Pregnant

I feel like dancing. I feel like dancing to sixties music. This feeling is partly inspired by the music being played at the place where I’m currently sipping a hot chocolate. Vancouver to my knowlegde does not have a lot of exciting dancing venues. At least not the ones I like or as open and free as the ones in my birthcountry. I mean, I’m not a clubber, at all. But when I do go out, I like to have a good time and be able to dance when and where I want in the venue we’re at.

For two years straight I kept saying to my friends here in Vancouver how the city really lacks good places of social nightlife and fun. Everything else is available in this city but a night out does not compare to a night out in Holland. Not even close.

I no longer live in Vancouver but in a town fourty minutes north from this beautiful city. It is 6 pm. I decided to write at a local Starbucks. The girl who’s on shift; I love her energy. She’s loud, confident, a chatterbox but always in a good mood and she doesn’t seem to care one bit what others might think of her. I look at her and think to myself; ” Wow, she’s like the opposite of me.” The only thing we seem to have in common is our occasional bluntness. Plus, I don’t reallly care what people think of me either.

I rarely visit this Starbucks, but when I do, this girl co-incidentally is working. Every time I come in she notices the ring I wear on my right ringfinger. “God, I love your ring!” And I give her the downlo on the ‘specialness’ of it.

***

Before my hot date with a hot chocolate I happened to see glimpses of the upcoming Olympic Games on a tv set up in a public location. I live without a tv. How odd to be walking past this tv right when they show a segment about the Dutch. And about a party. And, where the best party in town during the Olympic Games will be. Some chauvinism surfaces in me, the ‘Dutchy’. It takes me by surprise. I didn’t think I had it still in me. I consider myself a global citizen. Is this dormant patriotism coming to life?

The best party and place to be during the Games, is free. No entrance fee and that is exactly how it should be! We, (o.m.g, did I just say ‘we’..?!)the Dutchies, know how to throw a party! It’s not stiff, not clique and forget about being pretentious.

***

There are three things I’d love to attend during these Olympics. The mens 1500 meter speedskating because I know how tough of a distant it is and it contains all that makes speedskating fun to watch: speed, endurance and a lot of willpower to keep pushing it when the man with the hammer comes around the corner. The mens bobsleighing two and four men. I’d love to see how the guy I ‘grew up with’ is going to pilot his sleigh down the track. Plus, his coach used to be my coach for a while, when I was still competing.

Last but not least I’d love to have a great night at the place to be during these Games after a Gold medal of one of the Dutchies… If only I had the money…Reality is, I’m down to thirty dollars.

The place to be for a wicked Games party? The Holland Heineken House.  A girl can dream, can she?!

***

This morning a friend from Holland skyped me. Immediately I felt: something’s up.. We exchange happy ‘hi’s’ but I can’t wait to ask her how she’s doing and what’s up.. Silence. The connection is troubled. I am able to hear the last part of what she said next. “……..gnant….”

We chat for another approximate thirty minutes about what’s been going on in our lives. “Suus, you’ll be fine! I know for sure that you’re gonna be one wicked good mom!” I say to her before we say our goodbyes. It wasn’t planned. Totally unexpected. 

***

It’s now a few hours later since that chat. I can’t help but chuckle. Suus is pregnant. But I’m pregnant too. For a few weeks now I’ve been feeling pregnant with expectancy. But I don’t know why or what to expect….

Gosh I’m so happy to be writing again and this time without the rhyming. It disappeared just as unexpectedly as it came. Overnight.

Three days until the Games start…