Uitdaging Aanvaard

I get a day off today, a day when I don't have to go anywhere or see anyone. I need it too, because there's been a lot of new people and things to take in. I've been doing my inburgeringscursus so I can take my exams. I wanted to improve my Nederlands with some formal lessons and get all of the other information I'll need. The thing is, the Dutch I taught myself with television programs and Youtube videos and through the help of my friends was good enough by the time I started any formal lessons that the teaching staff are now all in agreement that I belong in a higher level class. Yesterday I was allowed to sit in with that class and see if I felt at home there. I mentioned something about wanting more of a challenge, and the woman teaching that level felt that I belonged there too. So what did she do? She gave me a challenge. I have to admit, I balked a little because until now I just breezed through the material for one level below. I was able to prove to her that I belonged in her class and that I would be able to keep up. I'm in the Nederlands als Tweede Taal classes, or "Dutch as a second language".  I'm leveling up, and it's the level of Nederlands required if I ever want to continue with any kind of higher education here later. In more immediate, practical terms, it improves my ability to communicate with the people I deal with in daily life. The better my Nederlands becomes, the easier my life will get.

Dutch Weather

This morning I took the waterbus and then cycled to my inburgeringscursus in the rain. It was cold and wet and miserable and I was wondering to myself what kind of masochist I was. And I don't even dare to feel sorry for myself because I was far from the only person out there on their bike. When I got to the waterbushalte at a little after 7:30 there were at least 20 kids on their bikes and a few older people on their way to work. Everybody looked miserable, but this is life in the Netherlands for most people. They get used to cycling to school or work until they can afford a driver's licence, which costs over €1000 excluding the car and how much it costs to run and insure it. I look at the traffic here and think to myself that I don't care if I never drive here. There are speed traps everywhere, gas costs a lot and often you can get from point A to B faster on a bike than you can by car simply because the bike paths go straight through while the streets are one-way and they have a lot of traffic lights. As for the speed traps, Dutch laws are set up to fine you for every minor infraction. The speed camera catches you speeding and a while later you get the dreaded blue envelope from the tax office announcing your fine. Driving a car is expensive here, and a lot of that can be fines or the mandatory roadworthiness check every year during which all problems must be repaired and paid for before you're allowed to drive your car. Miserable weather notwithstanding, biking or taking public transit is easier and cheaper and most of the time it's faster.

Woman Things

The other day I was talking to someone about feminism in the Netherlands and how it's treated as if it's a settled question here. In the meantime women here either stay home with the kids or work part-time. There are women with careers here, but generally speaking things are still fairly traditional. If you talk to anyone they basically give you a variation on "Men and women are equal here. The subject is closed." Yet there are still job advertisements which all but tell you in so many words that you will not be hired if you are a woman.

Sunday Morning

I decided to go with a musical theme today because I don't have that much to say this weekend. Instead I will share some songs about Sunday.

Culture Shock

There are so many things I have to get used to about the Netherlands. Being presented with plants is one of them. It's nice. It's one of the things I really like about the Dutch. Yesterday one of our neighbors brought us a beautiful peace lily to wish my husband a good recovery. Because they still do things like that here. If you're sick, they might bring you a houseplant or flowers or send you a card or if they really like you, they might even bring over soup. I'm not used to knowing my neighbors' names. I'm really not used to neighbors doing things for each other. I'm not used to a lot of things they do here, but I like it and I'm willing to learn it from them.

I Feel Suddenly Old

  Gizmodo - 100 Websites That Shaped The Internet

I've just been reminded of the internet as it once was. It was primitive and lawless for the most part. It was fun, but there was no guidebook to help you navigate your way around in the beginning. You just sort of stumbled upon websites and communities and found your home somewhere. There was always a lot of bullshit out there, but back then it was a little more obvious because the websites were hokey. Now you can find the same bullshit, but the websites it's found on are slick and professional looking. How's that for progress? We're living in the future.

Dutch Comfort

There are some Dutch customs that I don't believe I will ever adopt, no matter how long I live here. One of them is the habit of leaving the curtains open and the lights on after it has gotten dark. The Dutch are comfortable with this, I am not. According to what they have told me it has something to do with Calvinism and wishing to demonstrate that they had nothing to hide at their house. Personally I tend to think it goes more in the direction of exhibitionism and voyeurism. They even have a word for people who peer into windows, "pottekijker". I'm going to have to ask a Nederlander where that comes from. Anyway, the pottekijkers are the voyeurs. On some level I can understand that part of it and it seems like they're pretty good at not making it obvious that they're peeking. A useful, if questionable skill. One of my neighbor ladies keeps asking me why my curtains are often closed before it's dark. Maybe I've been denying her a chance to satisfy her curiosity about our living room. I get it, wanting to see inside other peoples' houses, but I'm not comfortable giving up my privacy so she can get her eyeful. Nothing personal. I can't adapt to the Dutch comfort level on this one. I'm not even doing anything interesting in there, I just don't like having the curtains open after dark.

So What

Or maybe "Moanin' Redux", because there were some great jazz tracks that used the same name, but were completely different songs. For example, the difference between Art Blakey's Moanin' and Charles Mingus's Moanin'.

Fundamentalism

             

                                      The Atlantic - The Last Temptation by Michael Gerson

The article linked above is a long one, but one worth reading. It's about how the religious landscape in America came to be. It's a little complicated and it goes back almost to our beginnings as a country. I would add a bit more to it by pointing out that Southern Baptists and other church traditions that came up in the south were heavily influenced by things like slavery and later with enforcing Jim Crow. Pastors tried from time to time to change the message from one that supported slavery and a rigid social order as it existed in the south, but they were usually harassed into shutting up and getting back in line or else they had to leave and find somewhere else to preach their "peace, love and understanding" nonsense. I think one or two of the ones who tried preaching something else besides the official line got their houses burned down.

Christian Index - Southern Baptist History

Hope

Part of why I decided to step away from social media was because I felt as if I was being made to watch the world collapsing in real time, a little like the scene in A Clockwork Orange where Alex's eyes are being held open while he is shown a never-ending stream of awfulness. Then I realized that nobody was making me watch, that I could look away if I wanted to. Not because I want to pretend it isn't happening, but because the only way I could think of to re-establish a sense of perspective was to give myself a break from the onslaught and reset my mind for a little while.

Capitalism

I'm recalling a post I made many years ago about clothing with logos on it. My feelings haven't changed on this point. Basically what it is when you buy clothing with a corporate logo on it is you paying them so you can be their billboard. It struck me as a bit ridiculous to have to pay for the privilege of doing their advertising for them. And this applies equally to high-end fashion labels and low-end brand names. It even applies to counterfeit merchandise pretending to be those things. It doesn't signify anything except that the people buying and wearing it have more money than sense or taste.

Moanin'

I decided that this should be the first music I post here. I was introduced to jazz early, and it was ironic because it was thanks to a man who may have hated music. I think he only played the radio in the barn because it was supposed to make the cows give more milk, and so it was public radio for classical and folk and jazz. I loved jazz. Marian McPartland's piano jazz show was one of my favorites. She could mimic the style of just about any jazz pianist. I learned to love electronic music thanks to Hearts of Space. And last but not least there was progressive rock, which was overrepresented in the family record collection along with Rodgers & Hammerstein. It made an eclectic mix of musical influences. I like prog rock because it's music you can really dance to. (If you've never listened to the genre, you probably won't get the joke, in which case never mind.)

Possibilities

I'm trying to think about what I want this blog to be about. Could be a lot of things. I might make it random because it sets the expectations nice and low right from the get-go. I could make it about being an expat living in the Netherlands. I am trying to learn their language and ways, the better to blend in and live among them unnoticed. I expect there will be a lot of that. There's a lot to explore on that theme. I could make it about current affairs, which frankly sounds pretty depressing now that I think about it. Not that I wish to ignore what's going on out in the world, but I'd really prefer not to dwell on it every damned day. I could make it about interesting things I find out on the internet, because the place is a goldmine for all that is weird and wonderful. Probably what's going to happen is that I'll make it about whatever happens to be on my mind at any given time, because that's what I always do. This is just a rough idea of what it could be. Right now it's just potential which has yet to be seen.

Let's Begin At The Beginning

So here I am, starting a blog. It's been a while. I suppose it makes sense, going back to the beginning once I got tired of social media and wanted to get my brain-space back. This is probably going to be a collection of whatever I happen to find interesting. I don't actually expect anyone to read it, but if they do then more power to them. I make no promises that it will be interesting or particularly important, but if it is then it was purely by accident and I had no intention of making it so.

Here goes nothing.