Happy Kingdom Day

In the islands, there is only one thing more predictable than the weather... holidays! Today is 'Koninkrijksdag' or 'Kingdom Day'. it's a national holiday here and in the Netherlands and happens every December 15. It celebrates the signing of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands by

Queen Juliana on 15 December 1954. The charter deals with the relation between The
Netherlands and the overseas territories like the Netherlands Antilles (soon no longer to be in existence).

So today, nothing official can get done. I'm quite sure though that the green bottles will flow, and political conversation will spew. Or will the bottle spew, and conversation flow? As this place goes back to the kingdom, while most countries seek independence, the celebration will likely be the last one. In 2010, the last of the "overseas territories" will be gone, and all will either be back in the kingdom (not just a territory), or independent (like St. Maarten, Curacao, etc). This really is very historical but likely will not get the appreciation it deserves.

And I will continue to get ready to depart, also for the last time. Knowing that the next time I come to visit, if and when, I'll be entering a new place with more rules, regulations, organization, services, and taxes. It's bittersweet leaving now, but I'm a bit happy I won't have to live through the challenges that likely will be when the transition actually occurs.

So as we go back to the rule of the kingdom, Happy Kingdom Day!