newelty

If everything works out as planned, right around by July 1, 2010, I’ll be attending Dutch Princess School.

Its real name is Talen Instituut Regina Coeli, but really, who can remember all that?

Let me recap the situation.

Originally, I started learning Dutch for my job at a the Guidebook Company That Shall Not Be Named. Even though everyone told me that everyone in the Netherlands speaks English, I still wanted to get some niceties under my belt. Then I just fell in love with the language, and now it’s on my list of things to do before I die: Become fluent in Dutch.

For a few years, I have been studying here and there with a teacher in Seattle. When she decided to retire from teaching Dutch, we had this conversation:

Me: You know, since I won’t be able to keep coming to you for lessons but I’d like to become fluent in Dutch, I wonder if I should attend an immersive class?

My Teacher: That’s a good idea. If you do, you should go where the Argentinian wife of crown-prince Willem-Alexander studied. What’s her name?

Me (completely befuddled): Um, who?

My Teacher (as if every American should know the Dutch royal line): You know, his Argentinean wife.

(pause)

She studied Dutch at that school. And her pronunciation was quite good.

Me (weirdly enthralled by the idea of following in the steps of a modern-day princess): What’s her name?

My Teacher (thinking): Máxima. You should google “Princess Máxima language school.”

And here’s the thing about the story about an Argentinian soon-to-be-Dutch-princess’ language school, which sounds like it should, by rights, be an urban legend: It’s actually a true story, and Expatica confirmed it.

I did my research. There are other schools, and some of them are very good. But according to the reviews online, this one is supposed to be the best, or at least good enough for a princess.

That concept is just too fun to pass up. So look for updates during the countdown to Dutch Princess School.