Plopsaland Indoor

Last summer, we treated our little girl. We went to an indoor playground and attraction park of Plopsaland in Coevorden, NL. Kabouter Plop (dwarf Plop) is an entertainer made by the company Studio100 to entertain the Dutch, Belgian and German kids and feeling kids like me and hubby (haha!)

They have lots of other mascots like Mega mindy, K3, Bumba, Amika and many more. Visit the website of Studio100 for more informations.

Here's a pic of me and my daughter with her favourite Kabouter Plop.

And here's the pic of Nia in the car when we are on the way home while hugging her new stuffed toy.

Dutch language course (Inburgeringcursus) is not paid by the city hall anymore?

When you choose to immigrate in the Netherlands, it is REQUIRED to do the inburgeringcursus (dutch language exam). You need to learn the language in order to make your life here easier, talk with the people and live normally.

Yes, you read it right, starting January of 2013, all immigrants who will do the dutch language course will pay the said course by themselves. The Gemeente (City hall) will not pay for it anymore. It is a new law. The over all course estimation will be around 5000 euros (or lower).

I am lucky that I did the course and got the diploma before this law. I think you can get a studiefinanciering (money finance for studying) in IB GROEP. This money is payable after 6 months of getting the inburgering diploma. For more info, check the website of DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs). Hope this article will help you.

***This law is not applicable to all immigrants, some immigrants are NOT REQUIRED to do the said course.*** Check the website of IND or DUO for more informations.

A big mistake!

I applied for a renewal of my Philippine passport last July in the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. It is about 2 hours ride from our place (quite far). They are making the passports in Philippines that's why it will took about 30 - 45 days to get the new one. So we have to go there twice, first for the application and second is for getting it. So last week, we had the time to get it. I was free from work and hubby got the day off just for it.

When I had my passport on my hand, the lady in the embassy asked me to check if all is correct. So I opened it and read, and my birthdate is wrong! So, I said "My birthday date is wrong, instead of Nov. 1, it's Jan. 11". So she immediately checked my application form and she said "Oh, It was your fault".

Yeah, It was really my fault, I did the putting of the date as how they put it here in Holland and I never read and thought that I am in Philippines applying for a Philippine passport.

In Holland it's day before month, so i put 01-11 but in the Philippines, it's month before day, that's why its January 11. And I really felt so stupid (sorry for my word but that is what i felt that time).

Well, they won't change it for free, so what I should do is apply for a new passport and pay 60 euros again (which is 4 times expensive than in Philippines).

I've learned so many lessons on this experience. I promise myself to read everything first before doing something.

Getting a Dutch nationality

I am thinking on getting a dutch passport. I am married to a dutch national and living 3 years in Netherlands, so I can apply for a dutch nationality already.

Netherlands is a country that doesn't allow dual citizenship, but in my case, I am not obliged to surrender my passport to the Dutch goverment since I am married to a dutch national. It is case to case basis.

If you want some informations or questions about this, go to the nearest Gemeente or visit the site of IND.

I hope to get mine soon!

Daddy long legs mosquito?

When I woke up this morning and looked outside, something was on the window, when i looked closely, it is a mosquito, not just an ordinary one but a XXL one. A long legged one with long body. As i searched on the net, it says, it's called Crane fly or daddy long legs.

I immediately got my phone and took a picture of it. I was really amazed!

Rainy summer in Holland

Officially autumn will start on the 21st of September but since summer has started, you can just count the days that the sun has shined and can say, " Wow, I can feel the heat of summer!". This year has wet summer.
And now, im lying on my bed, writing this post while it's raining outside. Well, Holland's weather is really unpredictable.
I'm just hoping for a not-so-cold winter and a very lovely summer weather next year.

3 years

Most people said, the first 3 years in other countries are the biggest adjustments, especially here in NL. Number one of that adjustment is the culture then followed by the language. Dutch is one of the most difficult languages in the world. I am proud of myself that I can communicate now with the people around me (not yet fluently but at least I'm doing my best).

I finished my inburgeringcursus, got my diploma, got a work and now my main goal is to get a EU citizenship and maybe a driving permit.

With my baby Nia (actually she's 2 and half now, not a baby anymore, but she acts like one from time to time) she's going to a peuterspeelzal (kindergarten). She's doing great and growing fast. Here's a new picture of her.

Proud of what she made

Now, I can see myself getting old here in NL.

Inburgering diploma

February of 2010 I took my Inburgering Examen (Integrated Exam) in Zwolle, Netherlands. It consists of 3 exams. Luckily, I passed the said exams and got my Inburgeringsdiploma weeks after. For me, it was one of my few great achivements after 2 years of living here.

If you want some info's about the said exam, try this link. This link helped me a lot, and im sure it will help you too!

Welcome Back!

Hello everyone!

Wow, it has been almost 2 years after my last post, . 2 weeks ago, I deactivated my FB profile and decided to go back into bloging. I miss my bloging friends and my readers.

So to me `WELKOM TERUG JEN´ (welcome back Jen)!