Autumn term is over, most people have gone 'home', and campus has become a quiet place. At the moment, I thoroughly enjoy it, but I can imagine that in time, peaceful wintry silence turns into desolate loneliness.
And that is why I am so glad that visitor-season is nigh! This is what I wrote some time ago:
"I die to show you this place!
Which is a good sign, I think. It means not only that I positively evaluate my new milieu (because, as you are my friends, I would not like to show you any nasty places of course), but it also means that, maybe, I have started to identify with the place just an inkywinky bit, and might even be moderately proud of it?"
Now before you go lugging heavy bags of Netherstuff to Neverland, and especially before you consider taking NetherChristmasfood to Christmasheaven , let me just say this:
Drop, chocola, stroop, ranja and hagelslag are here all right; what's more: you wouldn't want to miss out on your opportunity to English Christmas food. However, there are a few things that are missed over here:
(any individual visitor undoubtly knows what applies to them (actually, most applies to Seaton) - heavy fluids of course to be carried by those in possession of a car :-)
- Dutch brown bread
- a glass of clear Amsterdamsch Leidinghwater, straight from the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen
- for Christmas: muisjes!
- a Suske & Wiske
- cheerful Baroque string musick, German and Czech Christmas choirs, and also Ennio Morricone and Wim Sonneveld
- The Blackadder!
- Bert & Ernie
- oliebollenmix + Dutch headgear including stalen haarnetje (not indispensible though, because I'm sure we'll find some suitable braadpan and "foamoar" here)
- yoki
- Catan + uitbreidingsset!
- stroopwafels! (ja, toch maar wel: felt a sudden craving)
There's a nice job for you, b.L.!
