Koninginnenacht

Kissa stays at home like a good girl.

The Night of the Queen should be on. That’s the night/day everyone dresses up in orange and party like crazy to celebrate the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands. The Queen is born on the 31st of January, but they all party on the 30th of April, of course. It’s like me having my birthday on the 4th of December and celebrating it on the 4th of March.. no, actually that’s the wrong logic. It’s celebrated on that date as the former Queen was born on that date; it’s an act of honour for the former Queen and it’s also warmer and people can go out and party. So I should celebrate my birthday on the 8th of November, that’s my mom’s birthday. But it’s still not warm enough. I suppose I should celebrate it on the 14th of June, that’s my dad’s birthday, that’s much better!!

Anyhow, for the first time I’m living in Amsterdam, I was about to celebrate the big night in here. I remember 2 years ago, all the trouble to get in the Netherlands on time for the big day and party Geamy’s birthday altogether!! Then one year ago, all the partying in The Hague and now it’s on in here!! It should be fantastic!! It should be so great!! What am I going to do?!

I’m supposed to meet my Peruvian girlfriend in de Jordaan. That should be easy!! I live in de Jordaan!! Well, I’m only about 30 minutes late! That’s not that bad, right?! At least I have my Holland t-shirt on! Everyone in there’s in orange… a lot of my girlfriend’s friends, but seems like no Dutch. That’s a bit ironic! Celebrate this day with foreigners! In the most Dutch neighbourhood in Amsterdam! Well, after more drinks, I figured out there was still a Dutch girl amongst us.. talked about legislation and politics, then got back to more shouting and drinking, dancing and walking on the streets. Ended up in a big line at a club, just to figure out a girl was getting sick and needed to all get out of line and help her conquer the headache. By the end of it we lost our good spots, so we needed to back-party on the street. I suppose it was the same music, but didn’t last long, so we moved down to another bar. Another friend was basically lying on the pool table, while we were pouring in some more drinks, discussing music and taste.

We broke it off after too much partying on the streets and everywhere about, looking for toilets, talking too many other languages, drinking about every possible combinations of drinks, listening to too loud music, keeping up to all rhythms and getting too loud. It was a good girls’ night at Queen night!

Koninginnenacht

Dupa interviul la nebuni, si al 2lea interviu in Amsterdam, cautat tricou portocaliu si alte chestii.. ajung terminata in Haga. Arunc costumu cat colo, zbor pantofii pe peste pat, ma trantesc in pat si zac cu picioarele in sus.. ce bine e sa te relaxezi.. “Plecam si noi azi”, gen “ne miscam si noi mai cu talent?!” ma intreaba Fane.. care imi prezisese ca o sa fiu varza de la interviuri..

Dar de ce trebuia sa fiu in forma? Este Koninginnenacht in Haga.
In primul rand, Koninginnedag, adica ziua reginei, este ziua lor nationala. Nu este Queen’s day, adica ziua in care toti gay-ii sarbatoresc pe strada, aia este in august btw. Este ziua de nastere a printesei Juliana. Beatrix, regina de acum, desi nascuta pe 31 ianuarie, a pastrat ziua nationala pe 30 aprilie, in semn de respect pentru mama regina. Ca sa nu mai punem la socoteala ca e vremea buna si prilejul de party cu atat mai mare.

Lasand la o parte istoria, e ziua in care tot olandezu se imbraca in portocaliu (de aici nevoia de portotricou), ies pe strazi, merg la party-uri, urla, beau muuulta bere, fac mult gunoi, zgomot si agitatie si se bucura ca niciodata.. in Haga se sarbatoreste Koninginnenacht, adica noaptea reginei, cu scene in 7 locatii si petreceri pe strada, dar si in baruri si cluburi, si tot ce am enumerat mai devreme. Iar marea petrecere de Koninginnedag e in Amsterdam, unde este tot ce am enumerat, plus multi oameni pe barci si petreceri pe barci mai mari plus un mare concert la Museumplein (acolo am petrecut anu trecut.. cine cunoaste, stie :) ).

Anu asta am zis ca daca tot suntem in Haga, hai sa ne rupem in figuri de Koninginnenacht. Si asa a fost!! Am inceput cu o scena, alta, colo Chemical Bro, adica dj’i cu muzica electro gen, dincolo jazz, la cealalta scena shlagare olandeze.. noi bineinteles ca ne-am intepenit intr-un semn cat mine de mare “Cocktails”.. si pe urma la niste concerte in Grote Markt. Am ascultat L4, niste de-abia infiintati hip-hp-eri cu ceva jazz si ska pe la mijloc si cu atitudine peste tot. Tot niggazii fac showul. Pe urma am vorbit cu Bruno. Un portughez care incearca sa mearga la Sziget la festival cu foarte putini bani, sa doarma sub ceru liber si sa sara gardu, ca nici n-are bani de bilet. Si-a dorit toata viata o aventura de-asta.. cel mai probabil e ca a asteptat sa-si cheltuiasca toti banii si pe urma sa se duca.. dupa cum zice Mada, un aurolac.. da daca stiti pe cineva la Sziget sa-l ia in cort sa-l adaposteasca, sa ma anuntati sa-i fac cunostinta cu primitoshenia si bucuria romaneasca ;) .

Dupa ce ne-am saltat si topait pe acolo, am ajuns s-o vad si pe-asta – nu mai lasau oameni sa intre in diverse baruri si cluburi, cozi la intrare ca in Londra... da ce-aaaveti ma, nene?! De unde v-ati inmultit atataia in Haga?! Ca sa nu mai vorbim ca erau cozile la buda de cel putin 15 minute, de-ti venea sa faci in punga de vreo 3 ori pana ajungeai in fata.. noroc ca fetele astea sunt prietenoase si de cate ori stateam la coada, imi mai spuneam povestea vietii cu cate o olandeza...
M-am tare bucurat ca a aparut si Lydie cu inca vreo 3 oameni, ne-am mai plimbat prin alte baruri olandeze suprapline si am baut si mai multa bere, supermulta lume, cunoscuti si dantuiala.. de prisos sa mai spun ca m-am trezit pe la 3-4, deci nici un chip de Koninginnedag, plus ca era vreme naspa (smoesje) haha.