Second Holland Holiday (3)
Christmas morning we woke up, looked around, and decided that we really shouldn't have put all the work off until this morning! I
can't remember what we drank the night before, but my head was NOT in the cleaning mood! Since I really didn't want to cause any
of his family food poisoning on Christmas, I told Marco to go to the kitchen and worry about all of the food, and to leave the
cleaning to me. Damn, his home was so clean and pretty when I first arrived, and there is no way we managed to mess it up this
badly in just 2 days. That's it, somehow Santas elves must have snuck in and had themselves a little party while we were sleeping.
hahaha. I started in one corner and worked my way to the other. When the cleaning was done, I went around and put out as many
little Holiday things as I could, to make up for the lack of a tree.
We finally after about 4 solid hours of working got to sit down and relax. That's when we noticed how cold it was in his house.
Apparently the heater hadn't kicked on all morning, but we were both so busy running around getting stuff done and then getting
ready that we never noticed. Marco went upstairs and tried to figure out what was going on and I sat there with my hands over a
candle to keep my fingers from falling off. I felt so bad for him, he worked so hard to get everything perfect for his family, and now
the stupid heater wasn't working.
Conny was the first one to arrive, she said Jan had to go get something and would be here shortly. Her and I sat in the living
room trying to stay warm as Marco was still trying to fix the heater. A few minutes later Jan walked in with a plastic bag and a big
smile on his face. His nose was all red from the cold outside so he looked like Santa Claus! hahaha And when he opened the bag, I
saw he WAS Santa. He opened it up and pulled out a miniature fully decorated Christmas Tree. Yay! He said he went over to his
Mother's house and borrowed it from her so I would have a Christmas Tree. (Didn't I tell you he was totally cool?!) I was so happy,
but a little freaked out over how Marco would react, already having not such a good day with his broken heater. Conny and I set up
the tree and Jan went to see if he could help Marco. I was just sitting there with a big smile on my face as Marco walked into the
living room. Uh oh, there was no way he wouldn't see the tree. His face was already as frustrated as it could be yet somehow
managed to become worse when he saw the tree. I swear he was just like Scrooge, mumbling under his breath at this horrible thing
in his own home. But, after a while he was over there straightening the decorations on it, so it wasn't as horrible as he thought it
would be.
They still hadn't fixed the heat when John and Irene showed up (his brother and sister-in-law). So while the women all sat in the
living room, the guys were up trying to fix it. They were talking about just moving everything across the street to his sister's house
and giving up on trying to get it to work. I just sat there thinking, "omigosh please don't do that, he planned and worked so hard to
make this day a good one .... don't take that away." Jan had gone and brought us a portable heater to keep in the living room, which
was helping, but we could still see our breath when we talked. Finally one of their neighbors, Arnie, came over and helped. In no
time at all it was working. Yay! So now with the drama over we were finally gonna get to begin the day together.
John and Irene were really nice. It was easy to see who was the older brother by the way Marco and John played together. And
yes, they really did play. Marco started taking out all of his toys that I had given him and showing them one by one. The two of them
both sitting there fishing on their handheld fishing games, with as much intensity as if they were out in the middle of the ocean
reeling in a whale, was funny as hell to watch! And poor Marco, even though I laughed every single time, was getting picked on and
teased by John non-stop. It really was funny, because I could just tell that this is how it was their entire life. hahaha I'm laughing
now just thinking about it. Poor Marcotje! =P Conny was playing with all of the toys that sang or talked and just laughing and
laughing. It sounded like walking down the isle at a store when every toy was turned on at the same time!
The day really turned out to be wonderful. I had such an incredible time being there with his family. They are truly very nice and
caring people. They had me laughing all day long. And the food was great! Omigosh he made so much food! There were only a few
things that I recognized, so I would still have to ask what it was before I put it on my plate. I liked just about everything, I think
there were only one or two things that I didn't care for. (and of course that is when he would call me a Culture Barbarian! hahaha)
By the time everyone left that night I was sitting there thinking .... I was glad I came and I had no regrets over my decision to be
without my family. I wouldn't have traded this day for the world.
The next day I can easily, without a doubt say, contained the most uncomfortable four hours of my entire life. Far worse than the
original silence that was between Marco and I. What started out as pure joy, turned quickly into my own personal Hell-on-earth. We
went to visit Marco's Grandmother (Oma). She lives very close to Marco and Conny, only about 1 or 2 miles away. I knew before
going that she didn't speak any English, although Conny said she was trying to teach her a few words before I came. But, that was
ok, I would have Marco and his family there to translate so it would work out fine. Besides, when I was younger, about 5-7 years
old, we had an old couple that lived next door to us that spoke only Italian, no English at all. Yet I remember sitting outside with
them for hours at a time, every day, talking, not understanding one word we said to each other, drinking my orange soda that they
would give me, and loving every minute of it. So this would be just fine.
Marco and I arrived before anyone else (remember, he's prompt). His Uncle that lives with his Grandma greeted us at the door,
and also spoke no English. When we walked into the living room and I saw his Grandma sitting there, I immediately got tears in my
eyes. She was so much like my own Grandma. Small and thin, same hair style, same hair color, glasses, coordinating 'grandma
clothes', and of course the accessorized matching jewelry. She smiled at Marco, the same kind of smile my Grandma smiled at me.
And when she offered us food and something to drink within 30 seconds of being there, I had to laugh. Even though my Grandma
was not with me, every single thing that Marco's Grandma did reminded me of her.
The living room had chairs, a sofa and a loveseat. I chose to sit on the loveseat and when Marco sat his ass down on the sofa at
the other end, I quickly told him to up and move it next to me. NOW! hahaha I knew there would be more people coming, and I
really didn't want to sit next to someone that I didn't know, especially if they didn't speak English. We were there for about a half
hour or so, just the four of us. There was a lot of smiling and nodding of heads between me and his Uncle and Grandma, but
obviously no conversation. Then his cousin and 2 daughters arrived. None of whom spoke English. So, I still sat there, smiling and
nodding, not understanding one word that was being said, and not having anything translated to me by Marco. After a little while
more of his relatives arrived. This time only one Aunt spoke English. By now I was starting to really feel uncomfortable, but I was
hanging in there, patiently waiting, because I knew that any minute Conny and Jan would be arriving. I finally asked Marco when
they should be here, and he said, "Oh, they were here early this morning, they won't be here this afternoon. And John and Irene
wouldn't be here either." All I could think of when he told me that was, "FUCK!" I drank down the last of my beer in one continuous
drink, I was gonna need to be as un-sober as I could in order to make it through this day. Continue
can't remember what we drank the night before, but my head was NOT in the cleaning mood! Since I really didn't want to cause any
of his family food poisoning on Christmas, I told Marco to go to the kitchen and worry about all of the food, and to leave the
cleaning to me. Damn, his home was so clean and pretty when I first arrived, and there is no way we managed to mess it up this
badly in just 2 days. That's it, somehow Santas elves must have snuck in and had themselves a little party while we were sleeping.
hahaha. I started in one corner and worked my way to the other. When the cleaning was done, I went around and put out as many
little Holiday things as I could, to make up for the lack of a tree.
We finally after about 4 solid hours of working got to sit down and relax. That's when we noticed how cold it was in his house.
Apparently the heater hadn't kicked on all morning, but we were both so busy running around getting stuff done and then getting
ready that we never noticed. Marco went upstairs and tried to figure out what was going on and I sat there with my hands over a
candle to keep my fingers from falling off. I felt so bad for him, he worked so hard to get everything perfect for his family, and now
the stupid heater wasn't working.
Conny was the first one to arrive, she said Jan had to go get something and would be here shortly. Her and I sat in the living
room trying to stay warm as Marco was still trying to fix the heater. A few minutes later Jan walked in with a plastic bag and a big
smile on his face. His nose was all red from the cold outside so he looked like Santa Claus! hahaha And when he opened the bag, I
saw he WAS Santa. He opened it up and pulled out a miniature fully decorated Christmas Tree. Yay! He said he went over to his
Mother's house and borrowed it from her so I would have a Christmas Tree. (Didn't I tell you he was totally cool?!) I was so happy,
but a little freaked out over how Marco would react, already having not such a good day with his broken heater. Conny and I set up
the tree and Jan went to see if he could help Marco. I was just sitting there with a big smile on my face as Marco walked into the
living room. Uh oh, there was no way he wouldn't see the tree. His face was already as frustrated as it could be yet somehow
managed to become worse when he saw the tree. I swear he was just like Scrooge, mumbling under his breath at this horrible thing
in his own home. But, after a while he was over there straightening the decorations on it, so it wasn't as horrible as he thought it
would be.
They still hadn't fixed the heat when John and Irene showed up (his brother and sister-in-law). So while the women all sat in the
living room, the guys were up trying to fix it. They were talking about just moving everything across the street to his sister's house
and giving up on trying to get it to work. I just sat there thinking, "omigosh please don't do that, he planned and worked so hard to
make this day a good one .... don't take that away." Jan had gone and brought us a portable heater to keep in the living room, which
was helping, but we could still see our breath when we talked. Finally one of their neighbors, Arnie, came over and helped. In no
time at all it was working. Yay! So now with the drama over we were finally gonna get to begin the day together.
John and Irene were really nice. It was easy to see who was the older brother by the way Marco and John played together. And
yes, they really did play. Marco started taking out all of his toys that I had given him and showing them one by one. The two of them
both sitting there fishing on their handheld fishing games, with as much intensity as if they were out in the middle of the ocean
reeling in a whale, was funny as hell to watch! And poor Marco, even though I laughed every single time, was getting picked on and
teased by John non-stop. It really was funny, because I could just tell that this is how it was their entire life. hahaha I'm laughing
now just thinking about it. Poor Marcotje! =P Conny was playing with all of the toys that sang or talked and just laughing and
laughing. It sounded like walking down the isle at a store when every toy was turned on at the same time!
The day really turned out to be wonderful. I had such an incredible time being there with his family. They are truly very nice and
caring people. They had me laughing all day long. And the food was great! Omigosh he made so much food! There were only a few
things that I recognized, so I would still have to ask what it was before I put it on my plate. I liked just about everything, I think
there were only one or two things that I didn't care for. (and of course that is when he would call me a Culture Barbarian! hahaha)
By the time everyone left that night I was sitting there thinking .... I was glad I came and I had no regrets over my decision to be
without my family. I wouldn't have traded this day for the world.
The next day I can easily, without a doubt say, contained the most uncomfortable four hours of my entire life. Far worse than the
original silence that was between Marco and I. What started out as pure joy, turned quickly into my own personal Hell-on-earth. We
went to visit Marco's Grandmother (Oma). She lives very close to Marco and Conny, only about 1 or 2 miles away. I knew before
going that she didn't speak any English, although Conny said she was trying to teach her a few words before I came. But, that was
ok, I would have Marco and his family there to translate so it would work out fine. Besides, when I was younger, about 5-7 years
old, we had an old couple that lived next door to us that spoke only Italian, no English at all. Yet I remember sitting outside with
them for hours at a time, every day, talking, not understanding one word we said to each other, drinking my orange soda that they
would give me, and loving every minute of it. So this would be just fine.
Marco and I arrived before anyone else (remember, he's prompt). His Uncle that lives with his Grandma greeted us at the door,
and also spoke no English. When we walked into the living room and I saw his Grandma sitting there, I immediately got tears in my
eyes. She was so much like my own Grandma. Small and thin, same hair style, same hair color, glasses, coordinating 'grandma
clothes', and of course the accessorized matching jewelry. She smiled at Marco, the same kind of smile my Grandma smiled at me.
And when she offered us food and something to drink within 30 seconds of being there, I had to laugh. Even though my Grandma
was not with me, every single thing that Marco's Grandma did reminded me of her.
The living room had chairs, a sofa and a loveseat. I chose to sit on the loveseat and when Marco sat his ass down on the sofa at
the other end, I quickly told him to up and move it next to me. NOW! hahaha I knew there would be more people coming, and I
really didn't want to sit next to someone that I didn't know, especially if they didn't speak English. We were there for about a half
hour or so, just the four of us. There was a lot of smiling and nodding of heads between me and his Uncle and Grandma, but
obviously no conversation. Then his cousin and 2 daughters arrived. None of whom spoke English. So, I still sat there, smiling and
nodding, not understanding one word that was being said, and not having anything translated to me by Marco. After a little while
more of his relatives arrived. This time only one Aunt spoke English. By now I was starting to really feel uncomfortable, but I was
hanging in there, patiently waiting, because I knew that any minute Conny and Jan would be arriving. I finally asked Marco when
they should be here, and he said, "Oh, they were here early this morning, they won't be here this afternoon. And John and Irene
wouldn't be here either." All I could think of when he told me that was, "FUCK!" I drank down the last of my beer in one continuous
drink, I was gonna need to be as un-sober as I could in order to make it through this day. Continue
