|
|||
|
Nationalistic sports events always reminds me of my favourite bit of “Brave New World.” During the orgy, which was the fashion of the time, Bernard chants along in lip service. He wants to be lost and completely devoted the moment but finds himself on the outside, pretending to be as entranced as [...] For such a small country, the Dutch have a rich selection of stereotypes and symbols draw from when creating nationalistic costumes. Cows, clogs, tulips, triangular bonnets and of course mass-manufactured orange bric-a-brac: there was no shortage of choices to express Dutch pride. I had picked up a t-shirt at the squat advertising Snoopy’s Holland Party [...] Since the day I arrived in the Netherlands I’ve been anticipating Queen’s Day, the country’s biggest holiday. April 30 was the birthday of the former queen, Wilhemina, but her daughter and reigning queen, Beatrix, has decided to save the date. This is basically the Dutch equivalent of Canada Day except they do it with much [...]
During my first week in Utrecht, I had seen this same banner hanging in a window in another part of the city. My Dutch tour guide said she had been to a couple of sketchy parties there. But, she assured me, the people would be enthusiastic to talk to me about their [...] Last weekend my parents came to visit me, officially marking the half-way point of my exchange. Along with them came my aunt and uncle visiting from Georgia. Together we did one thing I had been waiting for since the second day I was in the country, when I saw it for the first time.
|
|||
|
Copyright © 2013 HMS Vicky - All Rights Reserved |
|||
Connect