from Yoga to...

Went to my first yoga class Sunday -- small class, nice teacher, new stuff, followed pretty well in dutch. Afterwards, the teacher smiled and agreed that much of what we'd done in class was new. I just made it up, she says, big smile.
Indeed. Glad I went, not sure I'll go back. If anyone has a good yoga CD out there, let me know.
But that's not the main event.

I exited Yogawinkel (literally 'Yoga Shop') into a street filled with sounds of a marching band, and a big crowd just a block down.
Not a boat passing under the drawbridge this time, but a parade. Apparently, Sinta Klass had just arrived by boat along the canal ( as he always does), with his helper, Black Peter:


No, I didn't take these photos. I was with yoga mat, not camera. But you can imagine the shock and again, the shear absurdity. Not only were there adults like these dressed in blackface and courtly costumes, but children, too. So many children. Mostly the palest, blondest, bluest-eyed variety, in winter coats and gleeful smudgy darkened faces. I just kept thinking, I'd like to see that in Park Slope.

Here's the link to the legend that everyone at dinner Sunday night was struggling to explain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Peter

There is no acknowledgement of the racial element here amongst any of the Dutch I've spoken to. They love Black Peter and they accept him for his blackness...I suppose.