Apparently, the people I rent my flat from organise a ‘day-for-the-people-who-rent-from-them’ every year. So I’m told in the invitation I got, for the first time since I lived here in (wow it’s already) three years. It started making sense when I read on: this yearly event is not for all of us, they have a different sub target group each time and obviously this time I’m one of the lucky ones in it. It’s to all the single people.
Of course renting their flat on your own doesn’t necessarily imply you are single, but that doesn’t appear to be a problem as you long as you are ‘single’ on paper. Although I get the feeling they do count on people being partner-less, as it’s all about meeting new people who are single too. And I’m sure when they did it for elderly people they had an age limit as well. They also helped redecorating primary schools once by the way and they gave a group of ‘people who are in need of help’ (I’m guessing that’s a nicer way of saying ‘people in wheelchairs’) a fun day out.
All very nice of course (no sarcasm intended there), but back to those singles who could use some help to meet people. They start with emphasising that it’s just a fun way of getting in touch, without expectations and it’s really innocent and all that. ‘Why?’, they ask. ‘Maybe you’ll find a buddy to play cards with, or a go-for-walks-with-friend’, they answer themselves. And all because ‘maybe together can be cosier’. Those poor single people. You are lucky you are reading this in English, as the Dutch word for ‘single’ makes it even worse. It’s ‘alleenstaand’ which can be translated to ‘stand alone’ and even though ‘being alone’ and ‘being lonely’ are two different things, I think the word starts to sound a bit… depressing.
But maybe that’s because I read the rest of the letter. Before they explain what they’ve got in store for those ‘alone standers’, they spend a whole paragraph saying again that you don’t have to feel pressured. Even though the Dutch word for meeting, ‘ontmoeten’, has the Dutch word for ‘you have to’ in it (moet). I’m really not making this up. And I do really like the thought. It’s just, when kids say they really, really, haven’t done anything naughty, like for instance trying their new paint on your walls and you really really don’t have to go check, it usually makes you wonder what colour your walls are, right?
Anyway, I did get curious about the program, which contains a few activities you can choose from. The first one is playing card games and it’s presented with one of those blinking smiley icons. Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about those little round and yellow thingies that makes my toes curl when I see them in official letters, outside my instant messenger program.
There’s also a way to get to know your neighbours in a ‘different’ way. Through a ‘secret special spiritual activity’. Yes. And if even that didn’t make you frown yet, they also managed to spell two simple words wrong. Do I really want to meet people who’d sign up for something like this?!
I am going though! As one of the activities is a djembe workshop! I love djembes. I’ve always wanted one. My hands itched when I saw this group of people teaching kids to play it once. And I have to admit: playing djembe is fun with a group indeed. All the single people: put your hands up!
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Hi, please can somebody tell me wat the H..ck is djembe ?
Click on the word ‘djembe’ in the article and it’ll take you to a wiki page with pic.
(I have an editor who I ask for feedback on my blogs and he asked the same, so I’ve put in that link! :D)
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[...] I wrote about the ‘party for singles’ organised by the people I rent my flat from, I was sceptical to say the least. And when the guy [...]