25

The other day I read on Anna's weblog about this list that has been circulating on Facebook. I really never log into my Facebook account anymore, so I was happy to find out about this list through Anna, and am now shamelessly stealing her blog and making my own, because, like Anna, I simply LOVE filling out useless things like this! :P The idea is to write down 25 random things about yourself, so here goes:

(1) I am afraid of scary movies. When I was about 12, my parents took my little brother and me to see Jurassic Park at the movies. I only watched the first 30 minutes and spent the rest of the time with my hood over my head, my eyes closed, my fingers in my ears, and crying. I wouldn't dare to watch the really scary movies like The Grudge, The Exorcist or, God forbid, Hostel, but whenever I do decide to watch a semi-scary movie, like The Ring or Saw, I always, always, regret it afterwards. Even when I saw Signs for the second time I was unable to sleep for a week.

(2) I have some serious obsessive compulsive habits. When locking my bike, I always check to make sure that the lock is secure three times, then I pull at it once, and then I check it again one more time. Only then can I be sure that the bike is actually locked. I also always check the furnace and the carbon dioxide meter three times before going to bed or before leaving the apartment to make sure that there is no gas leaking anywhere into our house.

(3) When people first meet me, they think I am from the U.S. because, apparently, I have some kind of American accent in my Dutch. I didn't try to create this. I am half Dutch and half Spanish and when I am with my family I speak Twents like the best of them.

(4) I am very judgemental. I used to think of it as honesty and then as a funny and quirky side of my personality, but lately I've been thinking that maybe it's just plain rude and insensitive. I kind of wish I would not be a bitter cynic but someone who is positive and always sees the best in people.

(5) When I was about 14 I wanted to be Geri from the Spice Girls and had matching clothes, shoes, purple make-up and blonde and purple hair to prove it. I also used to be a big fan of every bad boy and girl band out there, and must admit that I still kind of like that poppy music.

(6) I never wanted to get braces until I turned 17 and regained my senses, so I spent my entire first serious relationship and the first year and a half at University College Utrecht being a metal mouth. People often say I looked cute, but I think they're all lying.

(7) Due to the braces I now have a serious toothpick fetish. After eating ANYTHING I need to have a toothpick. I always carry them with me. It goes well with my lipbalm addiction which I've had since I was 11. Without lipbalm I really start acting crazy.

(8) I love Italy. Maybe even more than Spain (BLASPHEMY!!!).

(9) I am probably the only woman in the whole world who loves Ernest Hemingway. I LOVE him! We are involved. Come to think of it, besides the obvious British feminist writers like Jane Austen, Mary Shelly and Charlotte Bronte, my favorite writers are all white men like Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, J.D. Salinger, John Osborne, Harold Pinter, Robert Louis Stevenson and Oscar Wilde. Mmm...

(10) I have somehow convinced my boyfriend that it's fair for him to cook, do the dishes, dry the dishes, and clean the kitchen.

(11) Then again, I am responsible for the budget, the groceries, the laundry and the dusting, so really, he should be grateful.

(12) I am trying to eat more spicy food so that I won't die of shock in India on our world trip. Surprisingly, I think I'm doing pretty well! In two years I should be able to eat the least spicy dishes. At least.

(13) I hate nail polish. And lipstick. It's too high maintenance for someone who's as precise as I am. But I did like it when I had red and pink toe nails in the summer.

(14) I seem to be unable not to plan. Or at least that's how other people perceive it. Although I am always busy with some kind of project, I don't think of it as planning, but as day dreaming in great, great detail.

(15) I don't understand why I can plan years ahead, but am still unable to start working on a paper until right before the deadline. Why do I need this pressure in order to write?

(16) I am writing my master's thesis on Social Linguistics and I have no idea why. I hate Linguistics.

(17) I think I'm quite arrogant when it comes to my academic accomplishments. I blame UC.

(18) I am one of those people who only has a handful of friends and doesn't want it any other way. I'm not good at small talk with people who are just acquaintances because I don't really care about meeting new people because I already have friends that are fabulous. So, I'm not as good in social situations as the boyfriend, who must be the king of networking your ass off. I must say I do much better at work, because I do care about education.

(19) This is going to sound very bad, but Jochem's studies bore me to death. I really don't care about Hotel Management! :S But it's nice to see someone so good be at the right place at the right time and really enjoying what he's doing.

(20) I seriously think that I'm not as flexible in certain yoga poses because my legs are much longer than my upper body. So the fact that I can't reach my feet with my hands while keeping my legs straight has really nothing to do with flexibility.

(21) I still absolutely love the soundtrack from The Holiday. Please download it and listen to it because Hans Zimmer is just plain genius. The song "Kisses and Cake" from the movie PS I Love You is also fantastic and my new favorite.

(22) I hate technology. I deal with computers and cell phones because I have to (and okay, with my iPod because it's cool), but I only get new things when my old things have stopped working altogether. I still miss my cell phone and my computer from when I was 17. I hate change.

(23) The other day Jochem and I totally altered our world trip because I simply HAD TO go to Cuba. Because there's a bunch of Hemingway stuff there.

(24) I hate reviews. DESPISE them even. I'm kind of glad that throughout everything I've not become some kind of slave to consumerism thinking that I HAVE TO see this movie and I HAVE TO listen to this music or I HAVE TO wear this outfit. I've always kind of trailed behind the trends and done my own thing; watch the movies I wanted to see even though they'd gotten bad reviews, listen to the music I like despite the fact that it's considered to be bad, and wear the clothes I like and feel comfortable in although it's out of style. It might sound silly, but it gives me a comforting sense of freedom. It must be so tiring to try to keep up with the trends.

(25) After almost seven years of studying I still type with just four fingers. I never learned to use all of them.

And now I'm tired! Time for lunch!

Day 2

Well, at least today I was able to get ready in 'only' an hour and fifteen minutes.

Straight Away

Manchego has arrived!!! :) While I was making the money yesterday from 4 to 6 PM, Jochem and my dad picked him up in Kampen, a tiny little village in the east of the Netherlands. My whole family came to visit: my dad, my mom, who had just come back from a week with her relatives in Spain, and the new homeowners: my little brother Jordi and his girlfriend Silvana. Jochem and I are absolutely in love with him. He is beautiful, sweet, and CRAZY! He has an unstoppable energy that is very funny, but also very tiring. It took me an hour and a half to get dressed today! I've already had to spray water on him three times because he was either taking a very close look at Pasta and Pesto that was making me very uncomfortable, or because he was creating havoc on our desk. We also had a really bad night's sleep, because he was sleeping with us in our bed but actually wants to sleep on top of you in some way. Now, Jochem and I are probably the most restless sleepers you'll ever meet. We keep moving from side to side every few minutes, and our bed is not that big, so we actually have our own blanket because we got so tired of fighting for the one blanket. So in one night Manchego has probably fallen off of us a dozen times, and one time he actually fell out of the bed. It's been pretty wild! Manchego is actually just as bad, because he was sleeping in my lap just now (which allows me to write this blog in the first place) and he just fell off! Luckily he climbed right back up and fell back to sleep, but now I'm kind of scared to wake him up, which I'll have to do soon because I need to have lunch before going to work. I'm just afraid he'll make more mess in my pristine apartment. Of course I know that having a kitten means having a mess, but right now I am in such denial. But I think my straightening days might be over real soon... Can you imagine having kids?!

Blue Monday

According to the news, it's Blue Monday today. You see, after years of pretending that this doesn't concern me in some way, I have started watching the news on a regular basis. Every morning I sit behind my laptop with my yogurt, Cruesli and coffee and watch the latest bulletin online. And apparently, the third Monday of January is the most depressing day of the year. Reasons: bad weather, being broke due to consumerism December and unsuccessful New Year's resolutions. I can add to that:

* Bad weather. The beautiful white landscape of snow, ice and sunny blue skies is gone and has been replaced with a landcape all too familiar to us Dutch people: grey skies, rain, wind, and the kind of temperature that is freezing when you sit still for five seconds together, but incredibly humid once you move. For example when biking to work where you end up arriving covered in sweat and, consequently, freezing the rest of the afternoon.
* School. You think you've got it all under control when you finish a 20+-page teaching project in less than a week. You think you've got more than enough time to finish you 3,000-word research essay on ethnicity in one week, which will result in a two-week break instead of a one-week break (both weeks will be spend on researching your linguistic master thesis, but okay). Then an out-of-control portfolio forces you to come up with a reading list (even though you teach language, not literature) with 36 books that must fit into some crazy guy's matrix of literary competence levels and you end up wasting an entire week on finishing it.
* Work. Your (male) superiors decide to replace a perfectly fine computer system with a new, flashy one. Except they don't do it over the Christmas break, but during work hours, and while it's not even working properly yet. Result: you spent hours trying to figure out a system that is just crap. The students' e-files can't be updated, appointments are suddenly lost, and here comes the best part: unregistered appointments means no salary.
* Health. My shoulder has been killing me and I feel flu-like. I feel nauseous and feverish and I can't get the scary image of a man staring at a woman through her window out of my head. I was just flipping through the channels when I saw this terrifying scene, which is basically my worst nightmare, on tv and this is why I don't watch scary movies! I have to be more careful of that damn tv.

But there are some great things going on here as well:

* Jochem and I are saving up a lot of money! It means being thrifty every second of every day to the point of annoyance and bailing out on exotic summer holidays, but a great world trip is definitely in the making (I REALLY want to go to Tasmania, the Galápagos Islands and Easter Island!).
* Yesterday Jochem and I went to the Vakantiebeurs with my parents and had such a wonderful time. We found great information for our world trip and my dad gave us both these great Indiana Jones hats. I also got a woolen hat from some unpronouncable country between Mongolia and China and I look damn good in it! We had Corona, Cava, Caipirinha, and amazing Thai food. We finished the day at our favorite sushi restaurant. What a great day! :)
* My fundraising is going really well. I planned to raise 37.50 euros for the WSPA, but I already have 75.77 euros. Thanks everyone!
* In one week and one day Jochem is picking up the newest member of our little family: Manchego.
* I got an 8 for my participation, an 8.3 for my presentation, and a 9 (!!!) for my essay for my American Studies class. I am in absolute awe. At least I kick ass at the things that drive me crazy.
* I discovered this weekend that the two other holes that I have in each ear are in fact not closed up, which means that I now have three earrings in each ear again. It came with some pain and a lot of skin irritation, but beauty is pain.
* My little brother and his girlfriend bought a house. An actual house. I am thrilled for them but suddenly feel very immature.

So, it's a tossup really. Only 13 hours, 38 minutes, and 20 twenty seconds till Tuesday.

Contest

Mar won! I gave my little brother a black and white G-STAR RAW beanie for Christmas. She guessed right and first and can expect a poem about her as soon as I can get my butt away from my computer and my literature teaching project.

2009

Happy New Year! Here is an impression of my New Year's Eve:

About My Little Brother

On December 26, 2008 ('Tweede Kerstdag' as we Dutch people call it ;)) my family came to Utrecht to celebrate Christmas with Jochem and me. Jochem and I hosted an extravagant, Italian (of course) six-course dinner and we opened Christmas presents under our Christmas tree. We had drawn names and I bought my little brother Jordi a present. I also wrote him the poem that I included below. Now, totally stealing Anna's idea from her website, I would like you to guess which present I ended up giving him (I just thought of this since the poem doesn't say which present I actually bought him). The one who guesses right first will receive a small poem by me. You know, for when I'm famous when I grow up. :P But don't expect more than ten lines, seriously, as I am on my mini sabbatical.

About My Little Brother

Let me tell you about my little brother
I call him little even though he is tall
Yes I call him my little brother
But he is the tallest of us all

My little brother has brown hair and dark eyes
And likes to dress the part
He is also sweet and considerate
And, despite his accent, very, very smart

There are three things that my little brother loves most
Besides his girlfriend Sil
Cars, hardcore music and video games
Although I have never understood the thrill

World of War Craft is my little brother’s favorite
Oh yes he loves that game
But he dislikes a lot of other things
He thinks that almost everything is lame

But I would not say that my little brother is a negative man
He has a heart of gold
He cares for his family and his friends
Although he is a little spoiled…

By this I mean that my little brother still lives at home
Where his Mom and Dad keep the house clean
Besides a fried egg he does not know how to cook
And he has never used the dryer or the washing machine

My little brother likes to live in Almelo
He thinks the town is grand
There are so many things about my little brother
That I will never understand

But then again my little brother does not understand me either
He thinks I read too many books
He probably thinks that I should finally get a real job
And start focusing on my looks

My little brother’s girlfriend Silvana
Seems to make him very happy
And together with their dog and cat
They form the perfect little family

They hope to buy a house real soon
And I hope that they succeed
I am sure that it will be a warm and loving home
I just wonder what they will eat…

For Christmas my little brother asked for three things
One was perfume by Armani
But I do not understand why he likes the stuff
Because he hates to go to Italy

He also asked for a pair of Bjorn Börg boxers
Whose designs are expensive and rare
But I just did not feel very comfortable
Picking out my little brother’s underwear

He also requested a G-STAR RAW hat
A so-called beanie black and fair
Probably not because he likes the look
But because he hates to brush his hair

I have the right to be a little mean
As my little brother’s big sis
The teasing is almost over
But what I still have left to say is this:

My little brother is also crazy about his Spanish heritage
He likes it very much
But now he does not like his surname Sijbesma
He thinks it is too Dutch
But the most important thing that you should know
About my little brother
Is that I love him very, very much

Mini Autobiography

On November 18, 2008 I had to write a so-called Mini Autobiography for my American Studies class called Topics in American Diversity: Ethnic Experience in Multicultural Context (I am telling you, these elitist Humanities professors and their class descriptions are like impotent men with their Ferraris - they think: 'the longer, the better'). The idea was to reflect on our own multicultural history so as to deepen our studies about American multiculturalism. Now, I am as much of a fan of 'talking out of your ass'-assignments as the next girl, but not being graded on extra homework is quite another thing. But since I have absolutely no energy to write anything new on this blog as I am at the moment far too busy procrastinating during my Christmas break, I figured I could reproduce it here.



I have been living in Utrecht for the past six years, but originally I am from Almelo. Almelo is a city in the east of the Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the region called Twente. Quite a few stereotypes are linked to this particular part of the country, and not all of them are positive. People from Twente, including my own family, speak with a thick accent and are often considered to be somewhat harsh. I can relate to these stereotypes. I lived in Almelo for eighteen years, fourteen years in the same suburban area, and pretty much hated every second of it. To me the city felt too small for my big dreams and I thought the people were prejudiced, irrational and small-minded. I also severely disliked the accent and wanted to get rid of it. I could not wait to leave and after finally receiving my high school diploma after six long years, I left for Utrecht to study Humanities at University College.

Neither of my parents were originally from Almelo. My father was born and raised in Wierden, which is a small town next to Almelo. His father had traveled from the island of Terschelling to the province of Friesland to the small town of Wierden. Eventually the entire family, my grandfather, my grandmother, my father and his seven siblings, moved to Almelo when my father was in his teens. My mother made an even bigger journey. She moved to Almelo from Spain when she was eight years old. She came from a city called Terrazza, one of the suburbs of Barcelona, but her parents originally came from Andalusía, a province in the south of Spain. Together with her parents and little brother my mother arrived in the Netherlands in the 1960s and my grandparents started working as so-called guest workers in the factories in the east and a couple of years later a younger sister was born. Eventually my parents got married and my Spanish-born uncle also married a Dutch wife. My Spanish grandparents, however, missed their homeland and soon after my two cousins, my little brother and I were born, they eventually moved back to Spain, taking my aunt with them, who was then just a teenager, and leaving their two oldest children behind in a ‘foreign’ country. Many Spanish guest workers did the same, and although there are still certain Spanish traces in the east, they are few.

I remember feeling very special as a child for being a half blood, as we used to call it. My brother and I thought it was much more fascinating than the ‘boring’ backgrounds of our Dutch peers. We were given Spanish names from the province of Cataluña, Nuria and Jordi, which made us stand out even more and forced us to spell our names and correctly pronounce them basically every single time, but we got used to it. We were crazy about our Spanish family and visited them often, sometimes more than once a year. I also clearly remember feeling more Spanish than Dutch and really connecting to Spanish culture. Moreover, a lot of Turkish and Marrocan people had moved to the area when I was a teenager, so I was used to being surrounded by people with different backgrounds. Although these ‘foreigners’ generally had a bad reputation, I saw no harm in them.

I first became intersted in the U.S. at University College. Many nationalities were represented at the international campus and I quickly befriended several Dutch and American friends who are still my friends to this day. After spending over eighteen years worth of summer holidays in Spain, I wanted something different, so in the summer of 2003 my Dutch friends and I visited our American friends in California. We stayed for a three-week road trip and since then I have been hooked. In 2004 my friends and I spent a semester abroad at the University of California, myself at UCLA. Although it was a rewarding experience, I did notice a shift in attitude. At the end of six months I wanted to go home and suddenly felt very misplaced in American culture for being so, well, ‘Dutch’. It was an unexpected feeling because I never really felt connected to Dutch culture up until then. According to my old professor Nicole Reith this was due to culture shock, and had I stayed in the U.S. for a year or longer, I would eventually have adapted, but I have doubts about this claim. Since then I have felt more Dutch than Spanish. My accent now only resurfaces when I am back home with the rest of my family and many people think that I am from the U.S. when they first meet me. During my first year at University College I tried to get rid of my accent, and somehow, over time, I did and many find my current speech somewhat odd, even though I definately did not plan on sounding English or American. I find it slightly ironic.

This does not take away a continuing interest in the U.S. After graduating from University College I started studying English at Utrecht University. I finished a minor in American Studies, spent a month in New York last summer and almost enrolled in the American Studies master program, but my wish of some day becoming a teacher stopped me. Therefore, I am all the more grateful to be able to take this class.

About Tom and Danielle's Wedding

Well. Writing a blog about Tom and Danielle's wedding has become a task of Olympic proportions. I wanted to write a piece that was informing, yet interesting, while also funny. But I just haven't been able to find the words to describe that wonderful day and that great week. And with the wedding having happened over two months ago, my planned blog about it has become more and more a mute point. Suffice it to say that it was sublime. With nothing but the old "a picture says more than a thousand words"-cliché to back me up here, I hereby present to you my favorite pictures of that time instead.

Tom and Danielle during the ceremony

with my groomsman Tyler right after the 'walking down the isle'-thing (beer and champagne were in order after so much pressure ;))

with my fellow bridesmaid and best friend Anna after the ceremony

Jochem and I with Anna and Ashwin after the ceremony

with Anna and good friend Derek after the ceremony

with Jochem, Anna, Ashwin, Derek, Tom and Danielle at Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara the day after the wedding (where I burned my legs a nice shade of red. Again. Sooooo Carmel summer 2006...)

Kitty Update

Here is a picture and a video from when Jochem and I visited our kitty on November 14, 2008 in Kampen.