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MAY 2014 | 3
EDITORIAL
CONTENTS
It feels very strange to see my own photo printed in the Holland Times editorial piece, but I’ll just have to get used to it in the time to come. I’m not sure what size Declan Aylward wears, but his shoes seem awfully big to me. A lot of things were happening around the time I took over. The results of the municipal elections had just come in. Voters had made themselves heard loud and clear, and it would seem the coalition parties are left to pick up the pieces. (p6) New and exciting things also stand to happen in the technology department, with glow-in-the-dark road markings promising a next step towards sustainable solutions for road safety. (p17) Who knows? What started as an artistic collaboration might just become standard practice for the Dutch road network within a few years. I’m proud to be a part of the Holland Times team, and look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with them. Have something to say to the editor? Email: editorial@thehollandtimes.nl
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02-05-14 15:22
NATIONAL
4 | MAY 2014
A’dam schools too small
AMSTERDAM | Secondary schools in Amsterdam may be changing their placement system from 2015 onwards, says Betty van Nieuwenhuizen of the Society of Amsterdam School Boards in De Volkskrant. At this point, children in the last year of primary school can only put down their first choice of secondary schools. It is possible that the system will take more choices into account when drawing lots. Many popular secondary schools in Amsterdam and other large cities are not big enough. De Volkskrant reports that 518 children in the capital recently got the news that they had not been placed at the school of their choice.
Is Wilders’ PVV about to implode?
Retailers protest outlets
THE HAGUE | Retailers think municipalities should not allow suppliers to set up outlet stores in buildings that are not earmarked for retail purposes, says chairman of industry organization Inretail Jan Meerman. Retailers mainly protest large outlet events like those at at the World Fashion Centre and RAI in Amsterdam. According to Inretail, retailers are at a disadvantage because suppliers do not have to adhere to the same strict regulations. According to the municipality, the zoning plan offers room for both. Inretail will be taking action to change the plan, and ban outlet sales events such as these.
Photo: ANP
With representatives leaving the PVV left and right following his ‘fewer Moroccans’ victory speech, it would seem Wilders’ days as an influental politician may be numbered. JOHN DONNELLY looks into it.
Photo: Rodrigo Senna
Medication evaluated
THE HAGUE | From 1 January 2015
onwards, all pharmacists will be working with a standard medication evaluation system for patients on multiple medication. This should lead to improved medication safety and patient health. It is one of the action points in the Quality Agenda for pharmaceutical care that Minister for Public Health, Welfare and Sport Edith Schippers presented to the Parliament recently. The Quality Agenda was drafted in cooperation with several organizations. Its purpose is to lift the Dutch pharmaceutical industry to a higher level of quality and reinforce the pharmacist’s role as caregiver.
The Netherlands has a history of political parties being formed by charismatic individuals with their own personal principles at the heart of their policies. In the 1960s, Boer (Farmer) Koekoek formed a party with the aim of promoting agricultural reform. He was a Member of Parliament from 1963 to 1981, and at one time, the party held three seats. In August of 2001, Pim Fortuin, a former Professor of Social Sciences at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam with a left-wing background, decided to enter the political arena. In November of that year, he became the party leader of Leefbaar Nederland (Liveable Netherlands) but was forced to resign in February the following year. Within a week, he had formed his own party: LPF (List Pim Fortuin). At the same time, Fortuin became a Rotterdam City Councillor standing for the Leefbaar Rotterdam Party, (Liveable Rotterdam), which gained 35 percent of the seats on the Council under his leadership. He stood on an anti-immigration platform, maintaining that the Netherlands was full, with no room for any more followers of Islam - which he categorized as a backward culture.
After Fortuin’s murder by radical left-wing extremist Folkert v/d Graaf on 6 May, 2002 (nine days before the Parliamentary election), the Party disintegrated due to internal dissent among the members, and eventually disappeared from the political scene. In August of 1998, Geert Wilders took his seat in the Second Chamber as a member for the VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy). At first he followed the VVD’s moderate party line concerning Islam, even describing Fortuin’s call for a cold war against Islam as distasteful. However, after the 9/11 atrocities in the USA, Wilders’ attitude hardened. In July, 2004, he co-published a manifesto calling for the VVD to adopt a more right-wing course. This was not appreciated, and in September he turned his back on the VVD and started a one-man party called Group Wilders. Wilders soon announced his intention to start a new right-wing party, at the same time proclaiming that he did not intend to make the same mistakes as Fortuin’s LPF. After the results of the municipal election of 19 March this year were announced, Wilders addressed his fol-
lowers in a café in The Hague following the party’s success in Almere and the Hague. In the course of his victory speech he asked, ‘do we want more or fewer Moroccans?’ When his followers began to chant, “fewer, fewer,” Wilders responded, ‘then that is what you will get.’ This was universally condemned. Later, he insisted that he had meant fewer criminal Moroccans, but the damage was done. Chaos ensued over the next couple of days as several local, national and European PVV politicians resigned. The whole of the newly elected Council members in Almere were reported to have resigned en masse, but this later proved to be untrue. On 11 April, PVV Second Chamber members Louis Bontes and Joram van Klaveren, resigned the whip to form a new right-wing party. The following week, PVV Senator and founder of Liveable Rotterdam Ronald Sorensen publicly called for more democracy in the PVV. More than 5,000 people pressed charges against Wilders for his discriminatory remarks following the election results. When the members of the Council Administration in Almere (where they came first) and The Hague
(where they came second) were announced, the PVV had been boycotted from participation in the management teams of these cities. The PVV has but one member, Geert Wilders. All other PVV’ers are volunteers, donors or supporters, including those elected to represent voters in the national and European Parliaments and Dutch municipalities. Professor of Constitutional Law in the University of Groningen, Dr. D.J. Elzinga, writing in the NCR newspaper, has stated that an association, as which the PVV is registered, need only have two founders and at least one member and thus, in the legal sense, conforms to the requirements. Professor Elzinga is also of the opinion that while the epithets undemocratic and authoritarian can be applied. There would appear to be a groundswell of opinion, both within and without the PVV, which agrees with this. This raises two questions: can Geert Wilders keep his followers under control and if so, can he continue to keep getting his message across to the public? If he fails in either of these, the other failure will automatically follow.
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02-05-14 15:18
NATIONAL
MAY 2014 | 5
Coalition at risk after election results
Dual parenting approved
THE HAGUE | At a recent ceremony in Amsterdam attended by State Secretary Teeven of Security and Justice, MayorVan der Laan handed the first declarations of parenthood to lesbian couples. The ceremony honored the Law on Lesbian Parenthood that recently beame applicable. The Law arranges for the mother’s partner – known as a ‘dual mother’ – can become a legally recognized parent without a the need for an official adoption procedure. It also guarantees lesbian couples and their children the same parenting rights as heterosexual families have. State Secretary Teeven calls the new law a step forward on the road to gay emancipation.
App-based voting patented
TILBURG | In early April, Dutch company Shyless Creations has acquired the patent to app-based voting during live television broadcasts, reports the NL Patents Office (Octrooicentrum) on their website. This means Shyless Creations now holds the monopoly for that particular system. The patent was submitted in October of 2012 and describes the real-time influencing of live television through an interactive app that allows the course or result of the program to be influenced by users of that app.
Photo: ANP
Following the recent municipal elections, it would seem the big national parties have sustained quite some damage, while the smaller local parties come out on top. SOPHIA TAHA looks into the results. The results are in, and there are losses for the coalition. On March 19, 2014, local elections took place in the Netherlands. The results meant losses for most major parties, but particularly for the Labor Party (PvdA). Huge reductions were also seen in the VVD seats. This negative municipal election result means that the PvdA – VVD coalition will face problems. Safe havens for PvdA votes such as Amsterdam became places of defeat; the Democrats ‘66 (D66) won almost a quarter of the votes. In fact, D66 gained significantly throughout the country, often beating the coalition parties and taking their seats. In total, D66 gained an extra 260 seats to become the largest party in Amsterdam and Utrecht. Amsterdam has usually been PvdA stronghold. However, this election led to D66’s seats in the city doubling to a total of 14. PvdA votes decreased by over 10% and VVD votes were down over 5%. The Socialist Party (SP) experienced an increase, winning 3 more seats. This major loss for PvdA means that for the first time since its founding in 1946, it is no longer the big-
gest party in Amsterdam. NRC, one of the largest and most influential Dutch newspapers, called it a heavy blow for the Labor Party. NRC goes on to report that these results are a large command for change from the people. Pieter Hillhorst, PvdA party leader in Amsterdam, resigned following these disastrous results. He tweeted that he could not reverse the trend of loss within the Labor Party, which was why he had decided to quit. He told NRC that he went into politics to make a difference, but that he had now realized he was not the one to make that difference. Following his resignation, Marjolein Moorman was then elected to be the new leader of PvdA. PvdA’s bad news was D66’s good news. D66 became the largest party in many smaller cities including Apeldoorn, Haarlem, Delft and Leiden. D66 also became the largest party in The Hague, securing 15.5% of the votes. PVV followed with 14% and PvdA came up third at 12.4%. These clear voting percentages meant that PvdA lost 10 seats in The Hague. In Utrecht, D66 took 26.3% of the vote, gaining another 4 seats for a
total of 13 seats. Utrecht was another place where the coalition parties lost a share of votes. D66 also gained in Amstelveen and Breda. The SP experienced a great result in the elections, doubling their seats overall with specific victories in Groningen and Eindhoven. In Eindhoven, their share of votes increased by 5.7%. Many local parties also experienced great victories, particularly in Rotterdam, which had the greatest local party result within a major city. Leefbaar Rotterdam (Livable Rotterdam) took 28.2% of the vote. Its number of seats remained at 14, unchanged since the last election. Party leader Joost Eerdmans was thrilled by the result and said that at last, they had the keys to the city back. Again, Rotterdam was a place of loss for PvdA: they lost 6 seats and their share of votes dropped by over 15%. What caused the changes? Many immigrants are leaving PvdA for D6, which explains some of the change. Another thing to affect the vote outcome is the growing support for local parties. Around a third of voters chose a local party, their ideas often being more practical than
political. This is clearly a winning policy with voters, as local parties came away with 2500 seats in total during this election. One young voter explains why she voted for D66: “I voted D66 because they would be trying for all sorts of student-related improvements.” She continued, “But they weren’t solely for students. If the student topic had been the only thing I cared about, I would have voted differently. D66 was also planning to focus on improvement of safety in traffic, and I liked that, because I only have a bike to get around. Those two combined were most important in my decision.” All in all, the municipal election results definitely seem to point to a shift in political preference towards local parties, who have made their mark in the Dutch political landscape once and for all. The voters have spoken, and their voices carried to The Hague loud and clear. The question at this point is whether or not voters’ trust and support for national coalition parties PvdA and VVD remains strong enough for them to stay in power. We might just be looking at another voting round soon.
Photo: Ross Griff
King to open exhibition
OTTERLO | On 22 May, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander will open the exhibition ‘Seurat. Master of pointillism’ at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo. Georges Seurat (Paris 1859-1891) rose to fame as the initiator of neo-impressionism. The exhibition will feature 23 of his paintings and 24 of his drawings, including materials from the museum’s own collection like Le Chahut and the quiet Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin and Gravelines maritime paintings. This exhibition marks the first time Seurat’s paintings and drawings will be extensively featured in the Netherlands.
Homeowners expect debts
THE HAGUE | 13% of Dutch homeowners are considering buying a new house within two years, says a representative study of the Platform for Financial Education (Platform Wijzer in Geldzaken). The study provides insight into potential buyers’ reasons and apprehensions in the search for a new home. One of the more striking conclusions is that half of the people with interest-only mortgage don’t expect their monthly costs to increase after moving. The study showed that 28% of potential buyers expect to be left with residual debt after selling.
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30-04-14 21:48
NATIONAL
6 | MAY 2014
Teen sends terror tweet
ROTTERDAM | A 14-year-old girl from
Rotterdam was arrested recently, after tweeting a terror threat to American Airlines: “Hello my name’s Ibrahim and I’m from Afghanistan. I’m part of Al Qaida and on June 1st I’m gonna do something really big bye.” The airline responded that it “takes these threats seriously” and would report her tweet and IP address to the FBI. The tweets were subsequently deleted, but not before “Sarah” shared her amazement about the increase in Twitter followers. Rotterdam police has since confirmed that the girl has been arrested.
“850,000 euro for grocery shopping”
Red Cross ship robbed
UTRECHT | The Henry Dunant, the flagship of the Dutch Red Cross, fell victim to robbers over the Easter weekend. The thieves ravaged the cruise ship, which was moored in the AmsterdamRijnkanaal near the Kanaleneiland neighborhood in Utrecht. The robbers boarded the vessel on Saturday night. “The machinist overnighted on board but heard nothing,” a spokesperson of the Red Cross told Algemeen Dagblad. According to the spokesperson, the robbers forced a door. They stole laptops, cameras, cash registers, a small amount of money and a safe.
Photo: Tom Jutte
Photo: Red Cross
Wind energy at high cost
AMSTERDAM | Wind energy is unnecessarily expensive because of the very high ground rents charged by farmers and land owners, according to research by Dutch news company NOS. Charges for renting the land on which these socalled wind farms are built is up to 10 times that of coal-fired power stations, NOS says. The broadcaster bases its claims on official government development land prices. Wind turbine owners pay private land owners between 35,000 and 50,000 euro ground rent a year per turbine for contracts of between 15 and 20 years. This means the total ground rent over the full contract is around 1 million euro.
King at Holland Festival
AMSTERDAM | His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will attend the opening performance of the 67th edition of the HollandFestival on Sunday, June 1 at National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam. The opening performance of the Holland Festival is the dance production ‘Vortex Temporum’ by the Belgian company Rosas, with choreography by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. The 67th edition of the Holland Festival takes place from 1-29 June 2014, at various locations in Amsterdam.
PvdA Member of Parliament Jan Vos proposes a drastic cutback to King Willem-Alexander’s salary of 850,000 euro, in order to bring it under the ‘Balkenendenorm’. JOEP DERKSEN brings you the details. “King Willem-Alexander’s allowance has to be decreased to 230.000 euro.” This way, the King’s salary also meets the “Balkenendenorm”. Member of Parliament Jan Vos (PvdA) dropped a political bombshell and soon found himself left all alone in the political arena. The ‘Balkenendenorm’ was introduced a few years ago, and had become the standard for the maximum salary any civil servant is allowed to receive. The Balkenendenorm is named after former Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, and the idea is that nobody should be paid more than the person who runs the country. In this country, everybody has to pay taxes except King Willem-Alexander, who is exempt from this duty. The PvdA, VVD and D66 are preparing a proposal to change this, so that this inequality to all hardworking citizens will belong to the past. But Vos wants to go one step further. He states that everybody working in the public sector can earn a maximum salary of 230,000 euro. But the King receives 850,000 euro, excluding all kinds of benefits and compensation amounts. Vos informed the NOS on 3 April: “The King gets 850,000 euro every year. Tax free. That is a lot of money
for grocery shopping, because he also gets funds for (maintaining) his palaces and airplanes. Everybody in the Netherlands has to cut down on their finances, and the King should be no exception to this. He can be paid for what he does, but I don’t understand why he should earn so much more than the Prime Minister.” Queen Máxima also receives more money from the treasury than the Prime Minister does. Vos pleads to limit her salary to the Balkenendenorm as well. He informed the media that political parties PvdA, D66 and VVD agree that the King should start paying taxes. ”I think that we should go one step further and limit the King’s salary to the Balkenendenorm”. Vos does not hate the Royal Family; far from it. ”I am a big fan of the monarchy. But we all need to make sacrifices and the King should also do his part in this. He currently receives a fantastic reimbursement of expenses, and those 825,000 euro only need to pay for grocery shopping.” What he says seems to make perfect sense, but Vos does not seem to get a lot of support. Even politicians from his own party fail to back him up. PvdA Minister Ronald Plasterk (Interior and Kingdom Relations) is perfectly fine with the current way
the King receives his payment slips. On 4 April, Plasterk said to the Telegraaf: “I am under the impression that this has been an individual action by Vos. The law responsible for determining the King’s salary has been approved by Parliament in 2009. If the Parliament wants to do it differently, we shall wait and see. But I am not under the impression that this will be the case. We won’t have a debate about this subject every other year.” Vos nevertheless says that he wants to propose lowering the Kings salary in September, when the Second Chamber has to decide about this topic. He has a long way to go, because he still needs to convince even his own party members, like PvdA spokesperson for the Royal House Jeroen Recourt. “You don’t let the queen wear a dress of H&M when she is going on a state visit,” he told NOS on 3 April. King Willem Alexander stated on television that he understands people saying that the Royal Family should also make cutbacks. However, he stressed that this would mean he would have to lay off part of his royal household staff. After having given several interviews about his proposal, it seems
that Vos has now stopped all media communications about the subject. When The Holland Times requested an interview to shed light upon his recent statements, his secretary Ira van Gogh informed us that he is currently not available to answer any questions, due to his very busy agenda. Yet, even for Vos, there still is hope. His colleague in Parliament, Ronald van Raak (SP, Socialist Party) supports Vos. According to Van Raak, the King could make do with less. He was quoted in Trouw on 3 April as follows: “However, I do believe that the Balkenendenorm is too low. Maintaining a royal household does cost money. However, his salary can be decreased to a large extent. The SP proposes this very change every year. Unfortunately, we never receive any support from the PvdA on this subject.” The other parties still oppose lowering the King’s salary. However, a spokesperson of D66 states: “If Vos manages to convince the PvdA Members of Parliament and that party does indeed hand in a proposal, then we are willing to consider it.”
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NATIONAL
MAY 2014 | 7
Deurne: self-defense or murder?
PVV’er quits election
BRUSSELS | European MP for the PVV
Lucas Hartong said he pulled out of this year’s election because he did not want to work with “dodgy people” like the French Front National and Austrian FPÖ. He had always distanced himself from extremists, but saw difficulties now PVV leader Geert Wilders hopes to form a European grouping within the European Parliament. “The FPÖ remains a party set up by former SS members,” he told De Volkskrant. “One of the people in the Swedish Democrats has made Hitler salutes. He has been expelled from the party, but still.”
TBS guards are corrupt
OOSTRUM | Patients living in a secure
unit in a psychiatric clinic in the Frisian town of Oostrum have easy access to mobile phones, drugs, cigarettes and knives, according to a report by public broadcaster EO. An upcoming broadcast of EO’s ‘Dit is de Dag’ includes mobile phone film footage by the inmates, even though phones and contact with the outside world is banned. In one film, an inmate is seen wielding a butcher’s knife. Residents claim the contraband is delivered to them by corrupt clinic guards.
Photo: Nico1959
The recent jeweler shooting in Deurne shocked the country and reignited the discussion on gun ownership. JOEP DERKSEN looks into the matter. The old days, when thieves and robbers could threaten innocent citizens and steal valuable items, seem to have gone by. This is thanks to a small jeweler store in Deurne. When two Moroccan robbers threatened the owner of Goldies, insisting on getting as much gold and silver as possible, his wife came to his rescue. She used the gun that the couple had stored just for this kind of robbery and killed both culprits. The couple was pronounced heroes by a large part of the population, but they also suffered heavy criticism. It was not the first time that Willy and Marianne Sanders were confronted with robbers. A few years ago, they were threatened by two thieves just outside their store. They managed to protect their belongings, but they made sure that they would be better prepared the next time culprits would come to take their belongings. On Friday 28 March, just before 6 pm, two men entered the store demanding gold. They mostly paid attention to Willy Sanders and did not notice in time that his wife had grabbed their gun. She shot several times, killing both robbers instantly. Her husband sustained a bullet wound to the hand. After the police was called, the couple was taken in for questioning and released that
same weekend. Hoofdofficier (Chief Officer) Bart Nieuwenhuizen stated on television: “We consider this a case of ‘self-defense’. One of the deceased is known to the police, because he has committed similar offences. Two weapons were found; one belonging to the attackers and one to the storeowners. The couple probably did not have a license.” Nieuwenhuizen was soon criticized for drawing his conclusions too early, and around thirty Moroccan and North African citizens demonstrated in Deurne. They held flags with statements like, ‘Marianne is not a hero’. However, most of the tens of thousands of comments on social media all agreed that “when you risk of robbing a store, you risk getting shot.” Pieter Vleeming is spokesperson for the organization ‘Bond van Wetsovertreders’ (Union of Law Offenders). “As a union we don’t promote crime, but we fight for the interests of people breaking the law, so that the government respects their rights and does not infringe on those rights.’ Nieuwenhuizen’s conclusions were drawn without proper research, Vleeming states. “The couple illegally possessed a weapon and two people died. In such a case, one should not state selfdefense too soon.” The incident received wide media coverage, and the general feeling that
many people were left with was that it is good for people to protect their own belongings. But will this mindset lead to a different society, in which more violence will occur? After all, when store keepers own handguns, then robbers might use Uzi’s. Vleeming: “Such a course in events cannot be excluded. It may lead to American situations, and ultimately crime will be met with other criminal activities.” The Union for Law Offenders acknowledges the right for shopkeepers to protect themselves, but this should not be with a gun. “I would have no objections if storekeepers have a can of pepper spray at hand. Strictly speaking, this is not allowed, but you can take out a person with pepper spray for a short period of time. Besides that, pepper spray is almost never lethal.” The Union for Law Offenders (ULO) became a news topic by itself. Omroep West reported in April that this action ‘group’ exists of only one man: Pieter Vleeming himself. The ULO has sued the people that have set up the Facebook page ‘Benno L. (a convicted child molester) has to leave from Leiden’. According to Omroep West, even Benno L. himself, who became a member of the ULO, does not want to have anything to do with the Union anymore. Nevertheless, Vleeming asks for
compassion for the robbers. “Robbing a store is wrong, but these boys are being left to take care of themselves. When people get out of prison, they have almost no alternatives to make money. More and more employers demand a ‘Verklaring omtrent gedrag’ (Declaration regarding behavior), before they hire somebody. And when you have been in prison, you can’t obtain such a declaration. Since prisoners have to pay for their own time in incarceration, they come out of jail with a huge debt. That means they have to resort to crime in order to get money. When you don’t have any possibility to integrate into society, you’ll end up dealing drugs or robbing stores. Not because you like to do it, but because there’s no alternative.”
Photo: Emilio Robert Vicol
Image: Sonja Pieper
No NL drone involvement
KATWIJK | The Netherlands does not take part in drone attacks on terrorist suspects, Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said in a recent Parliamentary debate. Nor is there any evidence that other countries involved in this sort of action are using information gleaned from Dutch intelligence sources, the Minister is quoted as saying in answer to MP’s questions. In early March, the NRC published research that showed how Dutch intelligence information on the whereabouts of known Somalian extremists is shared with the NSA.
Fewer asylum seekers in detention
THE HAGUE | Asylum seekers are being placed into detention less often. In 2013, a total of 3,670 asylum seekers were placed in detention, compared to a total of 5,420 the year before. The average number of asylum seekers placed in detention has decreased by about one third, says the Immigration Process Report (Rapportage Vreemdelingenketen) that the cabinet has recently accepted. The lower numbers for detention fit with the policy of State Secretary Teeven of Security and Justice, which mentions detention as the ultimate remedy only.
More, extended, enjoyment of better sleep comfort starts with the choice of supplier. Dreamzzz takes the time for you, uses its know-how to advise you with attention for your needs. In our branches in Rijswijk and Voorburg, you can even try out our waterbeds. In The Hague, Jensen and Tempur are among the brands we sell. All our stores supply Pullman. A more relaxed night’s sleep starts with Dreamzzz.
Dreamzzz The Hague Theresiastraat 55, 2593 AA Den Haag T. +31 (0)70 335 68 30 Dreamzzz Rijswijk Hendrik Ravesteijnplein 76 2282 GX Rijswijk, +31 (0)70 390 60 60 Dreamzzz Voorburg Koningin Julianalaan 134 2274 JN Voorburg, T. +31 (0)70 300 08 03
www.dreamzzz.nl 20-02-13 13:41 tht_May_2014 - 2_RV.indd 7
30-04-14 12:35
HEALTH
Bronovo Hospital bundles medical specialisms tiated after mother and child were home from the hospital. In the case of Mariëlle and Feline, for example, the physiotherapist taught the mother how to make her daughter who, as is common among premature children, often 'flapped' her arms and legs, feel more secure. The solution was to hold the baby in a certain way. Supporting the baby's back so it could sit more upright also proved effective.
Information for expats Information meetings for expats Do you want to know more about information meetings for expats? Contact: Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro Bronovo Expat Coordinator E: NJagusiak@bronovo.nl
Photo: Frank van der Burg
Premium care for premature babies
New outpatient clinic for premature children Premature children receive optimal attention from various medical specialists in the Premature Babies Plus outpatient clinic of Bronovo Hospital in The Hague. Prematurity (pre-term birth) occurs when a baby is born before the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy. The normal gestation period is forty weeks. Sometimes things turn out differently than expected. Mariëlle Rotten (31) thought she still had about a month and a half to go in her pregnancy when, at thirty-one weeks, she felt something warm running along her legs. 'Strange', she thought, 'I know I do not have to urinate. This isn't good.' The birth could be postponed for five more days in the LUMC (Leiden University Medical Centre) before little Feline really
was done with waiting and she was born through a natural birth. Fortunately, after four days in the LUMC university hospital, Feline was strong enough to move to Bronovo, where she was placed under the care of paediatricianneonatologist Janneke Kreijen. Kreijen has been closely involved in the design and planning of the new Premature Babies Plus outpatient clinic for pre-term children and full-term children requiring extra care. Specialist physiotherapist. The outpatient clinic comprises a paediatrician and physiotherapist at present. Premature children (and their mothers) can already receive professional guidance in the hospital from a specialist physiotherapist. Prior to this, care was only ini-
Monitoring As Kreijen explains, 'If problems such as prematurity, anoxia (lack of oxygen) or a baby being too small for the duration of the pregnancy are detected, we can monitor mother and child from the time of their admittance to the hospital, together with the physiotherapist. In this way, we keep a watchful eye on the baby's development.' Issues with a child's normal development arising from, for example, a lack of oxygen at birth can be detected early in cooperation with, or through referral to, other specialists. Feeding issues are prevalent among premature babies. For now, Kreijen refers these children to a therapist who focuses on their sensitive mouth area. In time, she would like to include this speciality in the outpatient clinic. To provide assistance with breastfeeding, Kreijen would also like lactation consultants to have a structural role in the outpatient clinic. Incubator Bronovo's maternity ward can accommodate twenty (expectant) mothers. Children requiring special support for their respiration, nutrition and temperature needs because, for example, they were born prematurely, receive care in an incubator. Bronovo has extensive experience with premature children; in the last year alone, 655 boys and girls were born prematurely in the hospital.
BRONOVO HOSPITALITY www.bronovo.nl
Bronovo offers general hospital services for the residents of The Hague and surrounding areas. Providing personal care is a priority, because at Bronovo our patients are at the heart of everything we do. The hospital has an alliance with the Leiden University Medical Centre. Our team of medical specialists offer a wide range of services, covering almost every specialisation. At Bronovo, over 1,500 employees and 120 specialists work closely together in a multidisciplinary team to provide what we like to think of as health care with added hospitality.
Overseas Patients Administration Do you have any questions about the Dutch health care system, Bronovo Hospital, your insurance or the handling of your invoice? Contact: Deborah Warmenhoven-Walmsley Overseas Patients Administration Assistant Patient Administration Office T: +31 (0)70 312 41 80 or (070) 312 41 80 (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) E: DWarmenhoven@bronovo.nl Accident & Emergency department Emergency services are available seven days a week and 24 hours a day at Bronovo Hospital. The Accident & Emergency department is always open for everyone. The A&E department (SEH) is available on (070) 312 44 45 or via the central Bronovo number (070) 312 41 41. Every A&E patient must produce proof of identity and a health insurance card. Contact Bronovo Hospital Bronovolaan 5 2597 AX The Hague +31 (0)70 312 41 41 or (070) 312 41 41 www.bronovo.nl
BRONOVO HOSPITAL Bronovolaan 5, 2597 AX Den Haag WASSENAAR HEALTH CENTRE Hofcampweg 65, 2241 KE Wassenaar BRONOVO SATELLITE OUTPATIENT CLINIC President Kennedylaan 15, 2517 JK Den Haag
EXPAT SERVICE DESK On workdays from 8.00 – 16.30 hours: E mail: expat@bronovo.nl Anneke van Kooten +31 (0)70 312 40 16
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14 18:09
ECONOMICS
MAY 2014 | 9
Belastingdienst servers offline
Photo: mystic_mabel
page only to be met by another surprise: the webpage was down. Twitter lit up with complaints from disgruntled taxpayers looking for answers. In fact, #belastingdienst was one of the top 5 trending topics on Twitter, according to Trendinalia Nederland. The Belastingdienst did a commendable job fielding questions and keeping people up-to-date, both through social media and their main website. When their initial ‘try again’ advice proved ineffective, the Belastingdienst made the decision to extend the deadline to 2 April. This message was spread by top Dutch news sources including De Telegraaf, De Volkskrant, and Het Algemeen Dagblad. Carly’s wife, Jess*, heard about the extension via the NOS iPhone app. According to Adriaan Ros, spokesperson for the Belastingdienst, the problems were caused by a system failure due to an overload of traffic to the site. “Our website is only able to accommodate 20,000 visitors at any given time. When there are more than 20,000 visitors, that causes a delay,” Ros said. That’s exactly what hap-
pened around 8 pm that night. Despite the system failure (which lasted until midnight), Ros says that 500,000 people were able to successfully file their tax returns earlier in the day on the 31st. During the two days of the extension, the Belastingdienst received an additional 425,000 reports. A tweet from the Belastingdienst reported that, as of 3 April, they had already received 8.1 million tax returns. “The last weekend of March is the busiest weekend to send income tax reports in to the Belastingdienst,” Ros said. It also turned out to be a golden opportunity for phishers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims eager to file their income tax returns on time. Phishing emails and messages floated around the internet, claiming to be from the Belastingdienst and promising recipients an easier and quicker way to file their income tax returns. All they had to do was click on the link provided. These kinds of scams are designed to trick people into entering personal and sensitive information. Links have also been known to lead to websites
infected with malware. It is unknown how many people - if any - fell victim to phishing scams inspired by the Belastingdienst website crash. Ros says that the Belastingdienst plans to resolve any technical issues detected in time for next year. He also advises that taxpayers take advantage of their pre-filled income tax report service (‘vooraf ingevulde aangifte’). With this service, the Belastingdienst collects as much information as possible from your employer, municipality, and other related agencies. All you have to do is fill in the blanks and double-check the information before submitting your return. Extensions can also be requested. The Belastingdienst is testing an app that would allow users to file their tax reports from their mobile devices. It has not been confirmed whether or not the app will be available in time for the next tax season. Of course, the best way to avoid issues like this in the future is to file your income tax report well ahead of the deadline.
It’s been one year since King Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne, and the Ministry of Finance is honoring the occasion with a special coin. ASHLEY COWLES has the details.
Photo: Royal Dutch Mint
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rule) and the introduction of the new Dutch euro coins for 2014, this new 2 euro King’s Double Portrait will be released in May of 2014. This is a fitting goodbye to the well-known coin visuals featuring former Queen Beatrix. The obverse of the 2 euro King’s
Double Portrait contains a double portrait of King Willem-Alexander and Princess Beatrix and shows King Willem-Alexander in front, as reigning monarch. In comparison, the obverse of the previous 2 euro Double Portrait of 2013 featured Queen Beatrix in front, who was reigning monarch at the time. The visual for the commemorative coin was commissioned by the Royal Dutch Mint and created by designer Pannos Goutzemisis, who was also responsible for designing the 2 euro Double Portrait 2013. His design was inspired by the Guilder Double Portrait of 1980,
Disposable income down
AMSTERDAM | Real disposable income of Dutch households was 1.1 percent lower in 2013 than it was in 2012. The decrease was smaller than in 2012, when disposable income fell by 2.2 percent. The decrease in 2013 was mainly caused by wage increases that were smaller than the inflation rate, decreasing employment, and an increase in taxes and premiums. At 2.5 percent, inflation was well above the average collectively negotiated wage increases. The number of employee jobs fell by 136 thousand, while real consumption expenditure fell by 2.1 percent in 2013.
Housing prices going up
THE HAGUE | The first quarter of 2014 shows housing prices have increased slightly. That makes it the first time in three years. Housing prices are currently 1.2% higher than one year ago. The last quarter of 2013 showed a decrease of 0.8%. NVM chairman Ger Hukker: “Because the decrease in housing prices has slowed over the past few quarters, we could already see the end coming. We are entering a phase of recovery, but there are still large differences per region and type of house.” The number of housing sales is still increasing, making this the third positive quarter in a row.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.
Ministry of Finance issues special coin
The Ministry of Finance is issuing a King’s Double Portrait coin to commemorate King Willem-Alexander’s one-year rule, to be struck by the Royal Dutch Mint. Following the 2 euro Double Portrait 2013 (commemorating the announced change of
THE HAGUE | Supermarkets are already announcing a 1.25% raise in wages from 1 January 2015 onwards, in case they cannot come to a collective agreement (CAO). This was recently announced by employers’ organizations Association of Wholesale Food Retailers (Vereniging van Grootwinkelbedrijven in Levensmiddelen) and the Foodstuffs Competence Center (Vakcentrum Levensmiddelen). All combined, this adds up to a total of 2.5 percent in two years. The raise would apply to all 260,000 employees currently in the supermarket collective agreement.
Photo: Crispin Semmens
In an ironic twist of events, taxpayers were unable to file their tax reports due to a server malfunction. TIFFANY JANSEN investigates. At 9 pm the night before the 1 April deadline, Maarten from Almere clicked the button to submit his digital income tax report. He had filed his income tax online for years, so he knew the drill. The computer program he had downloaded from the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) website would send him to a secure site where he could sign off on his return, thereby completing the process. So he was surprised when the file processing was interrupted by a popup box on his screen. The message contained within it was even more alarming: ‘Error code 3630: There is a communication problem with the server… Try again later.’ When American expat Carly* got the same error message, she waited a few minutes before trying again. And again… And again… And again. Five attempts later, she was still getting the same error message. Maarten and Carly were not alone. On 31 March, thousands of last-minute taxpayers hurried to file their 2013 income tax returns, only to be thwarted by error code 3630. Those lucky enough to bypass the error code were directed to the confirmation
Supermarket raise wages
as well as the coin and medal styles from the 1920s and 1930s. This is reflected in the coin’s typography and stark lines of his design. Although somewhat different from the first King’s Double Portrait, both designs are classic and traditional in style. The commemorative coin will not be available from any of the PostNL post offices, but can be purchased online from the Royal Dutch Mint web shop (www.knm.nl). It will be issued in several qualities and will also be made available as part of several special, limited edition collector’s sets.
Photo: Daniel Foster
Student rent prices rising ROTTERDAM | The average price of
a student room in the Netherlands rose 1.4 percent to over 420 euros last year, according to online rental agency Kamernet. Room rents have gone up most in Utrecht (by 4.6 percent), where there is a structural shortage of places for students to live, Kamernet said. Amsterdam is also still experiencing a shortage, and has the most expensive rooms to boot. Students living in the capital pay an average rent of no less than 538 euros. Rotterdam students get the best deal of all, paying an average of 15.70 euro per square meter.
Fewer companies bankrupt
AMSTERDAM | The number of companies that were declared bankrupt during the first quarter is significantly lower (23 percent) than during the same period of last year. This is evident from data published on financial website Faillissementsdossier.nl. During the first three months of the year, a total of 2,672 companies and organizations went bankrupt, compared to 3,470 the year before. In March, the number of bankruptcies decreased by one third, to a total of 782. The hospitality and restaurant sector is still declining.
02-05-14 15:18
Investing in your future. This project is partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union.
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30-04-14 22:04
DIPLOMATIC
MAY 2014 | 11
Jordan, over 50 years of diplomatic ties ON MAY 25, 2014 THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN WILL CELEBRATE ITS NATIONAL DAY. On this occasion, Nanda Jagusiak interviews the Ambassador of Jordan, H.E. Mr. Ahmad Mufleh. Ambassador you must set your goals, tasks and means to enhance the excellent relationship already existing between our two countries. My first priority is to enhance economic ties and to learn and benefit from the Dutch vast knowledge especially in agriculture, water management as well as other experiences both peoples can share.
1. On October 9, 2013, you were installed as the Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in The Hague. How do you experience it to live in the Netherlands? I was extremely proud and honoured when I first learned about my appointment as Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it is a country that needs no introduction. As a public servant, a diplomat, an advocate of peace and justice, I have learned of and admired the Netherlands much before my appointment. It is a country from which law and justice stems, through the vision of its Royal Family and the people of the Netherlands. Being able to work in the host country of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, The International Criminal Court and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons among others, meant that I would be exposed to both bi-lateral and multi-lateral issues concerning the global community. I was very excited to assume my position. For the past 14 years my posts have been within the Middle East region. As an
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2. What does the word “Hashemite” Kingdom of Jordan stand for? The Hashemite name is derived from Hashem, the great-grandfather of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him). The Hashemites of Jordan are thus direct descendants of the Prophet through his daughter, Fatima. His Majesty the King is the 41st generation direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him). 3. Is there a historical explanation for the warm and brotherly ties between the Royal families of the Netherlands and Jordan? The warm relationship between the two Royal Families dates back to the fifties of last century. Both countries are strong supporters of global peace and security through mutual understanding and cooperation on the international arena. His Majesty King Abdullah II is following the leadership legacy of his father, the late King Hussein, in enhancing strong and warm relations between the two families. Recently, during the dinner at the Nuclear Security Summit 2014, His Majesty King Abdullah II delivered a speech on behalf of all the personalities attending in which he spoke about international efforts for global
security, stability and peace.
ucts to Jordan and imports raw materials from Jordan. In 2013, the trade 4. In 2010 Jordan was granted “ad- volume with the Netherlands was 163 vanced status” in its relations with million US Dollars of imports and 35 EU. What does this mean? million US Dollars of exports. The “advanced status” is building on the core values Jordan and the EU 6. What is the impact of the Syrian share, i.e. the rule of law, good gov- tragedy on your country? ernance and the respect for human The current crisis in Syria does rights. Jordan is the first Mediterra- not only threaten the structural and nean partner country with whom the territorial integrity of the Syrian European Union has concluded the State, but the entire region. As fighttechnical negotiations for a new joint ing intensifies and influx reached Action Plan which gives concrete sub- staggering numbers, Jordan opened stance to the “advanced status” part- several refugee camps. One of them nership. is Zaatary, which is now home to The “advanced status” partnership nearly 125,000 Syrians refugees. The further expanded the areas of coop- total numbers of Syrian refugees has eration between Jordan and the EU reached 700,000. opening up new opportunities in ecoSo therefore we have urged the nomic and trade relations via a pro- international community to increase gressive liberalization in services and its support to Jordan in order to enthe right of establishment, facilitation able humanitarian services for the of market access, progressive regula- refugees and to support local comtory convergence and preparations munities in hosting these refugees. of future negotiations on a Deep and In this regard I would like to express Comprehensive Free Trade Agree- my gratitude towards the recent ment, as well as reinforced coopera- Dutch donation of one million Euros tion with certain European agencies through projects to improve the living and programs. conditions of the Syrian refugees in the North of Jordan. 5. How is the bilateral relationship between the Netherlands 7. Recently, a remarkable exhibition and Jordan and which are the took place about Petra at the Mumost important trade prod- seum of Antiquities in Leiden. What ucts between the two countries? is the significance of Petra for your Jordan and the Netherlands enjoy country? strong political ties. Jordan appreciThe magnificent carved city of Peates the continued Dutch support ex- tra is well beyond any expectations. tended over the years, which reflects The successful experience of the the strong strategic partnership be- Petra exhibition at the National Mutween the two countries at all levels seum of Antiquities in Leiden, which and fronts. As for the trade and eco- lasted for six months and was visited nomic relations, they are flourishing by more than 170,000 visitors, is a reincreasingly. The Netherlands exports cent example of cultural cooperation mainly machinery and chemical prod- between the Netherlands and Jordan.
The exhibition played an important role in introducing Jordanian heritage to the Dutch people and will hopefully encourage the good people of the Netherlands to visit Jordan and Petra which is listed as one of the 7 new wonders of the world. 8. Which are the tourist highlights you can recommend to our readers to visit in Jordan? Are there many Dutch tourists coming to your country? Jordan is a relatively small country where it is possible to see stunning sites without having to travel much. Some tips for a great roundtrip are : Amman - the capital - traditional but also a modern and easy-going with nice restaurants and excellent shopping; Roman heritage - Visit to North of Jordan and travel to Jerash, the largest Roman heritage-site outside Rome; Religious sites - Jordan forms part of the Holy land with several religious sites such as Mount Nebo, Madaba and the Baptism site; the Dead sea, at more than 400 meter below sea level where the water is so salty that you can only float, a great healthy and unique experience; Crusader Castle from medieval times; the desert of Wadi Rum, which became famous as the home of Lawrence of Arabia and Petra, one of the 7 new wonders of the world. End your trip in Aqaba at the red sea with beaches, warm waters, corals and great snorkeling. In the year 2013, Jordan received about 19.000 visitors from the Netherlands.
28-04-14 22:12
Lufthansa flights from Rotterdam to Munich
The route that was inaugurated on 1 October between Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Munich, has proved to be convenient and efficient for both business and leisure travelers.
Moreover, Munich is often used as a transit airport with vast number of exclusive Lufthansa amenities. Altogether, 4,500 square meters of luxurious lounges invite customers to work or relax.
On 1 October Lufthansa started operating double daily flights from Rotterdam The Hague Airport to the Bavarian capital Munich. The flights are being operated by a modern Bombardier Canadair Jet CRJ 900 with up to 90 seats in Business and Economy class.
The airport has been continuously awarded Best European Airport by the prestigious Skytrax Awards. The state-of-the-art Terminal 2 offers a minimum connecting time of 35 minutes. Due to harmonized flight times of the new Rotterdam The Hague services, passengers will be able to connect to over 70 daily flights to worldwide destinations or make use of a full day for business or leisure in the Munich area.
For business and leisure travelers from the Rotterdam The Hague area, Munich is a much asked for destination.
Seamless flight options include destinations such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Mumbai in Asia as well as Jeddah, New York and Sao Paolo besides various airports in Europe like Istanbul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Zurich, Vienna and Berlin. Return flights from Rotterdam to Munich can now be booked from 99 euro on www.lufthansa.com. The fare includes all taxes and fees. Information and bookings are furthermore available via Lufthansa call centre on 0900 – 1234 777 (0.15 per minute), Lufthansa travel agent partners and Lufthansa sales counters at the airports.
56th tong tong fair | malieveld, the hague, the netherlands
A visit to Asia & the Pacific without the jetlag!
e 56 editiE
There are many good reasons to travel to Southeast Asia, like the delicious food, the hospitality and the cultural riches. But once a year you can simply stay in the Netherlands to enjoy Asia. That is when the Tong Tong Fair takes place, a little bit of East in the West, a celebration of all things ‘Indo’ (the fusion of Dutch and East Indies influences). The event is a sensory stimulating blend of cultural festival, exhibition and food fest rolled into one, held in an archipelago of tents.
Selamat datang! Welcome to the Tong Tong Fair! 3 kilometres of shopping extravaganza (fair) dozens of restaurants and eateries (food) over 200 performances and exhibitions (festival)
In 2014 among others: Javanese court dances with live gamelan music by artists from both the Kraton ánd the Paku Alaman (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) Didik Nini Thowok (gender dance from Yogyakarta, Indonesia) Makana (slack-key guitar player from Hawaii)
Dwi Mekar (dance & puppetry from Bali, Indonesia) Kaili (Polynesian percussion) Samba Sunda (worldmusic from West Java, Indonesia) Boi Akih (worldjazz) Astrid Seriese & Henk Mak van Dijk (classical Eurasian music)
Find the complete festival programme on www.tongtongfair.nl.
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FAIR — FOOD — FESTIVAL — THE BEST MIX OF EAST AND WEST
Malieveld, The Hague www.tongtongfair.nl
30-04-14 22:40
DIPLOMATIC
MAY 2014 | 13
Cameroon, Africa in miniature ON 20 MAY, CAMEROON WILL CELEBRATE ITS NATIONAL DAY. Nanda Jagusiak interviews the Ambassador of Cameroon, H.E. Mrs. Odette Melono.
1. You are the only female Cameroonian Ambassador serving abroad currently and also the first ever to serve in the Netherlands. What are your objectives as Ambassador? Actually I am currently the only female Cameroonian Ambassador serving abroad since 2008 and first in The Netherlands but not the first ever. Madame Isabelle Bassong was Cameroon’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Communities from 1988 until 2006. There was also Madame Simone Marie who represented Cameroon in the United Nations from 1982-86. Although I am currently the only female ambassador, I draw my inspiration from these great ladies who were female pioneers in Cameroon Diplomacy. My objectives are to represent Cameroon in the best way possible and to help to build a stronger relationship with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I am also trying to invite
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the people of the Netherlands to dis- find almost every aspect of Africa in cover the amazing beauty and tour- just one country. Cameroon offers all ism attractions in my country. the diversity of Africa—in climate, culture, tourism, race, beauty, geography, 2. What are your experiences living etc within its borders. We are also in the Netherlands? called “the melting pot of Africa” and Living here since 2008 has been “Africa in microcosm”. great fun because I have the opportunity to represent my country as well 5. How is the economic situation in as enjoy the hospitality and admire Cameroon at the moment? Which the spirit of determination and hard are the key investment sectors? work. Cameroon’s economy expanded by It has also been an exciting experi- 4.7% in 2012. The IMF estimates that ence working with the Cameroonian our economy will grow by 6.5 percent population in the Netherlands. With- by 2018. We maintain our long-stated out any prejudice I am proud and goal to be an emerging market econgrateful to have been warmly wel- omy by 2035. comed by them. There are a few hunI would like to state that Camerdred Cameroonians living here and I oon has abundant natural resources. must say I am proud of the hardwork- We are the agricultural nucleus of ing Cameroonian community in The the CEMAC region. For potential inNetherlands and Luxembourg since I vestors, there are several investment am also Ambassador of Luxembourg. opportunities in Cameroon in the Agriculture and forestry, Energy, Mining, 3. Where does the name Cameroon infrastructure, Transport, Telecommucome from? nications sectors etc. My government Cameroon owes its name to a enacted a new investment code in Portuguese navigator called Fernan- April 2013 given new tax incentives do Pô, who arrived in Cameroon in and exemptions on VAT and duties. 1472. When he landed on one of our rivers, the river Wouri, Fernando Pô 6. How is the economic relation bewas amazed at the amount of prawns tween The Netherlands and Camer(in Dutch garnalen) in the river, so oon? much so that he named the river Rio Cameroon has a reasonable ecodos Camaroes, which means River of nomic relation with The Netherlands. Prawns. Cameroon was born from the There are several Dutch investors curword Camaroes. So you can say Cam- rently in Cameroon interested in our eroon has a historical attachment to very broad investment opportunities. Portugal for her name. On 3 April, 2014, I held an informative meeting on doing Business in 4. Why is Cameroon referred to as Cameroon with the Netherlands Af“Africa in Miniature” or “All Africa rican Business Council (NABC) in in One”? collaboration with OLAF Trading. OcWhat that means is that you can casionally we plan business trips to
Cameroon. 7. Why should people invest in Cameroon? Peace is one of Cameroon’s best advantages. We are a peaceful country. Our population has a high literacy rate and thus forms a ready-made labor force. Cameroon has 65% fertile agricultural land and the economy is growing fast. Cameroonians are friendly and hospitable. 8. Why are the official languages in Cameroon French and English? From 1884, Germany colonized Cameroon up till her defeat in World War I in 1918. When the League of Nations was created in 1919, Cameroon was seized from Germany in 1922, then partitioned and handed to France and Britain to be separately administered as mandated territories. As such, Cameroon adopted both languages. 9. Since Cameroon is one of the older countries in Africa, I believe many sites have been labeled as World Heritage Sites. Which are the most important sites to visit? That is a very interesting question. Cameroon is one of the richest, most beautiful countries in Africa with heart stopping touristic attractions. We have three World heritage sites and many more awaiting the status. I can think of the 3000 years old man made Rupestral Engravings of Bidzar, an archaeological site displaying around 500 engraved figures in Northern Cameroon discovered in 1933. It is an area of beautifully engraved marble flagstones covering
an area of about 130 sq km. Another architectural heritage site is Diy-GidBiy which has a collection of more than 300 years old stone monuments covering 25 square kilometers in the Mandara Mountains in the Far North region. There is also the Dja Faunal Reserve covering 5,260 square kilometres …a World Heritage Site since 1987 with over 1,500 plants, over 107 mammals and more than 320 bird species. Please note that 90% of the Dja Reserve is still undisturbed. Other important sites are: - the Bafut Chiefdom of architectural and religious importance with 50 terracotta structures in the North West region; - the Archeological Remains of Shum Laka under the shelter of a huge rock of 1200 sq m in the North West region; - Korup National Park in the South West Region with 1700 plant species, 410 bird species representing 53 families, 480 butterflies species, 82 reptilian species and 161 species of mammals; - Mount Cameroon, the highest active volcano in West and Central Africa; - Waza National Park… the most accessible and rewarding wildlife viewing experience of Cameroon, etc. 10. What is your favorite sport? Football. I support the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and I am proud Cameroon is in the World Cup in Brazil. 11. If you can describe your country in one sentence, what would you say to our readers? Cameroon is a Land of Promise. It is all Africa in one. I invite everyone to come and discover.
02-05-14 15:18
FEATURE
14 | MAY 2014
3D printing: fad or future?
Image: ForgeMind Archimedia
3D printing of all types of objects is taking center stage. But is this merely a trend or is it the future of design? ELIZABETH JOSS explores 3D printing across various industries to find out. The concept of producing objects using a 3D printing technique is tremendous. Not only can we 3D print interior design objects, but we can now also print entire houses. 3D printing is transforming the way in which we think about architecture, interiors, fashion and jewelry design. This technique has even made waves within the medical field and is being used to create implants, with the advantage of improving surgery recovery time. 3D Printed Canal House On a recent trip to the Netherlands for the Nuclear Security Summit in late March, US President Barack Obama visited the 3D printed canal house. His trip caused such a stir among design and art lovers that people from all over the country and the globe have been flocking to the house on Badhuiskade in Amsterdam to experience this fascinating concept. 3D printing in the architecture and construction industries is particularly special since it offers an alternative towards a more sustainable building practice. In fact, 3D printing has the advantage of being a zero waste practice as printed material can be melted down, recycled and repurposed. There is even the added advantage of reduced transportation costs, since printing can take place on the spot where you need the house or object to be built. Dutch architecture firm DUS started the 3D printed canal house project with the goal of printing an entire house over the next three years. The house design was first drawn up and fed from a computer into the Ultimaker, a small tabletop FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) printer that creates prototypes. The Ultimaker has played a crucial role in the building of the canal house, since it provides a good way to test the appearance of the end product. In order to print the actual canal house, DUS created one of the largest printers in the world, the Kamer-
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Maker or ‘room maker’. This printer is housed in a silver container onsite at Badhuiskade. It prints out the canal house section by section. Each block will eventually fit together like a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle to create the house. The 3D lattice-shaped blocks are hollow to accommodate for the pipes and concrete, which will be filled into the printed design at a later stage. Granulate, the substance used to create the structure of the house, is of a bio-plastic nature. It contains 75% plant oil, which is then combined with microfibers that act as a sort of glue. This substance is sustainable, strong and aesthetic. DUS is constantly working hard to redesign its base molecule structure to further improve it. Tosja Bakker, Expo Manager stated: “The printer doesn’t print at its optimal speed yet. Each layer has to dry fully before the next can be applied. That’s why it is a bit slower now. It’s not the printer that’s slow; it’s the nature of the substance with which it prints. This means about a block per week is printed.” A new printer is currently being designed to increase the print speed, and is to work alongside the other. This new printer will be based on the first one but it will have additional features, such as special heat sensors to adapt to the outside temperature. At present, designs are first fed through a computer connected to the FDM printing machinery. The machinery is hoisted from the top, enabling the layers of printing to take place below. The raw material melts at 170 degrees Celsius and is pushed through a pipe. It moves through the printer similarly to normal ink printing on paper. The FDM technique works by applying layer after layer of the chosen substance to achieve the 3D effect. Currently, only the entrance to the house is being printed. Each room will be assembled on site, with maximum room size at 2 x 2 x 3.5 meters. As many interior elements will be
Photo: Sintermask
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FEATURE printed as possible. Why a canal house, you may ask? According to the staff at DUS, a canal house is a special typology. Each canal house in the Netherlands is unique and tells a story. This idea fits perfectly with the aesthetic philosophy of 3D printing. With 3D printing, you can make quite distinctive and personalized architecture. There are no dirty emissions and production can move out of the factories, into the city, and into the hands of citizens who can actively partake in the design and printing of their very own house. 3D printed houses would also potentially enable us to keep up with the need for housing in overpopulated cities and to better adapt our houses to the elements. And if we are in need of another room or a household object, we could merely ‘print it out’. 3D printed interior design 3D printed interior design is equally shifting into focus, with Dutch designers creating printed objects inspired by nature. Take designer Eric Klarenbeek, who created a chair made out of 3D printed fungus, entitled the ‘Mycelium Chair’. This special chair was on display at Dutch Design Week last year. The chair is unique in that it resembles the complex root arrangement of fungi, yet is strong enough to hold the weight of a person. It was created by using bioplastics (a mixture of powdered straw and water) together with organic material, in this case fungi. Only a thin layer of bioplastic was used as a kind of outer shell. As the organic material grows within this shell, the structure is able to withstand more pressure and it becomes a solid and functional object. Klarenbeek’s interest evidently lies in exploring the ways in which 3D printing can be combined with the natural world and organic materials. He believes that the technique could be used to print even larger, more detailed structures. “I believe that in the near future, organisms will work closely together with electronic systems such as robots. We’ll probably ‘print and grow’ our cities,” says Klarenbeek. By using raw materials as a basis for 3D printed designs, designers like Klarenbeek now have more freedom to create a myriad of shapes that importantly draw on nature and that are in essence sustainable.
MAY 2014 | 15
Jewelry and fashion Fashion and jewelry designers are also catching on to the 3D print technique, with 3D printed fashion fast becoming the rage amongst women of all ages. Yvonne van Zummeren, owner of Dyvsign, was one of the very first Dutch designers to begin 3D printing jewelry in 2011. Van Zummeren initially started her jewelry design business by importing designs. However, Yvonne’s love for art and for originality compelled her to explore local alternatives to the imported designs. She first heard about 3D printing in 2011 and like many of us, she did not initially comprehend the idea. “I couldn’t understand it back then. How in the world could an object come out of a printer?” At the end of 2011, Van Zummeren decided to take her web shop to the next level. She began her discovery into 3D printing and was one of the first in the Netherlands to create and sell 3D printed jewelry online. “I was eager to explore 3D printing to create jewelry designs, but I had no technology background whatsoever. Back then, I contacted a professor at Delft University to gain further knowledge of the subject. I researched 3D printing thoroughly and a whole new world opened up to me.” Van Zummeren uses a large 3D laser printer to create her designs, because they allow for the flexibility of the substance. “Designs actually come out of the printer in white. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to print them, and then the items must cool down from the heat of the laser beams. After cooling, you’re on an archeological hunt, wearing gloves to dig through the leftover powder to find objects. A blower is then used to clean each item. Later on, objects are dyed with an industrial textile dye according to the designer’s specifications. What’s great about this method is that it doesn’t matter if you print an object once or hundred times.” “As a designer, I don’t need to have a big stock in-house and I can order as I need the products. The substance I use, nylon polyamide, is made in the Netherlands, so I save on transport costs. The leftover powder can be reused in the next batch with the laser printer so there is never any waste.” “I wouldn’t have been able to become a jewelry designer if it wasn’t for 3D printing. I wouldn’t have known how to do it and where to
Image: dyvsign
start. 3D printing offers me a much easier, fun and accessible way of designing.” Van Zummeren enjoys the unique experience 3D printing has afforded her. “The 3D printing concept and the fact that each piece is inspired by an artwork create a unique product offering. When people know the story behind the work of art, they like it more and feel a connection to each piece. Being authentic is very important.” Her business has become very successful in a short space of time due to this innovative approach to jewelry making. “I now have 40 points of sale in 5 countries and have been giving lectures on 3D printing in Paris, London and other cities.” Yet van Zummeren also cautions against 3D printing as a fad: “3D printing is a concept that can seem dangerous and futuristic. It is difficult for many to grasp. Take the 3D printed extreme fashion designs worn by the likes of Lady Gaga. These are a little over the top and out of grasp for the average woman. Or the 3D printed gun, which is a little scary. What I’m trying to do is to show women that 3D printing can be useful, pretty, wearable, and doesn’t have
to be scary. It is very current and ac- of the operation were successful and cessible.” all the symptoms the patient had have ceased. It is almost impossible Medical uses for 3D printing to detect that the patient underwent 3D printing has not only made head- surgery. way in the fields of architecture, deIn the past, implants of this kind sign and fashion. Medical profession- were created by hand, using a ceals around the world are presently ment-like substance. 3D printing now examining the different ways to 3D allows for implants to be tailored to print implants to help patients with the exact size and shape required. various conditions and traumas. As a result, the 3D printed material One such example is the very adapts more easily into the person’s first 3D printed skull replacement body, allowing for a quicker recovery operation that took place recently. period. There is also the added adA 22-year-old Dutch woman from vantage that 3D printed implants are Utrecht received a skull transplant much cheaper than other substances during a 23-hour operation at the previously used for implants. University Medical Center in Utrecht. The woman suffered from a seri- Fad or future? ous condition that caused her skull The advantages of 3D printing are to thicken. Because of the pressure evident. This is an innovative process on her brain, she had severe and un- with the potential to revolutionize avoidable headaches, body coordina- many industries due to its aesthetic tion difficulties, and loss of eyesight. and environmental benefits. However, Dr. Marvick Muradin and Dr. Bon we need to caution against the 3D Verweij conducted the procedure. Dr. printing hype, and seriously consider Bon Verweij, a neurosurgeon from the whether this technique will persevere University Medical Center in Utrecht, and continue to profoundly change has replaced parts of skulls before the way we see and experience the using the 3D printing technique, but world. this was the first time in history that a Needless to say, 3D printing is a full transplant of the entire skull took concept that has definitely caught on place. According to reports, the results and created quite a stir.
Photo: ForgeMind Archimedia
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02-05-14 15:20
EXPAT LIFESTYLE
16 | MAY 2014
International Childcare at TU Delft The growing number of international staff members at the TU Delft has prompted the need for onsite childcare. JOHN DONNELLY reports about this unique solution.
On Tuesday 23 April, 2014, the Holland Times was present at an historical event in the TU (Technical University) Delft. For the TU, not unaccustomed to historical events, this one was unique. At five o’clock, a declaration of intent to realise an International Childcare Centre and an International Primary School on the TU campus was signed by the Rector Magnificus of
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the University, Prof. Ir. Karel Luyben, City Councillor Raimond Prez of the Municipality of Delft, on behalf of the Municipalities of Delft and Rijswijk, Ms. Joke Reijman on behalf of the International School of Delft and Ms. Tineke Onink on behalf of True Colours Delft. In his opening remarks, Professor Luyben pointed out that the growing international identity of the TU calls
for a corresponding expansion of facilities of an international nature. The growing numbers of foreign staff and students bring a growing need for family support. At the same time, he hoped that the early education which the youngsters received here would be a binding factor to bring them back to Delft to complete their university education in the future.
The region already has fifty thousand expats and this initiative, spearheaded by the TU, the Delft and Rijswijk Municipalities, the Laurentius Stichting, (the governing organisation behind the International School Delft), and the Stichting Rijswikse Kinderopvang, (the governing body behind the kindergarten, True Colours Delft), is expected to promote this growth. In his remarks, Councillor Prez stressed that this was but a first step in what is intended to be an extended project where the Childcare Centre and the Primary School would be supplemented later by an International Baccalaureate Secondary School. Already 45 sets of parents have registered their children as entrants. After the signing ceremony, Professor Luyben received a blueprint plan of how the future pupils would like their school to be laid out. Seven-year-old Julia and four-year-old Shruthi, were historically underwhelmed by the presence of the RecPhoto: Chip Harlan tor Magnificus as they received their gifts for making the presentation. We are sure that in future years, In their remarks, City Councillors they will be enormously proud of Raimond de Prez of Delft and Jos their bragging rights about it all. Bolte of Rijswijk both drew attention to the fact that the surrounding area was one with a great variety of international organisations, with Shell and the European Patent Office among the most prominent. The new schools would be a formidable asset to the region in attracting more such organisations.
04-04-2014 12:11:51 02-05-14 15:20
TECHNOLOGY
MAY 2014 | 17
Glow-in-the-dark road markings developed
Photo: BBC.co.uk
A unique collaboration between a Dutch interactive artist and a civil engineering company has lead to a breakthrough in energy-neutral road safety. Forget streetlights: glow in the dark paint is where it’s at. ASHLEY COWLES takes a peek into the future. Imagine driving late at night on a dark stretch of road without any street lights, and still being absolutely sure of staying on your own side of the road. That may just be the future, as glow in the dark road markings have been unveiled on a 500m stretch of highway in the Netherlands. The paint contains a “photo-luminizing” powder that charges up in the daytime and slowly releases a green glow at night, doing away with the need for streetlights, BBC News reports. Interactive artist Daan Roosegaarde teamed up with Dutch civil engineering firm Heijmans to work on the idea. The technology is being
tested with an official launch due later this month. It is the first time “glowing lines” technology has been piloted on the road and can be seen on the N329 in Oss, approximately 100km south east of Amsterdam. Once the paint has absorbed daylight, it can glow for up to eight hours in the dark. Speaking to the BBC last year about his plans Mr Roosegaarde said: “The government is shutting down streetlights at night to save money, energy is becoming much more important than we could have imagined 50 years ago. This road is about safety and envisaging a more self-sustain-
able and more interactive world.” The team also hopes to develop giant weather symbols that appear on the road. Mr Roosegaarde’s projects aim to help people and technology to interact. His past projects have included a dance floor with built-in disco lights powered by dancers’ foot movements, and a dress that becomes see-through when the wearer is aroused. “I was completely amazed that we spend billions on the design and R&D of cars but somehow the roads - which actually determine the way our landscape looks - are completely immune to that process,” Mr Roosegaarde said.
Heijmans was already working on projects involving energy-neutral streetlights when Mr Roosegaarde teamed up with the company. “I thought that was updating an old idea, and I forced them to look at movies of jellyfish. How does a jellyfish give light? It has no solar panel, it has no energy bill. “And then we went back to the drawing board and came up with these paints which charge up in the daytime and give light at night,” he said. Heijmans says that the glow in the dark technology is also “a sustainable alternative to places where no conventional lighting is present”.
Initially, the team also had plans to develop weather symbols that appeared on the road once the temperature reached a certain level. A temperature-sensitive paint mixture would be used to create giant snow flake-shaped symbols on the tarmac to warn users that the road may be icy. The current stretch of glow in the dark road in Oss does not include this temperature sensitive technology. It is a pilot project at this stage and is expected to expand internationally later this year. Although Heijmans is keen to use the paint on other roads, he has not yet negotiated any contracts.
Dutch Game Garden opens Hilversum location As its locations in Utrecht and Amsterdam thrive, the game industry hub will be expanding to the upcoming creative workspace Werf35 in Hilversum. ASHLEY COWLES has more information. The Dutch Game Garden (DGG) is expanding to Hilversum, opening a new location for creative entrepreneurs in the Rotor building. The building is part of the new project Werf35, that combines working, living and restaurant facilities. The Rotor building has room for 10 to 12 game companies. Peter Driessen, co-founder of the neighboring Spil Games is main investor and lead developer of Werf35. “We are working together to make it into a creative campus, with room for businesses, a restaurant and several meeting areas.” Spil is one of the largest game companies in the Netherlands, and is a big name when it comes to ‘casual games’. The Dutch Game Garden coming to Hilversum is the result of an in-depth cooperation between businesses, educational organizations and government, working under the name of Growing Games. Besides Peter Driessen of Spil Games, real estate investor Hanegraaf is also involved as a private investor. He will be responsible for the remodeling of the Rotor building. “We want to provide people with room for growth,” CEO Pieter Hanegraaf says. “Starting companies can rent spaces for a fair price, moving to a larger office at the same location over time.” The vacant spaces can then be offered to new companies. The Utrecht University of the Arts
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(Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, HKU) Games and Interaction department is also housed in Hilversum. It is one of 8 HKU schools and is partner of Dutch Game Garden for this project. As one of the most important games education programmes in the Netherlands, HKU is a rich source of interns, graduates and startups looking for office space. Councilor Jan Rensen of Economic Affairs and Employment says the municipality is happy with the Dutch Game Garden coming to the city. “The new location reinforces and connects the local games industry, the same way it is already doing in Utrecht. The Amsterdam-HilversumUtrecht axis creates an internationally competing region that takes the entire Dutch games industry to the next level.” The official opening will take place on 19 May, and will be attended by all partners and several officials. The afternoon program consists of several masterclasses for students and starters. The festivities will be capped off by a party for games industry professionals. Werf035 will be at walking distance from train station Hilversum Sportpark. There are also plans for a direct bus line from Hilversum Central Station, with a bus stop at about 200 meters from Werf35. Interested entrepreneurs can contact Senior Project Manager Rembert Sierksma via rembert@dutchgamegarden.nl.
Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg
02-05-14 15:20
DIE SCHUTZBEFOHLENEN
PLAYING CARDS: SPADES
BESTIAIRE D’AMOUR
robert lepage
elfriede jelinek, nicolas stemann, thalia theater
isabella rossellini
10 – 12 June Westergasfabriek, Transformatorhuis German with Dutch surtitles
20 PIANOS matthew herbert Avant electronic explorer Herbert brings twenty pianos to life in a virtual music performance. 12 June Bimhuis
Greed and abandon in overwhelming theatre spectacle on 360°–stage. 3 – 5 June Westergasfabriek, Gashouder English and French with Dutch surtitles
NAPOLEON
THE KITCHEN roysten abel
abel gance, het gelders orkest Epic film from 1927 with film score live performed by full orchestra, conducted by Carl Davis. 15 June, 2-10 pm Ziggo Dome English titles
PERFORMING ARTS
HOLLAND FESTIVAL
Austrian Nobel prize winner Jelinek confronts us with an Europe which has never fulfilled its promise as a protector of human rights.
19 - 21 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam English with Dutch surtitles
THE CRIMSON HOUSE lemi ponifasio / mau Dance with critical reflection on life with surveillance cameras, Google and the NSA 25 – 26 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
RIVER OF FUNDAMENT matthew barney, jonathan bepler Sex, death and the American car industry in an epic film by art icon Barney, a radical reinvention of Norman Mailer’s novel.
YOU US WE ALL
The Indian director Abel serves up a ritual fusion of sight, sound, smell and taste, in search of the perfect balance.
World famous actress with her light, dry wit on the outrageous love life of animals.
23 – 25 June (6 hours, 15 minutes) EYE film institute English without surtitles
shara worden, andrew ondrejcak, box
24 – 25 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam Language no problem
ABIDA PARVEEN
COUP FATAL alain platel, serge kakudji
Legendary Sufi singer electrifies her audiences. 6 June Dutch National Opera & Ballet
THE VALLEY OF ASTONISHMENT peter brook, marie-hélène estienne, bouffes du nord
INTERNATIONAL
Baroque spectacle by American multitalents. 18 – 19 June Theater Bellevue English with Dutch surtitles
THE WASP FACTORY ben frost, david pountney Frost succesfully transforms Iain Banks’ chilling cult novel into gripping, forceful music theatre. 22 – 23 June Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ English with Dutch surtitles
16 – 18 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam Language no problem
THYESTES
simon stone, belvoir, sydney
ORLANDO george frideric handel
Fascinating journey through the capricious landscape of the human brain, by acclaimed theatre director.
Bejun Mehta stars in Pierre Audi’s inspired interpretation of Handel’s masterpiece.
5 – 7 June Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ English with Dutch surtitles
AMSTERDAM 1 – 29 JUNE 2014
Exuberant music theatrical ode to the dandies of Kinshasa.
9 – 13 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam Italian with Dutch surtitles Mythological horrors in a contemporary play, full of love, sex and destruction. 23 – 27 June Theater Bellevue English with Dutch surtitles
FULL PROGRAMME & TICKET SALES WWW.HOLLANDFESTIVAL.NL
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28-04-14 22:26
ARTS & CULTURE
MAY 2014 | 19
Pinkpop 2014: something for everyone
Photo: Joeke-Remkus de Vries
June is just around the corner and the festival season is in full swing. With the Rolling Stones as a headliner, Pinkpop 2014 looks promising. TRACEY TAYLOR offers a preview. It’s Pinksteren weekend. It’s Landgraaf-Megaland. So yes… it has got to be PINKPOP! Now I do have to warn you that that was about as “upbeat” as this article is going to get. Very regrettably, I am one of those unlucky individuals who did not manage to secure a ticket to PINKPOP 2014 – tickets sold out within 30 minutes – so you will have to forgive me if a few bitter undertones creep into my preview of this festival. Ans so, here we go with a snippet about the history of this popular event and what you fortunate ticket holders can expect this year at the 45th edition of PINKPOP. For starters, PINKPOP is The Netherland’s oldest and most well-
known pop music festival. PINKPOP stands for “Pop at Pinksteren” because – with the exception of 2008, 2010 and 2013 – the event has always taken place during the Pinksteren (Pentecost) weekend. Starting out as a simple one-day event, the first PINKPOP took place in Geleen – a town in the heart of Limburg – on 18 May 1970 with Golden Earring as the main act to take to the stage on that sunny Monday. PINKPOP remained at the location in Geleen until 1986, when Baarlo (about 65 km further north) hosted the 18th edition in 1987. But it is since 1988 that PINKPOP has found its (permanent?) home at the current location in Landgraaf. In 1990, the festival was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the old-
est and only uninterrupted annual open-air pop music festival in the Netherlands (some even say in the world!) In 2009, the festival’s 40th anniversary was marked by a notable headliner in Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, who performed their first ever show at a European festival. Over the intervening years, PINKPOP has gone from strength to strength with record tickets sales – more than 2.1 million (paying) visitors have passed through the gates – and the event has been sold out a staggering 23 times! But back to the present… On Saturday 7, Sunday 8 and Monday 9 June, Landgraaf – a former race track in South Limburg – will again play host (for the 27th time) to a veri-
table smorgasbord of international and domestic talent who will take to the podiums of PINKPOP 2014. There are far too many acts and (solo) artists to list out here, but let me assure you that there is definitely something on the menu to suit all musical tastes. The festival starts off with a bang: the Rolling Stones, are headlining on the Main Stage on the opening day. Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran and The Kooks are some of the performers who will satisfy revelers on Sunday, with Metallica, Biffy Clyro and Avenged Sevenfold (to name but a few) to wrap things up on Monday. For full details on the who, the what, the when and the where, check out the program on the official website noted at the end of this piece.
However, if you are like me and will have to make do with radio and/ or television coverage of the event, well, all is not totally lost… Dutch national radio station 3FM will have live broadcasts from the festival grounds on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Next to that, Dutch TV station Nederland 3 (NTR, VARA, VPRO) will also televise a fair few hours of live music on the Monday. I reckon it’s going to be a pretty amazing event this year and for those of you who are going to be at PINKPOP 2014 – whether for 1, 2 or 3 days – may I (sincerely) say: ENJOY!! PINKPOP 2014 7-8-9 June Landgraaf-Megaland http://www.pinkpop.nl/2014
British silent film masterpiece rediscovered The spectacular recent discovery of 1923 British masterpiece ‘Love, Life and Laughter’ was big news for silent film lovers worldwide. KAREN D.R. DE CORRALES has the details.
Photo: EYE
‘Love, Life and Laughter’ had been sitting among other movie containers in boxes in Hattem for decades, in a modest former movie theater. When this was scheduled for redevelopment, the local blacksmith got them. Its next custodian was Gerhard van Worp, co-worker at a local TV station, who stored them in his garage between two cars – unaware of the high flammability of the nitrate films inside – until he decided to find them a more worthy destination in Novem-
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ber of 2012. The researcher at EYE Film Institute Netherlands studying the film rolls marked with a Dutch title differing from the original traced the name of the leading actress to the British Film Institute’s 75 most wanted list. “A definite ‘wow!’ moment,” said Fred Roumen, head of EYE’s vast collection of movies and movie paraphernalia. This discovery is very special, because only one other complete movie by its acclaimed director, George Pearson,
has survived. Headliner Betty Balfour ranks as the biggest British star of the 1920s. Likened to the American Mary Pickford, she was very popular outside of Britain as well. It was the seventh film she and writer-director-producer Pearson made together. In 1923, British audiences dubbed ‘Love, Life and Laughter’ one of the best movies of British cinema, apparently unaffected by her spurning of his romantic advances. Balfour made several attempts to break away from her ‘Queen of Happiness’ label, enabled – among others – by Hitchcock in his ‘Champagne’ of 1928. But while Hitchcock thrived on the introduction of sound, heralding it with the first British sound movie ‘Blackmail’, Balfour was one many actors whose popularity declined as a result. British cinema in general, for large chunks in its history, has been looked down on by critics, international and domestic alike. Not so for its early pioneering years or that brief golden era of late silent cinema. Enter World War I as the chief culprit, wreaking financial havoc in Europe and opening the door for Hollywood to build the powerful, blockbuster-spewing empire it became. It left the rest of the world trying to ‘keep up’, or create a niche market through exploration of avant-garde styles, resulting in the emergence of the art film. Luckily for us, the tide
has turned, although some would argue that much still needs to be done in the British film industry where large, apparently British accomplishments like the Bond and Harry Potter franchises are mainly Americanfinanced. Founded in 2010, EYE is the result of a merger of the former Filmmuseum and three other film organisations: Holland Film, De Filmbank and the Netherlands Institute for Film Education. “It is much more than an eye catching building,” says Marnix van Wijk, EYE’s Press and PR attaché. As the Dutch center for film culture and heritage, EYE’s main focus concerns far-reaching support of the Dutch film industry and promotion of Dutch movies in the Netherlands and abroad. But EYE is also credited worldwide for its impressive collection and its extensive expertise in restoration. The EYE collection boasts some unique components, such as the Desmet archive, listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register since 2011, alongside items like the diary of Anne Frank, the Magna Carta and the Gutenberg Bible. Jean Desmet, the Netherlands’ first large cinema distributor and operator, was also an avid collector. His 60-year career yielded some 900 movies, about 2,000 posters and nearly 700 pictures. Audiences will have a chance to see some of the Desmet legacy in the exhibi-
tion planned for the end of the year. From its majestic headquarters on the IJ river, EYE interacts with the public in several ways. Classic and contemporary movies can be viewed online or on location in one of the four cinemas, or in your own viewing cubicle. Terrace, restaurant and basement are freely open to visitors. Its two rental spaces make for a different event experience indeed - certainly in combination with a movie visit. EYE is also a champion of education, offering tailor-made workshops for all educational levels and collaborating with organizations like the Netherlands Film Academy. ‘Love, Life and Laughter’ is currently being cleaned and restored, a time consuming process that will ultimately result in a proud, proper relaunch with every bell and whistle. The venue is yet to be determined and will hopefully be announced sometime this year. International Film Festivals specializing in silent movies – of which there are several, including in Nottingham, Bologna and San Francisco – will probably gladly volunteer. ‘Know Thyself’, it was said in ancient Greece, repeated by many famous writers since. EYE is definitely making a substantial contribution to the preservation of the memory of mankind on celluloid, and the recent discovery of ‘Love, Life and Laughter’ only adds to its luster.
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30-04-14 22:07
REVIEWS
MAY 2014 | 21
FOOD: BORSCHT AND THE UNIVERSE
FILM REVIEW
Cabbages and Queens
The Act of Killing
holipshkes, from the Ukrainian for “little doves”: a) dice onion and brown in chicken fat b) add sugar and lemon to taste to one can tomato sauce c) simmer for 10 minutes d) put in cabbage with rolled in meat e) add raisins as desired f) cook for two hours to soften cabbage leaves put head in boiling water
Photo: deepdarksquid Grandma Anna’s freezer was like a miniature Jewish Culinary Institute: blintzes, chicken soup with kneydlech, cabbage soup, and kreplach. She took an unalloyed pleasure in the mere existence of her grandchildren, and she paid us back in comfort food, though to be accurate, comfort food was the only kind of food she considered worth cooking or eating. Even before I was acclimated to the smell of moth balls and fried onions that dominated the apartment, she was already showing me what she’d packed for me to take back uptown: underwear for my brother, coconut patties from Florida, a ten-dollar bill, and stuffed cabbage. Grandma Anna’s been trading recipes in heaven with the Master Chef himself for more than two decades now, but I’ve never really stopped thinking about her stuffed cabbage, which she called
I followed this recipe carefully several times and was unsuccessful in recreating that intense sweetand-sour flavor. No surprise there. According to my father, she left out the secret ingredient: sour salts, or powdered citric acid. It’s only one of the essentials that’s not even in the recipe! Here’s what I found works: Mix together 500 mg. of ground beef (lamb will also do), 250 ml. of matzah meal, a small handful of cooked rice (barley or kasha are also traditional), a grated onion, three grated carrots, a clove of diced garlic, a small handful of minced parsley, two eggs, a tablespoon of kosher salt, and plenty of black pepper, and form 8-10 rounded patties. Wrap the “little doves” in the cabbage leaves, secure with a toothpick, and simmer in the sauce as above, though substitute a tablespoon of sour salts for the lemon in the sauce (others swear by red wine vinegar, or even ginger snaps). Then invite the grandchildren. If you’re too young, good: You’ll have plenty of time to practice. (IL PACIFICO)
While communism and its regimes can be associated with great human suffering, the backing of Suharto by capitalist countries is far from a humanitarian story. Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary analyzes on a micro level what 1965 and 1966 meant for Indonesia, and what it entailed for its future. It doesn’t mention the tensions of the Cold War and it doesn’t analyze Sukarno’s policies. However, the documentary casts light on what it means to kill thousands of people by listening to the memories and thoughts of Anwar Congo. Suharto’s regime, which took over power from Sukarno, is responsible for the deaths of at least half a million communists and Anwar was one of his executioners. These people have been branded as communists, in a manner that holds people guilty no matter their potential innocence.
Joshua, who travelled to Indonesia to interview the survivors of the 1965-1966 massacres, noticed that the survivors were scared of giving interviews because of potential repercussions from the government. In contrast, the perpetrators who still enjoyed power didn’t lie about their history, but surprisingly bragged about it on camera. Adi Zulkadry, who was a fellow executioner and knows Anwar well, reacts defensively to the question if he is a war criminal or not. ‘’War crimes are defined by the winners,” Adi says. Anwar and Adi are not merely killers; they are also victims of the crimes they committed. Anwar is troubled by insomnia, and Adi recommends from out of his own experience that visiting a psychiatrist might help. In the documentary, high officials such as the Governor of North Sumatra and the Vice President of Indonesia explain that ‘gangster’ comes from the words ‘free men’. Gangsters helped to rid Indonesia from evil communism, therefore high officials see a system where politicians and gangsters form alliances as something useful. After all, gangsters can bring about positive change. This documentary received many awards, among which was an award from BAFTA for Best Documentary Film. It was also awarded Best Film at the Guardian Film Awards 2014. This film is a must see for people who are interested in the history of Indonesia. (JEROEN SPANGENBERG)
MUSIC
BOOK REVIEW
Grigory Sokolov in Amsterdam
Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven
Considered by many as one of the world’s foremost classical pianists, Grigory Sokolov (b. 1950) is coming to Amsterdam on Sunday 11 May for a piano recital with works by Frédéric Chopin. The Russian concert pianist has been a regular guest at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw for the ‘Master Pianists’ series, his performances always being the cause of great anticipation and enthusiasm amongst piano aficionados. Sokolov first received international attention in 1966, when he won the first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow (the jury, headed by Emil Gilels, unanimously awarded the 16-year-old pianist the Gold Medal). Sokolov has since been touring extensively both within and outside Russia and has enjoyed a successful international career over the last decades. Next to his busy schedule as a touring soloist, Sokolov has also made recordings of works
by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin and Tchaikovsky, among other composers. Still, the live concert remains something special for Sokolov and it is thus not surprising that he prefers recording live rather in the studio in order to capture the uniqueness and ‘sacredness’ of an actual live performance. Sokolov’s program for his recital at the Concertgebouw includes a selection of Chopin’s mazurkas from various time periods as well as his Piano Sonata No.3 in B minor, Op. 58. One of his most challenging compositions both technically and musically, Chopin’s third - and last - piano sonata provides Sokolov with an ideal canvas where the Russian pianist can showcase his brilliant technique and poetic sensitivity while drawing from the seemingly limitless palette of colours in his possession. Sokolov’s recital is indeed a unique opportunity for friends of classical piano and romantic music alike to experience Chopin’s sublime music interpreted by one of the world’s greatest contemporary pianists. Location: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam Concertgebouwplein 10 1071 LN Amsterdam Time: 8:15 pm - 10:15 pm Tickets: www.concertgebouw.nl {MIMIS CHRYSOMALLIS)
masses, oratorios, and passions, whose texts offered Bach an opportunity to meet his master, Martin Luther, in that place where the flesh was made Word. The result is an extraordinarily demanding and rewarding book. This biography evidences a lifelong engagement with Bach. Gardiner’s narrative flits back and forth according to the unruly demands of historical and cultural context. Nonetheless, he has composed a convincing and original portrait of Bach as a trouble-making youth who grew up to be a trouble-making adult. Gardiner stresses the fact that Bach was orphaned at nine and lost both wives and 12 of his 20 children, and that he lived and worked for much of his career in a Leipzig boarding school, with all of the attendant conflict and chaos, always composing on deadline, always depending on musicians who were unreliable and uninspired at best. That might explain how wherever he worked, Bach was always the aggrieved employee, victimized, mistreated, moody, frustrated, and dissatisfied. But it doesn’t explain how he was as retrospective and conventional as he was inventive and innovative, as coolly logical as he was passionate and devout, as rebellious as he was obsequious, as petty and irritable as he was loving and generous. Perhaps, as with Mozart and Wagner, the music is so divine because the man was so human.
Do we really need another book on Johann Sebastian Bach? Didn’t the recent biography of Christoph Wolff consign everything from the pioneering efforts of Johann Nikolaus Forkels and Albert Schweitzer to more recent books by Malcolm Boyd and Peter Williams to the recycling bin of history? Like any musical genius, the greatest master of counterpoint has always had a contrapuntal relationship with his listeners: He is an ever-changing mirror of our artistic and spiritual needs and desires. If Wolff focused on Bach’s music as Baroque science, for John Eliot Gardiner, the classical music world’s primary exponent of authentic performance practice on period instruments, the key is Lutheran theology. Rather than looking for the essence of Bach in the secular works for solo instruments, which have become exemplars of the romantic, even heroic (JONATHAN GILL) individual voice represented by Pablo Casals and Available at the English Bookshop Glenn Gould, Gardiner focuses on the cantatas,
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Eetcafé Il y a, Maastricht It’s a Saturday evening in late spring and as the sun begins to set, the bells of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) ring out for 7 o’clock. Just off the church square is a narrow cobblestone street stretching toward the old city ramparts and it is nestled along this street that you will find Eetcafé Il y a. Eetcafé Il y a boasts a modest façade, brushed in various shades of grey, with two tall windows framed in a crisp cream. A small yet charming terrace spills out in front but tonight, we are dining indoors… It may sound corny but I was “sold” on this restaurant the moment I crossed the threshold. There is (il y a) a distinct vibe hugging the place that envelopes you. The décor is an eclectic mix of styles – contemporary and quirky, light and shade – with dark wood furniture and hard wood floors.
French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish cuisines inspire the menu in terms of presentation, style and taste. We opted for 3 courses and each morsel was devoured. With gusto! There are more than 40 different wines (available by the glass) to choose from, and the staff is well equipped to advise you on a suitable accompaniment for your meal. The wines (even the house wines) are of a good quality. And I must mention our waitress – Susan – whose friendly and attentive service really added to our overall experience. So whether you are a local or are a visitor to the beautiful city of Maastricht, be sure to make some time to visit this gem of a restaurant. Bon Ap!
As we were led to our table, I caught snatches of animated Tip: “Eetcafé Il y a” is proving very popular, so it’s strongly conversation (in various languages) mixing with the backadvised to make a (dinner) reservation. ground music and the concert of cutlery on plates and clinking on glasses. (TRACEY TAYLOR) Eetcafé Il y a
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Koestraat 7 6211 HR Maastricht Opening times: Monday - Friday from 17:00 / Saturday & Sunday as of 12:30. Tel. + 31 43 32 50 777 E-mail: info@eetcafeilya.nl
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l A dedicated Babies Centre.
l A superb and dedicated staff – qualied as teachers, nurses, and trained in rst aid and emergency responses.
l A dedicated Toddler Centre (Day Care with pre-school). l A dedicated After School Club with pick ups from HSV, local schools, French Lycee, German School, European School, amongst others. l Secure environment rich with toys and learning opportunities. l All programmes are in English. l A wealth of extra-curricular activities – swimming, music lessons, French language, Dutch language, Irish Dancing, Ballet, Judo, Drama and Music.
l An active parents committee which make all the major decisions. l An all inclusive price which includes 2 hot meals a day and nappies. l 500 sq metres of indoor space in a modern ground oor setting, 20m from Albert Heijn XL on Eland Straat. One tram stop north of the city. l Great garden measuring 120 sq metres.
Zoutman Straat 19-23, Den Haag, 2518 GL
070 363 4070 / 06 2732 5236 www.bigbenkids.com tht_May_2014 - 2_RV.indd 22
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SPORTS
MAY 2014 | 23
Hockey World Championships come to The Hague
UK youth crosses Channel
SWINDON | Each of the age group sections within the Swindon Town academy sailed to Europe in April, to take part in the club’s regular tour of Holland. Every section from under 10s to under 15s, and even a handful of under nines, got the chance to play in games against De Graafschap and Excelsior Rotterdam as well as in tournaments involving the likes of Den Haag and Sparta Rotterdam, during their five-day trips. Academy director Jeremy Newton stressed the importance of the time away in teaching Town’s youngsters how to prepare for tournament football.
Amateur injuries unclaimed LEUSDEN | Dutch amateur athletes are
unaware of the possibility to recover the costs of sports injuries from opponents or sports associations. In addition, insurance companies often outright reject claims while these turn out to be easily defendable, says personal injury lawyer Richard van Beek of legal services organization ARAG. “This is cause for concern, because the financial consequences of sustaining sports injuries are much more significant now than they were in the past.” Van Beek blames the systematic breakdown of the Dutch welfare state.
Photo: KNHB
The upcoming hockey World Championships in The Hague are the hockey fan’s highlight of the year. This year, spectators will see both the Dutch men and women in action. JOEP DERKSEN reports. “The World Championships hockey will be the best tournament ever in history.” The tournament will be held in The Hague from 31 May until the 15th of June. All hockey fans are eagerly looking forward to this hockey highlight of the year. The World Championships are organized by the KNHB (Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond, Royal Dutch Hockey Union). The official announcement that the Netherlands would host such a prestigious tournament was made in January 2013 by Johan Wakkie (60), director of the hockey union. He predicted that “around 200,000 visitors” are expected to look at the hockey achievements from the men and women players. Therefore, he spoke of a “double tournament” and said: “We strive for the best of the best.” Wakkie was quoted in the Telegraaf on 24 January 2013: ‘This tournament will not solely be a Dutch party. Fans from countries of all five continents will come to The Hague. The world should and will feel at home at our tournament.” The motto of the tournament is ‘Let’s celebrate hockey’ and 76 duels will be played in the football stadium of ADO Den Haag and the temporary GreenFields Stadium, which is located besides the Kyocera Stadium. Arjen Rahusen is spokesperson for the KNHB and he informs The Holland Times: “Everything is going according to schedule. Nine days have been sold out already and we are very proud of this. Apparently we are able to get in touch with the right people.” What does Rahusen mean by this comment? “In the world of hockey, it is remarkable that you can sell 15,000 tickets per day. It is possible that this is also due to the fact that this year’s World Championship involves the matches from both the Dutch men and women.” Does this success mean that the KNHB wants to organize more events like the World Championships? Rahusen laughs: “It does taste sweet, but we are also depending on the types of tournaments that are allocated to us.” One of the special events that are organized, is a ‘warmloopdag’ (warm up day) for all volunteers on 29 May. “Then they know what is going on at such a tournament,” says the spokes-
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person. Also, local tournaments are organized at hockey clubs throughout the country, to remind the children of this special World Championship event that is being held in the Netherlands. For adults and children, an ‘Embassy Tournament’ is organized on 29 May as well. Around 2,000 people are expected, linked to the EU, international organizations and embassies of all participating countries. Before the competition starts that day, the children can enjoy a flag parade. The ‘nations teams’ (landenteams) compete with each other to achieve the ultimate glory. This tournament ends with a competition between national politicians and the ‘rainbow team’, consisting of representatives of embassies from different nations. All proceedings will go to the charity ‘Save the children’. As is customary with any tournament nowadays, the organizers have also introduced a new mascot: ‘Stockey’. This mascot is a stork with a curl in its beak, symbolizing a hockey stick. Stockey is said to be the cousin of Storky; the (stork) mascot of the football club ADO Den Haag. On social media, the name ‘Stock-
ey’ was ridiculed by some Dutch citizens. It was claimed that this would mean ‘asshole’. Website Urbandictionary.com states the description of ‘Stockey’ as: ‘Short people with a lot of muscle that will [expletive] your day up quick if you piss them off.’ However, Rahusen thinks that these statements are incorrect. “We have asked many British citizens whether ‘Stockey’ is a foul word in English, but this is not the case.” During the tournament, it is not only all about hockey. Visitors have plenty opportunities to enjoy music, food and drinks. Many of the matches of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup can be seen on national television. The audience is entertained during the intermissions. Not only because of the enthousiastic cheerleaders, but one lucky viewer can also return home with a brand new Volvo, playing a hockey variant of the jeu de boules game. Children in the audience are also eligible for prizes, when they catch any of the plastic balls that are being shot into the audience. Want to let your family and friends know that you are part of the hockey crowd? Then you can use the ‘fan cam’; tag
yourself via social media and show the world where you are. And if you’re really lucky, the ‘kiss cam’ will be aimed at you. Kiss the person next to you and win any of, hold on…, not one but three pairs of slippers! The opening match will be between Australia, reigning World Champion, and Malaysia. During their very first match on 31 May, the Dutch women hockey players will be competing against Japan on prime time (7:45 pm). The Dutch men will face Argentina the day after (4 pm). Tickets to the two final days, 14 June (women’s final) and 15 June (men’s final), were the first to be sold out. With a budget of 12.5 million euro, this tournament is sure to become a huge success. Whether or not the World Cup will be as successful for the Netherlands as the recent Summer Olympics in London were, remains to be seen. At that event, the Dutch hockey teams reigned supreme - gold for the women and silver for the men. But if there’s one thing you can say about the Dutch, it is that they are enthusiastic sports fans. No matter the results, you can bet those bleachers will be orange all over.
Photo: www.oranjewk2014.nl
Gold for Dutch runner
PALO ALTO | Dutch distance runner and European Junior Championships gold medalist Jip Vastenburg won the 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational in an impressive 32:11.90. With this victory, she moves swiftly to the top of the European Athletics rankings. That performance would have put her eighth overall in 2013 based on a whole summer. When she won the 5,000m crown in Rieti in 16:03.31, she spoke of the determination she had put into aiming for that title. She looks to be a major contender in Europe and could play a big part at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich in August.
“Strootman irreplaceable” ROME | Dutch trainer Louis van Gaal
has said Kevin Strootman is irreplaceable, with the Roma midfielder ruled out of the World Cup through injury. Strootman suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury playing for Roma in the 1-0 defeat to Napoli last month and, through that, will miss the World Cup in Brazil this summer. The injury is also likely to put pay to any potential move to Manchester United, as had been widely reported, in the summer with Strootman out for a prolonged period of time. Van Gaal will leave his position as head coach of the Holland national team following the World Cup.
Photo: www.dailyfootballnews.org
Third Truly Classic 90
ZAANDAM | Claasen Shipyards is
Photo: Chris Hills
proceeding with the construction of its third Truly Classic 90 on behalf of an American client, with the launching planned for the spring of 2016. The Truly Classic 90ft is one of the most popular yacht models. Sister yachts Kealoha and Atalante were launched by Claasen Shipyards in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Like its predecessors, this third Truly Classic 90 will have a distinguished and traditional look reminiscent of the J-class Lionheart, also built by Claasen Shipyards.
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Rent a luxurious apartment in the heart of the hague
oasis of peace and quiet in a busy city centre living in style in a stately monument • luxurious apartments from 60 m2 to 285 m2 • Fully equiped gym in the building • Own parking on the secure grounds • Fulltime facility manager • Landscaped gardens • Several safety and privacy measures (like video intercom, own safe and alarmsystem) • Own seperate storage • Possibilities to rent fully furnished • Possibilities for short-stay • Prices from € 1100,- and up
Willemspark, the hague • In the city centre, 5 minutes walk from the exclusive shopping areas • Nearby all city centre facilities • Tram and bus stops at ca 100 meters • 10 minutes from the main highways A12/A4/A13 • Incredible views • 10 minutes from the famous beaches at Scheveningen • Near the Peace Palace and a big park / woodlands
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