Sunday, September 30, 2007

Gezellig

It is not too sexy to start a sunny day by stepping into a big load of dogshit. (I remember reading once that if you really want to catch the attention of your readers, try to use the words 'sex' and 'shit' in the first sentence.) I was convinced that this day was ruined when I realised that my whole bike tire and my trendy Adidas sneaker was covered in it. Luckily I did not have a hangover. But there is a sunny side in every poop. After scrubbing my shoe manically for 30 minutes, I figured the obvious: after this the only way is up.

Today was one of those days when I once again started loving Amsterdam. This city is just ideal for social Sundays. Sunny streets, fresh air (despite the smell of dogshit following you around) and people changing from summer to autumn clothing. Full cafes, busy streets and trees changing colour. Amsterdam is designed for this: cycling on the canals, walking on the shopping streets and commenting people, sitting in cafes and talking about light issues, having a splendid dinner with a good friend and going for drinks with friends in the end of the day.

There is a word in Dutch which is perfect to describe today: gezellig. It means something like cosy and nice - in Swedish you have a word for it as well: lagom. It is just right, slightly bourgeois, not too much and not too little.

I definitely amsterdam.

3 comments:

Jussi said...

Thanks again for refreshing blogging, Tommi! I wonder how long it will take untill we´ve got a similar word in finish.
Becoming an allotment gardener has given me hope, the old folks just keep on weeding but the newcomers focus on decor and lagom dinig on the porch.

Tommi Laitio said...

If I could every now and then change identities, I would love to be one of those Swedish-speaking , sailboat-owning people who organise dinners on their island in an organic lambwool pullover for all their friends with fascinating professions, good manners and wonderful singing voices. That´s big ass lagom.

And Jussi: what is refreshing in dogshit?

Jussi said...

Dogshite on your shoesole causes foul stench, adrenaline rush and bad language. If you weren´t so annoyed, you´d realize you´re refreshed.