Yup, gw mulai nulis novel. Atau cerpen? Nggak tau deh, pokoknya tulis saja dulu.
Kalau mau baca, silakan ke sini. Atau bisa klik "muse" di sisi kiri.
Selamat membaca dan ditunggu lho komentarnya!
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Friday, May 28, 2004
Banjir banjir
Hmmm, ternyata gak cuma di Indo yg sering banjir. Hari2 ini di Iowa ada banjir di sana sini dan yg terparah ya di sekitar2 East Central Iowa sini. Ternyata majunya tehnologi gak menjamin Amrik bebas dari bencana alam. Yg jelas nih, di mana2 aja manusia tetap harus berhadapan dgn alam yg sering tidak bisa diduga. Hmm, jadi inget novelnya Ernest Hemingway "The Old Man and the Sea" dan cerpennya Jack London "To Build a Fire": manusia berhadapan dengan alam dan manusia lagi2 kalah...
Tapi bedanya mungkin, di Amrik sini ini sistem gawat darurat dan sistem persiapan menghadapi cuaca yg tidak bersahabat lebih canggih. Ketika banjir mulai menghadang, siap2lah semua orang dengan karung pasir buat menghadang banjir masuk ke rumah. Ketika tornado akan mengamuk, tanda bahaya sirene meraung2 supaya orang2 langsung berlindung ke basement. Setiap ada prediksi bahwa alam mulai mengamuk, yang namanya pengumuman dipasang dimana2: di TV, di radio, di internet. Orang bisa siap2 mengungsi, siap2 menyelamatkan diri. Jadi ketika korban harta benda terjadi, korban manusia tidak terjadi. Mungkin karena cuaca di sini sangat bervariasi: hujan air, hujan petir, badai salju, angin puting beliung, petir menyambar2, orang jadi lebih siap menghadapi segala sesuatu yg terburuk sekali pun. Dan itu juga berlaku utk bahaya lain2 macam kebakaran, bencana virus, gempa bumi, apa aja deh. Dan orang2 udah maklum apa yg harus dilakukan kalau ada tanda bahaya. Yang namanya jalur evakuasi (harus kemana, hubungi siapa, apa yg hrs dilakukan), pertolongan pertama (baik CPR, 911) sudah ditanamkan sejak dini. Anak2 kecil udah tau harus telpon kemana kalau ada gawat darurat, udah tau apa yg harus dilakukan kalau ada situasi gawat (jangan berdiri dekat2 kaca kalau lagi tornado, langsung ke basement kalau badai, jangan pake lift kalau lagi kebakaran, ngumpul di tempat parkir kalau ada gempa).
Nah di Indo? Boro2 tau musti ngapain, yg namanya tanda bahaya mana ada. Boro2 menghubungi siapa, lha wong sistem telpon darurat aja nggak berfungsi. Untungnya nih, orang Indo punya filosofi "untung", untung cuman ilang rumah, untung cuman daerah ini yg kena, untung masih hidup, dan sekian untung2 lainnya. Atau mungkin karena orang Indo udah terlalu terlena dengan cuaca yg enak2 tropis, jadi kurang siap menghadapi bencana alam. Coba liat Jakarta, dari kapan tahun udah sering banjir, tapi yg namanya usaha persiapan menghadapi banjir dari tahun ke tahun telat melulu dan jadinya gak ngaruh.
Oh, Indonesia....
Tapi bedanya mungkin, di Amrik sini ini sistem gawat darurat dan sistem persiapan menghadapi cuaca yg tidak bersahabat lebih canggih. Ketika banjir mulai menghadang, siap2lah semua orang dengan karung pasir buat menghadang banjir masuk ke rumah. Ketika tornado akan mengamuk, tanda bahaya sirene meraung2 supaya orang2 langsung berlindung ke basement. Setiap ada prediksi bahwa alam mulai mengamuk, yang namanya pengumuman dipasang dimana2: di TV, di radio, di internet. Orang bisa siap2 mengungsi, siap2 menyelamatkan diri. Jadi ketika korban harta benda terjadi, korban manusia tidak terjadi. Mungkin karena cuaca di sini sangat bervariasi: hujan air, hujan petir, badai salju, angin puting beliung, petir menyambar2, orang jadi lebih siap menghadapi segala sesuatu yg terburuk sekali pun. Dan itu juga berlaku utk bahaya lain2 macam kebakaran, bencana virus, gempa bumi, apa aja deh. Dan orang2 udah maklum apa yg harus dilakukan kalau ada tanda bahaya. Yang namanya jalur evakuasi (harus kemana, hubungi siapa, apa yg hrs dilakukan), pertolongan pertama (baik CPR, 911) sudah ditanamkan sejak dini. Anak2 kecil udah tau harus telpon kemana kalau ada gawat darurat, udah tau apa yg harus dilakukan kalau ada situasi gawat (jangan berdiri dekat2 kaca kalau lagi tornado, langsung ke basement kalau badai, jangan pake lift kalau lagi kebakaran, ngumpul di tempat parkir kalau ada gempa).
Nah di Indo? Boro2 tau musti ngapain, yg namanya tanda bahaya mana ada. Boro2 menghubungi siapa, lha wong sistem telpon darurat aja nggak berfungsi. Untungnya nih, orang Indo punya filosofi "untung", untung cuman ilang rumah, untung cuman daerah ini yg kena, untung masih hidup, dan sekian untung2 lainnya. Atau mungkin karena orang Indo udah terlalu terlena dengan cuaca yg enak2 tropis, jadi kurang siap menghadapi bencana alam. Coba liat Jakarta, dari kapan tahun udah sering banjir, tapi yg namanya usaha persiapan menghadapi banjir dari tahun ke tahun telat melulu dan jadinya gak ngaruh.
Oh, Indonesia....
Friday, May 21, 2004
Tornado warning...tornado warning...tornado warning...
The alarm went off at about 5.10 PM this afternoon and I was out in the gazebo with the headphones on so I didn't hear it first. Barb called me in and told me to go the basement because it was a tornado warning!
Well, the sky was black and cloudy but I didn't know that it was a tornado coming. The safety procedure is that everyone must go to the basement, listen to the radio/ watch TV for further information on the weather, and stay there until they announce that it is over.
So off I went to the basement, with Barb, Zeus, Fleece and Jasper and waited until the tornado was off.
This is an unpredictable country!
Well, the sky was black and cloudy but I didn't know that it was a tornado coming. The safety procedure is that everyone must go to the basement, listen to the radio/ watch TV for further information on the weather, and stay there until they announce that it is over.
So off I went to the basement, with Barb, Zeus, Fleece and Jasper and waited until the tornado was off.
This is an unpredictable country!
On names....
We had a great laugh this afternoon in the Education Meeting at CMC. Jess told us that one of the intern that Sr. Angele and Debbie interviewed had an "interesting" name. Her name is: PRINCESS DIANA THE TOOTH FAIRY! And that is her LEGAL name! Oh gees, that is really interesting. And so I asked others of what we should call her: Prinsy, Dian, Toothie or Fairy? And we were laughing uncontrollably!
It turned out that she used to work as a tooth fairy in birthdays and she had her name legally changed to reflect her passion.
This is a weird country....
It turned out that she used to work as a tooth fairy in birthdays and she had her name legally changed to reflect her passion.
This is a weird country....
Deep into my subconcious mind...
Has anyone familiar with the inkblot test? The Tickle Quiz website refers it as "Traditionally a closely guarded test administered only by trained psychologists and based on the original Rorschach test, this is the first and only inkblot test of its kind" and the objective of the test is "To truly capture your unconscious thoughts".
Well so I tried and here is the result:
==========
Neny, your subconscious mind is driven most by Curiosity
This means you are full of questions about life, people, and the potential of your future. You spend more time than others envisioning the possibilities of your life — things that others are too afraid to consider.
Your curiosity burns with an almost physical need to know and do more. It's only through new experiences that you feel a greater understanding of yourself or the world — which ultimately is the greatest way for you to feel satisfied.
It is possible that the underlying reason for your drive towards curiosity is a deeply rooted fear of boredom. That means that you are probably more susceptible than others to feel like you're falling into a rut when life slows down into a comfortable routine.
You need to make sure you have stimulation in your life — that makes you feel like you're innovating or being exposed to the ideas and experiences that truly inspire you.
With such a strong orientation towards curiosity, you're also prone to a rebellious quality that shows up when you feel you are just going through the motions, and are unable to really influence the world around you. But interestingly enough, your drive towards novel experiences also indicates an openness others don't have, but wish they did.
Unconsciously, your curiosity presses you to learn more, experience more, and get the most out of life.
Though your unconscious mind is driven most strongly by Curiosity, there is much more to who you are at your core.
=============
Is this true? Hmmm, tell me about it!
Well so I tried and here is the result:
==========
Neny, your subconscious mind is driven most by Curiosity
This means you are full of questions about life, people, and the potential of your future. You spend more time than others envisioning the possibilities of your life — things that others are too afraid to consider.
Your curiosity burns with an almost physical need to know and do more. It's only through new experiences that you feel a greater understanding of yourself or the world — which ultimately is the greatest way for you to feel satisfied.
It is possible that the underlying reason for your drive towards curiosity is a deeply rooted fear of boredom. That means that you are probably more susceptible than others to feel like you're falling into a rut when life slows down into a comfortable routine.
You need to make sure you have stimulation in your life — that makes you feel like you're innovating or being exposed to the ideas and experiences that truly inspire you.
With such a strong orientation towards curiosity, you're also prone to a rebellious quality that shows up when you feel you are just going through the motions, and are unable to really influence the world around you. But interestingly enough, your drive towards novel experiences also indicates an openness others don't have, but wish they did.
Unconsciously, your curiosity presses you to learn more, experience more, and get the most out of life.
Though your unconscious mind is driven most strongly by Curiosity, there is much more to who you are at your core.
=============
Is this true? Hmmm, tell me about it!
My True and Super IQ Score...
I took the True IQ Test and the Super IQ Test and here is the result!
============
True IQ Test
Congratulations, Neny!
Your true IQ score is 129
This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the True IQ Test relative to others.
Your Intellectual Type is Word Warrior. This means you have exceptional verbal skills. You can easily make sense of complex issues and take an unusually creative approach to solving problems. Your strengths also make you a visionary. Even without trying you're able to come up with lots of new and creative ideas. And that's just a small part of what we know about you from your test results.
=============
Super IQ Test
Neny, your Super IQ score is 97
Your overall intelligence quotient is the result of a scientifically-tested formula based on how many questions you answered correctly. But it's only part of what we learned about you from your answers on the test. We also determined the way you process information.
The way you think about things makes you a Linguistic Architect. This means you are brilliant when it comes to language and words. You are also very good at understanding things on an abstract level. You are at your best when you put those two skills together to communicate new ideas and see how they fit into different contexts. You understand math and science on a gut level, even if the equations and science don't come as easily. You can use these skills to be a great communicator or to create a masterpiece.
How did we determine that your thinking style is that of a Linguistic Architect? When we examined your test results further, we analyzed how you scored on 8 dimensions of intelligence: spatial, organizational, abstract reasoning, logical, mechanical, verbal, visual and numerical. The 3 dimensions you scored highest on combine to make you a Linguistic Architect. Only 6 out of 1,000 people have this rare combination of abilities.
=============
I think it's quite true, don't you think?
============
True IQ Test
Congratulations, Neny!
Your true IQ score is 129
This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the True IQ Test relative to others.
Your Intellectual Type is Word Warrior. This means you have exceptional verbal skills. You can easily make sense of complex issues and take an unusually creative approach to solving problems. Your strengths also make you a visionary. Even without trying you're able to come up with lots of new and creative ideas. And that's just a small part of what we know about you from your test results.
=============
Super IQ Test
Neny, your Super IQ score is 97
Your overall intelligence quotient is the result of a scientifically-tested formula based on how many questions you answered correctly. But it's only part of what we learned about you from your answers on the test. We also determined the way you process information.
The way you think about things makes you a Linguistic Architect. This means you are brilliant when it comes to language and words. You are also very good at understanding things on an abstract level. You are at your best when you put those two skills together to communicate new ideas and see how they fit into different contexts. You understand math and science on a gut level, even if the equations and science don't come as easily. You can use these skills to be a great communicator or to create a masterpiece.
How did we determine that your thinking style is that of a Linguistic Architect? When we examined your test results further, we analyzed how you scored on 8 dimensions of intelligence: spatial, organizational, abstract reasoning, logical, mechanical, verbal, visual and numerical. The 3 dimensions you scored highest on combine to make you a Linguistic Architect. Only 6 out of 1,000 people have this rare combination of abilities.
=============
I think it's quite true, don't you think?
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Praise to the webdesigners
Well, webdesigners should receive full praises for all the efforts they did in creating websites with beautiful interface!
I've been working my butt out of the United Way website, something that I volunteer to do to fullfil the 100 hours requirement for my internship with Life in Iowa Program and it took more than 3 hours just to create the navigation bar and it's far from finished. I know that working on websites can be very demanding and time consuming, but the satisfaction of seeing the final product is rewarding.
Once I finish this website, I'll share it here. I still have to work on it and shut! my time is running...
I've been working my butt out of the United Way website, something that I volunteer to do to fullfil the 100 hours requirement for my internship with Life in Iowa Program and it took more than 3 hours just to create the navigation bar and it's far from finished. I know that working on websites can be very demanding and time consuming, but the satisfaction of seeing the final product is rewarding.
Once I finish this website, I'll share it here. I still have to work on it and shut! my time is running...
Monday, May 17, 2004
The power of chatting!
I enjoyed chatting in messenger so much and I found many good friends in the virtual world....
Last night, a friend in Kalamazoo and I tried the newest feature of Yahoo! Messenger: the game. We played dominoes, have the voice on, and set the webcam on. The result: I won three times and he won once :D
But the thing is it felt like we're talking in person. I was laughing watching him lost the game over his webcam. I liked discussing our moves over the voice feature. The distance did not matter, because we're there together, playing dominoes with voice and face, in real time.
Probably this is a sneak peak to the future. People from different places in distance will confer through the internet, sharing life, sharing stories, sharing laugh, sharing friendship....
Last night, a friend in Kalamazoo and I tried the newest feature of Yahoo! Messenger: the game. We played dominoes, have the voice on, and set the webcam on. The result: I won three times and he won once :D
But the thing is it felt like we're talking in person. I was laughing watching him lost the game over his webcam. I liked discussing our moves over the voice feature. The distance did not matter, because we're there together, playing dominoes with voice and face, in real time.
Probably this is a sneak peak to the future. People from different places in distance will confer through the internet, sharing life, sharing stories, sharing laugh, sharing friendship....
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Me? Lana Lang? Really?
Took "Smallville" Personality Profiler Test and the result is.....
Neny, you are...
Lana Lang!
For Lana, life has always meant meeting challenges head on. From uncovering the truth about her parents, to running her own business and trying to get into art school, the only challenge she has been unable to conquer is the mystery of Clark.
Huhahahahahhahahaha.....
Neny, you are...
Lana Lang!
For Lana, life has always meant meeting challenges head on. From uncovering the truth about her parents, to running her own business and trying to get into art school, the only challenge she has been unable to conquer is the mystery of Clark.
Huhahahahahhahahaha.....
ESL Teachers.... this is interesting projects!
I was browsing to Professor Hegelheimer's website and look what I've found!
Some interesting projects in CALL web-based activities
My classmate projects in 510 Fall 2003:
Robin Hinder's Pronunciation Practice--- for pronounciation help in Northern American Dialect.
Monica Cardenas, Dessie Grannis, Neny Isharyanti, Anne O'Bryan, and Moises Perales' The Stolen Monalisa: A Renaissance Mystery --- for grammar help in the use of two past tense structures in a sentence or a paragraph.
Shannon Curran, Erin Joy, Pam Pearson, Chris Rozendaal, and Betsy Tremmel's Get into the Driver's Seat --- for vocabulary help in words related to driving and traffic.
Katie Miles' Power Point is Evil? --- a rebuttal to Tufte's idea
Not bad, eh?
Some interesting projects in CALL web-based activities
My classmate projects in 510 Fall 2003:
Robin Hinder's Pronunciation Practice--- for pronounciation help in Northern American Dialect.
Monica Cardenas, Dessie Grannis, Neny Isharyanti, Anne O'Bryan, and Moises Perales' The Stolen Monalisa: A Renaissance Mystery --- for grammar help in the use of two past tense structures in a sentence or a paragraph.
Shannon Curran, Erin Joy, Pam Pearson, Chris Rozendaal, and Betsy Tremmel's Get into the Driver's Seat --- for vocabulary help in words related to driving and traffic.
Katie Miles' Power Point is Evil? --- a rebuttal to Tufte's idea
Not bad, eh?
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Cedar Rapids: Garing!
Yellowwwww...
Udah lama gak ngisi juga gw ternyata yaks!
Bottom line, I'm in Cedar Rapids to do my internship at Catherine McAuley Center. I'm staying with Bob and Barb Shreve in Marion ( a suburb of Cedar Rapids). They are very kind-hearted and nice! The problem is, they don't have a ground phone and I just feel bad about borrowing their cellphones for calling Yudi and Jalu or any friends. I'm thinking of getting a cellphone but it's hard without a credit card. Let's see if I can get something sort out.
Things have gone very quiet. My work is just so so and after work, I have done quite a bit of chatting with my friends all over US, mostly fulbrighters: Hilman, Kang Dadi, Jaha, Abi, Zen, Taqqin, Rizal, Mbak Riza, dll...
I just don't have the energy to do things, probably lost interest? I have become very panicky with the possibility that I will have no time for pondering a topic for my thesis. I will not be a super duper thesis because I'm proscrastinating.
Results of Spring semester? Straight A.
Thank you God! But still it won't help ease my panic because of thesis. My classmates mostly will take a class over the Summer and I will be stuck here in Cedar Rapids and go home to my loves, Jalu and Yudi.
Oh well, at least I have the opportunity to go home and be with my loves. I'm thinking of doing nothing, probably visit some places over Indonesia and of course satisfy my craves to Indonesian foods. Hmmm, yummmm.... I'm not really thrilled about the possibility of meeting my folks in Salatiga after all the debates about Jalu's staying in Salatiga. Just have to face the battle and I don't like it. Well, I'll deal with it when the time comes. I guess my mind is pretty fixed on it.
But before I can meet them, I have to stay in Jakarta for a couple of days, dealing with visa stuffs. Probably will be no problem at all, but it surely will lessen the number of days that I can stay with Jalu and Yudi. Hmmm, baddddddd.... I'm planning to get together with my high school friends: Nana, Adhi, Atik, Novi, Lely, Hariadi, Jacky, Himen, Tina, if the time permits. And probably hang out with some other friends of college: Andi, Melany, Penny and other fulbrighters who happen to be in Jakarta at that time: Jaha, Abi, Kurie, Yolanda. Hmmm, meeting old mates will surely cheer me up during my days in Jakarta. Oh, well, that's the plan.
Udah lama gak ngisi juga gw ternyata yaks!
Bottom line, I'm in Cedar Rapids to do my internship at Catherine McAuley Center. I'm staying with Bob and Barb Shreve in Marion ( a suburb of Cedar Rapids). They are very kind-hearted and nice! The problem is, they don't have a ground phone and I just feel bad about borrowing their cellphones for calling Yudi and Jalu or any friends. I'm thinking of getting a cellphone but it's hard without a credit card. Let's see if I can get something sort out.
Things have gone very quiet. My work is just so so and after work, I have done quite a bit of chatting with my friends all over US, mostly fulbrighters: Hilman, Kang Dadi, Jaha, Abi, Zen, Taqqin, Rizal, Mbak Riza, dll...
I just don't have the energy to do things, probably lost interest? I have become very panicky with the possibility that I will have no time for pondering a topic for my thesis. I will not be a super duper thesis because I'm proscrastinating.
Results of Spring semester? Straight A.
Thank you God! But still it won't help ease my panic because of thesis. My classmates mostly will take a class over the Summer and I will be stuck here in Cedar Rapids and go home to my loves, Jalu and Yudi.
Oh well, at least I have the opportunity to go home and be with my loves. I'm thinking of doing nothing, probably visit some places over Indonesia and of course satisfy my craves to Indonesian foods. Hmmm, yummmm.... I'm not really thrilled about the possibility of meeting my folks in Salatiga after all the debates about Jalu's staying in Salatiga. Just have to face the battle and I don't like it. Well, I'll deal with it when the time comes. I guess my mind is pretty fixed on it.
But before I can meet them, I have to stay in Jakarta for a couple of days, dealing with visa stuffs. Probably will be no problem at all, but it surely will lessen the number of days that I can stay with Jalu and Yudi. Hmmm, baddddddd.... I'm planning to get together with my high school friends: Nana, Adhi, Atik, Novi, Lely, Hariadi, Jacky, Himen, Tina, if the time permits. And probably hang out with some other friends of college: Andi, Melany, Penny and other fulbrighters who happen to be in Jakarta at that time: Jaha, Abi, Kurie, Yolanda. Hmmm, meeting old mates will surely cheer me up during my days in Jakarta. Oh, well, that's the plan.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa
Saturday, May 8, 2004
We planned to have our classmates go with us, but at the very last minute, they cancelled. But oh well, let's enjoy another part of Iowa! It's now the time for Tulip in Pella, Iowa with a touch of Holland!
Chris arrived a little late than what he promised at 10 AM. I was sitting at the front porch of my apartment building, with big bulk bag and my backpack. Our travel in his car went smoothly. We chatted about our plans for summer and he gave tidbits about places we passed along the highway.
We arrived in his parents’ house at 11.30 AM, just like what he told his mom through cell phone. The house was in the outskirt of the city of Pella, about 1 mile from the city limit. It was a two-story brick house, looking really elegant overlooking a valley. I met his mom, Cheri, for the first time at the house’s kitchen plus living room. The room was nicely decorated with antiques, sort of like the Hertz’s living room. I could tell that the family is well-off.
After talking about our plans for that day, we left the house for the downtown Pella. The Tulip Time, the name for the festival, was waiting! Chris parked the car in his grandmother’s house, a short walk to downtown. We brought two lawn chairs and a blanket for sitting during the Volks parade. We expected to meet Betsy, our classmate, and her boyfriend Luke, who happened to be a TA too at the English dept., somewhere. Chris said that he would call and find them. After about three blocks walk, we reached the main street area, which was swarming with people of all ages. I did not see many Asians, and never saw a black person. This is Midwest, what do you expect?
We passed the historical village, which houses a house where Wyatt Earp spent his childhood, a tulip garden (of course!) and Vermeer windmill. It was the first time I saw a windmill and it felt like in the Netherlands. We set for a place on the main street and we found a place at the sidewalk in front of Pella Opera House. We decided to get something for lunch first and we headed to Pella Christian High School’s tent, Chris’ high school. We bought Dutch Spiced Beef and pops. Dutch spiced beef is a sandwich with minced beef between the bread.
The house of Wyatt Earp and the Vermeer Windmill
Pella Opera House
Chris called Betsy and while we were sitting on our lawn chairs, they showed up. We decided to look around and grab something. We went to the canal (yes, they actually have a miniature size of canal) in the Molengracht Plaza and looked round the shops around the canal. Luke bought pancakes because he said that he always had pancakes for breakfast when he resided in the Netherlands. After sitting for a while in our seats, we were heading for Dutch Pastry letter, a kind of local pastry of bread and pie paste in it. Cheri told us that an acquaintance had a stall somewhere across the post office and her homemade Dutch Pastry letter was the best. So we walk for two blocks and grab the sweet tasty Dutch letter. Chris told me that the reason why this pastry was called Dutch Pastry letter was because in the old time the pastry was formed in the letter “M” that stands for “Mother” as a gift for Mother’s day (btw, today is Mother’s Day in US). Well, all of us got the letter “I”! Now what that means???
Klokkenspel (the city bell), Molengracht Plaza (Shops, Canal, Condos) and
Tulip Toren (the Tulip Tower)
Another view of the Molengracht Plaza.
When we were back in our seat, waiting for the parade, Chris asked me if I wanted to meet his grandmother who was working in a gift shop just two doors from the Opera House. Jan Vos was a nice elderly lady, and she worked as a cashier. I bought a refrigerator magnet, in the shape of a windmill, made in Delft porcelain. Hmm, Pella is indeed a touch of Holland!
The parade was on! It started with a flock of families, dressing in traditional Holland costumes, brushing the street. Fathers brought waters on neck, Mothers and Children scrubbed the street with a scrubber (looks like our ‘sikat WC’ but with long handles). Floats depicting tulips, wagons of traditional commodities (cheese, sausages), marching bands from high schools around the area, the mayor, the burgermeester (in Dutch!) were passing and entertaining. Some even still used the vocabulary from Dutch language. Awesome!
The boys in Dutch costume, ready for the parade
We had such a great time and the parade ended all too soon. Chris and I were heading back to his parents’ place. We were planning to have dinner with his parents and his grandmother. While waiting for the dinner, I took a stroll around the house. Everything was so quiet in the countryside. Chris was calling his sister in Florida. He has two younger sisters: Julie and Leah. I also chatted a bit with his mom. At 6.30 PM, Chris’ grandmother arrived and we had beef burgers, beans, and carrot for dinner. A true Iowan meal!
After the dinner, Cheri, Chris and I were out to downtown for the evening parade. It would be full with lighted floats, and I was excited about it. The weather forecast predicted that a severe thunderstorm was coming and there was a probability that the parade would be cancelled. But we went anyway, who knows that it might still be on. On the way to the parade, the radio announced that it was indeed being cancelled. Oh, darn it! So we decided to go to Jan’s place because she asked Chris to check some problems with her laptop. Wow, she was almost 79 years old and she was into email and internet! I wish my grandma is like her with computers!
Jan was not home because she said she’s going to buy something after dinner. So we went into the house and Chris was busy fixing her grandma’s laptop. Then, Jan arrived and Chris found the problem in the laptop and fixed it. Oh, guess what, I found Chris’ picture when he graduated from high school. What a good looking lad he was! Beautiful blue eyes, nice great smile! Wow! He looked so different back then!
We were heading home and made a quick stop to Hyvee. Chris, the coffee addict, had to purchase a bag of coffee because they ran out of coffee and I bought a thank you card for his parents. Back home, we spent the night watching TV, again. This time we watched “Law and Order”. Cherie and I made a guess of who the killers were and Chris was just lost! Of course women always have that sense of something happening!
We all went to bed because we were so tired that day. Besides, the next day Chris had to drive me to Cedar Rapids. I felt asleep instantly. What a long day....
Sunday, May 9, 2004
We planned to go at 10 AM, but things were just a little late. Everyone woke up late. Well, after all this is Sunday. After his parents left for church, we left for Cedar Rapids too. Of course, Chris had to get his coffee, so we went to get some coffee and donuts for breakfast in Hyvee.
The landscape of Iowa, farms, farms, and farms. Chris pointed out some interesting places, old farms houses, a lake that he used to go biking and swimming. We passed several small towns, very quiet in Sunday morning, probably everyone went to church. We took I-80 highway, as described by Barb Shreve, my host family in Marion. I got bored so easily and dozed off dozen of times. Sorry, Chris! I guess I was not a good navigator!
We arrived in Barb's and Bob's house at 12.30 PM, just as we expected. When we arrived, they just got back from church and I immediately was touched by their hospitality. The house was comfy and their pets (Jasper the dog, Zeus and Leech the cats) were friendly.
Here comes my internship days......
+++++++++++++++
Pics and links courtesy of Tulip Time, Pella Chambers of Commerce, Pella Opera House, Molengracht Plaza.
We planned to have our classmates go with us, but at the very last minute, they cancelled. But oh well, let's enjoy another part of Iowa! It's now the time for Tulip in Pella, Iowa with a touch of Holland!
Chris arrived a little late than what he promised at 10 AM. I was sitting at the front porch of my apartment building, with big bulk bag and my backpack. Our travel in his car went smoothly. We chatted about our plans for summer and he gave tidbits about places we passed along the highway.
We arrived in his parents’ house at 11.30 AM, just like what he told his mom through cell phone. The house was in the outskirt of the city of Pella, about 1 mile from the city limit. It was a two-story brick house, looking really elegant overlooking a valley. I met his mom, Cheri, for the first time at the house’s kitchen plus living room. The room was nicely decorated with antiques, sort of like the Hertz’s living room. I could tell that the family is well-off.
After talking about our plans for that day, we left the house for the downtown Pella. The Tulip Time, the name for the festival, was waiting! Chris parked the car in his grandmother’s house, a short walk to downtown. We brought two lawn chairs and a blanket for sitting during the Volks parade. We expected to meet Betsy, our classmate, and her boyfriend Luke, who happened to be a TA too at the English dept., somewhere. Chris said that he would call and find them. After about three blocks walk, we reached the main street area, which was swarming with people of all ages. I did not see many Asians, and never saw a black person. This is Midwest, what do you expect?
We passed the historical village, which houses a house where Wyatt Earp spent his childhood, a tulip garden (of course!) and Vermeer windmill. It was the first time I saw a windmill and it felt like in the Netherlands. We set for a place on the main street and we found a place at the sidewalk in front of Pella Opera House. We decided to get something for lunch first and we headed to Pella Christian High School’s tent, Chris’ high school. We bought Dutch Spiced Beef and pops. Dutch spiced beef is a sandwich with minced beef between the bread.
Pella Opera House
Chris called Betsy and while we were sitting on our lawn chairs, they showed up. We decided to look around and grab something. We went to the canal (yes, they actually have a miniature size of canal) in the Molengracht Plaza and looked round the shops around the canal. Luke bought pancakes because he said that he always had pancakes for breakfast when he resided in the Netherlands. After sitting for a while in our seats, we were heading for Dutch Pastry letter, a kind of local pastry of bread and pie paste in it. Cheri told us that an acquaintance had a stall somewhere across the post office and her homemade Dutch Pastry letter was the best. So we walk for two blocks and grab the sweet tasty Dutch letter. Chris told me that the reason why this pastry was called Dutch Pastry letter was because in the old time the pastry was formed in the letter “M” that stands for “Mother” as a gift for Mother’s day (btw, today is Mother’s Day in US). Well, all of us got the letter “I”! Now what that means???
Tulip Toren (the Tulip Tower)
Another view of the Molengracht Plaza.
When we were back in our seat, waiting for the parade, Chris asked me if I wanted to meet his grandmother who was working in a gift shop just two doors from the Opera House. Jan Vos was a nice elderly lady, and she worked as a cashier. I bought a refrigerator magnet, in the shape of a windmill, made in Delft porcelain. Hmm, Pella is indeed a touch of Holland!
The parade was on! It started with a flock of families, dressing in traditional Holland costumes, brushing the street. Fathers brought waters on neck, Mothers and Children scrubbed the street with a scrubber (looks like our ‘sikat WC’ but with long handles). Floats depicting tulips, wagons of traditional commodities (cheese, sausages), marching bands from high schools around the area, the mayor, the burgermeester (in Dutch!) were passing and entertaining. Some even still used the vocabulary from Dutch language. Awesome!
The boys in Dutch costume, ready for the parade
We had such a great time and the parade ended all too soon. Chris and I were heading back to his parents’ place. We were planning to have dinner with his parents and his grandmother. While waiting for the dinner, I took a stroll around the house. Everything was so quiet in the countryside. Chris was calling his sister in Florida. He has two younger sisters: Julie and Leah. I also chatted a bit with his mom. At 6.30 PM, Chris’ grandmother arrived and we had beef burgers, beans, and carrot for dinner. A true Iowan meal!
After the dinner, Cheri, Chris and I were out to downtown for the evening parade. It would be full with lighted floats, and I was excited about it. The weather forecast predicted that a severe thunderstorm was coming and there was a probability that the parade would be cancelled. But we went anyway, who knows that it might still be on. On the way to the parade, the radio announced that it was indeed being cancelled. Oh, darn it! So we decided to go to Jan’s place because she asked Chris to check some problems with her laptop. Wow, she was almost 79 years old and she was into email and internet! I wish my grandma is like her with computers!
Jan was not home because she said she’s going to buy something after dinner. So we went into the house and Chris was busy fixing her grandma’s laptop. Then, Jan arrived and Chris found the problem in the laptop and fixed it. Oh, guess what, I found Chris’ picture when he graduated from high school. What a good looking lad he was! Beautiful blue eyes, nice great smile! Wow! He looked so different back then!
We were heading home and made a quick stop to Hyvee. Chris, the coffee addict, had to purchase a bag of coffee because they ran out of coffee and I bought a thank you card for his parents. Back home, we spent the night watching TV, again. This time we watched “Law and Order”. Cherie and I made a guess of who the killers were and Chris was just lost! Of course women always have that sense of something happening!
We all went to bed because we were so tired that day. Besides, the next day Chris had to drive me to Cedar Rapids. I felt asleep instantly. What a long day....
Sunday, May 9, 2004
We planned to go at 10 AM, but things were just a little late. Everyone woke up late. Well, after all this is Sunday. After his parents left for church, we left for Cedar Rapids too. Of course, Chris had to get his coffee, so we went to get some coffee and donuts for breakfast in Hyvee.
The landscape of Iowa, farms, farms, and farms. Chris pointed out some interesting places, old farms houses, a lake that he used to go biking and swimming. We passed several small towns, very quiet in Sunday morning, probably everyone went to church. We took I-80 highway, as described by Barb Shreve, my host family in Marion. I got bored so easily and dozed off dozen of times. Sorry, Chris! I guess I was not a good navigator!
We arrived in Barb's and Bob's house at 12.30 PM, just as we expected. When we arrived, they just got back from church and I immediately was touched by their hospitality. The house was comfy and their pets (Jasper the dog, Zeus and Leech the cats) were friendly.
Here comes my internship days......
+++++++++++++++
Pics and links courtesy of Tulip Time, Pella Chambers of Commerce, Pella Opera House, Molengracht Plaza.
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