In the last post we mentioned about the 2008 Food Fair sponsored by our Church. Well, to their great credit, the total take for the day was 56,000 euros before expenses. This is over 14,000 euros more than last year's success.
This total was announced on the Sunday right after the event, and everyone was very excited. All told, it means that a lot of charities are going to get funded in this next year. It is an amazing testimony to the generosity of the community when in the midst of all this economic upheaval and uncertainty that people still found the money to give.
25 November 2008
15 November 2008
Food Fair 2008
On Saturday, 15 November, the English speaking international Roman Catholic parish known as The Church of Our Saviour, had their annual Food Fair. It was quite an event, and a wonderful fund raiser for the world-wide charities that this parish supports. There was plenty of food from all the nationalities of the church, from Croatia to Zaire. All sorts of people came together on a Saturday afternoon.
The Food Fair started in 1969 when Terry's mother and a few other parishioners (the English community was quite a bit smaller then) wanted to do a simple fundraiser for the Church. How much money was raised with that simple beginning is now lost (but I am sure that there is somebody in the parish who remembers). Last year over 40,000 euros was raised after all the expenses were paid off, and from the looks of this year is going to be another success.
The Fair kicked off at 12:00 and ended at 6:30. The family got there around 12:30; Mary Ann and JA took the car while Terry and ER rode over on their bikes. By the time we all arrived the crowd had also arrived. Fortunately for both there was plenty of parking for bikes and cars.
After spending nearly an hour together as a family in the book room, we fanned out and explored. ER and Dad had a small bite to eat from the Indian table (ER had an Indian version of onion rings - quite spicy she reported to Terry although the Indians said they weren't spicy - while Terry had a tandoori chicken wing and a potato pastry - also quite spicy. Soon after lunch, ER and Dad split up largely because the crowds were so big; soon ER found some friends from school and stuck with them for a while.
Mary Ann signed up to work the Crafts Table between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, and JA met a friend from school. Meanwhile, Terry wandered around taking in all the sights and sampled some Japanese sushi and African fried rice (delicious he reported).
At 3:00 pm we all gathered at the Crafts Table to figure out what's next. Terry wanted to take one more wander around so ER waited at the Craft Table. At 3:15 ER and Terry biked home while Mary Ann and JA stayed behind. At 6:15 Mary Ann and JA came home with some of the last minute bargains: for 5 euros take all you want from the white elephant booth and half price cupcakes.
This was an incredible event to see how from a humble beginning it has turned into quite an event, in fact one of the major annual ex-pat events in The Hague. In a future post there will be links to the parish web site where some of the pictures can be seen of this event.
The Food Fair started in 1969 when Terry's mother and a few other parishioners (the English community was quite a bit smaller then) wanted to do a simple fundraiser for the Church. How much money was raised with that simple beginning is now lost (but I am sure that there is somebody in the parish who remembers). Last year over 40,000 euros was raised after all the expenses were paid off, and from the looks of this year is going to be another success.
The Fair kicked off at 12:00 and ended at 6:30. The family got there around 12:30; Mary Ann and JA took the car while Terry and ER rode over on their bikes. By the time we all arrived the crowd had also arrived. Fortunately for both there was plenty of parking for bikes and cars.
After spending nearly an hour together as a family in the book room, we fanned out and explored. ER and Dad had a small bite to eat from the Indian table (ER had an Indian version of onion rings - quite spicy she reported to Terry although the Indians said they weren't spicy - while Terry had a tandoori chicken wing and a potato pastry - also quite spicy. Soon after lunch, ER and Dad split up largely because the crowds were so big; soon ER found some friends from school and stuck with them for a while.
Mary Ann signed up to work the Crafts Table between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, and JA met a friend from school. Meanwhile, Terry wandered around taking in all the sights and sampled some Japanese sushi and African fried rice (delicious he reported).
At 3:00 pm we all gathered at the Crafts Table to figure out what's next. Terry wanted to take one more wander around so ER waited at the Craft Table. At 3:15 ER and Terry biked home while Mary Ann and JA stayed behind. At 6:15 Mary Ann and JA came home with some of the last minute bargains: for 5 euros take all you want from the white elephant booth and half price cupcakes.
This was an incredible event to see how from a humble beginning it has turned into quite an event, in fact one of the major annual ex-pat events in The Hague. In a future post there will be links to the parish web site where some of the pictures can be seen of this event.
12 November 2008
And This Year It's (drum roll) Doha!!!
For those who have followed these Chronicles on a regularly irregular basis - about as often as a post is posted - you will remember about this time last year the announcement went out that ER was "Morocco Bound" having passed the audition for the AMIS European Middle School Honor Band. As an 8th grader, that wasn't so hard to do.
This year, competition was in the big leagues. High School is extremely competitive. JA did not make it last year. She was up against the high number of flutes. Miss one note and you're out of competition.
The girls practiced the audition pieces and their scales all summer. They recorded their auditions. Did the best they have ever done. JA was better then last year. The recordings were sent in before our October break. They waited. Results were to be posted on the website November 11.
At school on Monday, November 10, JA and a few others (not including ER) pestered their band teacher to check his email in case the results had been sent out. Indeed, they were waiting for him. He opened the email and read them off. Four of the students had gotten in: two trombones, one bass clarinet and one trumpet.
The trumpet was ER!
Her sister was allowed to tell her the news. ER went to verify it with the band teacher. I got the news moments later texted to me on my cell phone and then the phone calls.
Not only is it amazing that she made it but she also did it with her beat up beginner's trumpet.
JA took the results philosophically. For the flutes, 60 auditioned and they took 8 flutes and 3 alternates - that's almost a 1/6 chance. She knew if she wasn't going to Doha she would be going on an Easter week cruise with her old Girl Scout troop. Neither Terry nor Mary Ann are going to go on this trip. The air fare alone is $2,088 for a round trip direct flight. You can cut that in half by doing two stop overs, Turkey and Bahrain.
Doha is the capital of Qatar which is an Arab emarite on a peninsula that juts into the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia is to the south of it.
We're looking forward to pictures and stories. I hope to get her to write something to put it up on the blog.
Congrats, ER!
This year, competition was in the big leagues. High School is extremely competitive. JA did not make it last year. She was up against the high number of flutes. Miss one note and you're out of competition.
The girls practiced the audition pieces and their scales all summer. They recorded their auditions. Did the best they have ever done. JA was better then last year. The recordings were sent in before our October break. They waited. Results were to be posted on the website November 11.
At school on Monday, November 10, JA and a few others (not including ER) pestered their band teacher to check his email in case the results had been sent out. Indeed, they were waiting for him. He opened the email and read them off. Four of the students had gotten in: two trombones, one bass clarinet and one trumpet.
The trumpet was ER!
Her sister was allowed to tell her the news. ER went to verify it with the band teacher. I got the news moments later texted to me on my cell phone and then the phone calls.
Not only is it amazing that she made it but she also did it with her beat up beginner's trumpet.
JA took the results philosophically. For the flutes, 60 auditioned and they took 8 flutes and 3 alternates - that's almost a 1/6 chance. She knew if she wasn't going to Doha she would be going on an Easter week cruise with her old Girl Scout troop. Neither Terry nor Mary Ann are going to go on this trip. The air fare alone is $2,088 for a round trip direct flight. You can cut that in half by doing two stop overs, Turkey and Bahrain.
Doha is the capital of Qatar which is an Arab emarite on a peninsula that juts into the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia is to the south of it.
We're looking forward to pictures and stories. I hope to get her to write something to put it up on the blog.
Congrats, ER!