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5 Tips 4 Bevrijdingsdag

Martijn Van Veen
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On the 4th of May we commemorate all those have died in the war, which leads to plenty of discussion on who is worth commemorating, what war should be commemorated, and how we can learn from our past.

The 5th of May we celebrate the freedom we have or the freedom ‘ we think we have’ since this century is shaping up to meet different challenges with ‘drones’ replacing traditional warfare, a war on terrorism revealing that herd mentality (allowing the second world war atrocities) is still very much alive, democracies turning into thinly veiled oligarchies, and part of the world moving into the cloud with net neutrality and copyright front and centre.

What does freedom mean in this age? These days we NEED to celebrate. We NEED to think what freedom means to us. We NEED to think about warfare. We NEED to keep thinking about ridding this world of fights over resources where still so many of us are killed, raped, maimed, betrayed, traumatised and have to fight for their survival. We NEED to keep looking to creating a sustainable environment where we can all live peacefully.

How do we do this? By commemorating and celebrating. By giving our attention to it, by discussing it, by listening, reading, and watching stories showcasing the suffering that humans have had to experience and to look beyond the borders of our own meager existence and connect to individuals, minorities, populations, and countries that may not be able to enjoy peace and freedom in their desired way.

 4th of May: Commemorate together.

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The Commemoration at Dam Square in Amsterdam.

At 20:00 we will uphold 2 minutes of silence to perform introspection and to meditate on the people who have been suffering in the war. Although this started as a reflection on Second World War victims, I do not think there is an embargo on suffering (although I might have to check the register). So reflect on victims of war, terror, occupation, or repression the way you want to.

Just don’t start screaming all of a sudden because then you can create full out crowd freak outs like this.

Everywhere in Holland there are places to commemorate with speeches and talks. This is mostly in Dutch so you will have to be able to understand some of it if you want to enjoy it. But it can still be a special experience connecting to each other in silence and having a mutual attempt at sympathy for those who have suffered.

The commemoration on Dam Square is also televised and will be attended by the royal family. You can see where commemorations will be held over here.

This year, and for the coming few years, the theme is ‘Vrijheid geef je door’ (“You pass freedom onward’) to give you a little context.

 

5th of May: Nation-wide Music Festivals

The 5th of May is celebrated throughout the country with organised concerts in several cities.

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Plenty of fun performance @ http://www.bevrijdingsfestivals.nl/festivals

This year the musical ambassadors for 5th of May are De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig and De Staat. They will be flown around in helicopters to make their appointments. 

De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig: with their catchy Dutch classic ‘Watskebeurt’, which kicked them to national stardom back in . 

 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjER3EX948w[/embedyt] 

5th of May: Military Parade in Wageningen

On the 5th of May, 1945, Canadian General Charles Foulkes signed the peace treaty that officially ended the Second World War in the Netherlands. As it happens, he signed the treaty in Hotel De Wereld in the center of Wageningen, which is why the city happens to be a central location for Liberation Day celebrations each year.

Besides hosting one of the nation’s larger festivals (almost the entire city center is transformed into a festival ground), the city also hosts the national military parade. Most of the units that march are veterans, although there are some exceptions to this. In any case, it’s a pretty cool experience if you happen to be nearby with a ton of oldschool military vehicles on display as well. It’s definitely well paired with the many musical acts, food stands, and general festivities that the city has to offer on the 5th of May.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=henI5SDWvxA[/embedyt]

If you want a small glimpse, it looks a bit like this.

5th of May : Amstel Concert by Royal Carré Theatre

If you like the reflective/classical/philharmonic approach this is the place to be. Every year Bevrijdingsdag is closed off with a royal concert that is free and accessible to everyone. It is held in Amsterdam in front of the Royal Carré Theatre showing of a mix of classical music, songs and poetry and looks like this.

That and the king and queen are always present, so then you know the one musician who plays a false note will be axed Caesar style. TGC-Thumbs-down-300x140

It’s always a happening so if you are into the reflective nature of the program, go! It starts at 20.30. You can also watch this at home and follow the concert on NPO 1, which you can watch on TV or online for free.

5th of May: Play the game Duifkopter

And because our lovely 4th and 5th May commission is very hipster we now also have a game to help us commemorate. The jury is still out on if this will be a hit or miss. But it’s looks cute.

Although I’m wondering how much awareness about suffering will be attained aside from winning nice quotes about freedom if you keep playing the game…

Well have a blast and let me know if you got any new insights about freedom!!!!

And remember: You betta REFLECT!

Echoandnarcissus

 

A Day at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam

Noah Bloem
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A Day at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam

In the middle of east Amsterdam, right next to Oosterpark, stands the Tropenmuseum. At first glance, it is not so easy to define the museum, and there isn’t even an English translation for the name, but that’s why we’re here. While the literal translation of the name would be “Tropical Museum”, the museum is actually much more.

In essence, it’s a museum about world cultures, aiming to display various universal themes like religion, conflict, mourning, and celebration. It does this by allowing the museum’s objects to tell stories. Bit by bit, the objects tell a story of humanity and thereby make clear the immense cultural diversity that our world is rich in.

Although we spent quite some time in the Eastward-Bound set of exhibitions, which focused primarily on art, culture and colonialism, we were able to complete a tour of the whole venue in a bit under two hours. In other words, it’s easy to fit into an Amsterdam daytrip, and it’s certainly worth checking out.

The Tropenmuseum is right on the edge of Oosterpark.

The imposing main hall

Upon entering, we snagged our tickets at the entrance, then strolled up the stairs and immediately into the grand hall that makes up the central section of the museum. Its massive open space, with arches looking into each of the different exhibition halls, immediately creates both a sense of awe and hominess. It’s like walking into a warm hug of cultural goodness. There’s even a small wing for children called the Tropenmuseum Junior, which opened in early 1970s.

So large, and yet so homey.
The gift shop is also definitely worth a visit.

So what’s there to see?

We started by exploring the first floor, which played host to most of the permanent exhibitions. The Tropenmuseum has quite a number of permanent shows, although the museum’s format will soon be changing to accommodate more thematic temporary exhibitions. Exhibitions on South-East Asia, New Guinea, and The Dutch East Indies will remain for now, though, so make sure to check them out soon.

Some excellent artworks are present

The Tropenmuseum does an excellent job of illustrating and explaining the immense blending process of cultural influence across the world. Although there is a clear focus on the connection between the Netherlands and in particular its former colonial territory, the scope of the exhibition does cover a vast portion of the globe. From transporting slaves to Suriname to the collection of exotic curiosities by rich colonials to the use of symbolism in Asian religions, there’s quite a variety of knowledge to explore.

The Temporary Exhibitions

Where normally museums have 1, tops 2, temporary exhibitions going on the Tropenmuseum can boast a nice 4 (!) exhibitions at this moment. So what is there on display right now?

Rhythm & Roots explores the evolution of music from Blues to Hip Hop and everything in between. Very tastefully done and some great album covers to be found there.

Got rhythm?

ZieZo Marokko in Tropenmuseum Junior is designed especially for children. It’s all about Morocco (obviously), giving an active introduction to the nation’s mosaics, fashion, and even food! It’s opened every weekend and daily during the school vacations. The exhibit includes ‘trips’ for children (age 6-13) and for families (all ages). These trips leave at set times, so if you want to check it out, make sure to go to www.tropenmuseumjunior.nl beforehand.

Body Art, on the other hand, shows the decorative use of body alternations. It just opened recently and there were some really cool (albeit sometimes extreme) body alterations.

From piercings to body paint to neck extensions, it’s all there.
Aleppo

Lastly, another recent addition, is the temporary exhibition Aleppo. Particularly tailored for our day and age, Aleppo hopes to bring a new view onto the ancient city turned war zone. Or rather, bring back an older view. Recent events have led Aleppo to be largely portrayed in the media as little more than a war zone, but this exhibition hopes to change that. The Tropenmuseum will even be having former Aleppo residents give guided tours of the exhibition to help achieve this goal.

Guided tours from former residents, want more could you want?

Aleppo is thousands of years old, one of the oldest cities in the world, having been settled some time around 5000 BCE. It was also, until the recent conflict, the most populated city in Syria. Hundreds of thousands of citizens have since left, a number of which have made their way to the Netherlands.

It seems the conflict has caused Aleppo’s historical and cultural importance to be forgotten and the Tropenmuseum’s exhibition Aleppo aims to show that the city is much more than just war. Even though we were toured the exhibition without an Aleppo resident as guide, it still told an incredible story. One that is definitely worth seeing.

An incredible story told through breathtaking photos.

History of the Tropenmuseum

The museum was first established as the Colonial Museum which opened to the public in 1871. Originally it existed to show the Dutch in the motherland what colonies and properties they held overseas. Simultaneously it also operated as a research facility where the main goal was to maximize colonial profits. New methods to grow crops like paraffin, coffee beans, and rattan, for example, were all tested there. Further research delved into ethnology, studying the cultures and customs of the colonial territories.

Although World War I delayed its completion, in 1926 the museum moved to its current home, a beautiful building that was officially listed as a historical building in 2003. It has since changed its name to the Tropenmuseum alongside its shift towards a more ethnographic and culturally inclusive goal.

Plenty of info about the colonial history of the Dutch East Indies

How do I get there?

Want to visit? The Tropenmuseum is open weekly on Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00-17:00 and, during school vacations, on Mondays as well. If you’re coming from Central Station, you can take tram 9 and get off at 1e Van Swindenstraat. If not, the tram 3, 14, 10, and 7 will also get you there. Of course, if you’re biking, the address is Linnaeusstraat 2, right next to Oosterpark. For all other routes, go to the website to see the details.

Address: Linnaeusstraat 2, 1092 CK Amsterdam

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Ajax Fly the Dutch Tricolor in Europe

Charlie Faye
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With the Rotterdam giants four points clear with two games remaining, it’s almost certain that Ajax will miss out on the title for the third season in a row. At least this year it won’t be quite as spectacular as last season when they lost out to PSV after failing to beat De Graafschap on the final day (no disrespect, guys).

Feyenoord have consistently been the best team this year and I can already hear fans in the packed town centre doing their best impression of their brothers from Liverpool. This year’s celebrations look likely to imitate those of the 1999 title win.  In 2002, on the other hand, celebrations of the club’s UEFA Cup win were muted out of respect to the late Pim Fortuyn.

Liverpool fans are famous for their rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’

The Godenzonen’s failure domestically may be due to their success in Europe. Ajax will welcome Lyon to the Amsterdam ArenA in the Europa League semi-final on May 3rd. They will be hoping to progress onto the final and win their first European title since 1995; a first for a Dutch club since Feyenoord won the then UEFA Cup in 2002.

An Ajax win could be huge for Dutch football. But why?

At the time of Ajax’s last European success, Dutch football was about to peak. That team was filled with the now legends of Kluivert, Seedorf, Davids and the like (Seriously… LEGENDS). The big boys of Europe came calling in the late 90s; namely Barcelona, who admired and developed the philosophies of Dutch football under the tutelage of Johan Cruyff.

Success in Europe continued into the 21st Century with Feyenoord’s success and PSV reaching the Champion’s League semi-finals in 2005. However, the last decade has been barren.

The simple truth is that Eredivisie clubs can’t compete financially. This is exemplified by the KNVB issuing warnings last year to six clubs to get their finances in order. The league doesn’t generate the same level of revenue from television deals as, say, the Premier League who saw the opportunity to make money and reformed in the early 90s. Nor do the clubs attract the same level of investment from abroad.

This is compounded by the drain of talent to bigger foreign clubs. Academy players are often signed before even making their first team debuts. You obviously all know who Tahith Chong is, right? He transferred from Feyenoord to Manchester United last Summer at the age of 16. If young players do make it into the first team they are often plucked after a few seasons.

Former PSV and current Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman

Memphis Depay? Marco van Ginkel? Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Kevin Strootman? Georginio WIjnaldum? These are players Dutch clubs would have built their teams around given the chance, but the finances of the transfers like these mean that they  have to sell in order to reinvest in the first team squad and other areas of the club.

So where do Ajax come in?

Behind their European success is a very young squad. When they beat Schalke in the quarter-final in Amsterdam the average age was 22!

Teenagers Dolberg, De Ligt and Kluivert, the son of club legend Patrick, have emerged this season. There is a ‘Golden Generation 2.0’ in the making and the real challenge will be keeping hold of them. Dolberg is already being touted for a transfer having scored 14 league goals.

The potential €8m Europa League prize money would go a long way too in helping to resist the overtures of foreign clubs. Keeping the squad together gives the club an opportunity for growth. Success in Europe would help convince young players to stay at the club, and may attract players from elsewhere to sign on.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX6cOA3kcvI[/embedyt]

What fans of Dutch football in general will be hoping is that a domino effect will occur; leading to the increase of the Eredivisie in general. For example, Ajax may have to loan higher quality players out to other domestic clubs to gain first-team experience. PSV and Feyenoord would need to stay on their toes in order to stay competitive.

The superstitious among you may think Ajax have found a simpler winning formula; a Kluivert in the squad. Fingers crossed.

The baby-faced assassin: Kasper Dolberg

 

 

National security in the Netherlands: are the Dutch concerned?

Bobby Salomons
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National security in the Netherlands: are the Dutch concerned?

The Dutch aren’t generally a people easily overcome by fear, they’re usually quite stable and set in their ways, but new numbers do show an increase in the small country’s worries. War, terrorism and refugee influx are on the minds of the locals.

According to the National Freedom Survey 2017, fear of terrorism is at its highest level since 2002 – a year after the WTC attacks of 9/11 and the outbreak of the Afghanistan War.

With terrorist attacks in recent years in Germany, Belgium, France and the UK as well as others, Holland finds itself geographically close to all these incidents, while also being subjected to some on home ground.

Police, military and the intelligence services are working around the clock to prevent anything from happening and, after severely neglecting its military for decades, the new “Government in Formation” will most likely increase defence expenditures.

Though the Netherlands has seen its share of terrorism, including extremist Islam, it has to be noted that “radicalisation” in the country is much less than in countries like France and Belgium where sensitive youth disconnected decades ago and have grown their own, near separate, societies. Nonetheless, 6 out of 10 respondents indicated worries about terrorism being a threat to the country.

URUZGAN, Afghanistan– Dutch gun trucks from 2nd Platoon, E-company, Battle Group-7, Aug. 19, 2008.

The Spy and the Soldier

As the report finds 4 out of 10 respondents also worry about the prospect of war and military escalation, an increase of one point compared to last year. Worries in particular focus on Russian activity in Eastern-Europe and near NATO-borders. Escalation could trigger NATO-protocol, if one member is attacked all must act. With Russia intensifying pressure on Baltic countries and hacking attempts into Dutch systems, fear is logically rising.

The Dutch also have reason to worry for further escalation in the Middle-East, the destabilisation of Iraq and Syria could effect Turkey and as such find confrontation at the very doorstep of Europe. As recently shown, Afghanistan too appears to struggle to fight off the Taliban – all are conflicts in which the Dutch military played a role and may again in the future.

A Safe Haven

But there’s good news too, while in many other nations hostility and fears are rising towards refugees, the Dutch have seen a significant decrease in worries regarding asylum seekers. From nearly half of the respondents of last year’s inquiry regarding the new comers, numbers dropped significantly to merely a third. So far it appears that refugee-related problems are within the boundaries of reason and no major incidents have taken place yet.

As it appears the Dutch are following a global, or at least regional trend, of increasing worries about terrorism and war but are going against the stream regarding their views on refugees. In the end the numbers are merely a quick representation done through a survey, but they are indicative of what the Dutch would like to see improved – their overall sense of security and stability.

But for now there’s no real reason to be afraid, so far there have been no real incidents as of late, even the incredibly tragic MH-17 air crash disaster is nearly three years ago, and security services seem to be fairly well on top of their game.

So should you worry when the sirens go off? Well – if it’s 12 in the morning on the first Monday of the month, no. If it goes off at any other time, yes, but it will still be highly unlikely that terrorists or Russians have made a move against the Netherlands. Most likely authorities are worried about a nearby industrial accident and warning people in advance. When push comes to shove, despite our worries, Holland is as save as it gets. And that’s exactly how we like it.

If you’ve been here for a while, surely you’ve been woken up by one of these wailing poles.

Meetings at Sea – Why having a businessmeeting on the beach is always better

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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If you’ll get a dictionary and look up non-inspiring then there’s a good chance you’ll find a picture of that boring grey office you’ll work in. And inspiration is not going to happen when you meet up at the same place you’ve been sitting at already 40 hours per week. So what could be more inspiring than the beach? So mail your secretary to arrange a day at your fave beachtown Scheveningen and escape the regular dreaded office!

What’s on the menu when it comes to mixing pleasure with business in Scheveningen?

‘Bedrijfsuitje’ at the Beach – Surfing!

A great company outing, even in the country where the sun doesn’t always shine, is surfing! And you might think; ‘jeeh DutchReview, nobody here can surf’. Well, that’s just the good thing about all of it. Since you can all learn together how to hit those waves (and with any luck you’ll see that nasty manager crashing right in to them).

Hart beach in Scheveningen is a near-legendary place to pick up the cool trade of Surfing. They’ll help you to a board and a wet-suit (you’ll want those 90% of the time). Hart Beach has like kind of this little surfer-village thing going on which is totally awesome, and less awesome but more welcome when with co-workers are the very nicely done showers and dressing rooms. Even more important than surfing and good vibes is the possibility to have a great BBQ or such after (because a tiny bit of boozing and business are even better on the beach).

 

Board the Minerva for better brainstorming

Want a change of setting from the regular meeting room? all aboard the White three-master Minerva which has Scheveningen as the home town. It can receive up to 120 guests if you want to take it sailing, after docking it can play the host for 175 people.

 

You can have dinner on the deck like a king, or cus at each other about business strategies in a nice maritime setting. Have a look here for more info.

 

Beachvolleybal!

Nothing gets you those much needed summer vibes more than enjoying sports at the beach. The Hague Beach Stadium is an unique place to play some serious sports with the team. Of course often used with beachvolleyball the stadium (and the folks behind it) can also play host to tons of other sporting events.

Afterwards there’s of course the opportunity to eat, drink and mingle at SC Rootz. For more info on all of this check out their website.

Working at Sea – office at the Pier

Perhaps you don’t even have a typical office to complain about, or you’re getting tired of working in that same old hipster coffeeshop? The icon of Scheveningen, the Pier, offers you an interesting alternative! Starting at 225 euro per month you can have a working spot with a view at the sea.

Not only ensuring tranquilizing views but also making sure that you’ve got the perfect spot to impress any of your clients. The Pier offices is open for independent professionals and small scale organisations, there’s also a meeting room, supermegafast internet and a terrace with sea views. More info on all of this right here.

 

North Sea Regatta 2017: Sailor’s Club

Yes! The North Sea Regatta week is coming up 🙂 A great week of sailing and racing at Scheveningens shores. It’s totally possible to join in at the fun and participate in one of the races with your co-workers, businessrelations or just your friends and family. 

By Sander van der Borch.
By Sander van der Borch.
Every year the sailing contest ‘North Sea Regatta’ produces just the best scenic pics of Scheveningen and the North Sea (by @northsearegatta)

You and your guests will be able to watch the best part of the races from a superfast RIB boat. When getting back to shore after the race there’s eating, drinking and entertainment waiting for you. There are plenty of packages to suit all your needs, aptly called the ‘Sailor’s Club’, more info to be found here. 

 

 

DutchReview News: Thrift Store Boom – King’s Day Aftermath

Bobby Salomons
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DutchReview News: Thrift Store Boom – King’s Day Aftermath

Remember that song by Macklemore – “Thrift Shop”? The hit was all about those strange, intriguing stores with second hand, used articles of just about every category you can imagine. If you like sweet deals and you’re okay with items having a second life with you, you’re in luck!

Leonie Reinders, director of the Branche Organisation for Thrift Stores Netherlands (BKN), confirms that the annual boom is happening again. After Kings Day, particularly one like last Thursday with crappy weather, many people are stuck with items they didn’t sell – given that most of the items come from up in the attic or the basement, there’s usually no intention to bring them home. Not permanently at least.
And so comes in thrift store, the perfect place to dump all the stuff that is still in working condition, wearable or otherwise re-usable and that you’d feel bad about just dumping in the trash. As a result there’s now a supply boom at thrift stores nation wide, storage is being filled to the roof and items will be hitting shelves real soon, maybe even with even extra discount?

If you’re like me, a cheap piece of sh-, this means paradise. Why? Because there’s an endless line of products that are ‘unique’, the store doesn’t have 600 of these cups, or that steak knife, that self-made painting of Oprah and a Wolf or that counterfeit backpack of the North Face branded “the Mouth Face” make every trip worth something. And the Dutch, being thrifty to begin with, love giving their discarded items a second chance. So be sure to hit those stores near you, there’s almost 200 of them all throughout the nation.

Have you ever been to a Dutch “Kringloopwinkel” thrift store? What’s your best buy or funniest item you’ve spotted? Oh, and in case you thought I was kidding about Oprah and the Mouth Face…

 

The epic saga of the NS group ticket fiasco: A trilogy of errors

James Field
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The epic saga of the NS group ticket fiasco: A trilogy of errors

CHAPTER I: HAPPY DAYS OF THE NS GROUP TICKET

There was a time long ago in the glorious, halcyon days of 2013, when NS, the all-knowing gods of Dutch rail, proclaimed “let there be cheap as **** tickets for organised people”, and it was good.

*sigh* 2013, President Obama is sworn into his second term, the humanist Papa Francis replaces a Pope largely responsible for covering up horrific institutional abuse for the best part of a decade, Miley Cyrus makes ‘twerk’ part of the English vocabulary, and NS rail operators offer 10-person group ticket for €70.

What? €7 for a return train ticket anywhere?!

The enterprising residents of the Netherlands jumped on this incredible deal for an NS group ticket. Facebook groups were set up for destinations across the country, where all a person need do was post the date they wanted to travel. Once ten people who shared the same day and station—at this point it didn’t matter whether it was your arrival or departure station—had congregated on the post, someone could quickly and easily buy the tickets with nothing more than ten names and email addresses. Each person would receive an email and could fill out their own details and destination.

What a time that was, what happy care-free days, but like many beautiful things—David Bowie, Prince, a united Europe, and rational debate in the ‘land of the free’—it all ended in annus horribilis 2016.

(source: 9gag)

 

CHAPTER II: CAPITALISM STRIKES BACK

Seeing the ease and joy with which travellers in the Netherlands were navigating the country by navigating the ticket system, the ever-watchful gods of NS decided that their customers were too happy, celebrated too openly, had lost their respect and fear of the rail powers. Profits were suffering and the heretics must be taught a lesson. The waterways of the Netherlands are far too well engineered for a biblical flood, thus it was decided instead that the NS group tickets must be made more difficult to buy.

In January of this year NS changed the system to one where the delegated purchaser must now input all of the details for each passenger on the ticket themselves. Email, date-of-birth, full name, arrival and departure destination.

This might sound like a small change, but it made a significant difference in terms of the time and effort it took the purchaser to collect everyone’s information and type it into the online ticket system. A process that previously took five/ten minutes now took half an hour, maybe more.

At this point of the story the mother of modern society and economics, Capitalism, starts paying attention. Capitalism seemed to have mysteriously overlooked the NS group ticket loophole up to 2016, but suddenly it started paying attention. Its hand can be seen in NS’s attempt to persuade some people back to paying full price, by essentially hoping our innate laziness when faced with complex bureaucracy would override our desire for cheap travel.

When this didn’t work, Capitalism reached out again, but this time directly to the Facebook groups.

Because of the more time consuming purchasing procedure, buyers began to justify charging for their efforts. First 50 cents more, then asking for eight euros from each traveller instead of seven.

Eight whole euros?! The brass stones on them.

As people realized that they could make an easy €10 euros for half an hour’s work, a whole new economy emerged inside the Facebook groups. People who weren’t even travelling would buy tickets for ten eager, lazier travellers, earning money behind the backs of the NS. A kind of Uber ticket service.

This continued for a few months with nothing more than some minor whinging from extra-euro-strapped Facebook consumers, but the NS gods are not blind, and they are vengeful.

NS group ticket
Facebook groups for a NS group ticket span the whole rail network

 

CHAPTER III: A CONVOLUTED HOPE

“The members of a group do not have to travel together at the same time. However, the departure and destination stations do have to be identical.” ns.nl

Starting this month, 13th of April, the NS in its divine wisdom requires that both the departure station and destination are the same for each passenger. A move clearly designed to put the kibosh on the unlicensed NS group ticket economy.

While this is a potential kick-in-the-teeth to the Facebook organising system, the NS has clearly underestimated the resilience of budget travellers. Since the change the hydra of organising groups has simply sprung dozens of new head. There are now individual groups set up on Facebook for almost every conceivable to-and-from journey in the country.

Although, perhaps it’s harsh to claim the NS are trying to completely close the glorious ticket loophole. With their latest change, they may have made the search for an organising group on Facebook more convoluted, but in doing so they have also streamlined the purchasing process. Now the buyer needs only names and email addresses from the travellers, as everyone is going to-and-from the same stations. Making it a faster, simpler procedure.

This effectively achieves their goal of reducing the ability for people to demand money for their ordering efforts, whilst still allowing organised travellers their precious, precious €7 tickets.

So for now, coming from the UK where buying a train ticket means a hard punch to the money sack and your train probably won’t show up anyway, I will still pay homage to the Dutch rail gods. At least until the next twist in a tale so twisty it’s beginning to look like M. Night Shyamalan is running NS.

 

To be continued…    or is it?…    yes probably…

 

 

DutchReview News: The Dutch Caribbean – On Rather Strange Tides

Bobby Salomons
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DutchReview News: The Dutch Caribbean – On Rather Strange Tides

Today is an important day that many Dutch people aren’t even aware of, but it could spell something very surprising: Curaxit. An exit of the small Caribbean island of Curaçao from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Early elections are held today, enforced by the Dutch government, after a near total collapse of the island’s government. Gerrit Schotte, himself a white Curaçaon, who served as first prime-minister of the island since becoming a country within the Kingdom in 2010, has been accused of extreme corruption with ties to the Italian mob and sentenced to three years in jail. However as long as his sentence has not yet been confirmed in appeals court – he is free to campaign and is even running the current government from ‘behind the scenes’.

According to Schotte all accusations and prosecution against him are a conspiracy by the Dutch government to force him into doing their bidding and he has vowed to, in the very least, open a referendum for a Curaxit – which would see complete independence from the Kingdom and effectively severing ties, should he or his party win.

In order to keep elections fair the Governor of Curaçao will be in charge, to great relief of many parties on the island, allowing the 120,000 registered voters to place their voter power on the ballot until 7PM local time in one of the 107 voter stations.

It is generally believed that the Curaçaon voters, both those on the island and those living in the Netherlands, will eagerly support opposition parties instead of Schotte if not just to keep ties to the Kingdom. Though, eventually, complete independence is a dream for many, most Curaçaons are well aware of the fact that their democracy is young and susceptible to dangerous influences – such as was seen in the former Dutch colony of Suriname. At this point a total independence could usher in an economic decimation for the small island which is greatly dependent on its Dutch ties for many reasons such as tourism, government grants from the Hague, immigration and so forth.

Beautiful Willemstad, capital of dream island Curaçao.

For now the Netherlands itself seems fairly oblivious to the goings-on of the small island, but the outcome could be crucial to the Curaçaon community in the nation. Above all most Dutch people hope its Caribbean treasure will stay within arms length, figuratively speaking, because ties run deep. If not just emotionally. Here at DutchReview News, we wish all those from and on Curaçao much wisdom in their choice of government and hope they know they are always welcome out here – your presence brings us warmth regardless of election outcome. Our Kingdom would not be the same without you.

DutchReview News: The Johan Cruyff ArenA – It’s happening.

Bobby Salomons
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It took a year and some blood, sweat, and tears, but it’s finally happening, as it ought to. Ajax is re-branding their stadium, the Amsterdam ArenA, to the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

It’s been almost a year since Johan passed away from lung cancer, something he contracted by being a heavy smoker earlier in life, and despite being a pro-athlete, this was one match that the soccer super talent simply couldn’t win. When the famous “Number 14” passed away, the nation, and in particular Ajax fans, were inconsolable. Not just because a great player passed but also a great Amsterdammer, a great Dutchman and a wonderful person was laid to rest.
Yesterday, on what would have been Johan’s 70th birthday, Ajax finally announced that, after painstaking negotiations, all parties involved – the club, the sponsors, the stadium owners, the Cruyff-family and the City of Amsterdam – have finally signed a document of intention, it’s happening.

Johan Cruyff in 1974, the year the Netherlands played in the World Cup Finals against Germany.

The difficulty of getting things done are almost typical for Johan’s own person. He never did things the easy way and whatever Johan felt was truth, no one was going to change his mind. A picture perfect example of it was when Ajax ended his contract in 1983 at the age of 39(!) and Johan, bitter over this betrayal, promptly joined the club’s arch nemesis in Rotterdam – Feyenoord. There he played with another Amsterdam soccer super star, Ruud Gullit, and successfully put Ajax in its place by winning the championship. He was also the leading man behind multiple international championship successes as part of the Oranje-national team.

Cruyff in Feyenoord outfit during his final goodbye as a player.

In this particular case, difficulties largely surrounded the naming rights connected to sponsorship. Branding a stadium to a company can be extremely lucrative for a club, with estimates that Ajax could catch at least five million Euros a year, and even though the stadium never adapted such a sponsorship since opening in ’96 there were some real concerns. But thanks to mutual efforts, especially those of Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan, all parties agreed that this was the only right thing to do for the best player the club, nation, and arguably the world have ever known.

The Amsterdam ArenA won’t be the only stadium with his name attached to it. F.C. Barcelona – where Johan played and served as trainer with great success for many years – will also be calling its youth stadium “Estadi Johan Cruyff” and re-naming the street on which the infamous Camp Nou-stadium stands after him as well. Honor to whom honor is due.

What do you think? Did it take too long? Is this enough or should even more be done? Who’s your all-time favorite soccer player?

Rotterdam Robber gets Robbed himself

Bobby Salomons
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Rotterdam Robber gets Robbed himself

The Dutch love two for the price of one! And last Friday night a Rotterdam pizza place got exactly that. Though it was probably a little more then they bargained for…

As staff worked hard on dough and special sauce while customers anxiously awaited their Italian delicacy, things took a turn for the worst when a robber barged into the shop and pulled out a firearm. The robber ordered all money to be put in a bag at Guinness Book of Records worthy speed – so far so good for the robber! But then things took a strange Tarantino-esque turn.

The average customer of Pizza restaurants in Rotterdam.

Another set of robbers kicked down the door and stepped into the unfortunate pizza place, guns in hand they then ordered the original robber to hand over the cash.
Facing two adversaries with guns drawn the first robber did as told and saw the two run off with his hard earned cash. But before going home sad and considering a new career as e-mail scammer, the original robber came to his senses and ordered staff and customers to hand over their valuables and then ran off with their belongings.

So far none of the men have been captured but they did have one thing in common: All robbers wore dark track suits.

Does this mean this was some sort of intricate plot? Is Rotterdam so full of robbers they are competing with each other now? Or was it all coincidence? What do you think? And does pineapple go on pizza? Let us know in the Facebook comments!

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