Eliot's Travels

Monday was a market/shopping day for us. The boys were tired from the weekend, so we kind of took it easy. I've been trying to do dinner menus, like at home. It makes it easier for cooking and shopping. We've been using Food Network's website for recipes - mainly the quick and easy ones. I miss my kitchen - the knives, my chopping block, big work surfaces, the food processor, spices, utensils, etc. We have to find things that are pretty simple, which is fine. I was a little spoiled at home! It seems like I still manage to be missing one ingredient when I go to cook!

The boys and I took the stroller and went to the produce market, the cheese shop and the bakery. This is my time to learn some Dutch. There is one woman at the produce market who is teaching me. I practice my vocabulary (either I know the word or I look at the sign) and she corrects my pronunciation. The store is a box with the fruits and vegetables displayed on three walls. The front is the entrance. You tell the worker what you want and how much (# or kilos) and they pick it out for you. For avocados and melons and the like, they ask you when you want to eat it (today, tomorrow, in a few days). When you are done, they print a bill and put it in your bags. She usually comes and puts it under my stroller for me. Each time I try to add a few words. She is so nice to the kids and patient with me (I need to get her name). This week she taught me to count to ten, counting slowly while I repeated her words. I am sure the customer waiting for service was wondering what was going on. The produce market and cheese shop seem to know me and usually talk to me in English.

The boys and I also went to the drugstore Kruidvast (it's the discount one). It's funny because I was so careful to bring plenty of our shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. The drugstore has most of the brands and products we buy at home (except Tom's of Maine) - even the toothbrushes I like. They have Pampers too (no Huggies).

Monday afternoon we made a quick run on the bike to the smaller C1000 to get what we needed for dinner. After dinner, all of us went to the big C1000 to get groceries for the week. Jim has the paniers on his bike, so he has to go with us. I have the kids and a basket. We often get looks because the boys are out late (8:30/9 pm) and because we speak English. We are still time shifted, just like at home.

posted by Whitney @ 1:38 AM