North Stars Pointing: August 2012

So, at long last, (life and its many adventures got in the way!) we have 'The Dutch in 9'. Why the number nine? I am not too sure, if only to keep it as concise and practical as the people of this country we are featuring.

You can call it "the Netherlands" or "Holland", this land that has occupied fairy-tale status in the minds of North Americans for so long. (Thanks to the good literary help of "Hans Brinker", "The Wheel on the School" and "The Boy and the Dike"... but more on that later!) However, "The Netherlands" is the official name of the country, whereas "Holland" is actually a province. You won't get into too much trouble by using either/or, but you will be more correct if you apply the country's proper name.

If you had in your mind's eye a land over-flowing with blond children in hats and caps, their rosy cheeks bursting with life and their blue eyes sparkling as they klompen their way over wee cobble-stone streets with hunks of cheese in hand, daily rides on calm canal boats, arms full of everlasting tulips while father works the windmill and mummy makes the golden cheeses... you will be disappointed!

I was... but only for a time.

It is still a country of interest, with a broad history... you just have to dig a bit for it. The windmills are there with 1035 of them being protected by the government. The dikes are there but they are not the flimsy brick kind that a wee boy can stop up with his index finger, thus saving an entire country. (There you have it... "The Boy and the Dike" is a fake. Sad day.) The famous cheeses and tulips all have their proper places and fascinating histories and facts. There are many Dutch children with blond hair and there are lots of beautiful blue eyes, but the klompen are usually reserved for the farmers.

Please keep in mind as you read the 9, that this is a very, very small glimpse into a diverse culture and a country that although the size of Maryland, USA, packs more traditions and dialects in its pinky finger than some cultures hold in their hand. Here we gooooo...

{The Dutch in 9}

1. Koffie Tijd (Coffee Time):

It's good... and it's expected. It is not as punctual as the British tea, nor as filling as the German kuchen, but it satisfies and is a tradition that spans the generations. It is hospitality at its finest and coffee at its best. It is usually offered promptly upon your entrance to a Dutch dwelling and it is part of the Dutch agenda. Koffie tijd is sacred to stroop wafels and cookies, and other delectable bits. It is a tradition that can be applied to strangers and distant acquaintances (with the addition of the famous Dutch weather conversation), or to a cosy gathering of friends and the talk can turn to work and school. The best of the Dutch hostesses will keep your cup full and the cookie tin forever in your reach... the worst, well... this is where the legendary Dutch frugality rears its ugly head and you are the worse for it. However, no matter the time, day, or people, koffie tijd just requires good coffee, mugs, a tea box, clear mugs for tea, a tea bag holder, small spoons, sugar pot, milk jug, cookie tin, stroop wafels, and most importantly, hospitality. It's as simple as that.

2. Vakantie (Vacation):

Many of you may be asking why vakantie would be included on this "inclusive" list... but you wouldn't be asking why if your very life was centric upon this word. While you enjoy a koffie tijd (the mini, daily form of vakantie) it is not uncommon to discuss vacationing plans with your fellow-coffee drinkers. This annual (or bi-annual) occurrence plays a large role in the year of the working Dutchman. To live without a vacation is culturally unsound! With an average of 25 vacation days per year (with many people possessing 30 or more) and a special part of the salary going towards this relaxation and rest, it is safe to say that this is an important part of the culture. Come summer-time, the roads of Europe flood with yellow license plates and campers and every camp-ground gets to hear the mother-tongue spoken over a morning cup of coffee and a bakery bun.

3. Brood (Bread):

Young babes are fed it as part of their first solid food regimen. It is often what is for breakfast and lunch. My husband even goes so far (resting solidly in his Dutch education) as to express firm belief in its health benefits. Because of its popularity and in its proper place as a staple in the Dutch diet, there are whole shelves in the supermarket devoted to its toppings. Hagelslag comes in ten different varieties and there are a plethora of spreads that are so delicious that you wonder why the Dutch aren't wider than they are! (but we'll deal with that next...) Creativity also plays a role as cookies, different breads, vegetables, fruits and other (sometimes terrifying!) combos are placed upon this baked wonder. Eetsmaakelijk!

4. Fiets (Bicycles):

The Flat-lands were made for biking with their level grounds and the towns in close proximity. It would seem that it is the bikers that rule this land. With the traffic laws (and personal, unspoken ones!) giving rights and privileges to the biker, a perfect, cheap and healthy wheel-world has been created. (I would like to take this moment to say, however, that the biking Amsterdammers need to take it a bit easier on the pedestrian population! Perhaps?) It is not uncommon for a Dutch child to bike 15 km both ways to school. Not surprisingly, the Dutch don't have many problems with child obesity because as fast as the children eat their bread and toppings, they burn off it all off on the beautiful bike paths of their homeland. It is the main form of transportation for many people. The government also gives rewards to those who take the bike to work. This robust tradition has produced a nation of healthy, tall people with keen biking-know-how and extraordinary calves.

5. Schaatsen (Ice skating):

Aside from biking, the Dutch are a very sportive nation and take pride in their korfball medals, soccer players and so many other areas where they exceed and succeed. But I have never seen a Dutchman's chest (or woman's for that matter!) puff out so much in honest pride as when the word "ice" is mentioned. Strange, for a temperate land that rarely sees the minus mark on the thermostat! However, it is a wonder to behold the ownership the Dutch place upon this winter occurrence and the winter sport that accompanies it. The delight that beams from this nation in a time of frozen temperatures could almost melt the very ice that they treasure so! Hordes of Hollanders flock to the skating rinks of their rivers and canals and here on the long, long stretches of water, often created by their own hands, champion skaters are born and bred. The beloved Elfstedentocht, a beautiful, traditional race of 200 km going through eleven Frisian cities, has only occurred fifteen times in the last 100 years because of the rarity of perfect ice. However, despite the sea climate that shortens the life-span of Holland's ice-ways, by the time a Dutch child is three, the steadying chair can be taken away from in front and they are off with the best of them.

6. Water:

The Netherlands (the low-lands) is called that for a reason and because of this, the Dutch have a strong relationship with water, for better or worse. They are famous for it! They have a world-wide reputation (aside from some other unflattering ones!) for their manipulation and management of the sea. The country's lowest point below sea-level is 7 m. (23 ft.) Take a drive through Flevoland and your car is on land that used to be covered by salty waves not too terribly long ago. Dikes border sea-side towns with sheep grazing on their grassy hills. Those who live in the homes along the dikes faithfully trust in the strength and ingenuity that has kept the sea from its territory for generations now. In many ways, water is what has made the Netherlands what it is today. Even the many dialects of its twelve provinces owe some of their diversity to water. Islands that used to be, are no more and their cultures that used to be separate from each other, are now joined by land.

7. Sinterklaas:

All I can say, is that if you aren't a Dutch child on the 5th December, you are missing out! This is the time when the famous Sinterklaas, (the Dutch equivalent of Father Christmas and Santa) and his faithful helper Zwarte Piet make their rounds. If you're a good child, be prepared to find your shoe full of goodness and perhaps some other presents will find their way into your hand. But as tradition has it, the naughty ones are taken off to Spain and then who knows what! It is a time of the year devoted to pepernoten, speculaas, and other Dutch sweets that only make their appearance with the Sint. Everyone knows the Sinterklaas liedjes and adults and children alike sing them out to welcome everyone's favourite person. If you are lucky enough, you will get to see him as he gets off his boat and mounts his white horse on Dutch soil. The whole tradition has an air of old-world excitement that is refreshing and is hard to find in today's over-stimulated society. I think the Sint and his black helpers would do everyone a bit of good, the world over!

8. Gefrituurd (Fried foods):

One can't help mentioning this Dutch speciality when every household owns a deep-fryer. Again, it is my firm belief that the saving grace of this nation's waist-lines are their bike paths and inherited love of sport. Patat, krokketten, balletje mayo and a wealth of other fried delicacies are served primarily with mayo, and curry, ketchup and peanut sauce are optional choices. Kibbeling, battered fried fish, was our Saturday lunch of choice with its perfect side of creamy garlic dip. However it is the olliebollen that win the fryer its true place in the home with their hot, golden balls that float to the oily surface every New Years. Sprinkle some poeder suiker on that!

9. Gezelligheid:

There is no translation for this all-encompassing word: gezellig.Yes, it could mean cosy or pleasant and imply community and friendship... but it goes much deeper than that. It is strange that one word bottles in eight letters the attitude of a country and the aim of its people. It covers koffie tijden, vakanties, Sinterklaas and more. The only thing that I can say is that it has to be experienced to be understood.

*****

Thank you for joining along, patient reader. This is meant to be a recognition and tribute to a little country that was home for a time but means all the more to me because it birthed and bred the dearest person in my life. Someday (hopefully!), when we have our own little Dutch people running around in our home, I look forward to sharing with them and learning with them more about one of their homelands, its people and history.