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The Dutch Daily
by Eileen Harloff
Sweet Sixteen?
It was a birthday that Merthe, a young girl
from Haren near Groningen, will never forget,
nor will those who knew her either personally
or through what subsequently happened.
Looking forward to her coming celebration,
she went on Facebook to invite her friends
to a “Sweet Sixteen Party” on September 22.
Unfortunately, she failed to mark her event
as “private” and soon her invitation had been
forwarded the width and breadth of the land
to 30,000 people: there would be a party and
everyone was welcome. Moreover, a local DJ
encouraged attendance at what was sure to
be a jolly bash.
Once the mistake was realized, Merthe’s father
and the burgemeester (mayor) of Haren
made desperate attempts to encourage the
country-at-large to stay at home, but to no
avail. On the evening of the 22nd, while the
family took shelter elsewhere, 3,000 revelers
started arriving by foot, bicycle, car and
bus. Some wore party hats. They were not
only from Haren, but also from Zwolle, Den
Bosch, Nijmegen and elsewhere and expected
music, dancing, drinks and food. When the
“guests” were met with a police cordon and
they realized that the feast was not about to
take place, the energies of a certain group
turned to other activities: drinking, taking
drugs, rioting, throwing stones, plundering
shops in the city, setting cars on fire, destroying
garden sheds, and fighting amongst themselves
and with the police. At least 36 people
were arrested. The next day, parts of the city
looked like a cyclone had struck and the accusations
began: the burgemeester should
have planned some alternative activities, the
police should have held back/acted sooner,
etc. Obviously, no one had been prepared for
such an event in this usually peaceful town
of 19,000 residents. Whether or not it could
happen again here or elsewhere is anyone’s
bet. But one thing is sure: Merthe will be more
careful from now on when using Facebook.
32 GOING DUTCH
An Expensive Flower
Another lesson, dearly learned by a young
man from Nunspeet (east of Amsterdam) is
that one does not pluck flowers from someone
else’s bush or tree, even if that flower is
hanging over a hedge or fence. On his way
home from a party, the 25-year-old man saw a
hydrangea blossom doing what such blossoms
tend to do: one stem was sticking through a
fence that he was walking along. What a fine
idea, he thought, to just pluck that bloom
and show it to a woman friend, who would
be sure to enjoy its aroma. Unfortunately, it
was just at this juncture that two policemen
came along. They asked if he found it normal
to pick other people’s flowers and they took it
from him, saying that they would return it to
its rightful owner. The next day, he received
a citation from the police charging him with
hooliganism and rowdiness, with a fine of
€ 200. In a state of shock, the young man
contacted the owners of the hydrangea plant
to discuss the matter, but they claimed they
had no knowledge of the incident. It is not yet
known if the plucker has contested his fine.
“Dutch Tenor is Hero of New York”
This was the headline in a recent newspaper;
behind it is a fascinating story. It happened
this past spring when Dutch tenor and opera
singer Frank van Aken went to New York City
for the first time to attend a performance by
his wife, opera singer Eva-Maria Westbroek,
at the Metropolitan Opera House. The opera
was Wagner’s Die Walkure, and his wife was
Photo by Ken Howard
singing the role of Sieglinde opposite German
tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Sigmund. The day
before the performance, Kaufmann fell ill,
and unless a replacement could be found the
performance would have to be cancelled – a
prospect no one found appealing. It was at
this point that Eva-Marie’s agent suggested
that van Aken step in to take on the role, as he
was “the only one who could save the show.”
What a challenge: to sing a very difficult role
he had last performed 16 months previously
with only a few hours practice in an opera
house with unfamiliar acoustics. Adding to
the pressure, he would be performing in front
of an audience of 3,800 people and also would
be broadcast on radio. Reluctantly, he agreed.
With prompters standing by should he forget
the text and with a great deal of courage, he
succeeded. The public and the critics raved.
The reaction of van Aken to his great accomplishment
might be considered typically
Dutch in its matter-of-fact tone: “You know
the Americans, they think it’s heroic and romantic,
and it is special – a debut at the Met
with my wife. After the first act, I felt it was
going to be a success, and then I began to
enjoy it.”
Dutch Bell at Olympics
The London Olympics are now just a fond
memory for most of us, but they will always
have a special significance for one Dutch
company. The opening ceremony was enhanced
by a bell made by the Dutch foundry
Royal Eijsbouts, located in Asten, Brabant.
The bell weighs 23 tons and is 11 feet (3.3 meters)
wide. Naturally, there were grumbles in
England about the “foreign bell.” Originally,
the White Chapel Bell Foundry in London
was approached, but it did not have the capacity
to do the job. The organizers then turned
to the Dutch company, which is rightly proud
of its accomplishment.
It’s for the Birds
A newcomer at Central Station in Rotterdam
is causing much confusion at platform 9: a
starling. He can imitate the sound of a train
door opening, so passengers rush to get into
the train before the doors close, only to discover
that they have not yet been opened.
According to Kees Moeliker of the Natural
History Museum, “Starlings are a city bird
and very good imitators of sounds in their
vicinity. At this time of year many birds are
migrating, but this starling has been sitting
above the rails for some time and has mastered
this train sound.”
New Cultural Center
In 2010, fifty-four international architectural
firms competed in a contest to design a new
cultural center for The Hague next to the Stadhuis
(City Hall). The winning plans were
drawn up by Rotterdam architectural firm
Neutelings Riedijk, but a decision to carry out
the project was delayed for financial reasons.
Now the city council has decided that the time
has come to act. Construction should begin in
2013 with a goal of completion in 2018. The
complex, called the Spuiforum, will replace
the Dr. Anton Philips Hall and the Lucent
Dance Theater. It will house the Residential
Orchestra, the Netherlands Dance Theater and
the Royal Conservatory of Music and will
include three performance halls with 500 to
1,500 seats, study rooms and offices. In addition
to providing modern premises for the
performing arts, the complex will bring new
life to what is now a somewhat cold and drab
looking spot in the heart of the city.
NOVEMBER 2012 33