Candy and dim-sum

Last Saturday, we went for dim sum with colleagues at a really good restaurant near Dam Square. It was organised by Candy, a Korean lady from work who is literally the social glue of our office. Now when you think Korean, and lady, you might already have the wrong impression because Candy is nothing like the stereotypes.

Candy was born in Korea but moved to the NL when she was young, so she speaks perfect Dutch and Korean. She's a short and stout person, with long layered hair and thick plastic framed glasses in front of her small eyes.. but at the same time she is very feminine and has an excellent sense of style. She knows how to make her outfits coordinated, how to work with her height, she knows all about fashion and even has gay fashion designers for friends. She's taken jewellry making classes for 5 years (with her husband, at that!) and designs her own crystal and gem earrings, goes on trips to switzerland/luxembourg and seems to be quite posh. She also carries around nice smelling hand cream, which she happily shares with all those around her.

Since the day I met her, she has always had a bubbly, genuine personality and an openness that you wouldn't find among most people. She laughs and giggles heartily and has the ability to bring a smile to anyone's face. She jokes the same with VPs as she does with trainees, and she's willing to try everything (it seems). On a windy day, you can find her linked arm in arm with a fellow colleague, chatting up a storm, and when someone leaves our team, she is the one who prepares the going away presents and makes that person feel like the most important person in the world.

The other day, I mentioned to her that I saw a poster at the metro station that was advertising a regular break-dancing/hiphop drop-in at one of the local schools in the ghetto neighborhood we work in, and she was totally interested in going to check it out with me!! "I" wasn't even sure I would go, but she was totally ready for it!!

So it was her who organised the social outing of dimsum, and I couldn't thank her enough!! I couldnt believe I hadn't gotten any dimsum since I got to Amsterdam, and if I had known of that place eariler I swear I'd have been there every Sunday morning with my 1 ring of dimsum and chinese newspaper.. (like an ol chinese granny, hehe). It was soo good, just like back at home and the people were real chinese!! We had egg cream bun, thousand layer cake, lotus seed paste bun, woo-gok, salty water gok, mmmm and so much more! Can't wait to go back... :)