An Eat All You Can Dinner At Wok Restaurant Wilhelminahaven, Vlaardingen

My plate of sushi.

I love it that I can arrange my dessert.

How time has flown by. One weekend gone, another weekend comes. This evening, I enjoyed the dinner treat of my in laws at the Wilhemina Wok Restaurant. This is also what  I love in this small town where I live, there are good restaurants that offer fine dining. The Wilhelmina is an eat all you can restaurant, right in the heart of the city of Vlaardingen, near the Vlaardingen Centrum train station, facing the Waterweg.

Last year's anniversary at Wilhelmina.

my plate of terepiyake: salmon, shrimp, and lamb.

I think this is my fourth time at Welhilmina. I always love their dishes, especially the Asian fusion and the terepiyake. This evening, I found out that in the parking area, you can view a beautiful sunset. While my husband parked our car, I caught the sunset with my iPhone at the side mirror. A beautiful sight in an almost winter wonderland.

Sunset at the parking area.

For my son's love of trucks. This evening before going home.

This evening I have tried sushi, they are on my third plate. Hahaha! My first plate was a wok cooking, a mixed of shrimps, mussels, crab fillet, mushrooms, string beans (sitaw), and paprika in garlic sauce. It was very delicious. My son and my husband also enjoyed their food.

The Wihelmina is always full. Their food is varied and delicious, and the price is good.

The staff and crew are fast, effecient, and friendly. This is one of the restaurants that I love to go back to. 

The Gallery Of My Beautiful Calendars 2017

I am now a stay at home wife and mother. I am a laidback person, but at home, I use my time to become creative so I will not feel bored and worthless as how many stay at home women feel. Because of that, I created nine beautiful calendars that are available online since 2014, and still creating. 

Here is the link of my beautiful calendars, available or soon available at Amazon Books, BookButler, Book Depository, and Speedyhen. Please check them. www.calvendo.co.uk/galerie/autor/maggy-baas-san-jose/

Every year, our family visits Keukenhof, the largest tulip garden in the world. The photos are made from Keukenhof.

 Very inspired of my holiday in Giethoorn that I was able to created this calendar.

There is something in black and white or monochrome: solemn.

Very close to my heart. The beauty and the simplicity of the life in the Philippines.

Vlaardingen. A small town (city) in South Holland. Old. Historical. Where I live.

This is something special. My precious one. My first calendar ever!

Pastel. Flower. Quotes. Inside is an organizer.

Wherever life will takes me... I am always proud of my root, of my origin. The colorful Philippines.

An Afternoon To Remember At Hoek van Holland

my son who loves water!

The Hoek van Holland or The Hook of Holland is a town in the southwestern corner of Holland. That is where the word hoek derived, hoek means corner in English. This town is only about 20-30 minutes drive away from our home. The Hoek van Holland is administered by the municipality of Rotterdam and a beach that runs for about 18 kilometers to the famous Scheveningen in The Hague. On the other side of Hoek van Holland is the Europort, the biggest port in Europe.

on the way to Hoek van Holland

green houses 

walking on the sand dunes

the path going to the beach

I first went here three years ago, when I was heavy with my pregnancy with my son. My husband took me here to catch the sunset. I remember, I did not enjoy any of the sight that time. It was like a long walk for me. Unlike today, I enjoyed the time with my family, walking in the sand dunes, playing with my camera, and embrace the wind.

many wildflowers 

Hoek van Holland vacation homes

grasses swaying 

shell seekers 

I am not feeling well today. Last night, I didn't have a good night's sleep. I was coughing hard, that I sleep on the living room so my husband can have a good sleep. I know how much he needed a good and long night's sleep. I spent the day sleeping while he was taking charge of everything here in our home. He made a delicious apple pie while I was sleeping. This afternoon, after we eat some slices of the apple pie and have coffee, he said he likes to go to Hoek van Holland.

My husband and my son, were fast. I grabbed my bag, my camera, my coat, and I just laced my canvas shoes in the car. It feels really good to be away for a while with my family.

my reason of living

anyone knows what they are? Sailing cart? hahahah!

i never overlook anything ordinary.

I love this one!

There are many wild flowers along the narrow path to the beach. My son loves to play in the sand dunes. I have my time for myself and to make nice photos of my husband and of my son. Not many people on the beach. I saw the Stena Ship, the big ship that carried passengers going to England. The sight excites me. One day, I really love to go in Cornwall, England.

The Hoek van Holland

papa grabbing his son from the water :)

this is what fatherly means :)

going farther!

My son who first experienced to play in the beach as early as five months old when we went for a holiday in The Philippines was so happy to run barefoot, as if he likes to embrace the coming waves. My husband just took off his shoes and run to rescue our son! Hahaha!

time out, papa! :)

going home now

at the parking

Since we don't have anything with us, not even a towel or an extra clothes for our son, I removed my shirt and we put it to him so he will not feel cold.
That precise moment is something that makes me smile even until now.

he looks cute wearing mama's shirt :)

I have selected some photos that I want to share. One thing that I once again had feel today is: most of the best things in life are free and they are the greatest feeling if they are well spent with our family.

The Philippine Independence Day Picnic In The Netherlands

Every 12th of June is an annual national holiday in the Philippines. It is the day to commemorate the Philippines Declaration of Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. Filipinos around the world has organizations and foundations to celebrate this particular date even thousands miles away from home. Filipinos are well known for these positive traits: strong family ties, religious, and hospitable. But when they are gathered together, foreigners see it that they are fun-loving, love to eat, and are music lovers. When you visit the Philippines, you can see a karaoke session almost anywhere.

My husband paying fees

Filipinos in the Netherlands are also celebrating the annual Philippine Independence Day. They call it Kalayaan Fiesta in The Netherlands or Philippine Independence Day Picnic. This year it falls on 4th of June. Filipinos in The Netherlands travel to Spaarnwoude, Amsterdam, where the annual celebration or picnic being held. They bring their family and friends there.

My `pinoy plate: laing, Bicol Express, and adobo. 

Many installs tents where they can stay the whole day, eating, drinking, having fun with friends, and many are making barbecues. There are stalls where you can buy Philippine products from handicrafts to balikbayan boxes, from foods to beverages.

my husband and son at the handicraft stall

There are tents of agents for condominium units in The Philippines, and also the tent of the Philippine Embassy in The Netherlands. Since I arrived and live in The Netherlands, I have been at the Philippine Independence Day Picnic three times together with my husband.

with my family

Last year and this year, our almost three year old son is also with us. Spaarnwoude is an hour trip from our home by car. The entrance fee is 6 euro each and the parking fee is also 6 euro. Almost every year there is a Filipino celebrity guest. From what I have seen today, there were more people and stalls today than last year.

On stage with Gino Padilla

And I can say, a lot of preparations done this year. This year, the celebrity guests are Gino Padilla and Isabel Granada. Isabel Granada is my contemporary. I remember her as a sweet face with long eyelashes at the afternoon television show That's Entertainment, while Gino Padilla is really a big hit with his classic songs such as Closer You And I, Gusto Kita, and Why Can't It Be. I really enjoyed today with my family. I am now happy  here in The Netherlands but there are also some things back home that I miss occasionally like native foods and Filipino songs. I have never been to a concert in the Philippines, so it was a real treat for me to hear Gino Padilla live for 6 euro.

my son

I left my husband and my son for a while to have a clear view of Gino Padilla. It is like I was star-struck. I am thankful to security personnel for allowing me to get on stage to Gino Padilla. Only those who had Gino Padilla CD and those who will buy his CD are allowed to come near to him. I told them I had no CD and I will not buy, I just like to come to Gino Padilla! And they let me come inside to the stage. I am also thankful to my friend Arlene for making a short video of me with Gino Padilla while on stage. I returned to my husband like a carefree child showing all my photos and the video with Gino Padilla. I told my husband that if I am in the Philippines I will not do that. Because I am in the Netherlands, I did that. It is really different when you are very far from your mother land.

With my friend, Arlene and her son.

It was a very fun filled day. The weather also cooperates because when we travel back home the temperature reached to 28 degrees. At home while I am cooking spaghetti for our dinner, I am smiling while singing this: kahit sabihin na mali ako, alipin mo o bihag mo, ako'y iyong iyo. Yes, I am almost a Dutch now that my Naturalization has done, but my heart remains the same, a Filipina by heart and blood, and it is always a happiness to talk or sing using my native tongue.  I just feel I am truly blessed because I belong to a loving Dutch family here in The Netherlands that loves me and all my Filipino ways.