Archives for February 2012

Friday proto-Carnival

February 18, 2012 by Dave Hampton

The main parade is not until Sunday, but the festivities really get going on Friday ight when work closes down and the bars open up for the long weekend. At 5 pm, I was still beavering away in my working garret: friends were leaving notes that they were heading on without me. I pressed through hurried phone calls back t0 the US: a budget, a clinical trial approval, a note to my Dutch administrator about the Taal-toets scheduled for next week. Dusk fell, the music rose, and I fled the workroom.

There were bands outside the Pothuiske and crowds inside; everywhere music, color, laughter, beer. The costumes aren’t really out in force until Sunday (when more snow is predicted), but there were already a few souls showing their creativity to set the mood.

This really is one of my favorite celebrations in Maastricht: the midwinter timing is a perfect antidote to February blues and work overloads. It’s well worth a trip down if the weekend permits.

Counting down to Carnival

February 16, 2012 by Dave Hampton

The annual pre-Lent revelry of Carnival hits town this weekend, lasting from parade Sunday through Fat Tuesday, punctuated by the raising and lowering of the Mooswief at the Vrijthof Square. The local paper carries the daily news about events here (Google will do a rough translation if you are using Chrome). There have been a lot of articles discussing the cost of it all, but that will fade as the party gets underway.

At street level, the stages are going up and the toilets are being distributed. Street sweepers have cleared all of the walkways along Kesselskade, and café’s have moved their tables indoors to give space for crowd along the parade route. The beer trucks have crowded the streets all week.

The bands have been dressing up and (sometimes) tuning up inside local bars each evening, occasionally taking to the streets for a practice run across the bridge. The camel has been hung.

It should be fun – No calls until Wednesday, please.

City ice, Country ice

February 10, 2012 by Dave Hampton

Seattle, Cambridge, Maastricht: the language changes but the weather doesn’t. Still, there was frozen mist in Cambridge and fresh snow in Maastricht, a contrast in the way that it set the scene for the day. I think that snow and ice is generally more beautiful on trees than on buildings.

‘probably a Jeremiah Johnson gene somewhere…

Random bits of Dutch news

February 8, 2012 by Dave Hampton

Winter seems to bring out the strange stories:

“Crop circles” have appeared in the snow on ponds outside Arnhem’s WaterMuseum. This caught my eye because I used to live a few blocks from the park – the meteorologist can’t explain it; the locals swear that they have nothing to do with it. (The Gelderlander)

It’s actually a big open space outside the city ring road near the train station, no unusual wind patterns that might create a microburst that cleared the surface or trees to shield the way the sun strikes the surface. and beneath, well, it’s ice: there’s nothing to melt the snow. I’m out of theories.

80% of Netherlanders would vote Democratic if given a choice for president. (The Volkskrant)

I’ve been thinking about this one for a couple of weeks. It’s not surprising given the generally liberal politics of the Dutch, and I’m sure the Republicans baffle everyone in Europe. Still, with the rising concerns about immigration policy, the European monetary crisis, and disenchantment with Pres. Obama, I would have expected this number to soften.

It’s interesting that the religious division between Republican and Democrat is most notable to a Dutch writer – all American politicians are quick to declare themselves Christians and to label the Bible among their favorite books, so it doesn’t distinguish politicians for us.

And I do like the quote “Je kunt uitleggen wat je wilt over Amerika, maar dan nog zullen Nederlanders voor 80 procent de voorkeur geven aan een Democraat. Niet omdat ze het niet begrijpen of omdat ze vooringenomen zijn, maar omdat ze Nederlander zijn.” You can say what you want about America, but 80 percent of Dutch will prefer a Democrat. Not because they do not understand or because they are biased, but because they are Dutch.

I also smile when they call Gingrich the comeback-opa.

Of course, no week in Dutch news would be complete without an article about Dutch women. (Amsterdam Magazine)

Of course, as a father-of-daughter, I have a slightly different take on this. Strong confident, good fashion sense, loves a debate: isn’t this what we wish for our offspring?

Groot I can’t help with. Oranje, maybe…

And I couldn’t end without an economic story, especially if it ties into Carnivale. (De Limburger)

Carnaval kost Maastricht elk jaar zo’n 114.000 euro.

And worth every stuiver. The fun begins next week.

Bij schemering

February 6, 2012 by Dave Hampton

Jeremy sighed, rubbing his nose absently. Weet u of jij naar het museum komt?

Why do you bother, asked the spider.

“Permanent residency, personal challenge, fitting in?”

You never will, you know.

Jeremy looked up from his exercises, curious. “Of course I can.”

Suppose you succeed at all of…this, asked the spider, waving two legs toward the text.

Will you ever be part of conversations?

Will you ever understand a talk at the university?

Will you ever be more than a visitor?

“Of course I can”, Jeremy repeated, with a touch less confidence.

Or will you only ever be the old fellow drinking alone at the end of the bar?

Jeremy fell silent, thinking. Weet jij (waar / of / wie) wij zijn. “Perhaps Hemingway,” he suggested.

A snort.

Jeremy shook his head, “You never know. Life is strange.”

Compared to what, smiled the spider.

Snowy day in Cambridge

February 5, 2012 by Dave Hampton

Open a fridge door in the Netherlands and everybody starts bleating about an Elfstedentocht. — Gerard Joling

Winter came a week later to Cambridge – snow arrived last night and accumulated to about four inches this morning. I really enjoy the glaze that it puts onto the University’s gothic buildings, the utter blackness of the River Cam against the snow. Nobody put on Nordic skis and took off down the streets as would be the norm in Boston or Chicago, but Cambridge has lots of winter charms of its own.

But without ice skates, regrettably.