12 November 2022
After visiting Breda for the day, the phrase that keeps running around my mind is "I am going to live here."
I went to Breda yesterday with a friend I made on a FaceBook group called 'South Africans in Maastricht'. Her name is Candice and we immediately bonded over our love of travelling. This is the first trip we took together to visit her South African friend in his now home-town of Breda, which he rightfully adores. When we arrived in Breda around 11:30 am on Saturday (the town is about 2 hours from Maastricht) we walked through a beautiful autumn park filled with chickens and falling leaves. Love at first sight.
We then noticed that the town was eerily quiet... and we could hear some excitable Dutch man talking on loudspeaker in the distance. That's when I realised that yesterday marked the arrival of Sinterklaas in the Netherlands.
Candice and I followed the excited Dutch voice and ended up at a canal where there were groups of children in their Zwarte Piet uniforms eagerly waiting for the arrival of the favourite Sint by boat. Children of all ages were running around with black paint smeared across their faces to represent Zwarte Piet (a now controversial figure which I actually have no problem with. Leave history alone- not everything has to be about race damn it). After tiring of waiting and apparently not having the patience of those younger than 10, Candice and I walked around the town a bit but we, too, got caught up in the excitement of Sinterklaas' arrival and joined the throng of excited children lining up for the parade about to take place around 13:30.
After trying to get photos with Sinterklaas and feeling like an excited, overjoyed child myself, I realised what a proud people the Dutch are and felt like I would be too had I been raised in such a culture, I felt like I can't wait to feel part of the tradition instead of just an onlooker- to have these days and these celebrations where the whole town, the whole country, comes together to celebrate a day dedicated to children but that brings so much joy to people of all ages is truly something remarkable and something I didn't know I was missing in my soul.
Once we had had our fill of the parade, Candice and I met up with her very hungover friend who was to act as our tour guide for the day. Despite his state of mind, his enthusiasm for the town was infectious and he was truly wonderful and showing us the best of Breda. Because it's November, all the Christmas lights are up in preparation for yet another month of festivities that the Dutch get to enjoy so fully. When showing my parents photos of the celebratory atmosphere that the lights bring out, they really couldn't believe that people get to live like this. It is such a fairytale world for someone in South Africa looking in- to actually live in a place where people put so much effort into their environment and are so proud of their surroundings makes me in turn proud to be here and want to build my future here. Breda was beautiful, charming, welcoming and warm.
Like I said, I cant wait to live here.