Finally settled in...

It is now the beginning of November and Andreas and I have finally settled in. We recently, as in today, received the last of the items we needed to complete our house, the trees and our flat screen TV. The final completion of the house involved a much needed visit to the Netherlands recently to get all the last minute items we so desperately loved from Holland, not to mention the price is much more reasonable in the Netherlands than in Switzerland! The cost of everything else is insane over here! If you think the Euro is expensive...try the Swiss Franc! It's 25 Swiss francs...image about 10 dollars or so for a lb of chicken breast! Eggs...that's another story...so expensive, especially if you buy local! But it is quite beautiful when the snow falls, the leaves are changing right now and the mountains are covered in beautiful yellows, reds, and oranges. Sort of like our living room colors.

As you can see from the video, we have now settled in quite well. We hope you like our video. We've even included some of our own artwork! :) Andreas incorporated some of his Nepalese background with the prayer flags as well. I just need some beautiful Peruvian artesania and tapestries to complete it.


This is a recent picture of our weekend trip to Bern a few weeks ago, the two men in my life...

We hope you all enjoy our little video of our home away from home in Biel and hope you'll all come visit soon.

With love,

April

Pictures of Biel from the Mountains

Andreas, Guapo and I have now moved into our apartment in Biel and have been in the process of unpacking a million things, meanwhile, commenting on how much we seem to have newly accumulated. And to think, we came over with just two suitcases each!

Now we have a completely new household, a new dog and a new place to live! Who knows what the future will bring. I thought I'd share some pictures of the area, it's really beautiful. Especially when the sun is shining. Enjoy!

Our move to Biel, Switzerland

Andreas and I arrived to Switzerland on September 1st after a tearful and sad goodbye to the Netherlands. It was so sad to leave a country that we enjoyed so much.

Most of all, I will miss my colleagues who were so welcoming and so great. I really enjoyed working with my Dutch, Scottish and Spanish colleagues in Hengelo and will always remember their generousity and their kind goodbye.

Biel/Bienne is a small bilingual French/German town, about the same side as Hengelo, with 70,000 people. It is a small Roman city with a beautiful tiny old town and a very diverse population. It is located about 30 minutes North West from Bern, the capital of Switzerland.

Andreas is working in Olten and I am working in Morges, Switzerland. While they are quite a distance from each other, we opted for a location in the middle, therefore Biel.

We found a great 2 bedroom apartment on the top floor with a beautiful, private atrium and a large living room. Today we got all our stuff from the movers and have spent the afternoon unpacking everything and trying to find it where we packed the darn dishes! haha!

Other than that, work is going well. Andreas started a week ago and has enjoyed his first corporate job so far. I started officially today at Eaton and have enjoyed meeting my new colleagues that come from all over the world, France, Finland, Netherlands, Germans, Italy, Poland and the UK. I will post pictures soon of our new place and the beautifully small watch town of Biel.

Until then! Ciao! Tschuss!

Queen's Day a.k.a. Koninginnedag

Queen’s Day also known as Koninginnedag is a national holiday in the Netherlands. It is usually celebrated the 30th or 29th of April to celebrate the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands- Princess Wilhelmina (originally 31st of August 1885) and later Princess Juliana whose birthday is the 30th of April.

This day is known for it’s “free market” (Dutch for vrijmarkt) all over the country, which is basically like the entire nation holding one extremely enormous garage sales or flea market on all the streets while wearing orange ( Royalty of Orange- think of saying it as a French man- Orannngee…) and drinking incestuous amounts of beer and eating great dutch treats all day long. It usually starts the night before, called Queens Night, and follows through to the next day. You are likely to see the Dutch…all the Dutch wearing orange, including children, elderly and even dogs!

This year was great- My dad flew in from the US to join in on the festivities and Niels and his sister, a local, took us through the town- through the great neighborhood of Jordan. We bought all kinds of 2nd hand things like bags, shirts, hand painted Delft mugs and lots of English books that were on sale. Marjolein, my language exchange partner and her friend Astrid joined us there too. They say..one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. We definitely all found something there. It was a great time…and I think the Dutch riding on the boats- all wearing orange and drinking beer- also had a great time.
Tot ziens! ( Until I see you later (English), Tschuss (German), Hasta luego (Spanish)Any other languages…hmmmm- I’ll learn!)

Ohhh and check out this boat! GO QUEEN'S DAY!

Running in the oldest Dutch Marathon

So...this is me, running in the oldest Marathon in the Netherlands- the Enschede Marathon. The first race took place on Saturday July 12, 1947.

I decided I would take part in this when Eaton posted a request for runners...so I signed up for the 10K. I am not normally a long distance runner, normally I do just do 5K on a regular basis. So I decided to really train...umm...about 2 weeks before, I tried earlier but as most people know- you want to put it off, put it off and then when push comes to shove you do it. So I did and I did a time of 1:07:15. Not bad considering I trained for it two weeks before. Better than I expected myself to do.

Here is a picture of the team before- we were missing a few but- Henk Telman and Carolein Bouhuis were on my team- they were fast!

Here is a picture of me afterwards biting my gold (bronze) medallion. Thank goodness for my fellow running partner- Ronald- a fellow co-worker. We pushed each other through it. Overall- it was a fun time. Off to the next one!

Also- special thanks to Niels Keller and my dad- Papi for coming out to support me- I really appreciate it!

Find a band, find a food, find a culture…the secrets to living abroad

After traveling my entire life, it struck me while attending a concert that I was finally truly happy. I had my husband by my side and a drink in my hand while swaying to the music of my favorite Dutch Band- Room Eleven.

I realized that the secret to living abroad was not as simple as people believed or perhaps not as hard as people believed but that for me, it consisted of obtaining and integrating three things into my life. Find yourself a band you love, a food you love and a cultural aspect that you love…and whoa la…you’ve got yourself – my secret to happiness living abroad.

A band- finding yourself a band is not as easy but if you able to find a band that takes a little of you and integrates it with a little of them (i.e. the culture you are living in) then you have yourself the band you were seeking. Room Eleven was it for me. I heard their songs on a WE Clothing commercial and feel in love with the voice. She spoke to me. After that I started listening to the rest of her music and got so excited I got tickets to an intimate concert in Deventer this weekend. Andreas, my husband, while not a true fan initially, found it to be a great concert and loved every moment of it as much as I did. We left there so content and fulfilled. We had stood a foot from the front of the concert with beers and a smile plastered on our faces while moving to the music. A mix of Bossa nova, jazz and little bit of Latin beat and there you have it.

A food- finding a food is harder than you think because when you move to new country you don’t know what to expect half the time. Needless to say, it will inevitably be something completely different from what you love but you will find something regardless that you’ll come to love…For me…Uitsmijter. I love the Uitsmijter, a tasty egg, ham and cheese combo on bread with some tomatoes and mushrooms and whoa la…you have it.

I was introduced to it- a basic version of it at the work cafeteria. It was basically the only made to order warm dish available besides the standard fired goods and do-it-yourself sandwich bars. I took my husband to one of my favorite little restaurants in Hengelo about a month ago to introduce him to it. We went to the Twee Wenzen- (Two Orphans) restaurant for a mid-day snack and ordered the Uitsmijter Catarina. It starts was your standard bread with a fried egg, slice of real ham and slice of gouda cheese but on top of it they add sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes…to create a delectable and tasty Uitsmijter you’ll adore. Sounds simple but like I mentioned earlier, a little bit of home mixed with a little of them…and you have something you are bound to love.

A culture- or in correct English, a cultural aspect. The Dutch are infamous for their flat land and love of bikes…they adore their bikes and to prove it- they ride them in the rain, sleet or snow…no matter what! I love it, I really do, it’s great to see the young and the old riding their bikes around town to get their groceries or just for a “stroll” around town. Bikes are so prevalent here that there are barely any sidewalks…why walk when you can ride? There are bike garages where there are hundreds upon thousands of bikes all locked up at stations, at supermarkets, at stores etc. You name it, you can’t find a single place in the Netherlands without a bike either resting on the side of it or in front of it. The Dutch love their bikes and at first, I wasn’t so sure why they would want to ride their bikes here all the time, given the terrible weather they experience all the time here. Ok- summers can be better but it rains all the time and not “mainly in the plains,” like it does in Spain. I, however, now have a bike and a spare for any visitors that happen to pop on by. I even brought over my cycling bike to perhaps ride in the summer as the weather gets better. You will see parents riding with their children on their bikes, similar to what you would expect to see in India on a Moped- you would see here on a regular bike. One kid in the front, the parent and one kid on the back and not to mention, all while doing this…the parent has the leash or their dog with a dog attached on the right side of the bike. WOW! Talk about talent! I love it! Or you will occasionally see the traditional type of bike with the huge bucket like contraption made to carry anything and everything from your groceries to your three children to your child and your dog in the front. Some even come with a canopy over the top to keep the children or if it’s fruit and flowers you are carrying—dry. I have come to love and admire the Dutch for their immense bike riding skills in any weather. They start when they are children running on a piece of wood located between their legs with two wheels and a handle bar but no pedals. Then they gradually work up to a regular bike which they will ride until they can no longer walk. And they encourage their friends to ride on the back too- as you can see of my pic with Marjolein in Utrecht! We were on our way to the supermarket!

They all know how to ride their bikes with no hands, can maneuver between crowds, throngs of people at farmers markets and all while a child in the front, a child in the back and a dog in one hand…oh and flowers in the other! Ok a little extreme but I bet it’s been done! And this is why I love this cultural aspect of the Netherlands.

While in Rome or the Netherlands…do as the Romans do…or Dutch!

Ta-ta until later!

April

El Guapo First Few Days with Us... Introducing El Guapo!

Andreas and I wanted to announce that we have officially become parents to a very happy and healthy (did I mention- needy?) 8 week old puppy that we have affectionately called “El Guapo” (aka The Handsome One). He was indeed the most playful, curious and affectionate one in the bunch (6 total- brothers and sisters). He also picked us…not vice versa!

I picked him up on Friday afternoon, April 4th,to take him to join his Daddy in Hannover. He was born on February 10th- so he is 8 weeks and counting…that is, of course, if Andreas and I can keep from killing the poor puppy for all his crying.

He has proven to be a handful and full of surprises for both his Mommy and Daddy. We truly feel like parents right now as he is constantly in demand of our attention, cries all the time, eats, drinks and takes dumps all the time and did I mention- pees everywhere! At times, it is extremely stressful having a little guy that depends on you all the time!

He has proven to be a great traveler, as he was as calm as could be in his little carrier on the way from Hengelo to Hannover on Friday. He is already paper trained which is nice but he has some accidents from time to time. Bladder control can be an issue when they are so small. But at least he isn’t pooing and peeing in his bed or on us or guests.

We are slowly training the little guy, Andreas took him out the first night around 2 am and while the little guy followed him (with out a leash or collar!), Andreas tried not to step on him. He likes to chase our feet and likes to walk in the middle of us if he can keep up. After trying desperately from stepping on the little guy, Andreas brought him to a tree where Andreas looked down at him and said, “Do it.” Naturally El Guapo looked up at him with his beautiful puppy eyes and cocked his head. I’m guessing he was thinking, “Do what? Why are we up at 2 in the morning standing in front of a tree in the dark?”

So, Andreas proceeded to show him what to do. Andreas peed a little then the little guy caught on and peed himself as well. It was pretty cute- and hilarious if you ask me. He’s a smart puppy!
We’ve been trying to train him to let us know when he needs out and when he needs to go, it’s a learning process to say the least, but I think he’s catching on.

Walks exhaust the little guy but he thrives on other people being around. He tends to cry when we put him in the bathroom when we have to leave but I think he will eventually learn that crying will lead to nothing. Though he will let you know when he’s hungry and Andreas will tell you that this little guy eats a lot…and takes plenty of dumps to show for it!

Needless to say, he definitely picked us as he tends to follow the two of us back and forth and at times get so confused on whom to follow when the two of us go in opposite directions. His favorite place to cuddle is between my neck and shoulder where he proceeds to snore. Who knows how loud that is going to get!
Ohhh! And his little cow Mumu which you can see in the picture- he likes to hump her- already!!

A little humor for your day. We thought you all might get a kick out of hearing about the trials of being a puppy owner of a Frenchie!

Hope everyone is well.

With love,

April (and Andreas)

Introducing...."EL GUAPO!"

This little guy is the newest edition to the Hennig family. Introducing..."El Guapo" Hennig. The new Frenchie of our family, born in the Netherlands, to live in Germany and to have a Spanish name! He already has an international flair to him. He will fit right in.

We went on Saturday afternoon to meet our newest edition in Wierden, a small town located outside of Almelo, about 20 minutes from Hengelo. We had our pic of little guys and gals when we got there- 6 to be exact.

We were originally going for a French Bulldog that was white with black spots around the eyes and as we played with two of them, we didn't really feel a bond. We started to play with some of the others and there was this little guy with a white lighting streak on his face and on his back, with an adorable white belly. The minute he started licking my face, Andreas and I knew. He instantly started playing with Andreas' shoelaces and looking up at him. Andreas fell in love with him as quickly as I did and we both made up our minds on him.

Though, it was hard, there was another little girl that was fighting for our attention too...I had already given her a name, "Bella." She's the little girl on the left side of the photo. El Guapo is on the right. After a little debate between Andreas and myself, we decided on the cutie on the right.

So here you have him, El Guapo Hennig.

I hope you all will love him as much as we do. Andreas will have him in the beginning to help with the training, because we all know- Andreas can be a little more strict than I can. I would just melt the minute he looked at me. I hope you will all get a chance to meet him soon.

Hugs! April and Andreas

Speed Skating Dutch Style

I joined the ESN Student Group again from the Universitat de Twente- this time to go to Heeverveen in the Northern part of the Netherlands in Friesland. While we didn't get a chance to see a lot of Heeverveen, I did get the chance to see the Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating , where all the world's top skaters united to compete against each other for the 100 m, 500m, 1000m, 1500m and Team Pursuit (3000m and 5000m).

I got to wear an orange hat and join all the rest of the Dutch in singing typical sports songs. Interestingly enough as they were announcing the winners, when one country would get the award for winning, they wouldn't play the anthem of their country but a number of dance songs we hear all the time at the bars! I am not sure why they do this but it gets the crowds dancing and doing the wave. Really interesting experience!

I got this pic from the Essent ISU World Cup website, it is an example of the Team Pursuit.

A Weekend in Delft

Delft is a city located in South Holland, between the main cities of Rotterdam and The Hague. It is primarily known for it's Dutch town center and for the famous painter Vermeer, who painted the "Girl with a Pearl Earring," and of course, their beautiful blue pottery, otherwise known as, Delft Blue. Delft also has a strong association with the Dutch Royal Family.

I had the chance to go here this past weekend with a number of ESN Twente Students. This group is a bunch of International students that are studying at a nearby university to where I live. I got to meet a number of great people and we had a really good time touring Delft.

We spent the first night at a boy/girl scouts camping location that they call, "Scouting." We all slept in one big room, on the floor, I was, of course, right next to the heater. The next day, bright and early, after everyone sprinted to be the first ones to the hot showers, we ate breakfast, made lunch and walked into the town center of Delft.

Unfortunately, the weather was freezing with cold rain but we made it though the city center and through two churches, the Oude Kerk (Old Church) where Vermeer is buried and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) which contains the Dutch Royal Family's burial vault. We also went to the Oostpoort (Eastern Gate) which was built in the 1400s and is the only remaining gate of the old city walls. It's really beautiful!

We then went to the Delft Pauw Pottery Factory where they hand paint- literally- every single piece of pottery. It was quite beautiful and interesting to see how it was made. This pottery is mainly blue and white pottery made in the Netherlands from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It is still quite popular today.

After this, a number of us went to Madurodam in The Hague, which is a quick 10 minute trolley ride north. Madurodam is the land of miniatures, small replicas of incredible architecture that adorns the beautiful countryside of the Netherlands. I got to play, "Yapzilla," as Marc would like to call it and also had the chance of losing all sensation in my toes, then my feet and finally my entire body. They really need to make sneakers that are stylish and designed for winter!

It was a cold but sunny day after the rain cleared out and we got to enjoy the canals and beautiful cobbled streets, which I must say, are very difficult to walk on in heels! I recommend wearing sneakers at all times!

Otherwise, the town of Delft is a must see if you are ever in the area of The Hague or in Rotterdam, as it is located between the two great cities.

Next stop...Birmingham, UK and Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace!

Christmas and New Years in San Diego

While most of the US was enjoying a white Christmas and New Years, Andreas and I were in San Diego enjoying the sun, relaxing in the hot tub and eating lots of food that we missed so much, particularly Mexican food and Sushi.

Andreas had a chance to go surfing on one of our awesome California days, I did too later with Naomi.

I got to go seashell hunting…and found some incredible shells and was able get some great shots of the awesome rock formations in Carlsbad


We also had the chance to “grill out” with Tim and Tony and his new dog, Hendricks.

Andreas and I went to Mount Soledad in San Diego where the controversial Cross stands overlooking San Diego. It provides a great panoramic view of San Diego.

Mom, Dad and I got a chance to go to the San Diego Auto Show where they had an awesome concept car for Saab and also got a chance to sit in my future car…the Mini. It’s perfect for me and my hectic lifestyle, not to mention size requirements for Europe’s standards.

New Years was great, we spent it in a low key way at Marc’s house with a few friends and lot of Irish Car bombs...Andreas in particular had a lot of them. Kai’noa and Naomi joined in the festivities. Tim and Tony also joined in, making it a lot of fun and for Tim, yet another reminder of last year’s festivities at the Beach House.

Andreas and I also celebrated our 1 year anniversary this year, December 23rd by going back to the place were we got married and enjoying the sunset.

As this new year rolls in, Andreas and I would like to wish you all a wonderful and happy New Year! Particularly to Kristina and Albrecht, Andreas parents who we didn’t get a chance to see this year for Christmas and Kristina’s Birthday. Happy Birthday!

Happy New Years!

A little on Hengelo- Where I live...

Hengelo is the place where I live, it is on the border with Germany and about 2.5 hours from Hannover- which is directly East of there. Amsterdam is directly West and about 2.5 hours that way. It's pretty central to Europe but Amsterdam is the closest airport.

Hengelo in figures:
Population :over 80.000
Surface area: 6.183 ha
Dwellings: 35.304
Working population: 43.045

Hengelo as a place to live:

Hengelo is a small quiet town with one of the best open air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays on the main square in the town-centre. I buy flowers there every Saturday and do most of my shopping for the house then too since everything is closed on Sunday.

There is, however, a university nearby, Universiteit de Twente, which has a bunch of students my age and I've joined the ESN International Student Organization to meet people. I'm actually heading to Delft this weekend for a group outing, should be great!

I have language classes in Enschede and will start taking up dancing lessons on Thursday nights, should be fun! I can't wait.

Andreas is now at Purdue, he'll be there for a while in the cold, cold city of West Lafayette! I think I'd rather be here then there except I'd like to have him here too! :(

Hope everyone had a great break, Andreas and I went to California to visit with Marc and we went surfing and went to the beach and relaxed a whole lot. It was great to see Mom and Dad. I'll be putting a post up soon on this trip.

Tot Ziens!