Carnival, Sinta Klaas and Our Helpers

Here I am, La Carnivala 2007. The city will have its official Carnival Kickoff this Sunday. As always it occurs at 11:11 on 11/11 in the Vrijthof, the main square. Maastricht goes wild. Today there were signs of this momentous event everywhere mixed in with storefronts preparing for Sinta Klaas. The name Santa Claus comes from Sinta Klaas, which is the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. He was a bishop who lived in Myra (in Turkey) and was famous for his generosity. In the Middle Ages he became the patron saint of children. He died on December 6, 310. As a result St. Nicholas's Day takes place on that date and in Europe many children get gifts. This is great news for Santa and his helpers because it spreads out the delivery period of gifts.

Today I needed and found a few "helpers" whose mere presence were gifts. Martijn, thankfully, had a good day. Mine went awry from the beginning. First thing, all I wanted was a hot bath. NO WATER! This wasn't a good sign. Then, I purchased the wrong sized duvet cover and had to return it. What's the biggie, you may ask? I walk everywhere and the shops are a mile away - so two round trips mean 4 miles. Then I discovered the €9 sweater I found on the return trip had a hole in it. This meant another round trip to the shop! However, as my mood plummeted (since Martijn's illness my moods are easily swayed) I ran into a new friend who suggested we have a coffee. We shared an easy conversation and my spirits were restored.

Then, on my third errand of the day, another good friend, Audrey, accompanied me, this time to post some orders for Martijn's nutri drinks. The post office is a half-mile away. Audrey also offered a coffee, so we chose a nice cafe located right on the River Maas where we sipped, chatted and watched the low but friendly clouds that give the Netherlands its other name - "The Low Sky Country."

When I finally returned home to tend to regular household administration, I discovered that my recent US wire transfer to our Dutch account hadn’t gone through. Aiyee! No water, wrong bedcover, damaged new sweater, no money, necessary nutritional drinks - it all felt rather BIG. Better than any Santa helper yet another good friend, Kay Dixon from TCF bank in Minneapolis, came to the rescue, tracking down what happened. The story hasn't ended (since the error seems to be at this end) but at least another angel is at my back when I really needed her wind beneath my wings. Hopefully the situation will be resolved tomorrow, along, fingers crossed, with Martijn's thigh wound and lymph drainage issues. We're hoping for stitches and drainage tubes out and funds in.

The evening ended with a visit from two more lovely ladies, both of whom I’ve met through the International Women’s Club of South Limburg. Shilly Lion is originally from Kerala, India, but has lived in the Netherlands most of her life. Her apartment sits literally across from ours so that when we chat on the phone we can wave. Shilly brought along Ellen, who is originally from Indonesia, but lived and raised her family in California before relocating back to the Netherlands. Her husband, who recently passed away from ALS, was from Maastricht and now she’s settled here. Martijn and I were charmed by our evening company and wish you a cozy night. Sweet dreams from the land of Carnival and Sinta Klaas.