Soaking up the local colour

If you cant tell by the title, I am sun burnt! Baldy. But I find it humorous because it was a sunny day, I was outside during high noon sun, my Scandinavian fair skin hasn’t seen sun all winter, and I still didn’t put on sunscreen! Silly Elizabeth. Anyways, today I soaked up more than the sun. I went to a local football (or soccer for us Americans who haven’t fully realized the glory of this sport) tournament where Pieter played! Pieter is the 13 year old of the family I am staying with. I thought, how odd could I stick out in society out at a sporting event? I have been to plenty of games and I know how to cheer for the right team; this will make me look like a local! Wrong J

Before we arrived, Bobbi, the mom, and I went to the grocery store to get some snacks. I was in amazement with all the potatoes! They were everywhere. Also, the milk isle was interesting with instead of non-BST milk, it was milk from cows that have been turned out to pasture when the weather permits. Kinda cool. 


I feel like every village was like disneyland, everything was so close together and cute!
 Once we got to the tournament, I was in shock. These 11, 12, or 13-year-old boys were like pros to me! I had never seen organized soccer any step below the World Cup, so seeing these boys do tricks I once thought were advanced was a sight to see. Their ensembles were to die for. They wore bright colored uniforms with popped collars (typical dutchie) complete with crazy cool hair
 Take a look at one of the kids in the cheer section! He had every stereotype of dutchie covered. I loved it!

 Anyways, Pieters teams played their first game. It was a close one, but his team lost by one. Take a look at the photo. I was cheering for the team in red. I love cheering for the team with the super de duper tall kid that everyone thinks is 15 and is taking growth hormones!

 Moving on, I quickly learned that my competitive sprit needed to be tamed down no matter the country. In the second game, Pieter knocked over a smaller guy. I quickly cheered and said, “Way to go! Do it again!” Without skipping a beat, all of the mothers looked strangely at me and starting whispering in Dutch. Poor Bobbi swiftly said that she is an American. The mothers then nodded in an understanding and full of pity way. Oh, Elizabeth.

To calm myself down, I went to the lunch stand to eat some food; That always makes me jollier. I was surprised to see that instead of food on the menu, they had beer and wine for the parents of the kids! What an ingenious idea! I am beginning to think the Netherlands is right for me.


 At the fourth and final game, I enjoyed observing the sidelines guy. He was a passionate cheerer for Pieters team and was pushing them forward even though they were losing to a team 5 to zip, and I think the opposing team had a few Brazilians. That’ll always get ya. I later on found out, this guy is a local farmer and school custodian and cheers for them every game. Made my heart smile and realize how excited I am to cheer for my children one day . . . and to push them to be a tad too aggressive on the field ;)

 After the tournament, we headed home via the scenic route. We saw old castles, 200+-year-old trees, and more cute little villages. We stopped in to a family friends house to simply sit down and visit. We enjoyed a couple beers while talking about American versus EU agriculture.


I came to an epiphany after this conversation and on the way home; in order to feed the world while keeping the world (aka not destroy our resources), everyone has to contribute and compromise for the greater good. We can’t expect that what we are doing now will work for the changing world in years to come. Therefore, everyone has to come to table. Everyone meaning conventional, organic, natural resource conservation, and more have to talk a lot. I stopped my mind after that point so I can continue to have a vacation J



Farm where we enjoyed conversation and few beers. 


Renovated barn for an outside deck/patio. Very rustic and pretty. 
Today was one of those days where you realize how special people are and how happy they can make you! Message me or comment here to tell me what I should make for my host family for dinner tomorrow night as a ‘thank you’. I want it to be out-of-this world good!

2:08 AM | |

 

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