Hup! Holland! Hup!

Hej vrienden en de familie!


um.....I hope that translates correctly. I don't actually know much dutch yet, other than (and here's my extensive list:)


-Een, twee, drie, vier, vijf, zes, zeven, acht, negen, tien, bour, vrau, heer, aas (or perhaps hefboom, koningin, koning, aas)
-boom
-gefiliciteerd
-huis
-uit

...that's what's in my memory bank, but I AM starting to at least recognize what things mean in dutch, say, at the grocery store, through my clever educated guesses. And pictures.


So what can I say with that? Not a whole lot. It's counting from one to ten, then jack queen king ace; tree; something between happy birthday and congratulations; house; and out/exit....I included that last one cuz it's a tricky one to pronounce. Actually.....a lot of it is. We english folk have a tough time with these sounds they make with their throat. But it's fun to try! And then you in turn, try to get them to pronounce -th. Tee hee


So! Holland. What words have come up in my mind again and again? Easy: Civilised (though that might all change in the coming weeks with the European cup happening); Modest (not too bold nor self-assertive in their behaviour); Clean (there is NO garbage and I mean NOTHING ANYWHERE in this country - it's wonderful!); Handsome (in the proper sense of both land and people); Proud (again see comment about the Euro cup); Perfect (comes from the cleanliness of the place but the people are also....perfectly presented you could say); Respectable (I've held back on my wilder antics out of fear for mocking the system here!); Contemporary (after all, walking around late at night is the best time to see how people decorate their homes!) Conservative (not in a political sense) and have I mentioned greeeeeeen yet? The people reflect their land and the land reflects the people. Not sure which came first. Though I hear most of the forests and trees you see were planted in such a way, hence the perfect properness of it all.





I'm really quite pleasantly surprised by it all here. And Karlien can vouch for my constant stupendous wonderment at everything...I don't think I've stopped commenting on all the 'cuteness' of this place! Or how green it is, or how cool it is to see so many bikes everywhere. Yes Karlien, it's still so novel for me....haha.

I've been racking my brain trying to find ways to describe this little bike situation here. I mean, for real....pedestrians just don't exist here! You are born with wheels for legs! Walking? Why? Driving? Only if you can't bike there. For you Vancouverites, just imagine Robson Street crossings....on a bicycle. How do they not get all tangled up?! It's just a sea of spokes, straight handlebars and perfect posture. Bikes seem to have more rights than pedestrians or cars. Babies are hitched on the back OR the front as soon as they can sit up on their own for crying out loud. 86-year-old grandmothers do thier morning grocery shop on their bike with their furry seat covers. Cyclists ride 2 by 2 along the canals, carrying on conversations as though they were ambling along on foot. Friends side saddle on the back rack of the bike , and bike parking lots are more ridiculous than ski and snowboard racks on Whistler mountain....a bonafide jungle of black and white rims and frames! I asked why more bikes don't have cute little baskets on the front of them for carrying things (like in Paris), but because it rains so much of the year here, Karlien explained it's wiser to have the saddle bags on the back of the bike so things don't get wet. Still, it's a wonder I haven't seen more painted bikes, decorated with flowers or vines or baskets or sparkles and pretty things to make yours stand out in the crowd - I already have an image of what my dutch bike would look like if I was to live here! :)


Walking through the neighbourhood late last night, and bikes are just randomly parked everywhere you turn. Standing freely by the front doors, perched against a tree, locked to every pole or bike rack, some that have been forgotten by owners and now have bent wheels or rusted frames, doubled up locked together next to the hedges....I can't think of anything to compare it to that you might see everywhere anywhere else. It's near impossible to take a picture without having a bike in it, stationary or moving. I also asked Karlien if she thought it was possible there might somewhere in Holland, be a dutchie that doesn't own a bike. She thought long and hard, and then simply replied, "No."

Phew. I know, it's a lot to talk about, just for bikes. But I just love the sight of them so much here, I wish it were flatter at home so we too could adopt this kind of culture.

A few days with Karlien has turned into a few weeks here. She has been the best host, and we have spent more time together than we did when we first met! We worked together for my last week that I was at the outback country pub in Western Australia when I was 19, and it turns out that we reunited 3 years later to the day, here in Eindhoven, Holland. So it's been really fun getting to know each other a bit more, learning so much from Karlien...she is a wealth of Dutch knowledge and is so excited to share all the dutch customs and cuisine she can with me. I'll always remember one of the first mornings I was here and she made me a breakfast of bread and sprinkles....sprinkles?? Yeah! Chocolate sprinkles on your bread or toast is perfectly normal. My mother would never have let me eat that for breakfast.

She has been a great companion to discover the south of Holland with. We visited Maastricht where she spent several years going to Uni there, Eersel where she grew up (met the family even!) riding our bikes at least 30km's to Postel, Belgium (for fries and ice cream....yes, fries with mayo?! hmmm....think i'll stick to my tradition of ketchup thanks) and last weekend a camping trip to Zeeland (yes like New Zealand or, Nieuw Zeeland, so named by a dutchie in earlier times. Look up Wikipedia if you want more history on that matter. Oh my god! Did I just refer to friggin wikipedia?! oh god. Sorry Tristan)


It has been a diverse 3 weeks here, on my emotions alone. (Some are more personal but maybe with a little ESPian help - no, most of you won't understand that reference! - maybe I can work through them.)

I must take a minute now to pay tribute to a dear friend I lost this past week. (the 'heart' is for you my friend....:)

Klara left this physical world to join the spiritual one in a very sudden way, a terrible shock to all of us that knew her. The tears are flowing freely still, stinging my eyes as I type....I have never ever lost a friend before. It's hard not being with friends at this time to celebrate this inspiration of a woman. Klara....having to say goodbye in my own way with the strength of my positive, compassionate intention.

I'm thankful to be with Karlien however, as she has been an understanding support, ready with a hug for me when I need it most (THANK YOU Karlien). However, it's easier that I am not back in Whistler to fully comprehend the hole that Klara has left in the community. I know with time that my understanding will become whole, but right now my heart is having a hard time accepting that she is really gone for good, in this physical realm anyway. She has left her cocoon, earned her wings and flown to the realm she was truly ready for. She has inspired me to live life to its full potential (as cliche as I hate to be) for she was a girl who knew how to LIVE the moment, have FUN with it, laugh the whole way along, dedicate her time to those that meant so much to her, and be oh so silly....Klara you are an eternal light in my life. I really look up to you Klara, you have had a special place in my heart since the day I met you and now I only look further up to you, seeing you soar with the angels above all of us. You are happy, I know that, but my selfishness just wasn't ready for you to go yet. You looked out for me whenever we were together, and I know you will continue to do so on another level now. I love you. You are free.

To end on a not-so-sad note, I leave you now for Amsterdam tomorrow to surf a couch in a boathouse on the canal in the centre of town - how's that for ya? Thursday I head back to the mountains - french ones even! Yes...I am back to France so I can speak french again and work for the summer. Chamonix here I come!

To all of you I send the warmest love and best wishes.