I love Walking

This morning, I get up too early than my normal waking time because of my neighbor banging doors as they rushed for work. But it doesn't annoy me this time though, I thought of last night to get up late today to spend more on sleeping before I start an early habit of getting up early in few weeks from now. So rather than spending my morning staring at my ceiling for minutes of thinking nothing, I went out and took a long walk with a little running at the park(at Haagse Bos)which is just close to where I live. It is a very nice park with a big lake at the middle.

For me, walking is the simpliest exercise I can do. I don't have time going to a gym, so by walking for just few minutes it helps. Before, almost everyday I tried to take at least 1 hour of walking. If I go to the main shopping center in Den Haag, I prefer to walk than taking a tram. Aside that I save money from that, also it's good for my body as an exercise. I'm not in a hurry to loose weight, but just for the purpose of being physically fit.

    -the green area is the Haagse Bos-

Some Useful Dutch Phrases

The following are some useful Dutch Phrases:

(Abbreviations: inf = informal, frm = formal)
English                                      Nederlands (Dutch

Welcome                                Welkom
Hello                                       Hallo / Goededag / Goeiedag (inf)
How are you?                           Hoe gaat het met jou? Hoe gaat het? (inf)
                                               Hoe gaat het met u? (frm)
I'm fine, thanks. And you?        Goed, dank je. En met jou?
Long time no see                      Lang niet gezien
What's your name?                   Hoe heet je? Wat is jouw naam? (inf)
                                               Hoe heet u?Wat is uw naam? (frm)
My name is ...                          Ik heet ... / Mijn naam is ...
Where are you from?                Waar kom je vandaan? (inf)
                                               Waar komt u vandaan? (frm)
I'm from ...                              Ik kom uit ...

Pleased to meet you                 Aangename kennismaking
                                               Aangenaam kennis te maken
                                               Aangenaam kennis met u te maken
                                               Prettig kennis te maken
Good morning                          Goedemorgen / Goeiemorgen
Good afternoon                        Goedemiddag / Goeiemiddag
Good evening                           Goedenavond / Goeienavond
Good night                               Goedenacht / Welterusten/Slaapwel
Goodbye                                  Tot ziens, Tot straks (see you later)
                                               Tot gauw (see you soon), Dag, Doeg, Doei
                                               Bon voyage Goede reis!
Good luck                                 Succes! Veel geluk!
Cheers/Good health!                 Proost! Op je gezondheid!
Have a nice day                        Nog een prettige dag


                                                Nog een prettige dag toegewenst
                                               Een goede dag verder
Bon appetit                              Smakelijk eten! Eet Smakelijk!
I don't understand                    Ik begrijp het niet
Please speak more slowly        Kunt u wat langzamer praten, alstublieft?
Please write it down                 Zou u het voor mij willen
                                               opschrijven,alstublieft? (frm)
                                              Wil je dat even opschrijven alsjeblieft? (inf)
Do you speak Dutch?                Spreekt u Nederlands? (frm)
                                               Spreek je Nederlands? (inf)
Yes, a little                              Ja, een beetje
How do you say ... in Dutch?     Hoe zeg je ... in het Nederlands?
                                               Hoe zeg ik..... in het Nederlands?
Excuse me                                Neem me niet kwalijk


                                               Neemt u mij niet kwalijk
                                               Excuseert u mij
                                               Sorry Het spijt me! Sorry!
Thank you                                Dank U / Dank U wel (frm)
                                               Bedankt, Dank je wel (inf)
                                               Dank U zeer (thank you very much)
                                               Duizendmaal dank (thousand times thanks)
                                             Graag gedaan,Geen dank                             
How much is this?                    Hoeveel kost dit?
Where's the toilet?                    Waar is de WC? Waar is het toilet?
I love you                                Ik hou van je (inf) Ik hou van jou/Ik hou
                                                 van u (frm)   (used only by lovers)
Get well soon                           Beterschap!
Leave me alone!                       Laat me met rust!
Help!                                       Help! Hulp!
Fire!                                        Brand!
Call the police!                         Bel de politie! Haal de politie! Roep de
                                                  politie!
Merry Christmas                       Prettige kerstdagen
and a Happy New Year             en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
                                                 Zalig kerstfeest en Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Happy Easter                           Vrolijk Pasen, Zalige paasdagen, Zalig Pasen
Happy Birthday                        Gelukkige verjaardag
                                               Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag
                                               Fijne Verjaardag
                                               Van Harte Gefeliciteerd
                                               Van Harte Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag
One language is never enough   Eén taal is nooit genoeg
                                               Een enkele taal is nooit genoeg

Shoot Me!12 of 52

I was invited  for my friends' Recognition Day last friday held at Den Haag Stadhuis or City Hall. She finished her Inburgering/ Dutch Course few years ago but only this time that she got her diploma. Normally, the Geemente will just send the Diploma through post or send a letter to the person who finished the course to  pick up the diploma in a certain office. But this time, Geemente Den Haag will hold a special event for this and the official/s(that time with Rabin Baldewsingh, deputy mayor of Den Haag) personally congratulates the person or should I say, the graduates.

SMC School Alumni Homecoming

It's my school alumni homecoming today and wishing I was there. Since I graduated high school way back 1998, I can only remember two times that I attended the said gathering. It is not scheduled every year but every two years. During the last alumni in 2008, It was also the first time I went home to the Philippines but was too busy with other things that's why I felt so sorry to my batchmates for my absence. And now I realized, it's nice to attend again. Crazy, isn't it?Now that I am far, I feel that I missed them. Anyway, I'm so proud to be part of Stella Maris College Batch 1998.

Happy Easter Everyone

It's unpleasant to say but I get used to it since the time I moved here when most people around the world are observing the solemnity of the Holy Week, but here in Netherlands is an ordinary working days. Most shops were open. I guess only the government offices were closed. I felt a little guilty that I even didn't went for a mass in any of the days of the Holy Week because of my work. But Sunday is a usual day for me to attend mass so I went to attend this morning. The celebration was nice that it lasted for about 2 hours. Only at first that I was scared before the mass started when someone came in front of the altar and say something in front of the many people in a language most of us we can't understand and others said he is out of his mind but something crossed in my mind about terrorist story that happened before in the Philippines in a certain celebration like this wherein a church was bombed. So I don't know why I though of that. Good thing some police were outside the church who managed and so the mass ended successfully. The rest of my Easter Sunday specially this afternoon was spent chatting with my family in the Philippines. And since tomorrow is Second Easter( or Tweede(2e) Paasdag), it is still holiday but I have no special plans. I hope most of you had a great Easter celebration. Again, Happy Easter to all.

A Holy Sad Thursday

Holy Week is a time to commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. In the Philippines, it is also an occassion where families get together. I was talking to my cousins few days ago and after hearing their excitement of spending Holy Week in our place makes me jealous. But yesterday afternoon we heard a bad news that my grandfather(we call tatay) died after suffering a lung illness. I feel so helpless now that I wanted to go home but I can't. I don't want to face this kind of situation. It is so difficult being far away from my family specially when someone dies. But anyway, I must accept and treat it on a positive way that my grandpa is now at peace after suffering that illness for more than 15 years.

Shoot Me! 11 of 52

It's thursday again and good thing I remember to update my blog.

Last sunday, a friend of mine from Belgium came to visit me together with her family . We spent the day in Den Haag and showing them nice places like Binnenhoff(where meetings of the Dutch Parliament is located), some museums, and the city itself. Here are some of the photos.