November 23, 2006 - Thursday

November 23, 2006 - Thursday
greetins and politics
It's election day in Holland today. There are 8 choices –and like most political parties everywhere, they're lead by creeps, assholes, and degenerates. It's interesting to note, however, that the Dutch Socialist Party's symbol is a tomato flying through the air, frozen in mid-arc. Do tomatoes flying through the air have the same connotation here that I'm used to? Isn't it like using a picture of roadside defecation as the symbol for a leading democratic party?


Some social trickiness today in a small town. Having trouble getting a bead on when and when not to greet strangers. The Dutch –many of them complete strangers– were congratulating me on my grandparent's 60th anniversary. Me thinking, Christ, save your congratulations for them. I didn't do it. I wasn't even around for most of it.

Anyway.

While wandering around this little arty village I'd pass the odd person also wandering around. Me being used to the Czech methodology of total lack of eye contact I'd spare a glance at them then drop my point of view to the ground as folk passed. Often I'd be surprised by a "hallo", and then respond with a cracked "hello" in reply; always mumbled, and far too late. Sometimes I'd give a "hallo" to someone and be completely ignored. Once in a while I'll get a big sunny smile and respond in kind, again usually, too late. Other times I'd give a grin and the person would scream and run away..

No.

The idea of staring at someone gratuitously –silently challenging them to say "hello" appeals in terms of wierdness value, but then i may have to deal with being touched.

The point being; there is no discernable system in place regarding the exchanging of greetings in Holland. Aside from the triple kiss…. This is a nefarious creation by the Dutch, for the Dutch that adds one additional cheek-kiss more than the prescribed European double-cheek-kiss (as outlined in Section 7.8, Paragraph 137 of the European Union Constitution). It took me a while to get used to this when greeting people –a moment of awkward chicken-headedness as the person moves in for the third and I'm already heading for the nearest cheese.

Why the Dutch have chosen to bastardize what is standard practice amongst Europeans is beyond me. I can only attribute it to adding the extra opportunity to make a really lewd suggestion to the opposite sex when saying goodbye's. At least it's better than the 25 word goodbye's Czech women will use: "Tak ahoy, cau, pa pa, zatim, nas gledanou, ahoy, cauki, etc, etc…"

Well, whatever.

I'm just ignoring all strangers here and giving everyone else 'the rock' when I see them.