Soccer mania is almost upon the Netherlands as the World Cup in South Africa slowly comes closer. To get ready for this event and also because of recent government works in the neighbourhood, Bergpolder celebrated the opening of the new soccer field by hosting a feest today!
Everyone in the neighbourhood was invited and news of the event was spread through word of mouth, distribution of fliers, articles in the local paper, and posters hung in windows of houses and neighbourhood organisations. The celebration organisers had rented children's games (including sumo wrestling, golf, and limbo), gave out free drinks and things to eat, and hired one of the players from a professional soccer team here in Rotterdam - Sparta! - to do a demonstration and then help host a soccer tournament! How exciting!
Despite these great activities, the turn out was not as big as it could have been. There were quite a few families there and the organisers were happy with the turnout but there was definitely room for more people to join.
While watching the football demonstation, a short break from my position at the drinks stand, I overheard a comment said to one of the volunteers at the feest, 'you don't see many Nederlanders here, do you? I wonder why not?' This comment was not new to me. I've been told that certain kinds of festivities tend to attract certain groups of individuals. By this I do not mean families and young children because the majority of event goers did fall into this category (maybe all except for the volunteers and the chess players who set up a large as well as small board. I bet my Chess teacher back home in Brampton, Ontario would have mopped the floor with almost everyone. I say almost everyone because we have a Chess Master living here in the neighbourhood and I think it would be a good game between them, however I don't know who would win). Instead, these comments are typically refering to a difference in 'allochtone' and 'autochtone' presence.
I think it's important to acknowledge that in my experience of three different festivals here in and around my area, I have noticed that there is typically more minority individuals (5th Mei, today) or majority individuals. Is this important?
Other questions that might be of interest are: If this is happening, then why? Does it have to do with the advertising of the event? Is it the type of event? (Obviously not as each person in the Nederlands is somewhat interested in soccer! sorry Football!) Why are there events, that seem to attract 'different groups'? In my opinion, I think it is the fact that people are noticing and discussing this phenomenon that is most important. In any case, it is a group of questions that I'm still working through in the last season of my field research here in the Netherlands.
Back to the playing field!
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