zondag 11 oktober 2009

Opa is 83

Opa is 83. This year the celebration was in Irene's house. As usual, the house was filled with Opa's seven sisters and their spouses forming the hard centre of the celibants. Throughout the day, flying vists by all and sundry and thier friends and relations. A Dutch birthday consists of sitting in a circle consuming vast quantities of coffee and cakes followed eventually by beer and spirits, and generally regurgitating the past. The circle begins quite small, just a few people round a table. They can of course enjoy a quiet conversation in which they can actually hear each other, and what is more important, listen. As more people arrive, the circle increases in diameter. Furniture is moved about to accomodate the newcomers, ensuring that nobody will feel left out, even if one or two may prefer to fade into the background and form private circles. The result is that everyone is too far away to hear all that is happening on the far side of the circumference, and we now have too many people for polite discussions. The circle now has many separate dissertations zapping across its infinite diameters, each trying to assert its authority by increasing volume in order to absorb or subdue the competition. As the alcohol takes hold, everyone begins to laugh and sit back to enjoy the by now incomprehensible wall of noise. All great fun.

I was not actually present for most of the time as Wednesday is my fixed golf day, and my partner had already booked. By the time I did return, almost everyone had left, but there were still a few cakes. And so much food that we all moved back to make an evening meal of it.

LANG ZAL HIJ LEVEN.

Since I was not there, I cannot properly comment on the photos taken by Bernadet. But I will.

Jan looks quite happy to have found a place outside the circle

















The adorable Auntie Sjaan in the fetching blue waistcoat, flanked by Aunties and uncles.



Opa and two of his sisters.


Consumers is what birthday parties are all about. Jelly and icecream and all.



I sadly missed the musical cabaret. I had been given songs to learn on the guitar. I spent three days learning the things, but it was all over when I arrived from the 18th hole and the show went on with one guitar less to support the clarinet. All the more annoying since I had spent hours and hours learning some of the songs I like least, to put it mildly - "Heart of Gold", "Me and Bobby McGee", "Country Roads" etc. It only needed "Mr Bo Jangles" to complete the set.



"This next song is about...er, Jan, we're finished the song and it's time for the next...You can stop now, like between the songs. Um, Jan, about that next song we talked about...Jan? Never mind."



Julius, Mark, Raneer  and Ninke



Dinner time



Dinner time again but from a slightly different angle it would appear.

















Myself and Emz are late comers but there are a few stalwarts present, and as you see, still an awesome spread of culinary delight.


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