Celebrations

I have not been feeling well. I really wanted to tell you earlier about all the important things that happened the last few weeks. That we have a new King. That Linde turned four and started primary school. That we, the Dutch expat community in Singapore, celebrated for days, clad in orange, showing the locals just how crazy we can be. That we watched the coronation in a champagne bar downtown, that served free hutspot (potato and carrot stew) as a barsnack. That the kids emptied their piggy bank to raid the kids free market at the Hollandse Club. That our new tv communicates with the computer, and showed the coronation again, on Sunday morning, on the big screen, and together with the kids we again admired beautiful Queen Maxima, in royal blue, with the three little princesses. Real princesses, with blond tresses, but miles away from the plastic Disney variety, with plump cheeks, yawns, and so much more real and perfect in all their imperfections.

So much festivity yet I, since I was not feeling well, could not really join in, not as much as I would have liked. Off course, feeling off is never an excuse for the mother of a little girl that turns four and needs a party. Nor for that of a five year old who has been promised that his mama will help out at the school with the old fashioned Dutch games. Nor the two year old who wants it all.

So I organised the party, where the children made their own crowns, decorated cupcakes, dressed up as little princes and princesses, played, played and played, sang Happy Birthday in two languages, and ate home baked strawberry cake. We went to shop for Linde’s present, her new bicycle without stabilisers, and there were tears because, mean, mean mummy did not want to buy the Disney princess one. It was just one princess too far.

At the new school there was a party too, where queen Linde sat in the circle on her blue throne, demure and a little shy, the red paper crown with the big cardboard 4 perched on her blonde hair. Treats were handed round, the same popcorn bags we made for the farewell party at the preschool the week before, and no, I was not allowed to pick her up. Her majesty would take the bus home. When asked how it was, this second day at school, she answered it was fun. Pressed for details she shouted, I told you it was fun, and ran up the stairs to fetch her new princess dress.

When I saw my consultant, at the private Singaporean hospital that looks more like an expensive hotel, and told him the recovery after my surgery took so much longer than expected, he was not surprised. Rest, he recommended. So now I am resting, that is, lying on my bed resting all of my body but the tips of my fingers tapping away. The parties are over. The princess is back at school. The queen will take her beauty sleep now.

Power to the princess!

Yesterday a little girl turned three. A very special occasion, off course, and a princess party was requested, o yes, and a puppet show. Since mama is not too mean a mummy, she complied, grudgingly, but readily. However, there are limits. There is just so much pink and sweetness this mama can handle. So when it came to the puppet show, and the story line, she decided that all those disney stories were just not exactly what little girls needed in the twenty-first century. So she wrote her own. And, just in case you have a birthday coming up soon, of a little girl in need of some princess glitter, I'll share it with you. In hope we can reach all those little girls out there and show them what a real princess is made of!

The princess that did not want to marry

Once upon a time, in a country far, far away, lived a princess. Her name was Linde. She had long, blond hair, and eyes dark as coal. She had beautiful dresses, and her favourite one was pink.

Linde: Hello children, how nice to see so many of you. Are you having a birthday party? Who’s birthday is it? It is my birthday too today, did you know? Tonight we will have a fabulous ball, right here, in the palace. We will dance all night. I love dancing, it is my absolute favourite. Do you like dancing too?

But, do you know what is so stupid? My parents, the king and queen, they want me to marry. With a prince. A real prince. In a minute a lot of princes will come and visit, and I have to pick one to open the ball with tonight, dance the first dance. Yuk. I am sure they will all be horrid. I do not want to marry. I want to dance, and play. I do not want to be queen. Then I’ll have to do bow for people all day, and wave from the golden carriage, and be nice, and formal and stiff. No!

Queen comes up: Come on Linde, the princes have arrived. Let me see your hair, and your face, is it clean? Hurry up, and stand straight, dear.

The king and queen sit on the throne. One by one the princes are presented. First, a young boy in a football outfit comes up, running about.

Football Prince: Oi, princess! Got a ball, or something to shoot about? Nah. Come and see my big game tomorrow. You can sit in the stalls, be beautiful, smile and wave at me!

Linde, angrily: I do NOT like football. And I don’t want to sit, be beautiful and wave. I want to dance. And play in the wood, with sticks.

‘Next,’ shouts the king.

Prince Monkey comes up, bows, says ooh, ah, ooh ooh ooh, and monkeys around.

Linde, angrily: What a terrible prince. He has no manners at all. He acts just like a monkey!

‘Next,’ shouts the king.

Prince Penguin bows, ‘good afternoon princess. How do you do?’

Linde, icily: Hello.

Prince Penguin: Sweet princess, you are so pretty. I would love to take you to my Ice Palace, with it’s winding towers of sparkling blue. We can slip and slide down the stairs and have so much fun.

Linde: No. I do not like blue. Slipping and sliding will ruin my dress. And most of all, I do not want a palace made of ice. Ice should be ice cream, three scoops in a bowl, with a cherry on top. No. I won’t marry him. No!

Linde shouts: I will never marry, do you hear me? I won’t. Tonight I will dance with my friends. Or, even better. I will dance with a frog. That will show them. Pfft (blows raspberry) I don’t want some poncey prince. I am going to the woods, and I will play with sticks and get very dirty.

Linde, in the woods, with a stick: I told you, I won’t marry those stupid princes. A snobby footballer, who just wants me as his trophy? Or a crazy monkey? Or that ice penguin with his frozen palace? You wouldn’t want that either, would you? I don’t want to marry anyway; I don’t want to be queen. I’ll have to make stiff bows, wave from the golden carriage, and sit still and straight, and host dinners. No. I won’t do it. I want to always stay a princess, and dance all day and play in the woods. And when I grow up, I want to decide what I’ll be. Maybe a doctor. Or a pilot. Or the king. Yes, that would be good, because everyone would have to do as I say. Yes, don’t you agree, being king is be best.

Frog comes up, ribbiting.

Linde: Look a frog. I will take him to the dance, that will show my parents. Hello frog, would you like to dance? Linde and the frog dance and play.

Linde: Children, do you know what I am thinking? Frogs are often enchanted, aren’t they? He could be a prince? What do you think, shall I kiss him?

Unsure: No, maybe I shouldn’t. He is very green, and very slimy.

The children encourage her to do it anyway, and what do you think! The frog turns into a handsome prince. The prince gives Linde a big hug and a kiss. He seems very happy, and then retreats.

Prince charming: Thank you, princess, for kissing me. Very decent of you. But. I suppose I have to marry you now? He looks at the children. That is the proper thing for a prince to do, isn’t it, when a princess kisses him back from being a frog?

Linde: Actually, I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t want to marry at all. I do not wish to be queen, and bow, and wave from the golden carriage, and sit still and stiffly. I want to run in the woods and play with sticks. And when I grow up I want to be what I choose. Pilot, or doctor.

Prince charming: Oh, I love playing with sticks! And I don’t want to marry either, at least not yet. Let’s be friends, and always do what we want.

Linde: Yes! And can I then be king when we are bigger?

Prince charming: Well, we’ll have to see about that.

Linde: All right. But, one more thing. Would you mind dancing the first dance with me at my birthday ball tonight?

Prince charming: I’d be honoured to. I love to dance!

Together they dance away.