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It sounded like ten men yelling complaints about the noise in a man. His kind and friendly It occurred to me that he was
through megaphones, shouting very clear language. This was smile uncovered a single tooth, referring to Queen Wilhelmina,
over an orchestra playing at full not appreciated. Very likely all as a solitary tree in an eroded who stepped down from the
volume. And it sounded very those men came to this place landscape. 'You are Dutch', he throne in 1948. In a solemn
near. I jumped into my trousers to be rid from the clear langua- established. Then he bent voice the man now addressed
and pulled open the door. ge of their own women. Before down and pulled out the power- his friends in the lobby. It was a
There, in the sparsely lit lobby a returning to her room the plug. The result was a soft mur- long monologue in Madurese,
group of elderly Madurese men woman looked at me as if to muring in the lobby, it was one in which the word belanda
sat slurping coffee while wat- say: "Why don't YOU do some- more of surprise than annoyan- (meaning Dutch) was recogni-
ching TV. The device blasted thing?" ce. For a moment the silence zable three times and the name
out at full volume. Probably to With my male pride challenged pounded my ears. "I am so glad Wilhelmina twice. The speech
compensate for the quality of like that, I decided to act. to meet you, sir," the old man didn't stir up much excitement.
the image, which was so abo- Colonial times may have been said. "It has been too long ago Suddenly the old man whispe-
minable that it was almost way past, but this situation since I had the opportunity to red in my ear, as if in a conspi-
impossible to see what was demanded a firm hand. On the speak the Dutch language'. My racy: "I want to ask you a favor.
playing. The men watched in way to the power-plug of the TV- emotions made a 180-degree Would you sing with me Op de
silence. No one took any notice set I made some rather swing from anger to astonish- blanke top der duinen? (This is
of the hotel guest who gaped at unfriendly remarks in my own ment. "How is your queen an almost-forgotten Dutch
the scene in bewildered per- language. Halfway there, my doing', the man continued, patriotic song, long ago compul-
plexity. I took a few steps for- path was blocked by a very old ..she must be very old by now". sory in every classroom.) The
ward to attract their attention. A
man detached himself from his
chair and asked in a friendly
manner if there would be any
service to render. 'Yes, there is.
If you would be so kind as to
lower the volume so I can get
some sleep', I said. He ponde-
red over the request and finally
announced that unfortunately
he could not comply. The TV-set
was old, in a poor condition
and, besides, the knob to regu-
late the volume had broken off
years ago. The audience stared
at my misfortune with deadpan
indifference. The hotel clerk tur-
ned around and returned to his
chair. I went back to my room
and tried to regain sleep, but it
was no use.
Then I heard a loud female
voice. I went again to the lobby
and saw an Indonesian woman,
apparently staying in one of the
other rooms, expressing her

44 Diva 7.2004