Monday, May 01, 2006

Going Dutch

Sunday the 30th of April was Dutch Orange Day aka Koninginnedag or Queen's Birthday, the birthday of Queen Juliana in the Netherlands.
Why orange? Because the Dutch wear orange on this day to celebrate the Dutch Royal Family also known as the House of Orange-Nassau. Don't worry about that tiger with its ass sticking up in the air, its just a slide for the kids.

So what comes to your mind when you think of Dutch? Most people would say tulips where in the Netherlands are grown so famously for. But we do have a Dutch family who's been here in Melbourne for many years and they grow most of the tulips and other flowers as well. They are the Tesselaars and they had a stall there that day but business was a bit slow because of the rain.

Sjoelen is a popular board game in Holland that came about in the 19th century. Not sure how the game is played but the game has always been big in Holland and Belgium and has also spread to Germany.

One other thing that associates with the Dutch is clogs and clog making. Though not specifically localised to Holland the Dutch do wear these traditional footwears during the festive seasons. We had the privilege of watching the clog maker demonstrating his trade.

And that day I saw a lot of people wearing clogs in different colours and designs. They're wooden shoes but surprisingly very light too because of the wood they use. Today they are going to attempt a World Record Clog Dancing here at Federation Square!

We had the usual official opening ceremony by a few VIPs including the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Cr. John So giving a few words to declare the festival open. Then there's some formalities before the Clog Dancing begins.

Everybody and anybody can join in the dance even if you don't know how to dance coz they'll teach you! All you need is a pair of clogs which I don't have so I'm out. Even the State Emergency Services volunteers who happened to be nearby join in the fun as well.

The dance looks quite simple enough, you just have to time yourself and just do what the person next to you is doing! Despite the light rain everyone did their best for the world record which is sanctioned by the people from the Guinness Book of Records!

That lady in the middle on stage led the dance and everyone was supposed to follow her lead. She tells you when to move to the right, when to move to the left and when to stomp your clogs! Easy! Even Cr. John So was in it too seen here with the arrow pointing at him.


When it was over everybody cheered. I'm not sure if they've broken any record that day, there were 163 dancers and no one got disqualified and the whole thing was live webcast with another dance group in the Netherlands on the internet.

You can watch a short clip of the dance below;


23 comments:

5xmom.com said...

Send over a dozen of tulips please. I have never seen a real tulip before. :(

Anonymous said...

Does the clog make a lot of noise when you wear it?

How do you like my new blog nick?? :)

Cocka Doodle said...

You didn't join in the dance with your pair of malaysian chinaman fish market, red colored clogs meh? LOL
That one can make a lot of noise too.

Wuching said...

5xmom: they do grow tulips @ cameron highlands but i'll make a note to send u some! :)

neo: yes they do make lots of noise & why neo? now i'm gonna have to change ur nickname on my template!

cocka: aiyo only if i brought my red colour wooden malaysian fish market clog! could've shown them how its supposed to dance with it hor?

Anonymous said...

Wuching dancing with a pair of red wooden Malaysian clog ?..wuahahhaa

Anonymous said...

waaa... i want to ride that slide also.. can i, can i?

Wuching said...

che-cheh: would u like to dance wif me?

ylang: of course u can, we'll go together!

Anonymous said...

I've played that game sjoelen before, the Parish Priest of the Church I attend in Sibu was from the Netherlands and he had someone build the board and wooden discs for the youths to play. Dnt ask me how to play though...forgot all the rules already....

Hmmmm..clog dancing..hehehe..thank God you didn't join or else you might have maimed some people with you stepping wrongly on them...(of course, now I am imagining STP doing a clog dance.....alamak...would't that be called the dance of the baby elephant...hahahaha)

Anonymous said...

Holland? Amsterdam? The red light district!!! That's what comes to mind! And what's a tiger got to do with anything Dutch? Gosh...QV played with priests before! Eee...haven't we read ALL those reports about Catholic priests in the US and everywhere else in the world?

Anonymous said...

AHEM!! STP..where have your eyes gone? Was it bitten off by our cousin's late dogs? I wrote and I qoute "the Parish Priest of the Church I attend in Sibu was from the Netherlands and he had someone build the board and wooden discs for the youths to play." They are ways to be funny and amusing but at times cousin, you cross the line and become damn abusive and malicious. Be Prepared to be sued for slander and spread of malicious rumours!!

Speaking of Priest..Wuching..was looking at your old postings and came over one that showed your old classmates at SHS..err.. Richard Lau...is that the same Richard Lau who became a council health inspector and resigned, joined the seminary and is now known as Fr. Richard Lau? Let me check what year left SHS and if he knows you....

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha ha ha! Touched a nerve there, did I, QV? I told u, wuching!! I always "tau nyai"...provoke, tease...till they get angry and start to cry.

Anonymous said...

Remember STP...I dont cry when I get angry, I become murderous...you have been warned...it was not a nerve you touched but the sanctity of the priesthood....burn cousin..burn in hell hahahahahahaha

Anonymous said...

Eee...wuching! Heard that eerie laugh??? The Prince of Darkness? Satan??? Ur blog is haunted, kah!!

Wuching said...

QV: i can't remember richard lau, that pic was taken in 1982 i believe..were u born yet? hehe

STP: u must've been the biggest bully back in school no?

Anonymous said...

I was born, I am one cycle younger than youlah..so guess how old loh..hehehehe....I saw the picture and the name, and it roughly look like a younger version of Fr. Richard Lau.

Anonymous said...

I simply love the cool look of Neo in the Matrix :)

Wuching said...

QV: go ask him lor!

neo: not another jeremy c!

Wingz said...

wah lau eh the place u living is is like so so nice!!! every week also got festival wan!!! i so wanna live there!

Wuching said...

wingz: come lah & be my neighbour!

Anonymous said...

No lah! In school, I was so good! Introvert! Quiet!...Only outside, became "hantu"!!! Where got bully people one? I so nice lah! QV of course will beg to differ...how he and other students "suffered" from all my snide, sarcastic remarks...!!! OK! QV, at least I'm candid, honest...but I think all my students enjoyed that & shudders...tried to be like me!

Wuching said...

STP: introvert? i simply can't believe that but then again i was an introvert too in school until i got out, like bird getting out of cage!

Anonymous said...

Or a dog unleashed? Running wild!

Wuching said...

STP: yes, rabid dog!