The Winner is a Third Culture Kid living in Norway

I promised to let you know today who the winner was of the Christmas Giveaway 2012. Well the winner of a signed copy the book Fly Away Home by Maggie Mykleburst is a Dutch third culture kid Mama T, she is living in Norway, just like the author of the book. Congratulations Mama T! Please send me your email address or leave it in the comment so that I can contact you. Thanks again to Maggie for donating the book and agreeing to the interview.

Oliebollen and appelflappen by DrieCulturen

While I am writing this post I can hear the sound of fireworks, as midnight comes closer the noise will increase. It's raining outside now, not ideal weather for fireworks. Traditionally we shoot carbide on the last day of the year. Have you ever heard of it? I wrote about carbide shooting a year ago. Last year I was on our family farm in Friesland watching and listening to the carbide explosions in the milk cans. This year I am at home and we will eat home oliebollen and appelflappen. Some kind of oil dumpling and an oil dumpling filled with apple. When I grew up in Africa I still remember eating oliebollen on the shores of Lake Malawi. The oliebollen were cooked on a wooden stove, quite a task but it resulted in great memories of Dutch traditions abroad.

I hope you all enjoy your new year's eve and I wish you a rich multicultural new year where ever you are and where ever you will be going!

(Mama T you can send me an email at drieculturen@gmail.com thanks).

Ever heard of carbide shooting? This third culture kid did it in Malawi

Traditionally carbide shooting is done on new year's day or new year's eve. So last Saturday I went to our family farm in Friesland (the north of the Netherlands) where my uncles just have to shoot carbide.

What you need:

1. A milkcan with a lid that fits on to it (the milkcan has to have a small whole in it).
2. A piece of carbide stone (white, see photo)
3. Some water
4. Some fire, to light the explosive gas
5. Some patience
6. Some protection for your ears, because there is a loud bang when the explosive gas comes in contact with fire.

I actually found a website that explains about carbide schooting: a Dutch favourite sport. On the internet I read that carbide shooting is still popular these days in the Netherlands.

When the explosive gas explodes after coming in contact with fire the lid of the milkcan flies about 20 to 30 meters. You have to take care that there is nobody standing in front of the milkcan at the time of ignition. Why do we do it? It's a tradition. Why do we have traditions? By the way in the second world war the carbide stone was used in the carbidelamp a lamp used on bicycles.

When I grew up in Malawi we celebrated new year with carbide shooting too. I have no idea how my father got hold of the carbide stone and maybe it is better that I do not know. I hope he did not take it on the plan, because I can imagine that that would be rather dangerous. In Malawi we did not have a milkcan bit we took a small tin can with a fitting lid, a small whole in it. We added a little water to the carbide stone in the can, put the lid on, added some fire and we made a small bang. So we had no fireworks but just a little carbide shooting. There is no new year's eve without oliebollen (here are soms photos of oliebollen). Would you call it an oil dumpling in English? It is a kind of Dutch doughnut. In Malawi my parents and our Dutch friends always baked a large pile of oliebollen. These are all part of my memories of celebrating new year's eve.

What are your memories of new year's eve celebrations? Do you have special traditions? Have you ever heard or seen carbide shooting? By the way: Happy new year to you!

Related posts:

• Celebrating Christmas around the world 
• Celebrating Sinterklaas abroad
• My 10 advantages of growing up abroad
• Bilingualism and growing up abroad