August Doldrums

As I sit on our back porch I find myself thinking about the month of August. I can’t say that it’s a favorite of mine. The weather is hot and humid, the air stale and oppressive. The brightness of the spring and early summer is no longer there and the colors appear dull. It feels like a tired month to me.

The plants in the secret garden are struggling and I don’t have the energy to lug buckets of water out to them. I can’t imagine intentionally planning a big outdoor event, like a wedding, or going to a ballgame. Even the idea of going to the beach doesn’t appeal to me.

And yet all whining aside, those very qualities that I complain of bring about an introspective and inward stillness. Not quite ready to give up the summer, August soothes us into the fall. Colors subtly shift to an unassuming shade of their former selves. A few leaves start to drift discreetly to the ground. The summer sounds seem to intensify, especially the background drone of the evening bugs. It’s easy to get lulled into a hazy quietness. August can be very contemplative. And really, this soulful side of August is simply a prelude of wondrous changes to come.

Mischief in Motion

Here they are, the dynamic Dutch duo (nephew, F and niece, W) showing M the ins and outs of city living.

What you can’t see in these pictures is the water taxi in the canal on the left. As you might guess, a water taxi is exactly what its name implies – a yellow boat that picks people up and transports them to another area via the canals.

For fun, the three flagged down the taxi that was passing by in the canal. However, once they realized that the taxi was actually going to stop, they high-tailed it out of there.

Guy Shopping in Miniature

Back in April I wrote about the art of guy shopping, a phenomenon initially experienced with my husband, and subsequently with the spouses of my sisters and girlfriends. However, I’ve never actually observed this in young boys, until this past trip to Amsterdam. Watching my nephew shop for souvenirs was just like watching my husband, but in miniature. He knew exactly what he wanted and only needed to be shown where to find it.

M’s shopping list included:

Baseball hat with Dutch logo
World Cup soccer shirt with player’s name and matching shorts
Regular T-shirt with Dutch logo
Two shot glasses for his brother and sister (I had no idea they were collecting)
Cheese for Mom and Dad
Chocolate for himself and the family.

The more I suggested options, the more determined (albeit very polite) M was to get only what he had listed. I finally turned him over to my husband and asked H to handle the shopping while I simply tagged along and made sure the artwork on the coveted items were family-appropriate.

Except for the soccer shirt (which took a little extra time to have the name put on), we were done in a little over an hour. Consequently, I have concluded that the nature of guy shopping has to be genetic. Males must be born with a special shopping chromosome that prompts them to shop efficiently and with laser-like focus.

Images from top to bottom (click on image for better detail):
1. Hat bought in less than five minutes (note empty spot near top)
2. Soccer shirts not up to snuff at this shop
3. Happy camper – success at the sports store
4. Studying cheese varieties
5. Happy camper – success at the cheese shop
6. H and M calculating the exchange rate
7. Success at H’s favorite souvenir shop

JB Was Here

My father’s name is Jesse Benjamin Bateman, but he was known as JB all his life by family and friends. Although it’s been a little over a year since he died, Dad has stopped by on several occasions – in my dreams. I think of them as really cool visits. In some dreams he just shows up and observes, but in most, we’ve spoken to each other, hugged or simply held hands. We always exchange “I love you”s. Each time I see Dad, I let my middle sister S know, because she also sees him in dreams. Now I know that many of you must be thinking, “Hmmmmm. Maybe the heat and humidity is getting to her.” But no, I’m not nutty; I just know what I’ve experienced.

I saw Dad again last Saturday night -- nothing major, a short chat, a hug and then he was gone. So, of course, early Sunday morning I sent my sister an email to let her know Dad had come by for a visit. On Monday morning I got a call from S, who had responded with her own email:

I knew he was in town! I got the notice Sunday morning!!

And she attached an image from the Sunday AJC headlines:

Of course, it helps to know that Justin Bieber had just been in town.

"No Mercy!"

My thirteen-year-old nephew accompanied us to Holland on this trip. After having been in the Old Country a couple of days, I asked M, So far, what has impressed you most about Amsterdam? Without a blink, he replied, The action on the streets – there’s no mercy!

When we visit over there, we stay smack-dab in the center of Amsterdam. H’s brother and family live in a 17th-century canal house that faces one of the busiest canals in the area. Our nearby hotel is made up of ten of these canal-side houses and faces another major canal. When you step out of the front door of either, you are immediately immersed into the life of the city.

To get around one walks, rides a bike, or takes a tram. Motor scooters are becoming more popular. And cars? Well, some Amsterdammers do own cars, but they are used very sparingly. Roads are quite narrow and usually one-way. Parking is extremely limited and residents pay a steep fee for the privilege of searching endlessly for a parking spot within a particular radius of their homes. It’s not uncommon to have to park blocks away from your front door. Traveling on foot or by bike is the way to go. As far as shopping goes, the general rule of thumb is that you only buy what you can carry.

There is an understood hierarchy within the modes of mobility, but it can take a little getting used to if you’re new. Here are some helpful hints. Even if you can’t remember these at first glance, you’ll pick up on them quickly:

1. On streets and the many, many bike paths, bicycles have the right-of-way over pedestrians. As a pedestrian, you have to look in every directions before you step off a curb, and if you hear the “brriing, brriing” of a bike bell nearby, move over or step back immediately. (As M would say: No mercy!)
   
   
2. Bikes still have an edge over cars (even though cars are bigger) – both battle it out, but bikes usually win. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a car honking at a bike. Motor scooters are a bit of a nuisance. They seem to yield to bikers when necessary, but not to pedestrians. Their buzz is an ever-present background noise.
   


3. Trams are obvious – no matter how you’re traveling, don’t mess with them (they ALWAYS rule). If you’re going by bike, keep your tires out of the tram tracks or you’ll topple within seconds.

Remember: As you proceed to your destination, keep your eyes and ears on alert. Let anything bigger than you (including horses) go first. As H likes to say: Walking the streets of Amsterdam is like playing a video game. You’ve got to avoid the invaders who are coming at you from all directions.

A Snacker's Paradise

H and I love to travel. For me, it’s the excitement of sensory overload and the exploration of newness. It resets my way of thinking from ordinary, day-to-day contemplation to a fresh new view of the world. I daydream a lot when I travel. I soak everything up like a sponge. But for H, well, his objective is a little different. From the moment he steps off the plane, he is focused like a laser on the culinary experience. And when we travel to Amsterdam, it’s not just any food, it’s his beloved Dutch junk food.

H’s brother usually picks us up at the airport, and before H can even ask the question, D has us settled in a local establishment for gebak and coffee. They spend much of their time in spirited bantering, each one working to persuade the other that he alone knows the location of the tastiest treats. The results of their exchange mean that we will be sampling from a variety of restaurants, pastry shops, street vendors and snack machines throughout the visit – often several times a day. We eat at the three main meals, in-between meals, and (don’t forget) during the traditional morning and afternoon pastry and coffee breaks. Needless to say, we save our most elasticized garments for the flight home.

Just look at these names: bitterballen, Chocomel, Chokotoffs, friets, gebak, hagelslag, koek, kroketten, pannenkoeken, poffertjes, snoepjes, stroopwafels, and vlokjes. The imagination runs crazy-wild trying to picture these delicacies, don’t you think? Let me help you out. Get your fork and pull up a chair to the kitchen table. Grab a napkin too.

Bitterballen: Deep-fried meat paste (I know what you’re thinking – don’t ask) in the shape of a ball. Dip it in mustard before eating. (See images of kroketten below and think "round.")

Chocomel: Chocolate milk similar to, but much better than, Yoo-Hoo

Chokotoffs: Dark chocolate, chewy candy found in the main grocery stores and candy shops (H and my nephew M, hunting and gathering)

Friets: Thick-cut French fries served with large amounts of mayonnaise.

Gebak: Pastry

Hagelslag: Chocolate sprinkles sprinkled on bread that has a light spread of butter to hold it on.

Koek: Honey cake; a thickly sliced breakfast bread that tastes something like a spice cake. It’s often served with a thin spread of butter and topped with a slice of Dutch cheese. (sorry, no images)

Kroketten: Deep-fried meat paste in an oblong shape, similar to but larger than bitterballen. These can be eaten like bitterballen or can be smushed and spread across hearty bread with a dab of mustard.

Pannenkoeken: Traditional Dutch pancakes, usually much larger and thinner than American pancakes. They often have fruit cooked in them; served with powdered sugar and Dutch stroop, a dark, thick syrup that tastes a lot like sorghum syrup.

Poffertjes: Baby pancake puffs served with butter and powdered sugar. These need a special pan to cook in.

Snoepjes: Candy of all types (D picking out snoepjes; note the stroopwafels in the background on the red table)

Stroopwafels: Syrup waffle; two round, flat waffle cookies with a thick syrup/honey center. These can be placed on top of a hot cup of coffee or tea for a minute or so to soften.

Vlokjes: Chocolate flakes sprinkled on bread that has a light spread of butter to hold it on.

Yum! Am I ever hungry now. I’m pretty sure H has some Chokotoffs still packed in his suitcase – I know he’ll share.