sounds of Holland

back in the center of the town I visited last time, I'm sitting next to my fourth-floor hotelroom window. The air is warm but still a little chill, and the sounds of the square below drift up to me here. There's the rattle of bicycles and the punctuating clang of a bell, the occasional motor scooter, but mostly the lazy summertime sound of the outdoor cafe across the street. The unfamiliar sounds of Dutch voices blend with the laughter into a hum that could be anywhere- reverberating off the brick walls around us and floating into the thinly overcast sky.

An outdoor concert is playing in the square, obviously someone that has followers, so I can just barely hear those who are singing along with the band. They're singing in English now, adding to the universality of this moment, as long as my eyes are closed. When I open them though, I see the dim bulk of the same church I looked at last time, the white lights that outline the windows of the building above the cafe, and the streams of bicycles, their red tail lights glowing in the evening.

Earlier today I was in our Dutch office, after the usual long day of flying, driving, and intense work. I got an email from my brother that contained photos of my young nephew playing on the beach on Cape Cod with the rest of my family, and for just a moment I felt terribly lost here in this sea of yet another strange language, intertwined Dutch highways, and carefully cultivated forests. Why am I here when my whole family is there in those familiar, loved places? Right now I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's, but sometimes that soul-delay of travel makes for the occasional forlorn moment.

After listening to all the cheery-sounding but completely incomprehensible Dutch conversations, I also found a new kind of solace in hearing Icelandic. There's something soothingly predictable about it to me now- I may be far from fluent in my comprehension but at least I KNOW I will be able to figure out what's going on. I am curious what it will be like when I go somewhere English-speaking after this. What luxury to have all the linguistic tools you need at your disposal without having to plan what you say long in advance!

Ship sighting: I did see a few on the canals on the way here- some very Important-looking equipment being towed, a few flat cargo-bearing boats, and another one that looked like a dredger. Canal boats are such a different design- squat lozenge-y, and genteel.