I sometimes wonder if my feelings about living in the Netherlands will change when I am very old, when the children are gone, when perhaps my partner is as well.
When I am left here alone.
A number of years ago, on Dutch Television, there was a program on about a nursing home / retirement community in – I believe- New Zealand. All of the elderly people living there were Dutch, having been a part of that massive wave of Dutch nationals who left the Netherlands in the fifties, looking for more expansive horizons, a better future.
Now that their adventure was coming to a close, they had all chosen to retire in this Dutch-only facility. They sat around and reminisced about the Netherlands, memories caught in the fifties, they waved their flags on April 30 and wished Queen Beatrix well.
They seemed, one and all, homesick to the bone for a place that no longer exists.
I sometimes wonder : will that happen to me as well ?
I’ve often wondered sort of along the same lines. eventually, the novelty factor is going to wear off for me, and then what’s going to be left?
I guess time will tell.
Should I ever find myself old and alone and in a Dutch ‘home’, the fact that I can rik ( a local card game) may well be a decided advantage.
Any chance of a description of rik, Sue? I love new card games.
Well, Daisy,I found this link :
http://www.pagat.com/boston/rik.html#other ( right-click it to a new window)
which also lead to a ( Dutch) place where you can play on-line.
I should have known it would be something fusty : they say there that it is similar to whist.
Whist !