December 2023

 12/12/23

Greetings from Zeeland, 

Yes, it’s been awhile. Things have been happening non-stop, though I haven’t paused to inscribe them in these digital halls in a while. Right now I’m on a big push to get ahead on schoolwork before the winter break, meaning lots of sketching, reading and typing late into the night. Lots to tell, not so much time to tell it. So allow me to take these few paragraphs to explain what I’ve been up to.

As a senior member of the HZ Green Office, the organization responsible for the student gardens, I’m entitled to a lot of manual labor on select days of the week. This of course because there’s not much gardening to be done in December. Last Thursday I was at the HZ building in Vlissingen where I helped to move several tons of gravel from the jeu de boules court to a big pit in the garden, all with buckets and wheelbarrows. (this was part of a larger scheme that remains hidden to me) I got a free lunch and some exercise out of it. 

On Saturday, in exceptionally stormy weather, I helped the municipality in pollarding willow trees in a park across the canal. Pollarding is the selective trimming of these willow trees so that they stay small and manageable, and produce lots of wrist-sized branches which have a myriad of purposes. (which, as a side note, includes the making of clogs, baskets, and brooms!) I find trimming trees to be quite relaxing, especially on a rainy day. Of course, it wouldn’t be a city-sponsored activity without the coffee and stroopwafels! This is how the Dutch keep spirits high in the face of such short and dark days. 

Last weekend was especially busy. On behalf of the Red Cross three other volunteers and myself cooked over 1200 poffertjes, mini pancakes served with chocolate sauce and butter. We sold almost all of them at a holiday market, with proceeds going to the refugee center in Middelburg. As you might expect, this took all day– I hope I never have to make those little pancakes again. 

For my class Climate Change, I've been tasked with examining an industrial area in the neighboring city of Goes (pronounced with like “goose” without the g) and finding ways to make it more climate-friendly. They have a sense of humor for the English speakers in the area, because the city mascot is a goose! 

So I went out there to see the neighborhood– as you might expect, it wasn’t a nice place. Lots of mud, trucks, and concrete. Very poor drainage, so my work is cut out for me! Walking through the area on a Sunday afternoon is what some might call “getting off the beaten track”. 

I also paid a visit to the Christmas market in Goes, which was held in de grote kerk, literally “the big church”. The name says it all here. Christmas markets are a sort of holiday crafts exposition, concert, and block party rolled into one. It’s a great spot to have a market, safe from wind and rain that seems worse than ever this month. I took the opportunity to enjoy some oliebols (once again, the name says it all, oily fried dough balls) and the live holiday music, in a very festive atmosphere. 

This whole excursion took quite a while to accomplish, thanks in part to the train system these days. Netherlands Spoorwegen, Dutch Railways, has been running trains at 30% speed because of unstable tracks. And like most Dutch problems, it’s of their own making. The tracks were laid on clayey soils which have expanded because of heavy rains. One of my professors has reiterated a phrase that I find especially appropriate in this situation: “In this country, always build your house on sand!” (sand here compacts well and doesn’t expand, a curious reversal of the parable) 

In honor of the holidays fireworks have hit the shelves around here. And surprisingly, the dangerous ones here aren’t banned. So late at night I’ve become accustomed to hearing a loud explosion from the bike underpass or a series of them from the canal cycle path. Ah, to be young and ignorant of firecracker-related injuries. 

I fly back on the 20th and plan to bring as much cheese and chocolate as I can carry, perhaps some stroopwafels and licorice too. My good friend Ethan and I will play hookey and travel to Amsterdam the day before to see the city, and to make sure we’re at the airport early. Four months living here have gone by faster than I imagined they would! 

This will be the last dispatch from me for the year, so I’d like to wish you all fijne feestdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar. (happy holidays and happy new year) If you’re still looking for gifts, just mention to anyone who’s interested that this Baxa fellow writes some outstanding reports on life in The Netherlands. Bye for now!

Prettige Kerst/Merry Christmas, 

Aaron