The same report from Save the Children found that the United Kingdom, the place where I was born and spent most of my 24 years on this planet, came 22nd on the list. That’s quite a large difference between where I am from and where I live now.
From living in both countries, the standard of living that I have observed has been relatively similar. There’s no major conceptual gap between how I lived in England and how I live now in the land of klompen and kaas. Basically, on the surface – apart from the divergence in our national preferences for how many ways you can fry a potato – there isn’t much to be said.
Also: rain
That Dutch feeling
The main difference for me between the land of my birth and my adopted homeland is something much more abstract. It’s a feeling, more than anything. Perhaps it’s where I live or the people I have met, but there is an air of contentment that enters you as soon as you touch down at Schiphol that I can’t put my finger on.
I believe that this is what separates the Netherlands from the UK. But something is causing this feeling.
Normally we would make fun of Russia or America when it comes to weird internet movies or extreme chases. But in this case, it’s our own little country and our renowned blue supermarket being the spot for a very peculiar chase:
Source: dumpert
It appears that the 17-year old chased person (is there a word for that?) ignored a stop sign while he was on a moped by the police during a routine check-up in Doesburg. The police officer was determined not to let this one get away and rode him down in the supermarket – finally getting a hold of him. He (the runner, not the cop) got 3 traffic tickets, was also driving without a proper license and on someone else’s moped.
At least he got some internet fame in return for it 😉
In a previous article we talked all about the Iceman from Limburg, Wim Hof, and his legendary tolerance to extreme heat and cold. Initially, when researching him for the article, I’d put down his freakish abilities to some genetic abnormality, and considered him the exception to what was humanly possible. Further digging revealed that Wim Hof’s methods are actually quite readily available for those willing to learn them.
Our group of Wim Hof devotees
Sign Me Up!
From how to centre your mind and endure freezing cold temperatures to focused breathing that’s reported to help you control your autonomic systems of the body, Wim Hof’s methods can be studied either directly under him or with a certified teacher (for a fee). With that in mind I decided to jump online to see if there was a chance that Wim Hof was coming to a city near me. Alas, no success, however there was a cold exposure and breathing session coming up run by Josh and Casey Cordoba of H.E.L.P. Sydney, who have both been given the Wim Hof stamp of approval. If they’re good enough for Wim they’re good enough for me!
Learning the basics of diaphragmatic breathing
I booked my ticket and within the week found myself horizontal on the cold floor of a local surf club, eyes closed and surrounded by a bunch of Wim Hof hopefuls and devotees.
Wim Hof’s Breathing Technique
I was skeptical at first (even though I do believe that Wim himself can perform these feats) that by simply breathing, I could control various systems within my body. As it says on his website though:
“We’re always breathing, yet we’re mostly unaware of its tremendous potential. Heightened oxygen levels hold a treasure trove of benefits, and the specialized breathing technique of the Wim Hof Method unearths them all: more energy, reduced stress levels and an augmented immune response to swiftly deal with pathogens”
Seems legit, I mean, I’ve been breathing for 27 years now – should be pretty good at it. With this in mind we were instructed to lie flat on our backs – heads slightly propped up by a pillow – close our eyes, and sink into a rhythm of deep diaphragmatic breathing. In, out, in, out. Filling the lower abdomen and lungs up to capacity and exhaling nearly all the way out – essentially leaving a surplus of oxygen in the body.
The beginning of our breathing exercise
This continues until you reach about 35 breaths (one round), whereupon you’re told to exhale about 80% and hold your breath for as long as possible. Once you can’t hold it any longer, you must then take a massive inhale and hold the new air for around 10 seconds. I tapped out at what felt like a minute on the first round, but as we continued and came to the fourth and final round, I exhaled 80% and held, only to experience a strange calmness come over my mind. Tingling was felt all over my body and the muscles in my arms began to twitch ever so slightly.
Jacked Up On Wim Hof
Was this what they talk about when they said you’ll feel “charged”?
On this last breath hold I was 100% in the moment and focused on my body. Tell me the last time you concentrated on one thing for 5 minutes straight, free from distraction and without being swept away in a river of thought.
This hold, as I was told later, went for over 4 minutes (on an exhale breath mind you). Time however was not relevant to my thinking and a feeling I can only describe as euphoria began to fill my body. Upon opening my eyes it felt as if colours were brighter, noises were sharper and every single one of my senses was on fire. I was in disbelief – Viva La Hof!
Wim Hof’s Cold Exposure Exercise
Part two of this Wim Hof endorsed coaching session encompassed immersing ourselves in a pool of ice water. This was undertaken outside on a cold, grey winter’s day. The setting from inside the club looking out resembles a depressing English beach and nothing like the usually inviting Australian coastline, which only added to my initial reservations.
Yours truly trying to remain composed as his testicles search for higher ground
Post Wim Hof breathing however, I felt like I could take on an iceberg. And ice baptism in a piddly pool of near freezing water be damned!
So we began. A gathering of half naked “Wim Hofers” standing around a blow up pool filled with water, and ice from the bottle shop around the corner. We took a step forward, waited, then linked arms and stepped in. If the initial shock of the subzero water rising up over your nipples didn’t rattle you, the groans of the people beside you did.
The cold is your friend, not your foe!
Once submerged up to my neck I began to focus my breathing, in the same way the trainers briefed us, by taking full breaths in then letting out air in a sustained and measured manner. This went on for three minutes.
Three whole minutes in an ice bath… outside… in winter
It’s the most curious thing though. You’d think you would hyperventilate and struggle against the cold. But upon accepting it and remaining calm, you can actually endure an incredible amount of time in the pool. Is this the secret to Wim Hof’s cold exposure methods? Those three minutes passed in what seemed like a second, and before I knew it we were climbing out to jump into the comparably hot ocean.
Post Wim Hof Ponderings
After coming out of the ocean, saying my goodbyes and scuttling away from the session with high hopes and promises of warm pizza, I began to reflect on the day. I was still buzzing from the breathing exercises and feeling buoyed by a sense of achievement.
Three weeks down the track and I’ve been “Hoffing” it at least once every couple of days with mixed results. Some days I feel pumped, others, just sleepy. Perhaps I’m only half-assing it? Cold water exposure is hard to maintain but an icy shower in the morning does wonders for when you need a bit of help waking up.
I can’t help but think that perhaps the collective energy and nervous anticipation of those around me contributed to that enlightened moment during the breathing exercise. But one things for sure, I do notice a rise in energy levels and overall increase in mental sharpness on days when I Wim Hof successfully – enough of a difference in fact that I am now a staunch believer in his methods.
Thanks to the team at H.E.L.P. Sydney for organising this event
Dutch people are so stereotyped in this sense. If it rains they want the sun, and now that we have sun and warmth they want it gone as well. Make up your mind Dutchies! Anyways, good news for those that like cycling in the rain. The heatwave is almost gone, and our familiar shitty weather will be back in a few hours as heavy thunder and rain rolls into the country – starting in the Randstad.
The purple stuff is moving West:
source: buienradar
And next week all the good weather will be gone for weeks to come:
source: weeronline
Oh and next time people, can we get through a heatwave with a bit more humor like the Brits?
BREIN, a Stichting for big media firms in the Netherlands that are worried about copyright infringement, has restarted their campaign against The Pirate Bay. In a new court release from the 14th of this month, they requested that Ziggo and XS4ALL block The Pirate Bay domain after a European appeals court sent the case back to the Dutch Supreme Court.
There seems to be some deja vu regarding internet laws. In the States we have been dealing with Net Neutrality laws for about 7 years now trying to make sure the internet is open to all equally and not like cable subscriptions where you pay for access to certain sites.
Screenshot from https://www.battleforthenet.com/july12/
In the Netherlands there is another cycle of internet privilege playing out. 6 years ago Ziggo and XS4ALL blocked The Pirate Bay (TPB) and a year after, 5 other internet service providers followed suit. So why is this new domain block back in the courts?
Well in 2014 it was ruled that the domain blocks were ineffective. Even after the Swedish government attempted to seize TPB domain at ‘.se’, the website responded by creating 6 new domains and even changing its logo to a Hydra. The hydra is a mythical beast that replenishes and multiplies its heads as you cut them off. Essentially done as a move to mock the Swedish authorities who thought it possible to seize a project such as TPB.
The difficult part for governments is that TPB servers are easily replicated and do not hold as much on them as a site like youtube which hosts the media it contains. TPB does not actually host things, it is just a catalog for you to find other humans in the world who are hosting the media you want.
TPB logo 2015
The Slant: Why does this matter?
Well there is always the slippery slope worry. Often considered a fallacy, slippery slopes are the idea that once you let something happen, people will take advantage of the new privilege. People worry that if TPB is blocked, it will pave the way for other sites to be blocked. Even internet provider XS4ALL was cautious of this in a statement released last week.
Us westerners have become used to a certain level of freedom especially on the internet. The Netherlands has a quite open and free internet for now but advocates of an open internet worry that a new ruling on the pirate bay could be a step in the wrong direction.
Blocking the Domain is still ineffective and may infringe on rights.
There are still and will remain for a long time, VPN and other proxy reroutes to access pages. Just as was ruled in 2014, a current ban on TPB would not be effective as anybody could download a free VPN, use TOR, or even equally likely, TPB will create new domains that make it easier to get to their site- as they did after the Swedish government ‘seizure.’ The 2014 decision was appealed and is now under review again after the European court sent the case back to the Dutch supreme court. We are back to where we started in 2011. The next ruling looks like it will be a slam dunk for BREIN meaning Ziggo and XS4ALL will have to block TPB. Just like last time, the other main internet providers will likely follow suit after a court order. Its like a broken record of wasting the time of judges and lawyers all over the Netherlands and EU.
Screenshot from https://www.torproject.org/
Though the biggest concern for citizens comes from a smaller ruling in 2012 that at first may be easy to overlook. After a complaint from BREIN that people were finding workarounds too readily, there was a court order for the Pirate Party of the Netherlands to ‘stop publicizing ways to circumvent blocks to The Pirate Bay.’
According to the wording of the law regarding copyright infringement, TPB and the Pirate Party of the Netherlands, are not allowed to take part in ‘communication to the public’ of ways to infringe copyright.
Screenshot from Piratenpartij.nl
This communication to the public is the heart of the legal case, but I think it is irrelevant for how most of us interact with TPB and an open internet. What is more important moving forward is that a web of censorship does not begin to form, something that could be a consequence of the legal wording.
If you do not know how a virtual private network (VPN) or TOR the web browser works, I can only link them for a short period of time. In the event that the block is upheld again, I will have to remove these links or else be implicated like the Pirate Party of the Netherlands. It seems the courts do not want people to know how to use the internet most effectively. TOR is an encrypted web browser that allows you to essentially hide yourself from the ‘internet police’. And VPN’s make it so that you are effectively browsing the internet from whatever location you choose through your VPN provider. You may need to choose a country outside of the EU eventually if this ruling is used as precedent for EU courts.
In 2012 the Dutch Pirate Party said on its webpage, ‘More and more bits of the internet will have to be censored because they might be used to get access to ‘infringing’ sites, until eventually most of the internet will be unreachable.’
That was the slippery slope worry 5 years ago and it has already happened once that a separate site was censored for helping people to reach the site that was being censored in the first place. It is likely all of this will play out again if BREIN gets its way in this Dutch Supreme Court ruling.
This is what has me and many others worried.
Countries should have the right to uphold the law as they see fit regarding copyright infringement. However, in countries where freedom of speech is encouraged, there should not be arbitrary rules on what can and cannot be said. This is not like calling fire in a crowded place. It is perfectly legal to use a VPN or TOR, and I am not even saying anybody should use these services for nefarious deeds. BUT, In the event that the government forces internet service providers to block certain domains, this could be a way for somebody to possibly still reach those domains through the blockade.
Further Disclaimer; it is not illegal to merely access TPB through a proxy service, there is copyright free and opensource material hosted, not only copyrighted material. However, downloading copyrighted material is illegal in many countries.
TPB has shown itself to be a strong and lasting name in the fight for internet freedom and I appreciate their efforts and would like to echo them myself. This current ruling could have wider implications for the rest of Europe. Let’s hope the internet will stay free and open to all, and if not, well I know a few solutions you can try…
Screenshot from a Youtube video that is not being distributed in the Netherlands.
P.S. Many people have to use VPNs and streaming / torrent sites because of distribution laws and the fact that many movies and television shows are not picked up by local distributors. There is a plethora of material available in the world right now and only a handful of it is legally allowed to be watched in the Netherlands, whether paid or not. That has led to the rise of sites like TPB. It is not that everybody who downloads is a cheap criminal, but that there is no other way to access a lot of media without torrents and streaming sites. If these media companies are so worried about losing money, why don’t they distribute more of the television shows and movies that people want to watch instead of spending money to censor one of the few outlets to watch all of these things from? I for one would welcome advertisements and ease of use on other platforms like youtube or a European friendly version of Hulu, rather than have to go through the hassle of downloading episodes of my favorite British shows. That simply isn’t always an option.
Will the Holland Heatwave destroy us all? No, it won’t – but drink some water will ya…
Yes, those all-caps were needed. After months of writing about Spring while rain was pouring down and it was 10 degrees our prayers have finally been answered. It’s hotter than we are used to in the Netherlands and guess what, we have a plan for that. So our weather institute the KNMI prepares to sound the heatwave alarm at the end of the day (A heatwave is official when there are 5 consecutive days above 25C and 3 on which it exceeds 30C, but also whenever we feel like it and it’s hot).
There is also already a yellow alert called (whatever that is) and the national heat plan has been set in motion. So we’ve received the brilliant advice to drink more water and dress accordingly if you’re an elderly person, chronically ill, a baby and are overweight (that’s snowflake language for fat). And we’re just venturing here, but I’m gonna state that it might also be a good idea to drink some water if you’re a regular person-man-woman.
So about that Holland heatwave
To make things bureaucratically interesting, it’s the RIVM that does the health plan with a heatwave and not the KNMI. Seven provinces are under the regime of this national heatwave plan, namely Zuid-Holland, Limburg (that’s always the hottest one), Gelderland, Utrecht, Overijssel and Brabant. Obviously apply sunscreen liberally, and please don’t speak to Australians about this little hike in temperatures for they will laugh at you.
Other suggestions to do during a Holland Heatwave are moving it to an urban beach and of course – fire up that BBQ and grill some speklappen with ‘sate-saus’.
So will this Holland Heatwave continue? Sure, we’re going to have a great summer – totally not going to be over at the end of this week.
“The European Union is about bringing people together and making their lives easier…From now on, citizens who travel within the EU will be able to call, text and connect on their mobile devices at the same price as they pay at home. Eliminating roaming charges is one of the greatest and most tangible successes of the EU.” – European Commission Statement, 14 June 2017
The European Commission announces the implementation of “Roam Like Home” legislation
If you have Promo emails filtered out of your inbox, including messages from your mobile carrier in the EU, you might have missed this major milestone starting the 15th of June that’ll make life so much easier while living and traveling in the European Union!
“Roam Like Home” legislation has been well over 2 years in the making, and is a tremendous development for those who periodically travel outside of their country of residence and where a SIM card and mobile plan are purchased, whether for holiday, study, or work. No longer do you have to be tied down to Wi-Fi spots when traveling or ration your data usage abroad to ensure you don’t incur surprise overage costs!
Checking your invoice after a short trip before this 15th of June
And living in Maastricht, where the Belgian border is an easy 20-minute bike ride west, and there are international airports in Belgium and Germany that are closer to here than Schipol, I am ever grateful for this change. And it couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Summer is here, and I fully intend to explore my new home country of The Netherlands, but also importantly, eventually travel to each and every one of the other 27 member countries of the European Union, plus the 3 non-EU countries in the European Economic Area, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, which are also included in the new legislation.
Roam wild & free with no #roaming
Roam Like at Home…but for only so many days of the year
Keep in mind that this new rule doesn’t mean permanent or unlimited roaming though, nor does it mean you get unlimited calls, texts or data automatically. Let’s say you contracted with T-Mobile in The Netherlands for their GO Next plan when it was first offered in January this year. This gives you unlimited text and calls in The Netherlands but limits your data to 5 Gb, and allows for up to about 60 days of roaming in EU countries. Now, you can expect to get unlimited text and calls in all EU countries + the 3 non-EU EEA member states, but you will still be limited to 5 Gb/month.
Also, it’s possible that if you spend more time abroad and consume more abroad than at home over a 4-month period, your carrier might ask you to explain yourself. The new rules also include anti-abuse protections, so your carrier is most definitely still closely monitoring your usage. After all, the mobile network operators now bear the abroad roaming costs rather than consumers. That means that with my phone and SIM card I purchased in The Netherlands (whose networks include KPN, Vodafone, T-mobile, and Tele2), when I travel to Iceland for holiday this summer, if I call, text, or use data in Iceland (whose networks include Siminn, Vodafone, Nova, and IceCell), my mobile network operator is responsible for paying the connection fee, if there is one, to the abroad operator to allow me to roam – and doesn’t pass that cost on to me. Hurray!
The one area of uncertainty is Brexit – it’s possible that in the long term, Britons may have to pay roaming fees once again post-Brexit when traveling in Europe, but there is no final answer on this yet.
So in the meantime, roam wild and free in EU countries (until you reach your data limit if you have one, of course)! Why wait? You should’ve started yesterday!
Here’s a useful FAQ about ‘Roam Like at Home’ from the source, the European Commission, if you might still be wondering what the excitement is all about. So what do you think about ‘Roam like home’? Betcha like the EU now don’t ya?
You’ve seen some teasers, you’ve read about the 7 new words and you’ve seen the ‘original’ movie. But just like a Dutch dad who’s seen his kid cycling for the first time, we’re proud to present you our latest movie on 7 more Dutch words.
Want in on producing these beauties and have a shot of eternal DutchReview fame? That’s also possible, just go through the same page as the ones interested in writing for DutchReview.
Feel totally welcome to feed us with new video ideas btw!
Have you been getting sunburnt more quickly the past week? If so, it would make sense. More of the sun’s UV rays have been reaching us in the Netherlands, for a variety of reasons. But this month, the sun is set to be the strongest. So lather on that sunscreen and grab your sunhats, people. These UV rays are no laughing matter.
The UV index
The UV index is a measure of how much of the sun’s UV rays reach the earth’s surface. It runs on a scale of 1-10+. A value of about 8 is the maximum you’ll normally get during Dutch summers.
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) predicts that the UV index will be around 7-8 (if there is no cloud cover). This means that the “average Dutch person” with unprotected skin could get sunburnt within 10-15 minutes.
UV index
Strength of rays
Minutes for unprotected skin to redden (average Dutch skin)
Between 12:00 – 15:00 is prime UV-time, so make sure you take this into account.
Cloud-cover can halve the value of predicted UV index values, but don’t get complacent. They will still be high enough that sunscreen is advisable. Anyway, it’s hard to predict as it depends on the type of clouds. Some cloud types may actually increase the value (this may have happened on Sunday 11th)!
Protect yo’ self
The high UV index prognoses provide a reason for everyone to use sunscreen (and maybe rock that sunhat).
The song you want to hear now:
Even if your skin is quite sun-resilient or you’re already tanned, you should consider lathering up and wearing adequate sun protection. Skin type makes a difference, of course. But it’s still not guaranteed protection against burns or skin cancer.
Obviously, if you have skin that’s sensitive to the sun’s rays, it’s even more important to take care.
And if you already felt the effects last weekend, you should know to be extra careful. Wear some long, light clothes that protect damaged skin comfortably.
Finally, be aware of your sunglasses. Make sure they have UV protection because eyes are sensitive to UV light too. Prolonged exposure can even cause cataracts; bad sunglasses increase the risk by letting in more UV rays. So better watch out this weekend, cause the sun is coming in full force:
source: weerplaza
You can check UV index-forecasts on the KNMI website here and hour-by-hour measurements on the RIVM site here.
Happy sun days!
Featured image source: RIVM twitter feed, 14 may 2017.
The 2017 UK general election results left no single party with enough seats to rule alone, opening the possibility of a coalition government. Unfamiliar territory for the UK, but par for the course for the Dutch!
In case you missed it, the UK’s general election last week did not go as expected. Theresa May was supposed to increase her parliamentary majority and “strengthen her hand” in Brexit negotiations. Instead, the Tories lost 13 seats, and with them their majority. Oops!
The only way to get a majority now is to strike a deal with another party.
Unusual For Brits, Familiar For Dutch
Before 2010, coalition deals were unfamiliar in UK politics. 2010 was the first time they’d been seen since the Second World War. Many other countries though, including the Netherlands, regularly elect coalition governments. The Dutch have not had a single-party government since WWII.
Coalition negotiations can be long and grueling. Dutch PM Rutte still has not formed a new government 90 days after the Dutch general election. But this is nothing impressive. Belgium had no new government for 589 days from 2010-2011 because no one could reach a coalition deal. Still, they got there in the end.
In the UK’s case, Theresa May will probably form a loose deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Why a loose deal and no formal coalition? Mostly because the DUP holds homophobic and anti-climate-change views that many Tories find unpalatable. (But not so unpalatable that they won’t do a deal with them at all.)
So how do you make a coalition work?
Any Coalition Tips From the Dutch?
The best electoral tip from the Dutch would be to travel back in time a few decades and introduce some form of a proportional representation voting system. If a Dutch-style voting system had been introduced by now, the UK would be much more used to coalitions. Its politicians might have had more negotiating experience through forming coalition deals. And who knows, maybe negotiating skills might come in handy during Brexit talks?
“And that’s why I don’t want that weird blonde guy in my coalition!”
Unfortunately, the last time proportional representation was floated in the UK, it was voted down in a referendum (another example of the UK using a referendum to shoot itself in the foot…seems to be a habit these days). Oh well…
If this election had taken place in normal circumstances, the main advice that the Dutch could have offered would basically be to chill out. There is no new Dutch government right now, but we all know they’ll get there in the end.
But this election took place in the context of Brexit. This is no time for chilling out.
Coalitions of Chaos
Theresa May warned of a “coalition of chaos” taking power if she didn’t win the election. In one of the political ironies of our time, she now finds herself leading one during possibly the most chaotic time in UK politics since WWII.
The Dutch have shown us that coalitions need not be chaotic in and of themselves. But with Brexit talks set to start in only a few days, the Tories and DUP are probably about to show us just how chaotic they really can be. It’s times like these that just make you think: if only Brexit weren’t happening…
