{"id":14025,"date":"2023-02-20T12:30:41","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T11:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buffiduberman.com\/?p=14025"},"modified":"2023-02-28T11:16:20","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T10:16:20","slug":"donormal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buffiduberman.com\/nl\/donormal\/","title":{"rendered":"Do\u2026normal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

DO NORMAL!

But what is that, actually?
Hello from Brabant, where I live.
Hello from Brabant, where we now have Carnaval.

When I first came to the Netherlands, I had no idea that Carnaval was celebrated here. I heard about it after a few months of living here, and I got very excited \u2013 \u2018I can\u2019t wait to see all those gorgeous people parading around in their feathers, beads, and sequin bikinis!\u2019

To me, Carnaval was a combination of the Brazilian Carnival and Mardi Gras. 
Party on!

Then my dreams were bluntly shattered.
My friends set the record straight.

\u2018We have it in the winter. We dress up like frogs.\u2019

Oh. 
Ok.

I tried.
I really tried.
For years.
I got the costumes, went to all the bars, did the polonaise.
I put the glitter on my children\u2019s faces and spray painted their hair.
I tried.
For years.

But then I realized it\u2019s not for me.
I don\u2019t like being in a crowded bar. Never have, never will.
I don\u2019t like drunken men grabbing my tits.
Not even when they are dressed up like Pocohontas. 
(True story.)

I\u2019m very, very happy for those who choose to celebrate, and I have learned about the historical and cultural significance of this holiday. I truly find joy in seeing others getting excited for this period.
This is my husband and kids.
So happy for them! I love watching people have fun but often I have no desire to join the crowd.
I took my son to the Carnaval store, being the Good Mama that I am.

There I was greeted by this lovely man with a chicken on his head.
He was telling me that this chicken lays 2 golden eggs a day. He was glowing with delight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I loved it. I adored talking to him. He was rocking that chicken. And he was so proud and excited about Carnaval.
But then\u2026is he doing normal?
I ask myself a lot about this \u2018do normal\u2019 idea that the Dutch embrace so beautifully. What is \u2018normal\u2019 in this situation?
Am I not normal because I choose not to put a chicken on my head during this week?
I\u2019m not sure.

I love going to the Carnaval store, though.
Because that\u2019s also where I buy my clothes.
My normal clothes, that I wear to work.
I have bought fabulous glitter boots, sunglasses, bags, jackets, and this fabulous belt.
I wear them all year long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
People look at me and might think \u2018Do normal! Why are you wearing those weird clothes? It\u2019s not Carnaval!\u2019 (They have even said this to my face.)

But darling, this IS my normal.
All year round.

If you are celebrating Carnaval, I hope you have a fantastic time!
I\u2019m going to watch the parade, admire all the floats, and then go home to a quiet house.
I\u2019m very (very!) excited to spend a few days alone in a blissful Carnaval Cocoon after the extremely dynamic, hectic, and crazy busy launch of Communication Nation.

Enjoy, whether you are celebrating or not, and thank you for reading.
Ik moest even mijn ei kwijt.

Liefs,\u00a0
Buffi\u00a0

PS: My first masterclass of the year<\/strong> is on March 30 in Amsterdam. Come and join me (and my gifted friends from Boom Chicago) for an afternoon of Learning Live, where we get you active in English, work on vocabulary development, and see how you do in spontaneous situations! Find out more HIER<\/a>.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DO NORMAL! But what is that, actually?Hello from Brabant, where I live.Hello from Brabant, where we now have Carnaval. 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