The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 6 #1

vol. 6 #1 – 23 October 2012

The Sentinel Amsterdam

Integrity, heart, humour

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eco-travel

SPAIN: THE SOUND OF SILENCE

FRANCE: THE MEMORY OF WATER

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in this issue

culture - p. 18

art - p. 50

Spain: The sound of silence

Naked Brussels

Master Chefs

‘A closely knitted bundle of buildings and houses crowded on top of a tall grey mountain’

‘A fine and diverse city’

restaurant review - p. 58

health & well-being - p. 74

sport - p. 86

Shanti

A time to cleanse

The Gold Room

‘The little-known Sanskrit word for peace’

‘Seeking doesn’t always mean finding’

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feature - p.04

more eco-travel - p. 30

travel - p. 44

perspectives - p. 54

France: The memory of water

Australia’s next virgin

I have a dream

star beer guidel - p. 64

amsterdam city lifel - p. 67

spotted - p. 70

Duvel (Citra, 2012)

bring back

Where is this in Amsterdam?

film review - p. 71

trends - p. 72

technology - p. 78

room 2c

Style watch (out)

Your technology

sport - p. 82

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On the Volley

The Sentinel Amsterdam

E-mail: sentinelpost@gmail.com Website: www.thesentinel.eu Contributors: Eva Haan, Sam van Dam, David King, Dirkje BakkerPierre, Evelina Kvartunaite and Simon Joseph

Editors: Gary Rudland & Denson Pierre Design, realisation and form: Andrei Barburas & No-Office.nl Webmaster: www.sio-bytes.tumblr.com Webhost: Amsterjammin.com

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photos/illustrations that are subject to copyright.

If you consider your copyright to have been infringed, please contact us at sentinelpost@gmail.com.

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The Sound

of Silence

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Breathtaking Valencia province and the immaculate village of Bocairent

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By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

With newspapers in the Netherlands full of talk about Spain’s desperate economic situation and raging forest fires in the Valencia region, I am not sure what to expect on arrival at the city’s Manises Airport: Spain’s eighth-busiest airport in terms of passenger volume.

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‘A beautiful landscape packed with history, stories, olive trees and orange groves’

The rich history of the former kingdom of Valencia surrounds us, almost as if we are time travelling. The Moors ruled this region for a long time, before the Christians took over, and the villages and towns are a mix of historic buildings, with some parts even dating back to the Romans. Our journey leads us through a gargantuan gorge, where the road is lined by steep mountains, as if we are the river cutting right through them.

The village on the mountain

Suddenly, the village of Bocairent is upon us. A closely knitted bundle of buildings and houses crowded on top of a tall grey mountain, as if it had been lifted above the earth and deposited in heaven. Do the gods live here? An image of Mount Olympus flashes through my mind. Was this even real?

It is already late, so we quickly head to our hotel; a magnificent old house with a traditional interior and welcoming rooms. After dinner we are offered a late-night tour of the village. It’s the quietest walk I’ve ever taken in my life. It is only about 10.30pm but the moonlit streets of the historic village are completely empty. It is as if we have accidentally walked on to an empty movie set. The additional light from the streetlamps envelopes everything in a golden haze. The air is gentle and warm, and the only sounds are those of our footsteps. The tiny village in the clouds harbours a famous cathedral with an intricately painted ceiling, sometimes referred to as ‘the Sistine Chapel of Valencia’ by the locals. At this time of night the doors are opened especially for us. The people we meet in Bocairent have a quiet self-assurance about them; they seem as connected to the stone beneath them as the village itself.

Into the hills of fire

The village looks different in the still morning light, but it is just as quiet as the night before. The houses are painted in a variety of earthy and pastel shades, and the street signs are made from beautifully painted ceramic tiles, a speciality of the Valencia region. The impressive bullring in the centre of town is carved out of the grey stone of the mountain beneath us. It is still used once a year for ‘fights’ and it is a strange sensation to stand in the middle of the arena like a torero; a personal encounter with a cultural aspect of Spain that is hard to understand for outsiders, like me. It provokes the same kind of discussion on hypocrisy as does the Zwarte Piet phenomenon in Dutch culture.

‘Through a gargantuan gorge, where the road is lined by steep mountains, as if we are the river cutting right through them’

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Initially, things seem fine. The weather is gently warm, the airport seems nicely busy and, after a warm welcome, we are on the road within a couple of minutes. The drive from Valencia to our destination, the village of Bocairent, is an experience in itself.

It takes us right to the heart of the province and a completely different state of mind. Provided you have a good driver (and we had a great one), it is a worthwhile journey. The winding roads take you through a beautiful landscape packed with history, stories, olive trees and orange groves. The fertile countryside, speckled with ancient villages, makes me feel slightly jealous, given that I was arriving from the Netherlands, where everything is so straight-lined and man-made.

A sigh escapes my lips as we drive further into the glorious landscape. Yes, this is definitely a very, very nice part of the world.

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‘Hills are bristling with lavender, aniseed flowers, rosemary and all sorts of different herbs, scented flowers and bushes’ From the bullring we walk out of the village to discover the surrounding area. The hills are bristling with lavender, aniseed flowers, rosemary and all sorts of different herbs, scented flowers and bushes. A pilgrims’ route next to the village ascends a mountain covered in yellow bushes and black trees; the remnants of previous forest fires. The news today is that several fires are still ravaging the area. We hear the sad news that one of the hotels belonging to the same owners as the one at which we will be staying that night is dangerously threatened by the fires. So much so that all the guests have to be relocated; a reality check on how close the fires really are.

By the time we reach the bottom of the stairs, a few drops of rain begin to fall, so we hurry inside, which isn’t easy as the interiors are tiny. The caves are about 1.0-1.3 metres in height and the walls are of stark white rock, which sheds a bit of chalky dust here and there.

The view from the tiny square windows is marvellous.

It’s like being a hobbit in a perfect little house! We

Welcome rain

By the time we leave the caves, it is seriously raining and we walk back up the mountain as quickly as we can, being careful not to lose our footing on the now slippery rocks. We manage to make it back to the minibus and head north through a wet and foggy landscape. Locals tell us it had been three months since it last rained and they are hoping the rain will persist and douse the forest fires. It’s a different panorama to the usual sunny landscapes but the dark-grey, rolling clouds create a completely new and dramatic beauty.

The following day, we rise to a raging storm but the good news is that the fires have been extinguished and the farmers are happy. We set off on a boat trip that could have featured in the Lord of the Rings, on magically green water surrounded by dramatic views of erratically shaped mountains with fog rolling down them toward us. Occasionally, we pass a ruin or castle visible on the mountain tops.

News that a bridge in the neighbourhood has been washed away by the rain greets us on day three. There had been a complete reversal from fire to water over our few days in the Province of Valencia. It feels like a fitting narrative for a country in which people seem very connected to the land and extremely proud of it. It seems that wherever nature is so stunningly beautiful, it is easy to love it and live in harmony with it.

‘It’s like being a hobbit in a perfect little house!‘

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After a walk down the hill we come close to a sheersided mountain we have already spotted a few times.

Its face is dotted with little squares, 50 to be precise.

Our guide, Mateo, tells us that each of these squares was the window to a small cave carved into the side of the mountain. The theory is that the caves were used to store food in ancient times, but no one really knows for sure. Back then, it was only possible to reach the caves via ropes hanging from the top of the mountain. These days, there are two stairways leading up to the caves and all of the cavities have been connected, creating a crazy labyrinth within the mountain.

make our way from cave to cave, through extremely narrow passages, and it is quite a challenge to get all of our limbs through in ≠one piece. I felt like a kid on the greatest climbing frame ever.

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‘It’s a different panorama to the usual sunny landscapes but the dark-grey, rolling clouds create a completely new and dramatic beauty’

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‘A boat trip that could have featured in the Lord of the Rings, on magically green water surrounded by dramatic views of erratically shaped mountains with fog rolling down them toward us’

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culture

culture

Naked Brussels

By Denson Pierre

It is hoped that the following photos offer an appreciable glimpse of Euro Capital City. Brussels is relatively close to Amsterdam and the Netherlands, and has a cultural and fun output that is very accessible to anyone not overly preoccupied with what the city ‘means’ and ‘represents’, in bureaucratic terms, to European Union citizens. This is a fine and diverse city, which works very hard on its image, and it is down to you to check it out properly and without prejudgement. You may come to realise why Brussellers are not exactly furious if you fail to get the goodness they lay down in front of you, hence leaving more for them and those who do.

I’m struggling to think of another city that can offer comparable sights and sounds, ranging from a Brad Pitt-owned art gallery and jazz café (L‘Archiduc) to a lightweight Betty Boop floating silently above the royal courtyard at the heart of Europe.

‘It is down to you to check it out properly and without pre-judgement’

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A sunshine-soaked walk through Brussels on a Saturday morning/afternoon can bring enjoyment and education, especially if you are being guided. The central, old city can cause navigational suffering to the unfamiliar tourist, however. I believe that, historically, the city grew outwards from its core without any particular Roman-style street layout planning, as generally found elsewhere. It is a spider’s web, which can exhaust and frustrate. With a local in tow, however, the pleasures of smooth pedestrian travel were re-introduced to our lives.

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eco-travel

– ‘The people of Poitu Charentes were intent on showing their table-topping, eco-conscious wares’ –

The memory of water 30

By Denson Pierre

Ultimately, it was a fine way to end a summer of travel for me. Atout France and the people of Poitu Charentes were intent on showing their table-topping, eco-conscious wares and they even saved the best for last. Being honest, though, this does not mean best in terms of better than the rest of the trip but the last full day was just more.

Now we were on Ile d’Oleron, the largest of the three islands, waking to another refined breakfast, this time at the major eco-label awarded, Les Cleunes Hotel (www.hotel-les-cleunes.com). Even though this hotel is part of a chain, it manifests the commendable intentions of its owners, who are committed to the sense and advantages of the sustainable approach, even in a medium-sized, luxury operation.

cunning engineering is there to behold, from showers instead of baths and motion- and sound-activated lighting to natural, biodegradable detergents used in cleaning, even on an industrial scale (as much as possible). Evidently, the kitchen and cleaning towels are made of special micro-fibres, meaning more efficient absorption and minimal need for detergents for simple cleaning jobs.

Breakfast, consisting of totally local organic produce and homemade jams, was followed by a round-table discussion, during which Herve and Christine explained how their approach works and its benefits*.

Most of the discussion revolved around how difficult it can be to keep the eco-labelling assessors happy, at times, but this was balanced by the knowledge that the hotel’s many guests all leave with a better sense of how energy can be saved and less inorganic toxins used in ‘cleaning’, as well as in modern, efficient, landscaped garden care. They use organic material in the garden soil mix, which retains water in greater quantity for much longer periods and, in so doing, greatly reduces demand in this readily arid area. All manner of

*Energy and resource saving: 30% on gas 30% on water use 50% less watering of gardens due to special mulch Rechargeable batteries on door locks Waste paper recycled and re-used in the form of stationary and in toilets Political association of councils to administer the ‘total local’ policy On cue, we were joined by the local expert and head of the association (http://www.iodde.org/) charged with educating visitors and hobbyist foot-fishermen, women and children on the balanced approach to

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– ‘Use organic material in the garden soil mix, which retains water in greater quantity for much longer periods’ –

collecting edible shelled creatures from the seemingly unending, low-tide, sand and mud flats. Last year close to 250,000 visitors arrived for this activity.

Scientifically monitoring the prosperity of the stock is critically important, therefore, and also part of what the association does in collaboration with the regional institutions of higher marine biology, etc. We, for now, were going to see how it was actually done (see photos).

Next we would head to La Baudissiere to visit an oyster farm with a difference. A large area of d’Oleron can be seen as the French headquarters of the very traditional business of oyster farming and the last thing I expected to find there was a Dutchman (Brabant) leading the operation at an established and professional farm, together with his wife (local) and two young daughters.

The girls have the most fun by showing how much they enjoy the sunshine with an understanding of the hard work involved in bringing these peculiar molluscs to the mouths of those who have acquired the taste.

Oyster farming has been proven to prosper within a sustainable model but, nonetheless, has also proven that intensity of farming and the overall condition of the seas close to land, these days, can threaten their existence.

To crown this entire journey, we next drove to what must be considered a very mature eco-labelled camping complex. La Brande was originally a farm (1933), until the father of the current owner/director, Alain, rid himself of the livestock and converted the property into a campsite, just at a time when the popularity of this pastime was growing in Europe (1973). What is

Dinner that evening was full of hilarity and beauty.

We were booked into the ‘kitsch kitchen’ styled Le Drugstore. After all the seriousness and layers of stories over the previous three days, it was fine to relax in the ambiance of an establishment whose proprietor preferred surfing to opening the restaurant during the week. Lovely food and drink, and our last chance to observe locals dine and relax to cool music. Both coastal and island life are always different.

Next morning, as we readied ourselves for the drive back up to Nantes, to connect to Amsterdam, I could not help but wonder about balance and human needs.

Human fouling and tampering, as well as our impact on the other creatures sharing the global ecology.

Back on the oyster farm, I had learned of a plague that has decimated the oyster stock in recent years.

No definitive cause has been established regarding the emergence of this disease but the effect has been dramatic. In order to meet production goals for a mature, edible supply, the farmers now have to sow some 20,000,000 oyster ‘babies’ per year, instead of the 6,000,000 required to produce the same yield in previous years. The battle goes on and the tourism industry, for one, is coming to terms with the importance of warnings from nature; finding ways to extend our education in its workings, while still feeding our undying need for leisure.

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Of the islands, d’Oleron can be considered the sporty one. Due to its size, great roads, cycle paths and trails, this was one for us Dutch crew. After lunch at the charming and friendly Les Poissons Rouges, we collected bikes and went on a 90-minute tour through areas that we would have been unable to access by motor vehicle. This also allowed us a chance to breeze past the vast range of public and private sporting facilities along the route, as well as to comfortably navigate the cosy town centre of Les Trojans les Bains.

Ideal sport, leisure and sightseeing for the entire family.

outstanding is the lack of fuss about a fully integrated sustainable complex, in terms of energy saving, waste disposal and other innovative ways to reduce impact on the natural environment, while supporting human leisure. I mentioned maturity and this is illustrated by the fact that they have been using vast arrays of solar panels to generate energy and heat water since 1985.

Not many can claim to have been so proactive for so long in what many have come to regard as an obvious need to do our little bit to leave behind something of a planet that can be enjoyed in a healthy way by generations to follow. As Alain said, when asked about his motivations for being so meticulously eco-conscious on the estate and region in which he grew up, “I love it here, it is beautiful and I just want to be sure it is here for others to enjoy in future.” Inspirational and nicely put.

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– ‘Of the islands, d’Oleron can be considered the sporty one’

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– ‘“I love it here, it is beautiful and I just want to be sure it is here for others to enjoy in future.”’ _

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_ ‘The battle goes on and the tourism industry, for one, is coming to terms with the importance of warnings from nature’ _

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travel

– ‘Share your stories of success or momentary failure with a sympathetic ear’

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Australia’s next virgin

By Eva Haan

The past couple of weeks have made me realise more than ever the truth of this. I live in Melbourne with the most amazing girl, who I last saw three and a half years ago but who welcomed me with open arms into her and her boyfriend’s home and told me I could stay as long as I wanted. Since then, she has played a big part in how much fun Melbourne has been, by showing me around town, introducing me to the best places to visit and taking me to the Royal Melbourne Show. This agricultural show also has amusement rides, ‘Sideshow alley’ and ‘Showbags’: carrier bags full of goodies from different commercial enterprises. All of this is very much loved by both adults and kids and it doesn’t seem to matter how old you are when visiting a fair – having a great time and feeling like a kid again are always guaranteed!

We have had a lot of fun together but the highlight was definitely last weekend when, in addition to one of my

closest friends from Estonia arriving and joining me on this who-knows-what-tomorrow-will-bring journey, we all decided to take a day trip to the Great Ocean Road: one of world’s most scenic coastal drives and definitely a must-see when in Australia. The road is 243 km long and passes through places like Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell. It offers views of some of the most amazing beaches, rock formations (the most memorable of which being The Twelve Apostles – wow!) and all-round natural beauty you are ever likely to come across. Just thinking about everything I saw gives me goose bumps. It was one picturesque place after another, in great company and, as the icing on the cake, we saw a koala bear, a wallaby and a kakadu. The first two were from as close as two metres away, thanks to the quick reactions of our dear driver and the courage of the animals to not run away as we approached. Words fail me in trying to explain everything I saw and felt; it’s one of those things you have to experience for yourself to truly understand.

I count myself very lucky in terms of having a strong network of people on my side. In the two months I have been here I have met so many wonderful personalities, strangers have become friends and people who I had not seen for years have shown me kindness and shared their stories and lives with me; always letting me know that if anything goes wrong, they’re just a phone call away.

Being able to share all these beautiful places and adventures with people I care about is what makes the memories the sweetest of all.

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Anyone who has ever made the decision to move country knows that it means leaving your comfort zone (family, friends, job, etc.) behind and welcoming all the struggles – or, as I like to call them, adventures – that await.

It is important to form a new network of friends and people you trust around you as quickly as possible. At the end of a long day there is nothing more comforting than being able to share your stories of success or momentary failure with a sympathetic ear.

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– ‘One of my closest friends from Estonia arriving and joining me on this who-knows-what-tomorrow-will-bring journey’

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– ‘I count myself very lucky in terms of having a strong network of people on my side’

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art

Accesible Art 50

By Denson Pierre

The Bookstore Foundation, headed by the charismatic Johanna de Schipper, continues to breathe artistic energy into the heart of its community, while seamlessly getting the word out about its projects to the wider Amsterdam public. The Bookstore and The Novel are glittering examples of how the arts can touch and improve the optional quality of life, not only for those already involved in cultural undertakings but pitched at a level that makes it accessible to the immediate community.

On 6 October, Johanna hosted the truly thought-tingling, educational and yet welcoming installation and performance evening: MASTER CHEFS OF ART, LOVE & HATE. Keep your eyes trained on activities emanating from this address, as the foundation’s work is sincerely engaging and the reception always uniquely eccentric.

THE BOOKSTORE Ernest Staesstraat 1 1061 BZ Amsterdam

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Ernest Staesstraat 1, 1061 BZ Amsterdam

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perspectives

‘Wouldn’t it be great if the best things in life were really free’

I have a dream 54

By Sam van Dam

Wouldn’t it be great if the best things in life were really free, as it is claimed in that famous song? It would, indeed, but since nothing happens unless we make it happen, in the 1960s a group of Amsterdam ‘Provos’ decided that it was in the best interests of the general public to make bikes freely available for everyone to use. Under a plan that sought to implement a scheme of ‘white’ cars, houses and, yes, bikes, free unlocked bikes would be found everywhere! Sounds like a dream come true for us Amsterdammers, who regularly suffer the miserable fate of having our steel horses stolen and the unwanted drama this brings, like the cost and annoyance of having to obtain a new bike, trained and prepared for the rough traffic in a typical Dutch urban scenario.

If anyone could just pick up one of those white bikes on any street corner, free of charge, why steal one, right?

Unfortunately, this approach did not take into account human nature. The free bikes were ‘stolen’ the moment they hit the narrow streets of Amsterdam, or any other city where the system has subsequently been trialled under real-life conditions. Since the bikes were free to use, they were not really stolen, of course, but simply taken out of circulation by miscreants who painted them a different colour, to disguise where they came from. Bizarrely enough, those lucky few bikes that were not stolen by common thieves were impounded by the Amsterdam police as, according to municipal law, it was illegal to leave your bike unlocked outside.

This is possibly still the case but the idea of leaving a bike, no matter how wrecked or ugly, unlocked on the street these days is such a foolish notion. The Provos countered the police’s somewhat twisted logic by adding combination locks to the bikes when they reissued them on the streets, but not before painting the combination for each lock on the bikes themselves.

Another pitfall with this system is that if you use one of the bikes to get from A to B and then leave it unlocked outside your destination, it would most likely be snapped up by the next user, forcing you to fall back on your built-in personal transportation equipment: feet. Unless, of course, free bikes were widely available, reducing the need for anybody to ride off into the

sunset with the one you temporarily secured for yourself. However, considering that the Provo plan started with only 50 white bikes, which was meant to be followed by a further 20,000 that never materialised, this magnificent idea was doomed to fail from the very beginning. Jammer, as the Dutch say.

These days, there are various working systems implemented in cities around the world, none of them based on the idea of simply supplying bikes for free. All of them, instead, require some kind of membership or a monetary deposit. Not as romantic as the Provo plan but it works for those who maintain the bikes and the necessary infrastructure, and for the users, who can rely on a network of readily available vehicles, within a reasonable distance and at a fair price. Free bikes for all remains a dream, for now. It seems that we are not yet able to drown out that little voice in our heads that keeps on whispering, “Take the bike, it’s not even locked, take it and make it your own!”

This egocentric misbehaviour is most likely inspired by the biblical encouragement to make each and every plant and beast on this pretty planet a subject of our selfish desire to consume mindlessly, while willingly plunging ourselves headfirst into a future that will probably hold a much worse fate in store for us than stolen bikes, judging by the wicked weather brewing outside my window lately.

perspectives

‘It was in the best interests of the general public to make bikes freely available for everyone to use’

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‘Leaving a bike, no matter how wrecked or ugly, unlocked on the street these days is such a foolish notion’ Amsterdam Provos: click here for more info The White Plans: click here for more info Bike Sharing Systems: click here for more info

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Authentic and full of surprises. That’s Mechelen. Hospitable and honourable. That’s the people of Mechelen. Come and experience the city’s urban charms for yourself.

Authentic and full of surprises. That’s Mechelen. Hospitable and honourable. That’s the people of Mechelen. Come and experience the city’s urban charms for yourself.

photography © Milo Profi

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Mechelen Mechelen

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restaurant review

restaurant review

‘It just feels very wholesome and healthy even before you consider the food’

Shanti

8.5

By Denson Pierre

Shanti Av. Adolphe Buyl 68 1050 Bruxelles (Ixelles) 59

It takes a great deal of courage to start by naming a restaurant, in a busy, university district, after the little-known Sanskrit word for peace. This restaurant, which I visited in the company of my wife, was highlighted by our hosts, Toerisme België voor Wallonië & Brussel, as one of the city’s finer examples of a vegetarian restaurant that is not deliberately Asian in its theme. I thank them for their consideration, as Shanti turned out to be more than just a meal but an altogether unexpected and charming experience.

The restaurant is located some 20 minutes from the town centre, by tram or bus, but every metre of the journey feels worthwhile when you climb the stairs to be greeted by as beautiful and elegant a hostess as Chantelle. She has been there some five years, operating as the link between the hard-working chefs and the dining floor. You enter into what I would best describe as a warmly decorated, third-floor conservatory and greenhouse. This large room opens out on to a petite roof terrace, covered in decorative plants. It just feels very wholesome and healthy even before you consider the food.

As the process of ordering was initiated, the background music selection of 20th-century, avantgarde, piano music added to the ambiance of the warm evening. The drinks and food all arrived with elegance and in a timely fashion, and were all consumed with such pleasurable, flavour-filled ease that it saves me from having to explain what was on the easily modified and changing menu. Instead I must simply recommend this restaurant as one that truly offers the finest flavours for this type of food that I have come across in my 22 years of strict vegetarianism. What a treat! Should you find yourself in Brussels and wish to seek out a meat-free, fully healthy and balanced meal, within a celebratory space, then Shanti is for you.

At the time we reached our post-meal drink, instead of a dessert, the skies of Brussels exploded with millions of shiny elements in a large fireworks display.

Never before have I felt the urge to associate brilliant pyrotechnics with the quality of a restaurant visit, but on that September evening we both did. Shanti is class and even more in tune with the international vibe of Brussels when you learn that the chefs are Ecuadorian, Chantelle is Congolese, the working languages are Spanish, French and English and everyone is relaxed and always smiling.

Go find out for yourself; based on my colleagues’ dining-experience ratings, I feel no qualms in awarding the experience and food at Shanti a conservative 8.5!

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‘I must simply recommend this restaurant as one that truly offers the finest flavours for this type of food’

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www.yourtuliptour.com

For complete and world class tours of Prague Packages include: • Hidden and playful Prague (for families with young children) • Literary Prague • Prague Architecture through the ages • Religion and the city • The old city at night *These are detailed tours designed for visitors who wish to explore with great detail and not suitable for simply sight-seeing tourists.

Day segments and rates: PR: 08:00-12:30hrs / AG: 13:30-16:30hrs / UE: 17:30-21:30hrs All sessions are priced at u 25 per single adult.

Group size upper limit = 8.

Accompanied children under the age of five are gratis and school aged children pay 25%. Family package rates are negotiable.

Contact:

Jaroslav Cernosek +420 602 228 797 Mail: jcernosek@centrum.cz

JC Tours

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star beer guide

star beer guide

The Sentinel Star beer guide

By Denson Pierre

Duvel (Citra, 2012)

(9.5% A.B.V.)

‘Duvel is capitalising on its position at the very top of the beer brewers’ tree’ 65

You know you are dealing with the ultimate master brewers when they can concoct a beer of such strength and yet so expansive in subtle tastes, exceeding the very best of those within the 4-7% alcohol range. Due to the high and traditional standing of the Duvel-Moorgat brewery, the original Duvel is a high-yeast variant through which many would have entered the ‘Real Beer’ universe.

Duvel is capitalising on its position at the very top of the beer brewers’ tree and will now feature a guest hop each year, to create

a new dynasty of beers unique within that vintage. The 2012 Citra I wish they would just keep producing in perpetuity, it’s that good.

Duvel (Citra, 2012) is brewed by DuvelMoorgat, Puurs, Belgium.

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amsterdam city life

: K C A B G N BRI LIVE MUSIC IN REGULAR CAFES AND BARS

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By Denson Pierre

At the beginning of the noughties the authorities, in their wisdom, decreed that amateur and even ‘bar-level’ musicians should be paid fully as professionals, leaving proprietors to deal with the tax administration this entails. Amsterdam being Amsterdam and Dutch owners being Dutch owners, this change in regulation led to the immediate demise of both acoustic and amplified music as a common, fun-featured experience throughout the city; away from professional podiums, which are of course a very different thing, and frankly all of which are extortionately priced, these days.

Where are those upcoming musicians, with only a few covers or of a very limited but fun repertoire suited to punters who have had a few drinks, meant to learn how to perform publicly? Where can the troubadour grab a few glasses of beer and spontaneously wow those present with renditions of surprising quality? How can you meet and flirt with a wannabe musician you know full well will never make it beyond playing their vocal chords and fingertips raw for mere beer tokens and alcohol soaked compliments?

The entire city has become so boring in the evenings with only the lottery of digital sound systems and the whim of staff in these hospitality establishments, thinking themselves to be DJs, for entertainment.

The live music scene in regular bars always made for a super gezellig atmosphere, as there was always a connection between the performers, the bar’s takings and those present. It added a very special air to the evening entertainment offer across the city. Even professionals are known to like free-styling for fun, if the opportunity arises, but now everyone suffers because someone, somewhere thought there was a lot of money being made by bar musicians and not enough of it was making its way to the tax office.

The Sentinel says bring back bar owners and managers’ ability to indulge the musically bent in entertaining punters as a pure fun exchange in cafés and bars. Surely something so fiscally benign need not be taxed to the point that it disappears completely.

recommended

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Bourbon Street, October 11, 2012

ended Recomm

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35 75To- Be Fax 033 - 454 35 79Connoisseurs Delight Seen and Tasted filmproef@eurogifts.nl te: www.eurogifts.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

ORDERNUMMER: 6 ARTIKELNUMMER: 6

Opera Prima Patisserie Bistro Traiteur The best place in town for lunch, exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering, both private and corporate!

Mulligans Irish Music Bar Amsterdam’s best address for live Irish music: Five (5) nights a week! Check our agenda for upcoming sessions.

St. Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdam www.tisfris.nl

Kinkerstraat 228 Amsterdam www.operaprima.nl

Amstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdam www.mulligans.nl

To Be Seen and Tasted

Connoisseurs Delight

To Be Seen and Tasted

Cafe restaurant Edel Cafe restaurant Edel is the perfect place for lunch, dinner or to simply enjoy a drink. Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam.

Café Kostverloren Café Kostverloren is a contemporary cafe offering the cosiness of a saloon, an open kitchen and the intimacy of a living room. During summer there is a large, sunny terrace and during winter, an open fireplace!

Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam www.edelamsterdam.nl

Incanto Incanto is a restaurant with a classic Italian kitchen. Venetian chef Simone Ambrosin is known for his pure and simple style of cooking with feeling for nuance.

The wine list contains over 150 Italian wines.

Amstel 2 Amsterdam www.restaurant-incanto.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

Connoisseurs Delight

Neighbourhood cosy

Café Oporto Café Oporto is a traditional Amsterdam ‘brown cafe’.

Welcoming tourists and regular customers alike, they offer televised sports, wireless internet connection and a wide range of reasonably priced beers and spirits.

Planet Rose Planet Rose is the first Caribbean restaurant in the Netherlands, which specializes in Jamaican cuisine. The menu features a daily changing selection of Jamaican/ Caribbean dishes and they ensure that you enjoy the whole experience while dining with them!

Vibes Vibes is a relaxing cafe/cocktail bar / art gallery with a large selection of coffees, herbal teas, homemade cakes and an amazing card of cocktails, made with fresh fruit, by a professional cocktail bartender.

Enjoy our Italian kitchen in a cosy and friendly atmosphere.

Zoutsteeg 1 1012 LX Amsterdam www.cafeoporto.net/home

Nicolaas Beetsstraat 47 Amsterdam www.planetrose.info

Jan Pieter Heijestraat 137 Amsterdam www.wix.com/vibes137/vibes

2e Kostverlorenkade 70 Amsterdam www.cafekostverloren.nl

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Cafe Tisfris Cafe Tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks, funky pillars and terrace. Tisfris offers a friendly service and is a great pit stop for “yummy” refreshments.

spotted

Where is this in Amsterdam?

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Answer to: sentinelpost@gmail.com

room2c

Room 2c film The Natural (1984)

By David King

Baseball is probably the most covered sport in the world of film and, naturally, no-one does it better than the Americans. To combine such tension and drama is no easy feat but then to make you cheer for the hero of the day? That’s just showing off!

This movie features Robert Redford in superstar form, coming from nowhere to help a bunch of habitual losers rise up the league to unheard of glories. Schmaltz at its best.

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LA Confidential (1997) Los Angeles, 1953. The police force is being battered by rumour, murder, sex and corruption. In steps tough guy Russell Crowe as Bud White, believing his black and white, ‘hands on’ approach can lead to crime stopping.

Kim Basinger plays the irresistible temptress with perfect conviction in easily the best film of 1997. Although nominated for 11 Oscars, it won just two, as this was also the year of the great ship Titanic and we all know how that ended.

By dpmotions

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trends

trends

‘Should I be thinking of a whole island full of Victoria Beckham clones, desperately ravaging their partners’ closets in search of ‘wrong’ clothes?’

Style watch (out) 73

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

As trends come and go, some trends are weirder than others, some are big and some are small, and some even come from England.

According to research, 25% of women living in England secretly throw away clothes belonging to their male partners that they deem ugly or unfashionable. Apparently, the focus is on tight swimming trunks, skinny jeans and high-waisted trousers. Socks and sandals are also high on the list of items to mysteriously go missing.

A hefty 72% of the 2,300 women surveyed think there is room for improvement when it comes to their better halves’ dress style, while 40% of women completely control what their husbands wear, by buying all of their clothes for them!

According to the research, the trendsetter for this behaviour is Victoria Beckham, who seems to be considered a role model for improving the looks of her own husband (who we all know).

Let’s assume that the research is correct and that women in England have a much better sense of style than the men, or at least feel they have, and decide what their men wear through their own cunning. It does make me wonder what these women are wearing themselves (if they have any time left to take care of their own style). Should I be thinking of a whole island full of Victoria Beckham clones, desperately

ravaging their partners’ closets in search of ‘wrong’ clothes?

Are there huge bonfires on city squares made from piles of burning sandals and skinnies? Are women dancing around in circles like witches or Indians, but stylishly dressed and in very high heels?

If you are a man reading this column, this is a very serious warning: watch your back when it comes to what you wear.

Safeguard your lycra swimming trunks, Jesus sandals and woollen socks. Do your own shopping and please don’t try to look like David Beckham. Because the only men alive on this planet able to get away with that and not appear gay or deluded are David Beckham and Johnny Depp.

On the other hand, I am curiously looking forward to my next trip to England, to see all these super-stylish, David Beckham-like men everywhere. It sounds like paradise.

health & well-being

– ‘Autumn also brings wind, cold and rain, which can lead to sneezing and coughing’ –

A time to cleanse 74

By Evelina Kvartunaite

health & well-being

– ‘I decided to look into simpler and more natural remedies to fight the last annoying cold I caught’ –

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The change of seasons not only highlights the beauty of nature and its magnificent colours but also brings a little bit of cosiness, which can also make the world seem beautiful. Unfortunately, however, autumn also brings wind, cold and rain, which can lead to sneezing and coughing. Having lived in the Netherlands for a while, I’ve had experience of seeking medical attention and have learned that seeking doesn’t always mean finding. Mostly, it feels like hide-andseek, to be honest.

Dutch doctors’ standard prescription for any medical complaint seems to be Paracetamol. This makes me wonder whether it is merely a lazy response or whether they are sponsored by Paracetamol-producing companies. Finding this solution less effective than I’d hoped, I decided to look into simpler and more natural remedies to fight the last annoying cold I caught. After all, they say that colds go away in five days if you take medicine and seven days if you don’t.

juice, herbal teas and even good old chicken broth. It is important to avoid fizzy drinks, caffeine and alcohol, as they tend to work against you and are diuretics.

Salt

Although this is something that took me a while to get used to, it came highly recommended by all the wise women in my family. Salt is a very good way to remove viral particles and bacteria from your nose and mouth.

Use saline nasal sprays or make your own salt water rinses to irrigate. However, it’s important to avoid exposing yourself to other bacteria and infections (as your body is already struggling), so make sure you use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water in the irrigation solutions.

Wear socks

This may sound silly but it helps to make sure you stay warm and rested as much as possible, since your body is using a lot of the energy to fight off the infection.

Tea

Tea is a magic potion that you shouldn’t ever be shy about drinking, especially if you have a cold. It’s always a matter of taste, however. Did you know that research at Harvard University shows that people who drink five Take plenty of liquids cups of black tea a day for two weeks transform their This is always a good advice and especially if you are immune system T cells to pump out 10 times more not feeling 100%, when it’s even more important to help interferon, to fight cold and flu viruses? ease congestion. Along with water, liquids can include Personally, I swear by ginger, lemon and honey tea,

health & well-being

– ‘Taking a supplement containing garlic allicin could help prevent colds, as well as shorten their duration’

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–

which works wonders. Mint or sage is also a good choice. Green tea is another classic, as the leaves contain antioxidants that can help boost immune function. A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that subjects taking a special preparation of green tea in capsule form experienced 23% fewer bouts of colds and flu, overall, and 36% fewer sick days. Their immune systems also produced more cells that fought off illness-causing bacteria and viruses.

supplement containing garlic allicin could help prevent colds, as well as shorten their duration. The research shows that both consuming garlic in cooking and taking appropriate dosages of garlic supplements (in the form of dehydrated garlic powder, garlic oil or aged garlic extract) can be effective and safe for adults.

Because the safety of garlic supplements hasn’t been tested on children, it’s safest to simply incorporate it in your kids’ diets (one to two cloves, or more, if they like the taste).

Honey

Herbs

Honey, as we all know, is not just sugar. Honey offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties for our bodies and is a hot beauty and skin care tip for the ladies. It also possesses amazing healing properties and is a head-to-toe remedy for anything from conjunctivitis to athlete’s foot. Make sure you don’t boil honey or put it in boiling water: “… when honey is heated above 42˚ C, it transforms into a glue-like substance that is extremely difficult to digest.

This substance is considered a toxin (ama), since it adheres to the tissues of the body and is very difficult to remove.” (quote from the Ayurveda Wellness Center) Garlic

Garlic contains compounds like allicin; an oily substance that gives garlic its characteristic odour and antioxidant properties. Research published in the Advances In Therapy journal found that taking a

Many herbs are used to decrease the severity of colds and flu. While research has produced mixed results, many herbs have been proven to aid healing.

• Echinacea (E. angustifolia, purpurea and pallida) is the best-researched herb for enhancing immune defences to help prevent respiratory tract infections. Several well-designed studies support the use of this herb for the treatment of acute viral upper respiratory infections.

• Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) seems to be an up-and-coming cold-season herb. A 2004 research review of seven double-blind, controlled studies concluded that andrographis “may be a safe and efficacious treatment for the relief of symptoms of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection,” though the authors called for further research.

A Russian study in children found that Kan Jang (andrographis leaf extract and eleuthero root, i.e.

health & well-being

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Siberian ginseng) was more effective than echinacea extract in reducing the severity and duration of common cold symptoms.

• Elderberry. A time-honoured European cold and flu remedy is a tea made from elder flowers and peppermint leaves. Scientific research, however, has focused on the berries from the black elderberry tree (Sambucus nigra). An extract of these produces beneficial immune actions and helps fight influenza and other respiratory viruses.

• Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has many properties that can relieve cold and flu symptoms. It’s an anti-inflammatory, demulcent (soothing to sore throats), antispasmodic (to relax tight coughs) and

expectorant (expels respiratory mucus).

So, you now have seven ideas to help supplement your crucial daily intake of Paracetamol with something for your immune system, to help you have a happy and healthy autumn. Did I forget anything? If you happen to have any great tips yourself, please drop me a line at evelina.kvartunaite@consultancymarketmedia.com.

– ‘Supplement your crucial daily intake of Paracetamol with something for your immune system’ –

technology

“Computers. It is my access to the world.”

Dann / Amsterdam

Yo Techn

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5th Anniversary Tec Q – What aspect of c development matche which you wished

“Electric cars. I did not think that would happen.”

Lili / Lyon, France

“Computers. It was the beginni

The Sattars /Gla

our nology

technology

“High-speed transport, especially trains.”

Kieran / Carlow, Republic of Ireland

chnology question: current technological es most closely that d for as a child?

asgow, Scotland

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ing; the ZX Spectrum, wasn’t it?

“I have to say the mobile phone.

As a child I was extremely busy with getting (and later on) playing with the walkie-talkie, which I saved money for with the little pocket money I was getting.”

Nelleke / Amsterdam

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On The Volley 82

sport

‘Everyone associated, including myself, felt like the glory days were returning’

sport

‘These days, with all the social networking sites using the power of the internet, it couldn’t be easier to connect’

The cut-off point So why did I agree to cut myself off from a football club I’ve supported all my life; a club that has been enjoying relative success in recent years? There was a point last season, you may remember, when Spurs were on an unbeaten run not experienced at the club in decades. Everyone associated, including myself, felt like the glory days were returning. There was perhaps even a faint glimmer of a title hope; and when something’s going that well, it’s difficult to imagine it coming to an end – unless you’re a Tottenham supporter.

When I told people I was going to cut myself off from football for a year, some got angry, hostile even. There’s no doubt loyalty is fierce in English football and this is obvious when you look at fanatical fans’ reactions at a local derby, for instance. Not even armchair supporters switch sides halfway through a season, just because it’s not going their way. Once you’re part of it, you stay part of it, in sickness and in health.

Belonging to something, it seems, is a universal feeling, not limited to English football supporters. It’s shared with just about everyone on the planet, especially if the thing to which you’re connected is successful. These days, with all the social networking sites using the power of the internet, it couldn’t be easier to connect.

The ultimate example of this has to be Facebook. With more than a billion users, nothing connects people like Facebook; and people are not only associating themselves with other people but with companies, brands, organisations and, of course, football clubs.

Facebook’s modus operandi of ‘free association’ is easily recognisable in the way kids, nowadays, support whichever football team they like at any particular time. This manifests itself openly in the Netherlands, where it is not uncommon to see kids in Barcelona or Real Madrid shirts. Since Man United and Arsenal have had successful Dutch players, this has also been reflected in shirt sales here. There’s even the odd

Chelsea shirt popping up, since they actually won something. The reason for this is obvious – people want to affiliate themselves with success.

Wearing the shirt of a successful football team could be seen as an attempt to improve your self-image, through a celebration of another’s achievements and the broadcasting of your association with that success.

In other words, it creates a kind of self-glory that is connected with our social identity. But what about the ugly side of this connection? When someone in a Tottenham shirt is seen rioting or Chelsea hooligans racially abuse another team’s supporters, what does this broadcast, exactly, and does it stop us wanting to be part of it?

Are we connecting with things for the right reasons?

Take the Tottenham riots last year. There are some who believe they would not have happened without social media. Perhaps the key, then, lies in the ability to market and sell a product well; even if that ‘product’ has negative connotations. The game we still call football, in that case, is not about points on the board any longer; it’s about money in the bank, which helps convince people all over the world that they should be part of a particular club. Soon the whole planet will support only three or four teams, whose coffers have been flooded by mega-rich owners who spend money like water buying up all the best players. On some level, we all know it’s a big rip-off but we refuse to give it up, sanctioning it instead by parting with more and more of our hard-earned cash.

Some say that success breeds success; but maybe success really breeds contempt – otherwise, why don’t we all just pull on a Man City shirt and be done. But we don’t, do we? Why not? Because there’s something about the association we make with our chosen football club that is so much thicker than money spent like water.

There was no ‘free association’ when I started supporting Tottenham. It was my birthright and I accepted it. However successful or hopeless the club has been, I’ve never stopped supporting the team and, even though I’ve agreed to take this vow of temporary cessation, I still feel the connection running through my veins.

‘It creates a kind of self-glory that is connected with our social identity’

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The run did come to an end, as they inevitably do, after which we managed just four wins from the final 13 games. But I didn’t throw in the towel, even when it seemed as though the team had. I was still honoured to be linked with the club with which I grew up. So, where does this loyalty stem from?

By Simon Joseph

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sport

The Gold Room

By Denson Pierre

This season marks the sixth anniversary of the inception of the Fantasy Football Gold competition (based on the English Premier League). Throughout these years the very best of Amsterdam’s fantasy football managers have passed through our administration. It has been spectacular, controversial and a great training ground in helping lovers of the beautiful game cast their glance further afield in the pool of available players and not simply focus on the current superstars at the big clubs.

As this season’s game settles into the form typical of each previous year, at this level, scores are so tight that only a unique hat-trick and Man-of-the-Match award separate top from bottom (see: http://thesentinel.eu/ffg/ Latest-FFG.htm). Having mentioned the importance of budgeting in the previous edition of the Gold Room, it is only reasonable that I remind everyone that the FFGCL is largely a game of chance, since it is not possible to cover all point-scoring eventualities based solely on journalists and game designers’ estimations of player values. To illustrate this fact, I list below a fantasy team comprised of players scattered among the FFG-CL master managers’ squads with a combined cost of just £23.5 million. This team would be holding its own in either the FFG-CL or the parent game: http://thesentinel. eu/ffl/Latest-FFL.pdf

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Jobs at Risk FC (budget £40m or 45m) GK: Julio Cesar Soares – (Queens Park Rangers) £1m

DF: Robert Huth – (Stoke City) £2m DF: Winston Reid – (West Ham United) £2m DF: Liam Ridgewell – (West Bromwich Albion) £2m MIDF: Michu – (Swansea City) £2m MIDF: Nathan Dyer – (Swansea City) £2m MIDF: Joe Allen – (Liverpool) £2m MIDF: Moussa Dembele – (Tottenham Hotspur) £3m MIDF: Tom Cleverley – (Manchester United) £2m STR: Lukas Podolski - (Arsenal) £3.5m STR: Mladen Petric – (Fulham) £2m Total spend: £23.5m Total points: 344

So, now you know; the game is truly about how best you can track form, use substitutions wisely and then just hope for performance. There is no fantastic method involved in the gamble that is fantasy football. There is, though, a great deal of slow-burning fun to be had throughout the long journey of each football season.

11 pts 24 pts 22 pts 23 pts 55 pts 36 pts 30 pts 45 pts 29 pts 40 pts 29 pts

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