A Tree Grows in Rotterdam

Dear Penelope,

When you're a little older, we will watch the movie "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and you will understand this reference.

On Sunday, Mitesh and Aubrey dragged me to Rotterdam. Rotterdam is a city about an hour from Eindhoven - one of the biggest in The Netherlands. Like Eindhoven, much of it was bombed out during World War II. One of the attractions is the crazy architecture all over the city - buildings unlike any I have ever seen anywhere in the world. The building above integrated a tree painting into bushes growing out of the walls.

I keep talking about Aubrey and Mitesh - here's a picture of them. Aubrey is the redhead and Mutesh is the darker one. Mitesh was born in Zambia, on the continent of Africa to parents originally of Indian descent. When he was a baby, they moved to Texas. He is married to a woman he met through an arranged marriage (ask Daddy to explain) and they have two boys, Eesh and Ayoo. They are both very nice, funny men who are good friends.

When Aubrey leaves Eindhoven, he's going to Rome to meet his wife, Dawn for a vacation in Italy. Lucky.

When we first arrived, we ate lunch at the Cafe Dudok. A very cool tall restaurant near the shopping area. I had pumpkin soup and a salad. Mitesh is a Hindu, which means he's a vegetarian, so he had tomato soup and a cheese panini.

I shopped a little, but we mostly just walked around looking at the buildings, seeing one in the distance then walking closer to get a better look. This was one of my favorite - can you believe people live in these little squares!

There was all kinds of interesting public art around. This giant painting of a baby was on the side of a falafel stand. How beautiful is this?

The shops here seemed to have much of the same stuff we already have in the United States, but I thought you would like this picture. What do you think is in this picture? Tiny corns and tomatoes? Lots of healthy vegetables?

And it's candy made of marzipan - which I thought I hated, but discovered I loved when Marit put it on Bjorn's birthday cake.

It's been gray and cold here - not so different from the Pacific Northwest, so I don't mind it. It didn't rain on us at all while we were in Rotterdam. The worst part of the day was when we came back to Eindhoven to get take-out at a Chinese restaurant and I twisted my ankle on the cobblestones and fell to the ground, scraping my knee AGAIN. Then my food spilled.

The next day I got back to the apartment to find my power out. I had to move apartments.

Luckily, it's been a very good business trip. I have learned a lot from my co-workers and will use it to continue good communication going forward on the Program. Still a lot to do! Here's how it feels some days - like I am sticking my hand into the mouth of a lion!

Now I must go to bed.

I love you I love you I love you

Marcy