Damada was great. I did not dance or learn nearly as much as last year, but I did get a better tan and had a very relaxed time.

Thursday we departed by bus from Utrecht Lunetten around 22:30 (if I recall correctly) and after a 9 hour drive (with stops) and cramped sleeping we arrived in Le Mans at about 08:00 on Friday morning. We unpacked the bus, set up our camp on the soccer field and chilled. Some people tried to sleep, others made music or played 'volleyball'. I did some pyrography again (I love the French sun!).

In the evening there was ball. Matthijs and I made it a short night by going to bed as early as 00:30. We were still very tired from the bus trip. On Saturday morning/afternoon we attended a workshop 'variations in the jig', which I had already done last year. It was nearly the same, but still fun. We also did a workshop Bourree. I don't really like that dance and I thought that was because I never learned it properly. Which turned out to be true. The workshop was much fun, the variations were very nice but in the end at a ball it's almost always too crowded to actually do the things we learned. And you need people that also know the variations.

Again, ball in the evening. Made it till 03:30 this time. Sunday we had a very relaxed communal breakfast. Dennis made eggs for anybody who wanted it and Matthijs made tea (i.e. he heated water). After the dishes and clearing things away we went to the festival terrain again and chilled there in the sparse shade. No workshops that day because we were too lazy. We did take a peek at Indian dances. It was nearly the same as last year, with a lovely lady in costume explaining the steps.

Ball again in the evening and night. Went to bed at 02:30 with the alarm set on 06:30 because the bus would leave at 08:00. I didn't dance much that night. There were just to many dances that I did not know, and for the ones that I did know I did not find a partner or I just didn't like them (andro, hanter dro). I became a bit angry at myself for not daring to ask French/Belgian men to dance and decided that it was better to just get some sleep instead of frustrating myself any further.

Last year I bought a vest and a short dress. This time, after visiting the stall about 10 times, I bought a purple summer dress with a knitted top part. It is less suited for dancing because the skirt does not flare much, but otherwise it is very pretty. It's hanging on my balcony at the moment, drying from a wash and a vinegar bath. It bleeds so much color! I used the purple washing water to die two pieces of white fabric. I'm curious how good that will hold.

If I want to go again next year I'll have to work on my fear of asking people. I mean, I'll probably not see those French people again (very soon) so why would it be a problem if I would leave a bad impression? I am just too scared to be rejected and way too picky about whom I'd want to ask. All the old men (the could-have-been-my-father type) almost automatically are a no-go for me. There should be at least a bit of attraction before I consider asking someone, which narrows done the options. And then most men have already partnered up before I have found the guts to ask them. Here at home it's much the same, I usually stick to the people that I have danced with before but that's not many... So, something to work on.

I did take pictures at Damada, though not much and actually none of dancing people. I do have pictures of a huge mot (like, hand-sized), the sun through the leaves of a tree, the Dutch camp and Dutch chilling. When I get around to making a gallery I'll post a link.