So I went to holland early december and the trip was .. interesting. One thing that got me thinking after i left, was how christmas was celebrated there. The first thing i came across when i reached the airport were a couple of Santa's little helpers, but the dutch version.
At first i saw them walking around from afar, and i honestly thought that they were black. Then i sat down at starbucks with my brothers, and they passed by us while singing something. so when i was admiring what they were doing, i realised something weird abt them. they were orang putih, and painted their faces black. i was just pretty shocked. and i was just trying to make sense out of it, like ok so it could be tradition, but its pretty insulting, and whyy is no one reacting to it and why is it accepted around sana. then i thought to myself ' eh why do i sound like im the one insulted by this' hahaha
nah some pictures i got from google:
oh and then they stopped dancing around and stayed at a spot, right in front of 2 orang itam. my brothers and i were saying how awkward that probably was! and when i got to the city and stuff, there were a few posters of them. one huge one in amsterdam actually.
so when i got back, i went to library and did some full on research abt the netherlands culture, and how it was widely accepted. and i found out 23% of ... nadawah. talk abt being jobless. i just googled it. i dont know what to do without google. so anyway, i found out that they were called 'Zwarte Pete' i.e. Black Pete. its like a folklore of the netherlands and he helps Sinterklaas. And they usually celebrate it on St Nicolas's eve, which so happens to be the day that i arrived!
The story was that parents would tell their children that Zwarte Pete would bring them gifts and candy if they behaved well. and 'becareful if u dont, or Zwarte Pete will come and get you' - ( which btw is fereaaky.and i swear i've seen a movie that's something like this) and they say he would put children who misbehave in a sack and carry them back with him to Spain, where he came from. Also its not for christmas rupanya. ada yg suggest that the idea of santa claus came from this folklore.
So then i found out more about how its been challenged to be politically incorrect and racist. rupanya some of the white dutch find that its tradition and feel really strong abt it, and some do think its racist..also because black pete was known to be the 'slave' of Sinterklaas. Sekali another suggestion why he was 'painted black' was coz he'd go through the chimneys to give gifts. hahah..
im just still really shocked kali. nah if u wanna watch a video of it, although the guy who interviewed her was kind of annoying..
ahhah although they sound quite annoying and i stopped half way through.. its quite cute. it sort of brings out some nostalgic memories. Things were wayyy easier back then and we had so many time to be able to be carefree. i can almost remember that feeling of playing on the bouncer slide with my cousins and having the best time, wanting to win the musical chair game or the best looking mummy where they cover u with tissue paper, to having some high school drama like friendship being broken apart and 'tukar group' HAHA, the different kinds of people i've met, the punishments i got from teachers, to having our ca mohammad meets in between classes, chilling at friends houses watching scary movies and junk food galore!, having a stay in, making funny videos for them ETC.
now im freaking 21 and old. i know im old because im already complaining. and busy actually means something! like busy trying to do my essay...or well wasting my time to find that ive now less time than before ..and hence super busy hahah thats the one bad habit that ive realised hasnt changed. always restless until the last minute.
ok mengantuk =/ this young adult needs her sleep..ill just work more on this essay tomorrow...and ill just grow up another time....harhar
farah posted ;18:53
Tuesday 29 September 2009
The Legend that is..
Steve Urkel!!
farah posted ;12:09
Monday 31 August 2009
hi ;)
i bought a 4 in 1 dvd of JAWS! i didnt really watch everything coz it was too slow and i got annoyed, old movies have a way of spending too much time on the build up. so i kept forwarding to the shark attack bits-just because that was the main thrill that got me so scared of sharks back then. so i was watching some of the shark attacks sekali palui..
i know its not real! and i checked youtube if it has actually ever happened before but so far NONE alhamdulillah hehe. but man do i get scared of these things. menyasal meliat =(