Sinterklaas - Last Words

A last word about Sinterklaas... This email was received this morning:

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Dear all,

As you are all aware, today, 5 December, is a big day in The Netherlands. This is the day that St. Nicholas ("Sinterklaas") presents gifts to Children for their good behaviour during the year.

The Presidency is pleased to inform all staff that they may leave today, at 15:00 hrs. in order to be with their families during this special day.

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Chers collègues,

Comme vous le savez, aujourd'hui, mardi 5 décembre, est un jour important aux Pays-Bas. C'est le jour où Saint Nicolas ("Sinterklaas) distribue des cadeaux aux enfants pour les récompenser de leur bonne conduite au cours de l'année.

La Présidence est heureuse de vous informer que tous les membres du personnel pourront quitter la Cour aujourd'hui à 15h00 afin de célébrer ce jour particulier au sein de leurs familles.

Really?

Here's an email I received this morning from the Synagogue. I left untouched the original formatting and colors. A translation of sorts follows.

Lieve vrienden,

Chanoeka!

Een drukke, vrolijke tijd met veel gezelligheid. Ook voor jullie is er weer van alles in petto. Zo hebben we deze vrijdagavond weer onze gezellige Kabbalat sjabbat. Zondagochtend hebben we een speciaal Chanoeka programma. Ook al ben je niet van de vaste zondagochtend-gangers, schroom niet om te komen.

Het wordt zeer de moeite waard.Zoals je in de bijlage kan lezen hebben we o.a. een eetbaar knutselwerk!

Nog nooit in Nederland vertoon! Dat wil niemand missen.

Kom! En neem vrienden en familie mee.

Laat je even weten wanneer je komt en met hoeveel personen?

Chanoeka Sameach!

So I put the above into the babelfish translator and here's my result:

Kind friends, Chanoeka! A busy, lively time with much gezelligheid. Also for you is there of everything in petto. Thus we have this Friday evening our sociable Kabbalat sjabbat. Sunday morning has we special Chanoeka programme. Even if are you not of fixed zondagochtend-gangers, schroom not come. It becomes very the effort worth such as you in the appendix is possible read has to we among other things edible knutselwerk! Never in the Netherlands vertoon! That wants nobody missing. Bowl! And take along friends and family. Let you just as know when do you come and with how many persons? Chanoeka Sameach!

Well, I had my appendix removed, so I'm not sure this applies. But then, as with everything else in the Netherlands, there will be much gezelligheid.

Finally, speaking of Dutch silliness, here's a screen-shot of multi-lingual print settings:

I'm starting to think that the best way to update on my life here is by photograph. So, without further ado....

I've been going to Amsterdam (.mp3) at times. Time-wise, it's kind of like going up into Manhattan for lunch, but it costs €10 round trip (with discount card) - about fifteen bucks. It's about 60km away and can take as little as 40 minutes or as long as 1.5 hours, if you get stuck on the train that makes all the stops.



















Here's a shot of the doors to an old telephone exchange office in Amsterdam and an old world cheese shop, as it were:

On Thursday, I saw the Brooklyn band The National play at the Melkweg (milky way) in Amsterdam:

Following up on my post about Sinta Claus, here are some advertisements for Black Peter (his assistants) from an Amsterdam shop window:

Back in The Hague, my neighbor had a fantastic 30th birthday party. The theme was "Roaring Twenties" and people were well dressed up. She had this terrific jazz band play, heaps of amazing Moroccan food, and strange looking but very tasty cakes. Apparently, she told her father that about 40 people would come. When the family showed up with restaurant size pot after dish after pot, she asked, "But papa, I said 40!" to which he replied, "Well, I figured 100 just to be safe!" Sunday afternoon I came over for leftovers; Sunday night I was back again. That evening for dinner, I was the only lawyer-type (rare in this town); there was also an Iranian girl spending a few days here in The Netherlands; two Moroccans; a Senegalese; an Italian; an Israeli; and finally a very tall (naturally) Dutch guy.

On signage: (a) it's very unclear why they must have name streets like this; (b) the second photo was taken in the W.C. at De Paas, which features more than 300 beers. Well, my Dutch is rather limited, but the sign starts Beste heren, (Dear men,) Geen (it is forbidden or do not or something) peuken. I think this may actually mean something else in Dutch, but....