Month: February 2009

  • Celui que j'aime

    I'm stealing this from Dooce and reproducing my own answers here:

    What are your middle names?
    Mine is Lynn and his is Andrew.  Maybe we'll be more creative with our own kids. 

    How long have you been together?
    It'll be six years as of March 8.

    How long did you know each other before you started dating?
    We met unofficially in a French class during the 2002 Spring semester but didn't actually become friends until the Fall semester of that same year.  We started dating in March 2003, so I guess about six months.

    Who asked whom out?
    That's a difficult one and depends more on your definition of "asking someone out." We hung out and had coffee as friends several times before we actually dated... but I did make many of the first moves.  I'm the one who invited him to attend an art exhibit with me in Louisville and am also the one who invited him to a Mardi Gras party at my place, where I ever so subtly revealed my feelings for him. 

    How old are each of you?
    I'm 25 and he's 27.

    Whose siblings do you see the most?
    Well, seeing as how we both live so far away from our respective siblings, we don't see them much.  I, however, am much closer to my sister than Dave is to his, so I probably end up seeing her more often.

    Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
    In general, Dave and I communicate very well with one another, making our way through most situations with few bumps and bruises.  The one thing that does trouble our couple, however, is the disagreement on our current living situation.  He is happy and fulfilled living here in Holland; I am not.  I need my family and friends to feel complete; I don't think he does.  But as long as he is the supposed bread winner, I kind of have to follow him like some lost puppy dog...

    Did you go to the same school?
    We both graduated from the University of Kentucky.

    Are you from the same home town?
    Luckily, yes.  It makes Christmas so much more manageable. I don't see how international couples do it.

    Who is smarter?
    Dave is without a doubt smarter than I am. And in fact, I'd even say he is one of the most intelligent people I've ever known. Maybe I'd have a chance if I, too, had the memory of an elephant.

    Who is the most sensitive?
    Did I mention that I just cried watching a friend's baby video on Facebook?

    Where do you eat out most as a couple?
    Since living in The Hague, we've been pretty boring.  When we stay in, we love to order from our favorite Indian restaurant; when we go out, we almost always hit up Vapiano--a fabulous and very inexpensive Italian restaurant right in the center of town.

    Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
    Furthest from which starting point? I guess I'll say either Edmonton or Copenhagen.

    Who has the craziest exes?
    Thank the Lord neither one of us seriously dated anyone before meeting each other.  No crazy exes to speak of.

    Who has the worst temper? That would be me, even if it has calmed down since we've been together.

    Who does the cooking?
    Whoever has the most free time... but we usually try to cook together.

    Who is the neat-freak?
    Unfortunately, neither one of us. . . consequently, our apartment can get pretty disgusting sometimes.

    Who is more stubborn?
    You can ask Dave that one.

    Who hogs the bed?
    I often awake wrapped up in a cover cocoon.  Poor Dave.

    Who wakes up earlier?
    Dave wakes up early 99% of the time, whereas I like to steal as much sleep as I can possibly get away with.

    Where was your first date?
    An art exhibit on Impressionism at the Louisville Speed Art Museum.

    Who is more jealous?
    It might be equal, though I am much more vocal about my jealousy. 

    How long did it take to get serious?
    I can't speak for Dave, but I always felt serious about him... even when we were just friends.

    Who eats more?
    For this question I will provide a picture of a note left for me on the kitchen table a few days ago:

    Who does the laundry?
    I do, thank goodness.

    Who's better with the computer?
    Given the five thousand updates my computer tells me I need, I'm guessing that would be him.

    Who drives when you are together?

    We let the tram driver do the work for us... or we each ride our own bike. It's kind of nice living in a country where you don't need a car to get around.  No car insurance + any and all accompanying fees= more money to travel!

    How similar/different are you from the one you love?

  • Ennui

    My life has become an unbearable monotony.  There is nothing exciting to report, and that is perhaps why I haven't posted anything of real significance in weeks.  While there are occasional moments of enjoyment in my job, such as witnessing children marvel at the world around them or my being showered with affection on a daily basis, I feel bored with what I do.  In the rigidness that is the système français, it's death by worksheet for both me and the kids.  Despite effort on my part, creativity is hindered thanks to a rigorous curriculum which must be followed to a tee.

    And, while perfectly nice, I feel as though I have very little in common with my French coworkers.  With the exception of maybe two people, the women with whom I work are all over the age of 45 and have kids who are not much younger than I am.  Because of that, I automatically get left out of many conversations, and even when the discussion is not about one's children, they probably assume that I lack the life experience to fully participate.  Moreover, some of them treat me more as a daughter than a coworker.  While at first I maybe appreciated it and thought it was sweet, now it drives me insane.  I am a big girl and can do just fine on my own, thank you very much. 

    So, when Dave told me that he had a new 20-something American coworker, I jumped for joy at the possibility of making a new female friend.  We have now hung out with her and her husband several times, and there is just no connection whatsoever.  The husband is quite nice, laidback and interesting, but she comes across as highly arrogant every time we get together.  I used to pride myself on the fact that I thought I could get on well with basically anyone, but that's not so true anymore.  Maybe I've changed as I've grown older... or maybe I'm simply finished with ego stroking.  In any case, I feel lonelier when we're all hanging out than if I were sitting here all by myself in front of this computer screen. 

    What's my point? Never in my life have I felt so completely bored and lonely.  Connecting with others is what makes me truly happy, and sadly, I only get a recharge of that sensation once every several months, when I go back home to the States.  I wonder how many other people feel as awfully pathetic as I do...