Daugther No 1 tells me my blog is not funny anymore; she complains it’s not exciting enough. I don’t quite know what she expects. I thought last week’s post was actually quite eventful - a daring boat fire rescue and the tale of the kidnapped cat – but for someone who rubs shoulders with Chinese Celebs and parties regularly in Beijing, my life in Haarlem may seem somewhat dull in comparison.
How can I 'glam up' my blog? I could mention the movie shoot spotted this morning by Haarlem’s windmill. That’s pretty glam, although anyone who has ever seen a film crew at work will know that it is a laboriously slow process. Lights, camera and not a lot of action. I could have witnessed the Dutch equivalent of Johnny Depp taking a quick fag break between scenes, but how would I know?
Even if something exciting did happen in Haarlem, we’d be the last to hear about it. We don’t watch Dutch TV news and although I do occasionally listen to the radio for a bit of day-time company, I certainly don’t understand what's going on.
In an attempt to uncover something scandalous to write about, I’ve researched Dutch news stories on the internet. This week’s top story – woman trampled to death by cow on farm. Tragic for all concerned but hardly cutting edge, and definitely not appropriate material for a lighthearted witty blog post.
Apparently there was a report in the local paper of two beggars spotted in Haarlem’s hallowed streets. Only two - that's news?? In the US I wouldn’t have made it more than two hundred meters from our apartment without running out of fingers to count vagrants on - a sad state of affairs that never warranted a mention on the nightly LA news. At least Haarlem’s up-market beggars are showing typical Dutch resourcefulness by apparently claiming they are short of cash for hotel bills incurred whilst visiting sick relatives. It beats sitting in the street holding a cardboard sign professing to be an Army Vet.
People don’t choose to live in the Netherlands because they want excitement. Everything over here is very low key. And they certainly don't come for the weather. There is only one word to describe the Dutch climate and that is depressing. I'm holding it entirely responsible for my current lack of creativity.
This Friday offered a tantalising glimpse of what life could be like. Last week I thought I’d peaked at a T-shirt on the beach, now, believe it or not, I've made it into a bikini. Who’d have thought? After a leisurely lunchtime cruise with our visitors around Haarlem and a picnic on a boat moored amongst the lily pads, we spent the afternoon relaxing around the local lake on soft, golden sand, basking in the heat….And then we wake up, and it’s Saturday. The skies are grey, the wind has picked up, and I’m lending daughter and boyfriend an umbrella and a coat before they set off on the train to explore Amsterdam.
No comments:
Post a Comment