Home Is Where My Heart Is

I am homesick. I'm just not going to sugar-coat that one bit, I am totally and completely homesick. We had an appointment to meet our family doctor today, and she asked me what I missed the most about home, and I said "My friends" and I nearly broke down and cried right there in her office. I keep having little crying spells here and there, as I read-up on the lives of people back home or catch-up with emails. It's not so bad that I am completely miserable, but I wish I could be home for things that are happening in my friends' lives right now, and it sucks that I'm 7 hours ahead, I can't catch-up with them in the evening there, it's either 6am while they're still at home for a quick chat or during work hours, which only work for a few people. I can't even imagine how Megan feels, but she's steadily making friends at school and on our street, but that doesn't replace the people she's known her whole life back home.


Star-Spangled Neighbors
BUT! Something so great happened this week- down a few houses on the other side of the street a family with an American mom and Belgian dad moved in! They have 2 girls, one about Cousin Jack's age (born December of '03) named Maya and she is going to the same school as Megan. I got to meet Shayna, the mom, at lunchtime yesterday, and she seems very nice. It was funny- I was talking to Femke's mom, Nina, in English, and Shayna looked over at me, then said in a very hopeful and marginally desperate manner (that I am 1000% positive I would use when running into other English-speakers here) "Are you American?" And when I told her that we lived on her street, I saw a glimmer of relief in her eyes, maybe a reflection of the glimmer in mine. I hope we become fast coffee friends- the girls are already playing together, here at our house so that Maya's little sister can take a nap, and I can feel the relief in Megan- being able to play AND communicate. The giggles coming from upstairs are like an auditory box full of puppies.

The more they play, I realize how very integral a part of learning another language having an English-speaking friend is- they are role-models for one another, taking baby-steps in communicating in Dutch. They're currently playing hide-and-go-seek, and each of the seekers have been counting to ten and beyond in Dutch.

An American Without A Car Is Like A Dutchman Without A Bicycle
The rental car we have is almost due back, and with our brand-new SoFi numbers (YAY!) and with an actual bank account (DOUBLE YAY!) we are starting our search for our own car. Chances are it will be used, and tiny, and possibly diesel. I will no doubt be spending the rest of the day looking online at used car places. I'm hoping that in the meantime I can manage to find a bicycle- I figure one bike and one car will keep things flexible. I can bike into Haarlem easily to run errands or even for work, and if I'm going to start photographing folks again, I HAVE to be able to get around somehow, I'm not going to cart around my gear by foot, that's for sure.


Kari Noser Photography, Global Operations
With the move, I'm casting my net out in the Dutch market of photographers. I've been researching for a week, and basically I can't find anything (no less in English) about the cost of booking a photographer here. The closest I found were prices for wedding packages, which I'm not quite ready to start putting together, so I'm hitting the ex-pat network and starting with some "Portfolio Building" sessions. With that, I've also re-vamped the website, feel free to check it out here:
http://www.karinoserphotography.com

UPDATE - if the above link does not work, try this one:
http://www.karinoserphotography.com/NL/Home.html
As with all things technical, sometimes there is a user interface issue (like the thing between the chair and the keyboard) and I am experiencing a little glitch right now that I should have ironed out in the next 12 hours. I hope.

We went to the market with Shayna and Maya and Emerson later that afternoon, as we're out of fruits and veggies for the most part, and I can't wait to get some more chicken (the poultry vendor is good and very affordable- the chicken tastes so real- hard to explain, come visit and I'll feed ya), roasted peanuts, new flowers, and a giant stropwaffle! So far, that's our week, and for now tot ziens!