Carnival

Carnival is very loud, all the time. Since I live in the city center, it’s even louder. What I’m most surprised by is that the Dutch consider this a family event. In the middle of very drunk crowds smoking pot, there are toddlers in costumes walking on broken glass without hats and gloves. Carnival is such a big deal that the entire city shuts down. The university closed for the week, and the grocery stores closed for a while too. It’s impossible to get anything done outside, so I’m hiding in my room and staying warm. Did I mention it’s freezing outside?

If you’re my friend on Facebook, then you should be able to watch a short video of the parade here.

: I’m not sure what this is.

: This group was singing.

: Simon, Tatiana, David and Martin.

: David and Martin.

: Close to where I live.

: A very blue marching band.

: A butterfly?

: I like the church in the background.

: Very colorful girls.

: This may not be what it looks like, but what I see is a guy in blackface and a white woman in a cauldron. You can always count on the Dutch to be slightly offensive during holidays (remember Christmas?).