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Just a reminder: we are having the Dutch Gathering of Light on Sunday, August 31 (that’s this Sunday!) at Proeflokaal de Prael. This is your chance to hang out with Patrick and Teresa, and maybe that other mod who keeps hanging about the place. In addition, there will be many fine members of this community, and one or two people whom I have invited because they might like us.
Note that there are two locations for de Prael, the brewery and the tasting room. This is the latter. Its address is Oudezijds Armsteeg 26, 1012 GP Amsterdam, and its precise position may be ascertained with the assistance of many of the fine mapping programs avaialble on this here internet.
The intention is to gather at about 1:00, drink some beer, eat some hapjes, and generally hang about for a reasonable number of hours. (I cannot say what constitutes “reasonable” in this context*.)
Events, clarifications, and the answers to logistical questions will be answered in-thread on the day. You can also track me down as evilrooster on Twitter.
Be there, or be…elsewhere.
* Some would say that the last three words there are extraneous. That is a base lie and a calumny, and any who say it should suffer a horrible fate.
Ik wil komen, maar dat kan ik niet, omdat het te ver is. Hebben een goede vergadering!
I wish I could be there too.
I will be in a much less enjoyable place, doing much less enjoyable things. I will, however, take joy from the fact that this gathering is happening.
What's the etymology of "hapjes"? The circumstances and sound suggest a connection to "tapas"; that seems improbable, but I don't know what modern Dutch has assimilated.
I won't be there; I'll console myself with a glass from a local brewpub (kicking myself for not having dug up good local beer during ConFiction) and say "maybe next time...".
What Xopher said. Also, I love the coinage "Lichtvergadering"
Xopher@6: I will, however, take joy from the fact that this gathering is happening.
Thank you, Xopher. I think this what I've been feeling but failing to say about all the recent Gatherings of Light.
Have fun, all who attend. I haven't been to Amsterdam in roughly 20 years, but it still gives me joy to know that this gathering is happening there.
Things are still in flux - after my comment to the previous Gathering thread (here), I've learned while I might be at de Prael by five-ish, Dear Hubby and I are looking at trying to either find a friend who doesn't mind us crashing at their place on a work-night, finding not-too-expensive lodging or taking the last-available train back to our lovely abode, departing around 7 pm.
First world problems, I know. But still,...phooey. I could almost wish I hadn't set my heart on this. Almost.
Thanks for listening to me grump a bit. I'll get better, independently of whether or not I get to show.
Crazy(and clearly in need of practicing non-attachment)Soph
And,... knot is cut, late(r)-night lichtvergadering will be possible!!
Crazy(and doing the happy-dance)Soph
Given the limitations of our middle-aged energy, it seems to me unlikely that we'll still be around at 5 PM, particularly considering that we have to pack for a 7 AM flight home the next day. I would suggest that nobody plan on the idea that we'll be there that long...
I'll keep in SMS contact with Abi, and hope that you guys might manage a second wind.
SMSing worked well enough at Loncon, so I am guessing it'll be useful for updates in case I can't make it before you guys call it a day.
Crazy(and understanding that the sanatorium is some serious architectural eye-candy...)Soph
As Xopher says, I will take joy from the fact of your gathering.
I was hoping to have a small gathering of my own this weekend, to play some board games and enjoy some beer, but none of my friends have managed to respond yea or nay. <grump>Sometimes my friends are ditzes.</grump> Oh well, it may yet happen, or not.
We may be fashionably (5 to 10 minutes) late because bus schedules. If you arrive before then, the reservation is in my name (Abi Sutherland).
Well, that was fun. It was a shame that crazy(and otherwise occupied)soph could not be there.
Pictures may be forthcoming in a bit.
Thank you, abi, for the considerate and gentle reception when I phoned.
The tour of the sanatorium was absolutely top-class (in fact, they're on track to become a UN World Heritage Site in 2018); I'm sorry it cost me the chance to attend the Lichtvergadering, but it was absolutely worth it. When I've had a chance to digest what we've seen, photographed, heard, I'll pop it all into a link and leave a note on the current Open Thread.
Crazy(but not wanting to start on discussing the other deciding factor, her very unhappy shoulder - on the other hand, staying with the hubby and associated friend/transport infrastructure meant she did NOT get caught by some of the MOST unseasonable and SUDDEN downpours)Soph
PS a semi-drunken kiss for abi, for her parenthetical reflection of my particular sign-off habit.
That was totally worth the trip. (Yay efficient trains!) I was so distracted by the fine company and conversation I actually forgot to get stroopwafels on the way home.
Alas, I couldn't, quite, make the planning fit together (primarily because I needed to be up bright and early Monday and Amsterdam to London is not a trivial trek, although not nearly as bad as it could be; last time it took me ~6h from Amsterdam Centraal to home, via train, if I have my time zone conversions right).
If you say the word hap out loud, you know what it means. (The -jes bit is merely a diminutive, comparable to -ies in English---Eddies in the space-time continuum; oh, is he?; you know the drill---and -chen in German.)
The inestimable Etymologiebank says "herkomst onduidelijk" (origin unclear): http://www.etymologiebank.nl/trefwoord/hap
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