Foreplay in the Park

Most people associate rainy weather with England. It’s no coincidence that a stereotypical Englishman is portrayed with a big black umbrella stuck snugly under his arm. A Dutchman, on the other hand, traditionally does not have an umbrella, but instead is wearing wooden shoes, a red handkerchief around his neck and a little black cap, that will only keep the top of his head dry whenever the rain pours down on him. This doesn’t make any sense! Yes, it rains quite a lot in England, but I dare say that in the Netherlands it rains as least as much.

That is why all Dutchies go crazy whenever they get a little sunshine in their normally cold and wet country (the Dutch call the Netherlands affectionately “little frogland” for a reason). As soon as the thermometer hits 12 degrees you see people walking around in shorts, flip-flops, sunglasses, and tank tops. And on warm weekends families, students, teenagers, and everybody else spurt to the nearest park to lie down or frolic in the sun. The last weekend of April, when it was a staggering 22 degrees, was such a weekend. Everybody in Groningen went en masse to the Noorderplantsoen.

Of course I joined them. I was lying there with three close friends, reading trashy magazines, drinking cider and gossiping about everybody we know. For me this is common park behavior, but lying there made me realize just how uninhibited the Dutch can be at times. People continuously would arrive on their bikes, throw them on the ground, lay down on their towels or blankets and strip down to their bikinis and shorts. On my left a group of students tied a rope between two trees and took turns walking on it; in front of me two couples were getting hot and heavy, slowly moving from first to second base and ignoring everybody’s stares; behind me were some trees and bushes where normally dogs did their business; apart from the little dog presents I smelled the familiar wafts of marihuana and I heard lines of different songs floating in the air. Most people had brought snacks, water and alcoholic drinks, but I also detected people who had brought a full barbecue set along with their entire family (including the in-laws) to enjoy all the meat they had brought. I was right in the middle of all that action.



My description might sound horrible to some people, but I quite enjoyed it. Being with all these people who behave as if they have no scruples makes me feel we have known each other for years. That, although I have never met them, we are all intimate friends. Aaaaaah, bless the Netherlands!

Love,
Jonna