Rainbow Child: Sinterklaas Weekend in Eindhoven

Last weekend the Kamphuis family very warmly welcomed us into their home at Eindhoven, and we celebrated Sinterklaas (a Dutch tradition) together! It was all very exciting to consume so much sugar in one day (!!) and learn about their culture, so many cute songs to learn! Though there was quite a big hoohah over Sinterklaas being racist this year, I say that it's all in the perception, most people just celebrate it as a tradition, not linking it at all to slavery, so I say let the Dutch keep their traditions!

Plus we went to a REAL farm to buy a REAL Christmas tree, no fake plastic trees like those in Singapore hurhur. And after, we got to decorate the tree wheehoo!

Then it was time for dinner!! Traditional Sinterklaas meals are like our steamboat grill, just that everyone has an individual little pan instead of everyone cooking on the same big pan. Yummy yummy! We brought a bit of Asia with us, dressing up in our Onesies!

After dinner, it's time for the gift exchange! In Sinterklaas, there's a twist, as the presents are usually random things around the house that have never been used. There's usually a whole stack of them, and the first round we roll dice to see which presents are in our pile. After unwrapping the presents, we roll dice again to take/exchange those presents (e.g. I got a toilet brush and passed it to someone else hahaha). Real fun!

Went to sleep real early that night as we had flown the whole night before from Singapore (yawnnnnn). But the next morning we were in for a real treat with breakfast and a surprise early birthday celebration for Irene!! *Pops confetti!!*

And it's time to....go shopping!!! Papa drove us downtown to the new Primark and to Roermond outlet. Didn't buy much, but got to catch the loveliest sunset ever!