Yesterday our cable TV was hooked up, giving us about 80 channels, including a surprising number in English. The girls are particularly delighted by a station called Boomerang which broadcasts old cartoon classics like Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby Doo.
I’m intrigued that there are even more sports channels. Prior to getting cable, we only had one that alternated between such scintillating programming as World Championship Darts (Katie loved the super slo-mo effect that let you see the rotation of each dart as it flew toward it’s target — fascinating!) and The Woman’s Biathlon Northern European Quarterfinals–Age 23-26 Division. I can’t say that I’ve ever really understood the concept of the biathlon. What, I ask, is the connection between cross country skiing and rifle shooting? I mean who first thought of pairing these two activities together and calling them a sport? And why? You could just as easily pair the breaststroke with baton twirling or bowling ball juggling and speed skating. Maybe you could put all four of those together and create a quadrathalon.
I’m also hoping to brush up on my Dutch by watching LiveShop, a 24 hour infomercial channel (I wonder if Ronco has a European affiliate) and Holland Doc a public access-like channel that broadcasts medical conferences and Dr. housecalls (they apparently still make them here).
While I’m pleased that we have more viewing options, a part of me laments the TV’s presence. Without it we were required to be a bit more creative and come up with simpler, more cerebral activities. Well, I don’t know if hide and seek can be considered cerebral, but it certainly exercises more than the remote control finger. I’m hoping that with all the new and exciting things around us, TV will only be an occasional diversion and another source of information about our new home.
January 24, 2007 at 10:36 am
What a charming and succinct report on this rather American milestone. I can just see KK mesmerized by the slo-mo dart… the sort of vivid image a doting auntie craves.
Speaking of TV, I was marveling yesterday at how the Hawaiian language has so few letters: all the vowels but not Y, and H, W, K, L, M, N, P. It occurred to me that a Hawaiian version of Wheel of Fortune would be very difficult to stage–so few letters to choose from. Then again, all the words are so hard.
February 6, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Peter,
Hi, living in Finland now for 3 months, I can solve your big puzzle on biathlon. It is actually very simple, because like a lot of other sports, biathlon’s origins lie in the army. And in countries like these, where it is currenty -22 centigrade in the night and -15 in the day, and there lies 1 meter of snow, the main way of transportation is skies, so also for the soldiers. Still in these days I think. And skiing and hunting does not like a odd combination either here. But I am happy to read you enjoy the Netherlands so much. I will pass by during one of my weekend stays in Amsterdam. Give my hello to Ruth!