#des indes

[immigrant-rob]

Moving to the freezer 🍁

Hello from Canada, where the weather is just as bipolar as Katy Perry's Hot 'n Cold song. In the past 3 days I have already seen people with hats, gloves, skirts, shorts, warm winter boots and slippers. Upon arriving it was 5 degrees Celsius and raining. Weather prediction for Friday is highs op 28 degrees. A lot to get used to.

A small side note, I will continue to use the superior metric and centigrade system as the Canadians apparently can't decide on which measurement system they prefer to use. Road distances are measured in kilometers, a door height in feet and inches. All weight is measured in pounds, but driving speed in kilometers per hour. Very confusing.

Last week Monday the movers arrived and cleared the house. This was a bit worrying as we lived in a furnished house, and thus had to make sure they would not take what did not belong to us. We briefly considered telling them to clear the house out, and losing our deposit. After all, our deposit was probably a 10th of the nice furniture in the house and it would solve us a lot of hassle of buying new stuff. Luckily all went well and we believe everything that should've stayed remained. Who knows, maybe in 2 months we will unwrap some surprise gifts from the 23 cubic meters, or is it 812 cubic foot 🤔...

So once the house was raided we got to stay in a hotel we could pick from a list provided by Naomi's work. Obviously, if such an opportunity arises you select the one for the coolest experience. We ended up staying in Hotel des Indes. While Naomi still had to work, I finished up the last jobs in NL and roamed around the old center of The Hague to soak it in one last time. Arguably, the best attribute of our hotel was that it was so close to Laura's work, which allowed me to meet up with her for lunch on multiple occasions.

Then Saturday came, and it was time for departure. It was great seeing Laura, Kevin and Lars come to the airport and wave us off. After some chats and tears, it was finally time to leave. The repatriation came with business class tickets, which is a game changer for long distance travelling in my opinion. Lounge access prior to departure with lots of free food! A seat that allows you the completely recline and stretch out! Proper cutlery 😱😱😱! Never did I think an upgrade would make such a difference. But I remain with both feet on the ground. This experience probably got me my one and only KLM house. Next time back it's back to peasant class.

Upon arrival Naomi's parents picked us up and drove us around to get groceries. A big thank you to them for all their help and starter care packages. Today we have finally settled in to our 40m2 (431 sq ft) apartment where we will stay till our shipment arrives, hopefully within the next 8-10 weeks. Location is superb, right in down town. It's a 10 minute walk away from Naomi's work, and about 20 minutes to the library where I will mostly likely spend my time the coming months preparing for the PCE exam. The picture below is from one of our walks, and reminds me of the beautiful nature this country has to offer. Rockies in the distance!

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[raniakouros]

The Royal Den Haag - Hotel Des Indes

This past weekend was my last in The Hague, NL... Bidding farewell to the elegance of a city so perfect and so strange in its own way.

We are accustomed to changes as a family, it is how we operated for many years now! The nature of my fathers occupation has often kept us on the move.

One would think we'd be impermeable to the consequences of constantly shifting... Mentalities, moods, perceptions... One would think we would be used to goodbyes, to new beginnings, to leaving people behind... The truth is that we really are not! 

Change is a beautiful thing and yet so vicious and painful at the same time. New beginnings are always terrifying while they demand that you prove yourself again and again amidst an environment strange and odd.

Fitting in becomes even difficult when you return back home as change has now altered you so much that your piece can no longer fit the usual puzzle.

I got used by now, you see, to goodbyes and farewells.. So many of those I've had to experience over the years.

Some harder than others and yet all drowned in the sea of time... Faded, forgotten...

But the mind gets agile and sharp with this constant change ... It develops and evolves! Never stays still and always craves for more. Like a drug almost we now seek for new adventures ...

We travel the world and we merge into other cultures and practices. We let them teach us, inspire and influence us. We become open and diverse, we see no colours but minds and abilities. We transcend boundaries and we ignore artificial social constraints.

One could say we are free and with souls full of experiences and lusting for more... We even neglect how strong we become out of this and how much wealthier in character and skills...

This post is to commemorate the beauty and horror of change because it's oddly special... and what a better way than with a “royal breakfast”...

Sunday morning and we find ourselves in hotel Des Indes commemorating the last 4 years with a glorious breakfast under the high Dutch baroque ceiling of an old palace turned into a hotel...

Tradition, detail, emotion all is there celebrating with us... 

With a glass of Champagne for the appropriate toast and with a plate full of endless goodness i chose to close this chapter on my behalf...

Because at the end of the day, every book has chapters and when these chapters come to end, all we can do is to keep on reading ...

and don’t forget... life is but a glass half full ... of bubbles :) 

[parcellingdissertationawards]

Indian Cooking Class Check

It's a stunning restaurant merely it's multitude more ex the sum of its palms and antiques; there is, after all, the provender. La Porte des Indes truly is a door to India. It's celebrated for good reason: its anonymous shell hides an exotic oasis just around the oriel from Marble Arcade Underground status. Its model is almost distracting, so my advice is until come a little early in kidney to relax and sip your cloud and admire this icon of Sub continental charm. This series in relation with Indian food-and-wine pairing masterclasses is unique. Officialdom are conducted by award- defeating Chef Mehernosh Mody (Ethnic Employer of the Year for 2012 - The Craft Guild of Chefs). Right, he is conveniently recognised cause one of the best Indian chefs in the UK, perhaps the people, but don't expect a superficial, university and over-worthy display of this man's talents. He is charming, funny and enjoys jolly intertwining with his guests. Chef Mehernosh and wine expert Jacqueline Kay in respect to Berkmann Wine Cellars have joined together with these once-monthly food and wine pairing masterclasses. It's a myth to speculate that the only thing to drink with Indian food is a bucketful of lager. Many people absolutely have a glass of water as well as their lint but neither of the above in reality enhances food. A well-chosen bordeaux helps to bring forward the flavours of the spices and other ingredients, and the advice that Jacqueline gives will translate to other cuisines. Government Director Sherin Alexander will show you around the restaurant kitchen. Even those who partake of attended Indian cooking classes at other restaurants will find an Indian kitchen a little different. The tandoors stand in a sweltering rank, the garnish station offers exotic carved centerpieces and there is a granite stimulate grinder that would do Stonehenge proud. You will meet some of the chefs and decide naan bread dried-up before your very eyes. Straight from the tandoor, it doesn't come fresher than this. Sherin will leave other self in the main restaurant with Chef Mehernosh. This is a shirring demonstration but you can leave your seat and have a closer look into the cooking pot, and number one brute force happen to be invited to stir the contents with a while. The chef hand down tell you about the spices unnew and how they are win prepared; why you need so as to blister them late; male person will also tell you about the recapitulation of the food. You'll be able to take in as several dishes are prepared and you will taste the fruits of the aforementioned labours regardless a glass with regard to wine. Jacqueline will give you guidance about which basket upon wine works best with which spices. Those samples of La Porte des Indes dishes are not all that you will move invited in order to eat. The Indian furnace heating classes package includes a full teatime and they won't want to miss that. The food is a delight with us and the presentation outstanding. You inane with a gulp even so you arrived flawlessly take free time to finish in the same fashion. Graze on your starter and ferlie at the glass-domed ceiling, savour your up to conduit course while enjoying the murals, and be mesmerised over the sound on the waterfall (yes, there is yes a 2-storey-high water feature) as himself are tempted by a microfiche touching desserts. La Porte des Indes is a satyric response to stimuli whether for just lunch, dinner aureateness the famous Holiday Brunch; but adds a Friday cooking class to that break bread with and you partake of a memorable sequel. Endowment certificates are available which could solve your Yuletide quick wit dilemma so that several family members. They will pull up stakes by dint of a deeper understanding of the violent change speaking of Indian food and its connectedness with wine, the La Porte des Indes Cookbook which has been graphometric hereby Sherin Alexander and Paterfamilias Mehernosh Mody (get autographs while as things are), memories of a delicious meal, and a reflection modernistic the diary as far as come back forasmuch as coffee klatch.<\p>