Small Steps

Lately, I have been spending my time on three things: a) reading food blogs; b)cooking and/or experimenting; and b) building my job hunting database. Somehow, I am SLOWLY gaining ground on all three...yes, slowly...but hey, one must start somewhere. Last Satuday, it was my turn to host an all Pinoy lunch for the very few Pinoys I know/met in Holland. Chancing upon the food blog -- World Class Cuisines, I dared to experiment on Ting-Aling's fresh lumpia, which is one of my all-time favourite Pinoy recipes. While hubby cooked something Indonesian (chicken satay, beef rendang, ajam paniki), I attempted to prepare the fresh lumpia and pansit canton. Unfortunately, hubby ended up helping me out to prepare my share (I am not a very skilled cook as compared to hubby), especially making the lumpia wrapper! The wrapper might have looked like thin pancakes, but our guests loved the taste anyway. In due time, I hope to perfect the art of making fresh lumpia. The lunch was a hit and some of our guests even ended up staying for dinner. Saturday's Feast ------------------------------- Yesterday, I travelled to Utrecht to try and simulate the bus route for my appointment on Wednesday. I found 9292 a very useful website to plan for trips within the Netherlands. When I finally got to my destination (after requesting the bus driver to tell me where to get off), I was a bit awed by the building. I mean, I have seen and worked in much taller buildings before but somehow the sight of this particular building engulfed me. I felt anxious, nervous and at the same time excited to see the corporate world again...here in the Netherlands, where I still feel very much a foreigner, primarily because of the language barrier. I went back to the centrum of Utrecht and bought a new pair of slacks, just to add some much needed confidence for my appointment tomorrow. I am not really expecting anything (like a job offer) from this interview. I mean I have to be realistic in my expectations. Afterall, one of my guests last Saturday, after finishing his Masters degree in the Netherlands, handed out more than 60 job applications(!), got 7 interviews, and in the end, 4 serious job offers. The mere fact that I got this interview after my first attempt is more than enough for me to be happy, at least for now. Tomorrow is an opportunity for me to know more about Dutch companies, the industry and most of all get the hang of job hunting in a non-English country. Tomorrow is a start, perhaps a small step to where I want to be in the next several months. ----------------------------- Scenes from Den Bosch (the city where I live). Taken last Saturday while bringing friends around Looking through a winkel (shop) Te Koop (a house for sale) All in a day's work...end of the Saturday market