Summertime Sangria

Scheveningen Beach 2007.

"Do you remember,

Or should I rewind,

To that summer when you caught my eye,

I played it cool,

The weather was hot,

You had the beauty and the beach on lock"

There’s this song that’s been getting a lot of airplay on our radio stations that has just stuck in my head. For some reason – and not just the fact it was summer (despite it being summer all year long here in Malaysia), the words reminded me of my last summer, when it was all about fun, frolicking in the sun and teenage love. (despite the fact I was nearly a decade past all that.)

But there was also something strangely familiar about the voices. I’d been trying to get the name of the artists or even the song, but I always seemed to miss the big announcement. Then yesterday, like a blast from the past, I finally caught the D.J saying, "That’s New Kids On the Block, with their hit, Summertime."

If you thought my Il Divo phase was mental, you should’ve met the 12 year old teenybopper that I was. My walls were floor to ceiling plastered with the grinning faces of the "5 bad boys from the Beantown land." I went through all kinds of phases – I adored the squeaky clean Donnie Wahlberg (before the mutilated himself with tattoos and piercings and getting himself arrested for arson.) Then came the dazzling Jordan Knight (I couldn’t see the effeminate persona, I was just awed by that lethal grin, those "luminous eyes" and dance moves.) But in the later years, it was the quiet, always in the shadows, shy and reserved Jonathan Knight I fantasised being swept of my feet with.

Ah, the New Kids on the Block. How apt. I couldn’t stop smiling.

"With your flip flops, half shirt, short shorts, mini skirt,

Walkin’ on the beach, so pretty,

She wasn’t lookin’ for a man,

When you saw me in the sand,

But you fell for the boy from the city"

I was like, "hey, girl, can I get your number"

I remember what you told me too,

"Don’t call after ten"

But you know that I did,

‘Cause I couldn’t stop thinkin’ ’bout you"

Our start was nowhere near that clear cut. I was asked to this party by his "friend", the Surfer Dude, and when I was there, I was half on a date (well, more like a quarter as the date was being shared with 3 other women!). The Philosopher joined me and my new friends just as we were plotting our escape among the largely very young, very drunk and mostly high Dutch speaking crowd.

The Philosopher, like the rest, spoke flawless English but unlike the rest, was happy to keep on conversing with us in English. He seemed to be very interested in our backgrounds, and our corners of the world. He chatted in French to my Canadian and French friends, then was intelligent about Malaysia’s history, culture and even cuisine. He uttered some Malay words that I was gobsmacked that he’d even HEAR about, let alone know what they meant. ("Do you know sambal petai"" left me speechless. Where in the world does petai grow other than Malaysia? I could've even begin to explain it in English, let alone like it!)

We were huddled by the campfire – the cold North Sea air chilled you to the bone, even in the summertime. The Philosopher took a swig from his wine bottle and offered it without a thought to me. I have to admit, I was looking at his pink, still wet cupid’s bow and thinking phwoarrr! Would I like a taste of that! (That’s when I knew he liked me …. And then later when we said goodbye, when he kept hugging me and kissing me on the top of my head.)

But he let me go without asking my number, or having any way of getting in touch with me. Confused, I walked away, after the third longing hug and kiss. I was mumbling to myself when the little French guy I was with stopped in his tracks and went "Wait, you like him?" I didn’t see why I should deny it so I nodded. At that, he turned and sped off back to the party. I had no idea what he was up to, but my phone rang seconds later, and a familiar voice burst out joyfully:

"Can I see you when you’re in Amsterdam this weekend?"

I think about you in the summertime,

And all the good times we had, baby,

Been a few years and I can’t deny,

The thought of you still makes me crazy,

I think about you in the summertime,

I’m sittin’ here in the sun with you on my mind.

You’re my, my summertime.

Happy "Anniversary", my Schatje.