Always Carry Change.

For those of you who know me, I mean really know me, you know that I don't carry any cash on me. In fact, 95% of the time I don't have a wallet on me.  Recently I've had to carry my wallet since I don't have a car to keep it in, but I still don't carry cash.  My advise to people traveling to Europe is to always carry some type of cash or change with you at all times?  I suggest this because when nature calls, you might not be able to find a free bathroom to use.  Access to public restrooms (or Water Closets (WC) as they call them here) are very few and far between.  You just can't walk into a McDonald's and go to the restroom.  Most of them  required an access codes so you have to make a purchase.  Some places charge you use the restroom.  You better have correct change or they will not let you in.  Last week we were in a train station when I had to find a restroom fast.  We found a restroom, but it cost € 0,50 to use them and if you don't have enough money they won't let you in.  My wife was short € 0,02 and they would not let her in.  She had to have them make change for a € 5,00 just to use the restroom.

Today I was running some errands and came across what appears to be a boutique restroom place.

My kind of store.

This place charges you € 1,00 to use the restroom, but it is really clean in there.  And if that isn't enough, it even has a gift shop in it for all your restroom needs.  They sell toilet brushes, toilet paper and books to read while you sit and think about things.  Maybe I should open up a place called "The Porcelain Palace".  It would have high end toilets in it, "spa" type music playing in each stall and urinals with flat screen TVs above them showing the news or ESPN.  We would also have someone in there dressed up like a butler to offer you with a variety of soaps, lotions and hand sanitizing gels.  We would even sell T-shirts in our gift shop.  "At the Porcelain Palace, we never treat you like #2".

Summer is Here!!!

It is officially summer here.  How do I know, cause it is 28° C here (84° F).  This normally isn't hot, but when you live in a house that doesn't have ceiling fans or air conditioning, that is hot.  It will be interesting to see how we handle this new "challenge" in our life.  Is it too late to add an air conditioning unit to the list that I posted in my prior blog?  Maybe we can start a sponsorship program.  People can donate money and "sponsor" various parts of the air conditioning unit.  When all things are said and done, this will look like a NASCAR car with various names on it.  The more you "sponsor" the larger your name or your company's name will appear on this unit.

"Your Name Here"

Just to give you an idea of how warm it is here, as I write this blog there is a guy next door working on my neighbor's roof.  It is so warm out, the worker has taken off all his cloths except his underwear.  Can you picture a guy in his underwear working on a roof?  Neither can I, so I tried to get a a picture to post so you all could see that I wasn't lying,  but I got caught taking a picture.  He probably thinks I'm some kind of pervert and will warn my neighbor about me.  I guess in the meantime, we will have to take some cool showers.  It will be interesting what the rest of the summer will bring and the winter too (at least we have heaters).

The List

Since we have moved here we have missed some of the "luxuries" of the states (I use the term "luxuries" loosely).  We have actually started an "import" list of the things we miss and want to import when we come home to the states.  We've have received some requests from people wanting to get some stuff for us, so I have decided to publish the list or a registry if you will (since Publix doesn't have one):

• Kraft Mac and Cheese (We know it's fake, but we love it).
• Irish Spring Original Soap (I have used this for years and it's only sold in the US).
• A bag of large marshmallows (Carmen is really needing some).
• Box of graham crackers (Can you guess what is next on the list)?
• Hershey bars (My wife is having serious s'mores withdraws). 
• Jiff Peanut Butter Creamy and Crunchy (The peanut butter here is a little gritty and not as sweet).
• Boxes of daytime Cold/Flu medicine (Apparently they really use pot here for medical purposes, which is the only reason I can come up with as to why they don't have cold medicine here).
• Hunt's Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce (This is for me).
• Coffee-mate Hazelnut Creamers- Singles (My wife will kill for this).
• Sweetened Condensed Milk (If you don't know what snowcream is, you won't understand).
• Stevia in the Raw packets (See hazelnut creamer reason).
• Anti Bacterial Hand Gel (Apparently they are pro bacterial over here).
• Betty Crocker Cake mix Yellow and Red Velvet (If you know my wife, you know her love affair for cake and all cake products)
• Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Icing (You can't have Red Velvet cake without out that).
• Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Squares (Don't ask).
• Bisquick (For pancakes and biscuits, duh).
• All the plastic bags you can send (They make good packing and they are like gold over here, although we use them for cat litter).

I know this is an odd list, but we are really craving these things.

Now for the scam, that is right a scam.  If you decide to send these things, send them via the United States Postal Service and claim a "low" value.  Do not send them via UPS or Fedex cause you will need to send a commercial invoice with them and we will have to pay a tariff (an importing tax) on them and it is not worth the hassle.  Your donations can be sent to the Sean and Carmen Withdraw Foundation, care of:

Sean and Carmen Allen

Prinsenstraat 11 II/III

1015DA, Amsterdam

Netherlands

In exchange, if you need some wooden shoes, stroopwafels or anything Dutch you would like we can send that to you.  Although I don't think the Dutch are really known for anything other than wooden shoes.

   

I Really miss Wal-Mart

Of course I miss my family, friends, my car, Mexican food and air conditioning, but the one thing I really miss the most (just because of convenience) is Wal-Mart.  In some ways, I feel like I have stepped back in time.  There is a shop for everything here and that is where you need to go to get everything.  The grocery store only sells groceries (you can get pet food there) and that is about it.  I literally go the store everyday.  I know Carmen though we went everyday back home, but I really go everyday sometimes twice a day.  For one reason, you can only carry some much with you.  For another reason, it appears that everything here is packaged small and has a short shelf life.  Where do you go for medicine?  You have to go to the drug store.  Oh, did I mention that they don't even carry cold/flu medicine?  That's right, they don't have cold/flue medicine here.  You can get pot here, but not cold/flue medicine?  We asked our local what do people here take when they have a cold and he responded with "Nadda".  I went to the drug store and they only give you stuff with aspirin and vitamin C in it.  Great, I get to add another thing to my "import" list when I come to visit.

Say what you want about Wal-Mart, how evil it is, how they exploit foreign workers, how they run mom and pop stores out of town, but the things they do offer is great.  Low prices and convenience, and as an American that is what I love.  I love being able to go to one place, at anytime of day and get everything I need under one roof.

Oh how I miss thee.

The other thing I miss is having someone bag your groceries.  They don't do that here, you have to do it.  You have to put your items on the belt, bag everything up and pay before the next person is ready.  And if your aren't fast enough, you end up getting in the way of the next person's items.  As a result of this affect combined with the fact that I can only carry so much, I make multiple trips to the store.  Add to that, not every store carries the same thing.  Earlier this week I decided to make Rice Krispy treats for my wife.  I had to go to two different stores in two different parts of town just to get supplies.  The first store didn't have anything I needed.

Because I am so used to Wal-Mart, I don't know where to go to get other things.  I don't know where to go to get Command Strips to hang pictures.  No one here knows what they are, so we have had to reach out and have them "imported" to us.  No one here knows what a door stop is.  Where do I go to get Drano?  I do know, but I know were to get beer and pot.  Oh well, I'll learn.

Does Publix Have a Gift Registry?

We have decided when we come back to the states, we are going to bring an empty suitcase back with us just for food.  Before we moved here, I thought of a business that would cater to Americans or "Expats".  It would be a store with nothing but food from the U.S.  We would have everything from cereals, cake mixes to candy bars.  Everything over here tastes a little different, but a store like this would be great for American's who were missing that "taste from home".  My wife of course thought that I was crazy and thought that I was dumb.

After we got here, we took a walk around the town and found the store I was thinking of.  A store that caters to Americans.  Did we find American heaven?  This store had everything little thing you wanted to remind you of home.

Apple Jacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Froot Loops and Oreos.

Jiff Peanut Butter, Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce and Kraft Mac and Cheese.

I didn't even say a word, I walked right into the store to check this place out.  No need to get use to the food here, we have our own little taste of America right here and that taste comes with a price.  Here is an example of that price:

                                          Kraft Mac and Cheese: € 2,99 = $ 3.87
                                      Apple Jacks/Froot Loops: € 7,49 = $ 9.68
                                    Reese Peanut Butter Cups: € 1,99 = $ 2.57
                                         Betty Crocker cake mix: € 4,99 = $ 6.45
                                               Aunt Jemima Syrup: € 6,99 = $ 9.04
                                     Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate: € 5,99 = $ 7.74
                                                                    Oreos: € 6,79 = $8.87
                                                   Jiff Peanut Butter: € 4,99 = $ 6.45

Those prices are out of control.  Time to go on American "detox".  I bought some local stuff here and you quickly realize that it isn't as good as American food.  Peanut butter tastes different, there isn't American Cheese here (my wife is having a hard time with this) and the Cool Ranch Doritos (called Cool American) taste different.   So for Christmas, rather than gift cards (which we can't use there as they are in dollars and they use Euros here) I have decided to start a gift registry at Publix.  We will register at Publix for birthdays and Christmas.  I can't wait to open up my first Christmas present to discover a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese.  And don't forget, Charmin with Aloe makes a great stocking stuffer for me.

Tour de Amsterdam

When we decided to move to Amsterdam, we decided to not have a car.  With the transportation system in Europe, we figured we would be able to get around without a car.  So what if we have to walk in the rain a little, so what if it is snowing outside and is a little cold, we will be able to get around to most places via trams/buses/metro or bikes.  Recently Carmen and I went out bike shopping.  This was a big decision.  We waffled between a new bike, which is € 600,00 ($ 775.00), or a used bike, which € 250,00 ($ 322.00).  The main driving force behind the waffling is the fact that bike theft is very high in Amsterdam.  Can you imagine spending € 600,00 and coming outside to find your bike gone?  Decision made, we are buying used bikes.  We looked at several used bikes and to be honest, they all looked junkie.  "Why would we spend € 250,00 on a junkie bike, we should just get a new one, but it is going to get stolen so lets get a junkie bike, but it looks junkie and we want something that looks new."  This process went on all week.  We could not decide what we wanted to do.  Well Saturday came around and it was crunch time.  We had to get a bike, at least Carmen did, to get to work on Monday.  The decision was any easy one and what most Americans would have made, we are buying new bikes and hope they don't get stolen.  I present to you, my new "whip".

My new 2013 Batavus bike.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Isn't that a girls bike?"  Yes it's a girls bike, but that is what most people over here (including guys) ride!  I chose a "girls" bike because Dutch bikes sit up very high and it will be easier to get on and off the bike. They sit so high, I can barely touch the ground with my toes when I am stopped.  I upgraded it and had them install what I call the "E.T." Edition basket on the front of it.

Today, I decided to ride to work with Carmen.  How fun would that be, riding to work with my wife?  I get out of the house, we'll get some exercise and I can condition my body to get use to riding a bike after not riding one on a regular basis.

According to Google Maps it's only a 23 mins ride.  This shouldn't be too bad.

I can tell you I would regret this decision.  In fact, 15 mins into the ride I started to rethink the car thing.  First off you would think "The Netherlands are flat, that shouldn't be a bad ride."  Wrong!  They are flat, but that means you have to pedal 100% of the time.  Since there aren't any hills that means no coasting to catch your breath and to relax your legs.  Second is the wind.  The wind was blowing so hard I felt like Jim Cantore reporting live for the landfall location of Hurricane Andrew.  At one point, I'm pretty sure I wasn't moving. I felt like I was staying in place.  I thought "I hope I don't have to make this ride everyday.  This sucks and I feel sorry for my wife."  And just imagine rain and snow, oh my God what a nightmare.  What the hell have I got involved in?  This was the longest 5.8 km (3.06395 miles) ride in my life.  At one point I wanted to stop and relax but I was afraid I wouldn't get back on the bike.  I kept riding and finally made it. I am no Lance Armstrong.  Maybe I should do some steroids to help with the ride.  Now have to ride it back home!!!

Finally, Success!

I can fully appreciate what Nationals go through when they come to America not knowing anything.  Yesterday we received mail from the bank with our Pin card codes.  Exciting right, well not so fast.  The only thing we can read on the letter, besides our name and address, is the pin number.  Everything else in the letter is written in Dutch.  I guess it was arrogant of me to assume that it would be in English.  My response to my wife was "Now I know how Mexicans feel when they come to America".  This isn't a racist statement, but a statement of truth.  I now know what it is like to move to a country where everything is written in another language and not know what it says.  At least they speak English here which makes the transition a little easier.

Today I had a mission, get cable and internet (keep in mind we don't even have a TV yet, but we need cable and we need it now)!  My first attempt was online.  Not really an issue cause I use Google Chrome as my browser and it automatically translates any language to English for me.  I found the package I wanted but had further questions that I couldn't find the answers to.  I decided to click on the box that will have UPC call you to answer your questions.  I put in the phone number for the location I am at and they called right away. How I wish they made Google Chrome: Phone Edition.  I was not able to understand anything the recording was telling me.  So like most everyone else, I hit "0" thinking it would get me to a live person.  Nope.  Once you do that, the phone rings busy over and over.  I hung up and tried it again.  Can you guess what happened next? If you guessed the same as before you are right.  So I decided to look up UPC online and found a location very close to where I have been spending my days.  I drove to the location and parked in a parking spot.  As I was walking up I asked a women if this was paid parking.  She said yes and helped me with the marking meter.  She asked me where I was going to determine the amount of time to put on the meter.  I told her I was going to UPC and she said she worked there and would take me there.  After I couldn't get my card to work in the meter she said she would pay for my parking and walked with me to UPC.  Once at UPC I told the guy what I wanted and he was able to help me.  Within a matter of minutes I had internet and cable without a pin card or money, take that cell phone providers.  This by far has been the easiest transaction I have done to date in Amsterdam.  Oh I forgot to mention, the internet connection here is 150 mbps vs. the connection in the US which is about 50 mbps to 105 mbps.  

Feeling high from my transaction (and not from the weed that is sold here), I walked back to my car which was parked across the street from a Burger King.  I decided to go inside for a celebratory breakfast.   I was then shocked to find out that they stop serving breakfast at 11:30 am!  Take that US with your 10:30 am cut off.  Who the hell is ready to eat lunch at 10:30 am?  When in Rome, I decided to try something I have never had.  I introduce to you, the Breakfast Burger.

100% delicious.

Let me preface the following with, this is not an everyday thing I will be getting or would be getting.  I saw this on the menu and thought "I need to try that!"  This is not your typical breakfast sandwich.  Not really knowing what to expect I thought perhaps the term "breakfast burger" might have been miss translated considering yesterday we ate at KFC and I ordered a "Tower Burger".  This was not a burger at all. It was a bun with a breaded chicken patty on it.  Thinking this might be case here, I ordered it.  I was surprised that the translation was not mixed up.  This is really a breakfast burger. It is a hamburger bun with a Whopper patty topped with egg, cheese, bacon, tomato and mayonnaise.  It was really delicious and worth trying it once.

So what did I learn today?  Setting up cable/internet is the easiest thing I have done so far in Amsterdam and the breakfast burger is really a "breakfast burger" and it is delicious.