Saturday, February 28, 2009

Carnival and those mobile bars, part 2

So, still no photos. I should have been there with camera poised, but they always seemed to be coming around near nap time. There were two. They looked like floats from a small town parade. One looked bar-like and had speakers and lights and loud music. The other looked like a log cabin (invariably with arms waving out the windows, usually with beers in the hands) - complete with a smoking chimney. Both were pulled by tractors. Meaning that there was no drunk driving -- or at least no need for drunk driving.

Tomorrow I hope to have a photo taken of Eileen and I op de fiets (or on the bike). Yes, she used the word 'more' at the end of her first bike ride. Apparently it was worth the indignity of wearing a bike helmet -- especially since Mommy wears one too.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Bar Mobile

So, if you are new to this blog, here is the deal. We live a kilometer from the town of Volkel. It is now Carnival (started at midnight last night, parade happened today -- though we stayed home with sniffling little Eileen). Much drinking, costumes, and merry-making has happened. Around 11am this morning, I was putting said sniffling baby to sleep, but according to my husband, the source of the theme from Beverly Hills Cop that was playing loudly in front of our house was in fact the local pub mobile. Yes, just like the ice cream trucks of my youth, a truck was combing our neighborhood trying to find customers to lure to its stools (you climbed on and enjoyed your ride). To be fair, Eric says that it was pretty full when it bounced back through the neighborhood to whatever location it was headed at about 1.30 (which the Dutch say as 1.30 but write as 13.30) playing traditional drinking songs.

Ah, if only I hadn't had a sick baby, the photos I would have taken. Oh well, there is always next year.

Note to those who are planning a visit, we have a huge celebration in this part of the Netherlands the Saturday before Ash Wednesday all the way through Tuesday. It would be a great time to visit! Costumes, and parties, and you can stay fully covered up, not like in Rio!

And for those worried -- don't, Eileen has the sniffles. She will survive.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Observed sociological differences of Dutch and American kids

I wrote about Eileen's experience at a birthday party for a friend. A young boy (less than 3) kept trying to grab her from behind, wrestle, and eventually performed a WWF-style body slam before I gave up on him being capable of interacting with her without tears. At the time, I ascribed this to the fact that he had an older brother doing this to him. At this point, though, I am starting to see a pattern. Little boys here are allowed to be really pretty wild. They seem to be able to sustain that with not much malice - e.g. I haven't seen them being brutal with their pets. On the one hand, given that boys tend to have a higher energy level than girls, this is a pretty good idea, on the other, it means that I need to teach Eileen to be a little shy of the boys here.

Then, I noticed that even the girls here seem to want to treat her as a moving baby-doll. They keep trying to pick her up and make her do things. Happily, Eileen is quite capable of doing what she wants and ignoring intrusions. It does mean that I have to step between her and other kids, though, and they have no English and my Dutch is only sufficient to look at them sternly and say 'no no' -- not 'please let her play' or 'sorry, she doesn't seem to want to play with you right now...maybe later.'

So, I have been planning to get Eileen enrolled in the nursery school here. It seems like a great opportunity to get her truly fluent in Dutch. But, then I will have to re-train her both for visits home and for the move home, into what standards of behavior are expected in America.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Carnival

As many of my readers know already, Carnival was a tradition associated with The Church (back when there was only one, or perhaps two -- Orthodox Christianity split off a long time ago). Carnival was the party that happened leading into the long dark days leading into Lent, with the biggest celebration on Maundy Tuesday.

We are in a Catholic part of the Netherlands...and so the festivals are starting. Much of Dutch life will shut down for a week of fun starting soon. There will be drinking, costumes, more drinking, parades, fun social events, more drinking, oh...and costumes. Not like Mardi Gras in Rio costumes, but more like Halloween with extra face paint...oh and did I mention: adults in costumes?

Today, while on our way to the grocery store, we passed a celebration. There were literally busloads gathered at a large indoor sport area in Uden. And we were continuing our drive into town only to pass a guy dressed in crown, fake beard and face paint on his bicycle with his velvet robe fluttering behind him. There are times when I really wish that I could stop in the middle of traffic and take photos.