Dupont Circle

This evening after dinner, I went out to go and get some things at the drugstore and an item or two that I had forgotten to get at the supermarket earlier. It was warm and humid, as usual, but two big thunder showers in the afternoon had brought down the temperature a few degrees, and it seemed as if everyone had emerged from their air-conditioning to enjoy the sultry evening.

The women here really know how to dress up. They wear beautiful, stylish clothes and are extremely well-groomed. But it's the clothes that are such a pleasure to see. Dutch women dress pretty much the same all the time: even when they go to the opera, it's the same semi-casual uniform all the time, with very little distinction between daywear and evening (save perhaps the odd accessory). Perhaps it has to do with the weather, which is seldom warm enough to wear stylish shift dresses, or perhaps it has to do with the cycling (ever tried cycling in a tight skirt?), but there's less evidence of making an effort. Here, there is a clear distinction between daywear and evening wear: when you travel on the metro between 5 and 7 in the evening, you can definitely tell the difference between the day crowd on their way home from work in their smart tailored trousers and shirts, and the evening crowd, with their high heels and sparkle.

Another pleasant surprise here has been shops' long opening hours. Our supermarket up the road is open from 5am to 10pm, and the drugstore (CVS) is even open 24 hours a day. I understand that this is because of the labour laws being less strict (people can work as many hours as they want to), but it does make for tremendous convenience to customers. I remember the times I planned to be back in Delft from Rotterdam by 6 in order to do something in the shops (other than the supermarket), and would be just too late, or when I was early, the blissful realisation that I had ten minutes to quickly browse in a shoe shop on the way home before they closed at 6. Here it's just so much easier.

The third thing that has really impressed me here, is the level of service. If something isn't right, the shop will mostly take it back or exchange it, no questions asked. Yesterday, I went to Staples, a big stationery and office supplies shop like Waltons in South Africa, and bought a stapler. As I was unfamiliar with the various brands, I just took the cheapest one. As a bonus, it also came with a staple remover and a box of spare staples. Well, it turns out you always get what you pay for, because the first thing that happened when I opened it to put staples in it last night, was that a long spring detached itself at one end. We tried to find a place to reattach it, but the end result was us having to sort of stuff it back in to close the thing, because it made a big, loose arch instead of pushing the staples forward. I went back today with the intention of just asking for a refund, but the guy said I could exchange it for a stapler of a better brand - without having to pay in extra. I was very impressed, to say the least!

Today was a very productive day, as I sent off all the documentation needed for my work permit application. I'm doing it through a company called VisaVersa back in the Netherlands. They gave us so much (free) advice when we were trying to decide which kind of visa to get, I decided it would only be fair to make use of their services. It's going to be pricey, but the money will quickly be earned back if the application is approved.

I'm also practising cello most days now. I want to audition for an orchestra here called the Capital City Symphony (www.capitalcitysymphony.org), and it sounds as if the standard is pretty high, with some professionals playing in it too. The audition is on the 26th of August, and I've already got a pretty good idea of what I'm going to play. Besides the audition, though, it's really nice to have the time to pick up my cello again and work on some lasting technique issues. It gives me a sense of achievement at a time when my life has very little structure.

The other thing I've been working on has been an article for a friend of a friend who is a lecturer in Theology at an evangelical theological seminary in Leuven. It will be hard-going, but then you need something difficult to help you appreciate your leisure time :-P

The solitude and lack of structure is starting to get to me a bit. Today when I emerged from the metro station at Dupont Circle and saw the flower seller standing there, I thought oh! I should buy flowers! And bought flowers to take to the barbecure we're going to... tomorrow...

I'm starting to miss my friends a lot, but I try not to think about it too much. I'm also realising that spending lots of time on Facebook only partly makes up for it. Now comes the crunch... But I know that it will get better. I just need to be patient and trust God to send the right people across our paths...

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