You know you’re going slightly mad when you lie in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because only thoughts of what you’d like to write about next keep bulleting through your mind yet you know the clock says 1:35am. You should actually be asleep by now, as the morning is always there a lot sooner than expected. Yet here I sit, laptop on my lap (I guess that’s where you should have it, according to what they named the thing…) and typing away…
Tonight was a night to remember.
A few months ago, I had a birthday party of a friend who’s crossed the bridge into his forties. It was a disco party and we were all dressed up accordingly. After a few good drinks a group of us sat in the kitchen and a great idea was born …we were going to celebrate Queensday (a very very Dutch festivity, held anually to commemorate the birthday of the Queen – in actual fact it is Queen Juliana’s birthday we still celebrate and not the present Queen’s). The celebrations were to take place at our local bar/pub and I was in charge of promoting it within the local Dutch community here in our town. It was a wonderful idea.
As April neared, I had not heard much about the whole initiative anymore, so I assumed the plan was far too ludicrous to introduce to our local bunch of friends.
But, whilst ‘stranded’ in Bahrain, and having only the computer as my link home, it became apparent that the party would most certainly be held ! So, it was all set in motion, invitations made and sent per electronic-cyber-space-links and pages, dress code, and the place to be were promoted…
Let’s get this party started ….!!!
I dressed up in an orange T shirt and jeans, and wore my trademark Living la Vida Loca – orange view sunglasses ! When I got there I could see that some people had really made an effort and it inmediately put me into party-mode ! It was a lovely warm spring evening and it was still great weather to enjoy the terrace, so we did. Until we were literaly blown into the party.
So many people turned up, it was unbelievable, most of them wearing something orange, although I can’t blame the non-Dutch people as they decided orange was too outrageous a colour to wear….Afterall you have to feel great in your skin to be mad enough to wear orange right ? Well I did, and so did many others, and it brought about exactly what it’s supposed to….team spirit !!!
And I guess that’s what the Dutch are good at….Team Spirit…we have great hockey players, football players, and the whole country seems to follow them around in clouds of orange. We are proud of our fellow country men whenever they achieve the seemingly impossible. We are a tiny country that thinks in huge terms…and, even if I say so myself….we are Grand at it !!!
So….back to the clock, that has now ticked way past 3am…this barking mad Dutch woman is off to get some beauty sleep…. !!!