Friday, November 14, 2014

Six to Eight Black men

As Sinterklaas is coming to town this weekend: here is a description of a tradition that I experienced live and in person when I lived in Belgium.  I was walking down the street in Antwerp to run into two men in blackface (and this was after Vlaams Bloc won the election).  I decided to keep my wisearse comments to myself.

Anyway, Sedaris has a couple of questions he asks to break the ice.

Personally, I prefer what makes the Netherlands interesting to what makes the US interesting.

Although, I am sure that some people will prefer what makes the US interesting.

8 comments:

  1. People like you laci who desperately want to be someone they are not make me laugh...sorry was I being a wisearse..

    MBIAC....

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    1. Are you that miserable? Can you not enjoy anything? Lighten up, man.

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    2. You never told me what MBIAC means. Is the MB a reference to me?

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    3. I did tell you what it means some time ago..


      MBIAC.....

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    4. Either I missed it or I forgot. Can you tell me again?

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  2. I have so many Dutch friends and I am very interested in European culture and history. Sedaris is one of America's greatest humorists. His takes on how culture is viewed by others are brilliant. In his book, Me Talk Pretty One Day, he recounts his experience of being in a multi lingual/cultural French class in Paris and discussing Easter...with hilarious results. Reminded me of my bizarre attempts to speak French when I first started living here. I was regarded as a sort of retarded hillbilly infant as I tried to negotiate a simple purchase at the butcher shop...Then ther was the time in Paris at the bakery when I was in line to buy bread and an American couple thought that all they had to do for their unintelligible French to be understood was to speak louder...and louder and then get indignant as they demanded "une baguette sans un preservative"....and the young girl behind the counter looked at them in embarrassed befuddlement....Preservative is the French term for a condom. Perhaps the Dutch custom continued into the 21st century is racist. I don't think it is for us to judge. Sedaris' take on it illustrates that quite handily.

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  3. How can anyone find 6 -8 black men more interesting than blind hunters?

    orlin sellers

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    1. I thought the blind hunters in Michigan was pretty good too.

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