More Middelburg memories

 We have been lucky enough to have had people take us under their wing while we have been here.  You all know that John and I are social creatures and we would have withered without being able to have some social outlet.  Jean-Marie and Hesther 

  have been consummate hosts by offering their house, taking us around, showing us Zeeland, and feeding us repeatedly.  Sarah has come by several days through the weeks to see us for the evening or spend the night and has given John lots of pointers

about teaching at Roosevelt, being an ex-pat and how to get around the Netherlands. Two Georgians talking about living in the Netherlands and talking shop with teaching international students is fun to watch I have to say.  Plus, she introduced us

   to the best bar in town with great advice on the beers to order.  Ineke invited us to the cinema here where she works (which this being Middelburg is in a historic building) and we got to go for drinks and conversation after the Malaysia crash to discuss what this could mean 

 for our flight, for Ineke's son's flight, and they were aware of two people who were actually on the plane since it originated in Amsterdam.  I don't know if this will change the security at Schipol and how this will effect our flight if it will at all.  It has 

been interesting to get a different take on political situations, hear some of the views held about our country and how we operate, there is always a disconnect in America in knowing how we are actually viewed by the world.  We think we are the World, we're really

just a bad 80's song... We have been lucky enough to make some good friends here and have thoroughly enjoyed being in an authentic town for the majority of the summer.  There is the feeling that you are experiencing true Dutch culture, not tourist spots and that has been invaluable.  

John has been waiting for an event that comes around every summer and that is the Ring riders where people get dressed in traditional garb and compete to see who can lance a tiny ring on horseback or from their carriage.  This was so fun to watch.  They decorate the 

carriages and the women look like they stepped out of a Vermeer painting with the jewelry, clothes, and head pieces.  The amount of skill it takes to spear this tiny little ring was amazing to watch and John was itching to be able to try.  I thought that it would be amazingly hard and they make it look easy.  And they do make hanging off the side of the horse with

a heavy spear in your hand that you hold steady look easy.  The women in the carriages made it look even easier to just ride around the abbey spearing 5 or 6 different rings at points in the circle and flinging it off the back of the carriage to be reused.  It was a great event to get to see and there is still the pirate dance party tonight on our last night in Middelburg...never a dull moment.