half a dozen sausage rolls, some delicious passionfruit mini cake things, and some apple crumble. This is not even including lunch or breakfast, which were also eaten in between all of this (how did I even fit them in?!). The worst part (or best part) is that I barely made a dent in all the food we have in our house, and so I will have to repeat the entire pattern again tomorrow.

But I did also go to BodyStep at gym, so that makes it ok right?

BTW I know it's a boring picture only of me above... I have others, but feel like I shouldn't publish pictures of people without their express permission. Hmmm... will have to think about that one.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Doing the eagle pose on sunny days with naked europeans

Enjoying some sun time at home (sun is very exciting)

Me (Leva Aziza)

I have joined Fitness First.

Yes! Me! At a gym! Unbelievable I know. But it has been a very fun experience. So far I've gone to a few classes - and it is definitely very amusing (for myself) trying to follow everything in Dutch!! It's not too bad... I'm usually just a few seconds behind everyone else... I have been able to decipher some phrases, such as "step touch" and "eagle pose" (some yoga move?), but that's about as far as it has gotten.

The less amusing and more disturbing part of this experience has been the, lets say "positive body image" of Europeans. I was truly excited about feeling some heat in the sauna when I was confronted with a pack of naked people. And I don't mean topless naked... I mean naked naked. And it wasn't good naked. Needless to say, I haven't yet managed to get some time in that sauna...

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Little Miss Piggy broke the lock

Today as I was walking through town I came across a large group of women all wearing white cowboy hats. "That's strange" I thought as I walked closer toward them. Little did I know that that was the least strange thing about them! As I got nearer to the group I noticed they all had white cowboy hats with blonde curly hair undearneath and... the most interesting part... pig noses on their face.

Make of it what you will.

Anyway.

The lock on the front door of our apartment building stopped working a couple of days ago and I contacted the landlord to come and fix it. Yesterday, the pseudo-handyman came over to take a look at it... and spent about 1/2 an hour rubbing lubricant on it to try and get it to work (it kept on jamming). Anyway, after he realised his attempts were futile he gave up and told me he'd come back again today with reinforcements. So, today, he returned with a friend (both of them easily over 100 years old) who started banging away at the door trying to make it work. Finally they realised they are going to have to go and buy a new lock. It was painful watching them take out the lock with their 2 tools... there was a lot of banging and pulling and pushing to try and get the thing to come out the door. Anyway, they finally made it and installed a new lock (with the same difficulty I might add).

After all this had been done they had the nerve to suggest that I had broken the lock because my keys look the same and I'd probably been putting the wrong one in the lock! I strongly protested this suggestion and showed them my system for telling the keys apart (the system is somewhat crude but works I tell you). Anyway, they gave up on their argument... but my neighbour was kind enough to translate for me that they (the 2 handymen) had said to each other in Dutch something along the lines of how you always have to let the woman win the argument! Ah, the wisdom that comes with age (or the reduced mental capacity to tell two keys apart).

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Notes about nothing

Spending a lazy sunday in someone elses house on someone elses internet has led me to do a blog entry about - nothing.

Life is good. I'm starting to experience pangs of "i can't wait for summer" syndrome and moments where I consider wearing regular shoes as opposed to boots when I go out, but then Nick is quick to remind me of the weather outside and I come to my senses. Ah... one day...

Funny recent discoveries include the 'Kangaroo' Australian pub, 'Ned Kelly's' pub, and 2-3 Persian foodstores about 100m from our apartment. All types of 'Ahmad' tea and Persian treats can be purchased from these great little stores. I don't actually really like Persian sweets but the option is there if I change my mind!

Last night we went to an Ethiopian restaurant for dinner. Very delicious. And on Friday we saw 'Smokin Aces' ...a terrible movie! I advise everyone against it. It is like a try-hard tarantino with totally predictable plot lines and not very good casting.

So there you have it. My notes about nothing.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

God's dandruff

I've always thought snow looked so pretty. Then, today, for the first time, I was actually in it!

I was walking to a friend's place when the snow started, and as I walked through it, I realised it seems eerily like big bits of dandruff falling from the sky.

Suddenly, I didn't like it so much anymore. I wonder whether God can buy a big bottle of 'Head and Shoulders' somewhere up there...

Plus it gives you this strange sensation where you think you are dry, but then it melts and you are wet!

Also, when it melts outside, it just turns into a layer of ice on the road and it's basically impossible to walk without humiliating yourself numerous times.

Anyway, it still looks great, I guess.

Ha, check out the pics below!