Chronicles Continued

Have to be very careful with this mode of transportation.  To the average car driver I look no different than any other Oma on a bike.  But, there is a large gap of years and no traffic experience that I must overcome and make adjustments for. So far so good.  I’m very careful, alert and go out when I think the traffic might be at it’s thinnest.

…just wait and it will change’.  And true it is.  The morning can be begin with the sun-up and 10 am the sky is filled with dark clouds and it is raining.  The pattern I can not figure out is when the sun is shinning brightly and it is raining.  Being on the water, I can see if the water is disturbed by birds, fish, wind, rain or boats. A convenient barometer.

Small refrigerators the size of a 27inch suitcase, fresher perishable foods, many families shop daily for their food needs.  I try to grocery shop every other or every third day.  Meat products have a short refrigerator life and there must be a reason for that.  I am assuming it is a healthy one.  There is a big push to eliminate pigs and cows from the table choices because of their toll on the environment to bring them up.   Bought a premade-coleslaw salad in a 175 grams container. It was so sauced up, went the next day and bought 300 grams of chopped cabbage and other veggies to combine.  Ended up with the perfect salad.

There is a graciousness to this word. It broadly means ‘well mannered’. I used it in such a seldom-occurring -righteous-moment. It’s Sunday morning, the sun is shinning, I hear a dog barking, yowling, whining, carrying on in a way that is not usual for an early-morning-walked-pet. Looking out of my upstairs window I see for the second day, an inflatable boat that is loaded- -for-bear with police persons and a couple of dogs. The lead dog is decked out in a fitted life jacket with what looks like a whistle hanging from the collar -[if he tumbles overboard, is he/she to blow on it for rescue?] I watch as the boat manoeuvres around the yachts and along the shore line; the lead dog yammering on in tonal variants, with add-ons from the other dog. My experience tells me they are looking for something. This matches the helicopter that was circling overhead yesterday. With my NYC background I’m thinking drugs, crime, something hidden, something-going-down. I linger at the window a few moments more, wondering if anyone ‘interprets’ those canine moans and groans. I certainly can not ‘read’ it. Fast forward an hour and I’m crossing a bridge on my bike and looking out at the water, I see and hear the same boat with dogs. They are headed to pass under the bridge. I stop, make a picture and wait for the approaching boat. As it begins it’s approach I call out in Dutch, ‘What are you searching for with a dog?’ I’m ignored. I wait a few more feet for approach and then ask again ‘Why are you using a dog’? One of the police persons looks straight ahead and says ‘Because we are boating”. Boy is that a shut down. On the same bridge, across from me, is an older woman on her bike, also stopped. I lean mine up against the railing and approach her. “Do you know what they are searching for with the dog?” She replies, “Do you not know about the missing man _____ [she says his name], they are looking for him. He has been missing for one week.” “Ah,” I say, “I have seen the placards asking for his whereabouts.” She continues to explain: “A week ago, this 26 year old left the local bar at 2:30 am with his friend and he never made it home. His friend went right and he went the few meters further to his house. He was on foot. No one has seen or heard of him since.” “No, he was not disadvantaged in anyway, he had all his wits about him. What a sad thing it is. They are hoping,” she said. “That someone knows where he is or worse case that they find him in the water. How awful for his parents” she concluded. Little ole Ladies are the best; true fonts of information. I thank her, cross to my bike and go on my way, thinking about how the boat-people could have responded. About 45 minutes later and many kilometers further, I see ahead, directly on my route, three of the men and three of the dogs, sitting. Ah Ha! I bike over, stop and say “Your are from the boat- and you could have answered my question in a more ‘well-mannered form’.” They all three look up. I repeat adding, I am a foreigner and when I asked you about the dog when you were in the boat, you could have answered me in a more ‘well-mannered ‘ form. Well did they look startled. The older man took on a gracious air, explaining why he didn’t answer and that they were looking for the young man. I replied, I understood that. I asked him how they could ‘read’ the dog responses. He gave me a long answer that indeed it was very hard to do so. Therefore every time they use multiple dogs and have someone on board who is more fluent in dog speak. I listened. When he was all done, I said I was sorry that the missing person had not yet been found, and thank you for the information. I did not say: Don’t mess with me, you never know when you will have to give account!

What a change to live in a town/city where there are never the sound of sirens, or honking or public disturbances of any variety.  The days are still except for the horns of the boats, asking for the drawbridge to be lifted – in a timely manner if you will.

 

Why you don’t leave the wash hanging out in a rain shower.  Because?  The force of the water hitting the garden tiles – seldom is there grass-  throws the dirt from the surface onto whatever is low hanging.  Pants, sheets, towels. When the rain stops, one has to then spot clean the dirty spots off an otherwise clean wash.  Not a good use of time.

I’m peddling as fast as I can.” The Dutch language is rich in idioms, sayings, expressions for use in everyday life. This is not one of them. This one is made up. An older woman, I knew here, tho not officially educated past elementary school, could speak paragraphs using only sayings. At one time I knew many. Now my supply is meager, so I’ll just make them up as I go…

A grown male, walking down the street with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.  Likely he is off to visit someone. It is such a pleasant sight to behold because it is not unusual.