About a month ago, I found a woman who is from the Netherlands. She has a 2 year old and we decided to get together so that her son could practice dutch with Elena and maybe Elena would talk dutch to her. Jake and Elena went over to visit Kirsten, Xander, and Brad while I was in Utrecht. So I emailed and asked if they would like to celebrate Sinterklaus together. She said she'd just met some other Dutch people, they were having a big Sinterklaus party and would we all like to go together. So, before we knew it, we were invited to someone's home for a gathering on all the local Dutchies (and their various american spouses and assorted kids) for a borel and singing of Sinterklaus songs (they provided copies of the words, just in case!)...then there was a loud knock and the Sint himself had left a bag on the door stoop! Elena was abit freaked out from the knocking (afraid the Zwarte Piet's were out), but once she realized that kids were getting chocolate out of the bag, she was all over it. They included her in everything and the evening ended with her running around with a pack of slightly older kids teasing the really old kids (17 years old) and screaming and running all over the house, high on chocolate, stroopwafels, and olliebolen. Jake and I met new people, talked with people, and it was just really a lot of fun. It was the best time we've had in Blacksburg. We actually felt so welcomed...It was really nice. In Blacksburg, people are super friendly to you in the supermarket, but it's pretty hard to 'break in.' Not unlike the Netherlands in that respect. But I guess we thought that we'd fall more into a social scene like we used to in Santa Cruz. Not so, so tonight was especially fun...and because we got to be around Dutch people.
Unfortunately we forgot the camera - so here, picture this...Elena is shoving her face with dutch food, cheese, stamp-pot, worst, chocolate, kip curry, pepernoeten, pickled/candied ginger (gember bolen) and looking quite pleased that there is chatter in duch (though not willing to say much herself).
Kirsten, Xander, and Brad are still coming over here on actual Sinterklaus...I have secured my graduate student to bang on door and leave the presents - although this ellaborate step may not be required this year...on the other hand, she cornered one poor woman at the party with detailed questions about how sinterklaus find the boxes for chocolates, where exactly he stores them while riding his horse, where does he keep the Zwarte Piets, why did he knock, why can we see him.....
..I'd try to get a costume, but she'd expect poor Erik to speak Dutch....
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