The weather was nice today! After months of overcast clouds, snow, frequent showers and sub-zero temperatures,
the temperature in the Netherlands rose to an unprecedented (this year at least) 10 degrees Celcius.
Even the sun made its first brief appearance and you know what that means for the typical Dutchman; he’ll think of one thing and one thing only: the summer holiday.
Now, for some of you this might sound strange. We’re still in the midst of February and the holiday season doens’t start until July or August.
However, the Dutch have turned the summer holiday into an art of life. Using a methodical - almost scientific - approach, holiday preparations will start no later than March. This leaves at least 4 months to check the equipment (the tool to use is a caravan), pack, fold, plan the destination, more packing and folding, effect every possible insurance that’s available, more packing and folding, map out day trips (for each and every day) in the vicinity of the travel destination and - last but not least - repack and refold everything.
You’ll find that a Dutchman on holiday is better prepared than your average astronaut before his deep space journey.
Our mahgrebine countrymen on the other hand use quite a different approach to prepare for their summer holiday.
This old clip from a french-algerian-moroccan-african rap formation explains what I’m talking about:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEnHexIi7Zo[/youtube]
kan Teqs zwin el-lyúm. sh-shar lli dázu kan ghir sh-sta u t-telj u l’hâl bâred. welakan el-lyúm 7ma 7tta 3ashra d l’7aRaRa.
7tta sh-shems derrat-na shwiya. wash kate3arf shnu ywq3 m3a l-hulandyin f dak l-wqt?
l-hulandyin kayebdau yfkkru ghir f 7aja wa7da; l-3uTLa sifiya.
iwa, kan denn bin ntuma kayfekkru hada ghriba shwiya. kayen sh-shetwa deba u l-3uTLa l-kbira ma tebda-sh 7tta yúlyúz aw ghust.
walakin, le l-hulandiyin l-3uTLa l-kbira hiya m3isha me3luma. kayest3amlu wa7d t-tariga mdaqqa (3láyen 3ilmiya) bash ywejjdu RaS-hum le l-3uTLa.
l-hulandi l-3ámm xess-u 3el l-'aqell rb3 shar bash yse77e7 l’adawat (l-hulandi kaysafr be l’qafila), kayejm3 u kayeTwi l-7wayej dyal-u, kayxTTeT l’ittijãh, baqi yejm3 u yeTwi, kaye3mel t-te’min Didd akteR ma yumkin, baqi yejm3 u yeTwi, kayxTTeT l-doûrânat (kull nhar) f l’ittijãh u - muhim bezzaf - kayejm3 u kayeTwi kull-shi 3awed-tani.
iyeh, l-hulandi f-l3uTLa, huwa wáždín 7sen men rajl fda qbel safra l en-njum.
l-mgharba b el-3aks ywejjdu RaS-hum be shkel l-axuR ki ma kat-shufu f had l vidyu l-qdim dyal wa7d l’ feRqa fransawiya/mahgrebiya/ifriqiya.