TYPHOON
ANIME 2015
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Edition #4 May/June 2015 â‚Ź3,95
y a d n r e d o m
! s e o r e h
women stop war.
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PATHÉ OPERA SEASON 2015-2016 Experience the most outstanding live & encore performances of international opera performances by The Metropolitan Opera. Coming soon to Pathé Buitenhof in The Hague. View all program details at www.pathe.nl/specials and buy your tickets in advance. Enjoy!
PERFORMANCE
LIVE
ENCORE
VERDI - IL TROVATORE
OCTOBER 3rd 2015
OCTOBER 11th 2015
VERDI - OTELLO
OCTOBER 17th 2015
NOVEMBER 1st 2015
WAGNER - TANNHÄUSER
OCTOBER 31th 2015
NOVEMBER 8th 2015
BERG - LULU
NOVEMBER 21th 2015
DECEMBER 6th 2015
BIZET - LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES
JANUARY 16th 2016
JANUARY 24th 2016
PUCCINI - TURANDOT
JANUARY 30th 2016
FEBRUARY 7th 2016
PUCCINI - MANON LESCAUT
MARCH 5th 2016
MARCH 13th 2016
PUCCINI - MADAMA BUTTERFLY
APRIL 2nd 2016
APRIL 10th 2016
DONIZETTI - ROBERTO DEVEREUX
APRIL 16th 2016
APRIL 24th 2016
STRAUSS - ELEKTRA
APRIL 30th 2016
MAY 8th 2016
www.pathe.nl/specials PAT15-2113 adv Specials PatB 212x285mm.indd 1
22-04-15 16:02
Colophon Publisher Saskia Laurijsen saskia@theunderground.nl Editor-in-chief Rosy Brega rosy@theunderground.nl
The Underground is an independent newspaper for The Hague and surroundings. Experience The Hague with us! Absorb the cultural and social essence of this diverse city through the eyes of the international community and locals. You are The Underground!
Note from the publisher
Art director Remy Rond, Ronde Vormen remy@ronde-vormen.nl
Bam! Kaboom! Zzzwap! Welcome to the Superheroes issue of The Underground. With each edition there is so much I learn about people, things, and even onomatopoeic words. From the ordinary to the extraordinary, over the past few months we’ve been discovering The Hague’s own superheroes, and in all the excitement we (may) have even got a bit carried away and created our own superhero for The Hague, with his own designer symbol for the cover! Can you guess his superpower?
Newsroom Ailie Conor, Ana-Marija Prpic, Arto Salojarvi, Megan Lloyd, Lisette van der Ende, Pascalle Kok. Print Colorworks, Fred van Hoorn info@colorworks.nl Distribution Publiciteits Service Sales & marketing info@theunderground.nl The Underground Saturnusstraat 6o, unit 16 2516 AH Den Haag tel: 0031 (0) 70 8903535 info@theunderground.nl www.theunderground.nl © Disclaimer Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Cover Photographer: Maarten Fleskens, Maarten Fleskens Photography Model: Rico van Huizen Make up artist: Mandy Rond Assistant: Casper van Waasdijk Post-effects: Remy Rond
Visit our website: www.theunderground.nl twitter.com/UndergroundTH facebook.com/TheUndergroundTH
I’m very happy with our articles for the issue. There’s a piece about Anton Corbijn and his photo exhibition at the Gemeente museum but with a twist and linked to his films and not just as you know him from his photography; There’s the multiple award winning rapper Typhoon a.k.a. Glenn de Randamie and I fell in love with his album Lobi da Basi (Love is Boss); I found out why copper peptides are probably the secret to the Hulk’s smooth, firm skin after turning back into his human form. The regular favourites are there as well of course, be sure to check The Sponge’s column on the superhero next door. And let’s not forget, at the end of the day, not all heroes wear masks. You don’t need a fancy costume or stand guard on a rooftop as the city sleeps to be remarkable. Ordinary people with determination to do the best they can – they are the real heroes of our world as most of our heroic contributors have pointed out. Saskia Laurijsen
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ANIME 2015 / DO NOT For the third year running in The Hague, Cosplay the 52-hour fan convention on Japanese A mix of costume making and stage performance, this year Anime 2015 will host its own international competition: Clara Cow’s Cosoriented popular culture will open its play Cup or C4 for short, joining the Dutch finals for the other five doors on Friday, June 12th until Sunrenowned international competitions at the festival. The organizers have given a slight twist to this event that focuses more on the play day June 14th. The organisers moved side of cosplay, with a 60% judgment on play and a 40% judgment the conference to The Hague, to the on costume. renowned World Forum conference cenAside from this, all official animated, comic (East or West) and game tre and to a city with plenty of hotels, characters can enter the competition. This is a bit different from restaurants and easy to reach for people the existing events where the focus is more towards costumes and in the Netherlands and those travelling mostly Asian characters only. Expect amazing costumes and shows from international competitors and maybe get to spot your favourite from other countries to attend. The hero in the flesh. number of both participants and visitors keeps increasing; this year, around Manga and Anime 15.000 visitors are expected over the Many claim that Japan’s comics and animation export industry is three days’ events. the only global cultural competitor for Hollywood entertainment. A cornucopia of activities; cosplay competitions, lectures, workshops, video games, Japanese artist performances and over 2.500 square meters of stands selling all kinds of Japan related goods. Tired and hungry? This year a food court with several Japanese restaurants and speciality shops will be offering not just the well known sushi or sake, but a whole range of alternative food. Personally, as a fan of Ramen, this is something I can’t wait for. For drinks, I look forward to an izakaya - that is a Japanese style pub that will be set up during the event.
For sure, Japanese comic artists dominate the international scene. But its influence has been far reaching on comic/manga artists all over the world including Dutch artists. Again, this year for the fifth time running, the J-POP Foundation is organising the Dutch Manga Awards. The purpose is to encourage and support Dutch manga artists, but also to show works that certainly deserve the attention of a wider audience. Look out for the official launch of Robocity, a manga created by Marlon Theunissen and published by Dark Dragon Books
Game room Extremely popular, visitors get to play the newest, often still unreleased games. But it’s not just about big companies productions. Indie developers have also the opportunity to show and promote their games. One of the anticipated game events this year will be Cello Fortress, a combination of a game and a live music performance. Cello Fortress is made and performed by Joost van Dongen, a Dutch developer and founder of Ronino Games. A cellist defends a fortress by improvising on his cello: melodies control the guns, dissonant notes activate the flamethrowers. Players from the audience use game controllers to steer their tanks and attack the fortress. The cellist plays live music, while at the same time controlling the game to be a fun challenge for the players. Cello Fortress is an innovative experiment that blends concert and game.
All photography courtesy of J-POP Foundation
Community
TRY THIS AT HOME
5
The Willem Post
The Clintons and The Hague: a true love affair The Hague is ‘election city’. The Dutch parliament is located here and all the world’s democracies are represented in this ‘embassy town.’ Next year, on the other side of the Atlantic, they will elect the (still) most important politician in the world: the United States’ president. Well Mrs. or Mr. Next President, The Hague definetely is watching! And there is a real chance that Hillary Clinton will become the first female president. Interesting Gallup polls have shown that the majority of the Dutch population would have voted for Barack and Bill if Holland had a say in American politics. Will it be the same for Hilary? She has been fighting for women’s rights her whole life. We remember her courageous speech in Bejing in 1995: ‘Womens’s rights are human rights!’ A few years later, in 1998, at The Hague’s World Forum conference, she explained how this city played an important and inspiring role in international women’s movement. Around 1900, female icons like Jane Addams, Bertha von Suttner and Aletta Jacobs gathered with thousands of other women in political saloons like the one held at the Kurhaus hotel. The rumour goes that at the Afghanistan conference in The Hague in 2009 Hillary opted for a stay in the Kurhaus hotel as a tribute to these early women’s rights fighters. So The Hague is her kind of town. Does the fascination with The Hague extend to the possible ‘First Gentleman Bill’? When he was in The Hague as President he said he was so impressed by its beauty that he promised to visit The Hague again after his presidency.
Music and More BACK-ON, the Japanese rock band that combines rock with electronic music and rap that is mostly known for their many Anime intro and credit songs, will play live at the World Forum theatre in The Hague during the Anime 2015 festival on Saturday evening. Some events are only for visitors over 18 and including The Gentle Giants Japanese whisky tasting that will be held at Anime on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th. Get to try some whiskys that the whole world is raving about and are very difficult to get hold of otherwise. With some Japanese distilleries releases selling out in under 30 seconds, here is a chance to try some the hard to get in Europe special whiskys.
In January 2001, I got a telephone call from the United States ambassador to The Netherlands. ‘Willem, I urge you to come to the Denneweg. I am walking here with the President Bill Clinton. I want to introduce you to him.” It was months before the 9/11 attacks and only few security people were with him. What to ask a US President who just left the White House? I asked Bill about his relationship with The Hague. His answer: “A great city and the Denneweg is the nicest shopping lane in the world with all the galleries and cute little shops.” A few minutes after our conversation the Dutch press and public discovered Bill. After shaking hands with hundreds of ‘Hagenaars’, he walked into Schlemmer Restaurant nearby and drank a cup of tea. For the real Clinton fans: you can see his cup as a vestige behind the bar. Of course not cleaned!
SEA HEROES HUNT FOR TREASURES Join the sea heroes. Students have voted it best area of The Hague and it’s been a long time favourite of young Hagenaars and artists. More and more Internationals are choosing to live here, according to the latest counts there are people from over 30 nationalities that currently reside here. From the grander houses around Anna Paulownaplein to the small quaint streets of 19th century houses, or to streets with less glamorous social housing, the atmosphere remains the same, in one word -chilled. (Advertorial)
Photo: Misha Meijers
Zeeheldenkwartier is known for its street markets, the neighbourhood festival and the successful and trendy Festival Designkwartier, with pop-up stores showcasing some of the best in Dutch design. This is also an area full of quirky shops, vintage dens and cool homewares. You can find some truly unique gift treasures, alternatives to big stores merchandise that will surely bring a smile to the receiver and giver alike. We have navigated to some treasure coves and selected a few but there is much more and we challenge you to a fun treasure hunt in the funky shops of the Zeehelden area. Starting on the Piet Heinstraat is WAUW, Dutch for “Wow”, you’ve got to marvel at this shop and the owner’s eye for minute details and for giving old objects a second new life with creativity and flair. A favourite for outside-the-box gifts, from small furniture, glassware, handmade knitted wools to carnivorous plants. Inspirational! Get there your own Zeehelden Passie & Tassie. THE FINE STORE has a collection of modern yet timeless pieces, a gem of slow designs. Beautiful rugs, vases, jewelry, personal accessories from Dutch designers but also pieces from other countries like the fantastic lamps made by UK Hand & Eye Studio. Another perfect address for gifts.
PRESENT LIVING sells brocante, vintage and shabby chic mainly in white. The young owner scours the UK and France brocante markets, restoring and selling furniture as well. This shop also brings other modern twists like craft jewellery by young jewlery makers. It’s a carefree style, nothing feels so precious you don’t dare use or give. JUFFROUW JACOBA recently moved from the centre of The Hague to Zeehelden. Mrs Jacoba is crazily enthusiastic about having a shop here in a beautiful building. She has been selecting brocante pieces and small furnishings for years. The shop has a range of beautiful accessories for the home, like table lamps, candleholders, tablecloths, quilts. Sit in the shop’s quaint salon de thé to ponder what to buy! COLLECTURA Who is your childhood hero? The Collectura store sells the most incredible selection of figurines and classic toys, but also cool books on art and design, movie icons and lifestyle. Leave it to the experts of collectibles the accessories for philately and numismatics, and just revel in childhood dreams of meeting baddies and heroes among the collectible figurines. Maybe spot an Ewok who helped bring down the Galactic Empire? For thrilling gifts that have no age limit. Moving along to the Zoutmanstraat, a place to explore is BIG BABYLON and we defy anyone to walk in and not find a special gift from the collection
of fair trade crafts from all over the world. A necklace from Papua New Guinea may get you thinking about the Argonauts of the Western Pacific and associations of courageous seafarers to the street names around this area, the necklace bring memories of the Kula, the old system of gifts exchange. And we just found the perfect gift: a colourful hammock from South America together with an Indonesian dream catcher. What more to add. Say it with food? Stop at KELLY’S, that stocks popular British, American and Australian food and beverage, and look for those quintessential British chutneys or fun American cereals for a different gift. We filled gift hampers with Australian Tim-Tam cookies, American Yello-Mello soft drinks, English Wychwood beers and Mexican hand made corn tortillas, the real deal! Another interesting shop has recently opened on the street, YURTSTORE, selling furniture and home objects inspired by the silk route, where East meets West; another great addition to the world inspired treasures to be found in this area. Walk to the relaxed Prins Hendrikplein and down the Prins Hendrikstraat: there is a wonderful coffee store that roasts its own selected organic coffee beans. DE KLEINE KOFFIEBRANDERIJ mixes coffee beans from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, and so on, to creates a selection of the best coffee blends in The Hague. The street leads on to many more interesting shops, some have been around for a while, others very recent like MIEN DOMUS, that sells home furniture and decorations, old Indian cupboards and chairs, recycled wood tables and photo frames, textiles and so much more. Find at the end of the Prins Hendrikstraat healthy herbal tea at HERBAL SPIRIT and just next door PRET-A-PORTER BY ANNE MARIE organic make-up, dresses and trendy accessories. Finally, this hunt has to mention a special place; NORMAL GETS YOU NOWHERE, for individual clothes, accessories and tees with kick ass prints made in small amounts, of good fit and organic cotton. And if you need a greeting card to accompany that perfect gift come here, they are brilliant, so tempting to buy more and send them to yourself!
EVENT AGENDA ZEEHELDENMARKT Every Thursday, 11.00-19.00 Prins Hendrikplein PURE MARKT 17 May, 11:00-18:00 Piet Heinstraat DESIGN FESTIVAL 29-30-31 May, Zeeheldenkwartier PROEF DE WIJK 6 June 13:00– 22:00 Prins Hendrikplein FLAGSHIP MARKET 28 June 11:00 – 18:00 Prins Hendrikstraat WWW.ZEEHELDENKWARTIER.COM FACEBOOK.COM/ZEEHELDENKWARTIER
Political arts
7
Towards the Virtual Ninja By Chris Goto-Jones
I’m really not very good, but I keep trying until I get it right. And at some point, it just clicks. I no longer have to think about it. It’s as though the sword cuts by itself. Then I remember my
Gamers from all over the world participated in a global survey over a five-year period. 5partan300 was just one of many participants from The Hague and its surrounding areas. The data reveals the emergence of a distinctive approach to gaming – especially to fighting games. It suggests that the intense training regimes and gaming sessions of ‘Zen-gamers’ lead them to experience a kind of meditative state, which generalizes into their everyday lives in the fleshworld. They claim to become nicer, calmer, more confident and more sensitive people. The project suggests an analogy with the way martial artists often claim that their training regimes lead to the accomplishment of peace, tranquillity, and a form of spiritual transcendence.
thumbs and I die. [5partan300, The Hague, April 2015] For decades we have been debating whether or not playing violent videogames makes people worse. Critics worry that hours or days or years of exposure to fighting, shooting, and exploding will either numb us to violence or, even worse, transform us into gun-toting maniacs just one step short of going postal. A Political Arts Initiative project at Leiden University, recently exhibited in The Hague, has proposed a radical rethinking of the power of fighting games. Rather than making us worse, this study suggests that gaming can make us into better people: more moral, more spiritual, and calmer in the face of the crazy real world around us. Based on a combination of psychology and comparative philosophy, the Virtual Ninja Project reveals that many gamers experience a ‘flow zone’ when they play, similar to what martial artists call ‘no-mind awareness.’ Such states are achieved in moments of perfectly attuned concentration, when our sense of self and time drops away, leaving us to act with spontaneous skill. The ignorance and afflictions of the beginner’s mind are unified into immovable wisdom through cultivation/training (shugy), and so we can inhabit no-mind-no-thought. If we attain to the highest point, in whatever they do our arms and legs act by themselves, and it transpires that our mind is not troubled in the slightest. [Takuan Soho, Edo, Japan, early 17th Century]
Concept - Chris Goto-Jones
Art – Siku © Asiascape.org
Indeed, only a few decades ago, there was moral panic in the West that the exploding popularity of martial arts would arm the youth for riots and street violence. But the spiritual ideology of the martial arts gradually reassured societies all over the world. Can the idea of the Virtual Ninja do the same for videogamers? In order to test this idea, we developed a Virtual Ninja Manifesto, illustrated by the fantastic Siku (2000AD, Marvel) and supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Based on the Twelfth Century, Chinese pictorial sequence known as the ‘Ox-Herding’ sequence, the manifesto is available as a free download from iTunes iBooks, and it’s also on the project website: www.virtualninja.ninja
Heroes Everywhere By Anneloes van Iwaarden
Nick had long-since been fascinated by Manga and Disney animation and spent all his free time drawing anything and everything. “I was a bit of a nerd like that,” Nick laughs, “but I was an illustrator with no story.” It was Curt who took it upon himself to find this story. So about five years ago, the guys joined forces to create a children’s book, one that would especially appeal to 8-12-year-old boys. By no means overwhelmed by the task at hand (ripping young kids away from their computer games and TV to pick up a book instead is no mean feat), Nick and Curt set out on their journey that would lead to the creation of Yakanuko: A Dangerous Mission (at the time of writing, only available in Dutch).
It all started about ten years ago. Actor and TV Presenter Curt Fortin ‘needed styling’ for an upcoming TV show and that happened to be at the very clothes shop Nick van Leent was working in at the time. And they soon became firm friends.
Nick started to draw and create a whole new world set in the near-ish future. In his iconic Manga-cum-Disney style he managed to build a city, which was later to become the city of New Shelter. At the rate Nick was going, Curt needed to rapidly come up with a fitting story. “The story had to respect the kids,” Curt explains, “But kids aren’t stupid; they don’t need everything spelled out for them, they just need to be taken seriously.” Which is probably why Curt decided to base the story on his own life. As a 12-year-old boy, Curt moved to the Netherlands from Aruba with his mother and younger sister. He witnessed first-hand how his mother struggled as a single mum, eventually resulting in a break-down. At that point in time Curt vowed to become ‘the man of the house’ and protect his family; he never wanted his mother to suffer like that again. This real-life story forms the heart of the book where 11-year-old Jake sets out to protect his own family from the evil Professor Stone. Average schoolboy by day but superhero Yakanuko by night, the message is clear: fight for your dreams and protect what and who you love.
Photos by Jelle Bontje
The book Yakanuko is part of a whole concept to inspire kids to follow their dreams and believe in their own talents; according to Nick and Curt “anybody can be a hero”. Boys and girls from underprivileged backgrounds were invited to the book launch held at the Koninklijke Schouwburg The Hague on the 17th of November 2014. This laser concert extravaganza had all the kids dancing in their chairs with excitement (https://vimeo. com/121732050). A full-on Yakanuko theatre show will follow in 2016 and the guys even give Yakanuko workshops to school kids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKMlAVOEvfM&feature=youtu.be). Curt and Nick have left no stone unturned in their quest to inspire kids to believe in themselves. The only thing left is to wait for an English translation so that Yakanuko can laser a little bit of inspiration into the rest of the world as well.
Yakanuko
Written by Curt Fortin and illustrated by Nick van Leent By day he is an average 11-year-old boy called Jake, by night he is Yakanuko, a real-life hero, ridding the world of all evil. Jake lives in the year 2216 in the city of New Shelter with his mother and baby sister. His father, member of the Secret Service Yakanuko squadron, mysteriously disappeared three years earlier. On a typically boring school day, when Jake has all but fallen asleep on his digi-desk during Algebra, New Shelter is hit by what seems to be a total power failure. But soon it becomes clear that New Shelter has been taken over by the villain, Professor Stone, who has also kidnapped the President’s daughter. It is now up to Jake to jump onto his trusty hover-board, draw his sword (a.k.a. microlaser pens) and fight the world of fly-bots, uplink-bots and giga-bots. It is time for Yakanuko to become the true hero that he is and fight for what he believes in. Trailer: www.yakanuko.com (spoken in Dutch)
The Dame Drum. For strong, sophisticated women. (Advertorial)
At times we are all required to transition into a new phase in our lives: whether moving to a new and unfamiliar area, becoming single and looking to develop a different circle of friends, experiencing a career change or retiring and looking for a new hobby. Launched at the start of May, The Dame Drum is a place where friendships can blossom during these periods of transition. Someone once said “when I look back through old photos I find my happiest moments are always with my girlfriends.” Marnie and Anna couldn’t agree more. What is The Dame Drum?
interests, from music to fitness to leisure activities, which we use to match you with like-minded women. Once an introduction is made, you will have the opportunity to message and connect with your new friend. We also offer an advance search option. If you are moving, or even just travelling to a new city and are interested in having someone show you around, The Dame Drum advance search option will help you connect with a new friend prior to arriving.
What does the premium plan offer? One of the great features of the site with a premium membership is video chat through the secure Dame Drum service. This allows our members to speak with their new friend face-to-face before meeting them in person. The premium membership also offers email notifications alerting you of potential new friends who have recently signed up in your area as well as personalized notifications when a new friend introduces herself through the site.
The Dame Drum is an online platform that brings together women of similar ages, similar life stories, and similar interests. As for the name; the word “Dame” traditionally refers to a noble woman, while “Drum” often symbolizes strength and power. Therefore, The Dame Drum represents the strength of sophisticated women everywhere.
We are currently offering free premium lifetime membership as an introductory offer to women that sign-up within the first few months of our launch. After that we will charge only 12€ per year for the upgraded service.
Where did the idea for The Dame Drum come from?
Online security is first and foremost for us. We are taking as many measures possible to ensure that our users have a comfortable, safe and fun experience. Not only will we be monitoring the system security, members of The Dame Drum will of course have security features on their profiles, so they may block other users, review profiles prior to allowing contact, and reporting problems directly to us, the administrators.
The Dame Drum project came about during a conversation we had in the fall of 2014 after we each experienced a major transition in our lives. Marnie had recently separated from her husband; and Anna had recently relocated to Istanbul. Although our situations were different, we both realized the need for friends; and the difficulty in meeting like-minded women in our areas.
Where is The Dame Drum based? As a business we recognize the importance of establishing ourselves in a physical location, so we are planning an office in The Hague; however, our online platform is available world-wide. One of our primary focus areas, having recently launched, is on the Netherlands - particularly The Hague and Amsterdam
What criteria will you use to match users with each other? We connect women based on common attributes and the area in which they live. When you create your free profile, you specify what you are looking for such as a friend to visit a museum or walk your dog with. Your profile also specifies your
How will you monitor the service to ensure the security and comfort of your users online?
Whether you are going through a transition in your life, or just looking for a way to make new friends The Dame Drum is a safe, secure and customisable way to meet like-minded women. Sign-up today free of charge, and find out what The Dame Drum is all about.
Dido: Model, mother, resistance fighter Smiling seductively as she winks playfully at the camera, the freshfaced image of Dido Van Soest betrays little of the audacious woman underneath - the young, charismatic model turned resistance fighter, whose life would ultimately end in tragedy during the devastation of World War II. By Susannah Palk
Growing up in the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), Dido was known as something of a social darling before the war. Famously known as the face of ‘Anker’ beer, her image was instantly recognisable across the capital Batavia, now known as Jakarta. But despite her delicate outward appearance, Dido was far from tame. As her son Steph van Soest explains, she was a woman who was simply ahead of her time. “My mother was a bit different, she was almost too pretty, too smart and too controversial.” He continues: “She was known for riding a motorbike, at a time when women just didn’t do that. She was part of the Batavia motor club, one of only two women members, out of 80”. As Steph tells it, she truly lived up to her nickname ‘kid’. She would whistle for cabs and scale walls in her ballgown in order to avoid queuing up to get into parties. Steph explains: ”It was just not done in those days, but she did it”. Her life, from the outside, seemed a charmed and rarified one. Married at 19 to the wealthy Tom van Soest, a radio technician from a well-to-do family, Dido and Tom were part of a privileged social class - members at all the right clubs and seen with all the right people. But all was not as it seemed. The marriage was not in fact a happy one and their lives were soon to be turned upside down by the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies in 1942. “She knew that war was coming to us, even though my father was in denial about it”. Most of Steph’s information about his mother comes from two diaries she wrote. The first written in 1939 when she was pregnant with Steph, addressing her entries to the unborn baby. The second diary was written six weeks before her arrest and capture by the Japanese in August 1943. From the outset, says Steph, it was clear that Dido would take action if war came to her door. “She was very determined, she wrote in her diary that no one would ever hurt or threaten me and that she would fight, even if it cost her blood. And four years later it did.” True to her word, Dido joined the resistance movement around June 1943, after being approached by a friend at her tennis club. Led by former Dutch army officers, the resistance movement was small, consisting of around 42 cells - approximately 200 or so people.
Part of a cell of five people, Dido would meet members in a secret house three or four times a week, without her husband’s knowledge. According to Steph, her work involved observing troop movements, looking for equipment and weapons and intercepting mail. But, despite her brave decision to join the resistance, it was an operation inevitably doomed to failure. “They (the resistance movement) had a transmitter where all the information collected by the resistance fighters was sent to a ship, a ship they thought was American. But it was Japanese. Within three months, the whole resistance was brought down, the members arrested and sentenced to death.” Only eight weeks after joining, both Dido and her unwitting husband were arrested by the Japanese secret police and taken away for interrogation. Steph was four-years-old at the time. “The Japanese where very cruel, and my father, he was tortured terribly. After five or six weeks of this treatment, when they were confident he was innocent, my father was released”. Despite their separation and ongoing torture in prison, Steph’s parents still managed to remain in contact, with the help of an unlikely ally. “One warden felt sympathy for my parents, and at risk to his own life, would pass information to my father about my mother.” The last time his father heard from Dido was two days before his release. “The warden handed him a piece of soap, and in it my mother had written with her nails ‘Tom, I love you.’” The family would never hear from Dido again. Sentenced to death and executed, Dido was beheaded by samurai sword on the 13th December 1943. “Many years later I met one of the people who lived through the war and I was told that my mother was one of the toughest and bravest people they knew,” says Steph. “The things no-one else wanted to do, she would. That was her attitude.”
Museum Underground
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THE RELUCTANT HERO Only if you have been living under your duvet for the past couple of months will you have missed the fact that the Gemeente Museum and the Museum of Photography in The Hague are marking the 60th birthday of Dutch photographer, music video director and film director Anton Corbijn with a huge retrospective photo exhibit (21 March – 21 June 2015). Exhibition posters featuring the iconic (and a rather manic-looking) Miles Davis popped up all over the city announcing a retrospective of Corbijn’s photography in two exhibitions: Hollands Deep at the Gemeente Museum and 1-2-3-4 at the neighbouring Museum of Photography The Hague. By Anneloes van Iwaarden
Expectations reached fever pitch with every new Anton Corbijn interview, TV appearance and newspaper article. In down-to-earth Holland it is all too easy to forget that Anton Corbijn enjoys an almost superhero status around the world. The man himself seems to be somewhat uncomfortable with this reputation, preferring instead to let his work do the talking. To complete this retrospective and to assess whether Corbijn really is the superhero everybody makes him out to be, some of his other creative exploitations should definitely not be forgotten: the black-and-white film about 70s post-punk band Joy Division called Control (2007), modern Western The American (2010) with George Clooney and A Most Wanted Man (2014), the last film featuring the great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Anton Corbijn, a.cobain/Strijen, 2002 © Anton Corbijn, HOLLANDS DEEP, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag 2015
Ka-BOOM! The true superhero possesses extraordinary powers and exceptional skills. Both Hollands Deep and 1-23-4 show photographs that have been taken with a certain ease and natural confidence. Corbijn has always managed to have his idols and other famous icons open up to him and the camera lens. Which make the photographs as much a part of the subject themselves as of Corbijn: the long and winding road featuring a young Peter Gabriel, a languidly lounging Elvis Costello, crazy-eyed Johnny Rotten and the tormented figure of Ian Curtis. The black-and-white portrait photography of his first series Famouz (1989) truly established Corbijn as an ‘Artist’.
Anton Corbijn, Nick Cave, Londen, 1996 © Anton Corbijn, HOLLANDS DEEP, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag 2015
POW!
BANG!
Any superhero needs a certain amount of courage if he/she is to ‘take over the world’. As the genuine son of a Preacher man (or pastor) and growing up in a small Dutch village in the South of Holland, a very different sort of life was set out for the young Corbijn. But Corbijn had a fascination for off-the-beaten-track music and became ‘one of the guys’ for many a punk/ rock/pop/electronic band. 1-2-3-4 is part nostalgia part teenager’s bedroom (complete with loud music and pencilled writing on the walls) featuring many of the bands Corbijn has worked with: U2, R.E.M, Depeche mode, The Rolling Stones and Nirvana to name just a few.
Being somewhat of a loner is part of any superhero’s make-up. Corbijn lives the life of a lone wolf, needing practically no sleep and, judging by his frame, only a small amount of sustenance to keep him going. Perhaps not all of the people he has photographed fit the bill of being ‘loners’, but the main characters of his first two feature films certainly do. Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis (Control 2007) or George Clooney’s role in The American (2010) portray solitude and loneliness in its rawest form.
BAM! Superheroes will usually have a specific weapon of choice, which is critical for their superhero work. For Corbijn this is of course his trusty camera. Over the years Corbijn has used different types of camera and experimented with various printing techniques, which Hollands Deep clearly shows. Take for example the portraits of the STAR TRACK series (1996) taken with a Hasselblad, or the collection of Stripping Girls (2000) where he used (amongst others) a small-format camera. Although he’ll never be seen out and about without his photographic camera, since directing his first full feature film in the year 2007 (Control) Corbijn frequently uses film cameras as well.
ZZZZWAP! Together with a weapon of choice comes a superhero’s signature moves. Corbijn’s trademark in his photography is the grainy, usually black-and-white portrait of past and present icons. As Corbijn explains in the 2001 documentary made about him called ‘Anton Corbijn Inside Out’, the graininess is like the fabric of life because perfection isn’t what life is. This aversion to glossing over real-life is apparent throughout his photography and film work; his most recent film A Most Wanted Man (2014) manages to attain an atmosphere of beautiful imperfection and griminess in the streets of modern-day Hamburg.
WHACK! And finally, no superhero is complete without a proper back-story explaining his or her present life circumstances. Originally from Strijen, a small village in the South of the Netherlands, Corbijn revisited his birthplace in search of his own back-story. The self-portraits taken here form the A.Somebody series (2002), and offer Corbijn (and us) much-needed answers. Without reading the explanatory museum text, you would have been forgiven to miss the fact that the portraits of George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are actually dressed-up Anton Corbijns. (That is, until you pass the photo proving Elvis has definitely left the building and positioned his bell-bottomed self in front of an old container and general dumping ground in… Strijen). Taken as a whole, we see that Anton Corbijn the superhero is constantly developing, whereas the man behind the superhero might have been left behind. Another (and obviously less judgemental) way of putting things is that in his 60 years Corbijn has actually become and grown into his superhero secret identity. With every photograph he takes and each film he directs he is unwittingly shedding the layers of his superhero outfit. And this is of course the true mark of a superhero (Ka-Pow!); one who is not afraid to reveal his authentic self.
Hollands Deep Gemeente Museum Den Haag 21/03/2015 -21/06/2015
1-2-3-4 The Museum of Photography The Hague 21/03/2015 -21/06/2015
WOMEN’S POWER TO S Uniting a Global Movement Conference Highlights “We need a Media that covers power, not for power.” Amy Goodman from Democracy Now had some choice words on modern mainstream media; “We are not the silent majority – we are the silenced majority. We need an independent media. Information is the oxygen of democracy.” “This movement is not just about counting women, but making women count.” Peace activist Bronagh Hinds “The UN has gone away from its core vision, which is turning swords to ploughshares.” Radhika Coomaraswamy
It has been 100 years since a group of women, over 1100 of them, first met in The Hague on April 28th to discuss women’s role in peace making processes and preventing war, areas from which women have been historically and systematically excluded. Created in the face of WWI the aims of the group now known as WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Justice), remain very similar to 100 years ago, with conflict situations particularly for women just as bad, some would argue if not worse than they were at the start of the century. The conference entitled ‘Women’s Power to Stop War’ was held on the centenary of WILPF’s first meeting, and addressed issues related to war and conflict, all within the framework of engaging women as peace-makers. Over the three-day conference, various presentations and discussions yielded not only uncomfortable truths, but also constructive approaches to enforce and protect women’s rights to participate in discourse on peace and conflict on international, national and community levels. By Ailie Conor
The conference held five plenaries and over 40 sessions looking at a number of issues, most revolving around women’s role in peace, justice, disarmament and demilitarisation, and combatting GBV and sexual violence in conflict areas. The main theme, which presented itself throughout the conference’s events however, was organisation. Every speaker during the plenaries emphasised the importance of working together; as Jody Williams, political activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner frankly put it “If anyone thinks they alone can change the world… I want to know what they are smoking.” The mixture of both speakers and attendees was a testament to the importance of organisation, with activists from all walks of life, women from a number of conflict situations, as well as lawyers, human rights defenders, journal-
ists and practitioners all coming together. While such conferences can easily become a forum for academic elites from primarily western countries WILPF, as an international organisation with pretty inclusive politics, succeeded in ensuring diversity of speakers and attendees in accordance with the policy of ‘nothing about us, without us’. As the name ‘Women’s Power to Stop War’ would suggest, the conference was focused on the peace process, however, it would have been nice to see more of the conference discuss women who actively contribute to conflict, as either oppressor or in resistance movements as it is difficult to outline women’s ability to stop war, without fully addressing their role in it. Additionally, while for the most part, the notion of women’s skills as peace negotiators was approached
in a well-rounded way, there were also times when women’s peacemaking abilities seemed equated with their ability to ‘give life’ and nurturing ‘natures’. Essentialising women’s capacities in this way can obscure the reality of many people’s lived experiences, and can also be alienating for women who do not fit into the ‘peaceful’ narrative of resistance, and may even inadvertently contribute to a gender essentialist discourse which undermines active political engagement, gender equality, agency and empowerment. The demand that women, whose suffering in conflict, post-conflict societies and contested areas is often misrepresented or obscured, deserve a say in resolving and preventing conflict, somehow remains unfilled. The WSW conference was full of passionate women – and a few men – from around the world who loudly
In the Spotlight
TOP WAR and assertively defended this right, and worked to deconstruct the toxic masculinities which encourage militarism, global economic inequalities, and allow GBV and sexual violence to thrive both in and out of conflict. Some might consider their language and approach to challenging gender constructs, and particularly the global economic and political systems ‘extreme’, however as activist Hakima Abbas explained; “the spoils of capitalism have entrenched inequalities that fuel, and are fuelled by violence”. So long as capitalism and the current political systems continue to facilitate war and unequally impact women’s lives they need to be broken down, and reimagined. The enormity of campaigning dually for peace and women’s human rights can seem daunting, particularly in light of the stories and experiences presented at the conference. However you do not have to be in a conflict zone, or working in law or policy to contribute to the struggle for representation in peace making processes and improving the conditions for women in conflict-zones. The conference encourages people to take the time to learn about the experiences of women in conflict areas directly from the women themselves, as opposed to the media or society’s misconceptions. As outsiders, we can challenge those around us, our governments and institutions, the way they contribute to war and militarism and negatively affect women’s human rights. Most importantly, we can challenge our gender constructions in our own lives, because as Cynthia Enloe put it during the conference, “militarism depends on appealing to women - they learn early that they need to be protected by men.”
WSW war Factbook Since 9/11 over 50,000 people have been killed in Pakistan, most of them innocent civilians and many in unmanned drone strikes.
50,000
India, ‘the world’s largest democracy’, world’s largest importer of weapons.
Yemen is a country that currently has approximately 50 million weapons, yet a population of only 25 million.
The funding for 9 days occupying Iraq would have been enough to cover the cost of achieving the UNDP Millennium Development Goals.
2665 831 5
Crusade to eliminate ‘ticking time bombs’ sitting beneath world’s waters By Susannah Palk
“We all have our own battles to fight and this is mine.” These are the fighting words of Terrance Long, founder and director of the International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions (IDUM).
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1 year of global military spending could fund the UN budget for 650 years, or the UN Women budget for 6,300 years.
One of the biggest issues now facing Long and the IDUM is locating exactly where all the world’s munition dumping sites are located and exactly how many weapons there are.
Based in The Hague, Long’s organisation is on a mission to rid the world of “millions” of tonnes of weapons rotting in seas and oceans across the globe.
“What we do know is that there are 400,000 tonnes of chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea alone. On a global scale, we estimate there are more than 10,000 dumping sites of chemical and conventional weapons.”
The world’s waters, says Long, have become a dangerous “garbage dump” for these unwanted military munitions, ranging from highly explosive conventional ordnances to chemical weapons.
According to Long, these corroding weapons are posing an ever increasing danger to the environment and to us.
It’s a stark warning that Long doesn’t attempt to sugar coat. “If the underwater munitions aren’t neutralized or recovered from our waters in the near term then the ocean will die and we will cease to exist on this planet.” A retired Canadian military engineer and an expert in explosive ordnance disposal, Long spent 20 years, both in the army and later for various NGOs, clearing land mines. It was this experience that led Long to believe the same work could and should be done for the same weapons sitting at the bottom of the water. “Because I’m a weapons expert, in my own mind I’m obligated to address this issue. There is something I can do about it, so I will.”
has overtaken Saudi and become the
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It’s a problem that has been ticking away for over 70 years. As Long explains, weapons, like most things, have an expiration date and need to be disposed of. By the end of the Second World War a solution was needed and during the Potsdam Conference of 1945 an agreement was made to rid stockpiled weapons by dumping them into the water, most notably the Baltic Sea.
“They’re full of contaminates like lead, mercury, picric acid and TNT. Most are known carcinogens that we now have in our marine environment, that will persist there for 10,000 years. Our oceans cannot sustain that.” He continued: “This really is a ticking time bomb. My greatest fear is that our international community will allow them to corrode to where we no longer have a means to detect the contaminates when the metals are gone.” Despite the dire warnings, Long stresses there is hope: “This is absolutely a problem we can fix...in most cases if we remove the source contaminant, we remove the problem. “But this issue needs to be addressed on a global scale, with a collective response, right now, with an urgent United Nations conference on all underwater weapons.” In order to do this, Long and the IDUM continue to work for the creation of an internationally binding treaty on all classes of underwater munitions. The end game, says Long, is all about “protecting our oceans and saving them for our children.”
According to Long, “That’s when a number of countries from around the globe started dumping their munitions, dating back from the First World World and continued doing so up until the 1970s.”
In the picure: IDUM - Underwater Conventional Munitions Site off Nova Scotia, Canada
Streeters Is it a fictional character with superhuman powers? Is it your mother? Is it a royal family member? Dorine Schreiner asks people on the streets of The Hague:
Who do you consider your hero?
Sarah Anstee (37), analyst “Emily Parkhurst and her family who are from Manchester, where I’m from as well. They fought for women’s right to vote. The ways in which they did this were not always appropriate, such as running in front of the King’s horse at a famous horse race. It really raised awareness. It’s important that women are all treated equally, all over the world.”
An empty and incomplete chair We asked Armijn, graphic designer, why he does what he does and in the end his reply was: “I try to make the world better with what I know, I try to make the world better through design” Armijn of Studio Buffalo in The Hague, in his free time, is a buddy of Britt, a young lady in a wheelchair. "I used to go home home after a day of work and couldn’t sit still. My energy level was still high. So I became a buddy. I took a 5 day course, and was matched to Britt. We became very good friends.
And to be really honest... it sucks. I looked at it with Britt and she also didn't like it. At first, we thought it was a head on wheels, but observing further it’s just an empty chair, with a wheel missing and you would immediately fall over if you tried sitting on it. That's a silly symbol! It's not human at all. Would you like to be represented as an empty and incomplete chair? Well, me neither. So when I was with Britt, I took my sketchbook and started making sketches. I made about 30 sketches. We looked at the chair, and how the person was sitting in it.
Half a year ago, I wanted to know how it feels to move around in a wheelchair, so I used an old wheelchair of Britt. And you feel like crap. People stare at you, and you are so much smaller than the rest because you are sitting, which is not very good for your self-esteem.
Eventually I designed a new symbol. I made it for Britt to put it on her own toilet. It’s a person in a wheelchair, not just a wheelchair. I made this for Britt and my own use, but then thought, why not share it? How cool would it be to have it used by other people too!”
A short time later I needed to use a pictogram of a disabled person for a design project. The only icon I came across was this international wheelchair or access symbol. The symbol you see on every disabled people toilet, in parking spaces and even on your drivers’ license.
Wilbert Gantvoort (35), online marketing manager “I’d rather not talk about heroes, but about people I really admire. For example: composer Jean Michel Jarre for his great and timeless music, which is really significant for contemporary music. I also look up to billiards player Semih Saygıner, whose beautiful technique and game approach I enjoy watching as I play billiards too.”
Ali Mukhtar (37), assistant chef “The prophet Muhammad. He’s a great man because he’s a messenger for people all over the world. He takes people from the dark to the light.”
Michelle Pincombe (28), communication manager “The investigators for the International Justice Mission. They go undercover in countries where human trafficking is prominent. It’s incredible that they’re able to be in contact with such real evil and still find hope to keep going and save so many people from being enslaved.” © Maarten Huisman Photography
Some disability activists are advocating for an updated access symbol. For anybody who wants to use the wheelchair symbol that Armijn has developed, it is downloadable for free: studiobuffalo.nl/artikelen
People & Passions
ATELIER WHISPERING WALL
The Sponge Maxime Zech, aka The Sponge
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Terry from next door! Any casual glance at the daily news will convince you of the fact that we need superheroes in this world. The modern day superhero became a popular fictional source of muscular consolation in a time when Europe was being reduced to rubble and humanity was being torn at the seams. The superheroes of these times were strong, principled, righteous and freedom-loving men and women. In spandex. They had special powers, but they were first of all average, everyday people. In fact, without their superpowers they would be no different than you or me. All it took was some radioactive bug or other, a snazzy outfit, the reorganization of the underwear-outerwear order of dressing and WHAM! Of course this is a reductive, and highly generalized take, but it is a basically valid argument that what makes the superhero a hero is his good nature. Photo by Samira Tatuhey
Intrigued by the atelier Whispering Wall and its activities, we went to ask the owner, Mark de Weijer and working partner, Anne van de Weijer, about the new project they are about to launch at the atelier. They explained their vision behind a new initiative: Creating a platform for artists and craftspeople to combine different ideas and materials in an innovative way. Part of Mark‘s own work, the wall decorations, are the result of intensive research into paper and of applying his background in fine art painting to use watercolours to the paper he produces himself. An important aspect of his work has always been collaboration, and in the case of of his wall coverings, collaboration with his clients. He sees this as a prerequisite, because his work, both in concept and aesthetically, responds to the surroundings for which it is created. Before coming up with a design he analyses the location in detail. Form, rhythm, surface, structure and colour are all inseparably linked to a specific location and to the clients’ use of space.
What has changed since opening the shop Whispering Wall? Mark de Weijer explains: “I started with the idea of a showroom for my work and other artists who use paper to make objects, whether decorative or functional, from chairs to fashion jewellery. Meanwhile, I started giving workshops to people interested in working with paper. It was during one of my workshops that I met Anne.” Anne van de Weijer, whose background is architecture has her own studio, Vilt aan Zee, where she has been working with felt, an organic material from wool, producing handmade lamps and wall panels. “The idea of collaborating and combining materials resulted in the creation of our lamps made of paper and felt. And this idea of collaboration went further. We started thinking what if we were to join other materials and creative ideas to produce original objects”, says Anne. Mark adds: “Yes, collaboration seemed the natural progression, therefore the idea to have a platform for artists, designers and craftsmen to come together and exchange ideas and expertise in the use of different materials, techniques and see what comes out of combining these. The idea is to expand designs and products, while remaining committed to artistic creativity and sustainability. We want to explore new forms and aesthetic avenues in creating multidimensional, hybrid objects that combine materials with geometrical and architectural elements with craftsmanship and innovation. We want to offer a space where there is a reciprocal relationship between art and technological innovation as well as the use of different materials, new/old techniques and of course, people collaborating to make this possible.” Anne and Mark will be presenting their new concept soon after an exhibition of their combined work at the design fair Design District at Zaandam, 3, 4 and 5 June. Soon after, they will launch their new project, inviting other artists, design studios and crafts experts and creative thinker to exchange ideas and expertise. Opening will be on 14th June.
Why depend on the superhero to save us, though? If we were all a little bit super, and combined our individual forces of super-ness, we would be unstoppable. What this would mean for humanity would be taking a good measure of self-control to our basic ape instinct that tells us to throw things at other monkeys in defense of our mate, banana, or favorite rock (not necessarily in that order), and instead hone our basic neo-hippy humanitarian capabilities. Then we could become the everyday superheroes we want to see in others. When you think ‘superhero’ you might think bat cave or go-go-gadgets, but that’s not exactly what I was going for. In fact, I think the power of gadgets is far too distracting for some (visions of deceased pets soaring through the sky with permanently shocked expressions on their faces come to my mind). So I guess we need a new breed of hero. A cynical self-deprecating non-hipster mellow background kind of hero, a Jon Stewart-type hero who does little things like pick up fallen bikes, adopt threelegged dogs and stop bigotry in its tracks. If we all try really hard, we can all be a little bit like Jon Stewart. Wouldn’t that make the world a better place? The point is, we all need superheroes. Whether it’s Superman or your mom. Though if your mom goes around with her underwear outside of her trousers, I’d look further.
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A PEEK AROUND THE
WEIMAR STRAAT YOU WILL FIND NO CHAIN STORES OR HIGH-STREET BOUTIQUES HERE. A LONG ROAD IN THE REGENTESSE AREA, THE WEIMARSTRAAT IS A FAR CRY FROM THE CENTRAL SHOPPING AREAS OF THE HAGUE. KNOWN FOR BEING DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT, EVERYTHING ON THE STREET, CLOSE TO THE REGENTESSE SQUARE, FROM THE TATTOO SHOPS, TO THE THEATRES AND SALONS HAS ITS OWN STORY. THE UNDERGROUND HAD ROUNDED UP SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE FEATURES OF THIS ALTERNATIVE HAGUE HOT-SPOT.
Photos by Samira Tatuhey
HUNA
Celebrating its 70th Birthday this year, Huna is a much loved fixture of the Weimarstraat, on the Regentesse Square. This family owned ‘camping and outdoor shop’ has a seemingly small shop front. However, once inside it is clear the myriad of rooms and corridors will have something for ever adventurer, from beach and resort explorers to mountaineers. With their summer stock just in, it is the perfect time to head down and stock up for your summer holiday, whether it is in Friesland or Fiji. Hunaoutdoor@casema.nl
WHISPERING WALL A natural connection between material, craft and design. Shop and Atelier Whispering Wall make and sell amazing wall panels and lamps of paper and felt adding fabulous personality to home interior design. The paper and paint panels connect with the architecture of a room and create a sense of individuality, also dramatically altering the sensation of a room’s spatial proportions. Commissioning Mark’s crafted panels involves him visiting the space to understand the architecture and light and developing closely with you colour and sizes on his self made paper of incredible texture. This shop also sells beautiful handmade lamps that combine dense paper and transparent felt, under the trademark collection felt+paper. The two materials that seamlessly come together are entirely made in Whispering Wall Atelier by Mark and craft partner Anne, whose own studio is Vilt and Zee. Go there to experience what can be made with natural materials and transform your home with singular warmth and beauty.
Your Beauty Your beauty in good hands, your hair taken care of At Your Beauty salon and hairdresser Trust Hair you kill two birds with one stone. The friendly staff, who speak good English, can take care of your hair and your beauty treatment. The atmosphere is relaxed, they’re centrally located on Weimarstraat and can easily be reached by bike, car or public transport.
The Haagse bierlijn
With spring here and the weather getting better every day, people are taking to their court-yards and gardens for barbeques, borrels and parties so we would be remiss if we didn’t include the Haagsebierlijn on our list of Weimarstraat institutes. With two locations, and operating for over a year and a half the this family business will deliver cooled beer straight to your front door, and if you are not a beer drinker they offer a large selection of wines, and even champagne for those special occasions. They also deliver for free in The Hague with a minimum order of only €20, or to the surrounding areas for a small delivery fee. They are open from 5pm – 6am Monday through Sunday and will get your drinks – and snacks – to you within 20 – 45 minutes, something we at The Underground can definitely get behind. You can order through Thuisbezorgd however we recommend you check out their website or call them on 06-17018720 for special deals, or why not head down in person to say hello! www.haagsebierlijn.nl
Whether you just want a haircut or a colour treatment with balayage and foiling technique, at Trust Hair you’re in good hands. Beauty salon Your Beauty offers facial treatments, pedi and mani, waxing treatments and anti-ageing treatments. Your Beauty and Trust Hair listen to their customers and are very service oriented. Both salons are open seven days a week which is great and treatments can be booked online at www.treatwell. nl. On this website you also find reviews and photos. Visitors rate Your Beauty with an 8.6 (out of 10) and Trust Hair with a 9.2. They are enthusiastic about the service, the good advice, the cleanliness, the friendly approach and the value for money. Well worth a visit! www.trusthair.nl / www.your-beauty.nl
Eetcafe de Klap
Hudson’s Bar & Kitchen
Waves at the Kurhaus
Out of the city-centre down by the Koningsplein is Eetcafe de Klap. A nice change from the inner city terraces, this café, bar and terrace offers a great venue for Sunday afternoon chilling or weeknight drinking. Strung with lanterns and creeping with vines the wrought iron terrace area has a really relaxed atmosphere, and with its good food and plentiful drinks there are bound to be many lively, warm summer nights here in the coming months.
Hudson’s really does have the best of both worlds; amazing Dutch beachside views, and American style flavours. The menu, which is simple, classic and Fairtrade, hits the spot and their giant burgers are a must-try for the brave and hungry. Right on the Kijkduin Boulevard this bar and grill is ideally located for either a quick beachside cake and coffee, or a sun-set dinner with cocktail in hand – we recommend the mojito.
Enjoy a summer evening on a terrace with a glass of wine in your hand and a view to die for: Waves at the Kurhaus has the ultimate terrace in Scheveningen, overlooking the beach, the sea, the boulevard and the pier. Whether you just want a cup of coffee with homemade apple pie, a lunch or a sunset dinner, Waves is the place to be. Check out their menu at wavesatthekurhaus.nl.
Koningin Emmakade 118
Aert van der Goesstraat 21-23
Gevers Deynootplein 30
T E R R AC E R O U T E With sun out The Hague is starting to bring out the couches, chairs and tables; the terraces for which this city is known are up and running. Whether you are sea-side, or in the centre we are looking at the terraces which have something different to offer everyone, so check out one of our selected spots, and make the most of the spring weather.
Spark Feel like a millionaire in one of the lounge couches, overlooking the canal, and enjoy their amazing collection of gin-and-tonics and slow drinks, before ordering one of the freshly made mouth-watering BBQ dishes. SPARK has the only lounge terrace on the waterfront in the city. During weekends you can enjoy live DJ’s and performances. We think it is one of the best spots for a Friday afternoon drink on a lazy afternoon. Service is wonder-
ful and personal; Florian and Michael, mixologists and cocktail experts, can prepare anything you like and give a personal swing to it. It is not a place we would recommend to visit with small children, but great for friends or colleagues who love the good and luxurious life! Tip: if you like to do something really special: combine a visit to this cocktail terrace with a short boat trip trough the canals! Zeestraat / Mauritskade, next to Hilton Hotel.
Gusto
Publique
Among the terraces of the well-known Plein, in the centre of The Hague, you can find Gusto Restaurant and Terrace, the perfect place to enjoy the sun in an Italian like atmosphere. Their restaurant and cuisine is known for offering delicious Italian specialties and selected wines. At Gusto you can enjoy lunches, dinners, evening drinks or organize your special event. Of note are the Sundays like the Italians do family brunches, that propose great food and lots of entertainment for children as well. Highly recommended for a special family treat.
The Anna Paulowna square is a charming place in the Zeehelden Area, surrounded by 19th century stately homes. Nice restaurants and bars surround the square. One that stands out is Publique, a classy restaurant with a beautiful sunny terrace. The eco-chic interior style of the restaurant flows seamlessly to the exterior, giving it a sophisticated yet cozy feel. The drinks and especially the selected wines balance perfectly with the French/International dishes on offer. Come to Publique for a business lunch or for a night of relaxation and enjoy a very special ambiance.
Plein 22
Anna Paulownaplein 4
WELCOME TO THE INN (Advertorial)
“We are the living room of The Hague,” marketing manager Corinne Nieuwenburg sits me down next to the open fireplace with a hot cappuccino. It’s nice and warm and the restaurant looks very stylish. ’t Goude Hooft, a monument, is the oldest inn of The Hague. The building dates back to 1423 and it was radically renovated a few years ago and reopened on 4 June 2012. So what’s new? “For the first time in 150 years the ‘inn’ has become a real hotel again as it has recently opened eight up-to-date luxury suites. Perfect if you want to spend the night right in the middle of the city centre, in a very quiet place.” By Wendy Troost Corinne takes me on a tour. We go up to the second floor and she shows me the sizeable new suites. While keeping their authentic roots with age-old beams in the ceilings, the suites are very modern when it comes to equipment. Some of them have a fully functional kitchen and a steam cabin. And one has an office with an iMac. All suites have a fireplace, a king size bed, a jacuzzi and at least two flat screen tv’s, a sitting area and a mini bar, the contents of which are included in the room price, never seen that before and love it!
Apartment size Whether you arrive after an afternoon of shopping in town or a busy working day, the rooms are an oasis in the busy city centre of The Hague. Prices start from 200 euro per night, including breakfast, minibar and wifi, very affordable for a four star hotel with a five star experience. Special rates apply for long stay customers. Room sizes vary from 40-90m2. On average the size of my apartment in Scheveningen... and I wish my bathroom looked that stylish! To emphasize the connection with The Hague, the suites all have names such as ‘Mauritshuis’, ‘Paleis Noordeinde’ and ‘Torentje’.
Heineken in the ceiling The meeting room on the first floor is called ‘Ridderzaal’. Many centuries ago it was the meeting room of the knights. It’s a very light, large room which is suitable for meetings but also for weddings (‘t Goude Hooft is an official wedding location and for good reasons) as it has an amazing authentic atmosphere, beautiful views, original leaded glass windows and old Dutch texts (about beer!) engraved in the beams in the ceiling. How cool.
Mojitos coming up What else is new? On the way back from the meeting room, Corinne shows me the soon to be opened international cocktail bar. It looks cool and very suitable for a small business event or just drinks after work with colleagues. “When the cocktail bar opens, it will serve cocktails from all over the world, from Singapore Slings to Mojitos.” Yay, I can’t wait!
Parisian Then we move on to the basement, where Corinne shows me a brand new fully equipped club, with Parisian allure. During the renovation several secret underground corridors were found, which are now part of Club 1660. Organize your own party and dance till you drop! Besides that, the basement can also be used for private parties, weddings or business events.
Heaters and blankets Before I leave I quickly check out the menu. ‘t Goude Hooft is famous for its terrace, which is open all year round. In winter you find heaters and blankets outside to keep you warm. A hot chocolate with some poffertjes (little Dutch pancakes) might help too. The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere. The kitchen is open from 8.30 in the morning for breakfast untill ten o’clock in the evening for dinner and until midnight for a late night snack. ‘t Goude Hooft really qualifies as our living room!
‘t Goude Hooft Dagelijkse Groenmarkt 13 • 070 - 744 8830 • www.tgoudehooft.nl
Wine & Dine
Toff Scheveningen
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Located on the boulevard, this is one of Scheveningen’s true gems. Busy all throughout the year, fusion restaurant Toff offers you a stunning sea view whilst you enjoy your food and drinks. Advertorial by Megan Lloyd
Well-made cocktails, good food, live music every weekend and very friendly staff. It’s no secret that I love coming here. Rick, one of the cocktail masters, invited us behind the bar to make a few cocktails. It’s very inspiring to see someone talk about his profession with such passion and detail that it’s not hard to understand why this is one of the reasons their cocktail workshops are in high demand with hen do’s and birthdays. Going for a drink in Scheveningen can be tricky to plan in advance, as the weather conditions don’t always allow you to enjoy the benefits of the beach. You won’t have that problem here, just enjoy the lounge area (with a heated terrace!) and sip on your cocktail while you watch the sunset! Combine your visit with a walk on the beach, flying a kite with your children or a visit to the theater and make some memories that’ll last forever. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, high tea, dinner or cocktails at Toff and you won’t be disappointed! Open 7 days a week, from 10am till 10pm. Located on the boulevard between the pier and the Kurhaus.
Grand Café Restaurant Toff Boulevard Scheveningen Strandweg 55-57 Scheveningen Tel. 070 - 3 553 322
Restaurant Waves at the Kurhaus Classics with a modern touch
Advertorial by Wendy Troost
A fantastic sea view, a new kitchen with a new chef and a new menu: Waves at the Kurhaus has all the ingredients to attract broad crowds. I am talking to chef Marc Smeets, while enjoying the marvelous view. “The sea has been the inspiration for the new menu,” Marc tells me. The summer menu features lots of fish and vegetarian dishes. “I like working with Dutch products. I call my fish dealer, meat supplier and greengrocer every day. We can quickly change the Waves menu to offer our customers the freshest seasonal products.”
Marc likes combining classic dishes with a modern finish. He tells me about his shrimp cocktail, which has nothing to do with the traditional glass with lettuce, shrimps and mayonnaise. “Our shrimp cocktail is presented on a plate with Bloody Mary.” Now that sounds tempting! His favourite dish on the Waves menu at the moment though is the monkfish with orange. A classic dish with a Waves touch. Smeets likes the challenge that working for Waves at the Kurhaus presents. “So many individual customers at the same time, five course dinners for large groups… I really enjoy a good challenge!” He concludes by telling me about the ‘lollipop trolley’: a trolley with homemade lollipops to go with coffee or tea after dinner. Sounds promising!
Waves at the Kurhaus is open all day for breakfast, (business) lunch, dinner and snacks. On weekdays from 9am until midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays until 2am. In summer the chef organizes barbecues outside on the terrace.
Waves at the Kurhaus Gevers Deynootplein 30 Den Haag Tel: 070 416 2636 www.wavesatthekurhaus.nl
Photography: Anonymous Gentlemen
F.A.S.T. Surf village FREE ARCHITECTURE SURF TERRAIN
F.A.S.T is not new to the city, nor is it particularly unknown – if you have lived here for more than a month, the chances are you have heard of it. However we decided to include it in this superhero edition of ‘Spotted’ not because it is new or undiscovered but because it is a resilient, and much loved alternative fixture on The Hague scene.
This surf village, referring to itself as ‘Free Architecture Surf Terrain’ has a surf school, boarding facilities, a hostel, restaurant & bar and regularly hosts festivals, music, club nights and amazing artists. Acting as a platform for local, home-grown talent and bringing surf culture to The Hague, F.A.S.T down in Scheveningen is still here and staying strong, despite the
odds and repeated attempts to renovate, redevelop and change the area. So as the weather gets warmer, keep an eye on F.A.S.T for some great warm weather fun, and a way to support a local community based initiative.
Baladi Manouche Lebanese street-food at your front door Ali El-Hennoui and Maha Hodeib moved to the Netherlands in October last year, with the hopes of setting up a small street-food restaurant having sold all their belongings and left their home country, Lebanon. They had difficulties finding a loan, so they turned to crowdfunding to find investment for their business, and the results are impressive. The store on the Torenstraat is up, running and selling out of their fragrant and flavourful street-food. Their specialty is Manouche, Lebanese breads topped with spices, cheeses and meats and they are the first restaurant in the Netherlands to sell it. Their drinks; Jallab, Lebanese Lemonade and homemade Ayran are all traditional, and the Knefeh is a must-try.
Photography courtesy of Baladi Manouche
Spotted
Barelli Comic-lovers, assemble! Stripwinkel Barelli is a cozy little comic book store in Zeeheldenkwartier, one of the last of its kind in The Hague, and a treasure trove of adventures and mysteries. With eleven years of experience, the store boasts an impressive collection of thousands of titles, mostly works of Dutch and Belgian cartoonists. Rather than epic battles between superheroes and villains, the shop’s library chronicles the adventures of beloved everyman heroes from the past decades; Tintin, Blake and Mortimer, Spike and Suzy and hundreds more, with new items coming in weekly. Although most of the titles are in Dutch, they also have a selection of English comics and can order for you any of your favourites.
DELICE
Photography: Arto Salojarvi
Stripwinkel Barelli Zoutmanstraat 80 2518 GT The Hague www.stripwinkelbarelli.nl
Your pantry in the hague
Andreana & Bastian Jendral grew up in the Deli business; food is in their blood. With their literal life-time of experience, extensive product knowledge and passion they opened Delice, in New Babylon in 2012. Delice feels less like a delicatessen and more like an expansive kitchen stocked with the best Europe has to offer, from teas to the finest oils and vinegars. Located in the centre of The Hague it is both a convenient and atmospheric place to stop, whether you want a midday coffee, a gift for an occasion or just an excuse to stock up your pantry.
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Boston Trader’s personal approach:
“Make a joke, break the ice” Advertorial by Wendy Troost
Almost thirty years ago Johan Willem Koen started Boston Trader together with his wife, Kristel Koen. I talk to him while enjoying an excellent cappuccino in the small café in their multi brand store on Plaats 20. “We started out in 1985 as a very small shop with men’s shirts and ties. Soon we expanded to a full collection of menswear and in 1999 we added womenswear.” The store moved a couple of times and now Boston Trader has two shops on Plaats, together occupying 500 square meters of high end fashion. One of the stores is a listed building that used to be Vincent van Gogh’s studio, a beautiful shop with a rich history. Boston Trader boasts high fashion brands such as Armani (all lines), Pal Zileri, Kenzo, Stone Island, Paul Smith, Elisabetta Franchi, Pinko and Patrizia Pepe and stands out because of its personal service and customized tailoring. “We pick specific items from all these designer collections and we sell a unique mix,” says Johan Willem. “We want to be approachable and a joke often works well to break the ice with new customers.” Long-term customers sometimes come all the way from Belgium and Germany to do their shopping at Boston Trader in The Hague and they keep coming back. “Our team gives honest and personal advice to customers, that is our strength and it keeps people coming back to us.” Boston Trader • Plaats 20, The Hague • 070 - 362 02 79 • www.bostontrader.nl
a z s i e b b i v i
Live Music by Hot Ice ft. Paul Powell & Friends at The Harbour Club Scheveningen! Agenda 2015 1, 2 & 3 May 12, 13 & 14 June
3, 4 & 5 July 4, 5, & 6 September
2, 3 & 4 October 6,7 & 8 November
11, 12, 13, 24, 25 & 26 December
Friday & Saturday starts at 19.00 hrs Sunday starts at 16.00 hrs The Harbourclub Scheveningen Dr. Lelykade 5 - 13 | T. 070 - 891 32 24
www.theharbourclub.nl THC SCH IbizaVibes 212x140.indd 1
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Beauty & fashion
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The seventies are back in a big way this summer! So dust off your lava lamp, set your Instagram filter to ‘earlybird’ and put on those flares. Crochet, fringing, summer suede… What’s not to love with this effortless boho-chic summer 2015 trend? The Underground went seventies shopping and we found some nice fringe and suede for you. Check these out! By Wendy Troost
Festival shorts Dutch fashion label Scotch & Soda wants people to love their clothes and enjoy wearing them. Take these denim inspired summer shorts for instance. They feature a stretch cotton blend and a frayed hemline and go very well with this summer’s seventies trend. Perfect for your festival look. Make sure you order them in time for Parkpop! www.scotch-soda.com
Handmade with love If you are looking for a beautiful suede fringed bag, look no further. Trendy Dutch label Treasures Design has plenty of options in various colours. Combining handwork with Dutch design, Treasures also offers a range of small leather goods, hand embroidered leather scarves and jewelry. Available online www.bagsz.nl.
Hopi-Navajo
Authentic Native American store If you’re looking for some truly authentic fringes, go to Hopi-Navajo in the Molenstraat. This little shop sells unique, hand-made products that the owners have imported themselves from the U.S. for twenty years now. They travel from the South West of the United States to Alaska twice a year, to buy their products directly from the Native Americans. The shop is an experience by itself. It looks like a little Native American museum, with special items some of which date back to the early 1900s. Hopi-Navajo is the only shop in The Netherlands that sells authentic Native American items. Whether you are looking for a boho suede fringe bag or shirt, some beads to create your own necklace or hand-made jewelry with beautiful Northern American turquoise, Hopi-Navajo is the place. Molenstraat 32, The Hague www.hopinavajo.nl
The Hague’s most creative Vixen
By Ailie Conor
From cyborgs and superheroes to monsters and maids of honour; Mandy Rond has worked with them all. Based out of her cozy studio in the trendy Zeeheldenkwartier the young entrepreneur has been doing makeup since she was 14, starting with bridal looks and branching out into the bizarre. tional cosmetics and materials have put this talented young woman at the head of teams working with everything from Bridal parties, to designing and applying body paint for a production of the Lion King. Sitting among plush fabrics, fake hair, glittery make-up and hand-made crowns Mandy says that her specialty is “Creating complete looks… Head to toe creations”. Looking through her extensive portfolio, and the projects displayed around her studio this is clear. Rather than having a passion for a particular style or discipline, when it comes to design Mandy’s passion is creating a custom customer experience, whether creating a gorgeous, natural party look or something of which Sharon Needles would be jealous.
Photo by Titus Davidheimann Beek
Mandy’s father is a hairdresser, and her mother a make-up artist so creativity and cosmetics are in her blood, and with 15 years in the industry it is clear they are also her passion. In addition to hair and make-up, she sells clothing and accessories through her company Vixen’s Creations, which offers everything from custom body-harnesses to latex unicorn horns. Although a natural creative, such a diverse skill set was not entirely natural. Having studied Graphic Design and then Cosmetics in Leiden, Mandy is now completing her masters in special effects in Amsterdam. This extensive education in design, make-up as well as non-conven-
Shooting for the stars... By Megan Lloyd
Upon completing her masters, Mandy wants to stay in The Hague and keep developing her custom look business, offering everything from one-on-one make-up classes to fully designed costumes, in addition to this making Vixen’s Creation an international business. “Ultimately, I aim to have my own small product line of special effect make-up which are suitable for professionals, but also for amateurs and enthusiasts.” With her masters almost complete, Mandy’s trajectory is on the upwards incline, so keep a keen eye on her Vixen’s Creations Facebook page. And whether you are a newbie wanting help with a cosplay look for the upcoming anime-con, looking for a local cosmetics expert for an occasion, or wanting something creative and custom-made, hit Mandy up and she can offer you sophistication, spook and everything in-between. Get in touch with her through vixen.mandy@gmail.com
Imagine being a teenager, a girly girl that loves nail art, going shopping and spending time with your friends and you want to join a sports club. Most girls would probably choose swimming, horse riding, field hockey or ice-skating. Saskia Radersma wanted to shoot with an air pistol. “A friend of my father came to the house and joined K.S.V. Oranje-Nassau, a shooting club in The Hague. He invited me to go with him. And from that moment on, I was hooked. I didn’t really know what to expect beforehand, but when I went there, I realized that’s it what I want to do. It has nothing to do with violence. It is about knowing your body and it really does make you feel zen. If you’re stressed, shooting can really calm you down. With yoga, you are zen and you find your inner peace. Shooting is the same. Even when I’m shooting in competitions, I can let go of the pressure, find my zen and concentrate on the target.” But still, how do you explain this to your friends when you’re so young, as it’s not a very common sport for girls? “They thought it was really cool. They asked me if I wanted to become a sniper, haha! Yes, shooting has had a bad reputation, but it’s just as violent as being a chef. A chef uses knives for his profession. He uses it to cut food, I use my gun to shoot at targets, nothing else. It is far removed from anything that’s got to do with violence.”
Photo by Lumiere Blanche Photography
“It has this reputation of being a man’s sport. But when you look abroad, that’s not the case at all. It would be nice to have a lot more girls practising the sport. Going to a shooting range isn’t something most schools do on their sports day, so people don’t easily get in contact with the sport, which is a shame. They try out football, hockey or ice-skating at school and if their friends are doing it, they want to do the same thing. But I haven’t met anyone that came with me to try it out, that didn’t like it instantly.“ At the moment, Saskia does this full-time. She has competed all over Europe and even in Curacao. She’s also a board member of the shooting club Oranje Nassau and one of the youth trainers. She does this with her father, who also started shooting when he saw his daughter doing it more and more. Her ultimate goal is the Olympics. “The next Olympics will difficult to get qualified for, as I just missed the qualification for the European Championships by a few points. But I’m already looking ahead to 2020 in Tokyo. Hopefully, by then, the shooting ranges in the Netherlands will be buzzing with young athletes and we’ll have a good team to represent the Netherlands with!” Would you like to know more about joining or getting lessons from Saskia? Please visit www.ksvoranjenassau.nl for more information.
In the Spotlight
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7 Beauty Ingredients That Stop Superheroes Aging By Azra Secerbegovic
Even Superheroes have to deal with it, at least when it comes to skin problems: spots, rashes, splotches, wrinkles and even sagging skin. But what do they use to solve their issues and keep looking good? Here are the non-toxic ingredients that they search for and some of the beauty products that contain the elements they may be using in their quest to keep their perfect skin.
Hyaluronic acid, often called nature’s “moisture magnet,” this molecule can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It binds moisture to the skin to plump, soften and smooth, along with tone and hydrate. Peter Thomas Roth VIZ-1000™ 75% Hyaluronic Acid Complex or Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Night Moisturizer are good options with the different price tag.
Oats and Licorice to combat skin inflammation
Active soy to defeat Hyperpigmentation
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Inflammation is one of the most common dermatological problems. It has different forms and levels: minor redness to chronic skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. When the skin is exposed to UV radiation or irritating ingredients such as synthetic fragrance in soaps and skin care, it produces inflammatory “hormones” cytokines and chemokines.
Hyperpigmentation occurs when the body produces too much melanin, causing a darkening of the skin. These discolored splotches, or “age spots,” result from excessive sun exposure, genetics and even reactions to medications. Research has linked topical products containing soy to improved skin tone and texture thanks to its natural proteins, including serine protease inhibitors, which help to inhibit the production of excess melanin. Because soy is one of the top genetically engineered crops, natural brands should focus on formulating with non-GE soy. Rose Infinity range from Aromatherapy Associates and Fresh Skincare Set at Sephora.
These acids include glycolic, lactic, malic, citric and tartaric acids. They help to exfoliate, stimulate collagen to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve roughness and uneven pigmentation. Liquid Gold Intensive Night Repair Serum by Alpha-H.
Oats have long been used as a skin soother, but until recently we didn’t fully understand how and why they work. Research now points to avenanthramide, a component of whole oat grain that has antiinflammatory and antihistaminic activity that inhibits the release of pro-i nflammatory hormones. Aveeno is the good option to try. Licorice: This ingredient shows promise for combating pigmentation and easing inflammation, including from eczema. According to research, when applied to the skin, gel containing 2 percent licorice helps relieve symptoms of itching, swelling and redness. Aromatherapy Associates Overnight Repair Mask is an excellent option.
Antioxidants and Acids to vanquish Fine lines and Wrinkles Collagen is the protein in skin that keeps it taut and wrinkle free. When collagen breaks down from stress, lack of sleep and exposure to environmental free radicals such as from UV rays or certain foods (white sugar and fried foods), or when production slows as we age, the result is fine lines and wrinkles. Skin losing moisture is another culprit behind wrinkles. The antioxidant Rosehip (Rosa Mosqueta) Oil is rich in vitamins A and C to help fight free radicals and promote cell growth, this restorative oil also has a high content of essential fatty acids that support skin elasticity and boost collagen. Caudalie Vinosource Nourishing Concentrate or Nourishing Oil Aromatherapy Associates.
Triumph over sagging skin; the ultimate superhero natural remedy is Copper peptides With aging comes the loss of resiliency and production of elastin fibers, which causes skin to become less firm and start to sag. Copper peptides reduce inflammation and rejuvenate skin, stimulate collagen and elastin formation and firm sagging skin by improving skin’s strength. Cult 51 Immediate Effect Serum is an excellent option.
GROOVY! Vinyl on your nose Advertorial by Wendy Troost
Paper, wood, bamboo, stone or vinyl. Not the first materials you would expect to find as the frame of a pair of glasses. The Good Life Vision sells frames made of a range of unexpected materials and they look extremely cool. Ryan Bakas, the owner of the recently opened eyewear shop in New Babylon Shopping Center, sits me down in his beautifully decorated shop. So what’s with the vinyl? “These frames are cut out of old vinyl records. This brand, Vinylize, is handmade in Budapest and the name of the artist is engraved in the frame.” I have never seen a pair of glasses that looked this cool. But that’s not all. Besides well-known brands such as Gucci and Ray-Ban, Ryan sells a brand called Artesia which designs handmade lightweight frames covered in a very thin layer of stone creating a beautiful matte look. And a brand called Tree which, unsurprisingly, makes trendy frames out of wood. The Good Life Vision also sells a wide range of sunglasses and of course contact lenses and colour lenses. Prices for contacts start at € 6 per month. Until the end of the year The Good Life Vision has a special offer on contacts: buy two packs and you get your money back on one pack. Besides that, Ryan also sells a special brand of contacts for people with deviant eye shapes. Not all eye curves are the same and especially people of Asian origin can’t always wear the standard lenses sold in Europe. They are well served at Ryan’s shop. Ryan opened his store in December 2014. In his shop, with a warm, living room like atmosphere, he will receive you with open arms, personal attention and a cup of coffee. Highly recommended!
Music
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Typhoon: Love is the boss Photocredits: Dave Stoker, ‘How Many Clicks’.
By Pascalle Kok
Superhero: Glenn de Randamie (aka Typhoon) Superpower: Love Level: Expert For the last couple of months Holland has been possessed by a swirling Typhoon, rustling through the country. Grasping Edison prizes, 3FM awards, the position of house band for ‘De Wereld Draait Door’ and the chance to perform for the Dutch royal family - to only name a few- Glenn de Randamie’s career as the rapper Typhoon has skyrocketed. Seven years after releasing his first album, his long-awaited second album ‘Lobi Da Basi’ (Surinamese for ‘Love is the boss’) was not only received well by his rock-solid hip-hop audience, but throughout Holland. And, while interviewing Glenn, this openhearted boss really stole The Underground’s heart as well. Winning several awards for ‘Best Album’, ‘Best Single’, ‘Best Hiphop Artist’, ‘Best Lyrics’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Best National Artist’ and ‘Best Live Act’, Typhoon is unstoppable.
Condition of new music “In 2010 we travelled to Suriname to write some music. We were missing something we couldn’t find in Holland and I really needed to get away for a while. At the time I was in a phase of self-actualisation where I was exploring my roots and felt like I lacked selfknowledge and acceptance. While there, we found this little house with a sign on it: ‘Lobi Da Basi’. The chief of the village translated: “It means: Love is the boss”. It made me think a lot about the meaning of love, the importance of loving and accepting yourself and embracing the way you are. This fuelled the musical process and while making the album I wanted to connect the three continents where my roots are founded: Europe, America and Africa. Aside from hip-hop, you
can find the influence of gospel and blues in the music of Lobi Da Basi as well. While making the album, I realised I didn’t want to look for the way the music should sound like, but rather find an expression of who I am, who we are as a band and the way we feel. We’ve gone through a tremendous journey both personally and musically.” Glenn feels that Typhoon now finally found itself: “From the start I said this would
negativity in the world today. I think people felt a need for positivity, which Lobi Da Basi delivers in its music. I think also staying true to yourself is key, people see you put your heart in it. It was never the intention to create a pop album, although now I’m suddenly a pop artist. That feels very weird. I still haven’t comprehended yet how big we have gotten, winning Edisons and stuff. I just enjoy playing with the band, it gives me energy and I can’t wait to create new music with them again this year.”
“You can not control the outcome of your actions, but your actions alone. So I make sure that my actions are as clear and honest as possible and the rest is up to the universe.” – Typhoon.
Setting the example Typhoon is seen as something of an example in the Netherlands. This made The Underground curious to know more about the role models of the man himself. “In general, people who dare to be absolutely themselves, setting an example for others. Those people are my heroes. This often happens when you put your heart in something. Free and great thinkers who dare to think of the bigger picture and not over-indulge in self-criticism and selfgrowth set a true example for me.”
be the condition of new music. This is the foundation Typhoon will build upon. We succeeded with that in Lobi Da Basi and it feels a little like a graduation; this was the best we could do, it’s exactly the way it should be. We earned our ‘bachelors’, the next step will be our ‘masters’!”
Ambitions
Pop artist
Recently, the Dutch Typhoon swept over Belgium, with the hit ‘Hemel valt’ most played on Radio 1. Check out one of Typhoon’s show some time, and we guarantee you’ll dance like you’ve never danced before; all in the name of ‘Lobi’.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the way Lobi Da Basi has been received among children; most kids love the album. They might not understand the lyrics, but they get the music and the intention, which is genuine.” Although the power of the music should not be underestimated, Glenn had not expected that the album would be received so well. “At least, not like this and I was shocked this became so big. I think it’s because of a combination of different factors. I improved a lot lyric-wise; I managed to create my own universal language along the way. Also, we evolved as a band. And timing played an important role: there’s a lot of
“First of all it would be amazing if we could take our music across borders! I want to bring out an EP, and I’d like to bring out a book sometime. But most of all, my ambition lies in being happy, living by my own nature, wherever and in whatever way that may be.”
Typhoon and The Hague Typhoon is definitely not unfamiliar with The Hague. Collabs and jam sessions with, among others, The Hague’s band Kern Koppen and touring through Holland brings him here often times. You can also catch him on the waves in Scheveningen this summer taking surfing lessons and hanging out at Aloha Surfing School.
BELLS OF YOUTH
Written by Daniel Taylor, photo ©Isabella Prins
How many non-disco bands have you heard of that are able to convincingly rock out on roller skates? If your answer was none, you might well be in for a surprise; after releasing their debut album ‘BOY’ just over a year ago, Amsterdam-based band Bells Of Youth is already working hard on the completion of their second album, which is expected to be released later this year. We met up with the band backstage at The Hague’s own Paard van Troje, and were greeted with an infectious enthusiasm that clearly resonates throughout their music. ‘I understand the band has a musical background originating from your studies at the Rock Academy. How do you look back on that time?’ I guess we have some cool stories about our time there… It was fun to be living within walking distance from each other, that’s something we can’t really say we do now. I think we mostly had lots of time to drink beer. We didn’t really start making music together until we were pretty much graduated, so the band is kind of independent of the Rock Academy.
came out of our tests as being the best, the one from Tivoli; we used to taste the wines backstage at whatever location we were playing that night. ‘I don’t believe you’re too critical in that department though, right? Evidence of that might be a little statement I read on your website -and this is a direct quote-: ‘despite this wine’s disappointing performance, we wound up finishing four bottles of it anyway…’’ In our defense, it had the word ‘slurp’ printed on the bottle, so we were all too happy to oblige… ‘It might well be a joke but, is it true that the band likes to take a stab at playing songs like ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and ‘Freak on a Leash’ during live shows?’ *laughing* in our dreams maybe! Where did you find that? ‘I have my sources…’ I think we posted a set list for the album release with those songs on it once… but I guess the answer is, who knows! We do play ‘Come As You Are’ as fast as we can though, until it becomes some kind of salsa. *the band starts humming the song in unison* ‘I saw a lot of roller-skating going on in your video of ‘Physical’, is that something any of you like to do on a regular basis?’
‘I noticed that besides being musicians you guys are also wine connoisseurs of sorts in your spare time, so the question is, what would you recommend?’
Some of us think it’s great, others simply hated it. That was the first time we played roller-hockey and it certainly lead to some hilarious situations. We had arranged a lesson in advance though; it was one of those moments where we were just constantly laughing the whole day long. A few of us were pretty black and blue after that.
Well, we’re not quite finished with our tests yet. I guess we’re pretty much finished with it now, but who knows, it might still come back. There was one that
‘After having released your debut album ‘BOY’, you’re currently working on completing your second album. What can we expect next?’
Nothing but hits! Joking of course… but it’ll certainly be more layered than the last one. We’re aiming to write twenty to twenty-five songs for it, and we’ve written about thirteen as of now; once we’ve done that we’re going to have to make a selection. The biggest difference with the first album is that many of us have been playing our instruments for quite a while longer now. When we were recording the first record, we felt like we just had to lay it down spontaneously, right then and there. Now we’ve had some time to grow on our instruments, so that’s probably one of the biggest differences this time around. ‘After winning the 3FM Serious Talent Award, you made your first international live debut on quite the stage, Sziget Festival. How did it feel to make your international live debut on a stage like that straight away?’ Just awesome! We tried planning a little tour around it but that fell a little short of expectations, since we eventually only got one show booked in a venue in Germany and it was pretty last-minute. We ended up stopping in a bunch of cities like Prague, and spent a lot of time playing in the streets instead. We kind of made it into a week-long holiday, so there was certainly a lot of instrument-hauling going on, but I guess we turned out really strong because of that. So if you’re looking for a nicely toned body, just head out on tour! ‘I read an article in Sp!ts which said that the inspiration for your video of ‘Snow’ came from one of the band members’ experiences with a magic mushroom trip. Care to elaborate on that?’ That was Lisa! Well, the clip for ‘Snow’ basically consisted of a bunch of snippets of baby animals in the snow… we put on the DVD of Earth with the sound muted and decided to play stuff like Aerosmith and Culture Club in the background instead. It was pretty funny seeing a little baby fox emerging from a hole with ‘Karma karma karma karma karma chameleon!’ playing in the background!
A Dream, a Challenge and a Tosti By Megan Lloyd
When we heard about Tosti van Josti, we weren’t sure what to expect. The name is quite daring. The concept even more. Jasper van Kool and Sam Holtus wanted to take the challenge, because they didn’t want ‘just another’ lunchroom. They also wanted to give people with a mild intellectual disability an opportunity, a job where they would be appreciated and where they could flourish. Most of the people that work at Tosti van Josti have autism. We think that makes them superheroes. They are able to work in the centre of a busy city, with lots of customers. This is really unusual, as people with autism tend to react quite strongly to change, pressure and a queue of people waiting to be served. Owner Jasper Kool explains: “We do our research and we get help from professionals, but it’s still a challenge and something we haven’t dealt with before. But we were determined to create something that makes a difference and gives back to the community. Thankfully, the first couple of weeks went really well. They’ve created their own bubble within Tosti van Josti. They feel safe and at ease. More than that, they feel proud that they work here and they really put their heart into their task at hand.
When they feel it’s getting a bit too much, they can always calm down in a separate room we have upstairs with a glass of lemonade. We have a few people that work here that guide them and have experience with working with people with autism. It really does make you proud when you see your staff serving meals and interacting with customers. This is such a huge step for them! Of course, there will always be moments when things go wrong, but that’s OK! People that come here might have to wait a little longer than in a ‘regular’ lunchroom, but that’s something people can expect and none of them have complained about that.”
Wine & Dine
Photo by Arto Salojarvi
It’s no surprise that they serve lots of different tosti’s (even a chocolate and banana tosti – yum!). They also have a few panini options and their homemade lemonade is still the best I’ve tasted thus far. The interior is very open and inviting. We love the fact that they have actual swings, so you can sit on a swing whilst eating your tosti. What’s more fun than that?
Tosti van Josti Korte Poten 5 2511EB Den Haag www.tostivanjosti.nl
Long or short stay... Enjoy the unique ‘golden’ experience in the suites of ’t Goude Hooft.
PUBQUIZ EVERY THURSDAY Start 20:30 Max 5 pers per team • €5 per team No quizfee when having dinner with your team. Also private quiz possible for your company
info@tgoudehooft.nl, www.tgoudehooft.nl
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Dagelijkse Groenmarkt 13, 2513 AL Den Haag, Tel.: 070 7448830
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Noordeinde 140 • Den Haag
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JEDI mindfulness Chris Goto-Jones
Always remember: your focus determines your reality. [Qui-Gon Jinn] A surprisingly large number of people who turn up to mindfulness classes are there because they want to be Jedi. I’m not only talking about young adults, for whom the Force has been ruined forever by the midi-chlorians of the prequels, but also forty-something adults, for whom meditating in the swamps of Dagobah with Yoda is the very definition of spiritual training. While it is certainly the case that mindfulness meditation today has a strongly scientific evidence-base, with hundreds of academic papers appearing every year in Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience to show the benefits (and risks) of the practice, it remains the case that people come to mindfulness with an astonishing range of expectations. And the number wanting to become Jedi is non-trivial.
of a specific attitude. It requires us to pay attention to the world in the present moment, deliberately, and non-judgementally. This means accepting change and not clinging to things:
‘I don’t want things to change.’ ‘But you can’t stop the change, any more than you can stop the sun from setting.’ [Anakin and his mother] And it also means recognising when we are obsessing or ruminating over thoughts or memories or fears that debilitate us in the present, even though they refer to things lost in the past or hidden in the future. It is rumination itself that leads us into the dark places of our minds.
You’re focussing on the negative, Anakin, be mindful of your thoughts. [Obi-wan Kenobi] In the end, as Yoda predicts from the start, it is Anakin’s deep sense of attachment and fear of loss that drives him to the Dark Side. He persistently fails to be ‘mindful of the living force’ in the present moment. His attention is constantly elsewhere and elsewhen. As Yoda laments of his son, Luke: ‘always with you what cannot be done.’ It’s something of an irony that the greatest darkness is unleashed on the galaxy by the failure of a Jedi to be more mindful, given that the Jedi Order appears to be based upon a regime of disciplined mindfulness training. But that’s a spectacular version of a very sensible lesson for us all.
Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to … suffering. [Yoda]
A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind ... This one, a long time have I watched: all his life has he looked away to the future, to the horizon … never his mind on where he was … on what he was doing. [Yoda]
One important thing for us to remember is that this Jedi mindfulness phenomenon is like an iceberg: for every one meditator who admits to it, there are ten who are secretly aspiring to become Jedi. I know I am. Are you? The image that accompanies this article is by Roxy van Beek, who also did all the art for Leiden University’s www.mindfulnessphilosophy.com
When you consider the amount of time an average Jedi seems to spend sitting in silent meditation, quieting their mind so that they can hear the sounds of the universe around them, it is not surprising that people associate them with mindfulness. However, the real meaning of mindfulness does not reside in the practice of meditation per se, but rather in the cultivation
Mandates by Molly I’m finally opening up all the windows after the winter and the sunlight is shining into some dusty corners. Any advice on how to approach spring cleaning?
All of my friends are planning their summer vacations but I don’t have the money to go on a big trip abroad this year. How can I spend my summer holidays?
Help! I’ve been a Batman fanatic since I was a kid but my boyfriend is a huge fan of Superman. With the new Batman vs. Superman movie coming out, how will the relationship survive?
Take a page out of Santa’s playbook and make a list and check it twice. Go room by room in your house and take note of what needs to be cleaned and organised. Then get together with a friend or group of friends who are also working on some household projects, make a schedule and keep each other to it.
Get a Museumkaart and hit up the best museums in the Netherlands. (My favorites are the Mauritshuis and the Van Loon.) Get out that bucket list and see what TV, movies and books you haven’t seen or read yet. Grab a Netflix subscription and library card and cross them all off. Plan a few short, closer-to-home holidays. Have you been to Friesland? Or Maastricht? Lots of places in Belgium are doable in a day trip and if you pack a lunch, not even that expensive.
It is a disagreement for the ages. Place a bet on the outcome of the movie. Set the stakes low, such as the loser does the dishes for a week. Then stop arguing about it. Remember, at the end of the day, Superman and Batman are ‘on the same team’ and so should you two.
Lifestyle
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PICKS Dutch Beer Tasting Festival GROTE KERK, THE HAGUE 28-30 MAY
Nothing says summer like beer and sun, so what better way to get ready for the season than heading to the Dutch Beer Tasting Festival, part of Dutch Beer Week, at the Grote Kerk. From the 28th till the 30th of May this festival offers the opportunity to taste over 150 types of beer from 40 breweries, including the best beers the Netherlands has to offer. Head to their website for more info and online tickets. www.weekvanhetnederlandsebier.nl
Voorjaarsontwaken dance festival KORZO, THE HAGUE 20-23 MAY
The yearly Spring dance festival will present the newest and most talented dance makers from home and abroad. This dance festival is a chance to see the most remarkable new performances and is made possible by the collaboration of Korzo and Nederlands Dans Theater that have joined forces to optimally support up-and- coming dance makers and to give them a suitable forum. Check out Den Haag Danst! Dance Date performance on Thursday 21sy May for a surprising interaction with dancers! Full programme and tickets: www.korzo.nl
Night at the Park ZUIDERPARK, THE HAGUE 27 JUNE
For the second year ‘Night at the Park’ will fill the Zuiderpark in The Hague with music lovers. Held the day before ‘Parkpop’ - one of Europe’s free festivals - Night at the Park boasts headline acts like Duran Duran, UB40, K’s Choice and ABBA Gold. Head down to Zuiderpark on the 27th of June from 2pm till 11pm for the sounds of 80s nostalgia. www.nightatthepark.nl
The Night of the Refugee
SPONSORED WALK FROM ROTTERDAM TO THE HAGUE 14 MAY If Superheroes are people who have overcome extreme adversity, who better suits this title than the thousands of Syrians leaving behind both their homes and families to flee the war, becoming refugees around the world. The 6th year of The Night of the Refugee is a chance to actively support these superheroes, by doing a sponsored walk from Rotterdam to The Hague on the night of the 14th of May. Get some friends together, get some sponsors and head to their website for more information and if you can’t participate, donate or support a local team. http://www.nachtvandevluchteling.nl/
ZZP Parade
The Business-to-Business Trade Fair for SMEs HAAGS ONDERNEMERSHUIS VAILLANTLAAN 154, THE HAGUE 30 MAY (10:00 - 16:00) The Hague Ondernemershuis is organizing an event for the creative self-employed entrepreneurs (ZZP) of The Hague. Carton pop-up stands will be located around the building where entrepreneurs can place their businesses in the spotlight. The event is open to people that are curious about new activities being set up in The Hague or just want to be inspired. Visitors can also participate in a number of workshops and presentations. More information at www.zzpparade.nl. Door admission is € 5.00.