Little Lake House Family Trip

The Family Vacation…..A time honored tradition for many families.  As children, we piled into the minivan for what seemed to be an endless drive to reach our final destination.  Perhaps this is what began my early interest in travel.  This summer, my siblings and I planned a family trip to Michigan together.  It started as a belated birthday gift for my mother and turned out to be a gift to all of us as well.  We had an opportunity to relax, enjoy nature, catch up with one another, and laugh.  We traveled from Massachusettes, New York, Georgia, and Ohio.  Because of our large numbers, we had to search  all over to find a rental property that could accommodate about 14 people.  We found a spot in the little vacation town of Mears, Michigan around Silver Lake.  This website turned out to be a great resource for finding reasonably priced vacation rentals near the coast of Lake Michigan. 

Silver Lake with huge dunes in the background

I will admit that some of us were skeptical about going to a lake.  What is there to do?  Won't our kids be bored sitting around a lake and some sand dunes?  We were relieved to find out that there were enough activities to keep everyone happy.  We all had a surprisingly great time at the sand dunes.  We went swimming at Lake Michigan.  The kids found paddleboat and go-carts to enjoy.  In addition, there is just something calm and relaxing about the lake.  My father was happy to sit by the water with his fishing rod.  We all found ourselves keeping him company as well because it was just the perfect spot to be.  

our lake house rental accommodated 16 guest

sunrise

a family of swans joined us for a few minutes. 

this was our backyard for the weekend

I have been blessed to travel a lot in the past year to locations around the world.  I've taken 2 solo trips.  Those have all been special, but nothing compares to time with family.  I'm grateful that we made a conscious effort to come together for the weekend.  By the way, I don't have photos of their faces because I didn't get everyone's approval and I don't want them avoiding me every time I take out a camera in the future! 

We toured the large Sand Dunes in one of these scooters

cartwheels in the sand

The sand dunes really were beautiful

our kids were happy splashing around in the lake behind the house

fishing with Daddy

Amsterdam Black Heritage Tour

The Black Heritage Tour in Amsterdam

This week I took a Black Heritage Tour in Amsterdam led by Jennifer Tosch.  This tour experience was well researched and uniquely presented with a combination of a walking presentation, a canal boat ride, a museum visit, and a theatrical presentation.  The theatrical presentation is not a regular part of the weekly tour, but I found it to add depth and creative thought to the tour as a whole. 

We began with a simple premise: Black history DOES NOT begin with slavery.  This is an important premise all over the world.  People who have historically been enslaved were significant to this world PRIOR to the time when Europeans saw them as commodities.  We toured a section of Amsterdam where Blacks lived.  We began outside of the home of legendary artist Rembrandt, and were shown an example of Rembrandt's work in which he painted his black neighbors. 

The connection between the Dutch and the slave trade was largely highlighted during this tour.  While this is not something that is highlighted within Dutch education or well known amongst Dutch people, The Dutch held a monopoly controlling the slave trade for over 100 years until the 18th century.  The Netherlands is not commonly thought of for its participation in slavery.  After all, you will not find huge tobacco farm or plantations where the enslaved labored and lived in this country as you will in Southern American states.  Slavery was outlawed in The Netherlands much earlier than within the US, although this was not strictly enforced. We were shown examples of artwork and portraits from the 17th century in Amsterdam.  

the presence of this black servant in the portrait is symbolic of wealth 

Having a Black servant was such a powerful sign of wealth, that the servants can be seen in several portraits and paintings of that time.  It should also be noted that many of these “servants” were actually enslaved men and women. It is also noteworthy that slave labor was practiced abroad in Dutch Colonies such as South Africa, Madagascar, and Surinam. The biggest impact of the slave industry on the Dutch may be in the tremendous wealth that it brought to the wealthy people of Amsterdam and the Dutch economy.  This wealth came in the form of profits for plantation ownership abroad, the shipmaking industry, and money acquired directly from the sale of Africans to slave owners in the Americas.  

During my free walking tour of Amsterdam (a separate tour than the BHT), our group stopped by a large building that was the former home of the West Indian Company (WIC).  Our tour guide informed us of the impressive spice trade that both the East and West Indian Trade Companies conducted.  We were told of how the WIC became one of the first stock markets allowing individuals to buy shares of their companies.  We were NOT told of how the company acquired great wealth selling slaves. In fact, I learned that the spices and colonial goods such as sugar, cotton, and textiles where used by the WIC to trade with African countries for human laborers.  In addition to cargo ships full of spices, the Dutch found the demand for human cargo in the form of enslaved Africans was also a lucrative business.  We learned that the Dutch began to convert the ships that were originally designed to carry spices and other cargo into slave ships.  Other countries such as Spain and Portugal turned to the Dutch to purchase these cargo ships for their own participation in slave trade as well.  

This is model of a cargo ship in Amsterdam. Ships like this were converted into slave ships 

During the Black Heritage Tour, we visited Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.  Within the art collections, you may find several symbolic references to the Dutch influence on the slave trade.  The symbolism included Elmina castle, a massive fort in Ghana, West Africa where captured individuals were held before being transported to the Americas to be enslaved.  Additionally, some pieces include slave ships or crest and building gables with lions to show the power and influence in African countries.  

the African figures on top of this historic building in Amsterdam is symbolic of the slave trade 

Connecting the Pieces

Why is this topic significant to me?  This is a significant part of my own heritage.  As an African American woman, it is likely that my ancestors arrived in America as a result of the slave trade.  In the 1990s as a teen, I visited Ghana in West Africa and the country of South Africa.  In Ghana, we went to a castle where captured men and women where held in cramped rooms in captivity before exiting the “door of no return” on the way to a life of enslavement beyond the Atlantic.   Although the castle was built by the Portuguese, the Dutch also owned this castle for a period of time and profited from the slave trade conducted here.  In South Africa, I learned a few words in one of the countries main languages “Afrikaans”.  Afrikaans is a language closely related to Dutch and is a remnant of Dutch colonialism in South Africa.  The Dutch are responsible for bringing thousands of enslaved people to this part of the world.  Therefore, I can see the racial tension of present day South Africa as an additional remnant of Dutch influence.  

Elmina Castle, a slave castle in Ghana, West Africa 

I am glad to have taken the Black Heritage Tour.  In every society, there are parts of history that people proclaim proudly as a badge of honor and parts that people sweep under the carpet.  It seems to me that the tremendous impact that the Dutch had on the slave industry falls into the latter category.  The profits and wealth acquired due to participation in this industry are undeniable.  Amsterdam is a really beautiful city.  The canals and historic buildings are picturesque and mesmerizing.  However, this tour reminded me that much of the beauty of the city was indirectly built upon the backs of unappreciated human laborers. Be sure to check out Black heritage tours when visiting Amsterdam, Brussels, or New York City. Visithttp://www.blackheritagetours.com  for more information 

built on the backs of human laborers

A photo from the beautiful city of Amsterdam 

History, Haarlem, and Hookers- Day 1 and 2 in The Netherlands

Day 1- Amsterdam

I arrived early around 8am.  I was very pleased to have a quick and calm visit to customs officers.  It was a sharp contrast to my 2 hours of chaotic lines in Kuwait's airport the night before.  I dropped my bags off at my hostel and set off for a walking tour.  In case you are wondering, a hostel is a low priced hotel in which you share accommodation with others.  I stayed in a four person dorm with 3 people from Brazil who were traveling together.  The four of us shared a room and a bathroom.  I found my new Brazilian acquaintances to be friendly and it certainly didn't hurt that guy (there were 2 girls and 1 guy) was quite a hottie :) I chose to try a hostel in an effort to keep my budget low because the cost was about half the price of other hotels in the area.

After dropping my luggage off in a locker at the hostel,  I walked a few blocks to find Dam Square, a major gathering place in Amsterdam.  In this area, I joined other tourist who were gathering for a free walking tour.  If you are ever visiting a new city, I suggest checking to see if they offer a free walking tour.  I am learning that they give a lot of the same information you would get on tours that you pay for.  It's nice to give the guide a good tip after.  The guide for my tour gave a good history of Amsterdam's government.  He talked in detail about Dutch Imperialism and influence throughout the world.  A huge influence of this can be seen in New York City, which was originally settled by the Dutch and was previously called New Amsterdam.  I am spending part of my visit in Haarlem, which is the what Harlem, New York is named after.  

The white Umbrella says "Free Walking Tour" and helps tourist to find the tour guide

The walking tour took us through the Red Light District.  The Red Light District in a historic part of the city that has lots of charming shop, canals, and beautiful buildings. Oh, and hookers.  Lots and lots of hookers.  Amsterdam chose to legalize prostitution.  Our tour guide said this was to end the problem of women being abused by pimps.  He said that the prostitutes are "self-employed".  We know that prostitution is one of the oldest professions in history, so Amsterdam chose legalize it rather than continue to prosecute its prostitutes.  I had heard about the Red Light District and assumed it would be a couple of dark alleys that the tour guide would point to as we walked by.  I was a bit surprised to realize that the cute cobblestone alleys we were walking through were a part of this district.  My tour was at 10:30am and the ladies were already standing in the windows wearing bikinis or lingerie awaiting customers.  We learned that open curtains means they are open for business, while closed curtains mean they are already "busy".  There are red lights on above the doors of the shops. We also learned that a blue light means you are likely in the company of a transvestite. 

you will have to guess. I can't tell you what marijuana soda taste like

nobody goes to this coffee shop for coffee 

The Red light district is also notorious for drugs.  Our guide explained that Amsterdam has not legalized marijuana.  It has however, chosen to ignore this "soft drug" use.  The result is that there is a distinct smell of weed in the air coming from the many "coffee shops" that are present.  

The streets are lined with lovely cafes and businesses

if you live along the canal, this pizza place will deliver to you via boat

The walking tour gave me a great view of historic Amsterdam.  I was surprised by how large the Red Light District was, and by the fact that the girls in windows are right next door to cafes and small business.  During the tour, I met a girl from New Zealand, and we walked around together for a couple of hours after the tour sightseeing and grabbing lunch.  As a solo traveler, I find that I am much more likely to meet new people than when I am traveling with a group and only speak to those in my group.  

Add caption

I visited the Anne Frank House Museum as well.  The home where Anne Frank and her family hid to escape Nazi persecution has been transformed into a museum.  I found this to be a very touching experience.  I remember studying this while in school, but being in the house solidifies the fact that this was a real family who remained indoors for over 2 years to protect themselves.  Ultimately, the family was killed in a Jewish concentration camp with the exception of Anne's father, who fulfilled her wish to have her writing published.  I do not have photos to share because photos are not permitted inside the museum.  However, I would recommend this experience to anyone visiting Amsterdam. If you do plan to visit the museum, make a reservation online a few weeks in advance to secure an admission time.  If not, you will wait in a very long line without a guarantee to even be able to get in.

this is just one third of the line waiting to enter the museum. I could skip this line because I had a reservation

I choose to end my busy touring day with a canal tour.  Amsterdam is famous for its beautiful canals and buildings.  In retrospect, this was probably not the greatest idea after walking miles around the city and only getting a few hours of sleep the night before on my 2am flight from Kuwait.  The canals soothed me into a peaceful nap after about 35 minutes of the hour long tour.   I found it interesting to see how closely cars park to the canals.  Apparently, about 1 car a week drives into the canal in spite of guard rails. 

Day 2- Haarlem 

I booked a stay at an Airbnb home in the city of Haarlem which is a short 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam.  I choose to do this because it is more affordable than staying in Amsterdam, and because I find big city life to be too overwhelming and chaotic for my taste.  AirBnB stands for Air bed and breakfast.  It is an alternative to regular hotel stays.  I am staying with a Dutch woman in her small home.  She was kind enough to pick me up from the train station, provide me with lots of brochures, and give me guidance about how to get around town.  This stay is costing me less than $45 per night. 

I choose to allow myself to relax a bit more today.  I have plenty of time to return to Amsterdam for more touring.  Today I went to the beach.  After my host explained the transportation system, I chose to face my fear of getting lost and venture out.  I took a bus to the train station and then took a train to the beach.  I asked strangers for help along the way.  Although the national language here is Dutch and most signs are printed in Dutch, most people also speak English.  People here have been very friendly and willing to help.  I was successful in finding the beach.  It was nice, but a bit too cold for me to sit outside and enjoy.  I found a restaurant with huge picture window so that I could see the beach while staying warm.  After being in temperatures over 110F in Kuwait, a 65F day at the beach was chilly.  I relaxed with a tasty grilled salmon salad and a good book. 

I ventured back to my temporary home with a slight detour.  Slight detour is my fancy way of saying that I got lost.  The cool part is that I found my way eventually.  A tool that I forgot to use when I got lost has been pretty helpful to me during this trip.  I use the app "RometoRio".   It tells me the modes of transportation that are best to get around a city and gives turn by turn walking directions.  This has been a great asset to me this week.  

What I have learned about Ramadan

Ramadan began today.  Ramadan is a month of religious observations for Muslims.  During this month, many Muslims engage in faith based practices such as fasting, giving to charity, and studying the Quran.  Why is it necessary for me to learn about Ramadan even though I am not a Muslim? Some of the rules of Ramadan are actually the law here in Kuwait.  Breaking some of the rules could mean fines exceeding $1500USD or jail time.  Here are some of the things I have learned so I can keep my tail out of jail.


1. There is no eating or drinking in public from sunrise to sunset.  No morning cup of coffee.  No cool  bottle of water in the car after walking through the big parking lot in 115F temperatures like today.  Breaking this rules in public can result in the penalties mentioned above.  I found it interesting to drive past restaurants today at 1:30 and find them completely abandoned. Food is not publicly served during fasting hours this month. At work, we have been instructed to eat or drink behind closed doors if we must do so.  In case you are wondering, there are exceptions to the fasting rules for children, pregnant women, and people with medical conditions.

2 Modest dress is a normal thing here. We generally follow the rule of thumb that women should cover themselves from shoulders to the knees.  During Ramadan, we have been advised to cover our arms and legs as well.  While many women choose to cover their heads here in Kuwait, it is not a requirement for anyone.  This rule of optional head cover does remain the same during Ramadan.

This was the temperature earlier today.  Seeing this adds some perspective to the "No drinking " rule 

Now here are some general things I have learned about Ramadan. My job took time to have a meeting explaining some of these things to us.  We have a large staff that includes both Muslims and Non-Muslims.  I appreciated this information to help me understand the religious observation a bit more:

•  Its it customary to greet people saying "Ramadan Kareem" or "Ramadan Mubarak"!  This is the equivalent of saying Merry Christmas. 

• Work ends early this month for most jobs and businesses have shortened hours of operation.  For example, my job's Ramadan hours are 9:30am until 1pm.   

• During the month of Ramadan, it is traditional to fast from sunrise to sunset.  Individuals usually get up early before sunrise for a morning meal called Suhur.  In the evening after sunset, there is a large meal called Iftar. 

I am posting some photos of an Iftar dinner hosted by my job tonight.   This was also our End of Year Staff Dinner.  We gathered at a local hotel and enjoyed a great meal. 

Ramadan Kareem!! 

Reflections On My First Year Teaching Abroad

Today was a beautiful day! I gave my students farewell hugs and watched them depart for the summer.  Hooray! Hallelujah! Wahoo!  I have officially made it through my first year of living and teaching in Kuwait!

Our entire kindergarten class and teachers wore this shirt today! 

When I looked into teaching abroad opportunities, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted.  I did not want to teach English. I wanted to do the same things I did in an American classroom while living in another country.  (I wrote about the process of finding this job here.) Thankfully, my current teaching position has allowed me to do that.  I teach an American curriculum at an American school.  I teach according to Common Core standards, which are used in most states in the USA. I thought I would write a great comparative blogpost about my teaching experience here versus back home in the USA.  Not today.  In case you didn't just read above, today was my last full day with students.  I'm exhausted.  I can, however, share some random bullet points related to this topic. 

• A class of 15 students with two adults is lovely!  I have no complaints about the student to teacher  ratio. 
• I experienced my first "rain day" here.  It was raining in the morning, school was cancelled throughout the country.  Rain is serious business in a desert climate. 

the "naughty kid"

• I think every classroom in every country has a notorious naughty kid.  You know that kid that is popular for all the wrong reasons who parents ask about at conferences. Thankfully, this year I only had one of those little angels and not 4-5 of them. 
• I felt relieved to be able to focus more on teaching without several stops during the day to deal with disruptive behavior.  As mentioned above, children here do misbehave, but I experienced with much less of this compared to my last few years of teaching in North, Carolina. 

This week's forecast. It was still 90 at 10:25 pm when I took this screen shot.

• Our students played outside year round.  This means they were outside going strong whether it was 110F or 50F.   In case you are wondering, 110 is NOT fun for supervising recess or carpool time at dismissal.

This is one fancy ride for the kids to spill their juice boxes in after school

• I went from a high poverty public school to a private school with 1 year's tuition that is equal to 1.5 years at the  University that I graduated from.  Kids are kids. They enjoyed play, laughter, and learning.  The kids here are just more likely to have passport stamps from international travel and live in nannies. 
• I had more parents who spoke fluent English here in the Middle East than I did back in America.  My inability to speak Arabic was not a barrier for communicating with parents here.

my next bullet points bring me the most joy! 

• This job pays my rent so I haven't paid rent or utilities in the last 9 months!
• I've paid off $10,000 in debt!
• I've visited 5 new countries and will add 1 more to my passport next week! 

This year has been a busy one.  It has included a fair share of ups and downs.  When I think about all of these things, I know that I still have no regrets about my choice to move to Kuwait. Have you ever considered living abroad?