We had an abfab weekend-holiday in Zeeland with Janny & Cees. To celebrate Bram’s 50th birthday, and Maud’s 45th, and because we survived two years of wedlock, they gave us a weekend in their Zeeland-farmhouse and our pick of shows from the Zeeland autumn festival.
Friday we saw Wagner’s ‘Der Fliegende Hollander’, performed in the harbour of Terneuzen, in between two channels. A great show – the performers were good, and the ships passing by left and right made for the perfect mis-en-scene.
Saturday evening we went to Kamp West-Kapelle to hear the stories of the now Dutch people who came from the Molukken.
A bit of history: after the Second World War the Netherlands had to give up their Indonesian colonies. The government lured the KNIL-soldiers (royal Dutch Indonesian army), and their families, over to Holland by promising them it would only be for a short time, they would organize an autonomous state in the Molukken for them. This, of course, didn’t happen, and the KNIL-people and their families lived for years in these camps that were only suited for a short stay. ‘Imagine it happens to you, being bon in a camp, hardly any light, 8 square meters for a family – imagine’. ‘Imagine being a kid, born in a camp, 8 square meters for a family, hardly any food, clothes, whatever, waiting to return to your homeland, and wait, and wait, and wait – imagine’.
Totally different from the impressing Wagner-cultural experience, but equally touching, the music and songs as told by a little girl, now 52 years old actress. The impact was enforced by the decor: the courtyard of a real former camp (now used as caravan-storage) Many of the other visitors sitting next to us were the actual camp-dwellers from years ago.
Sunday-afternoon we joined a much lighter sing along-event in Middelburg, and than back to the Randstad, back to work.
