During one of many excursions around the city of Utrecht, a group of friends and I decided to grab a few pitta chicken dishes and situate ourselves along the edge of one of Utrecht’s many canals. It was a clear day with many boats heading to and fro along the canal, but we weren’t exactly expecting what happened next. Having just finished our meal, a man and women in a kayak pulled up beside us and began shouting to us in Dutch, the man expectantly holding in his hands a fresh stalk of cauliflower. His attire was a bright orange/leopard-print adorned costume, and in front of him was a woman with a no less absurd pink and frilly gown; the kayak itself was tied up with red and white heart-shaped balloons.
Having no Dutch speakers in our group, we tacitly elected one of us to respond with something to the likes of, “I’m sorry, do you speak English?” Instantly the man switched to fluent English, all in jovial spirits whilst explaining the situation. He and the woman with him were to be married in a week’s time, and as cause for celebration, the groomsmen, bridesmaids, friends, and family had orchestrated an elaborate list of activities they were to complete before the coming wedding. On this day, rowing down the canals in a decked out kayak, they were to trade a fresh stalk of cauliflower (to symbolize a bouquet) to someone for another random object. Additionally, the groom-to-be was to collect 5 women’s phone numbers, and the bride-to-be was to collect 5 men’s phone numbers. They explained that this was all tradition for them, all the while laughing and joking. We obliged of course, trading the only thing we could find – a slightly used water bottle – for the cauliflower and giving out our phone numbers. It was an admittedly bad trade, but one they were more than happy to make for the festivities of the moment. With that, the Dutch couple thanked us and continued on their way to whatever their next challenge entailed.
The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Dancing To 